June 2015 'B' issue by MShare Limited

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June 2015 / Fortnightly

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US LEGISLATORS WANT CONGRESSIONAL HONOR FOR FILIPINO WWII VETS

UNITED States lawmakers have proposed a bill that will confer an American Congressional Gold Medal for Filipino and Filipino-American soldiers in the United States and the Philippines who fought during World War II. Introduced on Thursday at the US Congress by a bipartisan and bicameral group of legislators, the bill acknowledges the dedicated service of over 260,000 Filipino and Filipino-American soldiers who fought side-by-side with their American counterparts. If passed into law, it will collectively award the Congressional Gold Medal to the veterans. Philippine Ambassador Jose Cuisia, Jr. welcomed this development and expressed his hope for the bill to move forward. “The announcement of this bill is timely as we celebrate Philippine Independence and the friendship between the Philippines and the United States,” Cuisia said in a statement from Washington. “Fourth of July is the United States’ Independence Day and also Philippines-American Friendship Day. Our friendship has deep historical roots, which include ﬁghting side by side in wars for liberation,” he said. “I am pleased to see this friendship continue to grow and hope that our veterans receive the recognition they deserve.” The Congressional Gold Medal is awarded to persons “who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the

recipient s ﬁeld long after the achievement.” It is the US Congress’ highest expression of appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions. It is also one of the highest civilian awards in the US, along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Philippine Embassy in Washington said a press conference announcing the bill’s introduction was held by Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI). Other members of the Senate and the House of Representatives present at the event likewise announced their support for the legislation, including Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Representative Joe Heck (R-NV), and Representative Juan Vargas (D-CA). ■

Michaela del Callar / KBK, GMA News / June 12, 2015 / 1:07 PM

Actor Junix Inocian dies in the UK at 64 Junix Inocian. Photo from his Facebook page.

ACTOR Junix Inocian has died in the United Kingdom where he was based since the 1990s, his wife Luna announced in a Facebook post Saturday night. He was 64. Associates reportedly found Inocian’s lifeless body at his London flat early on Saturday after he failed to show up for a film shoot. Police are said to be investigating the circumstances of his death.

Story on page 2

Inocian came to the U.K. in 1989 as part of the original ensemble cast of the hit musical “Miss Saigon”, where he eventually played the male lead role of The Engineer. After his “Miss Saigon” stint concluded, he stayed behind and pursued immigrant status and landed more roles on the London stage as well as in British films and television shows. One of his last film credits is the Johnny

Depp comedy “Mortdecai”. He also appeared in the Samuel L. Jackson starrer “Formula 51” and the Jessica Alba romantic drama “The Sleeping Dictionary”. Born Rufino Duran Inocian Jr in Iligan City, he graduated with a Theater Arts degree from Silliman University in 1975 and received a degree in acting at the University of Michigan in 1978. Continue to page 28

BUSINESS & FINANCE

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June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

DTI probes suspected collusion between flour millers, bakers SIXTEEN local flour millers and 12 giant ba eries are now being investigated by the epartment of rade and Industry I after they failed to reduce bread prices despite the reduction in the price of wheat in the world mar et by 28.33 from January to pril this year. rade ndersecretary ictor imagiba said the I is actually loo ing at a possible connivance between the flour millers and ba ers. Silently, we in I had initiated an investigation and probing why prices of flour, bread and noodles are not going down. e had suspected maybe some form of teaming up among the millers and the ba ers,” imagiba said. “Nag-start na kaming magimbestiga at as them na baka kayo’y nagsasabwatan bakit di kayo nagbabago ng presyo ” he added. he price of premium flour in the mar et today runs from P910 to P920 per bag. ccording to the I s computation, imagagiba said the price should only range between P800 to P84 per bag. lass 1 flour is now being sold at

P7 0 to P910 per bag. he I believes it should only be sold at P71 to P839 a bag. lass 2 flour costs P803 to P880 per bag in the mar et when the I computation showed that it should only be sold at P732 to P82 . imagiba said that if flour millers and ba ers were following the appropriate flour price, pan de sal would be cheaper by 3 to centavos per piece. small of loaf of tasty bread will be cheaper by P0.38 centavos and those weighing 0 grams will be reduced by P0. centavos if the I s suggested prices are followed, the official said. he I has already sent letters to the flour millers and ba ers to as for their e planation. One has promised to follow the I pricing and the other ustified their steady price. he rest have yet to reply to the I uery. I will be writing a final demand letter, a third letter to all who did not respond. e have also re uested the bureau of customs for the import

documents of all flour millers. nd we have also re uested the investigation arm of the department of ustice, the national bureau of investigation to also evaluate the documents that we will submit and analyze whether there is basis to file any cases under the price act,” imagiba said. enry h, one of those who received the I communi u and part of the Filipino- hinese Ba ers ssociation said, he will soon send a written e planation about the nonmovement of their product prices. e strongly denied the suspected collusion between flour millers and ba ers. “Kami ba ers Kung tutuusin kaaway pa nga namin yun flour millers parati eh Everytime, when we sit down with I we have to compute everything. Including the pac aging materials,” h said. Ba ers he said, have been waiting for a price reduction of flour for so long now. Once flour price gets down, ba ers can immediately reduce their bread prices also.”

he price are still the same since last year. e ba ers have been long waiting for this reduction of the price of the ﬂour. If the ﬂour mill, or our local price will reduce. hatever they can reduce, around 0 pesos per bag, we can reduce for the big umbo loaf around 0 grams, we can reduce P1 or a 4 0 grams, we can reduce also around 0 cents,” he assured. he Philippine ssociation of Flour illers in a te t message has denied

that there s overpricing in the mar et. hat the I should do, the group said, is to strengthen its price monitoring efforts.” It is very obvious that their monitoring reports do not reflect actual mar et prices at least for wheat flour.” he local flour miller s prices are aligned with world wheat prices,” the association stated. ■ Sherrie Ann Torres / NB, GMA News / June 11, 2015 / 9:09 PM

World Bank keeps Philippine economic growth forecast despite ﬁrst-quarter disappointment BA AC – The World Bank is keeping its forecast despite the Philippine economy’s lower-than-expected firstquarter turnout, with the lender’s lead economist saying the country’s growth story has improved. The Washington-based lender overnight launched its lobal Economic Prospects (GEP) report, which show that its growth forecast for the Philippines remaining at 6.5 percent for this year. The Bank forecast the same rate for next year and 6.3 percent in 2017. On the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Senior Finance Officials’ Meeting in this town, World Bank economist Rogier van den Brink said the EP forecast already incorporates the Philippines’ first-quarter growth of 5.2 percent,

which came in below market consensus of at least 6 percent. “We see the rest of the quarters of the year showing a different pattern. We know the agencies are working very hard to ramp up spending,” an den

Brink said, adding that the Philippines would benefit from a recovery in Japan and from cheap oil. “But these relatively small changes in the growth numbers per se are secondary to the bigger story that

matters. The country has established a clear trajectory towards growth that is more inclusive. Continuing reforms will ensure that the country will maintain this momentum,” he said. an den Brink said the Philippine economic story has changed from what it was as late as two decades ago when the recurring theme was a boom-andbust cycle marked by slow growth, high inflation, current account deficits, budget deficits and soaring government debt. “In the last several years, these issues are no longer a major concern. We are starting to see that the sustained high economic growth in recent years is translating into stronger job creation,” he said. “Most of you will probably report on these growth forecasts for the Philippines in the context of more

challenging environment, including the higher borrowing costs, lower prices for oil and other commodities, the easing of growth in China and other countries in the East Asia and the Pacific region, and so on. That’s fine. But if you do focus solely on these growth forecasts, you will miss on what I think is the more important and emerging story about the Philippines,” van den Brink said. “For me, as an economist working for an institution committed to the eradication of extreme poverty, the real story is this: the Philippines has achieved macroeconomic stability, high growth rates, and, more recently, is starting to show the kind of growth which is more inclusive,” he said. ■ Rain Castro / InterAksyon.com / June

11, 2015 / 6:34 PM

Voyager Innovations holds ‘Disruptor’s Ball’ to accelerate digital innovations MANILA he Philippine ong istance elephone P group held its ﬁrst isruptors Ball as part of its overarching effort to develop the local startup ecosystem. he event was hosted by oyager Innovations, the digital unit of P , and aims to accelerate partnerships and collaborations among different companies in the digital space. P chair anny . Pangilinan stressed in his welcome remar s the importance of further developing digital innovations. It s our role to get more and more

Filipinos online and give them the best technologies available on it,” Pangilinan said. E tending these technologies to the Filipino consumer is a form of empowerment. It ma es their digital lives richer, more convenient, and inﬁnitely more en oyable.” Orlando ea, oyager president and EO, said they intend to hold the Ball at least twice a year. any things happen fast in the industry and one year in digital is already a lifetime,” ea said. Our goal is to create networ s and really advance the ecosystem.”

ea said the abundance of ideas today in the startup ecosystem provides various mar etable opportunities. he ecosystem is very active. e ust need to ﬁnd the many opportunities in the intersections,” ea said. side from e ecutives from different companies in the P group, various e ecutives from different startups also attended including Roc et Internet companies in the Philippines such as alora, armudi, amudi, FoodPanda, aymu, goda, lic bus, and Easy a i. ■ Jose Bimbo F. Santos / InterAksyon.com /

June 11, 2015 / 7:34 PM

Manny V. Pangilinan, PLDT chairman. InterAksyon.com

June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

BUSINESS & FINANCE

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TV5 launches Hi-5 Philippines, plans merchandise sales MANILA - TV5 Network Inc. plans to venture into consumer sales to boost ad revenues. During today’s launch of the broadcast company’s adaptation of Australia’s Hi-5, TV5 vice president Melvin Sixto C. Nubla said the company plans to market the children show’s merchandise and music. “Right now, we are building that already both the online and the retail store as well,” Nubla said. “The contract with Hi-5 is good for two years. So, we are starting off with the show but we will expand this because we also have the license to sell Hi-5 merchandise,” he said. Nubla said TV5 invested a “quite signiﬁcant” amount of money in the Philippine adaptation of Hi-5.

“It is worth it not only in terms of revenues and business, but pushes also TV5 to that level of international standard. Its add to the equity of the network,” he said. “We had a trade launch. We got a very good positive response and a lot already signiﬁed interest in sponsoring the show,” he said. Emmanuel C. Lorenzana, TV5 president, said Hi-5 Philippines will “bring the world-class edutainment experience closer to more Filipino kids.” “This is our way of not only showcasing world-class Filipino talent, but more importantly, helping share our country’s future generations,” he said. Jane Basas, Media5 Corporation

president, said the company is up to the challenge of producing the show that is on a par with global standards. “We are proud to partner with Hi-5 World in introducing to millions of Filipino kids a local version of this highly interactive edutainment show,” Basas said. Launched in Australia in 1999, Hi-5 has expanded its franchise across North America, Europe, Australasia, Latin America, and Asia. The Philippine version of Hi-5 follows TV5’s partnership with Bloomberg for a local version of the global business news program. InterAksyon.com is the online news portal of TV5, which is part of the PLDT Group. ■ Cassandra Lee / InterAksyon.com / June 11, 2015 / 6:08 PM

Recto calls for inventory of classrooms built in 2015 MANILA – Senate President protempore Ralph Recto on Sunday called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to make an inventory on how many of the planned 44,663 new classrooms were built in time for class opening. “If China can rapidly build airstrips in lands previously underwater, then why are we having a hard time building 60-square-meter classrooms on dry land?” Recto asked Under the Department of Education’s P319 billion budget for 2015, some P53.9 billion was earmarked for classrooms, chairs and other “basic educational facilities.” Included in this outlay was P44.7 billion for 44,663 new classrooms, P2.88 billion for the repair of 9,595 classrooms, P1.38 billion for 455 technical-vocational schools, and P1.37 billion for 13,641 “toilets and water and sanitation packages”. Congress also appropriated P1.206 billion for 1.3 million chairs, desks and other furniture.

The assumption is that most of the classrooms will be ready for occupancy by the start of the school year, Recto said. “I don’t think it should take half-a-year to construct a toilet or put up a building slightly bigger than a waiting shed,” Recto said. He said these school facilities should have been built by now because Congress’ on-time passage of the 2015 national budget last December should have allowed government “to hit the ground running on the very first day of the year.”

“And we can’t blame weather for the delay because summer offered the ideal conditions to have them built,” Recto said. Recto said he is asking the government “to submit a report card so we can have a mid-year insight on what’s holding up the construction and so we can find ways on how to speed it up during the second semester.” “Overall, this can help us in finding the cure to that bureaucratic ailment called underspending,” Recto said. Recto said one reason for the delay

could be the sheer volume of classrooms to be built. “It is comparable to building almost 50,000 low-cost houses, not just in one village, but from Batanes to TawiTawi.” According to Recto, the availability of funds may not be the problem “if we go by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) pronouncements.” The DBM said that 78 percent, or P2.037 trillion of the P2.606 trillion 2015 budget had been released by January 27, and 92.5 percent had been downloaded by April. “I am not also saying that it is the fault of the central office of the Department of Public Works and Highways because, under Secretary Rogelio Singson, the agency has been bidding out, building and completing projects ahead of schedule, above standards and below the cost,” Recto said. “And in fairness to (DepED Secretary) Brother Armin (Luistro), the building of classrooms is not the sole responsibility of his office,” Recto said. Recto said the problem could be at the ground level where there is a “disconnect

between national instructions and local implementation.” He said Congress’ “periodic grading” of government’s school-building program is required by Republic Act 10651, or the General Appropriations Act of 2015. A special provision in the DepEd budget calls for the submission of quarterly reports on classrooms, buildings and laboratories built or repaired, Recto explained. “I think we should find where the spending or implementing bottlenecks are because what’s the use of having big amounts under a budget that is passed early if the projects it funds are implemented slowly,” he said. For 2014, it was reported that actual infrastructure and other capital outlay spending fell short by P89 billion or 24.4 percent of program. Overall, total government expenditures that year reached P1.982 trillion, or 13.3-percent below the P2.284 trillion program. ■ Ernie Reyes / InterAksyon.com / June 14, 2015 / 1:53 PM

Miriam urges colleagues to pass typhoon-related bills MANILA – Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago on Sunday urged her colleagues to swiftly pass bills aimed at boosting the government’s typhoon preparations and disaster risk reduction efforts. Santiago said that at least five of the typhoon-related laws she proposed are still pending at the committee level, even as the Senate approved the bill she co-authored on youth involvement in disaster preparations. “The Philippines is on the western rim of the Pacific Ocean, the most tropical cyclone-prone waters on Earth, making the country very susceptible to typhoons. We cannot afford further tragic loss of lives or damage to property caused by floods,” Santiago said. Santiago in January filed Senate Bill No. 2561, or the National Flood

Insurance bill, that aims to augment state-funded disaster assistance and better meet the escalating costs of repairing damage to residential and other buildings and their contents. If enacted, the bill would create a National Flood Insurance Program, enabling people living in flood-prone areas to purchase insurance against loss resulting from physical damage to or loss of real or personal property caused by any flood. The senator meanwhile lamented that three of her bills have been languishing at the committee since 2013. These are S.B. No. 394, or the Flood Recovery Fund bill; S.B. No. 1576, or the National Flood and Research Education bill; and S.B. No. 1724, or the Culvert Safety bill. Santiago said inaction on the Flood Recovery Fund bill, filed in July 2013,

is depriving flood victims, especially those who are poor, of speedy financial assistance in the form of no-interest loans from the fund the proposed law will create. The National Flood and Research Education bill, filed in September 2013, is, meanwhile, aimed at creating an Office of Flood Research and Policy that will develop best practices for predicting, preventing, and minimizing flooding and its effects. Also pending since September 2013 is the senator’s Culvert Safety bill, which seeks to ensure that culverts (imburnals or open sewers) are appropriately covered and posted with warning signs to prevent people, especially children, from falling into them during floods. In September 2014, Santiago filed

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. File photograph by Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com

S.B. No. 2376, aimed at mandating the Department of Education to include basic swimming in elementary and secondary school curriculum. “This bill aims to prepare children against ﬂoods,” said Santiago, a high school swimming champion. She cited a United Nations

Children’s Fund (UNICEF) study, which reported that drowning is the second leading cause of death among Filipino children aged 14 years and below, and the fourth leading cause of death from injury in the Philippines. While asking the public to support her ﬂood-related bills in order to spur action from Senate committees, Santiago welcomed the approval on third and ﬁnal reading of S.B. No. 2789 or the Youth Participation in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management bill. The senator co-authored the measure, which will amend the law governing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to include youth organizations. She meanwhile urged the House of Representatives to soon pass a counterpart measure. ■ Ernie Reyes / InterAksyon.com / June 14, 2015 / 1:10 PM

BUSINESS & FINANCE

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June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

Low income level, infrastructure bottlenecks hound PHL banks – S&P STANDARD & Poor’s Ratings Services has classiﬁed the Philippine ban ing sector in group 7” under the debt-watcher s Ban ing Industry ountry Ris ssessment BI R criteria, citing the low income level and infrastructure bottlenec s that hound the Southeast sian country. Other countries in the group include Indonesia, Portugal, Iceland, and Ireland.

Our assessment of economic ris in the Philippines reﬂects the country s low income level and infrastructure bottlenec s that constrain growth prospects,” S P said in statement introducing its latest Ban ing Industry ountry Ris ssessment on Philippines published on hursday. he Philippines has low income levels, but the economy is reasonably diversiﬁed. Per capita P, at a

pro ected 3,010 in 201 , is below that of most sovereigns with a similar rating,” the report read. S P estimates the Philippine P per capita will rise by 4. percent in 201 from 4.3 percent in 2014, and pro ects an average 4.4 percent growth in P per capita in 201 to 2019, saying this reﬂects the modest outloo s for the Philippine trading partners. Rela ed underwriting standards and a developing institutional and governance framewor heighten credit ris . e believe the ris of imbalances in the economy has not increased materially despite a pic up in credit growth and property prices in the past two years,” the global debt-watcher said. Still, S P considers the economic ris trend for the Philippines as stable, saying ... the ris of economic imbalances, such as in the property mar et, can be contained. hile the credit uality of

ban s operating in the Philippines is improving, we feel poor transparency, wea corporate governance, and inefﬁcient legal infrastructure may limit any material reduction in credit ris ,” the debt-watcher said. In addition, credit ris in the system may increase if acceleration in property prices or credit growth is prolonged,” S P said. Risk appetite. On the industry s ris , S P noted the regulatory standards in the Philippines are broadly in line with international standards and in some instances more stringent. owever, inade uate legislation and legal protection for supervisory staff wea en the regulator s ability to implement prudent measures. he government s attempts to amend the legislation have so far been protracted,” the debt-watcher said. he Philippine ban ing industry s ris appetite is generally restrained, and ban ing products are

straightforward. high level of stable customer deposits supports ban s funding profiles although ban s have few funding alternatives,” it added. S P also views the industry ris trend of Philippine ban s as stable, and believes the well-established domestic franchise will continue to help domestic ban s to sustain a strong, stable, and diversified customer deposit profile. owever, the pace of deposit growth may continue to be moderate this year as real returns on ban deposits continue to be negative and lower than those on other investment avenues,” it said. It also e pects the ris appetite of ban s to remain manageable because they mainly offer simple and traditional products. he country s recent liberalization of foreign ban s entry into the mar et may further intensify competition among domestic ban s,” S P said. ■ VS,

GMA News / June 11, 2015 / 2:45 PM

UCPB to serve as gov’t depository bank until 2018 THE United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) will act as a state depository facility until 2018, following the announcement that the government will sell its majority stake in the bank. “The Philippine government’s recent announcement of the invitation to bid for the sale of equity in UCPB has now fully set into motion the recapitalization program that UCPB has been anticipating for the past couple of years,” UCPB said in a statement Tuesday. “The bank will continue to be a government depository bank until 2018,” it added. However, UCPB Senior ice President and Corporate Secretary Ildefonso Jimene clarified the government may still decide to maintain UCPB as one of

its depository banks beyond 2018. “It’s still too early to tell what the effect, if any, it may have on our operations,” Jimene told MA News Online. Three banks are considering buying government’s majority stake in UCPB, expected to be worth at least P16.1 billion. Security Bank Corp., the country’s ninth largest lender by assets, Ri al Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) and Robinsons Bank Corp, a unit of conglomerate J Summit Holdings Inc. are weighing bids, Reuters said in a report. The Department of Finance Privati ation and Management Office said prospective bidders may submit their proposals to the Bids and Awards Committee until September 18. UCPB ranks 12th in the banking industry, with a combined network of 228

branches and 328 ATMs. In 2014, the bank posted a net income of P3.14 billion and achieved double-digit growth in its net interest income at 15.8 percent compared with 2013 figures, the bank said. In 2013, the Supreme Court ruled with finality that Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, a close ally of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is not entitled to shares of stock of UCPB because the money used to accumulate the equity stake came from public funds. Cojuangco must return the UCPB shares to the government “for the benefit of all coconut farmers and for the development of the coconut industry,” the high court ordered. ■ Kathrina

Charmaine Alvarez / VS, GMA News / June 2, 2015 / 5:39 PM

CAF U in Eastern isayas field test solar-powered detachments CATBALOGAN ity, Samar he Philippine rmy 8th Infantry ivision, based in the Eastern isayas is not only e ecuting its mission of preserving peace and order in the wa e of decades of armed conﬂict in the region, but also advocating the use of alternative sources of energy, li e solar power, in their detachments. ccording to 8th Infantry ivision ommander, Brig. en. Jet elarmino, his ofﬁce distributed last year a number of solar panel setups to F detachments in the region, especially those situated away from the main roads and electricity connections. he aim was to supplement the detachment s power needs for their communication e uipment. e go for the alternative source of energy, especially if that can help generate more savings on the part of the government,” elarmino told Intera syon.com.

