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August 2012
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Volume 3 - Number 14
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SPECIAL FEATURE - 30TH OLYMPIC GAMES LONDON 2012
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition
London Games open with fun-filled show SEVEN young British athletes lit the cauldron at the London Olympics early Saturday, July 28 to mark the start of the 30th Olympic Games, at the finale of a humour-filled opening ceremony watched by more than one billion TV viewers. Departing from the tradition of choosing a gold medal winner to light the flame, the London organisers handed the honour to seven youngsters nominated by British Olympic heroes of the past. Five-time gold medallist rower Steve Redgrave had brought the torch into the Olympic Stadium in east London before passing it on to a series of young runners. They embraced their mentors, including decathlete Daley Thompson and middle-distance runner Kelly Holmes, before the teenagers lit a series of torches which hydraulically lifted to create a high-tech cauldron. Queen Elizabeth II, who had made a royal entrance like no other in a spoof film with James Bond actor Daniel Craig, declared the Games open “I declare open the Games of London, celebrating the 30th Olympiad of the modern era,” said the monarch. London took on the role of host nation for an unprecedented third time, which will feature over 10,000 athletes from 205 countries and run until August 12, during a colourful opening ceremony which celebrated British history, culture and eccentricity. International Olympic Committee Chief Jacques Rogge told the crowd of 80,000: “In a sense the Olympics are coming home,” recognising Britain’s role in developing modern sport.
The chief organiser of the Games, Sebastian Coe, thanked his fellow Britons for “making all this possible”. “In the next two weeks we will show all that has made London one of the greatest cities in the world,” he said. The show before the cauldron was lit was quintessentially British, as its creator, British film director Danny Boyle, had promised. The queen was shown parachuting from a helicopter with Craig into the stadium before the real 86-yearold monarch took her seat to loud applause. The show traced Britain’s development from a bucolic past through the Industrial Revolution before fast-forwarding to the present day. The show included a tribute to Britain’s state-run National Health Service while actor Kenneth Branagh, “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling and “Mr Bean” Rowan Atkinson all had roles. When the athletes paraded in, the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt sauntered into the stadium carrying the Jamaican flag. The Israeli team wore black handkerchiefs in their pockets to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre when 11 of their compatriots were killed after Palestinian extremists stormed the Athletes’ Village. Rogge had refused pleas to stage a minute’s silence in their memory at the ceremony. The British team was greeted with a huge roar from the crowd as they marched into the stadium last – an honour reserved for the hosts – behind four-time Olympic champion cyclist Chris Hoy. ©AFP Photo
©AFP Photo
©AFP Photo ©AFP Photo
Then came the dramatic cauldronlighting sequence. Football star David Beckham escorted the flame in a speedboat up the River Lea before it was passed on to Redgrave to bring it into the stadium. The stage is now set for superstars Bolt, Michael Phelps and Roger Federer to dazzle in competition, while an army of unsung competitors are also aiming for gold. A budget of £9.3 billion ($14.5 billion, 12 billion euros) has been spent on bringing the Games back to London. In the pool, Phelps, whose eight golds in Beijing took his overall medal tally to 16, needs three more to surpass the all-time record of 18. He has seven events in which to make more Games history and anchor a US team determined to continue its dominance against Australia and a Chinese squad spearheaded by 1500m free world record-holder Sun Yang. One of his biggest challengers is teammate Ryan Lochte, who has emerged as a serious threat in the 200m medley and 400m medley. Newly crowned Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins – who also appeared in the opening ceremony -- will fire up the home crowd in the cycling. Federer, having won a recordequalling seventh Wimbledon title, returns to the All England Club looking to add singles gold to the doubles he won with Swiss compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka four years ago. And the United States are hot favourites in the men’s basketball with a Dream Team boasting NBA superstars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. ■ (©AFP – London, United Kingdom – July 28, 2012)
©AFP Photo
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SPECIAL FEATURE - 30TH OLYMPIC GAMES LONDON 2012
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition
Australian media laud London opening gala astonishing moment in modern Olympic history,” News Limited said. “Records will always be broken, athletes will come and go, but we’ll never see anything like that again.” The ceremony “was like a party you never wanted to end, a book you didn’t want to finish”, it added. “Boyle’s vision was extraordinary in its scope; audacious in its imagination and at times its cheeky humour made Sydney seem positively stodgy in comparison.” ■
THE London Olympics opening ceremony was lauded as a “whimsical, riotous and very British” spectacle and an “obvious retort” to the tight discipline seen in Beijing by Australia’s press Saturday, July 28. Though the glittering showpiece was broadcast too late for the nation’s newspapers, starting at 5.30am Saturday local time, effusive online coverage declared Danny Boyle’s tribute to Britain a stunning success. “Boyle’s vivid and vibrant pageant set the tone for these Games and
perhaps even a new direction for the Olympic movement. Rio has a hard act to follow,” said the Sydney Morning Herald, describing it as “artistic genius” and “both unexpected and better than expected”. “His show did not take itself too seriously, but was never trivial. It was irreverent, but never disrespectful. It was clever, but did not outsmart itself. It was at once subversive and sublime.” Sydney hosted the Olympics 12 years ago and The Australian newspaper said Boyle had sought
to match the city for creativity and “deploy the wit and the selfawareness that the Chinese lacked” at the 2008 Beijing Games. “Celebrating everything from punk music to social media and the internet, the ceremony deliberately revelled in the chaos of Britain’s free society and popular culture in an obvious retort to the breathtaking order and intimidating precision and scale of Beijing’s open ceremony in 2008,” The Australian said. “The result was not quite as
charming as Sydney’s ceremony, on which it was modelled, nor as overwhelming and grandiose as Beijing’s but it was vibrant, stimulating and eclectic, just like London itself.” The Australian Broadcasting Corporation described it as a “whimsical, riotous and very British spectacle”, while News Limited said it had ensured London would always be remembered as “the Olympics when the Queen and James Bond jumped out of a helicopter”. “It could well have been the most
(©AFP – Sydney, Australia – July 28, 2012)
“A wild jumble of the celebratory and the fanciful” was the description given by The New York Times to Britain’s opening ceremony of the summer Olympic Games, which formally got underway in the British capital on Friday, July 27. The newspaper called the production “noisy, busy, witty” and “dizzying.” “It was neither a nostalgic sweep through the past nor a bold vision of a brave new future,” wrote Times correspondent Sarah Lyall. “Rather,
it was a sometimes slightly insane portrait of a country that has changed almost beyond measure since the last time it hosted the Games, in the grim postwar summer of 1948.” Wall Street Journal correspondents Geoffrey Fowler and Cassell Bryan-Low noted that “London sought to distinguish itself from Beijing’s 2008 spectacular by joining spectators and technology into an unusual team for the opening ceremony of the 2012
Olympics: the human Jumbotron.” “The four-hour-long show paid tribute to British history and culture,” The Journal correspondents wrote. “It played heavily to local favorites, though some might have been lost on the global TV audience – like a dancing and singing tribute to Britain’s National Health Service. Noting the participation in the show of renowned British celebrities such as Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and former Beatle Paul McCartney, The Journal pointed out that “no star
was bigger than Queen Elizabeth II, who gamely acted alongside James Bond star Daniel Craig – corgies at her side – in a segment pre-recorded at Buckingham Palace.” Washington Post correspondent Anthony Faiola noted that the message of the show “seemed to honor the quite serious Olympics – which London is hosting for a record third time – while simultaneously reminding the world that the next two weeks should also be about having a bit of fun.”
Philip Hersh of The Los Angeles Times wrote that “an atmosphere of whimsy and party won out over pomp and circumstance during an Olympic opening ceremony that allowed an economically beleaguered Britain to pat itself on the back.” “The ceremony could not have been more of a contrast from Beijing’s four years ago, replacing Chinese militaristic precision with British fancifulness,” the LA Times pointed out. ■ (©AFP – Washington, USA – July 28, 2012)
US papers hail “fanciful” Olympic ceremony
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SPECIAL FEATURE - 30TH OLYMPIC GAMES LONDON 2012
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition
Philippine Embassy in London fetes Philippine Olympic Team
Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Enrique Manalo (6th from left) and Deputy Chief of Mission Rey Catapang (5th from left) join Chef de Mission Manny Lopez and the rest of the Philippine Olympic Team for a photo in front of one of the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines buses in London.
Olympic-related reception attended by Minister Browne. “The Philippines is a real partner country for Britain in Asia, and we hope that you will also see Britain as a partner country in Europe. The Olympics is another opportunity to further build and develop the friendship. To all of the Filipino athletes and coaches, you are so welcome here and I wish you so much luck,” said Minister Browne.
The Philippine Team is composed of: • Archers Rachelle Anne Cabral and Mark Javier, coached by Jae Hun Chung; • Boxer Mark Anthony Barriga, coached by Roel Velasco. • Swimmers Jasmine Alkhaldi and Jessie Khing Lacuna, coached by Carlos Brosas; • Shooter Paul Brian Rosario, coached by Gay Corral;
Ambassador Manalo and Foreign Office Minister of State Jeremy Browne MP, pose with Filipino Olympic Torchbearers Steven Cheung (leftmost) and Reymund Enteria (rightmost) at the reception.
• Track and field bets Marestella Torres and Rene Herrera, coached by Joseph Sy; • Judoka TomohikoHoshina, coached by Yushiro Sato; • BMX rider Daniel Caluag, coached by Jason Richardson; and • Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, coached by Antonio Agustin. Also present at the event were Filipino torchbearers Reymund Enteria and Steven Cheung, and
global runner Cesar Guarin. The archery team will kick-off the Philippines’ participation in the Olympics on July 27. That evening, weightlifter Diaz, as the official flag-bearer, will lead the Philippine Team during the official Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Park. The Philippines first participated in the Olympics in 1924. ■ (DFA – July 27, 2012)
Original Creation and Copyright Reserved By: Hello Philippines 2012
THE Philippine Team to the London 2012 Olympics was feted by Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Enrique Manalo during an evening reception at the Chancery last July 23. The team was led by Chef de Mission Manny Lopez and National Olympic Committee (NOC) administrative coordinator Arsenio Lacson Jr., and included nine of the 11 athletes competing in the Olympics. “This is an exciting time for the Filipino nation and an even bigger thrill for the Filipino community in Britain. I know that each and every Filipino will be solidly behind you. You are already winners in our eyes,” exclaimed Ambassador Manalo. “Sports have the power to unify and to inspire. The Philippine Government, under the leadership of President Benigno S. Aquino III, fully backs the development of sports and the improvement of the welfare of our athletes, in collaboration with local government units and with the support of the private sector,” he added. Gracing the event was Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Minister of State Jeremy Browne MP and FCO Asia Pacific Director Peter Wilson. It was the first
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SPECIAL FEATURE - 30TH OLYMPIC GAMES LONDON 2012
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition
World press entranced by ‘utterly British’ Olympics opener THE world’s press gushed over the “utterly British” opening ceremony for the London Olympics, even if some foreign viewers may have struggled to keep up with its quirky sense of humour. After seven years of planning, the Games kicked off Friday, July 27 in a gleaming new stadium in a once rundown area of the British capital with a colourful showcase devised by “Slumdog Millionaire” director Danny Boyle. From Asia to Europe and from Australia to the Americas, there was praise for the showcase by Oscarwinning director Danny Boyle, which featured Queen Elizabeth II in a starring role alongside super-spy James Bond. Britain’s often sceptical press all ran upbeat headlines about the fourhour show that played out in front of 80,000 spectators in the Olympic Stadium in east London. The centre-right Times ran with “A Flying Start” headline emblazoned over a souvenir wraparound photograph of the Red Arrows demonstration team flying over the stadium as the sun set in the background. The regular front-page headline of the paper inside was “Shaken and Stirred”, a reference to Queen Elizabeth II’s role in a spoof film shown at the ceremony alongside James Bond, alias actor Daniel Craig. The film showed the pair parachute from a helicopter into the stadium before the real monarch took her seat to loud applause. The hard-to-please Daily Mail went with “Blast-Off!”, splashing a picture of five Olympic rings showering fireworks onto the stage below during the ceremony. ©thetechjournal.com
©Michael Oakes - prsupdate.co.uk
©AFP/Kazuhiro Nogi
The rival Daily Mirror went with “Maj-ical”, another reference to Her Majesty the queen, while The Guardian ran with “Night of Wonder”, a nod to the show’s official title “Isles of Wonder”. The pro-Conservative Daily Telegraph went with the headline “Going for Gold” over the same picture of fireworks cascading from the Olympic rings, and wrote “Brilliant, breathtaking, bonkers and utterly British”. While the Sun tabloid went with “Golden Wonder” printed over the same image. The often unconventional Independent went with “On your marks, Get wet, Go!” beside a photo of diver preparing for a training centre at the Aquatics centre at the Olympic Park. Meanwhile the Financial Times business broadsheet went with “Cue London for greatest show on earth: Olympics open with celebration of Britain” above a picture taken from among the spectators at the ceremony. About one billion people around the planet watched and more than 80 world leaders and royals were in the stadium for the show, which
kept Boyle’s promise to showcase British history but with a dash of the nation’s offbeat humour. Papers around the world featured pictures of the blazing orange Olympic rings seemingly descending from the skies into the stadium. The Press Trust of India news agency said London “presented a vibrant picture of Great Britain’s rich heritage and culture”. It noted that the song “Abide With Me”, which featured in the show, was a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi. French newspapers fell under the spell of a show permeated by a typically British sense of humour – and showed no sign of sour grapes despite Paris losing out to London in 2005 in the bidding to host the Games. “We love these Games!” sports daily L’Equipe said – in English. “The ceremony offered yesterday to the entire world by the British was unusually bold, poetic and funny,” it added. “History, magic and emotion,” added the daily Le Parisien. Germany’s Bild, the biggest selling daily in Europe, said on its Internet site: “Wow, what a spectacle!”
