February 2015 'B' issue

Celeb Scoop page 26

E E FR

Connecting Global News & Views For The Community

UK & Europe Edition

February 2015 / Fortnightly

Volume 6 - Number 4

www.hello-philippines.com

Try us TODAY! Enjoy your first transaction FREE

Magpadala ng pera sa iyong mga mahal sa buhay

www.worldremit.com

Use promo code H0215P

HEART EVANGELISTA AND SEN. CHIZ ESCUDERO TIE THE KNOT LOOK

GINANAP na nitong Linggo, February 15, ang kasalang Senator Chiz Escudero at Heart Evangelista sa Balesin Island sa lalawigan ng Quezon.

Ito ay matapos ang madamdaming wedding proposal ni Chiz kay Heart sa home province nitong Sorsogon noong Agosto ng nakaraang taon.

Bukod sa mga kaanak ng dalawa, dinaluhan ang naturang kasal ng ilan sa pinakamalalaking pangalan sa showbiz at telebisyon, business, at politika.

Kabilang rito sina Lovi Poe, Solenn Heussaff, Carla Abellana, Jennylyn Mercado, Alessandra de Rossi, Kyla, Jonalyn Viray, Jaya, Jolina Magdangal, Sarah Christophers, Mel Tiangco, at Jackie Lou Blanco.

Naroon din sina Senator Grace Poe, Dr. Aivee Teo, Ramon Ang, Hans Sy, Lance Gokongwei, Fernando Zobel, Bobby Ongpin, Jerry Acuzar, Senior Vice President for GMA Entertainment Lilybeth G. Rasonable at Vic del Rosario.

Sa kabila ng malalaking pangalan mula sa iba’t ibang industriya, napanatiling pribado at intimate ang pag-iisang dibdib nina Heart at Chiz.

Ika-4:30 ng hapon nang maglakad sa aisle ang groom kasama ang kanyang kambal na sina Maria Cecilia at Joaquin Cruz.

Suot ng senador ang isang puting suit ng gawa ng sikat na Pilipinong designer na si Paul Cabral.

Turn to page 2

Tip to visa applicants eyeing London: Be honest

Dingdong Dantes visits Marian on her first day in culinary school

Story on page 30

Story on page 26

2

NEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

PNoy signs into law higher tax exemption ceiling on bonuses and 13th month pay PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has signed into law the measure raising the tax exemption ceiling on bonuses to P82,000 from P30,000, a House leader said Thursday.

House Ways and Means committee chair Marikina City Rep. Romero Quimbo lauded Aquino for signing the bill, which is expected to benefit the middle class, especially the salary and the wage earners.

“The President saw the significance of the measure as it is projected to benefit taxpayers from low to middle incomes who have not had any reprieve from the burdensome taxes imposed on their earnings,” Quimbo said in a statement.

“These are the salary and wage earners who long deserve a break from the inequitable tax system that we currently have,” he added.

In Malacañang, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. confirmed this on Thursday, citing information from the Office of the Executive Secretary.

Quimbo actively pushed for the bill’s passage in the House last year as part of efforts to reform the tax system.

It was ratified by both the House of Representatives and the Senate last December.

500,000 employees. The measure was transmitted to Aquino for his signature on Jan. 14. The President signed it two days before Feb. 14. when it was supposed to lapse into law.

The benefits of the new legislation are expected to be felt as early as June 2015, when the first half of the 13th month pay is usually received by employees.

At least half a million employees, both from the government and private sectors, are expected to benefit from the new legislation.

With the measure signed into law, Quimbo said Congress is now setting its sights on passing a comprehensive tax reform measure that is envisioned to simplify the tax structure, adjust the brackets to inflation and reduce tax rates.

METRO Manila hotel rates are under pressure amid the influx of hotel brands in the country, as well as the seemingly slower growth trend of tourist arrivals, property consultancy firm Colliers International Philippines said in a report released late Thursday.

Average hotel room rates across major classifications exhibited stable to declining growth by end2014, Colliers noted in its latest research and forecast report.

Data from the property consultancy firm showed the average five-star room rates grew 0.3 percent, the average four-star room rates continued to decline by 3.8 percent, and the average threestar room rates dropped by 11.5 percent in the second half of 2014.

“As the competition among hotels intensifies, operators are forced to adjust their prices in order to attract more travelers to stay in their hotels,” the report read.

In fact, 2,038 new hotel rooms opened in Metro Manila, bringing the total room inventory to 19,373, Colliers said.

Meanwhile, some 3,580 hotel rooms will be delivered annually over the next four years as hotel operators bank on improving economic conditions, it added.

Last year, the Philippine gross

domestic product (GDP) grew 6.1 percent, after accelerated government spending helped the economy recover in the fourth quarter.

French-based hotel management company Accor targets to open six new projects across various locations in Metro Manila in the next two years.

The Wyndham group – known for its Microtel brand – will introduce its select-service hotel brand Tryp in the Mall of Asia complex in 2015.

Also, there are openings of hotel developments in Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.’s (Pagcor) Entertainment City pushed back to the first quarter of 2015 due to bottlenecks in construction, Colliers said. These are the hotels opening in the City of Dreams Manila including the Grand Hyatt City of Dreams, Nobu Hotel, and Crown Towers.

In terms of tourist arrivals, the number of tourists that went to the country totalled 3.96 million from January to October 2014, according to the Department of Tourism.

This was a 2.3 percent growth yearon-year, the lowest registered for the country since 2010, Colliers noted.

“If the trend continues, Colliers estimates that 4.8 million foreign tourists visited the country in 2014, far behind the government target of 6.0 million tourists,” the report read.

With the influx of new hotel rooms

The House Ways and Means committee is now in the process of completing the substitute bill on income tax reforms, which is likely to be approved on second reading before Congress goes on recess on March 20, 2015.

Senate Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, an author of the bill, earlier said the Department of Finance asked the Senate to delay the passage of the measure until 2015 so that the administration can reach its target collection for 2014.

Despite strong opposition. Senator Juan Edgardo Angara expressed his gratitude to Aquino for signing into law the measure seeking to amend Republic Act 7833 which set the tax exemption ceiling at P30,000 way back in 1994.

“I congratulate both houses of Congress and the President for working together in granting our Filipino workers this long overdue tax relief and letting them benefit more from their hard-earned money. Belated Christmas

present man, perfect Valentines gift pa rin para sa ating mga kababayan,” said Angara, chairman of the Senate ways and means committee and one of the authors of the bill.

The newly enacted law has provided for the automatic adjustment of the ceiling every three years, taking into account inflation, to ensure that the tax ceiling won’t be left unchanged again for more than two decades.

“Again, I thank the President for signing our bill despite strong

opposition from the Finance Department.

It’s a wonderful indication that the government is open to amending our outdated tax system and making it more fair and equitable to all our taxpayers,” he said.

He expressed hope the government would be one with the goal of not overtaxing the what Filipino taxpayers has earned for himself and his family.

■ Xian Arcangel with reports from Amita Legaspi and

Andreo Calonzo / VS, GMA News / February 12, 2015 / 5:00 PM

New brands, slower tourist arrivals to temper Metro Manila hotel rates —Colliers Intl

Lawrence Ho (4th left) with his wife Sharen (3rd left), son of Macau gaming tycoon Stanley Ho, and co-chairman of Melco crown, and his co-chairman, Australian billionaire James Packer(5th left) are seen on stage during the launch of the City of Dreams mega-casino in Manila on Monday, February 2, 2015. Six gleaming golden towers surrounding a giant egg-shaped dome opened as the Philippines’ newest playground for the rich, dwarfing the capital’s vast slums.

and slower growth of tourist arrivals, occupancy rate in Metro Manila is seen to decline to 65.6 percent, Colliers noted.

“The outlook remains rosy, however, as the country will host two significant events in 2015: the Papal Visit in January and the APEC

Ministerial Meetings, both of which are expected to spur demand for accommodations in Metro Manila,” it noted.

Pope Francis visited the Philippines last January 15 to 19.

Meanwhile, various APEC meetings will be held across the country starting

November 2014 in preparation for the World Leaders’ Summit on November 17 and 18, 2015.

These areas include Pampanga, Manila, Bataan, Albay, Tagaytay City, Iloilo, Boracay Island, Bacolod City and Cebu. ■ Danessa O. Rivera / KG, GMA News / February 13, 2015 / 12:08 PM

4

BUSINESS & FINANCE

www.hello-philippines.com

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Sun Cellular unveils program to boost postpaid business MANILA - The operator of Sun Cellular plans to open more partneroperated retail outlets this year to strengthen its postpaid business.

Louie de Guzman, Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc assistant vice president, said the company plans to open 37 new partner-operated retail outlets.

At present, Sun Cellular has retail stores in Sta. Rosa, Laguna and Trece Martires, Cavite.

“The South Luzon market is a very important for Smart and Sun, we have a good network here,” he said.

Through this new line of retail outlets called “The Sun Shop Satellite Branch,” Sun Cellular will bank on commercial partnerships with authorized third-party entities to run retail operations for its mobile service business.

These will provide existing and prospective subscribers access to postpaid line applications, bills payment and prepaid transactions for

both its 2G and 3G brands, including its mobile Internet services.

“While we continue to expand our line of services, we will also work on widening our touch points to ensure that every value-seeking customer gets a convenient end-to-end experience of our services,” Maloo Agoncillo, vice president and head of retail support for Sun Cellular and Smart, said.

Agoncillo said Sun Cellular will leverage on its grassroots and regionalized orientation of distributing telecommunications products.

“Aside from generating additional revenue streams, we trust that these partnerships will lead us to where our customers are and ground our business further to better address the needs of the value-seeking segment, particularly in local markets,” de Guzman said.

With 124 Sun Shops at end-2014, Sun Cellular is projected to unlock even more market opportunities as

the need for its postpaid offerings and bucket loads continue to arise in the regional landscape.

At present, Sun has 1.7 million postpaid subscribers, while Smart has 1.1 million.

In line with Sun Cellular’s ongoing integration with sister companies from Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, these regional outlets will also be carrying the complete product portfolio of Smart Communications Inc. Smart is venturing into a new generation or cafe type of stores for the upscale segment, a joint regional rollout geared towards maximizing support for the PLDT Group’s combined market of about 75 million subscribers from Smart, Sun Cellular and Talk ‘n Text.

“The official launch of this business office, The Sun Shop Satellite Branch, is an important milestone for us,” Napoleon Nazareno, PLDT and Smart

president and chief executive said.

“This is our template for the future.

We hope that this combination will enable us to serve our Smart and Sun subscribers in better and more effective ways,” Nazareno said.

“Our business- owned stores are effectively our embassies. And through them, we keep in touch with our

customers and help them out when needed. Our offices are thus a concrete expression of our commitment to serve our customers and the community,” he added.

InterAksyon.com is the online news portal of TV5, a member of the PLDT Group. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / February 12, 2015 / 6:21 PM

Customs raps importer of fake branded products THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday filed criminal charges before the Department of Justice against a company that smuggled P100 million worth of counterfeit products that include fake designer bags and accessories from China.

The company, Amazing Glory General Merchandise, declared the fake items stored in two 40-foot container vans as 1,552 packages of ladies bags, shoes, stationery, blender, watches, cellphones accessories, toilet soap and moisturizers, according to the bureau.

However, an inspection of the shipments revealed that the container vans were actually loaded with 33,000 pieces of assorted goods carrying infringing trademarks like Nike bags, pouch bags and wristwatches; Adidas and

Nike children’s bags; Sanrio bags; Gucci wristwatches and ladies bags; Swatch, Puma and Calvin Klein wristwatches; Longchamp ladies bags; Sony headsets and Oakley pouch bags.

The goods were imported from China through the Port of Manila in May 2014.

Among those charged were Amazing Glory proprietor and general manager Herman dela Cruz and licensed Customs broker Dennis Bancairen.

They were charged for violating the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, Sections 3601 and 101 as amended in relation to Section 166 on infringement of Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code, and for violating Section 3602 of the Tariff and Customs Code.

In July 2014, the BOC filed a similar case

against Amazing Glory for the same offense involving fake goods worth P310 million.

“They never learn. They think they can get away with their smuggling activities but they are wrong. We will continue our aggressive drive against smugglers,” said Customs Commissioner John Sevilla.

“We also appeal to consumers not to patronize fake products, as these take away the livelihood from legitimate business and their workers,” he added.

In January to November 2014, the government has seized an estimated P13.3 billion worth of fake goods, up 116-percent compared with P6.16 billion in 2013. ■ Mark Merueñas / VS, GMA News /

February 12, 2015 / 12:50 PM

Gov’t says all Camp John Hay contracts void, warns public against transacting with Sobrepena MANILA - All contracts the Sobrepena Group entered into with Camp John Hay locators are no longer valid.

In a statement, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said an arbitration panel’s order for the Sobrepena Group to return the former U.S. military base-turned-economic zone to the Philippine government also voids contracts that locators entered into with the camp’s private operator.

“We are calling on investors in Camp John Hay to coordinate with us so we can work on an orderly transition,” Arnel Paciano Casanova, president of state-run BCDA said.

“Whatever agreement they entered into with CJH Development Corporation (CJHDevCo) no longer applies because their subleases have been terminated with the principal lease,” Casanova said.

Yesterday, BCDA announced that

the arbitration panel in a decision last February 11 ordered Sobrepenaowned CJHDevCo to vacate Camp John Hay and return it to the government.

Both BCDA and CJHDevCo entered into arbitration upon a July 2012 order by the Baguio Regional Trial Court, which had been hearing their dispute over unpaid rentals.

CJHDevCo has failed to pay BCDA some P3.4 billion in lease rentals, P850 million of which should have gone to the local governments of Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay.

“CJHDevCo has been ordered to vacate the property and they should do so immediately. We want to ensure the security in Camp John Hay and prevent sabotage, pilferage and the destruction of property,” Casanova said.

In line with the arbitration panel’s order, BCDA warned the public to no

longer transact with CJHDevCo in matters concerning Camp John Hay. Despite the arbitration panel’s order, BCDA said it would pursue its claim for unpaid rentals.

“While we see this as a breakthrough, we are duty bound to pursue our monetary claims because 25 percent of our earnings from Camp John Hay is meant for its stakeholders,” Casanova said.

Co-arbitrator Teodoro Kalaw IV said CJHDevco should pay rentals in arrears amounting to P2.4 billion.

“Claimant has expressly acknowledged to owe Respondent at the time of the execution of the 2008 RMOA on 1 July 2008, in the amount of P2,406,140,525,” Kalaw said.

In a decision dated September 30, 2014, the Court of Appeals agreed with the BCDA’s position that “it is the public that suffers for the failure of CJHDevCo to fulfill its obligations.”

To recall, BCDA terminated

the lease of CJHDevCo over the 247-hectare Camp John Hay Economic Zone in May 2012 for its failure to perform its obligations and

for defaulting in its lease payments even after three restructuring. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / February 13, 2015 / 5:12 PM

4sa0vin% gs!

Discover Cebu! from GBP 149.00 per person

•Return flights Manila-Cebu •2Nights/3Days B&B •Half Day City Tour with Local guide (based on 2 person sharing)

“The Eight Wonder of the World”

Banaue Rice Terraces from GBP 319.00 per person

•Transportation by Minivan with English speaking Driver •Two nights accomodation (based on 2 person sharing) •All Meals •Banga-an Village Tour •Local Tour Guide

To Barcelona with Love from GBP 179.00 per person

•Return flight London - Barcelona •2 Nights / 3 Days B&B •Tapas & Flamengco Tour (based on 2 person sharing)

T&C of Packages: Flights and Hotel—Standard Room, based on 2 people sharing and subject to availability and taxes. For other worldwide packages deals, call us!!! Travel restriction and black out period apply.

HOTELS • TOURS • TRANSFERS • AIRPORT SERVICES • CAR HIRE

EASTER & SUMMER BOOKINGS, NOW OPEN FOR RESERVATIONS!

6

BUSINESS & FINANCE

www.hello-philippines.com

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Manila Water earnings growth slows on weaker revenue MANILA - Profitability at the waterdistribution unit of the Ayala Group slowed last year on weak revenue growth and a faster increase in expenses.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Manila Water Company Inc said it closed 2014 with a net income of P5.8 billion, slightly higher than the previous year’s P5.7 billion. Last year’s growth was slower than the 5 percent increase in 2013.

Revenue last year increased 3

percent to P16.357 billion from the previous year’s P15.926 billion. But expenses, including cost of sales, rose a faster 9 percent to P5.088 billion from P4.654 billion over the same period.

Where the company enjoyed faster growth was in its share in the earnings of its associates. This grew 22 percent to P357 million last year from P294 million in 2013.

Manila Water has been venturing outside its main concession of the

east zone of state-run Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS). The Ayala-led company has been partnering with local governments outside Metro Manila, including Cebu and Boracay.

Manila Water also has been venturing outside the Philippines, launching last year a joint venture with Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation in Myanmar. ■ InterAksyon.com / February 12, 2015

/ 4:03 PM

Bangko Sentral keeps interest rates steady, cuts inflation forecast IN a statement, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said its Monetary Board today decided to keep policy rates at 4

percent for the overnight borrowing window and 6 percent for the overnight lending faciity. Special deposit account rates likewise

were kept at a uniform 2.5 percent for all tenors, as was the reserve requirement ratio.

The BSP said the Monetary Board considered current policy settings appropriate, adding that the path of inflation was within the 2-4 percent target range for 2015-2016, even as inflation expectations remain anchored, largely because of the drop in international oil prices.

During a briefing today following the first Monetary Board meeting for the year, BSP Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo said board members cut their inflation forecast for this year to 2.3 percent from the 3 percent estimate made in December last year.

For next year, the forecast likewise was

reduced to 2.5 percent from the earlier estimate of 2.6 percent.

The reduction in the forecasts stemmed from lower oil prices. The central bank now sees domestic oil prices averaging P40-P41 a liter this year. For next year, the forecast reduction is P34-P35 in 2016.

The latest inflation forecasts are based on the Board’s lower outlook for Dubai crude at around $54.83 this year, down from an earlier estimate of $76.60. For 2016, Dubai crude is forecast at $62.55 a barrel, also lower than the $80.17 estimate made earlier.

Guinigundo said the big drop in inflation last December was also a factor in the BSP’s latest inflation forecast for the two-year period.

He said reports of possible delay in the power rate adjustments as well as lower amount of price of rice being distributed by the National Food Authority (NFA) were also positive for domestic inflation rate.

Inflation slipped near one-and-a-half year lows at the start of this year as prices of utilities, fuel and transport contracted.

Alongside manageable inflation, the BSP cited good prospects for the Philippine economy on the back of robust domestic demand, bank lending and bullish business sentiment.

The BSP has kept its monetary settings since October last year after inflation began easing. ■ InterAksyon.com / February 12, 2015 / 5:04 PM

BUSINESS & FINANCE

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

www.hello-philippines.com

7

Melco incurs fourth-quarter loss in run-up to City of Dreams opening

MANILA - The operator of the City of Dreams Manila (COD) lost money during the final three months of 2014.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Melco Crown Philippines Resorts Corporation said its controlling shareholder, Hong Kong-listed Melco Crown Entertainment Limited (MCE), reported a net loss of US$48.6 million on its Philippine operations, principally the COD, which opened to the public early this month.

The loss reflects pre-opening costs, depreciation, amortization and payment of US$1.8 million to Belle Corporation, MCE’s

Philippine partner for City of Dreams Manila.

Melco said the fourth-quarter loss reflected US$5.2 million in interest expense on the P15-billion senior notes it issued to finance start-up costs of COD. Also responsible for the loss were US$6.1 million in capital lease charges.

COD is a joint venture between Melco and Henry Sy-owned Belle, which owns the land on which the casino resort was built.

Melco said it incurred US$153.3 million in capital expenditures on COD during the fourth quarter of last year.

The company said the fourth-quarter

results reflected above were contained in disclosures MCE made to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in light of American depositary receipts (ADRs) listed on Nasdaq.

A company listed outside the U.S. issues ADRs to allow U.S. investors to indirectly own the shares of the underlying firm, foreign ownership in which is usually restricted.

COD last month opened its doors to the public, generating daily foot traffic of 15,000. ■ InterAksyon.com / February 13, 2015 /

11:52 PM

Melco co-chairmen Lawrence Ho and James Packer during grand opening of City of Dreams.

Philippine share prices climb a second session in a row MANILA - The Philippines stock market rose for a second consecutive session on positive news both here and abroad.

At the Philippine Stock Exchange, the benchmark index climbed 58.86 points or 0.76 percent to 7,773.45, from yesterday’s 7,714.59. The PSEi early in the session tested the 7,7707,800 resistance band.

All counters were in the green, led by industrial sector, which gained 1.33 percent followed by services, 1.18 percent; mining and oil, 0.65 percent; and holding firms, 0.54 percent.

Advancers beat decliners, 111 to 68, while 47 issues were unchanged. Value turnover reached P8.89 billion, as 1.17 billion shares changed hands.

The most actively traded stocks were PLDT, GT Capital, First Gen, Universal Robina and Robinsons Retail. Top gainers were Philippine

Realty, Citystate Savings, Cyber Bay, Philippine H2O and Empire East, while the biggest losers were iRipple, IPEGame, Federal Resources, Philodrill and ATN Holdings.

Jun Calaycay of Accord Capital Equities said the local market was boosted by positive signals from the negotiating tables in both Ukraine and Europe, pushing equity indexes in the US and Europe to multi-year record levels.

Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 110.24 points to 17,972.38, while the S&P 500 gained 19.95 points to 2,088.48 and

the Nasdaq Composite, 56.43 points to 4,857.61.

Calaycay added that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) decision yesterday to maintain policy rates and cut inflation rates also lifted the market.

“The recent BSP decision to lower its inflation target as well as holding benchmark rates steady amid a general easing by its global peers should translate to an increased attraction for consumer-related counters — retail, food, tourism, transportation, among them,” Calaycay said.

The Monetary Board yesterday

kept policy rates at 4 percent for the overnight borrowing window and 6 percent for the overnight lending facility. Special deposit account rates likewise were kept at a uniform 2.5 percent for all tenors, as was the reserve requirement ratio.

The BSP also cut the country’s inflation forecast for this year to 2.3 percent from the 3 percent estimate made in December last year.

For next year, the forecast likewise was reduced to 2.5 percent from the earlier estimate of 2.6 percent. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon. com / February 13, 2015 / 4:45 PM

Try us TODAY! Enjoy your first transaction FREE Use promo code

H0215P

Magpadala ng pera sa iyong mga mahal sa buhay

www.worldremit.com

8

IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

10 Pinoy couples exchange vows in Dubai mass wedding rite ahead of Valentine’s Day AT least 10 Filipino couples working in the United Arab Emirates were wed in a mass civil rite on Thursday at the Philippine Consulate in Dubai.

Two days before Valentine’s Day, the couples exchanged “I dos” in front of witnesses and got their marriage certificates at the consulate, Gulf News reported.

“We hold mass weddings at the consulate every Thursday because it would be time-consuming and difficult to wed them individually,” said consul general Frank Cimafranca.

Cimafranca said as many as 10

to 15 Filipinos get married at the consulate every week.

He said consulate officials like him are authorized by law to officiate these marriages.

“For those who prefer to have it done at a church, by an imam, or at Dubai courts, they only send us the papers to have them registered,” he said.

As for the couples, they said the mass wedding rite was a “faster and easier way to cut on costs and other preparations needed to get married at a church in the UAE.” Maria Rona Balleser, who manages applications received by the consulate,

said one reason many Filipinos seek a civil marriage in Dubai is because getting the marriage certificate is faster.

Balleser said that since they are UAE residents and their vacation times are short, “it makes more sense to get their marriages done here, as they will not have the time to secure their marriage license within a one-month period when visiting the Philippines.”

Also, she said they can qualify for marriage within 15 days in the UAE if there are no legal impediments.

She added civil marriages are a viable option if the couples are from

different Christian sects or when they want to have a Church wedding in the Philippines.

Thursday’s new couples received gift vouchers from sponsors. ■ Joel Locsin / LBG, GMA News / February 13, 2015 / 7:46 AM

Kapampangan serving aboard a US Navy destroyer in Japan

MIAA pressed to heed Congress’ call for suspension of airport terminal fee integration A coalition of more than 30 OFW groups and labor advocates is calling on the Department of Transportation and Communication and the Manila International Airport Authority to heed the unanimous call of the Senate for a halt to the integration of terminal fees.

“Twenty senators crossed partisan lines to unite behind the lawful exemptions of OFWs from paying the P550 terminal fees,” said advocate Susan Ople of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center in a statement Friday.

She added that a similar resolution was approved by the House committee on overseas workers affairs.

“The ball is now clearly on DOTC and MIAA’s court. Millions of OFWs are now awaiting their official response,” Ople said.

MIAA Memorandum Circular No. 8 orders the integration of the airport terminal fee in airline tickets for all international passengers.

In their resolutions, the two houses of Congress agreed that the implementation of airport terminal fee integration disregarded the exemption granted by law to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Under the 1995 Migrant Workers Act, OFWs are exempted from the payment of travel tax, documentary stamp and airport terminal fee upon proper showing of proof of entitlement

which is the overseas employment certificate issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

Members of the House of Representatives who signed the resolution believe that MIAA Order No. 8 should be suspended until it is declared legal and enforceable by the court.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello, who chairs the House committee on overseas workers affairs, said his committee may be compelled to file appropriate charges against MIAA General Manager Angel Honrado should he persist to implement the MIAA Order No. 8 while its legality is pending court consideration.