For instance, the commander of the 802nd Brigade has installed a solar panel in their camp in Ormoc ity, as one of his initiatives to have bac -up power during emergencies and disasters, when there is power outage. elarmino said there is an ongoing study to observe the potential savings that may be obtained by using alternative sources of power, especially renewable sources li e solar power.

Photograph from Philippine Army 8th Infantry Division.

he Philippine rmy, as a whole is supporting the initiative, and it is the 8th I that is the ﬁrst to beneﬁt from the installation of solar panels for its F detachments. elarmino also said having the solar powered installation ma es it more effective for his units and men to respond to emergencies because of the availability of bac -up power when there is a power outage. ■ Lottie Salarda / InterAksyon.com / June 14, 2015 / 1:42 PM

BSP raises alarm on rise in ATM, credit card fraud

AMID the rise in the number of identity theft” cases, the Bang o Sentral ng Pilipinas BSP on uesday as ed the public to protect their credit and automated teller machine cards. Over the past months the BSP has been receiving five to 10 in uiries and complaints per day about identity theft, said eputy overnor Johnny Noe Ravalo, who is in charge of the Financial Supervisor Research onsumer Protection Sub-Sector. a ority of the complaints involved unauthorized withdrawals and credit card purchases, Ravalo noted. It s a must to protect you personal identification number PIN and passwords, he said. he BSP official said and credit card holders must avoid using common number combinations li e 1, 2, 3, 4, , ,” as PIN code. Sa ngayong panahon na hindi na tayo pencil and paper, karamihan ng ating mga personal information encoded na in an electronic format

Ang critical dito ay ma-protektahan natin ang ating identity, otherwise ‘pag nagkaroon ng breach merong nagpapanggap na sya ‘yung tayo,” Ravalo said. victim of identity theft must immediately inform his or her ban or the credit card company, or else the card owner will have to ta e responsibility and settle the obligations transacted by identity thieves, Ravalo emphasized. Nakasaad kasi sa batas na ang liability nung individual, e tends hanggang dun sa punto na na-report nyang stolen ‘yung card,” the BSP official said. ictims of identity theft may visit the BSP main office in Pasay during wee days without any prior appointment, Ravalo noted. ueries or complaints or may also be placed via the BSP website or by calling the O INE 708-7087 during wee day office hours. ■ Sherrie Ann Torres / VS, GMA News / June 9, 2015 / 6:12 PM

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Consulate warns Pinoys in HK against illegal gambling FILIPINOS in Hong Kong were reminded Sunday against the stiff ﬁnes and ail terms they may face if they are caught gambling there. he Philippine onsulate eneral in Hong Kong said Sunday that the police continue to receive information of Filipinos engaged in gambling in the special administrative region of hina. “Ang pulisya ng Hong Kong ay patuloy na nakakatanggap ng mga ulat galing sa publiko ukol sa paglaganap ng pagsusugal sa hanay ng mga Pilipino sa iba’t ibang parte ng ong ong. Ang

Elderly Pinoy doc in NY, wife arrested over $77M ‘pill mill’ AN elderly Filipino doctor in New ork and his wife were arrested Tuesday for allegedly being the source of 77 million worth of painkillers being sold on the black market, reports said. A report on the New ork Daily News, citing narcotics prosecutor Bridget Brennan, said Dr. Rogelio Lucas, 77, and his 79-year-old wife Lydia, who works as his office manager, has been illegally peddling the pills since 2009. The couple, who resides in Upper

West Side, a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New ork City, is accused of selling more than 28,000 prescriptions for oxycodone, a highly addictive painkiller. Brennan said Dr. Lucas worked with several major drug rings to write prescriptions for over 3 million tablets. The couple, who are facing 37 counts of illegally selling a controlled substance, pleaded not guilty and was ordered held on 500,000 bail, the report said. A separate report on the New ork Post

said Dr. Lucas earned his medical degree in the Philippines, where the couple has several properties. They also reportedly have homes in Hawaii and Florida. Prosecutors said Lucas operated a family practice that catered to patients covered by Medicaid before he and his wife engaged in the illegal activity. uoting the suspects’ lawyer Liam Malanaphy, the New ork Daily News report said the couple has nine children and have been married for 55 years. ■ KBK, GMA News / June 10, 2015 8:26 PM

pulisya ng Hong Kong ay kasalukuyang gumagawa ng aksyon laban sa mga gawaing ito, kaugnay na rito ang pagaresto sa mga Pilipinong matatagpuang nakikilahok sa pagsusugal,” it said. It said the ong ong police has also as ed the public to provide information on those involved in illegal gambling. he consulate said authorities are particularly crac ing down on card games in wal ways and par s. “Iminungkahi ng Konsulado ng Pilipinas dito sa Hong Kong sa lahat ng

Pilipino na naglalaro ng baraha sa mga wal way, daan at parke na umiwas sa anumang uri ng pagsusugal,” it said. iting ong ong s ordinances on gambling, the consulate said those arrested for gambling face a fine of 10,000 and three months imprisonment for the first offense. second offense carries a penalty of 20,000 and si months imprisonment, while the third offense nets a fine of 30,000 and nine months imprisonment. ■ Joel Locsin/JDS,

GMA News / June 7, 2015 / 5:44 PM

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Help sought for comatose former Kuwait OFW RELATIVES of a now-comatose former overseas Filipino worker who had a stroke while in Kuwait are asking for assistance to defray her daily medical expenses. Kin of Lu inoya were forced to bring her home after they could not afford her hospital expenses, MA Dagupan’s Alfie Tulagan reported on 24 Oras North Central Lu on. inoya is now confined at her home in Barangay Turac in San Carlos City in

Pangasinan. She was comatose after suffering a stroke while in Kuwait. A private nurse would visit and check on her occasionally. inoya was brought home last May 10 and was brought to the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital’s intensive care unit, but had to be moved out after 10 days. “Wala nang pambayad, napilitan ilabas,” inoya’s brother Jose said. The relatives also said they need

financial help to defray the cost of medicine and inoya’s oxygen. They added they could not seek assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration as her contributions there ended in 2007. People who may want to extend assistance may call Darwin Manuel at 09105279132 or MA Dagupan at 075522-0017. ■ Joel Locsin / LBG, GMA News / June

13, 2015 / 7:52 AM

NBI rescues women from human trafficking syndicate in Zamboanga City AGENTS of the National Bureau of Investigations (NBI) saved a group of women in Zamboanga City from possible sexual slavery in an operation against a human traffic ing syndicate. GMA’s “24 Oras” showed footage of the NBI - nti- uman raffic ing Division (NBI-AHTRAD) tracking the women from NAIA Terminal 3 to a fast-food restaurant in Zamboanga City, where they met with recruiters. One of the recruiter, identified as Benhur Marjuk, confessed and told the NBI of their modus and their colleagues’ names, leading to the arrest of Mary Jane Malmis and Marlon Escamalada in Manila.

“’Yung galing dito sa Maynila, binibigyan ako ng budget para makaalis sila. Depende po, ‘pag bigay daw po sa loob, immigration. Mga kinse (P15,000), ganun,” Marjuk said. Marjuk and his colleagues allegedly lured women from poor provinces in Luzon and Visayas by offering jobs as domestic helpers in Dubai with a monthly salary of $400, around P18,148. NBI-AHTRAD Executive Director Bassit Sarip said the women would then be ﬂown to alaysia on the pretense of a layover and left there in the hands of a Malaysian prostitution ring. “’Pagdating ng Malaysia, yung mga

babae na magka-qualify as GRO (Guest Relations Ofﬁcers, or bar girls sa mga nightclubs, ‘dun nila dadalhin ‘yun. Tapos yung iba naman na hindi magkaqualify dun, ‘yun yung magiging domestic helpers,” Sarip explained. A victim said that she could not back out of the deal even though she was suspicious of her recruiter who made her tell her supposed employers that she was beautiful. “’Wala nang atrasan, kasi nakakuha na siya ng ticket,” the victim recalled. NBI-AHTRAD asked victims of the arrested recruiters and their syndicate to approach the agency in order to ﬁle the appropriate complaints. ■ Rie Takumi / JDS, GMA News / June 11, 2015 / 9:32 PM

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June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

Fearful Pinoy teenager flies to Sudan for heart surgery A cocktail of fear, hope and gratitude bubbled inside Reynaldo Nilo’s feeble heart as the Filipino teenager prepared to ta e his first-ever plane ride for a journey to Sudan aimed at saving his life. The rheumatic heart disease sufferer and son of impoverished farmers boarded a flight on onday for Khartoum, the capital of the east African country, to have open heart surgery, without which he would likely die within a few years. The city hosts a hospital run by EMERGENCY, an Italian charity that is renowned for its state-of-the art cardiac surgery provided for free, usually to people from Africa. “I am extremely grateful to them for giving me the chance to have a longer life,” the 17-year-old told AFP a few hours before he and his elder sister, Sarah Joy, boarded the plane, a first for both, to Khartoum. Sarah Joy only found out about the Italian charity after chancing upon an Oscar-nominated documentary about

the Khartoum hospital. Nilo, who had to drop out of high school because of his condition, said he knew little about Africa other than disease and conﬂict. “I’m scared because I heard they have Ebola there. I’m also concerned about the wars there,” said Nilo, as he sat beside his tearful elder sister at a relative’s home in Manila. “But if the Lord wills it, I should be

Pinoy teenager to have heart surgery in Sudan. Reynaldo Nilo (left), 17, shares a light moment with his sister Sarah Joy Nilo, 25, at a relative’s house in Manila. Fear, hope and gratitude bubbled inside Reynaldo’s heart as he prepares to take his first-ever plane ride for a journey to Sudan aimed at saving his life.

okay and able to recover.” Nilo had strep throat as a child and, because he did not take antibiotics at the time, it led to rheumatic heart disease. Without open heart surgery, most sufferers of the disease die by the time they are 20, according to EMERGENCY. The surgery in the Philippines would cost tens of thousands of dollars, an impossible amount for the son of duck farmers from the remote far north of the country. Pain, fear, determination. Nilo was diagnosed with the disease when he was 15 after suffering from near-daily breathing problems that would leave him blue in the face. The worst attacks would see his hands and feet seize up with muscle spasms. Nilo was forced to drop out of school and Sarah Joy became his fulltime carer. Unable to afford medical treatment, she scoured the Internet for ways to relieve his discomfort and learned

techniques such as having him breathe into a paper bag. Soaking his feet in icy water would help to cool and relax him, easing his spasms. “We were always worried for him. I was scared he would succumb (to the disease), but I steeled myself, determined to show him that we were not giving up,” Sarah Joy said. “I was desperate to get a job -- any job, even as a domestic helper abroad -- to pay for the surgery. But I realised it would take more than a lifetime to raise that amount.” The family was growing increasingly desperate until Sarah Joy last year watched a documentary on television called “Open Heart” about EMERGENCY’s hospital in Khartoum. The documentary, which was nominated for an Oscar, tells the story of eight Rwandan children with rheumatic heart disease who have the high-risk surgery at the hospital, the Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery. The center, which opened in 2007, is

described by EMERGENCY as the only free hospital specializing in complex heart operations in Africa. From the ﬁlm credits, Nilo s sister tracked down the US producer, who eventually put her in touch with EMERGENCY. The charity, which was set up by volunteer doctors in 1994 and provides free medical care to victims of war, landmines and poverty, agreed to help Nilo. After the surgery to replace or repair heart valves, Nilo will require medication for the rest of his life, which EMERGENCY has also agreed to pay for. And Turkish Airlines agreed to cover the cost of the Nilos ﬂights, which alone would have otherwise cost years of income for their parents. “We are just so happy that this foundation (EMERGENCY) agreed to help us,” Nilo’s sister said. “We were afraid we would lose him.” ■ Cecil Morella / Agence France-Presse / June

9, 2015 / 11:43 AM

Help sought for ailing OFW with unpaid hospital bills in Jeddah A 54-year-old Filipino worker who suffered a stroke late last year in Saudi Arabia is in need of government assistance to be able to come home to his family in Pampanga. Restituto “Resty” aligao is currently at the Dr. Erfan & Bagedo Hospital where he was brought last November 28 after suffering a major heart attack at a friend’s house. “As the nation observes the anniversary of the signing of the Migrant Workers’ Act of 1995, we ask that our government extend humanitarian assistance to this ailing OFW,” said the

Blas F. Ople Center, a non-government organi ation that assists distressed OFWs, in a statement Monday. Galigao’s case was brought to the attention of the Ople Center by another N O, the Filipino Lifeline, headed by a former OFW named Edward Era. The center said aligao’s eldest daughter, Cynthia, recently lost her job as a contractual worker. His youngest daughter, Reynalyn, meanwhile said they have been buying lotto tickets in the hope of winning the jackpot so that they could shoulder the medical bills of their father. “The family has absolutely no means

to pay for Resty’s medical bills,” the center said, adding the family lives in a resettlement site in Arayat, Pampanga. “The amount has snowballed to 200,000 Saudi Riyals or around 2.5 million pesos.” The center said aligao, works as a part-time driver and has been staying in Jeddah without a permanent job and proper work and residency documents, was in and out of comatose until his condition stabili ed. “As such, he was not covered by the required company health insurance during the time of cardiac arrest,” the center said. Reynalyn said before her father

suffered a heart attack, he would send them P7,000 to P15,000 every two months “depending on how much he was able to earn and save.” Last March, the same hospital called the attention of the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah due to the unpaid account of OFW Edgar Pepito, who was admitted by the same hospital in July 21, 2014 due to cardiac arrest. Pepito’s hospital bill amounted to 60,125.21 SR, but the OFW was discharged on the basis of a guarantee letter signed by the vice-consul at that time. According to the hospital, the

Philippine Consulate, despite a written guarantee, has failed to complete its payment, leaving behind a balance of 47,475.21 SR. “We would like to appeal to the appropriate agencies of government to come to the aid of seriously ill OFWs such as Resty Galigao. The family has no other means to pay for his hospital bills. We also wish to remind the Philippine Consulate of its obligation to settle the bill of OFW Edgar Pepito since no less than the credibility of our government is at stake,” the Ople Center said. ■ KBK, GMA News / June 8, 2015 / 3:55 PM

Pinoy doc hopes to change healthcare for the poor with University of London degree ON Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, Dr. Adrian Paul Rabe works at the Kabalikat Community Clinic to provide free medical check-ups and medicine to the poor residents of BASECO Compound, one of the most impoverished areas in Manila. Since the clinic’s establishment in February this year, Rabe and other volunteer doctors had tended to over 600 patients, an experience that made him realize that the country’s healthcare system needs “big changes.” “They (residents) keep on coming back with the same problems over and over again, which means that the efforts of doctors individually [are] not going to be enough,” he told GMA News Online on Wednesday. “This requires structural changes—big changes—in government, and these are policy changes.” “We need very good health policy... we need people who are trained in terms of health-policy making that’s evidence-based and I decided that, maybe, we need someone who’s trained abroad,” he added.

With this in mind, Rabe, son of a former OFW, applied and was accepted for a one-year Master of Science (MSc) in Health Policy Planning and Financing at the University of London’s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Aware of the university’s tuition and the high cost of living in London, Rabe applied for scholarships to fund his education, but resorted to crowdfunding on Indiegogo to meet the required £32,600. “[London], I think, has the highest, if not the second-highest cost of living in the world, so it s really difﬁcult especially for people who pass the school but cannot afford the tuition or living expenses,” he said. Big ﬁnancial help from the family is also out of the question, Rabe said, despite his father being an electronics and communications engineer who previously worked in Kuwait. “We initially lived in Kuwait because my father worked as an OFW there. We had to return in 1990 due to the Gulf War. Most our possessions were gone

during that time. We grew up in an aunt’s house in Pangasinan. We were poor but we had enough,” he said. Eventually, Rabe’s father was able to return to Kuwait. “Our family had a lot of progress since then,” he said. “Through their hard work, they were able to put all of us through college.” Harvey Keh, lead convenor of the Kaya Natin! movement and a sponsor of the clinic, believes that Rabe, who passed the medical licensure exams in 2007 at the young age of 22, is uni uely ualified to study in the University of London due to his need to serve indigents. “He is suited for the MsC because he is a very good doctor whose heart is really into serving the less privileged and upgrading the level of public health in our communities,” he told GMA News Online through a text message. Changing the country’s healthcare system is difficult to grasp for most, but Rabe is willing to go the distance to fulfill his calling. “There’s a saying in public health

Dr. Adrian Paul Rabe attending to some patients.

now that clinicians treat hundreds of patients in their lifetime, but public health practitioners treat populations... My impact as an individual doctor may

not be enough. I have to help the rest of the population through help policy,” he said. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / June 10, 2015 / 5:58 PM

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

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June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

Sister makes tearful appeal to save Mary Jane Veloso from death row THE sister of Mary Jane Veloso on Wednesday made a tearful appeal to government ofﬁcials to save the Filipina convict from death row, saying the 30-year-old single mother has suffered enough in the last ﬁve years. t the hearing of the ouse committee on overseas affairs on her sister s case, aritess eloso- aurente bro e down in tears as she reminded lawma ers that ary Jane remains in danger of being e ecuted. Ang pamilya po namin ay nakikiusap po sana na yung aming nararanasan ay….” aritess said, with her voice crac ing. ..Ay hindi na maranasan ng iba pang pamilya. Dahil napakasakit po.” Nabigyan lang ng reprieve si Mary Jane… sana patuloy ang gobyerno sa pagtulong at huwag nilang tigilan hanggat di nakakauwi ang kapatid ko.

Tama na ang limang taong pagdurusa niya nang wala naman siyang kasalanan,” she said. ary Jane was convicted by an Indonesian court in 2010 after she was caught carrying 2. ilograms of heroin. he illegal durgs were stuffed inside a luggage she was as ed to bring to Indonesia from alaysia. er e ecution, scheduled last pril 29, was called off after she was granted a temporary reprieve by Indonesian President Jo o idodo. Aside from saving Mary Jane from e ecution, aritess also appealed to government ofﬁcials to help other Filipinos who are on death row. Huwag na sana natin hintayin na maging huli na kagaya nang nangyari kay ary Jane, kung kailan last minute na saka tayo maghahabol,” she said. In response, Foreign ffairs

ndersecretary of igrant or ers ffairs Jesus abes assured lawma ers and the elosos that the government remains committed to helping ary Jane by focusing on the legal proceedings against her alleged recruiter, aria ristina Sergio. t this point, the epartment of Foreign ffairs intends to focus on pending legal proceedings in the Philippines against ary Jane s alleged recruiters, upon which the decision to commute her sentence or grant her clemency depend,” he said. Sergio and her live-in partner, Julius acanilao, have been charged with illegal recruitment in connection with eloso s case. he two have denied the charges but are currently detained at the Nueva Eci a provincial ail. ■ Xianne Arcangel / RSJ, GMA News / June 10,

2015 / 5:44 PM

Mary Jane’s mom attends House probe on OFW affairs. Celia Veloso, the mother of Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipino who is in death row in Indonesia for alleged drug smuggling, attends a hearing of the House committee on overseas affairs on Wednesday, June 10. Maki Pulido

Pinoys in South Korea: ‘Okay lang kami dito’

Embassy says Pinoy reported to have MERS-CoV in Saudi A Filipino has been infected with the iddle East Respiratory Syndrome oronavirus ERS- o in Saudi rabia, the Philippine embassy there said. In a June 11 news release posted on its website Friday, the embassy mentioned a newly reported case” of a Filipino infected with ERS- o in Riyadh. he news release said this prompted the embassy to reiterate its previous advisories to Filipinos there to observe health guidelines issued by Saudi and Philippine health authorities. Following a newly-reported case of a Filipino national infected with iddle East Respiratory Syndromeorona irus ERS- o in Riyadh, the Embassy would li e to reiterate its previous advisories to Filipinos, especially wor ers in the healthcare sector, to continue ta ing all necessary precautions and observe health guidelines issued by the Saudi inistry of ealth O and the O against ERS- o ,” it said. he embassy did not give further details on the new case, but the Saudi inistry of ealth indicated in its June update that an e pat” in Riyadh was among the new cases. It was not immediately clear if this was the new case the Philippine embassy was referring to.

he Saudi O s June update had described the e pat as 8 years old, and that the e pat s condition is critical.” lso, it said the e pat had not come into contact with suspected or conﬁrmed cases in the community or hospitals. Protocols. he embassy advised Filipino wor ers in the health care sector to strictly follow infection control protocols in their wor places.” espite the considerable decrease in ERS- o incidence in Saudi rabia in recent months, maintaining high vigilance and caution against all types of infectious diseases including Ebola irus isease is necessary to ensure the safety of loved ones, friends and colleagues, both here in the ingdom and in the Philippines,” it said. he embassy said Filipinos who may have been tested or infected with the virus are strongly encouraged to report their conditions to the Embassy as soon as possible.” It assured information it receives with regard to ERS- o cases or any other infectious diseases among Filipinos will remain conﬁdential. hose who want to ma e a report or to obtain more information may call the Embassy hotlines at 0 9893301 and 0 1 04 3 2, or via email lmadiong riyadhpe.com. ■ Joel Locsin / KBK, GMA News / June 12, 2015 / 9:01 PM

