August 2013 b issue by MShare Limited

UK & Europe Edition

August 2013 / Fortnightly

Volume 4 - Number 16

page 26

Connecting Global News & Views For The Community

FORTNIGHTLY

Celeb Scoop

E E FR

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MANNY V. PANGILINAN’S ELECTRIC CAR IS FIRST TO VOLT IN AND CHARGE AT THE MERALCO eVEHICLE POWER STATION A sleek white sports sedan drove through the driveway of the Meralco building in the Ortigas business district. Unlike the other vehicles that were obvious prototypes, you wouldn’t have guessed that this was an electric vehicle. It’s a Tesla S sedan, which runs at a top speed of 210 kilometers per hour, and which belongs to no other than Meralco Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan, also famously referred to as MVP. “Be careful not to scratch the car,” the host at the launch of the Meralco eVehicle Power Station said. “MVP is looking on with caution, he’s like, ‘Don’t touch my car,’” he even joked. Well, with a reported worth of Php 8 million anyone will be wise to take extra caution. But, this is money well spent, as “it’s for a better environment,” Pangilinan told InterAksyon.com later. The Chairman’s car made Philippine automotive history on Tuesday, July 30, as the sedan along with an e-tricycle, e-jeepney, e-bus, and another e-car were among the first vehicles to be charged at the Meralco eVehicle Power Station, the pioneering commercial e-vehicle charging station at LL Gardner Street inside the Meralco compound in Pasig City.

The Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle, extreme right, can run for 130 kilometers per hour and is good for 160 kilometers for a full charge.

Businessman Manny V. Pangilinan, with his Tesla S. Sedan in the background, delivers his welcome speech at the launching of Meralco’s eVehicle Power Station. Photos by Romsanne Ortiguerro, InterAksyon.com.

Pangilinan mentioned that the Meralco eVehicle Power Station took about 18 months or so in the making. “Meralco had an internal discussion on how we can expand our business and that was when the concept of e-vehicles and a charging station came up,” Pangilinan shared. “So I said, okay our job is to provide a facility—a charging station but beyond that we should try to develop or coordinate with a local manufacturer.”

“We want to be instrumental in building the complete ecosystem for the expected influx of electric vehicles in the country. Meralco will assist in making the electric vehicle charging technology available to interested partner companies and priority sectors like public transport operators,” added Alfred S. Panlilio, SVP and Head of Customer Retail Services and Corporate Communications of Meralco. Pangilinan disclosed that there

are plans to open more e-vehicle charging stations soon, “That’s the plan slowly as the adoption of e-vehicles becomes more wide spread,” he said. “Plus, the idea is to bring down the cost of operating fuel.” The Meralco eVehicle Power Station plays a pivotal role in the company’s vision of a highly electrified future by the year 2021, the Philippines’ 500th year. By that time, MVP foresees growth in the acceptance and use of electric

These e-motorcycles run from about Php27,000 to Php36,000.

Newly opened Meralco eVehicle Power Station at the Meralco compound.

vehicles, promising a cleaner and healthier environment for everyone. In a press statement, Oscar Reyes, President and CEO of Meralco said.”Meralco aims to celebrate 2021, the quincentennial or 500th year of the discovery of the Philippine Islands by the western world, as the year when all the technologies we are exploring today and many more, will be fully operational and improving the lives and livelihood of millions of our customers.

“Our chairman Manny V. Pangilinan, has provided all of us at Meralco the mandate and the guidance to make a bright and energysmart future possible. This includes as an integral part, the prospect of driving an e-vehicle and charging in a smart-grid integrated EV power station which we hope excites you as much as us. The prototype you see today is a product of both hardwork and promise. ■ Ana Valenzuela / Lifestyle Section / InterAksyon.

com / August 1, 2013 / 3:04 PM

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BUSINESS AND FINANCE

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

3,000 Cavite families affected as Petron oil spill spreads across 3 towns MANILA, Philippines - Some 3,000 coastal families in three Cavite towns have been affected by a massive fuel spill suspected to have come from a commercial tanker servicing Petron Corp., Cavite Gov. Johnvic Remulla said Friday. Initial reports Remulla got indicated that the spill had come from the MT Makisig, as probers were still checking Petron’s secondary oil depot in Rosario town, the ground zero of the spill. Petron Corp., in a statement later on Friday, said initial evidence indicates involvement of its third-party contractor, the oil tanker, but assured stakeholders it was cooperating with local authorities and the Coast Guard. It said it tested the integrity of its pipeline and depot, and was assured these were not involved in the spill. See Petron’s full statement here. The Rosario depot accounts for some 10 percent of Petron’s market requirements, with the bulk still accounted for by its depot in Pandacan, Manila. The people of Rosario, and those of Tanza and Naic, are being assisted by the provincial government, Remulla said in radio interviews Friday, as he decried the huge damage to the province’s shoreline. So far, some 60 square kms of fishing area are now affected; and the shellfish

harvest area is also affected, said Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Director Asis Perez. BFAR has banned the harvesting and consumption of fish and shellfish from the affected areas. But, Perez stressed, those from other Cavite areas may still be sold and eaten, adding that the mussels contaminated with fuel may be easily detected owing to the distinct smell. Besides, he said, the mussels sector is “very responsible” and he is confident they will make sure only the healthy mussels and fish are sold. Also, areas affected by a diesel spill are known to recover more quickly than if fuel oil had spilled, said Perez. So far, said Remulla, Petron has dispatched teams that put booms to control the spill. Coast Guard blocked? The Philippine Coast Guard revealed tests done on water samples from the spill area confirmed that the kind of fuel found on the water was the same as that from the motor tanker Makisig. The PCG was reportedly eyeing the filing of obstruction of justice charges against unnamed Petron officials and the owner of the floating tanker, for allegedly blocking initial attempts by the Coast Guard to draw water samples for tests.

Children use foam to collect oil from the spill. Jhun Dantes/InterAksyon.com

A case for violations of the Clean Water Act is also being planned. Pamalakaya: Make Petron account for damage. The activist fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Friday said the investigation should focus deeper into the involvement of Petron and motor tanker MV Makisig. “The probe should zero in on Petron Corporation and MV Makisig which is commissioned by the oil giant to carry fuel and transport it to a Petron plant through an underwater pipe line. The probing authority

should call a spade a spade and reject the versions of all denial kings and queens in Petron and MV Makisig,” said Salvador France, vice chairperson of Pamalakaya in a press statement. France announced it would support the plan of affected fisherfolk and residents in Rosario and Tanza to file criminal and other appropriate charges against Petron and owners of MV Makisig. “We hope the local government officials of Rosario and Tanza will come together and support the affected fisherfolk and resident’s quest for truth, justice and accountability. The fight

should go beyond the issue of damage or just compensation,” the Pamalakaya official added. France sought a parallel and independent investigation, separate from the Coast Guard probe. Pamalakaya estimated that 10,000 fisherfolk in Rosario and Tanza may be affected by the still uncontained spill, which it said could spread to other coastal towns of Cavite like Noveleta, Cavite City and even Bacoor City. The group said a fisherman in Cavite earns an average of not less than P 250 a day. Since Monday, the fishermen were not able to fish and this denied them a total net income of P 750 for the week or roughly P 7.5 million representing the aggragate income of 10,000 affected fisherfolk. DENR urged: close depot. Meanwhile, Pamalakaya pressed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to close the depot of the oil company, which operates in Barangay Poblacion. They urged environment secretary Ramon Paje to immediately issue an administrative order calling the owners and management persons of Petron to close their oil deport in Barangay Poblacion. ■ InterAksyon.com / August 9, 2013 / 12:45 PM

7 in 10 Pinoys patronize companies that ‘give back to society’—Nielsen survey MANILA - Majority of Filipino consumers patronize the products and services of companies that engage in so-called corporate social responsibility (CSR), according to marketing research firm Nielsen. This year’s Nielsen Global Survey on CSR showed that 71 percent or seven out of 10 Filipinos would likely buy the goods or avail of the services offered by firms that “give back to society,” even if consumers have to shell out some more. This number of Filipino respondents who would patronize companies engaging in CSR rose by three percentage points this year from 68 percent in 2011, Nielsen said.

CA orders government to raise Piatco’s compensation for NAIA-3 to $371 million

MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals has ordered the Philippine government to pay Philippine International Air Terminals Co., Inc. (Piatco) $371-million as just compensation for the takeover of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA 3). In a 31-page decision dated August 7, the CA Third Division modified the 2011 decision of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 117 which pegged the just compensation to $116.35 million, less any award of interest for government’s delay in paying Piatco, NAIA 3’s builder. The CA said the compensation should be at $371,426,688.24, representing replacement costs plus 6 percent annual interest. “To arrive at just compensation, we

simply put in the figure determined as replacement cost, which is $300,206,693 and factor in law and equity,” the CA said. “That interest should be imposed on the amount due Piatco.” It added that not awarding interest to Piatco is unfair “because evidently the Republic had been enjoying the income or fruits from the operation (that is use and enjoyment) of the structures it had expropriated…The government cannot unjustly enrich itself at the expense of Piatco and its investors.” The interest should not only cover government’s delay in paying Piatco but also for the income (opportunity costs or foregone income opportunity) the latter may have received had government not taken over possession and operation of NAIA 3.

Also, the CA said they cannot agree with the RTC ruling that deterioration of the property and costs for non-compliance with contract specifications should be a factor in computing just compensation. The CA said contrary to lower court’s findings, they could not see any proof of the terminal’s structural defects. “There is no clear evidence of any massive structural defect. What may have been considered as a manifestation of a structural defect was the much publicized collapse of a portion of the ceiling which coincidentally occurred just before the equally publicized occular inspection of the NAIA Terminal 3 premises…The ceiling collapse, however, pertains more to a ‘finishing’ issue than a structural one,” the decision read. ■ Lorenz Niel Santos / InterAksyon. com / August 9, 2013 / 3:03 PM

“The positive view of Filipino consumers towards corporate social responsibility runs high. In order to continue getting the support of consumers, authenticity is key. Companies should ensure that their social impact programs remain true to the company’s vision, values and business objectives,” Nielsen Philippines managing director Stuart Jamieson said in a statement. Consumers in India were most willing to patronize “socially-responsible” firms, with three out of four saying they do so. The Nielsen poll also showed that 64 percent of Filipino consumers had “spent more on products and services from socially-responsible companies.” In general,

consumers in Asean led those who spend more on goods and services of firms that have CSR projects, with 66 percent of Thais and 56 percent of Indonesians saying they do so. “Companies can do more to connect with consumers through social projects. To have a stronger engagement with consumers, companies should re-access responsibility, work towards sustainable innovation and develop clear and strong messaging,” Jamieson said. For this year’s survey, over 29,000 consumers from 58 countries were polled on the Internet from February 18 to March 8. ■ Ben

Arnold O. De Vera / InterAksyon.com / August 7, 2013 / 6:38 AM

Cebu Pacific, Tigerair seek fare increase to recoup higher jet fuel costs

MANILA - Two of the country’s budget carriers are seeking government clearance for an increase in fares to allow them to recover higher jet fuel costs. In a filing with the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), Cebu Pacific is asking for a 66 percent increase in the fuel surcharge -- or from $15 to $25 -- for its Macau flights. Separately, Tiger Airways Philippines is asking for permission to impose a P2,500 fuel surcharge on its Manila-Phuket flights. The local unit of Tiger plans to mount flights to and from Phuket next month. A fuel surcharge is a temporary relief

granted to airlines to help them recover losses incurred from higher jet fuel prices. Fuel accounts for 40-50 percent of an airline’s operating cost per passenger, and is the second-highest expense next to labor. According to the International Air Transportation Association’s (IATA), jet fuel prices averaged $125.6 a barrel as of August 2, up by 1.3 percent from $124.3 a year ago. IATA expects jet fuel prices to average $124 a barrel, translating to an additional $4 billion to the global industry’s fuel bill this year. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / August

9, 2013 / 6:12 PM

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BUSINESS AND FINANCE

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

BSP mounts exhibit teaching kids value of savings MANILA - The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) over the weekend opened its first exhibit for children at the Gateway Mall in Araneta Center, Quezon City, aimed at introducing them to savings and spending money at an early age. Dubbed “Money Mattes for Kids,” the exhibit will introduce the concepts of money, savings and spending, according to BSP Assistant Governor Johnny Noe Ravalo. He said nurturing the value of saving among children can help increase the country’s savings rate of 23 percent, which is low compared to other Asean membercountries. “The awareness of saving more is something you expect will accrue over time and that will be the benefit,” Ravalo said.

The exhibit complements efforts of the banking industry, with 12 lenders offering deposit accounts for kids that require as low as P100 to open an account and no maintaining balance. The BSP will mount the exhibit in different cities and municipalities across the country, to enable the agency to cover more ground in teaching the citizenry to become disciplined savers, conscious spenders, and smart consumers at an early age. The exhibit features a make-believe bank where children can play the roles of bank managers and tellers, as well as a mock-up automated teller machine(ATM) that teaches kids how to use ATM cards and enter personal identification numbers. A grocery shop teaches kids how to

budget and to differentiate between needs and wants, whereas a booth featuring ultraviolet light provides a venue where they can learn about the security features of peso bills and distinguish between genuine and fake banknotes. The exhibit in Gateway Mall will run from August 2-17 and will be open to the public during mall hours. The exhibit is a component of the BSP’s integrated Economic and Financial Learning Program. The exhibit is spearheaded by the BSP’s Financial Consumer Affairs Group which has adopted “Financial Education: Building Block for a Stronger Economy” as a theme for its financial advocacy initiatives. ■ Maricel E. Burgonio / InterAksyon.com / August 4, 2013 / 4:42 PM

Gov’t recommending ‘lower’ water rate hike, Maynilad says

MANILA - West zone concession-holder Maynilad Water Services Inc today said the government has recommended a rate hike that is lower than what the company asked for. “The indicative rates they proposed are lower than the application,” Metro Pacific Investments Corp (MPIC) president Jose Ma. K. Lim said, referring to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System-Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO). MPIC is the majority owner of Maynilad, which earlier filed an P8.58 per cubic meter increase in its existing base rate of P30.29. The proposed tariff adjustment is part of the rate rebasing exercise prescribed by regulators every five years to allow Maynilad and Manila Water Co Inc, which operates the east zone, to recover investments they made in their respective concessions to improve water service. Lim said Maynilad has yet to complete

discussions with MWSS-RO on the tariff adjustment, which was supposed to have been implemented starting January. “Our position is that we should follow the formulas stipulated in the concession agreement. In other words, the determination of the average discount rates, opening cash position and so forth,” he said.

Maynliad chief financial officer Randolph T. Estrellado said the company is holding “informal talks” with the MWSSRO on the agency’s recommended rate adjustment. “They are still checking our business plan itself, they are still checking our assumptions,” he said. ■ Euan Paulo C. Añonuevo / InterAksyon.com / August 8, 2013 / 4:48 PM

Philippines has displaced Indonesia as Asean economic leader—S&P MANILA - The Philippines is now Asean’s undisputed economic leader, according to Standard & Poor’s (S&P). “The Philippines, which Standard & Poor’s recently upgraded to investment grade, has taken over the Asean growth leadership role from Indonesia,” S&P Asia Pacific chief economist Paul Gruenwald said in a new report released Monday. Gruenwald said the Philippine economy would grow by 6.9 percent this year, faster than other Asean economies. According to its forecast, S&P sees Indonesia’s gross domestic product (GDP)

growing 6.1 percent; Vietnam, 5.3 percent; and Malaysia, 5.3 percent. The Philippine growth forecast is higher than that for China at 7.3 percent. A measure of economic performance, GDP is the amount of final goods and services produced in a country. S&P’s forecast for the Philippines’ GDP growth this year is at the higher end of the government’s target range of 6-7 percent. The credit rating firm said growth however would slow to 6.1 percent next year before picking up to 6.5 percent in 2015.

Philippine GDP grew 7.8 percent in the first quarter of the year, making it the fastest-growing is Asia. “The major Asean economies we cover—Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam—continue to outperform. These economies are more domestically focused than the newly industrialized economies and therefore tend to do better when global growth is sluggish,” Gruenwald said. For the entire Asean, S&P expects growth of 5.5 percent through 2015. In making its forecast, S&P expects a rebound in the US economy later this year and in 2014. The Asean forecsat however remains below trend because of flat growth in Europe, which is Asia’s biggest trading partner. Overall, risks to Asia-Pacific growth remain skewed to the downside, S&P said, adding that a slowdown in China will have a ripple effect on Australia, which is the largest supplier of iron, and other economies that export heavily to China. Two important risk factors are the pace of Chinese investment and real GDP growth, and the strength of the US economic recovery, S&P said. ■ Maricel E.

Burgonio / InterAksyon.com / August 5, 2013 / 7:41 PM

In legal tussle over Fort Boni, Taguig is in fight of its life WITHOUT Bonifacio Global City, Makati would still be the richest city in the Philippines. Take it away from Taguig, however, as a recent Court of Appeals decision threatens to do, and this flood-prone city is just another Metro Manila backwater, perennially in the shadow of neighboring Makati. Taguig City mayor Lani Cayetano says as much, which explains her grim determination to hold on to upscale BGC, arguably the crown jewel among the country’s newer business districts. In an interview on GMA News TV’s “News To Go,” Taguig City mayor Maria Laarni “Lani” Cayetano said, “Napakalaki po ng epekto nito... ang Fort Bonifacio po ang kaisa-isang financial district ng City of Taguig.” “Ang pondo po na na-gegenerate namin sa Fort Bonifacio ay hindi lamang po napapakinabangan ng Barangay Fort Bonifacio, kundi pinaghahatian ng 28 barangay pa ng Taguig,” she added. Taguig City is currently in a legal battle with Makati City over large parcels of land, including posh Bonifacio Global City. And on Monday, the appeals court ruled in favor of Makati. Cayetano said the lost revenues would obliterate some crucial government programs, including scholarships to some 27,000 university students as well as free uniforms, school bags and shoes to some 120,000 public school students. Key revenue source. Data provided by Cayetano’s office show that Taguig has a P5-billion budget for locally targeted projects in 2013, way below the P11 billion Makati earmarked two years earlier. The P5 billion already includes some P800 million sourced from state coffers, with the remaining stemming from business and property taxes—much of which comes from Bonifacio Global City, Cayetano said. “Ano ang mawawala sa Makati? Ano ang mawawala sa Taguig? Nagsisimula pa lang po kami,” she noted. “Natuto po kaming mangarap at

tumingala sa Makati... Papunta pa lang po kami roon,” the Taguig City mayor said. Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay Jr. has said he expects an additional P6 billion in revenues from portions of Fort Bonifacio. Makati leads Philippine cities in terms of tax revenues, but it was overtaken by Taguig in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings. Property consultancy firm Colliers International Research estimates land values in Makati Central Business District to reach P329,000 per sqaure meter (sqm) and in Fort Bonifacio at P267,000/ sqm. With a friendlier business environment and cheaper real estate prices, Taguig has lured businesses since it became a city eight years ago. A number of the country’s biggest businesses like Gotianun-led East West Banking Corporation and holding firm Aboitiz Equity Ventures relocated their head offices to Bonifacio Global City. Even the World Bank’s Philippine office transferred to the old military camp turned central business district. Various leaders of business groups refused to comment on the impact on business pending final decision of the Supreme Court, but privately, they have admitted a wait and see attitude. “Makati is just speculating. From what I know, nothing is final yet. And nobody has talked to us, so it’s status quo,” one business bigwig told GMA News Online on condition of anonymity. “Whatever the final decision will be, which will probably take years more, what we want is a smooth transition.” With much at stake, Cayetano said the Taguig City council is already preparing for either filing a motion for reconsideration in the appeals court or putting the case forward to the Supreme Court. “Hindi pa ito final and executory. Meron pa pong mga legal remedyong na pwedeng kunin ang Lungsod ng Taguig,” she said. ■ OMG/HS, GMA News / August 9, 2013 / 6:04 PM

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

BUSINESS AND FINANCE

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Tan Caktiong hands over reins to brother, as Jollibee 2Q profit jumps 30%

MANILA - A changing of the guard looms in Jollibee Foods Corp (JFC) as the country’s largest fast-food chain today reported its profit growing nearly a third in the second quarter of the year. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, JFC said its board approved the appointment of chief operating offficer Ernesto Tanmantiong as the company’s next chief executive officer and president effective July 1, 2014. Tanmantiong, 55, will replace his brother Tony Tan Caktiong, who founded and transformed Jollibee from an ice cream parlor into one of Asia’s largest food service companies. Under Tan Caktiong, JFC gained dominant market share leadership in the Philippines and established fast-growing businesses in 11 foreign countries in Asia, North America and the Middle East. Tan Caktiong will continue to serve as chairman of the JFC board, and will play a role in pursuing new ventures and partnerships, as well as in product research and development for the Jollibee Group of Companies. “We have been preparing Ernesto for assuming greater responsibilities. His performance has clearly demonstrated that he is ready to lead the Jollibee Group as its new CEO,” Tan Caktiong said. “He is the right person to lead our organization in building an even stronger, larger and more successful business in the future here in the Philippines and abroad. We are making the announcement

one year early as part of our change management in the organization,” Tan Caktiong said. The appointment of Tanmantiong is part of the Jollibee Group’s succession plan for the organization “as it builds a stronger and larger business for the future.” Tanmantiong joined JFC in 1978 as a store manager. He rose to become an area manager, assistant operations manager and then operation manager. He also became vice president for operations while serving as executive vice president. In November 2006, he was named president of the Jollibee business unit. In January 2012, he was appointed COO of JFC, strengthening the company’s various brands in the country and improving their profitability and profit contribution to the group. He also helped increase the organization capability of JFC’s Corporate Services Group in supporting the expansion of the business in the Philippines and abroad.

Tanmantiong graduated from the Ateneo De Manila University in 1979 with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Management. This year, he attended the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School at Boston, Massachusetts. Higher sales volume. Also today, JFC reported that its net income rose 30 percent to P1.220 billion in the second quarter from P937 million in the same three-month period last year. This brought the fast-food chain’s sixmonth earnings to P2.101 billion this year from P1.620 billion last year. System-wide sales—a measure of all sales to consumers from company-owned and franchised stores—jumped 13.6 percent to P26.07 billion in the second quarter from P22.95 billion a year ago. For the first half, system-wide sales advanced 12.1 percent to to P49.90 billion from P44.50 billion over the same period. Global store network expansion accounted for five percent of the growth rate, while worldwide same-store sales— or sales of restaurant outlets that were at least 15 months old—contributed nine percent mostly from higher volume of purchases by customers. The Philippine business expanded by 12.6 percent, while JFC’s foreign business rose 17.5 percent with China growing by 18.3 percent, Southeast Asia and the Middle East by 34.8 percent, and the US by 6.3 percent. ■ Krista Angela M. Montealegre / InterAksyon.com / August 6, 2013 / Updated 7:47 PM

Private sector economists expect inflation to remain manageable—BSP poll

MANILA - Private sector economists polled by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) expect inflation to stay manageable this year, the central bank said in its latest inflation report. According to its 2Q Inflation Report, the mean forecast of economists from 30 banks and other financial institutions stood at 3.1 percent, with the highest estimate at 4.2 percent and the lowest at 2.7 percent. Based on the probability distribution of the forecasts provided by the 30 respondents, there is a 47.3 percent chance that inflation could settle within 3.1-4 percent this year, or within the 3-5 percent BSP target range for the year. There is also a 40.5 percent chance that average inflation could be within 2.1-3 percent for this year. The BSP forecast inflation at 3.3 percent for 2013. “Analysts expect inflation to remain manageable in 2013 on account of well-

behaved commodity prices. Nonetheless, respondents noted the following upside risk factors: the recent hike in international crude oil prices due to the ongoing political turmoil in the Middle East, the depreciation of the peso, and the expected increase in utility rates,” the BSP said. However, the continued uncertainty over the strength of global economic recovery could temper the effects of imported inflation due to its dampening impact on commodity prices, the central bank said. Consumer prices increased at their slowest pace in nearly four years last July on lower upticks in food, electricity and fuel. The National Statistics Office (NSO) had said inflation last month fell to 2.5 percent year-on-year from June’s 2.7 percent and from 3.2 percent in July last year. Monthon-month, inflation also decelerated to 0.1 percent from June’s 0.5 percent. ■ Maricel E. Burgonio / InterAksyon.com / August 9, 2013 / 5:43 PM

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NEWS

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

Coco levy funds allotted for farmers’ benefit, not for projects of coconut body, PCGG says A presidential body tasked to run after the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family and its cronies denied that coconut levy funds it recovered were used for projects of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA). Projects being undertaken by the PCA are bankrolled by its multi-billion budget, said Nick Suarez, spokesperson of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) on Thursday. These projects “will not be financed by coco levy funds,” Suarez said in a statement, referring to taxes collected from

coconut farmers during the early years of Martial Law. “The government is mindful of the clear intent of the Supreme Court ruling that coco levy funds shall be used for the development of the coconut industry for the benefit of the millions of coconut farmers. The coco levy funds that were recovered by the Commission after more than 25 years of litigation have already been turned over by the agency to the National Treasury,” Suarez said. In the 1970s, these funds were then

administered by the PCA—then under Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., President Benigno Aquino III’s uncle—who then used them to buy a controlling stake in San Miguel Corp. Using these funds collected from coconut farmers, 14 companies where Cojuangco and other Marcos cronies sat as directors bought 31 percent of San Miguel. The stake, which was known as the CIIF—Coconut Industry Investment Fund— bloc, was then used by Cojuangco himself to secure a loan from the United Coconut

Planters Bank (UCPB) to buy 20 percent of San Miguel. At that time, the UCPB--which Cojuangco bought from his uncle, Pedro Cojuangco, the grandfather of President Aquino—was the sole depository of the coconut levy funds. More than 25 years later, the Supreme Court declared that these San Miguel shares were owned by coconut farmers, which in turn were held by the government in their favor. ■ Jaime Sinapit / InterAksyon.com /

August 8, 2013 / 2:38 PM

Coffee industry roadmap to push inter-cropping with coconuts, lower financing rates THE Philippine coffee industry roadmap is in the works and aims for self-sufficiency in the high value crop for starters, Agriculture secretary Proceso Alcala said Wednesday “It would be good if we can export but for now, our priority is self-sufficiency,” Alcala said. The country imports most of its coffee from Vietnam and Indonesia at 75,000 metric tons (MT) to 100,000 MT. Domestic production capacity is at 25,000 MT yearly. To reach the self-suffiency goal, Agriculture chief said intercropping of coffee shrubs with coconut trees will be among the methods to be promoted among coffee farmers. “Coffee grows well under coconut trees. If we pursue this, coconut

farmers will have additional income. Intercropping is also the fastest way to increase production,” he said. Among the other elements of the industry roadmap are: • Application of various technologies to shorten coffee growing time and bean fit for the picking;

• Reduction of production costs and varied financing modes; and • Compliance with international trade standards. Alcala said in a forum with local coffee growers that he will see to bring down monthly interest rates to 1%1.5% and work toward the distribution of technical kits to indigenous peoples that are engaged in coffee farming. The Philippine Coffee Alliance said in a news release about the first general assembly that “a large part of the available land area for planting is collectively owned by indigenous peoples (IPs): Kankanaey of North Luzon, Mangyan of South Luzon, and Manobo of Mindanao.” Philippine Coffee Alliance said it is a “network-organization, representing a

mix of startup and existing coffee farmer organizations, people’s organizations, women’s groups and several civil society organizations.” They seek to “advance proactive participation of the marginalized coffee farmers for an inclusive development, growth, and sustainability of the Philippine coffee industry.” InterAksyon.com

“Mas masarap mag-kape, kaysa ikaw ang pinag-kakapehan,” Alcala said in his remarks. During the assembly, Director Jenny Remoquillo of High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) of the Department of Agriculture presented the Philippine Coffee Road Map for comments. “Heard were small voices from coffee growing communities to have them included as target areas for planting new seedlings and other support services,” the PCA said. According to the Philippine Coffee Board, another non-government entity, it sees local demand for coffee rising by five percent per year because of the growing popularity of instant coffee. ■ ELR, GMA News / July 31, 2013 / 10:31 PM

SANDUGO FESTIVAL – Tagbilaran, Bohol “Sandugo” is a Visayan word which literally means One-Blood. The annual celebration commemorates the blood compact between Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Datu Sikatuna in 1565. It signifies the friendship between the conservative Filipinos and the liberal Spaniards.