In the Senate, the resolution, signed by 20 senators including Senate President Franklin Drilon, said the MIAA directive should be suspended until such time that an appropriate computer system could be adopted to ensure that OFWs can avail of the airport terminal fee exemption, especially those who are purchasing tickets online.

“Through all the discussion, it was shown that the integration of the IPSC into the payment of airline tickets is not urgent and that there would be no loss of profit on the part of the government,” a portion of Senate Resolution No. 1179 said. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / February 13,

2015 / 3:14 PM

APPROXIMATELY 35 miles south of Tokyo, a Kapampangan sailor is helping keep a US Navy destroyer with over 200 crew members on board running.

Petty Officer 1st Class Benjie Ronquillo is serving as an electrician’s mate aboard the USS Fitzgerald, a destroyer based in Yokosuka, Japan.

According to an article on the Navy Office of Community Outreach website, part of Ronquillo’s job is to ensure the destroyer’s peak performance by standing guard over the generators, electrical equipment, and other circuitry.

“I am responsible for providing power throughout the ship,” said Ronquillo, who completed a degree at the Guagua National College in Guagua, Pampanga, in 1993.

He told Navy Office of Community Outreach that the “tightness of the crew” — and the benefits that come with it — inspired him to continue working on the ship.

His commanding officer, Cmdr. Chris

England, said USS Fitzgerald represents a “diversity of eth “These sailors should be justifiably proud of their accomplishments – a direct reflection of their dedication to mission accomplishment, motivation, and commitment to the Navy,” he said.

The Navy Office of Community Outreach article said USS Fitzgerald is equipped to be a first respondent in combat scenarios throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

US Navy ships are no strangers to Filipino crewmembers, as more and more men and women choose to enlist with the country’s military force.

Stories of Filipinos or Filipino-Americans in the US military are not actually rare. Last September, two young Fil-Am officers chose to re-enlist in with the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines at the US Embassy.

In February last year, dozens of Filipino sailors aboard the USS Pinckney had a brief homecoming when the warship docked at a Manila port. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / February 13, 2015 / 5:17 PM

Petty Officer 1st Class Benjie Ronquillo is a native of Guagua, Pampanga. Photo courtesy of Navy Outreach.

Airport, quarantine officials monitoring passengers from Middle East for MERS-CoV

AIRPORT and quarantine officials have intensified their monitoring of passengers especially from the Middle East, in the wake of the first confirmed case of the potentially deadly

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the Philippies.

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Bureau Of Quarantine

are using a thermal scanner to check the body temperature of incoming passengers, GMA News stringer Ariel Fernandez reported Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the Department of Health reported its first confirmed MERS-CoV case – a Filipina nurse, 32, who arrived from Saudi Arabia last Feb. 1.

Her medical condition was confined at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

For its part, the Bureau of Quarantine is collecting yellow forms from passengers. It is also collating contact information such as phone numbers and address so that they can be located if a fellow passenger tests positive. ■ Joel Locsin / LBG, GMA News / February

12, 2015 / 7:17AM

HELLO PHILIPPINES IS PUBLISHED FORTNIGHTLY BY MSHARE LIMITED. THIS PUBLICATION IS COPYRIGHTED AND ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. UK & EUROPE EDITION • NORDIC, IRELAND, ITALY, SPAIN, AND FRANCE • WWW.HELLO-PHILIPPINES.COM

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

9

Maid abuse case in HK highlights plight of migrant workers HONG KONG - Foreign maids in Hong Kong are guaranteed wages and benefits rare elsewhere in Asia and the Middle East, but the recent ordeal of an Indonesian domestic helper has highlighted the abuses that still go on behind closed doors.

A six-week trial that saw a Hong Kong woman convicted of beating and starving Erwiana Sulistyaningsih has shone a spotlight on the financial hub’s 300,000 maids, with campaigners hoping the ruling will convince more to speak out about abuse.

And while some argue the city is far ahead of much of Asia and the Middle East in its treatment of migrant maids, critics say lax enforcement and poor support mean domestic helpers are

either afraid to speak out or unaware of where to look for help.

“I don’t think there is any reason to rejoice,” Hans Ladegaard, a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, told AFP. “Erwiana may have won the court case, [but] her case is unfortunately far from exceptional,” said Ladegaard, who has been collecting cases of domestic worker abuse since 2008 as part of an academic project.

A Hong Kong judge on Tuesday found Sulistyaningsih’s employer Law Wan-tung guilty of 18 charges of physical abuse and a failure to pay wages, saying the Indonesian was effectively kept prisoner.

Sulistyaningsih told the court in

vivid detail how she was “tortured”, starved, beaten and humiliated by her former employer.

She later told journalists she was happy with the ruling, but voiced hope for reforms in Hong Kong, calling on employers to treat “migrant domestic workers as workers and human beings and stop treating us like slaves.”

‘Like slaves’. In a 2013 survey of more than 3,000 foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong, nearly a fifth said they had experienced some form of physical abuse, while 58 percent said they had endured verbal abuse. Six percent said they had suffered sexual abuse.

The same year, Amnesty International condemned the “slaverylike” conditions faced by thousands of Indonesian women who work as domestic staff in Hong Kong and accused authorities of “inexcusable” inaction.

Local campaigning group HK Helpers has identified three issues in particular need of reform: the enforcement of maximum working hours, stopping illegal agency fees, and ending rules that gives domestic workers only two weeks to find new employers if they quit.

But others say that Hong Kong does more than most to protect its domestic

workers, with laws requiring employers to provide a minimum wage, days off, and medical insurance—which are rare in other countries.

The International Labor Organization said in 2013 that just three percent of Asian countries awarded migrant maids weekly days off, and no Middle Eastern countries did.

Only 12 percent of Asia, meanwhile, guarantees minimum wages for domestic helpers, a figure that stands at just one percent in the Middle East, according to the ILO. Under the controversial “kafala” (sponsorship) system that several Arab states enforce, migrant domestic workers are left completely at the mercy of their employers.

It restricts workers from moving to a new job before their contracts end unless they obtain their employer’s consent, trapping many in abusive situations.

‘Relatively better’. While on the surface the legal protection that Hong Kong offers domestic workers may be better, enforcement remains lax.

“Structurally it [Hong Kong] has things in place, reasonable labor laws for migrants domestic workers, but the rule of law stands only if it works.

But it doesn’t,” London-based Amnesty

International researcher Norma Kang Muico told AFP. “Hong Kong is relatively better,” Laadegard echoed, “The main problem is that the laws are often not enforced.”

“It happens every day. Physical assault on domestic helpers is shockingly common. And the majority of abuse cases don’t go to court, not even to the police,” he added.

One positive to emerge from Sulistyaningsih’s case in the eyes of activists, however, is that when the case did go to trial, it encouraged other helpers to speak out.

“I think that the fact that Erwiana’s case has reached this far is already a very fine example where a domestic worker has come forward and asserted her rights has demanded justice,” said local rights activist Eman Villanueva.

According to Cynthia Tellez, who runs two shelters in the city for domestic workers who have suffered abuse, more than a thousand maids visited the facilities in the past year alone, and more were speaking out in general.

“There is one good sign that more maids are willing to speak out,” she told AFP. “But it also shows that Erwiana is not an isolated case.”

“The problem has to be seriously addressed.” ■ AFP / February 11, 2015 / 7:39 PM

Kuwait court upholds death penalty for cop who raped Pinay

A Kuwait court has upheld the death penalty for a traffic policeman for abducting, raping and attempting to kill a Filipina, a Kuwait news site reported Wednesday.

The policeman, who was initially convicted last June, can still appeal the sentence even as the victim’s lawyer said they would demand compensation, Kuwait Times reported.

While the policeman initially denied arresting the Filipina and later pleaded insanity, a psychiatric diseases hospital declared he was sane and thus responsible for his actions.

The report noted some 180,000 Filipinos, many of them women

working as domestic helpers, live in Kuwait. It said Filipinos are the fourth largest foreign community in the Arab state.

Court documents showed the policeman stopped a taxi with two Filipinas and found one of them had an expired residency visa.

He ordered the Filipina to get into the police car, and told the taxi driver to move quickly, supposedly to prevent witnesses from recording the taxi’s plate number.

After the Filipina got in the patrol car, the policeman supposedly drove to an open yard in Mishref where he stripped and asked her to do the same.

When the Filipina refused and

asked him instead to take her to the police station or hand her over to the Philippine embassy, the policeman stabbed her in the neck and raped her, then left her for dead in a pool of blood.

Not content, he returned and stabbed her several more times in the neck, chest and back when he saw her move.

The policeman then dragged the Filipina’s body and hid her behind a mound of sand for stray dogs, but the Filipina managed to crawl to a nearby road where a passerby took her to a hospital.

She and the taxi driver eventually identified the suspect in a lineup. ■ Joel

Locsin / LBG, GMA News / February 12, 2015 / 7:06 AM

Fugitive ‘big-time’ trafficker Isidro Rodriguez spotted in Spain–Migrante

VICTIMS of convicted illegal recruiter Isidro Rodriguez urged the Philippine government to move for his arrest and extradition after he was recently sighted in Granada, Spain.

“We call on the Department of Justice and concerned government agencies to take urgent action,” said Engelyn Belmonte of the Gurong Umuusig kay Rodriguez (GURO) in a statement. “They should immediately coordinate with Spanish authorities to arrest and extradite Rodriguez.”

According to Migrante International, six OFWs have reported Rodriguez to the police in Spain since

October 2014, a month before he was sentenced to 11 years in jail in Manila for illegal recruitment and estafa.

One of them, Kirsten Baculi, a domestic worker, informed Migrante International that she and the other victims only learned of the cases linked

to Rodriguez last January and fear that he may have already left for Madrid.

Garry Martinez, Migrante International chairperson, said they learned of the trafficker’s whereabouts after an informant sent photographs of Rodriguez while he was in Granada.

“She (Baculi) informed us that she met Rodriguez in Granada in October 2014. Along with five others, they were also duped by Rodriguez but unfortunately only learned about his cases and warrant of arrests in January 2015 through the Migrante website,” said Martinez.

“She said that they last saw him last

December 2014 and have not heard from him since,” he added.

Rodriguez was placed under a watchlist by the Bureau of Immigrations after GURO requested for a hold departure order against him.

“We cannot fathom how he could have succeeded in leaving the country despite these and the existing unserved warrants for his arrest,” Belmonte said.

GURO filed a motion for reconsideration and a motion for urgent resolution before the Department of Justice after it dismissed the first batch of trafficking complaints against Rodriguez.

Even Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia Jr. has vowed the embassy’s full cooperation in seeking justice for several of Rodriguez’s victims in the US. Migrante International stated that at least 20 batches of teachers filed complaints against Rodriguez for allegedly collecting up to P500,000 from each individual.

It also stated that Rodriguez had victimized at least 300 Filipino teachers from 2009 to 2014 and faces pending complaints from both the Philippine and US courts. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / February 12, 2015 / 2:25 PM

10

IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

POEA allows ‘exemptions’ in OFW deployment ban to Ebola-hit countries PHILIPPINE labor officials are allowing some exemptions in the ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers to countries affected by the Ebola virus disease.

This was contained in the recently approved Resolution 1 of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Governing Board.

“The ban to these countries where there is the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) stays, but there are exemptions,” said Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, who chairs the POEA Governing Board, in a statement Tuesday.

Under the resolution, the Philippine government maintained the total ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

But it will allow the processing and deployment of returning workers of United Nations-related or international non-government or civil society organizations, subject to compliance with relevant requirements.

Signing the resolution aside from Baldoz were Governing Board Vice Chairman and POEA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac; and Governing Board members Estrellita Hizon, Alexander Asuncion, Felix Oca, and Milagros Isabel Cristobal.

In the resolution, the Governing Board cited the Jan. 8, 2015 letter of the Department of Foreign Affairs that recommended the 21-day mandatory quarantine for returning OFWs from the three Ebola Virus Disease-affected

countries.

The letter had also recommended the further maintenance of Alert Level 3 status for the three countries.

“In the same letter, the DFA recommended the stay of the ban, but allowing the return to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone of Filipinos working for UN-related organizations, or international non-government/ civil society organizations, provided they execute a statement that they are returning to these countries against government advice,” said Baldoz.

Undertaking. Meanwhile, Baldoz said the employers of these workers also need to issue an undertaking that they will be “responsible for the treatment and repatriation of the

returning Filipinos in the event they are infected.”

The DOLE noted the POEA Governing Board in 2014 issued Resolution No. 14 on July 4, 2014 imposing a temporary suspension on the processing and deployment of newly hired OFWs to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

It also allows the processing and

deployment of vacationing/returning workers there, on account of the spread of EVD. Last Dec. 8, the POEA Governing Board imposed a total deployment ban for all Filipinos bound for the three countries and instructed Filipinos already there to return to the Philippines. ■ Joel Locsin / KBK, GMA News / February 10, 2015 / 2:20 PM

Ex-pastor in Canada gets 15 years for 2011 death of pregnant Pinay wife A Canadian court has sentenced a former pastor to 15 years in prison after he was found guilty for the death of his pregnant Filipina wife in 2011, an online report said Monday.

A report on Mirror said although Philip Grandine was charged with firstdegree murder, he was found guilty of manslaughter as Superior Court Justice Robert Clark ruled that it couldn’t be

Anne Karissa Grandine and husband Philip. Screen grab from CBC News.

proven that the accused planned the killing of his wife, Anne Karissa Grandine.

Investigators said Karissa drowned in a bathtub after Philip put a highly-potent sedative in her drink. At that time, she was 29 years old and five months pregnant.

A separate report on CBC News said the defense argued that Karissa’s death was either an accident or suicide, but the court took into consideration the fact that Philip, 25, a nurse at a retirement home, had access to sedatives.

It also pointed out that his training would’ve allowed him to perform CPR on Karissa before his 911 call.

The Mirror report, citing autopsy results, said Karissa had powerful sedative Lorazepam or Ativan.

Affair. The prosecution said Philip, who pleaded not guilty and refused to take the stand during his trial in December 2014, killed Karissa so he could continue his affair with another woman.

Karissa was pronounced dead at a hospital on October 17, 2011 after she was brought there by paramedics who

responded to a call regarding a woman in medical distress.

Philip, meanwhile, was a pastor at a local church accused of having an affair with one of his parishioners. The report on Mirror said his other woman testified during the trial that he continued to sleep with her months after Karissa’s death.

Mirror also said Philip was into online pornography, and had looked up local escort services despite undergoing marriage counseling with Karissa.

“True example of a saint”. Friends and family who cherished Karissa called her a “true example of a saint,” a separate report on Toronto Star said.

Even when her husband’s adultery was discovered, Karissa reportedly forgave him and his mistress, identified as Eileen Florentino.

Karissa, who nicknamed her unborn child Jellybean, reportedly worked extra jobs so she may study at the University of Toronto for a degree in biology and archeology.

Toronto Star said she also battled a

long-time liver illness and served as an inspiration for members of her church.

Outright condemnation. Relatives and friends of Karissa from the Ennerdale Baptist Church had nothing but condemnation for Philip’s crime, with Toronto Sun quoting church leader Cliff McDowell in a report as calling him a “coward” in court.

Deacon Robert Steeves even told the publication that he was ashamed for falling to notice the “despicable things” the man did.

Meanwhile, Anthony Refrente, Karissa’s cousin, said Philip’s actions made her death “incomprehensible, unjustifiable, and outright evil.”

Karissa’s mother Maria Darvin blasted Philip’s “terrible act of violence” and said it was done “against God, Karissa, her unborn baby, and the rest of society.”

The Toronto Sun report said Maria Darvin brought Karissa and her sister to Canada from the Philippines in 1994. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / February 11, 2015 / 3:13 PM

UAE court sentences waiter to 1 year jail for setting fire to Pinay’s room – report

A United Arab Emirates court on Sunday sentenced a waiter to one year in jail for setting his Filipina exgirlfriend’s shoe and room on fire last October.

The Indian waiter, 26, admitted he was drunk at the time he went to the room of the Filipina, 34, at a hotel and started the fire, after they broke up.

Sunday’s ruling is subject to appeal within 15 days.

In its decision, the Dubai Court of First Instance found the Indian guilty of deliberately setting fire to the waitress’ belongings, endangering the life of another Filipina who was sleeping in the room, wrecking private belongings worth Dh200, and damaging to hotel properties worth Dh2,100 and consuming liquor, Gulf News reported.

But presiding judge Mohammad Jamal also acquitted the Indian on charges he secretly entering a womenonly place, or the hotel’s female staff residence.

Court records showed the Indian waiter and the Filipina receptionist were co-workers at the hotel at Jumeirah Palm, the same report said.

According to the waiter, he was “too drunk and not aware of what I did,” and insisted his deeds were unintentional.

“But I don’t even remember starting a fire. I wrecked the claimant’s belongings, but I have already paid for the damages. I went there to see my ex-girlfriend,” the waiter was quoted as saying in the Gulf News report.

For her part, the Filipina receptionist said the residence’s supervisor

informed her by phone that her room had been set on fire.

“I discovered that the fire had been put out. The defendant had set my shoe and bed on fire… the fire spread to the bed, the walls and the curtains. My colleague [the waitress] was sleeping but she woke up once the fire started,” she said.

Meanwhile, the waitress said she opened her eyes when the fire alarm rang. “When I saw my roommate’s bed on fire, I rushed out of the room because it was full of smoke. I was scared of getting burnt,” she said.

An Egyptian security supervisor said the Indian told him that he had started the fire when he was very drunk.

On the other hand, the waiter

admitted to prosecutors that he went drinking with one of his friends.

He said they consumed alcohol then he returned to his residence provided by the hotel.

“I went to my ex-girlfriend’s room and put her shoe on the bed. Then I used my lighter to set it on fire,” he was quoted as saying. ■ Joel Locsin / RSJ, GMA News / February 10, 2015 / 9:32 AM

Talk Home Hello Philippines 289 x 380 13.02.2015 v2.pdf 1 13/02/2015 12:14:04

pay as you go SIM closer than you think

PILIPINAS AT UK

Mga mobile at landline minutes at mga text

£20 lang!

Kunin ang bundle, i-text 006320 to 579

2000 LIBRENG

minutes at texts kapag TALK HOME to TALK HOME*

i-collect na ang LIBRENG SIM online: talkhomemobile.com Top Ups are available at: Customers of TALK HOME Mobile may not be able to use Electronic Top-Up at all locations where green top-up logo appears.

Terms & Conditions: Pricing/Offers correct as at 13.02.2015 on the ‘Your Rates’ plan. UK Calls and UK texts: applies to calls/texts to mobile numbers allocated to H3G, O2, Orange, EE and Vodafone in the UK only and calls made in the UK to fixed line numbers starting 01, 02 or 03. The country rate advertised only includes calls made a) to fixed line geographic numbers and b) mobile numbers, in each case from the UK to such numbers in the country advertised. Excluded from all pricing/offers are all other types of call/text such as calls/texts to premium, reverse charge and revenue share numbers and those calls/texts made/sent or received when roaming. *Free Calls and Texts Offer: 2,000 minutes and 2,000 texts Talk Home mobile to Talk Home mobile. Available on topping up a minimum amount of £5; expires 31st day after last top up. The Philippines £20 country bundle lasts for 30 days from activation, is for non-commercial use only and any unused allowance expires automatically at the end of that period. Activation is normally on the date on which you purchase the bundle. Calls to any other numbers and calls made when roaming are charged at our standard rate as set out on our website. Where you use more than your bundle allowance you will be charged for your excess use at the standard rate published on our website. Pricing and offers can be varied or withdrawn at any time. These terms are in addition to our standard terms and conditions; www.talkhomemobile.com for full terms and conditions and for variations and/or withdrawals.

12

IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Blind Pinay student gets scholarship in US DESPITE having one of her senses taken away at a young age, Melaniel V. Vecina overcame the odds and earned the right to the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study (YES) program in the United States.

A report on “24 Oras” on Thursday said Vecina was picked from more than 8,000 applicants with and without disabilities from around the world. She will start her schooling in New York this August.

“Isang napakalaking karangalan po na i-represent yung blind community.

Alisin na po yung perception na hindi

lahat ng disabled [ay] sa bahay lang,” Vecina said.

Other than the scholarship, Vecina has won numerous scholastic awards as well as “Paligsahan ng may K sa Kasaysayan at Kultura ng Pilipinas” history quiz competition by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) in 2014.

The young scholar lost her sight at the age of six from an infection, the report said “Nung una, talagang napakadepressing. ‘Di namin inaasahan kasi

napaka-healthy na bata. Kung ako ‘yun baka nawalan na ako ng pag-asa,” Vecina’s mother, Carmencita, said.

The report said despite her condition, Vecina would still help in performing house chores like taking care of her younger siblings.

With the scholarship, Vecina grew even more determined to become a lawyer like her idol, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. “Mas maipaglaban ko pa po yung karapatan namin na mga persons with disabilities,” she said. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / February 12,

2015 / 9:16 PM

Illegal recruiter uses TV reporter’s name to fool victims

Pinoy convicted of raping 3 minors in Sabah A Malaysian court sentenced earlier this month a 30-year-old Filipino for raping three underage girls in Tawau town in Sabah, reports said.

A report on The Borneo Post identified the Filipino as Ernesto Cabiara, who it said pleaded guilty to the charges before Judge Ummu Kalthom Abd Samad.

The report said Cabiara was sentenced to 47 years in jail and 12 cane strokes. The sentences will be served separately from the date of sentencing.

Cabiara was reportedly arrested on January 16, three days after the victims’ grandmother filed a police report regarding what he did to her grandchildren.

The report said the victims’ grandmother asked the Filipino to babysit the children after he gained her trust.

All the victims were raped in the same house between February to October 2014, the report said.

The Borneo Post added that Cabiara was earlier sentenced to 36 months in jail time for “outraging the modesty of two other girls who are cousins of the three victims.”

In a separate report, Bernama said Cabiara was wearing a Malaysian Scouts t-shirt when arrested.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abd Rahman said Cabiara was allowed to wear the shirt because he was not formally charged at the time.

Before that, Malaysian Scouts deputy chief commissioner Datuk Awang Zaini Suntim condemned Cabiara’s wearing of the scout’s attire, saying it was disgraceful for the movement. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News /

A hunt is on for an illegal recruiter who promised Filipino job seekers work in Canada – and claiming to be a relative of a television reporter.

The suspect would introduce herself as “Engineer Marie Consulta” and a sister of GMA reporter John Consulta, GMA Bicol’s Avril Daja reported Thursday.

GMA News’ Consulta denied knowing any “Engineer Marie Consulta,” adding he does not have a sister in the first place, and that he has no relative engaged in labor recruitment.

Eleven victims of “Engineer Consulta” from Naga and Iriga Cities said the suspect had promised them jobs at an oil and gas company in Canada for P3,000 each.

“Nagtrabaho raw siya sa Canada.

Kaya raw siya umuwi rito sa Pilipinas, kasi kailangan niya raw ng aplikante,”

said one of the victims.

They said the suspect would disappear once she got the money.

Worse, they found the documents they were shown, including the plane tickets, were fake.

Some of the victims complained they even resigned from their old jobs last November because of the suspect’s

A Filipino-American singer and her husband are making waves on the Internet after they posted a video of them doing a two-and-a-half-minute medley of their favorite hit songs of 2014.

The video of Carissa Rae Alvarado and husband Michael, known together as Us The Duo, has garnered 8.5

million views two months after it was posted online.

Despite the video’s popularity, the couple told Buzzfeed they would not be doing covers “for a while” as they are now focused on writing original songs for their third album.

Us The Duo released their second album “No Matter Where You Are” in

February 10, 2015 / 4:13 PM

July to August in Hong Kong,” it said.

Of the three types of influenza viruses recognized - A, B, and C - Influenza A (H1N1) virus has become one of the seasonal influenza strains in Hong Kong, it said.

“The winter’s dominant virus strain is a mutated variant of H3N2,” it added.

The Consulate said it will monitor developments. In the meantime, it urged Filipinos to check the CHP webpage www. chp.gov.hk or call its hotline at 2125-1111. ■

Joel Locsin / RSJ, GMA News / February 10, 2015 / 8:56 AM

/ LBG, GMA News / February 12, 2015 / 1:46 PM

Fil-Am singer, hubby making waves with 2.5-minute video of cover songs

Pinoys in HK advised: Take precautions vs. flu epidemic FILIPINOS traveling to Hong Kong and those staying there have been advised to take precautions against a widespread influenza epidemic there.

The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong said that as of Feb. 5, Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection noted a death toll of 118 and 187 severe cases this year.

“Influenza (flu) is an acute illness of the respiratory tract caused by influenza viruses. It is usually more common in periods from January to March and from

promises of a new job abroad.