Die Welt paid tribute to the queen after she filmed a segment with James Bond actor Daniel Craig, remarking that the “new Bond girl is 86.” In Italy, Corriere della Sera, the country’s best-selling broadsheet, highlighted the ceremony’s ability to poke fun at itself, in contrast to the Beijing Olympics. “The country hosting the Olympics is not a young emerging power but an old glory, capable of irony,” it said. La Repubblica, a left-leaning daily, said it was a “pleasure to discover that these ‘Brits’ still cling to hope” in a time of international worries, while La Stampa said it was a mix of “humour, class and culture”. Austrian daily Der Standard’s view was coloured by the eurozone crisis, saying: “Whether the 34 million euro bill is worth it remains to be seen, but the extra-extra-large opening ceremony was certainly impressive.” Portuguese daily Politico preferred the London ceremony to the “totalitarian” Beijing opening four years ago. European papers were particularly fond of a tribute to Britain’s staterun National Health Service, with ©AFP Photo
children wearing pyjamas bouncing on 320 giant hospital beds. US papers joined in the chorus of praise. While the Washington Post said it “sometimes seemed like the world’s biggest inside joke”, the New York Times said the ceremony held together despite being “slightly insane”. “Britain presented itself to the world Friday night as something it has often struggled to express even to itself: a nation secure in its own post-empire identity, whatever that actually is,” the NYT said. The Washington Post added that the in-jokes did not matter, and said they were the product of a country that was “seeking to redefine itself through these Games after nearly a century of managed decline”. “If the opening ceremonies of the London Games sometimes seemed like the world’s biggest inside joke the message from Britain resonated loud and clear: We may not always be your cup of tea, but you know – and so often love – our culture nonetheless,” it wrote. The New Yorker said simply: “Danny Boyle wins the Gold”. ■ (©AFP – London, United Kingdom – July 28, 2012)
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SPECIAL FEATURE - 30TH OLYMPIC GAMES LONDON 2012
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition
Pinoy Olympic Torchbearers cheered on by Philippine Embassy and Filipino Community in London
Reymund Enteria (2nd from left) is greeted after his Olympic Torch Relay run by Philippine Deputy Chief of Mission Reynaldo Catapang (left) and other members of the Filipino Community in London.
Torchbearers earlier this year from among thousands of applicants from all around the world. They were selected because of their work in their respective communities and the inspirational stories they had to share. Mr. Cheung is an Olympic Youth Ambassador for his home borough of Waltham Forest and already
has a long history of working with government offices, businesses and charity organizations. Mr. Enteria is a Senior Occupational Therapist at the Raphael Medical Centre in Kent who focuses on neurological rehabilitation and mental health patients, and who received several professional awards and commendations.
Steven Cheung waves to the crowd in Walthamstow in East London.
They joined three other Filipinos who had the honour of carrying the Olympic flame around the UK. Rodolfo Sebastian Carlos carried the torch in Willenhall in the West Midlands earlier this July, while Marcy Reyes and Joven Mallo ran parts of the Olympic Torch Relay near Manchester last June. Ambassador Manalo expressed
great admiration for all the Pinoy torch bearers. “They have inspired not just their friends and neighbors, but also Filipinos all around the world,” he said. “I am certain they also provided a boost to Team Philippines just as competitions are about to start and the curtain is set to be raised on the London 2012 Olympic Games.” ■ (DFA – July 27, 2012)
Original Creation and Copyright Reserved By: Hello Philippines 2012
OLYMPIC fever gripped the Filipino community in the United Kingdom (UK) with the staging of the Olympic Torch Relay runs of Filipinos Steven Cheung and Reymund Enteria on successive days in London. On Saturday 21 July, Mr. Cheung ran his leg from Walthamstow Central Town Square in east London before several thousand cheering locals and visitors, including dozens of Filipinos. Philippine Ambassador Enrique A. Manalo joined Mr. Cheung’s family and extended his congratulations to the young man at the end-point of his run. The following day, Sunday 22 July, was the turn of Mr. Enteria to carry the Olympic flame. He ran some 300 meters along the A118 road in the London Borough of Havering, also in East London, and was likewise applauded throughout his run by the thousands of Filipino and British spectators lining the route. Mr. Enteria was greeted at the end of his run by Deputy Chief of Mission Reynaldo Catapang. Both Mr. Cheung and Mr. Enteria were chosen as Olympic
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SPECIAL FEATURE - 30TH OLYMPIC GAMES LONDON 2012
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition
Cauldron to be broken up and given to nations
THE Olympic cauldron will be broken up at the London closing ceremony and each of its 204 copper ‘petals’ given to the competing nations as a souvenir, its creator said Saturday, July 28. Thomas Heatherwick said he had wanted to create a cauldron for the Olympic flame that would “root the whole ceremony in the spectators, in the people who would be there”. “We were aware that cauldrons have been getting bigger, higher, fatter, as each Olympics has happened and we felt that we shouldn’t try to be even bigger than the last ones,” he told a press conference.
“So then when we were thinking about this incredible event with these 204 nations coming together... it didn’t feel enough to just design a different shape of bowl on a stick.” His solution was to create a cauldron comprised of stems topped with the petals which hydraulically lifted to converge and create a cauldron shape after they were lit in the opening ceremony. The cauldron was lit in the centre of the Olympic stadium but before the athletics events begins there on August 3, it will be lifted into place at one end of the stadium where a
giant bell hung during the opening ceremony. “At the end of the Games this cauldron will dismantle itself and radiate back down to the ground and each of those copper pieces taken away by each nation and put in a national Olympic cabinet somewhere,” Heatherwick said. The lighting of the cauldron by seven young athletes was one of the surprises of a ceremony devised by British film director Danny Boyle which featured James Bond in a spoof film with Queen Elizabeth II.
■ (©AFP – London, United Kingdom – July 28, 2012)
©AFP/File/Christophe Simon
People gather around the Olympic Flame after the cauldron in the Olympic Stadium is lit during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, on July 27. The Olympic cauldron traditionally burns for the entirety of each Games.
London boasts most expensive Olympic medals Julien Girault, AFP THE eight tons of gold, silver and copper unearthed from mines in Mongolia and Utah and now under
guard at the Tower of London is the largest ever haul used to make Olympic medals. “The medals arrived at the tower on July 2, and we will keep them ©AFP/LOCOG/File
Handout image obtained from the London 2012 organising committee (LOCOG) shows the London 2012 Olympic medals.
under tight security” Tracey Sands, spokeswoman for Historic Royal Palaces, told AFP. The 4,700 Olympic and Paralympic medals will be guarded alongside Britain’s crown jewels until they are presented on the podium. “For centuries the Tower of London has protected some of this country’s greatest treasures so there can be no better sanctuary for the 2012 medals – the most precious possession any athlete could hope to possess,” said London Mayor Boris Johnson. The winners’ medals are certainly precious, even though gold only makes up a tiny portion of their alloy. A gold medal weighing about 410 grams contains only six grams of gold – 1.34 percent of its weight – the remainder being silver compound (92.5 percent) and copper. However, the recent gold and silver booms that have seen prices double since the 2008 Games in
Beijing ensure that the medals are the most expensive in Olympic history. Added to this, the dimensions of the London medals (85 millimetres in diameter and seven millimetres thick) make them the heaviest ever struck for the Summer Olympics. In Beijing, the medals were around half as heavy at 200 grams. But the London medals remain below the record set by the Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010, where the medals weighed up to 576 grams. British artist David Watkins designed the medals, which depict Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. The reverse bears the London Games logo in front of a radiating star motif, representing the spirit and tradition of the Olympics, and the River Thames, for the city of London. “If there’s the slightest blemish, we reject them,” said Fergus Feeney, programme director at the 1,000-year-old Royal Mint, which produces Britain’s currency and made the Olympic medals.
The coveted discs were each processed 15 times in a huge hydraulic press known as the Colossus. The gold, silver and copper was extracted by Anglo-Australian global mining giant Rio Tinto from its Oyu Tolgoi plant in Mongolia and the Kennecott mine in Utah in the United States. The choice was controversial as its extraction techniques in Utah are considered by some to be polluting. “Rio Tinto is not Olympic calibre in its behaviour toward its own workers and their families,” said Ken Neumann, national director in Canada of the United Steelworkers trade union. At least the winning athletes can be assured the medals will be better than those issued the last time London hosted the Olympics in 1948. Then, post-war austerity meant that the medals were of poor quality and needed regular regilding. ■ (©AFP – London, United Kingdom – July 25, 2012)
Opening ceremony draws 26.9m UK viewers THE London Olympics opening ceremony drew a British television audience of 26.9 million, the BBC said Saturday, July 28 – the biggest in 14 years. The showpiece on Friday, July 27 which lasted nearly four hours, averaged 22.4 million viewers, or 82 percent of all people watching television in the United Kingdom. The British population is around 62.2 million, meaning that around 43 percent of residents tuned in. It is the highest rating since the 1998 football World Cup clash between England and Argentina, screened by ITV, which drew 23.78 million viewers. The ceremony was the biggest BBC audience since an edition of the comedy series “Only Fools and Horses” in 1996. The biggest audience ever in Britain for a single programme is
30.5 million, set by a Christmas Day episode of BBC soap opera “EastEnders” in 1986. By contrast with other Olympic opening ceremonies, Beijing 2008 attracted 5.9 million viewers in Britain, while 10.7 million watched Athens 2004. Before that, four million watched Sydney 2000; 1.1 million saw Atlanta 1996 and 11.3 million watched Barcelona 1992. The disparity is attributed to time differences, with ceremonies taking place in Europe attracting a higher audience. Organisers said they expected the London ceremony to attract a global TV audience of over one billion. The ceremony, created by Oscarwinning film director Danny Boyle, cost £27 million ($42 million, 34.5 million euro) to stage. ■ (©AFP – London, United Kingdom – July 28, 2012)
©AFP, Kirill Kudryavtsev
The Opening Ceremony drew 82% of UK TV audience.
Events Diary
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition
www.hello-philippines.com
PHILIPPINES
15
DATE / TIME 2 November 2011 to 31 October 2012
EVENT Filing of Applications for Registration / Certification and Transfer of Registration Records
VENUE Philippine Embassy, 6 Suffolk Street, London SW1Y 4HG
4 August 2012 – Saturday 2:00pm
Frigga Premiere’ Collection 2012 – Exclusive Preview with Ms Marites Allen and Ms Ruffa Gutierrez – Frigga Fashion Launch 1st Barrio Fiesta in Sussex 2012 – Party at the Beach!!!