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NEWS

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

7 halal restaurants to try in Metro Manila

WITH the end of the month-long Ramadan this week, the festive celebration of Eid al-Fitr takes place on August 9 (Friday), a non-working holiday in the Philippines. During Ramadan, adults fast from sunset to sunrise. The breaking of the fast is set during dusk and is referred to as Iftaar. With Eid alFitr, which is literally translated as “breaking of the fast,” Muslim families gather with their loved ones and friends to feast on sweet delicacies and other elaborate dishes and drinks. Prayers are a focal point, of course, though food also plays an important role during the Ramadan period (at dusk each day to break the fast) and the day of Eid al-Fitr itself. In both important occasions, Halal cuisine is enjoyed. Jameela Bernardo, owner of Dar-ul Deli and administrator of Halal Manila Blog shared, “It is stated in the Quran that we eat from what is lawful—halal. If we do not do so, then we go against Islam and this specific ruling of eating and consuming that’s in accordance with the the law.” Bernardo added that halal meat, such as lamb and beef (but not pork), is considered as such because of the way the animal has been slaughtered. “We let the blood pour out of the animal. After cutting the throat of the animal with a sharp knife—no other method is Halal; you cannot kill the animal with a gun or by electricity—the blood of the animal is drained so that it becomes more cleansed. Only after this method does the meat become halal, and anything from this animal, we are allowed to consume.” “Halal refers to anything: from food, actions, cosmetics, and others. It is a general Arabic term from the Quran and it is used for anything we do on a day-today basis. If something is allowed for us to do, then it is halal,” disclosed Bernardo. Whether one is celebrating Eid al-Fitr or simply looking for some tasty and flavorful alternatives to your usual restaurant fare, Metro Manila is filled with several halal dining places. Here are some of them. 1. New Bombay Restaurant Open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. 3/F Food Choices Glorietta and Ground ﬂoor, Ayala Center, Makati City Tel.no. (+632) 986-8622

Whether you’re craving for fast food or dining out in style, New Bombay serves Indian food with flare. It has an outlet in the food court of Glorietta and has branches scattered in Makati, Ortigas and Taguig City.

New Bombay meal sets consist of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, samosa, tamarind and cilantro sauces, and iced tea.

“It’s home-cooked, Indian-style cooking,” revealed Rainy ‘Tony’ Khanchandani, Operations Manager of New Bombay. “But, when we cook it, we cook it according to your preference.” New Bombay started as a canteen, but later expanded with its first branch on H.V. dela Costa Street (and continues to grow with branches opening in Robinsons Manila and Alabang.) Sixty-five percent of customers are Filipinos, who prefer to have their dishes prepared in mild. S For first-timers, Khanchandani recommends the Chicken Tikka Masala Php245 and Chicken Tikka Dry, Php225. Desserts to try are Kulfi Php125 (a popular ice cream-like dessert made with condensed and evaporated milk, mildly flavored with cardamom) and Gulab Jamon PhpP125 (a cheese-based, spongy treat shaped into balls). 2. Moud Halal Restaurant 829 Globo de Oro St. Quaipo, Manila Tel. no. (+632) 488-5006

The roasted chicken is what makes people come back to this Quiapo diner. Photo by Ana Valenzuela, InterAksyon.com.

From the many eateries around Quaipo, home to the biggest Muslim community in Manila, this small resto stands out as it gets top recommendations among locals. Proof perhaps is the number of chickens roasting at a time when its regular patrons are supposed to be fasting. Moud is one of the few eating places open during Ramadan. Acording to owner Melanie Shaheen they had to make way for the many take-home orders they have been getting. “Ours is a combination of Saudi food and Filipino food, we also offer Chinese food,” she shared with InterAksyon.com. But Moud’s bestseller is the roasted chicken served with kabsa rice. Patrons would order these to take home to their families and picked up during the early evenings. Shaheen disclosed that to keep up with Islam tradition, the restaurant follows halal rituals and adjusts ingredients in Filipino dishes by using chicken, beef, or goat when the ingredient calls for pork. 3. Martabak Café 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. G/F SM Mall of Asia Tel. no. (+632)556-0566

Attracting customers for seven years now with their sumptuous take on IndoMalay cuisine, Martabak offers a more flavorful option to fast-food eats with dishes like beef rendang and seafood soup. Pinoys and Southeast Asian expats and tourists alike keep coming back to this one branch. Set meals are from Php973 to Php1,448. To be sure, Halal certification and a “no pork sign” are plastered on its glass door. 4. Al Batra Restaurant and Coffee Shop Open 24 hours Makati Avenue corner Constellation Street, Makati City Tel. no. (+632) 403-5552 Unwind from the worries of work, shy away from Makati’s rush-hour traffic, or have a midnight snack or early breakfast

Exotic interiors of Gilak by Hossein in Greenbelt mall, Makati City. Photos by Peter C. Marquez, InterAksyon.com.

drink) Php6o. The place is especially popular among office workers taking their lunch or coffee breaks. 6. Gilak by Hossein 11 a.m. to 12 m.n. 2/F Greenbelt 3 Ayala Center, Makati City Tel. no. (+632) 7290266 A light meal at Al Batra Restaurant and Coffee Shop. On the left, mixed appetizers plate (Php180) consisting of hummus, motabal, tabular, and baba ganoush. On the right is the Al Batra Mixed Grill consisting of kebab chicken, kebab meat, and shish tawouk (Php360). Extra order of pita bread (Php20 per piece). Sweet and salted lassi for drinks (Php150 each).

in this 24-hours open Gulf, Mediterranean, Indian restaurant. Albatra offers Ramadan buffet for only Php650 per head from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. For a lighter meal, have a cup of Arabic or Turkish coffee and pair it with a slice of freshly baked pies. Albatra has special pies like cheese, labna and honey, meat, and za’atar or thyme pies. Shisha or waterpipes are also available for smokers. 5. Kashmir 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Rustan’s Supermarket, Ayala Center, Makati If you are in Makati, and want a quick bite, then head towards Rustan’s Supermarket and go straight to the stall of Kashmir, one of Manila’s oldest Indian fine dining restaurants. Give in to your cravings with a shawarma (and drink) Php120, lamb curry Php170, burger (and

PAL expects delivery of 12 more Airbus aircraft in 5 months MANILA - Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Thursday said it expects 12 more Airbus aircraft to be delivered in the next five months as part of the flag carrier’s aggressive expansion. PAL said its second A321-200 is due on August 16, followed by the airline’s first A330-300 in the fourth week of September. Yesterday, PAL took delivery of its first A321 from Airbus. PAL expects an additional 17 aircraft next year, 15 aircraft in 2015, 10 in 2016, two in 2017, and four each in 2018 and 2019. In August last year, PAL signed a firm order with Airbus for 55 aircraft worth a combined $7 billion. These include 45 single-aisle A321s and 10 wide-body A330300.

A month later, PAL exercised its option to acquire 10 more A330-300s, raising its total orders to a record 65 aircraft.

Ismael Augusto “Nikki” Gozon, PAL senior vice president for operations, told reporters that the new A321 aircraft will be

used in flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok ad Japan, as well as for flights to and from Cebu and Davao. PAL earlier said it was giving up the domestic market to focus on international routes. Its budget unit, PAL Express, would take over the domestic routes under a codesharing agreement. Gozon also said PAL plans to mount flights to London, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome and Madrid before the end of the year. “It looks like we might try to do any of those two before the end of the year,” Gozon said, adding that PAL will use Boeing 777-300ERs and A340-300s for its Europe flights. The European Union recently lifted a ban on PAL flights to Europe. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / August 8, 2013 / 5:30 PM

Gilak’s baklava (Php 85) with Arabian tea (Php150).

Gilak in Greenbelt is just one of the many restaurants under the Hossein group of restaurants scattered all over the metro’s malls. With its Mediterranean feel, of Middle Eastern type chandeliers and string curtains over private dining space, Hossein transports you away from the mall’s chaos and into a more exotic atmosphere. Apart from its interiors, however, this restaurant has been delighting palates for more than 25 years now with offerings like lamb shish kebab (Php571), lamb chops (Php870), and baklava (Php85). 7. The Chicken Rice Shop Harbor S, CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard; Sta. Lucia Mall Robinson’s Place Manila A popular chicken rice fast-food restaurant from Malaysia that claims it serves “grandmother’s traditional Hainanese secret recipe chicken rice.” But there’s more to enjoy other than this popular Malaysian and Singaporean dish. The restaurant also offers curry laksa, fish laksa, and chicken springrolls, to name a few. ■ Ana Valenzuela / Lifestyle Section / InterAksyon.com / August 8, 2013 / 1:50 AM

The Chicken Rice Shop’s curry laksa. Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/ TheChickenRiceShopPhilippines.

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Fil-Am becomes highest-ranking openly gay elected official in San Mateo County REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - Life just keeps getting better for San Mateo County’s lone known Filipino American elected official Robert Bernardo. Three years ago, he won in his first political candidacy for the Harbor Commission tasked with setting policy for the county’s two public harbors Oyster Point Marina in South San Francisco and Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay. Last week he was selected by his four peers to lead them as president. ‘’Right now, I still can’t believe it, it’s such an honor,” said Bernardo, who was secretary-treasurer prior to the July 17 selection. “I plan to facilitate discussion among my fellow Commissioners to keep us on the continued path of fiscal responsibility, harbor safety, environmental stewardship, and government accountability.’’ Bernardo has earned the trust of a body composed of professional and political luminaries. Vice president Pietro Parravano owns a commercial fishing company and secretary-treasurer Jim Tucker is a former

member of the city council of Daly City. Member Sabrina Brennan is a business owner and Will Holzinger is an attorney. Bernardo is the only non-white on board. He is quick to note another distinction: ‘’This makes me the highest-ranking openly-gay elected official in the entire county.’’ Bernardo touts working for gay rights among his key advocacies, which include the environment and education. He cited ‘’hardship’’ as reason for constantly reminding that he is the lone out lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender elected FilAm official in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bernardo is proud of his identity. Twenty years ago, he recalled, he won the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance pageant. A few years back, he was a grand marshal with the San Francisco Pride Parade. He disclosed that he is in a 20-year relationship with his partner, who is Jewish, and with whom he found his new faith. ‘’As an openly-gay, Jewish, Filipino man, I have had to tolerate lots of bigotry and ignorance growing up,’’ he told

Philippine News. ‘’I have been called many hurtful names and have received my share of hate mail and hate messages. I feel that all of this has made me a more resilient and tougher person who can handle countywide politics.’’ Bernardo attributes his success to his family. ‘’I thank my parents for raising me to be strong—and most importantly, for reminding to follow my dreams wherever they may take me.’’ Indeed, Bernardo seems to have fostered an upward career trajectory. The Manila-born, University of California Davis-educated resident of South San Francisco has sat on his town’s Personnel and Planning Commissions, seemingly preparing him for elected office within. Instead of seeking a seat on the Board of Education, the typical route taken by those with political aspirations for the City Council, Bernardo opted to try for position with a wider constituency. One, that is, for which he believes he is best tailored. ‘’I feel that my background and

experience make me uniquely qualified for this elected position,’ said Bernardo, whose day job is port manager at the Port of Oakland. ‘’My full-time job at the fifth largest seaport in the United States has broadened my knowledge and understanding of marine issues and gives me a global perspective on harbors and marinas.’’ The Harbor Commission was created by the Board of Supervisors in 1933 and is among county entities entrusted with stewardship of public funds, hence the electorate is given choice of its members. ‘’A portion of the property taxes that San Mateo County residents pay goes directly to the Harbor District,’’ Bernardo explained. ‘’We work to ensure that the county’s two harbors provide maximum benefit to all who use them—whether it’s commercial fishermen, boaters, surfers or others.’’ The position comes with a $600 monthly stipend. Bernardo said he has donated a quarter of the amount to county nonprofits. Residents of the county’s 20 cities and

18 unincorporated towns have opportunity to rate his performance next year when he runs for re-election. ■ Cherie M. Querol Moreno / Executive Editor / Philippine News / August 9, 2013 / 11:30 AM

arranging Pinoy workers’ Three PH teams advance to finals of MECO redeployment to Taiwan World Hip Hop Dance Championship THREE talented teams of hip hop dancers may be on their way to bringing honors anew for the country as they successfully made it to the final round of the World Hip Hop Dance Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada Friday (Saturday, Manila time). Two-time world champions the Philippine All Stars are once again on track to defend their world title as they finished third in the semi-final round of the competition’s Adult Division. The team will slug it out in the final round with New Zealand’s Identity and Prestige Dance Club, Canada’s Rockwell Family, Malaysia’s Elecoldxhot, Japan’s Zerogate and F.L.A.T. and Italy’s Break Da Beat. In the MegaCrew Division, the UP Streetdance Club and the De La Salle Dance Company-Street placed second and fourth, respectively, in the semi-final round to make it to the next level, along with New Zealand’s The Royal Family, Canada’s Praise Team, the Netherlands’ No Escape XXL and Australia’s Academy of Brothers. Like the Philippine All-Stars, the Royal Family are also two-time champions of this

Members of the Philippine All Stars, the UP Streetdance Club and the De La Salle Dance Company-Street ham it up at the 2013 World Hip Hop Dance Championships in Las Vegas. Photo from Hip Hop International’s FB page by Sthanlee B. Mirador

competition who won in this division last year. The finals round of this year’s contest also serves a rematch of sorts with the UP Streetdance Club who placed third to win the bronze medal in this category. Created in 2002 by Hip Hop International, the World Hip Hop Dance Championship is a prestigious dance competition that has attracted competing

The Philippine All Stars wow the crowd at Jennifer Lopez’s Manila concert last year. Photo courtesy of Magic Liwanag

teams from the US, Italy, Mexico, France, Japan, Switzerland, Morocco, Philippines, United Kingdom, China, Canada, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Malaysia, India, Colombia, South Africa, Nigeria, New Zealand, Denmark, Spain, Russia, Portugal, Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Poland and Uruguay. This year’s competition featured over 2,500 competing dancers representing 40 countries. In an interview with InterAksyon last year, Philippine All Stars founding member and artistic director Lema Diaz said that competing at the world championships every year is what keeps their crew grounded. “As a competing team, we continually represent the country to elevate our status as dancers…By staying true to who we are and keeping the identity of the All Stars intact, we were able to transcend changing trends…When it gets tough, we always go back to why we do what we do. And everything else is easy,” she noted. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / August 10, 2013 / 8:00 PM

NOW that Taiwan has lifted a threemonth hiring freeze on Filipinos, Philippine authorities in Taiwan are now arranging to ensure the smooth re-deployment of Filipino workers there. Manila Economic and Cultural Office head Amadeo Perez Jr. said Friday he will meet soonest with the concerned agencies on the matter. “Pupulungin ko ang lahat na kawani ng attached agencies [at] tingnan ang paraan para ma-redeploy, madagdagan ang Philippine workers dito [sa Taiwan],” Perez said in an interview on dzBB radio. He said they will also assess the “damage” to the employment chances of Filipino workers whose slots had been taken by other nationals during the threemonth freeze. Taiwan had imposed a freeze in the hiring of Filipino workers last May, after an encounter in the Balintang Channel that killed a Taiwanese fisherman. “Ang (mga) hindi nakapunta roon, sana... makapunta na. Ang takot ko naghire na sila ng taga-ibang bansa (We hope we can remedy this. My concern is that many Filipinos who could have gotten jobs in Taiwan in the last three months had been replaced by workers of other nationalities),” Perez said. On Thursday night, Taiwan lifted its

sanctions on the Philippines after Perez went to the family of the slain fisherman and relayed the Philippines’ apologies. A day earlier, the National Bureau of Investigation announced it was recommending criminal charges against eight Coast Guard personnel who fired at the Taiwanese fishing boat. The NBI also said it is recommending charges against four Coast Guard personnel who allegedly tried to alter the evidence. A report on Taiwan’s Central News Agency said Taiwan’s Council of Labor Affairs will resume processing applications for hiring Filipino workers on Friday. CNA cited data showing the CLA gets an average of 2,000 applications for importing new workers from the Philippines a month. This includes manufacturing workers and caregivers. On the other hand, the CLA said technology companies form the bulk of applicants interested in hiring Filipino workers. Perez also said the tension between Filipinos and Taiwanese in Taiwan had died down, as early as May. “Wala na, Mayo pa, tahimik na tahimik na (The tension had died down as early as May. Everything is peaceful),” he said. ■

LBG, GMA News / August 9, 2013 / 7:59 AM

A frame grab from the video of the May 9 incident in Balintang Channel where Philippine Coast Guard personnel chased and fired at a Taiwanese fishing boat, resulting in the death of a Taiwanese fisherman.The National Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday, August 7, recommends the filing of charges against the PCG personnel involved. Of the 10, eight will be slapped with homicide charges. The shooting incident sparked a diplomatic row between the PHL and Taiwan which threatened the future of Filipino workers in the island state. GMA News/NBI

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August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

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Palace: No word yet on fate of PHL contingent in Golan Heights

THERE is still no word on whether the Philippine contingent to the United Nations peacekeeping force in Golan Heights may stay beyond August 11, Malacañang said on Saturday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said as of Saturday morning, the Palace has not received any information on whether the 340 peacekeepers will be pulled out. “I think August 11 is the rotation of the deployment. So far we have not received any other word on this,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. When asked if this means the Filipino peacekeepers will remain at their posts

for now, she said, “Thus far, nandoon pa sila.” Earlier, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said President Benigno Aquino III has agreed to keep the 340 Filipino peacekeepers in Golan Heights until August 11. Lacierda was quoted as saying Aquino indicated the Philippines is prepared to continue its participation in the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). Will likely stay. According to a report of Reuters, the Philippines will likely keep its peacekeeping forces in the Israelioccupied Golan Heights for six more

months after securing U.N. assurances for the safety of its 342 soldiers in the ceasefire zone, Manila’s foreign minister said in late July. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said Manila was satisfied with action taken by the United Nations to keep Filipino peacekeepers safe with promises to provide protective equipment and weapons, including armoured vehicles. “On that basis, the likelihood is we will continue beyond August 11,” del Rosario said, referring to the deadline set by the Philippines plan to withdraw the troops in the absence of U.N. guarantees. He said he would recommend to

President Benigno Aquino to keep the troops in the Golan Heights for another six months. Peacekeepers have been caught in the middle of fighting between Syrian troops and rebels in the area of separation, which had been largely quiet for nearly 40 years. About 20 Filipino soldiers were taken captive twice this year. Del Rosario said the United Nations had promised to raise the total number of peacekeepers to 1,250 by October to make up for the withdrawal of troops from Austria, Croatia and Japan on grounds of rising violence.

Del Rosario said a U.N. Security Council resolution allocated $8 million to enhance security. Israel captured the Golan heights from Syria in the 1967 “Six Day” war, and the countries technically remain at war. Syrican troops are not allowed in an area of separation under a 1973 ceasefire formalised in 1974. The United Nations Disengagement Observation Force (UNDOF), which has been monitoring the ceasefire, has about 1,000 peacekeepers and civilian staff from India, Nepal, Ireland, Fiji, Moldova, Morocco and the Philippines. ■ VVP, GMA

News / August 10, 2013 / 4:40 PM

Recruitment agencies: Lifting of Taiwanese sanctions on PHL augurs well for OFWs Taiwan also cancelled its plan to hire Vietnamese and Maynmar workers to replace Filipino workers. The Department of Labor and Employment said more than 90,000 OFWs are working in Taiwan and the number is expected to increase with the lifting of the hiring freeze. The Philippine president sent special envoy Amadeo Perez to visit the fisherman’s family in southern Taiwan on Thursday. Lifting of 11 sanctions. Three months after a maritime encounter on May 9 that led to the death of a Taiwanese

THE recruitment agencies of Filipino workers to Taiwan said the lifting of sanctions on the Philippines would increase economic opportunities for Filipino jobseekers. Philippine Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan (Pilmat) president Angelo Tang said the removal of the hiring freeze is favorable to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) whose departure for work in Taiwan was stalled. The Pilmat official noted that OFWs in Taiwan whose contracts were supposed to expire this month would be extended.

fisherman,Taiwan on Thursday finally lifted a freeze on hiring Filipino workers and other sanctions it imposed on the Philippines. Taiwanese foreign affairs minister David Lin made the announcement Thursday evening after meeting with Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) chairman Amadeo Perez Jr., Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported. The lifting of the sanctions was confirmed by Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Manila (TECO) political director Andrew Lin in a text message to GMA News Online.

Aside from the removal of the hiring freeze, the other sanctions lifted included a “red” travel alert urging Taiwanese not to visit the Philippines and the suspension of exchanges between high-level officials, as well as a halt to exchanges on trade and academic affairs. Thanksgiving Masses. Pleased with Taiwan’s decision, Filipinos in that country held thanksgiving Masses after learning the sanctions imposed by Taipei on the Philippines since May had been lifted, Perez said on Friday. Citing reports reaching him, Perez

said many Filipino workers let out shouts of joy in their dormitories Thursday night, after the lifting of the sanctions was announced. “May Misa ngayon dito, may Catholic churches nagpapasalamat. Naghihiyawan daw sa dormitoryo kagabi,” Perez said in an interview over dzBB radio. Perez also said the tension between Filipinos and Taiwanese in Taiwan had died down, as early as May. “Wala na, Mayo pa, tahimik na tahimik na,” he said. ■ VVP, GMA News / August 9, 2013 / 3:00 PM

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Aussie charged over ‘bigger than Boston’ bomb plot SYDNEY, New South Wales - An Australian man charged over a bomb plot was seeking revenge against a doctor using devices larger than those used in the Boston Marathon blast, reports said Saturday. The 42-year-old was arrested at Sydney airport on Thursday and charged with manufacturing an explosive device with intent to injure in connection with the plot, uncovered in April, police said in a statement. “A man has been charged after an improvised explosive device was allegedly found at a home in Albion Park earlier in the year,” police said.

A passenger leaves the Sydney International Airport

He appeared before a magistrate in Sydney on Friday and was refused bail. Prosecutors told the court he had assembled two shrapnel-packed butane gas bombs to detonate in one of the city’s hospitals and offices of hiseye surgeon, according to media reports. The Daily Telegraph said the court heard that the devices were both bigger than those used in April’s Boston Marathon blasts, which killed three people and wounded more than 250. The man, whose identity has been suppressed along with details of his alleged targets, had planned to detonate the bombs in the two locations over what

he believed to be an injury caused by dye administered to him during testing for a genetic eye condition, The Australian newspaper said. He allegedly intended to set off the blasts in April but fled to Malta before going through with the plot, leaving his ex-wife to find the devices hidden underneath their house, according to The Australian. She called the police, who sent in the bomb squad. Moves were under way to have the man extradited from Malta when he attempted to re-enter Australia on Thursday and he was arrested at the airport, reports said. ■ AFP / August 10, 2013 / 03:25 AM

Curfew grips Indian Kashmir town after two die SRINAGAR, India - A town in the south of Indian Kashmir was under curfew for a second day Saturday after two people were killed and dozens wounded in HinduMuslim clashes in the disputed Himalayan region, police said. Stores and buildings were torched in the clashes on Friday, which erupted in Kishtwar town, 150 kilometres (90 miles) southeast of Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar after prayers marking the end of Ramadan. The violence broke out when several hundred Muslims staged a march and shouted slogans attacking India and shouting “We want freedom” and were attacked by Hindus who objected to the demonstration. “Two people died in the clashes and 23 were injured. An indefinite curfew is

in force,” police inspector general Rajesh Kumar told AFP. Rebel groups have been battling Indian forces since 1989 for the territory to be made independent or tied to Pakistan, in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians. Despite the protests and clashes, thousands of Muslims, visited mosques, shrinesand prayer grounds to mark Eid alFitr—the end of the holy month of fasting. Authorities rushed hundreds of federal paramilitary troops to the area after hours of rioting. Kishtwar residents alleged members of the Village Defence Committees, controversial semi-official local groups drawn mostly from the Hindu community and armed by the government to fight the

militants in their areas, used weapons during Friday’s clashes. A police official, who wished to remain anonymous, said authorities were looking into the allegations. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan by a heavily militarised Line of Control but the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals claim the Himalayan territory in full. Shops and businesses remained shut in Srinagar in response to a strike over the clashes called by a top separatist leader, Syed Ali Geelani, who had called for “peaceful protests” following what he branded as “state terrorism” after Eid prayers. More than 30 people, including 20 security forces, were hurt in Srinagar during the clashes.

Kashmiri protesters throw stones during clashes with Indian riot-police in Jammu.

Meanwhile, shops and other businesses remained shut in Jammu, Indian Kashmir’s winter capital, in

response to a shutdown called by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. ■ AFP / August 10, 2013 / 12:51 PM

Death toll rises to six after torrential rain in Japan

Cambodian children sit on motorbikes near armored personnel carriers on the outskirts of Phnom Penh

Sam Rainsy, leader of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, at Democracy Park

Cambodia deploys troops on streets of capital

PHNOM PENH - Cambodia has deployed armoured personnel carriers and soldiers in Phnom Penh to prevent any violence if mass demonstrations following hotly disputed polls go ahead. The rare sight Friday of armoured vehicles in the capital’s streets comes after rights groups said hundreds of security forces had been mobilised in the city. Local press on Friday published pictures of several vehicles topped with heavy weapons apparently rolling into the capital’s suburbs. “The deployment is not meant to intimidate the people... it is a proactive measure to prevent any bad situation from happening,” military police spokesman Kheng Tito told AFP, declining to confirm the numbers of troops mobilised. He said the move was to “maintain security and public order” and the armed forces would remain in the city until a new government is formed, ending a political

deadlock which has gripped the nation following last month’s controversial election. Strongman premier Hun Sen’s long-ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) claimed it had won that poll—one of the most fiercely contested votes seen in the country. But the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) said it was the real winner, rejecting the CPP’s results on the grounds of widespread voting irregularities. Opposition leader Sam Rainsy has repeatedly vowed to call for nationwide protests unless an independent probe with United Nations participation is opened. “We do not ban peaceful demonstrations, but if the protests turn violent the forces will take action,” added Kheng Tito. The CNRP has also threatened to boycott parliament, something Hun Sen has said would not prevent him forming a government. CNRP spokeman Yim Sovann denounced the deployment of the soldiers as a threat.

