December 2013 A issue

Rachelle Ann Go clinches role of Gigi for West End’s ‘Miss Saigon’ in 2014 Story on page 28

Connecting Global News & Views For The Community

UK & Europe Edition

PACQUIAO’ STUNNED BY ASSETS FREEZE’ HITS BACK AT GOVERNMENT: ‘THIEVES ARE TREATED BETTER’ GENERAL SANTOS CITY Manny Pacquiao may have won a remarkable comeback bid against Brandon Rios in Macau on Sunday, in the process winning universal praise for lifting the morale of his calamityhit countrymen, but the boxing icon said Tuesday he was virtually knocked out by tax authorities who froze all his bank accounts over a 2.2-billion case.

Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares insisted, however, they did not surprise Pacquiao, and had not acted arbitrarily. She said the BIR gave him two years to question the tax assessment and submit documents.

Pacquiao had rushed home on Monday because, he said, he wanted to help in relief operations in typhoon-Yolanda devastated areas in the Visayas. The President, Vice President, and two houses

of Congress were also quick to commend Pacquiao for his victory, widely seen as a “tonic” to still-grieving typhoon victims who watched his fight from publicviewing sites.

A day after his return, however, Pacquiao was stunned to learn his accounts had been frozen, and on Tuesday he asked the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to reconsider what he described as an arbitrary order.

Pacquiao said he could not even help in the relief efforts for Yolanda victims as a result of the freezing of his accounts. “Hindi ako makapagwithdraw ni isang singkong sentimo sa sarili kong pera, hindi ko magamit para makatulong.” (I cannot withdraw even a single centavo of my own money. I cannot use it even to help.)

“Bago ma-garnish, di ako naka-

receive kahit isang sulat o warning” (Before the garnishment, I did not receive a single letter or warning) from tax authorities, Pacquiao said in a hastily called news conference in General Santos City.

“I don’t know why I am being singled out,” the Saranggani representative (People’s Champ Movement-UNA) said in a mix of English and Filipino. “The BIR claims I earned more than what I actually did, without any evidence to back it up.”

Pressed to respond to a query on how he felt about being stripped of all his assets after allowing himself to be “beaten up” to uplift the Filipino spirit, Pacquiao said: “Nagpabugbog ako, kumita ako, kinuha ng gobyerno. Pero pag nagnakaw ka— wala pa akong nakitang nagnakaw ng marami, pero na-garnish lahat ng pera.” (I got a beating, earned some, and government took it. But

December 2013

steal something... I have yet to see anybody who’s stolen a lot and gotten the same garnishment.)

Pacquiao explained the BIR had been demanding he show proof he had paid taxes on previous earnings in the US, and he had submitted copies of such tax payments. However, he said, the BIR had kept insisting on getting “original” documents. “But America’s IRS does not give originals, only copies. Saan ako lulugar [Where do I place myself]?”

Smiling even while showing exasperation, Pacquiao said “dinadasal ko na lang sa Diyos ang lahat [I just lift up everything to God].”

He added: “Ang pera kong ginarnish ng BIR ay hindi po nakaw at hindi po PDAF o DAP. Ito po ay galing sa lahat ng suntok, bugbog, pawis at dugo na tiniis ko sa boxing.” (The money garnished by the BIR was not stolen and did not come from PDAF

Volume 4 - Number 23

or DAP. This came from all the hits, beatings, the blood and sweat I sacrificed via boxing.)

Since the BIR’s freeze order comes with a warrant of garnishment over Pacquiao’s properties and bank deposits, the boxing icon said he would be practically penniless and might need to borrow money to bankroll his relief drive for victims of super typhoon “Yolanda.”

“Pero walang problema, hindi hadlang ‘yan sa pagpunta ko sa Tacloban. The Lord will always provide, mangungutang uli [But there’s no problem. That’s not a stumbling block to my trip in Tacloban. The Lord will always provide, I will borrow money again].”

Pacquaio said his team would start repacking goods for the typhoon victims Tuesday night and he would arrive in Tacloban either November 28 or 29.

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Asked how many of his employees and other dependents would be affected by the freeze order, the boxing icon said he had about 1,000 workers who were receiving salaries from him every 15 days.

He said he also has many scholars and he pays millions of pesos for their tuition and allowance.

“So marami din…Malaking epekto ‘yan. Kaya ako nakikiusap sa BIR na alisin nila ang garnishment dahil hindi naman ako tatakbo o magtatago man [So many will be affected. That’s why I’m pleading for the BIR to remove the warrant of garnishment because I will not run or hide from them].”

Malacanang officials said Pacquiao should perhaps apologize and simply comply with BIR rules.

Continue to page 6

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BUSINESS & FINANCE

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

Amid Yolanda’s devastation, companies cancel extravagant parties MANILA—With almost a month before Christmas, Dexter Deyto should no longer be discussing with corporate clients this year’s party bookings at the SMX Convention Center.

By this time, the general manager of one of the top events venues should already be sealing deals for the following calendar year.

But since news of the devastation caused by Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ came to light, a growing number of corporate clients have been canceling their reservations, preferring to hold low-key yuletide celebrations instead.

“We have options that we offer them and if they signified they are cancelling because of the typhoon, we are considering it. It’s on a case-to-case basis,” Deyto said.

“Some are still surveying, discussing with management. There’s no final word yet but there are still inquiries on how to go through the process,” he said.

Likewise, the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) had to scratch

PICC saw at least 5 reservations cancelled.

off at least five corporate events scheduled for next month after the clients cancelled their reservations. The venue requires a 25 percent down payment, which is nonrefundable.

Refund down payment. According to sources, some of these firms have suggested that the fee be donated to the typhoon survivors. The PICC management has yet to decide on the matter.

A company InterAksyon.com talked to has abandoned plans to hold a Christmas party altogether. However, a hotel in Makati is still requiring the firm to pay for 80 percent of the cost as stipulated in the contract.

For a growing number of Philippine companies, this year’s yuletide celebration will be a far cry from the past practice of renting hotels, hiring the hottest performer, serving a buffet, and raffling out big-ticket prices.

Christmas is just around the corner, but the stench of death and the sense of loss that lingered after the worst typhoon hit the Philippines has dampened companies’ appetite for lavish parties.

“It’s not just a trend. It has become a tradition for companies especially when a calamity happens near Christmas,” said Peter Angelo V. Perfecto, executive director of the Makati Business Club (MBC).

“Corporates do tend to shift their spending from lavish Christmas parties to giving to the victims of the calamities,” he told InterAksyon.com Channel savings to relief. As the death toll from Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ nears the five-thousand mark and hundreds of thousands more line up each day in places like Tacloban City to get their ration of rice,

potable water and other bare necessities, Philippine companies will have to do with hosting a simple dinner, if not devoting a day to gather relief items for typhoon survivors.

Executives whom InterAksyon.com talked to said the budget or savings generated from these corporate events will instead be channeled to finance relief operations and rebuild the Visayas, which sustained losses not only from ‘Yolanda’, but also from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake weeks earlier.

“Christmas and corporate events have been used to raise more funds and gather more relief items,” said JP Orbeta, Ayala Corp managing director and head of corporate resources group.

Aside from cancelling all external Christmas-related celebrations, the Aboitiz group will not push through with its annual “lechon” party for the Cebu media and the culminating activity for the Aboitiz Foundation’s 25th anniversary.

“Aboitiz team members are also

encouraged to donate company gifts such as Christmas packages to our ongoing relief operations in Visayas,” an official said.

Perfecto wouldn’t be surprised if at least a third of the more than 400 member companies of the MBC cancels or scales down their Christmas celebrations.

The MBC groups the country’s biggest companies, some of which were the first to rise to the challenge of mobilizing aid for the typhoon survivors.

As this went online, the following companies have cancelled their parties for the holidays: Aboitiz group of companies, Ayala group of companies, GMA Network, GT Capital Holdings Inc, Holcim Philippines, Jollibee, Lopez group of companies, Lucio Tan Group, MVP group of companies, Philippine Stock Exchange, Phinma and San Miguel group of companies.

“There can be more and this is not just because of the CEOs. Sometimes, it is the employees themselves that push for it,” Perfecto said. ■ Krista Angela M. Montealegre /

InterAksyon.com / November 21, 2013 / 11:05 AM

Few companies investing in disaster resilience, says UN official MANILA—While businesses have been guarding against financial and reputation risks, few however are investing in making themselves resilient to disasters, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

“Resilient investment does not need to cost a lot of money. It really starts with asking a lot of questions: where do we build, how to build, how do we train our employees, how do we engage with the communities around us,” Margareta Wahlstrom, special representative of the UN secretary-general for disaster risk reduction, told a forum last week.

Wahlstrom said businesses, if not societies, have this bad habit of “planning for tomorrow’s disaster on the model of yesterday’s disaster.”

She said companies should “build above the [building] code” because most of the set of regulations and associated standards do not apply in today’s environment.

“Yesterday is not a model for what will happen tomorrow so that’s why we’ve seen

a number of extreme events and the reaction is we’ve never seen this before so we do not expect this to happen. We may have seen it before but not in an environment we’ve seen now,” Wahlstrom said.

According to the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction, Asia accounts for half of the economic cost of disasters in the last 20 years.

“What is very clear is that major corporations—if you look at floods in Thailand and the earthquake in Japan— have made enormous losses. The notion is they are large so they can absorb these losses,” Wahlstrom said.

But there is hope for Philippine companies.

The country’s biggest mall developer, for example, spends a tenth of its annual capital expenditures on resilient investments.

More than just “saving our neck”.

“Being resilient is not just what is good for us....Being resilient is for the protection of our employees, the protection of our suppliers

and the protection of our customers,” said SM Prime Holdings Inc president Hans Sy. “A lot of people think resilient investment is about saving our own neck. Our company is more of a public institution than any other thing,” he said.

Since the late 1990s, the SM group has been “building beyond the code,” Sy said, adding that its malls have been turned into evacuation centers and parking lots during times of typhoons and severe flooding.

The SM group has committed to invest in Tacloban City, with a plan to construct a SaveMore in one of the areas devastated by Typhoon ‘Yolanda’.

The company may also help in rebuilding houses, said Sy, who is one of the sons of the Philippines’ richest man, Henry Sy. “After what happened, people ask me, ‘Will you still continue building?’ My answer is, ‘Why not?’ I do believe the more we should come in, the more we should help in bringing back the jobs and start up the economy,” the younger Sy said.

DOLE compound in Tacloban after Yolanda struck. Photo from Jerico Javier.

“We may even expand further,” he added.

Rapid dev’t drives risk-prone investments. Wahlstrom said nature alone should not be blamed for the disaster caused by ‘Yolanda’.

“We also have to blame ourselves, how rapid economic development drives riskprone investments,” she said.

“Not every weather event is driven by

climate change. Many of them are extreme events that would have happened in any place. The disaster is created by the way we have created our societies: building in the most exposed areas river basins, coastal lines and very poor land where there is risk for landslides,” Wahlstrom said. ■ Krista Angela M. Montealegre / InterAksyon.com / November 24, 2013 / 11:52 PM

LRWC provides ₱86-million convertible loan to DFNN PNoy orders new industry roadmap for auto manufacturing MANILA - Leisure and Resorts World Corp (LRWC) has lent 86 million to information technology firm DFNN Inc. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, DFNN said it executed a loan agreement with LRWC, which operates the Midas Hotel and is part of the group building the Belle Grande Manila at the Entertainment City of state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor).

Under the terms of the deal, LRWC has the option to convert the loan into equity in DFNN. The three-year loan would carry an interest rate of 8.5 percent per annum and an option for conversion into primary common shares in DFNN at any time starting on the date of initial drawdown and before the credit expires at a conversion price of 4.75.

DFNN did not provide other details.

Earlier, DFNN’s unit Inter-Active Entertainment Solutions Technologies (IEST) deployed XChangebet betting systems at Resorts World Manila. XChangebet is a peer-to-peer betting system that allows players to place bets on a variety of sporting and non-sporting events.

IEST is a provider of betting and gaming solutions to Pagcor. IEST’s gaming systems have been approved for deployment in over 29 Pagcor-authorized venues. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / November 26, 2013 / 6:39 PM

MANILA - A roadmap aimed at reviving the country’s automotive manufacturing sector hit a roadblock after President Benigno Aquino III ordered the Board of Investments (BOI) to draft a “different” program for the industry.

Industry and government sources told InterAksyon.com that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) presented the Philippine Automotive Manufacturing Industry roadmap during last week’s meeting of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, which the President chairs.

The BOI is the investments promotion arm of the DTI. However, “maraming tanong ang Presidente” about the proposed automotive roadmap shepherded by the BOI, an industry source said.

Another source said the President asked about how the roadmap “differed” from the various auto manufacturing programs that

past governments undertook, and how it was different from neighboring Malaysia’s program, which led to the establishment of national carmaker Proton.

The same source said the President’s queries on the proposed Philippine automotive manufacturing industry roadmap was cut short due to time constraints, but gave the BOI enough to chew on.

The BOI is proposing to support domestic automotive assembly by providing non-tax incentives, as the Department of Finance (DOF) has been lukewarm to giving away tax perks to assemblers, a source said.

Local auto manufacturers have been blaming the lack of government support for the declining share of locally assembled vehicles vis-à-vis imports in the market.

Latest industry data show that the market share of locally made units declined to 34 percent in the first half of this year from 39 percent last year.

Imported vehicles—mainly from neighboring Thailand, which is Asean’s automotive manufacturing hub, as well as Japan and South Korea—have dominated local car sales with a 66-percent market share—the highest-ever—at end-June.

Local assemblers could no longer compete head on with their counterparts elsewhere in Asean, which have bigger domestic markets and where production costs are cheaper than in the Philippines.

The cost to assemble a car in Thailand, for instance, is 14-percent lower than in the Philippines. ■ Ben Arnold O. De Vera / InterAksyon.com / November 25, 2013 6:31 PM

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BUSINESS & FINANCE

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

Guess who bagged PLDT SME Nation’s top entrepreneur award for 2013?

MANILA - Former ambassador Alfredo Yao—who is behind the homegrown beverage brand Zest-O—has been named this year’s “Grand MVP Bossing” in the annual PLDT SME Nation recognition for exemplary entrepreneurs.

Zest-O Corp’s top honcho was chosen from the over 200 nominations submitted for the 2013 edition of the annual MVP Bossing Awards. The theme for this year’s staging was “Ang Gilas ng Filipino Entrepreneur,” which “aims to highlight the Filipino’s distinct characteristics to succeed and thrive amid challenges,” PLDT SME Nation said.

“I feel honored in getting the Grand MVP Bossing Award and my tear almost fell,” Yao said in an interview after the awarding ceremony.

According to Yao, budding entrepreneurs can succeed like him if they are prudent and hardworking. “If they are well-to-do, they have to get out of their comfort zones,” he added.

Entrepreneurs also have to “watch their

credit” amid a more competitive business environment, Yao, who also owns mid-sized Philippine Business Bank, said.

“I pity the young ones now, because unlike during our time, it was easier [to start a business]. Now, it’s very competitive. But there’s no harm in trying,” he said.

Besides Yao, PLDT SME Nation recognized seven other “bossings” who are also regarded trailblazers in entrepreneurship as follows: • Catherine Dizon-Posas of Dizon Farms; • Mary Chan of Ideal Vision; • Michael Deakin of Lifeline Ambulance Rescue Inc; • Genevieve Ledesma-Tan of Southville International School; • Felix and Prudencio Garcia of Mekeni Food Corp; and • Glenn Yu of Seaoil Philippines Inc. The Gilas Pilipinas basketball team and Philip Golding of S&L Fine Foods were likewise given special awards.

Prior to the awarding proper, guests were given donation envelopes in the form

of bricks and enjoined to write inspirational messages for the victims of Typhoon ‘Yolanda’.

PLDT SME Nation committed to donate P1,000 for each of the so-called “blocks of hope,” as part of the “brick by brick” initiative of the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF).

PLDT SME Nation last night raised 3.9 million, which will be turned over to the PLDT-Smart Foundation as funding for the rehabilitation of Yolanda-stricken areas.

“The Filipino spirit of Bayanihan continues to live and is well-pronounced today, as we witness many of our kababayans contribute their time, talents and resources to make sure that our countrymen get relief in the soonest time possible. Our Bossings, along with PLDT, have dedicated [the awards] for the victims of super-typhoon Yolanda,” said Kat Luna-Abelarde, PLDT first vice president and head of PLDT SME Nation.

PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, after whom the annual recognition is named, said businessmen should be at the

forefront of extending aid to Yolanda victims as well as the enterprises affected by the super-typhoon.

“Unang-una dapat ang mga negosyante tumulong sa mga napinsala sa Eastern Visayas. And a number of them, like I was talking to Bernie Liu of Penshoppe, nasira ‘yung tindahan niya doon e. Gusto niyang maitayo muli ‘yung negosyo. That’s admirable—entrepreneurs who would want to go back there either to restore their business or start up new ones to be able to revive the local economy,” Pangilinan said in an interview.

Pangilinan said the companies he

heads are helping out communities that need rehabilitation following the onslaught of Yolanda.

“The first step for us was to restore communications systems in the devastated areas. Second, we have teams of Meralco trying to help the local power distribution companies put up their distribution lines so that power can be restored in most of the areas,” he said.

“We have a team out there in Tacloban from Maynilad, they’re helping out in the Tacloban water system. Even our Philex Mining engineers are there, trying to help out in finding the dead bodies and helping clear some of the debris,” he said.

In the donation envelope that Pangilinan signed, he wrote down “Bangon Pilipinas!”

“We’ve proven time and again that we can come back, so let’s continue having that faith,” he said.

Pangilinan also chairs TV5, of which InterAksyon.com is the online news portal. ■ Ben Arnold O. De Vera / InterAksyon.com / November 22, 2013 / 3:31 PM

BSP assures economic impact of ‘Yolanda’ minimal

Metro Pacific group, PNCC start negotiations for NLEX-SLEX road joint venture

MANILA—State-run Philippine National Construction Corp (PNCC) has begun negotiations with the Metro Pacific group for a joint venture to build a road connecting the north and south of Metro Manila.

“No joint venture yet, but we are now negotiating the terms for the JV. If an agreement is reached then we will proceed with the agreement,” Luis F. Sison, PNCC president and chief executive told Interaksyon.com.

Separately, Manila North Tollways Corp (MNTC) president Rodrigo Franco said its controlling shareholder, Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp (MPTDC). submitted last week to PNCC the proposal for the joint venture.

“This is for the execution of the project via MNTC, the JV company formed by PNCC and MPTDC for NLEX,” Franco said.

MPTDC owns 67.1 percent of MNTC, while PNCC holds another 2.5 percent. The other shareholders are Egis Projects S.A. of France and Leighton Asia Ltd of Australia.

Rodrigo said MPTDC also submitted an investment proposal for the 22.95 billion NLEX-SLEX Connector Road Project, which would link the North Luzon Expressway to the South Luzon Expressway.

Since MPTDC’s proposal is unsolicited, government rules require that the offer be subject to a Swiss challenge. To go around this requirement, MPTDC and PNCC are contemplating on a joint venture to pursue the project, or a workaround that entails expanding the scope of an existing Supplemental Toll Operations Agreement (STOA).

Under the proposed expansion of the STOA, the Segment 10 project would be redefined to cover the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road.

The STOA covers the construction of Segment 10, a 5.65-kilometer road that starts where Segment 9 ends on MacArthur Highway and stretches all the way to C3 Road. Segment 9 is a 2.4-kilometer portion linking the NLEX to MacArthur Highway.

PNCC is the holder of the NLEX franchise, which MNTC manages on behalf of the government.

Asked if PNCC were amenable to the existing joint venture with MPTDC for the project, Luis said, “I cannot comment as there are many items to be ironed out and I do not want to preempt our negotiating committee.”

The NLEX-SLEX Connector Road Project will complete the north-south industrial development beltway transport axis through the construction of a 13.4-kilometer fourlane elevated expressway. The project aims to decongest traffic in Metro Manila and provide better access to Manila’s ports.

The project should start this year and end in 2016.

Earlier, President Benigno Aquino III approved the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 Project, which will also connect SLEX to NLEX. The project will be fully funded by the Citra Central Expressway Corp at an estimated cost of 26.5 billion.

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

by Manuel V. Pangilinan. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar /

InterAksyon.com / November 26, 2013 / 11:09 AM

MANILA - Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. today said the government would hit this year’s economic growth target despite the devastation caused by Typhoon ‘Yolanda’.

The central bank chief said the impact on the entire economy of the losses incurred

by Leyte and Samar—the two provinces hardest hit by the typhoon—is insignificant.

“I mean in that area, Cebu would account for significant share of the GDP,” Tetangco said, referring to the country’s gross domestic product, which is the amount of final goods and services produced in the country and as such measures economic performance.

But unlike Leyte and Samar, Cebu— which accounts for 6.3 percent of the Philippine economy and is the second fastest growing region at eight percent in the last three years—was spared the worst of the typhoon.

Tetangco made the assurance, as investor concern about the economic impact of Yolanda pummelled the stock market, which slipped below the 6,000mark during the morning session through the start of the afternoon trades. The Philippine Stock Exchange index however

regained to close just a wee bit above the key psychological support.

In any case, whatever production was lost to Yolanda can be made up for by the disaster rehabilitation that government would pursue in the wake of the typhoon, Tetangco said.

“Next year, you’ll get a lift from the reconstruction. Or any decline will most likely be offset by the reconstruction, rehabilitation,” he said.

Add to that higher remittance flows in the fourth quarter, as overseas Filipino workers send home more money to aid relatives in typhoon-hit areas, Tetangco said.

“The reports are that Filipinos abroad are remitting more to their relatives here,” he added.

The government is aiming for GDP growth of 6-7 percent for this year. In the first half, growth came in at 7.5 percent, or well above the upper range of the official goal.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) is scheduled to release the third-quarter GDP numbers on Thursday, with analysts confident that growth would remain intact as the typhoon’s impact would be felt only in the fourth quarter.

BSP Assistant Governor Cid Amador-

BSP chief Amando M. Tetangco Jr.

Tuanio said inflation would stay within the central bank’s target range of 3-5 percent this year and 2-4 percent in 2015.

“Soft inflation readings should continue to provide policy space for the central bank to support non-inflationary economic growth,” she said.

While some price pressures could develop as a result of production losses and supply disruptions stemming from Yolanda’s impact, “we expect that these disruptions would be transitory and therefore should not fan inflation flames over a long period, and should not dis-anchor inflation expectations,” said Amador-Tuanio. ■ Maricel E. Burgonio / InterAksyon.com / November 26, 2013 / 3:30 PM

Vietnam bags contract to replenish Philippines’ rice buffer stock MANILA - Vietnam has snagged a deal to supply the Philippines with 500,000 metric tons of rice, as the Aquino administration’s typhoon relief efforts reduce the country’s inventory of the staple.

National Food Authority (NFA) administrator Orlan Calayag said Vietnam

offered the lowest bid of $462.25 a metric ton during today’s tender, trumping Thailand’s offer of $475.

“The price offered by Vietnam is also lower than the world market,” Calayag said.

He said delivery of the rice, which would replenish the NFA’s buffer stock, would begin

in the middle of next month and end by February, or before the summer harvest.

The winning bidder would be announced after the DA Bids and Awards Committee and the Commission on Audit complete their document review.

“We are also negotiating whether can still lower their offer. We want this to be advantageous to the Philippine government,” Calayag said.