Chealsea Old Town Hall, Kings Road, Kensington and Chealsea, London SW3 5EE
Lancing Beach Green, West Sussex BN15 8RA
KMF Production & Pimoymart Store
Ron Albano 07827 965 478
5 August 2012 – Sunday 9:00am to 8:00pm
Town Fiesta in Swansea 2012
Brangwyn Hall, The Guildhall, Swansea SA1 4PE
Star Dragon Events UK Limited and Filipino Community in Wales
stardragon2012@yahoo.co.uk / filipinoswales2005@yahoo.co.uk
18 August 2012 – Saturday
1st Orpington Barrio Fiesta 2012
Hewitts Farm, Court Road, Orpington, Kent BR6 0BX
Orpington Filipino-British Association
orpington_fba07@yahoo.co.uk
18 August 2012 - Saturday
1st Barrio Fiesta sa Colchester 2012
Filipino British Cooperative Society
Allan Etrata 07774 646 926
18 August 2012 - Saturday
MFBA Summer Outing
Lower Castle Park of the famous Roman Castle Park in Colchester Folkestone, Kent
Mitcham Filipino British Association (MFBA)
Roger Ferreol 07771 892 996
18 August 2012 – Saturday 5:00pm
High Wycombe Filipino Nurses and Friends – Red Carpet Affair
High Wycombe Filipino Nurses and Friends
Vie Medina 07872 948 093
18 August 2012 – Saturday 7:30pm
“God Will Make A Way” featuring Don Moen
Holiday Inn Hotel, Handycross, High Wycombe HP11 1TL Kensington Great Hall, Hornton Street, Kensington, London W8 7NX
JCCM
Edith 07411 950 204 / Kenneth 07412 576 486 / Helen 07552 491 507 / jccmchurch@yahoo.co.uk / admin@jesuschristcitymission.co.uk / Ticket Prices: £35.00 / £45.00 / £60.00
25 August 2012 – Saturday 9:00am
3rd Annual Barrio Fiesta “Hirit sa Tag-init” – Brighton and Hove Filipino Community Dinner & Dance Party
East Brighton Park, Wilson Avenue, Brighton BN2 5TS
Brighton and Hove Filipino Community (BAHFC)
Indian YMCA Student Hostel, London W1T 6AQ
Dumangas-London Association
Mr Harold Gonzaga 020 8274 1531
Colliers Wood Community Centre, 66 – 72 Colliers Wood High Street, London SW19 2BY Maxilla Social Hall, 2 Maxilla Walk, Ladbroke Grove, London W10 6NQ
Mitcham Filipino British Association (MFBA)
Roger Ferreol 07771 892 996
E-Learning Group UK
Norma Viloria (President) 07894 145 546 / 07584 190 993 / Barbara Infante (Secretary) 07920 714 795 / Janette Vicera (Assistant Secretary) 07714 287 610
O2 Apollo Manchester
Star Global and Management Limited
07775 441 369 / 07876 508 835 / 07786 950 323
4 August 2012 – Saturday 8:00am to 8:00pm
27 August 2012 – Monday 4:00pm to 10:00pm 15 September 2012 Saturday
MFBA Fundraising Concert “Rock Baby Rock”
23 September 2012 – Sunday 1:00pm to 4:00pm 4:00pm to 11:00pm
E-Learning Group UK Annual General Meeting / Election of New Officers E-Learning Group UK 3 rd Anniversary / Induction of New Officers Ai Ai Got More Talent
28 September 2012 – Friday
ORGANISER Philippine Embassy, London, United Kingdom
HELLO
CONTACTS / REMARKS For purposes of the May 13, 2013 elections, the filing of applications for registration / certification and transfer of registration records will resume at the Philippine Embassy. Contact: 07780 697 461 / 07769 258 681 / 07754 841 999 / VIP Passes: £30.00 (limited to 100 passes)
29 September 2012 – Saturday 11:00am 29 September 2012 – Saturday
Ginebra na UK Tour 2012
Kelvin Hall, Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8AW
QS Life London
Bong Palmares 07766 057 000
Ai Ai Got More Talent
Newport Centre South Wales
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30 September 2012 – Sunday 11:00am
Ginebra na UK Tour 2012
Loughborough, Sports Hall, Leicester LE11 3TU
QS Life London
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30 September 2012 – Sunday
Ai Ai Got More Talent
Troxy London
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20 October 2012 – Saturday 6:30pm
Batangas Association UK – 19th Annual Charity Dinner & Dance
The Ballroom, Radisson Blu Portman Hotel, 22 Portman Square, London W1H 7BG
Batangas Association UK (BAUK)
Cora Santos 07956 271 750 / Lorna Fortunado 07776 223 212 / Gloria Diaz 07572 795 321 / Attire: Strictly Formal
27 October 2012 – Saturday
MFBA Halloween Party
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2, 3 and 4 November 2012 – Friday, Saturday and Sunday 17 November 2012 – Saturday
1st Reel Gate International Film Festival in London and Manila (1st RGIFF) Eat Bulaga! Live in London, United Kingdom
Colliers Wood Community Centre, 66 – 72 Colliers Wood High Street, London SW19 2BY Riverside Studio in London
ExCel London, ICC Auditorium, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL
OSN and Hello Philippines
23 November to 1 December 2012
Okay Fine, Todo Na’To! – Ms Rufa Mae Quinto
1 December 2012 - Saturday
MFBA Thanksgiving / Christmas Party
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State Of The Nation Address 2012
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition
State of the Nation Address of His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III President of the Philippines to the Congress of the Philippines [English translation of the speech delivered at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives, Batasan Pambansa Complex, Quezon City, on July 23, 2012] Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Vice President Jejomar Binay; former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; eminent Justices of the Supreme Court; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; honorable members of the House of Representatives and of the Senate; our leaders in local government; members of our Cabinet; uniformed officers of the military and of the police; my fellow public servants; And to my Bosses, the Filipino people: a pleasant afternoon to all. This is my third SONA. It wasn’t too long ago when we began to dream again; when, united, we chose the straight and righteous path; when we began to cast aside the culture of wang-wang, not only in our streets, but in every sector of society. It has been two years since you said: We are tired of corruption and of poverty; it is time to restore a government that is truly on the side the people. Like many of you, I have been a victim of the abuse of power. I was only 12 years old when Martial Law was declared. For seven years and seven months, my father was incarcerated; we lived in forced exile for three years. I saw for myself how many others also suffered. These experiences forged the principles I now live by: Where a citizen is oppressed, he will find me as an ally; where there is an oppressor, I will be there to fight; where I find something wrong in the system, I will consider it my duty to right it. Martial Law ended long ago and when it did, we were asked: “If not us, then who?” and “If not now, then when?” Our united response: let it be us, and let it be now. The democracy that was taken from us by force was reclaimed peacefully. And in so doing, we brought light to a dark chapter in our history. Let it not be forgotten: Martial Law was borne because a dictator manipulated the Constitution to remain in power. And to this day, the battle rages: between those who seek a more equitable system, and those who seek to preserve their privileges at the expense of others. The specters of a lost decade haunted us from our first day in office. There was the North Rail contract – an expensive project that became even more expensive after renegotiation. Ironically, the higher cost came with fewer public benefits; a fleet of 19 trainsets was reduced to
three, and the number of stations, from five to two. To make matters worse, the debts incurred from the project are now being called in. We had GOCCs handing out unwarranted bonuses, despite the losses already suffered by their agencies. We had the billions wasted by PAGCOR on – of all things – coffee. We had the suspect management practices of the PNP, which involved ignoring the need to arm the remaining 45 percent of our police force, just to collect kickbacks on rundown helicopters purchased at brand-new prices. We were left with little fiscal space even as debts had bunched up and were maturing. We were also left a long list of obligations to fulfill: A backlog of 66,800 classrooms, which would cost us about 53.44 billion pesos; a backlog of 2,573,212 classroom chairs, amounting to 2.31 billion pesos. In 2010, an estimated 36 million Filipinos were still not members of PhilHealth. Forty-two billion pesos was needed to enroll them. Add to all this the 103 billion pesos needed for the modernization of our armed forces. To fulfill all these obligations and address all our needs, we were bequeathed, at the start of our term, 6.5 percent of the entire budget for the remaining six months of 2010. We were like boxers, sent into the ring blindfolded, with our hands and feet bound, and the referee and the judges paid off. In our first three months in office, I would look forward to Sundays when I could ask God for His help. We expected that it would take no less than two years before our reforms took hold. Would our countrymen be willing to wait that long? But what we know about our people, and what we had proven time and again to the world was this: Nothing is impossible to a united Filipino nation. It was change we dreamed of, and change we achieved; the benefits of change are now par for the course. Roads are straight and level, and properly paved; this is now par for the course. Relief goods are ready even before a storm arrives. Rescue services are always on standby, and the people are no longer left to fend for themselves. This is now par for the course. Sirens only blare from the police cars, from ambulances, and from fire trucks – not from government officials. This is now par for the course. The government that once abused its power is finally using that power for their benefit. Reforms were established as we cut wasteful spending, held offenders accountable for their actions, and
©NPPA Images/Voltaire Domingo
Philippine President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino delivers his third state-of-the-nationaddress (SONA) before the 15th Congress at the House of Representatives in Quezon City, northeast of Manila, on 23 July 2012.
showed the world that the Philippines is now open for business under new management. What was once the sick man of Asia now brims with vitality. When we secured our first positive credit rating action, some said it was pure luck. Now that we have had eight, can it still just be luck? When the Philippine Stock Exchange Index first broke 4,000, many wondered if that was sustainable. But now, with so many record highs, we are having trouble keeping score: For the record, we have had 44, and the index hovers near or above 5,000. In the first quarter of 2012, our GDP grew by 6.4 percent, much higher than projected, the highest growth in the Southeast Asian region, and the second only to China in the whole of Asia. We are second only to China. Once, we were the debtors; now, we are the creditors, clearly no laughing matter. Until recently, we had to beg for investments; now, investors flock to us. Some Japanese companies have said to us, “Maybe you’d like to take a look at us. We’re not the cheapest but we’re number one in technology.” Even the leader of a large British bank recently came looking for opportunities. Commentators the world over voice their admiration. According to Bloomberg Business Week, “Keep an eye on the Philippines.” Foreign Policy magazine, and even one of the leaders of ASEAN 100, said that we may even become “Asia’s Next Tiger.” Ruchir Sharma, head of Morgan Stanley’s Emerging Market Equities said, “The Philippines is no longer a joke.” And it doesn’t look like he’s pulling our leg, because their company has invested approximately a billion dollars in our markets. I only wish that the optimism of foreign media would be shared by their local counterparts more often. And we are building an environment where progress can be felt by the
majority. When we began office, there were 760,357 household-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Our target: 3.1 million within two years. By February of this year, the three millionth householdbeneficiary of Pantawid Pamilya had been registered. Next year, we will enrol 3.8 million households – five times what we had at the beginning of our term. This is a long-term project, with far-reaching impact. The research is in its initial stages, but already the figures show promise. Based on data from the DSWD: 1,672,977 mothers now get regular checkups; 1,672,814 children have been vaccinated against diarrhea, polio, measles, and various other diseases; 4.57 million students no longer need to miss school because of poverty. When we first took office, only 62 percent of Filipinos were enrolled in PhilHealth. Enrollment was not necessarily based on need but on being in the good graces of politicians. Now, 85 percent of our citizens are members. This means that since we received our mandate, 23.31 million more Filipinos have access to PhilHealth’s array of benefits and services. And here’s even better news: the 5.2 million poorest households identified by our National Household Targeting System will now fully benefit from PhilHealth’s programs, free of charge. Because of the Department of Health’s No Balance Billing Policy, treatment for dengue, pneumonia, asthma, cataracts – as well as treatments for catastrophic diseases like breast cancer, prostate cancer, and acute leukemia – can be availed of for free by our poorest countrymen. The process for our poorest PhilHealth members: Enter any government hospital. Show you PhilHealth card. Get treatment. And they return to their homes without having to shell out a single centavo. One of the briefings I attended noted that four out of ten Filipinos have never seen a health professional in their entire lifetime. Other figures are more dire: Six out of ten Filipinos die without being attended to by health professionals. But whatever the basis, the number of Filipinos with no access to government health services remains a concern. And we are acting on this: In 2010, ten thousand nurses and midwives were deployed under the RNHeals Program; to date, we have deployed 30,801. Add to this over 11,000 Community Health Teams tasked to strengthen the links between doctors and nurses, and the communities they serve. And today, because of efficient targeting, they are deployed to where they are most needed: to areas that
have been for so long left in the margins of society. We have sent our health professionals to 1,021 localities covered by the Pantawid Pamilya, and to the 609 poorest cities and municipalities, as identified by the National Anti-Poverty Commission. This new system addresses two issues: thousands of nurses and midwives now have jobs and an opportunity to gain valuable work experience; at the same time, millions of our countrymen now have increased access to quality health care. But we are not satisfied with this. What we want: True, universal, and holistic health care. This begins not in our hospitals, but within each and every household: Increased consciousness, routine inoculation, and regular checkups are necessary to keep sickness at bay. Add to this our efforts to ensure that we prevent the illnesses that are in our power to prevent. For example: Last year, I told you about our anti-dengue mosquito traps. It is too early to claim total victory, our scientists are rigorous about testing, but the initial results have been very encouraging. We tested the efficacy of those mosquito traps in areas with the highest reported incidence of dengue. In 2011, traps were distributed in Bukidnon – which had recorded 1,216 cases of dengue in 2010. After distribution, the number of cases decreased to 37 – that is a 97 percent reduction rate. In the towns of Ballesteros and Claveria in Cagayan, there were 228 cases of dengue in 2010; in 2011, a mere eight cases were recorded. In Catarman, Northern Samar: 434 cases of dengue were reported in 2010. There were a mere four cases in 2011. This project is in its initial stages. But even this early on, we must thank Secretaries Ike Ona of DOH and Mario Montejo of DOST; may our gratitude and applause spur them into even more intensive research and collaboration. Challenges remain. The high maternal mortality ratio in our country continues to alarm us. Which is why we have undertaken measures to address the healthcare needs of women. We, too, want Universal Health Care; we want our medical institutions to have enough equipment, facilities, and manpower. We can easier fulfill all these goals, if the Sin Tax Bill – which rationalizes taxes on alcohol and tobacco products – can be passed. This bill makes vice more expensive while at the same time raising more money for health. And what of our students – what welcomes them in the schools? Will they still first learn the alphabet