“It is intimidation against the people, a threat against freedom of speech and demonstration,” he told AFP. Rights group Amnesty International said hundreds of security forces had been moved into Phnom Penh on Thursday, and called on Cambodian authorities and political leaders to ensure a “tense and unpredictable” postelection situation does not slip into violence. “The Cambodian security forces, which have a chequered record when policing demonstrations, must refrain from using excessive or unnecessary force against demonstrators,” Isabelle Arradon, the group’s deputy director for the Asia-Pacific, said in the statement. Cambodia’s opposition party earlier this week called on the UN to help resolve the dispute to protect “the victory” of the people. Hun Sen—who has been in power for 28 years—has vowed to establish a government under his leadership despite the opposition’s allegations. ■ AFP / August 09, 2013 / 07:35 AM

TOKYO - Japanese rescuers found four bodies Saturday at the scene of a landslide in the north of the country, taking the total death toll from record rainfall to six. The bodies of a 93-year-old man, his 88-year-old wife and their son, 61, were found near their house in remote Senboku, Akita prefecture, local police said. Nearly 300 police and troops were still looking for the son’s wife, an Akita police spokesman said. Their home was among eight buildings swallowed by a mudslide triggered by torrential rain that swept the region on Friday, the spokesman said. Rescue workers also found the body of

a 58-year-old in the rubble in the same area. Heavy rain hit northern Japan on Friday, with some areas of Akita seeing up to a record 108 millimetres (more than four inches) of rain in an hour. The rainfall caused mudslides and rivers to overflow in Akita and neighbouring Iwate prefecture. On Friday, rescue workers in Iwate found the body of a 91-year-old woman, whose house in Hanamaki city was also hit by a mudslide. The Iwate police on Friday also found the body of a 62-year-old man who is believed to have drowned after being swept away by an overflowing river. ■ AFP / August 10, 2013 / 12:33 PM

Japanese rescue workers (top) remove a victim out of a collapsed house near Lake Tazawa.

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Chinese human trafficking ring busted in Spain, France

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MADRID - Spanish and French police said Saturday they have dismantled a human trafficking ring that smuggled Chinese migrants into Europe and the United States, charging up to 50,000 euros per person. A total of 75 suspects including two “main operatives” based in Barcelona were arrested, including 51 in Spain and 24 in France after a two-year joint investigation, a police statement said. The traffickers charged 40,000 to 50,000 euros ($53,000 to $66,000) per person to provide “false identities and transport Chinese citizens to the United States and countries such as Spain, France, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Turkey,” the statement said. In some cases the ring was involved in the sexual exploitation of migrants, it added. Spanish police seized 81 fake passports from Asian countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. The investigation into the ring, described as “complex”, began in July 2011. “The composition of this perfectly structured, hierarchical organisation, with its kingpin in China and independent cells operating in different countries, completely shut off from each other, complicated the investigation,” the police statement said. The traffickers accompanied their clients all the way from China to Spain, “the last stop (serving as a) trampoline to the final destination, usually the United Kingdom or the United States,” it said.

The operatives, mainly from China and Malaysia, had the “complete confidence” of the ringleaders and were “thorough connaisseurs of the European airports and cities along the route of the transfers,” the statement said. Once their mission was accomplished they would return home immediately, “in order to make it more difficult to track them,” police said. Upon the migrants’ arrival in Barcelona, operatives of the trafficking ring would meet them and take them to safe houses before they embarked on the next leg of their journey. The route taken from China, as well as the travel documents used, “changed constantly according to the successes and failures of previous trips... or in order to prevent discovery of the traffickers,” the statement said. The migrants were given precise instructions on how to avoid detection at customs controls, such as trying to blend in with groups of tourists. The two top suspects were arrested in Barcelona, while another 49 were picked up in Spanish airports including those of Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga and Mallorca, plus another 24 in France. The 81 fake passports were found in two lodgings owned by the ring in Barcelona. There police also found equipment for forging documents including portable computers, scanners, around 20 fake customs stamps and an electronic magnifier.

Suspected members of a gang allegedly smuggling Chinese migrants into Europe after they were arrested in Barcelona

Police also provided pictures of a firearm, cellphones and wads of cash, both euros and yuan, that were seized in the operation. The European Commission warned in a report issued in April that the problem of human trafficking was worsening across the bloc. It signalled an 18 percent increase from 2008 to 2010 in identified and presumed victims of trafficking in the then 27-nation EU, with the total reaching 23,632. More than half of the victims—61 percent -- were from EU nations, most often Romania and Bulgaria, with Nigeria and China as the most common countries of origin outside Europe. In a 2010 report, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime described human trafficking as “one of the most lucrative illicit businesses in Europe”, estimating gains through sexual exploitation and forced labour alone at around 2.5 billion euros per year. ■ Katell Abive / AFP / August 10, 2013 / 5:16 PM

Map showing the levels of human trafficking across the world.

A Spanish policeman displays the fake visa stamps seized in a raid in Barcelona.

Passports, stamps, printers and mobile phones seized in a human trafficking bust

EVENTS DIARY UK & EUROPE

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August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition ORGANISER

CONTACTS / REMARKS

23 August Friday 8:00pm – 10:45pm 24 August Saturday 12:00pm – 10:00pm

2nd Reel Gate International Film Festival – Opening Film (El Presidente) 2nd Reel Gate International Film Festival – (See Page 36 and 37 for details)

Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9RL

Reel Gate International Film Festival

Box Office – 020 8237 1111 / www.reelgate.com

Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9RL

Reel Gate International Film Festival

Box Office – 020 8237 1111 / www.reelgate.com

25 August Sunday 12:00pm – 9:30pm

2nd Reel Gate International Film Festival – (See Page 36 and 37 for details)

Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9RL

Reel Gate International Film Festival

Box Office – 020 8237 1111 / www.reelgate.com

25 August Sunday 11:00am 30 & 31 August Friday 7:30pm & Saturday 3:00pm / 7:30pm 7 September Saturday 5:30pm – Till Late 7 September Saturday 8:00am – 6:00pm 7 September Saturday 8:00am – 6:00pm 8 September Sunday 8:30am – 5:30pm 8 September Sunday 12:00pm – 4:00pm

CFC-ANCOP Global Walk 2013 – (Answering the Cry of the Poor)

Assembly Point: Richmond Park, London

CFC-UK Central Region

Sayaw

The Cockpit Theatre, Gateforth Street, Marylebone, London NW8 8EH

Lahing Kayumanggi Dance Company

Sonny/Melona Vigo – 07725 830 839 Araial/Amelia Ilustre – 07447 020 757 Felicito S. Simon – bradmonsi@yahoo.com Ronnie del Barrio – 07445 132 613 / tickets@lkdance.org.uk / www.lkdance.org.uk

Miss & Mr Philippines UK 2013

ILEC Conference Centre and Ibis Hotel, 47 Lillie Road, Earls Court, London SW6 1UD Homefield Park, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 2HZ Ramgarhia Sports Center, 8-10 Chapeltown Road, Leeds LS7 3AQ

Philippines UK Org

14 September Saturday 3:00pm – 8:00pm 14 & 15 September Saturday & Sunday 21 September Saturday 6 October Sunday 6 October Sunday

Hataw Sa Tag-Araw 5 – The Annual Worthing Filipino Festival 1st Invitational Volleyball Tournament – Mens & Womens Division 1st Invitational Volleyball Tournament – Mens & Womens Division Fluvial Mass in Honor of the 313th Anniversary of the Feast of Our Lady of Penafrancia Feast Day Celebration of Our Lady, Mary Mediatrix of All Grace Penefrancia Fiesta 2013 and Leicester 1st Basketball League Mrs. Philippines UK 2013 A Day of Pilgrimage and Celebrating the Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rosary Marian Pilgrimage at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Worthing Filipino Community UK Filipino Leeds Association

Freddie Ocampo – 07595 248 917

The Edge Sports Center, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT

Filipino Leeds Association

Freddie Ocampo – 07595 248 917

Boat along the River Thames – Boat leaves at Butlers Wharf Pier, Shad Thames. London SE1 2YE (on the Queen’s Walkway / East of Tower Bridge on the South Shore) Holy Cross Chapel, Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, London W6 8RF Guthlaxton College, Sports Hall, Station Road, Wigston, Leicester LE18 2DS Baden-Powell House, 65-67 Queen's Gate, London SW7 5JS Places to visit: 1. St Jude Shrine, Faversham 2. Carmelite Community, Aylesford Aylesford, Kent

Tower Hill Station or Tower Gateway or London Bridge Station (15 minutes walk) / Bus: RV1

Adelle Caguimbal – 07717 493 541 Essex Angulo – 07946 510 347 Joseph Lontoc – 07902 395 741

The Community Prayer Crusade – West London (Non-Profit Organisation)

Aguman Kapampangan UK The Community Prayer Crusade – West London (Non-Profit Organisation) Sponsored by different Filipino Communities

20th Anniversary Annual Charity Dinner & Dance

Radisson Blu Portman Hotel, Portman Square, London W1H 7BG

Batangas Association UK (BAUK)

26 October Saturday 6:00pm 30 November Saturday

Mr. & Ms. Philippines Europe Goodwill Ambassador

Maritim proArte Hotel Berlin, Friedrichstrasse 151 , 10117 Berlin, Germany Sion Manning RC Girls School, 75 St Charles Square, London W10 6EL

Ms. Philippines-Germany and Youth Cultural Group e. V Camarines Sur Filipino Community UK

Chasewell Community Social Club, Avoce Way, Cherwell Height, Banbury, Oxon OX16 9YA

British & Filipino Community (BRITFIL)

21 December Saturday 6:00pm

BRITFIL Christmas Party

Boat Ticket: £20.00 with lunch Betilda – 07919 380 513 Merla – 07939 684 558 Jessie Amar – 07983 576 082 Rico Casyao – 07769 262 947

19 October Saturday 6:00pm

Annual Dance Competition 2013

Eva Macadangdang – 07983 593 914 Marlowe Macadangdang – 07956 944 520 / mp_uk@yahoo.co.uk / www.philippines-uk.org Earl Leonardia – 07823 883 830

Zanie del Mundo – 07733 781 858 / 07886 881 432 / Stella – 07817 200 444 Betilda – 07919 380 513 Merla – 07939 684 558 Price: £20.00 Adelle Caguimbal – 07717 493 541 Essex Angulo – 07946 510 347 Joseph Lontoc – 07902 395 741 Gloria Diaz – 07572 795 321 Julie Villanueva – 07956 422 068 Ched Gomez – 079800 66 209 Tita Leus McCarthy – 07958 732 406 msphilippinesgermany.berlin@hotmail.com / www.msphilippinesgermany.org Junart Nieva – 07980 557 467 Arthur Nieva – 07947 344 422 Elizabeth Villaflor – 07584 411 180 Mathie Smith – 07908 581 062 Nilda Dean – denil123@hotmail.com

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2013 Monthly Filipino Community Masses in Greater London Five Precious Wounds Parish, Brentfield Road, Stonebridge Park, London NW10 8ER Mervic Monocillo – 07894 636 140 Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, Friary Road, Peckham, London SE15 1RH Allen Abeleda – 07713 625 888 St Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, 103 Woolwich New Road, London SE18 6EF Moises Espanola – 07894 648 639 English Martyrs Church, Chalkhill Road, Wembley Park, Wembley HA9 9EW Becky Sarinas – 07949 857 699 / 07425 761 519 / Lina B – 07579 418 510 St Dominic Catholic Church, 243 Violet Lane, Waddon, Croydon CR0 4HN Merlie Mirto – 07722 216 462 St. Anselm and St. Cecilia, 70 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3JA Feliciano Ramirez – 07733 680 748 Sacred Heart of Jesus, New Priory, Quex Road, Kilburn, London NW6 4PS Sheidrick de Leon – 07738 210 202 Blessed Sacrament Parish, 157 Copenhagen Street, Islington N1 0SR Christy Sangalang – 07709 119 969 Our Lady of Dolours, Servite Parish Church, 264 Fulham Road, London SW10 4EL Fr Allan Satur – 020 7352 6965 / fulhamroad@rcdow.org.uk Roland Adap – r_adap@hotmail.com St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 218 Roehampton Lane, London SW15 4LE Rafael Santiago – 07795 254 451 Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 20 Brixton Road, Oval, London SW9 6BU Ben Ortiz – 07723 318 486 Filipino Mass and Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Farm Street Church of the Immaculate Conception (Jesuit House Chapel), access on 114 Mount Street, London W1K 3AY Josie Ramos – 07723 024 591

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INTERNATIONAL / GLOBAL NEWS

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

First Indian nuclear submarine set for open sea trials NEW DELHI - India announced Saturday that its first indigenously-built nuclear submarine is ready for sea trials, a step before it becomes fully operational, and called it a “giant stride” for the nation. India unveiled the 6,000-ton INS Arihant —Destroyer of Enemies—in 2009 as part of a project to built five such vessels which would be armed with nuclear-tipped missiles and torpedoes. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was “delighted to learn that the nuclear propulsion reactor on board INS Arihant, India’s first indigenous nuclear powered submarine, has now achieved criticality”. Criticality refers to the point at which a nuclear reaction is self-sustaining. Singh described the development as “a giant stride in the progress of our indigenous technological capabilities” and said he hoped to see the submarine commissioned soon. Arihant is powered by an 85-megawatt

nuclear reactor and can reach 44 kilometres an hour (24 knots), according to defence officials. It will carry a 95-member crew. India earlier activated the atomic reactor on-board the INS Arihant, paving the way it to begin sea trials. The Indian navy inducted a Russianleased nuclear submarine into service in April 2012, joining China, France, the United States, Britain and Russia in the elite club of countries with nuclear-powered vessels. Nuclear submarines can function underwater without needing to surface regularly to be recharged, unlike their conventional diesel-electric counterparts. India is due to receive the first of six Franco-Spanish diesel-electric Scorpene submarines in 2015, part of a multi-billion dollar project to modernise its navy. The submarine announcement came just two days before India was due to launch its first indigenous aircraft carrier “INS Vikrant”.

The navy will launch its first indigenous aircraft carrier Monday at Kochi, making India only the fifth country in the world with the capability to build such vessels. The 40,000-tonne aircraft carrier sets a new global standard in terms of size and complexity, the defence ministry says. After final fitting of equipment and extensive trials, the aircraft carrier is due to join the navy by 2018. It will ply the seas alongside the former Russian aircraft carrier “Admiral Gorshkov”, now the “INS Vikramaditya”, due to be delivered by year-end after a delay of more than four years. India has been Russia’s top arms customer for years, but relations have frayed over delays and cost-overruns. India is spending tens of billions of dollars upgrading its mainly Soviet-era military hardware. ■ AFP / August 10, 2013 / 10:14 AM

Gursharan Kaur, the wife of Indian PM Manmohan Singh, breaks a coconut on the hull of the INS Arihant

War pair return home after 41 years in forest Philippines recommends homicide charges in Taiwan death Vietnam HANOI - Vietnamese authorities are will from their forest hut several hours’ MANILA - Philippine authorities said Wednesday they had recommended homicide charges against eight Filipino coastguards for the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman in disputed waters. Taiwan’s foreign ministry welcomed the move as a “constructive response” in a dispute that severely strained relations, and said it would recommend that the island’s government lift sanctions against Manila. The Philippine Justice Department announcement follows weeks of high tensions between Taiwan and the Philippines, after coastguard chiefs in Manila initially insisted the fishing vessel had tried to ram the coastguard boat and their personnel had fired in self-defence. “The NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) report recommends that criminal charges of homicide be filed against these eight Philippine Coast Guard personnel,” said NBI head Nonnatus Rojas. Commanding officer Arnold dela Cruz and seaman first class Edrano Aguila, who was found to have fired the M14 rifle that killed the fisherman, are among those whom the report recommends should be charged. However since all eight coastguards admitted firing their guns, they would all face the same charge under the principle that they acted in “conspiracy”, Rojas told reporters. Nine other coastguards who were on the same vessel, as well as three fisheries

bureau personnel, will not be charged. The May 9 incident occurred in waters near an island in the Philippines’ extreme north, which Taiwan also claims as part of its economic zone. A 65-year-old Taiwanese fishermen was killed when the coastguards opened fire on thesmall vessel he was crewing with his son and two others. The killing caused a deep rift between the neighbours, with Taiwan President Ma Yingjeou describing it as “cold-blooded murder”. Taiwan ordered a freeze on the hiring of Filipino workers, warned its tourists against travelling to the Philippines and staged naval drills near its sea border with Manila. An estimated 87,000 Filipinos currently work in Taiwan. President Benigno Aquino had repeatedly apologised for the killing and sent an envoy to Taiwan, but these actions were rejected as insincere. Taiwan instead demanded criminal charges against the coastguards. It also carried out a parallel investigation in Manila. The Philippine coastguard said initially the fishing boat intruded into its waters, and its personnel were forced to open fire when it tried to ram their vessel. But Filipino investigators said Wednesday they could find no conclusive evidence of ramming. Rojas said a video filmed by one of the

coastguards “failed to prove the attempted ramming... the intent to ram is not clear”. He added that the coastguard rules of engagement only allowed the use of firearms in self-defence or to disable a vessel, not to cause death. “There is no categorical proof that the fishing boat posed an imminent or grave threat to the lives of those on board the Philippine patrol craft,” he said. A criminal complaint will now be lodged with the state prosecutor’s office. Under Philippine law, the prosecutor will determine whether there is enough evidence to take the case to court. If convicted, the eight could face 12 to 20 years in jail for homicide, Rojas said. Rojas, the NBI chief, defended the decision to stop the fishing boat, saying it was “well within the Philippines’ 200-kilometre exclusive economic zone”, in waters off the northern Philippine islands of Babuyan and Batanes. But he said that four of the Philippine crew including dela Cruz had tampered with a report on how many bullets were fired and also spliced the crew member’s video footage, leading the NBI to recommend additional “obstruction of justice” charges against them. These are punishable by as much as six years in jail. ■ Mynardo Macaraig / AFP / August 07,

2013 / 10:08 AM

trying to reintegrate a father and son to their home village after they allegedly fled war four decades ago to live deep in the forest, an official said Saturday. Ho Van Thanh, 82, and his son, Ho Van Lang, 42, emerged bedraggled from the remote mountainous region on Wednesday in an emaciated condition, wearing loincloths made from tree bark. The former communist soldier Thanh ran away with his then two-year-old son Lang in 1972 from a communist village in central Quang Ngai province. He was grief-stricken following the death of his mother and two of his other children in an American bombing, local official Hoang Anh Ngoc told AFP. “The son is afraid of the crowds. He will not talk to strangers... but he talks inside their family,” Ngoc said, adding authorities will spend about $2,300 to build the men a house near their relatives. While the older man is frail and under medical supervision, Ngoc said officials still have to “keep our eyes” on Lang to prevent him escaping back to the forest where the pair lived in a hut five metres off the forest floor, reportedly surviving on foraged fruits and corn they cultivated. Television footage showed authorities apparently taking the pair against their

walk from their home village, with the frail old man carried in a hammock by local people while the son was pictured with restraints around his hands. The pair were “were dressed only in loincloths made of tree bark”, Tuoi Tre newspaper said Friday, adding they were found with several handmade tools including axes made from war-era shells. The pair can speak little of their ethnic Kor language. The men were first brought back home by a younger son in 2004, Dan Tri online newspaper reported Friday quoting local authorities, but they could not adapt to living in the village and returned to their forest home. The pair “preferred their independent life to that of the traditional Vietnamese family”, the report said. The younger son visited them once every year, providing some necessities. But they were recently spotted by local residents and reported to the authorities who drew them from the forest on Wednesday. After being captured Lang reportedly “chewed betel nut and smoked continuously, glancing at everybody around him with a dull look”, according to the Tuoi Tre report. AFP / August 10, 2013 / 1:30 PM

Nagasaki marks 68th anniversary of US atomic bomb

Prayers are said for the victims of the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - Nagasaki on Friday marked the 68th anniversary of the atomic bombing by the United States during World WarII that turned the Japanese city into an inferno. Tens of thousands gathered to remember the more than 70,000 people who died instantly in the blast, or from its after effects in the months and years following the bombing, which hit Nagasaki at 11:02 am local time (0202 GMT). Bells tolled as ageing survivors, relatives, government officials and foreign delegates observed a moment of silence at the time of detonation. The bombing of Nagasaki came

three days after the first-ever atomic blast at Hiroshima, which claimed about 140,000 lives in all. Hiroshima held its own remembrance ceremonies earlier this week. An envoy from India, a nuclear power which is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, was attending the ceremony for the first time, a Nagasaki official earlier told AFP. The ceremony is held near the spot where the US military dropped its plutonium bomb, nicknamed “Fat Man”, on August 9, 1945, in the final chapter of the war. Historians have long been at odds over whether the twin attacks brought a

speedier end to the war by forcing Japan’s surrender and preventing many more casualties in a land invasion planned for later in the year. Many atomic bomb survivors, known as “hibakusha” in Japanese, oppose both military and civilian use of nuclear power, pointing to the tens of thousands who were killed instantly in the blasts and the many more who later died from radiation sickness and cancer. Anti-nuclear sentiment has run high in Japan following the 2011 atomic disaster at Fukushima, with most of the country’s reactors switched off. ■ AFP / August 09, 2013 / 03:18 AM

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

INTERNATIONAL / GLOBAL NEWS

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US pulls staff from Lahore consulate over ‘threats’ LAHORE, Pakistan - The United States has evacuated all non-emergency staff from its consulate in Pakistan’s second-biggest city Lahore, citing “specific threats” amid a worldwide alert over Al-Qaeda intercepts. The US State Department also reiterated a longstanding warning to US citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Pakistan, in a statement issued late Thursday Washington time. The move came as two fresh attacks, one on the edge of the heavily guarded capital Islamabad, marred the start of the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr and highlighted the parlous security situation in nucleararmed Pakistan. The restive southwestern city of Quetta, focus of a surge in sectarian bloodshed, suffered its second deadly attack in two days, while a security guard was killed in a foiled suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad. In Quetta, gunmen shot dead nine worshippers as they left Friday morning prayers for Eid, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. A day earlier, a suicide bomber struck a police funeral in the city, killing 38 people in an attack claimed by the Taliban. Violence has continued unabated in the country since its new government took office in June. The closure of the US consulate in Lahore, Pakistan’s cultural capital, came amid heightened security measures in

Islamabad, where police and soldiers were highly visible on the streets. Police officer Nasir Mehmood told AFP a suicide bomber tried to attack a Shiite mosque in Bhara Kahu on the city’s northeastern edge, but was intercepted by a security guard. “The guard opened fire on the bomber as he entered the mosque and killed him. He could not explode his jacket,” Mehmood said. Another police official, Majeed-urRehman, said a guard was killed in an exchange of fire with the bomber before the attacker was shot dead. Bomb disposal experts were later seen defusing a suicide vest taken from the man’s body. The US State Department said it ordered the pullout of non-emergency US government personnel from the Lahore consulate as of Thursday. “The Department of State ordered this drawdown due to specific threats concerning the US Consulate in Lahore,” it said in a statement. A security threat focused on the Yemeni affiliate of Al-Qaeda prompted the closure of 19 US diplomatic missions in the Middle East and Africa earlier this week. But Meghan Gregonis, spokeswoman for the American embassy in Islamabad, said the Lahore move was in response to new information about a threat to the consulate there. “We received information regarding a threat to our consulate in Lahore. As a

Pakistani security personnel stand alert outside the US consulate in Lahore

Security personnel search a vehicle outside the US consulate in Lahore

precautionary measure we have undertaken a drawdown for all but emergency personnel in Lahore,” she told AFP, adding that it was unclear whether there was a link to the earlier threat. The US embassy and consulates in Karachi and Peshawar were closed Friday for the Eid public holiday but are expected to open again on Monday, she said. The Lahore mission was likely to remain closed and there was currently “no indication” of when it might reopen. Despite Pakistan’s fractious alliance with the United States in the “war on

terror”, anti-American sentiment runs deep in the country, fuelled in part by the CIA’s drone strikes against militants in the tribal northwest. Washington maintains the strikes are an important weapon in the fight against Taliban and Al-Qaeda extremists, but Pakistan denounces them publicly as a violation of sovereignty. US diplomatic missions have been the target of violence in the past. A suicide car bomber rammed a US diplomatic vehicle in the northwestern city of Peshawar last September, killing two people -- at least the third time the mission and its staff had been attacked by Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants since April 2010. This week’s closure of US missions mainly in the Arab world was reportedly ordered because of intercepted messages from Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri to the terror network’s Yemeni franchise. The alert focused on Al-Qaeda in

Graphic showing location of Lahore in Pakistan, where the US has evacuated all nonemergency staff from its consulate

the Arabian Peninsula, a Yemen-based group which has made several attempts to attack the United States in recent years and is widely seen as the group’s most sophisticated offshoot. On Tuesday, the US and other Western nations withdrew diplomatic staff from Yemen, where the Americans are fighting a drone war against the Al-Qaeda regional affiliate. US officials have said Al-Qaeda’s core leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan has been decimated in recent years. They cite the 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden and the killing of several senior operatives in US drone strikes. ■ Arif Ali / AFP / August 09, 2013 / 1:20 PM

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Palace: No more additional oil leak in Cavite; fisher folk getting assistance WITH no more additional leaking of oil in Cavite, the government is now taking steps to help residents affected by the oil spill to recover from their loss, Malacañang said Sunday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte cited initial reports from the Philippine Coast Guard indicating the spill has been contained, and there is no more additional leak. “We’ve been getting constant updates... and the PCG said the oil spill has been contained and there is no more additional leak. There are apparently no more traces of oil in Rosario (town). However they will still

be conducting joint diving activities today (Sunday) to inspect that pipeline,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. An oil spill last Thursday affected at least 31 villages in three towns in Cavite, and disrupted the livelihood of at least 300 fishermen. Earlier on Sunday, PCG spokesman Cmdr. Armand Balilo cited initial information indicating the water near Rosario had started to clear, but added they will need to verify it further. Valte also cited reports of local government units affected by the spill showing the water at

the shorelines was clear. “But the PCG is going to still include the water further away from the coastline and the PCG hopes to make the final assessment by the end of [Sunday],” she said. Meanwhile, Valte said the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will be conducting an impact assessment on the effect of the oil spill on the fishing communities. “Hinahanda na nila [BFAR personnel] ang pagbigay ng fishing gear and other materials to the affected communities,” she said. ■ LBG, GMA News / August 11, 2013 / 4:03 PM

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

Oil spill reaches a fishing port in Rosario, Cavite, and continues to spread to 12 other coastal barangays in the province on Friday. The harvesting and selling of shellfish was banned in the affected areas. Danny Pata

Palace: Up to court to decide on Palace announces new govt appointments house arrest for Gloria Arroyo IT will be up to the court to decide on whether to grant house arrest to former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo for health reasons, Malacañang said Sunday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte also said it is up to the Commission on Elections on whether to oppose the bid by Arroyo’s camp for house arrest. “I understand her doctors made a statement but hindi ko alam kung itinuloy nila ito at finile ng motion sa (korte). Bahala na ang RTC kung papaano nila yan dedesisyunan,” Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. As for the prosecution, she said it will be up to the Comelec as lead prosecutor to file an opposition or non-opposition.