As news came to light of the dire situation of people in areas hard-hit by Typhoon ‘Yolanda’, the NFA began distributing rice.

The agency’s withdrawal from the market however had the unintended effect of pushing up the price of the grain in those very same areas. This was despite a price freeze that the government imposed amid the calamity. ■ Orti Despuez / InterAksyon.com / November 26, 2013 4:46 PM

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Palace employing ‘ bogeyman’ tactics so that High Court would render DAP constitutional MALACANANG continues to exert presure on the Supreme Court to declare the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) constitutional by raising the possibility of an impeachment scenario that could destabilize the political climate, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) said.

Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco, UNA secretary general, issued this assertion on Thursday, adding that Budget Secretary Florencio Abad was employing “bogeyman tactics” to warrant the need for the high court to uphold the legality of the controversial DAP. “They are aware that the public is not receptive to another pork barrel in disguise.

So they create an impeachment scenario in case the SC removes DAP,” Tiangco said.

“This is a desperate attempt of Abad to raise the impeachment of PNoy (President Benigno Aquino III) when he knows it won’t prosper in Congress since it is packed with allies.”

Tiangco said that Abad was pursuing a scenario where DAP would be seen as “bogeyman” that will “save the country from political limbo.”

Various petitions have been field before the high court to declare DAP unconstitutional. The court conducted an oral argument on the petitions last week.

Funding for program comes from “savings generated during the year and additional revenue sources,” according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Tiangco: The public is not receptive to another pork barrel in disguise. Photo by Bernard Testa ©InterAksyon.com

But critics said the controversial stimulus program was used to give lawmakers additional funds similar to the pork barrel.

Tiangco said tat with the Supreme Court earlier declaring the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) unconstitutional, he could not see that the DAP would be declared constitutional.

“Abad is the biggest loser if DAP is declared unconstitutional. He is the brains behind it and cannot show any written proof to prove that it was authorized by the President,” he said.

He continued that, “If DAP is declared unconstitutional, it will unravel all of Abad’s recklessness, which may result in his eventual fall from the graces of PNoy, and the likelihood of him facing criminal charges—or even plunder. That’s why he is using PNoy as ashield.”

The UNA officials said he hopes the justices would not be affected by the moves of Malacañang and decide purely on the merits of the petitions. Lira Dalangin-Fernandez / InterAksyon.com / November 26, 2013 / 3:52 PM

NEWS

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

PACQUIAO,STUNNED BYASSETSFREEZE...

Presidential Communications Operations Office head Secretary Herminio Coloma said Pacquiao could apologize for failing to pay his taxes and make a settlement offer.

“We are a government of laws, not of men,” Coloma said in an interview over staterun Radyo ng Bayan on Tuesday.

Henares: We gave him two years to refute tax assessment. BIR chief Kim Henares rejected claims that the agency had acted arbitrarily in Pacquiao’s case.

“Since 2010, we’ve been asking him to explain. He should show all his earnings, and what he paid in America.” She said all they wanted from Pacquiao was the document from the US’ Internal Revenue Service (IRS) indicating he had paid taxes on his earnings in America, “and not a letter from Top Rank,” which together with HBO had written BIR to attest that taxes had indeed been paid on Pacquiao’s earnings from his previous bouts’ winnings, pay-per-view revenue, among others.

“He had time to protest—so the assessment became final…ibig sabihin tapos na ang usapin. So dapat bayaran nya ang BIR, pero di pa niya ginagawa,” Henares said in a phone interview with DZMM. “Ang sumulat sa amin ay ang Top Rank; sinabi ng Top Rank na sila ay nagbayad sa America. Puwede naman maski sino magdrawing, magsabi, oy, nagbayad ako ng

buwis para sa isang tao,” Henares said. In his earlier press conference, Pacquiao said that if he had evaded paying taxes in America, “do you think I can still go back there and set foot on US soil? Don’t you think they will jail me?”

Henares said the BIR order of garnishment was something that should not come as a surprise. She said it was Pacquiao who filed a case with the Court of Tax Appeals in October, precisely to stop the BIR from proceeding with the garnishment.

She said the BIR had patiently waited for Pacquiao the past two years, and rejected accusations it was a party pooper. “Every time na may laban siya, humihinto kami. Kasi nga ayaw naming masisi kapag natalo siya [Every time he had a fight, we would stop the proceedings, because we didn’t want to be blamed for putting him in a bad mood and making him lose].”

Statement from Congress office: BIR ignored Top Rank, HBO. In a statement issued by his congressional office, meanwhile, the representative of the long district of Sarangani cried foul over the decision and lamented its timing: he had just rushed home from Macau because he intends to help those affected by super typhoon “Yolanda” and the magnitude 7.2 earthquake in the Visayas region.

“Matagal ko nang gustong tumulong sa

Continuation from page 1 mga nasalanta ng bagyo at lindol, pero ako po ay hinabla ng BIR ng 2.2 billion peso tax case na walang kabase-base at ang aking mga pera sa bangko ay gi-narnish ng BIR [I’ve long wanted to help those affected by the typhoon and the earthquake, but the BIR has sued me for a baseless 2.2-billion tax case and garnished my bank assets],” Pacquiao said in a statement.

He also questioned the motive of the BIR for filing the case against him even if his camp has already provided the bureau with all the tax requirements and information it needed. “The BIR claims I earned more than what I actually did, without any evidence to back it up. They ignored information given by Top Rank and HBO and insisted I have earned more. My lawyers have given them all the info that they want and they still refuse to believe. I really don’t know why I am being singled out,” he said.

Pacquiao said that he instructed his lawyers to do all legal means to lift the decision so that he could extend assistance to the victims of the calamities and to support the financial needs of his family.

At present, his office said Pacquiao is busy preparing to push through with the relief operations for the calamity victims in Visayas.

He intends to visit Tacloban later this week.

■ InterAksyon.com with reporting from Lira Dalangin-

Fernandez / November 26, 2013 / Updated 6:55 PM

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Imports end 3Q up from a year ago on electronics, vehicle purchases

MANILA – Philippine merchandise imports at the close of the third quarter rose from a year ago, mostly because of higher purchases from abroad of electronics and transport equipment.

In a report, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said the country imported $5.711 billion worth of goods last September, or 7.2 percent more than the $5.327 billion in the same month last year. Month-on-month, imports likewise rose three percent from August’s $5.546 billion.

The NSO attributed the growth to five major commodity groups, namely, transport equipment, electronic products, other food and live animals, iron and steel, and industrial machinery and equipment.

“The rise of importation in September 2013 mirrored the buoyant outlook of firms on the volume of business activities for the third and fourth quarters of the year. This is in anticipation of the increase in demand during the holiday season,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said in a statement.

The September purchases brought the nine-month tally to $46.359 billion, a 0.03 percent increase from the $46.344 billion last year.

Electronics, which accounted for 30.9 percent of September’s purchases, reached $1.764 billion, a 29.8 percent increase over last year’s $1.359 billion. Month-on-month, imports of this commodity group also

climbed 31.5 percent from $1.341 billion last August.

“Increasing export orders received by the members of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industry of the Philippines may have boosted the import performance of the said commodity, in line with positive global expectations for the electronics industry in the second half of 2013,” Balisacan, who is also director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said.

Purchases of transport equipment valued at $691.96 million also increased 135.6 percent from last year’s $293.67 million. Balisacan said the increase stemmed from purchases of aircraft, power generating and specialized machines, as well as land transport equipment.

“The higher value of imported aircraft, ships and boats was partly attributed to

the arrival of new Airbus A330-300 of Cebu Pacific Air as part of the company’s growing fleet,” he said.

Imports of mineral fuels, lubricants and similar materials however went down by 24.6 percent to $968.08 million last September from $1.284 billion a year ago.

The US was the Philippines’ biggest source of imports for September at $675.10 million, up from $576.82 million a year ago.

This was followed by the People’s Republic of China with imports of $657.57 million; Taiwan, $457.65 million; Japan, $454.84 million; and Singapore, $410.48 million.

Other major sources of imports for the month were Thailand, $349.62 million; Korea, $334.92 million; France, $323.45 million; Germany, $314.25 million; and Saudi Arabia, $298.91 million. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / November 26, 2013 / Updated 8:58 PM

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

Metro Pacific group still keen on LRT 1 Cavite project despite fresh gov’t delay MANILA - The lone participant in last August’s failed bidding for the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT 1) Cavite Extension Project will join the second round auction even after the government opened the tender to more interested parties.

“It’s not fair to stop them. The government rules say you must prequalify first. If they prequalify, we can’t stop them,” Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of Metro Pacific Investments Corp (MPIC) told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of the Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship.

“We will quite likely bid,” Pangilinan said.

MPIC-led Light Rail Manila Consortium was the lone bidder for the LRT 1 Cavite project when the government held the auction last August. The Special Bids and Awards Committee of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) however turned down the company’s offer after it set conditions that the government deemed unacceptable.

Three other groups that prequalified for the bidding—SMC Infra Resources Inc, DMCI Holdings Inc and MTD-Samsung Consortium—didn’t join the tender, citing contract terms that rendered the project financially unviable.

The government has since amended the project terms, adding sweeteners, such as state subsidies for real estate taxes, the cost of power, among others.

MTD Philippines president Isaac David had said the DOTC should restrict the second bidding to the four prequalified

HAVE YOU HEARD?

groups to avoid further delay in the project.

True enough, the government yesterday announced that it would push back the timetable for the 69.4-billion project to give interested parties more time to draft their proposals.

Instead of the first quarter, the second round of bidding would be held in the second quarter, DOTC said.

One of the public-private partnership (PPP) ventures of the Aquino administration, the southbound extension of LRT 1 would increase the train’s span from 20.7 kilometers to 32.4 kilometers, with approximately 10.5 kilometers of the extension elevated and 1.2 kilometers at grade.

DOTC said more than 500,000 commuters everyday use LRT 1, which runs from Baclaran in Pasay City to Roosevelt in Quezon City.

The southern part of Metro Manila and neighboring Cavite province is home to nearly four million people.

InterAksyon.com is the online news portal of TV5, which Pangilinan also chairs.

■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / November 26,

2013 / 5:27 PM

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December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

Last-minute buying pushes PH stock market above 6,000-mark

MANILA - Philippine share prices snapped out of a six-day losing streak, managing to end Tuesday above the key support of 6,000.

At the Philippine Stock Exchange, the benchmark index rose 21.11 points or 0.35 percent to close the trading day at 6,025.37.

The index however dropped to as low as 5,955.07 at the start of the afternoon session before last-minute bargain hunters stepped in. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas chief Amando Tetangco Jr. assuaged investor worries over the economic impact of Typhoon ‘Yolanda’, saying losses from the disaster were ‘insignificant’.

Losers dominated gainers, 111 to 51, while 30 stocks were unchanged. Trading volume reached 1.26 billion as 22.29 billion changed hands.

The holding firms counter propped up the market, gaining 1.04 percent to 5,559.31.

The industrial and property sectors went up 0.79 percent and 0.21 percent, respectively.

The financial sub-index however gave up 0.21 percent to 1,465.77, while services as well as mining and oil dropped 1.18 percent and 0.65 percent, respectively.

The most actively traded stock was JG Summit, which overnight sold shares to raise money for its acquisition of a stake in Meralco. Other active trades were PLDT, Metrobank, GT Capital and SM Prime.

“The PSEi was poised to extend its slump to a seventh day, one day short of the longest losing streak posted in March this

year, until buyers surfaced at the ‘tradingat-last’ phase,” Justino B. Calaycay, Jr. of Accord Capital Equities Corp, said.

“The market snapped the losing streak at sixth day but still, the year-to-date gains have narrowed to just 3.6 percent with the threat of ending the month below end-2012 still looming large,” he said.

“Investors appear to have been paralyzed by the thought of the onset of a bear market—despite a still relatively unchanged outlook for the domestic economy,” he added.

Asian markets were mixed as the Dow provided little lift, advancing a mere seven points while the S&P 500 retreated off a record close while managing to stay above 1,800. The Nikkei was lower by over 100 points as the yen weakened, leading to profit-taking following an extended rise. The Hang Seng advanced while the Shanghai bourse was thinly in the red. ■ Darwin G.

Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / November 26, 2013 / 4:12 PM

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■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com /

November 26, 2013 / 5:27 PM

BUSINESS & FINANCE

www.hello-philippines.com

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SMDC launches condo near SM Fairview

MANILA - SM Development Corp (SMDC) on Tuesday launched a new residential condominium in Novaliches, Quezon City.

Trees Residences is located in one of the most popular residential communities in Metro Manila.

The project occupies over eight hectares of land and provides access to many conveniences such as SM City Fairview, the proposed Metro Rail Transit Line 7 and other transport hubs as well as other convenient retailers right by the gated community.

This mid-rise condominium village will be built in four years.

Studio, one-bedroom and twobedroom units are available starting at 1.2 million to P1.8 million.

Trees Residences features a gated enclave, landscaped parks in between buildings, swimming pools, function rooms, a multi-purpose court, and access to a retail strip with an upcoming Save More market.

“SMDC is committed to provide access to a more upgraded urban living through vertical villages that are integrated with a commercial retail environment,” Jeffrey C. Lim, SMDC president said in a statement.

“It is also the company’s commitment to bring top quality homes to every Filipino,” he said.

Henry Sy-owned SMDC has 14 ongoing residential condominium projects all over Metro Manila, with the exception of Wind

Residences in Tagaytay. These projects are as follows: • Grass Residences, behind SM City North EDSA in Quezon City; • Field Residences in Parañaque; • Sun Residences, beside the Mabuhay Rotunda at the boundary of Manila and Quezon City; • Light Residences, along the northbound side of EDSA; • Jazz Residences in the Makati Central Business District; • Wind Residences in Tagaytay; • Blue Residences, at the corner of Katipunan Avenue and Aurora

Boulevard in Quezon City; • Mezza II Residences, along Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City; • Green Residences, along Taft Avenue in Manila; • Shell Residences in the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay; • M Place @ South Triangle in Quezon City; • Shine Residences in the Ortigas Center in Pasig; • Breeze Residences in Pasay City; and • Grace Residences in Taguig. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / November 26, 2013 / 6:23 PM

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

Indonesia, Australia take steps to calm spy row JAKARTA - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Tuesday Australia’s leader had made “important” commitments aimed at ending a row over spying but warned much more work was needed before ties returned to normal.

But even as tensions calmed with Canberra, they threatened to escalate elsewhere, with Yudhoyono saying his government would summon the South Korean and Singaporean envoys over new espionage claims.

Allegations that Australian spies tried to listen to the phones of Yudhoyono, his wife and his ministers in 2009 surfaced last week and sparked a diplomatic crisis.

Jakarta reacted furiously, ending cooperation on military exercises and in the key area of people-smuggling and recalling its ambassador from Australia.

Indonesia was further infuriated by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s failure to apologise or offer what it saw as a clear explanation.

But on Tuesday Yudhoyono struck a conciliatory tone after receiving a letter from Abbott aimed at calming the row with a key ally and trading partner.

The letter contained a “commitment from the Australian PM that Australia will not do anything in the future that will disadvantage or disturb Indonesia”, the president said.

“That is a very important point,” Yudhoyono added.

He said Abbott supported his proposal to come up with a “protocols” and a code of ethics to govern relations between the neighbours that were “clear, fair and abided to”.

Yudhoyono described a long process, that would involve assigning the foreign minister or a special envoy to work with the Australians.

After the details were hammered out, a formal ceremony would have to take place to bring the new agreements into place, attended by both Abbott and Yudhoyono, said the president.

Only after the two countries have “regained trust” in this fashion could normal relations and cooperation be restored, said the president.

However Yudhoyono reacted angrily to new reports that South Korea and Singapore helped with US-Australian surveillance in the region.

Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abott (C) and Indonesia’s President Susilio Bambang Yudhoyono (R) are followed by Margie Abbot (L) and Ani Yudhoyono (2L) during a visit to the presidential palace in Jakarta on September 30, 2013. Photo by Adek Berry ©AFP

The Sydney Morning Herald reported Monday that both countries played key roles in a “Five Eyes” intelligence network grouping the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

It quoted a top-secret US National Security Agency map that it said was published by Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad.

The president said that even though

Indonesia was not specifically named in the reports, he was nevertheless angry as the whole of Asia was mentioned.

“I have instructed our foreign minister to ask for an explanation from the ambassadors of those countries,” he said.

A presidential spokesman confirmed Yudhoyono meant the envoys would be summoned.

Malaysia’s foreign ministry earlier

Tuesday summoned the ambassador from neighbouring Singapore over the same report.

The report said that as a major hub for regional telecommunications traffic, Singapore was an important link in the surveillance network.

The allegations that Australian spies targeted Indonesian officials has also sparked anger among the Indonesian public, and on Tuesday a crowd of demonstrators in military-style uniforms protested outside the Australian embassy.

The protesters, from a paramilitary group, burned photos of Abbott and demanded the Australian ambassador leave the country.

The alleged spying was first revealed by Australian media last week, which based its reports on leaked documents from US intelligence fugitive Edward Snowden.

They showed that Australia’s electronic intelligence agency tracked Yudhoyono’s activity on his mobile phone for 15 days in August 2009 under the previous Canberra government.

At least one phone call was reportedly intercepted. ■ Olivia Rondonuwu / AFP

France to send troops as UN warns of chaos in C. Africa

Syria opposition hails talks, rejects future role for Assad

BEIRUT - Syria’s main opposition National Coalition on Tuesday insisted that President Bashar al-Assad should play no role in the country’s political future, while hailing the fixing of a date for peace talks.

The Coalition in a statement said it “affirms its absolute rejection of Assad or any of the criminals responsible for killing the Syrian people playing any role in a transitional body... or in Syria’s political future.”

The statement came a day after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced that peace talks, dubbed Geneva II, would be held on January 22, after several delays.

The Coalition said it considers the fact a date has been set as “very positive”.

But it also said that in preparing for Geneva II the international community must “ensure humanitarian supplies reach all areas of Syria, while all prisoners must be set free”.

And it called for “an immediate end” to massacres in Syria.

The Geneva II talks, the statement

added, must “implement all the provisions of Geneva I”, which in June 2012 envisaged the creation a transitional government for Syria, but did not stipulate that Assad should step down.

The Geneva II conference is a USRussian initiative, and if it goes ahead it will bring rebel and regime representatives to the negotiating table.

Syria’s opposition has frequently demanded guarantees that Assad will not be involved in any transitional phase in Syria.

The regime has for its part stipulated that there should be no preconditions for talks, while Assad himself has said he might be willing to run for re-election in 2014.

The foreign-based Coalition has been weakened due to a lack of credibility on the ground.

Several Islamist battalions fighting Assad’s troops had in September warned against any negotiation with the regime, and said anyone who did go to such talks would be branded a traitor. ■ AFP

FRANCE said Tuesday it would send hundreds of extra troops to the strife-torn Central African Republic after the UN warned the country was descending into “complete chaos”.

Calls were growing for an international reaction to the violence in CAR amid warnings that the mineral-rich but desperately poor nation was facing a “catastrophe of epic proportions.”

Reports have described a litany of horrors in the landlocked, sprawling country, with security forces and militia gangs razing villages, carrying out public execution-style killings and perpetrating widespread rapes.

France has proposed a UN Security Council resolution that would authorise international troops to use force in its former colony and on Tuesday Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Paris would deploy about 1,000 troops to assist a beleaguered African mission.

Le Drian told Europe 1 radio the deployment would be “for a short period, in the range of about six months”.

CAR Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye said Monday that France had talked of adding 800 troops to the 410 French soldiers already based in the capital, Bangui.

Lying in the heart of Africa, CAR has struggled with a series of coups and rebel uprisings since independence in 1960.

The latest crisis began when a coalition of rebels known as Seleka forced president Francois Bozize to flee in March and replaced him with a rebel leader, Michel Djotodia—the country’s first Muslim president.

A transitional government has since lost control of the country of some 4.5 million people.

Risk of regional ‘implosion’. In some parts of CAR, fighting has broken out between mainly Muslim former rebels and militia groups set up to protect Christian communities, which make up about 80 percent of the population.

Western officials and rights groups have said inter-religious tensions are on the rise, with some in France, the United Nations and the United States warning of the risk of possible genocide.

The UN estimates that at least 400,000

people, or 10 percent of the population, have been forced from their homes by the crisis.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Tuesday that the violence could spread to neighbouring countries.

“It is not called Central Africa for nothing... if the centre of Africa implodes, you will see the consequences,” Fabius said.

France, which intervened earlier this year in another former colony Mali, has circulated a draft Security Council which could be passed by the 15-member council next week.

The resolution aims to strengthen an African stabilisation force in CAR as a first step toward turning it into a formal UN peacekeeping mission.

The force, known as MISCA, currently has about 2,500 troops but has been hampered by a lack of funds, arms and training.

The force’s numbers should increase to about 3,600 when it is taken over by the African Union in December.

The Security Council resolution would allow African and French troops to use “all necessary measures” including force to protect civilians in CAR and impose an embargo on all types of arms and ammunition.

Fabius told lawmakers Paris was in consultations with other European nations about joining the effort.

“The more European support there is, in military and logistical form... the greater will be our capacity to act,” he said.

UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson called for the Security Council to act quickly on the crisis.

“A country in the heart of Africa is descending into complete chaos before our eyes,” Eliasson told the council on Monday. “The situation requires prompt and decisive action.”

Rights group Amnesty International has also urged the UN to tackle the “human catastrophe of epic proportions unfolding in the Central African Republic”.

Experts said securing Bangui would be a relatively easy task but that foreign forces would face a tough, and potentially long, fight to pacify the country.

“If this is about restoring security to all of CAR, we’re talking about a long-term operation that would require large amounts of forces, logistical support and an enormous amount of time,” retired French general Jean-Paul Thonier said. ■ Michael Mainville / AFP / November 26, 2013

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drain

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

Being away from friends and family can be hard.

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I came to England over a year ago.

Although some birds migrate for the weather - I definitely didn’t. I came here to find work.

They say London can be a lonely place and it was certainly hard being away from friends and family. Like most people, my first thoughts when I arrived were to call.

But there were just so many choices!

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I then decided to try a SIM, but that had problems too. I was always swapping SIM’s around or carrying 2 phones (which is hard for me as I don’t have any pockets).

More importantly there were also lots of

hidden fees so my credit never lasted as long as I thought it would. If I didn’t make calls for a little while, they took my credit, just like a magpie would! And, they would tell me to buy bundles to get the best rates, but I would have to talk for hours and hours and hours and hours to make it worth doing and they only lasted for 30 days.

Trying to find an easy way to call home was becoming harder than finding a bird bath in January that wasn’t frozen!

Then, just as the sun was finally starting to shine, I saw a sign for Boss Revolution International Calling. It isn’t a calling card, and it isn’t a SIM. You simply call an access number from your landline or mobile and it automatically recognises your account, you can then call anywhere in the world for as little as 1/2p a minute.

The best thing is there are no hidden

fees and balances never expire. You pay exactly what they say you will and you add credit when you run out. It’s clear and honest.

It was so nice to find a way of calling home that was so easy, but I still worried about my family and friends being able to call me if they needed me, or just wanted to say hello. Luckily Boss Revolution have a service that means I can send mobile credit straight to their phones. It’s great for sending smaller amounts of money and reassuring to know that they are able to get in contact with me. Also, there are some great offers to save you money or give your friends and family more.