Filipinos in South Korea have assured their families in the Philippines of their well-being amid the increasing number of MERS-Co cases there with several confirmed deaths. Interviewed on MA News T ’s “Balitanghali” on Wednesday, Jones alang said they have yet to hear a Filipino being afflicted by the dreaded virus there. “Sa ngayon po, wala pa po kaming balita na may Filipino na nagkaroon ng virus,” he said, adding the South Korean government’s efforts to contain the spread of the virus kept Filipinos and others safe and helped alleviate fears of a complete outbreak. Another South Korea-based Filipino, Rosabel Sadang, advised her fellow Filipinos there to cut down on unnecessary outdoor trips to remain safe from MERS-Co , or the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus. “Mas magandang huwag muna [maggala ,” she said in a separate

interview on “Balitanghali.” “ Palipasin] muna nila yung outbreak ngayon kasi nasa kasagsagan pa yung pagtaas ng pasyente. Pahupain muna nila yung outbreak.” Asked on her situation in Seoul, Sabang said, “Ako naman po dito, okay lang po, kasama po ng aking Korean family.” She added that while many business establishments remain open, with staff and operators donning face masks and using rubbing alcohol as precautionary measures against the disease, schools have temporarily closed to protect elementary and high school children from the virus. “Lahat po ng aktibidades na gaganapin sana ngayon, postponed po lahat, at tsaka mga klase ng mga bata except college,” Sadang said. But schools in Pyeongtaek, where alang lives, will open on Friday as the place has been cleared of MERS-Co . “Pero ngayon po, sa Pyeongtaek ay na-clear na, itong Biyernes ay mago-open na yung mga school particular yung mga

daycare center at elementarya at high school,” he said. Both Sadang and alang said local news are keeping them updated on developments related to MERS-Co . Both said they haven’t received notifications or warnings from the Philippine Embassy in South Korea. They have also never heard of complaints over the cancellation of the Embassy’s Independence Day celebrations, as everyone was too preoccupied with working or keeping their families safe. “Maganda po na i-postpone na muna kasi meron namang ibang araw na ise-celebrate natin yan. Di natin pwedeng isugal yung health ng ating mga kabababayan dahil lang sa selebrasyon,” alang said. South Korea’s health ministry announced the deaths of two more citi ens and 13 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases to 108. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / June 10, 2015 / 7:09 PM

Continue positive change, PNoy urges OFWs in Independence Day message PRESIDENT Benigno uino III called on overseas Filipino wor ers to help continue positive change as the nation mar s Independence ay on Friday. uino made the call in a message posted on the websites of Philippine embassies abroad. e call on you to e ercise the rights and freedom borne from the toil of our ancestors and contribute towards

shaping a more proactive and mature discourse, perpetuating positive change to the broader spectrum of society, and emancipating our citizenry from the shac les of poverty, corruption and greed,” he said. ogether, let us weave our own voices of compassion and hope into a narrative of resilience and empowerment, and ma e tangible the legacy we are crafting he Philippines we will all be proud to be ueath to coming generations,” he added. On Friday, the nation mar s its 117th Independence ay. uino will lead rites for the occasion in Iloilo. Binay. ice President Je omar Binay, in a separate message, urged Filipinos to help translate rosy economic numbers to tangible programs. ltimately, it is not only reforms in government that will brea the chains of poverty that bind many of our

people. e must also reform ourselves and our mindset so that each one of us wor s not only for our own welfare but also for others,” he said. Del Rosario, Baldo . Foreign Affairs Secretary lbert del Rosario urged Filipinos to do their share in building a progressive Philippines,” and investors and development partners to help us achieve a truly inclusive Filipino society.” abor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said this year s theme alayaan 201 agumpay sa Pagbabagong Nasimulan, bot- amay na ng Bayan,” is a reminder to act together as ofﬁcials and employees of the department and to remain focused on reforms. Our gift to all Filipinos this Independence ay is to bring inclusive growth through decent wor . et us wor together to multiply this gift,” she said. ■ Joel Locsin / LBG, GMA New / June 11, 2015 / 7:52 AM

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June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

STREET LIFE Princess of Malate

MANILA She is uic to flash a genuinely warm smile when she greets people but her haggard posture as she sifts through garbage piles along abini Street in anilas alate district, loo ing for kalakal,” or recyclable material she can sell, says everything about her hardscrabble life in the streets. It has been 14 years since Princess Ramos, 30, fled her home in aluenzela ity to escape her father. She now lives out of a kariton,” or pushcart, a donation painted in the colors of the Philippine flag, with her partner, Ramil lmende, 42, and their three sons, aged , 2 and two months, in alates streets. hey actually have three older children, girls aged 7, 9 and 12, who were ta en in by the Bahay Tuluyan,” a facility managed by the epartment of Social elfare and evelopment in aguna, two years ago and where they have been able to study. Princess dreams of seeing her sons attending school and of having a real house they can call home. She tal ed to Inter syon.com about her life in the streets.

InterAksyon: Wala kayong permanenteng bahay pero nagkaanak kayo ng anim? Princess: Bawal na matulog ngayon

sa loob ng kariton. Pero kasi heto na ang bahay namin, dito na kami nakatira, nakabuo, nagkapamilya. 2000 po ako nandito, nagkita kami ng asawa ko 2001, tapos nagsama na kami 2002. Wala kaming bahay pero may nagbigay ng kariton kasi alam nila nangangalakal kami. Kapapanganak ko lang dito kay Roel, 2 months old na po siya nitong June 8, pero wala pang rehistro ‘yan, kaya hindi pa nabinyagan, kailangan ng birth certiﬁcate. Dadalhin ko din siya sa health center tapos sa ity all.

IA: Saan mo siya ipinanganak? P: 12 21 ng madaling araw, pril 8,

umire lang ako dito sa kariton. Dalawang beses lang. Asawa ko ang nagpaanak sa akin kasi ang nanay niya kumadrona,

may ko’nti siyang alam, parang baboy lang, dalawang ire lang, unang ire lalabas ang ulo, pangalawang ire, lalabas na lahat. Tumawag din kami kumadrona, buti hindi nagpabayad. Siya ho ang pumutol ng pusod, pero ‘pag may pera kami binigyan namin siya.

IA: Ano ang ipinakakain mo sa mga anak mong maliliit? P: Breastfed ko po siya, dami kong

gatas at mahal ang gatas, dinadala ko sa center tuwing may schedule ang mga anak ko dito sa malapit, San ndres .

IA: Asa’n ang iba mo pang anak? P: ‘Yung panganay ko nababarkada

tapos nakuha siya ng isang social wor er, ipinasama ko na ‘yung dalawa pang babae kong anak kasi. Kung ‘andito lang sila mababarkada lang sila, doon nakakapag-aral pa sila. Kaya naman sana pag-aralin dito pero masikip ang kariton at mga babae pa sila, nand’yan lang din sila sa kalye, kahit na mapag-aral ko sila e paglabas sa school e mababarkada lang e ganu’n pa din.” Sa bahay ampunan e nakakapag-aral sila ng maayos, dalawang taon na sila doon.” Sa Lunes papasok na ‘yung anak kong lalaki, si Rene Boy, sa alate Parish aritas enter, at least tinututungan kami ng hipag kong tindera, bale nagiipon din po ako para mabisita ko ‘yung mga anak kong babae sa aguna.

IA: Pa’no kayo nabubuhay dito? P: Paggising sa umaga, lilipat kami

doon pointing to the opposite side of the kariton where a canopy of a girlie bar provides shelter in the morning . Liligpitin namin ‘yung mga higaan namin dito, lilinisin namin itong lugar ng mga kalakal, kasi bilin din ito sa amin ng barangay, gawing malinis ang kalye. Pagdating ng hapon balik na ulit kami dito. Ako ‘yung nag-aabang ng mga basura dito kasi ‘yung asawa ko nangangalakal sa mga kalye. Ngayon P210 lang ang benta ko, medyo matumal ang kalakal ngayon, pero mamaya pagbalik ng asawa ko may

kita na din ‘yun. Mas maraming kalakal sa gabi, 1 a.m. hanggang 4 a.m., madaling araw hanggang magsara ang mga club.

IA: Pa’no mo bina-budget ang pera? P: Inuuna namin ‘yung bigas, tantiyado

lang araw-araw ang pagsasaing kasi may mga nagbibigay ng pagkain, sobra diyan sa canteen, tumutulong lang kami sa paglilinis, pero minsan bumibili din kami. Sa awa ng Diyos may nagbibigay ng pagkain, diyan sa may canteen pag may natitira sila, kaya nakakaraos din, basta tutulong kami sa paglilinis.”

IA: Pano kayo nag luluto at ano ba ang pag aari mo? P: Sa lata kami nagluluto, may kahoy

na panggatong, pero may kaldero kami at kawali, may mga plato din at kutsara, syempre sa basurahan halos lahat nakuha yan. May tootbrush din naman, minsan pag sinuwerte, may mga sabon at gamit, minsan damit. Lahat ng pangangailangan namin nasa basurahan, minsan itinatapon na lang ng mayayaman.”

IA: Paano kayo naliligo, dumudumi, naglalaba ba kayo? P: Minsan naglalaba kami. ee ly

kasi may pasok dito, nakakahiya din naman kahit papano ‘pag makikita kami so ‘pag gabi lang at tuwing Sabado kami nakakapaglaba, lalo na pag may sabon, dahil hindi naman kami nakakapagbihis minsan, pag walang oras at may hulihan tinatapon na lang namin ang mga napagbihisang damit. Mga damit, hindi naman kami bumibili ng bago kasi hindi naman namin malalabhan kaagad so wala din, at may mga nagbibigay din ng mga damit dito. Nag-iigib kami ng tubig sa may kanto, minsan diyan sa may canteen, naliligo kami minsan sa may kalye, minsan sa may bayad, kasi P20 din ang bayad, sayang din ‘yun. ‘Pag may sobra nakakaligo din ng maayos, ‘pag dumudumi, plastic-plastic na lang, diretso na sa basura, straight to garbage.

IA: Pa’no pag umuulan?

Princess Ramos with her youngest child by her ‘kariton’ in Malate, Manila. Photo by Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com

P: ‘Pag umuulan kani-kaniyang silong, may mababait, pero marami ding hindi nakakaintindi ‘pag umuulan. ‘Pag ayaw nila hindi naman kami nagagalit kasi nakikisilong lang kami. Tatangagalan (namin) ng kalakal ‘yung kariton para kumasya kami, kasi puro kalakal po itong loob ng kariton, kasi pag nagkahulihan tutulak na lang namin.

IA: Pa’no ka napunta dito? P: Hindi po ako tagarito, taga-

alenzuela ako, 2000 ng lumayas ako sa father ko.

IA: Bakit ka lumayas? P: Puwede po huwag na lang po. IA: Mahabang kuwento? P: Smiles Nakilala ko ang asawa ko

sa city ail.

IA: Nakulong ka rin ba? P: Hindi ho, sa mga barkada, dalaw-

dalaw, ‘yung asawa ko nakakulong kasi kasama siya sa mga nahuli, illegal possession po, nahulihan po sila ng baril. 2002, kami nagsama so 13 years na po kami.

IA: Hindi ba mahirap tumira sa kalye? Kasi parang okay lang sa’yo, nakatawa ka pa din. P: Kung iiisipin mo ang hirap, mahirap, pero kung sanay ka na wala nang mahirap. Ang pangarap ko sana ay walang matulad sa amin sa mga anak ko, kaya kahit malayo yung tatlong anak kong babae, sa akin e o ay lang.”

IA: Ano ang nagustuhan niyo dito sa kalye? Ayaw mo na bang bumalik sa probinsiya? P: Sa awa ng Diyos,nakakaraos din pero hindi nakakapag-ipon kasi mahal

ang bilihin ditto. Sa probinsiya makakabili ka ng murang-mura e dito hindi, ‘yung piso mo dito kendi lang laughs . Hindi na po ako babalik sa alenzuela, patay na ang tatay ko, at ‘yung mga kapatid ko ay may kani-kanya nang pamilya. E ayoko na ng magulo, okay naman dito tahimik at masaya, marami pa ding mababait na tao, nagbibigay. At saka parang gamay ko na dito, walang problema. And maingay dito ay mga sasakyan at ‘yung huli, ‘yung kariton pipira-pirasuhin nila tapos ibebenta nila ang mga kahoy, ‘yung gulong. Kinukuha ng taga-City all, babaklasin nila tapos ang hirap magkaroon ng kariton. Buti binigyan kami ng kariton. At dito parehas mo din ang mga tao, ‘pag wala ka, wala sila, pero ‘pag meron ka, meron sila. ‘Pag wala kaming makain, punta kami sa kabila points to other ariton dwellers opposite their spot , doon kami kakakin, ‘pag sila naman walang makain, punta sila dito, kakain din sila. Masaya, makulay dito, nandito ‘yung hanapbuhay namin.

IA: Ano ang inspirasyon mo at patuloy kang lumalaban? Alam mo bang Araw ng Kalayaan sa June 12? Myroon ka bang gustong sabihin? Hilingin? P: earful Nag-aaral po ako noon, third year high school ako. Alam ko po ang Independence ay. Ang pangarap ko sana ay walang matulad sa amin sa mga anak ko, kaya kahit malayo yung tatlong anak kong babae sa akin e okay lang. Basta nakakapag-aral sila. ■ Bernard Testa / InterAksyon.com (text and photo) / June 11, 2015 / 2:55 PM

Embassy in Riyadh says Pinoy has MERS virus MANILA - The Philippine Star Digital Edition posted on Sunday morning a report by Pia Lee-Brago about the Philippine embassy in Riyadh confirming that another Filipino has been infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona irus (MERS-Co ) in Saudi Arabia. The identity of the latest Filipino MERS victim has been withheld for the meantime. “With the latest case, the embassy is reiterating its advisory to Filipinos – especially workers in the healthcare sector – to continue taking all necessary precautions and observe health guidelines issued by the Saudi Ministry of Health and the Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) to prevent the spread of the disease, which has already killed 10 Filipinos since 2012” the report cited the embassy officials as saying. “Filipino workers in the healthcare

sector should strictly follow infection control protocols in their workplaces,” an advisory posted on the embassy web site said. “Despite the considerable decrease in MERS-Co incidence in Saudi Arabia in recent months, maintaining high vigilance and caution against all types of infectious diseases (including Ebola irus Disease) is necessary to ensure the safety of loved ones, friends and colleagues, both here in the Kingdom and in the Philippines,” the advisory underscored. Filipinos who work in the healthcare sector are also advised to follow the infection prevention protocol of hospitals and to seek medical attention should they experience any of the symptoms of the disease, the report stressed. “Although Saudi Arabia and the Philippines do not require heath clearance, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)

wants returning Filipinos to voluntarily undergo medical check up to make sure they do not have any of the symptoms of the disease.” Filipinos who test positive for MERS are advised to call the embassy hotlines at 0569893301 and 0515046362, or email lmadiong riyadhpe.com. In a related development, Department of Health Secretary Janette arin announced at the weekend that a mapping system is now in place in Arab countries to closely monitor overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who may have contracted MERS. “We really have positive cases there (Middle East) and we are closely monitoring them. That’s why we keep an eye on all hospitals that have OFWs,” she told journalists. ■ InterAksyon.com / June 14, 2015 / 8:10 AM

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June 2015 / Fortnightly • UK UK & & Europe Europe Edition Edition May 2015––No. No.12 9 April 7•

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

EVENT

CALENDAR OF EVENTS – UK & EUROPE VENUE

ORGANISER

CONTACTS / REMARKS

May 2015 – No. 97 • UK & Europe Edition INTERNATIONAL NEWSof Filipino-British Eastville Park, Muller / GLOBAL Association Wilfredo Manuel,April 07900485194 – o f e v e nRoad, t s Eastville, i n HBristol, E L L Oin Bristol P H I L I P P I N E SffornSantacruzan e w s pparade a pand e rMarian . BS5 6XA, United Kingdom Procession details. Please email info@hello-philippines.com to include your event. Carlo Eduvala, 07528770491 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 Clarence Tejada, 07500896239 HELLO PHILIPPINES newspaper. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those Honeylyn Sarao, 07783343848 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. Hilda Ponce 07909724653 201 CALENDAR OF EVENTS – UK & EUROPE Saturday and Morden BarrioE V Fiesta Morden Park, Morden, BAYANIHAN UK Tess CJuco 0795 659 3236 / 020 8671 3966 / DATE / TIME ENT VENUE ORGANISER ONTACTS / REMARKS Sunday 20 and 21 Greater London SM4 5DX 020 3417 5038 Email: tvjuco@gmail.com June 2015 United Kingdom Gil Zarcilla 0208 204 7808 Andy Villamor 0746 218 4221 Friday 26th – Hertfordshire Barrio Fiesta Fairlands Valley Park Fil-Herts Barrio Fiesta Joseph: 07534711757 Saturday 27th June Showground Arena organization Ivy: 07428184063 08:00 – 18:00 (opposite Stevenage Michael: 07447588971 Football stadium) SG2 8RH Email: barriofiestainhertfordshire@yahoo.com Saturday 25th WELCOME TO ASIA SUMMER Lampton Park, Universal Infinity Limited Sponsorships/Stalls contact: and Sunday 26th FESIVAL 2015 – previously Hounslow, Middlesex Roselle Collado 07944 026 968 July 2015 HOUNSLOW SUMMER FESTIVAL 2014 TW3 4DN Tickets/Performers/General Enquiries: £2 per person per day (Children up to 07577 813 104 12 years old and adults 60+ years old events@universalinfinity.co.uk ENTER FREE) Saturday, August 8 OFBA 6th Barrio Fiesta 2015 Hewitts Farm Ofba Orpington 10:00 - 17:00 Court Road, BR6 9BX FREE LISTING of your events in HELLO PHILIP P I N E S Bromley, newspaper. If you know of any events please contact us via Orpington, info@hello-philippines.com to submit your event. United Kingdom DISCLAIMER: The Events Diary Listing does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, Every o r Sunday f a v o u r i n g b yLahing H e l l Kayumanggi o P h i l i p p iRehearsals n e s n e w s p a p e r . T hSt. e vAndrew’s i e w s a United n d o p i n i o n sLKDance o f a u t h o r s e x p r e s s e d h eContact r e i n dLaurence o n o t nate 07840 c e s s a602 r i l y944 state or r e f l-e18:00 c t t h o s e o f H e l l o P h i l i p p i n e s n e w s p a p e r . T hReformed i s i s m eChurch r e l y aHall, n E v e n t s D i a r y L i s t i n g o f w h a t i sorhAvery appe ing w i t h801 i n or the Filipino 14:00 atn07805 239 Communities in Europe. This is for general information only. Frognal Lane (corner email info@lkdance.org.uk 201 MONTHLY FILIPINO COMMUNITY MASSES IN GREATER LONDON Finchley Road), London 1 Saturday 5:00pm Devotion in Honour of Our Lady of Fatima (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament / Rosary / Benediction / Mass) St Nearest Pius Xtube: Catholic Church, 108 Orme Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 3SB – NW3 7DY. Oliver Abasolo – 07782 661 922 Finchley Road 2:00pm Five Precious Wounds Parish, Brentfield Road, Stonebridge Park, London NW10 8ER 1 Sunday Mervic Monocillo – 07894 636 140 Every 2nd Sunday Filipino 5:00pm Family Mass at English Martyrs English Martyrs Catholic Hosted by: Alyssa Gonzales Becky at 07949857699 Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, Friary Road, Peckham, London SE15 1RH 1 Sunday Allen Abeleda Church. – 07713 625 888 14:00 Catholic Church Chalkhill Road, Lina B at 07579418510 Saturday 4:00pm St Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, 103 Woolwich New Road, London SE18 6EF 2 Wembley Park,648 HA9 639 9EW Moises Espanola – 07894 18 Saturday, June www.hello-philippines.com 20, Bristol Barrio Fiesta 2015, 8:30 - 18:00 FREE LISTING

2nd Sunday

Martyrs Church, Chalkhill Road, Wembley Park, Wembley HA9 9EW F R E E L I S T I N G o f y o2:00pm u r e v e n t s i n HEnglish ELLO P HILIPPINES newspaper. If you know of any events please contact us via Becky Sarinas – 07949 857 699 / 07425 761 519 / Lina B – 07579 418 510 nd i2n f Sunday o @ h e l l o - p h i l i 2:00pm p p i n e s . c o m St t o Dominic s u b m i t Catholic y o u r e vChurch, ent. 243 Violet Lane, Waddon, Croydon CR0 4HN Merlie Mirto – 07722 216 462

D I SSunday C L A I M E R : T h e E v4:00pm e n t s D i a r y L i s tSt. i n gAnselm d o e s nand o t nSt. e c Cecilia, e s s a r i l y70 c oLincoln's n s t i t u t e Inn o r Fields, i m p l y iLondon t s e n d oWC2A r s e m e3JA nt, recommendation, 2nd

–w 07733 748 o r f a v o u r i n g b y H e l l o P h i l i p p i n e s nFeliciano e w s p a p e rRamirez . The vie s a n d 680 opin ions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or rd 3:00pm 3e r f lSunday ect those of Hello P h i l i p p i n e s nSacred e w s p a pHeart e r . T hof i sJesus, i s m eNew r e l y Priory, a n E v e Quex n t s D iRoad, a r y L iKilburn, s t i n g o fLondon w h a t i sNW6 h a p 4PS pening within the Filipino Sheidrick de Leon – 07738 210 202 C o m m u n i t i e s i n E u r o p e . T h i s i s f o r g e n e r a l i n f o r m a t i o n o n l y . 3rd Sunday 3:00pm Blessed Sacrament Parish, 157 Copenhagen Street, Islington N1 0SR Last Saturday 1st Saturday

201

Sangalang 07709 119 M O N T HChristy LY FIL I P I N O C–O MMU N I 969 TY MASSES IN GREATER LONDON