“We will leave it to them to file their opposition or non-opposition to that particular motion if and when it is filed before court,” she said. Earlier reports said Arroyo’s camp has sought anew house arrest for the former leader, with two doctors saying her health is worsening due to stress and delayed healing. Mrs. Arroyo is presently under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, in connection with a plunder case involving alleged misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds. A report on Journal Online said Arroyo’s lawyer Diaz del Rosario filed a request for house arrest before the Sandiganbayan. ■ LBG, GMA News / August 11, 2013 / 4:22 PM

PNoy: Govt to invest more in agriculture THE government will be investing more in the construction of necessary infrastructure which would help facilitate the growth of agriculture in the country, President Benigno Aquino III said Wednesday. In particular, Aquino said the Department of Public Works and Highways will be partnering with the Department of Agriculture to construct more farm-tomarket roads. “Even better news: these roads will be constructed with the same efficiency that the DPWH has displayed in its other

projects—producing better quality roads at a lower cost, mostly ahead of time,” he said during his speech at the Livestock Philippines 2013 Expo and Conference on Wednesday. He said the farm-to-market roads that were constructed and rehabilitated from 2011 to June 2013 have linked 1,147 barangays to main road networks and markets, benefiting around 300,000 farmers. He also said that the country has a total of 131 operational accredited Livestock

“Oksyon” Markets, which are centralized trading facilities for animals, across the country. “This, on top of the ports, airports, and other transport hubs we are constructing and upgrading to improve transport and travel across the archipelago,” he said. Aquino also said that his administration will continue to make sure that disease control and health mechanisms are in place to ensure that the meat products are safe for consumption. ■ Kimberly Jane Tan / RSJ, GMA News / August 7, 2013 / 4:09 PM

Police: Kidnapped teen in North Cotabato still remains captive KIDAPAWAN CITY — A police official on Sunday belied claims the kidnapped 19-year old son of a retired soldier, now a barangay chairman, has been recued. Sr. Supt. Danny Peralta, North Cotabato Police Provincial Office chief said: “The victim is still in the hands of the suspects.” Peralta said that only the Mitsubishi Lancer used by the suspects as getaway vehicle was recovered during the pursuit operation by joint forces of the police and soldiers from 40th Infantry Battalion. Mark Anthony Baya, a college student of Notre Dame of Midsayap College (NDMC), was abducted by five armed men while

he was about to close their sari-sari store in Barangay Tumbras at about 7:20 p.m. Saturday. Quoting witnesses, Peralta said the boy was alone in their store when the armed men forcibly took and shoved him into the getaway vehicle. Peralta said lawmen have stopped the pursuit operation upon receiving information that the suspects have fled using a motorized watercraft in the nearby Liguasan Marsh. “We have stopped the pursuit operation because the marsh is very wide and we don’t know where to find them,” Peralta told

GMA News Online. Police are checking a report that the boy was abducted to divert the attention of government soliders, who are fighting the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Pikit and Aleosan towns in North Cotabato. The victim’s father claimed there was no threat to their family prior to the abduction, Peralta said. “He doesn’t even have enemies in their place. He was also a good leader being an elected barangay councilor of Tumbras,” Peralta said. ■ Williamor Magbanua /LBG, GMA News

MALACAÑANG on Sunday announced a new batch of appointed officials to various government positions. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte read the list of new appointees on government-run dzRB radio. The new appointees included: • Marco Antonio Luisito Sardillo III, Administratior of the Intramuros Administration • Grace Tan as Commissioner, 5th Division of the National Labor Relations Commission • Libertad Garcia as Director IV (CHED), vice Enrique Grecia • Vicente Tuddao Jr. as Director III of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources • Rizalino Jose Rosales as Acting Director III of the Department of Education • Valente Bajet as Acting Local Government Operations Officer VIII of

the Department of Interior and Local Government • Roberto Basco as Assistant Regional Director of the Cordillera Administrative Region • Cora Asa, Maria Ines Asuncion, Maria Antonia Diaz, Reynaldo Gico, Reynaldo Manuel, Jr., Edwin Maribojoc, Dee Silva, as Acting Assistant Schools Division Superintendents of DepEd • Raul Conde Asis as Career Executive Service Officer rank • Imelda Villar, member, Board of Psychology • Ma. Elizabeth Callanta, member, Board of Veterinary Medicine • Gladys Cruz-Sta. Rita, member, Board of Directors, National Power Corporation • Conrado SIllada, member, Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor • Raymundo Talento, Director IV, National Statistical Coordination Board. ■

LBG, GMA News / August 11, 2013 / 4:54 PM

PNP: 400 kilos of shabu worth P2 billion seized in Subic; 6 arrested AT least 400 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) worth some P2 billion and packed in tea bags were seized in a house in Subic town in Zambales, police said Sunday. Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force legal officer Chief Inspector Roque Merdegia Jr. said they also arrested six people. “Ito malaking bahay ito. Ang shabu ay nakapakete parang Chinese tea, ang pakete foiled, sealed, parang tea, hindi mo makita na shabu. Nakalagay sa traveling bag at balikbayan box,” Merdegia said in an interview on dzBB radio. He said they acted on a tip that the shabu was being stored at the house in Santa Monica subdivision in Barangay Santo Tomas in Subic. Merdegia said they arrested at least six people, including one “Filipino-Chinese” and five Filipinos. He did not immediately identify them. He said the raiding team chanced on the suspects at the house, and two managed to escape but were captured after a chase at the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). Also, he said an initial assessment showed the drugs may have been imported.

The next step is now to determine what country the drugs came from, he added. An elite AIDSOTF unit led by Superintendent Ismael Fajardo Jr. and task force commander Senior Superintendent Batolome Tobias, conducted the raid at Block 10 Lot 5 and 7 in Sta. Monica Subdivision. It caught the six people loading travel bags and boxes containing the drugs onto a parked van. Tobias said the operation was a collaboration by the AIDSOTF, former task comamder Nap Taas, PNP Firearms and Explosives Office head Chief Superintendent Raul Petrasanta, Senior Superintendent Eduardo Acierto, Don Montenegro of the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, and Bureau of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service. The raid, which also sought to stop the entry of drugs via SBMA, came after five months of joint surveillance. During the surveillance, the law enforcers managed to embed an undercover agent inside the group. ■ BM, GMA News / August 11, 2013 / 5:20 PM

www.hello-philippines.com

NEWS

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

Post-Fabella spill : Review storage of phased-out mercury devices—NGO MANILA, Philippines - Following the mercury spill at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila, the Health Care Without Harm-Asia (HCWH) has called for a review of proper and safe storage of phased-out mercury devices from health care facilities. The group has also asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) to expedite the infrastructure or system in the collection and proper storage for the Philippines. “It has been almost five years since hospitals started phasing-out their mercury containing devices. Hospitals have done their part in putting a stop in the use of this toxic chemical. It’s now DENR-EMB’s turn to provide for a safe, long term-storage

for phased-out mercury,” said Faye Ferrer HCWH-Asia Safer Chemicals Campaigner. “We commend the immediate response of the Department of Health (DOH) in terms of the clean-up. However, as much as we do not want to blame anyone, we see that in the implementation of the phase-out, we failed to look at the whole picture: the phase-out, on-site storage of phased-out mercury, and regular monitoring of the storage area,” she added. Yesterday, “unacceptable levels of ambient mercury” were detected in and around a storage room at Fabella where mercury-tainted amalgam spilled from a broken container last Thursday. Some 40 patients from Fabella’s Pediatric Ward, which was adjacent to the

storage room, have been transferred to other wards. Fabella has stopped using mercury devices in compliance with a gradual ban imposed by the DOH from 2008 to 2010. The spilled chemical, however, was being stored while waiting for the DENR to collect and dispose of them. The HCWH-Asia asked how Fabella was storing the hazardous chemical. It claimed that under DOH guidelines, the

Status update: Amid sex scandal, Marcos seeks accounting of P100-M repatriation funds MANILA, Philippines – Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., has asked the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to give the Senate an update on how a P100-million repatriation fund, which he described as the center of the sex-for-flight scheme, was spent. At his turn to grill persons invited to the sex-for-flight probe by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Senator Teofisto Guingona III, Marcos said “the center of all of the sex scandal which has been named sex-for-flight scheme is the funding for repatriation, and these things cannot occur if that problem is not there.” Marcos said he filed a resolution looking into the state of the repatriation fund which is under the jurisdiction of OWWA. “What is the status of that repatriation fund?” Marcos asked Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. In reply, Baldoz explained the character of the repatriation fund: if there is a big crisis as what was experienced in Libya, the request for repatriation coming from the DOLE-supervised POLO (for Philippine Overseas Labor Office) passes through the POEA and then to the recruitment agencies, which will provide the funding. “When I was the administrator and I think this is the same problem with [POEA] Administrator Hans (Cacdac) they are cooperative in providing tickets, considering the 48 hours required once a notice is sent to them; otherwise we

personnel on handling phased-out mercury devices,” Ferrer pointed out. As part of the final text of a global mercury treaty, the world’s governments agreed last January to end the manufacture, import, and export of all mercury-based medical devices 00 effectively phasing them out by 2020. The Minamata treaty is set to be signed in Japan in October. “The Philippines has made a mark as one of the first countries to stop the use of mercury containing devices in health care facilities. What we need now is a more concerted effort in ensuring that future spills will not happen, and that a safer, more permanent storage site would be identified at the soonest possible time,” said Ferrer. ■ BM, GMA News / August 11, 2013

/ 5:20 PM

Predawn fire hits Makati tower A fire of undetermined origin hit the 14th floor of a tower in Makati City before dawn Sunday. Firefighters rushed to the Twin Tower at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Epifanio delos Santos Avenue where the fire was reported, radio dzBB’s Paulo Santos reported. No one was initially reported hurt in

the fire at Urdaneta Condominium in Barangay Urdaneta. The Makati City government said that as of 4:21 a.m., the fire had reached the first alarm. In a post at 4:53 a.m., the city government said the fire was under control. ■ ELR, GMA News / August 11, 2013 /

5:14 AM

DOTC mulls appeal of Appellate Court ruling on Piatco

OFWs returning from Syria are seen in this December 2012 file photo. The Philippine government has been drawing into a P100-million repatriation fund, and an emergency fund, to bring home workers from crisis-ridden labor-hosting countries, and Senator Marcos Jr. wants an accounting of this. interAksyon.com file

suspend the documentary processes and it will not affect the documents in that particular country or particular employer, but it will affect the deployment.” Thus, she said, officials “cooperate quickly in terms of providing the ticket.” Marcos wanted to know how many OFWs have availed themselves of this fund. “How much has been spent, and how much is left in the fund?” The OWWA takes charge of the OWWA repatriation fund which is being approved by the board of OWWA, Administrator Carmelita Dimson said in response to Marcos’ query. In addition, Dimson said, OWWA also takes charge of the emergency

repatriation fund of the Department of Labor and Employment, the one earlier described by Baldoz. So far, Dimson said, “for 2010, we have spent something like P47 million from the DOLE emergency repatriation fund and P13 million from the OWWA fund. For 2011, we spent P41.8 million from the DOLE emergency repatriation fund and P23.2 million from the OWWA repatriation fund. In 2012, DOLE spent P44.5 million.” With this, Marcos urged OWAA and DOLE to submit to the Senate a full accounting of the funds for the past three years, for study while waiting for the budget hearing of those two agencies. ■ Ernie Reyes / InterAksyon.com / August 11, 2013 / 4:46 PM

Death toll from failed supermarket robbery in Pasig City rises to 4 THE death toll from the failed supermarket robbery in Pasig City Saturday night rose to four after three of the wounded succumbed to their injuries, police said Sunday. Eastern Police District head Chief Superintendent Miguel Laurel said the three latest fatalities were employees of Robinsons Supermarket, radio dzBB’s Rodil Vega reported. Laurel was quoted in the report as saying the latest fatalities included the store’s merchandiser and two guards.

banned devices should be kept plastic, not breakable, containers. “Hospitals have complied with the AO, local government units have supported it as well but still, the problem of final storage has been the biggest hurdle in the issue of mercury phase-out,” Ferrer said. Status report. Ferrer has sought the immediate inventory of existing mercury devices in storage in all hospitals and calls on hospitals to strictly enforce proper storage requirements. “Several hospitals in the Philippines are already doing this,” said Ferrer. “Had the guidelines been properly followed, there would have been a very low chance that spillage will happen.” “There is also a need for regular education and training of all hospital

One of the four suspects was reported killed. Police earlier said they are verifying the possibility of an inside job in the failed robbery incident. The police also cited initial findings showing the robbers may have also known who among the supermarket’s employees had access to the vault. For now, investigators are analyzing footage from surveillance cameras of the incident. Pasig City police chief Senior

Superintendent Mario Rariza Jr. said the camera footage showed four men entering the supermarket past 10:50 p.m. via the delivery bay. Two employees and three security guards were injured, after an employee reportedly shouted and shots were fired. One of the suspected robbers was killed but the three others managed to escape. Recovered from the scene were slugs from a 9-mm pistol. ■ LBG, GMA News / August 11, 2013 / 8:59 AM

MANILA - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) will ask the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) if they can appeal a court decision ordering the government to pay the contractor of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA 3). “We have yet to receive a formal copy of the decision. We will be consulting with OSG as government’s legal counsel on the next move,” Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said in a text message. In a 31-page decision, the third division of the Court of Appeals (CA) ordered the government to pay Philippine International Air Terminals Co Inc (Piatco) $371-million, including a six percent

annual interest, as just compensation for the takeover of NAIA 3. This was an amendment to the 2011 decision of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 117, which pegged the just compensation at $116.35 million. The CA said not awarding the amount to Piatco is unfair “because evidently the Republic had been enjoying the income or fruits from the operation (that is use and enjoyment) of the structures it had expropriated.” Partly owned by Germany’s Fraport AG, Piatco had won the build-operatetransfer (BOT) contract for the NAIA 3. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / August 10, 2013 / 10:28 AM

Evacuation centers opened in Cotabato for families displaced by fighting THE government has opened at least four evacuation centers in Pikit town in Cotabato province for families displaced by fighting between government forces and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Malacañang said Sunday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Department of Social Welfare and Development set up the facilities for the affected families. “The DSWD has opened four evacuation centers in the municipality of Pikit so we can accommodate some of the families that had been displaced,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. She said many families had chosen to stay with of relatives and friends, but those who have nowhere to go to can seek out the evacuation centers. Government troops and the BIFF had been engaged in fighting over the weekend,

prompting many families in some areas of Cotabato to flee their homes. The BIFF is a breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Its leader, Ameril Umbra Kato, had led attacks in Mindanao in 2008 following the Supreme Court’s rejection of a Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain. Fake text messages. Meanwhile, Valte cautioned the public against text messages supposedly from the headquarters of the Philippine Marines regarding the situation in Mindanao. She said the Armed Forces of the Philippines does not issue such text messages. “So let us be forewarned, and let us be vigilant about those who want to spread disinformation about the situation in Mindanao,” she said. ■ BM, GMA News / August 11, 2013 / 2:50 PM

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

NEWS

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Groups question release of ‘Sayyaf members’ tagged in abduction case HUMAN rights groups are questioning the release from detention of suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits who were arrested for the August 20, 2002 abduction of six members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. At a press conference last Thursday, the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), Kilusan Para sa Pambansang Demokrasya, Mindanao People’s Caucus ang their supportes, condemed the release of Mohammad Said Sali, Robin Sahiyal, and Jul Ahmad Ahadi. “Mayroon pong tatlong ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group) members na napalaya po sa pamamagitan ng intercession ng National Commission on Muslim Filipinos at ng anti-terrorism task force ng Department of Justice,” PAHRA Secretary General Rose Trajano said. Last February, at least 18 people, who were tagged in the kidnapping of the six members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses were released. DOJ recommended the release of Sali and Sahiyal “for not being the same persons

charged in the amended information.” It also recommended the release of Ahadi “for lack of probable cause against him.” The DOJ said they should be released because witnesses in the case failed to positively identify them. However, Trajano stressed that the three were released even if they still have with pending cases, noting that Sali was one of the alleged kidnappers of journalist Ces Drilon in 2008 in Sulu. Insufﬁcient evidence. In an interview with GMA News Online, a state prosecutor who handled the Jehovah’s Witnesses case (and who asked not to be identified) said the men were only cleared from the kidnapping case. “While they ‘maybe’ members of the ASG, there is no sufficient evidence that they participated, in any capacity, in the kidnapping of the six members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses,” the DOJ said in a resolution. Also, the DOJ prosecutor said that if the

men are still facing other pending cases, they would not be released, but the decision is not up to DOJ anymore. “We are not holding the case of Ces Drilon, etc.,” he added. “Basta hindi sila itinuro ng witness (for the Jehovah’s Witnesses case). But, Trajano said they are “baffled” over the “procedure” of the release. “Iyon ang nakatatakot sa procedure nila... pakawalan nila ang isang tao na may ibang kaso,” she said. “Kung [sa ilalim ng] anti-terrorism program ito, hindi ka titingin sa isang tao sa bawat kaso. Nakalulungkot, napaka-boxed nilang mag-isip.” Tulawie case. Trajano said they are not discounting the possibility that a local official may have influenced the release of the three, who also happens to be the witnesses against the airport bombing suspect Temogen “Cocoy” Tulawie. “What is it in the Tulawie case that the Philippine government has gone to the extent of using high-valued Abu Sayyaf terrorists as prosecution witnesses and

Human rights groups representatives: (from left) Jun Aparece, of the Mindanao People’s Caucus; Fidel Fababier of Kilusan Para sa Pambansang Demokrasya; and Rose Trajano of PAHRA. Amanda Fernandez

releasing them from [detention]... just so they could prosecute People of the Philippines versus Temogen Tulawie et.al?” the groups said in a joint statement. Tulawie, a defeated congressional candidate in the 2007 election, was tagged mastermind of the assassination attempt on Sulu Governor Sakur Tan in 2009. Trajano said a fourth witness, a certain

Mujibar “Bong” Alih Amon, was not released and supposedly submitted a retraction of his earlier statement, which tagged Tulawie as the mastermind of the assassination try. PAHRA and the rest of the groups represented in Thursday’s press conference are pushing for the release of Tulawei, believing he is innocent of the charges leveled against him. On the other hand, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos had pushed for the reinvestigation of the abduction case but clarified that the three suspected ASG members were not its clients. Part ot the NCMF’s work is “to assist Muslims wrongly accused as perpetrators of kidnappings as members of the ASG.” NCMF’s Legal Affairs Acting Director Atty. Rolly Apu said “nag-benefit lang sila [the three] sa motion namin for a re-investigation ng DOJ for the Jehovah Witnesses case.” “Ina-assure ko, on our end, this is not to serve the interest of politicians,” he added.

■ Amanda Fernandez / LBG, GMA News / August 11,

2013 / 5:51 PM

Malaysian hostage recounts escape from abductors in Philippines KUALA LUMPUR – A Malaysian plantation manager held hostage by Philippine Muslim extremists said he escaped before dawn under the cover of a tropical downpour after almost nine months in abysmal conditions, reports said Sunday. Tung Wei Jie, 26, who was seized in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island last November together with his cousin, was found in the southern Philippine island of Jolo early this week and returned to Malaysia on Saturday. Tung told local media in his uncle’s home in Port Dickson on the Straits of Malacca that he escaped in heavy rain from a bamboo hut in the jungle when

his abductors, about 20 gunmen, went for pre-dawn prayers. He and his cousin, Wei Fei, 34, who suffered from hypertension, had been taken away in April with the abductors, who demanded ransom from the family, claiming they would bring him to a hospital. Tung said he did not know what happened to his cousin. Philippine police said on Tuesday that he died from illness. “The hut was in the middle of nowhere. It was infested with mosquitoes. We each had one of our legs chained to the wooden pillars,” Tung was quoted by The Star as saying. “After my cousin was taken away, I began using a fork to cut through a link in

the iron chain. I succeeded after almost a month... I waited another month. And then I got the chance to escape,” he said. Tung said he prayed for rain to escape unnoticed, adding he ran “through dense jungle for hours and hours” taking only short breaks until reaching a village. Exhausted and dehydrated, he collapsed until the next day when a villager alerted the police. Tung said he, his cousin and two other workers were at their palm oil plantation in Sabah’s Lahad Datu district in November when about half a dozen men—some armed with machine guns—appeared and ordered them to walk to the beach. While the two workers were freed, the

cousins were ordered aboard a speedboat. They later boarded another boat to a small island, where they stayed five days, before being taken to Jolo, a known stronghold of the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militant group. While in captivity, they were only fed plain rice and some fried fish and not allowed to bathe for three months. There was no running water or electricity, Tung added. “They were planning to shoot us or just dump us at sea” after securing ransom, he said, adding they overheard their captors’ discussion. “It was very traumatizing,” the New Straits Times quoted him as saying.

Tung’s uncle said he only spoke briefly to his son, Tung’s cousin, in January and Tung on April 18. AFP could not reach Tung or his family. Philippine police have blamed the kidnapping on the Abu Sayyaf group, responsible for multiple bombings and mass kidnappings of foreigners. In 2000, the group seized 21 mostly western holidaymakers from a resort at Sipadan in Sabah state. The hostages were later freed. But Abu Sayyaf are still believed to be holding an unknown number of foreign and local hostages in the strife-torn southern Philippines. ■ Agence France-Presse

/ August 11, 2013 / 12:25 PM

Suspected Abu Sayyaf bandit, No. 6 ‘most wanted’ Weak China operations pull down and member of bomb-making unit, yields earnings of Ayala semiconductor arm MANILA, Philippines - A member of what is believed to be the urban terror unit of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), and listed as Number 6 on the list of the “most wanted” by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), turned himself in to military authorities Sunday in Zamboanga City. Abdurahin M. Nasalon alias Papoy Nasalon surrendered to elements of Task Force Zamboanga (TFZ) at Barangay Curuan District Zamboanga City, said Capt. Jefferson Somera, spokesman of the 1st Infantry “Tabak” Division. Somera quoted the task force commander, Col. Adrelino G. Colina, as saying Nasalon surrendered to his staff led by Cpt. Jerry V. Doldol “after successful negotiations with his family.” Brig. Gen. Felicito Virgilio Trinidad, commander of the 1st ID, said Nasalon is a member of the Ustadz Abdullah Ajilul aka Abu Termijie group that operates in Zamboanga City. It is believed to be the ASG’s urban terrorist group, with some members trained by the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI). Nasalon ranks number six on the AFP watch list. “The surrender of Nasalon was

credited to the continued military and police operation and visibility in the area that created pressure on the subject. As of now, the subject is under military custody,” Trinidad said. Nasalon’s surrender comes as authorities are on the alert with a rash of explosions in parts of Mindanao, and which killed at least 16 persons and injured some 70 others. The past two days, soldiers were also battling the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguidanao and North Cotabato. Authorities believe the BIFF is also being backed by the JI. ■ Jaime Sinapit / InterAksyon.com / August 11, 2013 / 3:45 PM

MANILA - Earnings of the semiconductor arm of the Ayala Group dropped by nearly a fifth in the second quarter dragged by its operations in China. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc (IMI) said its net income attributable to equity holders fell 19 percent to $1.83 million in the April to June period from $2.25 million in the same three-month period last year. In the first half, IMI’s net income attributable to equity holders dropped 33 percent to $2.09 million from $3.11 million a year ago because its China factories produced less. Operations in Europe, Mexico and the Philippines pushed revenues by seven percent to $185.7 million in the second quarter from $173.69 million in the same period last year. Revenues for the six-month period rose eight percent to $30.5 million from $325.65 million in 2012. “We continue to grow our top line and record a profit despite the unbalanced growth of the global economy. While we are affected by the slowdown in China, we take advantage of opportunities in regional manufacturing in North America and

Europe,” said Arthur Tan, IMI president and chief executive officer. The listed company continues to expand its operations in Bulgaria and Mexico to accommodate additional orders from its customers in the automotive sector. In China, IMI has started to consolidate operations to lessen the impact on its bottom line. Tan said IMI’s diversification strategy is paying off during these volatile times. “We are aggressively pursuing opportunities to increase both revenues and profit margins as we leverage our broadened geographic presence and expanded capabilities,” he said. IMI’s China and Singapore operations accounted for 35 percent of the total firsthalf revenues or $122.2 million, a decline

of nine percent from last year’s $112.1 million due primarily to reduced sales in the telecommunication infrastructure segment. Operations in Europe and Mexico generated $117.1 million in combined revenues, 37 percent up from a year ago’s $85.4 million, boosted by the continued growth of the company’s automotive business. IMI’s Philippine operations posted $88.4 million in revenues, an 11 percent growth from $79.6 million in 2012 because of strong results in the computing, consumer, and industrial segments. Revenues of subsidiary PSi Technologies Inc fell eight percent to $23 million from $21.2 million last year. ■ Krista Angela M. Montealegre / InterAksyon.com /

August 8, 2013 / 7:05 PM

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HEALTH and Lifestyle

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

8 ways to look after yourself with asthma

AS well as taking your regular asthma medication, there are simple lifestyle and self-help measures that you can take to reduce your symptoms and your risk of having an asthma attack. If you’ve been diagnosed with asthma and you’ve been given regular preventive and reliever therapy, it’s important to use the preventive treatment every day even if you’re feeling well. Because asthma can’t be cured and triggers can’t always be avoided, using safe, regular medications is the best way of achieving a normal life. There are additional measures that you can take: Avoid triggers. Everyone’s asthma triggers are different. Some people’s asthma is triggered by exposure to pet hair or fur; others by pollens, and others by nonallergic irritants, such as perfumes. Some women notice that their asthma is worst just before their monthly period. If you’ve noticed a possible trigger for

your asthma, it’s worth discussing it with your doctor or nurse at your next review. Stop smoking. Stopping smoking is the best way to help yourself if you have asthma, according to Dr Mike Thomas from Asthma UK. “Smoke acts as an irritant and can trigger asthma attacks,” says Dr Thomas. “It makes inhaled medicine less effective. As a result, you’re likely to need to take bigger doses of inhaled steroid medication. “If you have asthma and you smoke, your chances of developing conditions such as COPD or bronchitis increases. Your lungs are already inflamed, and cigarette smoke can have an even more powerful effect.” Second hand smoke can be a trigger too. It’s important for people with asthma to stay in a smoke-free environment. See your GP for help if you want to give up smoking. The NHS offers lots of help and support.