“Sana sa mga nais pumunta sa Canada, mag-ingat po kayo kasi marami ngayong nagpapanggap lalo na yung Engineer Marie Consulta kung saan magaling talaga gumawa at magpaikot ng aplikante na hinihikayat niya,” one of the victims said. ■ Joel Locsin

Carissa Rae Alvarado and husband Michael as Us The Duo. Photo from their Facebook page.

2014, featuring original songs. The title track made it to the soundtrack of 20th Century Fox’s “The Book of Life.”

An album of original material is part of the contract they signed with Republic Records, which allowed a re-release of their second album and remixes of their older songs, according to an article on Billboard.

Billboard reported that the couple were the first Vine stars to snag a major recording label, a feat accomplished previously by YouTube stars.

Since their signing to a record label last March, the folk-pop duo had several TV, magazine, and event appearances, and had traveled locally and internationally to perform.

While Michael told PopCrush that wedding bells were already ringing when they first met, Carissa only realized the inevitable after hours of Facetime and recording songs together.

An article on the Asian Journal said the two met in 2011 and married in April 2012.

On Instagram, Carissa thanked her parents for being “such a beautiful example of love” to her and her husband. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / February 10, 2015 / 3:35 PM

0203 773 5772

ANGELES (CLARK) BACOLOD BANGKOK BOGOTA CAGAYAN DE ORO CASABLANCA CEBU DAVAO HANOI HO CHI MINH CITY HONG KONG ILOILO JAKARTA KALIBO KUALA LUMPUR LIMA NADI PHNOM PENH PUERTO PRINCESA SAN JOSE SANTA CRUZ SAO PAULO SINGAPORE TACLOBAN

£543 £598 £360 £490 £608 £104 £543 £600 £408 £417 £322 £598 £420 £586 £412 £482 £951 £498 £598 £569 £510 £454 £411 £598

ILOCANO

Long Live Philippines

PILIPINO SA LINGUAHENG

TAGALOG

T RAVEL CO UK

Call & speak to our Philippine Experts TUMAWAG Alona 0208 477 7116 Isabel 0208 477 7146 AT PARA MAKAUSAP Sarah 0208 477 7186 ANG MGA Imelda 0208 477 7185 Melissa 0208 477 7131 Rozel 0208 477 7149

Springy

spring time!

Which paradise destination are you off to?

£399

Manila Flights & holidays booked through Mabuhay Travel are fully bonded

with ATOL which means your money is 100% PROTECTED

Website : www.mabuhaytravel.co.uk | e-mail : info@mabuhaytravel.co.uk Mabuhay Travel assures you the best quality of service available; all advertised fares are of real time itineraries during the issue of publication For more details on the terms and conditions please visit us at http://www.mabuhaytravel.co.uk/terms-conditions. Fares are highly subjected to availability and changes without any prior notice. Conditions apply. Please be informed these fares are including taxes.

3517

14

www.hello-philippines.com

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

FREE LISTING of events in HELLO PHILIPPINES newspaper.

Please email info@hello-philippines.com to include your event.

D I S C L A I M E R : The Events Diary r listing does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or fa f vouring by HELLO PHILIPPINES newspaper. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Hello Philippines newspaper and/o / r the Publisher. What’s On is a Filipino Events Diary r listing fo f r UK and Europe.

201 DATE / TIME Saturday, 7th March 2015 7:30PM - 10:00PM

Sunday, 22nd March 2015 18:00 - 23:00

EVENT TWO WORLDS IN HARMONY featuring: THE WEST END MAMAS and THE WEST END PAPAS! Biyahe Tayo

Saturday, 28th March 2015

LGBT-UK Charity Ball

May 2nd 2015 TBC

Mutya ng Pilipinas 2015

Saturday June 6th at 09:00 - 18:00

Independence Day sa Newcastle at Pista sa Nayon Yorkshire Barrio Fiesta 2015

June 7th Every Sunday.

14:00pm - 18:00pm.

Eevery 2nd SUN. 14:00pm.

FREE LISTING of

Lahig Kayumanggi Rehearsals

CALENDAR OF EVENTS – UK & EUROPE

VENUE Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL, UK

The Dome, Tufnell Park 2 Dartmouth Park Hill, NW5 1HL London, United Kingdom Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, London, UK Manchester (Venue to be confirmed), Manchester, UK Blaydon Rugby Club, Hexham Road, Swalwell, NE16 3BN, Newcastle, UK Ripley racecourse, Ripley, Yorkshire, Ripley, UK St. Andrew’s United Reformed Church Hall, Frognal Lane (corner Finchley Road), London NW3 7DY. Nearest tube: Finchley Road.

English Martyrs Catholic Church. Chalkhill Road, Wembley Park, HA9 9EW.

Filipino Family M a s s a t E nglish Martyrs Catholic yChurch our events in HELLO

ORGANISER Finest Workers UK Ltd in association with ISH Magazine

CONTACTS / REMARKS Contact: JHERMY Tel: 07825509624 Website: www.fwuk.com

Emma Tel: 07730 601939 Fil LGBT-UK

MPUK

Joel Medina filipinolgbtuk@pinoyworld.eu Tel: 07834780490 Jassin Fuentes Tel: 07557551624 Website: mutyaunitedkingdom.com Sally Sellars: 07886742417 Bong Bangayan: 07859811648 Rodger Mangnding: 07725892489 Lolita Boddy

LKDance

Contact Laurence at 07840 602 944 or Avery at 07805 239 801 or email info@lkdance.org.uk.

Hosted by: Alyssa Gonzales

Becky at 07949857699 / Lina B at 07579418510.

PHILIPPINES newspaper. If you know of any events please contact us via info@hello-philippines.com to submit your event.

DISCLAIMER: The Events Diary Listing does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by Hello Philippines newspaper. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Hello Philippines newspaper. This is merely an Events Diary Listing of what is happening within the Filipino Communities in Europe. This is for general information only.

1st Saturday

201

MONTHLY FILIPINO COMMUNITY MASSES IN GREATER LONDON

5:00pm

Devotion in Honour of Our Lady of Fatima (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament / Rosary / Benediction / Mass) St Pius X Catholic Church, 108 Orme Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 3SB – Oliver Abasolo – 07782 661 922 2:00pm Five Precious Wounds Parish, Brentfield Road, Stonebridge Park, London NW10 8ER 1st Sunday Mervic Monocillo – 07894 636 140 5:00pm Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, Friary Road, Peckham, London SE15 1RH 1st Sunday Allen Abeleda – 07713 625 888 4:00pm St Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, 103 Woolwich New Road, London SE18 6EF 2nd Saturday Moises Espanola – 07894 648 639 2:00pm English Martyrs Church, Chalkhill Road, Wembley Park, Wembley HA9 9EW 2nd Sunday Becky Sarinas – 07949 857 699 / 07425 761 519 / Lina B – 07579 418 510 nd 2:00pm St Dominic Catholic Church, 243 Violet Lane, Waddon, Croydon CR0 4HN 2 Sunday Merlie Mirto – 07722 216 462 2nd Sunday 4:00pm St. Anselm and St. Cecilia, 70 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3JA Feliciano Ramirez – 07733 680 748 rd 3:00pm Sacred Heart of Jesus, New Priory, Quex Road, Kilburn, London NW6 4PS 3 Sunday Sheidrick de Leon – 07738 210 202 3rd Sunday 3:00pm Blessed Sacrament Parish, 157 Copenhagen Street, Islington N1 0SR Christy Sangalang – 07709 119 969 Last Saturday 6:00pm 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 Last Sunday 12:00pm St Pius X Catholic Church, 108 Orme Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 3SB Oliver Abasolo – 07782 661 922 Last Sunday 2:00pm St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 218 Roehampton Lane, London SW15 4LE Rafael Santiago – 07795 254 451 Every Sunday 5:00pm Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 20 Brixton Road, Oval, London SW9 6BU Ben Ortiz – 07723 318 486 First Wednesdays 6:30pm 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 – F R E E L I S T I N G o f y o u r e v e n t s i n H07723 E L L O 024 P H I591 LIPPINES newspaper. If you know of any events please contact us via

info@hello-philippines.com to submit your event.

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

NEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

15

DOH: Be honest in filling out health checklist amid first MERS-CoV case FOLLOWING the first confirmed case of MERS-CoV in the country, the Department of Health on Friday asked those arriving in the Philippines to be truthful in filling out the Health Declaration Checklist upon their arrival at the airport.

In a press conference, acting Health Secretary Janette Garin said they “strongly suggest” the proper fillingout of the yellow form by all arriving passengers “to prevent the entry of MERS-CoV and other infectious diseases in the country.”

“Nananawagan po ulit kami sa lahat ng pasahero na galing sa ibang bansa na please fill up honestly and properly the Health Declaration Checklist, ‘yung yellow na form, para hindi po tayo mahirapan at tayo ay

magkatulungan,” she said.

Garin said a person’s “history of travel to the Middle East region” is a vital information in determining if someone has MERS-CoV, since the symptoms for this are not distinctly its own.

“Ang MERS-CoV kasi ang sintomas para siyang flu, para ring asthma, so it’s very difficult for us to pinpoint it as MERS-CoV lang. ‘Yung nagiging link ay ang history of travel to the Middle East region,” she said.

She added that “all points of entry” to the country are being closely monitored after the confirmation of the first MERS-CoV case here.

The Filipina nurse who tested positive to the virus, along with 13 others, are currently confirmed at the Research

Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City. Included there are 11 people, including the patient’s husband, who showed symptoms and had close contact with her.

The 11 people, the rest of them personnel at the hospital the patient was first admitted to, were among the 56 that came in close contact.

During the press conference, Garin also asked the remaining 128 passengers abroad the Saudi Airlines flight 860 to come forward and agreed to be tested for precaution.

She said 96 of the 220 passengers on the flight that the Filipina nurse was in had been located and all agreed to undergo screening for MERS-CoV. ■

Rose-An Jessica Dioquino / NB/LBG, GMA News / February 13, 2015 / 8:03 PM

NAIA, DOH on the watch vs. MERS-CoV. A thermal scanner monitors arriving passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Wednesday, February 11, after a Filipino nurse was found to have been infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The unidentified nurse arrived from the Middle East on February 1 and is now confined at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. ©GMA News.

Armed men torch container van loaded with DOLE bananas in Surigao del Norte MANILA - Reports reaching Manila at the weekend indicated that a container van loaded with bananas owned by DOLE Philippines was burned on late Thursday afternoon by seven heavily-armed men that police suspected to be communist rebels at a remote village in the town of Borobo, Surigao del Sur. Belated reports reaching the PNP National Operations Center in Camp Crame indicated the incident took place at around 4:56pm Thursday in Sitio Nangka, Brgy.

Guinhalinan, in Borobo town, Surigao del Sur. Initial investigation showed that seven men armed with AK-47 assault rifles stopped the container van bearing markings of GESEACO with body number Gesu-937712-9 attached to an orange prime mover with license plate number IYA-973.

The van was reportedly owned by Allan Bernal of Poblacion, Borobo, Surigao del Sur and was being driven by Edgar Fedillaga, 44, married, of Cagangohan,

Panabo City. The shipment was being transferred from the DOLE Philippines Plantation at Brgy. Guinhalinan and headed for Davao City.

It was flagged by the seven armed men, who ordered the driver to get off the vehicle before one of the suspects poured gasoline all over the van and then set it on fire, the report said.

After setting the container van on fire, its driver and the prime mover was released unharmed by the suspects, while the

estimated losses were placed at P2 million.

The report added that the incident might related to the refusal by the management of DOLE Philippines to give in to the extortion demand by lawless elements operating in the said area.

The reports added that the Borobo Municipal Police Station coordinated with other friendly forces in the area to pursue the suspects, who fled after the incident. ■

Thom Andrade / InterAksyon.com / February 14, 2015 / 5:45 PM

16

NEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Electric jeepney makes DLSU go ‘green, green everywhere’ MANILA - De La Salle University is largely known as the green university, as green is its iconic color, very prominent from the school’s logo to its famous UAAP basketball team’s jerseys. But there is something else that is very green at De La Salle – its transport system inside its Dasmarinas, Cavite campus.

DLSU in Dasmarinas, is an educational institution that pioneered the use of an electric jeepney public transport system within its sprawling campus.

The project was an initiative of the parents organization called Parents Organization of La Salle Cavite, Inc. (POLCA), in 2009, then headed by Dr. Carmelyn C. Antig, a retired DLSU-D professor.

“We decided to fund the purchase of an EJeepney to improve not just our transport system inside the campus but also to help conserve the environment, as well. There is less noise, no pollution to the air. We called it the Ikot La Salle EJeep,” Antig explained.

Prof. Antig disclosed that, initially, POLCA acquired its first jeepney in

2008, a conventional diesel-engined Public Utility Jeepney. “This was well appreciated by the DLSU-D Administration, since the parents funded this vehicle and the program was able to fund a Scholarship Program at De La Salle University.

“Then after it earned widespread acceptance as a very convenient transport system serving the 24-hectare DLSU-D campus, POLCA, in support of DLSU’s advocacy to be an environment-friendly institution, acquired its very first Electric Jeepney in 2009.”

Dr. Antig said that there was a clamor for another EJeepney, thus the second one was purchased in 2011.

“Since I was then a full-time university professor of DLSU-D, I decided to conduct a research study on EJeepneys that were then being used in five areas, initially, Legaspi City, Quezon City, Makati City, Laguna and Cavite.”

“I then conducted another research study titled ‘The Electric Jeepney: A Facility-Partner in Community Service in De La Salle University-Dasmarinas’ which was presented abroad in

technical conferences in South Korea in 2011 and in Malaysia in 2012,” she said.

Since then, other EJeepneys in the De La Salle Family were purchased, such as several units for the Taft Avenue campus of the College of St. Benilde.

The Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines, the organization of major electric vehicle industry players in the country lauds pioneering environmental efforts such as the Ikot La Salle Ejeep.

Atty. Bodie Pulido, Executive Director of EVAP, says that the organization hopes more educational institutions and other private entities will follow suit and make use of EJeepneys in their sites.

“We will have our annual Electric Vehicle Summit on February 26-27, 2015 at the Meralco Multipurpose Hall in Pasig City. We wish to invite other public and private institutions and prospective EV fleet operators to attend, so they may learn how to put up their own electric vehicle infrastructure.” ■

EJeepney at DLSU Dasmarinas Campus.

InterAksyon.com / February 1, 2015 / 7:34 PM

Don’t smear Pag-IBIG in rush to target VP Binay, exec tells Trillanes MANILA – The Home Development Mutual Fund (PagIBIG Fund) does not award projects or deal with contractors, as alleged

by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a high ranking official of the agency said Tuesday.

And, in a statement, Atty.

Darlene Marie Berberabe appealed to Trillanes not to sully the name of the agency with his “baseless” allegations that clearly target Vice President Jejomar C. Binay who is chairman of the Pag-IBIG Board of Trustees.

The agency, she said, is open to an investigation, but stressed that the Commission on Audit (COA) no less had given it, for 2012 and 2013, an “unqualified opinion” - the highest assessment by an auditor when it reviewed its financials and processes.

“We work hard to earn the trust of our 14.6 million members. Please do not sully the good name of Pag-

IBIG Fund with baseless allegations of an anomaly,” said Berberabe, Pag-IBIG Fund President and Chief Executive Officer.

The senator on Monday had said he was preparing another round of accusations against Binay, this time involving his alleged use of his influence to have favored contractors bag deals at Pag-IBIG. Trillanes was one of two senators leading the charge against Binay in the Senate, actively participating in a Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee inquiry on allegations of corruption during Binay’s term as Makati mayor.

“In the strongest terms, I deny that Pag-IBIG Fund favors any stakeholder.

On the contrary, we pride ourselves with having leveled the playing field when the new management and the new Board assumed office in 2010,” Berberabe said Tuesday, in response to reports quoting Trillanes that he was leeting loose another round of political attacks soon, this time supposedly

File photo of Pag-IBIG’s Manila office. ©InterAksyon.com.

involving Binay’s use of his influence on contract decisions at Pag-IBIG..

“To say that we favor contractors in awarding housing projects is simply false because we do not award projects, nor do we deal with contractors. It is unfortunate that an allegation which discredits the integrity of Pag-IBIG Fund is made, but the basis is not provided. When you do your work professionally, and regard principles of fairness and integrity with the highest standard, it is most disheartening to be dragged into an alleged anomaly that has no basis,” Berberabe said.

The Fund is obviously being pulled into a political controversy that targets its chair, said Berberabe, who then cited reforms instituted by the agency to ensure transparency and accountability in all its operations.

“We have endeavored to institute reforms since 2010 to ensure that there will not be another Globe Asiatique.

Even if such reforms were not popular, we made them happen because we were focused on doing what is right for the Fund that is owned by our members.”

In 2010, Pag-IBIG Fund filed a syndicated estafa case against Globe Asiatique (GA) President Delfin Lee and cohorts, which led to the prosecution of several officers of the developer and a Pag-IBIG employee.

According to Atty. Berberabe, after the GA issue, Pag-IBIG introduced reforms that some developers initially found very stringent. These reforms involved the lifting of the authority previously granted to developers to approve home loans, and the strict

implementation of the procedure where the Fund personally validates the identity and capacity to pay of each of its housing loan borrowers, which initially slowed down the takeout process.

She said that after her people explained the changes in the Pag-IBIG processes, the developers understood that the reforms were intended for the best interest of all Pag-IBIG Fund stakeholders, particularly its members.

“Since we implemented these reforms, we have significantly improved the integrity of our portfolio.

We improved our underwriting, thereby resulting in better-performing loans ratio. We also outsourced the collection of our non-performing loans.

As a result, we converted almost 50% of our non-performing loans back to performing loans, a huge feat in the housing industry,” Atty. Berberabe emphasized.

Performance for 4 years speaks for itself. “Pag-IBIG’s performance

and accomplishments in the last four years speak for themselves. In the third quarter of 2014, Pag-IBIG’s net income already reached P13.09 billion, comparable to the net income of the country’s biggest banks for the same period,” Berberabe pointed out.

The agency “would not have been able to achieve and maintain its robust financial standing and credit P10.1 billion worth of dividends to its members in 2013, the highest in the Fund’s history, if the allegations of shady deals are true,” she added.

The Commission on Audit, in fact, after checking the integrity of the

Fund’s processes and financials, had issued an “Unqualified Opinion” in both 2012 and 2013 for Pag-IBIG Fund.

“An Unqualified Opinion is the best finding that an auditor can issue. This is a testament to the fact that Pag-IBIG is not only focused on performing and exceeding targets in its housing and savings mandates, but also in good corporate housekeeping and thus good governance,” said Berberabe.

She stressed that Pag-IBIG enjoys the trust of developer groups and maintains a good working relationship with them.

During the NCR Developers’ Forum held last October 2014, Paul Tanchi, Chairman of the Board of the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association, Inc. (SHDA) described the leadership of Pag-IBIG as embodied by competence and character.

In the same event, Engr.

Jefferson S. Bongat, Chairman of the Board of the Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines (OSHDP), also praised Pag-IBIG. He compared its professionalism and efficiency to that of a well-run, top private company or bank.

“If we are favoring just a few, we will not earn the trust of our housing partners and Pag-IBIG members,” Berberabe said, even as she welcomed any investigation, which she is confident, will clear Pag-IBIG Fund in the end. ■ Ernie Reyes

/ InterAksyon.com / January 6, 2015 / 4:56 PM

18

INTERNATIONAL / GLOBAL NEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Delhi’s new chief minister vows to wipe out corruption ARVIND Kejriwal promised to make Delhi India’s first corruption-free state and end what he called its “VIP culture” as he was sworn in as chief minister Saturday in front of a huge crowd of cheering supporters.

The veteran anti-graft campaigner also pledged to stick out his five-year term and said he would not succumb to arrogance after his upstart Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party (AAP) won one of the biggest election victories the Indian capital has ever seen.

Kejriwal dealt Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party its first major defeat since last year’s general election after pledges to tackle entrenched corruption and lower utility bills won over legions of working-class voters willing to give him a second chance.

The 46-year-old former civil servant’s first term as chief minister lasted just 49 days and ended in chaos

when he quit exactly a year ago.

Despite that, his party took all but three of the 70 state parliament seats in elections last Saturday, a remarkable turnaround for the politician most pundits had written off after a poor performance in the general election.

In his inauguration speech, Kejriwal admitted he had been over-ambitious, and promised to focus on running the capital.

“I have decided that for the next five years we will only focus on Delhi. I will serve Delhi with all my heart,” he told the gathered crowd at the open-air ceremony.

“I will make Delhi corruption-free within five years,” he said, promising to push through an anti-corruption bill.

‘End VIP culture’. Corruption is a huge problem in Delhi, where many citizens complain that they need to pay bribes even for something as basic as getting a driver’s licence, and the city

Supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party watch as leader Arvind Kejriwal is sworn in as Delhi chief minister at Ramlila Grounds in New Delhi on February 14, 2015. Photo by Sajjad Hussain, ©AFP.

saw the emergence of a huge anti-graft movement in 2011.

Kejriwal also said his government would eschew the trappings of power, including the red beacons that allow senior politicians to glide through traffic in the gridlocked city.

“In developed countries, even PMs wait at bus stands. Why can’t the same happen here?” he said.

“We want to end the VIP culture in this country.”

Kejriwal also said people of all faiths should live in harmony in the Indian capital, which has suffered a recent spate of attacks on churches, promising “strong action” against acts of religious hatred.

Some analysts have attributed the Hindu nationalist BJP’s poor performance in the Delhi polls to a failure to address religious extremism in India.

Kejriwal, whose supporters range from domestic servants to teachers to business entrepreneurs, based his election campaign around pledges to deliver cheaper water and electricity as well as a promise to counter corruption.

On Saturday he said that both the BJP and the Congress party, which ruled Delhi for over a decade before suffering a humiliating defeat at the polls, had paid the price for being “arrogant”.

“We must not let our victory go to our heads,” he said.

The new chief minister was dressed simply in a navy sweater and trademark white paper cap bearing the words “complete self-rule”—a reference to his ambition to secure greater autonomy for Delhi.

Supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party watch as leader Arvind Kejriwal is sworn in as Delhi chief minister at Ramlila Grounds in New Delhi on February 14, 2015. Photo by Sajjad Hussain, ©AFP.

The central government retains greater powers in Delhi than in most states, including controlling the police.

Tens of thousands turned out for the open-air ceremony at the Ramlila ground where Kejriwal also chose to have his first inauguration, in a break from the tradition of taking the oath in the state assembly.

Many carried Indian flags and wore the white paper hats printed with the words ‘common man’ in Hindi for which the AAP party is known.

During his last brief tenure as chief minister, Kejriwal famously declared himself an anarchist and staged several street protests outside government offices.

Before last Saturday’s election he apologised for leaving voters without an elected government for a year, telling the Times of India daily that he and his party had “evolved”.

Kejriwal appears eager to project a more grown-up image this time around.

He arrived at Saturday’s swearingin by car, after famously travelling by metro to his first inauguration.

Posters at the site showed him dressed soberly in a shirt and jacket and without the trademark woolly scarf that earned him the nickname “Muffler Man”.

Kejriwal quit his comfortable and highly sought-after government job in 2001 and embarked on a career as an anti-corruption campaigner that led to national fame.

The taxman-turned-politician came to prominence as an adviser to elderly social activist Anna Hazare, whose 2011 anti-graft drive galvanised India.

His cabinet was also sworn in on Saturday, and held its first meeting behind closed doors later in the day. ■ AFP / February 14, 2015

Heart-shaped madness as Japanese women splurge for Valentine’s Day TOKYO - Japanese women jostled feverishly for elbow room at stores on Friday to buy Valentine’s Day chocolates for the men in their lives— guys who do sweet nothing in return.

While the ladies splurge on the object of their desire—as well as friends, colleagues and bosses—men simply wait for the goodies to pour in on February 14 and gorge to their heart’s content.

It’s a far cry from the Western version of Valentine’s Day with its saucy commercials featuring handsome hunks swooping in to leave a box of chocolates on a lover’s bed.

Although the confectionery

traffic is one-way in Japan, the country celebrates White Day next month, when men are required to reciprocate with a white gift—from cookies to lingerie.

“It’s madness today,” said Masako Fukuda, as she clutched a dainty bag of Belgian cocoa truffles which set her back a cool 8,000 yen ($66).

“This is for my hubby,” she added after battling the crowds in a department store in Tokyo’s swank Ginza district.

“I’ll get some cheaper chocolate for my co-workers.”

Having splashed out on her “honmei” (true love) chocolate, which is reserved for husbands or lovers, the 45-yearold expected her Valentine’s bill to top

Women buy boxes of chocolates as gifts before Valentine’s Day at Tokyo’s Mitsukoshi department store.

10,000 yen once she had bought “giri” (obligation) treats for the men at her office.

At the Takashimaya department store, an entire floor has been dedicated to Valentine’s Day and women flocked to the “Amour du Chocolat” exhibition to sample the latest mouth-watering creations from international chocolatiers cashing in on their chic image.

Heart-shaped box. Shoppers stood patiently in queues snaking around corners to purchase chocolates made

by French company Dalloyau, or Belgian confectioners Pierre Marcolini’s heartshaped delicacies.