Now it’s Christmas time, I was worried about how I was going to send presents home. Posting mail back home is slower than a carrier pigeon! Also, my brother is really hard to buy for—l don’t think he has

US backs Japan as China tensions soar on air zone WASHINGTON - The United States on Monday joined ally Japan in vowing not to recognize China’s declaration of an air defense zone over much of the East China Sea, a move that has sharply escalated tensions.

China and Japan each summoned the other’s ambassador after Beijing said Saturday it had established an Air Defense Identification Zone—which would require aircraft to obey its orders—over an area that includes islands administered by Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has vowed no compromise on sovereignty issues, called on China to “restrain itself” over the move, which put Tokyo’s conservative government in rare unison with South Korea and Taiwan.

“I am strongly concerned as it is a profoundly dangerous act that may cause unintended consequences,” Abe told parliament.

US President Barack Obama’s administration has vowed to defend Japan

and said that the islands—known as the Senkakus in Japanese and the Diaoyus in Chinese—fall under the US security treaty with its ally, which has been officially pacifist since World War II. “This announcement from the Chinese government was unnecessarily inflammatory,” White House deputy spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters aboard Air Force One. The US military, which stations more than 70,000 troops in Japan and South Korea, said it would not abide by the “destabilizing” Chinese-imposed zone.

“When we fly into this aerial zone, we will not register a flight plan, we will not identify our transponder, our radio frequency and our logo. Those are the four things the Chinese have publicly said are a requirement,” Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren told reporters.

“We will not in any way change how we conduct our operations as a result of this new policy,” he said.

Japan also said that it would not

US flies B-52 bombers through China’s air defense zone WASHINGTON - Two US B-52 bombers flew over a disputed area of the East China Sea without notifying Beijing, despite China’s bid to create an expanded “air defense zone,” US officials said Tuesday.

The unarmed aircraft took off from Guam on Monday and the flight was “longplanned” as part of a regular exercise in the area, a US defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP. ■ AFP

ever worn the jumper I bought him last year. But Boss Revolution have thought of this too. Their Visa eGift service allows me to send a Virtual Gift Voucher instantly to them. It can be used on any website that accepts Visa so they can get something they really want.

So, although I miss my family and

friends, Boss Revolution has helped me feel closer to them. I still miss my mum’s seed burger, but I can now call her whenever I want to get the recipe, And now I can make sure she always has credit on her phone, she can call me to find out how it tasted - although it definitely won’t taste as good as hers!. ■

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe answers a question during the Upper House’s audit committee session at thee National Diet in Tokyo on November 25, 2013 . Photo ©AFP

respect the Chinese demarcation, with a foreign ministry statement saying the move had “no validity whatsoever in Japan.”

But an official at Japan Airlines said that the carrier received a notice and would start submitting flight plans to Chinese authorities.

All Nippon Airways, which like its rival considers Asian flights a core part of its business, is following suit, the Jiji Press news agency reported.

The East China Sea dispute has simmered for decades but heated up in September 2012 when Japan nationalized three of the islands, in what it billed as an attempt to avoid a more inflammatory step by a nationalist politician.

Asia’s two largest economies now play an almost permanent game of cat and mouse in the area, with official ships and aircraft shadowing each other.

Newspapers in China, where Japan is often portrayed as the villain due to its occupation in the early 20th century, rejected Tokyo’s outrage.

“Tokyo is hypocritical and impudent in its complaint with Beijing,” said an editorial in the Global Times newspaper, which is close to China’s ruling Communist Party.

“If Japan sends warplanes to ‘intercept’ China’s jet fighters, Beijing’s armed forces will be bound to adopt defensive emergency measures,” it said.

Patrick Cronin, an expert on Asia at the Center for a New American Security, said that China was hoping to set off the “natural

Map showing the extent of China’s new air defence zone over the East China Sea. Photo ©AFP

proclivities” of both the conservative Abe and the left-leaning Obama.

“China is taunting Japan to act in an incendiary manner while pressing the United States to exercise caution and restrain its ally,” Cronin wrote in an essay.

China, which has rapidly expanded its military as its economy soared over the past two decades, also has territorial feuds with other neighbors including the Philippines and Vietnam.

China’s declaration of the air zone angered South Korea, which has tense relations with Japan linked to historical memories and just days ago had upset Tokyo by cooperating with China to erect a statue of a Korean activist who assassinated a Japanese governor in 1909.

Part of the air zone overlaps South Korea’s own air defense area and incorporates a disputed, submerged South Korean-controlled rock—known as

A Chinese Coast Guard ship sails near the disputed islets known as the Senkaku islands in Japan and Diaoyu islands in China, in the East China Sea on November 2, 2013. Photo ©AFP

Ieodo—that has long been a sore point with Beijing.

Taiwan, which is claimed by China but has been reconciling in the past few years, also complained and vowed to “defend its sovereignty” over the islands. ■ Shaun Tandon / AFP / November 25, 2013 / 4:14 PM

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INTERNATIONAL / GLOBAL NEWS

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

The accords on nuclear cooperation are expected to give China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) a role in Romania’s plans to build two new reactors at its sole nuclear plant, at Cernavoda.

The project, delayed for years for lack of funding, is worth more than $5.4 billion.

Ponta made a point of reassuring Brussels, stressing that Romania would “definitely observe the EU competition rules.”

But he added that Chinese companies should not be discriminated against “when their bids were technically and financially better, which was the case in many fields.”

Li and his Hungarian and Serb counterparts, Viktor Orban and Ivica Dacic, also announced an agreement on the modernisation of a railway linking the two Central European countries.

“This will be a landmark project,” Li said.

Orban hailed a “one-of-a-kind, neverbefore agreement,” saying it embodied a “win-win-win-win situation, as Serbia, China, Hungary and the EU will all have to gain from it.”

“China’s investment policy is of assistance to the entire EU because it increases the competitiveness” of the European bloc, he added.

In the early 2000s, Chinese investment in the region was almost inexistent. In

Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic (left), Chinese PM Li Keqiang (centre), and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban at a joint press conference in Bucharest on November 25, 2013. Photo by Daniel Mihailescu ©AFP

China, 16 East Europe states vow to boost ties within EU rules BUCHAREST - China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries pledged Tuesday to boost two-way investment and trade, insisting that EU regulations will be met.

“China eyes cooperation in infrastructure, communications, highspeed railway projects, which will lead to massive investment and a rise in commercial exchanges,” with countries in the region, Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang told 16 CEE counterparts and hundreds of businessmen attending a meeting in Bucharest.

“We are prepared to discuss ways to finance these projects, within the lines traced by European Union regulations,” Li stressed.

Brussels has warned countries in the region against crossing any regulatory red lines when concluding economic deals with China.

Li said he hoped $10.5 billion in credit lines committed by China last year would be put to use, proclaiming 2014 “the year of China-CEE investment and business ties”.

The credit lines were announced by Li’s predecessor Wen Jiabao during a summit in Warsaw.

But analysts say that 18 months later the promise the massive capital injections have yet to materialise.

The gathering in Bucharest comes less

than a week after the 28-nation European Union held a summit with China at which the two sides launched negotiations for a landmark investment agreement.

The EU and China have seen their commercial relationship grow dramatically but also witnessed increasing trade disputes over issues ranging from solar panels to wine.

“Pragmatic cooperation between the CEE region and China is beneficial not only to the two sides but also to the consolidation of balanced development in Europe as a whole,” Li stressed.

“China needs a powerful Europe, but Europe can only be strong if each and every one of its members attains rapid economic development,” Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said.

The prime ministers of 15 Eastern European states are attending the summit.

Latvia is represented by its Foreign Minister.

On Monday, shortly after arriving in Romania, Li insisted “cooperation between China and the CEE was an important part in the relationship with the EU.” He added that China wanted “a strong euro currency and a united, prosperous EU.” China and Romania signed 13 cooperation agreements on nuclear, renewable and conventional energy, and on agriculture.

A guard of honour awaits as an aircraft transporting Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang arrives at Henry Coanda Airport in Bucharest on November 25, 2013. Photo by Daniel Mihailescu ©AFP

2010 it topped $800 million, according to the Warsaw-based Central and Eastern European Development Institute.

Trade between China and CEE has also grown. While it amounted to $3.0 billion in 2000, it surpassed $41 billion in 2010, with China registering a net surplus.

Following the eurozone crisis, the CEE countries with their “hybrid economies, somewhere between emerging and developed markets... appear as more dynamic places to put Chinese money into,” the CEED said. ■ Mihaela Rodina / AFP

Blatter slams European media over Qatar Pope Francis urges reform of papal powers KUALA LUMPUR - FIFA boss Sepp Blatter condemned European media for “attacking” 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar Tuesday, days after slamming European countries and companies over the controversial tournament.

The veteran Swiss said media had been unfair to Qatar as he made an impassioned defence of the event to delegates at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) awards in Kuala Lumpur.

“It is not fair when the international media and especially European media are taking up the focus of an Arab country here in Asia, and attacking, criticising this country,” Blatter said.

“We are defending it. We have taken the decision to play a World Cup in the Arab world and we have taken the decision to play in Qatar and we will go and play this... in 2022 in Qatar,” he added, to loud applause at the gala dinner.

The comments come just a few days after the FIFA president accused France and Germany of pushing Qatar’s bid to host the World Cup to suit their “economic interests”.

He also blamed European construction companies after Amnesty International said migrant workers at World Cup venues were being treated like “animals”.

AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa agreed that media criticism of Qatar had been “too much” and he backed the Gulf nation to hold one of the most successful World Cups.

“I think what’s been said is too much because the decision has (already) been taken,” said the Bahraini royal.

“And of course Qatar is part of Asia, and we will support the World Cup in Asia and in Qatar in every way that we can.”

FIFA president Sepp Blatter gives a press conference on November 22, 2013 in Rome after a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Photo by Andreas Solaro ©AFP

Shaikh Salman added: “I’m sure that when the time comes we’ll see success and the work that Qataris have done for this event.

“I think what they’ve been doing so far, by the look of all the infrastructure and the facilities that are going to be built for this occasion, I’m sure we’ll have one of the most successful World Cups ever.”

Tiny, resource-rich Qatar has proved a contentious choice since being awarded World Cup hosting rights in 2010 following a bidding process tainted with corruption allegations.

Following strong and lengthy protests, Blatter has agreed to move the World Cup to the end of 2022 to avoid Qatar’s scorching summer months.

Rights groups called for a boycott of the World Cup over Amnesty’s report, which said workers suffered exploitation including non-payment of wages and hazardous conditions.

Blatter has called conditions for migrant workers “unacceptable”.

However, Qatar said the allegations were “exaggerated”. ■ AFP / November 26, 2013 / 1:59 PM

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis called for reform to take powers away from the Vatican and said Catholics should be more engaged in helping the needy, but ruled out allowing women priests in a key document released on Tuesday.

The Catholic leader said he was seeking advice on how his role should change— using an informal style for his first “apostolic exhortation”, in which he outlined his vision for the future of the Roman Catholic Church.

“It is my duty, as the Bishop of Rome, to be open to suggestions which can help make the exercise of my ministry more faithful to the meaning which Jesus Christ wished to give it,” the pope wrote.

Francis said it was time for “a conversion of the papacy”, adding that “excessive centralization, rather than proving helpful, complicates the Church’s life”.

Bishops should have “genuine doctrinal authority”, he said in the document—a type of long open letter used by popes to communicate with their faithful.

The document did not address many of the hot-button ethical reforms called for

by progressives but Francis did say that the issue of the priesthood being reserved for men was “not a question open to discussion”.

On abortion, he also said the Church “cannot be expected to change her position on this question”.

But he added that it should do more “to adequately accompany women in very difficult situations, where abortion appears as a quick solution”.

Francis has instituted a council of cardinals to advise him on reforms including a shake-up of the Vatican bureaucracy after a series of high-profile scandals in recent years and disgruntlement in many local churches.

The Vatican this month also launched a worldwide consultation of Catholic dioceses including questions about pastoral care for same-sex couples, and Francis on Tuesday underlined the need for churches to keep an open door even without changes to Catholic doctrine.

Freedom to worship. In the document, Francis stressed the importance of the

Pope Francis leads a mass at St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on November 23, 2013.

Photo by Andreas Solaro ©AFP

Church’s social message and criticised the injustices of the global economy—a priority for his papacy.

“The poor and the poorer peoples are accused of violence, yet without equal opportunities the different forms of aggression and conflict will find a fertile terrain for growth and eventually explode,” he said.

Turning to other faiths, Francis said that ties with Islam had taken on “great importance” for the Catholic Church because of the growing number of Muslim immigrants in many traditionally Christian countries.

“We Christians should embrace with affection and respect Muslim immigrants to our countries in the same way that we hope and ask to be received and respected in countries of Islamic tradition,” he said.

“I ask and I humbly entreat those countries to grant Christians freedom to worship and to practice their faith, in light of the freedom which followers of Islam enjoy in Western countries,” he added.

Much of the exhortation was devoted to spiritual issues, particularly the need for a more joyful approach to faith reflected in the document’s Latin title “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel).

“There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter,” he said, adding that the Christian message should not be “a catalogue of sins and faults” and should be about striving for “the good of others”.

The document included practical tips from Francis for priests on how to give better homilies as well as a call for them to be closer to their parishioners.

“Our church doors should always be open, so that if someone, moved by the Spirit, comes there looking for God, he or she will not find a closed door,” he said. ■ Dario Thuburn / AFP

EVENTS DIARY UK & EUROPE

www.hello-philippines.com

18

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

SIMBANG GABI 2013 – SCHEDULE OF MASSES SIMBANG GABI 2013 – SCHEDULE OF MASSES

DATE / TIME

ONSORING NIZATION/S 15 December Sunday no Simbang 3:00pm East15 Ham December 14 December Saturday 3:30pm

Sunday 3:00pm 15 December Sunday 3:30pm

Community of Sacrament 15 December Sunday 6:00pm 15 December

Sunday p Kilburn 7:00pm

15 December Sunday 7:00pm

of Our Lady of ncia 16 / December Sto Monday 7:00pm oup / Our 16 December Victories Monday 7:00pm

17 December Tuesday

7:00pm dai DWXI-PPFI Chapter 18 December Wednesday 7:00pm

nic Filipino nity of 19 December Thursday 7:00pm n 19 December

Club Thursday at 7:30pm nster al 20 December Friday 6:00pm

20 December

Friday Community in 6:00pm (Carols + Posadas) y 7:00pm (Mass) 20 December Friday 6:30pm

21 December for Christ – Saturday 1:00pm head 21 December Saturday 4:00pm

21 December Saturday 5:00pm 21 December Saturday 7:00pm

for Christ – head

21 December Saturday 7:30pm 22 December Sunday 2:00pm

as Association m Street Community / 22 December Sunday the 2:00pm Knights and 22 December Sunday ihang 5:00pm London

22 December gles For Christ, Sunday UK /6:00pm The 23 December Monday nity Prayer 6:00pm e-West 23 December Monday 6:00pm ` 23 December Monday Community in 8:00pm

SPONSORING ORGANIZATION/S 27th Filipino Simbang Gabi Sa East Ham

VENUE

PRESIDER / CO-CELEBRANT

VENUE

Filipino Community of Blessed Sacrament Parish

St Michael’s Church, Tilbury Road, London E6 6ED reception at St Michael’s School Hall Blessed Sacrament Parish Church, 157 Copenhagen Street, Islington, London N1 0SR Sacred Heart Church, New Priory, Quex Road, Kilburn, London NW6 4PS Church of Our Lady of Victories, 235A Kensington High Street, London W8 6SA

St Michael’s Church, Tilbury Road, London E6 Filchamp Kilburn 6ED reception at St Friends of Our Lady of Michael’s School Hall Peñafrancia / Sto Nino Group / Our Blessed Sacrament Parish Lady of Victories Church Church, 157 Copenhagen El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI Our Lady of Mt. Carmel & Street, Islington, London London Chapter St. Joseph Church, 8A Battersea Park Road, N1 0SR London SW8 4BH St. Dominic Filipino St. Dominic’s Catholic Community of Violet Lane, Sacred HeartChurch, Church, New Waddon Waddon, Croydon, Surrey CR0 4HN Priory, Quex Road, Kilburn, Filipino Club at Westminster Cathedral, Westminster London NW6Victoria 4PS Street, London Cathedral SW1 Church of Our Lady of Filipino Community in Roman Catholic Church of Victories, 235A Kensington Wembley St. Joseph’s, 339 High Road, Wembley, Middlesex High Street, London W8 HA9 6AG Couples for Christ – St. Edmund Campion 6SA Maidenhead Roman Catholic Parish, Couples for Christ – Maidenhead

40A Altwood Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 4PY St. Joseph Church, The Presbytery. 36 Cookham Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7EG Jesuit Church of the Immaculate Conception (Farm Street), 114 Mount Street, London W1K 3AH

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel & St. Joseph Church, 8A Batangas Association UK / Farm Street Battersea Park Road, Filipino Community / Order of the Knights SW8 4BH of London Rizal and Kababaihang St. Dominic’s Catholic Rizalista, London Chapter Church, Violet CFC-Singles For Christ, The Lane, Holy Cross Chapel, London, UK / The Charing Cross Hospital, Community Prayer Croydon, Fulham Palace Road, Waddon, Surrey Crusade-West Hammersmith, London W6 London` 9NT CR0 4HN Filipino Community in Our Lady of Lourdes Acton Church, Acton High Street, Westminster Cathedral, London W3 8AA Victoria Street, London SW1 CFC-Singles For Christ, St Augustine’s Church, 55 London, UK

Magnificat Choir

Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8AU St. James Catholic Church, Forbury Road, Reading RG1 3HW

Roman Catholic Church of St. Joseph’s, 339 High Road, Wembley, Middlesex Couples for Christ – Our Lady Queen of Frimley, Surrey Heaven Church, 111 Portsmouth Road, Frimley, HA9 6AG Surrey, GU16 7AA Filipino Community in St. Antony of Padua, St. St. Edmund Campion East London Antony Road, Forest Gate, LondonParish, E7 9QB Roman Catholic St. Pius X Filipino Roman Catholic Church of Association St. Pius X, 79 St. Charles 40A Altwood Square, Road, Ladbroke Grove, London W10 6EB Maidenhead, SL6 Couples for Christ – St. Berkshire Joseph’s Church, 12 Guildford Eastgate Gardens, 4PY Guildford, Surrey GU1 4AZ Kapa-Mill Hill Sacred Heart and Mary St. Joseph Church, The Immaculate Church, 2 Flower Lane, Mill Hill, London NW7 2JB Presbytery. 36 Cookham Oval Filipino Church of the Holy Community Redeemer Road, Maidenhead, 20 Brixton Road, London SW9 6BU Berkshire Bicol Association UK / Carmelite Priory, 41 Carmelite Church Kensington Church Street, SL6 7EG Filipino Choir / Filipino London W8 4BB Women’s Association Jesuit Church of the (FWA) / Aguman Kapampangan UK Immaculate Conception (Farm Street), 114 Mount Share Hope Outreach English Martyrs Church, – Chalkhill Road, Wembley Street, London English Martyrs Filipino ParkW1K 3AH Community

HA9 9EW

Couples for Christ / Divine Mercy Group of Kensal Filipino Community / Filipino Catholic Community in Our Lady of the Holy Souls Couples for Christ – Reading

Our Lady of the Holy Souls, 68 Hazelwood Crescent, Kensal Road, London W10 5DJ

CONTACTS / REMARKS

PRESIDER / CO-CELEBRANT

CONTACTS

Cleo 07956 856 007 Andrea 020 8470 4363 Trining 020 8594 8759

Fr. Allan Satur

Ms Christy Sangalang – 07743 369 977 / christycortezsangalang@yahoo.co.uk

Cleo 07956 856 007 Andrea 020 8470 436 Ms Remy Villacruel – 07901 352 381 / remediosvillacruel@yahoo.com Trining 020 8594 8759

Fr. Irvin Morastil, O.M.I. Fr. Voltaire Dimol

Mr Essex Angulo – 07946 510 347 / ecangulo@me.com

Ms Adela Caguimbal – 07717 493 541 / Fr. Allan Satur Ms Christy Sangalan adellecag@yahoo.com Emet Gutierrez – 020 7598 1165 / 07407 christycortezsangala 073 263 Fr. Cirino Potrido,C.M.

Ms Cecilia Bas – 07578 368 272 Ms Analita Bash – 07553 791 944 / elshaddai.london@yahoo.co.uk

Fr. Jake Dicto,

Mr Rommel C. Abellar – 07453 313 595 /

/ Canon Christopher Tuckwell

739 / flora_k78@yahoo.co.uk

Fr. Agustin Paunon

Ms Lilian Owen – 07957 550 729 / lilianowen1@msn.com

C.S. Irvin Morastil, rommelabellar@yahoo.co.uk Fr. Ms Remy Villacruel – Ms Fe Perfect – 07734 154 312 / fe@celestialtravel.co.uk O.M.I. remediosvillacruel@y Fr. Voltaire Dimol Ms Flora Cayaban Kingscote – 07875 867

Fr. Voltaire Dimol

Mr Essex Angulo – 07 ecangulo@me.com Ms Adela Caguimba Fr. Jose Claveria Mr Rene Garcia – tirenebev@aol.com adellecag@yahoo.co Emet Gutierrez – 020 Msgr. Tom Mr Rene Garcia – tirenebev@aol.com 073 263 McGrath Fr. Cirino Ms Cecilia Bas – 0757 Potrido,C.M. Ms Analita Bash – 07 Fr. Voltaire Dimol Mrs Corazon Santos – 07956 271 750 Mrs Julie Villanueva – elshaddai.london@ya secretariat@batangas-association.org.uk Ms Josie Ramos – 07723 024 591 / aquisu0411@gmail.com Mrs Aurea Taguiang – 020 7724 7332 / taguiang.alfonsoaurea@gmail.com

Fr. Jake Dicto, C.S. Fr. Giles Pinnock Mr Felicito Catholic Chaplain

Fr. Voltaire Dimol

Mr Rommel C. Abella rommelabellar@yaho Ms Fe Perfect – 07734 fe@celestialtravel.co.

Ms Flora Cayaban Ki 739 / flora_k78@yaho

Simon – 07795 324 859 / bradmonsi@yahoo.com Ms Merla – 07939 684 558 Mr Mario Gumogda – 07818 021 874 / mariobg73@hotmail.com Ms Maria “Ning” de Zoysa – 07886 210 883 / maribeldz19@hotmail.com Ms Corazon Gonzales – 020 8354 1068 / 07585 229 006 / corazongonzales63@yahoo.com

Fr. Voltaire Dimol / Canon Christopher Fr. Gianni Mr Felicito Simon – 07795 Notarianni OSA bradmonsi@yahoo.com Tuckwell (Parish Priest) Fr. Claro Conde

Fr. Agustin Paunon Fr. Voltaire Dimol

324 859 /

Mr Edgar Bautista – 07824 885 553 / edgar_s_bautista@hotmail.co.uk

Ms Lilian Owen – 079 lilianowen1@msn.com

Mr Jeck Paler – 07869 293 397 / palerblue@yahoo.com

Fr. Voltaire Dimol Ms Myrna V. Cunningham 125 Fr. Jose Claveria Mr Rene– 07791 Garcia – tire 494 / myrna_cunningham@hotmail.com Fr. CirinoPotrido, C.M.

Ms Nilda – 07985 324 147

Fr. Aaron Espenelli

Sister Oneng Mendoza – 01483 413 980 / 07871 479 978 / onengmendoza.fmdm@yahoo.co.uk Mr Sande Gutierrez – 07584 575 411 / sjgutierrez@yahoo.com

Fr. Cirino

Msgr.