Get regular exercise. Although exercise or physical activity can trigger an asthma attack, it shouldn’t happen once you have the appropriate treatment, such as inhalers. “People with asthma should take regular exercise. It’s the healthy thing to do,” Dr Thomas says. “Walking, swimming and cycling are all activities you can do if you have asthma. A lot of top sportsmen and women have asthma.” (Note that scuba divers need to have special medicals before they can dive). If you find that exercise gives you troublesome asthma symptoms, discuss this with your doctor. You may need more preventive asthma treatments. Sometimes, using your reliever inhaler 20 minutes before planned exercise helps to reduce subsequent symptoms. Be in control. “It’s good for people with asthma to be in control of their condition,” says Dr Thomas. “Form a partnership with your GP or asthma nurse. Make sure that

you understand your condition, and that you have a personal action plan. Know what to do when things change. “Sit down with your GP or nurse and discuss your medication, and any changes to your dosage. This could prevent a crisis, such as having to call your doctor. Everyone should have a check-up at least once a year.” Take care in cold weather. Cold air is a major trigger of asthma symptoms, such as wheezing and shortness of breath. Be especially careful in winter. Stay indoors on very cold, windy days. If you go out, wear a scarf over your nose and mouth. Be extra careful about taking your regular medications. Keep rescue inhalers close by and in a warm place. Eat healthily. Eating a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and few additives may help with asthma in the long

term. It also helps if you stay trim. “Obesity has an adverse impact on asthma, so people with asthma should try to stay a healthy weight,” says Dr Thomas. Get your jabs. If you take inhaled or oral steroids to control your asthma, you need flu and pneumonia vaccinations to reduce your chances of a serious respiratory illness. The flu and pneumonia jabs are available free from your GP. The flu jab is given every year from October. The pneumonia jab is a one-off jab that protects against certain types of pneumonia, septicaemia (blood poisoning) and meningitis. You can have the flu and pneumonia jabs at the same time. Check your painkillers. If you have asthma and you take aspirin or other painkillers, there’s a very small chance that you’ll have a bad reaction to the medication. If this happens, stop taking the aspirin and seek advice from your doctor. ■ NHS Choices

Pet allergies and pet hygiene

Asthma triggers SOME people are much more likely than others to develop allergies, such as asthma, hayfever and eczema. Certain ‘triggers’, such as pollens, household cleaners or pets, can cause an allergic response. What can trigger asthma? Many things can make asthma worse. Keep a list of your triggers when you discover them, and discuss them with your GP or asthma nurse. Asthma UK cites the main asthma triggers as: Animal proteins, such as house dust mites, animal hair and cat saliva. Read more about pet hygiene if you have asthma. Pollens, including trees and grass. Mould spores, which are released from trees at the end of the year, or in damp housing. Smoking. Weather and changes in temperature. Viral infections. A cold, the flu or other respiratory infections can make asthma worse. Emotions. Negative emotions can act

as a trigger, possibly for the same reason that exercise is a trigger. Your respiratory rate (the rate of breathing) increases, which means that you take in more air. Hormones. A small number of women with asthma find that changes in their hormone levels can be a trigger. This may be worse before menstruation. Medicines. In a few people, asthma is triggered by medicines that contain salicylates, such as ibuprofen and some other anti-inflammatory drugs. It may also be triggered by beta-blockers, a type of drug prescribed for some people with cardiac disease, anxiety, hypertension, angina and glaucoma. If you have asthma, be cautious of taking ibuprofen (which may be sold by the brand name, Nurofen) or beta-blockers. Your GP or asthma nurse may be able to suggest an alternative. Traffic fumes. Household cleaners and sprays can have an irritant effect, which can trigger asthma. Strong perfume can do the same. ■ NHS Choices

PET owners shouldn’t let their animals sleep on their beds or even in their bedroom, say vets. This advice is especially important for people with animal allergies. About half of all households in the UK have a pet, with cats (10 million) and dogs (7 million) the most common. Not only can pets trigger allergies, vets say pet owners need to be aware of the possible spread of diseases from domestic animals. Allergies caused by animals. Animal allergens are a common cause of indoor allergic reactions. Allergic reactions are caused by animal saliva, skin and urine. When animals groom themselves, they lick, and saliva coats the skin, fur or feathers. Skin cells covered in saliva (‘animal dander’) are shed along with loose hairs and fur. Cats Protection, a charity that takes in and rehomes unwanted cats, says it receives hundreds of calls a year from owners wanting to give up their cat due to allergies. The charity says there are simple ways to control your allergic symptoms, including: • having hardwood floors instead of carpets, and blinds instead of curtains • avoiding wearing woollen clothing • designating some areas as pet-free zones, particularly bedrooms • opening the windows for at least one hour every day and moving the litter tray and cat bed away from air vents • regularly cleaning rooms where the pet sleeps • washing your hands immediately after stroking your pet and not rubbing your eyes • washing your cat’s bed regularly • taking them to the vet if you notice them grooming or scratching more frequently • using medications such as antihistamine tablets or nasal spray yourself, as advised by your doctor

Cats Protection also suggests that owners with allergic symptoms discuss allergy testing with a doctor before giving up their pet. Sometimes your allergy may be caused by something else, such as dust mites. Infections from pets. Infections and diseases can be passed from animals to people. Although this is rare, examples include: • Ringworm: a fungal infection of the skin that can be passed on from dogs, cats and hamsters. People who work with animals are more prone to the infection. • Toxocariasis: an infection caused by worms found in dog and cat faeces (poo). • Toxoplasmosis: caused by a parasite found in cat faeces. It can also be found in undercooked and infected meat and can be spread by using contaminated kitchen utensils. The most common way to get an infection from an animal is by being bitten, or by close contact with its faeces. There is also a very small chance

of an infection being spread through contaminated water or food. Tips on pets and hygiene. Follow these general pet hygiene tips to reduce your risk of infection. • Wash your hands thoroughly. Always use an antibacterial soap after handling your pets (this is essential before preparing food). • Teach children to always wash their hands. You could wipe their hands with a cleaning wipe, especially before they eat anything. • Make sure children stay away from dog and cat faeces. Don’t let children play around a litter tray and stay clear of dog litter bins at the park. • Check that your pets are in good health. Immunisations should be up-todate. Regular check-ups at the vets can also spot any possible infections. • Keep your pet’s fur clean. This may simply involve cleaning their paws if they’ve dug up any soil or a thorough shampoo after swimming in the local pond. ■ NHS Choices

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HEALTH and Lifestyle food

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

Five lifestyle tips for a healthy tummy DIGESTIVE problems and stomach upsets can be prevented, relieved and even banished by simple lifestyle changes. Beat stress. You may have noticed a feeling of unease in your stomach during times of stress. That’s because anxiety and worry can upset the delicate balance of digestion. In some people it slows down digestion, causing bloating, pain and constipation, while in others it speeds it up causing diarrhoea and frequent trips to the loo. Some people lose their appetite completely. Stress can also worsen digestive conditions like peptic ulcers (on the inside lining of the stomach or small intestine) and

irritable bowel syndrome. One solution is to avoid eating when you’re feeling very anxious, stressed or unhappy. It also helps your digestion if you avoid arguing at the dinner table, as getting angry can put you off your food or make eating harder. Try to keep mealtimes happy and relaxed. Stop smoking. Smoking can weaken the muscle that controls the lower end of the oesophagus (gullet) and allow acid from the stomach to travel in the wrong direction back up the oesophagus, a process known as reflux. Reflux causes the symptoms of heartburn (a burning sensation in the chest) and can bring on or aggravate peptic ulcers

• Don’t overeat. Reduce the size of your portions at mealtimes, or try eating four to five small meals instead of three large ones. • Eat regularly and try not to skip meals. • Avoid eating a big meal just before you go to bed. Eat your last meal at least two to three hours before lying down. • Make sure you have plenty to drink. Try to have at least one and a half litres (two and a half pints) of liquid a day.

chew with your mouth closed so that you’re not taking in excess air. Food intolerance. Food intolerance can lead to bloating when: • Your bowel doesn’t empty properly. • The food causes gas to be trapped. • Too much gas is produced as a reaction to the food. The main offenders are wheat or gluten and dairy products. The best approach if you have a food intolerance is to eat less of the culprit food or cut it out completely. Keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, noting everything that you eat and drink and when bloating troubles you most. But don’t get rid of food groups long-term without advice from your GP. Irritable bowel syndrome. People with irritable bowel syndrome often complain of bloating, especially in the evening. The bloating of IBS doesn’t seem to be linked with excess wind. It’s thought to be down to erratic propulsion of contents through the bowel. It can help to cut down on fatty or high-fibre foods. Peppermint tea or capsules have also been reported to help ease IBS symptoms. ■ NHS Choices

THE occasional fry-up or boozy night is unlikely to give you anything more than a short-lived stomach upset. But overindulge too often and you could be storing up trouble for yourself. Here’s a tummy-friendly diet to aim for. Fill up on fibre. It’s a good idea to try and eat more fibre or ‘roughage’ as most people in the UK don’t get enough and a diet rich in fibre can help digestion and prevent constipation. For a healthy bowel, you need a variety of fibre such as wholemeal bread, brown rice, fruit and veg, beans and oats. Some people find that cereals and grains bring on bloating and irritable bowel syndrome. If that’s the case, get your fibre from fruit and vegetables instead. Drink plenty of fluids. It’s important to keep drinking, especially water. It encourages the passage of waste through your digestive system and helps soften stools. Fibre acts like a sponge, absorbing water, and without fluid the fibre can’t do its job and you’ll get constipation. A good way to make sure you are getting enough fluids is to drink a glass of water with every meal. Avoid caffeine drinks as they can cause heartburn. Cut down on fat. Fatty foods, such as chips, burgers and fried foods, are harder to digest and can cause stomach pain and

heartburn. Cutting back on greasy, fried foods eases your stomach’s workload. Try to eat more lean meat and fish, drink skimmed or semi-skimmed milk and grill rather than fry foods. Go easy on the spice. Many people love spicy food and it doesn’t bother their digestive system. Others find their tummy is upset when they have spicy food. It’s not just scorching hot foods like chillies that trigger heartburn. Milder but flavourful foods like garlic and onion can also bring it on. If spicy foods give you heartburn, stomach pain or diarrhoea, go easy on them in future. If you already have a problem like heartburn or an irritable bowel, avoid them completely. Beware gut triggers. Some people find that particular foods cause problems. Acidic foods such as tomatoes, citrus fruits, salad dressings and fizzy drinks can trigger heartburn; wheat and onions may cause irritable bowel syndrome and if you cannot digest lactose (the sugar in milk) you’ll develop wind and diarrhoea after drinking milk or eating dairy products, including cream, cheese, yoghurt and chocolate. Try to stay away from foods and drinks that trigger your digestive symptoms. One way to figure out which foods cause your symptoms is to keep a food diary.

Should you cut out bread to stop bloating?

IS eating bread giving you bloating and other digestive symptoms? If so, you could be ‘sensitive’ to wheat. Cutting out bread or changing the type you eat may help. It’s fashionable these days to give up eating bread. More and more of us claim to suffer from wheat allergy so we shun bread and other wheat-based foods. Genuine food allergy is in fact rarely to blame, say experts. But wheat sensitivity (also known as wheat intolerance) or simply trouble digesting wheat is increasingly common. Bread-related gut symptoms. “Probably one-third of patients in my allergy clinic complain of digestive symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain after eating bread,” says Isabel Skypala PhD, specialist allergy dietitian at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust. She says allergy is unlikely to be the culprit, but bread-related symptoms are real and wheat could be to blame. “Some people find certain foods are simply hard to digest and wheat appears to be one of those,” she explains.

Lose excess weight. If you’re overweight, your tummy fat puts pressure on your stomach and can cause heartburn. Shedding some pounds may relieve digestive symptoms such as heartburn and other acid-related stomach complaints. Don’t binge drink. Moderate drinking won’t hurt your digestive system, but binge drinking increases acid production in your stomach and can cause heartburn and aggravate other digestive disorders, warns Dr. Anton Emmanuel. Binge drinking is defined as drinking eight or more units of alcohol in one session for men, and drinking more than six units in one session for women. ■ NHS Choices

Good foods to help your digestion

Beat the bloat

GET rid of bloating by cutting out fizzy drinks and foods that cause wind. Sit down to eat and take regular exercise. Most of us have experienced the feeling of being bloated, when your tummy is stretched, puffy and uncomfortable. It often happens after a big weekend or over a festive season. But for some people, bloating is more than an occasional inconvenience. If your stomach or tummy often feels bloated, it could be due to: excess wind, constipation, swallowing air (from talking while eating etc), food intolerance, and irritable bowel syndrome. Excess wind. Cut down on foods known to cause wind and bloating, such as: beans, onions, broccoli, cabbage, sprouts, and cauliflower. But make sure you still eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Constipation. If you get constipation, take steps to prevent it with a fibre-rich diet, drinking lots of fluids and taking regular exercise. Even a 20-30 minute brisk walk four times a week can improve your bowel function. Swallowing air. Try not to swallow too much air. Don’t talk and eat at the same time, sit down to eat (sitting upright and not slumped over), reduce the amount of fizzy drinks you consume, stop chewing gum and

and inflammatory conditions of the bowel. Smoking is also an important risk factor for stomach cancer. Eat properly. It is very easy to spend our working lives eating on the move or at our desks, gulping down food between meetings and then crashing out in front of the TV with a takeaway in the evenings. But eating this way can play havoc with our digestive system. Following some basic rules can prevent problems: • Don’t rush your food. Take the time to eat slowly. Try putting your fork down between bites and chew each mouthful well.

What to do if wheat triggers digestive symptoms. If your symptoms are severe and long-lasting, especially if you have blood in your stools (poo), vomiting or painful stomach cramps, see your doctor to rule out a medical condition. If you have bloating or other minor symptoms after eating bread, Dr Skypala recommends that you try an elimination diet. This is where you completely cut out wheat from your diet for four weeks then bring it back in gradually to see if symptoms reappear. “When you bring wheat-based foods back in, I recommend trying weetabix or pasta first for a few days before starting on bread. It’s better to start with wheat in a more pure form as bread has so many other ingredients,” Dr Skypala says. Is it wheat intolerance or sensitivity? If your symptoms return, it confirms you’re sensitive to wheat and will also help to show you which foods are especially troublesome. Some people may only have problems with pasta, for example, while others are fine until they eat bread.

If you are sensitive to wheat, or you have trouble digesting it, the main way to relieve your symptoms is to embark on a wheat-free or partially wheat-free diet. How to go on a wheat-free diet. Cutting out bread and other foods containing wheat shouldn’t harm your health, if you do it properly. Wheat is one of our staple foods and lots of wheat products, such as breakfast cereals, are fortified with vitamins and minerals. In the past there was a danger of running short of essential nutrients like the B vitamins and iron, if you cut out wheat. But nowadays there’s a good range of widely available wheat-free alternatives that won’t compromise a balanced diet. “There are great wheat substitutes that you can buy off the supermarket shelf now. Go for gluten-free bread and try other types of grains such as quinoa, corn and rice,” says Dr Skypala. “Just make sure you substitute other equally nutritious foods for the wheat-based ones you’re cutting out.” Be sure to cut out all wheat from your diet.

Some sources of wheat are obvious, such as bread, but others are less so, such as soy sauce (see box). Tummy-friendly breads. The good news is that you might not need to cut out bread completely. Some people with wheat sensitivity have no problems when they eat toast (cooked wheat tends to be easier to digest), sourdough bread, bread cooked with flour made from French wheat, or any bread from a specialist bakery rather than a supermarket. “Bakeries in supermarkets use the Chorleywood bread-making process, which cuts out the second rising to speed up the baking. People seem to have more problems digesting supermarket breads, so I’d always recommend avoiding store-bought loaves,” says Dr Skypala. The anti-bloat FODMAP diet. A specific type of wheat-free diet may help certain people with wheat sensitivity.

Choose the right drinks. Drinks with caffeine, such as coffee, colas, tea and some fizzy drinks, boost acid in the stomach leading to heartburn in some people. Fizzy drinks in general tend to bloat the tummy, which can also lead to heartburn. To make digestive problems less likely, choose drinks that aren’t fizzy and don’t contain caffeine, such as herbal teas, milk and plain water. If you can’t do without your coffee or builder’s tea, limit your intake to one or two cups a day. Try tummy-friendly yoghurt. Probiotics are so-called ‘friendly bacteria’ that also occur naturally in the gut and which have been linked to all sorts of health benefits, including helping irritable bowel syndrome and traveller’s diarrhoea. You can take probiotics as supplements (available from health food shops) or as live yoghurt, which is a good, natural source. You’ll need to take them every day for at least four weeks to see any beneficial effect. ■ NHS Choices

Designed originally for people with irritable bowel syndrome, the FODMAP diet is now being recommended by dietitians to people who have problems digesting wheat. It’s not a catchy name but FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, which are types of carbohydrates that aren’t easily broken down and absorbed by the gut. Essentially, the diet entails cutting out fermentable foods that can cause bacterial growth, leading to diarrhoea and bloating. That means cutting out wheat and other fermentable foods such as onion, apple, pears, mushrooms, honey, cabbage and sometimes milk. “The FODMAP diet has been hugely successful for people with IBS. Because it excludes wheat, many people with wheat sensitivity may also find it helpful,” says Dr Skypala. The FODMAP diet works best if it’s coupled with special dietary advice from a dietitian. There are FODMAP-trained dietitians working in the NHS and privately. If you want to see an NHS dietitian, ask your GP or consultant to refer you. ■ NHS Choices

NEWS

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

www.hello-philippines.com

Napoles ordered arrested on illegal detention raps filed by pork scam whistleblower MANILA, Philippines – The National Bureau of Investigation moved to arrest businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles Wednesday after a court issued a warrant for her arrest over the serious illegal detention case filed against her by the whistleblower in the alleged P10billion pork barrel scam she is accused of engineering. Justice Leila de Lima confirmed the warrants against Napoles and her brother Reynald “Jojo” Lim were issued Wednesday afternoon by Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150. “An NBI team is on its way to implement” the warrant, De Lima said Wednesday evening. No bail has been recommended for the siblings. De Lima said the DOJ had granted the motions for reconsideration filed by the NBI and pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur Luy on the department’s earlier dismissal of the charges against Napoles and Lim.

Luy spilled the beans on the alleged scam, which supposedly involved lawmakers handing over billions of pesos from their Priority Development Assistance Fund to non-existent projects proposed by bogus nongovernmental organizations supposedly set up by Napoles. The whistleblower was allegedly

abducted December last year after he attempted to set up a similar operation. Luy also said his detention was supposed to prevent him from exposing the scam. He was rescued in March by the NBI from a condominium unit in Taguig City. ■ Lorenz Niel Santos / InterAksyon.com and Marlene

Alcaide / News5 / August 14, 2013 / 8:45 PM

THE prime suspect in the Atimonan rubout, Supt. Hansel Marantan is seen in file photo being moved from Camp Crame back to St. Luke’s to undergo treatment for what he claimed was a wound sustained in a shootout. His colleague, former Quezon province intel chief Ramon Balauag, has been declared missing.

Atimonan rubout puzzler: Why did AWOL police officer fly to China?

KAMPIHAN? Marcos blasts De Lima for excluding Aquino allies in pork probe

MANILA, Philippines - Why is Justice Secretary Leila de Lima excluding the political allies of President Aquino in the investigation into the P10-billion pork barrel scam? Or at the very least, why is she keeping the political opposition in limbo over the same probe? These are the questions of Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in response to reporters seeking his comments into the allegations that he and Senators Juan Ponce-Enrile, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. were involved in the scam reportedly perpetrated by Janet Lim-Napoles. Basing his comments on what he has read and seen in media reports, Marcos said he and his colleagues have not been subpoenaed for any investigation and yet de Lima has already threatened to file charges against the “perceived opposition” without naming names. “That’s one of the reasons na nakapagtataka kung bakit ganito ang takbo ng investigation. Dahil wala tayong alam tungkol sa nangyayari sa investigation. Ganitong pangyayari ay sa mga reports lang natin nakikita, kasi ang lahat ng pinaguusapan natin dito pinagbabasehan natin ang report sa diyaryo,” he said. (“That’s one of the reasons why the course of the investigation is puzzling. We don’t know what’s going on in the investigation. All we see are the media reports, all are based on newspaper reports.”) “But on the investigation itself, kung talagang may kaso man eh wala pa tayong nakikita. Kaya, I don’t, hirap na hirap akong sagutin ang mga tanong ninyo dahil wala pa tayong nakikita. Mahirap sagutin iyong wala pa,” he said. ““But on the investigation itself, if there is really a case, we have not seen anything.

That’s why I’m finding it hard to answer your questions, because I’ve not seen anything. It’s difficult to respond when there is no official report yet.”) Marcos said the Department of JusticeNational Bureau of Investigation probe is colored as official investigators refused to name those being investigated. “Yes, very clear (there is political color). I think the suspicion is well founded. Di mo masisisi ang tao na yan ang iniisip dahil nga sa nasangkot ang kanilang pangalan (You cannot blame the people if that’s what they will think because their names have been mentioned),” Marcos said. At the same time, the senator said he hopes de Lima will be true to her word that no one will be spared in the investigation. “Iyon naman ang hinihingi namin: Dapat kumpletuhin ang investigation at dahil nga nagiging kataka-taka na puro perceived opposition ang nababanggit (That’s what we’re asking: To complete the investigation and because it’s curious that only the perceived opposition were mentioned),” Marcos said. “Bakit ganun (Why is it like that)?” he asked. Not bothered. Nevertheless, Marcos said that he is not bothered by de Lima’s threat to file charges against those involved in the scam because no one from her office has contacted his office in relation to the investigation. “I’m not bothered. Alam ko ang nangyayari sa opisina ko, alam ko ang ginagawa ko (I know what happens in my office, I know what I’m doing),” Marcos said. Like Marcos, Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile is not bothered saying his records are complete. Earlier, de Lima said her office will filed the appropriate charges against lawmakers involved in the P10-billion pork barrel scam allegedly conceived, designed, and

perpetrated by Napoles, who denied the allegations. For his part, Senator Honasan said: “As long as due process is observed and the rule of law and rules of evidence are followed, I have no objections.” He also said that if the Freedom of Information bill were law, there would have been no problem with regards to the probe. Honasan was the sponsor for the Senate version of the FOI bill. “This serialized, sustained trial by publicity before an investigation by the NBI and Ombudsman has to stop by enforcing the appropriate regulatory laws. Sayang walang (It’s unfortunate there’s no) FOI bill which the Senate passed before December 2012, he said. De Lima dilemma at the CA. Marcos said de Lima’s way of conducting the problem will be a “very big factor “ on her pending confirmation before the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA). “Everything is a factor, when you’re talking about highest levels of government, lahat ay kasama sa usapan (everything is on the table). Every part of your confirmation is going to be examined. It may come up,” he said. Nonetheless, he gave the assurance that he will give de Lima the chance to explain herself before the powerful CA and will not try to get even with her for dragging his name into the scandal. “Nah, that is not my style,” Marcos said.

■ Ernie Reyes / InterAksyon.com / August 14, 2013 /

1:33 PM

File photo by Bernard Testa

MANILA - One of the senior police officers facing charges for the Atimonan rubout of 13 persons and declared missing after failing to report to his assigned unit since July 8 flew to China last June 16, according to reliable sources. A check with immigration records showed Supt. Ramon Lazo Balauag boarded China Airlines plane on flight OZ 702 last June 16, days after the last preliminary conference held behind closed doors in Camp Crame, to thresh out various legal issues raised by lawyers of the 13 accused police officers facing 13 counts of murder. Inexplicably, Balauag is shown by immigration records, however, to have returned to the country on July 27, or 41 days later, but on a Philippine Airlines flight. The immigration data matched those of Balauag’s PNP file: the complete name is Ramon Lazo Balauag, with date of birth at August 31, 1963. The purpose of his trip remains a mystery, sources said. As of the last update InterAksyon.com obtained from the PNP, the tracker teams sent out to arrest him had come up empty-handed. Balauag was chief of the Police Intelligence Branch (PIB) of the Quezon Police Provincial Office when he was implicated in the January 16 summary liquidation of 13 people, including a police colonel and an alleged jueteng financiers, in Atimonan Quezon. Initially, the lawmen claimed they had

neutralized a notorious robbery-carjacking syndicate that shot it out with the composite team of police and Army soldiers, but when the story unravelled, President Aquino ordered a full investigation that led to a Justice department report concluding it was a plain rubout, with the motive allegedly being a turf war over jueteng control. Earlier, Balauag was declared Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) “after repeated failure to report to his assigned unit in Camp Crame where he is under restrictive custody,” PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac said. Sindac had said Balauag was marked AWOL since July 8, 2013 by his superiors in the Administrative Resource Management Division (ARMD) of the Headquarters Support Service (HSS). Chief Supt. Samuel Yordan, HSS director, also ordered an investigation of Balauag’s continued absence to lay the basis for a subsequent summary dismissal proceedings against the officer under PNP regulations. Section 53 of RA8551 provides, “Any member or officer of the PNP who shall go on absence without official leave (AWOL) for a continuous period of thirty (30) days or more shall be dismissed immediately from the service. His activities and whereabouts during the period shall be investigated and if found to have committed a crime, he shall be prosecuted accordingly.” ■ InterAksyon.

com / August 14, 2013 / 2:24 PM

Labuyo strands 718 passengers in Bicol, east Visayas—PCG

AT least 718 passengers were stranded as bad weather conditions prevailed with the approach of now-Typhoon Labuyo (Utor) as of late Saturday, the Philippine Coast Guard said. The PCG also reminded small vessels against sailing in areas under storm signals for their safety. In a post on its Twitter account, the Coast Guard said the 718 stranded passengers as of 10 p.m. Saturday include: • 279 in Bicol • 439 in Eastern Visayas The Coast Guard also said it is ensuring the strict implementation of the

guidelines on the movement of vessels during heavy weather. Earlier, Coast Guard spokesman Cmdr. Armand Balilo said vessels weighing 1,000 gross tons or below “shall not sail, except to take shelter, when (Signal No.) 1 is hoisted within its point of origin or route or point of destination.” Vessels of any tonnage “shall not sail, except to take shelter, when (Signal No.) 2 or higher is hoisted within its point of origin or route or point of destination.” As of 5 a.m. Sunday, PAGASA placed several areas under storm signals, including Catanduanes under Storm Signal No. 3. ■

ELR, GMA News / August 11, 2013 / 6:51 AM

www.hello-philippines.com

CELEBRITY, SHOWBIZ & ENTERTAINMENT SCOOP

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

Dennis Trillo revisits his ‘past’ via ‘My Husband’s Lover’ DENNIS Trillo’s breakthrough as an actor came when he won a Best Actor award from the Metro Manila Film Festival for his role as a cross-dressing gay spy in the period film “Aishite Imasu 1945.” After that, Dennis thought way past doing gay onscreen. But the role of Eric, the gay third party in the GMA drama series “My Husband’s Lover,” was too good to pass up. The long-time Kapuso actor first had apprehensions about the role. He already played the role of an unfaithful husband in “Temptation of Wife,” which just finished airing a few months prior “My Husband’s Lover” premiere. Yet, the project was a challenge an artist of Dennis’ caliber simply could not—and should not—ignore. “Awa ng Diyos e nagustuhan naman ng mga tao yung trabaho ko, kahit papaano bumagay naman,” he said of his role in “My Husband’s Lover.” Dennis even quipped, “Suwerte siguro talaga ako pag nagbabading-bading!” He actually need not worry; Dennis and co-stars Tom Rodriguez (as his lover Vincent) and Carla Abellana (as Vincent’s wife Lally) have received raved

reviews for their performances that are layered and subtle, way above the usual melodramatic ways usually expected in Philippine primetime soap opera. And it’s not like anything less is expected of Dennis. A Kapuso artist since 2001, he has shown great promise in his early shows such as “Mulawin” and has since lead numerous shows for the network. One of the perks of doing a show like “My Husband’s Lover” for Dennis is how it made his fan base grow. Besides the local fans, Dennis now has a horde of foreign fans thanks to viewers who caught wind of the “My Husband’s Lover” phenomenon. A lot of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender forums and sites on the internet will reveal viewers all around the world begging others to translate the Filipino dialogue to English. The show even received international media attention from popular entertainment blogs such as Queerty and PerezHilton. “Hindi namin inaasahan na ganito yung pagtanggap ng mga tao, ng mga manonood. Hindi lang yung mga bading ang nakaka-appreciate, hindi lang sila

yung nakaka-relate kundi pati mga lalaki, babae, kaya masarap ang pakiramdam,” he said. “Para sa lahat naman itong ginagawa namin. Hindi lang ito para sa mga bading or tomboy kundi para sa lahat, dahil ginagawa naming disente ‘tsaka maganda yung presentation,” Dennis added. Of course, with an edgy show comes the criticism—and Dennis welcomes it. He’s confident what they’re doing is a decent show, an honest portrayal of sincere human emotion presented in a package that’s unusual and edgy for Philippine television. But Dennis supports the LGBT community; in fact, he said he wouldn’t even consider the show if he has conservative views about sexuality. “Ipinapakita lang naman namin yung totoong nararamdaman ng isang tao, lalaki man o babae, kapag umiibig siya. Iyon lang, dito sa amin, lalaki sa lalaki,” Dennis said. “My Husband’s Lover” can be seen worldwide on GMA Pinoy TV, the flagship international channel of GMA. For more details, visit the GMA International website www.gmanetwork.