“I hope I get given French chocolate,” joked banker Teruaki Noda, 38. “If my girlfriend is stingy again this year, she won’t get anything on White Day.” Valentine’s Day first appeared in Japan in the late 1950s as the economy picked up steam after the devastation of World War II, and Western products brought an air of sophistication as the country acquired a taste for luxury.

At the time, a firm called Mary Chocolate advertised February 14 as “the only day of the year a woman

professes her love through presenting chocolate”—thus establishing it as Japan’s currency of romance, dealing a blow to florists, jewellers and makers of skimpy lingerie.

Chocolate has been available in Japan since the late 18th century, when Dutch traders—the only Europeans allowed a foothold in an otherwise closed country—gave it to prostitutes as a form of payment.

Times have changed, however, and eccentric couples can even celebrate Valentine’s Day by hopping into a

chocolate hot spring bath.

Half of Japan’s $11 billion chocolate business—the biggest in Asia—is spent in February, according to retailers. But some women opt for a more frugal approach.

“I make chocolate myself,” said 22-year-old student Haruko Kawabe.

“I’ve been doing it since elementary school. Every year I would make chocolate for the boy I liked. It’s less embarrassing to tell someone you like them by giving chocolate on Valentine’s Day.” ■ AFP / February 13, 2015

ORIGINAL CREATION & COPYRIGHT RESERVED BY © HELLO PHILIPPINES 2015

20

www.hello-philippines.com

INTERNATIONAL / GLOBAL NEWS

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

As China circles, US-Thai military friendship stumbles BANGKOK - Perturbed by Thailand’s coup, the United States has scaled back a showpiece joint military exercise with its Southeast Asian ally, but analysts say that with China circling for influence, Washington will not push the kingdom’s generals too far.

Famed for its jungle bonding sessions where US and Thai soldiers down snake blood, the annual “Cobra Gold” event is the crown jewel of Thailand’s decades-long strategic alliance with the US. But this year’s edition, which started on Monday, has been slimmed down, as Washington recalibrates the level of military support it is willing to show for a country under junta rule—and martial law—since last May. In tweets following the opening ceremony, US charge d’affaires W. Patrick Murphy said the exercise had been “modified” in response to a “challenging” period, urging a return to democracy so the “full potential of relations” could be restored.

For months following the junta’s takeover—which Washington strongly criticised at the time—there were questions over whether Cobra Gold would even go ahead.

Some US Congress members suggested it should either be moved to northern Australia or cancelled altogether.

But while Washington wants to see one of its strongest Asian allies return to democratic rule, it has no desire to risk its relationship with Thailand, especially as the world’s most powerful military pursues its much-vaunted “pivot” to Asia to challenge a rising China.

“This is an intimate security relationship which goes back decades and has been strengthened by multiple challenges,” said Anthony Davis, a Bangkok-based military expert with IHS-Jane’s, citing conflict in Korea, Vietnam, Laos as well as Thailand’s own battle with communist insurgency.

“You don’t throw that away in a fit of pique.”

South Korean soldiers participate in an amphibious assault military drill.

Cooling relationship. Nonetheless the relationship between the two old allies is currently far from cordial.

Last month junta chief Prayut ChanO-Cha reacted with barely concealed fury when a visiting senior US diplomat made guarded criticisms of the regime.

Bangkok-based envoy Murphy was summoned to explain his colleague’s comments, while a joint Thai-US press conference last week to promote Cobra Gold was abruptly cancelled without explanation.

Gregory Poling, an expert on southeast Asian militaries at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, says Thailand’s coup has thrust the US onto the horns of a dilemma.

“The US government cannot endorse a military junta,” he told AFP. “But Thailand is also a treaty ally and one of the deepest and most abiding relationships the United States has in the region.”

Reflecting that position, US military planners have refocused this year’s exercise on humanitarian and disaster

Thai and US military attend the opening ceremony for the annual joint military exercises.

relief preparation, an apparent attempt to play down Cobra Gold’s traditional— and more prestigious—“war games” reputation.

In the past the exercise has often included a live-fire amphibious assault which has also been scrapped, a spokeswoman at the US embassy told AFP. It is “a noticeable difference from past versions,” she said, adding that there would, however, still be some live-fire training.

‘Masters of diplomacy’. At the heart of Washington’s careful balancing act lies China, which has publicly wooed Thailand since the coup and is looking for opportunities to push back against America’s Asia pivot.

In December, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met Prayut to sign a multibillion-dollar railway construction agreement in a visit widely interpreted as an endorsement by Beijing of Thailand’s new military rulers.

And last week, China’s defence minister held talks with Prayut in

Bangkok to harden their military cooperation, in an expanding relationship which observers say could be used as a bargaining chip with Washington.

Chinese troops are also taking part in Cobra Gold, alongside more than 20 other nations, in only their second “boots on the ground” presence, as opposed to observer status.

Analysts say however despite US criticism and the diplomatic flirtation, there is little chance Bangkok would turn its back on its oldest ally and realign with Beijing.

“The Thais are past masters at the art of diplomacy and they have no desire, in my estimation, to jump into bed with the Chinese dragon,” said Davis.

“We’re talking about a rebalancing, an important, perhaps even a watershed recalibration of the relationship with the US. But the Thais have got much too much to lose by a total realignment towards China. It’s inconceivable.” ■ AFP

illegally altering the course of a plane.

She was acquitted of obstruction of justice charges related to allegations that she had pressured KAL staff to lie about the incident.

Another defendant, also a KAL executive, was convicted of forcing the flight crew to give false testimony and was jailed for eight months.

Spoilt and arrogant. The case triggered a huge public backlash.

Cho was seen as emblematic of a generation of spoilt and arrogant offspring of owners of the giant familyrun conglomerates, or “chaebols”, that dominate the South Korean economy.

Like Cho, many are given senior positions in the family business, sometimes after a token period “learning the trade”.

In the past, chaebol owners have appeared to be above the law. Those convicted of gross fraud have either received lenient sentences or been granted pardons after just a short time in jail.

Cho had resigned from all her posts and publicly apologised for her behaviour, which her father and KAL chairman Cho Yang-Ho criticised as a “foolish act”. ■ AFP / February 12, 2015

/ February 9, 2015 / 10:54 PM

Korean Air heiress jailed in ‘nut rage’ case THE daughter of Korean Air’s chairman was jailed for one year Thursday over a notorious “nut rage” incident that triggered an uproar over the behaviour of South Korea’s business dynasties.

The district court in Seoul convicted Cho Hyun-Ah of violating aviation safety law by forcing a taxiing New York-Seoul KAL flight to return to its departure gate on December 5.

Cho, who was the airline’s executive vice president at the time, had insisted on expelling the chief purser from the plane after taking exception to being served macadamia nuts in a bag, rather than a bowl.

The 40-year-old had treated the flight “as if it was her own private plane”, Justice Oh Sung-Woo said, adding that the case had become the object of international ridicule and “damaged the dignity” of the country.

Cho treated employees “like feudal slaves” and failed to show “the slightest respect” for other people, the judge said.

Cho, clad in a pale green jail suit and with her head bowed so that her hair partially obscured her face, occasionally reached up to wipe away tears as the judge read his ruling.

‘Deeply sorry’. “I am deeply sorry for what I did... I displayed my anger without control,” she said in a letter of apology read out by the judge.

Cho Hyun-Ah, the daughter of Korean Air’s chief executive, has been found guilty.

“I don’t know how I can ever be forgiven,” the letter said, adding that her six weeks in trial custody had allowed her to learn “respect for other people” from her fellow detainees.

Despite Cho’s expressions of repentance, Oh questioned whether she was truly remorseful for her behaviour.

She was also convicted of assault on the cabin crew.

The chief steward, Park Chang-Jin, had testified that Cho had made him kneel and beg for forgiveness while jabbing him with a service manual.

Prosecutors in the trial had asked for a three-year sentence, but Oh said he had taken into account that no lives had been jeopardised in the incident, as well as the fact that Cho had two young children and that her personal and professional reputation had been shattered.

It was not immediately clear if Cho would choose to appeal.

Dismissing defence arguments to the contrary, the court ruled that an aircraft should be deemed “in flight” from the moment it begins to move and that Cho was therefore guilty of

/12:52 PM

ADVERTISE WITH MIKE McCARTHY

TEL. NO.: +44 (0) 1708 550 398 E-MAIL: mmccarthy@mshareltd.com MOBILE NO: +44 (0) 7538 201 870 E-MAIL: enquiries@hello-philippines.com WEBSITE:

www.hello-philippines.com

ADVERTISE WITH MIKE McCARTHY

TEL. NO.: +44 (0) 1708 550 398 E-MAIL: mmccarthy@mshareltd.com MOBILE NO: +44 (0) 7538 201 870 E-MAIL: enquiries@hello-philippines.com WEBSITE:

www.hello-philippines.com

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

HEALTH and Lifestyle food

www.hello-philippines.com

23

Daily sugar intake should be cut, study finds “SUGAR intake should be halved to just five teaspoons a day,” reports The Daily Telegraph, while somewhat confusingly the Mail Online website says we should be eating less than seven teaspoons of sugar a day.

Both reports are based on a large review that looked at the link between sugar intake and tooth decay. It found that the incidence of tooth decay is lower when sugar makes up less than 10% of the total recommended calorie intake. As a very rough equivalent, that would correspond to a standard can of cola.

There was also some poor quality evidence that showed that dental decay could be further reduced if sugar made up less than 5% of calorie intake.

The references to “spoonfuls” of sugar in the papers is potentially misleading and unhelpful, as people could think this only refers to sugar added to hot drinks.

Sugar is consumed not just in the form of table sugar, but in high-sugar foods such as cakes, biscuits and fizzy drinks. It can also be found in foods you might assume are sugar-free, such as tinned chilli and ready-meal noodles, so it is always a good idea to check the label.

Sugary foods and drinks not only cause tooth decay, they are high in calories and can contribute to your risk of diabetes and being overweight or obese.

The current advice is to limit your added sugar intake to 10% or less of your daily calories. That’s about 70g of sugar for men and 50g for women, although this will vary according to factors such as size, age and how active people are.

Where did the story come from? The study was carried out by researchers from Newcastle University and the University of Cambridge. It was funded by Newcastle University’s Centre for Oral Health Research and published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Dental Research.

The quality of the reporting on this study was mixed. The Telegraph reported that researchers recommend halving the current 10% threshold to 5%, when the study clearly says that evidence for doing this is “very low quality”.

The Mail made a similar mistake, although it did say later in its story that the evidence for doing this was unreliable.

Both papers also issued conflicting messages about the recommended number of teaspoons of sugar people should have a day—five teaspoons in the Telegraph and seven teaspoons in the Mail.

It is possible that this confusion arose because of a failure to realise that the recommended daily sugar intakes vary by gender. Halving the current 10% recommendation

of 70g for men and 50g for women would lead to a drop (roughly) of 14 teaspoons to seven for men, and 10 teaspoons to five for women.

What kind of research was this?

This was a systematic review looking at the link between sugar intake and dental caries (cavities caused by tooth decay) undertaken on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO sets guidelines on sugar intake as a percentage of total calorie consumption. It currently recommends that sugar intake should not be more than 10% of total calories.

The researchers say that it is widely accepted that sugar is the most important dietary factor in the development of dental caries. WHO commissioned a systematic review of evidence on this issue in 2010 to inform and update its guidelines on sugar intake.

In particular, WHO wanted to know whether increasing or decreasing sugar intake affected measures of dental caries, and whether the evidence supports a threshold for sugar intake.

Sugar comes in many different forms, including fructose, sucrose (table sugar), dextrose and glucose.

It is added to lots of foods, such as sweets, chocolate, cakes and some fizzy and juice drinks.

A systematic review is the “gold standard” of assessing a body of previously published clinical evidence. It uses rigorous methods that enable researchers to identify and assess all relevant evidence on the issue.

What did the research involve?

The researchers set out to identify the association between the amount of sugar consumed and the level of dental decay. In particular, they searched for studies looking at the effect of, or link between, restricting sugar intake to: • less than 10% of total calorie intake, compared with more than 10% • less than 5% of total calorie intake, compared with 5-10% The review covers what are called “free sugars”. These are sugars added to foods by the manufacturer or consumer, plus those naturally present in honey, syrup, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.

The researchers searched various literature databases for relevant studies published since 1950 in any language. They included clinical trials that looked at the effect on dental caries of diets containing different sugar content that had a timescale of at least one year.

They also included observational studies that reported changes in sugar intake and information about dental decay. Participants in the studies were from all over the world

The current advice is to limit your added sugar intake to 10% or less of your daily calories. That’s about 70g of sugar for men and 50g for women, although this will vary according to factors such as size, age and how active people are.”

and in all age groups.

The papers were assessed twice to see if they met review criteria.

Researchers graded the quality of the studies as high, moderate, low or very low using an internationally accepted and validated system called GRADE. GRADE takes into account factors such as the consistency of results across available studies, the size of the effect, the evidence of a dose response and the strength of the association.

From 5,990 papers identified, the researchers included 55 studies that met the study criteria, 50 of them conducted in children. They did not identify any randomised controlled trials (RCTs). This is probably because randomising an individual to consume levels of sugar that could potentially be harmful would be considered unethical by most research institutes.

What were the basic results? The full results of each of the identified studies are extensive and cannot be summarised here.

The overall results were: • 42 out of 50 of the studies in children, and 5 out of 5 in adults, reported at least one positive association between sugars and dental decay • there was “moderate quality”

evidence showing a lower risk of dental decay when sugar intake is less than 10% of calorie intake, compared with more than 10% • there was “very low quality” evidence showing a lower risk of dental decay when sugar intake is less than 5%, compared with 5-10% of calorie intake

How did the researchers interpret the results? The researchers say that

dental decay progresses with age and the effects of sugars are lifelong. Even low levels of decay in children are of significance throughout life, they add.

While the evidence for a limit of 10% less sugar intake is moderate, they suggest there “may be benefit in limiting sugars to less than 5% to minimise the risk of dental caries throughout the life course”.

They also point out that while fluoride has a protective role, the association between sugar and dental caries remains.

In an accompanying press release, one of the study’s authors, Paula Moynihan, Professor of Nutrition and Oral Health at Newcastle University, said: “People now expect to keep their teeth into old age and, given that the effects of sugars on our teeth are lifelong, then limiting sugars to less than 5% of the calories we eat would minimise the risk of dental caries throughout life.

“In the past, judgements on recommended levels of free sugars intake were made based on levels associated with an average of three or fewer decayed teeth in 12-year-olds.

However, tooth decay is a progressive disease—by looking at patterns of tooth decay in populations over time, we now know that children with less than three cavities at age 12 go on to develop a high number of cavities in adulthood.

“Part of the problem is that sugary foods and drinks are now staples in many people’s diet in industrialised countries, whereas once they were an occasional treat for a birthday or

Christmas. We need to reverse this trend.”

Conclusion. This was a systematic review that considered all the evidence on the relationship between dental decay and sugar intake dating back more than 60 years.

It is worth noting that the researchers did not identify any randomised controlled trials—the gold standard of clinical evidence— on the issue.

However, given the detrimental effect that a high sugar intake is known to have on health, there are likely to be practical and ethical issues around randomising people to longterm intakes of high or low added sugar purely to look at who was more likely to develop tooth decay.

That said, the review is a timely reminder that sugar intake is associated with dental decay and that this association remains despite the introduction of fluoride toothpaste and, in some countries, fluoridated water. It would not be safe to assume that access to a fluoridated water supply means you can have your fill of sweet foods.

The evidence for lowering sugar intake to less than 5% of calorie intake came from three population surveys carried out in Japan in 1959 and 1960, and is considered very low quality. It is therefore debatable whether current advice will be altered.

Sugary foods and drinks not only cause tooth decay, they are high in calories and can contribute to people’s risk of diabetes and being overweight or obese.

The current advice is to limit your added sugar intake to 10% or less of calories a day. That’s about 70g of sugar for men and 50g for women, although this will vary according to factors such as size, age and how active people are.

Foods and drinks high in sugar should only be consumed in small amounts. ■ NHS Choices

24

NEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Condoms vs chocolates at flower market on Valentines Day MANILA - A condom maker in Manila Saturday found their Valentine’s Day giveaway challenged by a church group who tried to persuade people to swap the contraceptives for chastity and chocolates.

A colorful flower market in Manila became the unlikely battleground over the use of contraception in this Catholic dominated country as the church group countered the free condoms with chocolates and sweets -- complete with printed messages encouraging chastity.

“Exchange your condoms for candies, #WeKeepLoveReal,” read the signs carried by volunteers from the

Christian advocacy group Filipinos for Life.

“Condoms send the wrong message that Valentine’s is about sex, when it’s really about love,” volunteer Anna Cosio told AFP. DTK Health, the country’s biggest condom manufacturer, plans to give away 40,000 condoms over the weekend, the company’s head of marketing Emmanuel Alfonso told AFP. Offering free condoms alongside stalls selling bouquets of red roses, balloons and chocolates for Valentine’s Day will help erase the stigma attached to contraceptives, Alfonso said.

The ultra-conservative Catholic

Church continues to preach against contraceptives, likening its use to abortion, despite failing to block legislation to make them widely available to the poor.

In the past, the government handed out free condoms on Valentine’s Day but didn’t this year to avoid drawing the ire of the Church, health department spokesman Lyndon Lee Suy told AFP. But he stressed that the Department of Health was not giving up its safe sex advocacy, especially to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. “Every time you do it, sex should be safe, not only during Valentine’s,” health Lee Suy said.

While men casually accepted the condoms from the DTK models in tight blue t-shirts and shorts, some bashful women handed them back and then scurried away.

But some people got both candies and condoms.

IQBAL STATEMENT AT SENATE

File photo of the Makati Science High School.

Makati starts measles-rubella vaccination drive in city high schools THE Makati Health Department (MHD) and Department of EducationMakati on Wednesday started implementing the “School-Based Adolescent Immunization Program” of the Department of Health, targeting at least 95 percent coverage of some 8,500 first-year high school (Grade 7) students from all ten public high schools in the city as recipients of free vaccines against measles and rubella (MR).

A team composed of 12 school nurses and nine city health workers administered the MR vaccine on firstyear students at Benigno Aquino High School last February 11, followed

by Pitogo High School on Thursday, February 12.

The city government in collaboration with DepEd-Makati prioritized the DOH program’s implementation in support of the Millenium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing child mortality through the eradication of measles and other childhood diseases.

Based on the year-end report of MHD, a total of 8,845 children from birth to 11 months in Makati were fully-immunized while 7,850 children aged one to five years received free vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) under its expanded immunization program. The city’s child mortality rate has been reduced from 14.1 per 1,000 live births in 2013 to 12.8 per 1,000 live births in 2014.

The MHD has also reported a further reduction in the malnutrition prevalence rate of the city from 0.73

percent in 2013 to 0.64 percent in 2014. Through its health and nutrition programs, including its breastfeeding advocacy, Makati has successfully reduced its malnutrition prevalence rate, which stood at 7.7 percent in 1990.

Last year, Makati had 26 reported cases of measles for the first quarter, but has recorded zero cases of measles since last April up to the present, following a massive door-to-door immunization drive by MHD. Starting on February 16, the MR vaccination drive will be done in Makati High School, followed by Makati Science High School and Tibagan High School on February 17 and 18, respectively. Scheduled next are Bangkal High School, Pio del Pilar High School and San Isidro High School on February 24, 26, and 27, respectively.

The two remaining schools, San Antonio National High School and Fort Bonifacio High School are slated for March 3 and 5, respectively.

Meanwhile, the MHD has announced that for next school year, 2015-2016, first-year high school students in all ten high schools will be given free vaccine against Diphtheria and Tetanus. To date, Makati has zero cases of Diphtheria and Tetanus.

DOH’s Adolescent Immunization Program provides free measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough) vaccines for public high school students. ■ InterAksyon.com /

February 14, 2015 / 5:06 AM

LET me speak straight from the heart.

First, the encounter between the MILF and the SAF was an unfortunate encounter. It was something that nobody planned or wanted. We thought that we had effective protocols and mechanisms in place that would prevent things like these from happening. In the end, 44 SAF, 18 MILF, and many more died in that encounter.

We must honor them by making sure that their sacrifice would not be in vain.

While we cannot change the past, we can do something about the future.

We can work together to make sure that something like this would not happen again. Thus, we are already investigating the conduct of our men during that encounter to see if anyone violated the rules of conduct.

Second, the MILF was not the only group that was present in the area.

The SAF fought other armed individuals belonging to different networks and groups – BIFF, private armed groups, local militias, etc. the delicate task of finding out who did what, especially the reported atrocities, cannot immediately be blamed on the MILF. That would be unfair. We need to investigate. On the part of the MILF, aside from our own investigation, we push for a truly independent group that would conduct a fair and impartial investigation of the incident.

Third, the MILF was immediately working to effect the ceasefire as early as 6:30 in the morning. But because of the limitations in communications and because of the on-ground situation of battle, the ceasefire was obtained only in the afternoon. MILF members who were part of the joint ceasefire committee risked their lives to effect the ceasefire. We were trying to save those men.

Fourth, credit must be given where credit is due. Through the efforts of the MILF, 28 SAF were rescued from imminent death that day. The 28 SAF

“I already ate the candies. The condoms, I can’t use it yet because I’m only 16 and I don’t have a girlfriend.

Maybe I will keep it in my wallet for good luck,” college student Danny Villegas told AFP. ■ AFP / February 14, 2015 / 6:17 PM

Let Us Be Partners for Peace

were part of the first team and holed up in an area one kilometer northeast of Tukanalipao. They were already being fired upon by unidentified armed groups.

The 28 SAF are alive today because of the efforts of the MILF and finally, it is the will of God. Fifth, the MILF is against all forms of terrorism. We have made a solemn vow to fight terrorism in our areas. Terrorism is inconsistent with Islam and has no place in the orientation and principles of the MILF. Our previous actions bear witness to our commitment against terrorism. To tag the MILF as a terrorist group is unfair.

Sixth, the MILF did not harbor Marwan or Usman. The MILF has no links with these terrorists and terrorist organizations.

Marwan and Usman were in areas outside these MILF-controlled areas.

Seventh, the MILF and the BIFF are different organizations. We do not share the same goals and objectives. There is no truth to the allegation that we are conniving with each other.

Eighth, we are committed to peace.

We have been in negotiations with the Philippine Government for 17 years.

Our present partnership with President Aquino has been durable – there has been no recorded armed hostilities between the government and the MILF since 2011.

We signed the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the

draft Bangsamoro Basic Law. Each of these agreements is a testament to our commitment to pursue our objectives through peaceful means.

Ninth, the peace process is important to us – and to everybody. It has brought us the promise of a good life for our people – free from fear, want and discrimination. It contains our hopes and dreams – if not for us, for our children. We have waited for this opportunity for 17 years. We promised our people that peace will be our legacy. We seek your help in making this promise possible. We cannot do it by ourselves. We ask you to help us live in peace.

Finally, justice is at the core of our struggle. We have been seeking justice for a long time. Thousands of our brothers and sisters have died pursuing this cause. We see an opportunity that peace can be established. Please do not let this unfortunate incident be used to derail 17 years of hard work and lessen our resolve for peace and justice. Let peace be our legacy. Let us be partners for peace.

Maraming salamat.

MOHAGHER IQBAL Chairman Bangsamoro Transition Commission ■ February 11 2015 Mohagher Iqbal / Chairman /

Bangsamoro Transition Commission / February 12, 2015 / 2:28 PM

NEWS

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

www.hello-philippines.com

25

ECC Board orders quick benefits release for SAF casualties, beneficiaries MANILA - The Employees Compensation Commission (ECC), has ordered the prompt delivery of assistance to the wounded and fallen members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNPSAF) in their benefits claims under the purview of Employee Compensation.

“We are grateful that the Government Service Insurance Service (GSIS) shares our intent to help the SAF men and women and their families,” ECC Executive Director Stella ZipaganBanawis said.

ECC Board Resolution No. 15-

02-05, Series of 2015 states that as the Commission extends its highest recognition to the gallantry and dedication to service of PNP-SAF troopers in the Mamasapano incident, it also recognizes the need to effect “facilitative processing of the EC benefits” for the SAF troops and/or their qualified beneficiaries.

Furthermore, the resolution directs the GSIS, as the fund manager of the State Insurance Fund for the public sector, to immediately process and release the corresponding EC disability benefits to the wounded SAF troopers

and initial EC death benefits to the qualified beneficiaries of the fallen 44 upon receipt of the information regarding the wounded and the beneficiaries of the casualties from PNP. The wounded SAF troops are entitled to a loss-of-income benefit — a cash benefit given to workers to compensate for loss of income due to inability to work.

Three types of loss-of-income benefit are temporary total disability (TTD) — for SAF troops who will be unable to work for a continuous period

Families of SAF commandos, at Senate hearing. Photo by Bernard Testa, ©InterAksyon.com.

not exceeding 120 days; permanent total disability (PTD) — for those who are unable to work for more than 240 days; and permanent partial disability (PPD) — for those who lost a body part and consequently, the loss of use of the same.

They are also entitled for medical reimbursement for the cost medicines for the illness or injury; payment to providers of medical care; hospital care; and surgical expenses.

Carer’s allowance is also provided to those who will suffer permanent partial and permanent total disability, as a supplement benefit.