Tom Potrido,C.M. McGrath Fr. Jake Dicto, C.S. Fr. Cirino Potrido,C.M.

Mr Rene Garcia – tire

Mr Ben Ortiz – 07723 318 486 / ben.ortiz@hotmail.co.uk Mr Ian Alejandro – 07912 173 913 / ian78_london@yahoo.co.uk Mr Julius Maristela – 07823 336 085 / julius_maristela@yahoo.com Ms Chelo Taylo – cruz_chelo@hotmail.com Ms Clarita Richardson – 07505 931 468 / clarita.richardson@gmail.com Ms Zanie del Mundo – 07886 881 432 / 07733 781 858 / zendel22@hotmail.co.uk Ms Becky Sarinas – 07949 857 699 / sharehopeoutreach@hotmail.co.uk

Choir: Carmelite Fr. Voltaire Dimol Church Filipino Choir

Fr. Voltaire Dimol

Fr. Cirino Potrido

Mrs Corazon Santos Mrs Julie Villanueva – secretariat@batanga Ms Josie Ramos – 077 aquisu0411@gmail.c Mr Chris Mautsi – 07951 064 688 Mr Agui Galang – 07892 475 127Taguiang Mrs Aurea Mrs Lita Galang – 07754 659 580 taguiang.alfonsoaur

Christ the King, 408 Fr. Pat Madden Mr Rene Garcia – tirenebev@aol.com The Holy Cross Chapel,Avenue, Fr. Giles Pinnock Mr Felicito Simon – 0 Northumberland Reading RG2 8NR Charing Cross Hospital, Catholic Stonebridge Filipino Church of the Five Precious Fr. Cirino Ms Laila Osei bradmonsi@yahoo.c – 07930 162 875 Community Wounds, Brentfield Road, Potrido,C.M. Fulham Palace Road, Chaplain Ms Merla – 07939 684 Stonebridge, London NW10 8ER Hammersmith, Mr Mario Gumogda Couples for Christ Our London Lady of PeaceW6 Fr. Emmanuel Mr Rene Garcia – tirenebev@aol.com Church, 338 Wokingham Road, Reading RG6 7DA 9NT mariobg73@hotmail.

Filipino Community in Our Lady of Dolours, Fr. Allan Satur Fr. Allan Satur – 020 7352 6965 / Servites Service Parish Church, 264 fulhamroad@rcdow.org.uk Our Lady of Lourdes Fr. Voltaire Dimol Ms Maria “Ning” de Z Fulham Road, London Mr Roland Adap – r_adap@hotmail.com SW10 4EL Church, Acton High Street, 883 / maribeldz19@h NOTE: The Oval Filipino Community of the Holy Redeemer Church (RC), Scalabrini Centre and the Filipino Community of Roehampton, both under the Archidiocese of Southwark and entrusted to the Scalabrini Fathers, are hosting a novena of London W3 8AA Ms Corazon Gonzale masses for the whole nine (9) days, from 15 – 23 December 2013. The Filipino Community in Servites are also hosting a traditional Tagalog Mass, dubbed Simbang Gabi sa Chelsea. Following are details of their Simbang Gabi Masses: 07585 229 006 / DATE / TIME SPONSORING VENUE PRESIDER / CONTACTS / REMARKS ORGANIZATION/S CO-CELEBRANT corazongonzales63@ 15 - 23 December Oval Filipino Church of the Holy Presider: Fr. Jake Mr. Ben Ortiz – 07723 318 486 / Sunday – Monday 7:30pm, except 15 December 2:00pm and 22 December 5:00pm 15 - 23 December Sunday - Monday 8:00pm, except 15 and 22 December 6:00pm 15 - 23 December Sunday - Monday 8:00pm

gles For Christ, UK

cat Choir

Community

Redeemer, 20 Brixton Road, Oval, London SW9 6BU

St Augustine’s Church, 55 Filipino St. Road, Joseph’s Catholic Fulham Palace Community of Church , 218 Roehampton Roehampton Lane, Hammersmith, London W6 London SW15 4LE 8AU Filipino Our Lady of Dolours, Service Parish St.Community JamesinCatholic Servites Church, 264 Fulham Road, London SW10 Church, Forbury 4EL Road, Reading RG1 3HW

Dicto, C.S./Scalabrini Fathers

ben.ortiz@hotmail.co.uk Mr. Ian Alejandro – 07912 173 913 / ian78_london@yahoo.co.uk

Presider: Fr. Allan Satur

Fr. Allan Satur – 020 7352 6965 /

Fr. Gianni Mr Felicito Simon – 0 Presider: Fr. Jake Mr. Rafael Santiago – 07909 444 340 / Notarianni OSA bradmonsi@yahoo.c Dicto, paengsky@yahoo.co.uk C.S./Scalabrini (Parish Priest) Fathers

fulhamroad@rcdow.org.uk Fr. Claro Conde Mr Edgar Bautista – 0 Mr. Roland Adap – r_adap@hotmail.com edgar_s_bautista@ho

From the Philippines and the Filipino people in the United Kingdom W e

W i l l

N e v e r

F o r g e t

THANKSGIVING MASS Sunday, 8 December 2013 at 2:30pm St Mary’s, Cadogan Street, Sloane Square, London SW3 0EG Celebrants: Fr. Voltaire Dimol Fr. Allan Sater Fr. Aoud O’Halpin

Typhoon Haiyan (“Yolanda”) November 7, 2013 Philippines

IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS

More than ₱1B raised in The Netherlands for Yolanda victims 20

www.hello-philippines.com

ZOETERMEER, The Netherlands - They say that there are three events that connect the Dutch: football competitions, Queen’s Day (soon to be King’s day) and Sinterklaas.

There’s a fourth: charity work. According to the World Giving Index, more than 50 percent of the Dutch gladly give to charity.

About 5 billion euros or 650 euros per member of the population go to charitable institutions annually.

This habit of philanthropy was proven once again when radio and television

networks joined together on Monday to raise funds for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines. The GIRO 555 broadcast marathon, organized by coordinating agencies such as the Red Cross, Oxfam Novib, Cordaid and UNICEF, started at 6 in the morning and ended at 12 midnight, raising a total of 18.5 million euros, an amount roughly equivalent to 1.1 billion.

Everyone was a volunteer that day— famous singers, actors, broadcasters,

A Dutch fundraising drive for the countless victims of Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines on Monday riased 18.5 million euros, an amount roughly equivalent to 1.1 billion.

office workers, housewives, cooks and helpers. The great equalizer was simply the willingness to help the hungry, the thirsty and those who were left homeless by the most destructive typhoon ever on land.

Those who wanted to donate had the chance to personally bring their donations to the Institute of Image and Sound in Hilversum, The Netherlands or call a hotline number to pledge their financial aid.

Famous Dutch people auctioned personal items to raise funds for the cause—from football shirts, branded shoes and clothes used in films.

Others contributed by feeding the volunteers or being part of the team answering the phones. In one call center in Zoetermeer alone, 150 volunteers signed in for evening duty.

Doing it with pleasure. “We do this with pleasure. We don’t hope that these things keep happening where there would be a need to do it but when needed, we do it gladly,” said Marieke Kolen, Client Director of SNT, the call center that made its facilities available for the telethon. SNT has four branches in the Netherlands. All branches were full of volunteers during the campaign.

Mark Verschuur, married to a Filipina

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

and first-time volunteer, was hard at work when GMA News interrupted him. “There’s a lot of work to be done to rebuild the houses, to rebuild the community, people have no food, they have no water so there’s a lot of help necessary to get the community running there again. That also means we have to work hard here,” he said.

Pinoy volunteers. 10 percent of the volunteers were Filipinos. Those who did not have the chance to answer the phones gladly took the opportunity to feed the call center team for the evening.

“I first signed up to man the phones but since my Dutch was not yet so good, I decided to just make sure that the people behind the phones would have enough food to eat,” said Myra Colis, a Filipina living in the Netherlands for barely a year now.

She teamed up with Rhea Escano to serve what another group of Filipinas in Zoetermeer led by Christina de Jong prepared that night.

“I volunteered because I saw how other countries helped the Philippines. That is an encouragement for me, a Filipino, to also help in my own way. At least in this way, I can help my country in this time of need even if I live far away,” Escano said.

Lots of calls, lots of donations. At the end of the evening, the volunteers went home with full tummies and happy hearts.

“It’s really rewarding, the people who call are also very appreciative that you are helping out by receiving their calls and there are many Dutch people who are willing to donate to help the Philippines,” Verschuur said.

“We had a lot of calls with a lot of nice people and a lot of donations from small to big amounts... the lowest one was five euros and the biggest was 1000 so that’s nice!” told Marjan van Loon, an experienced volunteer.

The telethon may have ended but donations are still being accepted by GIRO 555—a Dutch account number dedicated to charity. The day after the telethon, the fundraising campaign already hit almost 25 million euros or roughly 1.5 billion.

This amount is still expected to increase since fundraising activities continue in the country. In-kind donations are also still being collected. A plane bound for the Philippines will take off for the second time on Thursday to deliver medical supplies, food and water. ■ Chared Verschuur-Ballo / KBK, GMA News / November 21, 2013 / 1:04 PM

Love in the time of Yolanda: Canadian flies to PHL to be with wounded Pinay fiancée 2 arrested for sending 11 Pinays into forced prostitution in Malaysia LOVE conquers all, even super typhoons.

Canadian national Houssam Hammoudi proved this true when he left the comforts and relative safety of his homeland and waded through debris-strewn streets in the Philippines to be with his Filipina loved one in the aftermath of the destructive Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

The lucky girl is Grace Acojedo, a 23-year-old Visayas resident who was among the thousands fortunate enough to survive Yolanda’s wrath with only injuries.

The two, who met online a year ago, didn’t waste time: They immediately tied the knot in a Muslim ceremony inside Alcojedo’s hospital room at the Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu, where she is recuperating from the wounds she sustained when her house collapsed during Yolanda’s November 8 onslaught.

The couple’s story first appeared on the internet when Hammoudi created a Tumblr blog to ask friends to help finance Acojedo’s surgery. At that time, Acojedo, who sustained cuts, wounds and broken bones, was at Gatchalian Clinic in Ormoc.

Hammoudi had to shell out $400 to have her discharged.Acojedo was then ferried to

Chong Hua with the help of the Philippine Coast Guard.

Because the money from selling his car did not leave him much, Hammoudi kept a blog recording the needs of his fiancèe, in hopes that Good Samaritans would help her financially.

Various news outlets such as Huffington Post and Toronto Sun picked up their story, and the publicity brought in donations for Acojedo’s hospital fees. Her most recent surgery, costing 20,000 ($456), removed the stitches from her face and stitched her torn achilles’ heel.

The couple had taken to posting pictures on social networking site Tumblr (“Operation: Saving Grace”) showing her and her hospital bills as proof that their story was real and not a scam.

Because of Tumblr’s viral nature, more and more people are donating to Acojedo’s surgeries. Her current well-being isn’t the only thing that’s on their minds, as the livelihood of her family is still uncertain.

According to the Toronto Sun, Alcojedo’s mother just woke up from a three-day coma last Wednesday, and her sister and brother are still underage. In the same article, Mammoudi states he needs to return to

Grace Acojedo and Houssam Hammoudi. Photo from Operation: Saving Grace Tumblr account.

Canada after his wife’s family can return to work.

Mammoudi even created a Reddit thread with a friend for interested parties to ask after Acojedo’s condition and other pertinent information. In a post, his friend reported having raised $12,623.37 CAD for the cause so far. He and Mammoudi have discussed that any money left after Acojedo recovers will be donated to Doctors Without Borders, which is the only organization Mammoudi reportedly saw in Yolanda-stricken areas.

Interested donors may still help the couple by clicking the “donate” button on their blog page. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / November 25, 2013 / 8:07 PM

Kuwaiti woman gets death sentence for murdering Filipina maid KUWAIT CITY - Kuwait’s supreme court upheld Monday a death sentence against a woman for murdering her Filipina maid after torturing her, and confirmed a 10-year sentence on her disabled husband.

The ruling is final and cannot be challenged but could be commuted to a life term by the ruler of the Gulf emirate.

Executions in Kuwait are carried out by hanging.

The Kuwaiti woman was convicted of premeditated murder based on evidence that she had regularly tortured her maid before driving over her in a remote desert area.

The husband was handed the jail term

for “assisting her,” according to a copy of the ruling.

The couple were both sentenced to death by the lower court in February last year. Three months later, the appeals court upheld the death penalty against the woman but commuted the sentence against her husband to 10 years in jail.

According to the ruling, the woman beat her maid for several days until her health deteriorated.

The couple then took the maid “unconscious” to a remote area in the desert where they threw her from the back seat of the car and then drove over her until she died.

More than 100,000 Filipinos, many of them women working as maids, live in Kuwait, where some 600,000 domestic helpers, mostly Asians, are employed. ■ AFP / November 25, 2013 / 9:28pm

TWO suspected human traffickers were arrested in Laguna province this week for sending 11 Filipinas into forced prostitution in Malaysia.

Vice President Jejomar Binay said Angelita Restoles and Florenciano Ocampo were arrested Tuesday afternoon in Calamba, Laguna.

“Mrs. Restoles allegedly recruited her victims by promising them jobs as waitresses in Singapore, but in reality they were sent to Malaysia to work in a bar owned by Restoles’ daughter and provide sexual services to clients,” Binay, the presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers’ concerns, said in an article posted on the Office of the Vice President website Friday.

He said the arrest followed the rescue and repatriation last weekend of 11 Filipinas forced to work as prostitutes in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

The two now face charges of qualified trafficking.

In the meantime, Binay said the InterAgency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) is now reviewing the Bureau of Immigration’s offloading guidelines “to strengthen the process and plug loopholes as the victims were able to leave the country without proper documentation.”

Arrest. Effecting the arrest were operatives of the IACAT and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Binay said he instructed IACAT to arrest Restoles and Ocampo after the 11 victims were repatriated Saturday. One of the victims’ parents had sought his help last October.

Quoting the victim’s mother, Binay said Restoles would recruit the girls while Ocampo would bring them to Malaysia. He said the victim told her parents about her experience and asked that she be rescued, and managed to provide her address and contract number.

“The victim’s mother also told us that one of the owners of the establishment her daughter was working in was Restoles’ daughter, Hui Anna Tey,” he added.

Binay said his office coordinated with Rey Sto. Domingo, Department of Labor and Employment representative at the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Sto. Domingo in turn contacted Rick Limson, President of the Federation of Filipino Associations in Malaysia (FFAM).

Binay said Limson’s group was able to rescue two victims, including the daughter of the couple who sought his help.

“The victims were able to relay their experiences and informed Philippine Embassy officials that at least 16 more victims were still in the establishment,” he added.

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) then coordinated with the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Royal Malaysian Police based in Johor Bahru.

In turn, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit subsequently conducted a raid last November 4, where nine more Filipinas were rescued.

Binay said OVP then coordinated with Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Jesus Yebes to shoulder the repatriation costs of the victims.

“When the 11 victims arrived, they were transferred to the Visayan Forum shelter near Terminal 2 where they were fed, interviewed and investigated,” Binay said.

■ KBK, GMA News / November 22, 2013 / 4:56 PM

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HEALTH and Lifestyle

Reduce your cancer risk 22

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YOU can reduce your risk of cancer by having a healthy lifestyle. Find out about stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet, keeping fit and drinking less alcohol.

In 2009, 156,900 people in the UK died from cancer. However, since the 1990s, survival rates in men and women have improved for most cancers.

There are no proven ways to prevent cancer, but you can reduce your risk of getting it. Risk factors you can do something about include smoking and being overweight, and there are other things you can do to reduce your risk.

Healthy lifestyle. Leading a healthy lifestyle can help lower your risk of developing certain cancers. You can do this by: • eating a healthy balanced diet • maintaining a healthy weight • drinking less alcohol

• stopping smoking • protecting your skin from sun damage Eating a healthy balanced diet.

Stories about various foods and diets linked to preventing cancer are often in the news. This is because a lot of research is going on into diet and cancer.

But it isn’t easy to study the link between diet and cancer because there are so many different factors involved, and cancer can take years to develop.

No single food or supplement can prevent cancer from developing. Overall, research shows a link between eating certain groups of foods (rather than any specific foods, vitamins or nutrients) and a reduction in cancer risk.

Eating a healthy balanced diet may lower your risk of developing cancer. A healthy balanced diet contains: • plenty of fruit and vegetables: try to eat

at least five portions a day • plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods: choose wholegrain foods where possible as these contain more fibre • some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein • some milk and dairy foods • just a small amount of foods and drinks high in fat or sugars, such as cakes, crisps and biscuits Eating a healthy balanced diet will help make sure your body gets all the nutrients it needs.

Fibre. Evidence consistently suggests that eating plenty of fibre can reduce the risk of bowel cancer. Diets high in fibre can help keep your bowel healthy and prevent constipation.

Fibre-rich foods include wholegrain pasta, bread, breakfast cereals and rice.

Why is fibre important?

FIBRE is an important part of a healthy diet. A diet high in fibre has many health benefits. It can help prevent heart disease, diabetes, weight gain and some cancers, and can also improve digestive health.

However, many people don’t get enough fibre. On average, most people in the UK get about 14g of fibre a day. You should aim for at least 18g a day.

Fibre is only found in foods that come from plants. Foods such as meat, fish and dairy products don’t contain fibre.

There are two different types of fibre – soluble and insoluble. Each type of fibre helps your body in different ways, so a normal, healthy diet should include both types.

However, if you have a digestive disorder such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you may need to modify the type and amount of fibre in your diet in accordance with your symptoms. Your GP

or a dietitian will be able to advise you further about this.

Soluble fibre. Soluble fibre can be digested by your body. It may help reduce the amount of cholesterol in your blood. If you have constipation, gradually increasing sources of soluble fibre – such as fruit and vegetables, oats and golden linseeds – can help soften your stools and make them easier to pass.

Foods that contain soluble fibre include: • oats, barley and rye • fruit, such as bananas and apples • root vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes • golden linseeds Insoluble fibre. Insoluble fibre can’t be digested. It passes through your gut without being broken down and helps other foods move through your digestive system more easily. Insoluble fibre keeps your bowels healthy and helps prevent

digestive problems. If you have diarrhoea, you should limit the amount of insoluble fibre in your diet.

Good sources of insoluble fibre include: • wholemeal bread • bran • cereals • nuts and seeds (except golden linseeds) Eating foods that are high in fibre will help you feel fuller for longer. This may help if you are trying to lose weight (also see the weight loss guide).

If you need to increase your fibre intake, it’s important that you do so gradually. A sudden increase may make you produce more wind (flatulence), leave you feeling bloated and cause stomach cramps.

It’s also important to make sure you drink plenty of fluid. You should drink approximately 1.2 litres (6-8 glasses) of fluid a day, or more while exercising or when it’s hot. ■ NHS Choices

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

Pulses, fruit and vegetables are also good sources of fibre.

Red and processed meat. Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, such as iron and zinc. But evidence shows that there is probably a link between eating red and processed meat, and the risk of bowel cancer.

People who eat a lot of these meats have a higher risk of getting bowel cancer than people who eat small amounts.

Beef, pork and lamb are all red meat. Processed meats include bacon, sausages, salami and ham.

If you eat more than 90 grams of red or processed meat a day (the equivalent of about three thin-cut slices of roast beef, lamb or pork, where each slice is about the size of half a piece of sliced bread), it is recommended that you cut down to 70 grams. You can find out more about eating red and processed meat.

Beta-carotene supplements. Betacarotene, often found in antioxidant supplements, has been found to increase the risk of lung cancer developing in smokers and people who have been heavily exposed to asbestos at work. It is possible that taking large amounts of beta-carotene supplements would also increase the risk of cancer in other people.

Maintaining a healthy weight. In England, over 60% of the population is overweight or obese. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of some cancers, such as: • bowel cancer • pancreatic cancer • oesophageal cancer • breast cancer if you are a woman who has been through the menopause • cancer of the womb (uterus) • kidney cancer Being a healthy weight can reduce your risk of developing cancer. You can find out whether you are a healthy weight by using the BMI healthy weight calculator.

Drinking less alcohol. Drinking alcohol is known to increase your risk of some cancers, including: • mouth cancer • pharynx and larynx cancer • oesophageal cancer • colorectal cancer in men • breast cancer

It is probably a cause of other cancers such as colorectal cancer in women and liver cancer.

Women shouldn’t regularly drink more than 2-3 units of alcohol a day, and men shouldn’t regularly drink more than 3-4 units a day.

“Regularly” means every day or on most days of the week. Use the alcohol unit calculator to find out how many units are in different alcoholic drinks.

Stopping smoking. Lung cancer is responsible for around a quarter of cancer deaths in the UK, and 90% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking.

“Stopping smoking greatly cuts the risk of developing cancer,” says Hazel Nunn, Cancer Research UK’s health information officer. “The earlier you stop, the greater the impact. But it’s never too late to quit. People who quit smoking at 30 live nearly as long as non-smokers, and those who quit at 50 can still undo half the damage.”

There is support to help you stop smoking.

Protect your skin from sun damage.

Taking care in the sun so that you don’t get burned is important for preventing skin cancer. Follow Cancer Research UK’s SunSmart plan to protect yourself: • Spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm.

• Make sure you never burn.

• Cover yourself up with a T-shirt, hat and sunglasses.

• Take care not to let children get burned.

• Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.

Keep an eye on any moles or freckles you have. If they change at all (for example, get bigger or begin bleeding), see your GP as this can be an early sign of cancer. The earlier skin cancer is caught, the easier it is to treat, so see your GP as soon as possible.

We need sunlight on our skin so that our bodies can produce vitamin D, which is essential for healthy bones. Read about sunlight and vitamin D to find out how much sunlight you need.

Know your body. It’s important to know your body and recognise any changes, such as lumps or unexplained bleeding, and to get advice about whether they might be serious. ■ NHS Choices

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HEALTH and Lifestyle food

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

5 A DAY: what counts?

ALMOST all fruit and vegetables count towards your 5 A DAY, making it easier than you may think to get your recommended amount each day.

Fruit and vegetables don’t have to be fresh to count as a portion. Nor do they have to be eaten on their own: they also count if they’re part of a meal or dish.

A wide variety. To get the most benefit from your five portions, eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables.

What counts towards 5 a Day? The following count towards your 5 A DAY: • Fresh fruit and vegetables.

• Frozen fruit and vegetables.

• Tinned or canned fruit and vegetables.

Buy the ones tinned in natural juice or water, with no added sugar or salt.

• Dried fruit, such as currants, dates,

sultanas and figs.

• Fruit and vegetables cooked in dishes such as soups, stews or pasta dishes.

• A glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit or vegetable juice. Juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day, however much you drink. That’s mainly because juice contains less fibre than whole fruits and vegetables.

• Smoothies. A smoothie containing all of the edible pulped fruit and/or vegetable may count as more than one portion but this depends on how it’s made.

Smoothies count as up to a maximum of two portions per day.

• Beans and pulses. These only count as one portion a day, no matter how many you eat. That’s because they contain fewer nutrients than other fruits and vegetables.

• Fruit and veg in convenience foods, such as ready meals and shop-bought pasta sauces, soups and puddings.

Some ready-made foods are high in salt, sugar and fat, so only have them occasionally or in small amounts. You can find the salt, sugar and fat content of ready-made foods on the label.