com/international, Facebook pages www.facebook.com/GMAPinoyTV, www. facebook.com/GMALifeTV, and, www. facebook.com/GMANewsInternational, or Twitter pages @GMAPinoyTV,@GMA_ LifeTV and @GMANewsTVIntl. ■ GMA

Ryzza Mae Dizon, may nakahandang tanong kay PNoy

Marian Rivera, muling pumirma ng kontrata sa GMA Network

TINULDUKAN na ng Kapuso Primetime Queen na si Marian Rivera ang mga espekulasyon na maaaring lumipat siya ng ibang bakuran. Nitong Sabado ng umaga, pumirma ng panibagong threeyear exclusive contract ang aktres. Ginanap ang pirmahan sa Manila Golf and Country Club sa Forbes Park, Makati. Nangyari ito dalawang araw bago ang kaarawan ng aktres sa Lunes, August 12. Dumalo rito ang mga opisyal ng Kapuso station sa pangunguna nina GMA Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe Gozon; President and COO Gilberto Duavit, Jr.; EVP and CFO Felipe Yalong; GMA Films President Atty. Annette Gozon-Abrogar; at Entertainment TV Group OIC Lilybeth Rasonable. Kasama naman ni Marian ang kanyang manager na si Rams David. Sa panayam ng showbiz press, inamin ni Marian na mayroong mga alok sa kanya mula sa ibang network para lumipat pero mas nais niyang manatiling Kapuso kung saan siya unang nakilala. Ayon kay Marian, dama niya ang pagmamahal sa kanya ng network at nais

niyang suklian ito ng pagtanaw ng unang na loob. “Masaya ako na pumirma ulit ako sa GMA 7 dahil kung wala sila, walang Marian Rivera,” pahayag ng aktres. Tiniyak din ni Marian na magkakaroon siya ng isang primetime series ngayong taon. Huli siyang napanood Temptation of Wife na nagtapos noong Abril, at pagkatapos ay naging bahagi siya ng Extra Challenge kasama siya Richard Gutierrez. Samantala, ibinalita naman ni Marian na mangingibang-bayan sila ng kanyang nobyo na si Dingdong Dantes para ipagdiwang ang kanyang kaarawan. Hindi nagbigay ng detalye si Marian sa kanilang biyahe pero ibinilin umano ni Dingdong na magdala siya ng swimsuit at formal dress. Matatandaan na pinapili ni Dingdong si Marian kung ano ang gusto nitong regalo—kung shopping sa kahit saan o lugar na parang paraiso na puwede siyang mag-relax. Ayon kay Marian, pinili niya ang lugar na parang paraiso. ■ FRJimenez / GMA News / August 10, 2013 / 1:19 PM

NAKAKUWENTUHAN ng Startalk TX si Ryzza Mae Dizon sa 100 Most Beautiful Stars event ng isang magazine kamakailan. Anu-ano kaya ang mga ibinahagi ni Ryzza sa kanyang interview? Unang itinanong kay Ryzza kung ano ang kanyang reaksyon nang makasama siya sa listahan ng mga pinakamagagandang stars. Natawa ang child star at sinabing, “Hindi ko nga po alam kung bakit ako nandito.” Ano naman kaya para kay Ryzza ang pinakamaganda sa kanyang hitsura? Mabilis niyang tugon, “Leeg! Bangs!” Marami ang humahanga kay Ryzza ngayon dahil napakagaling niyang maghost sa The Ryzza Mae Show. Nakakatawa rin ang kanyang mga hirit, kaya’t kahit sino ang guest niya, talagang inaabangan ang kanyang talk show. Napabalitang gustong makilala

ng child wonder si Pangulong Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III o PNoy. Pangarap niya na makapanayam sa kanyang show ang Pangulo ng bansa. Ano ang una niyang itatanong kay PNoy kapag nag-guest siya sa kanyang show? “May ano po kayo, girlfriend?,” sambit ng “aleng maliit.” May usap-usapan din na magsasama sa pelikula si Ryzza at ang pamangkin ni PNoy na si Bimby. Inalam namin kay Ryzza kung nakita na niya si Bimby na anak ni Kris Aquino. “Hindi pa po. Pogi po?,” ang inosenteng balik na tanong ni Ryzza. Tinukso naman ng mga reporters si Ryzza kay Charles Jacob Briz, ang 2nd runner-up sa “That’s My Boy” na napapabalitang crush daw ni Ryzza. Tumawa lang si Ryzza at hindi na nagkomento. Sinabi na lamang niyang

nag-e-enjoy siya sa paghohost niya. Kasalukuyang napapanood si Ryzza Mae Dizon sa The Ryzza Mae Show, Eat Bulaga at Vampire Ang Daddy Ko. ■ Samantha Portillo / Bochic Estrada / GMANetwork. com

Raymart Santiago deceived Claudine Barretto into marrying him, lawyer claims CLAUDINE Barretto’s attorney, Ferdinand Topacio, refuted her estranged husband Raymart Santiago’s suggestion that the actress is lying about her claim of spousal abuse.

Atty. Ferdinand Topacio (right) leads his client Claudine Barretto down the stairs after they filed her petition at the Marikina Regional Trial Court on Monday.

Instead, Atty. Topacio alleged that it is Raymart, 40, who had been guilty of deceiving Claudine, 34, even before they married in 2006. “Mr. Raymart Santiago has said in a statement that my client, Ms. Claudine Barretto, is ‘capable of making up stories.’ “We find that statement to be very funny, coming from a man whose very foundations for his enticements for Ms. Barretto to enter into marriage with him are based on stories concocted by him, and bolstered by layer upon layer of more untruths, as we shall prove in a separate case,” Atty. Topacio said in a statement of his own, which he sent to News5 Wednesday morning. On Monday, Claudine had petitioned the Marikina Regional Trial Court for

a temporary protection order against Raymart, citing violations of Republic Act 9262 or Violence against Women and Children. “The allegations of Ms. Barretto are based on solid evidence of all kinds and nature. We are looking forward to seeing Mr. Santiago in court, so that, once and for all, it may determine who is telling the truth,” Atty. Topacio concluded. Topacio issued this statement in full knowledge of a gag order issued by the court. He noted that it “does not make any comment on any of the merits of a pending case and thus [is] not covered by the sub judice rule, nor on any of the allegations therein, and hence does not violate the confidentiality rule of R.A. 9262”. ■ MJ Marfori / InterAksyon.com / July 31, 2013 / 11:04 AM

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Edita Burgos finds kinship with ‘Burgos’ star Lorna Tolentino THE mother of abducted activist Jonas Burgos admits that while the actress eventually chosen to play her in a recent biopic was not the first choice for the role, she was very happy to learn that they have many things in common. That’s what Edita Burgos thought of Lorna Tolentino after she was cast in the lead role in Joel Lamangan’s “Burgos”, which closed the recent 9th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. “At our first meeting, ang dami pala naming parallels. There are things that are precious to us, like family and faith. Hindi ko kilala si Lorna personally but I watch her movies. I also like the articles written about her and the way she answered the interviews during Rudy’s wake. She has very strong foundation in her faith in God. I admire people in entertainment who are like that,” Mrs. Burgos told InterAksyon during a recent interview. What the 69-year old Burgos matriarch has found more impressive is the way Lorna portrayed her in the film. “I know she’s a very good actress and every time we meet, she observes me. But when I saw the rushes, nagulat ako. Even the smallest nuances, my mannerisms like the way I hold my glasses, nakuha niya. I didn’t realize ganun pala ako. Tapos pati boses ko nagaya niya. My eldest daughter told me, ‘Moms, that’s you!’ She really went into character. For me, that’s a really professional thing to do.” Not bad at all for someone who took over the role only after original choice Nora Aunor was not available and Hilda Koronel, who was also offered it, could not commit. “I actually met Nora and this film was her idea. She told me ‘At my age, I should be doing more quality films and I’d like to do your story’ but when Nora was not available and Direk Joel had to make a certain schedule, they had to consider another actress,” she revealed.

And so LT was cast. But as filming began and the Burgos family observed other cast members Rocco Nacino, Allen Dizon, Bangs Garcia, Ina Feleo, Kerbie Zamora and Tirso Cruz III, they were so astonished by how well the actors have played each and every one of them. “Umiyak ang mga anak ko nung nakita nila ‘yung mga scenes ni Tirso, especially the ones that were shot in our farm. Nakita nila ganun ang mannerisms ng Dads nila,” Mrs. Burgos recalled. The youngest daughter played by Bangs Garcia in the film concurred. “Nakakatuwa ang casting kasi all of them literally had some similarities wth us, Rocco especially. He naturally acts like my kuya. I now get emotional when I see him and I was telling him how thankful I am that he was the one who played Jonas. He’s a natural for the role,” Ann said. “Pinag-aralan din ni Sir Pip ang facial expressions ni Dads. Obviously in real life, hindi sila mgkamukha pero once the artificial beared is there, the gray hair and pag-sigaw ni Direk Joel ng action, he transforms into a Joe Burgos chameleon,” she added. Even the film’s depiction of the Burgos children as independent-minded and, in the case of Ann, free-spirited, is very much accurate. “We allowed our children to grow up as themselves,” Mrs. Burgos said. “We told them to stand by the things that they think is right. As a mother who was often more present at home, I wanted them to grow up like their father who was very giving at hindi marunong magsinungaling.” In making major decisions, the Burgos family transforms into a family council where even “the toddlers have a voice in deciding what to do, like what movie to watch”. “Me and Joe were always one. We didn’t contradict each other in front of the children.

Edita Burgos addresses the crowd at the screening of ‘Burgos’ at the conclusion of Cinemalaya last week as Lorna Toletino, Rocco Nacino, Allen Dizon, Ina Feleo, and Kerbie Zamora look on. (Teddy Pelaez/InterAksyon)

And during our family councils, everything was always collaborative. Our children and eventually their children grew up being consulted in major things like ‘should we or should we not publish this story?’,” she further explained. Mrs. Burgos added that her children were aware that their father’s life was constantly in danger as a result of his vocal opposition to the Marcos regime as demonstrated by the existence of the alternative newspaper, We Forum, that the late Joe Burgos published. “I told them your Dads could be taken by any one at any time so I need to secure you, to get you out of the way so I can help Dads. Isang signal ko lang noon, they would all come to me, lalo na sa malls. Basta urgent matter, whatever they were doing or looking at, they would come to me.” Knowing how much her children looked up to their father (who ultimately was felled by cancer, not the regime he fought for years), Mrs. Burgos was still disheartened by the decision of Jonas to become an activist himself. “When I heard he was joining this group,

Solidarity, my biggest fear is that it might be contrary to our faith, baka hindi na siya magsimba. Baka masyadong ma-involve siya and forget his obligation to study,” she said. “I tried to discourage him pero kalaban ko naman ang asawa ko. Sasabihin sa akin ni Joe, ‘Hindi ba, Ma, pinalaki natin sila ng ganyan? After that tahimik na lang ako.” Even as she was constantly worried about Jonas, Mrs. Burgos never imagined that he would be abducted and in fact was more worried that he would get hurt during rallies. “But after meeting relatives of other desaparecidos, I realized na kahit sino, puwedeng mawala, puwedeng kunin. I know some mothers who are apolitical pero nagiging biktima pa rin,” she noted. Mrs. Burgos hopes that the film directed by Lamangan from a screenplay by Ricky Lee will be instrumental in putting “a closure to many families”. Does this mean that she has already given up hope in still finding Jonas alive someday? “It’s more charitable for anyone to say na wala na siya. Kasi pag ganun, hindi na ako mag-aalala. At least may closure na. Pero

Lorna Tolentino and Edita Burgos.

hindi ko magawa. Kasi I’ve also heard about people who would turn up after several years,” she pointed out. “I believe that if Jonas were alive, one day he would come back. But reality check, it would be difficult if he is alive and is still undergoing unimaginable torture. Most probably, he would not be the same person if he does come back, because he has already been gone for six years.” One thing she’s sure of is that Jonas would never go into hiding and not let anyone from the family know about it. As Edita Burgos constantly carry a photo of Jonas mugshot that is believed to be proof that he was abducted by military forces, she was asked if Jonas is her favorite among her children. “Lahat naman sila favorite ko. But you also love the child that needs your love the most.” Produced by Heaven’s Best Entertainment Productions, “Burgos” will have a regular theatrical run either late this month or early September. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / August 8, 2013 / 10:41 PM

Jasmine Curtis-Smith overwhelmed by successful premiere of indie film debut Chito Miranda defends girlfriend Neri Naig on Facebook, slams haters THE Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Lobby was inundated with supporters of TV5 princess Jasmine Curtis-Smith at the gala premiere Sunday night of “Transit”, her indie film debut at the ongoing Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. Jasmine’s rumored boyfriend, Sam Concepcion, arrived early for the event and jostled for position to get inside the theater. The singer-actor told News5 he would love to do a movie with Jasmine. “If given the chance why not? I don’t say no to work,” he said with a laugh. Jasmine’s parents made sure to attend the premiere. Her dad came from Pampanga, while her mom flew all the way from Australia. Of course, they came with her big sister, Anne Curtis, who was beside herself with pride and excitement. Anne was also accompanied by her close friends and boyfriend Erwan Heussaff. “We’re all soooo excited! We’re super duper duper proud of her!” Anne enthused. “We’re going all out just by being here for her during this exciting time.” And then the star of the night arrived to the cheers of her fans. Jasmine came in a beige Lanvin dress and YSL shoes. Her look was styled by celebrity stylist Pam Quinones. The 19-year-old actress was visibly

Jasmine Curtis-Smith answers reporters’ questions at the CCP Main Theater Lobby at the gala premiere of her indie film debut ‘Transit’.

overwhelmed by the reception of the adoring crowd. “I can’t believe I’m actually still in shock… I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to expect. I’m still very much nervous about this,” she admitted. Jasmine said she felt fulfilled now that “Transit” had finally hit the screen. Directed by first-time director Hannah Espia, the film was mostly shot in Israel. It is one of the Cinemalaya films that has received early award buzz. “My hope for people when they watch this film is that they understand the troubles that the OFW in Israel face,” Jasmine said. After her big night, Jasmine said she had to her assignments for school and prepare for her taping for “Undercover” on Monday. ■ MJ Marfori / News5 / July 29, 2013 / 2:36 PM

BELEAGUERED singer-songwriter Chito Miranda finally broke his silence five days after apologizing in social media for the leaked sex video of him and girlfriend Neri Naig. Chito posted a photo of Neri attending to a blindfolded child in a pabitin game in what he describes in his accompanying post as her “favorite aeta village” which she frequently visits. In a gallant effort to shield Neri from the hateful comments of bashers, the Parokya ni Edgar frontman enumerated Neri’s charitable acts towards the Aetas whom she has helped read and write aside from often hanging out with, Chito also added that she is also fond of fishing, gardening and taking care of her pets. Insisting that Neri is a good person who is “happy and content” with her career as an actress, Chito went on to slam the bashers and “their self-righteous beliefs and opinions on morality, tastelessly expressed through their hateful comments.” The full text of Chito’s post: “This is my girlfriend, Neri. “She’s an actress. Though she is not as sikat as the others, she is happy and content. “Not many people know this, but whenever she has time to spare, she’d go and visit her favorite aeta village along with

her friends, and hang out with the aetas, simply because she enjoys it. “She’d collect and bring used, worn-out school books and read to the kids, trying to help them learn to read as well. She’d bring school supplies na binili sa divisoria, sit down with the kids, and teach them how to write their names. She’d bring snacks, and sometimes would even set up games for the kids in the community. “She was never applauded for this, nor was she famous for it, and also had no major reasons for doing it. No floods. No calamities. Nothing. She does it because she loves doing it. “Aside from fishing, gardening, and taking care of her pets, this is what she does on her spare time. “I don’t really care what other people think or say about me (opinion nila yan eh…and I

A photo of Neri Naig hosting a game at an Aeta villlage, posted by Chito Miranda on his Facebook account.

respect that), but i do care about what they say about my girlfriend, and i have one simple question for those who have a problem with her, regarding their self-righteous beliefs and opinions on morality, tastelessly expressed through their hateful comments: “What do you do on your spare time aside from bashing helpless girls on the internet? “Whatever it is, i honestly hope it makes you happy. “Me and my girlfriend are NOT saints obviously (me, being very far from it), but she is a good person and those who really know her, know that she is. “And I love her very much. “Sa lahat ng mga open-minded na tao na patuloy na nagpakita ng respeto at pagmamahal sa amin ni Neri, regardless of what we are going through, maraming maraming salamat po.” Gossip blog, FashionPulis.com also posted screenshots of an alleged exchange between Chito and his son named “JB” whom the blog suggested to be the one who had leaked the video online. FashionPulis, however, qualified that the FB account, Alfonso Yanga Miranda, is unverified and, as checked by InterAksyon, not searchable on Facebook. Close friends of Chito also believe that the account is fake. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / August 8, 2013 / 10:21 AM

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Gutierrez declares Actress G. Tongi joins pro-RH group’s Raymond freelance status, joins TV5 call for stop to Supreme Court hearings

GISELLE “G” Tongi on Tuesday called for a stop to the ongoing Supreme Court hearings on the suspension of the Reproductive Health Law. The actress, who starred in a proRH movie earlier this year, joined a rally organized by the feminist nongovernment organization Likhaan and attended the court hearing on the suspension of the law. “Nandito ako bilang isang babae at bilang isang ina. Karapatan ko po at karapatan ng bawat kababaihan na planuhin ang kanilang pamilya. Huwag na natin diskusyunan ito.. Tama na kasi matagal na eh. Napakarami na pong babae ang namamatay at nabubuntis nang hindi nila pinaplano,” Tongi, a mother of two, argued. The actress said the Supreme Court should rescind its status quo ante order

on the RH Law immediately to protect the health and reproductive rights of Filipino mothers. “Tama na ang pinag-uusapan. Naging batas na po ito. Huwag na natin i-contest dahil po simula pa noong March 2000 women have already suffered because of their lack of access to reproductive health,” Tongi reiterated. She also cited the problem of overpopulation brought on by many women’s inability to control the number of their children due to a lack of access to contraception. Tongi starred in the indie film “Bayang Magiliw”, a satire on reproductive health that was released in May. The film was produced by the Department of Health and directed by veteran filmmaker Gil Portes. ■ Marlene Alcaide / News5 / InterAksyon. com / August 7, 2013 / 12:08 AM

Actress G Tongi joins a rally of supporters of the Reproductive Health Law at the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

RAYMOND Gutierrez has decided to join the Kapatid Network, the TV host happily informed his social media followers on Friday. Posting a photo of himself in an allblack ensemble beside a TV5 logo, the twin brother of matinee idol Richard Gutierrez and fashion director for Esquire magazine also announced his new status as a freelance artist. “New beginnings. Happy to announce that I’m officially a freelance artist & joining the team of the brand new TV5 starting this September. Looking forward to seeing you all again on weekends! #BackOnTv #primetime,” he said on Instagram and Twitter. Raymond started his hosting career with GMA and was last seen co-hosting the now-defunct Sunday talk show “H.O.T. TV”. He has been praised and awarded multiple times for his skill and style.

Even renowned international host Ryan Seacrest was reportedly impressed with the way he presented “Pinoy Idol”, GMA’s one season-stab at a franchise of “American Idol”. The new Kapatid received many congratulations from followers and friends in the business including Bianca Gonzales, Bubbles Paraiso, Steven Silva and fellow TV5 host, Divine Lee. ■ Anna G. Cañoneo / InterAksyon.com / August 10, 2013 / 10:02 AM

Ogie Alcasid signs contract with TV5, will head music business unit MULTI - TALENTED singer - songwriter, comedian, TV host and actor Ogie Alcasid officially signed a “long-term contract” with TV5 and formalized his much-publicized transfer to his new home network. Describing his role in TV5 as that of more than just a talent, Ogie said he will be in charge of the music business unit of the network. “I will oversee the musical content of TV5 shows and write new songs if needed,” the 45-year old told a select group of entertainment media Tuesday at Aracama Restaurant at Bonifacio Global City. In addition to his executive functions, TV5’s newly appointed chief entertainment content officer, Wilma V. Galvante, also confirmed that Ogie will also have his own shows, including a musical variety show, a sitcom and a teleserye. The veteran network executive added that a game show and a possible revival of “Tropang Trumpo”, Ogie’s very first gag show with TV5’s old name, ABC5, or a similar program is also not out of the question. Waxing sentimental, Galvante recalled the first time Ogie signed a contract with his

former network, GMA, way back in 1995. “I was with you when you first signed that contract back then. I’m with you now that you’re signing a contract in your new home,” Galvante said to Ogie during the ceremony. Ogie said it was also Galvante who cast him in “Tropang Trumpo” and launched his second career as a comedian after being first known as a singer-songwriter. “An artist like Ogie is not afraid to try new things,” she added. For his part, TV5 president and chief executive officer Noel C. Lorenzana admitted that he has been a fan of Ogie for quite sometime. “I was particularly impressed with his comedic timing as host of this year’s PhilPop, especially his adlibs during the breaks that were not seen on TV,” Lorenzana fondly recalled. “As a musician, comedian and actor, Ogie brings a lot of value to us and he can also be a mentor that our younger stars can also look up to.” While music played a big factor in his decision to join TV5, Ogie also cited his close ties with TV5 chairman Manny V. Pangilinan, who was a principal sponsor or “ninong”

Ogie Alcasid signs his ‘long-term contract’ with TV5 at the Aracama Restaurant on Tuesday afternoon. Photos by Bayani Bravante/TV5.

in both times he got married, the first with Michele Van Eimeren in 1998 (they’re now divorced) and then with Regine Velasquez in 2010. Asked if wife Regine will soon join him in his new home, he said that it is her decision to make as he does not interfere with his wife’s career. As for bosom buddy Michael V., his longtime fellow cast member in GMA’s “Bubble Gang”, Ogie said it is up to the comedian also known as Bitoy if the latter would follow him on TV5. “But yes, we have talked about it,” he

Ogie shakes hands with TV5 president and CEO Noel Lorenzana as TV5 chief entertainment content officer Wilma Galvante stands beside him..

admitted. As for GMA, his home for 18 years before he made the big switch, Ogie said he was touched by the network’s gesture in respecting his desire to go to TV5 and publicly wishing him the best in an earlier press statement. “Nagpaalam naman ako ng maayos. Ayaw ko naman kasi ng pipirma sa TV5 nang hindi man lang ako nagpapaalam. Hindi naman yata tama ‘yun,” he noted. He said GMA chairman Felipe L. Gozon and president and chief operations officer

Jimmy Duavit were both supportive of his decision. “I didn’t want to burn bridges. That’s not right. It’s just that I have to move, I had to do something else and I’m thankful that I got their blessing,” he said. Ogie promised that he will help TV5 live up to its moniker as “The Happy Network”. “If we managed to make you smile every single day you watch us, then that is something I would consider as very fulfilling,” he concluded. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / August 7, 2013 / 7:39 AM

Rufa Mae Quinto gets serious in ‘Ang Huling Henya’, a zombie movie with a heart DON’T look now but Philippine cinema’s resident Booba is making a 180-degree turn in her new movie, Viva Films’ “Ang Huling Henya,” opening on August 21. “This time I’m serious,” the star says, quoting a headline from one of the movie’s posters.

