Planet Philippines (Calgary Edition) November 16-30, 2011 Issue by Pinoy News and Media

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BY MARIA ALETA NISHIMORI APIAS BANADOS has been an overseas Filipino worker for 16 years now. The 39-year old OFW count herself lucky as she is able to translate her years of hard work into worthwhile investments. “Mayroon na din akong naipundar. May farm ako mina-manage ng sister ko. May traktor ako at bumili din ako ng multicab para may service,” said Banados. Despite having a solid investment, Banados said the idea of retiring hasn’t crossed her mind yet. “Maliban lang siguro kung pagod na pagod na ako,” she said. But that is not the case for this OFW who works as

Oftentimes, the woman is forced to go abroad to support a growing family, thus the need for family planning.

‘OFWS ARE NOT ATMS’ PLANET

PHILIPPINES

There are three pressing issues that confront overseas Filipino workers: the exorbitant placement fees charged to OFWs by recruitment agencies; the demand by relatives of OFWs for more money; and unwanted pregnancies that seem to be driving women to go overseas to work.

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taken on a new challenge, a bigger responsibility by writing a book about the bittersweet experiences of fellow OFWs not just in Singapore, but around the world.

Hidden issues of OFWs

The book tells of the hidden issues experienced by OFWs. a housekeeper in Singapore. She said her employers are almost always away. “If I want to go out I’m free to do so,” she said. Although thinking about her children further encourages her to work hard for their future, Banados has nothing else to worry about. That is why she has

Banados, with the help of a good friend who is also her publisher, Sri Lankan Dr. Kalinga Seneviratne, was able to release a book titled The Path to Remittances: Tales of Pains and Gains of Overseas Filipino Workers. It is a collection of 20 short stories of OFWs, including her own. “This book is about the real stories of OFWs,” said Banados. “I wrote this book because I want to bring to the attention of both Filipinos and foreigners some of the hidden issues of experienced by OFWs. She said the book hopes to bring out three pressing issues that confront Filipino workers around the world—the exorbitant placement fees charged to OFWs by recruitment agencies; the demand by relatives of OFWs for

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more money; and unwanted pregnancies that seem to be driving women to go overseas to work. She said recruitment agencies charge OFWs with high fees. They often deduct payment for the placement fees and airfare from the workers’ salaries so that the OFW sometimes doesn’t get paid for about seven months. “I don’t understand why they charge OFWs with such a large fee especially now we have budget airlines,” she said. She also complained that while recruitment agencies take advantage of OFWs, they make their presence scarce when it comes to helping workers in distress. She added that she has many friends in Singapore who have experienced this. “We are hoping someone would help us solve this problem. I hope that by writing this book I could make a contribution to pressure government authorities to do something more practical to stop this exploitation of OFWs by agencies.

Not milking cows

Working overseas, and away from the family, is very difﬁcult. However, working abroad doesn’t mean that they are also paid more. While their families are proud of them to be working overseas

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From the regular remittances an OFW sends home, some relatives still ask for more money to pay for household utilities. in the hopes of improving their quality of life, many OFWs could not help but feel as though their relatives treat them like ATMs or Automated Teller Machines— where they can withdraw money anytime they please. “Most of my friends always complain about their mothers, fathers, uncles, sisters, or cousins, because if they have like ﬁestas, they would call and request their family member who works overseas to send more money. But it’s not easy,” she said. From the regular remittances an OFW sends home, some relatives still ask for more money to pay for household utilities. “Many borrow money because they don’t want to see that they

OFWs complain about the high fees charged by labor recruiters, who disappear when the workers are in distress. don’t have money. I am abroad and they are proud of me, so they borrow money from other Filipino overseas workers. Some of them have foreign boyfriends whom they ask money from,” she said.

Pains of overseas job

She hopes that through the book, families would realize the pains they had to go through just to earn money to send home. “I also like family members of OFWs to read this book for them to realize the difﬁculties we go through with sending money

back home,” she explained. Her publisher also echoes her sentiments. Seneviratne said, “The family should also realize that OFWs, especially girls who work as maids, don’t earn that much and there are limitation and that they go through a lot of pains to send that money”. As for unwanted pregnancies, Banados said the book has a number of stories on that topic. Oftentimes, the woman is forced to go abroad to support the growing family. “I hope President Aquino will be successful in getting a new

NOVEMBER 16-30, 2011

legislation that would encourage better family planning,” she said. For Caridad Sri Tharan of the Miriam College, the book is “a very powerful tool for advocacy” because it’s the voices of migrant workers. “The book is not just about remittance. It’s really the story, the day to day story about the lives of our migrant workers. Hindi naman bago yung mga problems na sinsabi sa libro. There is no end to this so long as migration is with us there will be no end to the stories - the stories of the lives of the migrant workers, their children and their families,” she said. Andrea Anolin, Executive Director of the Batis Center for Women, said OFWs often say that they want to help their family by working abroad. “But when we read the book, we realize that having a good quality of life is not an automatic phenomenon. It is something that should be planned,” Anolin said. Banados urged media to not only focus their reporting on how much remittances they have sent home. She said journalists should also report about the hardships, challenges that they go through to remit money back to their relatives in the Philippines. “I hope you will give us, OFWs, a voice,” she said. (abs-cbnNEWS.com) n

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PHILIPPINES

BY LAWRENCE OSBORNE

Newsweek

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Is there anything in the world that Manny can’t do?

O CALL Manny Pacquiao a “boxer” is one of those descriptions that don’t quite fly, like calling Mahatma Gandhi a “Hindu lawyer.” The pound-forpound greatest fighter on earth has begun to move beyond his bloody sport in increasingly unpredictable ways. In the Philippines, where he was born into abject poverty, the WBO welterweight champion is an almost religious figure, whose following is ecstatically cult-like. In America, he is “Pacman”—the idol of Las Vegas mega-fights, the Bruce Lee of Marquess of Queensberry boxing: tiny, furious, and lethal. “Manny Pacquiao,” Mike Tyson has said, “is a phenomenon.” No argument there: ESPN

PACQUIAO THE GODFATHER

ranked him tied for first among the world’s highest-salaried athletes this year. Pacquiao’s fights are not ordinary fights. His battles with Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, and Shane Mosley, his seesaws with Erik Morales and Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez— against whom he will fight, for the third time, on Nov. 12 in (where else) Vegas—showcased a mortal intensity without equal. Against De La Hoya, few expected an easy fight for the Filipino. Pacquiao, however, dominated the larger man with his precision and speed. It was ironic, in a way: Pacquiao had burst onto the American scene in 2001 on a De La Hoya undercard. Then unknown, he was brought in as a late substitute for Enrique Sanchez in an IBF super-bantamweight title fight at 122 pounds against South African champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba. Pacquiao was 32–2, but no one really knew who he was. (George Foreman, commentating, repeatedly mispronounced his name.) After a rampant Pacquiao overwhelmed Ledwaba, however, Larry Merchant stated that “Ledwaba came in here with a chance to be a star but it looks like Pacquiao may go out being the real star.” But it was not until November 2003 that Pacquiao became a true American superstar, with an 11th-round stoppage of the menacing Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera for the featherweight title. Moving up in weight, Pacquiao si-

This is a society which looks for heroes. Most people are poor, in extreme desperation. Manny is a symbol of hope. His level of global fame has never happened before, and it will never happen again. He might be president one day. -Franklin Gacal, one of Pacquiao’s closest advisers.

lenced his skeptics and expanded his celebrity beyond Asia. He was now a champion in three weight divisions, and six months later he fought a classic war against Mexican WBA featherweight champion Marquez. The fight, a draw, was the greatest fight of 2004. In 2005 he moved up to super featherweight at 130 pounds and fought Morales for the vacant WBC title. He lost a decision, but won the title later that year from Hector Velasquez. The following year, he knocked Morales out in a rematch. Pacquiao fought Marquez again in 2008 and won a decision, and that same year moved up to lightweight to win the WBC title against David Diaz. It was just after this that he fought De La Hoya at welterweight, that is, at 147 pounds. The Filipino was racing through weight classes as if they didn’t matter. In 2009 he destroyed the Briton Ricky Hatton to win the IBO lightwelterweight title. There seemed to be no one left to fight. Indeed, although he faces Marquez again in a few days, many feel his true rival is American Floyd Mayweather Jr., the other pound-for-pound superstar whose camp has long accused

Manny greets fans in Las Vegas. Pacquiao of taking steroids and avoiding blood tests in order not to fight their man. Pacquiao-Mayweather would be the biggest fight in boxing. This dream fight may or may not happen, but in any case the eight-time world champion is gravitating toward an altogether different career. In 2010 Pacquiao, now 33, was elected to the Philippines Congress, representing the impoverished district of Sarangani, where he lived as a small boy. Sarangani and nearby Gen-

eral Santos are Pacquiao’s roots. He left there at 14 to ﬁnd his boxing fortune on the mean streets of Manila, but he has always returned to Mindanao island to fulﬁll his fervent Catholicism, to give some of his millions back to the poor. In doing so, he has made himself into a kind of sacral celebrity, while blossoming, at the same time, into a golden franchise. He has his own fashion lines, his own cologne even (called MP8 after his eight titles held in eight different weight classes).