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beneath the shade of a tree? Will they still be squatting on the floor, tussling with classmates over a single textbook? I have great faith in Secretary Luistro: Before the next year ends, we will have built the 66,800 classrooms needed to fill up the shortage we inherited – of this, we expect 40,000 for this year. The 2,573,212 backlog in chairs that we were bequeathed will be addressed before 2012 ends. This year, too, will see the eradication of the backlog of 61.7 million textbooks – and we will finally achieve the one-toone ratio of books to students. We are ending the backlogs in the education sector, but the potential for shortages remains as our student population continues to increase. Perhaps Responsible Parenthood can help address this. For our State Universities and Colleges: we have proposed a 43.61 percent increase in their budget next year. A reminder, though, that everything we do is in accordance to a plan: There are corresponding conditions to this budget increase. The SUC Reform Roadmap of CHED, which has been deliberated and agreed upon, must be enacted to ensure that the students sponsored by the state are of top caliber. Expect that if you work to get high marks in this assignment, we will be striving just as hard to address the rest of your needs. Year after year, our budget for education has increased. The budget we inherited for DepEd last 2010 was 177 billion pesos. Our proposal for 2013: 292.7 billion pesos. In 2010, our SUCs were allocated a budget of 21.03 billion pesos. Since then, we have annually raised this allocation; for next year, we have proposed to set aside 37.13 billion pesos of our budget for SUCs. Despite this, some militant groups are still cutting classes to protest what they claim is a cut in SUC budgets. It’s this simple: 292.7 is higher than 177, and 37.13 is higher than 21.03. Should anyone again claim that we cut the education budget, we’ll urge your schools to hold remedial math classes. Please, attend these classes. When we assumed office and began establishing much-needed reform, there were those who belittled our government’s performance. They claimed our achievements were mere luck, and what impact they may have as short-lived. There are still those who refuse to cease spreading negativity; they who keep their mouths pursed to good news, and have created an industry out of criticism. If you have a problem with the fact that, before the year ends, every child will have their own chairs and own set of books, then look them straight in the eye and tell them, “I do not want you to go to school.” If you take issue with the fact that 5.2 million of the country’s poorest households can now avail of quality healthcare services without worrying about the cost, then look them
State Of The Nation Address 2012
straight in the eye and tell them, “I do not want you to get better.” If it angers you that three million Filipino families have been empowered to fulfill their dreams because of Pantawid Pamilya, then look them straight in the eye and tell them, “I will take away the hope you now have for your future.” The era where policy was based on the whims of the powerful has truly come to an end. For example, the previous leadership of TESDA generously distributed scholarship vouchers – but neglected to fund them. Naturally, the vouchers bounced. The result: over a thousand schools are charging the government 2.4 billion pesos for the vouchers. One person and one administration wanted to show off; the Filipino people are paying for that now. When Secretary Joel Villanueva assumed the post, he was not daunted by the seemingly impossible reforms that his agency needed to enact. Despite the staggering debt inherited by TESDA, it still trained 434,676 individuals under the Training for Work Scholarship Program. The TESDA Specialists Technopreneurship Program likewise delivered concrete victories – imagine: each of the 5,240 certified Specialistas are earning 562 pesos a day, or 11,240 pesos a month. This is higher than the minimum wage. From infancy, to adolescence, to adulthood, the system is working for our citizens. And we are ensuring that our economy’s newfound vitality generates jobs. Let us keep in mind: there are about a million new entrants to the job market every year. The jobs we have produced within the past two years total almost 3.1 million. As a result, our unemployment rate is declining steadily. In 2010, the unemployment rate was at 8 percent. In April 2011, it dropped to 7.2, and dropped further to 6.9 this year. Is it not an apt time for us to dream of a day where any Filipino who wishes to work can find a job? Look at the BPO sector. Back in the year 2000, only 5,000 people were employed in this industry. Fast forward to 2011: 638,000 people are employed by BPOs, and the industry has contributed 11 billion dollars to our economy. It has been projected that come 2016, the year I will bid you farewell, it will be bringing in 25 billion dollars and will be employing 1.3 million Filipinos. And this does not include the estimated 3.2 million taxi drivers, baristas, corner stores, canteens, and many others that will benefit from the indirect jobs that the BPO industry will create. A large portion of our job generation strategy is building sufficient infrastructure. For those who have gone to Boracay on vacation, you have probably seen our newly christened terminal in Caticlan. The plan to expand its runway has also been laid out. And we will not stop there. Before
the end of my term, the New Bohol Airport in Panglao, New Legaspi Airport in Daraga, and Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental will have been built. We will also upgrade our international airports in Mactan, Cebu; Tacloban; and Puerto Princesa Airport, so they can receive more passengers; in addition to remodeling the airports in Butuan, Cotabato, Dipolog, Pagadian, Tawi-Tawi, Southern Leyte, and San Vicente in Palawan. I am the fourth president to deal with the problems of NAIA Terminal 3. Airplanes are not all that take off and land here; so did problems and anomalies. Secretary Mar Roxas has already said: Before we convene at the next SONA, the structural defects we inherited in NAIA 3 will have been fully repaired. This June, the LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension project began to move forward. When completed, it will alleviate traffic in Las Piñas, Parañaque, and Cavite. In addition to this, in order to further improve traffic in Metro Manila, there will be two elevated roads directly connecting the North Luzon and South Luzon Expressways. These will be completed in 2015 and will reduce travel time between Clark and Calamba to 1 hour and 40 minutes. Before I leave office, there will be high-quality terminals in Taguig, Quezon City, and Parañaque, so that provincial buses will no longer have to add to the traffic on EDSA. Perceptions have also changed about a department formerly notorious for its inadequacies. I still remember the days when, during the rainy season, the Tarlac River would overflow and submerge the MacArthur Highway. The asphalt would melt away; the road would be riddled with potholes, until it ended up impassable. As the representative of my district, I registered my complaints about this. The Department of Public Works and Highways’ reply: we know about the problem, we know how to solve it, but we have no money. I had to appeal to my barangays: “If we don’t prioritize and spend for this ourselves, no one will fix it, and we will be the ones who suffer.” Back in those days, everyone called upon the government to wake up and start working. The complaints today are different: traffic is terrible, but that’s because there’s so much roadwork being done. May I remind everyone: we have done all this without raising taxes. We will not build our road network based on kickbacks or favoritism. We will build them according to a clear system. Now that resources for these projects are no longer allocated haphazardly, our plans will no longer end up unfulfilled – they will become tangible roads that benefit the Filipino people. When we assumed office, 7,239 kilometers of our national roads were not yet fixed. Right now, 1,569 kilometers of this has been fixed under the leadership of Secretary Babes Singson. In 2012,
an additional 2,275 kilometers will be finished. We are even identifying and fixing dangerous roads with the use of modern technology. These are challenges we will continue to address every year, so that, before end of my term, every inch of our national road network will be fixed. We have fixed more than roads; our DPWH has fixed its system. Just by following the right process of bidding and procurement, their agency saved a total of 10.6 billion pesos from 2011 to June of this year. Even our contractors are feeling the positive effects of our reforms in DPWH. According to the DPWH, “the top 40 contractors are now fully booked.” I am hopeful that the development of our infrastructure continues unimpeded to facilitate the growth of our other industries. The improvement of our infrastructure is intertwined with the growth of our tourism industry. Consider this: In 2001, the Philippines recorded 1.8 million tourist arrivals. When we assumed office in 2010, this figure had grown to only around 3.1 million. Take note: despite the length of their time in office, the previous administration only managed to add a mere 1.3 million tourist arrivals – and we contributed half a year to that number. Under our administration, we welcomed 2.1 million tourist arrivals by June 2012. More will arrive during peak season, before the end of the year, so I have no doubt that we will meet our quota of 4.6 million tourist arrivals for 2012. This means that we will have a year-on-year increase of 1.5 million tourists. The bottom line: In two years, we would have had a bigger growth in tourist arrivals, compared to the increase charted by the previous administration in their nine years. We are not singing our own praises; we are merely stating the truth. But Secretary Mon Jimenez is still not satisfied. He says: if 24.7 million tourists came to Malaysia in 2011, and around 17 million visited Thailand, would it be too far-fetched to have ten million tourists visiting the Philippines annually by 2016? And if the Filipino people continue to embody the same solidarity that allowed the Puerto Princesa Underground River to become one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, there is no doubt that we will be able to achieve this. As we have already announced to the entire world: “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” Secretary Mon Jimenez has been at his post for less than a year, but we are already reaping the fruits of the reforms we have laid down. So, when it comes to tourism, we are confident in saying, “It’s really more fun – to have Secretary Mon Jimenez with us.” When it comes to growth and development, agriculture is at the top of our priorities. Secretary Alcala has been working nonstop to deliver us good news. Before, it seemed as though the officials of DA cultivated nothing but NFA’s debts. The NFA that our predecessors took over had
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition a 12-billion peso debt; when they left office, they then bequeathed to us a debt of 177 billion pesos. For so long in the past, we were led to believe that we were short 1.3 million metric tons of rice, and that we needed to import 2 million metric tons to address this shortage. They ordered rice as like it was unlimited – but because we had exceeded far more than what we needed, imported rice went to rot in the warehouses. In just our first year, we redcued the annual shortage of 1.3 million metric tons to just 860,000 metric tons. This year, it is down to 500,000 – including a buffer stock to dip into in times of calamity. And, if the weather cooperates, we’ll be able to export rice next year. Secretary Alcala has said that key to our success is a feasible irrigation program and the assiduous implementation of the certified seeds program. What is galling is that this knowledge is not new – it simply wasn’t applied. If they had only done their jobs right, where could we have been by now? Look at our coconut industry: Coconut water, once treated as a waste product, is now being utilized by our farmers. From 483,862 liters exported in 2009, to 1,807,583 liters in 2010, to a staggering 16,756,498 liters of cocowater exported in 2011. And where no one previously paid heed to coconut coir, we are now experiencing a shortage due to the high demand of exporters. We are not wasting this opportunity: we are buying the machines that will process the coco fibers. We have allocated 1.75 billion pesos to invest in, and develop, this sector. My mother initiated the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. It is only just that this program sees its conclusion during my term. We are improving the system, so that we can more swiftly and more efficiently realize agrarian reform. The government is doing everything in its power to ensure that our farmers can claim as their own the land they have tilled and nurtured with their sweat. There are those, however, who wish to obstruct us. I say to them: We will obey the law. The law says, the nation says, and I say: Before I step down, all the land covered by CARP will have been distributed. Let me shed some light on our advances in the energy sector. In the past, an electrical wire needed only to reach the barangay hall for an entire barangay to be deemed energized. This was the pretext for the claim that 99.98 percent of the country’s barangays had electricity. Even the delivery of so basic a service was a deception? We challenged DOE and NEA, allocating 1.3 billion pesos to light up an initial target of 1,300 sitios, at the cost of one million pesos per sitio. And the agencies met the challenge – they lit up 1,520 sitios, at a total cost of 814 million pesos. They accomplished this