Our Lady in of Honour Dolours,of Servite Parish Church, 264 Fulham London SW10 4EL Devotion Our Lady of Fatima (Exposition ofRoad, the Blessed Sacrament / Rosary / Fr Allan Satur – 020 7352 6965 / fulhamroad@rcdow.org.uk / Roland Adap – r_adap@hotmail.com Benediction / Mass) St Pius X Catholic Church, 108 Orme Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 3SB – Last Sunday 12:00pm St Pius X Catholic Church, 108 Orme Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 3SB Oliver Abasolo Abasolo – 07782 07782 661 661 922 922 Oliver F st REE LISTING of your events in H E L L O P H I L I P– PINES n ewspaper. If you know of any events please contact us via 2:00pm Five Precious Wounds Parish, Brentfield Road, Stonebridge Park, London NW10 8ER 1 Sunday Last 218 Roehampton Lane, London SW15 4LE i n f oSunday @ h e l l o - p h i l i 2:00pm p p i n e s . c o m St. t o Joseph’s s u b m i t Catholic y o u r e v Church, ent. Mervic Monocillo 07894 636 140 Rafael Santiago –– 07795 254 451 DstI S C LSunday A I M E R : T h e E v5:00pm ents Diary List i n g Lady d o e s of no t nCatholic e c e s Catholic s a r iChurch, l y c oChurch, nst i t uBrixton te or im p l y i Oval, tPeckham, s end o r s eLondon m eSW9 n t , r6BU e c o m1RH mendation, Sunday Our Sorrows Friary Road, SE15 1 Every Holy Redeemer 20 Road, London or favouring by Hello Philippines newspaper. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or Ben Ortiz – 07723 318 486 Abeleda r e f l e c t t h o s e o f H e l l o P h i l i p p i n e s nAllen ewspa p e r . T h– i s07713 i s m e 625 r e l y 888 an Events Diary Listing of what is happening within the Filipino nd First Wednesdays 6:30pm Filipino and Novena Mother Perpetual Help, Farm Street SE18 Church of the Immaculate Com m u n i t i e s i n E u r o4:00pm p e . T h i s i s f o r St g ePeter n e r a lMass i n fApostle or mat io n o n lto y . Our Saturday the Catholic Church, 103 of Woolwich New Road, London 6EF 2 Conception House Chapel), on 114 Mount W1K 201 M O N T HMoises LY FIL I P I(Jesuit N O –C07894 O M M648 U N639 I T Y access MASS ES IN G R EStreet, A T E RLondon LOND O N 3AY – Josie Ramos – Espanola st 07723 024 1nd Saturday 5:00pm Devotion in591 Honour of Our Lady of Fatima (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament / Rosary /

Sunday

6:00pm 5:00pm

English Martyrs Church, Chalkhill Road, Wembley Park, Wembley HA9 9EW Benediction / Mass) St Pius X Catholic Church, 108 Orme Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 3SB – Becky Oliver Sarinas Abasolo––07949 07782857 661699 922/ 07425 761 519 / Lina B – 07579 418 510 2:00pm Five Precious Wounds Parish, Brentfield Road, Stonebridge Park,CR0 London 1 Sunday 2:00pm St Dominic Catholic Church, 243 Violet Lane, Waddon, Croydon 4HN NW10 8ER 2nd Sunday Mervic Monocillo – 07894 636 140 Merlie Mirto – 07722 Catholic 216 462 Church, Friary Road, Peckham, London SE15 1RH Sunday 5:00pm Our Lady of Sorrows 1 Allen Abeleda 07713 625 70 888 2nd Sunday 4:00pm St. Anselm and– St. Cecilia, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3JA Saturday 4:00pm St Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, 103 Woolwich New Road, London SE18 6EF 2 Feliciano Ramirez 07733 680 748 Moises Espanola –– 07894 648 639 rd Sunday 2:00pm EnglishHeart Martyrs Church, Chalkhill Park, London Wembley HA9 9EW 2 Sunday 3:00pm Sacred of Jesus, New Priory,Road, Quex Wembley Road, Kilburn, NW6 4PS 3 Becky Sarinas – 07949 857 699 / 07425 761 519 / Lina B – 07579 418 510 Sheidrick de Leon – 07738 210 202 Sunday 2:00pm St Dominic Catholic Church, 243 Violet Lane, Waddon, Croydon CR0 4HN 2 3rd Sunday 3:00pm Blessed Sacrament Parish, 157 Copenhagen Street, Islington N1 0SR Merlie Mirto – 07722 216 462 2 Sunday 4:00pm St. Anselm and St. – Cecilia, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3JA Christy Sangalang 07709 70 119 969 Feliciano Ramirez – 07733 680 748 Last Saturday 6:00pm Our Lady of Dolours, Servite Parish Church, 264Kilburn, FulhamLondon Road, London SW10 4EL Sunday 3:00pm Sacred Heart of Jesus, New Priory, Quex Road, NW6 4PS 3 Sheidrick de Leon – 07738 210 202 Fr Allan Satur – 020 7352 6965 / fulhamroad@rcdow.org.uk / Roland Adap – r_adap@hotmail.com 3 Sunday 3:00pm Blessed Sacrament Parish, 157 Copenhagen Street, Islington N1 0SR Last Sunday 12:00pm St Pius X Catholic Church, Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 3SB Christy Sangalang – 07709108 119Orme 969 Last Saturday 6:00pm Our Lady of Dolours, Servite Parish Church, 264 Fulham Road, London SW10 4EL Oliver Abasolo – 07782 661 922 FREE LISTING of your events in H ELLO PHILIPPINES newspaper. If you know of any events please contact us via Fr Allan Satur – 020 7352 6965 / fulhamroad@rcdow.org.uk / Roland Adap – r_adap@hotmail.com Last Joseph’s 218 Roehampton Lane, London SW15 4LE Last Sunday 12:00pm St Orme Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 3SB i n f oSunday @ h e l l o - p h i l i 2:00pm p p i n e s . c o m St. t o Pius s u bX mCatholic i t Catholic y o u r Church, e v Church, e n t . 108 RafaelAbasolo Santiago 07795 254 451 Oliver – – 07782 661 922 D I S CSunday LSunday A I M E R : T h e E v2:00pm e n t s D i a r y L i s tSt. ing d oes no t nCatholic e c e s Church, s a r iChurch, ly co n s t20 i t uBrixton te or im p Lane, l y i Oval, t s London end o r s eSW15 m eSW9 n t ,4LE r6BU ecommendation, Last Joseph’s Catholic 218 Roehampton Every 5:00pm Holy Redeemer Road, London –i e 07795 451 o r f a v o u r i n g b y H e l l o P h i l i p p i n e s n eRafael w s p a pSantiago er. The v w s a n254 d op inions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or Ben Ortiz – 07723 318 486 Every Sunday 5:00pm Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 20 Brixton Road, Oval, London SW9 6BU reflect those of Hello Philippines newspaper. This is merely an Events Diary Listing of what is happening within the Filipino Ben Ortiz – 07723 318 486to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Farm Street Church of the Immaculate First Wednesdays and C omm u n i t i e s i n E u r o6:30pm p e . T h i s i s f o r Filipino g e n e r a lMass infor m a tNovena ion only. First Wednesdays 6:30pm Filipino Mass and Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Farm Street Church of the Immaculate Conception (Jesuit on 114 Mount W1K House Chapel), access on 114 Mount Street, London W1K 3AY – – Josie Josie Ramos Ramos – – 201 M O N T HConception L Y F I L I P I(Jesuit N O CHouse O M MChapel), U N I T Y access MASS ES IN G R EStreet, A T E RLondon LOND O N 3AY 07723 024 07723 024 591 1st Saturday 5:00pm Devotion in591 Honour of Our Lady of Fatima (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament / Rosary / 2

2:00pm

Benediction / Mass) St Pius X Catholic Church, 108 Orme Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 3SB – Oliver Abasolo – 07782 661 922

INTERNATIONAL / GLOBAL NEWS

June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

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India battles deadliest heatwave in two decades HYDERABAD, India - Indian authorities urged hospitals to treat heatstroke as an emergency as the toll from a long heatwave topped 1,800 on Friday, making it the deadliest in more than two decades. Hundreds of mainly poor people die at the height of summer every year in India, but this year s figures are already nearly double the annual average. E perts say the official figures li ely understate the true impact because heatstroke disproportionately affects the poor and homeless, who are less likely to die in hospitals. ost of the confirmed deaths are in the southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, where doctors

described hospitals overﬂowing with victims of severe heatstroke. P. Tulsi Rani, special commissioner for disaster management in the state, said the high number of deaths was down to record high temperatures over a longer period that usual. “So many people died this year because the heat wave is continuing for a longer period than it normally does, and also record temperatures have been recorded in a number of places,” he told AFP. “It (the heatwave) has been continuing for a longer period, for about 7 to 8 days now, whereas usually it only lasts for a few days.” Authorities in Telangana said they were running a television campaign

A patient struggles to cope with the heatwave as he lies on a hospital bed in Allahabad, northern India, on May 28, 2015 ©Sanjay Kanojia (AFP)

to teach people how to stay cool and recognise the symptoms of heat stroke, which can be fatal if left untreated. Streets of the state capital Hyderabad were deserted during the hottest period of the day, with many shops and businesses shut. “All month I’ve basically stayed inside the house,” said 28-year-old Tejaswini Madhabhushi, who works at a policy institute in the city. “The biggest problem is the power cuts. If they cut power in the afternoon then it gets unbearably hot, and we also run into a water shortage since the overhead tan s can t be reﬁlled.” Syed Samad, who owns a business renting out air conditioning units, said trade was brisk.

Cycle rickshaw riders sleep during the heatwave in New Delhi on May 28, 2015 ©Chandan Khanna (AFP)

A child pours water on himself as he tries to cool off in New Delhi on May 28, 2015 ©Money Sharma (AFP)

“All our units have been leased out throughout April and May, which has never happened before,” he said. Authorities in Delhi, where top temperatures have hit 45 degrees Celsius, ordered hospitals to treat heat stroke victims as emergency cases. “The main thing is prevention in this situation, to ensure that preventive measures are being taken,” said Charan Singh, additional director of public health in the state government. The surge in demand for electricity from air conditioners led to power cuts in parts of Delhi, exacerbating the misery for residents of the capital. nconﬁrmed reports said two

people had died in Delhi, where tens of thousands sleep on the streets with little protection from the heat. Authorities in eastern Orissa state said they had 12 conﬁrmed deaths from heatstroke and were investigating the cause of another 80. India declares a heatwave when the maximum temperature hits 45 degrees elsius, or ﬁve degrees higher than the average for the area in previous years. The monsoon is forecast to hit the southern state of Kerala on May 30 before sweeping across the country, but it will be weeks before the cooling rains reach India’s arid plains. ■ AFP / May 29, 2015

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June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

S.Korea MERS virus outbreak ‘large and complex’: WHO SEOUL - South Korea Sunday reported its 15th death from the MERS virus as the growing outbreak that has now infected 145 forced one of the nation’s biggest hospitals to suspend most services. The latest fatality from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome was a 62-yearold man who died Sunday afternoon in the southern port city of Busan, the city council said. He was diagnosed on June 7 after being infected in Seoul’s Samsung Medical Centre—a major hospital and the epicentre of more than 70 cases. The health ministry Sunday also conﬁrmed seven new cases of the virus, including four from the Samsung

hospital, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 145. Among the seven is a paramedic who helped take a MERS patient to the hospital on June 7. On Saturday authorities announced that the ambulance driver also involved in transporting the patient—who died three days later—had contracted the virus. One of the other new patients was infected in the central city of Daejeon and another in Hwaseong, 43 kilometres (27 miles) south of Seoul. In order to prevent further infections among patients and medical staff, Samsung hospital on Sunday temporarily suspended most operations.

A 39-year-old South Korean patient, suspected of suffering from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), is admitted to Kramare hospital in Bratislava, Slovakia, on June 13, 2015. ©AFP Photo

It will stop treating outpatients, admitting new patients and performing non-urgent surgery, hospital president Song Jae-Hoon told reporters. No visitors would be allowed, he said, adding he would decide on June 24 whether to continue the partial suspension. “We offer our deep apology and express regret to all of our patients who were infected here and those placed under quarantine,” Song said. The hospital—normally visited by more than 8,000 patients a day—has come under ﬁre in recent wee s for failing to stem the spread of the virus among its staff and patients. Two doctors and three nurses have been infected so far. More than 400 patients, families and medical staff directly or indirectly exposed to the infected ambulance driver have been newly placed under quarantine, Song said. Nearly 5,000 under quarantine.The overall number under quarantine— either at state facilities or at home— rose Sunday by more than 800 to 4,856. As the outbreak continued to expand, a South Korean man thought to have contracted MERS was hospitalised in the Slovak capital Bratislava on Saturday. The 38-year-old reportedly arrived in Slovakia on June 3 and works for a subcontractor of Seoul carmaker

An official checks the body heat of South Korean workers arriving from North Korea’s Kaesong Industrial Complex, at the customs gate of the interKorean transit office in Paju, on June 13, 2015. ©AFP Photo/Jung Yeon-Je)

Kia, which has a plant in the central European country. The man did not appear to have had contact with patients or to have visited venues where infections were reported at home, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Sunday. “He said he had not visited any hospital before leaving for Slovakia,” the ministry said in a statement, adding he contacted the embassy in Slovakia on Saturday as he was developing symptoms such as fever. There is no vaccine or cure for MERS which, according to World Health Organization data, has a fatality rate of around 35 percent. The outbreak in South Korea— the largest outside Saudi Arabia— began when a 68-year-old man was

diagnosed on May 20 after a trip to Saudi Arabia. The virus has since been spreading at an unusually fast pace, sparking widespread alarm in Asia’s fourthlargest economy. Businesses including shopping malls and restaurants have reported a sharp drop in sales as people shun public venues with large crowds. About 100,000 foreign travellers have cancelled trips to South Korea since the beginning of this month. A team of WHO experts who visited Seoul warned that the outbreak was “large and complex” and more cases should be expected. But it also said it had found no evidence of transmission of the virus in communities outside hospitals. The outbreak also sparked alarm elsewhere in Asia including Hong Kong, which last week advised its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to South Korea. North Korea also vowed “watertight” measures to ward off the outbreak, by stepping up screening and quarantine measures at border crossings and the airport. “Central and regional health ofﬁcials are ma ing thorough and watertight preparations to block any passage of the MERS virus into the country,” Chosun Sinbo, a proPyongyang newspaper based in Japan, said Sunday. ■ AFP / June 14, 2015

Israel denies spying on Iran talks hotels ENE A – Swiss and Austrian investigators have launched probes into alleged spying in hotels hosting delicate Iranian nuclear talks, with Israel denying Thursday its secret services were involved. The revelation comes in run-up to a June 30 deadline for a historic agreement between Iran and world powers on curtailing Tehran’s nuclear programme in return for relief from punishing sanctions, and a day after a Russian-based security firm said a computer worm widely linked to Israel was used to spy on the negotiations. Israel is vehemently opposed to a nuclear deal with Iran, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning that the accord would not “block Iran’s path to the bomb”. But it has denied spying on the talks with deputy foreign minister T ipi Hotovely telling Israeli army radio on Thursday “There is no basis to the all the international reports on Israel’s involvement in the affair. “What is much more important is that we prevent a bad agreement, otherwise at the end of the day we’ll find ourselves with an Iranian nuclear umbrella.” The Swiss attorney general’s office confirmed it had got government clearance to launch a probe into alleged spying on May 6 and conducted a raid six days later, sei ing computer equipment, due to “suspicion of illegal intelligence

services operating in Swit erland.” It did not specify if hotels were targeted. “The aim of this raid was on one hand to gather evidence and to on the other verify if information systems had been infected by malware,” the attorney general’s office said in an email. Austria which has also hosted numerous rounds of the nuclear talks said Thursday it was also investigating possible spying at meeting venus there. “Investigations are ongoing” regarding the Palais Coburg hotel, the location of many rounds of the talks including discussions this week, interior ministry spokesman KarlHein rundboeck told AFP. Last month’s talks in eneva held at the luxury Intercontinental Hotel failed to bridge differences between Washington and Tehran, especially over the crucial issue of inspections of military sites.

The talks between Iran and the world powers have been held in several Swiss hotels. The US State Department said it was confident there had been no security breach in the talks. “We’ve taken steps throughout the negotiations to ensure that confidential details and discussions remain behind closed doors,” spokesman Jeff Rathke told reporters in Washington. A member of the Iranian negotiating team said its side had always been cautious about the risk of spying and had taken care to “preserve secrecy” during the talks. “The Iranian negotiators have always taken account of the possibility and the significant risk of listening and spying and have always acted with caution” during the talks, said the unnamed official, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

The glass entrance of the Palais Coburg hotel, seen on May 12, 2015, in Vienna, where Iran nuclear talks took place between EU and Iran political directors behind closed doors. ©AFP Photo/Dieter Nagl

US Secretary of State John Kerry (left) and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held several meeting at the Palais Coburg hotel in Vienna. ©AFP Photo/Ronald Zak.

Sophisticated spy tool. Thursday’s announcements came after a Russian-based security firm Kaspersky Lab said a malware dubbed Duqu, which is a sophisticated spy tool that was believed to have been eradicated in 2012, appeared to have been used to spy on the nuclear negotiations with Iran. Duqu is similar to the Stuxnet virus, which is believed to have been developed by the United States or Israel in order to contain threats from Iran, and dates back at least to 2007, according to researchers. “The Duqu threat actor went dark in 2012 and was believed to have stopped working on this project until now,” Kaspersky Lab said in a blog post. “Our technical analysis indicates the new round of attacks include an updated version of the infamous 2011 Duqu malware, sometimes referred to as the stepbrother of

Stuxnet.” The researchers first found the malware on their own systems and then discovered it was being used against targets in Western countries, the Middle East and Asia. “Most notably, some of the new 2014-2015 infections are linked to the P5 1 events and venues related to the negotiations with Iran about a nuclear deal,” the company said in a statement, referring to the permanent Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus ermany, who are engaged in the talks. The Wall Street Journal, which reported the findings on Wednesday, said Kaspersky’s research backed its earlier reports that Israel was spying on the nuclear talks. ■ AFP / June 11, 2015 / 6:11 PM

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Beiings reclamation causing en ironmental crisis MANILA – Because of China’s unbridled reclamation, the South China Sea “is already in an environmental crisis,” the Philippines’ envoy to the United Nations has warned in a forum, where experts estimated that US$280 million in ecosystem products and services have been lost thus far. In another forum in Palawan, National Scientist ngel lcala said a fishery crisis was a distinct peril, affecting not just the Philippines but China and Southeast Asia. With at least 800 hectares of ocean filling or reclamation done by China - including areas well within the UNCLOS-mandated exclusive economic zone of countries like the Philippines - the marine environment has been so badly damaged that the biodiversity benefiting at least five nations is in grave peril, the experts stressed. Ambassador Lourdes O. Yparraguirre, Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations, issued her warning before a hundred UN legal experts in a June 10 forum organized by the Philippines that focused on the protection and preservation of the marine environment. With the theme, “UNCLOS and the Protection of the Marine Environment,” the event was held at the sidelines of the week-long 25th

Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (SPLOS) at the UN Headquarters. In that meeting of State Parties, the Philippine diplomatic delegation stressed before the UN that China’s expansionist policy claiming almost all of the South China Sea should concern the international community as a whole. Yparraguirre said China’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric and action in the South China Sea, “threatens the integrity of the Convention, our constitution for the oceans.” Ambassador Yparraguirre said. UNCLOS, adopted in 1982 and entered into force in 1994, deﬁnes the rights and responsibilities of its States Parties with respect to their use of the world’s oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources. “Today, the Philippines would like to bring focus on one of the most important parts of UNCLOS. As States Parties, we share the duty to protect and preserve the marine environment under Part XII. We also – and this extends to non-States Parties too – need to cooperate on a global and regional basis in formulating rules and standards and adopt measures in order to carry out this duty,” Ambassador

National scientist Dr. Angel Alcala explains the dangers of the Chinese reclamation to the entire marine ecosystem in the West Philippine Sea during the United States Embassy activity in Coron, Palawan.

Yparraguirre said. The Philippines is a State Party to N OS, which deﬁnes the rights and responsibilities of nations with respect to their use of the world’s oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources. Part XII of UNCLOS deals with the protection and preservation of the marine environment.

forming an interagency committee to address issues related to female HSWs to facilitate their early repatriation,” it said. Also, the embassy said the Emir ordered immediate action on “several pending cases” of Filipinos brought to his attention. During the June 1 courtesy call, Tago discussed with the Emir several cases involving Filipinos in Riyadh region. These included cases of male Filipinos who were unable to correct their status during the correction period or leave in time as allowed by the Royal Decrees issued by the late King Abdullah bin Abdul A i Al-Saud.

told ﬁsheries in gra e peril

Fishery crisis looms - scientist.