Do potatoes count towards 5 A DAY? Potatoes are a starchy food, and a great source of energy, fibre, B vitamins and potassium.

In the UK we get a lot of our vitamin C from potatoes because, although they only contain between 11-16 mg of vitamin C per 100g of potatoes, we generally eat a lot of them.

When eaten as part of a meal, potatoes are generally used in place of other sources of starch, such as bread,

pasta or rice. Because of this, they don’t count towards your 5 A DAY. Other vegetables that don’t count towards your 5 A DAY are yams, cassava and plantain: they are also usually eaten as starchy foods.

Sweet potatoes, parsnips, swedes and turnips do count toward your 5 A DAY, because they are usually eaten in addition to the starchy food part of the meal.

Potatoes play an important role in your diet, particularly if they aren’t cooked with salt or fat, even if they don’t count towards your 5 A DAY. They’re also a good source of fibre, so leave the skins on where possible to keep in more of the fibre and vitamins. For example, if you’re having boiled potatoes or a jacket potato, make sure you eat the skin too. ■ NHS Choices

5 A DAY and your family

5 A DAY on the run IF your life keeps you on the run— working late, travelling often, always busy— it might seem hard to eat enough fruit and vegetables. But make a few easy changes and you can fit 5 A DAY into the busiest schedule.

When you eat out, it can be hard to know exactly how much, if any, fruit and veg is in your food. Ready-made meals often contain less fruit and vegetables (and more fat and sugar) than the meals you’d cook for yourself.

All that can mean trouble when it comes to getting your 5 A DAY. But a few easy habits, and a little planning ahead, can help you increase the amount of fruit and vegetables you eat.

Dietitian Azmina Govindji has helped many time-pressed professionals fit 5 A DAY into their lifestyle.

“Changing your diet is a matter of acquiring a new habit,” she says. “When you eat out or eat a ready meal, you’re less in control of what’s going into that food. So get into the habit of asking: what can I do that will add at least one portion of fruit or vegetables to this meal?”

For example, if you have a ready meal for dinner (ideally this will only happen occasionally as many are high in fat and salt), add some vegetables on the side, says Govindji.

“It can be as simple as opening a can of sweetcorn to put on the side. Just remember your question: What can I do to add a portion of fruit or vegetables?”

Once you get into that habit, says Govindji, you’ll find it can be applied in many different situations.

Add a portion: At breakfast. You could slice fruit over your cereal or just grab a banana before you leave the house. If your breakfast is scrambled eggs, add some mushrooms or tomatoes.

For elevenses.

Take apples, clementines, pears or satsumas to work to snack on. Or why not have some carrot or celery sticks with reduced-fat houmous?

This requires a little forward planning. Think about what you want to take to work and buy it the next time you do your shopping.

At a sandwich bar for lunch. Can you add extra salad to your sandwich, roll or baguette? And have some fruit or a fresh, unsweetened 100% fruit juice for dessert.

In a restaurant. Can you order a starter, side vegetable or salad, or add an extra ingredient—to a pizza for example—that will count as one portion? Check the menu for starters and sides, and don’t be afraid to ask if the chef can add steamed vegetables to a dish or fruit to a pudding. Instead of ordering chips, ask for a fresh salad or some roasted vegetables.

When ordering a takeaway. How can you add a portion to a takeaway? If you have a Chinese, for example, add stir-fried vegetables. When ordering a pizza, ask for extra mushrooms on top to help towards your 5 A DAY. If you’re having a curry, order a side vegetable dish.

Be aware that some vegetable dishes may be high in fat. Dishes that come in a tomato or vegetable-based sauce are usually lower in fat than those in cream or cheese-based sauces. Steamed vegetables are normally lower in fat than fried vegetables. Most takeaways and other fast foods contain high levels of fat, salt and sugar, so only have them occasionally or in small amounts as part of a balanced diet.

When eating out. Why not order a salad filled with a variety of vegetables for your main course, and ask for lower-fat dressing?

How will you add one portion of fruit and vegetables to food on the run? Make that question part of your daily routine and you’ll soon hit your 5 A DAY target. ■ NHS Choices

DO you cook and shop for a household, including a fussy eater or two?

It’s easier than you might think to ensure everyone gets five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

There are many ways to introduce more fruit and vegetables into your family’s diet. The wider the variety of fruit and vegetables you eat, the better.

Dietitian Azmina Govindji gives a few simple tips to get you started.

Think about your day. There are 5 A DAY opportunities throughout your family’s day.

“Not all those opportunities are immediately obvious,” says Govindji.

“A cooked breakfast, for example, can give you several portions if you have grilled mushrooms, baked beans, grilled tomatoes and a glass of unsweetened 100% fruit juice.”

If you have cereal or porridge for breakfast, add some fruit, such as sliced bananas, strawberries or sultanas.

Govindji highlights some other 5 A DAY opportunities: • Morning break at school. All children aged between four and six at Local Education Authority-maintained schools are entitled to one free piece of fruit or vegetable a day, which is usually given out at break time. If your child is older, you could send them to school with a piece of fruit to eat at break time. The School Food Regulations ensure that fruit and/or vegetables are provided at all

school food outlets, including breakfast clubs, tuck shops and vending machines.

• Lunchtime at school. A school lunch provides your child with a portion of fruit and a portion of vegetables. If you give your child a packed lunch, there are many ways to add fruit and vegetables.

Dried fruit counts towards their 5 A DAY, so why not try sultanas or dried apricots?

Put salad in their sandwiches or give them carrot or celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, satsumas or seedless grapes.

A lot of swapping goes on at lunch, so talk to the mums of your child’s friends to see if you can all give your children at least one portion.

• On the way home from school. At home time, kids are often very hungry.

Take this opportunity to give them a fruit or vegetable snack. This could be a small handful of dried fruit, a banana, a pear, clementines or carrot sticks. When they’re really hungry, they’ll try foods they might otherwise refuse.

• Dinner time. Get into the habit of having two different vegetables on the dinner table. You don’t have to insist that the children eat them, but if Mum and Dad always do, they may end up trying them. Vegetables in dishes such as stews and casseroles also count. When cooking these dishes, avoid adding extra fat, salt and sugar, and use lean cuts of meat.

Get children involved early. Getting your child involved in choosing and preparing fruit and vegetables can

encourage them to eat more.

“Familiarise young children with the colours and shapes of fruits and vegetables as early as possible,” says Govindji.

“Each weekly shop, let them choose a fruit or vegetable they’d like to try.

Supervise your child in the kitchen while they help you prepare it.”

Present your children with as wide a variety of fruit and vegetables as possible and make eating them a normal part of family life.

“If your children aren’t keen, canned vegetables, such as sweetcorn, lentils and peas, can be a good place to start,” says Govindji.

Disguising vegetables, by grating carrots into bolognese sauce, for example, can also work, but don’t rely solely on this.

“Try not to reinforce the idea that vegetables are unpleasant and always need to be hidden in foods. Instead, have fun together by trying lots of different fruit and veg and finding what your children like.”

Plan 5 A DAY snacks. When it comes to snacks, it pays to plan ahead. “Think about times when snacking happens in your family,” says Govindji. “Then think what you can do to replace your usual snack with fruit or vegetables.”

Making fruit and veg easy to get to is often helpful. When they’re peckish, children will often reach for whatever is closest to hand.

Keep a fruit bowl in the living room.

Encourage your children to snack from the bowl rather than hunting for snacks in the kitchen.

Keep fruit washed and ready to eat in the fridge. They’ll be more tempting when you fancy an instant snack.

Similarly, keep snack-ready vegetables in the fridge, too. Wash and cut up carrots or celery.

Family days out are prime snacking time. Save money by taking small bags of dried fruit, bananas or carrot, celery or pepper sticks with you, instead of buying expensive snacks once you’re out. ■ NHS Choices

26

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NEWS

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

ASCO Foods Support for Victims of Typhoon Haiyan ASCO Foods Ltd, one of the largest importers & distributors of Filipino foods in the UK, participated in providing relief for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda).

Managing Director, Mr Ravi Chadha, flew out to The Philippines shortly after the Typhoon wrecked central Visayas. He personally coordinated with Fred Ngosiok of Ngosiok Marketing, the company behind the Super Q brand, to donate 72,000 packets of Super Q noodles to the victims. ABS-CBN & GMA were responsible for handing out products due to their reputation of being very active and successful in aid programmes, it was essential that every penny spent went directly to supporting the victims.

Each packet of Super Q noodles were

Philippines’ statistics agency revives calls for a national ID system in wake of ‘Yolanda’ IN the aftermath of supertyphoon Yolanda, the Philippines’ primary statistics office revived calls for a national ID system to speed up the process of identifying calamity victims.

The government will find it easier to identify victims of Yolanda had there been a national ID system in place, Carmencita Ericta, National Statistics Office (NSO) administrator, said on Monday, more than a week after the supertyphoon flattened Tacloban City and other provinces.

“Siguro dapat ireview natin yong mga proposals for a national ID system. Kung maisabatas na iyon, kung may ganitong sakuna, mas madali tayong mabibigyan ng pagkakakilanlan,” Ericta said in a Tapatan sa Aristocrat forum.

(We should review proposals for a national ID system. Once it is enacted, it would be easier to identify victims especially during times of disasters.)

The NSO is ready to help the local civil registrar offices in the Yolanda-affected areas to reconstruct their data base, Ericta added.

“Sa ngayon hindi pa nakikipagcommunicate sa amin ang mga civil registrar sa lugar na yon pero nakahanda kaming

tumulong kung hindi nila magagampanan ang pag-rehistro,” she assured.

(As of now, civil registrars in areas hardest-hit by Yolanda have yet to coordinate with us but we’re ready to help them out.)

The data base of the NSO’s office in Tacloban City had been wiped out while two of its staff remain unaccounted for, she said, adding that these records will be reconstructed, a task that the agency has done in the aftermath of Ondoy.

She underscored the need to identify the dead bodies for them to be issued death certificates by the NSO. “Walang death certificate na John Doe. Ang identity ng isang tao ay may kalakip na consequence. Sa pinakamababaw, yong byuda pwedeng mag-asawa. May financial implications, like makakaclaim sila ng insurance and other benefits due to the survivors. Nandon din ang issue ng inheritance,” Ericta said.

(No death certificates are issued for John Does. The identity of a person has consequences. At the outset, a victim’s spouse can get married again. There are also financial implications: surviving relatives can claim insurance and other benefits. There are also inheritance issues.)

Almost 4,000 have died in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda. While many more deaths are expected, it will be difficult to identify bodies.

This is why the National Statistics Office is reviving calls for a National ID system. Photo

by Bernard Testa ©InterAksyon.com

Meanwhile, those who have missing relatives who can no longer be recovered or identified can ask a court to declare presumptive death.

“Pwede silang magpunta sa korte para magkaroon ng declaration na ‘presumption of death.’ In this instance, we will be working with the Public Attorney’s Office to help them,” she added.

(We will be working with the Public Attorney’s Office to help them.) ■ Jet Villa / InterAksyon.com / November 18, 2013 / 2:47 PM

printed with the following text: ‘Disaster Relief Stock not for sale. In solidarity with the victims of Typhoon Yolanda. From ASCO Foods Limited and the Filipino Community of the UK’. According to Mr Chadha, ‘It was important for us that the recipients of the aid knew that they had the support of the Filipino community of the UK and that this wasn’t just a donation from another organisation. We are very fortunate to be in the position we are and we owe a lot of that to the Filipino Community both in the UK and in The Philippines.

The work doesn’t end here for ASCO Foods. They are also working on raising funds and using their expertise to help deliver water purification LifeSaver® systems which will help provide clean water to those affected. ■

Typhoon damage to Visayas electric coops hits nearly ₱5 billion

MANILA - Damage to electric cooperatives operating in areas hardest hit by Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ reached almost P5 billion, according to the National Electrification Administration (NEA).

In a report to the Department of Energy (DOE), NEA said Yolanda inflicted 4.92 billion in damage to 34 electric cooperatives operating in 20 provinces.

Cooperatives in Leyte suffered the most damage, with the Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative Inc incurring a loss of P870 million. Other coops that sustained heavy damage and the estimates are as follows: • Leyte V Electric Cooperative Inc, 861.5 million; • Capiz Electric Cooperative Inc, 670 million; • Leyte II Electric Cooperative Inc, 660.9 million; and • Leyte III Electric Cooperative Inc, 464.98 million.

To assist in the utilities’ repair works, NEA said it has made available 371 million in calamity loans to 17 cooperatives.

NEA and 34 cooperatives in Luzon and Mindanao have also deployed 226 engineers and linemen to assist the nine coops in Visayas in their power restoration efforts.

Nine task force teams were sent on

November 12 to Capiz, Iloilo, Aklan, Leyte, Biliran and Eastern Samar.

Dispatched NEA engineers and technical staff conducted assessment in all areas affected by Yolanda and assisted in the clearing operation. Power restoration and rehabilitation is being supervised by NEA. NEA and the electric cooperatives aim to rebuild distribution lines simultaneously with the repair of the National Grid Corp of the Philippines’ (NGCP) transmission lines in order to fast track power restoration to consumers.

To date, power has been restored to all towns in the coverage areas of Maselco, Vresco, Boheco I and II, Cebeco II. Soleco, Leyeco IV, Samelco I, and Norsamelco.

Two towns in Bileco, 13 towns in Samelco II, and nine towns in Esamelco are ready to receive power when transmission is restored.

The NGCP earlier reported that power transmission lines have been restored in Panay Island and in Leyte. However, restoring electricity at the town, or even barangay level, would depend on repairs being done by electric cooperatives.

The DOE is aiming to complete power restoration at the town level by December 24. ■ Euan Paulo C. Añonuevo / InterAksyon.com / November 26, 2013 / 9:43 AM

Yolanda’s orphans: Where will they go?

TACLOBAN - Since her mother, father, and three siblings were swept away by a tsunami-like wave that engulfed Tacloban, Nica Cabutin has been learning to live as an orphan, one of many created by the Philippines typhoon.

She was found clutching wreckage after one of the most powerful storms ever recorded whipped up a huge surge that brought the ocean ashore, leaving the city in ruins and thousands of people dead.

Nica’s house and entire family were, in her own words, “brought away by the sea,” said Carmela Bastes, director of the Shelter for Abused Women and Children, a refuge for rape victims and those afflicted by violence, where the orphan now lives.

The young girl is shy about her lopsided hair, which was cut short so the two large gashes on the side of her head could be treated.

“She tells us she’s in first grade and we also estimate she’s eight,” said Bastes, whose staff tracked the girl’s family to what

had been the Alimasag neighborhood of the devastated city.

Survivors there told officials that nothing has been seen of her parents or siblings since super typhoon Yolanda struck on November 8.

They are presumed to be five of the more than 4,400 people the United Nations says have died, while Philippine authorities put the toll at just under 4,000.

Nica was one of the first children from Tacloban to be placed in government care after losing parents to the typhoon, said Liliosa Baltazar, director of the city’s social welfare department. But, she adds, she is not expected to be the last.

“We can’t say at this point how many there will be. We expect the local officials of the (Tacloban) districts will turn over orphaned children to us. Right now they are attending to the needs of their own families.”

April Sumaylo from Save the Children in the Philippines says the charity believes

around three million children have been affected in some way by the typhoon.

“We have talked to children who have lost their parents,” she said.

“We have seen some children who said they are the ones scavenging for food and water. It’s obviously very distressing for them.”

Nica lives on the ground floor of the women’s shelter. Its roof was blown off in the storm and, as is the case in much of Tacloban on Leyte island, there is no power or water.

Under normal circumstances, she might have been placed in one of the city’s two main orphanages, one run by Catholic nuns and the other by non-governmental group SOS. But they too were badly damaged by the storm surges and ferocious winds that tore through the Philippines’ central islands.

Both had to be evacuated, officials from the two shelters told AFP. When Nica first arrived at the shelter she

A child playing in front of the convention center which serves as an evacuation center, Tacloban City, Monday, November 18, 2013. Photo by Bernard Testa ©InterAksyon.com

would cry all the time, said Bastes, but now she is more used to being there and plays with the other children.

Despite all she has gone through, Nica is bearing up well, said Bastes, perhaps too young to understand the magnitude of the horror that has befallen her.

“We do not know if this will remain the case,” she added.

Once the city’s welfare services get up and running again, Nica and other children like her who emerge over the days and weeks ahead will be handed over to officials and eventually put up for adoption.

“We have to place them with a family,” said Bastes. “They can’t be in this institution forever.” ■ Cecil Morella / Agence France-Presse / November 18, 2013 / 10:11 AM

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CELEBRITY, SHOWBIZ & ENTERTAINMENT SCOOP

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

Rachelle Ann Go clinches role of Gigi for West End’s ‘Miss Saigon’ in 2014 FILIPINA singer and GMA contract artist Rachelle Ann Go is set to reprise the role of Saigon bar girl Gigi Van Tranh in the upcoming revival of “Miss Saigon” at London’s West End in 2014.

The British news site Daily Mail reported Thursday (Friday in Manila) that Go has been chosen to appear as Gigi in the musical, which will also feature Filipino theater actor Jonjon Briones as The Engineer.

News of Ms. Go’s inclusion in the “Miss Saigon” cast has also been confirmed by the Broadway news site Broadwayworld. com.

Tony Award winner and Filipina singer Lea Salonga, who first portrayed the lead role of Vietnames bar girl Kim in the original London premiere of Miss Saigon in 1989, expressed her elation over Go’s inclusion in the cast on Twitter.

“To @gorachelleann RACHELLE ANN

GO! Iwagayway and bandilang Pilipino!

Congratulations on being cast in the West End revival of MISS SAIGON!” Salonga tweeted.

Go, meanwhile, said on Twitter that she thought she was still dreaming when she received news that she is going to be part of the musical.

“Good morning!!! I just woke up...i think i’m still dreaming! Totoo na po pala talaga... thank You Lord God. Thank You...,” she tweeted.

Actress Isay Alvarez, who originally played the role of Gigi in the 1989 “Miss Saigon” production, also congratulated Go and Twitter and told the 27-year-old singer that being part of the cast is an “experience of a lifetime.” “hey rachelle!! Congratulations!! I’m pretty sure you will have a great time there.

It’ll be an experience of a lifetime!!!Gbu

(God bless you),” Alvarez tweeted.

Go was among the six Filipina aspirants who were shortlisted for the musical during the Philippine leg of the casting search held last year by executive producer Trevor Jackson and director Laurence Connor.

Music supervisor Stephen Brooker, who was part of the audition panel, told BroadwayWorld Philippines that “over a thousand people” auditioned to become part of the musical during the four-day casting call in Manila.

The musical, which is loosely based on Giacomo Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly”, tells the tragic love story between Kim and the American soldier Chris in the final days of the American occupation of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) during the Vietnam War in 1975.

Since its West End premiere in 1989, “Miss Saigon” has gone on to become one

of the most successful musicals in history, with several performances in 15 different languages in over 300 cities worldwide.

On its 25th anniversary, “Miss Saigon” will be staged at Prince Edward Theatre in London’s West End beginning May 3, 2014.

Other cast members include Alistair Brammer as Chris, Hugh Maynard as John, and Tamsin Carroll as Ellen. Salonga’s role will be reprised by 17-year-old American student Eva Noblezada. ■ Xianne Arcangel / KDM, GMA News / November 22, 2013 / 5:29 PM

GMA Network artists and news and public affairs unite for the victims of typhoon Yolanda

Camille Prats and Jennylyn Mercado

Dennis Trillo

telethon, and repacking of goods) all for the survival and recovery of the victims of typhoon Yolanda.

As of November 26, GMA Kapuso Foundation has received a total of 166,083,570.95 in cash and 26,244,191.88 worth of in-kind donations. Total amount of donations is 192,327,762.83. Those who wish to extend financial aid to GMAKF may visit the GMA Kapuso Foundation website at http://www.gmanetwork.com/Kapuso Foundation.

Meanwhile, to know the details on how to subscribe to GMA International channels – GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV and GMA News TV International, please 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 and @GMA_LifeTV. ■

THERE is nothing more unique than the heart of a Filipino—soft enough to care for the weak, strong enough to rise up to the challenge. GMA Network knocks on this very heart as the country faces another great challenge—the nation’s survival and recovery from typhoon Yolanda.

With the joint efforts of GMA Kapuso Foundation and YES Pinoy Foundation, last November 17, the Kapuso Network invited everyone to take part in a one time television special aptly entitled, “TIBAY NG PUSONG PILIPINO, A GMA Telethon for the benefit of the victims of typhoon Yolanda.”

This special featured a powerhouse cast of respectable names in the music and showbiz industry, headlined by the biggest and brightest Kapuso stars, with the special participation of News and Public Affairs personalities.

Viewers got to see various Kapuso artists in heartwarming production numbers, live updates in the affected areas, and special activities (such as live

Tom Rodriguez

Dingdong Dantes

Mark Herras

Glaiza de Castro

Elmo Magalona

Alden Richards.jpg

Marian Rivera with other volunteers.

Kris Bernal Aljur Abrenica and Julie Anne San Jose

Arnold Clavio, Marian Rivera, and Dingdong Dantes

Jestoni Alarcon

Rocco Nacio and Max Collins

Carla Abellana

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CELEBRITY, SHOWBIZ & ENTERTAINMENT SCOOP

Alicia Keys arrives in Manila for one-night concert POPULAR American R&B singersongwriter, actress and record producer Alicia Keys arrived with her 3-year-old son Daoud Dean at 7:15PM Sunday at the Ninoy

Alicia Keys arrives with her son Daoud Dean at the NAIA Sunday night. Photo by Eric B. Apolonio ©InterAksyon

Aquino Internartional Airport on board Philippine Airlines flight PR 353 from Macau.

Accompanied by close-in security personnel, Keys was immediately led to her waiting van but managed to smile and throw a flying kiss to dozens of her fans, who despite heavy rains waited to catch a glimpse of her at the arrival curb side.

The 32-year-old singer is in Manila as part of her “Set the World on Fire Tour”.

She will perform on Monday, November 25, at the Mall of Asia Arena—her second concert in the Philippines. The first was held in August 2008.

Keys is behind the hit songs “No One,” “Empire State of Mind” and “Girl on Fire.” ■ Eric B. Apolonio / InterAksyon.com /November 24, 2013

/ 10:24 PM

Jessica Sanchez to visit Manny Pacquiao in GenSan after Macau gig

AFTER singing both the national anthems of the US and the Philippines before Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Brandon Rios in Macau on Sunday, Jessica Sanchez has accepted another invitation from the Filipino boxing superstar.

In a Twitter post on Sunday, the 17-year-old “American Idol” sensation congratulated Pacquiao on his dominant unanimous decision victory over Rios and then revealed an upcoming trip to Pacquiao’s hometown: The message came with a photo of herself and Pacquiao posing for photographers after the fight.

Sanchez, who flew to Los Angeles later on Sunday via Hong Kong, also posted a photo of herself with Pacquiao’s wife Jinkee in another tweet via Instagram.

The trip to General Santos City will mark

Jessica Sanchez and Jinkee Pacquiao

Alicia Keys visits typhoon survivors in Villamor Air Base

ALICIA Keys made a surprise visit to Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Monday and met with hundreds of evacuees from Leyte and Samar who had arrived via C-130 planes to flee the devastation wrought by supertyphoon Yolanda.

Keys distributed crayons and coloring books to the children of the evacuees hours before her concert at the Mall of Asia Arena.

She stayed for about 30 minutes.