Funeral benefits amounting to P20,000 will be given to the qualified beneficiaries of those who fell during the clash, aside from the death benefits in the form of monthly pension granted to qualified beneficiaries of the fallen 44.

In a related development, three regional extension units (REU) of the Commission recently conducted a Quick Response Program (QRP) to the families and relatives of the SAF commandos who died in the Battle of Mamasapano.

Quick Response Teams from ECCREUs in Cordillera Autonomous Region, Region 9, and 11 visited the families of 21 PNP-SAF Mamasapano casualties.

“More than the material or monetary benefits, we know that

making the families feel that the ECC truly cares for them through these personal visits is what’s important.

The assistance that we extend to the families in helping them file for their EC benefits claim is a small thing compared to the grief that they have right now,” Banawis said.

During these visits, families were given psychosocial counseling, a bag of groceries and assisted in filling out forms for the filing of their benefits claim under the Employee Compensation Program.

As early as 2:00 a.m. of January 31, 2015, the Quick Response Team of REU-CAR immediately proceeded to Camp Bado Dangwa in La Trinidad, Benguet to assist the bereaved families of the fallen SAF commandos from the Cordillera.

It was the same with ECC staff based in Zamboanga and Davao.

The Employees’ Compensation Commission’s Quick Response Team Program is an immediate assistance extended to help workers who suffer from work-connected contingencies or their families who have to deal with work accidents or sudden onset of occupational disease or death, in the form of psycho-social counseling and assistance in the filing of EC claim with the GSIS or the Social Security System for private sector workers. ■ InterAksyon.

com / February 13, 2015 / 7:59 PM

Cost of living higher for the poor for a second straight year MANILA – Inflation has eroded the incomes of the poorest Filipinos more than it did the average household.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), inflation for the poorest 30 percent of Filipinos averaged 6 percent last year.

This is almost two percentage points higher than the 4.1 percent average for all income groups, and a percentage point above the high-end of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) target range of 3-5 percent for 2014.

For the poorest Filipinos, the BSP’s boast that inflation settled within its target range for a sixth consecutive year therefore has a hollow ring.

Last year’s inflation for the bottom 30 percent of Filipino households was the highest in the last five years, and was the second straight year that price increases averaged higher than that for all income groups (see chart).

The widening gap between inflation for the bottom 30 percent and that for all income groups stemmed from the disproportionate share of food

in the basket of goods and services that the poor consume. According to the BSP, food comprises 70 percent of the expenditures of the bottom 30 percentof households as against 47 percent for all income groups.

While food inflation averaged 7 percent for all income groups, it averaged 7.5 percent for those in the bottom 30 percent of households.

The BSP had said prices of food, particularly rice, fueled the increase in overall inflation last year. ■ InterAksyon. com / February 1, 2015 / 11:54 PM

Pinay maid to stay in Singapore even after vicious knife attack

THOUGH newly discharged from the hospital, the Filipina domestic helper who survived a knife attack by her employer has no intention of leaving Singapore.

Jasmen Corpuz told The Strait Times in a report on Tuesday that she is “fine now” and wants to “continue to work in Singapore” despite the harrowing incident last January 30.

Corpuz, 37, said “everything is taken care of,” while Philippine labor attaché Vicente Cabe said they were able to extend assistance to her.

Citing authorities, the report said Corpuz may have intervened after witnessing her Singaporean employer,

Ken Ong, stabbing his wife, Karen Koh, resulting in Ken attacking her instead.

Police were notified of the incident after a cleaner spotted the badly wounded Corpuz escaping from the third-floor unit of the apartment building where the couple were living.

Asia One has earlier reported that the domestic helper assisted policemen in finding the couple’s apartment before submitting herself for medical care.

Ken sent a lengthy email with the subject “Jurong Murder” and a headline “Final Note” to several newsrooms minutes after the incident, said Asia One in another report.

In the email, he detailed his grievances

against his wife and their maid. He said his wife told him nothing but “lies, empty promises and betrayals” and promised to give his wife and Corpuz “what they deserve”.

Ken also posted public updates on his Facebook account documenting his three-month-long planning for his wife’s murder, another Asia One report said.

He is believed to have stabbed himself after assaulting his wife. Both passed away while receiving treatment at the National University Hospital, where Corpuz was also treated. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / February 11, 2015/

8:05 PM Source of data: PSA

26

www.hello-philippines.com

&

Scoop

ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRITY

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

HEART EVANGELISTA AND SEN. CHIZ ESCUDERO TIE THE KNOT LOOK

Continuation from page 1 Ilang sandali lamang, naglakad na rin ang bride sa aisle at kagaya nga ng kanyang sinabi sa publiko, mag-isa siyang nagtungo sa altar dahil pinili ng kanyang mga magulang na hindi dumalo sa araw ng kanyang kasal.

Inawit ng sikat na singer at performer na si Mark Bautista ang entrance song ng blushing bride.

Suot ni Heart ang gown na gawa ni Ezra Santos at inspired sa wedding gown ni Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco.

Nagsimula ang seremonya bago sumapit ang ika-5 ng hapon.

Pinangunahan ito ni Bishop Arturo Bastes ng Sorsogon, habang si Fr. Gerry Orbos naman ang nagbigay ng Homily.

Bilin ni Fr. Gerry kay Chiz, “Heart is a little girl that has been loved by her family. Take care of that little girl.”

Naging madamdamin naman ang exchanging of vows ng dalawa, ngunit

hindi pa rin nakalimutan ni Chiz na pagaanin ang mood sa masayang araw na ito.

Ayon kay Heart, “I promise you will never walk alone.”

Agad naman itong pabirong sinagot ng groom, “Naniniwala ako na mahal mo ako tuwing sinasabi mong mahal mo ako.”

Naiyak ang aktres nang magpasalamat siya kay Chiz sa pagmamahal at sa lahat ng sakripisyong ginawa niya upang makarating sila sa puntong ito.

“Thank you for loving me and fighting for me,” ani Heart.

Ayon naman sa senador, “Thank you for giving me the chance to love again.”

Bago nga ang ika-6 ng gabi, opisyal nang mag-asawa sina Heart at Chiz, at gaya ng lahat ng bagong kasal, they sealed it with a kiss. ■ Bianca Rose Dabu /

BM, GMA News / February 15, 2015 / 6:12 PM

Dingdong Dantes visits Marian on her first day in culinary school KAPUSO Primetime King Dingdong Dantes showed how much of a supportive husband he is when he visited his wife Marian Rivera on her first day in culinary school today, February 10.

The award-winning actor posted a photo of Marian in uniform in his Instagram account with the caption “Visited my wife today during her first day in culinary school. I am as proud as your pose @therealmarian” Just last week, Mrs. Dantes announced via Instagram that she is enrolling in Heny Sison Culinary School.

A certified foodie, she is also actively posting photos of dishes that she has prepared in another Instagram account, @lutoniyan.

Her signature Sinigang na Hipon was even included in the menu of her wedding to Dingdong last December 30. ■ Michelle Caligan / GMANetwork.com /

February 10, 2015 / 8:04 PM

Visited my wife today during her first day in culinary school. I am as proud as your pose @therealmarian

Dingdong at Marian, sa Palawan ipinagdiwang ang una nilang Valentine’s Day bilang mag-asawa Marian’s Sinigang na Hipon #LutoNiYan #MarianCooks #PinoyFod #PinoyDishes #SHirmp #Seafood #Food

BAGO sumabak sa taping para sa kaniyang upcoming soap na “Pari Ko’y,” nagbakasyon sandali si Dingdong Dantes at kaniyang magbahay na si Marian Rivera sa isang isla sa Palawan para i-celebrate ang kanilang unang Valentine’s Day bilang mag-asawa. ■ February 14, 2015 / 3:44 PM

&

Scoop Top Kapuso acts shine in regional festivals in the Philippines February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

MANILA – GMA Network was recently at the heart of two of the Philippines’ biggest regional festivals, the Sinulog Festival in Cebu and Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo.

Before trooping to the streets of downtown Cebu City to witness

www.hello-philippines.com

ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRITY

the annual Sinulog Festival revelry, thousands of Cebuano Kapuso fans congregated in three of the city’s biggest malls to meet GMA’s premier artists led

by Regine Velasquez-Alcasid and lead stars of drama series Healing Hearts, Second Chances and Once Upon a Kiss.

Regine was joined by Angelika de la Cruz, Joyce Ching and Kristoffer Martin, stars of the upcoming series Healing Hearts as they delivered outstanding performances before a delighted crowd.

Another set of Kapuso artists starred in back-to-back mall shows with the lead stars of the recently launched primetime series Second Chances— Jennylyn Mercado, Raymart Santiago, Camille Prats and Rafael Rosell— sharing the stage with the freshest love team of Miguel Tanfelix and Bianca Umali from the primetime series Once Upon a Kiss. Comedians Albert “Betong” Sumaya and Mike “Pekto” Nacua, who also star in the said series, added more fun to both shows.

Meanwhile, a delightful blend of feel-good shows and upbeat performances from GMA stars also

spiced up this year’s Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo, the so-called City of Love.

This time, Once Upon A Kiss stars Miguel, Bianca, Pekto, and Betong once again ventured outside Manila to personally touch base with fans and went around from one stop to another via the Dinagyang Festival Corporate Parade.

Kapuso home-grown talent Ruru Madrid, who was a guest performer at the Iloilo Festival Queen and Hiyas Sang Iloilo beauty pageant served up a musical treat, which was very well received by a large audience.

Real-life sweethearts Lovi Poe and Rocco Nacino set the stage on fire as they regaled their supporters with a mesmerizing production number during a Kapuso Mall Show.

Moreover, Ang Lihim ni

27

Annasandra’s Mikael Daez delivered a live coverage on the Ati Tribe Competition for GMA TV Western Visayas, to amuse the Ilonggo audience.

Furthermore, the lead stars of the newest GMA soap Kailan Ba Tama Ang Mali?—Geoff Eigenmann, Empress Schuck, Dion Ignacio, and Max Collins—drew in their share of huge followers during a Kapuso Mall Show in the region.

Geoff, Empress, and Dion, meanwhile, proceeded to the Freedom Grandstand right after the mall show to take part in the Dinagyang Festival Awarding Ceremonies.

In endeavoring to be one at heart with its viewers, GMA Network continues to celebrate the many customs and traditions that make up a truly unique Pinoy culture. ■ GMA

Chiz and Heart: Against all odds love story ANG pag-iibigang Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero at Heart Evangelista ang masasabing isang halimbawa ng kawikaang, “O, pag-ibig na makapangyarihan, ‘pag ikaw ay nasok sa puso nino man hahamakin ang lahat masunod ka lamang.”

Sa Linggo, Pebrero 15, seselyuhan nina Chiz at Heart ng salitang “I do,” ang ipinaglaban nilang pag-iibigan sa romantikong isla ng Balesin sa Quezon.

Maaaring naging maigsi ang kanilang ligawan pero mahaba at mabigat naman ang pinagdaang pagsubok ng kanilang pag-iibigan para mapatunay na para sila sa isa’t isa.

Hulyo 2012 nang unang aminin ni Sen Chiz sa publiko ang tungkol sa annulment sa kasal nila ng kaniyang unang asawa na si Christine, kung saan mayroon silang kambal na anak.

Ang annulment ang nagwakas sa pagsasama nina Chiz at Christine bilang mag-asawa matapos silang ikasal noong 1999, limang taon makaraan ang una nilang magkakakilala.

Kung hiwalay sa asawa si Chiz, broken-hearted naman si Heart matapos ang paghihiwalay nila ng boyfriend na si Daniel Matsunaga.

Bagaman may usap-usapan na tungkol sa kanilang breakup, naging

malinaw na natapos na ang mahigit isang taong relasyon nina Heart at Daniel sa pamamagitan ng post nila sa kanikanilang social media account noong Abril 2014.

At pagsapit ng Oktubre 2012, inihayag ng senador sa isang television show na “sila na” ni Heart.

Sa mga naging panayam kina Chiz at Heart, inamin nila na si Sen Miriam Defensor Santiago ang naging tulay para sila magkakilala nang lubusan.

Pero aminado naman si Heart na noon pa man ay “crush” na niya ang senador nang una niya itong makita ng personal sa isang restaurant.

Ang pag-amin sa publiko ng dalawa tungkol sa kanilang pag-iibigan ay kaagad sinubok nang isapubliko rin ng mga magulang ni Heart ang pagtutol nila kay Chiz.

Marso 2013 nang mapaulat ang magbabanta ng mga magulang ni Heart na idedemanda si Chiz dahil ito ang naging ugat ng gulo sa kanilang pamilya.

Hindi lang sa puso ni Chiz ang epekto ng pagtutol ng mga magulang ni Heart, kung hindi maging sa karera nito sa pulitika.

May mga alegasyon at intriga na gagamitin lang ng senador para sa ambisyong pulitikal ang Kapuso actress.

Nang panahong iyon, reelectionist o tatakbo muli siyang senador sa May 2013 mid-term elections.

At kahit tatlong taon pa ang layo, may mga nagsasabing ang pakikipagrelasyon nito kay Heart paghahanda raw ni Chiz sa planong pagtakbo sa mas mataas na posisyon sa 2016 presidential elections.

Ngunit natapos ang 2013 elections, nanalo muling senador si Chiz at kahit minsan ay hindi niya isinama sa kampanya si Heart.

Pinili rin ni Chiz na manahimik at hindi magsalita patungkol sa naging sigalot ni Heart sa kaniyang mga magulang.

“Maayos at matatag ang samahan at ugnayan namin ni Heart at tinuturing ko lamang ito bilang isang hamon at pagsubok sa relasyon namin kung saan, buo ang pag-asa ko na, ito ay malalampasan namin,” pahayag noon ni Chiz sa isang panayam.

Pagsapit ng 2014, nakita ang lalong pagtibay ng kanilang pagmamahalan.

Sa birthday celebration ni Heart sa Startalk noong Pebrero 2014 kung saan isa siya sa mga host, surpresang nag-guest si Chiz.

Dito ipinahiwatig ng dalawa na sa kasalan na mauuwi ang kanilang pagiibigan.

Marso 2014 nang ihayag ni Heart na

Photo by Danny Pata

nakikita niya ang sarili na magiging “Mrs. Escudero.”

Inihayag din ng aktres ang plano nila ng nobyo na magbakasyon sa Paris, France. Aniya, kung sino ang lalaking makakasama niya sa “City of Love,” iyon na ang kanyang pakakasalan.

At nangyari ang bakasyong iyon sa buwan ng Hunyo. Gayunman, walang wedding proposal na nangyari.

Naganap ang surpresang wedding proposal ni Chiz kay Heart sa lalawigan ng senador sa Buhatan, Sorsogon, na inakala ni Heart na simpleng pamamasyal lang.

Naging tagumpay ang surpresa ni Chiz sa tulong ng mga kaibigan ni Heart na kaniyang kinasabwat sa pagpaplano.

Geoff Eigenmann: ‘I only want to get married once’

KASISIMULA pa lang ng pinakabagong GMA Afternoon Prime drama seryeng Kailan Ba Tama Ang Mali? kaya nasa kolehiyo pa ang mga karakter nina Geoff Eigenmann, Max Collins at Empress Schuck. Ngunit sa pag-usad ng istorya, magsisitandaan din ang kanilang mga karaketer at magiging mas kumplikado ang kanilang mga problema.

Simula na ba ito ng mas mature na roles para sa leading man na si Geoff Eigenmann?

“I guess! I’m not getting any

younger. I’m getting older, getting more mature,” nakangiting pahayag ni Geoff sa launch ng ‘Kailan Ba Tama Ang Mali?’

“The roles that come along with it should be more mature, kasi hindi naman puwedeng laging pa-sweetums teen,” dagdag pa nito.

Masaya naman daw si Geoff dahil umaayon sa timing ang mga pinipiling roles para sa kanya ng kanyang management.

“Yeah! ‘Yung mga projects na binibigay sa ‘kin ng management ang

nag-de-decide which shows are perfect for the actors. We put our complete trust in them,” wika nito.

Naka-kontrata si Geoff sa PPL Entertainment ni Perry Lansigan.

Samantala, dahil sa patanong na pamagat ng bagong serye nila, laging naibabato sa cast ang tanong: Kailan ba tama ang mali para kay Geoff?

“Basta walang nasasaktan, nag-eenjoy ka kung anumang ginagawa mo, whether it be work or relationships or kung anuman ‘yan. Basta wala kayong nasasaktan, and you’re enjoying life and

the end of things, no regrets,” sagot nito.

Gaganap si Geoff bilang Leo sa sa Kailan Ba Tama Ang Mali? Ano naman ang masasabi niya tungkol sa mga haharapin ng karakter niya.

“For me, marriage is sacred. I only want to get married once. Kapag married na ‘yung isang tao, stay away na,” ani Geoff.

Panoorin si Geoff sa Kailan Ba Tama Ang Mali?, Lunes hanggang Biyernes, pagkatapos ng Yagit, sa GMA Afternoon Prime. ■ Marah Ruiz / GMANetwork.

com / February 11, 2015 / 3:29 PM

Sa Linggo, magsisimula ng panibagong yugto ng kanilang pagmamahal ang 45-anyos na si Chiz at 30-anyos na si Heart sa kanilang kasal na dadaluhan ng mga pinakamalalaking pangalan, hindi lang sa pulitika kung maging sektor ng showbiz, media at business.

Bagaman nakuha ni Heart ang basbas ng kaniyang mga magulang para sa kaniyang kasal, inihanda niya ang sarili sa posibilidad na maglakad na mag-isa papunta sa altar. Pero sino ang makapagsasabi, ang buhay at pag-ibig ika nga ay puno ng surpresa.

■ FRJimenez / GMA News / February 14, 2015 /

12:42 AM

28

www.hello-philippines.com

&

Scoop

ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRITY

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

‘Hi-5 Philippines’ in the works as auditions for Pinoy hosts announced “Hi-5” on TV5? Sounds right!

“It’s the best children’s show in the world,” TV5 president and chief executive officer Noel C. Lorenzana said, referring to the highly popular Australian children’s show “Hi-5”.

That’s all the justification the Happy Network needs in its recent acquisition of the show’s Philippine rights.

At a recent contract signing formalizing its partnership with “Hi5”, TV5 was represented by Lorenzana, chief finance officer Anna Bengzon and chief entertainment content officer Wilma Galvante while Hi-5 was represented by Hi-5 world global sales and operation head Jaenani Netra and Hub Media chief Kevin Balhetchet.

The Australian cast of the original ‘Hi-5’.

The deal will see TV5 not just fortifying its children’s programming with the Aussie original but also gives it the license to produce a localized version. Enter “Hi-5 Philippines”.

Lorenzana said the network will adhere to the “style guide” set by the original “Hi-5” that includes colorful sets, energetic song and dance numbers and lovable puppet characters Jup Jup and Chatterbox or simply Chats.

“Hi-5 is already a strong, successful brand that has been built through the years. So what do you do with strong brands? You capture its essence and don’t go against it. So yes, it will generally include the same familiar feel as well the same popular songs,” Lorenzana added.

Both Lorenzana and Hi-5’s Netra said that they are open to customization so anything can still happen, especially since Sienna Olaso, TV5 vice president for production finance and special projects, is also involved.

Olaso is best known to television viewers as Ate Sienna of “Batibot”, a localized version of “Sesame Street”

Cinemalaya 2015 to push through in CCP sans feature film tilt

ALTHOUGH it is widely regarded as the country’s premier independent film festival, it was no secret that Cinemalaya had been struggling financially in recent years after it lost the support of longtime benefactor Tonyboy Cojuangco.

Things got so bad last year that in an effort to “extend the life of Cinemalaya”, as Cultural Center of the Philippines vice president and artistic director Chris Millado would put it, festival officials resorted to the controversial uploading to YouTube of feature film entries from batches 2012 and 2013 even while the 2014 edition of the festival was ongoing last August.

In November, just when things looked bleak for Cinemalaya, Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista responded favorably to a letter from the festival’s then competition chairman and now new president Laurice Guillen formally asking for the Quezon City government’s involvement in this year’s festival.

For some reason, however, the proposed partnership has yet to be cemented. As a result, the Cinemalaya Foundation has belatedly decided to still stage a film festival this year scheduled from August 7 to 14 but on a somewhat smaller scale.

Citing CCP President Raul Sunico, entertainment scribe and devoted indie film scene chronicler Mell Navarro posted on his Facebook page that Cinemalaya’s request to increase the grant to feature film entries from P500,000 to P750,000 was approved by the Department of Budget and Management last December.

TV5 executives Wilma Galvante, Anna Bengzon, and Noel Lorenzana with Hub Media chief executive Kevin Balchetchet, and Hi-5 World GM Jaenani Netra do the Hi-5 sign during the contract signing for ‘Hi-5 Philippines’.

that achieved much success during the 1980s and 1990s with its own characters like “Pong Pagong,” “Kiko Matsing”, “Manang Bola” and “Koko Kwik Kwak”.

Olaso believes it’s possible for “Hi5 Philippines” to have its own local puppets down the road if the show’s popularity with Pinoy audiences is sustained.

For now, the localization of “Hi-5” starts with the casting of five Filipino hosts that TV5 and Hi-5 World representatives hope to find in its upcoming auditions scheduled this February 21 at Studio 5 in Novaliches, Quezon City and at TV5 Media Center in Reliance, Mandaluyong.

Galvante said the show is looking for boys and girls ages 16 to 24 years old. Asked if interested stars of other

entity, private or otherwise, will have to take effect in 2016.

“This is a transition year for Cinemalaya, which gives us the opportunity to evaluate the impact of our films here, regionally and internationally, review our vision and expand our mission.

We need this time to start implementing our long-term plans. So this is really a year to reboot,” Navarro quoted Guillen as saying.

With Guillen’s assumption of the president’s position, fellow filmmaker Mel Chionglo will take over as Cinemalaya competition chairman. Chionglo was previously the monitoring committee head of the festival.

The deadline for submission of completed short films for this year’s Cinemalaya and feature length entries for next year’s festival is on March 6, Friday at 6PM. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / February 12, 2015 / 6:46 PM

Sallan / InterAksyon.com / February 10, 2015 / 6:23 PM

Susan Lovejoy sings “MacArthur Park” on The Voice UK 2015

Cinemalaya president Laurice Guillen and Cinemalaya Competition Chairman Mel Chionglo.

Earlier, it was reported that Cinemalaya would henceforth only have one feature film section where both up-and-coming and seasoned filmmakers will compete.

However, the late approval of this year’s budget necessitated the scrapping of the feature film competition for 2015.

This year’s Cinemalaya will only hold a short film competition. In lieu of the original features, a new Asian competition section as curated by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) will be introduced this year. NETPAC will determine if an entry from the Philippines will be accepted for this section.

In place of the regular feature film competition which will resume next year following the announcement of the 10 eligible entries this August, there will be a retrospective of Cinemalaya’s “greatest hits” from its first 10 years from 2005 to 2014.

Any possible partnership with any

networks are welcome to audition, the network executive stressed that the auditions are open to everyone who meets the age requirements.

Speaking in behalf of Hi-5, Netra said that as part of efforts to promote the show’s Philippine version and boost the Hi-5 brand in the country, “Hi-5 Philippines” will host meet and greet activities and concerts that will also feature the Australian hosts who are warmly greeted almost every time they come to visit here.

Netra added that Hi-5 is also planning to bring its own Hi-5 House of Learning preschool to the country.

The preschool, which advocates the show’s popular “learning the fun way” concept, was successfully launched in Malaysia only last December. ■ Edwin P.

Susan Lovejoy speaks with judges on The Voice

Supporters of Susan cheers her on The Voice

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

&

Scoop

ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRITY

www.hello-philippines.com

29

Controversial ‘OPM Development Act’ slammed by indie musicians

LAST year, music industry stakeholders came together for the first ever Pinoy Music Summit with the aim of “making conscious commitments to the development and promotion of original Filipino music” under the theme, “Basta Pinoy, Push Mo Yan”.

Among the highlights of the conference was the announcement of the proposed OPM Development Act of 2014 or House Bill 4218 filed by Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, Jr., which had three major components: 1) the creation of a National Committee on Music (NCM) under the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA); 2) requiring radio stations to play at least four OPM songs per hour; and 3) requiring visiting foreign performers to pay equity fees.

The bill is supported by at least three groups that are among those who organized the Pinoy Music Summit and actively participated in it. They are the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Inc. (FILSCAP) currently headed by Noel Cabangon; the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-Aawit (OPM), led by Ogie Alcasid; and the Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino (AMP), headed by Ernani “Jong” Cuenco, who is reported to have expressed some reservations about certain provisions.

As well-intentioned as the bill appears to be on paper, it was almost immediately met with loud opposition from various camps, most notably independent musicians who were not invited to participate in the Pinoy Music Summit.

Hearts of Music head Skarlet Brown and FILSCAP president Noel Cabangon.

The same month that the bill was filed, Parokya ni Edgar frontman Chito Miranda tweeted his objections about it particularly on the part about requiring foreign performers to pay equity fees to protect local artists like himself.

OPM president Ogie Alcasid reached out to Miranda and nothing was heard from the latter on the issue since then.