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in three months, instead of the two years it took the people that preceded them. Secretary Rene Almendras, I give you credit; you never seem to run out of energy. With public service, you are not only ever-ready, but like an energizer bunny too – you keep on going, and going, and going. We have suffused the nation with light – and it is this light, too, that has exposed the crimes that occur in the shadowed corners of society. What the Filipino works so hard for can no longer be pilfered. Crime volume continues to decline across the country. In 2009, over 500,000 crimes were recorded – this year, we have cut that number by more than half, to 246,958. Moreover, 2010’s recorded 2,200 cases of carnapping has likewise been reduced by half – to 966 cases this 2011. It is these facts that, we hope, will be bannered in headlines. We do not claim that we have ended criminality, but I’m sure no one would complain that it has been reduced. In the span of just a little more than a year, haven’t we finally put Raymond Dominguez in jail, after years of being in and out of prison? Charges have been filed against two of his brothers as well, and they are now serving time, too. Of the two suspects in the Makati bus bombing of the past year – one is dead, and the other is living in a jail cell. He shares the same fate as the more than ten thousand individuals arrested by PDEA in 2011 for charges relating to illegal drugs. Pacquiao does not fight every day, and so we can’t rely on him to bring down the crime rate. Which is why we’re strengthening our police force. When this administration began, 45 percent of our police carried no guns and probably relied on magic charms as they chased criminals. But now we have completed the bidding – and we are now testing the quality – for an order of 74,600 guns, which we will provide our police, so that they may better serve and protect the nation, our communities, and themselves. Let us now talk about national defense. Some have described our Air Force as all air and no force. Lacking the proper equipment, our troops remain vulnerable even as they are expected to be put in harm’s way. We cannot allow things to remain this way. After only one year and seven months, we have been able to allocate over 28 billion pesos for the AFP Modernization Program. This will soon match the 33 billion pesos set aside for the program in the past 15 years. And we’re only getting started: if our proposed AFP modernization bill is passed in Congress, we will be able to allocate 75 billion pesos for defense within the next five years. The 30-million dollar fund entrusted to us by the United States for the Defense Capability Upgrade and Sustainment of Equipment Program of the AFP is now ready as well. This is in addition to their assistance in improving the way we
State Of The Nation Address 2012
patrol our shores under the Coast Watch Center of the Philippines, which will soon be established. At this moment, the Armed Forces is likewise canvassing equipment such as cannons, personnel carriers, and frigates. Before long, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, our second Hamilton class cutter, will drop anchor, to partner with the BRP Gregorio del Pilar. We are not sending paper boats out to sea. Now, our 36,000 kilometers of coastline will be patrolled by more modern ships. And perhaps it is an apt time for our Armed Forces to clean up their hangars, because we will be having equipment arriving soon to further fortify our defenses. Finally, our one and only C-130 that has been roaming our skies for the past 36 years will have partners: two more C-130s will once again be operational. Before this year ends, we are hopeful that the twentyone refurbished UH-1H Helicopters, the four combat utility helicopters, the radios and other communication equipment, the rifles, the mortars, the mobile diagnostic laboratories, and even the station bullet assemblies we have purchased will be delivered. Come 2013, ten attack helicopters, two naval helicopters, two light aircraft, one frigate, and air force protection equipment will also be arriving. And it is not only through better equipment that we demonstrate our commitment to help our police and our soldiers. We have eased their financial burdens through the 22,000 houses that have been built under the AFP-PNP housing program. We are not doing this because we want to be an aggressor, we are not doing this because we want escalation. This is about keeping the peace. This is about protecting ourselves – something that we have long thought impossible. This is about the life of a soldier who risks his life every day; this is about his family, who awaits his safe return, despite the challenges that confront him. Let’s listen to some of the beneficiaries of these programs tell us in their own words how their lives have been changed. [VIDEO] Now that the people care for them, the more impassioned our soldiers are in winning the peace. We consider the 1,772 outlaws whose violence has come to an end a great triumph. One example is the infamous terrorist, Doctor Abu, who will never again strike fear in the hearts of our countrymen. We also celebrate the peace and quiet that has returned to places where our countrymen were once deafened by gunfire. As a result of our solidarity: 365 barangays have been liberated from the enemy, 270 buildings and schools have been repaired, and 74 health centers have been built. While we are on the subject of peace, let us talk about a place that has long stood as a symbol of frustrated hopes. Before our reforms in the ARMM began, what
we had were ghost students walking to ghost schools on ghost roads, to learn from ghost teachers. Some of the apparitions that haunted OIC Governor Mujiv Hataman: Four schools found with ghost students; we are also investigating the teachers whose names do not appear in the list of the Professional Regulation Commission, as well as the government workers not listed in the plantilla. Fifty-five ghost entries have been taken off the payroll. The previous scheme of regraveling roads again and again just to earn money has been outlawed. To avoid abuse, we have ended cash advances for agencies. Now, the souls of the ghosts in voters lists can rest in peace. This is why, to OIC Governor Mujiv Hataman, we can say to you: you are indeed a certified ghost buster. What we have replaced these phantoms with: real housing, bridges, and learning centers for Badjaos in Basilan. Community-based hatcheries, nets, materials to grow seaweeds, and seedlings that have benefited 2,588 fishermen. Certified seeds, gabi seedlings, cassava, rubber, and trees that are bearing fruit for 145,121 farmers. And this is only the beginning. 183 million pesos has been set aside for the fire stations; 515 million pesos for clean drinking water; 551.9 million pesos for health-care equipment; 691.9 million pesos for daycare centers; and 2.85 billion pesos for the roads and bridges across the region. These are just some of the things that will be afforded by the aggregate 8.59 billion pesos the national government has granted the ARMM. Also, allow me to clarify: this does not include the yearly support that they receive, which in 2012 reached 11.7 billion pesos. Even those who previously wanted to break away are seeing the effects of reform. Over the past seven months, not even a single encounter has been recorded between the military and the MILF. We recognize this as a sign of their trust. With regard to the peace process: talks have been very open; both sides have shown trust and faith in one another. There may be times when the process can get a little complicated, but these are merely signs that we are steadily moving closer to our shared goal: Peace. We likewise engaged stakeholders in a level-headed discussion in crafting our Executive Order on mining. The idea behind our consensus we reached: that we be able to utilize our natural resources to uplift the living conditions of the Filipinos not just of today, also of the following generations. We will not reap the rewards of this industry if the cost is the destruction of nature. But this Executive Order is only the first step. Think about it: In 2010, 145 billion pesos was the total value derived from mining, but only 13.4 billion or 9 percent went to the national treasury. These natural resources are yours; it shouldn’t happen that all that’s left to you is a tip after they’re extracted.
We are hoping that Congress will work with us and pass a law that will ensure that the environment is cared for, and that the public and private sectors will receive just benefits from this industry. Let us talk about the situation in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. Once, the government, which is supposed to give aid, was the one asking for aid. Today, even when the storm is still brewing, we already know how to craft clear plans to avoid catastrophe. Talking about disasters reminds me of the time when a typhoon struck Tarlac. The dike collapsed due to the rains; when one of the barangay captains awoke, the floods had already taken his family, as well as his farming equipment. Fortunately, the entire family survived. But the carabao they had left tied to a tree wasn’t as lucky; it was strangled to death from the force of the flood. Many of those affected by typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng, and Sendong were just as defenseless. We lost so many lives to these natural disasters. And now, through Project NOAH, all our anti-disaster initiatives have been brought inside one boat, and we no longer leave the evacuation of families up to mere luck. We now have the technology to give fair warning to Filipinos in order to prepare for and avoid the worst. Our 86 automated rain gauges and 28 water level monitoring sensors in various regions now benefit us directly and in real time. Our target before the end of 2013: 600 automated rain gauges and 422 water level sensors. We will have them installed in 80 primary river basins around the country. Yet another change: Before, agencies with shared responsibilities would work separately, with little coordination or cooperation. Now, the culture of government is bayanihan – a coming together for the sake of the people. This is what we call Convergence. There have always been tree planting programs in government – but after the trees have been planted, they were left alone. Communities that needed livelihood would cut these down and turn them into charcoal. We have the solution for this. 128,558 hectares of forest have been planted across the country; this is only a fraction of the 1.5 millionhectare farmlands to be laid out before we step down. This covers the communities under the National Convergence Initiative. The process: When a tree is planted, the DWSD will coordinate with communities. In exchange for a conditional cash transfer, communities would take care of the trees; some would help nurture seeds in a nursery. 335,078 individuals now earn their livelihood from these activities. The private sector has likewise taken part in a program that hands out special coffee and cacao beans to communities, and trains the
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition townsfolk, too, to nurture those seeds into a bountiful harvest. The coffee is planted in the shade of the trees that in turn help prevent flooding and protect the people. The company that hands out the seeds are sure buyers of the yield. It’s a win-win situation – for the private sector, the communities with their extra income, and the succeeding generations that will benefit from the trees. Illegal logging has long been a problem. From the time we signed Executive Order No. 23, Mayor Jun Amante has confiscated lumber amounting to more than six million pesos. He has our gratitude. This is just in Butuan; what more if all our LGUs demonstrated the same kind of political will? The timber confiscated by DENR are handed over to TESDA, which then gives the timber to communities they train in carpentry. From this, DepEd gets chairs for our public schools. Consider this: What was once the product of destruction has been crafted into an instrument for the realization of a better future. This was impossible then – impossible so long as the government turned a blind eye to illegal activities. To those of you without a conscience; those of you who repeatedly gamble the lives of your fellow Filipinos—your days are numbered. We’ve already sanctioned thirty-four DENR officials, one PNP provincial director, and seven chiefs of police. We are asking a regional director of the PNP to explain why he seemed deaf to our directives and blind to the colossal logs that were being transported before his very eyes. If you do not shape up, you will be next. Even if you tremble beneath the skirts of your patrons, we will find you. I suggest that you start doing your jobs, before it’s too late. From the womb, to school, to work, change has touched the Filipino. And should a life of government service be chosen, our people can expect the same level of care from the state, until retirement. Our administration will recognize their contributions to our society as public servants, and will not withhold from them the pensions they themselves contributed to. Consider: some retirees receive less than 500 pesos a month. How does one pay for water, power, and food, daily? Our response: With the New Year comes our resolution that all old-age and disability pensioners will receive no less than five thousand pesos monthly. We are heartened that we can meet their needs now, without jeopardizing their future benefits. The face of government has truly changed. Our compensation levels are at par with the private sector’s at the entry level. But as you rise through the ranks, private-sector pay overtakes the government. We will close that gap in time; for now, we have good news for government employees: Performance-Based Incentives. In the past, even poorly performing agencies
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would not have any employees with ratings lower than “very satisfactory.” To maintain smooth interpersonal relations, supervisors would have a hard time giving appropriate ratings. Exceptional employees are not recognized: their excellence is deincentivized, and receive the same rewards as laziness and indolence. Here is one of our steps to respond to this. Starting this year, we will implement a system in which bonuses are based on their agency’s abilities to meet their annual targets. Employees now hold the keys to their own advancement. Incentives may reach up to 35,000 pesos, depending on how well you do your jobs. This is in addition to your across-the-board Christmas bonus. We are doing this not only to boost morale and to show due appreciation of our public servants. This is, above all, for the Filipino people, who expect sincere and efficient service – who expect that they will continue to be the sole Bosses of our workers in government. There have always been people who have questioned our guiding principle, “If there is no corruption, there is no poverty.” They ask if good governance can put food on the table. Quite simply: Yes. Think about it: Doing business in the Philippines was once considered too risky – the rules were too opaque and they were constantly changing. A person shaking your hand one day may pick your pocket the next. Now, with a level playing field, and clear and consistent rules, confidence in our economy is growing. Investments are pouring in, jobs are being created, and a virtuous cycle has begun – where empowered consumers buy more products, and businesses hire more people so they can expand to keep up with the growing demand. Prudent spending has allowed us to plug the leaks in the system, and improved tax collection has increased revenues. Every peso collected is properly spent on roads, on vaccines, on classrooms and chairs – spent on our future. We have fixed the system by which we build roads, bridges, and buildings – they now go where they are truly needed. Our roads are properly paved; products, services, and people reach their destination quickly and with greater ease. Because of good governance in agriculture, food production has increased, prices don’t fluctuate, wages are stable, and our economy is stronger. It is true: A resilient and dynamic economy resting on the foundations of good governance is the best defense against global uncertainty. We have been dismantling the obstacles to progress for two years, and now, our success can only be limited by how hard we are willing to work for it. We achieved all these things even as countries around the world were surmounting their own challenges.