She tweeted on November 11, three days after the typhoon: “People of the Philippines, my heart is with you.”

The singer-songwriter known for the hits “No One,” “Empire State of Mind” and “Girl on Fire” arrived in Manila on Sunday with her 3-year-old son Daoud Dean.

Keys’ concert on Monday night is part of her “Set the World on Fire Tour”. It would be her second concert in the Philippines. She first performed in Manila in August 2008. ■ InterAksyon.com / November 25, 2013 /9:38 PM

Alicia Keys gives crayons and coloring books to young evacuees from the Visayas at the Villamor Air Base grandstand on Monday afternoon. Photo courtesy of PIA.

All-star album ‘Songs for the Philippines’ launched on iTunes to aid typhoon victims

Jessica Sanchez wears golden gloves and a Pacquiao cap in this photo taken in her hotel room at the Venetian Macao last weekend.

Photo courtesy of her website.

Sanchez’ third visit to the Philippines after her runner-up finish in “American Idol” last year. The singer, whose mother hails from Samal, Bataan, received a rousing welcome during the Manila leg of the “American Idol” tour last year, then had a Valentine concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in February.

Her performance in Macau was the second time she sang in a Pacquiao fight but the first time she sang the Philippine national anthem in public. She performed “The Star Spangled Banner” when Pacquiao fought Timothy Bradley in Las Vegas in June last year. ■ InterAksyon.com /

SONY, Warner Music and Universal have joined forces to raise money for victims of the recent typhoon in the Philippines.

The three record labels have put together an all-star compilation album called “Songs for the Philippines”. Featured are 39 hit songs by various contemporary and classic artists, including Filipino-Americans Bruno Mars, Jessica Sanchez, and Apl.De.Ap, as well as Filipino-Spanish-American Enrique Iglesias.

The songs include current chart-toppers like Katy Perry’s “Unconditionally” and One Direction’s “Best Song Ever”, and classic tracks from legendary acts like the Beatles (“Across the Universe” and “Let It Be”), Bob Dylan (“Shelter from the Storm”), and

Madonna (“Like a Prayer”).

The album was released on iTunes on Monday and is available for $9.99. All proceeds will go to the Philippine Red Cross.

Below is the complete track list: 1. The Beatles, “Across the Universe” 2. Bob Dylan, “Shelter From the Storm” 3. Michael Bublé, “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” 4. U2, “In A Little While” 5. Bruno Mars, “Count On Me” 6. Beyoncé, “I Was Here” 7. Eminem, “Stan” (live from BBC Radio 1) 8. Cher, “Sirens” 9. Adele, “Make You Feel My Love” 10. Katy Perry, “Unconditionally” (Johnson Somerset remix)

November 25, 2013 / 10:21 AM

Tegan and Sara raise funds for typhoon victims, will accept relief goods during Manila concert A popular alternative foreign act scheduled to perform in Manila is helping out the victims of typhoon Yolanda (also known as Haiyan in the US and other countries) in more ways than one.

Scheduled to perform this Monday, November 25, at the NBC Tent, Canadian indie rock duo Tegan and Sara have actually initiated several efforts to provide relief for the typhoon victims.

This was announced by the duo themselves in their official website which they continue to update.

“We’ve been glued to the news ever since hearing about Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. It’s heart wrenching to see so many people impacted by this disaster, and it’s hitting home even more because we are heading there to perform in Manila in less than two weeks so will see some of the effects first hand,” they posted last November 13.

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

In that initial post, the duo, who are actually twin sisters, said that they intend to push through with their show and appealed to their Manila fans to donate “canned food, bottled water, clothes & slippers, blankets, medicine/vitamins, tents, garbage bags and any other items” that they will collect during their concert.

“We will also be donating a portion of our ticket and merchandise sales to the Red Cross,” they added.

On top of that, the duo also announced the auctioning of premium items that include “a signed vinyl box set, a signed copy of Heartthrob magazine and a highly coveted pair of the Tegan MacBeth sneakers, amongst other things”.

In their latest update, Tegan and Sara announced that they were able to raise $2,645 which will be matched by the Canadian government “to help those affected by typhoon Haiyan”. That’s a

Bruno Mars, Jessica Sanchez, and Enrique Iglesias

■ InterAksyon.com / November 26, 2013 / 3:18 PM

total of $5,290 that will go directly to the Canadian Red Cross.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the victims and their friends and families all over the world as they struggle to recover from this disaster,” they also posted.

As posted in website, Tegan and Sara began their musical odyssey at the age of 15 when they first picked up the guitar and started writing songs. They have been recording since 1999 and have in fact toured with artists as varied as Neil Young and The Killers. They have also collaborated with superstar DJs, Tiesto and David Guetta.

Among their most popular songs are “Walking with a Ghost”, “Back in your Head” and their recent single “Closer” from their seventh studio album, “Heartthrob”. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / November 24, 2013 / 8:48 AM

11. One Direction, “Best Song Ever” 12. fun., “Carry On” 13. Lady Gaga, “Born This Way” (the Country Road version) 14. Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors” 15. Justin Bieber, “I Would” 16. Alicia Keys, “New Day” 17. Imagine Dragons, “30 Lives” 18. Madonna, “Like A Prayer” 19. Pink, “Sober” 20. Kylie Minogue, “I Believe In You” 21. Enrique Iglesias, “Hero” 22. Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Factory of Faith” 23. Linkin Park, “Roads Untraveled” 24. Kings of Leon, “Use Somebody” 25. Muse, “Explorers” 26. Lorde, “The Love Club” 27. Josh Groban, “Brave” 28. Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger” 29. Paolo Nutini, “Simple Things” 30. Ellie Goulding, “I Know You Care” 31. James Blunt, “Carry You Home” 32. Pitbull featuring Christina Aguilera, “Feel This Moment” 33. Earth, Wind & Fire, “Sign On” 34. Apl.de.Ap, “Going Out” featuring Damian Leroy 35. Sara Bareilles, “Brave” 36. Jessica Sanchez, “Lead Me Home” 37. Lily Allen, “Smile” 38. The Fray, “Love Don’t Die” 39. The Beatles, “Let It Be”

Tegan and Sara

Original Creation and Copyright Reserved By: Hello Philippines 2013

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PHILIPPINE EMBASSY NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

PHL Consul General Pays Courtesy Call on British Columbia’s Lieutenant Governor CONSUL General Neil Frank R. Ferrer called on the Honourable Judith Guichon, the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia (B.C.), at the Government House, her working office and private residence, in Victoria, British Columbia on November 21.

Recognized as the viceregal representative in British Columbia of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, Her Honour Judith Guichon was sworn in as the 29thLieutenant Governor

of the province on November 02, 2012. Prior to this appointment, she owned and operated Gerard Guichon Ranch Limited in the Nicola Valley in British Columbia’s interior.

During the call, Consul General Ferrer discussed with the Lieutenant Governor diverse topics ranging from the weather to piracy and Philippine exports of agricultural commodities. Highlights of the meeting are as follows:

• Lieutenant Governor Guichon conveyed her sympathies and wishes for the safety and well-being to the victims of typhoonYolanda (Haiyan) and their families in the Philippines. The Consul General thanked Her Honour for her well wishes and B.C’s support, noting that Canada and the provincial government of B.C. were among the first to respond to the crisis and provide aid for the victims.

He also thanked the Lieutenant Governor particularly for the “matching scheme” offered by the provincial government, whereby every dollar donated by British Columbians for the cause would be matched, dollar for dollar by the province, up to CA$300,000.00.

• On the relief assistance received by the Philippines, Lieutenant Governor Guichon noted that the abundance of aid and assistance to the Philippines was due to the fact that everyone in Canada has friends in the Philippines. “They (Filipinos) are very good ambassadors for your country,” she said.

• Lieutenant Governor Guichon said she wonders if storms in the Philippines are

growing stronger and more destructive, and if this was due to global warming.

Consul General Ferrer noted that the science on this issue is still developing, but agreed that global warming may be affecting or changing weather patterns, causing more destructive storms.

The Consul General added that the Philippine delegation head at the Warsaw Conference of Parties (COP) on Climate Change made an impassioned call for global action in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

• Turning to trade, Lieutenant Governor Guichon inquired whether the Philippines exports agricultural products. The Consulate General’s delegation replied in the affirmative, citing recent successes in the export of fresh mangoes, pineapples and bananas to countries like Australia and the United States, and the availability of fruit juice and dried fruits in retail stores in Canada. The Consulate delegation offered to send dried mangoes to Her Honour in the future.

• Lieutenant Governor Guichon inquired whether the Philippines is a member of

the Transpacific Partnership, the proposed trade agreement under negotiation by (as of August 2013) Australia, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam. The Consulate General’s delegation replied that the Philippines is not, but that the matter is still under study.

Consul General Ferrer was accompanied during the call by his wife Mrs. Miriam Manaog-Ferrer, his daughter Victoria Grace, Consul Anthony Mandap, and Labour Attaché Bernardino Julve.

Immediately after the call on the Lieutenant Governor, the delegation proceeded to the Bayanihan Filipino Community Centre in Victoria to witness the turnover by Filipino community leaders of a check to the Canadian Red Cross representing donations collected from fundraising campaigns.

The Filipino residents of Victoria, in partnership with local businesses and other ethnic communities, raised a total of CA$30,000.00 in donations. ■ November

26, 2013

Philippines, UK Affirm Strong Bilateral Ties at Fourth High-Level Meeting THE Philippines and the United Kingdom (UK) held their fourth HighLevel Meeting in Manila on November 21.

The meeting was co-chaired by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for International Economic Relations Laura Q. Del Rosario for the Philippines and by Foreign and Commonwealth Office Director General for Economic and Consular Ms. Barbara Woodward for the UK side.

The two sides discussed the broad range of bilateral relations. Both sides welcomed the increasing high-level political engagements as these strengthen both bilateral relations and partnership in international fora.

As well, both sides agreed to exert greater efforts to build on the achievements of a number of economic missions conducted this year, such as the UK business mission to the Philippines in September led by UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment

Lord Stephen Green of Hurstpierpoint and the high-level Philippine economic mission to the UK in October led by Trade Secretary Gregorio Domingo and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima. In 2012, bilateral trade stood at US$928 million and British investments in the Philippines totalled US$160.3 million.

The Philippine side expressed its sincere appreciation for the UK’s timely and significant contribution to the emergency relief operations in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). As of November 18, the UK’s ₤52-million humanitarian aid package had provided nearly 500,000 shelter kits, hygiene kits, water and sanitation equipment for up to 800,000 people.

This is on top of the various British military assets currently deployed in the central Philippines, which include the Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Daring with a 12-person medical team on-board, a Royal Air Force

(RAF) C-130 Hercules and a RAF C-17 air transport. The Philippines also extended its thanks to the British public which has already donated a total of ₤33 million to the emergency relief operations via UK-based aid charities as of November 18.

The meeting agreed to a robust implementation of recently signed bilateral agreements, including the PhilippinesUK Joint Plan of Action (JPA) and the Air Services Agreement, both signed in December 2012, and the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty which was ratified in June 2012. Both sides also expressed hope that the Extradition Treaty would be ratified soon.

Both sides further agreed to consider other bilateral agreements in the fields of consular cooperation as well as in cultural and educational cooperation.

Regional and global developments were also discussed. ■ November 26, 2013

Phl Embassy Conducts Consular Mission in “Jose Rizal Room” in Beausoleil, France IT was a special treat for over 300 Filipinos to have had their consular outreach in the “Jose Rizal Room” of the newly renovated Municipal Hall of Beausoleil in France on November 16 and 17.

Inaugurated by Beausoleil Mayor Gerard Spinelli in July 2013, the “Jose Rizal Room” was the fruit of several voyages of Mayor Spinelli to the Philippines where he learned about the incredible story of the Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.

“This is the first time that the Filipino community in Beausoleil and in neighbouring cities such as Nice, Menton, and Monte Carlo are able to use this room for the consular mission and I am happy to put it at their disposal,” Mayor Spinelli said during the conduct of the consular mission.

Present during the mission were Honorary Consul to Monaco Patricia Zobel de Ayala as well as volunteers from

Mayor Gerard Spinelli, Honorary Consul Patricia Zobel de Ayala, Third Secretary and Vice Consul Rapunzel Acop, and Vice Mayor Gerard Destephanis.

the Filipino community in the South of France led by Mr. Danny Cabellon.

Mr. Roberto Ramos, Managing Director of the Philippine National Bank (PNB) in Europe, together with Ms. Lynetth Cuignet from PNB Paris, was likewise present to distribute SSS and Pag-IBIG leaflets and application forms

and to attend to the queries of the Filipino community.

With a team of eight persons from the Philippine Embassy headed by Third Secretary and Vice Consul Rapunzel Acop, 305 passports were processed, pushing to 364 the total number of consular services delivered over the weekend. ■ November 25, 2013

Ambassador Rosario G. Manalo (5th from right), Philippine Representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commision on Human Rights (AICHR), with H.E. Dato Dr. Haji Ahmad Haji Jumat, Chairperson and Representative of Brunei Darussalam to the AICHR (center) and other ASEAN Representatives at the opening of the AICHR Meeting on 24 November 2013 at Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati.

Philippines Hosts Meeting of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) THE Philippines is hosting a special meeting of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) from November 24 to 26.

The AICHR is the overarching body responsible for human rights in ASEAN, mandated by ASEAN Leaders to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of the peoples of ASEAN in accordance with the ASEAN Charter.

The AICHR Representatives shall

discuss at their meeting, among others, the implementation of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD), upcoming AICHR activities, strengthening of the AICHR Secretariat, and cooperation with Dialogue Partners on human rights.

At the opening of the meeting, AICHR Representatives expressed their solidarity and condolences to the people and Government of the Philippines in the aftermath of super-typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). ■ November 25, 2013

(L) Passport applicants at the Jose Rizal Room. (R) Honorary Consul Patricia Zobel de Ayala, Mayor Gerard Spinelli and Vice Mayor Gerard Destephanis watch on during the oath taking.

Applicants pause for a moment of prayer for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

EVENT DIARY UK & EUROPE

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition DATE / TIME 7 December Saturday 6:00pm 7 December Saturday 6:00pm (Reception) 7:00pm – 1:00am (Dinner & Dance) 7 December Saturday 6:00pm 8 December Sunday 2:30pm 8 December Sunday 11 December Wednesday 6:00pm – 1:00am 13 December Friday 7:00pm 14 December Saturday 6:00pm – 1:00am

EVENT

VENUE

www.hello-philippines.com

ORGANISER

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CONTACTS / REMARKS

Pinoy Night – A Call for Typhoon Yolanda & Bohol Earthquake Victims 20th Annual Christmas Dinner & Dance

Marian Community Centre, 1 Stafford Road, Kilburn, London NW6 5RS Copthorne Tara Hotel, Scarsdale Place, Kensington, London W8 5SY

The Cordillera Connection

Call: 07411 177 652 / 07583 636 174 Ticket: £10.00 includes meal

Aguman Kapampangan UK

PhilJury Pre-Christmas 2013 Dinner Dance Party

Baden Powell House, 65 – 67 Queens Gate, London SW7 5JS St. Mary’s, Cadogan Street, Sloane Square, London SW3 2QR

PhilJury (Mr Tim Sapurco, President)

Zanie del Mundo – 07733 781 858 / 07886 881 432 Estella Gomez – 07817 200 444 Erroll – 07429 187 991 Omie – 07832 597 530 Ana Maravilla 07772 772 083 Eva Macadangdang 07983 593 914 Lydia Sapurco 07909 345 626 Celebrants: Fr Voltaire Dimol, Fr Allan Sater and Fr Aoud O’Halpin

Bar Rumba, 36 Shaftesbury Avenue, Piccadilly, London W1D 7EP The Oxford Hotel, Godstow Road, Oxford OX2 8AL

LiveloPR

Joysel Dizon Livelo – 07715 975 418

Filipino Community of Oxfordshire

www.filcomoxford.org.uk

Hawak Kamay UK

Ray Rodriguez 07792 120 810 Cleo Sagun 07595 360 044 Ticket: £10.00 Advance includes food Vannz Bio 07947 160 826 Dules 07879 781 400 Ticket: £10.00 (Inclusive of Dinner, Disco and Drinks except alcohol) Ray Rodruguez 07792 120 810

Thanksgiving Mass – From the Philippines and the Filipino people in the United Kingdom to the World Fundraising Event

Annual Christmas Party Hawak Kamay UK – A Season of Sharing & Giving Christmas Party Fundraising Event

Globe Academy School, Harper Road, London SE1 6AF Mazenod Community Centre, Mazenod Avenue, corner Quex Road, Kilburn, London NW6 4PS

15 December Sunday 10:00am – 8:00pm

HOOP for HOPE London Typhoon Appeal

18 December Wednesday 7:00pm 21 December Saturday 6:00pm

Ima Castro in Concert – Full Circle

The Cockpit, Gateforth Street, London NW8 8EH

BRITFIL Christmas Party

Chasewell Community Social Club, Avoce Way, Cherwell Height, Banbury, Oxon OX16 9YA Bournbrook and Selly Oak Social Club, 13A Hubert Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham B29 6DX Crown Moran Hotel, 142 – 152 Cricklewood Broadway, London NW2 3ED Gibson Hall, 13 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 3BA Chelsea Theatre, 7 World’s End Place, King’s Road, London SW10 0DR

21 December Saturday 5:00pm

Annual Christmas Party

22 December Sunday 5:00pm

Christmas Party

Filipino Movement (FilMo)

The Salmon Youth Centre in Bermondsey, London Filipino-British Basketball, KAMPI, Hawak Kamay UK, Philippine Generations, UK Support PH DitseProductions

Call to Book Tickets: 020 3286 4883 Ticket: £12.00

British & Filipino Community (BRITFIL)

Nilda Dean – denil123@hotmail.com

Filipino Association of Birmingham (FAB)

Contact any FAB Officers

UK Candelaria Quezon Association (UKCQA)

Jennifer Arguelles (President) – arguelles_cpa@yahoo.com.ph

Rebecca Grant 07762 551 448 / New Dreams for The 22 December info@rebeccagrant.co.uk Philippines Sunday 7:00pm Philippine Theatre UK For Information and Tickets: 020 7352 1967 / From Heaven With Love – A 22 to 26 January 2014 Theatrical Comedy Written Evening 7:30pm www.chealseatheatre.org.uk and Directed by: Ramon Sat & Sun Matinee Castillanes Tenoso 3:00pm FREE LISTING of your events on the HELLO PHILIPPINES newspaper and if you know of any Events please contact us and submit your event via email to the following at INFO@HELLO-PHILIPPINES.COM DISCLAIMER: The Events Diary Listing does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by Hello Philippines newspaper. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Hello Philippines newspaper. This is merely an Events Diary Listing of what is happening within the Filipino Communities in Europe. This is for general information only.

MONTHLY FILIPINO COMMUNITY MASSES IN GREATER LONDON

1st Sunday

2:00pm

1st Sunday

5:00pm

2nd Saturday

4:00pm

2nd Sunday

2:00pm

2nd Sunday

2:00pm

2nd Sunday

4:00pm

3rd Sunday

3:00pm

3rd Sunday

3:00pm

Last Saturday

6:00pm

Last Sunday

2:00pm

Every Sunday

5:00pm

First Wednesdays

6:30pm

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

34

NEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

PLDT at 85: Changing how Filipino families stay together MANILA - From saying a simple “hello” transmitted through their landline handsets decades ago to blowing a kiss via Skype, Filipinos now have changed the way they keep in touch with their families in this digital age, with the help of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co (PLDT).

Broadband Internet has provided a new way of communicating and entertaining Filipino households—from sharing photos and videos on social networking sites to playing games and watching movies on their laptops and tablets.

Ariel P. Fermin, PLDT executive vice president and head of HOME Business, said the market has changed “from the time that landline was the only the game in town, we are now at the age where there’s just a lot of screens.”

“So, I think PLDT would certainly want to transform itself and evolve with the times. I think the obvious solution for the company is to transform itself from a dominant phone company to an integrated multimedia front,” Fermin added.

For the residential segment, the executive said they are making sure that PLDT achieves its mission of becoming an integrated multimedia platform.

“Broadband is just a start, a lot of things are in play,” he added.

Multiple screens. To recall, PLDT’s landline business has fallen with the advent of text messaging or short messaging service (SMS) but the country’s biggest telco saw another avenue for expansion: the growing popularity of Internet-enabled gadgets in homes. Because of this, the company’s digital subscriber line (DSL) has been re-branded as HOME. HOME is aimed at connecting all electronic devices in people’s homes— such as computers, tablets, smartphones and smart TVs—for seamless, simultaneous

streaming and interconnectivity.

“We felt that screens are part of our agenda, we kind of strategically and playfully played with it and played the home logo; that’s what we stood for and certainly that’s where PLDT is headed in its 85th year,” Fermin said.

“Our vision would be to have a connected home and our product relevant to that would be first...As you know, we’ve already launched the Telpad, the world’s first landline and tablet in one, so that, we felt, was the center of a connected home,” he added.

PLDT also launched the fiber-to-home broadband service, targeting exclusive villages in Metro Manila.

Fibr can deliver speeds of up to 100 Mbps, using a dedicated connection straight to the subscribers’ homes. This service allows them to stream high-definition content, play lag-free online gaming, and adopt seamless cloud computing. Fibr rides on PLDT’s extensive fiber optic network that extends 54,000 kilometers nationwide.

“On top of these Fiber and Telpad innovations, We’ve come up with a lot of value-added services for the family to enjoy, it’s entertainment, it’s games, it’s music and at some point it will be home monitoring.”

According to the 2011 Yahoo-Nielsen Net Index, all market segments have multiple internet users at home more than 80 percent of the time.

The study also revealed that users at home tend to access the Internet more frequently compared to their Internet cafe and mobile counterparts, with more than 50 percent accessing the web at home once, or more than once a day.

Technology brings family closer.

“If everyone has an access to the net, [then] everyone would benefit from the knowledge, from entertainment and from

all that stuff that the Net has to offer. I think more and more Filipino families would be craving for more . . . access to broadband and everything it has to offer,” Fermin said.

That is why, he said, PLDT’s job is to provide broadband access not only to the premium and mainstream consumer but also to the Filipinos who are at the base of the economic pyramid.

“It’s not only providing access, it’s also providing content that is relevant to them.

Imagine if every family had access to great entertainment from TV5 in this case or great music from Smart or movies, then a lot of people, a lot of family members would find themselves spend more time at home,” Fermin said.

“Kesa lumalabas pa sila [Instead of just going out] and I think as parents, that’s what you want your kids to go back to. Spending more time at home; understandably there’s a lot more attraction out there with what’s happening to retail, but then again iisa lang uuwian mo, bahay lang uuwian mo, isa lang pamilya mo. And I think as parents, we’d want to rediscover the joy of being with family, that’s why we’ve launched, in our case the HOME masterbrand,” he added.

Contrary to the popular belief that technology negatively affects the relationships within the Filipino family, Fermin believes that “technology would be one of the primary reasons why families are together.”

The PLDT executive said that children and their parents would have different interests and the technology that can bring these interests together is broandband Internet. Moreover, this service allows Filipinos to be better and more competitive in the global arena.

“Because the rest of the world is in that state already. So, I felt I that it is incumbent upon as market leader—PLDT Home in this

COA chief Pulido-Tan admits MANILA, Philippines – Commission on Audit (COA) Chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan on Tuesday admitted before the Senate that the state audit agency, an independent constitutional body, has benefited from the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) in the amount of P150 million.