But several groups of independent musicians still don’t want the bill to be passed into law. In a position paper posted in its Facebook page, a group called The Band Alliance identified with former Circus and Rage Band manager Atek Jacinto said the proposed law will set a dangerous “retaliatory” precedent and could lead to “a scenario too catastrophic for any of us to comprehend.”

“If the underlying rationale for enforcing the equity fee rule is that it displaces an economic activity that should have gone to a local Filipino musician, another country like Malaysia can claim the same thing and rationalize a scenario where Filipino musicians will be sent home and local Malaysian musicians only will be hired henceforth.”

To prove its point, the group cited a 2003 incident where about 100,000 “entertainers” in Japan were sent back to the Philippines in one fell swoop by the Japanese government as “a reaction to the US accusation that Japan was engaging in white slavery and human trafficking by allowing Filipinas and eastern Europeans to enter and work in Japan too easily.”

In their own position paper furnished to InterAksyon, another group of indie musicians called Alternatribu took exception to the way the bill was generally worded and its many provisions.

Particularly, the opposition concerns the portion about the establishment of a National Committee on Music and its controversial Accreditation of Guilds (Section 6), which will limit representation to the NCM to only “one accredited guild per category”.

“There is an obvious intention to limit the beneficiaries using an accreditation system. All registered organizations of the Music Industry must benefit from this not only by this few accredited organizations.” This means, Alternatribu theorized, “The lesser beneficiaries, the higher the amount of money they can collect.”

Jazz singer Skarlet Brown, who heads Heart of Music, a nongovernment organization that seeks to secure and protect the health and livelihood of Filipino musicians, echoes a similar position in her group’s reservations about the bill.

“There are more than 145 Million Pesos in estimated money that comes from equity, sponsors and donations sa OPM, FILSCAP at AMP. Ang total number ng members nila na active 89 sa AMP, 200 sa OPM at wala pang 200 sa Filscap. Humigit kumulang 500 tao lang ang makikinabang. Kung nakikinabang nga sila,” Skarlet pointed out.

Skarlet and other indie musicians recently uploaded this video in

expressing their reasons for their opposition to the controversial bill: In response to these issues, FILSCAP president Noel Cabangon posted a response to The Band Alliance’s position on the bill with regards to the equity rule. Cabangon, who reiterated his invitation to fellow artists to become members of OPM and AMP, pointed out that the money or equity fee “does not directly go to the local artists but rather becomes part of the organizations’ funds.”

“Those funds are then channeled toward activities that help the members, including medical benefits and funeral expenses. These are just some of the benefits from being members of OPM and AMP, which is also why I am encouraging all Filipinos who derive income from singing or playing an instrument to be part of the two organizations, which do have a track record of helping their members and advocating the increased consumption and appreciation of original Filipino music.”

But as much as he also vows to “fight for the right of every Filipino to oppose a piece of legislation if he or she sees that it is detrimental to the development of a specific person, sector or the Filipino people in general,” Cabangon sincerely believes that the passage of HB 4218 “will go a long way in promoting original Filipino music and uplifting the welfare of Filipinos who are involved in our own music’s creation and propagation.” ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / February 14, 2015 / 6:06 PM

Jasmine Curtis-Smith more cautious with male co-stars after brush with bashers

JASMINE Curtis-Smith admits that she may have played the girl-next-door type one too many times so there has lately been a strong urge for her to be part of more challenging projects.

The 20-year-old actress and host of TV5’s newest dance competition show, “Move It: Clash of Street Dancers” may have gotten her wish on her latest “Wattpad Presents” assignment, “A House Full of Hunks”. In this popular Wattpad story written by Lourdes Cortezo Sumang aka The ScriptWriter, Jasmine says she’s portraying a character she has never played before.

“It’s the story of a rich girl who has a bratty personality. Sa sobrang pagiging brat ko, ipapadala ako ng dad ko sa isang boarding house where five guys live. There, I would learn how to adapt to a not-so-well-off lifestyle,” Jasmine recently told InterAksyon.

This being a Wattpad story, Jasmine’s character eventually becomes close to the five hunks played by Albie Casiño, Vin Abrenica, Charlie Sutcliffe, John Spainhour and Sandino Martin until she falls in love with one of them.

“It could be anyone of them,” Jasmine teased as she refused to reveal any spoilers on how the mini-series will conclude.

Asked why it took so long for Jasmine to have a second Wattpad series when fellow Kapatid stars Eula Caballero and Shaira Mae dela Cruz had already done three, Jasmine explained that there was a plan to do a sequel for “My Tag Boyfriend”, the very first “Wattpad Presents” that also marked her first team-up with real-life boyfriend Sam Concepcion.

“There was really supposed to be a second part but by then Sam was no longer

Jasmine Curtis-Smith.

available because he has a new show with his network. Of course, we would love to team up again if possible. But for now, I’m okay with working with other leading men,” she explained.

But because her relationship with Sam is now common knowledge, Jasmine said both of them are now more cautious when it comes to dealing with their fellow co-stars, especially after her experience working with ABS-CBN heartthrob Daniel Padilla in the film “Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo” led to an audio scandal involving Daniel and Sam. As a result, Jasmine was bashed online by fans of Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo who accused her of flirting with the former, which the two subsequently denied. At that time, she said she and Daniel were just being friendly with each other on the film’s set.

The issue eventually simmered down but Jasmine confessed that she had learned her lesson from that unfortunate episode.

“Ingat lang, delikado kasi na baka mamisinterpret na naman ng ibang tao. Lalo na ngayon, lima naman ang kapareha ko although mas ready na ako this time,” she said in hinting how she would handle haters in the future.

Having someone on her side who fully understands her profession makes it easier

Jasmine Curtis-Smith with ‘A House Full of Hunks’ co-stars Charlie Sutcliffe, John Spainhour and Albie Casiño.

for Jasmine to deal with intrigues.

“Me and Sam both understand that this is work. Kapag may problema kami sa isa’t isa, napag-uusapan naman namin yun in a way na hindi na kailangang ipakita na naiinis,” she shared.

As someone who lives on her own now, Jasmine could also relate to her Wattpad character. Although she could not imagine herself being the only girl in a house full of men, she and her character both learned how to be more independent in their respective situations which is not easy

for someone like her who is admittedly clingy by nature.

“In a way, I still depend on my family for support. My mom is still always there to message me ‘Good morning’ every day. At lagi pa rin akong tumatambay sa condo ni Ate. She still texts me regularly and ask how I’m doing,” she said in reference to sister Anne Curtis.

“Wattpad Presents: A House Full of Hunks” currently airs on TV5 until Friday at 9PM. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / February 11, 2015 / 4:25 PM

30

www.hello-philippines.com

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY AROUND THE WORLD

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

PHL Consulate General Holds 2nd Seminar on Italian Social Security Benefits for Filipino Workers FOLLOWING the successful seminar conducted by the Italian Social Security National Institute (INPS) for the Filipino community in November 2014, a second seminar was held on February 05 at the INPS Training Center.

Philippine Consul General Marichu Mauro expressed her thanks to INPS for granting the Consulate General’s request in conducting seminars for the community.

In his welcome remarks, INPS Director for Lombardy Antonio Pone conveyed INPS’ commitment to provide assistance to Filipino workers, who represent an important human resource for the Italian society, by

giving them the necessary information regarding their benefits and privileges.

The INPS team explained in detail the different types of pension for Filipino workers in Italy, highlighting that Filipinos have the right to the same benefits as the Italian workers.

Pensioners residing abroad can request to receive their pension in their country of residence. INPS has partnered with an international bank to transfer the pension to the pensioner’s account abroad.

In case of the death of an INPS member, the dependents may claim a survivor’s pension even if they reside in the Philippines.

Another important benefit shared

by INPS is the repatriation fund that can be given to workers who wish to return to their home country but lack the economic means. INPS has an agreement with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for the purchase of travel documents for

repatriating workers.

All applications for claim may also be requested online, which makes it very convenient given that members can file their applications wherever they are.

The activity once again reaffirmed

the strong support of the INPS to the Consulate General and the community.

The seminar series is deemed to be very helpful and informative in helping Filipino migrant workers understand and take advantage of their benefits. ■ PhilippinesEmbassy Philippines / February 13, 2015

Secretary Del Rosario’s Oslo Visit Reaffirms PHL-Norway Partnership FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario visited Norway from February 11 to 12 upon the invitation of Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende, reaffirming the growing partnership between the Philippines and Norway across many sectors.

During his tête-à-tête with Secretary Del Rosario, Minister Brende expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of the Mamasapano tragedy but also expressed hope that the pursuit of peace in Mindanao would continue despite the latest serious challenge. He assured the Philippines’ top diplomat that Norway remained fully committed to a long-term engagement in the Mindanao Peace Process.

Secretary Del Rosario thanked Minister Brende for his sympathy.

He also expressed appreciation for Norway’s role in the Mindanao Peace Process as a member of the International Monitoring Team and as Vice-Chair of the Independent Decommissioning Body. The Secretary assured Minister

Brende of the Philippines’ resolve to see through the full implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro while being fully committed to finding justice for the slain police officers.

Referring to bilateral cooperation in the maritime sector, Secretary Del Rosario expressed appreciation for Norway’s technical assistance in ensuring that the country’s maritime education and training institutes meet the standards required by the International Convention on Standards of Timekeeping, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW Convention).

This has resulted in the continued recognition of Philippine-issued licenses and certificates by the European Union (EU), a requirement for Filipino seafarers for employment as officers in EU-flagged vessels.

With over 25,000 Filipino seafarers on board Norwegian-owned and -managed vessels, Minister Brende noted that it was in the common

“The total number of visit visas granted rose sharply to almost 32,000 including a 62 percent rise in tourist visas and an 8 percent rise in business visits,” he said.

The British diplomat advised Filipinos to be clear about the purpose of their visit and to submit correct documents to support their application.

“The best way to deal with that is to simply apply on a factual basis,” he said. “The truth often is the best advocate rather than trying to pretend what you think is the answer we are looking for.”

“If you are visiting family, say so. If you’re visiting as a tourist, say so. If you think you will do a little business on the side say so. We don’t mind as long as you are upfront and straightforward.”

The growth in visitors from the Philippines, Ahmad said, demonstrates the strong interest of Filipinos to

explore the UK for tourism, education and business.

Britain’s active tourism campaign showcasing UK as a destination that offers a diverse range of attractions from historical sites to modern architectural designs, world class universities and inspiring commercial enterprises also contributed to the increase of Filipino visitors, he said. ■

interest of both countries to continue efforts to achieve adequate progress in meeting STCW requirements.

Both ministers expressed satisfaction with the progress of the proposed free trade agreement between the Philippines and the European Free Trade Association (PH-EFTA FTA).

Norway is the largest member of this four-country association which also includes Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Negotiations are set to commence next month after the conclusion of the scoping exercise.

The two ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation in multilateral organizations, including mutual support of candidatures in the United Nations.

Earlier, Secretary Del Rosario met with the Chair and members of the Norwegian Parliament’s (the Storting) Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence.

In the bilateral consultations held the day before, Philippine Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson and Norwegian Director General Tore Hattrem agreed to strengthen relations in the energy sector, disaster risk reduction, water, social security and law enforcement.

Secretary Del Rosario was assisted

by Ambassador Bayani Mercado in his first-ever visit to Norway, which is home to about 18,000 Filipinos and Filipino-Norwegians. ■ Philippine Embassy

Philippines / February 13, 2015

Tip to visa applicants eyeing London: Be honest BRITAIN’S top diplomat to the Philippines dispelled misconceptions Wednesday that it is difficult for Filipinos to get a visa to the United Kingdom, saying nearly 90 percent of applications are “successful.”

British Ambassador Asif Ahmad said only less than eight percent of applications in the Philippines are denied mostly because visa seekers fail to provide the required documents or they declare false information.

“I think the biggest misconception here in the Philippines is that our criteria is so strict that most people are disqualified,” Ahmad told reporters in a briefing. “You’re talking about a small portion or seven or eight percent of applications that don’t meet the criteria.”

As of September 2014, Ahmad said over 53,000 UK visa were issued to Filipino nationals.

Michaela Del Callar / KBK, GMA News / February 11, 2015 / 6:19 PM

UK Ambassador Asif Ahmad

PHL Embassy Conducts Lecture on West Philippine Sea at Elite International School in Riyadh THE Philippine Embassy in Riyadh conducted its first lecture on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) at Elite International School in Riyadh on February 02.

It was the first of its series of lectures in 2015 on the issue of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and the ongoing case filed by the Philippines against China with the Arbitral Tribunal under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The lecture was conducted by Vice Consul Red Genotiva.

In attendance were senior-year students from Elite International School, their teachers and two principals.

During his lecture, Mr. Genotiva highlighted the strategic and policy imperatives for the Philippines as an archipelagic state. He explained to the students the importance of understanding the Philippine government’s position, particularly in pursuing arbitration, which is a peaceful, friendly and internationally-accepted means to resolve disputes.

In closing, Mr. Genotiva exhorted the students to learn more about the WPS issue.

He also thanked the teachers and management of Elite International School for graciously hosting the lecture. ■

Philippine Embassy Philippines / February 13, 2015

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY AROUND THE WORLD

www.hello-philippines.com

31

Canadian Snowbirds Flock to Central Visayas for Winter Escapade 2 THE Philippines played host once again to nearly 200 visitors escaping sub-zero temperatures in Canada. Dubbed “Winter Escapade 2 – It’s More Fun in the Philippines,” the customized tour organized by the Philippine Embassy and consular posts in Canada took tourists from the cities of Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver to multiple destinations in Central Visayas, as well as Makati and Manila, from January 30 to February 06.

Visayan hospitality at its best In Dumaguete, the snowbirds’ first stop, the “City of Gentle People” accorded the visitors a grand Daro Sinulog welcome upon arrival at the airport. Enjoying the city’s charms, the visitors toured the Siliman University Anthropological Museum, the Negros Oriental Arts and Heritage

Center and Dumaguete’s relaxing harbor front. The quaint university town impressed the Canadian visitors as a potential retirement destination which is now the second home of some 4,000 expatriates.

From Dumaguete, the group fanned out to Siquijor, Apo Island and Oslob for their island adventures. Foot spas beneath an enchanted 400 yearold balete tree in Lazi, snorkelling with sea turtles in Apo Island and taking selfies with friendly whale sharks in Oslob all made for an unforgettable experience that would keep energies high throughout the tour.

A flash mob welcomed the tourists as they disembarked from their ferry boat at the Bohol sea port. From there, ground handlers whisked off the group to the Loboc River which they cruised with merry entertainment. Adding to Bohol’s must-see natural wonders such

Filipino-Canadians on their Winter Escapade holiday in Central Visayas and Manila.

as the breathtaking Chocolate Hills and adorable tarsiers, performances by the peppy Loboc Ambassador Brass Band during the dinner hosted by Provincial Governor Edgar Chatto on February 01 and the angelic Loboc Children’s Choir at the luau organized by the Tourism Promotions Board on February 02 proved to be a master stroke of Boholaño hospitality.

Not to be outdone, Cebu rolled out the red carpet in the towns of Carcar and Argao where colorful fiestas greeted the Canadian snowbirds.

Cebu captured the visitors’ hearts with bright Cebuano children acting as tour guides and by way of its best delicacies including the lechon, chicharon, torta and suman at mangga.

Canadian connections. In the province of Bohol, the beneficiaries of Canadian development assistance readily acknowledged Canada’s hand in creating an enabling environment for local governments to thrive, especially through tourism circuit, product and workforce development under the Canadian-funded Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSPLED). Booths were also set up at the Bellevue Resort to showcase Philippines-Canada partnership in Bohol. Among the exhibitors were the Baclayon Entrepreneurs Association (BEA) and the Baclayon Ancestral Homeowners Association for New Development Initiatives (BAHANDI).

The Philippines’ former top envoy to Canada, Ambassador Francisco Benedicto, graciously offered dinner for the entire tour group in Cebu and staged a cultural show which

Nearly 200 snowbirds, led by Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila P. Garcia (bottom right photo) receive a very warm welcome in the provinces of Negros Oriental, Bohol, SIquijor and Cebu.

culminated in a preview of the Sinulog, the province’s biggest fiesta attended by millions every January.

Ending on a high note. Rounding out the tour’s social events, Western Union hosted a lavish farewell dinner with the theme “Sunshine Adventure” on February 05 at the Peninsula Manila. True to the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Western Union awarded winners of its “Like for a Cause” campaign that had participants taking selfies during the tour and uploading their photos on Facebook. Until February 15, the campaign generates PhP 100 per “like” up to a maximum of PhP 500,000 in support of a livelihood program endorsed by the Philippine Foreign Service Posts constituting Team Philippines in Canada.

The tour culminated in a moving wreath-laying ceremony at the Rizal monument and a tour of the Presidential Museum and Library at the Malacañan Palace on February 06.

“We ended our heritage tour with Filipino-Canadians expressing gratitude for reviving their Filipino

spirit. For making this journey of rediscovery a resounding success, I must thank our partners from the Tourism Promotions Board, the regional offices of the Department of Tourism, our ground handler Rajah Tours and the local governments of Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Bohol and Cebu, as well as Western Union, who all contributed to a truly memorable experience for our visitors.

We take away from this tour not just photos and souvenirs but lasting impressions of local communities that have taken ownership of local economic development through tourism. Everywhere we went, we were welcomed and entertained by the young and old from both government and private sectors.

Our experiences in Central Visayas reinforce our faith in our country and people. Already, our participants are looking forward to Winter Escapade 3 in the Bicol region and other equally enjoyable destinations in our beautiful country,” Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila P. Garcia concluded.

■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / February 11, 2015

APEC First Senior Officials’ Meeting Highlights “Building Sustainable and Resilient Communities”

GUIDED by the APEC 2015 overarching theme “Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World,” the recently concluded First APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting and Related Meetings, held from January 26 to February 07 at the Clark and Subic Freeport Zones, tackled initiatives on food security, management of health threats and improvement of natural disaster risk reduction to support the APEC 2015 priority “Building Sustainable and Resilient Communities.”

Food Security – The APEC Oceans and Fisheries Working Group meeting highlighted how fisheries and sustainable aquaculture are critical to ensuring food security, sustainable livelihoods, and economic prosperity worldwide. Fish are a critical source of protein for many, particularly in the APEC Region. One way of achieving food security in the coastal and marine environment is to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, improve biodiversity of all support-ecosystems, and create wellmaintained ecosystems that provide more ecological goods and better ecological services.

This October in Iloilo, the Ocean and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG) and Policy Partnership for Food Security (PPFS) will come together for the High-Level Policy Dialogue on Food Security and Blue Economy. One of the key deliverables is the APEC Food Security Action Plan, which will be a long-term OFWG strategy for addressing food security aligned with the APEC food system and PPFS Roadmap. The development of a blue economy in the APEC region is an important approach to attain sustainable development and utilization of marine resources and ecosystems as well as achieve inclusive economic growth.

The OFWG and the PPFS are both chaired by Undersecretary Asis Perez of the Philippine Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

Health – At the Life Sciences Innovation Forum (LSIF) and the Health Working Group (HWG) meetings, APEC economies reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen healthcare systems as a step towards APEC’s goal of a healthy Asia-Pacific region by 2020.

For 2015, LSIF and HWG will concentrate on the following areas: universal healthcare

coverage, prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases, health financing, food safety, and preparedness for effective management of infectious diseases and health pandemics. The APEC LSIF and HWG agendas directly feed into the APEC 2015 theme of inclusive growth through the development and promotion of innovative healthcare systems and products.

As shared by the Philippine delegation, jointly led by Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), APEC’s Healthy Asia-Pacific vision complements the Kalusugan Pangkalahatan initiative under the Aquino Health Agenda that aims to achieve equitable access to quality health care by all Filipinos.

Emergency Preparedness - The impact of disasters on human lives, particularly on livelihood, business, and trade, knows no borders, emphasized the APEC Emergency Preparedness Group (EPWG). APEC can contribute in enabling the Asia-Pacific region to better prepare for and respond to emergencies and disasters by helping to reduce the risks of disasters and building business and community resilience. APEC member economies shared experiences

and best practices on four thematic areas of disaster management – prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery and rehabilitation. The meeting also highlighted the importance of research and science and technology in reducing the damage of disasters and the significance of business continuity in ensuring livelihood and trade flow.

Undersecretary Alexander Pama of the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) noted that “disaster management requires intereconomy cooperation to ensure sustainable economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region and that a holistic, comprehensive, integrated and proactive disaster risk

reduction management approach is a new paradigm in confronting disasters.”

Spearheaded by the discussions at the technical working group level, APEC Senior Officials agreed to continue to place emphasis on capacity-building, and economic and technical cooperation on food security, health and emergency preparedness. The discussions will be elevated to high-level meetings later this year, including the High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy, and Senior Disaster Management Officials’ Forum in September; and the High-Level Policy Dialogue on Food Security and the Blue Economy in October. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / February 112 2015

32

www.hello-philippines.com

Travel

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

The long hike up: Overcoming the Mount Pulag challenge IT was barely 4:00 AM but I already felt like I was on the verge of an asthma attack as I take the final assault up the summit of Mount Pulag. Even if my legs and feet did not hurt, the path was still steep, the wind was freezing, the air was thin, and my thermal clothes were not enough to ward off the cold.

Swaying gently around me were dwarf bamboos. The ground was dusty and narrow but years of being used by hikers have made it less rocky and more accessible. It was still dark; the only source of light were the stars and my head flashlight. Everything was quiet except for the sound of my own ragged breathing.

As it turns out, climbing Mount Pulag is not as easy as others say.

“What if I just give up?” I thought to myself several times. But no, I did not want to. I did not trek for an entire afternoon just to give up 30 minutes before I reach the finish line!

Thankfully, Kuya Rey, one of “Biyahe ni Drew’s” cameramen, and Kuya Osep, one of our guides, stayed with me and gave me the much needed words of motivation. Their advice: “Konti na lang. Do not hurry and just enjoy the view.”

On the way to Mount Pulag. Maybe it’s because the place is relatively more accessible than other mountains.

Maybe it’s because of word-of-mouth.

Whatever the reasons are, Mount Pulag has become one of the most popular choices for people who want to go up a mountain.

Mount Pulag’s peak is 2,922 meters above sea level, making it the highest

mountain in Luzon and the third highest mountain in the Philippines.

Locals consider the place to be sacred and believe that the spirits of their ancestors reside in the mountain itself.

Meanwhile, tourists often call Mount Pulag “the playground of the gods” because of its breathtaking views and magnificent sceneries. These same views and sceneries have attracted both veteran climbers and beginners to brave the long and chilly trek to the mountain’s summit.

Everyone who wants to climb Mount Pulag is required to attend a DENR orientation as this is where people learn about the history of the mountain.

Since Mount Pulag is a sacred place for the locals and a protected tourist destination, rules were established to ensure that visitors will respect and take care of the area during their climb. We are not allowed to leave any garbage even if it is biodegradable. We are not allowed to make campfires.

Shouting is a big no-no.

Once the orientation was over, we got our stuff from the van and transferred everything to the so-called “monster jeep” that would take us up the steep and rough road to the ranger station. This is the last place where electricity, food, and restrooms are readily available so it is advisable to make all the final preparations here.

This is also where climbers could hire porters.

The climb. At around 2:00 PM, we finally started to climb Mount Pulag.

People usually go up the mountain by taking the Ambangeg trail or the

Akiki trail. The former is easier and usually takes three to four hours to finish. The latter is more difficult and could last for days. The BND team took the Ambangeg trail. While seasoned climbers and physically fit individuals would probably have no problems with it, those who are not used to moving around (Read: Me) would have to brace themselves for a challenging trek.

The Ambangeg trail has three campsites. It is easy to tell when you are about to reach the next camp because the terrain changes as you hike your way up. The path to the first camp is wide, stony, and dusty. Even so, the area is rich with all kinds of trees and flora. You also get a view of the cabbage and carrot plots planted by the residents below.

There were definitely more flowers and trees to see but I made the mistake of training my eyes solely on the road.

First, because I was afraid of stumbling over stray rocks and second, because I forgot to bring shades or even a cap to protect my eyes from the sun. The thermals I wore underneath my shirt acted like a double-edged sword too.

It worked as a wonderful cover against UV rays but it also made the heat more intense.

After reaching Camp 1, however, the surroundings got colder and darker, the ground got muddier, and mossy plants became more plenty. This part of the trail is also less steep compared to the other ones, making it one of my favorite parts of the whole trek.

Unfortunately, I was not in the condition to enjoy the mossy forest fully

since I spent most of the time catching my breath. To make things worse, I brought too much stuff which turned out to be useless and only served to make the climb more difficult. On the brighter side, my hiking shoes and trekking pole prevented me from falling and having any scratches.

Remember: Invest on a good pair of shoes! It will make your life easier.

Alas, we reached the second camp at least thirty minutes before the sunset.

If I had been breathless from the climb, now I was breathless because of the view. Everything in sight was beautiful – the red clumps of trees, the golden grasslands, the purple color of the sky, the bright yellow sun disappearing behind a sea of clouds. It felt like we were in another world.

We were told that we were lucky because our trip was blessed with good weather. We also had the campsite all to ourselves, something other climbers do not experience especially because most people flock to the mountain during weekends.