From department-store ads and peeling lottery booths his halfsmile beams down like the face of a mass-reproduced saint. He is Pambansang Kamao, the “National Fist.” This religious aura is fitting since Pacquiao himself is intensely devout. After successful fights, which is to say all his fights, he returns to the church of the Black Nazarene in Manila neighborhood and prays. The Black Nazarenes are a sect who worship an image of Christ that was burned black during a voyage from Mexico to the islands in a galleon that caught fire in 1606. Ironically, then, it is foolish to fly to Manila to try to meet Manny Pacquiao. As one of his aides mentioned to me, “It’s like trying to get lunch with Jesus Christ.” Nevertheless I went. I first met him at Manila’s international airport during a downpour, where he had arrived to star in his own TV show, Manny Many Prizes, which airs live every Saturday at 6 p.m. He came out of the arrivals hall with a glassy intensity, instantly mobbed by a crowd caught unawares. But in a moment he was gone, whisked away into a police convoy and a Land Cruiser with a congressional number plate. If I had amputated my hand, which had just shaken Pacquiao’s, I could probably have sold it to souvenir hunters. Chasing Pacquiao around Manila requires nerve. In typhoon rain we tore after him at high speed. This was so that we could enter the Cuneta Astrodome stadium with Pacman. The rehearsals for that night’s show would take all afternoon, and by joining his entourage I could sit around in the dressing rooms and see how he operated among his people. Reclined on a sofa in white socks, D&G sneakers, and a loud Hermès belt, the great man had his legs massaged and neck cradled while a stream of butterfly TV stars came in and out of the spartan rooms to pay court. Pacquiao seemed to enjoy the fact that Manny Many Prizes was his show, a live audience lottery where 4,000 people would hold up numbers and be randomly chosen to receive cash prizes provided by him. It was “giving back.” During rehearsals that afternoon Pacquiao went to the band’s piano and played the chords of Let It Be. Later, he played the guitar and sang. It is important to be a Renaissance man if you are the National Fist. One of Pacquiao’s closest advisers is the lawyer Franklin Gacal, who hovers with a wan smile around Pacman’s business dealings. “This is a society,” Gacal told me over a drink, “which looks for heroes. Most people are poor, in extreme desperation. Manny is a symbol of hope. His level of global fame has never happened before,

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and it will never happen again. He might be president one day.” The show that night was like a revivalist meeting. The audience had traveled great distances to see their idol in the flesh, and many had camped all night in the street. They sat in the stalls waving their bright-red number cards, swaying, chanting, singing along. After the cheerleader routines, Pacman finally appeared in an orgy of dry ice and confetti, rising from the depths of the stage like a god in jeans. He danced, a compact John Travolta. When he shouted into the microphone to ask what his audience wanted, they cried back “Transportation money!”— to cover travel costs to come to the show. I heard shouts of ninong – godfather -and soon this word became a chant. “Whatever you need, my people, I am listening,” he responded. “Just tell me.” And he walked to the box holding the winning numbers. “You can all join in,” he said, glancing at me for a moment, “except the American.” And I, the lone white man, had to take a bow. Onto the stage came the tearful winners: toothless crones, the sick, and the impoverished. Pacquiao interviewed them. Inevitably, an elderly woman who sells rice cakes and takes in laundry to make ends meet made him think of his mother, who did the same when he was a boy. Growing serious, he suddenly increased the prize by 100,000 pesos. Retainers filed in with gleaming cookware, a new bike, clips of cash. The audience cried “Ninong!” and the contestants wept, hysterically. After the show Pacquiao decided to do what he often does after midnight: play competitive pool. We decamped to the Pan Pacific in central Manila. At the top of the hotel lies a pool hall and a VIP room where he likes to unwind on black-leather sofas. As soon as Pacquiao was at the pool table the inevitable crowd had gathered, and he pitted himself against pool champion Efren “Bata” Reyes, a man impossible to beat but against whom Pacman likes to bet money. Bata sank every ball. A hush descended upon the onlookers. Pacquiao’s magnetism is remarkable. The crowd would stay there all night, until Pacman went to bed at dawn. He would rise three hours later and take a two-hour flight to General Santos. No one could figure out when he ever slept. General Santos is the “tuna capital of the world,” a laid-back city of 700,000 with a vibrant gay scene and excellent sushi. The huge island of Mindanao, meanwhile, whose southern coast it dominates, has been the scene of a gruelling Islamic insurgency. That very week five Filipino Marines had been killed in an ambush and decapitated. The following morning, far

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Manny, wife Jinkee and their four children.

The congressman distributes government assistance to poor constituents. in spirit from such horrors, Pacquiao was breaking the ground of a new hospital in Sarangani that he was partially funding. The event was in a stiﬂing tent with a stage ﬁlled with eminent surgeons. His wife was there, Maria Geraldine “Jinkee” Jamora, the mother of his four children and a native of Sarangani. Jinkee and Manny are the premiere power couple of the Philippines, media royalty. Together they own a hotel, fashion stores, a coffee shop in General Santos, a gas station, and numerous opulent mansions. The daughter of impoverished farmers, Jinkee is now as famous locally as Manny. She later told me that she met Pacquiao at a Pond’s beauty parlor where she worked when they were in their teens and that he’d won her over during a long courtship. “He sent me cards!” Her uncle was involved in training the young boxer and had helped convince her that Manny was serious and devout. In the heat of a tropical morning, a neatly chic Pacquiao now stood before the crowd and quoted Thomas Edison. “Vision without execution

is hallucination!” The doctors applauded, a little confusedly. After the ground had been ceremonially broken he was whisked away in the usual convoy. Before meeting him later that night at his mansion in General Santos I drove to Glan, the seaside village where he grew up. A gray sand beach, little peeling mosques, and houses of woven bamboo. In the tiny Jose A H Young Elementary School I was shown the classroom where the boy was forced to sit in a row reserved for bullies and dunces. The airless room was filled with tots and when asked who Pacquiao was they all stood up and made tiny fists. A teacher, Gina Inquito, remembered him as a boy with no shoes. “He was a troublemaker, but one has to remember he was sleeping on pieces of cardboard and living on rice porridge. They were living on roots. He was fishing with nets just to eat.” That night, at Mansion No. 1 in General Santos, I was struck by how serene his sprawling household felt. Near the high walls, not a soul. The security man walked

“It’s not easy to balance boxing with politics and all the other stuff. Eventually, I will have to choose.” me into the compound past a large pool in the shape of a boxing glove. In the garden sat three merry bruisers: his first trainer; an old sparring partner and lifelong friend; and the new instructor who was teaching the Pacquiao family the mysteries of recreational diving. One reminisced that Pacquiao used to earn 300 pesos a fight, another how he’d not seen anything special about the young Pacquiao. “He had power, but I didn’t see a future world champion.” We were ushered into a long room lined with photographs of Pacquiao’s fights, including the knockout of poor Ricky Hatton. There was a bar at one end of the room stocked with Domecq 2000 and Johnny Walker Blue Label. Exercise equipment stood in a corner. It was comfortable rather than luxurious, a place for small gatherings and life with a live-in entourage. Pacquiao entered in a striped T-shirt and Levi’s, his hair shellacked. I asked him about his diving. Relaxing immediately and nudging me, he said, “What’s better than diving? Beautiful and dangerous, like boxing. I’m all alone down there, like being in the ring.” I noticed at once how controlled and delicate he seemed, a man sure of his physi-

NOVEMBER 16-30, 2011

cal movements. His diving was just as poised, to judge by a video we watched. What did Filipinos mean when they called him ninong? “It’s like being the parent of the whole Filipino people. I fulfill all my promises, unlike most politicians in this country. Did you enjoy the hospital ceremony this morning? Sarangani, the place I grew up, doesn’t even have a hospital, not even one—500,000 people and no hospital. So I built a hospital. Remember, I don’t need to enter politics. I have all the money I need. I could just be enjoying myself. But I have a duty to the people. I want to set the new example, to change the Philippines.” It seems likely that Pacquiao will run for governor of Mindanao and enter the Senate, as he says, by 2016. I asked him if he would run for president. Laughter and slapping of thighs, but a twinkle in the eye that suggested, why not? “You know,” he went on, “it’s not easy to balance boxing with politics and all the other stuff. Eventually, I will have to choose. I am fighting Marquez again, but after that there is only Mayweather and who knows if that will happen.” I then asked him what his most satisfying fight had been. “Oscar De La Hoya, without question. It was so important for me to beat De La Hoya. I studied him from top to bottom and figured him out. It was a sweet victory.” Pacquiao talked a little about Tyson. I knew they were acquaintances, friends even, and I wondered if he saw a similarity in their personal stories. “Yes, in some ways. But he did drugs. I still think he is a great man.” Unlike Tyson, Pacquiao also has his Catholic faith and political career. He prays eight times a day and feeds the poor. There is something charming about his giggles and very Asian quietness of voice. The greatest fighters are cool and methodical, and their rage is a purely mental efficiency. Their brutality is not emotional. They are masters of control. Why should they not make admirable politicians? Later that night we went karaoke singing at Jinkee’s night club, the J’Mix. As the entourage boozed and sang, Pacquiao went calmly down to the first floor of the mall to play a pool tournament. I went with him and stood behind the glass windows of the pool hall with the crowd. He won 1.8 million pesos by outplaying the others. Under those white strip lights, solitary within a crowd, unprotected and accessible, he seemed in his element. (Cover story of the Philippine and Latin American editions of Newsweek, dated Nov. 7, 2011; carried also in the magazine’s European and Asian editions.) n

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28 PHILIPPINES

Calgary Edition

CELEBR TY RUFFA BARES JOHN LLOYD’S DRINKING PROBLEM

RUFFA Gutierrez’s “tell-all” revelations about her previous relationship with John Lloyd Cruz and the reason for their breakup sent shockwaves in the showbiz world. In an interview with co-host Mo Twister on TV5’s entertainment show Paparazzi last Nov. 6, Ruffa said that the ﬁnal straw that led her to end their secret year-long affair was John Lloyd’s drinking problem. With this startling revelation, many observers are wondering how it would affect the matinée idol’s career, particularly his numerous product endorsements – from a headache pill to pizza to shampoo. (See related item in this section.) Ruffa said she and Lloyd became a couple in March 2009 after they met on the set of ABS-CBN’s show Betty La Fea in 2008. She said she broke up with John Lloyd in February 2010. Asked what caused their breakup, Ruffa said: “Alam mo yung pa-

giging babaero niya, siguro second na lang yun, e. Pero let’s ﬁrst go to the problem na sinabi niya sa akin na ayun, ‘Hindi mo magugustuhan pag nakilala mo na ako,’ and I said ano yun?’ Then sinabi nga niya sa akin na ‘I drink a lot, hapon pa lang minsan umiinom na ako.’” She continued: “And of course coming from a relationship so volatile [and] abusive, ang sagot ko sa kanya, ‘You can drink all you want till you turn blue, I don’t care.’ Pero naging problema yun, kasi there were times na we would go out, bigla na lang siya nakakatulog. Binubuhat siya palabas ng club, siyempre nahihiya naman ako. So that was our main problem.” John Lloyd subsequently got involved with Shaina Magdayao. There are unconﬁrmed reports that the two have split after a quarrel as a result of Shaina sending “nasty” text messages to Ruffa in October. Ruffa maintains she is not

IS SHARON THROUGH WITH ABS-CBN?