During the “Question Hour Proceedings,” Tan said the COA has stood as “beneficiaries” in the controversial DAP, the funding mechanism instituted by the Palace to ramp up government spending mostly for infrastructure projects after underspending was blamed for the sluggish growth in 2011. The Supreme Court is deliberating on several petitions questioning the constitutionality of DAP, a little known budget “creation” that even lawmakers said they didn’t know about until DBM Secretary Florencio Abad mentioned its name several weeks ago. Critics hold it is illegal because it twists the constitutional meaning of “savings” and allows the Executive to realign funds at will, outside the framework of the budget process that Congress is mandated to control.

In explaining how her agency ended up with millions that came from DAP, the audit agency’s Tan said COA had requested for funds to finance acquisition of new computers, CCTVs, the hiring of consultants

and new vehicles for three of its officials, one commissioner and two directors. The past few days, Tan and her very powerful colleague, commissioner Heidi Mendoza, were reported to have obtained service vehicles worth a whopping 2.5 million each.

“I requested from the DBM because when I got into COA, we found out that we were very behind in terms of our computerization. Our computers were the type [that] had floppy discs pa, so we needed to modernize so that we could carry out our work efficiently and well. We found out the great backlog in the cases, so we wanted to hire some consultants, so we could be helped. So I did (made) request for that,” Tan said in reply to a query by Senator Jinggoy Estrada.

Tan said the allotment was for 143.7 million from which, 68.3 million is for IT infrastructure program, 2.79 million for CCTVs, 4.6 million for consultants and 5.115 million for new vehicles.

“I have a copy here of the letter that i sent to the DBM for the request of funds dated Aug. 25 2011. I can give u a copy,” Tan said.

Request preceded establishment of DAP. Tan, however, clarified that when they made the request in 2011, there was no DAP yet until it was released last year.

case--not to be left behind by the rest of the world,” Fermin said.

More relevant content for consumers.

In the coming decades, Fermin promised that PLDT would offer more added value, such as content, that is relevant to its subscribers while sticking to the company’s core business, which is telecommunications.

“That’s why our friends in Cignal, our friends in TV5, were vital pieces of our growth agenda. Content is a vital part of our growth agenda,” Fermin said.

In addition, the company would also want to focus on customer service.

“It’s a work in progress. It’s an evolution in our case as well because one has to understand that right now, we’re wired towards providing access because that’s what the company is all about: home and broadband,” said Fermin.

Since PLDT continues to evolve and has grown and reached an integrated multimedia status, the company has to make sure that its people are equipped to sell the new product and are also prepared to provide after-sales services.

“It is about taking care of the consumers long after the service has been provided.

So, that’s very important in the growth of PLDT,” Fermin said.

It’s not all about business. With the devastation caused by the strongest typhoon to date, the world has seen that

telecommunication is one of the most critical elements in the post-disaster relief and reconstruction effort.

“As our mantra goes, we change lives.

We change lives in this unfortunate case, in [Typhoon] ‘Yolanda’ we are there at the forefront in a very consolidated integrated purposeful mode. The work that [our] guys put up in making sure that lives are restored and faith is just restored among the Filipino people,” Fermin said.

This was exemplified by PLDT’s offer of free phone calls to people in affected areas so that they can reach their families and friends, to give them peace of mind, he said.

“We were talking about it the other day, we were to provide them with free internet services. You know how social media does wonders in letting the whole world know the real thing that’s happening on that side, so that they’d get a little bit more help,” the executive said.

With that said, PLDT still aims to grow and be the leader in progress but this has to be done in the context that the Filipino people would stand to benefit from it all.

“I cannot imagine the progress of a company without taking care of its people.

In this case, the Filipino. Ngayon [Now] more than anytime in history kailangan talga ang tulong ng taongbayan,” Fermin said. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / November 26, 2013 / 8:51 AM

150-M DAP funds benefited agency

“No sir (requested from DAP). I think that when we made the request—because that was early on in my term—wala pa ho yatang DAP noon,” she said.

Tan said that when DBM finally released the funds, it was clearly stated In the Statement of Allotment and Release Order (SARO) that the money came from the controversial program.

“Sir (Estrada), I cannot (determine it came from DAP)...I mean from the records of the DBM, now they say that it came from DAP. But at the time that we requested, there was no DAP yet. Yun po ang ibig sabihin,” she answered.

Estrada had recalled that Budget Secretary Florencio Abad explained that DAP was designed by the budget agency to ramp up spending and help accelerate economic growth which registered about 7.6% in the first quarter of last year.

“Releases from DAP were used for quickmoving projects that directly supported the Aquino administration’s socio-economic platforms. Have you heard him [talk] about this?” Estrada asked Tan, who responded that it was in the DBM website.

However, when Estrada again tossed a question to Tan regarding the rationale of the 150 million allocation to COA as ramp

up spending program, she quickly decline since the matter is now being discussed before the Supreme Court.

“Sir, I think the rationale for the DAP is precisely an issue in the Supreme Court, so I would like to decline to comment on that,” Tan said.

With this, Estrada questioned the state audit agency’s objectivity in its audit on the propriety and legality of DAP, when the agency itself is a recipient and beneficiary—even assuming there was no irregularity in the disbursement.

“If you ask my opinion, madam Chair, your agency cannot be objective in its audit in the propriety and legality of the DAP when the agency itself is a recipient and beneficiary of the DAP even if there’s no irregularity in the disbursement of the DAP as everything was in accordance with the SARO issued by the DBM, the same cannot cure the defect of its legality and propriety,” Estrada said.

“Sir, with due respect, as to the legality of the DAP, as to the releases of the DBM, that is already before the Supreme Court, and we are not auditing, we did not raise any issue on the legality, that’s for the Supreme Court to decide. What we are auditing is the utilization of the DAP,” Tan answered. ■ Ernie Reyes / InterAksyon.com / November 27, 2013 / 12:11 AM

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36

www.hello-philippines.com

NEWS

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

BIR says Pacquiao was given 2 years to submit tax documents MANILA, Philippines - The 2.2-billion tax case against Manny Pacquiao prospered because the boxing icon did not protest the tax assessment on his income by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and because he himself failed to submit a copy of the income tax return he had filed with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

This was the explanation made by BIR Commissioner Kim Henares hours after Pacquiao, representative of the lone district of Sarangani, on Tuesday accused the government of singling him out and treating thieves better.

No freeze order. Meanwhile, the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) clarified on Tuesday that it did not issue any freeze order on Pacquiao’s bank accounts. While the accounts have in effect been frozen, it was the result of BIR’s actions, not the court’s.

But contrary to the claim of Pacquiao’s camp, the BIR’s issuance of a warrant of garnishment only involved 1 million and not all of the boxing champ’s assets.

CTA clerk of court Margaret Guzman said the boxing champ filed a civil case with the court last August to challenge the BIR’s 2.2-billion tax assessment against him and his wife Jinky.

“Sometime October 18, the petitioners, congressman Pacquiao and Jinky Pacquiao filed urgent motion to lift warrants of restraint and levy and garnishment and for the issuance of an order to suspend the collection of tax with prayer for issuance of

TRO,” Guzman told ANC. “That is the one being heard by the court currently. No ruling as of yet has been rendered by the court to that effect. Whether or not the court will grant the motion or deny the motion,” she added.

Two-year wait. On the BIR’s uncollected tax from Pacquiao, Henares said that for more than two years, the bureau waited for Pacquiao to question the assessment made by the agency and submit the documents from the IRS. Philippine-based Filipinos who earn overseas are required to report their income and taxes from abroad, according to Henares. Taxes paid overseas will be deducted from their taxes in the Philippines provided they show proof that they really paid their dues abroad.

However, the boxing icon failed to do so thus the assessment became final prompting the BIR to issue a warrant of garnishment against him, according to the BIR chief.

“Dalawang taon kaming naghintay, hindi s’ya makapagpakita ng mga dokumento na ‘yan kaya in-assess namin s’ya…May time s’ya na magprotest pero hindi s’ya nakapagprotest so naging final ho ‘yong assessment,” Henares told ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol in a phone interview Tuesday night.

[We waited for two years…he couldn’t show those documents so we have him assessed. He had time to protest but he didn’t do it so the assessment became final.]

“Because final na ‘yong assessment,

TV5 to launch mobile platform next year MANILA - As rivals roll out their convergence tack, TV5 and Smart Communications Inc plan to launch their mobile platform next year.

On the sidelines of the Mobile Festival 2013, TV5 president Emmanuel C. Lorenzana today said the company would use mobile phones to expand its advertising footprint.

“We want to enhance the whole viewing experience. Basically we’re using mobile capability to actually make people enjoy the ads because it’s a holistic experience,” Lorenzana told reporters.

He said the new platform will be offered as a “bucket” promo to attract more advertisers to place ads in TV5.

“It’s a bucket. You have to remember [that] we have the most touch points. It’s up to us to actually converge that. It will benefit everybody—Smart, TV5, and subscribers,” Lorenzana said.

TV5 and Smart Communications Inc are members of the PLDT group, which at endSeptember had a telecom subscriber base of 76 million.

The country’s TV networks and telecom companies are on a race to create synergies from the convergence of different media platforms.

ABS-CBN has been offering its “I Want TV” service, which provides mobile subscribers access to the broadcast firm’s TV content. Last week, the Lopez-led network also launched its mobile SIM in a partnership with Globe Telecom Inc. GMA Network Inc meanwhile has been in discussions with both PLDT and Globe for the possible delivery of the broadcast firm’s content to the two telcos’ subscribers.

TV5 president Noel C. Lorenzana

Hans Roxas-Chua, co-chairman for Mobile Festival 2013 and director of International Institute of Digital Marketing, said the real opportunity in innovation lay in mobile.

“Today’s mobile users become more mindful in choosing such devices, as they want them as tools that will enhance their personal experience. This paves the way for marketers to realize that mobile is no longer just a fad but a necessary addition to business and marketing strategies,” RoxasChua said.

Arthur Policarpio, head of Mobtext Asia Pacific, said mobile commerce is bolstering the ease and convenience brought on by e-commerce.

“E-commerce began the revolution and its remarkable footprint is still apparent in how mobile works right now. And now that the world is going mobile, we might as well look into more options that will help local businesses understand how customers utilize mobile for purchase,” Policarpio said.

There are about 1.2 billion people worldwide who access information through their mobile devices.

InterAksyon.com is the online news portal of TV5. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon. com / November 25, 2013 / 9:00 PM

eh di ibig sabihin tapos na ‘yong usapin kaya dapat bayaran n’ya na ho ang BIR. Eh hindi pa ho n’ya ginagawa. The next step is talagang mag-iissue kami ng warrant…” added the BIR chief.

[Because the assessment is already final, it means the issue is finished and thus he must already pay the BIR. But he hasn’t done so. The next step is to issue a warrant.]

A warrant of garnishment is a notice used for legally seizing a debtor or defendant’s money or property. Under the National Internal Revenue Code, the BIR has the power to seek remedies through garnishment of personal property and bank accounts of delinquent taxpayers.

Only 1.1 million was garnished.

Henares said that when the BIR issued letters to banks inquiring about Pacquiao’s deposits, only two banks said that the boxing icon had deposits with them—the first was worth 300,000, while the second was 800,000.

The BIR chief said only the said amounts were garnished and not all of Pacquiao’s money. “So hindi ko maintindihan ho…ang pinag-usapan natin 1.1 million ho na … nakagarnish [I can’t understand..what we are talking about is 1.1 million that was garnished].”

“So sa tingin ko ho, sa laki ng kinita n’ya at sa dami ng pera n’ya, eh 1.1 (million) eh napakaliit ho. Hindi ho natin alam kung nagsisinungaling ho ‘yong mga bangko or what,” added Henares.

File photo of BIR chief Kim Henares.

(So what I think is that the P1.1 milliondeposit is so little compared to his income and wealth. We don’t know if the banks are lying or what.]

Henares said the BIR’s 2.2-billion uncollected tax from Pacquiao was based on the boxing champ’s 2008 and 2009 winnings from his boxing matches, his total income, and the proceeds he had received from Payper-view, a service by which TV audience can purchase events to view through private telecast.

Instead of presenting to the BIR certified copies of the ITR that Pacquiao filed to the IRS, the boxing icon only submitted a copy of Top Rank’s letter stating that the boxing promotions company paid taxes to the IRS on Pacquiao’s behalf, according to Henares.

“Eh hindi naman ho ‘yan katanggaptanggap na papeles. Ang kailangan naming papeles ay ‘yong return na finile n’ya sa IRS ng Amerika. Kasi p’wede namang kahit sino… magsulat o magdrowing na o nagbayad ako ng (tax) para sa isang tao,” the BIR chief said.

[But those documents are unacceptable. What we need is his return that he filed to the IRS of the U.S. Anybody can write or fabricate that he had paid for the tax of an individual.]

We don’t want to be blamed if he loses. The BIR chief also clarified that her agency did not issue the warrant of garnishment to Pacquiao one or two weeks before his fight with Brandon Rios in Macau.

She said the warrant was issued long before Pacquiao went to the CTA to ask the court to stop the BIR’s garnishment of the boxing icon’s bank deposits and properties.

Henares said two years was enough for Pacquiao to be able to show the BIR a copy of the ITR that he had filed with the IRS. “Sa tingin ko naman ho, dalawang taon kung may papeles kayo eh maipapakita n’yo na sa amin.”

She said the BIR was in fact lenient to Pacquiao because every time he had a fight, the agency would stop from pursuing the case because it might be blamed if the boxing champ loses.

“Everytime na lalaban s’ya, humihinto kami kasi ayaw namin na baka kami ang sisihin pag natalo s’ya. So kaya tumagal nang tumagal ho ‘yan [Everytime he fights, we stop because we don’t want to be blamed if he loses. So that’s why the case dragged on],” Henares said. ■ InterAksyon. com with reports from Philippine News Agency / November 26, 2013 / Updated 9:35 PM

Frontier Oil defers IPO to early 2014, blames ‘Yolanda’ disruption MANILA - Frontier Oil Corp (FOC) pushed back anew its initial public offering (IPO), citing the disruption caused by Typhoon ‘Yolanda’.

In a letter to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the oil exploration company said it would defer its IPO to early next year. The company was supposed to list on December 11 after offering its shares to the public from November 28 to December 4.

“In consultation with the company’s

Photo shows drilling rig that Frontier Oil contracted for the Nassipping field.

underwriters and several significant investors, FOC believes it in the best interests of both the vompany and its shareholders to defer its listing until early next year,” Kristoffer Fellowes, Frontier Oil chief executive told the PSE. “Additionally, the vompany is concerned that the tragic and dramatic events surrounding Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda’s international name) have understandably created an uncertain investment environment in the Philippines over the past few week,” Fellowes said.

Those events have caused a number of scheduled meetings and activities to be deferred, he said.

“The company expects the revised timetable to overcome any negative impact upon both the FOC IPO and emerging markets more generally from the tapering

off of the quantitative easing measures in the United States,” Fellowes said.

Frontier Oil is raising as much as 2.21 billion from the sale of up to 883.63 million common shares at a maximum price of 2.50 apiece.

The company holds interests in four of the 26 active exploration service contracts in place, including wholly owned SC 52 covering the Nassipping field, and SC 50 covering the Calauit field.

Frontier Oil also has a 15 percent working interest in SC 69, an offshore block in the Visayan Basin that is operated by Australia’s Otto Energy. Frontier Oil has an arrangement with Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp for a five percent backin option for SC 55, a highly prospective ultra-deep water block. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / November 26, 2013 11:44 AM

Two Pinay helpers hurt in Iranian Embassy blasts in Beirut

TWO Filipino domestic helpers were injured in Tuesday’s twin suicide bombings at the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, which killed 23 people, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.

One Filipina suffered minor injuries from flying debris caused by the explosions, Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said.

Hernandez said the victim works in a residence near the bombed embassy and is still recuperating in a local hospital.

“She sustained cuts on her left triceps, left shin and left upper cheek. Our embassy is monitoring her recovery,” Hernandez said.

In another hospital, a nurse informed Philippine officials in Beirut that a Filipino woman was brought there by her employer

shortly after the bombings.

“She was discharged after receiving treatment for a cut on her nose, probably caused by shattered glass,” Hernandez said. “We are not yet certain about the exact cause of her injury but we do know that she lives in an area near the Iranian embassy.”

The Philippine embassy, he added, is trying to ascertain the victim’s exact whereabouts and condition.

Filipino workers—mostly housemaids, construction workers, and medical personnel—have largely been deployed in Asia, Middle East, Africa, the United States and Europe, exposing them to attacks, abuses and other tragedies abroad. ■

Michaela del Callar / KBK, GMA News / November 20, 2013 / 4:48 PM

Civil defense personnel extinguish a fire at the site of explosions near the Iranian embassy in Beirut on Tuesday, November 19. The cultural attache at the embassy was among 23 people killed in the two explosions. The blasts also wounded 146 people. Photo by Ahmad Yassine.

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

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www.hello-philippines.com

37

Tit for tat: Enrile calls Miriam ‘grandmamma’ of all liars MANILA, Philippines – Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile on Wednesday tagged Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago as the “grandmamma of all falsehood fabricators” for calling him the “murderous” mastermind of the pork barrel scam and the Zamboanga City siege.

In a 30-minute privilege speech, Enrile said he was compelled to take the floor to defend his personal honor, the honor of his family, his office and the honor of the millions of Filipinos who trusted and voted him in the Senate.

“I know that I should not dignify with answers these obvious lies, flowing as they did from the hallucinated imaginings of a spiteful and bitterly hostile mind. But, I must! I must debunk these unbridled lies from the records of this Senate for the sake of honest truth,” Enrile said.

Enrile cited instances when Santiago maligned him during official Senate hearings, in public speaking engagements, and media releases wherein he was tagged as a murderous man, the brains of the pork barrel scam and instigator of the Zamboanga siege.

“First, that I was murderous. Mr. President, I never murdered anyone during all of my almost 90 years on this planet. I was in the war during World War II as a freedom fighter. But, for someone to say with impunity that I killed someone, whether here or anywhere else, or that I am planning anyone’s murder, is the ‘Grandmamma’ of all falsehood fabricators,” Enrile said.

She has spies in men’s toilet? Enrile also denied Santiago’s accusations that he is being guarded by armed men with long firearms whenever he goes to the restroom of the Senate.

“I never realized until that Blue Ribbon hearing that we have a ‘peeping Tom’ in this Senate. I never knew that someone was keeping an eye on me, even when I go to the most private of places here in this building. It was, after all, supposed to be a ‘private’ area,” Enrile said.

“I am sure, Mr. President, everyone in this Senate, including the fabricator of that falsehood, knows that what she said was a boldfaced lie. Since 1987, when I first joined

this Senate, I never allowed my security men to carry any long firearm in the Senate. Even the members of the Senate internal security force, I know that none of them was ever allowed to carry a long firearm in the Senate,.” he added.

Enrile said that he was accompanied by his bodyguard, not carrying firearms, to assist him because of his impaired vision.

“Maybe what my obsessive hater mistook for a long firearm, Mr. President, was a tiny gadget that I bring with me to scratch my back when it itches and to strike down a mischievous langaw when I encounter one along the way,” Enrile said.

Enrile also blasted Santiago for calling him the mastermind of the pork barrel scam.

“Well, I am sorry to say that this former judge does not seem to understand the basic meaning of due process. Every law student knows that due process simply means, ‘you hear first the evidence before you condemn.’

Now I know why she nearly flunked her bar examination. A parrot can memorize legal principles but it cannot apply them,” Enrile said.

Enrile cites instances that could explain Miriam’s bitterness. Enrile, meanwhile, narrated some instances that could explain why Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago “is so bitter and obsessive” with him.

“Many, especially my friends and followers, have repeatedly asked me this question. Mr. President, I do not know for certain the answer to this nagging question. I, too, am puzzled.

I know of no harm that I did to her to arouse her vile anger and hostility against me,” Enrile said.

Enrile said that what he knew is that after

PhilHealth to pay for uninsured Filipinos’ medical costs but only during calamities, emergencies FILIPINOS without health insurance can now ask government to pay for their medical expenses but only during states of calamities and emergencies, the Philippines’ state-led health insurer said on Tuesday.

In a recently-issued circular, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) said it will pay claims of “members and nonmembers and accredited and non-accredited hospitals and professionals during [states of calamities and emergencies].”

Those seeking payments can even file their claims 120 days from date of discharge, PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Alex Padilla said.

“We will even extend filing period for claims to 120 days from date of discharge, make exemptions to the less than 24-hour confinement rule, and even reimbursement for destroyed claims,” Padilla said.

The agency will cover health payments as long as these were incurred in situations considered as “acts of God,” like floods and

typhoons, and “act of man,” such rebellion, insurgencies and war, for which the national and the local governments have declared a state of calamity or state of emergency, the circular said.

Issued on November 15, 2013, the circular served to “institutionalize” the agency’s response during “fortuitious events,” Padilla said.

It will also serve as the agency’s “template of response to ensure continuing health care benefits during fortuitous events,” he said.

The circular also provides for the extension of deadline of premium payments and/or existing coverage as prescribed by PhilHealth, among others, in areas affected by these events.

Padilla said the circular is “consistent with the mandate of the corporation to provide responsive health care benefits to its members at all times, more so during fortuitous event where help is needed the most.” ■ Jet Villa / InterAksyon.com / November 26, 2013 / 4:49 PM

her graduation from the UP College of Law and her bar examination, “I hired her in 1969 to work for me in the Department of Justice where I was then the Secretary of Justice.

When she got married, she asked me and my wife to be her wedding sponsors.”

Enrile continued: “When President Marcos transferred me from the Department of Justice to the Department of National Defense on February 10, 1970, my association with her ended, until we became colleagues again here in the Senate for the first time in 1995, under the Tenth Congress.”

Enrile said that he can only surmise that her deep-seated animosity against him arose from two events: “One was when I opposed her confirmation as Secretary of Agrarian Reform during the administration of President Corazon C. Aquino. Another was when I refused to include her in the majority bloc when I was elected Senate President in November 2008 and, again, in July 2010,” the former Senate chief said.

Rejected as DAR secretary. Enrile said that during the hearing of the Commission on Appointments on her confirmation as Secretary of Agrarian Reform, testing the suitability and qualifications of the nominee then, he asked her if she was ever under the care of a psychiatrist.

“She admitted that she was. She said that she was treated by a psychiatrist at the Makati Medical Center.”

In the same Commission on Appointments committee deliberation, Enrile added that he asked her also what grade she got in her bar examination.

“She replied that she got 76%. That meant that she obtained low grades in all her bar subjects. In fact, I remember that she got a grade of 56% in Ethics, the easiest bar examination subject,” Enrile said.

He also asked about a white Toyota Celica

sports car that the nominee then was said to be driving as her personal car when she was a judge in Quezon City, owned by Toots Trinidad, a former PNB Vice President which was shipped back to the Philippines upon the latter’s return from the United States after his surgical operation for a brain tumor at the Stanford University.

“That sports car disappeared from the compound of the Bureau of Customs when it arrived in the Port of Manila.”

“Toots Trinidad learned that his sports car was with a judge of Quezon City. Toots Trinidad asked then Judge Miriam Defensor Santiago to give the car back to him. She refused. I was told that she claimed that her husband, Narciso Yap Santiago of the Province of Tarlac, who was at that time employed in the Bureau of Customs, gave her that sports car as a birthday gift. Later on, I found out that the car was registered in her name in the Bureau of Land Transportation in the Province of Tarlac,” Enrile explained.