The night was still young and if the wind was not as biting as it was, the evening would have been perfect for storytelling and stargazing. But if you want to reach the peak before sunrise, better sleep early!

Final assault. The sky was still littered with stars when we finally reached the summit of Mount Pulag.

We spent the next thirty minutes shuddering beneath our thick jackets,

gulping hot coffee, and wondering if the reward that will greet us would be worth it.

Slowly, small streaks of light began to mar the dark atmosphere, changing its color from black to purple and finally to a clear blue. It was a sight to behold – the bright sunlight illuminated the sea of clouds below us and turned the dull surroundings into a lovely green and gold. The accompanying heat brought by the sun was a welcome change.

Surrounded by dwarf bamboos peacefully swinging with the wind and faced with the majestic view of the sun peaking out of the clouds, I found it pretty easy to forget about the cold and my weariness. It is times like this when you simply admire what is in front of you and feel as if you are one with nature.

Indeed, it took all my strength and willpower to not give up during our climb up Mount Pulag. In retrospect, I really could have prepared for it better.

Doing so might have made things easier and I might have enjoyed the view up and down the trail more.

Despite everything, conquering the mountain reminded me that it truly is possible for us to overcome anything as long as we put our minds and hearts (and bodies) to it, and that every struggle has a beautiful reward. Was the climb difficult? For inexperienced little me, it was. Was the dirt and sweat worth it? Absolutely. ■ Text and Photos by Lara Gonzales / BMS / February 14, 2015 / 7:25 PM

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

NEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

33

OPINION By the Numbers: What’s so precious in Muslim Mindanao?

WHEN you get tired of reading articles and opinions about freedom, self-determination, revolutionary ideals, and similar stuff or anything conceptual about the Mamasapano carnage—the number of people killed, as can be accurately gleaned, is 44 Special Action Forces commandos, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters and five civilians—ask yourself: Is it really a case of terrorism?

What is in Maguindanao—or Muslim Mindanao, for that matter—that is so precious, groups and countries would kill for it?

Mamasapano, the town where the carnage occurred, lies in Maguindanao, one of five provinces (including parts of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat) that straddle the Cotabato River Basin.

Spanning 456,000 hectares, the Cotabato River Basin is one of 15 energy blocks identified by the Department of Energy as a source of oil and natural gas.

Gas, diesel fuel. In 2011, the DOE reported that the estimated amount of oil and natural gas in the Basin can produce 202 million barrels of crude oil and at least 821 billion cubic feet of gas.

One barrel is equivalent to 159 liters of crude oil. Typically, one barrel can produce 72 liters of gasoline and 45 liters of diesel fuel.

Thus, 202 million barrels of crude oil is equivalent to almost 14.5 trillion liters of gasoline and 9.1 trillion liters of diesel fuel.

The average car consumes about 12 kilometers to a liter of gasoline. To burn

14.5 trillion liters of gasoline, a car will have to run 174 trillion kilometers— enabling its driver to encircle the Earth 4.3 million times!

But since all cars have a period of obsolescence—usually five years—the 14.5 trillion liters of gasoline can fuel 50,000 cars consuming one liter to 12 kilometers, running at a constant speed of 80 kilometers per hour for five years, 24/7.

Hungry kids. Sold at current gasoline prices, pegged at say P36/liter, the 14.5 trillion liters of gasoline that can be extracted from the Cotabato River Basin would amount to P522 trillion.

Of course, the entire gas deposits could not be translated into such a lump sum. But imagine how P522 trillion could change the lives of our children.

Government figures estimate that some 15 million Filipino children today are either hungry and/or malnourished.

The Department of Education’s school feeding program has a budget of P16 per child, multiplied by 120 feeding days. This adds up to about P1,920 per child.

According to DepEd, the 120-day feeding program targets the restoration of at least 70 percent of beneficiaries to their normal nutritional status and the improvement of class attendance by 85-100 percent.

If we could allocate the money that will be generated by the crude oil from the Cotabato River Basin (P522 trillion) to the feeding of hungry and malnourished children (at P16 per

On Day of Hearts, ARMM calls for unity, peace

MANILA – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao marked Valentine’s Day, Saturday, with various activities calling for unity and peace amid tensions triggered by the bloody January 25 Mamasapano incident.

Among the major activities was a peace caravan led by ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman and his wife Sittie Djalia, representative of the Anak Mindanao party-list, from Cotabato City, seat of the regional government, to Barangay Tukanalipao in Mamasapano, where most of the 44 Special Action Forces commandos who died in the mission to get Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” were killed in a clash with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The caravan urged people to “embrace peace” and reject war and was meant to how solidarity with the communities affected by the fighting.

Up to 6,000 residents were displaced by the Mamasapano incident while five civilians were killed in the clash, which also left 18 MILF fighters dead. Relief goods and rice seedlings were to be distributed to residents.

Scores of riders also joined the Bangsamoro Bike for Love, among

A flag is hung from a vehicle a the ARMM Caravan for Peace prepares to leave Cotabato City for Mamasapano From the Facebook wall of Atty Laisa Alamia.

them chief government peace negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Colin Bagaforo and 6th Infantry Division commander Major General Edmundo Pangilinan.

The riders urged continued discussions and the speedy passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. In Buluan town, the Maguindanao provincial government, led by Governor Esmael Mangudadatu, celebrated the weeklong Sagayan Festival.

Earlier, Mangudadatu said they hoped to strengthen unity among the province’s residents. ■ Dennis Arcon /

InterAksyon.com / February 14, 2015 / 8:50 AM

child x 365 days), we will be able to properly feed those 15 million hungry and malnourished children for six years!

More oil. Another area identified for exploration is in the Sulu Sea covering 432,000 hectares, with water depths ranging from 1,500 to 5,000 meters.

According to the DOE, of the eight wells drilled in the Sulu Sea, “five show significant oil and gas deposits.” This area has around 209 million barrels of oil and 716 billion cubic feet of gas.

It is estimated that natural gas deposits in Sultan Sa Barongis in Maguindanao alone would be enough to fuel a 60-megawatt combined cycle power plant for 20 years.

Crude oil is also transformed into an infinite variety of products like petrochemicals, for example.

Petrochemicals are responsible for products we use every day: antihistamine, shampoo, lotion, food preservatives, computers, toothpaste, syringes, and toys, among others.

In 2012, as the government and MILF reached an agreement to create the Bangsamoro, replacing the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, President Benigno Aquino III halted all oil exploration projects in Mindanao. The reason: There has not been a final agreement on wealth sharing.

But it seems this wealth sharing problem has been resolved in the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, the draft of which was finalized in 2014.

In Section 32 of the BBL on sharing in the exploration, development and utilization of natural resource,

the Central Government’s income from taxes shall be derived from the exploration, development and utilization of all natural resources within the Bangsamoro.

The allocation shall be as follows, to quote: 1. “For non-metallic minerals (sand, gravel, and quarry resources), such revenues shall pertain fully to the Bangsamoro and its local government units 2. For metallic minerals, seventyfive percent (75%) shall pertain to the Bangsamoro 3. For fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, and coal) and uranium, the same shall be shared equally between the Central and Bangsamoro Governments.

Such sharing scheme shall be applicable to the natural resources found in the land mass that comprise the Bangsamoro territory as well as the waters that are within the territorial jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro.”

In a press conference in 2012, MILF chairman Al Haj Murad said: “We are not against exploitation of our natural resources, including oil and gas, provided that they redound to the benefit of our people.”

All this talk about Mamasapano and the SAF44 has made me curious and so engrossed with numbers. Much of this curiosity has been satisfied with just a little digging via the friendly Google— today’s ultimate source of knowledge.

There are many stories still to be told about the long and bloody conflict in Mindanao. Mamasapano will not be the last time blood will be spilled for as long as there is a war in the Southern Philippines.

Let us honor the Valiant44 who died by not reducing the Mamasapano carnage into a costly distraction vis-avis the real issues and problems that grip Mindanao’s present and future. ■ Ferdinand G. Mendoza is an events consultant who does writing and photography in his free time / Special to InterAksyon.com / February 14, 2015 10:22 AM

President’s men say he wasn’t briefed on SAF until 5 p.m., but PNoy says otherwise WHO’S LYING?

MANILA - Contrary to what his subalterns claimed before congressional probers, President Benigno Aquino III knew, starting early morning of Jan. 25, what had happened to Oplan Exodus, the antiterrorist mission that led to the deaths of 44 police commandos.

The time at which information on the controversial operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao first reached him was volunteered by the President himself in his “pep talk” before SAF members early morning of Jan. 30, as shown in the RTVM video provided to news organizations In hearings at the House on Wednesday and at the Senate on Thursday, various officials declined to give the precise moment at which Mr. Aquino first learned that something horribly wrong had befallen the mission, and there were many SAF casualties. At one point, Sec. Mar Roxas said they didn’t brief him on Mamasapano at once because he was getting briefings on the aftermath of the previous day’s Zamboanga bombing.

The only one who gave the slightest idea of timing was Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief Rusty Guerrero, who said the President was briefed at about 5p.m.

At the Senate on Thursday were Secretary Mar Roxas, the AFP chief of staff Gen. Gregorio Catapang, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, and tranking PNP officials - even suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima, whose intervention is being blamed for the lack of coordination between the police and the AFP, which could have reduced the number of SAF casualties - but no one replied when Poe asked when was the President briefed.

The same line of questioning was made by Sens. Nancy Binay and Miriam Santiago, but no satisfactory response came.

Here, in Mr. Aquino’s own words (pertinent portion starts at 5:25 of the video timer) before SAF members last Jan. 30, is the time he got wind of what was happening in Mamasapano: “Umaga pa lang, sinabihan na ako kung ano ang naging resulta nung kay Marwan. Tapos habang sinasiyasat namin yung pagbobomba sa Zamboanga, dumarating yung mga report.

“May mga imbestigasyon na ginagawa. Kaya lang gusto nga nating malaman paano tayo makasigurado na hindi tayo magkakaroon ng ganitong sakuna o insidente; ganitong casualties - talagang napakabigat.

Lalo na sa inyo, malaking bilang talaga ... talagang damang dama ang nangyari sa inyong mga kasamahan.

Marami talagang damang dama ang nangyari sa inyong mga kasamahan.”

The President, as previous reports said, was met with complete silence by the SAF, despite his repeated attempts to coax them to speak up, even vent if they felt bad about what happened. ■ InterAksyon.com / February 12, 2015 / 6:17 PM

34

NEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Marcos: Survivors tell Senate of ‘incomparable bravery’ of #Fallen44 MANILA – Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., on Friday told journalists that two survivors of the Mamasapano incident had given the Senate accounts of amazing heroism showed by the #Fallen44 SAF commandos up to their last breath in the Battle of Masasapano on January 25, 2015.

“Incomparable bravery!,” Marcos stressed.

However, Marcos declined to bare sensitive details of the Mamasapano incident as narrated by the two survivors, since the statements were made during an executive session conducted by the Senate committee on public order.

“I have not only to honor the agreement between senators but more importantly to ensure the safety of the survivors and their families,” Marcos said in a radio interview, a transcript of which was furnished the media.

Senator Grace Poe, chairman of the panel, said earlier there will be another

executive session on Monday to obtain more details on the gruesome deaths of 44 men and officers of Special Action Force (SAF) in Mamasapano against an overwhelming force of combined elements from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

“But this is what I can say — from what was told to us, it is almost incomprehensible how brave and gallant our policemen were. What they endured, what they have done, their bravery—we, senators are looking at each other—we cannot believe we ourselves can do what they did,” Marcos said.

Even as this developed, Marcos said it’s time President Aquino comes clean on his actual role in Operation Exodus, which got part of its mission of neutralizing international terrorist Marwan, but led to the death of 44 SAF men - debacle that is being blamed on lack of coordination, which in turn is

believed by some to have arisen from Mr. Aquino’s entrusting supervision of the mission to then suspended PNP chief and his close buddy, Gen. Alan Purisima.

Marcos noted that in the latest Senate hearings, none of the officials present from Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel Roxas, Defense Sec. Voltaire Gazmin, to AFP Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Pio Catapang wanted to admit that they informed President Aquino about the Mamasapano incident.

“All of them were just exchanging glances, nobody could provide us a direct answer,” Marcos said, “except for suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima, who asked first for executive clearance.”

The senator said nobody wanted to admit telling the President about the Mamasapano incident because they would have had to answer, as well, the obvious follow-up question about what the President did or said after learning

of the debacle in Mamasapano.

“We have to find out what were the instructions of the President, because there were reports that the instruction was for the AFP to exert best efforts only (in helping the SAF men). That’s a pity if it was only best efforts,” Marcos said.

It was also disturbing, Marcos said, that, based on the testimony of Gen. Catapang, the AFP refused to send in air assets over fears that the move might be “misinterpreted” by the MILF as an attack in breach of the standing cease-fire, and thus imperil the peace agreement with Moro rebels..

“They (AFP) didn’t do it because they were worried about the possible reaction of the MILF, which at that time had their fighters already engaged out there, firing at and killing the hapless SAF troops. They put priority on the peace process over the lives of our SAF men. I simply cannot understand this

policy, it’s disturbing to say the least,” Marcos said.

And, based on the testimonies in the hearing Thursday, Marcos said it was clear President Aquino knew that both Acting PNP Chief Leonardo Espina and DILG Secretary Roxas would be kept in the dark as to Operation Exodus.

At the same time, Marcos refuted the MILF’s claim that the so-called mis-encounter stemmed from SAF’s failure to coordinate with them for the operation to apprehend the Malaysian terrorist Marwan.

“From the reports, the MILF side was informed around noon that day that they are facing government troops and they should effect a ceasefire. But the firing stopped only at 4:00 pm. By that time, most of those who died in the encounter were already dead. So I don’t think it’s true that the SAF did not coordinate,” he said. ■ Ernie Reyes / InterAksyon.com / February 13, 2015 / 6:47 PM

Wounded Usman suffering from stroke, just staying in Maguindanao, says gov

File photo of Basit Usman from U.S. State Department.

MANILA – Filipino bomb-making expert Basit Usman, the sidekick of international terror suspect Zulkifli Abdhir alias Marwan, is wounded and just staying in Maguindanao under the care of his aides.

This is the report received by Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu from unidentified sources.

Mangudadatu on Friday said that according to his sources, Usman was seen with a gunshot in the shoulder days after the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF)’s January 25 Mamasapano mission that targeted him and Marwan.

The governor also said that he was told that Usman, who reportedly has links to terrorist groups Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah, could not move the right side of

his body due to mild stroke.

Mangudadatu said he also got reports that Usman’s companions were seriously hurt during the Mamasapano encounter, which resulted in the death of 44 PNPSAF troopers and 18 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“Unang-una, ilang araw after the encounter in that place, do’n sa may Mamasapano. Sinabi nila mismo sa akin na si Basit Usman ay may tama sa balikat at ‘yong…right side ng kanyang katawan hindi masyado nakakagalaw dahil nagkaroon ng mild stroke at meron pang mga kasamang malubhang tinamaan din sa encounter,” Mangudadatu told ANC Dateline Philippines in an interview.

Mangudadatu said he could not

understand why nobody was reporting to authorities Usman’s whereabouts when the latter had been staying in Mamasapano for a long time.

According to the governor, it was impossible for the local government not to know that Usman was just in Mamasapano especially when his concrete house was just along the road.

“Ang existence noong tao bakit sobrang tagal? Wala man lamang nakapag-tip at may bahay pa d’yan…

Along the road lang kasi ‘yong bahay nina Marwan at Basit eh, konkretong konkreto,” Mangudadatu said in a separate media interview on Friday. ■ Mon Gualvez / InterAksyon.com / News5 / February 13, 2015 / 6:32 PM

Comelec purges 39 party-list accreditations MANILA - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has delisted 39 party-list organizations for their failure to obtain at least two percent of the votes in the 2010 and 2013 election exercises, and also for failure to obtain a seat in the second round of seat allocation for the party-list system in the 2010 and 2013 polls.

In the list of delisted parties are: 1.

1GANAP / GUARDIANS 1 Guardians Nationalist of the Philippines 2. AAMA Alliance of Advocates in Mining Advancement for National Progress AANI Ang Agrikultura Natin 3.

Isulong 4. ABA Alyansang Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka, Manggagawang-Bukid at Mangingisda 5. ABANTE KA Abante Katutubo, Inc.

6. A BLESSED Party-list Blessed Federation of Farmers and Fishermen International Inc. 7. ABP-Bicolnon Alliance of Bicolnon Party 8. ABROAD Action Brotherhood for Active Dreamers, Inc. ADA Agrarian Development 9.

Association 10. ADAM Adhikain ng mga Dakilang Anak Maharlika 11. AFPSEGCO Alliance for Philippines Security Guards Cooperative 12. AGILA Agila ng Katutubong Pinoy 13. AKAP BATA Akap Bata Sectoral Organization for Children, Inc. 14. AKMA-PTM Aksyon MagsasakaPartido Tinig ng Masa 15. AKO Ako Ayoko sa Bawal na Droga, Inc. 16. AKO BAHAY Adhikain at Kilusan ng Ordinaryong Tao para sa

Lupa, Pabahay, Hanapbuhay at Kaunlaran 17. ALIM Action League of Indigenous Masses 18. ALLUMAD Alyansa Lumad Mindanao 19. ALYANSA NG OFW Alyansa ng OFW Party 20. AMS Alyansa ng Media at Showbiz 21. ANG LADLAD Ang Ladlad LGBT Party 22. ANG MINERO Sectoral Party of Ang Minero 23. ARAL Association for Righteousness Advocacy in Leadership 24. ARARO Alliance for Rural and Agrarian Reconstruction 25. ARC Alliance for Rural Concerns 26. ATM Abante Tribung Makabansa 27. BAYANI Bayani 28. FIRM 24-K Firm 24-K Association, Inc.

29. GREENFORCE Green Force for the Environment – Sons and Daughters Of Mother Earth 30. HAPI Hanay ng Aping Pinoy 31. KAAKBAY Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan All Filipino Democratic Environment 32. KATRIBU Katribu Indigenous Peoples’ Sectoral Party 33. KLBP Kababaihang Lingkod Bayan sa Pilipinas 34. PACYAW Pilipino Association for Country Urban Poor Youth Advancement and Welfare 35. PASANG MASDA Pasang Masda Nationwide, Inc. 36. UMDJ Union of the Masses for Democracy and Justice 37. UNI-MAD United Movement Against Drugs Foundation, Inc. 38. VFP Veterans Federation Party 39.

YOUNG PINOYS Youth

Organization Unified for the Next Generation of Pinoys In Resolution No. 9932 promulgated on February 12, Comelec said the party-list groups’ registration with the Comelec had been canceled.

The Comelec added that the automatic review of accredited party-list groups or organizations whose registrations are retained shall not be implemented for the 2016 National and Local Elections.

TheComelecsaidtheruling“iswithout prejudice to the failure of the retained party-list groups or organizations to file a manifestation of intent to participate in the 2016 National and Local Elections, and to the filing of any petitions for cancellation or disqualification against any party, organization, or coalition and/ or its nominees for the 2016 National and Local Elections.” ■ Jet Villa / InterAksyon.com / February 13, 2015 / 4:34 PM

NEWS

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

www.hello-philippines.com

35

Purisima starts packing to leave White House MANILA – Resigned Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima has begun moving out from the “White House” in Camp Crame, the PNP spokesman confirmed Friday.

Even Purisima’s poster at the briefing area of the PNP Press Corps Office in Crame has been removed.

“I have coordinated with the Headquarters Support Service and they informed me that he had started to move out from the White House last Sunday,” Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. told reporters.

The White House is the official quarters for the PNP chief.

Although suspended in December over graft charges, Purisima continued to stay at the White House, where a number of meetings were held to plan the Special Action Force mission to bag Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan.”

Suspicions about Purisima’s direct role in the mission, as well as that of President Benigno Aquino III, were aroused following confirmation that Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II and acting PNP chief Leonardo Espina were kept in the dark about the January 25 Mamasapano mission, which is said to have left Marwan dead but at the cost of 44 SAF commandos, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters and at least five civilians in the subsequent clash.

Purisima resigned a few days after the mission and has admitted giving the “advice” to tell Espina of the mission only when it had already begun.

Cerbo said Purisima will be given at least a month to move out from the White House, which will then remain vacant until the next PNP chief moves in.

The P25-million renovation of the official residence is among the alleged anomalies Purisima is accused of.

He claimed the cost of the renovation was provided through private donations from “friends,” which led cause-oriented groups to file graft charges against him.

Asked who is likely to replace Purisima, Cerbo said the PNP Senior Officers Promotions and Placement Board is the body tasked to review the qualifications of senior officers and make recommendations to Aquino.

He did say that the PNP needs a leader who can inspire and motivate the 150,000-strong force.

Among the likely candidates, Camp Crame sources say, are Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo, Directors Ricardo Marquez and Benjamin Magalong.

Although Espina should be a likely choice, one of the sources said the acting PNP chief is due to retire in June and so is out of the picture although the possibility remains that “the President can … extend his service in the police force.”

He cited the case of former PNP chief Edgardo Aglipay, who was appointed two weeks before he was supposed to retire in 2004 and given a sixmonth term extension by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. ■ Thom Andrade / InterAksyon.com / February 13, 2015 / 1:12 PM

Source: BSP

Source: BSP

Lumad stage a picket at the Commission on Human Rights office in Davao City to protest government inaction to the worsening militarization of their communities. Photo by Kilab Multimedia.

Lumad women blast government for ‘playing dumb’ to plight of indigenous people DAVAO CITY – A hundred “lumad” women and their supporters from various parts of Mindanao picketed the Commission on Human Rights and National Commission of Indigenous People offices in Davao City to blast government for “playing dumb” to the worsening militarization of indigenous peoples’ communities in the south.

The protesters are attending the First General Assembly of Lumad Women.

Among the protesters was Bai Bibyoon Ligkayan Bigkay of Natulingan, Bukidnon, who is considered a legend for opposing mining in the Pantaron range in 1994.

Bai Bibyoon said she is a living witness to how militarization ruined and disrupted their lives and livelihoods as she demanded justice and respect for their rights and ancestral domain.

Sabokahan, or the Confederation of Lumad Women, accused the military and governmentbacked militias of committing more than 200 human rights violations against the lumad and peasants in North Cotabato, Davao Del Sur, Davao Del Norte, Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, Davao City, Agusan Del Sur and Bukidnon.

These include the forcible recruitment into various militia units formed by the military.

Sabokahan chairperson Bai Kasalo Cristina Lantao said they have explored all means to raise their complaints with government but have been met with silence and inaction.

However, she said, “we will not be afraid because we are (waging) this fight not only for ourselves but above all … for our children.” ■ Kilab Multimedia / Special to InterAksyon.com / February 13, 2015 / 12:51 PM

52 Pembroke Road, London W8 6NX Tel.: 020 7602 7171 Email: lakbayasia@btconnect.com Web: www.lakbayasiapilgrimages.co.uk Resigned PNP chief Alan Purisima

& GUATEMALA MEXICO 7 - 21 MAY 2015 NO cruise trip CAN MATCH THIS!

Last chance for GUATEMALA: NO ONE does it like us!

Flight incl.- UNIQUE & MESMERIZING 15 DAYS! NO ONE CAN BEAT US ON SUCH DESTINATIONS

MARIAN SHRINES PILGRIMAGE 8

th

to 18th June 2015

The ensemble par excellence! FATIMA we will be there on the

150,000 Pinoy workers needed in Qatar –report QATAR has opened 150,000 job opportunities for Filipinos in preparation for its hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a report on “24 Oras” said Thursday, citing the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

“Mahusay na di hamak kasi ang mga Pilipino kahit saan mo dalhin,” said DOLE spokesman Nicon Fameronag in the report.

The report said aside from the initial 500 job vacancies for medical technicians and nurses at Sidra Medical And Research Center in Doha, Qatar is also in need of architects, master electricians, dentists, hotel and resort workers, mechanics, and safety officers.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has already received 78,000 job orders from Qatar, the report said.

Fameronag, meanwhile, reminded would-be OFWs that employment agencies are not allowed to charge recruitment fees.

“Walang recruitment fee na sisingilin ang mga ahensiya o sinuman sa mga manggagawang Pilipino,” he said.

Would-be OFWs are encouraged to visit the POEA website for the list of accredited recruitment agencies.

■ KBK, GMA News / February 12, 2015 / 7:52 PM

13th June for the Anniversary of the Apparition, AVILA St. Therese Jubelee, GUADALUPE (Spain), LOURDES, ZARAGOZA all visits / entries included, hotels in dinner/ room and breakfast with AT LEAST 4 lunches INCLUDED as well! 11 days!

MALTA, GOZO & COMINO 24 to 30th June 2015

ORIGINAL CREATION & COPYRIGHT RESERVED BY © HELLO PHILIPPINES 2015

visiting the countries all over…North, Centre & South! with OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE , Mexico city, Acapulco, BLACK NAZARENE in Guatemala, Antigua, the Mayan heritage and MUCH MORE... ...also shopping for JADE!

The Most religious Islands of the Mediterranean 7 days by air -BAall entries, visits, excursions, top hotel with dinner and breakfast + 1 fish lunch!

LAPLAND & ARCTIC CIRCLE 7th to 17th July 2015

Finland, Sweden & Denmark… Santa Claus & MIDNIGHT SUN experience!