JOHN LLOYD “relationship-wrecker” and assures Shaina that “she has nothing to worry about.” Shaina left for the US last Oct. 26. She and John Lloyd have remained mum about the status of their relationship.

THE persistent rumor that Sharon Cuneta is leaving ABS-CBN for TV5 resurfaced after the last taping day on Nov. 5 of the Megastar’s Christmas special for her lifestyle show, Sharon At Home. The Christmas special will be shown on Dec. 17 on Lifestyle Network, a cable channel owned by ABS-CBN. Sharon’s other TV show on ABS-CBN, Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition, aired its last episode on Oct. 8. Meanwhile, the reality singing contest that she hosts, Star Power: Sharon’s Search for the Next Female Pop Superstar, won’t have a second season. The network has not announced any new show for the Megastar. Sharon’s contract with ABS-CBN expires in January 2012. The actress-singer has been a Kapamilya since 1997. It was last September when

SHARON the rumor of her transfer to TV5 ﬁrst surfaced. Sharon said then, “At this point in my career, I don’t see yet any reason to leave ABSCBN. I love Ma’am Charo [SantosConcio, ABS-CBN president and COO] very much.” But she added that she was open to listening to any offers that would open up more opportunities for her. One of her managers, Vic del Rosario, is close to TV5 executives, bolstering the suspicion that something is cooking.

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PHILIPPINES

NOVEMBER 16-30, 2011

CELEBRITYFILES

PIOLO: KC AND I ARE GOOD PIOLO Pascual insists that his relationship with KC Concepcion is fine despite rumors of their breakup. “We are good. We are just looking forward to the show tomorrow. It’s been a while since I performed here in San Francisco. I’m excited for the show,” Piolo told ABS-CBN News last Nov. 7. Piolo and KC were in San Francisco for a concert. They recently performed in shows in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. After the San Francisco show, Piolo will return to Manila to start filming his new drama series, Padre de Pamilya. It will be recalled that KC hurriedly left for Europe early last month amid reports that she had broken up with Piolo. In an interview before her departure, KC said that she’s going abroad to find herself again. “Kailangan ko lang ng oras para sa sarili ko,” she said. Without giving details, KC said that a lot of things happened to her life and that she’s going to Europe to take a break. Asked then if Piolo knew about her trip, she replied, “Hindi ko alam.” Since then, nothing was heard from the couple. Even KC’s mom, Sharon Cuneta, who had been very vocal about her support for her daughter, has remained quiet on the matter.

PHIL & ANGEL

ANGEL DECLARES LOVE FOR PHIL PIOLO & KC

LUIS: SOMEONE’S OUT TO RUIN JENNYLYN

JENNYLYN

LUIS Manzano rushed to Jennylyn Mercado’s defense after another rumor linked her to Paolo Contis, her co-star in the recently concluded soap Futbolilits. The rumor came amid reports that Paolo and his livein partner, Lian Paz, are feuding. “I’m not sure kung sino ang may pakana, but obviously someone wants to bring her down,” he said. “Alam ko kung papaano sila, dahil kahit ako, pumunta ako sa set ng Futbolilits. Dumalaw ako dun at kasama ko sa table sila Paolo. Kung sinasabi nga nila ‘something-something,’ bakit pa ako papupuntahin ni Jen? Common sense naman.” He shrugged of the rumor, saying, “Ganun naman talaga. Sabi ko nga, yung mga ganung tao, hindi na magbabago yun. . . Ang sa akin, it’s pretty obvious that someone likes to ruin her, to get her name sa mga nali-link sa kanya. I’m not sure kung

ano ang intensiyon. But, unfortunately, may mga tao kasi talagang walang magawa.” Earlier there were reports naming Jennylyn as the alleged third party involved in the marital woes of Claudine Barretto and Raymart Santiago. The couple issued a statement denying the report. As to the status of his relationship with Jennylyn, Luis said, “I am happier than ever. Kumbaga, things fell into place, hindi na fallen.”

IT’S A BOY FOR REGINE AND OGIE REGINE Velasquez gave birth to a baby boy on Nov. 8 at an undisclosed hospital. The baby weighed only 4.4 lbs. when he was delivered by Caesarian Section. ‘The baby was light because he wasn’t due to come out yet,” Regine’s husband, Ogie Alcasid said in a text message to the media. “However, Dr. Lilibeth Genuino decided to do a Caesarian Section because Reg’s amniotic ﬂuid was low and her blood sugar was quite high due to gestational diabetes.” The couple chose to name their son Nathaniel James. “Nathaniel kasi [it] means gift of God, yung naisip naming nickname is Nate, parang ang pogi, no,” Ogie said.

REGINE & OGIE

AFTER months of dating Phil Younghusband of the Philippine Azkals, Angel Locsin ﬁnally admitted that she is in love with the Filipino-British football player. “Hindi ko alam pero kami ay dalawang taong in love. Iyun kami ngayon. Pero relasyon? Ayun, dalawang in love na tao,” she said in an interview with The Buzz on Nov. 13. “Recently, ibang level na siya compared sa dating getting to know. Iba na ngayon. And nakikita niyo may picture ako sa kanya, may picture siya kasama ako,” she added. Angel, however, did not conﬁrm

if Phil is already her boyfriend. “Kapag tinanong ako ni Phil sasagutin ko kayo, pero sa akin kasi title lang ‘yon. Ang importante ‘yung happiness na nararamdaman ko kapag kasama ko siya, hindi mapapantayan ng kahit anong title. Wala kaming ‘O eto, ganito tayo, ganon, ganyan.’ Siguro kapag nagdaan ‘yung panahon masarap ‘yung feeling. Try n’yo,” she said. In a separate interview, Phil said, “We’re happy. We’re very happy... We’re enjoyin’ each other’s company. I wanna spend as much time with Angel as possible. . . I want to have a future with Angel.”

PLANET

NOVEMBER 16-30, 2011

30 PHILIPPINES

Calgary Edition

CELEBRITYFILES

CLAUDINE, RAYMART CLAIM THEY’RE STILL TOGETHER

CHARICE FAMILY RECONCILES AFTER DAD’S SLAY THE family of international singing sensation Charice Pempengco reconciled last Nov. 2 during the wake of her father, who was stabbed to death on Oct. 31 near his house in San Pedro, Laguna. Russell Mejia, Charice’s aunt, said the death of Ricky Pempengco, Charice’s estranged father, paved the way for the family to “unite.” “Sa ngayon, naging maganda kasi, nagkaisa kaming magpamilya. ‘Yung side ni Charice, ‘yung side namin, nagkaisa dahil sa kanya [Mr. Pempengco],” said Mejia, younger sister of the victim. For her part, Charice said through her Twitter page that she had always wanted to visit her father while he was alive. She said her father’s siblings did not allow her to do so, even telling her not to use his surname. The 19-year-old singer was only three when her parents separated. Charice hurriedly left her concert in Singapore and

RAYMART & CLAUDINE “WE are still together, we have not separated.” That’s the claim of Claudine Barretto and Raymart Santiago in a joint statement a few days after the couple’s money in the bank was

found “missing.” The couple, however, did not mention the “missing money,” reportedly amounting to P5 million, in their statement nor did they cite any marital problems as alleged in media reports. The separation rumor, which has been going around for many months now, was bolstered when Claudine was seen on television crying inside a bank last Oct. 25 when she was told that the money in her joint account with Raymart had already been withdrawn.

The couple has remained mum about the bank incident. Showbiz insiders insist the couple’s marriage is in trouble. Entertainment columnist Ricky Lo, who said the couple had been separated for two months before the incident, commented: “. . . sources also said that the couple are trying to ‘iron things out’ through their lawyers. If nothing is wrong, what is there ‘to iron out?’ These past months, Claudine and Raymart were said to be having domestic troubles.”

NORA INKS 3-YEAR CONTRACT WITH TV5 CHARICE ﬂew to Manila last Nov. 2. In a statement upon her arrival, she said, “Whatever happened in the past, siya pa rin ‘yung daddy ko. I don’t know how I’m going to move on,” she said.