Here’s another headline: “Ang zombie movie na may puso.” Yes, “Ang Huling Henya” is a zombie movie with a heart that showcases a serious Rufa Mae in drama mode. It is also a sci-fi action movie with a family story at its center. “Walang peg ang movie,” notes the film’s wroter-director, Marlon Rivera who made a splashy debut two years ago with the critical and commercial hit “Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank.” “Wala pang ganitong klaseng pelikula, kaya hinihingi namin ang pang-unawa ng viewers.” Director and star are only half-kidding. It’s a different kind of movie with a different kind of Rufa Mae. “Ang Huling Henya” revolves around a neuro-scientist and undercover agent named Miri (Rufa Mae) who gets sent back to the Philippines by her boss after bungling

an operation that led to her partner’s death in the hands of an enemy. She works in an international agency that protects scientists and inventors worldwide from organizations that are out to steal their works and use them for self-serving purposes. While in Manila, Miri gets assigned by the agency to investigate a case involving an apparent zombie attack. This leads her to uncover a longrunning underground operation by a covert organization engaged in abducting high-IQ individuals to extract serum from their brains to be turned into mind-altering designer drugs that get sold to rich clients. The science procedure turns these brainiacs into brain-dead zombies. The case eventually brings Miri to a shocking discovery: the parents that she and her younger brother thought had died

in an explosive encounter with unknown assailants when they were kids are still alive. Notably, they are unwittingly involved in the drug organization as the inventors of the technology. Rufa Mae plays Miri straight, with almost none of her trademark “todo na ‘to!” “leveling!” and “go go go!” Booba-isms and Rufa Mae-isms. She also eschews the fully dolled-up appearance (heavy make-up, long fake eye lashes, colored contact lenses, big hair, cleavage-baring dresses) that she has sported in all her movies. Instead, she adopts Miri’s more natural, stripped down shirt-and-jeans look as envisioned by Rivera. It’s a welcome change for the actress who feels it’s about time she did something new going into the third decade of her career. “Matagal ko na talagang gustong gumawa ng movie na kakaiba,” Rufa Mae

says. “Kaya nung kinuwento sa akin ni Direk Marlon ang concept ng movie, na-excite ako. At talagang kinarir ko ang project na ‘to.” Rufa Mae’s preparations for the movie included martial arts lessons for the film’s various fight scenes. She also had to brush up on her English and learn a few lines of dialogue in French. “I think Rufa Mae will surprise many people with this movie,” Rivera says. “Not only with her look and the various skills she showcases but, most importantly, her flair as a dramatic actress which nobody has seen before.” “Ang Huling Henya” also stars Edgar Allan Guzman, Candy Pangilinan, Ayen Laurel, DJ Durano, Robert Sena, Kean Cipriano, and Ricci Chan. ■ Eric T. Cabahug / InterAksyon.com / August 10, 2013 / 7:33 PM

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

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Pinoy Box Office celebrates 10th year with grand ‘Anne-niversary’ special IF you are addicted to movies but is too much of a couch potato to brave the long lines and the bed weather then fret not, movie fan. Pinoy Box Office, the premier cable channel of Viva Communications, might just be your thing. Since its launch in 2003, PBO has continued to delight us with the best Pinoy movies all day, every day. And as it celebrates its 10th anniversary this month, the cable channel promises to continue its tradition of giving us blockbuster movies, most-requested favorites and timeless classics as well as Tagalized international hits, plus recordbreaking concerts. With Viva co-producing seven out of

the 10 highest-grossing local films of all time, PBO can guarantee the quality of its content. So as a treat to its viewers, the longtime “Paborito ng Bayan” will feature the National Sweetheart Anne Curtis throughout the month of August. Catch your favorite Anne Curtis movies in “PBO First Class”, Fridays at 9:30PM and “PBO Presents”, Sundays at 9:30PM and if that is not enough, PBO also brings you the television premiere of one of 2013’s hits, “A Secret Affair”, on August 31 at 9:30PM. If you missed Anne’s debut concert, “No Other Concert”, in January of last year then tune in on August 12 at 9:30 to watch her amazing performance that brought down

the Smart Araneta Coliseum. You could also win original “A Secret Affair” and “No Other Concert” DVDs and gift cards from SM Accessories by simply checking out PBO’s official Facebook fan page and showing them your inner Annebisyosa. The anniversary specials continue with unforgettable classics by megastar Sharon Cuneta. Watch the Kapatid star’s memorable movies on “Saturday Backto-Back Specials” starting at 1:30PM. Also, expect non-stop laughter on “PBO Marathon” every Sunday at 1:30PM featuring the movies of some of the country’s top comedians. ■ Anna G. Cañoneo / InterAksyon.com / August 10, 2013 / 11:56 AM

Akihiro Blanco has two high-profile projects coming out in September

Akihiro Blanco. Photo by Bayani O. Bravante /TV5

WHEN Akihiro Blanco was first introduced as a contestant on TV5’s talent reality competition series “Artista Academy”, his media profile revealed him to be a school heartthrob who had already had six girlfriends since he was 14 years old. So it probably comes as no surprise to see him being cast as Sharon Cuneta’s son who also happens to be a babe magnet on the Megastar’s upcoming “tawaserye”, “Madam Chairman”. “Hindi ko pa alam kung sino ang official na love interest ko pero chick boy ako dito. Ako ‘yung pasaway na anak ni Ms. Sharon na maraming babae,” Aki told InterAksyon during the recent story conference that also officially launched the series. Set to air this coming September, “Madam Chairman” is only one of two major projects that will showcase the talents of the 18-year old Japanese-Filipino

actor and he feels blessed to be part of a major series wiith a start-studded cast and headlined by Ate Shawie herself. The other one is Ato Bautista’s independent feature “Mga Alaala ng TagUlan”. A May-December love story that Aki will headline with outspoken singer-actress Mocha Uson, ”, the film is an entry in the coming CineFilipino film festival set to finally open this September 17. “Iba rin ang indie sa TV. Unang shooting day pa lang namin, excited na ako,” he exclaimed. He added the film also brought him closer to co-star Mocha who plays the mysterious older woman that his character falls in love with after his family moves to a new neighborhood. Hitting it off right away upon their first meeting made their working relationship a lot easier. “First day pa lang ng shooting, naging

close na agad kami ni Mocha. Mabait siya. Madalas kaming mag-kwentuhan bago mag-take so nakilala na rin namin ang isa’t isa so that made us comfortable with each other,” he recalled. Aki credits veteran actor Mon Confiado, who happens to be a friend of his mother, for suggesting and pushing for him to be the lead in the film. Recalling his experience in “Mga Alaala ng Tag-ulan”, he said he’s happy to be directed by Bautista. The latter was reportedly impressed enough by Akihiro’s performance that he hopes to cast him again in another project, possibly an action film. Originally compared to Robin Padilla during the course of the “Artista Academy” competition, Aki was initially showcased in Istorifik’s “Robin Dude” where he played the title role of the masked superhero that battled evil forces. The mini-series was so

successful during its initial run last April that “Robin Dude” returned on the air in a sequel that aired during the entire month of July. In addition to “Istorifik”, Aki is also a regular cast member of the weekend daytime gag show “Lokomoko U” and will soon reunite with love team mate and “Robin Dude” co-star Chanel Morales in the horror series “Spirit Games”, also on TV5. So what does Chanel have to say about his being a “chick boy” in “Madam Chairman” and his upcoming onscreen romance with Mocha in “Mga Alaala ng Tag-Ulan”? “Siguro nagseselos din, hindi joke lang,” he said, laughing. “Okay naman kami ni Chanel at pareho kaming masaya sa pagtanggap ng tao sa love team namin. We’re both comfortable working with each other.” ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / August 10, 2013 / 10:31 AM

How Joey Paras deglamorized his way to his first acting award ONE the easiest awards to fearlessly forecast in the recent Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival was that of Best Supporting Actor in the New Breed category. While there were noteworthy performances from Mike Lloren of “Rekorder” and two 8-year-old child actors in Marc Justine Alvarez of “Transit” and Miggs Cuaderno in “Quick Change” and “Purok 7”, the consensus was that Joey Paras of “Babagwa (The Spider’s Lair)” would win the Balanghai trophy. True enough, the gay actor who first took Cinemalaya by storm in 2009 with his lead performance in Veronica Velasco’s “Last Supper No. 3” won the plum for his portrayal of Marney, a small-time talent coordinator turned online scammer. Marney is just one of many memorable characters that Joey has played as of late, which also includes his turn in last year’s “Bwakaw” as a flamboyant parlorista. Most recently, he also stood out as an inmate who became the good friend of Dingdong Dantes in “Dance of the Steel Bars” as well as the gay beautician who took Ritz Azul under his wing and helped her get back on her feet in TV5’s “Misibis Bay”. “I love doing challenging and meaty roles. I love indie films because it is only here where I could choose the multi-faceted characters to portray,” Joey told InterAksyon in a recent interview.

Joey began his career as a theater actor with the CCP Tanghalang Pilipino’s Actors Company where he was under the tutelage of Nonon Padilla, the man he considers his greatest mentor. He was then cast in a small role in the ABS-CBN teleserye “Maging Sino Ka Man” in 2006 before landing his big break in “Last Supper No. 3”, where he was also nominated for a Gawad Urian, Golden Screen and Star Awards for Movies honors. An Aliw awardee for Best Theater Actor, Joey finally won his first acting award for film as Best Supporting Actor for “Babagwa”. In his memorable acceptance speech, an emotional Joey exclaimed, “Ang lakas maka-Anne Hathaway ng award na ito ha!” He was referring to how the Hollywood actress deglamorized herself in “Les Miserables” and as a result won the Oscar Best Supporting Actress for it. Joey actually took a similar path in his characterization of Marney in “Babagwa”. “I sketched the look of the character in my mind. Talked about it with my director. We talked about my plans for the role. I chose the hairstyle and wardrobe to wear. Voila! Marney came to life,” he said. Director Jason Paul Laxamana admitted that he was a little hesitant in getting Joey first for the role. “Kasi hindi ko siya masyadong kakilala, pero I was amazed nung script reading, kung saan ko siya first time na-encounter in real life. I was astounded by his professionalism

sa craft niya and the amount of input he puts in his roles. He doesn’t care about the glamor of the role. He even deglamorized himself further kasi iyon ang tingin niyang bagay sa material,” Laxamana noted. Of course, Joey has also done his share of mainstream films and will be seen in both “Oh My Mamma Mia!” topbilled by Eugene Domingo and Maricel Soriano, and in “Bekikang”, his own launching movie, both directed by Wenn V. Deramas. “According to Direk Wenn, I’m also included in the cast of “Galema”, another ABS-CBN teleserye based on the classic Zuma komiks character,” he revealed. But acting being his passion, Joey has

no problem shuttling between indie and mainstream projects. “It’s not about the money. I always put my heart into whatever endeavor I take, be it mainstream or indie. There’s no difference for me. Though we all know that budget plays a major importance in filmmaking. Limited resources are expected from doing indie films although mainstream offers much more ‘pampering’. But both are just fine with me,” he quipped. “Babagwa (The Spider’s Lair)” will open on September 18 at selected theaters nationwide in both R-18 and R-16 versions. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / August 10, 2013

/ 6:56 PM

With Alex Vincent Mediana in a scene from ‘Babagwa’.

Joey Paras receives his Best Supporting Actor award at the recent Cinemalaya awards night. Photo by Rhoy Cobilla/InterAksyon

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August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

Taming the road rage: 5 things MMDA missed in its ban on provincial buses THE Metro Manila Development Authority’s move to ban provincial buses coming from the southern provinces of Batangas, Laguna, and Cavite from entering the metropolis was a targeted, statesponsored implosion.Unfortunately, it blew up in the faces of the commuting masses. What did MMDA miss before implementing the ban that is part of a strategic Malacanang plan to have an integrated transport system? 1. The biggest part of the equation = the affected commuters. The thousands of commuters from the southern Tagalog provinces who travel to Metro Manila every day for work or school have not been consulted. Of all the road users, the largest constituent did not figure in MMDA’s equation.According to its website, a couple of days before the Aug. 6 implementation of the ban, the MMDA consulted the Cavite mayors, presumably because they speak for and in behalf of their commuting public. (Just one question: Does any mayor take the public transport system anywhere?) MMDA also had discussions with the bus operators and with other government agencies, including the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board. But where were the people most affected by the scheme? Stranded and soaking under the rain. Late for work or school. And if their curses had force, MMDA officials would have died a thousand creative deaths. Metro Manila’s great implosion is imminent unless some drastic changes are made. And everyone knows this - with every occasional road accident or seasonal mallwide sales and flood-bringing rains that bring the metropolis in a terrible standstill. Aside from other attempts to bring order in metro streets, former MMDA chief Bayani Fernando had a campaign promoting civility among road users.Urbanidad, he called it. But a big part of the reason he failed and current MMDA chief Francis Tolentino is failing is precisely the absence of urbanidad, which includes respect - for the people’s experience, point of view, insights. They failed to harness people power in the way that the late Jesse Robredo was able to do

for Naga City as its mayor and for Metro Manila informal settlers as interior secretary. To include the people in the planning and decision-making partly ensures that people will adhere to the planned change. Consulting with, or at least informing, affected parties is a sign of respect. The way MMDA dropped the bomb of changes, indicates utter disrespect. Where were the people in all these? MMDA, binastos mo boss mo. When Manila Mayor Erap Estrada received flak for doing something similar last month, he asked for patience. “Eksperimento pa lang ito (This is just an experiment).” Guinea pigs pala ang mga tao. 2. Empathy. Do those who have control over commuters’ lives know what it’s like? To wake up three hours before an appointment, wait by the roadside at not-bus stops, stand an hour on a lurching bus with a color-blind Michael Schumacher-wannabe driver, endure buhos-buhos traffic “system,” take another train or jeepney ride, repeat this backward to get home, and pay for this daily torture? If the MMDA did, it would actually think to ease this burden. But that may be asking for too much. Toddlers are said to learn empathy starting at two years old. Apparently, bureaucracy (or is it political power?) retards intellectual and emotional growth. An online petition is asking chauffeured top government officials to take the public transport once a month to let them experience what 80 percent of the estimated 12 million Metro Manila population suffer - a little like Communist China’s “re-education” of its intelligentsia whom it banished to labor with peasants. The lesson here is unless you are able to walk in another’s shoes, you cannot know which shoe holes to mend or whether to get a new pair. I want to make a slight revision to the online petition: Let public executives do this on the daily minimum wage. Many of the commuters live on a strict budget. An additional jeepney ride is at least 3 percent additional deduction from the minimum wage earner’s take-home pay. At the Taft Station of MRT, the commuting masses

endure long queues per trip at the entrance for those without P100 stored value cards, a sign that most commuters cannot even spare the amount for a cup of Starbucks coffee so they may skip the line for buying tickets. Many train riders include construction workers who survive on a day-by-day basis. ‘Ika nga, yung mga bawal magkasakit. The government is said to be at its wit’s end trying to craft programs for “inclusive growth” and include the Filipino poor in the embrace of record economic growth. For starters, why can’t it simply consider rules (traffic and others) that won’t eat into people’s meager salaries? 3. Adequate information dissemination. The first day of the ban was chaotic. Commuters, bus drivers, and traffic enforcers were clueless. Where can we get the van/multicab/jeepney that would take us to Lawton, LRT, MRT, EDSA, the cancelled destinations of these buses? Nobody knows. At the Coastal Mall terminal, several men in uniform were handing out flyers, which some commuters thought would contain useful information on where to get their next ride. The flyer said, “Wag magkalat (Don’t litter).” Ang sarap ibato sa nagbibigay ng flyer. During the time of President Cory Aquino, there was a flurry of flyover constructions all over the metropolis: Ortigas-Edsa, AyalaEdsa, Magsaysay Boulevard-Gov. Forbes, etc. That time, without Internet or Twitter, the DPWH was on the tri-media every day, if not every hour. The DPWH took out ads and granted interviews left and right -- about the need for the infrastructure projects and alternate traffic routes for public and private vehicles. Such a simple idea to minimize the confusion that any change brings: Bombard the public with useful information. This point still stems from the idea of respect for the governed if you don’t have the time or the inclination to actively engage the people. 4. Actual plan. Apart from the practical questions posed by unpleasantly surprised commuters, may it also be asked: Where’s the plan, Stan? What is the basis for the plan? Administrative Order No. 40 says the goals include:

Passengers stranded on Roxas Boulevard near the corner of MIA Road on the first day of the provincial bus ban, 7 August 2013. Photo by Jamin Verde/InterAksyon.com

• Provide a convenient, efficient, safe transport system. (Convenient and safe for whom?) • Decongest roadway. (Not near and around the terminal stations at Coastal Mall, Lawton, and Buendia-Taft.) • Promote road and commuter safety (With the absence of a clear plan? Or an informed enforcing manpower? Fail.) • Reduce pollution in EDSA (Fast-track the expansion of eco-friendly metro train operations.) A plan presupposes that much thought has been put into what is to be done, that there is some science to it. These were never made public: How many provincial buses enter the metropolis? How many people do they carry? What times of day do they clog the streets? Do they have regular stops? How many have terminals inside the metropolis? How many don’t? And more important, the same questions must be asked of private cars, of jeepneys, of vans. Is the problem not simply a problem of enforcement? Everywhere in Metro Manila, simple traffic rules are broken. The intersection of Taft Avenue and EDSA is a perfect example. All modes of transportation are there: de padyak, tricycles, jeepneys, cars, vans, buses. Almost always, there are traffic enforcers. And rarely is it not clogged. It’s the very definition of entropy. This is why the Bourne producers chose this spot to shoot the movie. Why did MMDA not keep permanently open the left-turning slot for northbound vehicles on Coastal Road? This way, the buses won’t compete for limited space at the corner of Roxas Boulevard and MIA Road as

they turn left to the terminal. And why, oh why, did MMDA have to start their experiment in the middle of the school year, the rainy season? Was it not possible to implement the plan in a staggered way? To give the system time to recognize and solve the kinks? 5. Overall vision. Sell us a vision of a livable city. The earlier mentioned online petition hints at what that could be in terms of standard for public transport: Make it such that people with children, old people, people with disability are able to move around the metropolis in a safe, comfortable, affordable, and predictable manner. Accessible and available. That means no interminably long lines, no jam-packed trains, no rickety buses and jeepneys, and shorter long travel times. No racing drivers, no holdups or pickpockets. Air clean enough for walking and biking. Streets with sidewalks and drainage systems (required by law but where are they?) and bicycle lanes. Essentially, the provincial bus ban, which will soon extend to those coming from the north, from Baguio, Subic, Clark, etc., lacks two basic things: brain and heart. At Tuesday’s chaos, people were saying variations of these: “Parang di pinag-isipan (It’s as if they did not think it through).” “Di na naawa sa mga pasahero, lalo na yung matatanda at may dalang mga bata (They have no pity for the passengers, especially the elderly and those with children).” To which, public officials responded, “Masasanay rin yan (They will get used to it).” What are these people doing in public service? ■ Veronica Uy / InterAksyon.com /August 7, 2013 / 1:45 PM

1 blacklist down, 1 more to go: PH faces HK travel curbs 3 yrs after Luneta siege

MANILA - Two days after getting Taiwan to lift sanctions, including tourist restrictions, imposed in May over the shooting of a fisherman, the Philippines must now deal with a black travel alert by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) for, among others, its alleged failure to meet the demands of families of 8 HK tourists slain in the botched Luneta bus siege in 2010. The Luneta victims’ families had demanded an apology and compensation for the deaths of the tourists, whose bus was taken hostage by a dismissed police officer who brought it to the Quirino grandstand at the Luneta. There, a 12-hour standoff ended with a police raid-rescue that went awry. Over 170,000 Filipino workers, mostly female domestic workers, are based in Hong Kong. The revised August 9 black travel alert for the Philippines by Hong Kong’s security bureau reads: “ Residents should avoid all

Luneta hostage victims’ relatives are seen in file photo. Three years since Philippine police botched the rescue of HK tourists in a hijacked bus at the Quirino grandstand, there’s no clear closure yet for the eight victims’ families.

travel to the country. Those who are already there should attend to personal safety and exercise caution.” HK authorities justified the travel alert by drawing attention to the unresolved incident on August 12, 2010. Philippine authorities, including Palace officials and then Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, had come under fire for failing to act decisively on the hostage incident, which deteriorated further when Lim ordered the brother of hostage-taker

Rolando Mendoza arrested and brought to “Tondo,” instead of the main Manila police headquarters on UN Avenue, just several blocks from Luneta. The brother, PO2 Gregorio Mendoza, raised a howl and told reporters he feared he would be summarily liquidated by Lim’s men. When the hostage taker saw his brother screaming for help on TV, he went ballistic, and all negotiations collapsed. Police finally stormed the hijacked bus with the 22 Hong Kong tourists and shot dead Mendoza, but in the process, eight of the tourists died as well. There were observations that the raiding team was illtrained and ill-equipped; tose who survived said they had to crawl from the bus while the bodies were being removed. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has declined to comment on what the government is doing to meet the demands of the families for justice and compensation, which it described as “a very sensitive matter.”

Hong Kong security authorities also warned their tourists against terrorist attacks, especially in parts of Mindanao where a rash of bombings the past two weeks has killed 16 and injured 70 others. The Hong Kong authorities earlier demanded a public apology from President Aquino, whose government last weekend won the lifting of sanctions--a freeze on OFW hiring and travel restrictions on Taiwanese tourists--from Taipei after a special envoy went to the home of the Taiwanese fisherman shot dead by Philippine Coast Guard in Balintang Channel last May. The Luneta bus siege, which ended with 8 tourists dead, has not merited an apology yet. “It is unfortunate that up to now nothing has been done by the Aquino administration on the Luneta hostage incident where several Hong Kong tourists were taken at gunpoint by a distressed Manila police officer and were brought to the Luneta to be hostages for his claims with the Philippine government,” said Emmanuel

Geslani, head of a major recruiters group for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) for Hong Kong. President Aquino, Geslani noted, “has neither apologized or given compensation to the families of the HK residents mercilessly shot by police officer Mendoza and despite numerous appeals by the HK government for the compensation Malacanang refuses to act on this matter and has relegated the incident to the dust bin.” Geslani scored President Aquino’s move to clear his partymate and close ally, former Manila Mayor Lim, of any responsibility. No charges were filed against him and the police officers who stormed the bus. “As we enter the third anniversary of Luneta hostage incident nobody is betting on Aquino doing the right thing which is to apologize and to compensate the victims. Clearly we have a President who does what he likes or dislikes and acts on instinct,” said Geslani. ■ Stella Tomeldan / InterAksyon.com / August 11, 2013 / 5:41 PM

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August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

DFA Organizes Presentation on Opportunities in Philippine Water Sector METROPOLITAN Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Chairman Ramon B. Alikpala conducted a presentation on “Opportunities in the Philippine Water Sector” at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on July 29. The presentation was organized by the DFA Office of European Affairs to provide a platform for the MWSS to brief Foreign Service personnel on water-related issues and opportunities for foreign investment and partnership. During his presentation, Mr. Alikpala provided a bird’s eye view of the water

situation in and outside of Metro Manila and offered his insights on possible ways to improve the efficiency of the delivery of water services around the country. Mr. Alikpala welcomed the DFA’s help in disseminating information on MWSS-led projects to potential investors, underscoring the fact that the participation of more players, both local and foreign, in the bids would make for an open, competitive and credible process. He noted that within the next two years, MWSS will bid out a number of water supply improvement projects, including the

construction of two big dams, namely the Kaliwa dam, which is under government funding, and Laiban dam which is under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative. These projects will be in addition to existing initiatives to improve the delivery of water from Angat dam to areas under the regulatory control of MWSS. According to Mr. Alikpala, sewage management is another promising sector that provides good opportunities for potential investors. He noted that only planned communities in Metro Manila have centralized sewage systems. ■ August 2, 2013

MWSS Chairman Ramon B. Alikpala (right foreground) stresses a point during his presentation on Opportunities in the Water Sector at the DFA CMOAS Conference Room on onday, July 29, 2013.

Order of Sikatuna Award Conferred Philippine Consul General Joins Filipino Community in on Outgoing Romanian Ambassador Celebrating 11th Anniversary of Historic Filipinotown in L.A. PHILIPPINE Consul General Maria Hellen Barber De La Vega joined the Filipino community in Los Angeles in celebrating the 11th founding Anniversary of Historic Filipinotown. A major highlight was the Adoption Mass of Pedro Calungsod as Patron Saint for Historic Filipinotown and a 5K Run in Los Angeles participated by more than 100 individuals. As part of the celebration, a Festival was organized by the Historic Filipinotown Council, which included GMA Variety Show, live performances of Filipino-American artists, Battle of the Bands and a fashion show. The Historic Filipinotown was established on August 02, 2002 through a City Council Resolution spearheaded by then Council President Eric Garcetti, who is now the new Mayor of Los Angeles City. ■ August 7, 2013

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario conferred on August 06 the Order of Sikatuna Award with the Rank of Datu on outgoing Ambassador of the Republic of Romania, H.E. Ambassador Valeriu Gheorghe. The award was given to Ambassador Gheorghe in recognition of his efforts to promote relations between the Philippines and Romania during his six-year tour of duty. Romania’s resident diplomatic mission in the country affirms the 41 years of friendship between the Philippine and Romania. ■ August 7, 2013

Participants at the starting line of the 5K Run of the 11th Annual Historic Filipino-town Festival

(Left photo) Consul General Maria Hellen Barber De La Vega addressing audience at the 11th Annual Historic Filipino-town Festival. (Right photo) Consul General De La Vega (6th from left) with members of the Knights of Columbus and Patron Saint Pedro Calungsod at the background.

Secretary Del Rosario Leads 46th ASEAN Anniversary Celebration

Outgoing Austrian Ambassador Pays Farewell Call on Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario

HIS Excellency Wilhelm M. Donko, outgoing Ambassador of Austria to the Philippines, called on Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario, today, August 07, at the Manila Diamond Hotel. The Austrian Ambassador is ending his tour-of-duty in the Philippines after four years as Austria’s top envoy in the country. Ambassador Donko was conferred the Order of Sikatuna, Rank of Datu (Silver Distinction) for his efforts in promoting excellent relations between the Philippines and Austria. ■ August 7, 2013

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario led the celebration of the 46th Anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Wednesday, August 07, at the National Museum, which was attended by members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of government agencies implementing the activities of the three pillars of ASEAN, namely: the ASEAN Political and Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. In his remarks, Secretary del Rosario noted ASEAN’s transformation into a “credible regional organization with legal entity, that is making steady progress towards building a well integrated, well connected and people centered community.” “The ASEAN Charter,” the Secretary said, “enshrined the promotion of peace and stability, pursuance of peaceful settlement of disputes, the rule of law and good governance.” He underscored that the Philippines is committed to continue to nurture, intensify and sustain its meaningful participation in ASEAN. The celebration commenced with a parade of the ASEAN flag and the flags of the ten (10) ASEAN Member States. The parade was joined by Ambassadors from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The program included cultural performances by the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) Angklung Ensemble, the Bayanihan Dance Company and the DFA Chorale. An exhibit featuring the works of the finalists of the ASEAN-Philippines Painting Contest was

also displayed. The three (3) winners of the Painting Contest were awarded Certificates of Artistic Excellence and cash prizes by Secretary del Rosario and National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Chairman Felipe De Leon, Jr. during the reception. The art works will have public exhibitions at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Philippine Normal University (PNU) and the Shangrila Mall Plaza. Other government agencies and universities are scheduled to hold festivities

in commemoration of ASEAN Day such as University of Sto. Tomas (UST), Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU), Philippine Normal University (PNU), Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), University of Makati (UM), San Beda College of Alabang, and University of the Philippines – Diliman (UP). The Philippines, as founding member of ASEAN, annually celebrates ASEAN Day to highlight the achievements of ASEAN and to promote greater awareness of ASEAN among Filipinos. ■ August 8, 2013

Celebrating ASEAN’s 46th Anniversary the ASEAN Way: (From left) Her Excellency Malai Hajah Hatimah Malai Haji Yussof, Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam, Her Excellency Tuot Panha, Ambassador of Columbia, His Excellency Yohannes Kristiarto Soeryo Legowo, Ambassador of Indonesia, Her Excellency Malayvieng Sakonhninhom, Ambassador of Lao PDR, His Excellency Dato’ Mohd Samri Mohd Kassim, Ambassador of Malaysia, Hon. Albert F. del Rosario, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Daw Sein New Ave, Charge d’ Affaires, a.i. of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Hon. Evan P. Garcia, ASEAN-PHL SOM Leader, His Excellency Hirubalan V P, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore, His Excellency Prasas Prasasvinitchai, Ambassador of the Royal Kingdom of Thailand, His Excellency Nguyen Vu Tu, Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, and Hon.Teresita Barsana, Director-General of ASEAN-PHL and DFA Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs.

Secretary del Rosario (8th from left) with the ASEAN Ambassador and Head of Post in the Philippines during the ceremonial cutting of cake to celebrate ASEAN’s 46th Birthday.

Secretary del Rosario delivers his remarks during the ASEAN celebration held at the National Museum.

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August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

UP Filipiniana Alumni Group Performs in Chartainvilliers, France

Sri Lankan Minister of External Affairs Visits Manila THE Sri Lankan Minister of External Affairs, Professor G.L. Peiris, is in the Philippines for an official visit from July 31 to August 03. He paid a courtesy call on Vice President Jejomar Binay on August 01 and had bilateral discussions with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario. Secretary Del Rosario and Minister Peiris discussed possible areas for bilateral cooperation, particularly in agriculture, trade and investments, construction, power and energy, tourism and air services. He also extended his government’s invitation to the Philippine government and business leaders to participate in the Commonwealth Business Forum which Sri Lanka will host in November 2013. Minister Peiris also expressed Sri Lanka’s interest in sharing with the Philippines experiences and best practices in disaster risk management. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues. Secretary Del Rosario briefed Minister Peiris on the arbitral proceedings concerning the West

Philippine Sea (WPS), while Minister Peiris conveyed his government’s appreciation for the Philippines’ support to Sri Lanka at international fora, including the Human Rights Council in Geneva. They also discussed Maali, the elephant that was donated by Sri Lanka to the Philippines in 1980. Minister Peiris expressed satisfaction with Maali’s condition and both he and the Secretary agreed that Maali is a “symbol of the long standing friendship between the Philippines and Sri Lanka.” During his visit, Minister Peiris attended the “Business Forum on Sri Lanka,” held on August 01. He discussed with representatives from the Philippine business and private sectors the two countries’ possible new joint venture projects. The forum was jointly organized by the Sri Lankan Embassy in Manila and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This is the first visit to the Philippines of Minister Peiris in his capacity as Minister of External Affairs. ■ August 2, 2013

ON behalf of Philippine Ambassador to France Cristina G. Ortega, Third Secretary and Vice Consul André Peter C. Estanislao and Mr. Frankson Ong, cultural affairs assistant, attended a mini-concert performed by the Filipiniana Alumni Group at the Church of Chartainvilliers, 50 kilometers north of Paris. The group was led by University of the Philippines (UP) Director for Initiatives for Culture and the Arts Professor Ruben Defeo and UP Professor of Dance Corazon G. Iñigo. The group is comprised of current and former UP performing arts students. In this mini-concert, the group sang an assortment of French and English songs. Ms. Luz Morete, Professor of Music and soprano who performed with the group gave a heartfelt performance of the Ave Maria and C’est la rose qui est importante or more popularly known in the Philippines as Bulaklak which was popularized by Filipina singer Kuh Ledesma in the Philippines. The audience, composed of mostly French nationals, was also very impressed by the group’s rendition of Edith Piaf’s classic La Vie en Rose.