SEA coast of FRANCE weekend Pilgrimage & Tour 24- 26 July 2015

36

NEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

IS seizes Iraq town near US forces: Pentagon ISLAMIC State jihadists have captured the western Iraqi town of AlBaghdadi, putting them within striking distance of an air base where American troops are training Iraqi forces, the US military said Friday.

The fall of the town, which the Pentagon played down as a minor setback, came as IS extremists launched an unsuccessful assault involving suicide bombers on the nearby Al-Asad air base.

“We do assess that right now they have control of Al-Baghdadi,” Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told a news conference, adding IS took hold of the town “in the past several days.”

The town is located in Anbar province, about five miles (eight kilometers) from the Asad air base, where about 300 US Marines are

stationed to assist Iraqi government troops.

Iraqi soldiers repelled the IS group’s assault on the base on Friday which involved several suicide bombers, officials said.

A group of 20-25 IS fighters, most of them wearing Iraqi army uniforms, carried out the failed attack, which appeared designed to have been an initial wave of suicide bombings followed by gunmen storming in, Kirby said.

All of the militants were killed or died when detonating suicide bombs.

Kirby said that “at no time were US troops anywhere near the fighting,” which was about two miles away from where the Americans were working at the sprawling complex.

American surveillance aircraft tracking the IS extremists assisted the

Iraqi army forces and Apache attack helicopters were sent in but did open fire, officials said.

US-led coalition aircraft carried out five air strikes in the area over the past 24 hours, roughly 15 kilometers from the Asad base, but those were not related to the brief firefight with the IS militants at Asad, officials said.

“There were no aircraft involved in beating back this,” Kirby said. “The Iraqi security forces did this on their own.”

An Iraqi army colonel and a defense ministry official said the botched attack involved at least seven wouldbe suicide bombers using a military vehicle.

Under pressure. Al-Baghdadi had been under growing pressure for months and was one of the few towns that had remained under the

An image grab from a video released by the Islamic State (IS) group’s official Al-Raqqa site via YouTube on September 23, 2014, allegedly shows IS recruits riding in armed trucks

Iraqi government’s control in the predominantly Sunni province.

But the Pentagon said the capture of the town did not represent a major setback in the war effort against the Islamists who have overrun large areas of Iraq and Syria.

“This is arguably the first in at least a couple of months, if not more, where they (IS) have had any success at all at taking any new ground,” Kirby said.

“So this is an enemy that we still assess to be in a defensive posture.”

He added: “It’s one town. It’s not all

of Anbar. It’s not all of Iraq.

“We need to keep it in perspective.”

US officials have said it will take some time before Iraqi troops are trained and ready to stage a major counter-offensive in Anbar province, where much of the Sunni population has become alienated from the Shiiteled leadership in Baghdad.

Washington is pinning its hopes on Iraqi government plans to build up a militia among the Sunni tribes in the area against the IS jihadists. ■ AFP / February 13, 2015

Myanmar in fresh airstrikes against northern rebels MYANMAR rebels Saturday said the national army had launched fresh air strikes following the government’s rare admission that dozens of its soldiers had died in a dramatic resurgence of conflict in a remote region bordering China.

Unrest in Kokang, Shan State, which erupted on February 9 after six years of relative calm, continued on Friday with severe clashes between fighters from several ethnic groups and the Myanmar army, according to Captain Tar Parn La, a spokesman for the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

“There were gunships, two jets and two helicopters yesterday,” he told

AFP, adding that he had not yet received reports of fighting on Saturday.

Myanmar state media on Friday reported that ethnic minority fighters armed with heavy weapons had attempted to capture the Kokang’s main city earlier in the week in a series of assaults that have left at least 50 soldiers dead and dozens more wounded.

It said the army had used airstrikes to repel the attacks, which have come as a blow to the quasi-civilian regime as it looks to ink a historic nationwide ceasefire to end the country’s myriad ethnic minority conflicts.

Myanmar’s information minister Ye Htut has blamed local Kokang rebel leader

Myanmar rebels say the army launched air strikes following the government’s admission that dozens of its soldiers had died in a resurgence of conflict. Photo by Ye Aung Thu , ©AFP.

Map showing the Kokang region in Myanmar where nearly 50 soldiers have died in clashes

Phone Kya Shin for the fighting and called on Beijing to reign in any local officials who might be helping the group on their side of the border.

An unknown number of people have fled the Kokang unrest, with most crossing the border into China, while some have made their way to the northern Shan city of Lashio, according to Tar Parn La. He said the Kokang rebels have been joined by the TNLA and the powerful Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which have

Guns allegedly seized from ethnic Kokang rebels in Kokang

both continued to battle the government’s forces in other areas of Shan and nearby Kachin states.

But he said he was unaware of involvement by China, which has called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

It is unclear what provoked the latest round of violence, which coincided with the country’s celebrations of its symbolic Union Day Thursday.

The government, the military and a handful of ethnic armed groups signed a

commitment to continue talks, laying out an aim to build a union with “federal principles”, but a long hoped for nationwide ceasefire deal remains elusive.

Fighting in resource-rich Kachin, which erupted in 2011 when a 17year ceasefire crumbled, is seen as a significant barrier to reaching an agreement. It has seen some 100,000 people forced into displacement camps.

■ AFP / February 14, 2015

Pinoy nurse in UK in hot water over Pinoy child killed in Saudi Arabia pilgrim bus crash — report alleged ‘love bite’ offer to colleague A Filipino child was reported killed Bangladeshis were also aboard the bus.

A Filipino nurse in the United Kingdom is in hot water after he allegedly asked a female colleague if he could leave a love bite on her chest, online reports said.

A report on South Wales Evening Post said 54-year-old Miguel Gabarda was struck off the professional register over his alleged offense.

The report said Gabarda first asked his colleague if the uniform burn on her neck was a love bite before offering to leave one on her chest.

The female nurse, who had only been working at the Merton Place Nursing Home in Conwy, South Wales, for eight months, said Gabarda’s actions toward her were “very inappropriate.” She also said he made her “feel uncomfortable.”

The report said authorities had also found out that Gabarda “carried out sexually motivated incidents” at Merton Place Nursing Home in 2012.

He was also accused of kissing a colleague while working at Bryn Marl Nursing Homes in Conwy.

A separate report on Wales Online said 11 sub-charges, two of which had already been proven, were slapped on Gabarda over incidents that happened at Merton.

These reportedly included making lewd comments to a patient’s relative, exposing a patient’s bottom in front of relatives, and touching a patient’s mouth after sneezing and failing to wash his hand.

Gabarda admitted that he made “an error of judgement” and allegedly

undertook a “vast array of remedial training” to avoid repeating such incidents, another Wales Online report said.

His representative Oliver Manley said his client may have been misunderstood due to cultural and language barriers.

Manley argued that these incidents were isolated and found Gabarda’s 23 years in the care profession “without fault.”

Nursing and Midwifery Council Chair Lucinda Barnett ruled that Gabarda’s “failure to maintain clear sexual boundaries” impaired his fitness to practice and required him to be struck off, the SWEvening Post report said. ■ Rie

Takumi / KBK, GMA News / February 11, 2015 / 4:32 PM

along with an Egyptian woman, while 37 were injured after their bus collided with a truck in Saudi Arabia Thursday, a Saudi news site reported Friday.

The collision occurred early Thursday morning in Dhalam near Taif, Arab News quoted head department in Taif spokesman Siraj Al-Humaidan as saying.

No other details about the Filipino child were immediately available.

Citing initial information, the report said the bus was carrying pilgrims to Makkah so they can perform Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca at any time of the year.

Pilgrims of other nationalities including Pakistanis, Indians and

Al-Humaidan said nine of the injured were brought to hospitals in Taif for treatment while other cases were taken to Dhalam General Hospital.

The Arab News report noted seven Pakistanis died when a bus carrying 49 people collided with a truck on the Makkah-Madinah highway in February 2014. ■ Joel Locsin / LBG, GMA News /

February 14, 2015 / 7:26 AM

NEWS

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

www.hello-philippines.com

37

STI asks court to foreclose on Jose Abad Santos Memorial School property MANILA - Another local court has been asked to foreclose a second set of properties that a sister-company of Philippine Women’s University (PWU) put up to secure a loan that STI assumed earlier.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, STI Education Holdings Inc said it filed a petition with the Quezon City Regional Trial Court for extra-judicial foreclosure of real estate mortgage over parcels of land registered under Unlad Resources Development Corporation.

Unlad is a sister-company of PWU, both of which owe STI some P925 million. This amount includes a P223million loan that PWU took out from BDO and which STI assumed in 2011 in exchange for an ownership stake in Unlad.

Under their agreement, STI was supposed to be paid through the conversion of the loans into a 40 percent stake in Unlad, which in turn

should have absorbed all the real estate assets of PWU in a share-for-property swap and manage the university. The debt-to-equity conversion, which was slated for November 2011, has yet to be executed.

Last Wednesday, STI sought the Manila RTC’s assistance to enforce the foreclosure on a first set of properties that includes the PWU campus in that city.

The second set of properties that are the subject of the foreclosure petition in Quezon City are covered

by Transfer Certificate of Title nos.

RT-71871(271024)PR-29615 and RT-71872(271025)PR-29616 – all registered under the name of Unlad Resources Development Corporation.

According to PWU media director Lyca Benitez-Brown, the properties in Quezon City include the Jose Abad Santos Memorial School (JASMS), the university’s basic education arm.

STI’s move to foreclose on the

properties came months after it sent PWU and Unlad notices of default for failure to meet their obligations under their agreement. In the notices

of default, STI sought P925 million, including interest, penalties and taxes.

PWU president Dr. Jose Francisco Benitez had said the family would pay

STI only the original P448-million investment, or a more reasonable amount. ■ InterAksyon.com / February 13, 2015 / 2:30 PM

BSP: PHL registers $591.62M in 2 ex-mayors arrested in net foreign portfolio inflow in Jan. Masbate shabu lab raid FOREIGN portfolio investments (FPIs) in the Philippines yielded a net inflow of $591.62 million in January amid robust investments in the local stock market and a rosy economic outlook, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said Friday.

The latest number was a 49 percent increase from $397.02 million netted in December 2014.The net protfolio investmet figure is a reversal of the net outflow of $1.844 billion in January 2014, central bank data showed.

“About 82 percent of the investments registered in January were in PSE-listed securities (mainly property companies; banks; holding firms; food, beverage and tobacco companies; and utilities firms), 17.4 percent went topeso government securities; and the rest

(0.7 percent) of the funds to Peso time deposits,” the Bangko Sentral said.

Also called “hot money,” FPIs are funds invested in stocks, government securities and money market.

The net inflow was a result of higher investments in Philippine Stock Exchangelisted shares from a top-up offering of a holding firm, the share sales of a universal bank and a holding firm and the upgraded economic growth outlook by the International Monetary Fund, the BSP said.

The Fund cut its growth forecast on the global economy but raised Philippines’ 2015 projected economic growth to 6.6 percent from 6.3 percent.

Registered investments amounted to $2.2 billion, a 16.1 percent increase from the previous month and a 71.9 percent jump a year earlier when the US started

tapering its quantitative easing (QE) program.

Total outflows of $1.6 billion was 7.3 pecent higher than what was recorded in December 2014, but was 48.6 percent lower from the $3.1 billion outflow in January 2014.

The central bank noted transactions for both instruments rebounded from net outflows in 2014.

Transactions in PSE-listed securities yielded net inflows of $561 million, while the peso government securities also posted net inflows of $36 million.

The United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore, Switzerland, and Luxembourg were the top five sources of FPIs, with a combined share to total of 85.5 percent. ■ ELR, GMA News / February

13, 2015 / 10:28 PM

Pinay ‘X Factor Australia ’ winner arrives in PHL AFTER winning in The X Factor Australia competition, half-Filipina Marliza Punzalan arrived in the Philippines Thursday afternoon.

Punzalan arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 at 4:16 p.m., GMA News stringer Ariel Fernandez reported.

With her were parents Ria and Lito, and her brother Martin.

Punzalan, the grand winner of The X Factor Australia last year, is slated to have performances in the Philippines A Philippine tour was on Marlisa’s to-do list since November, when she promised to see her Filipino fans and relatives in Samal, Bataan. ■ Joel Locsin / KG, GMA News / February 13, 2015 / 7:25 AM

TWO former mayors were arrested in a raid by the Philippine National Police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on a suspected drug laboratory in Masbate province on Saturday.

PDEA and PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force agents acted on a tip showing the shabu laboratory is in Masbate City, radio dzBB’s Manny Vargas reported.

According to PNP-AIDSOTF spokesman Senior Superintendent Roque Merdegia Jr., the raiding team searched two compounds where the suspected facilities were located.

The PNP and PDEA suspect the laboratory was established by one Ponga Lee a.k.a. Co, and locals including Lester, Bing, Kalbo, Cherry Boy, Nonoy, Manoy Boy, and Sarge.

An investigation showed the two compounds at Sitio Cagba in Barangay Tugbo were owned by former Milagros

town Mayor Bernardito Abapo.

Arrested in the raid on that compound were Barangay Magallanes captain Lester Abapo, a former mayor of Milagros town and “Kalbo.”

Meanwhile, the other compound at Secret Garden Resort at Barangay Nursery in Masbate City is reportedly owned by Cherry Boy Abapo, a former mayor of San Fernando, Masbate.

Cherry Boy was arrested.

Seized were assorted chemicals and laboratory equipment believed used in the making of shabu. Also seized were firearms.

The three now face charges of violating the comprehensive anti-drug law.

A separate report by a GMA News stringer said authorities did not allow media or even the Abapos’ lawyer Lowell Pillejera to enter the compound during the raid. ■ Joel Locsin / LBG, GMA News

/ February 14, 2015 / 2:12 PM

Pinay accuses colleague of raping her in Abu Halifa

KUWAIT authorities are investigating the claim of a Filipina that her co-worker raped her inside a warehouse of a food product company in Abu Halifa.

A report on Kuwait Times quoted security sources who said the woman accused the suspect of luring her into the warehouse where he raped her.

The report said a case has been filed and further investigations are in progress.

In a separate report, Kuwait Times said two Filipinas claimed four unidentified people stopped them in Jabriya claiming to be police detectives and tried to molest them.

The Filipinas claimed the four would take them to the police station but tried to sexually molest them during the trip.

When they refused, the suspects threw them out of the vehicle. ■ Joel Locsin / LBG, GMA News / February 12, 2015 /

8:59 AM

38

SPORTS

www.hello-philippines.com

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

BASKETBALL

Kia a ‘different’ team now after hiring new players, says Barako Bull coach Koy Banal KIA Carnival absorbed its third loss against one win in the Commissioner’s Cup after Barako Bull dealt them a 9586 beating on Sunday, but for Energy coach Koy Banal, the team has changed more than just its PBA moniker.

Going by Kia Sorento last conference, the expansion team finished the Philippine Cup with a 1-10 record, just one win shy of the bottom of standings occupied by Blackwater.

Now, however, the Manny Pacquiaomentored squad seems to have shed that lowly performance off their skins.

Kia opened the mid-season conference with a 0-2 record as they fell to GlobalPort and Meralco in their first two games, but completed a huge upset against Philippine Cup champions San Miguel Beer to break

BASKETBALL

came back from a stint in the ASEAN Basketball League, provided stability in the Kia back court teeming with young guards. They acquired a sniper in Cawaling who can score from the outside, while Yee bolstered their defense.

“We’ve seen this even before the preseason, before the conference started when we played them,” Banal said.

The two teams played a tune-up in the off-season, but the game was halted due an altercation between Ramos and Banal, and a few other players.

Banal credited Kia’s improvement to assistant coach Chito Victolero and head coach Manny Pacquiao, who is now playing a more active role in the bench with no fight yet to prepare for compared to last conference.

“I believe they are inspiring their players to work the extra mile. Their players are really giving their best

dito sa last three games nila.” ■ Marisse Panaligan / RAF, GMA News / February 9, 2015 / 11:43 AM

PJ Ramos and the daunting challenge of silencing the Ginebra crowd

ON the eve of Valentines’ Day, Kia import Peter John Ramos tried to silence the passionate Barangay Ginebra crowd with a finger upon

BASKETBALL

into the win column.

“After seeing their games, especially ‘yung last game nila against San Miguel, Kia is a different Kia,” said Barako head coach Koy Banal. Barako won comfortably in the end against the Carnival, but not without experiencing a scare as Kia came within three, 77-74, in the fourth quarter.

The team is enjoying the services of 7-foot-4 import PJ Ramos, but more than his dominance in the post, Banal said the players added by the franchise to their roster has changed Kia’s game.

“The coaching staff of Kia is doing a good job there, foremost hiring players na sina (Leo) Avenido, (JR) Cawaling, and Mark (Yee). They gave them a different look,” said the Barako mentor.

Veteran guard Avenido, who

his lips, much like what Alaska forward Calvin Abueva did in the finals of the 2013 Commissioners’ Cup. Perhaps it was a combination of

the holiday of hearts, and the fact that the Gin Kings’ opponent was the lowly Carnival - a team at the bottom of the standings last conference - that the Ginebra faithful on Friday night were not as solid as they usually are.

The famous Ginebra chant did not echo in the walls of Araneta Coliseum, for even though the fan favorites seem to be the more talented team on paper, they were barely leading 46-45 at halftime.

“Dapat tambak na ‘yan e,” a Ginebra fan commented somewhere in the stands.

Kia, an expansion franchise which only started competing in the PBA this season, seemed to have been underestimated by league observers due to their neophyte status and their humble 1-10 record last conference.

What some people failed to account for, however, was the presence of

PBAGinebra stays hot, beats Kia

MICHAEL Dunigan had 27 points and 11 rebounds, while Greg Slaughter had 14 points and eight boards to lead Barangay Ginebra past lowly Kia Carnival, 100-92.

Mark Caguioa, Joseph Yeo and LA Tenorio had 11 points each. The two teams did not differ much on shooting percentage, with Ginebra barely doing better with a 41 percent clip to Kia’s 39. The big difference was in freethrows, as Ginebra capitalized on opportunities on the line for 29 points. Kia, on the other hand, only had 19.

Ginebra enjoyed an eight-point lead after the opening period, but Kia crawled back behind Ramos to make it a one-point game at the half, 4645. The Carnival did not let up in the third, tying the game heading into the payoff period, 70-all.

In the final frame, the Carnival struggled to contain Ginebra, who peppered Kia’s defense with 30 points

while allowing just 22 to secure the win.

PJ Ramos carried Kia with 37 points and 22 rebounds. Mark Yee

was the only other player in double figures with 13 points. Leo Avenido and LA Revilla chipped in nine each.

■ RAF, GMA News / February 13, 2015 9:35 PM

the behemoth Ramos, who has been dominant so far averaging 36.3 points and 20.3 rebounds in his first three games for the Carnival.

It was a fact that Mark Caguioa had been aware of.

“What are you gonna do with a guy that’s 7’4”, 7’3”?” the veteran guard said. “We can’t really stop him.”

Ramos finished with a whopping 37 points and 22 rebounds that night.

Ginebra’s bigs, Greg Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar, Billy Mamaril, and import Michael Dunigan had all been hardpressed to guard him, but the veteran center held his ground even with heavy 43 minutes on the floor.

Come third quarter, when Ramos was putting on a show, some frustrated fans waged their own battle the only way they can: taunting the Puerto Rican import.

It started when Ramos missed the hoop completely on a free throw

- a violation mired with shame.

The Ginebra crowd exploded into laughter, which turned into boos as the Kia center prepared to hit his second charity.

The ball swished into the net, and that was when Ramos put a finger on his lips, taunting back the crowd which had grown silent as Kia erased another Ginebra lead to close the third at 70-all.

“I try to have fun with the fans and everybody,” said the former Washington Wizards player. “It was just part of the game, it’s nothing personal.”

Ramos would repeat the gesture every time he went to the charity stripe, but when the buzzer sounded signalling the end of the game, the last laugh belonged to Ginebra and their legions of fans. ■ Marisse Panaligan / RAF, GMA News / February 14, 2015 / 8:17 PM

BOXING Donaire getting in excellent shape for ring return, showing flashes of vintage speed in training says father and trainer NONITO Donaire Jr. is getting close to his fighting form ahead of his March 28 ring return at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

After suffering his first knockout defeat against hard-hitting featherweight Nicholas Walters last October, Donaire (33-3, 21KOs) will drop back down to 122 pounds to battle Brazilian William Prado (224-1, 15KOs) for the NABF super bantamweight title.

It will be Donaire’s first fight in the Philippines in six years, making the consensus 2012 Fighter of the Year highly motivated according to his father and trainer, Nonito Sr. “He did 8 rounds of sparring last Thursday, I think he’s about 75% ready [for the fight],” Nonito Sr. told GMA News Online.

Nonito Sr. is delighted in what he’s seeing in training camp but also knows that Prado is not to be taken lightly.

“Prado is not an easy opponent, he has that [punching] power. I’m just excited right now because his vintage speed is coming back.” ■ JM Siasat / RAF, GMA News / February 14, 2015 / 8:17 PM

February 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

MORE SPORTS

SPORTS

www.hello-philippines.com

39

Global starts UFL title defense with draw against Green Archers

DEFENDING champion Global FC had a lackluster start to its title defense after settling for a 1-1 draw against Green Archers United Globe in the opening day of the United Football League last weekend at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Global’s Mark Hartmann converted an early penalty at the 10th minute, but Chieffy Caligdong tied the match with a beautiful strike right before halftime to tie the match.

Green Archers goalkeeper Paolo Pascual then held his ground between the sticks and survived a barrage of attacks from Global to force the draw.

“To be fair it’s a better start than we had last year. We’re one point

ahead of where we were, so in that way it could be positive” said Global head coach Leigh Manson after the stalemate. “In all seriousness, though, we have a problem at the moment with our finishing. We created enough chances to win three games of football, but we haven’t put the ball in the back of the net. If we do that we give teams a chance.”

In the earlier match last Saturday, Ceres La-Salle FC notched a 2-1 win over fellow Division One newbie Manila Jeepney FC. National team member Martin Steuble, signed by Ceres after his stint in Major League Soccer in the United States, opened the scoring

followed by Spanish striker Adrian Gallardo for a 2-nil halftime lead.

Jeepney’s Alonso Alvaro cut their deficit with a shot at the 48th minute but they weren’t able to completely overcome Ceres’ cushion.

“The performance in the first half was okay. We gave them (the team) a lot of recovery training, but it seems like we were tired [in the second half]. A win is a win, but maybe we could’ve been more aggressive today,” Ceres team manager Ali Go said.

In other results in the UFL’s opening day weekend, Kaya FC breezed past Philippine Army, 4-nil, last Saturday while Stallion FC edged Pachanga Diliman FC, 1-1, last Sunday.

The Loyola Meralco Sparks also bucked the absence of their star Phil Younghusband to come away with a 1-nil win over Team Socceroo. ■ InterAksyon.com / February 9, 2015 / 2:22 PM

BASKETBALL

Purefoods suffers first defeat as Rain or Shine leans on Lee for victory

THE Rain or Shine Elasto Painters outscored the Purefoods Star Hotshots 22-13 in the third quarter to take home a 78-71 win on Saturday at Dipolog City.

Paul Lee led his team with 18 points and eight rebounds. Rick Jackson had 12 points and 15 boards, while Jeff Chan and Beau Belga chipped in 12

and 10 points off the bench.

The two teams were virtually tied heading into the half, with the Hotshots barely edgeing their foes, 40-38. The Elasto Painters turned it up in the third, though, limiting Purefoods to just 13 while scoring 22. Yeng Guiao’s squad held on in the payoff period, matching Purefoods

point for point to come out with a victory.

Daniel Orton paced Purefoods with 23 points, 23 rebounds and seven blocked shots. No other started posted double figures for the Hotshots, with Mark Barroca and Allein Maliksi adding 11 and 10 points. ■ RAF, GMA News

/ February 14, 2015 / 7:57 PM

sport

Donaire getting in excellent shape for ring return, showing flashes of vintage speed in training says father and trainer Story on page 38

Kia a ‘different’ team PJ Ramos and the now after hiring new daunting challenge players, says Barako of silencing the Bull coach Koy Banal Ginebra crowd Story on page 38

Story on page 38

BOXING

Pacquiao Just Waiting for Mayweather to Sign Contract, Announce Fight THE ball is in Floyd Mayweather’s court, according to Manny Pacquiao.

The Filipino ring icon said a deal has been hammered out for him to finally fight the brash American champion, according to a report on GMA News TV’s “Balita Pilipinas Ngayon” on Thursday.

“Oo, positive na,” said Pacquiao in response to whether he would be fighting Mayweather next.

“Pirma na lang,” added the WBO welterweight champion, noting that he’s just waiting for Mayweather’s signature on the deal.

“Hinihintay ko na lang yung contract.”

Pacquiao added that Mayweather’s camp will make the announcement for the fight.

“Hindi ako mag-announce, si Mayweather mag-announce,” he said.

Negotiations between the two camps have repeatedly fallen through over the years, but hopes for a deal were raised after the two men met face to face for the first time in Miami last month. ■ JST, GMA News / February 12, 2015 / 4:35 PM