NORA Aunor signed a three-year guaranteed contract with TV5 to do television programs and special shows as well as movies with the network’s sister ﬁrm, Studio 5-Cinemabuhay. The Original Superstar could not contain her emotions and broke down after the signing ceremony. “Hindi ako makapagsalita,” she said. “Kasi, yung suporta [ng TV5 management], ngayon ko talaga nakita. ‘Di ba, pag mga singkuwenta anyos ka na, kahit anong gawin mo, dumarating yung time na... ‘wala na?’ Pero sa kanila kasi, nandun pa ring yung pagtitiwala nila. Sa kanila ko lang naramdaman yun. ‘Tsaka nakakausap ko sila [manage-

NORA ment]. Sa iba, ang dami mong dadaanan. Kahit na makausap mo, kung ano yung pinag-usapan ninyo, hindi nila susundin.“

She added: “Ngayon lang sa akin nangyari ito. Ngayon lang ako nabigyan ng [ganitong] importansiya at respeto. Kaya ngayon ko nakikita yung nangyayari sa Amerika, sa ibang bansa, na habang nagkaka-edad ka, mas lalo kang nirerespeto, bilang artista.” Nora’s ﬁrst project with TV5 was the recently concluded month-long mini-series, Sa Ngalan Ng Ina. Jo Ann Bañaga, TV5 unit head, said Nora can look to busy years ahead. “May mga pelikula. May soap opera din,” she said. Some of the TV projects lined up include a drama anthology and a reality show for new singers where Nora will appear as singing coach. After her throat surgery to repair her singing voice, Nora will do recording and concerts.

ENCHONG & ERICH: JUST FRIENDS DESPITE HAVING undeniable chemistry on-screen, the popular young stars of the hit soap Maria La Del Barrio state that life does not imitate art. “Siguro naging kultura na sa mga teleserye ng mga Pilipino na kapag love team kayo, automatic na magiging kayo or magkakaroon kayo ng relasyon,” says male lead Enchong Dee. He acknowledges the strength of his loveteam with co-lead Erich Gonzales, but says that it’s strictly about the work and doing one’s best. “Kahit na we’re two entities na magkahiwalay, but together, so powerful ‘yung tandem but at the same time, we can be apart. So meron kaming kanya-kanyang paths na tini-take, but when we’re together, we work as a team. We work as professionals.” He didn’t mean to lead fans on, he adds, stating that their status as “just friends” hasn’t changed since day one. “From the start po talaga, whatever it is sa aming dalawa, it’s really friendship. And yung love, secondary or not even tertiary for us,” he says.

ERICH & ENCHONG However, just because they’re not in love with one another doesn’t mean that they’re not involved with others. Enchong had admitted, but not elaborated upon, his admiration for young actress Julia Montes. Erich, meanwhile, says that someone from outside the industry is courting her. Despite letting down a segment of their fans that hoped their palpable on-screen romance would translate off-screen, both are still very thankful for the support. “Sinusuportahan pa rin po kami ng mga fans namin yung love team namin and yung individual projects naming kahit na hindi kami together in real life. Hangga’t sa gusto po nila kami, susuklian po namin yun to make them happy. Hangga’t gusto po nila kami together, andito po kami,” says Erich.

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Danica May Camacho, born on Oct. 30, is the world’s symbolic seven billionth baby. BY JOCELYN R. UY

S SOON as the three pregnant mothers were wheeled one after the other into the delivery room, a group of well-wishers lit a pink candle atop a big chocolate birthday cake. Five minutes before midnight on Oct. 30, the Philippines welcomed tiny Danica May as the world’s symbolic “seven billionth” baby. Other countries across the globe marked similar milestones with their own newborn infants. Amid the millions of births and deaths around the world each day, it is impossible to pinpoint the arrival of the globe’s seven billionth occupant. But the UN chose Monday, Oct. 31 to mark the day with a string of festivities worldwide. The Philippines was one of the ﬁrst countries to declare a seven billionth baby—represented by Danica. Ripples of excitement swept through the crammed Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila as thrilled well-wishers congratulated Danica’s parents, 23-year-old Camille Galura and Florante Camacho. As the symbolic seven billionth inhabitant of the world, Danica also received, aside from the birthday cake, a gift box wrapped in blue, a ﬁnancial package to help her parents open a general store, a college scholarship grant and health insurance.

Uphill battle

Earlier, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the world’s seven billionth person would be facing an uphill battle if he or she was born on the wrong side of the poverty line. “Plenty of food, but still a billion people going to bed hungry every night. Many people enjoy luxurious lifestyles, but still many people are impoverished,” Ban said in an interview with Time magazine. Demographers say it took until 1804 for the world to reach its ﬁrst billion people, and a century more until it hit two billion in 1927. The 20th century, though, saw things

31 PHILIPPINES

PHILIPPINES WELCOMES SYMBOLIC 7 BILLIONTH BABY

The world’s seven billionth person would be facing an uphill battle if he or she was born on the wrong side of the poverty line. Plenty of food, but still a billion people going to bed hungry every night, the UN secretary general says.

The Philippines is the 12th most populous country in the world, with 94.9 million people, half of whom are aged 25. begin to cascade: three billion in 1959; four billion in 1974; ﬁve billion in 1987; six billion in 1998. The UN estimates the world’s population will reach eight billion by 2025 and 10 billion by 2083. But the numbers could vary widely, depending on everything from life expectancy to access to birth control to infant mortality rates. Ugochi Daniels, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) country representative, said having seven billion people in the world was not so much “an issue of overpopulation” or “counting people” but making these people count and ensuring they had access to education, employment and, for women, reproductive information and services.

Overwhelmed father

Danica’s father, a jeepney driver from Makati City, didn’t seem to think his new baby was being born into a “cruel world.” The gifts showered on his family included P25,000 worth of checks from Puregold, enough for his family to start a small sari-sari store, and a dealership from a direct marketing ﬁrm, Natasha.

We should focus on whether there will be food, clean water, shelter, education and a decent life for every child, says a health ofﬁcial. Danica’s college education has been assured by the Asian College of Science and Technology. Danica was also a beneﬁciary of the “Unang Yakap” program, a source of pride for the government-run Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, where as many as 900 babies are born on its busiest day. “ U n a n g Yakap” (First Embrace) is a main component of the Essential Newborn Care protocol, which requires the immediate and thorough drying of a new-

born, early skin-to-skin contact with the mother, properly timed cord clamping and nonseparation of the baby from the mother for early breast-feeding.

NOVEMBER 16-30, 2011

Galura’s baby was picked over two other candidates to represent the country’s “seven billionth” baby for being born through normal delivery just ﬁve minutes before midnight. Doctors said that was close enough to count for a Monday (Oct. 31) birthday.

94.9 M Filipinos

According to the UNFPA State of the World Population Report, the Philippines is the 12th most populous country in the world, with 94.9 million people. It also says the Philippine population remains young with 54 percent aged 25. At present, 10 percent of Filipino girls, aged 15 to 19, have also begun bearing children. Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the “auspicious event” was an opportunity to assess where the Philippines was as a country in terms of addressing population-related issues, particularly health. “This is symbolic in the sense that we would like every Filipino and, of course, every human being that comes out into this world to be born with dignity and has all the opportunities to be able to achieve to the fullest his or her potential,” Ona said in a speech. He said the “essence” of celebrating the global milestone was to ensure that responsible parenthood would be promoted in the country, and the number of unplanned pregnancies among young Filipino women be reduced signiﬁcantly and promptly. Assistant Health Secretary Eric Tayag said Monday’s birth came with a warning. “Seven billion is a number we should think about deeply,” he said. “We should really focus on the question of whether there will be food, clean water, shelter, education and a decent life for every child,” he said. “If the answer is ‘no,’ it would be better for people to look at easing this population explosion.” (Philippine Daily Inquirer, with reports from AP, AFP) n

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NOVEMBER 16-30, 2011

PHILIPPINES

The other male macho na anti-birth control bill ay si Representative at boksingerong kampeon, Manny Pacquiao.

BY MINYONG ORDOÑEZ

FRETTED much when I learned that Sen. Lito Lapid agonized and hesitated over interpellating pro-birth control bill (RH) senators because his poor English might result in his disastrous performance. He’d rather, methinks, shoot bandits in his cowboy movies.

Harboring an inferiority complex in using one’s own native tongue in a public forum is totally absurd and baseless. I’m a hard-boiled apostle of using Tagalog when talking to our kapwa masang Pilipino. While still creating advertising in my former job, all our ad campaigns conceived in Filipino and spoken in Filipino were sure-ﬁre home runs in the market place. The best example was Jollibee’s Langhap-Sarap. How thrilled I was, then, when ﬁnally Senator Lapid summoned the nerve, at lakas-loob siyang nakipag-debate tungkol sa kontrobersya ng birth contol (RH) bill. Tinagalog niya! Sa maliwanag at tumataginting na Tagalog ay naisiwalat ni Senador Lapid ang panganib sa kalusugan na naranasan ng kanyang asawa’t sanggol nang dapuan ang mga ito ng sakit at sakuna dahil sa side effects ng contraceptive pills. Ang dating haka-hakang harmful side effects ay totoo pala sa karanasan ni Senator Lapid. Nagkaanak siya ng isang blue baby at ito’y namatay. The senator was visceral!

Language is never used as a bias for class or status. Its main function is to express thoughts and feelings from person to person, assembly to assembly, citizen to citizen. Language has its own originality, its own spirituality, its own graciousness, its own passion, its own sanctity, its own madness.

Sweet longings

Is Filipino useful only for talking to the masa – the drivers, maids, vendors and promdi cousins – as claimed by an Ateneo student?