Other songs performed were Minamahal Kita, Ay ay ay, o pag-ibig!, Dahil Sayo, Katakataka, Ikaw ang Mahal ko, Alouette and Kalesa. The group also brought a Rondalla band that played a collection of traditional Filipino Rondalla and folk songs such as Bahay Kubo and Atikupong singsing. At the end of the performance, the audience asked for an encore to which the group happily obliged with a repeat performance of Ay ay ay, o pag-ibig! Chartainvilliers Mayor Alain Boutin who was in the audience and joined by other city officials, expressed gratitude to the group and to the visiting Embassy officials. ■ August 8, 2013

UP Filipiniana Alumni Group serenades the French audience.

(Left photo) Third Secretary Estanislao poses with Chartainvilliers Mayor Alain Boutin and UP Professor Defeo. (Right photo) Group poses with Third Secretary and Vice Consul Estanislao.

Batangas Association UK

20th Annual Charity Dinner & Dance

Radisson Blu Portman Hotel Portman Square London W1H 7BG Saturday 19th of October, 2013 Attire: Strictly Formal Barong Tagalog or Black Tie for Men Filipiniana Dress or Evening Wear for Ladies

ÂŁ55.00

with Dinner, Wine, & Live Band Music

For tickets, please contact: Gloria 07572 795321; Cora 07956 271750; or Julie 07956 422068

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PINK HALO HALO

(UK Premiere) Director: Joselito Altarejos Running Time: 85 minutes Stars: Allen Dizon and Angeli Bayani In Competition at the 6th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival’s Director’s Showcase Over the past two years, filmmaker Joselito Altarejós has helped redefine the image of homosexuals and homosexuality in the Philippines through his films. Among these are the controversial yet critically-acclaimed hits “Ang Lalake sa Parola” and “Ang Lihim ni Antonio.” His recent work, “Ang Laro

2ND REEL GATE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

ng Buhay ni Juan,” which he co-wrote, produced and directed was hailed by film reviewers for its subtle yet effective social commentaries on the life of ordinary Juan. “Pink Halo-Halo” marks his first solo stint as screenwriter. Synopsis: Natoy, like any other child, finds joy and excitement in the simplest of things—especially in eating halohalo filled with pink gelatine and red sago. Things change suddenly when, as he is watching television, a news report about the ongoing war in Mindanao shows footage of a badly wounded soldier waiting for rescue. That soldier— almost bleeding to death, was his father, Corporal Lino Bolante.

KALELDO

Director: Brillante Ma. Mendoza Running Time: 90 minutes Stars: Angel Aquino and Cherry Pie Picache Network of the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) Award 2007 Jeonju International Film Festival South Korea 2007 Durban International Film Festival (Best Actress for Cherry Pie Picache) Brillante Ma. Mendoza was born and raised in San Fernando, Pampanga in the Philippines and studied Fine Arts major in Advertising at the University of Santo Tomas. He has directed sixteen films since 2005. He was the Palme d’Or Best Director at the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival in Cannes, France for “Kinatay (The Execution of P).” Mendoza’s “Lola” won Best Director at the 6th Dubai International Film Festival in 2009 while his “Captive” and “Thy Womb” competed at the 62nd Berlin and International Film Festival and 69th Venice International Film Festival, respectively, in 2012.

TSARDYER POSAS (SHACKLED)

(UK Premiere) Director: Lawrence Fajardo Running Time: 93 minutes Stars: Nico Antonio and Bangs Garcia In Competition, 8th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival’s Director’s Showcase Official Competition, 2012 Hanoi International Film Festival Lawrence Fajardo studied film and theater in University of St. La Salle Bacolod and his breakthrough in the film making circuit was when his short film entitled “Kultado” which won the Special Jury Prize in Cinemalaya 2005. His biggest break his filmmaking career was through “Amok”, a finalist in the New Breed Category of the Cinemalaya 2011. Fajardo is a consistent awatd-winning filmmaker here and abroad.

(UK Premiere) Director: Sigfreid Barros-Sanchez

Synopsis: Corruption is a process. Jestoni “Jess” Biag, early 20s, is a notorious snatcher victimizing people in bustling streets around Quiapo Church. As a routine, he steals wallets, gadgets and jewelries, which he will trade for a meager amount of peso—enough for him to survive and to support his family. Today, Jess will be captured by the police for snatching a cellphone of a call center agent, Ma. Grace Rosuello. It’s his first time to undergo an investigation. And as he goes in the process from Barangay Hall Clinic, Police Station to the Fiscal’s Office, we will witness how human rights violation bluntly executes, and how culture of corruption deviously perpetuates in this chain of institutions. In the end, despite the fact of proving Jess as guilty of committing theft, he will still get his freedom. But this freedom shackled him to a cycle upholding the predicament of his life.

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

EL PRESIDENTE

(UK Premiere) Director: Mark Meily Running Time: 165 minutes Stars: Jorge Estregan and Nora Aunor 3rd Best Picture, 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival Philippines 61st Famas Best Picture 15th Pasado (Pampelikulang Samahan ng mga Dalubguro) Pinakapasadong Pelikula 2013 Soho International Film Festival in New York Best World Feature Film Mark Meily is a young filmmaker who teaches filmmaking at the Marilou DiazAbaya Film Institute and Art Center in Antipolo City. Meily directed the wardwinning films “Crying Ladies,” “Baler,” “Donor,” “La Visa Loca,” “Donor” and many more. He studied Synopsis: “El Presidente The General Emilio Aguinaldo Story” is a 2012 biopic film based on the life of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippine Republic.

Synopsis: A carefully observed and beautifully acted family drama which follows a widowed woodcutter as he attempts to keep his three very different daughters in line. The rebellious daughter, Grace, has just got married and is finding it hard to adjust; Lourdes is having an extra marital affair and the

eldest, Jess, is trying to pick up the pieces of her life. The trials and tribulations of this rural family is told through a series of events, both celebratory and traumatic events – a wedding, a parade, a fire and a death – each marking the changes of summer and the volatile and changing nature of life.

Running Time: 105 minutes Stars: Dimples Romana and Neil Ryan Sese In Competition, 6th Cinema One

Originals Film Festival Sigfreid Barros-Sanchez started out as a screenwriter before he ventured as a director. As an independent filmmaker, he has made quite a lot of out-ofthe-box films which were locally and internationally appreciated. Most of his works are satiric if not most of the time symbolic of life. Barros-Sanchez’s type of film makes him one of the most prolific artists in the country. Synopsis: Loosely based on the kidnapping of a broadcast journalist and her crew, the film shows a 10-yearold Tausug boy used by the Abu Sayyaf group to “charge” the cellphones they use in negotiating for their demands for the release of their captives. Things take a strange turn when the journalist befriends Shihab and earns his trust as Shihab finds himself torn between his loyalty to his Tausug brothers and the bond he has forged with his newfound friend.

August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

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THE STRANGERS

BOUNDARY

(UK Premiere) Director: Benito Bautista Running Time: 88 minutes Stars: Ronnie Lazaro and Raymond Bagatsing Grand Jury Award, 2012 Guam International Film Festival Best Picture NETPAC Award, 2011 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival Official Selection, 2012 San Diego International Film Festival Benito Bautista is an independent filmmaker based in San Francisco, California. He founded Wanderlustproject Films in 2001 and has since made short and feature narratives and documentaries including the award-¬winning documentary film, “The Gift of Barong: A Journey from Within” that is now part of Stanford University’s Stanford Program for International Cultural Education (S.P.I.C.E.). He is currently the Dean of the Film Program at the Meridian International College

TEORIYA (FATHER’S WAY)

(UK Premiere) Director: Alistair Christian “Zurich” E. Chan Running Time: 84 minutes

(MINT) in McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio. Bautista is the director of the awardwinning film “Harana,” a foray on the tradition music of courtship in the Philippines. Synopsis: Inspired by true stories of taxicab drivers of metropolitan Manila, “Boundary,” a feature narrative film is set in the urban roadways of Manila during Christmas. A guilt-ridden and dishevelled taxi driver named Limuel

Alcantara picks up a mild-mannered businessman named Emmanuel Lazaro as his last passenger for the night. Limuel’s conspiracy to bring Emmanuel to the hideout of robbery gang leader Diego Gawaran takes a wrong turn. Their journey together from Manila to the foothills of Antipolo becomes a tensionfilled and claustrophobic experience. The only way out of this seemingly eternal ride is to face their damnation.

Stars: Alfred Vargas and Sue Prado In Competition, 7th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival Zurich Chan is an independent filmmaker based in Zamboanga City. Growing up in a video rental store for ten years, this has been his basis into writing scripts and his visual style. The

nature of his filmmaking delves into topics of loneliness and existentialism. “Teoriya” is his first salvo at being at the director’s helm of a feature length film. According to Zurich, his journey into filmmaking is looking for the true meaning of loneliness in any shape, form or situation because, accordingly, all of us are really and truly just separate beings who are, in this world, essentially alone. Writing all his scripts in Chavacano, combined with his unique visual style makes his films nothing less but different. Synopsis: “Teoriya” is a story about loss that centers on the film’s main character, Jimmuel Apostol II. After hearing the news that his father has passed away, Jim goes back home to Zamboanga City after leaving ten years ago in bad terms with his father. He arrives in Zamboanga only to find that his father has already been buried and he doesn’t know where. Jim takes a journey around the Zamboanga peninsula and ultimately into his own self, finding the missing piece of his life.

(UK Premiere) Director: Lawrence Fajardo Running Time: 97 minutes Stars: Julia Montes, Enrique Gil and Enchong Dee Official entry to the 39th Metro Manila Film Festival Philippines 2012 Graded “B” by the Cinema Evaluation Board in 2012 Lawrence Fajardo studied film and theater in University of St. La Salle Bacolod and his breakthrough in the film making circuit was when his short film entitled “Kultado” which won the Special Jury Prize in Cinemalaya 2005. His biggest break his filmmaking career was through “Amok”, a finalist in the New Breed Category of the Cinemalaya 2011. Fajardo is a consistent award-

winning filmmaker here and abroad. Synopsis: The story takes places on a family who got lost in a province and start being hunted by The Strangers. For their 18th birthday, twins Pat and Max go on their annual out of town family trip, to the far-flung oasis of Murcia. Joining them are their parents Roy and Evelyn, their grandfather Pete his temporary caregiver Paloma and their newly hired family driver, Toning. The family members set aside personal differences and go on with the trip, as they look forward to the provincial excursion. Treading the rough roads of the countryside, their happiness is cut short when their van hits an old lady on the road. Unsure of what happened, the family tries to search for the body but it is nowhere to be found. ■

2nd REEL GATE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 23, 24 and 25 AUGUST 2013 (Friday to Sunday) RIVERSIDE STUDIOS, CRISP ROAD, HAMMERSMITH, LONDON W6 9RL FOR TICKETS PLEASE CONTACT THE BOX OFFICE: 020 8237 1111

SAMPAGUITA

(UK Premiere) Director: Francis Xavier Pasion Running Time: 80 minutes Special Jury Prize, 6th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival Invited to the 2012 Vancouver International Film Festival, Berlinale’s Generation Program and Busan International Film Festival Francis Xavier Pasion is the directorwriter of the film “Jay” which won the Best Film, Best Editing and Best Actor Award (for Baron Geisler) in Cinemalaya 2008. The film has since been screened in over 28 international film festivals, premiering at the prestigious Venice International Film Festival in 2008. It has won 6 international awards and 12 local awards. Francis also served as a member of the international jury at the Vladivostok International Film Festival 2009. He currently directs

www.hello-philippines.com

August 23 – Friday OPENING FILM 20:00 – 22:45 EL PRESIDENTE – PG13

for television, and has taught film at the Ateneo de Manila University of which he is a cum laude graduate of Communication and the founder of the premier student film organization Loyola Film Circle. “Sampaguita” is his sophomore film and also his second entry to the Cinemalaya.

Synopsis: “SAMPAGUITA NATIONAL FLOWER” is a film that chronicles the journey of the sampaguita flower from the time the buds are plucked in the province to the time they are sold in the city. The story is told by the children who are involved in the different stages of the journey.

18:05 – 19:39 TEORIYA – R16

17:40 – 19:05 PINK HALO HALO – PG13

20:05 – 21:33 BOUNDARY – R16

CLOSING FILM 19:30 – 21:07 THE STRANGERS – PG13

August 24 – Saturday FREE SHORTS 12:00 – 13:17 CLOSURE BEYOND REDEMPTION THE SAVIOUR BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE

August 25 – Sunday FREE SHORTS 12:00 – 13:17 CLOSURE BEYOND REDEMPTION THE SAVIOUR BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE

13:45 – 15:40 KALELDO – PG13

13:45 – 15:05 SAMPAGUITA – PG13

16:05 – 17:38 15:30 – 17:15 POSAS (SHACKLED) – R16 TSARDYER – PG13

SHORT FILMS CLOSURE – PG13 – 17 minutes – Director: Desmond Devenish BEYOND REDEMPTION – PG13 – 10 minutes Director: Nino Macias THE SAVIOUR – PG13 – 30 minutes – Director: Boy Villasanta BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE – PG13 – 15 minutes – Director: Grey-em Erezo

SPORTS

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August 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 16 • UK & Europe Edition

Gilas overcomes Korea, makes FIBA Asia finals...

Continuation from page 40

AKTV file/Isko Jose

Fresh faces join Azkals for Indonesia... Also joining the Azkals is Global defender Jerry Barbaso, who suited up for the national team in 2010. The squad will also be bolstered by U-23 Azkals members Joshua Beloya, Amani Aguinaldo, Raymark Fernandez, and Paolo Bugas. Leading the Azkals are skipper Chieffy Caligdong of Green Archers, Phil and James Younghusband of the Loyola Meralco Sparks, Chris Greatwich and OJ Porteria of Kaya FC, Ed Sacapaño, Carlie de Murga, Jeffrey Christiaens, Marwin Angeles, Misagh Bahadoran, and Patrick Reichelt of Global. Foreign-based players Rob Gier, Angel Guirado, and Paul Mulders will also bolster the Azkals, who will face Indonesia in a friendly match on August 14 at the Manahan Stadium in Surakarta, Indonesia.

Continuation from page 40 The Azkals are no strangers to the Indonesians, who beat them in the semifinals of the 2010 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup in which the Filipinos were forced to play their home leg in Indonesia due to the lack of a suitable pitch in the Philippines. Indonesia prevailed on 2-0 aggregate. The two squads met again in a friendly last year at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium that saw the Azkals rally to force a 2-2 draw. The match is part of the Azkals’ preparations for the 2014 Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup in Maldives, where the Filipinos aim to surpass their third-place finish last year. ■ Karl Decena / InterAKTV / August 8, 2013 / 4:31 PM

AKTV file photo/Paolo Papa

Mario West arriving Thursday to reinforce Meralco... The PBA measured Kennedy twice and in both tries, the import exceeded the limit. He was measured 6-foot-5 1/2 the first time and 6-foot-5 1/4 the second time. Last season, West helped the Bolts to the semifinals of the Governors’ Cup,

Continuation from page 40 averaging 30.1 points and 7.8 rebounds in 11 games. West last played in Liga Americas for Fuerza Regia, averaging 13.5 points and four assists. ■ Rey Joble / InterAKTV / August 13, 2013 / 1:23 PM

Plan to run for president... Continuation from page 40 he also dreamt of “serving with a broad reach and great impact.” Pacquiao, who is serving his second term in the House of Representatives, sought to straighten out matters after telling Agence France Presse in an interview that he had thought about aiming for the top post in the land. Reacting to this, fellow politicians, including Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., advised the 34-year-old lawmaker to take

it slow and gun for a seat in the Senate first. Pacquiao said he is currently focused on his “studies in Congress and on pushing for his legislative agenda,” including the improvement of the country’s “ailing national sports program,” as well as on the start of his training for his November bout against Brandon Rios. ■ Lira DalanginFernandez / InterAksyon.com / July 30, 2013 / 11:51 AM

The Koreans brought the lead down to a single point at 4:40 as Kim Mingoo completed a four-point play. It was quickly followed by a Lee Seung Jun dunk at the 4:18 mark to give Korea a 74-73 lead. He added a free throw to install a two-point lead. Alapag gave Gilas back the lead with a triple with 3:01 left in the game, but Kim Tae-Sool quickly stole it back with a jumper to settle the score at 77-76 in favor of Korea. De Ocampo stepped up to score a layup to continue the see-saw battle between the two fierce rivals. With the seconds dwindling down, Pingris stole the ball, which led to a De Ocampo triple for an 81-77 Gilas lead. Korea was able to bring the lead back down to two points as Yang Donggeun scored on two free throws, but Alapag then sank a cold-blooded three with 54 seconds to go to build an 84-79 lead for the Philippines. Pingris sealed the deal with a put-back of a Castro miss for the win. Castro led Gilas with 17 markers on an efficient 8-of-13 clip. Marc Pingris put together a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Jimmy Alapag nailed 4-of-7 triples en route to 14 points. Kim Mingoo led Korea with 27 points off the bench. Yang Donggeun and Kim Joosung added 11 markers apiece.

‘Mighty Mouse’ Jimmy Alapag was there to save the day by burying a late triple. KC Cruz

The Philippines shot 50 percent for the game and survived a 6-17 difference in free throw attempts. They out-rebounded their foes, 3827, and got a 38-22 advantage in points in the paint. ■ Carlo Pamintuan / RAF/ELR/HS, GMA News / August 10, 2013 / Updated 10:35 PM

The scores: Philippines 86 - Castro 17, Pingris 16, De Ocampo 11, Tenorio 9, Aguilar 8, Chan 5, Norwood 2, Douthit 2, Fonacier 2, David 0 Korea 79 - M. Kim 27, D. Yang 11, Joo-sung Kim 11, S. Lee 10, J. Lee 10, Cho 6, S. Kim 2, T. Kim 2, Yoon 0, Kim Jongkyu 0 Quarter scoring: 19-23, 36-39, 65-56, 86-79

FIBA Asia evokes fond memories for TV5 chairman Manny Pangilinan, president Noel Lorenzana AT the helm of TV5, chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan and president Noel Lorenzana are overseeing the broadcast of the biggest basketball tournament in Asia to Filipino basketball fans nationwide. But for the two men, the FIBA Asia Championship goes beyond business, evoking personal memories from the last time the country hosted the prestigious cage competition. Pangilinan can still remember the 1973 Philippine team that won the Asian title on Philippine soil. “At that time I was a spectator. The finals were held at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum,” Pangilinan told InterAKTV in an exclusive interview. “Now, we have a wonderful venue here at the Mall of Asia. It feels good to be part of the organizing committee that brought this event to the country.” InterAKTV is part of InterAksyon.com, the news website of TV5. Pangilinan, who heads one of the country’s largest conglomerates, is a prominent patron of various Philippine sports, apart from serving as president of the country’s basketball federation. He admits that the cost of staging the event in Manila for the first time in 40 years is considerable. “This is the biggest (investment) we made in terms of a single event,” he said. “I hope the event goes well for the country.” The business tycoon hopes that the occasion can be used to highlight the country’s proud tradition. “Dapat siguro natin ipakita yung Philippine team ’73. The younger

generation may not be familiar with those names of the team of ’73, but we have to show that. We should know where we came from which is a great origin, the great past of Philippine basketball. “We have instructed the SBP to invite the members of the ’73 team,” he said, before adding in jest, “at least those who are still alive.” For Lorenzana, who was appointed president of the network last April, the staging of the event signifies how his fandom has come full circle. “I feel very happy. Forty years is a long time to wait for an event like this. We know how basketball-crazy Filipinos are,” he said. “This is very big. Now, I’m excited I can bring my kids to watch and see history like 40 years ago because my father also took me to the games 40 years ago. In the promotional materials we actually showed

the game of the ’73 team and put it side by side with the team today.” He noted that the network’s goal is not merely to inspire fans to cheer for the basketball team, but to stir the patriotic spirit. “We’re trying to push nationalism, trying to get the people behind the team. Not only on TV, we’re also doing it on social media. We’re actually saying ‘Laban Pilipinas!’” said Lorenzana. “We’re doing the ordinary folks in the streets, how this means a lot to them. Therefore, it’s really the whole Philippines not just the basketball players. Kumbaga sa atin lahat ito.” TV5 will broadcast all matches of the Philippine national men’s basketball team live, while other scheduled games will be aired over Aksyon TV. ■ Rey Joble / InterAKTV / July 30, 2013 / 7:02 PM

Manuel V. Pangilinan, seated left, and Noel Lorenzana, seated right

sport

Plan to run for president ‘merely aspirational,’ says Manny Pacquiao MANILA, Philippines — After being told to go slow on his political ambitions, boxing icon and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao said comments he made about his plans to seek the presidency were “merely aspirational.” In a statement, Pacquiao said his “thoughts on the presidency are not indicative of any immediate or concrete plans, but are merely aspirational.” “Serving in a higher elective post rests on the will of God and the call of the Filipino people,” he said, adding that, like most public servants, Continued on page 38

Fresh faces join Azkals for Indonesia friendly

AZKALS NOTCH HISTORIC HIGH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS

THE Philippines climbed to its highest place in the latest FIFA World Rankings released on Thursday. After remaining at 144th since May, the Azkals rose to 141st for their highest ranking in history, topping its previous record of 143rd last April. They remain second in Southeast Asia behind

Thailand (137th) and 22nd in Asia. The Azkals made the jump despite not playing since June. World football governing body FIFA calculates every country’s ranking based on match results (a win, a loss or a draw), its importance (i.e. a friendly or a World Cup match), and the strength of the opponent ranking-wise.

These points are drawn from the country’s results in the previous four years, allowing some teams to move in the rankings despite not seeing action. The Azkals will next play Indonesia in a friendly match on August 14 at the Manahan Stadium in Surakarta, Indonesia.

Spain continued its reign on top of the rankings, followed by Germany, Colombia, Argentina and the Netherlands. In Asia, Japan stayed at number one, followed by Australia, Iran, South Korea and Uzbekistan. ■ Karl Decena / InterAKTV / August 8, 2013 / 9:45 PM

THE Philippine national men’s football team will feature fresh faces in its upcoming match against familiar foe Indonesia next week. Coach Hans Michael Weiss tapped young stars from the United Football League along with standouts from the Under-23 Azkals in an effort to help them gain experience playing alongside the squad’s veterans. Called up to the squad are Green Archers United Globe goalkeeper Patrick Deyto, who has served as the team’s local backup keeper, and Global FC midfielder Mark Hartmann, who last played for the Azkals two years ago. Continued on page 38

Mario West arriving Thursday to reinforce Meralco in Governors’ Cup

Old reliable Mario West is returning to the PBA to reinforce the Meralco Bolts anew, coach Ryan Gregorio confirmed to InterAKTV in a text message. According to Gregorio, West will arrive on Thursday. The NBA veteran was called back to duty to backstop the Bolts after the team’s first choice, DJ Kennedy, failed to make the height limit of 6-foot-5. Continued on page 38

Gilas overcomes Korea, makes FIBA Asia finals, earns World Cup berth THE run of South Korea tormenting the Philippine team in basketball is over. Gilas Pilipinas defeated South Korea, 86-79, on Saturday, to earn the right to play Iran in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship Finals, at the Mall of Asia Arena. With the win, the Philippines also earned a berth in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain. “To all the haters and the skeptics, I forgive you,” said a triumphant Gilas head coach Chot Reyes. “God bless you and mabuhay ang Pilipinas.” “Our game plan was to force their big men to beat us. We didn’t want their shooters to beat us,” Reyes added. “That was for Jong [Uichico], for Olsen [Racela], for Rajko [Toroman] and for all those who had a hard time against Korea.” “Gusto ko lang magpasalamat sa lahat ng naniniwala. Pasensya na po kayo di ko mapigilan ang maiyak,” said forward Ranidel De Ocampo, who hit a key threepointer with 1:35 left in the game when the Koreans were within a point. “Para sa inyo po lahat ang sakripisyo namin sa Gilas. “Kahit po sandali lang kaming magkakasama pero nagawa pa rin natin,”

added the big man. “Sana yung mga susunod na FIBA Asia dito pa rin maganap. Gusto naming maging defending champions” Gilas opened the game with two defensive stops, and Jeff Chan triple from the top of the key. Kim Joo-Sung replied with a layup and a short jumper, both over Marcus Douthit to give Korea a 4-3 lead. Marc Pingris scored down low to reclaim the lead for Gilas at the 7:00 mark, but Cho Sungmin scored his side’s first triple for a 7-5 lead. Another triple from Cho gave Korea the lead at 10-9, but Larry Fonacier swished a floater at the 3:28 to put the home team ahead anew. Kim Joo-Sung strung together five straight points for Korea to give them a 1713 lead with 1:26 left in the first, but Jayson Castro swooped in for a layup to put the Philippines within four points, at 19-15, to end the first quarter. Castro scored the first four points of the second quarter to knot the game at 19-all, but the Koreans had their own 4-0 run for 23-19 lead. Lee Jong Hyun heated up from mid-

range for a 27-21 count in their favor. Lee Sung Joon added a free throw to bump the Korean lead up to seven points. Jimmy Alapag nailed a triple at the 5:00 mark of the second to get to within two points, but Gilas had to sub Douthit out as he re-injured his left leg. Korea capitalized and went on a 5-0 run, but a Pingris and-one play trimmed their lead down to four points with 3:28 left in the second. Gilas went on a run led by Pingris to get to within a point of Korea, but Kim Mingoo

Gilas Pilipinas celebrates after their historic win. Photo by KC Cruz

made a difficult reverse layup to make it a 39-36 buffer in favor of the visitors at the end of the second period. At the half, Pingris led Gilas with 10 points while Castro added eight. They only got two points from Douthit, who as it turned out, would not return. Korea, on the other hand, was led by Kim Joo-Sung who outplayed both Douthit and Japeth Aguilar in the first quarter. Instead of succumbing to the pressure of possibly playing without their big man in the middle, Gilas went wild in the third quarter. Castro knew that he had a distinct speed advantage on offense against the Korean defenders. He scored on two straight layups to give the Philippines a 40-39 lead, before converting on another daredevil drive at the 7:35 mark to give Gilas a three-point lead. Pingris then added a tip-in, followed by a Castro triple to bring the packed crowd into a frenzy. A Ranidel De Ocampo mid-range jumper gave Gilas a 49-45 lead. Later on, a stretch layup by LA Tenorio made the count 56-48 at the 4:06 mark of the third period.

However, Kim Mingoo completed an andone play to bring the Gilas lead back down to five. In a complete role reversal at the 2:02 mark of the third, it was Alapag who scored on a put-back off an Aguilar three point miss. Alapag added a triple on the next play to give the Philippines a 63-53 lead, but Kim Mingoo took it right back with his own conversion from deep. Castro completed his tremendous third quarter by dishing out an assist for an Aguilar slam to give the Philippines a 65-56 lead heading into the payoff period. Kim Mingoo continued his hot shooting as he opened the fourth with a triple, but De Ocampo replied with one of his patented bankers for a 67-59 count still in Gilas’ favor. Yet another Kim Mingoo trey got the Koreans to within five points. Yang Donggeun then added a fast break layup at the 8:02 mark to get Korea closer at 67-64. Aguilar however replied with a short stab off a De Ocampo pass to bring the Gilas lead back to five points. Continued on page 38