As a consequence of his opposition, and among other concerns taken into consideration, Enrile said that “the Committee on Agrarian Reform of the Commission on Appointments voted to reject her appointment as Secretary of Agrarian Reform.”

Animosity heated up in Senate. Enrile said that the animosity between him and Santiago started to flare up anew during his presidency at the Senate in 2008, when she was not part of the majority then, and consequently, she was not assigned any committee to chair.

“Eventually, however, I relented and assigned to her two major committees upon the intervention of then Senator Mar Roxas,” Enrile said.

After the election in 2010, Enrile continued that when he was elected Senate President, he did not make an effort to reach out to her

to get her support, but it was then Senator Manuel Villar who interceded for her. “At that point, she was already allied with the Nacionalista Party of Senator Villar.”

“Senator Manny Villar arranged a dinner in a Japanese restaurant at the Makati ShangriLa Hotel. He pleaded with me to join him and the senator with her husband in that dinner.

Senator Tito Sotto and Senator Gregorio Honasan were also present in that dinnermeeting,” Enrile said.

During the dinner, Enrile said that the senadora and her husband profusely made their amends to him. “Because of Manny Villar, Tito Sotto, and Greg Honasan, I accepted her and her husband’s insincere apologies and took her in into the new majority.”

“As a consequence, I assigned to her the Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Laws, the only remaining unassigned committee at that time,” Enrile said.

The former Senate chief said that Santiago wanted to retain her former committees on foreign affairs and energy, with an oversight function, and equally large budget.

“Obviously, she wanted a large pile of money at her disposal. But I could not satisfy her desire because the two committees had already been assigned to two other equallycapable senators.”

“Finally, she asked for an oversight committee with a separate budget to be specially created for her to support her large staff. I accommodated her request without much ado,” Enrile added.

Not enough. Enrile said that evidently, all those things that he did for her were not enough to assuage her deep-seated and bitter hostility against him for what happened in the past, especially in her confirmation hearing as Secretary of Agrarian Reform. ■ Ernie Reyes / IntertAksyon.com / November 27, 2013 / 5:23 PM

Deployment of Chinese aircraft carrier only raises tension further, says Manila MANILA - The deployment of China’s sole aircraft carrier to the West Philippine Sea serves no other purpose but to raise tension in the region, coming as it does on the heels of Beijing’s move to establish an airspace defense zone in waterswhere it has a dispute with Japan, the Philippine government said Wednesday.

Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez also said in statement the deployment “violates the DOC,” referring to the 2002 Declaration on the Code of Conduct (DOC) signed by ASEAN and China to reduce political tensions and prevent claimant-states from acting aggressively on their claims.

There are concerns the Liaoning’s deployment violates international law, including the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Hernandez said the Liaoning’s deployment “must therefore not be for other than peaceful purposes. Its deployment does not contribute

File photo of China’s first aircraft carrier as it docks at Dalian Port.

to collective efforts to strengthen regional stability and instead serves the status quo.”

On Tuesday, Xinhua News Agency quoted Beijing officials saying that the deployment was meant to test the Liaoning’s crew and equipment over long distances and a variety of sea conditions. The report said the ship was accompanied by two destroyers and two missile cruisers, elements of a standard aircraft carrier battle group.

The Liaoning, bought used from Ukraine and refurbished in China, has conducted more than 100 exercises and experiments since it was commissioned last year but this is the first time it has been sent to the South China Sea, which Manila, one of the claimants to territory in the crucial sea lane, calls the West Philippine Sea, said a Reuters report.

Relations between Manila and Beijing soured in April last year when Chinese vessels entered the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal area, a Philippine-claimed territory that sits just 124 nautical miles off the province of Zambales in Luzon.

A Chinese warship blocked Philippine Navy and Coast Guard from boarding the boats of poachers and apprehending the crew, triggering a naval standoff that lasted for more than two months. The two sides agreed to pull back vessels from the area, but only Manila complied, and Chinese ships have

since established a de facto possession of the territory, banishing even Filipino fishermen who had been plying those maritime routes for decades. The Philippines later sued China before the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

Beijing refused to participate in the arbitral proceedings, but Manila chose to raise the case to the UN tribunal nonetheless, in hopes of curbing what it deemed China’s “excessive” nine-dash-line claim, anchored on its version of its historic possession of all territory in the entire South China Sea. Other claimants besides the Philippines---Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia---are protesting China’s excessive claims, and its move to embed the nine-dash-line design on its new passports has sparked concern among US and European countries.

The drafting of a Code of Conduct, as committed in the 2002 Declaration, is meant to govern maritime disputes in the West Philippine Sea (how Manila calls South China Sea).

The COC has been pending for more than a decade, its final draft having been derailed as tension rose between three claimants--Manila, Hanoi and Beijing--due to a series of Chinese intrusions into islands claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam. ■ Pots de Leon / InterAksyon.com / November 27, 2013 / 7:49 PM

38

www.hello-philippines.com

NEWS

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

Italy waives remittance commissions from OFWs to help Yolanda victims UNTIL the end of January 2014, the Italian postal system will waive commissions for remittances by Filipinos in Italy who send money to their families back home, as a show of support for victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

This was bared by Italian Embassy first secretary and deputy head of mission Alfonso Tagliaferri, according to a report on state-run Philippine Information Agency.

Tagliaferri was in Lapu-Lapu City as the third batch of relief goods from the Italian government for Yolanda victims arrived at Mactan Air Base, the report said.

It quoted Tagliaferri as saying this may

lead to projected savings of €3 million ( 176,376,600).

On the other hand, the PIA report said there are about 180,000 Filipinos working in Italy. He said this makes them “the largest Filipino community in continental Europe.”

Italy is among the countries offering assistance to the Philippines following the destruction caused by Yolanda last Nov. 8.

More than 4,000 were left dead in Yolanda’s wake.

The PIA report said the latest arrival from Italy worth about €300,000 ( 17 million) included tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, kitchen tools, and medicines.

Tagliaferri said this brings to €2 million ( 116 million) the total donations from

Italy for the Philippines.

Medical team. Meanwhile, a medical team from Italy landed in Tacloban earlier Thursday to set up a field hospital in Tanauan, Leyte, one of the worst-hit areas.

The team has 30 medical personnel and 22 doctors and nurses.

Tagliaferri added the field hospital will run for 30 days.

“It’s completely independent in terms of food, water, and energy. We brought generators, gasoline, everything,” he said.

Also, Italy will send a “technical plane” to help in the delivery of relief goods in devastated areas for a month. ■ ELR, GMA

News / November 22, 2013 / 4:30 AM

Labor chief: Close to 40,000 illegal OFWs may return to Saudi CLOSE to 40,000 Filipinos who fled Saudi Arabia before the crackdown on illegal foreign workers there may come back provided that they have a clean record with the Saudi government.

According to Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, Filipinos regularized in their jobs and sponsored by employers in Saudi may come back to work,

since their visa status and documents can be corrected.

She added that even if the Filipino workers have no papers to correct, they may still return to work, provided they have sponsors and proper documentations.

A Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) new release said Saudi’s Ministry of Labor will still allow foreign workers to

Don’t borrow Yolanda aid money from loan sharks, OFWs in Dubai warned OVERSEAS Filipino workers in the United Arab Emirates have been advised against borrowing money from loan sharks to get money for family members affected by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

Dubai-based website 7Days reported on Sunday that some Filipinos have been resorting to illegal channels to provide aid for their family members.

This, despite aid operations supposedly moving faster three weeks after the storm struck.

“Since relief is now coming, the pace is speeding up and victims are sheltered in temporary bunk houses. People should wait and not resort to loan sharks because it’s not worth it,” Frank Cimafranca, Consul General to Dubai and the Northern Emirates said in the 7Days report.

Both government and non-government organizations, such as Gawad Kalinga, are already planning housing programs for victims, Cimafranca said.

His declaration echoes government reassurances that relief efforts are more efficient than they were after the storm hit.

One concrete move by the government is a relief goods delivery hotline set up by the Department of Social Welfare and Development for those who have yet to receive aid.

Residents in affected areas may text details of their location to the hotline and log their complaints or ask for supplies that they still lack.

Malacañang has also announced the creation ofa task group for rehabilitation efforts on Friday.

Restoration of power, shelter, livelihood and employment, and other concerns will be handled by various government agencies, which will “present a comprehensive rehabilitation program that will be tackled by the Cabinet not later than Wednesday, November 27”, the Palace said.

However, for Filipinas like Jovelyn, a 30-year-old office administrator in Dubai, desperate conditions are forcing her to borrow from loan sharks, despite the risk it entails.

“I always feel restless because I know my family is not yet safe. I feel sad especially that Christmas is coming, and I feel bad for my young nephews and nieces,” she said on 7Days.

With 13 of her relatives living in a makeshift tent, instant relief provided by these creditors is worth it.

Cimafranca hopes UAE banks will make special concessions for cases like Jovelyn’s, to prevent Filipinos from being scammed.

Jovelyn’s relatives are part of the 10,013,467 people in 10,724 villages affected by the November 8 disaster.

Around 241,365 evacuees are currently staying in 1,095 evacuation centers.

The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have promised around $1 billion in financial aid package to support relief and reconstruction for an estimated 4 million people displaced by the typhoon. ■ Rie Takumi / JDS, GMA News / November 24, 2013 / 5:26 PM

transfer to new companies and correct their work status, as long as the companies where these workers will transfer to have already complied with the necessary requirements.

Illegal foreign workers in the Middle East country have been given until November 3 to fix their papers or be subject to deportation.

Low employment among Saudi nationals prompted the Saudi government to constrict the numbers of expatriates companies may hire, culminating in operations that signaled the first time Saudi’s police force would carry out visa inspections with the labor department.

A total of 104,364 Filipinos were able to correct or change their professions in their work permit andiqamas (residence cards) during the grace period given by King Abdullah.

Meanwhile, an additional 53,330 were able to transfer to another employer, while the birth documentation of 477 women and their 602 children were processed. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / November 25, 2013 / 2:18 PM

PLDT keeps capex unchanged for 2014

MANILA - Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co (PLDT) will spend about the same amount as this year for next year’s capital expenditures, the telecom giant’s chief executive said today.

On the sidelines of its 85th anniversary celebrations, Napoleon L. Nazareno told reporters that capex for 2014 is “more or less the same level as this year.”

The country’s largest telecom company has allotted 29 billion for capex this year for its network expansion, including the rollout of its fiber facilities. Of this year’s capex, PLDT had spent about 15 billion at endSeptember this year.

Nazareno said 60-65 percent of its 2014 capex would be spent on PLDT’s broadband business, with another 25 percent for the rollout its fiber-optic network.

At end-September, PLDT expanded its fiber optic network to about 75,000 kilometers to support the growth of its broadband data service business.

Nazareno said the company expects to complete its 3G network rollout in the third quarter of next year.

He said PLDT is sticking to its 38.3 billion profit guidance this year.

“Most likely we will achieve that,” he said.

PLDT’s nine-month core profit, which excludes foreign exchange transactions and other non-recurring income, grew by four percent to 28.8 billion from last year’s 27.7 billion. In the third quarter alone, core net income went up by two percent to 9.39 billion from last year’s 9.24 billion.

Including the forex and other nonrecurring transactions, PLDT’s net income reached 28.95 billion, a two percent increment from last year’s 28.38 billion. In

the third quarter alone, earnings hit 9.25 billion, up from last year’s 9.1 billion.

Consolidated service revenues grew two percent to 121.6 billion in the first nine months from last year’s 119.05 billion. In the July to September period, PLDT’s topline climbed to 40.6 billion from last year’s 39.32 billion.

InterAksyon.com is the online news portal of TV5, a member of the PLDT group. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / November 26, 2013 / 4:34 PM

PLDT president Napoleon L. Nazareno, chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan and regulatory affairs chief Ray C. Espinosa.

December 2013 – No. 23 • UK & Europe Edition

SPORTS

www.hello-philippines.com

39

‘Tune-up fight’ vs Rios shows Pacquiao learned from two defeats MANNY Pacquiao is a changed man in more ways than one. And on Sunday morning, he proved that he has learned from his two previous losses, putting on a clinic against Brandon Rios.

“Overconfidence kasi yung pagkatalo kay Bradley. Di nagkasundo ang judges, di nagtiwala sa kanya,” said boxing analyst Sev Sarmenta in an interview with News To Go’s Howie Severino and Kara David. “Kay Marquez klarong klaro, lamang siya after five rounds, bumagsak siya nung third, naoverturn niya. Bukas siya, fine-fake niya yung bago mag left hook. Eh nakita ni Marquez, ‘Uy ito na yun, it’s coming.’ Inunahan niya ng kanan, tapos.”

Pacquiao’s win against Rios was a convincing one, as it reminded his fans that he still has the capacity to combine volume and speed to overwhelm his opponents.

“Na-spoil tayo ng ilang taon ni Pacquiao na thundering hero, invincible, sunod sunod yun: Dela Hoya, Hatton, yung mga napabagsak niya,” Sarmenta said. “Yung Margarito medyo di niya napabagsak. Pero [with Rios] he was thinking. Smart boxer si Pacquiao. Sunod na question dito, wala na bang edge si Pacquiao? This is something we can’t discuss, nagbabago din ang mga boksingero” Sarmenta also reminded Pacquiao fans that as the Saranggani representative climbs in weight class, it is expected that his ability to knock out bigger, wider opponents may not come as often as before: “Lagi natin nakakalimutan minsan, malaki ang mga nakakalaban ni Manny.

These are big guys who want to come down to his weight para makalaban siya of course because of money at para sa opportunity to

fight a big fight against Pacquiao. Pero ang match talaga kay Manny ay si Marquez in terms of height, size, reach, know-how, sila talaga ‘yung kontrapelo sa isa’t isa. Bradley, not as exciting pero sukat na sukat yung dalawang yun. Si Manny ingat siya ngayon eh, sabi rin naman niya batay dun sa interview. Kasi alam mo, sa knockout, may nawawala sa kanya. Lahat ng boksingero, pag tinamaan, may epekto yan kahit paano.”

But it was his shock knockout against Marquez just before the bell rang to end round six that drove a point to the People’s Champ.

“I think he’s a little discerning, nawala yung hataw talaga, wala na yung gigil na ‘uupakan ko to,’” Sarmenta said. “He has come to a point na tanggap niya, ‘Manny Pacquiao ako, di na kailangan.’

“Maraming disappointed kasi umabot ng 12 rounds pero tingnan din natin yung boxing, hilong hilo si Rios,” Sarmenta added. “Pag pinanood niyo yung replay, panuorin niyo ang elusive tactics ni Manny, ang mga iwas, yung ganda ng boxing niya, iwas-suntok, iwas-suntok, ito yung mga pinaghandaan ni Manny ayon sa reports ni Chino Trinidad sa Macau at GenSan.”

Sarmenta added, though, that Pacquiao’s one-sided offensive display against Rios reeked of a tune-up fight: “Si Rios lang naman nagsasabi na hindi siya tune-up fight. Alam ng lahat na tune-up fight ito. Ang magandang nagawa ni Arum, isang madaling laban, then mahirap na laban, then madaling laban. Hindi dalawang magkasunod na mahirap na laban. Marquez-Mayweather will never happen. Rios is not in the class of Manny. Marami pang kakainin. Nung lumaban siya kay Mike Alvarado, bagay sila eh, brawl. Suntukan, away kalye. Pero Pacquiao, smarter ngayon. Si Pacquiao kung gusto niya away kalye pwede eh, nung bata bata pa. Pero ngayon, matapos ang dalawang talo, mag-iingat na.” ■ Renee Fopalan / AMD, GMA News / November 26, 2013 / 8:20 PM

Blackwater, Hog’s Breath rout PBA Up next for Pacquiao-Marquez, Bradley on shortlist, but not Mayweather D-League foes Zambales, Cebuana THE Blackwater Sports Elite and the Hog’s Breath Razorbacks cruised to easy blowout wins over their respective opponents in PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup action on Tuesday at the Blue Eagle Gym inside the Ateneo de Manila campus in Quezon City.

Blackwater destroyed the Zambales M-Builders, 91-69, while Hog’s Breath routed Cebuana Lhuillier, 93-69.

The Elite broke their game wide open with a dominating performance in the second period, where they outscored their opponents, 27-8. They turned a three-point game into a 22-point spread, 44-22, at the halftime break and never looked back.

UST Growling Tiger Kevin Ferrer led Blackwater with 17 points while Gio Ciriacruz added 11 and Jericho Cruz 10 respectively.

Blackwater improved to 4-1 while Zambales, which was led by Mike Tolomia’s 14 points, fell to 2-4.

In the other game, Philip Paniamogan scored 10 of his game-high 19 points in the pivotal third quarter to help the Razorbacks stay unbeaten in four games so far.

Hog’s Breath took an early lead, building

Photo by Nuki Sabio ©PBA D-League

a 25-10 edge after the first quarter but lost it in the third period when Cebuana Lhuillier came to within one point, 47-46, with about six minutes left.

After the teams exchanged baskets, the Razorbacks went on a blistering 23-7 run led

by Paniamogan that gave them a 17-point lead at the end of three periods.

The JRU gunner then knocked down a three-pointer to extend the Hog’s Breath lead at the top of the fourth and the Razorbacks cruised the rest of the way.

Hog’s Breath now sports a clean 4-0 slate while Cebuana, playing without star Roi Sumang, dropped down to a 2-4 record.

Bradley earned a controversial split decision, while Marquez knocked Pacquiao out in spectacular fashion, which led to calls for the Sarangani congressman to retire from the sport. However, Pacquiao showed he’s still capable of winning in the ring, after he earned a unanimous decision on Sunday over Brandon Rios.

Arum said that on the short list of foes were Marquez, Bradley, and the Russian Ruslan Provodnikov, Pacquiao’s former sparring partner, who earlier this year dispatched Mike Alvarado, who himself defeated Rios.

■ InterAKTV / November 27, 2013 / 2:22 AM

Unbeaten Petron takes on winless San Mig Coffee; Air 21, Meralco battle for first win

Petron Blaze and San Mig Coffee clash in a rematch of the Governors’ Cup finals to cap Wednesday’s PBA doubleheader at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The Boosters and the Mixers will go head-to-head at 8 p.m. live on TV5, in their first meeting since San Mig Coffee defeated Petron in an intense seven-game series last month. The game follows the Air 21-Meralco duel at 5:30 p.m. that airs live over AksyonTV. Both Petron and San Mig Coffee have been ravaged by injuries after their grueling championship duel, with the Boosters missing Alex Cabagnot, Chico Lanete, and Ronald Tubid, and the Mixers being without Peter June Simon and Joe Devance.

But the Boosters have adjusted better to their handicap, having rolled to lopsided wins in their first two games. The Mixers, on the other hand, are still looking for their first victory after suffering defeats to Ginebra and Alaska.

Petron will be severely shorthanded in

REVENGE bouts could be in the making for Manny Pacquiao, against 2012 tormentors Timothy Bradley (L) and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Some familiar names are on the list of possible opponents for Manny Pacquiao’s next fight, but not Floyd Mayweather.

According to Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, Juan Manuel Marquez and Timothy Bradley, both of whom defeated Pacquiao back in 2012, are being considered as opponents for the Filipino ring icon’s next bout, tentatively slated for April 2014, based on a report by Ryan Songalia of The Ring.

the backcourt, however, with Chris Ross also being bitten by the injury bug. The versatile guard, who was acquired in the offseason, is out with a strained hamstring.

In the first game, Air 21 and Meralco are both targeting their first win of the season.

Air 21 is coming off consecutive blowout losses to Barako Bull and GlobalPort, and will still be missing top offseason acquisition Mac Cardona. Joseph Yeo has been carrying the load for the Express, and he will go into an interesting duel against Gary David, the Meralco newcomer who has come in to be the top gun for the Bolts.

Meralco will be missing the hustle of second-year forward Cliff Hodge, who suffered an ankle sprain in the Bolts’ loss to Rain or Shine last Friday. The team has also been missing Kerby Raymundo, who was acquired in the offseason with the hope of adding post scoring for the perimeteroriented Bolts. ■ InterAKTV / November 26, 2013 /

9:07 PM

“Who the opponent will be will be decided in the next couple of weeks,” Arum said.

As has been the case in recent years, the idea of Floyd Mayweather was floated around, but Roach shot it down, for now, saying, “Mayweather would be nice, but I don’t think he’s quite ready for that now.

“Mayweather has a four-fight deal with Showtime and he doesn’t have opponents to fight without Manny Pacquiao being one of them.”

The two have never met in the ring, a fight that would be one of the most anticipated in boxing history.

In September, Mayweather dispatched Mexican Saul Alvarez via majority decision, to earn THE RING magazine, WBO and WBA junior middleweight belts.

Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, said he would prefer a fifth bout against the Mexican Marquez, though he admitted, “I’m not sure if we can get him to agree to that, he wants a lot of money.”

Bradley and Marquez actually fought each other last October, with Bradley winning a split decision to retain his WBO welterweight title. Prior to that, Marquez had said in multiple interviews that a fifth bout against Pacquiao would be “pointless.” ■ AMD / HS, GMA News / November 25, 2013 / 11:37 AM

AFC could give Philippines Challenge Cup hosting rights if Maldives fails to meet renovation deadline THE Philippine national men’s football team could enjoy a hometown advantage in its bid to win the 2014 Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup as organizers announced that Maldives would be stripped of hosting rights if it does not start stadium renovations next month.

The AFC on Monday announced that the Challenge Cup will be transferred to the Philippines if Maldives fails to begin improving match venues by December 15.

“It was also proposed to move the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup to the Philippines from Maldives if the latter does not start required renovation work by December 15, 2013,” the AFC Competitions Committee wrote in a statement, with the move pending approval from the Executive Committee.

The Challenge Cup, slated in May next year, is a tournament featuring emerging

football nations in Asia. Its champion will earn a ticket to the prestigious 2015 Asian Cup, where the continent’s powerhouse squads such as Japan, Australia, North and South Korea will see action.

AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa said during his visit in the Philippines this month that the country will host the Challenge Cup if “something goes wrong” in Maldives. However, he admitted that suitable playing venues will also be a problem.

“Philippines is the second option,” alKhalifa said. “The PFF (Philippine Football Federation) is ready for that.”

“Infrastructure, that will always be the issue.”

The Football Association of Maldives (FAM) is facing financial problems, according to local reports there. Its vice president was even quoted by Maldivesoccer.com saying that the body is receiving court orders due to unsettled bills incurred by the previous management dated way back in 2009.

But in another report, the FAM president was quoted saying that Maldives will still host the Challenge Cup as earlier planned.

Last year, the Philippines lost its bid to host the Challenge Cup proper, but the AFC instead granted the country the rights to Group E of the tournament qualifiers which the Azkals topped last March. ■ Karl Decena / InterAKTV / November 26, 2013 / 2:45 PM

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Blackwater, AFC could give Up next for Hog’s Breath rout Pacquiao-Marquez, Philippines Challenge PBA D-League Cup hosting rights if Bradley on foes Zambales, shortlist, but not Maldives fails to meet Cebuana renovation deadline Mayweather Story on page 39

‘TUNE-UP FIGHT’ VS RIOS SHOWS PACQUIAO LEARNED FROM TWO DEFEATS Story on page 39

Story on page 39

Story on page 39

He learned his lessons— Manny Pacquiao won after adjusting his game, thanks to back-to-back losses.