TAGALUGIN ‘NYO,

PLEASE

Tinagalog din niya

The other male macho na antibirth control bill ay si Representative at boksingerong kampeon, Manny Pacquiao. Maliwanag rin siyang nagpahayag ng kanyang paninindigan. Tinagalog din niya! Ang contraception pill at abortifacient ay mali. Ayon kay Manny, ipinagbabawal ng Diyos ang pumatay at inutos rin nito ang magparami ng lahi. Mali ang birth control bill kasi labag sa utos ng Diyos. Ito’y maliwanag kay Manny. The pugilist got good instinct. Last September, the Philippine Daily Inquirer ran a discussion on the value of Filipino language usage. The big headline asked: “Is Filipino for stupid people?” This inutile topic was triggered by an article by an Ateneo student who claimed that Filipino is the language of the street (useful only for talking to drivers, maids, vendors and promdi cousins), while English is the language of learning and privilege.

Calgary Edition

After much hesitation, Sen. Lito Lapid has ﬁnally summoned the nerve to speak in Tagalog during a debate on the RH bill at the Senate. What hogwash! This sophomoric Jesuit-bred kiddo misses the whole point of Filipino bilingualism, an acquired Filipino skill unique in Asia. In the same page and issue, Benjamin Pimentel, a journalist expat in California, wrote an article entitled “How my sons lost their Tagalog,” which told the story of how his sons lost their Tagalog while growing up in California, but were trying to recover it urgently. When they

Every race and nation evolve their own language, which becomes the trademark of their distinctiveness, their unity, and their pride as a people. Language has its own originality, its own spirituality, its own graciousness, its own passion, its own sanctity, its own madness. visited the Philippines, the desire to speak in Filipino became a primordial need.

Power of language

The power of language lies in its sound, its intimacy, and its immediacy. It’s those sounds that come from the vocal cords that concretize thoughts and feelings. The creation of words springs forth from the inborn creativity of our prehistoric ancestors living in caves thousands

of years ago. They started emitting grunts and growls, then they formed syllables, combined syllables into words, then words into sentences. Then they systematized their language with grammar. Style followed later, allowing them to create poems and write stories. Every race and nation evolve their own language, which becomes the trademark of their distinctiveness, their unity, and their pride as a people.

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and Francisco Balagtas’ Florante at Laura, project the same vivacious imagery, echoing the same sweet longings. Nonoy Gallardo’s Tuliro, and Elton John’s Candle in the Wind, elicit the same love metaphors that can melt the coldest of hearts. There’s absolutely no racial distinction, when any language is spoken, when it comes to raising hopes, chasing dreams, pursuing truths. Kaya, Lapid and Pacquiao, Tagalugin ’nyo pa. Snob them ingliseras at ingliseros. ’Pag Tagalog ang salita ’nyo, you are in your element. Pag nagta-Tagalog kayo, I’m seized with nostalgia. Nagugunita ko tuloy ang mga yumao nating mambabatas whose eloquence in Filipino resonated through the halls of Congress, the way Cicero’s orations in the Roman senate mesmerized the entire gallery. I remember Sen. Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo, with his impeccable Bulakeño discourses; Sen. Wenceslao Lagumbay’s Tagalog talumpati, makata-style, complete with rhyming couplet; and Gov. Felicing San Luis of Laguna, a brilliant Tagalista whose choice of words, clarity and logic was incredibly Aristotelian. And of course, the guru of ward politics, the inscrutable party boss, senate president, Eugelio “Amang” Rodriguez, who made American jaws drop as he mangled proper American English, by talking with impunity, in his hilarious Carabao English. That’s Pinoy hubris, my friend. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) n

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33 PHILIPPINES

NOVEMBER 16-30, 2011

MY PEOPLE

There are over 90 million Filipinos, closer to 95 million. The growing number deepens my sadness more than anything else, simply because instead of many more celebrating life and the abundance of creation being hosted in our motherland, I see tens of millions in horrible misery. Overseas employment is a coping mechanism of desperate Filipinos seeking a better life. BY JOSE MA. MONTELIBANO

WANT to tell a story. I am part of the story, but the story is much bigger than me. It is a story as seen through my eyes and written through my words. It is the story of the Filipino, the story of my people. Of course, the story of the Filipino cannot be told by one person alone, and cannot be told completely even by all the storytellers put together. But the story must be told, especially when the story often points to Filipinos who have no voice to tell their own story. This will be an emotional story, truthful but emotional. There is just so much pain in the story of the Filipino people, and so much shame, too. There are over 90 million Filipinos, closer to 95 million, I am told. The growing number deepens my sadness more than anything else, simply because instead of many more celebrating life and the abundance of creation being hosted in our motherland, I see tens of millions in horrible misery. Poverty takes on an added dimension because of its massiveness. It is not just economic, it is social, political and moral as well. Whatever the story of my people, poverty will grab the limelight, and it should. Even if I submit to official measures and statistics of poverty, I know it is much more. We cannot be assuaged by $1/day or $2/day figures as though $1.10/day or $2.10/day eases the pain of fear, hunger and cold by any significant difference. I would like to be awed by our fantastic beaches, by our native hospitality and entertainment advantage. I would like to brag about Manny Pacquiao, Lea Salonga and Charice Pempengco, about the thousands of Filipinos who make it anywhere, everywhere. At some point, though, I cannot escape the face and reality of poverty in the tens of millions. In the days of the datus, it was not that ordinary Filipinos had autonomy from the autocratic or dictatorial system of rule obtaining at that time. But the various styles of governance did not disrupt the relationship between man and land. From land and its sense of permanence came the se-

curity of man. It allowed a family to plant its roots and then the time for roots to grow deep. From that depth, the Filipino developed the capacity of understanding the future, the faraway future. Landlessness as dictated by the king of Spain not only robbed Filipinos of their security, their sense of permanence and understanding of the future, it also removed their entrepreneurial skill and management capacity. Landlessness and the loss of freedom forced enterprising Filipinos to become subservient to a greater physical force and disabled their power to think, create and initiate. From gifted human beings responding to a rich land, natives of the islands now called the Philippines began their reverse journey to animal-hood and mere survival. Recently, there was an article on the shallowness of my people as posed by the question of a former senator and commented on by a well-known writer. I shuddered as I read the article, not at the shallowness of the Filipino people, but that of those who are among its elite in society. Can they not see that the leadership of four centuries has forced our people to be shallow as their only form of survival? And I hope they will not point to the rare exceptions of once-hungry Filipinos who make it, as though the spectacular talent or luck of one would justify calling one hundred thousand shallow, or lazy, or stupid. Under the circumstances that have co-opted their lives from the advent of foreign dominance and the extension of that dominance by an elite who knew about free-

dom and more about exploiting the forced weakness of a long enslaved people, Filipinos have done well enough. When poverty took over the lives of many, the beast in them went into submission but did not turn to violence and genocide. Or, should they have turned on the minuscule few and cut off their heads a la Marie Antoinette instead? Would have turning violent been the more refined reaction against oppression? A new middle class is emerging, large chunks of the population rising powerfully from almost nowhere – at least nowhere from the intelligence or kindness of elite governance. The migration to America and other developed countries, the Overseas Filipino Workers – these are not born from the vision of leadership. Rather, they are coping mechanisms of desperate Filipinos and desperate countries whose native populations cannot or will not do what Filipinos remain willing to do. Half of the total population must be directly benefited by remittances that boggle the imagination – in the $20 billion level annually by now. That same half of the population, though, pay a high price, from the absentee parent or sibling, to the children growing in a family with a missing mother or father, or both. But the sacrifice of a generation breaks the slavery or poverty which had been a family heritage. It may be a weak new middle class, born

We cannot escape the face and reality of poverty in the tens of millions. of allowance rather than hard work, but they will have more opportunities to grow as time moves on. The other half though, especially the poorest third of our population, have no such luck. They have no relatives living and working abroad. They have no documents, no permanent ad-

dress, no education enough to pass the barriers of immigration laws and labor requirements. Our very poor are very hopeless, too. Unless we, Filipinos in motherland Philippines and around the world, remember we are one people, one Filipino race, brothers and sisters all. Unless we embrace that fraternity, that brotherhood of race, and hold the suffering and despairing close to our bosom and tell them that they are family, that we have not forgotten, that we care and we shall share. There are so many stories to tell, and many more must tell them, too. I shall not stop telling the story of my people, if only to make them feel that I have not forgotten, that I am Filipino, as Filipino as they are. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) n

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NOVEMBER 16-30, 2011

PHILIPPINES

Calgary Edition

BEAUTIFUL P

“We all fell in love with the place when we visited last March,” said Niret Alva, who together with brother, Nikhil, are the executive producers of Miditech. Nikhil is also a member of India’s National Tourism Promotions Board and is keen on promoting the Philippines to the Indian market, especially after being impressed with Caramoan.

How it all began

Caramoan’s popularity with the “Survivor” franchises in Europe started with the ﬁrst French production in Palawan. According to Nikolo Juvan of the Philippine Film Studios Incorporated (PFSI), the event handling company, the French wanted to ﬁlm again in the Philippines but on a more secluded group of islands because El Nido in Palawan is crawling with tourists. PFSI was then introduced to Caramoan by the son of Camarines Sur Governor L-ray Villafuerte. After seeing the islands’ great potential, the French were informed and then it was their turn to be awed. “There was, however, a condition by the French that housing facilities should be built on the main island to accommodate all its crew, contestants and VIPs. The French producers promised Gov. Villafuerte that they will do the series if there will be facilities built on the main island that was still bare at the time,” Juvan said.

Gota Village. The French ﬁlmed the series, which was shown all over Europe, and the other franchise holders followed suit. “The French series is the second largest franchise after the United States; so even if we didn’t make any marketing programs to follow it up, the inquiries came,” Juvan revealed. The latest, of course, is India,

BY ANSELMO V. TLAGTAG JR.