State Of The Nation Address 2012
We exist in this world with others. And so it is only appropriate that even as we attend to our own problems, we remain vigilant about some events that affect us. The situation in Bajo de Masinloc has been the source of much discussion. Chinese fishermen entered out territory. Our patrol boats intercepted some of their ships, which contain endangered species. As your leader, it is my duty to uphold the laws of our country. And as I did, tension ensued: on one hand, the Chinese had their Nine-Dash Line Theory laying claim to almost the entire West Philippine Sea; on the other, there was the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea, which recognized the rights of many countries, including that of China itself. We demonstrated utmost forbearance in dealing with this issue. As a sign of our goodwill, we replaced our navy cutter with a civilian boat as soon as we could. We chose not to respond to their media’s harangues. I do not think it excessive to ask that our rights be respected, just as we respect their rights as a fellow nation in a world we need to share. There are those who say that we should let Bajo de Masinloc go; we should avoid the trouble. But if someone entered your yard and told you he owned it, would you agree? Would it be right to give away that which is rightfully ours? And so I ask for solidarity from our people regarding this issue. Let us speak with one voice. Help me relay to the other side the logic of our stand. This is not a simple situation, and there can be no simple solutions. Rest assured: we are consulting experts, every leader of our nation, our allies – even those on the other side – to find a resolution that is acceptable to all. With every step on the straight and righteous path, we plant the seeds of change. But there are still some who are committed to uprooting our work. Even as I speak, there are those who have gathered in a room, whispering to each other, dissecting each word I utter, looking for any pretext to attack me with tomorrow. These are also the ones who say, “Let go of the past. Unite. Forgive and forget so we can move forward as a people.” I find this unacceptable. Shall we simply forgive and forget the ten years that were taken from us? Do we simply forgive and forget the farmers who piled up massive debts because of a government that insisted on importing rice, while we could have reinvested in them and their farmlands instead? Shall we forgive and forget the family of the police officer who died while trying to defend himself against guns with nothing but a nightstick? Shall we forgive and forget the orphans of the 57 victims of the massacre in Maguindanao? Will their loved ones be brought back to life by forgiving and forgetting? Do we forgive and forget everything that was ever done to us, to sink us into a rotten state? Do we forgive and forget to
return to the former status quo? My response: Forgiveness is possible; forgetting is not. If offenders go unpunished, society’s future suffering is guaranteed. True unity and reconciliation can only emanate from genuine justice. Justice is the plunder case leveled against our former president; justice that she receives her day in court and can defend herself against the accusations leveled against her. Justice is what we witnessed on the 29th of May. On that day, we proved that justice can prevail, even when confronted with an opponent in a position of power. On that day, a woman named Delsa Flores, in Panabo, Davao del Norte, said “It is actually possible: a single law governing both a simple court reporter like me, and the Chief Justice.” It is possible for the scales to be set right, and for even the rich and powerful to be held accountable. This is why, to the next Chief Justice, much will be demanded of you by our people. We have proven the impossible possible; now, our task is reform towards true justice that continues even after our administration. There are still many flaws in the system, and repairing these will not be easy. I am aware of the weight of your mandate. But this is what our people tasked us to do; this is the duty we have sworn to do; and this what we must do. Our objectives are simple: If you are innocent, you will appear in court with confidence, because you will be found not guilty. But if you are guilty, you will be made to pay for your sins, no matter who you are. I would also like to thank Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales, for accepting the challenges that came with the position. She could have turned down the responsibility, citing her retirement and volunteering others for the job – but her desire to serve the nation won out. This generosity was met with a grenade in her home. Ma’am, more challenges will come; in time, perhaps, they’ll give you the same monikers they’ve given me – a greedy capitalist who is also a communist headed towards dictatorship because of the reforms we have been working so hard to achieve. I thank you for your work, and I thank you for being an instrument of true justice – especially at the height of the impeachment trial. I thank, too, the two institutions that form our Congress – the Senate and the House of Representatives – which were weighed and measured by the Filipino people, and were not found wanting. To everyone that ensured that our justice system worked well: You weathered many challenges and criticism, and even misgivings; couple that with the anxiety over possible failure, of having to face the ire of those you went up against, after a mission lost. But you did not falter. The Filipino people were relying on you, and you proved that their faith
was rightly placed. You did not fail the nation; you further brightened our futures. Let me remind you that our fight does not end with the ousting of one corrupt official, with the suspension of an anomalous contract, or the systemic overhauling of a government office. I call upon Congress to pass our amendments to the AntiMoney Laundering Act, that we may strengthen our measures to hold the corrupt accountable. Every town that has and will be lighted; the highways, bridges, airports, trains, and ports we have built; fair contracts; the peace in our cities and our rural areas; every classroom, desk, and book assigned to a child; every Filipino granted a future – all of these, we have achieved in just two years. We have advanced an agenda of reform in these last two years, a marked contrast to our suffering in the decade that came before. If we share the same ideals and work for the same goals, then we are bound by a shared agenda. But if you are against us, it only follows that you are against what we are doing. Whoever stands against the agenda for genuine change – can the people really count them as being on their side? Elections are fast approaching. You, our Bosses, will be our compass. I ask you, “Boss, what direction will we take? Do we continue treading the straight and righteous path, or do we double-back – towards the crooked road that leads to a dead end?” I remember well those early days when we first started working. I was keenly aware of the heavy burdens we would face. And I was among those who wondered: Is it possible to fix a system this broken? This is what I have learned in the 25 months I have served as your president: nothing is impossible. Nothing is impossible because if the Filipino people see that they are the only Bosses of their government, they will carry you, they will guide you, they themselves will lead you towards meaningful change. It isn’t impossible for the Philippines to become the first country in Southeast Asia to provide free vaccines for the rotavirus. It isn’t impossible for the Philippines to stand strong and say, “The Philippines is for Filipinos – and we are ready to defend it.” It is not impossible for the Filipino who for so long had kept his head bowed upon meeting a foreigner – it is not impossible for the Filipino, today, to stand with his head held high and bask in the admiration of the world. In these times – is it not great to be a Filipino? Last year, I asked the Filipino people: Thank those who have done their share in bringing about positive change in society. The obstacles we encountered were no laughing matter, and I believe it is only right that we thank those who shouldered the burdens with us, in righting the wrongs brought about by bad
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition governance. To all the members of my Cabinet: my sincerest thanks. The Filipino people are lucky that there are those of you ready to sacrifice your private and much quieter lives in order to serve the public, even if you know that you will receive smaller salaries, dangers, and constant criticism in return. And I hope that they will not mind if I take this opportunity to thank them today: to Father Catalino Arevalo and Sister Agnes Guillen, who have nurtured and allowed my spiritual life to flourish, especially in times of greatest difficulty: my deepest gratitude. This is my third SONA; only three remain. We are entering the midpoint of our administration. Last year, I challenged you to fully turn your back on the culture of negativism; to take every chance to uplift your fellow Filipinos. From what we are experiencing today, it is clear: you succeeded. You are the wellspring of change. You said: it is possible. I stand before you today as the face of a government that knows you as its Boss and draws its strength from you. I am only here to narrate the changes that you yourselves have made possible. This is why, to all the nurses, midwives, or doctors who chose to serve in the barrios; to each new graduate who has chosen to work for the government; to each Filipino athlete who proudly carries the flag in any corner of the globe, to each government official who renders true and honest service: You made this change possible. So whenever I come face to face with a mother who tells me, “Thank you, my child has been vaccinated,” I respond: You made this happen. Whenever I come face to face with a child who tells me, “Thank you for the paper, for the pencils, for the chance to study,” I respond: You made this happen. Whenever I come face to face with an OFW who tells me, “Thank you, because I can once again dream of growing old in the Philippines,” I respond: You made this happen. Whenever I come face to face with a Filipino who says, “Thank you, I thought that we would never have electricity in our sitio. I never imagined living to see the light,” I respond: You made this happen. Whenever I come face to face with any farmer, teacher, pilot, engineer, driver, call center agent, or any normal Filipino; to every Juan and Juana dela Cruz who says, ”Thank you for this change,” I respond: You made this happen. I repeat: what was once impossible is now possible. I stand before you today and tell you: this is not my SONA. You made this happen. This is the SONA of the Filipino nation. Thank you. ■
(Editor’s Note: President Aquino’s third State of the Nation Address, courtesy of the Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.)
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August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition
Extended educational oversight arrangements for Tier 4 privately-funded sponsors IN July 2011 the Home Office confirmed details of new arrangements for the ‘educational oversight’ of private colleges which sponsor international students. These arrangements are a key part of the drive to improve standards of educational quality and immigration compliance which lies at the heart of the reforms to Tier 4 of the points based system. This page explains the arrangements which will be in place after 2012 for those private education providers who are subject to the educational oversight regime introduced in 2011. In summary: • sponsors will be subject to full assessments every 4 years; • there will be intermediate ‘health check’ assessments, with the frequency dependent on the outcome of their previous inspection; and • full assessments will be triggered at an earlier stage than the normal 4-year cycle if circumstances change (see below) or if health checks reveal any issues to be addressed. In addition, there will be a 3 month window this year for new applications for educational oversight from private education providers. If a provider successfully obtains educational oversight they will then be able to apply to join the Tier 4 sponsor register. DETAIL Under our educational oversight arrangements, all Tier 4 sponsors are required to satisfactorily pass an assessment by one of the 8 independent bodies with an existing role in the formal regulation of education in the UK. The following designated bodies provide oversight
to privately-funded colleges offering higher and further education and English language courses: • the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education; • Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (Scotland); • the Education and Training Inspectorate (Northern Ireland); • the Independent Schools Inspectorate; • the School Inspection Service; and • the Bridge Schools Inspectorate. SCOPE This page explains in broad terms the educational oversight requirements for privately-funded institutions who wish to remain on, or join, the Tier 4 sponsor register. For detailed information on how these arrangements will apply in practice, please visit the relevant body’s website. Publicly-funded providers and other institutions that have a current and satisfactory full inspection, review or audit from the appropriate designated body under the system of public reviews will continue to meet the educational oversight requirements. WINDOWS FOR NEW APPLICATIONS Privately-funded colleges in England and Wales who want to obtain educational oversight as part of an application to join the Tier 4 sponsor register will be able to do so between 23 July and 22 October 2012. Privately-funded colleges in Scotland will be able to apply between 3 September and 5 November 2012. Providers in Northern Ireland should consult the Education and Training Inspectorate Northern Ireland on the window for applications.
The Home Office has agreed with the oversight bodies that these windows will be time-limited to enable them to plan their assessment schedules for the coming year. New applicants must have established a track record of at least 1 year of teaching before applying for educational oversight. Full assessments of new applicants will begin in 2013, and will start the sponsor’s 4-year educational oversight cycle. This process will then repeat annually to allow new sponsors to join the register. FOUR-YEAR ASSESSMENT CYCLE FOR PRIVATELY-FUNDED SPONSORS Privately-funded colleges will be required to undergo a 4-year assessment cycle. All those who applied to a designated educational oversight body by the September 2011 deadline (or by 28 May 2012 for colleges in Scotland) will receive an initial full assessment by the end of 2012, beginning their 4-year cycle. These sponsors will next be required to undergo a full assessment in 2016 and every fourth year thereafter (unless there is a material change in circumstances - see below). In addition to full assessments every 4 years, educational oversight bodies will now introduce risk-based interim health checks. Health checks will be a light-touch, shortened version of a full assessment with the format devised by each of the individual oversight bodies. They are designed to ensure educational standards and quality are being maintained throughout the 4-year cycle, without imposing the burden of a full assessment. The fees for health checks will be set by
POEA warns of another e-mail scam, Australian hospital disowns English training for Filipino nurses THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration exposed another e-mail scam targeting Filipino nurses and other medical practitioners for supposed employment in a hospital in Australia. Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac said the POEA received another recruitment e-mail, supposedly coming from Sydney Adventist Hospital, this time charging a fee of PhP3,750.00 for a two-day “British English” training. This is similar to the one allegedly sent by Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Canada which offers “Visa Interview Coaching” for a fee of Php 3,888.00. Karen Franchiti, human resource specialist of the real Stevenson Memorial Hospital wrote the POEA denying having any business relation with “Stevenson Consultancy” which is supposed to conduct the training in the Philippines.