As the forum in the US where the Philippine delegation to the UN warned of the dire consequences of China’s reclamation was under way, a noted Filipino scientists and ex-environment chief gave grim details of the long-term damage to the marine ecosystem in a forum in Coron, Palawan. “The on going destruction of coral reef’s along the shoals and islands where the Chinese are doing their reclamation project and construction of structures and airstrip will start a slow decline on fish catch and a ripple effect that will affect fisheries not only in the Philippines but with other South East Asian country’s leading to a fishery crisis,” said National Scientist Dr. Angel Alcala. Alcala gave a talk on the management of marine reserves at the recently concluded forum on marine conservation organized by the United States Embassy. He warned that an impending crisis would be massive, as it will affect not only fish catch but also the entire balance of the marine ecosystem. “The effect will cause a sudden change in the natural circulation of water, this will also affect the movement and distribution of propagules. This will then spread far and wide; nutrients from the area will diminish affecting fish stoc and other aquatic creatures,” he pointed out. Alcala, secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources between August 1992 and May 1995, said several studies had indicated the decline in the abundance of fish in the Spratlys since 2005 due to the increase in fishing activity. hina s massive

i adh mir orders added attention to OVERSEAS Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia, especially household service workers, stand to benefit from an order giving their cases added attention by Saudi authorities. The instruction came from Riyadh Emir Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdul A i Al-Saud, according to the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh. Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia E edin Tago thanked the emir for this order during a courtesy call last June 1, the embassy said in a news release on Thursday. “The Philippine Ambassador also expressed appreciation for the Office of the Emir’s recent instructions

June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

Ws cases

He also thanked the Emir and his office for extending assistance to cases of Filipinos in Riyadh, especially via the Committee on Reconciliation. With Tago in his courtesy call was embassy Second Secretary and Consul Winston Dean Almeda. Tago said it was a “pleasure” to again meet with the emir, who he had met in January 2011 when he was Emir of assim. “Days after our meeting last week, I thank him for taking quick action on a few matters on which I sought his kind assistance,” he said on Wednesday, June 10. ■ Joel Locsin / LBG, GMA News / June 11, 2015 / 1:36 PM

File photo of Chinese reclamation in the Mischief Reef.

reclamation along the atolls and shoals in the area will only make the problem worse. e called for for more scientiﬁc research and study in the area, and on “the effects to our ocean and marine ecosystem.”

‘Chinese scientists must speak up’. Alcala also reached out to other

scientists, asking them to speak up in hopes of stopping the destruction of the atolls, for everyone’s - not just the Filipinos’ - sake. “Chinese scientist should also step in and ask their government to stop its activity that is destroying the rich coral reefs in the area because once the damage has been done, it will not only affect the Philippines but China as well,” he added. Dr. Nygiel Armada, the deputy chief of party with ecosystem improvement for sustainable fisheries pro ect of the USAID, agreed with Alcala on the impact of the Chinese project. “Protecting the coral reefs in the area is the best way to go. We are already behind in the number of marine-protected areas that should be established and this destruction will push the decline of fish biomass as the marine ecosystem will be altered,” said Armada. Dire impact on environment. The June 10 forum at the UN, meanwhile, featured two experts: Dr. Edgardo Gomez, Professor Emeritus of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UPMSI) and National Scientist of the Philippines; and Ms. Youna Lyons, senior research fellow in the Ocean and Policy Programme of the Centre for International Law of the National University of Singapore. Assistant Secretary Benito Valeriano of the Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office and ssistant Secretary Eduardo Jose de ega of the Office of egal Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also joined the panel. In his presentation, Dr. Gomez discussed the effects of the massive, large-scale ocean filling, or what the media refers to as the “reclamation” that China has undertaken with great acceleration since the Philippines filed an arbitral case against it under

UNCLOS in 2013. Some of the features where this has taken place include Johnson Reef, McKennan Reef, Mischief Reef, Cuarteron Reef, Gaven Reef and Fiery Cross Reef. Dr. Gomez applied calculations of ecological economics to estimate that the 800 hectares of ocean filling or reclamation done by China, by destroying centuries-old coral reef ecosystems used as land fill, amounted to a loss worth US$280 million in ecosystem products and services. “These are losses to the Vietnamese, the Filipinos, the Malaysians, the Indonesians, and to the Chinese themselves,” Dr. Gomez said. As the West Philippine Sea is of such great value to the many countries in the Coral Triangle Region and beyond, “all countries that are contributing to the degradation and destruction of the shallow water ecosystems must stop their activities that are known to be detrimental to the productivity and biodiversity of the waters of Southeast Asia,” Gomez added. He called as well for an immediate stop to the exploitation of endangered species, as well as overfishing and destructive fishing e tractive activities must be sustainable and no ecosystems must be further destroyed or compromised, Gomez said.. In the view of Lyons, meanwhile, a pragmatic approach is needed in the West Philippine Sea, oncluding a moratorium to further development and dredging of new features in order to save what can be saved. Lyons proposed the creation of a peace park on the South China Sea, as suggested by marine science experts, focusing on a representative network of shallow features on the Spratly seamounts. Lyons also reiterated States’ obligation to monitor, conduct environmental impact assessment (EIA), and communicate results or share EIA reports. She said that EIAs are specifically re uired when there are reasonable grounds for believing that planned activities may cause substantial pollution of, or significant and harmful changes to, the marine environment. ■ InterAksyon.com / With a report from Erwin Mascarinas / June 14, 2015 / 2:42 PM

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June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

More Filipino women navigate male-dominated world of seafaring MANILA - The image of an oliveskinned man or a “barako” who has “a girl in every port” usually comes to mind when one mentions the word seafarer. The stereotype stems from the dominance of men in the maritime industry since the country started its massive labor export in the1970s. This “masculine” and “macho” image of Filipino “seamen” may soon gradually fade as more women choose to work on board international vessels, mostly on passenger cruise. But empowering these women at sea is altogether another story. Most of them occupy lower-paying jobs— as chambermaids, waitresses or other guest relations—unlike their male counterparts, a consequence of gender stereotyping. The rise of Pinay seafarers. Only 225 out of the 230,000 Filipino seafarers registered from 1983 to1990 were women, a study by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2000 showed. By 2006, the number of Filipino women seafarers deployed had risen astronomically to 6,436, according to statistics from the Philippine Overseas and Employment Administration (POEA) Databank and Network Division. That’s almost 29 times the number recorded by the IMO. Their ranks continue to swell—to 8,114 in 2009 and 9,002 in 2010. Today, women seafarers account for 2 percent of the total number of seabased workers deployed from 2006 to 2010. The proportion, albeit small, is signiﬁcant It was less than 1 percent in the 1980s and 1990s.

Women shied away from shipboard employment decades ago because of ﬁ ations that seafaring is an e clusive male preserve” and the prevailing cultural ideology that women should stay at home, the IMO study said. “There may also be cultural resistance to women working outside the home,” IMO’s Pamela Tansey said in her 2000 study. “But the principal objections to employing women at sea appear to center around the lack of adequate separate facilities for women on board and stringent physical requirements,” she said. Women who work as chamber maids, waitresses and massage therapists have to pass the same Basic Safety Training like any other seafarer, before they can get their Seaman’s Identiﬁcation Record Boo SIRB or commonly known as “Seaman’s book.”

he most difﬁcult part of the safety training are diving on a pool from 20 feet high and surviving a simulated ﬁre situation.

lobal demand for women seafarers.

Filipino women began setting aside these reservations in the past decade owing in part to the growing popularity of passenger cruise and the lack of economic opportunities in the country. Many of them have been enticed by the promises of cruise ship jobs as a “chance to see the world.” Federico S. Concepcion, general manager for Cruise and Manning Services of NYK-Fil Ship Management, recalled in an interview years ago how the demand for cruise tourism surged in the 1990s after the bo office hit “Titanic” was released. This, in turn, led to the rise in the demand for Filipino women seafarers to work on cruise ships, he said. Jeremy Cajiuat, project development officer of the International Seafarers Action Center (ISAC) Philippines Foundation, said, “With the further rise of the cruise business and the influ of more and more ships into the business, there will likewise be a rise in employment onboard these ships for women.” The 2015 Cruise Industry Outlook released by the Cruise Lines

International Association in February shows the number of cruise ship passengers rising 24 percent from 17.8 million in 2009 to 22.1 million in 2014. Cruise operators expect the number of passengers this year to reach 23 million, up 4 percent from last year’s ﬁgures. The CLIA also reported that its members are investing $25.65 billion to build 55 new ships between 2015 and 2020. The commissioning of new ships means more jobs will be generated for seafarers within the next ﬁve years. A cruise ship has a crew of from 800 to 1,500. There are 400,000 jobs available on cruise ships, and total wages reached $6 billion last year, according to the Cruise Ship Jobs Network. ender mainstreaming. Retired ice dmiral Eduardo a. R. Santos,

president of the Bataan-based Maritime cademy of the sia and the Paciﬁc (MAAP), also traced the rising number of Filipino female seafarers to calls for greater women’s participation in various sectors, including the maritime sector. “The movement for greater participation of women in society has really inspired more women to become seafarers,” he said. The integration of women into the male-dominated seafaring industry is often attributed to the calls for gender mainstreaming by the United Nations in the1980s after the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women E was ratiﬁed. In support of the UN agenda on women, the IMO launched the Women in Development (WID) program in 1988 to boost the number of women in the maritime sector and improve women’s access to maritime training and technology. ‘Women’s jobs’. But the commercial value of women and gender stereotypes have also been driving the growth of female seafarers. “Filipino women waitresses are perceived to be more caring, especially with the children and senior passengers (on cruise ships),”Concepcion said.

Cajiuat is more blunt. He said, “(Filipino) women seafarers are being hired due to their docile nature hey are still considered the weak gender and are exploited more in terms of hours of work, excessive workload, less food consumption, and the extra attraction of beauty and charm to entice more guests.” So even as the number of Filipino women entering the maritime sector

Filipino seafarers’ file photo.

has leapt in recent years, women seafarers have not been empowered. The jobs on a passenger liner can be divided into three categories the dec , the engine and the hotel and services departments. Based on statistics supplied by the POEA Databank and Network Division, officers only accounted for between 0.4 and 1.8 percent of the total number of Filipino women seafarers, while ratings or non-officers accounted between and 6.5 percent of the total number of women seafarers from 2006 to 2010. The bulk of Filipino women seafarers work in the hotel and services department of passenger ships. Nine in 10 of them are chambermaids, waitresses, women kitchen crew, entertainers, cleaning crew, casino dealers, massage therapists, cashiers, guest relations officers, female security personnel, nurses and other medical personnel, and other office personnel. They hold what are called “women’s jobs,” or jobs considered extension of their reproductive duties, which are usually among the lowest paid in the ship’s hierarchy. Cabin girls and massage therapists interviewed for this research say they receive a basic pay of $50 per month. They augment their remittances through tips from customers and sales commission for products that they offer to passengers. Assigning women’s jobs to female

seafarers is stereotyping, Cajiuat said. Ironically, being assigned “feminine” jobs doesn’t mean the women seafarers are spared “masculine” tasks. The Filipino female seafarers “also have lifting-and-carrying tasks and are trained for strenuous jobs such as firefighting and crowd control,” a iuat said. Compulsory 2 pregnancy tests. A week before she was about to leave the country for her first ob on a cruise liner, Mary Valdez (not her real name) received a text message from her crewing agency. She was instructed to return to the clinic where she had completed her medical examination three weeks earlier in order to have another pregnancy test. Valdez, 26, was surprised. Why did she have to undergo the test again? She was single and had no sexual partner at the time. When she asked for an explanation, the crewing staff told her his is S.O.P. (standard operating procedure) in the cruise industry. Sumunod ka na lang kung gusto mo makaalis agad (Just obey if you want to leave right away).” Desperate to get the cruise job, Valdez agreed even when she was reluctant and felt “very uncomfortable.” Valdez is just one of the hundreds of Filipino women seafarers who have to undergo pregnancy tests twice before they can leave for shipboard employment. he first pregnancy test is conducted as part of the regular physical examination; the second is usually required two to three days before a woman leaves for a cruise job. omen seafarers find this compulsory pregnancy test offensive and a violation of their rights as women. More than 9,000 women were deployed to passenger ships in 2010. “Bakit naman kami mga single required pa rin mag-pregnancy test? Para kasing sinasabi na kami we had sex while we are here (in the Philippines) kahit single kami (Why are they imposing a pregnancy test on single women like us. It’s insinuating that we had sex while we are in the Philippines even if we are single),” Valdez said. Continue to page 34

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HEALTH and Lifestyle

Cardiovascular disease CARDIOVASCULAR disease (CVD) is a general term that describes a disease of the heart or blood vessels. Blood ﬂow to the heart, brain or body can be reduced as a result of a: blood clot thrombosis build-up of fatty deposits inside an artery, leading to the artery hardening and narrowing (atherosclerosis) Types of CVD. There are four main types of coronary heart disease stro e peripheral arterial disease aortic disease Each type is discussed in more detail below. Coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease occurs when your heart s blood supply is bloc ed or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances (atheroma) in the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries are the

two ma or blood vessels that supply your heart with blood. If your coronary arteries become narrow due to a build-up of atheroma, the blood supply to your heart will be restricted. This can cause angina (chest pains . If a coronary artery becomes completely bloc ed, it can cause a heart attac . Stroke. stro e is a serious medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is disturbed. i e all organs, your brain needs a constant supply of o ygen and nutrients to function properly. his is provided by the blood, so if your blood ﬂow is restricted or stopped, brain cells will begin to die. his can lead to brain damage and possibly death. herefore, a stro e is a medical emergency and prompt treatment is essential. he sooner a person receives treatment, the less damage is li ely to occur.

he main stro e symptoms can be remembered with the word F S which stands for Face the face may have drooped on one side, the person may not be able to smile or their mouth or eye may have drooped Arms the person with suspected stro e may not be able to lift their arm and eep it raised due to wea ness or numbness Speech the person s speech may be slurred or garbled, or they may not be able to tal at all despite appearing to be awa e Time – it is time to dial 999 immediately if you see any of these signs or symptoms

Peripheral

arterial

disease.

Peripheral arterial disease, also nown as peripheral vascular disease, occurs when there is a bloc age in the arteries to your limbs (usually your legs). he most common symptom of

June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

peripheral arterial disease is pain in your legs when wal ing. his is usually in one or both of your thighs, hips or calves. he pain can feel li e cramp, a dull pain or a sensation of heaviness in the muscles of your legs. It usually comes and goes and gets worse during e ercise that uses your legs, such as wal ing or climbing stairs. Aortic disease. The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body. It carries blood from your heart to the rest of your body. he most common type of aortic

disease is aortic aneurysm, which is where the wall of the aorta becomes wea ened and bulges outwards. ou will usually e perience pain in your chest, bac or abdomen tummy . Preventing CVD. Most deaths caused by cardiovascular disease are premature and could easily be prevented by ma ing lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet and stopping smo ing. It is estimated that CVD is responsible for around 1 in 3 premature deaths in men and 1 in premature deaths in women. ■ NHS Choices

Cardiovascular disease - Prevention children

You should always check the label of any foods you give your children so you can keep an eye on their daily salt consumption.”

THERE is a significant amount of good quality evidence to show that eating and drinking habits established during childhood can continue for many years into adulthood. Therefore, while bad eating habits in childhood may not pose an immediate health risk, they could lead to serious health problems in adulthood. Four important things to consider are the amount of: • fat in your child’s diet • salt in your child’s diet • sugar in your child’s diet • exercise your child does Salt. Eating high levels of salt in childhood has been linked to an increased

risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke in adulthood. For babies and children, the current recommended limits of salt are • less than 1g of salt a day for children aged 0-6 months • 1g a day for children aged 7-12 months • 2g a day for children aged 1-3 years • 3g a day for children aged 4-6 years • 5g a day for children aged 7-10 years • 6g a day for children aged 11-14 years It is easy to underestimate how much salt is contained in food. For example, a Happy Meal consisting of small fries, a hamburger and a coke contains 1.8g of salt, which is over half the recommended

daily limit for a five year old. Pre-packaged and ready-to-eat foods, particularly those not specifically designed for children, often contain high levels of salt. For example, a 200g tin of tomato soup contains 1.4g of salt. ou should always check the label of any foods you give your children so you can keep an eye on their daily salt consumption. Fats and sugar. ou should also limit the amount of saturated fat and sugar your child eats. Too much saturated fat and sugar in your child’s diet can lead to high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure in later life. They can also

increase your child’s risk of becoming overweight or obese. A diet high in sugar can also cause tooth decay. Children’s foods high in saturated fats and sugar include • chocolate • sweets • fast food, such as burgers or chicken nuggets • fi y drinks • ice cream • biscuits • crisps • processed foods, such as microwave meals, hot dogs and breakfast cereals that contain additional sugar ■ NHS Choices

Cardiovascular disease - Prevention adults MOST ris factors for cardiovascular disease are lin ed, which means that if you have one ris factor you will probably have others as well. For e ample, people who are heavy drin ers usually have poor diets and are more li ely to smo e. lso, obese people are more li ely to have diabetes, high cholesteroland high blood pressure. ddressing one ris factor, such as giving up smo ing, will bring important health beneﬁts, but to signiﬁcantly reduce your ris of developing , you need to loo at your lifestyle as a whole. In particular, you need to consider your diet your weight the amount of alcohol you drin the amount of e ercise and physical activity you do whether you need to stop smo ing Each of these is discussed below. Alcohol. If you drin alcohol, you should not e ceed the recommended daily limits of 3-4 units for men, and 2-3 units for women.

A unit of alcohol is roughly e uivalent to half a pint of normal strength lager, a small glass of wine or a single measure 2 ml of spirits. ou should see your P if you are finding it difficult to moderate your drin ing. ounselling services and medication can help you reduce your alcohol inta e. Diet. For a healthy heart, a low fat, high fibre diet that includes whole grains and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables at least five portions a day) is recommended. our diet should include no more than g 0.2oz or one teaspoon of salt a day. oo much salt will increase your blood pressure. imit the amount of salty foods you eat, such as ready-made meals and canned or tinned food. Do not eat foods high in saturated fat because this will increase your cholesterol level. These foods include: meat pies sausages and fatty cuts of meat butter and ghee a type of butter often used in Indian coo ing

lard cream hard cheese ca es and biscuits foods that contain coconut or palm oil Eating some foods high in unsaturated fat can help decrease your cholesterol level. These foods include: oily ﬁsh avocados nuts and seeds sunﬂower oil rapeseed olive oil

e ercise. Other activities you could incorporate into your e ercise programme include swimming running hill wal ing If you ﬁnd it difﬁcult to do 1 0 minutes of moderate intensity e ercise

The recommendation for adults is 30 minutes Exercise and weight management. If you are overweight or obese, you of moderate can lose weight using a combination of regular e ercise and a calorieintensity aerobic controlled diet. The recommendation for adults exercise is 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic e ercise every day for at least every day for ﬁve days a wee . Read more about the physical at least five activity guidelines for adults. ycling or bris wal ing are days a week. e amples of moderate intensity

each wee , start at a level you feel comfortable with. For e ample, do -10 minutes of light e ercise a day and gradually increase the duration and intensity of your activity as your ﬁtness level improves. Smoking. If you smo e, it is strongly recommended you give up as soon as possible. he N S Smo e free website provides information, support and advice. our P will also be able to recommend and prescribe medication to help you uit. Medication. If you have a particularly high ris of developing , your P may prescribe medication to help reduce your ris . edication used to prevent includes blood pressure tablets, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme E inhibitors – used to treat high blood pressure statins used to lower blood cholesterol levels low-dose aspirin used to prevent blood clots ■ NHS Choices

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HEALTH andNEWS Lifestyle food

June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

Healthy eating and depression FEELING down or depressed can affect both your appetite and your daily routine. Some people don’t feel like eating when they’re depressed and are at risk of becoming underweight. Others ﬁnd comfort in food and can put on excess weight. Antidepressants can also affect your appetite. If you’re concerned about weight loss, weight gain or how antidepressants are affecting your appetite, talk to your GP.

Tips for eating a healthy diet.

Research into the links between diet and depression is ongoing. As yet, there is not enough evidence to say for certain that some foods help relieve symptoms of depression. However, a healthy balanced diet is important for maintaining good general health. “The most important thing is to eat regularly and to include the main food groups in your daily diet,” says Dr

A balanced diet DESPITE what you see in some diet books and T programmes, healthy eating can be really straightforward. A diet based on starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, rice and pasta with plenty of fruit and vegetables some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish and lentils some milk and dairy foods and not too much fat, salt or sugar, will give you all the nutrients you need. When it comes to a healthy diet, balance is the key to getting it right. This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. Most adults in England are overweight or obese. That means many of us are eating more than we need, and should eat less. And it’s not just food some drinks can also be high in calories. Most adults need to eat and drink fewer calories in order to lose weight, even if they already eat a balanced diet. Food groups in our diet. The eat well plate shows that to have a healthy, balanced diet, people should try to eat • plenty of fruit and vegetables • plenty of starchy foods, such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta • some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein • some milk and dairy foods • just a small amount of food and drinks that are high in fat and/or sugar Try to choose a variety of different foods from the four main food groups. Most people in the UK eat and drink too many calories, too much fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables, oily fish and fibre. It’s important to have some fat in your diet, but you don’t need to eat

Lynn Harbottle, consultant in nutrition and dietetics at the Health and Social Services Department in Guernsey. A diet based on starchy foods, such as rice and pasta, with plenty of fruit and vegetables, some protein-rich foods such as meat, ﬁsh and lentils, and some milk and dairy foods (and not too much fat, salt or sugar) will give you all the nutrients you need. Find out more about the ﬁve food groups by looking at the eat well plate. There are many simple ways to improve your diet. However, if you’re more severely depressed and feel unable to shop or prepare food, see your GP to discuss the types of treatment and support that are available. Eat regular meals. Have three meals every day, including breakfast. Breakfast can help give you the energy you need to face the day. Try a bowl of wholegrain cereal with some sliced banana and a glass of fruit juice for a healthy start to the day. If you feel hungry between meals, have a healthier snack such as a piece of fruit.

Eat more wholegrain cereals, fruit, vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. These foods are a good source of vitamins and minerals. Try to eat at least ﬁve portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day.

Include some protein at every meal.

Protein is essential for the growth and repair of the body. You can get it from meat, ﬁsh, eggs, mil , cheese, lentils and beans. Don’t get thirsty. We need to drink about 1.2 litres of ﬂuid a day to stop us getting dehydrated. Even mild dehydration can affect our mood. Symptoms of dehydration include lack of energy and feeling light-headed. Find out more about how much you should drink, including how to choose healthier drinks.