NDIA IS the latest country with the “Survivor” franchise to be dazzled by the beauty of the Caramoan islands in Camarines Sur. Coming after France, Israel, Bulgaria, Serbia and the Strix group (made up of Norway, Holland, Belgium and Sweden), the Miditech group, the contracted entity of showbiz giant Star Plus India that owns the “Survivor” franchise in India, is already thinking of returning to Caramoan for its next series.

The group of islands boasts of various sizes, shapes and topography; some are forested, there’s one with a sandbar.

HOW CARAMOAN WOWED ‘SURVIVOR’ From its ﬁrst production in the Philippines in El Nido in Palawan, the global TV franchise ‘Survivor’ has moved to the Caramoan islands in Camarines Sur, which have won over a string of European franchises to shoot their adventure series in the pristine peninsula.

Boon to local economy

The “Survivor” series provides jobs, not just for local labor, but also for Manila-based personnel. Juvan revealed that every production brings with them a large international crew with various needs from technical expertise to manual labor. It has also provided an opportunity to showcase Filipino talent, skills and friendly disposition that leave a positive mark with each visiting country. Juvan related that on the ﬁrst edition of the Israeli series, the producers brought their own carpenters and labor force; but when they saw the ability of the Filipino counterparts, they didn’t bring any of their labor force the next time. For their part, Miditech Indian managers are pleased with how the Filipino crew handles pressure. “We usually shout and feel pressured, but the Filipinos just smile and tell us not to worry because things will be done on time.”

Variety of islands

Comfortable but reasonably accommodations in Gota Village.

priced

tourist

Birth of Gota Village

The rest, of course, is history for Caramoan tourism. Facilities were built in what was to be called

whose producers, just midway in the competition, have already signiﬁed their intention of returning for their second season, expecting a big slice of the Indian viewers. The ﬁrst season was a celebrity edition, with 10 celebrities competing against 10 other contestants from corporate to man-on-the-street.

Unlike other island destinations like El Nido and Boracay, the Caramoan islands is still relatively a virgin territory.

Juvan and some of his staff have been living in Gota Village for the last four years to handle all the various “Survivor” productions that have returned, time and again, to do their series in Caramoan. “One thing that stands out is because the islands, numbering around 20 have so much variety. They come in different shapes and sizes, different characters and topography. Some are forested, there’s one with a sandbar, some with rice ﬁelds that add a dramatic appeal,” he said. Deﬁnitely an inviting description that will appeal to tourists, domestic and foreign, but for now, Caramoan may be losing some tourism revenue. This is because it has become an exclusive playground of the “Survivor” franchise, with Gota Village and the nearby islands being opened to the public just two months in a year at least. But it more than makes up for it by showing our country’s beautiful islands to the rest of the world. No other country can boast of that many returning productions. Such is the appeal of the islands of Caramoan. (Manila Bulletin) n

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PHILIPPINES

NOVEMBER 16-30, 2011

PALAWAN’S UNDERGOUND RIVER MAKES IT TO LIST GENEVA—The Philippines’ Puerto Princesa Underground River, the Amazon rainforest, Vietnam’s Halong Bay and Argentina’s Iguazu Falls were named among the world’s new seven wonders of nature, according to organizers of a global poll. The other three crowned the world’s natural wonders are South Korea’s Jeju Island, Indonesia’s Komodo and South Africa’s Table Mountain, said the New7Wonders foundation, citing provisional results.

Final results will be announced early 2012, said the Swiss foundation, warning however that there may yet be changes between the provisional winners and the ﬁnal list. Sites which have failed to make the cut include Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, the Dead Sea and the US Grand Canyon. The poll organised by Swiss foundation New7Wonders has attracted great interest, mobilizing celebrities including Argentinian football star Lio-

nel Messi calling on fans to pick his home country’s Iguazu Falls. The results come after a long consultation process lasting from December 2007 to July 2009, when world citizens were asked to put forward sites which they deemed were natural wonders. More than a million votes were cast to trim the list of more than 440 contenders in over 220 countries down to a shortlist of 77. The group was then further cut to

AUSTRALIA BACKS PH ON SPRATLYS BID H

ONOLULU—President Benigno Aquino III on Nov. 12 received Australia’s support for the Philippines’ move to declare the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) as a zone of peace, freedom, friendship and cooperation. Mr. Aquino met with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the sidelines of the Asia-Paciﬁc Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, according to presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda. “(The) Australian prime minister just mentioned that 20 percent of their exports pass through the West Philippine Sea. Basically, that’s it and the President spoke on the solution of the West Philippine Sea being a zone of peace, freedom, friendship and cooperation,” Lacierda said in a news brieﬁng. Asked whether there was an expression of support, Lacierda said, “Yes, yes.” Foreign Undersecretary Laura del Rosario, who attended the bilateral meeting, said Gillard also lauded Mr. Aquino’s efforts to promote transparency and accountability. “The Australian prime minister congratulated or applauded the President on his governance initiatives, in all his steps that he has taken to make sure that, he called it technical corruption, is also being addressed and that resources are being freed to address our need,” Del Rosario said. Del Rosario said Gillard asked Mr. Aquino to visit Australia possibly in mid-2012. Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras also elaborated on the President’s statement on Friday about the discovery of substantial gas deposits. “We’re talking about Recto Bank, which really is not in the Spratlys area,” said Almendras, a member of the Philippine delegation to the Apec summit.

He told reporters that Forum Energy, the contract service provider in the area, had been conducting seismic testing in the area. “The exploration has been continuing,” he said. On Nov. 11, Mr. Aquino said that the gas fields included disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea and that the deposits there “dwarfs” the Malampaya oil fields. The President said operations there would begin next year. But Almendras clarified later that the Philippines’ gas fields were outside the Spratlys. He also said that Manila would honor its agreement with its fellow claimants over disputed territories. “In the terms of China, depending on what they claim to be their basis of their claims, some of these areas will be questioned but as far as the acknowledged contested area is concerned by all of the parties involved whether China agrees to it or not is really the Spratlys area,” Almendras said. The gas fields in the Recto Bank, Almendras said, showed “very good results on seismic evaluation and even previous wells that were dug as early as 1976 (and) are not in the Spratlys area.” The President, in his State of the Nation Address this year, made an unequivocal claim over Recto Bank, saying being in the area is like being on CM Recto Avenue in Manila. China, however, is also claiming the bank as one of its territories. Aside from the Philippines and China, claimants over the Spratlys include Vietnam and Malaysia, Taiwan and

AQUINO Brunei. During a session of the Apec CEO Summit on commodity security, Mr. Aquino told a panel that work in a gasrich area would commence next year. Almendras clarified the President’s earlier statement that the area would be in northern Philippines. He said the area of Recto Bank lay just north of Palawan. “This is not in the contested area,” Almendras said. He acknowledged that the area was “a new field,” as Mr. Aquino said, because it has yet to go into the “development mode.” The President referred to the new gas fields during a session on commodity security of the Apec CEO Summit when asked what his government was doing to address cost of electricity in the country—one of the highest in the region. “There are substantial gas deposits that we believe are already in the proven scale at this point in time that will dwarf the Malampaya oil fields. Some of them are in areas that are part of the contentious disputes as to sovereignty over the same.” n

the 28 finalists by a panel of experts. Anyone in the world was then able to vote for the final seven via telephone, text messages or Internet social networks. The Philippine government vigorously campaigned for the Palawan subterranean river in a bid to boost a sagging tourism industry. Founded in 2001 by filmmaker Bernard Weber in Zurich, the foundation New7Wonders is based on the same principle on which the seven

ancient wonders of the world were established. That list of seven wonders was attributed to Philon of Byzantium in ancient Greece. New7Wonders said its aim is to create a global memory by garnering participation worldwide. But even as the natural wonders poll came to a close, the New7Wonders foundation has set its eyes on a new survey — the top seven cities of the world. Participating cities will be announced on January 1, 2012. n

AQUINO BACKS DE LIMA ON GMA ASYLUM BID JUSTICE Secretary Leila De Lima can count on the full backing of President Aquino, even as she faces threats of a possible disbarment case for publicly discussing an unverified text message in connection with Gloria Arroyo’s reported asylum plan. President Aquino believes de Lima was forthright when she told reporters that government is checking reports of a supposed plan of the former president to seek political asylum in the Dominican Republic, while cases of graft and electoral sabotage are pending against her in the Philippines. “It is prudent on the part of the executive to check these things,” Aquino told reporters on the sidelines of the APEC Leader’s Summit in Honolulu. “I’m sure Secretary de Lima in a private capacity can also file a case against them in the future of harassing her with these spurious cases,” the President added. The President is also unfazed by reports that the opposition may file an impeachment case against him for violating Mrs Arroyo’s constitutional right to travel abroad. “Unang unang hindi ako ang naglabas ng watch list order, alter ego ko. Pangalawa, ang pinagbabasehan namin yung MC 41 na gawa ng kalihim niya ng DOJ. So bakit ako ang sisisihin mo na unconstitutional ‘to, na hindi kami gumawa? Dahil ako na ‘yong successor in interest. Bale nung pinalabas nila ito at ginamit sa mga kalaban nila, sabi nila constitutional. Ngayon na ina-apply fair ‘di ba, ‘yung applies to all or not at all, kasama sila doon ay biglang unconstitutional. Hindi pwede ‘yon. Babalik tayo dito, ang problema nga, ‘pag hinintay natin na madinig sa korte, tapos maglalabas sila ng warrant of ar-

rest baka matagal-tagal ng nakaalis dito,” Aquino said. The President adds he will remain ﬁrm in supporting government’s decision not to allow Arroyo from leaving the country, saying it is the right thing to do. “Ang mas mahirap sigurong ipaliwanag sa taumbayan ay kung sila ang magsabing—nagpa-alam para magpagamot, walang sinabing doktor, eh bakit niyo pina-alis?” Aquino said. Earlier, De Lima turned down the request of Mrs. Arroyo to seek medical treatment abroad while she faces complaints of electoral fraud. “My order is the denial of the request,” De Lima told a news conference last Nov. 18, saying there was no immediate need for Arroyo to see medical specialists outside of the country for her hypoparathyroidism. De Lima, who has placed Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo on the immigration watch list, said that the former president’s condition was not life threatening and that “she has been recuperating fairly well … with treatment from local doctors and local facilities.” At the same time, the DoJ secretary noted that the countries chosen by Arroyo seek treatment have no extradition treaty with the Philippines. “The countries of destination itself, I cannot avoid being concerned that these countries have no existing extradition treaties with us,” De Lima said. Although Arroyo has promised to return to the country after the treatment, De Lima said the duration of medical treatment should be considered. “The treatment can last indeﬁnitely,” she said. n

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ARROYOS CONTEST TRAVEL BAN BEFORE HIGH COURT FORMER President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria MacapagalArroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, separately petitioned on Tuesday the Supreme Court to declare as unconstitutional the order of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima placing them on the Bureau of Immigration watch list.