Cacdac said the promises are similar: no placement fee, no processing fee, no salary deduction, no show money, no experience required, free accommodation and food allowance. “This is a simple cut and paste job and is probably sent by the same group of swindlers which uses legitimate companies to lure victims”, Cacdac added. Sydney Adventist Hospital, located in New South Wales, Australia, was informed of the scam and has since denied having a part of it. An alert in Sydney Adventist Hospital’s website said it has not issued advertisements, emails and other notices encouraging nursing staff in the Philippines to submit applications for training for employment. “The information about Sydney Adventist Hospital recruitment is not accurate and we have not organized training courses and hospital representatives will not be in the Philippines on July 21 and 22nd to
employ people,” the hospital said in its warning. Cacdac said nurses from Philippines and other countries wishing to apply for employment as a nurse in Australia must be registered first with the Australian Health Practitioners Registration Authority (AHPRA). “The training program referred to as the Sydney Adventist British English Training is not associated with Sydney Adventist Hospital. These notices have been issued without our knowledge or approval. Relevant authorities have been advised that these notices are inaccurate and are investigating who has issued them. Please do not pay any fees for the advertised training in the hope of gaining employment here,” the alert said. Job applicants who have received such recruitment e-mails should forward the same to info@poea.gov. ph for investigation by the POEA, Cacdac said. ■ (POEA – July 24, 2012)
the educational oversight bodies on a cost-recovery basis. The educational oversight bodies will determine the notice given for the health check visit, but they may be carried out without notice or at short notice. Each educational oversight body will make available a report of every health check on their website. All privately-funded colleges assessed in 2012 will be required to undergo an initial health check in 2013 to ensure that standards remain on track. Further health checks will take place annually but may be made on a 2-year cycle if the relevant oversight body judges the sponsor meets the highest educational standards. This means that in this first 4-year cycle, sponsors deemed to be performing well in 2013 will not undergo a further health check until 2015. If the privately-funded sponsor no longer meets acceptable standards they will fail the health check. Their confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) allocation will be frozen and, they will be required to submit within 30 days an action plan to remedy deficiencies. During this time, the sponsor will be unable to sponsor any new international students but they can continue to sponsor students who are already studying with them. If any existing students need to extend their leave in order to complete their current course, the sponsor can apply for a CAS to assign to them using the sponsorship management system. The sponsor will then be given the option of applying for a full assessment within a short period of time (maximum 6 months), which will
re-start their 4-year assessment cycle. Those who pass the full assessment will have their CAS allocation reassigned. Those who fail - or choose not to apply - will be made legacy sponsors. The meaning of ‘legacy sponsor’ is set out in the Tier 4 sponsor guidance. The educational oversight bodies will retain the discretion to require a full assessment and/or health check at any time if they consider the circumstances warrant it. You should also refer to the diagram showing the 4-year assessment cycle for existing and new sponsors (see related documents). MATERIAL CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES The educational oversight bodies will provide details of the specific material changes which will lead to sponsors being required to undergo an early full assessment part-way through the 4-year cycle. These changes are likely to include a significant and sudden increase in student numbers (international and/or EU/EEA), major changes in course provision (including changes to awarding bodies or organisations) and mergers or acquisitions of a new branch that is planned to be included in the existing sponsorship arrangement. Other changes might be considered as part of the next scheduled health check. These might include significant increases in premises, a change of proprietor and major changes in teaching staff and accommodation arrangements for students. A failure to report a material change of circumstances may be regarded by the agency as a failure of sponsor duties. ■ (UKBA – July 23, 2012)
POEA asks fishermen for Taiwan to follow legal process POEA administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac warned Filipino fishermen wanting to work in Taiwanese fishing vessels against circumventing proper documentation, certification and safety training requirements prior to deployment. “For your own protection, please do not accept offers of fast deployment from illegal recruiters who may take advantage of the reported 8,000 available jobs for fishermen in Taiwan,” Cacdac said. Cacdac said applicants should not use backdoor exits, and instead, engage the services of licensed recruitment agencies with job orders approved by the POEA. Cacdac said there were reports that illegal recruiters transport fishermen who choose to avoid the legal process to remote facilities outside of Taiwan that have been dubbed as ‘floating barracks’ and have been known to have substandard living conditions. “From these floating barracks,
the fishermen are picked up by Taiwanese vessels and are made to work from 16 to 20 hours each day, with no overtime pay, for 250-300 US dollars a month. For working like slaves, the fishermen are also charged placement fees up to 2,000 US dollars, which are deducted from their monthly salary,” Cacdac said. Taiwan’s Fisheries Bureau has recently requested the Philippines and other sending countries to ensure that fishermen going to Taiwan are properly certified and have adequate training on sea safety. Cacdac clarified that the reported 8,000 jobs for fishermen in Taiwan are not allocated solely for Filipinos. Taiwan fishing vessels also employ fishermen from other countries, majority of them from mainland China and Indonesia. From January to June 2012, the POEA approved 1560 crew requests for fishing vessels in Taiwan covering 157 vessels and 880 principals. ■ (POEA – July 25, 2012)
28
HELLO PHILIPPINES
Business & Finance
www.hello-philippines.com
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition
Luxury goods buck economic slowdown Dominique Ageorges, AFP FUELLED by surging demand in China, luxury goods makers are bucking the global economic slowdown and reaping huge profits on sales of high-end handbags, expensive jewellery and posh perfumes. Results for the first-half of 2012 released this week showed major brands, including world leaders LVMH, PPR and Luxottica with rising profits driven by growing sales in emerging markets. The results beat analyst expectations and allayed fears that the cooling down of China’s economy would dampen luxury sales. Company bosses even expressed confidence that year-end figures would show continued growth. Paris-based LVMH, whose assets include jeweller Bulgari, fashion house Louis Vuitton and a string of top champagne and spirits brands, said Thursday its net profit was up 28 percent in the first half at 1.68 billion euros ($2.06 billion). Sales were up 26 percent, with 29 percent of revenues coming from Asia outside Japan, the group’s largest market. “We approach the second half of the year with confidence,” company CEO Bernard Arnault said, with LVMH noting the “global market (is) experiencing strong growth” despite
“an uncertain economic environment in Europe.” Another leading French luxury and retail group, PPR, said the same day its first-half net profit was up 5.9 percent to 477 million euros, following a 17 percent jump in sales. PPR’s sales of luxury goods, which include fashion brands like Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and jeweller Boucheron, were up by nearly a third, compensating for a 9.2 percent drop in sportswear sales dragged down by its Puma brand. “Business in greater China remained extremely buoyant, with sales climbing by an overall 21.5 percent, fuelled by a 24.4 percent surge in mainland China,” the company said of its luxury division. Italy’s Luxottica, the biggest eyewear maker in the world, said its first-half profits jumped 20.6 percent to 195.5 million euros. The company, which produces Oakley and Ray-Ban sunglasses as well as eyewear for Chanel and Prada, said sales rose by just one percent in Europe but were up 35 percent in emerging markets. The results echoed similar figures released earlier this month by French luxury goods group Hermes, which reported first-half sales up 21.9 percent to 1.59 billion euros, with Asian sales excluding Japan up 25 percent. Analysts say China now accounts
for about 40 percent of the global luxury goods market and that Chinese appetites are driving sales not only in the country but abroad, as Chinese tourists often rack up sales while on foreign trips. Despite high taxes on luxury goods in mainland China, companies are also increasingly expanding into its retail market, with PPR alone opening 22 stores in China in the first half of the year. Still, analysts are warning that some sort of slowdown in luxury goods sales is to be expected if China’s red-hot economic growth continues to cool. China’s economy grew by a stillstrong 7.6 percent in the second quarter, but the expansion was at its slowest pace in more than three years as global economic problems started to hit the world’s secondlargest economy. Thomas Mesmin, an analyst at CA Chevreux, said it was inevitable that a global economic downturn would have an impact on luxury goods. “Saying that luxury goods are resistant to the crisis sounds good, but it’s wrong. There is a fairly strong correlation between the development of the global economy and the luxury market,” he said. “We are accustomed to caviar, but we’re probably going to have to eat a little more salmon,” he said. ■ (©AFP – Paris, France – July 29, 2012)
©AFP/File/Peter Parks
A window of a luxury watch shop is seen in Shanghai, on July 26. Fuelled by surging demand in China, luxury goods makers are bucking the global economic slowdown and reaping huge profits on sales of high-end handbags, expensive jewellery and posh perfumes. ©AFP/File/Peter Parks
A shopper is seen walking through a luxury shopping mall in Shanghai, on July 26. Analysts warn that some slowdown in luxury goods sales is to be expected if China’s economic growth continues to cool.
Macquarie, ADB set up $625 Twitter clocks half billion users million fund for Philippines AUSTRALIA’S Macquarie Group and the Asian Development Bank said Tuesday, July 31 they were teaming up with other investors to open a $625 million private equity fund focused on vital infrastructure in the Philippines. The Manila-based ADB said it would invest $25 million in the fund, with other contributors including the Macquarie Group, the Philippine government’s employee pension fund and Dutch pension fund manager APG. “ADB’s participation can help mobilise additional investment in the Philippines from top tier international partners,” the bank’s director-general for private sector operations Philip Erquiaga said in a statement. The government has said 12 percent of the country’s $120 billion investment requirements would have to come from the private sector. Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, the world’s largest infrastructure fund manager, will run the fund with the ADB playing an advisory role in areas like environmental and social safeguards, the bank said. The Macquarie Group said in
©AFP/File/Noel Celis
Two Metro Rail Transit trains pass each other in Manila in 2010.
a separate statement that the fund would be investing in both existing and new infrastructure projects in areas like transport, power, renewable energy, water and telecommunications. It cited its “successful track record” in setting up similar infrastructure funds in new markets like China, India, Mexico, Africa and Russia as well as its access to infrastructure experts. It did not say how much Macquarie would invest in the fund or when the
first of its infrastructure projects would be implemented. In his annual state of the nation address before Congress last week, President Benigno Aquino vowed to speed up the development of the country’s infrastructure, citing vital airport, rail and road projects. The poor state of the Philippines’ infrastructure has been cited as one of the major hindrances to growth in the largely impoverished country of 95 million. ■ (©AFP – Manila, Philippines – July 31, 2012)
OVER 500 million people are on micro-blogging site Twitter and Americans and Brazilians are the most connected, according to a study by social media monitor Semiocast released Monday, July 30. Twitter surpassed the half-billion mark at the end of June, with the United States accounting for both the most users and largest number of “tweets” or short messages of no more than 140 characters posted on the site. The Paris-based monitor carried out the study by analysing data like time zone, geolocation and language available for the social networking site’s total 517 million accounts. The US accounted for more than 141 million of Twitter users, with Brazil ranking second with 41 million after seeing its number rise by 23 ©AFP/File
percent since the start of the year. Japan came in third with 35 million users. Americans also posted the highest number of Twitter messages, with 25.8 percent of all tweets hailing from the US. Japan came second accounting for 10.6 percent of all tweets, making Japanese the second most common language on Twitter after English. The study found Jakarta to be the most active Twitter zone, with 2.4 percent of all tweets originating in the Indonesian capital. The popularity of Twitter continued to soar in the Arab world following the site’s key role in the “Arab Spring” revolutions last year, with Arabic now the site’s sixth most common language. ■ (©AFP – Paris, France – July 30, 2012)
ADVERTORIAL
Building Dreams, Innovations, and Relationships Leading property developer CDC Holdings introduces apt new tagline as it moves to strengthen an impressive 25-year project portfolio MANILA, PHILIPPINES – ON the cusp of completing one of its most highly anticipated series of real estate projects, property developer CDC Holdings, Inc. is announcing a new company tagline for 2012: “Building dreams, building innovations, and building relationships.” Not only does the phrase reflect the vision that guided CDC Holdings to ground-breaking success in the last 25 years; it also aptly describes the company’s bullishness as it moves to strengthen its already impressive project portfolio with a number of upcoming residential developments this year. “We at CDC Holdings have always been committed to meeting the evolving demands of the market,” says Ms. Elsie Chua, president, CDC Holdings, Inc. “Whether it’s a highrise condominium, a subdivision, a townhouse, or a mid-rise community development, our properties are built and designed to represent the most valuable real estate investment that our clients can make.”
A 25-year track record of success and growth Founded in 1986 by Elsie Chua, CDC Holdings President and Chief Executive Officer, the company has since established itself as one of the most recognized and respected leaders in the Philippine real estate industry. The company’s earliest developments – such as Quadrillion Mansions in Pasig City, Somerset Millenium Suites and Millenium Plaza Serviced Residences in Makati City, and Platinum 1000 and Platinum 2000 in Ortigas – introduced new and original real estate concepts to a market hungry for innovation. More importantly, the developments served as a platform for demonstrating CDC Holdings’ capabilities in securing prime locations, launching effective marketing campaigns, and delivering a fast turnover of project inventory. “The success of CDC Holdings is hinged not merely on developing properties,” notes Ms. Chua. “True to the meaning of our new tagline, our company is in the business of
building dreams, innovations, and relationships.” In the last 25 years, CDC Holdings has grown and expanded its set of core businesses to meet clients’ specific needs and uphold its commitment of offering quality investment options with superior value. Apart from engaging in the development and management of its own properties, the company also recently acted as lead broker for Ayala Land, marketing projects such as Serendra in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig and the Columns and Residences in Makati City. Today, CDC Holdings’ network covers not only the local market, but also extends to include a rapidly growing clientele abroad, most notably the highly sought-after OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) segment. A dedicated team of over 300 sales professionals and more than 140 marketing representatives in various global offices works continuously to foster positive relationships with clients and exercise responsible stewardship of their investments.
Transforming real estate into Filipinos’ dream homes The company is banking on its successful track record to push forward its latest series of residential developments. These include the
recently completed La Joya De Sta. Rosa, a Spanish-Mediterraneaninspired subdivision in Laguna; the upcoming Lions Park Residences, a vibrant 1.9-hectare community of low-rise condominiums in Sun Valley, Parañaque; and the much talkedabout Manila RiverCity Residences, a luxurious condo community set on the scenic banks of Pasig River in Sta. Ana, Manila. While each boasts of its own unique architectural and design inspiration, the developments all carry the signature qualities of CDC Holdings’ work: concept innovation, excellent investment potential (especially for OFWs), and the unwavering support of an industry leader best known for transforming prime real estate into dream homes for every Filipino. “We at CDC Holdings are very excited about our upcoming residential developments,” says Ms. Chua. “Our new tagline positions us for even bigger growth, and captures perfectly our approach on how to achieve that growth.” ■
30
HELLO PHILIPPINES
HP News
www.hello-philippines.com
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition
Authorities captures top Al-Qaeda linked militant
AUTHORITIES have arrested a founding member of the Al-Qaedalinked Abu Sayyaf group blamed for some of the worst terror attacks in the region, security officials said on Sunday, July 29. Ustadz Ahmadsali Asmad Badron, also known as Ammad or Hamad Ustadz Idris, was arrested on Saturday in the remote Tawi-Tawi islands in the southern Philippines. Police criminal investigation regional chief Edgar Danao said Badron was one of the original members of Abu Sayyaf, which was founded in the 1990s using seed money from Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. “Badron was among the trusted members of (Abu Sayyaf) who made millions of pesos in ransom money collected from their operations,” Danao said.
Along with one of his cousins Badron worked alongside Galib Andang, a notorious Abu Sayyaf leader well known as “Commander Robot”. The group carried out a daring cross-border raid on a Malaysian resort in April 2000 and kidnapped dozens of foreign tourists. It gained Abu Sayyaf international notoriety even as the hostages were freed in batches after millions were paid following ransom negotiations brokered by Libya, officials said. The group has also been blamed for the worst extremist attacks in Philippine history including a ferry bombing in Manila in 2004 that killed more than 100 people. Subsequent US-backed operations against Abu Sayyaf led to the killing of key leaders, while many others including Andang were arrested,
but he was later killed in a botched attempt to escape in 2005. While on the run, Badron allegedly helped foreign militants from another regional terror group, the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), to hide in the southern Philippines. The JI is blamed for a spate of deadly attacks in Indonesia, including the 2002 bombings on the Indonesian resort island of Bali that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. Badron’s arrest came as troops were hunting down another Abu Sayyaf unit on the nearby Basilan island following clashes that left at least 10 soldiers dead last week. While the government has repeatedly branded the Abu Sayyaf a spent force, experts say the group remains an enduring security threat with hundreds of fighters still active.
©AFP/File, Conrado Maralit
■ (©AFP – Manila, Philippines – July 29, 2012)
Philippine soldiers search for Abu Sayyaf extremists during a patrol of Basilan Island in 2002.