If you drink alcohol, drink within the recommended daily limits. If you’re a

man, don’t regularly drink more than three-to-four units a day. If you’re a woman, don’t regularly drink more than two-to-three units a day. Use our alcohol unit calculator to ﬁnd out how

are you

Fruit and vegetables are a vital source of vitamins and minerals. It’s advised that we eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables each day. There’s evidence that people who eat at least five portions a day have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers. What’s more, eating five portions is not as hard as it sounds. Just one apple, banana, pear or similar-si ed fruit is one portion. A slice of pineapple or melon is one portion. Three heaped tablespoons of vegetables is another portion. Having a sliced banana with your morning cereal is a quick way to get one portion. Swap your mid-morning biscuit for a tangerine, and add a side salad to your lunch. Have a portion of vegetables with dinner, and snack on dried fruit in the evening to reach your five a day. Starchy foods in your diet. Starchy foods should make up around one third of everything we eat. This means we should base our meals on these foods.

Further information about diet and mental wellbeing. The energy diet has information about how healthy eating can help prevent tiredness. Many treatment options are available for depression, including talking therapies, antidepressant medication and various self-help techniques. Find out more about treatment for depression. If you’ve been feeling low for more than two wee s, see your P to ﬁnd out about treatment choices and to get advice on which might be most suitable for you. ■ NHS Choices

Fats and sugar are both sources of energy for the body, but when we eat too much of them we consume more energy than we burn, and this can mean that we put on weight. This can lead to obesity, which increases our risk of type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and stroke.

any foods from the “foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar” group as part of a healthy diet.

Fruit and vegetables getting your 5 a day?

many units there are in different types of alcoholic drinks. Don’t drink alcohol if you’re taking antidepressants. When you make changes to your diet, set yourself realistic and achievable goals. Lynn warns against crash or miracle diets that might not be nutritionally balanced. Instead, make moderate changes. If you want to make major changes to your diet, see your GP, who can refer you to a registered dietitian.

But did you know that there are different types of fat? Saturated

Potatoes are an excellent choice and a great source of fibre. Leave the skins on where possible to keep in more of the fibre and vitamins. For example, when having boiled potatoes or a jacket potato, eat the skin too. Try to choose wholegrain or wholemeal varieties of starchy foods, such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta and brown, wholemeal or higher fibre white bread. They contain more fibre (often referred to as “roughage”), and usually more vitamins and minerals than white varieties.

Meat, fish, eggs and beans all good sources of protein. These foods are all good sources of protein, which is essential for the body to grow and repair itself. They are also good sources of a range of vitamins and minerals.

Potatoes are an excellent choice a a eat s e fi e eave t es s e e ss le t ee e t e fi e a v ta s e a le e av le tat es a a et tat eat t e s t

Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, including iron, inc and B vitamins. It is also one of the main sources of vitamin B12. Try to eat lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry whenever possible to cut down on fat. Always cook meat thoroughly. Fish is another important source of protein, and contains many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish is particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Aim for at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish. You can choose from fresh, frozen or canned, but remember that canned and smoked fish can often be high in salt. Eggs and pulses (including beans, nuts and seeds) are also great sources of protein. Nuts are high in fibre and a good alternative to snacks high in saturated fat, but they do still contain high levels of fat, so eat them in moderation.

Milk and dairy foods avoid full fat varieties. Milk and dairy foods such as cheese and yoghurt are good sources of protein. They also contain calcium, which helps keep your bones healthy. To enjoy the health benefits of dairy without eating too much fat, use semiskimmed, 1 fat or skimmed milk, as well as lower-fat hard cheeses or cottage cheese, and lower-fat yoghurt. Eat less fat and sugar. Most people in the UK eat too much fat and sugar.

fat is found in foods such as cheese, sausages, butter, cakes, biscuits and pies. Most people in the UK eat too much saturated fat, which can raise our cholesterol, putting us at increased risk of heart disease. Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, can help to lower cholesterol and provide us with the essential fatty acids needed to help us stay healthy. Oily fish, nuts and seeds, avocados, olive oils and vegetable oils are sources of unsaturated fat. Try to cut down on foods that are high in saturated fat and have smaller amounts of foods that are rich in unsaturated fat instead. For a healthy choice, use just a small amount of vegetable oil or reduced fat spread instead of butter, lard or ghee. When having meat, choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat. Sugar occurs naturally in foods such as fruit and milk, but we don’t need to cut down on these types of foods. Sugar is also added to lots of foods and drinks such as sugary fi y drinks, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, pastries, ice cream and jam. It’s also contained in some ready-made savoury foods such as pasta sauces and baked beans. Most of us need to cut down on foods high in added sugars. Instead of a fi y drink, for example, try sparkling water. Have a currant bun as a snack instead of a pastry. ■ NHS Choices

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Scoop TV5 introduces new shows in star-studded trade launch 28

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IN a star-studded trade launch dubbed as “Hi-Way to Happy”, TV5 introduced its new line-up of shows for the second half of the year, anchored around its new Sunday noontime variety show, “Happy Truck ng Bayan.” The Metrowalk Tent was literally transformed into a typical barangay as TV5 president and chief executive ofﬁce Noel . orenzana e pressed his excitement about the new shows. “I’m very excited about the new shows. We’ve always been introducing things differently and the new shows are no e ception,” orenzana told InterAksyon. orenzana said that for starters, “Happy Truck ng Bayan” is not your typical song-and-dance noontime variety show. “It’s different in the

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sense that the shows are done in the vicinity of the barangays. It shows how we want to be physically part of the community,” the advertising executive turned television man noted. Premiering on Sunday, June 14, the show now has an expanded cast of hosts and performers that include Derek Ramsay, Ogie Alcasid, Janno Gibbs, Gelli de Belen, Mariel Rodriguez, Jasmine urtis-Smith, Empoy ar uez, uesday argas, ar Neumann, Shaira ae dela ruz, ihiro Blanco, hanel orales, Sophie Albert, Vin Abrenica, Kim Idol and Tom Taus. Premiering this Monday morning is the much-anticipated “Hi-5 Philippines” as its new all-Filipino cast members composed of Rissey Reyes,

Continuation from page 1

Actor Junix Inocian dies in the UK at 64 Afterwards, he starred in numerous productions for Repertory Philippines, including “Fiddler on the Roof”, “The Pirates of Pen ance”, and “Man of La Mancha”. However, mainstream Filipino audiences knew him as the amiable Kuya Mario in the iconic children’s show “Batibot” and a mainstay on the MA sitcom “Sitak ni Jack”. He also appeared in “A Dangerous Life”, a miniseries based on the Edsa Revolution where he

portrayed slain Antique governor Evelio Javier. In 2012, Inocian returned to the Philippines to join the cast of Repertory Philippines’ production of “Jekyll and Hyde”, as Jekyll’s lawyer, abriel John Utterson, as well as to reconnect with his family and grandchildren. His wife Luna and their children had initially lived with him in London but eventually settled back in the Philippines. ■ InterAksyon.com / June 14, 2015 / 6:52 AM

erard Pagunsan, le Reyes, Fred o, and Aira Binas were introduced during the launch. “We’re very proud of the new cast which was chosen from over 500 aspirants. The Hi-5 leadership saw them and they’re very happy with them. They want to use them in other countries, too,” orenzana enthused. Another upcoming show that the network is excited about is “KISPinoy”, a talent search for future K-Pop stars. “I think this is a show that appeals to the young crowd as there are many young Filipinos who like to be K-Pop stars.” As for more envelope-pushing shows, there are two new shows that will be created and developed by the newly launched he IdeaFirst ompany of award-winning ﬁlmma ers Jun ana and Perci Intalan, the former head of creative and entertainment. orenzana revealed that is bringing back the well-loved stories of Severino Reyes’ under his immortal ola Basyang pen name with olaBasyang.com” starring s. Boots Anson-Roa. What makes the new series different from the traditional ola Basyang stories is that they are given a modern twist. here s also ParangNormal” starring Ella ruz which orenzana said will appeal to “people who like

June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

The hosts of ‘Happy Truck ng Bayan’ perform during the TV5 trade launch at the Metrowalk Tent on Tuesday. Photo by Bernard Testa/InterAksyon.

horror except the show is not only horror but also very funny.” And for those who are big on both sports and comedy, TV5 will soon be unleashing No arm, No Foul,” a sitcom that will star not only Ogie Alcasid, Randy Santiago, Tuesday argas, ong e ia, Eula aballero, Valeen Montenegro and Sophie Albert but also former and current PBA stars Willie Miller, Gary David, Beau Belga, iefer Ravena, and oyong artirez. Other new shows already on the air include the new season of “Wattpad Presents” and the Philippine adaptation of the popular Korean telenovela,

“Baker King” which aside from the toprating coverage of the PBA games have further strengthened TV5’s primetime line-up. Also enhancing the network’s late-night line-up is Jo o le ar s he edyo ate Night Show with Jo o .” which is back on TV5 after a brief stint with GMA. orenzana pointed out that while TV5 continues to shake things up in the industry and trying many different things, the new shows all have one thing in common: they are all part of what ma es the appy Networ , well, happy. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / June 12, 2015 / 3:25 PM

John Lloyd Cruz, Angelica Panganiban no longer a couple? A relationship that started with a “Perfect Sunday” seems to have come to an end. In his June 9 column for Philstar. com, entertainment scribe Ric y o reported that John loyd ruz and Angelica Panganiban are breaking up. Quoting a source close to the soon-tobe e -sweethearts, o wrote that John loyd and ngelica have not been talking to each other for the last three weeks and are not likely to patch up their differences. Just last May 2, the three-year-old romance of the two BS- BN stars seemed to be in good shape after Angelica took to Instagram and posted a selﬁe video featuring John loyd lipsyncing to a line of dialogue delivered by actor J de uzman in That Thing Called Tadhana”, the blockbuster romantic comedy that also starred Angelica. Then on May 7, Angelica posted a photo of her and John loyd together with the rather telling caption, “Walang forever Echos.. izzing this guy tho…” which suggested that they had not been spending time together as of late. Since then, Angelica has not posted anything about her and/or John loyd again. On the day o revealed the current state of her lovelife, the 28-year-old actress posted photos of pancit and bistek tagalog which she

herself had apparently cooked. eanwhile, John loyd seems to be enamored with his newfound passion for art and has been spending more time in the company of punk artist Romeo ee and the latter s artist friends. The two in fact collaborated on a painting called “Gremleens” which was on e hibit at the rucible gallery that John loyd himself eventually bought for P75,000. ngelica and John loyd were longtime friends before they became a couple in 2012. Many believe their romance ﬂourished even while they were still involved with their previous partners, Angelica with Derek Ramsay and John loyd with Shaina agdayao. ere denied that John loyd was

the reason why he and Angelica brokeup which the latter attributed to her own problems with Derek, including his marriage with estranged wife Mary hristine Jolly. ast February, ngelica dropped a bombshell during a guest appearance at BS- BN s Gandang Gabi Vice” in February when she boldly admitted that she might have caused the breakup of John loyd and Shaina. he romance between John loyd and ngelica was ﬁrst manifested in public in August, 2012 when Angelica posted a photo of her and John loyd on Instagram with the caption, “Perfect Sunday!!!!”. The said photo went viral and eventually led the two to admit their relationship. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / June 10, 2015 / 7:46 AM

Angelica Panganiban and John Lloyd Cruz. Photo from Angelica’s Instagram account.

Judy Ann Santos is two months pregnant

JUD ANN Santos and, right, the ultrasound image she posted on Instagram Wednesday morning. An excited Judy Ann Santos took to Instagram Wednesday morning to post the word “POSITI E )”. Her followers knew what it meant and quickly flooded her post with congratulatory comments. The actress also known as Juday followed it up with an image of an ultrasound result. By noontime, Juday’s husband Ryan Agoncillo also gleefully showed the ultrasound image on “Eat Bulaga”. Later, his manager Noel Ferrer, who just landed in Bangkok, finally put into words what everyone has been talking about all day long. “And this news welcomed me

kuyanasilucho We waited until it was sure We have been praying for this – and will continue praying for a safe delivery. Our Juday is 9 weeks and 1 day pregnant ” Ferrer posted on Twitter. es, the 37-year-old award-winning actress is expecting her second biological child and third overall with Ryan Agoncillo. The Agoncillo household will now have a new sibling to adopted daughter ohan, 9, and son, Lucho, 3. Juday has been very vocal about her desire to have a new addition to their family. The reality shows that she hosted on ABS-CBN, “I Do” and “Bet on our Baby”, obviously provided her and Ryan more inspiration to make their wish a reality. ■

Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / June 11, 2015 · 7:37 AM

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June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

GMA Pinoy TV opens 10 anniversary celebration with jampacked concerts in Vancouver, Anaheim CELEBRATING a milestone ten years of bringing Filipinos abroad closer to home, GMA Pinoy TV kicked off its year-long anniversary celebration with successful back-to-back concerts held in Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada), and Anaheim (California, USA) on the last weekend of May. Philippine Comedy Queen AiAi delas Alas along with Christian Bautista, Alden Richards, Jonalyn Viray and Betong Sumaya led the celebration in GMA Pinoy TV’s Kapusong Pinoy Vancouver and Anaheim on May 29 and May 31, respectively. Ai-Ai, who made a welcome comeback in the Kapuso Network via the romantic-comedy series Let the Love Begin, came prepared with her funny antics and gimmicks. In one of her segments, she even wore a costume that had a switch to change the color of the lights that were wrapped around her. “Maraming maraming salamat po sa lahat ng tumangkilik ng aming show. Kami po ay nagagalak dahil napakarami pong taong sumuporta sa 10th anniversary celebration ng GMA Pinoy TV. Sana po ay wag kayong magsawa na mag-subscribe at manood

ng lahat ng mga shows ng GMA sa GMA Pinoy TV,” expresses Ai-Ai right after the show in Vancouver. During the show in Anaheim, AiAi performed a segment with her daughter Soﬁa whom she referred to as “Baby Girl.” Alongside Ai-Ai, actor, comedian and Survivor Philippines Celebrity Doubles Showdown Winner Betong Sumaya brought Antonietta, his beloved character in the Philippines’ longest running gag show Bubble Gang, in both shows, and received positive feedback. Antonietta, never breaking her character, opened both events with spiels encouraging the attendees to post on social media with the hashtag #Sampuso. “Amazing, amazing, amazing! Salamat po sa mga kababayan natin. Sana ay lagi niyo pong suportahan ang GMA Pinoy TV para lagi kayong amazing,” says Betong, emphasizing his famous catchphrase. Meanwhile, Fearless Diva Jonalyn Viray showcased her world-class vocal prowess in her segments. The crowd particularly loved her segment with Christian Bautista, where they

performed theme songs from GMA shows Mulawin, The Half Sisters, and The Rich Man’s Daughter, among others. Jonalyn also expressed her gratitude to everyone who came to see them perform, “Sa lahat po ng mga nanood, maraming maraming salamat mula sa aming mga puso. Salamat po sa pagsuporta sa GMA at GMA Pinoy TV.” Another member of the Kapusong Pinoy cast Christian Bautista, known as Asia’s Romantic Balladeer, got the audience mesmerized and singing along with his performances. He even invited lucky audience members up onstage to sing and dance with him. Christian relays his message of love and thanks to the attendees of the shows, “Maraming salamat po sa inyong pagmamahal. Talagang feel na feel po namin. Proud po kami na nakantahan namin kayong lahat. Mahal na mahal po namin kayo.” One of GMA’s top leading men Alden Richards, who recently joined the Eat Bulaga barkada, touched the audience with his charm and be-dimpled smile. He performed hits from One Direction and Bruno Mars.

He also encouraged GMA Pinoy TV subscribers to keep supporting GMA. “Maraming maraming salamat po. Nakakatuwa dahil hindi po nawawala yung pagsuporta at tiwala niyo sa Kapuso Network at GMA Pinoy TV. Sana magkita kita po ulit tayo soon. God bless mga Kapuso! Mahal namin kayo!” he says. On the enthusiastic response received from Kapuso viewers in Vancouver and Anaheim, GMA Vice President and Head of International Operations Joseph T. Francia says, “We are grateful to GMA’s loyal viewers in North America over the last 10 years. We are inspired to work harder to keep the trust they have given GMA’s brand of news and entertainment all these years.” Kapusong Pinoy Vancouver, which was held at The Orpheum Theatre, was organized in association with Unit Blue Design & Media Production Services. Meanwhile, Kapusong Pinoy Anaheim was produced in association with Polaris Media & Marketing and was staged at the City National Grove of Anaheim.

The successful Kapusong Pinoy Vancouver and Anaheim housed roughly 1,800 and 1,350 spectators, respectively, and received great comments all over social media. “It was an honor to meet such amazing talents. I love GMA’s talents!” posted @ abbycubey on Instagram alongside her photo with Kapuso actor Alden. Another Kapuso, Dolores Arcillas left a comment on GMA Pinoy TV’s Facebook page saying, “I knew it will be a big success! Congrats, GMA!” Kapusong Pinoy Vancouver was sponsored by Pag Ibig Fund, Vista Residences, Transfast, Ritemed, and Moneygram, while Kapusong Pinoy Anaheim was sponsored by Xoom.com, Mapua Institute of Technology, Pag Ibig Fund, Amaia, Vonage, International Travel Network, Red Ribbon, Ritemed, Chowking, Moneygram, Davies Paints, Financial Rescue, The Generics Pharmacy, Everest Aircondition, DirecTV, Transfast, Flawless Faces, ebt id onsulting, ebu Paciﬁc, Goldilocks, San Miguel Gold Label Best of the Kapusong Pinoy Vancouver Philippines. ■

June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

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Toni Gonzaga and Paul Soriano pose at the conclusion of their wedding ceremony at the United Methodist Church in Taytay on Friday. Photo courtesy of Stylized Weddings by Liz Uy.

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Toni on aga, Paul Soriano tie knot on Independence Day

FOUR months after announcing their engagement on national television, actress-T host Toni on aga and filmmaker Paul Soriano finally tied the knot on Friday, Independence Day, at the United Methodist Church in Taytay, Ri al. Toni, 31, looked radiant in a era Wang. Her hair was styled by Macy Dionisio and makeup by Krist Bansuelo. Direk Paul, 34, also looked slick and dapper in his Hugo Boss suit. The wedding’s stylist was Styli ed Weddings by Li Uy. Maid of honor was Toni’s sister, Toni

on aga. Among the principal officers of the wedding were world boxing champion and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, former president and now Manila mayor Joseph Estrada, world class theater actress and singer Lea Salonga, actress and presidential sister Kris Aquino who was with son Bimby and comedian ice anda. Also in attendance were Toni’s closest friends from “Pinoy Big Brother”, Mariel Rodrigue and Bianca on ale , who came with husband JC Intal. Other celebrities

were KC Concepcion, I a Cal ado, Dr. icki Belo and ABS-CBN executives Charo Santos-Concio, Malou Santos and Cory idanes. Before entering the church for the wedding ceremony proper, Toni and Direk Paul happily greeted a throng of well-wishers who had come to get a glimpse of the newlyweds. Toni was born and raised in Taytay and she continued to live there after she became famous. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / June 13, 2015 / 11:06 AM

Lea Salonga, ‘Batibot’ alumni, theater colleagues pay tribute to Junix Inocian ACTOR Junix Inocian, who was found lifeless in his ondon ﬂat on Saturday, is fondly remembered by friends and colleagues in the theater industry for his fun-loving demeanor and infectious zest for life. Lea Salonga, who worked with Inocian in “Miss Saigon” where the latter became the ﬁrst Filipino to play The Engineer, posted this tweet upon learning of her friend’s sudden demise. Another original cast member of “Miss Saigon”, Isay Alvarez-Seña, said that the acclaimed thespian’s “jolly and positive attitude in life was infectious”. “I remember Junix for his love for the craft. He was our kuya in ‘Miss Saigon’ although he was not the usual ‘kuya’ type na feeling know it all or ‘older than you all kaya I know better’. No, he wasn’t like that at all. He was a great example for us. What a joy to watch him on stage..and having had that experience with him in ‘Saigon’ was precious to all of us. He will be sorely missed,” she told InterAksyon.

Alvarez-Seña was also a cast member of the popular children’s television show “Batibot”, where Inocian also essayed the popular character of Kuya Mario. Two other cast members of the show had fond memories of the fallen actor as well. “Kuya Mario is so fun and playful

Illustration of the “Batibot” cast by Jojie Pamintuan courtesy of Sienna Olaso. Junix Inocian played Kuya Mario (bottom left).

to be with on the set. He always brings the best out of everyone in a scene. He always made long hours of taping, lighter and easier. I was very young then that I never thought of ‘Batibot’ as work and everything was fun and play with Junix, with Kuya Mario around,” TV5 vice president for production ﬁnance and special projects Sienna Olaso, who played Ate Sienna on “Batibot”, recalled to InterAksyon. “Personally, he always rattles and confuses me. He’d change his lines so I will adjust and ad lib that makes the exchange more natural. I love how he horses and plays around with me on the set. He’d tickle me so hard knowing that we can’t make any noise cause we are about to be told to do our thing. He’d hold on to my prop so I’d be late or miss my cue and get in trouble. He was so consistent with his tricks once the countdown begins, up until the director says: ‘action!’ He is so funny and crazy but we are still able to pull through with the scenes and production numbers.”