ONLINE VOTING FOR OVERSEAS PINOYS NOT YET POSSIBLE THE National Citizen’s Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) believes that Internet voting for overseas Filipinos is not yet possible because the country is not equipped technologically. Namfrel senior operations associate Paolo Maligaya said there are other aspects of overseas absentee voting (OAV) that need to be modified to lure Filipinos abroad to register and vote. “While it may be easy to say that all it takes to vote electronically is a computer and Internet connection, the country might not be equipped enough to handle Internet voting at this time,” Maligaya said. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking at adopting Internet voting for OAV to get more Filipinos abroad to vote in the 2013 mid-term polls. The agency is targeting to register one million absentee voters, double the 589,830 overseas Filipinos registered for the May 2010 elections. Of this figure, only 153,323 actually voted. Maligaya said the Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003 “would need to be amended” to adjust the registration and voting requirements to the needs and conditions of Filipinos abroad. “Filipinos abroad decry the difficulty of access to voting centers to register and vote, as well as the difficulty of taking time out from work to travel for these activities,” he said. For one, overseas Filipinos are required to submit an affidavit assuring the government that they would return to the country within three years after registration to resume permanent residency. “(It is) an impractical and absurd requirement that further discourages most overseas Filipinos from participating in our elections entirely: the penalty for not following this stipulation is disenfranchisement and even jail time,” he said.n

Mrs. Arroyo asked the High Court to declare as unconstitutional the Department of Justice (DoJ) Circular 41, which De Lima cited as basis for prohibiting her from leaving the country. She also asked the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order on the implementation of the watch list order issued by the Department of Justice (DoJ) against her and 38 others. Mrs. Arroyo had asked the DoJ to issue an Allow Departure Order (ADO) for her to seek medical treatment abroad but De Lima has yet to issue one. De Lima said she needed more documents from the Arroyo camp such as medical records and the speciﬁc country where she would seek medical treatment. But the lawmaker said she had complied with the demands of the DoJ and submitted additional documents detailing her trip abroad. In a petition for certiorari and prohibition, Mr. Arroyo asked the high tribunal to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent De Lima and two of her subordinates—Chief State Counsel Ricardo Paras III and Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr.—from enforcing the watch list order. “The watch list order collides with Article III, Section 6, of the 1987 Constitution guaranteeing the liberty of travel,” Arroyo said in a 36-page petition ﬁled by his lawyer, Ferdinand

MIKE & GLORIA ARROYO Topacio. “The watch list order is violative of the equal protection clause of the 1987 Constitution in view of the various public pronouncement of (De Lima) portraying the petitioner as guilty of committing the crime of electoral sabotage,” the petition added. Arroyo argued that one’s right to travel could only be “impaired in the interest of national security, public safety or public health.” “In the present case … none of the three grounds enumerated by the Constitution are present. The grounds stated in the circular do not exist in the Constitution. Does the circular intend to supplant the Philippine Constitution?” he pointed out. n

MORE FAMILIES SEE THEMSELVES AS POOR MORE Filipino families see themselves as “poor” and “food-poor” in a reversal of gains notched earlier this year, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said in a new report that underlined the hurdles facing the Aquino administration. A third-quarter SWS survey, the results of which were made exclusive to BusinessWorld, found 52% of the respondents -- equivalent to an estimated 10.4 million households - considering themselves “mahirap” or poor, up from 49% (9.8 million) in June. On the issue of being poor in terms of food, 41% (8.2 million families) claimed to be so, up from 36% (7.2 million) three months earlier. Accordingly, the SWS said households again tightened their belts. As in the hunger report, the SWS said signiﬁcant increases in the Balance Luzon area overwhelmed gains versus poverty in the rest of the country, a result that had government ofﬁcials primarily blaming the impact of recent typhoons. Self-rated poverty jumped by 15 points to 53% in Balance Luzon, from 38% in June, wiping out drops

in the Visayas (53% from 61%), Mindanao (57% from 62%) and Metro Manila (39% from 43%). It rose by nine points to 62% in rural areas and stayed at 43% in towns and cities. Self-rated food poverty, meanwhile, jumped to 45% in Balance Luzon -- the highest since June 2006 -- from the record low of 28% three months ago. The result, again, overwhelmed improvements in the Visayas (nine points to 39%), Metro Manila (three points to 25%) and Mindanao (one point to 44%). Poor families, the SWS said, continue to lower their living standards, with self-rated poverty thresholds staying sluggish despite inﬂation. The median poverty threshold for poor families in Metro Manila rose by P4,000 to P15,000, and by P2,000 to P10,000 in the Visayas. The amount stayed at P6,000 in Mindanao and fell by P200 to P7,500 in Balance Luzon. The median food-poverty threshold, meanwhile, rose to P5,000 in the Visayas and to P4,000 in Balance Luzon, both up P1,000. It in-

PNOY OFFERS TO FLY IN SPECIALISTS FOR ARROYO BACKING Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s decision to deny permission to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to seek medical treatment abroad, President Benigno Aquino III has offered to fly in medical specialists to look into her condition, on government expense. This is a way to balance the wish of Arroyo and that of the people, the President said in a nationwide broadcast, underscoring his administration’s desire to ensure the just resolution of the many cases filed against his predecessor, including electoral sabotage. Mr. Aquino said it was the desire of the government to see Arroyo’s immediate recovery. “But if I were to ask you, if we allow a person accused of a nonbailable offense to travel to a country without an extradition treaty with the Philippines so she could be treated for an ailment that could be equally addressed by local hospitals, will justice prevail here? Which carries more weight, the interest of the many or the interest of a single person?” he said. The President said De Lima’s denial of Arroyo’s request for an allow-departure order was “justifiable” because it was necessary for the latter to personally attend to her case. “[W]e don’t want the derailment of a case that has a big implication on our democracy,” he said, adding: “Our only desire is to get justice.” Speaking with reporters later, Mr. Aquino explained that if Arroyo failed to attend her arraignment if it reached that point, her case would not move because “there is no trial in absentia.” “In other words, if an accused is not in the Philippines, the case will not push through and there will be

creased by P500 to P3,500 in Mindanao and stayed at P6,000 in Metro Manila. “The September 2011 self-rated poverty and self-rated food poverty thresholds have already been surpassed in the past for all areas,” the SWS said. In terms of hunger, it said this was at 28% among the self-rated poor, higher than the 16% among the “not poor” and the 13.4% among families who consider themselves as on the borderline. Asked to comment on the report, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail D. Valte said, “Higher global commodity prices and the recent storms seem to have caused a spike in food prices during the survey period. We expect that prices will stabilize in Luzon soon, if it hasn’t happened already.”

no closure on the issue of electoral sabotage that happened in 2007,” he said. Mr. Aquino’s offer to Arroyo is a “happy compromise,” according to his spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, who described it further as a “balancing of the interest of one who wishes to travel versus the interest of the state for accountability and justice.” “And we recognize that in order to balance it, we would provide [the doctors], so that there would be no claim that we are persecuting [Arroyo, now a representative of Pampanga]. We will provide at our own expense any physician that she would so appoint or … request,” Lacierda said after Mr. Aquino’s news conference, which was attended by De Lima and Health Secretary Enrique Ona. Reading from a prepared statement, the President raised doubts on the real intentions of Arroyo to go abroad. He said that while it was clear that Arroyo was ailing, specialists had also made clear that she did not need immediate treatment abroad. He cited the statement of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), an umbrella organization of practicing doctors nationwide, that hospitals in the country were capable of performing a bone biopsy that Arroyo wanted. “And it is also clear that Ms. Arroyo is facing several cases, including electoral sabotage, a nonbailable offense,” he added. Arroyo, 66, is afﬂicted with cervical spondylosis, a degenerative condition of the cartilage and bones. She underwent three surgeries between July and August to realign her spine. Later, she was also diagnosed as suffering from hypoparathyroidism. n

The typhoons that hit the country during the period covered by the SWS poll include Juaning and Kabayan, both in July. Using storms as a benchmark, survey results for the fourth quarter could be worse given damage caused by Pedring in September. The Aquino administration, Ms. Valte claimed, was already working to alleviate the situation. “Government ... is extending several forms of assistance such as buying damaged rice and replacing damaged seeds. Assistance is also being extended to ﬁsh pond owners for rehabilitation owing to the damage of the storms,” she said. “How to further insulate country from such shocks? Better planning, more realistic conditions, simpler methods of production,” she added. n