Massacre witnesses live in fear Jason Gutierrez, AFP
HIRED assassins are stalking witnesses to a Philippine massacre in which a political warlord allegedly led the slaughter of 57 people, victims’ relatives and a rights group said almost two years into a complex trial. Three witnesses and three relatives of others who planned
to testify have been killed in what locals regard as chilling messages for anyone speaking out against the politician and other clan members on trial for the massacre. At least 10 witnesses have been placed under the justice department’s protection in a secret location, according to Esmael Mangudadatu, a rival politician whose wife and two
©AFP, Ted Aljibe
Three witnesses and three relatives of others who planned to testify over the 2009 Maguindanao massacre have been killed. ©AFP/File, Jay Directo
Mindanao politics has long seen murders and intimidation between rival clans.
sisters died in the massacre. But he said many others were on their own in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the hitmen. “Their lives are at risk every day,” Mangudadatu said. “They are being hunted down by hired gunmen and sooner or later there will be more killings.” Mangudadatu himself is protected by burly security guards as he shuffles every week between Manila, where court proceedings are being held, and Maguindanao, the southern province where the killings occurred. “I cannot move freely, it’s that dangerous,” he told AFP. The massacre in 2009 was allegedly orchestrated by the Ampatuan clan in a bid to stop Mangudadatu from challenging one of its members for the post of governor in Maguindanao, a farming province in the southern island of Mindanao. Mangudadatu’s rival, Andal Ampatuan Jnr, allegedly led his family’s private army in stopping a convoy carrying his foe’s wife, relatives, lawyers and a group of 32 journalists, and then gunning them down on a grassy hill. The bodies were found almost immediately afterwards, in roadside pits dug using a government-owned mechanical digger. The Ampatuans had ruled Maguindanao for about a decade under the patronage of thenpresident Gloria Arroyo, who had used the clan’s militias as a buffer against Muslim separatist rebels. Maguindanao and other parts of Mindanao are the traditional homelands of the Philippines’ Muslim minority. Some Muslims have been waging a separatist rebellion for decades, while others, such as the
©AFP/File, Noel Celis
©AFP/File, Jay Directo
Andal Ampatuan Jnr, allegedly led his family’s private army in the slaughter of 57 people.
Witnesses who are to testify at the Maguindanao massacre trial have reported being harassed.
Mangudadatu and Ampatuan clans, have chosen to be a part of the national political system. Mindanao politics has long seen murders and intimidation between rival clans, although the Maguindanao massacre was the worst act of violence. Ampatuan Jnr, his father and other members of the clan are among 197 people charged over the murders, with Ampatuan Jnr the first to go on trial in September 2010. But about 100 of those charged – mostly members of the Ampatuan private militia – remain at large, while other clan figures still hold local government posts. Those who have been detained, including the senior Ampatuans, are in Manila while on trial or awaiting trial. Hearings are held just once a week and lawyers expect proceedings to drag on for years or even decades in the Philippines’ backlogged justice system. Prosecutors have complained of delaying tactics by the defence. At least 20 witnesses, including former Ampatuan aides, have directly linked clan members to the killings, and many more have expressed a willingness to do the same but are being threatened, prosecutors have said. Mangudadatu eventually became governor of Maguindanao, but he has not held office in the provincial capital for fear of being ambushed. Catherine Nunez, 50, whose son
Victor was among the journalists killed, also said relatives of the victims were being harassed. “Maybe they want us to drop the case. I am afraid if no help arrives soon, they may harm my two other children,” Nunez told AFP by phone. Among those slain was Esmail Amil Enog, a former employee of the Ampatuans who had testified in court that he drove the clan’s gunmen to the site of the massacre. He went missing in March after flying home to Maguindanao and his dismembered body was later found by police stuffed into a sack. Enog’s boss, a clan member who had told prosecutors he wanted to turn state witness, was also shot dead this year, while another militia member met the same fate in 2010. The relatives of three other witnesses were also killed, according to prosecutors. Such cases have been monitored by the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), which has repeatedly called on President Benigno Aquino to do more to protect the witnesses and their relatives. “The fear is very real,” said Carlos Conde, HRW’s Philippine researcher. The Ampatuan clan leaders have repeatedly denied carrying out the massacre. Their lawyers have also previously denied that their clients still have a private army, and insisted they could not have ordered the killings of witnesses from behind bars. ■ (©AFP – Manila, Philippines – July 27, 2012)
S&P raises Philippines credit rating ©AFP, Noel Celis
A Filipino trader gestures in front of the electronic display at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) in Manila on June 18. Standard & Poor’s action put the Philippine government within one step of its bid for investment-grade status.
STANDARD & Poor’s raised the Philippines’ long-term foreign currency credit rating to within one rung of investment grade on Wednesday, July 4 citing the government’s improving finances. The US rating outfit assigned the government a “BB+” rating with stable outlook, from “BB” with positive outlook, the agency’s credit analyst Agost Benard said in a statement. “The foreign currency rating upgrade reflects our assessment of gradually easing fiscal vulnerability, as the government’s fiscal consolidation improves its debt profile and lowers its interest burden,” he added. “The rating action also reflects the country’s strengthening external position, with remittances and an expanding service export
sector continuing to drive current account surpluses.” S&P’s action put the Philippine government within one step of its bid for investment-grade status, which starts at “BBB-” in the S&P scale. President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman Ricky Carandang hailed the upgrade, saying it put the government one step closer to investment grade status. “This is an affirmation of the fiscal management of the Aquino administration,” Carandang said in a statement. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said the upgrade gave the government confidence it was following the right economic policies. “We can now clearly make our case for an investment grade status,” he said in a statement. ■ (©AFP – Manila, Philippines – July 4, 2012)
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34
HELLO PHILIPPINES
www.hello-philippines.com
Celebrity, Showbiz & Entertainment
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition
Films up for Venice film festival’s Golden Lion EIGHTEEN films – all world premieres – are in the running this year for the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice film festival, which runs from August 29 to September 8. The official line-up for the 69th edition of the top prize will include a “surprise” film to be revealed closer to the time. Here are the 17 other films competing as listed by organisers: “Something in the Air”, directed by Olivier Assayas, France “At Any Price”, Ramin Bahrani, United States/Britain “Dormant Beauty”, Marco Bellocchio, Italy/France “The Fifth Season”, Jessica Woodworth, Peter Brosens, Belgium/ Holland/France “Fill the Void”, Rama Burshtein, Israel “It was the Son”, Daniele Cipri, Italy/France “A Special Day”, Francesca Comencini, Italy “Passion”, Brian De Palma, France/Germany “Superstar”, Xavier Giannoli, France/Belgium “Pieta”, Kim Ki-duk, South Korea
“Outrage Beyond”, Takeshi Kitano, Japan “Spring Breakers”, Harmony Korine, United States “To the Wonder”, Terrence Malick, United States “Thy Womb”, Brillante Mendoza, Philippines “The Lines of Wellington”, Valeria Sarmiento, Portugal/France “Paradise: Faith”, Ulrich Seidl, Austria/France/Germany “Betrayal”, Kirill Serebrennikov, Russia ■
©AFP/File, Vincenzo Pinto
(©AFP – Rome, Italy – July 26, 2012)
Venice’s gilded La Fenice theatre during the Golden Lion award ceremony.
McCartney paid a pound for Olympics opening ceremony
PAUL McCartney and other star performers at the Olympic Games opening ceremony were paid just one pound for their efforts, London 2012 confirmed Monday, July 30. Beatles star McCartney – who closed the showpiece event – signed a contract for the £1 ($1.60, 1.30 euros) token amount, alongside Mike Oldfield, Dizzee Rascal,
Underworld and Emeli Sande. “The top talent basically gave their services for free,” a London 2012 spokeswoman told AFP. “But in order to have a formal contract for their services you have to show an amount, so that was set at a pound which enables them to have a contractual arrangement.” Sande, 25, who sang the hymn
“Abide With Me” at Friday’s event, said she was waiting for her fee to hit her bank account. “I got paid a pound for my work. It’s there in print and I know because I signed the contract myself. Mind you, I haven’t received anything yet!,” she was quoted as saying by the London Evening Standard newspaper.
“When I do, though, that pound will be truly special. Part of what made the whole event so special was the volunteers who were paid nothing and even paid for their own accommodation. It shows how important art is.” If the payment is yet to go through, it is hardly likely to trouble the likes of McCartney, Britain’s
wealthiest musician with an estimated fortune of £665 million, according to The Sunday Times newspaper’s Rich List 2012. “I don’t imagine they’re going to be fretting too much about it,” the London 2012 spokeswoman said. “We greatly appreciate all of them for giving up their time.” ■ (©AFP – London, United Kingdom – July 30, 2012)
©AFP/POOL/File, Matt Dunham
Ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney performs during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
©AFP Photo/Gabriel Bouys
British actor Rowan Atkinson performs during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games on July 27, 2012 at the Olympic Stadium in London.
August 2012 – No. 14 • UK & Europe Edition
Celebrity, Showbiz & Entertainment
www.hello-philippines.com
HELLO PHILIPPINES
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Legend of Eva Peron lives on, 60 years after her death Oscar Laski, AFP SIX decades after her death, memories of Eva Peron are still fresh for her millions of fans, fascinated by her dizzying social climb to the height of power and her dogged fight for the poor. Evita’s July 26, 1952 death at the age of 33 shocked the nation, though some in wealthy neighborhoods welcomed the end of “that woman” they never called by name. A myth was born that made a dent on Argentine politics forever, leaving an indelible mark on the national collective consciousness; her rise from poverty to the Pink House presidential manse underscored her enduring political message: “I deserve to make it, and so do you.” Even today, President Cristina Kirchner regularly cites Evita, and displays a photograph in her office of Maria Eva Duarte de Peron, the glamorous second wife of president Juan Peron. “In just five years of political life – a period as intense as it was brief – she was very active in community work and women’s right to vote,” historian Felipe Pigna told AFP. “There is her youth, but also her aura of innocence, as she never had official responsibilities.” Over 30,000 copies of Pigna’s biography “Jirones de su Vida” (Bits of Her Life), about her ascent from street to chic and power, have sold in less than a month. A musical on Broadway in New York City, Alan Parker’s 1996 film featuring Madonna and the captivating novel by Tomas Eloy Martinez “Santa Evita” (Saint Evita) have all kept the legend alive. But when it comes to Evita, reality often stumps fiction, as illustrated by the millions of people who poured into the streets for a glimpse at her coffin after her death. Evita met Peron during a festival in 1944. The following year, Peron launched a movement that governed Argentina for over 30 years and now again. He had three terms as president (1946-52, 195255 and 1973-74). When they first met, Eva Duarte was already a wellknown radio soap opera actress. She left her native city of Los Toldos at the age of 15 to flee poverty, follow her dreams or join a lover, depending on the historical account.
A tour in Europe in 1947 raised her international profile, and sealed her place firmly in the heart of Argentine politics. Through her Evita Foundation, she launched a broad range of community and sports programs that improved the lives of millions of people, built 12 hospitals, over a thousand school and numerous nursing homes. Many Argentines remember receiving their first bike from Evita’s hands. “Coming from a poor family, a down-to-earth girl who was a victim of discrimination, she really embodied self-sacrifice,” said Norberto Galasso, author of the recently published “La Companera Evita” (Evita the Militant). “I will never forget life on the streets,” Evita used to say. She ignored critics who were aghast that she hosted the poorest of the poor – while decked out in pricey jewelry and the latest designer frocks. An unrivaled orator who delivered impassioned speeches from the balcony of the Casa Rosada presidential palace, Evita secured in 1949 women’s right to vote and earned a legacy after her death comparable to that of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara. Her face, like Che’s in Havana, still towers over the streets of Buenos Aires, including two sides of the Social Development Ministry. During television interviews, Kirchner has a model of the ministry at her side, sometimes showing the side with a smiling Evita and sometimes the other, where Evita is shown proud and unflinching as she addresses the crowd. Argentina on Wednesday unveiled a new 100 peso bill – equivalent to about 22 US dollars – imprinted with the image of Eva Peron. Issued in honor of the 60th anniversary of her death, the bill shows the late first lady in profile, her blond hair swept back into her the classic chignon hairstyle she usually wore. After a 1955 coup that nearly killed Peron in 1955, the military that took power sought to put an end to Peronism. They removed her embalmed body and had her buried in secret in Milan. The remains were only returned to Peron in 1971 and it was not before 1976 that she was buried again, in Buenos Airies’ La Recoleta cemetery. ■ (©AFP - Buenos Aires, Argentina – July 26, 2012)
©AFP, Juan Mabromata
Argentine President Cristina Kirchner speaks during the presentation of the new banknote with the portrait of Eva Peron. ©AFP, Alejandro Pagni
Pictures of Eva Peron (1919-1952) are displayed at an antique shop in Buenos Aires. ©AFP/File
Eva Peron became a powerful political influence and was idolized by the poor.
©AFP/File, Juan Mabromata
A woman looks at a t-shirt with the image of Eva Peron.
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