Another “Batibot” alumnus, “Bodjie Pascua a.k.a. Kuya Bodjie, uploaded old photos of “Batibot” cast members on his Faceboo page and posted his own personal tribute and condoled with Inocian’s wife, Luna. “Ang aga naman, Junix. Pero kahit malungkot kami ngayon, maraming salamat sa pagpapasaya mo sa amin. Habang umaalingawngaw pa ang iyong halakhak dito, magpasasa ka sa tamis ng kapayapaan, kaibigan. Pakikiramay kay Luna at sa lahat ng kanyang naiwan.” Inocian’s passing came more than a week after the demise of “Batibot” director Kokoy Jimenez . Other theater stalwarts who posted their own personal tributes to Inocian on their respective Faceboo and Twitter pages include Pinky Amador and Audie Gemora who called Inocian “Rep’s funny man” and Monique Wilson, who played the other Kim in the original West End production of “Miss Saigon”. “Missing you dearest Junix…You will always be with us. – your Godzilla

GMA News TV International now available in Hong Kong via now TV PHILIPPINE broadcast giant MA Network delivers the latest news and information from the country straight to Hong Kong with the launch of its international news and public affairs channel, MA News T International, through the carrier now T beginning June 2. “This year marks MA International’s 10th year of bringing Filipinos abroad closer to home,” says MA ice President and Head of International Operations Joseph T. Francia. “As we celebrate this milestone, we continue to uphold our commitment to bring quality Kapuso programming to a wider audience,” he adds. Powered by the Philippines’ most trusted news and public affairs team, MA News T International is the top choice to meet the Filipinos’ demand

for complete, accurate, and credible news from home, provided by the Network’s multi-awarded news personalities and top-rated programs. Among these are its flagship newscast State of the Nation with Jessica Soho, hosted by Peabody award winner and highly regarded broadcast journalist Jessica Soho, which features in-depth analyses on current issues. The only show of its kind currently on Philippine T – Investigative Documentaries, hosted by Malou Mangahas solidly follows the paper trail behind issues every week. Investigative Documentaries assesses the performance of political clans, studies the impact of government policies and investigates corruption. Powerhouse, hosted by award-winning journalist Kara David, gives the public never before seen access into the private

lives – and homes – of the country’s most powerful individuals. I Juander led by Susan Enrique and Cesar Apolinario, has captured viewers’ hearts with its unforgettable social experiments and its entertaining discussion of Filipino culture, food, traditions and superstitions. ame-changing weekend documentary programs Reel Time and Front Row tackle poverty and social ills, telling the raw stories of the subjects themselves, using no hosts or voice-overs. Moreover, MA News T International offers live telecasts of the latest news coverage and breaking news from the Philippines. With this new launch, MA International, the business unit that manages the operation and distribution of MA’s international channels, strengthens

its partnership with now T and distributes MA Pinoy T , MA’s flagship international channel, and MA Life T , MA’s international lifestyle channel, in Hong Kong. Ms. Loke Kheng Tham, PCCW’s Executive ice President of Pay T , said “We are delighted to provide Pinoys in Hong Kong with their favorite home country channels exclusively on now T , as part of the Filipino Pack.” She added “Now T is Hong Kong’s largest pay-T provider, offering more than 190 topclass channels to 1.2 million customers. Adding MA News T International to our lineup further demonstrates now T ’s commitment to providing all customers with a wide range of content choices. On this occasion, we are very pleased to serve Hong Kong’s Pinoy community with comprehensive Filipino programming.” ■

Left, actor Junix Inocian in a 2012 publicity photo for Repertory Philippines’ ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ and, right, on the London stage in the 1990s as The Engineer in ‘Miss Saigon’.

,” oni ue posted on Faceboo and Instagram Sunday. “Oh Junix. Sarap na siguro tawanan niyo dyan ni Bibot,” Gemora posted in reference to the late Zenaida “Bibot” Amador, one of the founders of Repertory Philippines, the theater group where Inocian frequently performed during the early part of his storied career. One of the last people to get the chance to work with Inocian here in the Philippines is rock singer turned theater actor Jett Pangan, who worked with the man he fondly referred to as “Sir Junix” in 2012 for Rep’s production of the musical, “Jekyll and Hyde”. I thin the first Rep play I ever watched back in college starred Sir Junix. I was in awe of his performance and got starstruck when I saw him at the exit greeting the people and even smiled at me. From then on until my first foray in theatre, Juni Inocian was synonymous with the word Theatre. When I got the chance to share the stage with him in ‘Jekyll and Hyde’, he was still the same amazing actor as that time I first saw him on stage. He also had a relentless sense of humor and was one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. He left us way too soon.” ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / June 14, 2015 / 1:53 PM

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PHILIPPINE EMBASSY AROUND THE WORLD

June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

DFA Hosts Philippine Commemoration of International Day of UN Peacekeepers THE Department of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the National Council for United Nations Peace Operations (NCUNPO) and the United Nations Information Center, hosted the 2015 Philippine Commemoration of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers today at the DFA Building in Roxas Boulevard. Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Evan Garcia, United Nations Resident Coordinator ad interim Terence Jones, and high-ran ing officials of the rmed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology led the inauguration of an exhibit featuring the history of Philippine involvement in UN peacekeeping from 1964 up to the present day. They were later joined by members of the diplomatic corps, government, military and law enforcement officials at the opening ceremonies in Bulwagang Apolinario Mabini, where Acting Secretary Garcia delivered the keynote speech and Mr. Jones conveyed the message of UN Secretary-General Ban i oon. Both officials hailed the sacrifices made by the valiant blue helmets, and called for action in helping face the new realities and challenges of modern UN peacekeeping.

The event was highlighted by awarding ceremonies for military, police, corrections and civilian personnel for their exemplary service to the cause of peacekeeping. National Council for UN Peace Operations (NCUNPO) Awards were handed out to Col. Roberto Ancan (Chief of the AFP Peacekeeping Operations Center), PSupt. Cesar Hawthorne Binag (Former Deputy Police Commissioner, United Nations Mission in Liberia), Col. Reno Tolentino (Secretariat Head, AFP Screening Board Bravo), Lt. Col. Arnel Bautista (Chief of FP-P O ission Support Office , PSupt. David Vinluan (Former Police Officer 4, N epartment of Peacekeeping Operations, New York), PSupt. Edward Quijano (Assistant Chief, PNP UN Peace Operations Center), JSInsp. Ma. Teresa Colopano (Chief of Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology), PCInsp. Algen Taba (Fleet Adviser and Team Leader, United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti), Mr. Raphael Hermoso (Former Executive Director, NCUNPO Secretariat), Mr. Robert Eric Borje Former Fourth ommittee Officer, Philippine Mission to the UN in New York) and Mr. Christian Louie Belleza

es Officer for Peace eeping and Crisis Operations, NCUNPO). Service and bravery awards were also handed out to outstanding peacekeeping personnel, including all returning Filipino peacekeepers and members of the Philippine contingent in the Golan Heights who were involved in the standoff with Syrian rebels last year. Later in the afternoon, the Foreign Service Institute co-hosted a Mangrove Forum on Philippine Participation in UN Peacekeeping Operations. Distinguished speakers at the Forum included Assistant Secretary Jesus R. S. omingo of F -Office of the United Nations and International Organizations (UNIO), and pioneering leaders Defense Undersecretary Natalio Ecarma III (MGen. Ret.), the first Filipino ead of ission and Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights, and Police Director Wilfredo Franco, Former Senior Team Leader of the Standing Police Capacity of the UN Logistics Base (UNLB) in Brindisi, Italy. The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is celebrated around the world every 29th day of May in memory of the UN peacekeepers

who have lost their lives in the cause of peace, as well as a tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in UN Peacekeeping operations for their high level of

professionalism, dedication and courage. The Philippine observance of the event was made ofﬁcial by Proclamation No. 1755, series of 2009. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / May 26, 2015

Philippines Hosts Seminar-Workshop on ASEAN-China Declaration of Conduct THE Philippines hosted a SeminarWorkshop on the Implementation of the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the SCS (DOC) from May 14 to 15 in Makati City where

some 120 officials from all ASEAN Member States and the People’s Republic of China, as well as members from the academe and policy think tanks participated. Undersecretary for Administration and

DFA Acting Secretary and Undersecretary Linglingay F. Lacanlale delivers her welcome remarks at the Seminar-Workshop on the Implementation of the 2002 ASEAN-China DOC-SCS.

Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Linglingay F. Lacanlale delivered the welcome remarks. ASEAN-China Joint Working roup Co-Chairs, Thailand and China delivered opening statements, through the Thai Ambassador to the Philippines Thanatip Upatising, and the China Institute of International Studies ice President Zongze Ruan. The Seminar-Workshop discussed the way forward for the full and effective implementation of the DOC by using as references best practices and jurisprudence in public international law and diplomacy, and contribute to the ASEAN-China Joint Working roup on the Implementation of the DOC (ACJW )

process. An important element of this process is coming up with a common understanding of how provisions of the DOC are to be operationali ed, including paragraphs 4 and 5 on the non-use of force and the exercise of self-restraint among parties to the dispute. Distinguished experts in the law of the sea, international law and maritime issues were invited as resource speakers in the Seminar-Workshop. These experts were Arif Havas Oegroseno, Deputy Minister for Maritime Sovereignty of Indonesia Professor Carlyle Thayer of the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy Dr. Tran Truong Thuy of the Diplomatic Academy of ietnam

Dr. Diane Desierto of the University of Hawaii Richardson School of Law and the ASEAN Law and Integration Center (ALIC) Professor Dapo Akande of the University of Oxford Professor enevive Bastid Burdeau of the Sorbonne Law School, University of Paris 1 Dr. James Kraska from the U.S. Naval War College Professor Mariko Kawano of Waseda University Ms. Sumathy Permal of the Maritime Institute of Malaysia and Professor ue uifang of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The output of the Seminar-Workshop will be reported to the next meeting of the ASEAN-China Joint Working roup. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / / May 26, 2015

PHL Embassy in Yangon Conducts Talk on Gender and Development THE Philippine Embassy in Yangon conducted a forum on Gender and Development on June 05 at the Philippine Chancery. he ﬁrst part of the forum centered on Republic Act 9710, the Magna Carta on Women. Career Minister Maria Lourdes M. Salcedo discussed the rights of women such as the rights for equal treatment before the law and protection from violence, and the right to decent work, among others. She added that the Magna Carta on Women is a compendium of the country’s more than 15 years of implementing the Beijing Platform of Action as well as the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against

Women or CEDAW. In an effort to empower migrant workers, particularly in judiciously managing their ﬁnances, the second part of the talk highlighted real property as an alternative investment. Ayala Land Inc. Director Antonio T. Aquino discussed the current trends in the Philippine economy, including real property investment in the Philippines. He said that all indications in the economy are showing rosy pictures. In particular, remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are among the more robust drivers, followed by business processing outsourcing (BPO), tourism and manufacturing. He added that the good governance platform of

(Left photo) Career Minister Maria Lourdes M. Salcedo talks on the rights of women. (Right photo) Mr. Antonio T. Aquino discusses real property as an alternative personal investment.

President Aquino and some positive policies from past administrations are now bearing progressive outcomes. In his opening speech, Philippine Ambassador to Myanmar Alex G.

Chua said women and migrant workers, though in the past considered belonging to the vulnerable sector in society, should now consider themselves as empowered to

contribute to nation-building. “It is important for members of this sector to know their rights and prepare for the future,” he said. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / June 9, 2015

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AFTER 12-round war with undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather, Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao admitted that he was surprised at the outcome as he e pected to win the megafight between two of this generation’s greatest fighters. It s a good fight. I thought I won the fight. e didn t do nothing,” Pac uiao said as he was interviewed in the ring. e always moved outside. I got him many times with solid punches. I believe I won the fight.” Pacquiao was pressed during the interview on why he wasn’t able to fight his usual way in the contest. he official ompubo stats showed

him connecting on only 81 of his 429 punches (19%) while Mayweather landed 148 of his 43 34 . e s moving around. It s not easy to throw a lot of punches if he’s moving around. But if he stayed, I can throw a lot of punches.” e added, though, that he was not bothered by Mayweather’s size and strength in this one. I can handle his power. e s not strong like (Antonio) Margarito or other opponents li e iguel otto, li e that.” e s not bigger than me. It s not the size. Size doesn t matter. I ve been ﬁghting bigger than him. No problem.”

MANILA - Manny Pacquiao’s life story, with its inspiring triumph over adversity after each fall, has been mirrored yet again in his fight with Floyd Mayweather, despite his loss by unanimous decision. hus ran the common thread of officials reacting to the outcome of the fight. Malacanang Palace, in a statement released by Secretary erminio oloma Jr. on behalf of President

Aquino, said: “Filipinos can hold their heads up high: our national pride, ongressman anny Pac uiao, did us all proud when he stood his ground against one of the best boxers of our time, Floyd ayweather. “President Aquino reiterates his thanks to Manny for serving as an inspiration to every Filipino in overcoming the daily challenges in the pursuit of a better life and future.”

n InterAksyon.com / May 3, 2015 / 1:31 PM

Pacquiao’s good fight inspires Filipinos, say Philippine officials nd then, reiterating his pre-ﬁght unsolicited advice for the Filipino boxing icon to devote more time to his family while he is still healthy,, r. uino e pressed hope that “Manny may now be able to devote more time with his family and that he is able to maintain good health that

will serve him in good stead in all his future endeavors.” Other ofﬁcials reactions had similar themes of thanking Pacquiao for inspiring Filipinos Sa araw na ito, ipinakita ni Manny na tayong mga Pilipino ay handang humarap at bumangon sa anumang pagsubo .

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EL GAMMA PENUMBRA THANKS SUPPORTERS FOR ‘ASIA’S GOT TALENT’ VICTORY THIS time, the votes were more than enough to put them over the top. Four years ago, shadow play dancers El Gamma Penumbra dazzled local viewers of ABS-CBN’s “Pilipinas Got Talent”, the Philippine edition of the famous “Got Talent” franchise, where they made it all the way to the Grand Finals. Despite being a crowd favorite, however, the group did not get enough public votes to even land in the top three. The eventual winner that year was the singing group the Maasinhon Trio, which was largely criticized for not being in the same league as El Gamma Penumbra and the two runners-up in terms of talent. Turn to page 28

VP Binay: No need to waive my right to bank secrecy Story on page 12

El Gamma Penumbra with ‘Asia’s Got Talent’ host Rovilson Fernandez.

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GMA Network turns over 1,783 blood bags to the Philippine Red Cross Story on page 24

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CONTROVERSIAL actress and TV host Kris Aquino has dropped another bombshell again. One day before the 29th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution that swept her mother to power in 1986, the self-styled Queen of All Media posted a blog entry called “The State of My Heart” that revealed more details about her short-lived romance with Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista last year. Kris’ recollection of her special relationship with the actor-comedian turned politician dubbed as Bistek included a marriage proposal from the latter, which she described as “probably the least romantic proposal any woman has ever received.” On the ﬁrst Friday of pril nearly a year ago during merienda, he said he was tired, he didn’t want to play games, he was tired of chasing and of running away, and he wanted to feel secure with someone he could grow old with. He said, walang romance, walang lokohan, walang bolahan. Okay na raw ba ko to marry him kasi nga PAGOD na sya?,” Kris wrote.

Kris Aquino and Herbert Bautista.

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MANNY PACQUIAO, ANO ANG REGALO KAY PRINCE HARRY?

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Although she did not categorically state that she said yes to his proposal, Kris agreed that she wanted to grow old with Mayor Herbert. “I knew we’d never be bored conversing, and maybe this was where God led 2 individuals who deserved a chance at life long companionship with maturity, and full acceptance of equally colorful pasts.” Quoting a line from her favorite Sharon Cuneta movie, “Minsan Minahal Kita”, Kris also wrote, “He made me believe, he made me believe we had a chance.” As Kris further recalled all of her happy moments with Mayor Herbert, she also revealed that it all came crashing down after she made their relationship public on “Aquino & Abunda Tonight,” her nightly talk show with Boy Abunda. “I made the mistake of speaking about him the following night on A&A. The next day, over the phone he broke up with me, right before Bimb’s 7th birthday party.

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KRIS AQUINO SAYS HERBERT BAUTISTA PROPOSED MARRIAGE LAST YEAR

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na namin. Kasi pag may nakikita, biglang magtatago siya. Ibubuka niya ulit, magtatago uli siya.” Madalas naman binibiro si Marian na dahil tila lalo siyang gumaganda, baka babae ang kaniyang dinadala. Natatawang sagot niya, “Iba ang pakiramdam ko! Pero baka mali ako. Tignan natin.” Sa kabila nito, magpapasalamat raw sila sa Panginoon at magiging masayang mga magulang sina Dingdong at Marian anuman ang maging kasarian ng kanilang panganay.

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Another casino rising, right in the heart of gridlocked Manila FOR casino habitues from the Santa Cruz and Balintawak areas frustrated by the dailly gridlock from driving to Solaire and City of Dreams for their regular fix, a neighborhood solution is under way. Construction of a hotel-casino complex within the former San Lazaro racetrack is going full-blast, hopefully in time for its soft opening this December. The project is called Winford Leisure and

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DINGDONG, MARIAN ‘WILL BE GRATEFUL’ WHETHER FIRST BABY IS A BOY OR A GIRL KAGAYA ng lahat ng soon-to-be parents, excited narin sina Marian Rivera at Dingdong Dantes na malaman ang kasarian ng kanilang unang baby. Ayon sa ulat ni Nelson Canlas sa “24 Oras” nitong Martes, nagtungo na sa OB-gynecologist si Marian kasama ang kaniyang asawa nitong Lunes upang malaman kung boy o girl ba ang kanilang panganay. Gayunpaman, tila binibitin pa ng kanilang coming baby ang kniyang mga magulang dahil hindi pa raw makumpirma ang kasarian nito. Kuwento ng aktres, “Akala naming makikita

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June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

More Filipino women navigate male-dominated world of seafaring Continuation from page 20 crewing manager who re uested anonymity said compulsory pregnancy tests are intended to ma e sure that women are not pregnant when they wor on board. Just imagine if a crew member discovers that she is pregnant on her ﬁrst month. hen that means the agency will have to shoulder her repatriation and immediately loo for a replacement,” he said. Jeremy a iuat, pro ect development

ofﬁcer of the International Seafarers ction enter IS Philippines Foundation, conﬁrmed the compulsory pregnancy tests. One vital e planation for the pregnancy test would be to establish a mindset of strictness in se ual activity, which sadly, is also very much an uncontrolled phenomenon with the crew onboard cruise ships,” he said. a iuat added, nwanted pregnancies and pregnancy with someone else than her own husband is

a difﬁcult issue to occur onboard ships, and while being atrocious, the antipregnancy test is aimed at serving as a deterrent. ”

Discrimination

employment.

hether they are to ascertain that the female seafarer is not pregnant at the time of deployment or deter unwanted pregnancies aboard a vessel, pregnancy tests as a re uirement for employment violate the aternity Protection onvention 2000 or onvention No. 183 to the International abour Organization. rticle 9 of the convention en oins member countries to adopt appropriate measures to ensure that maternity does not constitute a source of discrimination in employment.” In other countries, women seafarers do not undergo pregnancy tests. he I O convention permits pregnancy test or a certiﬁcation of pregnancy test only if the ob is restricted for pregnant or nursing women under national laws or regulations or where there is a recognized or signiﬁcant ris to the health of the woman and child.” he International ransport or ers Federation I F , an international federation of trade unions that includes seafarers, said in its website Pregnancy should never be treated as a disciplinary offence. Pregnancy testing before you are employed may violate International abour Organisation I O onvention 183.”

Problem is, the Philippines is not a signatory to I O onvention No. 183, which entered into force on Feb. 7, 2002. Only 29 countries have ratiﬁed the convention, including lbania, ustria, uba, Italy and the Netherlands. Even so, the Philippines has the agna arta of omen, or Republic ct No. 9710, which mandates the abolition of all forms of discrimination against women. he State condemns discrimination against women in all its forms and pursues by all appropriate means and without delay the policy of eliminating discrimination against women in eeping with the onvention on the Elimination of ll Forms of iscrimination gainst omen E and other international instruments consistent with Philippine law. he State shall accord women the rights, protection, and opportunities available to every member of society,” hapter 1, Section 2 of the law states. he Shipboard or place ode of onduct of the ruise ines International ssociation I , the world s largest cruise industry trade association with representation in North and South merica, Europe, sia and ustralia, re uires members to adopt a policy of industry-wide commitment to safety, security and fair treatment of crewmembers in the shipboard environment.”

lthough recruitment and employment of seafarers who serve on cruise vessels may be delegated to third parties, the I code re uires members to monitor the activities of these third parties to ensure they comply with obligations under international law. Buck passing. ER Files emailed I to as about the pregnancy tests and other issues. Elinore Boe e, I public affairs director, replied, For specific uestions, you ll need to contact the individual cruise lines. I , as a trade association, does not participate in hiring and compensation of crew.” ER Files also emailed Royal aribbean ruises sia Pte td for comment. ost of the seafarers interviewed have wor ed onboard Royal aribbean and arnival ruise ines. he company s corporate communications manager for Singapore and Southeast sia, hin ing uan, said, y advised that for such uestions it is more appropriate for I to answer them, as an industry. Please indly approach I for the inputs. s long as there is no specific ban on pregnancy test as a re uirement for employment, the practice in the cruise industry will be difficult to curb. ■ Text

and photos by Lucia P. Tangi / VERA Files / June 14, 2015 / 8:58 PM

Man kisses 3-year-old at UAE beach, then curses Filipinos

A Sri Lankan man faced a court in the United Arab Emirates Thursday for allegedly inappropriately kissing a three-year-old boy at a beachside in Jumeirah last April. The man was also accused of cursing Filipinos after the boy’s Filipina babysitter questioned his act, UAE news site ulf News reported Friday. But the Sri Lankan, 49, entered a not guilty plea before the Dubai Court of First

Instance, claiming he was drunk at the time and could not remember what happened. “I am not guilty... I do not remember because I was drunk on the day when the incident happened,” he told presiding judge E at Abdul Lat when the judge asked him. A separate report on Khaleej Times said the Sri Lankan was charged with molestation in the Court of First Instance over the incident last April 1.