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NAIA UPGRADE STARTS

THE Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s (Naia) taxiways, runways and aprons are undergoing repair and upgrading to improve the movement of aircraft and cargo with the expected increase in ﬂight operations in the coming year. Antonio Bautista, Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) senior assistant general manager, said that six ongoing projects, with a budget of around P845 million, will go into the improvement of runways and access roads within the airport complex, which is apart from the P1-billion improvement of the Naia Passenger Terminal 1. He said the six ongoing civil works projects are repairs and overlay of Runway 06/24 (P478 million); relocation and upgrading of Terminal 4 vehicular lane from “Lima” gate to T4 ramp (P35 million); repair and upgrading of T4 aprons and vehicle access road (P34 million); repair and resurfacing of the Domestic Passenger Terminal north and south general aviation (P203 million); upgrading of T2 to T4 access road (P80 million); and restoration of damaged security fence at the Miaa complex (P15 million). Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas II earlier expressed the ongoing improvements on the taxiways, saying the premier airport will soon be able to accommodate more domestic and international ﬂights with the planned construction of an ad-

ditional “rapid-exit taxiway.” A rapid-exit taxiway branches out of the main runway in a slightly diagonal direction before joining the taxiway, allowing aircraft to exit at a faster clip and permitting succeeding airplanes to land or depart in shorter time. This is in contrast to previous taxiways that are constructed at a 90-degree angle to the runway. Following a landing, aircraft normally had to make a full stop before turning into the runway, consuming much time. Naia 1 was called ﬁfth most hated airport in the world by a CNN online poll. President Aquino made a surprise visit to the Naia 1 to support the Naia 1 improvements and to view the long-term infrastructure development programs of the government without delay. Mr. Aquino said, “there’s a plan for it, for improving the Naia, structurally and aesthetically, in order to support the country’s tourism industry’s 10 million tourist arrivals target.” Unknown to many, the Naia management has already pursued critical aviation infrastructure program to meet international levels of service on international airport processes, passenger and cargo handling, even before the release of the negative blogs about the Naia 1 terminal as the world’s worst and ﬁfth most hated. n

HOME BUYERS OPT FOR ACCESSIBILITY

THE proliferation of high-density vertical subdivision complexes in Metro Manila in the last five years has changed the first-home preferences of newly formed households, according to property management and consulting firm CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) Philippines. Victor Asuncion, CBRE Executive Director for Research and Consultancy at CBRE Philippines, said the company is conducting a five-year study which started this year until 2016 to track approximately 135,000 condominium units for completion. About 31-percent of this stock is sold at a price range of P40,000 to P80,000 per square meter. These are predominantly studio and one -bedroom units with an average floor area of 30 to 40 square meters. He said mid-market condominiums are relatively new to the market given that the earlier condominium projects come with bigger sizes and are sold at a higher price. Before midmarket condominiums became a big hit among property buyers, ownership is limited to the upper class given its restrictive acquisition cost. “However, the advent of mid-market condominium in the fringe of the business districts across Metro Manila has opened up a broader base market,” he said in his presentation during the recent year-end briefing of CBRE Philippines held in Makati City. “The new trend in housing or accommodation is accessibility. First home buyers are now ready to forgo ownership of house and lots in the

MIRIAM’S BILL SEEKS TO SHAME VAIN POLITICOS CREDIT belongs to the taxpayers, so take those billboards with your big smiling face somewhere else. This, in essence, is the message of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago in Senate Bill No. 1967, her version of what the man in the street would call an “anti-epal” measure, as it is directed at politicians or bureaucrats who claim credit for projects built with public funds. “Epal” is slang for mapapel, a Filipino term for attention grabbers, scene stealers, or people who crave a role (papel) in affairs that are not necessarily theirs to handle or decide. The term originated from the streets to become a buzzword in po-

litical circles especially last year, when President Benigno Aquino III initiated a shame campaign against such annoying public officials. Currently undergoing committee deliberations, Santiago’s “anti-epal” bill is formally titled “An Act Prohibiting Public Officers from Claiming Credit through Signage Announcing a Public Works Project.” The senator maintained that public officials have no business claiming credit for projects funded by taxpayers’ money. “It is a prevalent practice among public officers, whether elected or appointed, to append their names to public works projects which were either funded or fa-

cilitated through their ofﬁce,” she said in the bill’s explanatory note. “This is unnecessary and highly unethical” and “promotes a culture of political patronage and corruption,” said Santiago, who is also busy campaigning for a seat as judge in the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The bill imposes a jail term of between six months and one year on a public ofﬁcial who would have his or her name or image printed on a “signage announcing a proposed or ongoing public works project.” The bill only allows signs that bear the name, image or logo of the local or national government agency handling the project. n

PEACE TALKS WITH MILF RESUME IN KUALA LUMPUR

THE peace talks, albeit informal, have resumed between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the presidential adviser on the peace process said on Nov. 3. Secretary Teresita Deles, the peace adviser, said the talks were expected to take up “crucial issues” arising from the clash last month between government and MILF forces in Al-Barka, Basilan. The encounter happened despite a cease-ﬁre agreement between the two sides killed 19 soldiers and triggered calls for an all-out war against

the Moro rebels. Deles said the talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were scheduled only for Nov. 3. “It is an informal meeting which was originally agreed upon to discuss how to move substantive negotiations forward following the submission of the GPH (Philippine government) proposal to the MILF,” Deles said in a text message. “In light of the crucial issues arising from the Al-Barka incident, we also expect important matters to be discussed,” she added. In an earlier radio interview, Deles

expressed conﬁdence that the informal talks would push through in early November. “Because of what happened in Al-Barka, when the two panels meet, they will discuss what should be done so that those that need accountability would be taken to account and so that a similar incident would no longer happen,” Deles said. Deles said the talks would be informal in the wake of the facilitation that Malaysia had been conducting after both sides rejected each other’s proposed peace agreements. n

suburbs in exchange for short travel from home to work and any other necessities e.g. school, shopping centers and tertiary hospitals. In addition, affordable condominiums now found in Metro Manila have made the idea of buying over renting a house a sound option,” added Asuncion. Unlike in previous cases when buying a condominium unit is not acceptable home investment for the mid-market, Asuncion pointed out that first-time buyers are now more open to acquiring an affordable condo unit as their new homes. Home loan fixed rates has also reached 5.75 percent one-year fixed rate for repricing which makes payments affordable to as low as P10,000 monthly, depending on the project details. In view of the scarcity of land in Metro Manila for housing development, Asuncion said even the government has embraced the concept of affordable condominium development for the mid-market by way of providing development loan facility to

developers and cheap end-use loans to borrowers. He said buyers of affordable condominiums can now avail of long-term housing loans to purchase condo units for as much as P2.5 million per unit with mortgage rates of 11 percent. “Property developers are now recognizing the market range and debt of affordable condominiums for the urban dwellers. Thus, we expect more of these type of condominium project coming up for the broad mid-market class,” said Asuncion. Asuncion said supply of affordable condominiums will deﬁnitely out-phase demand but will not cause a glut similar to the events of 1997. He said property developers have learned from their experiences and will only break ground on projects upon getting at least 50-percent commitment form buyers. “Hence, we expect a growth of this product niche in the near future particularly in Metro Manila and other key urban centers like Metro Cebu and Metro Davao,” said Asuncion. n

REPORT SAYS U.S. LOBBIED VS CHEAPER MEDICINE LAW IN PH

THE online whistle-blower WikiLeaks reported that the United States had lobbied against the Cheaper Medicine Act in the Philippines after American stakeholders expressed concern about the possible changes in the country’s pharmaceutical policies. WikiLeaks claimed that the US lobbied with former senator and now Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas II and Quirino Rep. Junie Cua who sponsored the law, Republic Act 9502. A press statement revealed that on Oct. 27, 2005 then US Ambassador Kristie Kenny said that US Intellectual Property (IP) Rights holders “were concerned about Roxas’ move to amend the IP Code with respect to patents and parallel imports for pharmaceuticals.” Kenny supposedly said that Roxas’ bill was “troubling US pharmaceutical rights holders trying to retain their market share and proﬁtability in the Philippines.” The law was eventually passed paving the way for the reduction in half of essential medicines despite the US opposition. The legislation was intended to lower the cost of medicines in the Philippines by striking a competition among pharmaceutical ﬁrms. The law makes it easier for producers of generic drugs to “access the proprietary data of patent holders, permit parallel imports of patented pharmaceuticals, and apply the principle of international patent to shorten the terms of some Philippine-issued patents.” n

SEPARATED FILIPINO TWINS DOING WELL SAN FRANCISCO—A pair of two-yearold formerly conjoined twin girls from the Philippines are recovering well after an operation to separate them in California, a hospital spokeswoman said on Nov. 2. Angelina and Angelica Sabuco, born joined at the chest and abdomen, were separated last Nov. 1 by a team of 20 doctors during 10 hours of surgery at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto. A day after the operation spokeswoman, Reena Mukamal, said: “The family and girls are together in the pediatric intensive care unit” at the hospital south of San Francisco. “They are stable and progressing well with their recovery. Over the next two to three days it is expected that

both girls will be breathing on their own,” she told Agence France-Presse. The girls, who turned two in August, were joined at the chest and belly but had separate brains, hearts, kidneys, stomachs and intestines. Lead surgeon Gary Hartman said that the girls were expected to make a “complete recovery,” adding: “We’re very pleased… It could not have gone better.” Plastic surgeon Peter Lorenz, who led the reconstruction procedures, said there would be relatively little sign of the twins’ past, after the operation. “They will have a long scar from the middle of their chests down to the belly button, a straight line,” the surgeon said, adding: “That’s all that will show.” n

NOVEMBER 16-30, 2011

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