Khaleej Times added a verdict is expected on July 9. The Filipina babysitter, 40, told prosecutors the incident occurred while she was accompanying her sponsor’s child. She said the suspect approached them and asked the boy “how are you?” “When he spoke, a stinky smell of liquor came out from him. Obviously he was drunk. Then he asked the boy to go

to him and when the boy did, the suspect kissed him on his lips,” she said. She said she was irritated by his “unacceptable behavior” and asked him why he kissed the boy. “He cursed me and cursed Filipinos. Thereafter I called the police and when they came, I told them that the kiss was an indecent one,” she said. Another Filipina helper who was present at the time added the suspect

report

“sat in front of the boy, who was playing with the sand.” “He kissed the boy on his lips. He also gave the boy a flower,” the helper said. A policeman told prosecutors the incident happened at the open beachside of Jumeirah 1 and said the suspect insisted he kissed the boy “in an innocent manner” and claimed that he “did not mean any harm.” ■ Joel Locsin /

LBG, GMA News / June 12, 2015 / 10:42 AM

Canada’s strict immigration rules hinder Pinay caregiver’s reunion with deaf daughter CANADA has disallowed a deaf Filipina teenager from oining her mother in anada on account of her condition, reports said. report on he Star said anada s itizenship and Immigration had written the teenager s mother, aren alosig, informing her that the teenager was declared medically inadmissible” to go to anada. alosig, who applied for permanent residency in 2010 and who has been in anada since 2007, received the letter in June 2014 from the anadian Embassy in a ati ity stating that her daughter Jazmines health may cause e cessive demand on social services in anada.” Immigration ofﬁcers speculated that alosig s deaf daughter may cost ta payers in anada 91, 00 in health-

related services for ﬁve years. In a report on B News in ay 2014, alosig said her daughter won t be a burden at all” and that she merely wanted to give her a fair future in anada.” I now she s deaf but she s very smart and by the time she s an adult, she ll ta e care of herself. She won t be a burden at all,” she told B . Immigration lawyer atherine Sas e plained that while alosig s case was heartbrea ing,” her status as a temporary immigrant e cludes her from the beneﬁt of having her children e empted from medical inadmissibility. owever, she surmised that immigration may allow Jazmine s migration if alosig could prove that

she can shoulder all the e penses for education and social services of her daughter. ccording to a separate report on he Star, alosig, who wor s

as a caregiver, has yet to receive notiﬁcation from the itizenship and Immigration anada despite a claim on their website that it has already rendered a decision on her

permanent residence application. iami niversity professor Roland Santos oloma told Fusion that alosig s story was not uni ue due to restrictions imposed by anada s conservative government. Ethel unghohan, a niversity of lberta postdoctoral fellow, said these policies play a signiﬁcant role in the declining rates of Filipino migration to the country. aria ictoria enancio, a temporary foreign wor er in anada, also ran afoul of anada s strict rules for being a uadriplegic earlier this year. But while alosig may still stay in anada for wor , enancio may get deported for her inability to renew her visa and ﬁnd employment. ■ Rie Takumi /

KBK, GMA News / June 11, 2015 / 3:57 PM

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June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

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THERE is something about Independence Day that churns up that unmistakable swirl of emotion and passion. Here are pictures from this year’s commemoration of Independence Day. ■ InterAksyon.com / June 12, 2015 / 6:56 PM

Bikers join anti-China rally on Independence Day in Makati City. Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com

President Aquino leading the singing of the National Anthem. Ryan Lim / Malacañang Photo Bureau

President Benigno S. Aquino III receives a warm reception upon arrival for the Commemoration of the 117th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence at the Santa Barbara Plaza in Barangay Zone 2, Santa Barbara, Iloilo City. This year’s theme is “Kalayaan 2015: Tagumpay sa Pagbabagong Nasimulan, Abot-Kamay na ng Bayan.” Also in photo are Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and AFP Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang, Jr. Photographed by Ryan Lim / Malacañang Photo Bureau

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno inspects the honor guard during flag raising and wreath-laying ceremonies at Bonifacio Monument, Caloocan City. Krisken Jones, InterAksyon.com

Actor dressed in Jose Rizal costume awaits his cue for a performance at Tutuban mall. Lester Lopez, InterAksyon.com

President Aquino leads the Independence Day flag raising ceremony in Iloilo City. Also in photo are Senate President Franklin Drilon; House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr.; Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin; and Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II. Photo by Ryan Lim / Malacañang Photo Bureau

Students from different schools in Cavite perform during the Independence day program in Kawit, Cavite. Manny Marcelo, Philippine Star

A mechanized infantry platoon from 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army in column formation participate the 117th Independence day celebration June 12 Friday in Iligan City. The Philippine Army vow to sustain and support the peace keeping efforts in the 44 villages of Iligan City and some towns in Lanao del Norte. (Contributed photo 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion)

Nationalist group P1NAS picket the Chinese Consular office in Makati City. Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com

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Silhouette of the monument of Andres Bonifacio performing the blood compact facing the flag in Tutuban, Tondo, Manila. Lester Lopez, InterAksyon.com

Another scene of the P1NAS rally in front of the Chinese Consular office. Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com

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Di Ka Pasisiil, an anti-China but-Pro-American group, mount a separate rally in front of the Chinese embassy. Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com

Sea of placards at the P1NAS rally in Makati City. Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com

Former Secretary of National Defense and Congressman Roilo Golez leads Di Ka Pasisiil rally. Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com

Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) holds a “family affair” to celebrate the 117th Independence day in front of the Peace Bell in Quezon Circle. Photo from ACTPhilippines

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Former Prime Minister Cesar Virata lead the celebration in Kawit, Cavite. Manny Marcelo, Philippine Star

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June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

Australian talks tackle jihadists’ use of social media SYDNEY - The Islamic State group has “global ambitions” and more must be done to tackle its use of social media for recruitment, representatives of governments and technology giants heard in Australia Thursday. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott told the regional extremism conference it was vital to find ways to stymie the ideology of extremists who are drawing thousands of foreign fighters to Ira and Syria. “You can’t negotiate with an entity li e this, you can only fight it,” he said of Islamic State, to an audience including high-level officials from 30 nations, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Google. “This is not terrorism for a local grievance, this is terrorism with global ambitions,” Abbott said.

“The only really effective defence against terrorism is persuading people that it’s pointless. “We need idealistic young people to appreciate that joining this death cult (IS) is an utterly misguided and wrongheaded way to express their desire to sacriﬁce. ow this is best done is, of course, the work of this conference.” The two-day meeting comes as US President Barack Obama approved the deployment of 4 0 more military trainers to Ira , oining an already 3,100-strong mission in the nation, in a cautious bid to reverse gains by IS. The new contingent will focus on efforts to wrest back control of provincial capital Ramadi after IS, which already controls large swathes of Ira and Syria, seized the predominantly Sunni city near

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said his government will stop the people-smuggling trade “

Baghdad in May. The Sydney gathering follows a similar meeting in Washington in February where Obama said nations had to tackle the root causes driving recruitment to such groups. But the three days of talks did not lead to any concrete plans of measures to be taken. Topics being discussed in Australia include working with social media, industry and civil society groups, combatting terrorist propaganda and the involvement of women and families in any measures. Role of social media. “Terrorists have exploited social media to develop a brand and to flood their target audience with propaganda that casts local conflicts to global audiences, drawing in foreign fighters from every corner of the globe,” Australian Attorney-General George Brandis said in opening remarks. “So over the next two days we will seek to deepen our shared understanding of the drivers that are pushing and pulling our citizens towards extremist ideologies.” e earlier told hannel Nine television that Google, Facebook and Twitter’s attendance showed their commitment in addressing online recruitment. ou are uite right when you say that online recruitment is one of the most rapidly emerging and most dangerous aspects of terrorist recruitment. No doubt at all it is aimed at the young,” he said.

Iraqi Shiite fighters are seen in the city of Baiji, north of Tikrit, as they fight alongside Iraqi forces against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, on June 9, 2015.

“This has been to a large extent an ungoverned space in the past. Increasingly less so, by the way. “I want to stress that Google, Facebook, and Twitter have been very cooperative with governments trying to protect their populations from the use of online and social media as a recruitment tool.” Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said families and friends of those who become radicalised had to be empowered to help counter the extremists’ propaganda tactics. “Daesh (IS) adopts many of the same tactics as online sexual predators, grooming their young targets to not reveal their discussions or their changing beliefs to parents or friends,” she said. “Someone from the same background, faith or socioeconomic

situation listening to them is best placed to understand their motivations and to explain where they’re being misled or manipulated.” Australia, which raised its threat level to high last September and carried out a series of counterterrorism raids, has introduced a set of national security measures including criminalising travel to terror hotspots. It has also boosted funding to police and security agencies and plans to table laws that will strip dual nationals lin ed to terrorism of their citizenship. ore than 100 ustralians are believed to have joined jihadists in the iddle East and at least 30 have been killed. Many others have been recruited from across the sia-Paciﬁc. ■ AFP / June 11, 2015 / 5:46 AM

UN chief wraps Central Asia visit, citing rights fears UNITED Nations eneral Secretary Ban Ki-moon on Saturday warned of a worsening rights situation across Central Asia, as he ended a visit to energy-rich Central Asia in ex-Soviet Turkmenistan. Ban said he “heard concerns about the deterioration of some aspects of human rights -? a shrinking of democratic space”, during his first trip to the region in five years. Speaking to students at an international university in the capital Ashgabat as he received an honorary degree, he said crackdowns on rights could be triggered by “perceived security threats ? in particular, rising concerns about terrorism and violent extremism”. Ban warned however that governments may use such threats “as

a pretext to clamp down on civil society, minorities and human rights defenders.” He said that the failure to respect human rights, promote participation in politics and create equal opportunities “creates gaps... The wider the gaps, the greater the openings for violent extremists.” “I see this phenomenon on the rise in the region and it troubles me greatly,” he said, adding that “democracy in Central Asia can work.” On Friday, Ban had been in U bekistan, where he urged President Islam Karimov to end the practice of forced labour on its cotton plantations and the mistreatment of prisoners in his country. Previously in Tajikistan, Kyrgy stan and Ka akhstan, Ban also met with government officials and civil society representatives. At a Saturday briefing with Turkmen

President urbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Ban asked for concrete steps to improve the country’s rights record, including allowing independent observers to visit prisons. He also urged Ashkhabad to “move towards media pluralism, freedom of expression and access to information, including through social media”. “In every corner of the world, a robust civil society is crucial for national development. I urge the overnment to strengthen its partnership with the nascent civil society in Turkmenistan,” he said. Meanwhile Berdymukhamedov said he discussed with Ban the ongoing conflict in neighbouring Afghanistan, as well as the need to create conditions for “reliable and stable transit of energy resources to world markets”. ■ AFP / June 13, 2015

Ban Ki-moon wears traditional Turkmen dress as he delivers a speech at the University for Humanities

Wichita community pays tribute to slain Fil-Am chef FAMILY, friends, and admirers held a memorial service on Thursday to commemorate the life of FilipinoAmerican chef Tanya Tandoc, who was killed in Wichita on June 5. Local musicians and artists performed for a crowd of 1,200 in the Orpheum Theater, alternating with slideshows of Tandoc’s photographs

and speeches by her family and friends, the Wichita Eagle wrote. Evan Gottstine, her stepson from an ex-husband, said Tondoc taught him “unconditional love and patience” while her restaurant managers Sarah Osborn-Bennet and Kelly Rae Leffel said she had hundreds of restaurantindustry “children” in Wichita.

“Once you met her, you never forgot her. Tanya’s essence was love,” said Pam B or , andoc s ﬁrst employer. Wichita restaurants also honored the chef by either renaming their dishes for her or earmar ing proﬁts or tickets to her family, friends, and restaurant. Eyewitness News reported that

the owner of Tanya’s Soup Kitchen was found dead by authorities in the basement of her home during a welfare check last June 5. Friends of the chef called authorities on June 4 to report that they had been unable to reach her for 24 hours, while others showed concern over her absence at her restaurant.

KAKE News wrote that Curt Mitchell, her roommate, was subse uently arrested on first-degree murder after telling officers that he had “murdered her” in a “crime of passion. itchell mad his first court appearance last June 9 and may be charged sometime this week. ■ Rie Takumi / NB, GMA News / June 12, 2015 / 3:40 PM

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June 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 12 • UK & Europe Edition

As he recovers from shoulder surgery, Manny Pacquiao admits retirement is near BOXING

MANNY Pacquiao made a lowkey return to the Philippines on Wednesday after losing his megafight with Floyd ayweather and said retirement was drawing closer as he recovers from shoulder surgery. Few signs of Pac uiao s earlymorning arrival were visible at anila airport, and he was later welcomed by modest crowds as he paraded the capital on the bac of a flatbed truc . It was very different from previous joyous homecomings for the eight-weight world champion and congressman, whose fights bring the Southeast Asian country to a standstill. A smiling Pacquiao, his right arm supported by a black sling, told reporters he hadn t yet decided on his future after his ay 2 defeat by unanimous decision in Las Vegas.

I will focus ﬁrst on healing my shoulder. After that, I will announce continuing my career or announcing retirement,” Pacquiao said. I m not saying I am going to retire, but it s near. I m already 3 , turning 37 this December.” Pacquiao said it could take six months to recover from the operation on his torn rotator cuff, which he underwent days after what was billed as the Fight of the entury”. The American called Pacquiao a “sore loser” for blaming the injury for his defeat, and the Filipino is facing a law suit which claims he fraudulently concealed the problem. Asked about a possible rematch with ayweather, Pac uiao said I (would) like that. I want that. But my focus right now is my shoulder,

considering that. I am thinking about it. “Our family has no other intention but to help our countrymen. We consider it an obligation.” Pacquiao is not eligible to stand until he reaches the minimum age of 40, ruling him out of the ne t election

osotros added 18 points, including four triples in a big third quarter comeback for the Filipinos. But it was Kiefer Ravena that made the biggest basket of the game, a threepointer with 16.2 seconds left that made it 79-75 for the Philippines. Ravena finished with 12 points in the game. The Philippines got off to a 10-5 start after back-to-back baskets from Rosario but were suddenly stunned by a big Thailand 17-4 rally to close the first. The ilas cadets trailed 22-14 after the opening period but seemed to finally figure things out in the second, with Ravena scoring seven points in a 12-2 run that gave the lead back to the Philippines, 26-24. But gunner Ratdech Kruatiwa, who scored 15 points for Thailand, strung together a couple of three-pointers to spark a 19-5 run that gave Thailand a double-digit advantage, 43-33, at the half. The Philippines turned things around in the third, though. With osotros stretching the floor and Rosario wreaking

havoc inside, the Filipinos patiently chipped away at the lead. osotros knocked down four triples in the period while Rosario scored 10 points, including a big dunk, as the ilas cadets outscored their foes, 26-13, to take a 5956 lead. The fourth quarter saw some tense moments when lenn Khobuntin was ejected from the game after a scuffle with some Thai players. Khobuntin dived onto the floor and a Thai opponent fell on top of him while swinging an elbow that missed. The resulting commotion saw several players get tangled up but it was the Filipinos that were penali ed, with the former NU Bulldog tossed and free throws awarded to the Thais. The game remained close after that but Rosario made some big plays with the game tied in the final minute. He scored off a putback on the ilas cadets’ offensive before drawing a foul on a rebound battle on the other end, which

in 201 , with 2022 li ely to be his first opportunity. But he said his wife s worries over the enormous cost of higher political office both to their ban accounts and to their family was ma ing him cautious. y wife said it s difficult because we are losing time for our children,” Pacquiao said of his wife, Jinkee, with whom he has three sons and two daughters. e ve also been spending millions out of our own pockets to help the poor. e can t ust shoo away people lined up at our door,” he said. Pacquiao is on his second threeyear term in the Philippines ouse of Representatives, representing his wife s home province of Sarangani in the south. ■ AFP / May 13, 2015 / 3:49 PM

Kiefer Ravena hits dagger as ilas cadets survive tough Thailand test, advance to SEA gold medal match

BASKETBALL

THE Philippine national men’s basketball team faced its toughest test in the 2015 Southeast Asian ames falling behind early before coming through in the end to beat Thailand, 8075, in the semifinal round of the men’s basketball competition at the OCBC Arena Hall 1 in Singapore.

The Philippines trailed by as much as 12 points in the first half but found plenty of heroes in the second half as they fought back to hurdle a surprisingly game Thai squad in their semifinal clash. Troy Rosario was brilliant all game long for the ilas cadets, finishing with 27 points and 12 rebounds while Almond

FOOTBALL

my work as a congressman and my family.” ‘I won by two points’. Pacquiao said he had accepted his defeat to ayweather, but after reviewing the fight on video, he believed he won by a slim margin. I reviewed the fight and ept score. I won by two points… But a decision has been made and we have to accept it,” he said. espite the loss, officials still laid on the motorcade around anila, where autographed -shirts and s of Pac uiao s songs were flung to waiting fans. Later, the rags-to-riches “National Fist” was scheduled to pay a courtesy call to President Benigno Aquino. Asked about his own presidential ambitions, Pac uiao said I am

kals stun Bahrain to kick off

E Philippine national men s football team stunned Bahrain with a 2-1 win to open its FIF orld up ualifiers campaign on a high note on Thursday night at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan. idfielder isagh Bahadoran, who came in as a substitute to replace the hobbled Azkals star Stephan Schrock, and striker Javier Patino buried goals in the second half to propel the 127th-ran ed z als past the 10 th-ran ed Bahrain, a s uad they had not defeated in their past two friendly meetings. The win also gave the Azkals three points and the early lead in roup of the ualifiers. wo teams battled in a tight first half where the taller Bahrain side got initial looks on offense.

he converted into a split from the free throw line to make it, 76-73, for the Philippines with 43.5 seconds remaining. The Thais scored on the other end but Ravena nailed the dagger with a big three-pointer with 16.2 second left on the clock, making it a two-possession game. It was the closest contest for the Philippines in the tournament after winning their preliminary round games by 29. 52 and 105 points. The scores: ilas cadets (80) – Rosario 27, osotros 18, Ravena 12, Ferrer 7, Khobuntin 5, Douthit 4, Belo 4, Amer 3, Thompson 0, Torres 0, Jalalon 0. Thailand (75) – Kruatiwa 15, Muangboon 15, Dasom 12, Apiromvilaichai 11, hogar 9, Samerjai 7, Chanthachon 4, Kongkum 2, Klahan 0, Lertmalaiporn 0. uarterscores 14-22, 33-43, 59-56, 80-75. ■ InterAksyon.com / June 14, 2015 /

7:47 PM

World up qualiﬁers campaign

The Azkals suffered a huge blow when star player Schrock was hurt at the 24th minute and was forced to leave the game. e was replaced by Bahadoran who turned things around for the z als after opening the floodgates in the second half. Five minutes after the brea , he received a nice cross from Phil Younghusband, playing in the midfield, from the left flan . he Filipino-Iranian then slotted in a onefooted flic right in front of the goal to put the Filipinos ahead, 1-nil. A bizarre sequence then happened as players from both sides, after the match turned physical, got involved in a heated commotion which saw a Bahraini player fake a hit by an Azkal that the referee didn t bite.

The Azkals got some measure revenge though, as Patino drilled a rebound goal at the 59th minute after saving a deflected pass by new recruit Iain Ramsay intended to Bahadoran. Bahadoran almost tripled the z als lead at the 7 th minute but his header went wide off the post. The Azkals then held their ground for the majority of the game before yielding a goal to l alood bdulwahad in injury time. owever, that wasn t enough for Bahrain to overcome its deficit as the Azkals came away with the victory before no less than ,000 fans who trooped to the stadium. It was the first win of the z als against Bahrain after earlier settling for a scoreless draw in 2012 and a 2-1 loss ust last arch.

The Azkals will next face the ht-ran ed emen on June 1

in Qatar. 9:55 PM

■ InterAksyon.com / June 11, 2015 /

sport ©AFP

BOXING

As he recovers from shoulder surgery, Manny Pacquiao admits retirement is near Story on page 38

Kiefer Ravena hits dagger as Azkals stun Bahrain to kick off FIFA Gilas cadets survive tough Thailand test, advance to World Cup qualifiers campaign SEAG gold medal match Story on page 38

Story on page 38

Boxers deliver 5 golds for Philippines on productive SEA Games day THE Philippines’ boxers added to the country’s medal haul on Wednesday with Josie Gabuco, Mario Fernandez, Ian Clark Bautista, Junel Cantancio and Eumir Marcial clinching golds and compatriots Nesthy Petecio, Irish Magno and Rogen Ladon notching silvers in their respective divisions in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games. he 28-year-old abuco ruled the women s light flyweight (45-48 kg) division after three successive victories in the competition. She defeated Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat in the finals after defeating foes from Singapore and Indonesia to reach the medal round. On the men’s side, Fernandez and Marcial both won the gold in impressive fashion. Fernandez won over his foe from Thailand by TKO in the second round of the men’s bantamweight (56 kg) final while arcial noc ed out his Singaporean opponent in the men’s welterweight (69 kg). Bautista edged a hometown Singaporean in the men’s flyweight 2 g while antancio won the men s lightweight (60 kg) after topping a Vietnamese rival. adon fell in the men s flyweight final to pic up a silver medal. Petecio finished second in the bantamweight 4 g division while agno was runner-up in the flyweight class 1 kg). Both fell to Vietnamese opponents in their respective gold medal matches. ■ InterAksyon.com / June 10, 2015 / 4:57 PM