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Verbatim The bishops are coming out of their shell because we have an amoral President.

Retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, on the unprecedented move of the Diocese of Bacolod asking the Negrense Catholics to vote against 7 “anti-life” senatorial candidates who voted to pass the Reproductive Health (RH) bill last December. President Aquino pushed for the measure which providing Filipino women access to family planning education and contraception methods.

It’s getting to be music to the ear.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, on his supporters’ constant reference to him as “the next President”

It was a race to get each other.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, explaining the territorial rivalry between Supt. Hansel Marantan and alleged jueteng operator Vic Siman, over illegal gambling activities in Quezon province. Marantan and 35 police and Army personnel are facing murder charges for the killing of Siman and his 12 companions in an ambush last Jan. 6.

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By the mere fact that Malaysia is paying us annually in the amount of 5,300 Malaysia ringgit, is it not enough?

Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, citing the “rental money” from the Malaysian government as evidence that Sabah belongs to the Sultanate of Sulu. The sultanate pressed its claim over Sabah by deploying a group of armed followers in an area in Sabah since February and defied orders from Malaysian authorities to vacate the place.

In the Church there is also politics.

Former Caceres Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi, conceding that while the election of the new pope is a religious activity, the way it is conducted has also a human dimension and that those in the running have their own factions that support them.

You just have to learn the art of deadma, and you accept what other people have to say.

Actress Anne Curtis, reacting to negative comments about her “shower/rain” song-anddance number in the Sunday variety show ASAP 18 which showed her in a “provocative” costume that made viewers wonder if she was wearing underwear at all

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Text by tonette t. orejas

Enaje shows the four stainless nails to be used in his Lenten crucifixion ritual, his 27th this year.

Photos by E. I. Reymond T. Orejas

C

ITY OF SAN FERNANDO---It isn’t difficult looking for Ruben Enaje in the tight maze of houses in Barangay San Pedro Cutud in this Pampanga capital.

The search easily yields him if you ask around using this moniker: “Yung nagpapako lagi sa krus.”

Enaje, turning 52 this year, has painfully earned this tag because he has been doing his panata (religious pledge) of real-life crucifixion in the last 26 years.

And he’s doing it for the 27th time again this year in Cutud. Devotees transform a hill on PurokKuatro into a local Calvary during Semana Santa.

“I think I’m the only Filipino who has been doing this for the longest time,” Enaje says as he paused from painting a signboard to give way to a Planet Philippines interview.

In the compound where he makes signboards, billboards and streamers for a living, he neatly secured four black wooden crosses away from the jumble of wood, paints, frames and clothesline.

Three of the crosses are going to be fixed on the hill on Good Friday, March 29. The middle cross is where he is raised and nailed.

The fourth cross, the middle part of which is tied with orange plastic rope and weighs 50 kilograms, is carried by Enaje during the street play “Via Crusis (Way of the Cross)” where he acts the part of Jesus Christ.

On both counts, he is living two traditions in the predominantly Catholic village. Old residents reckon these to be the Crucifixion, which the late itinerant faith health ArtemioAnoza began in 1961, and the mounting of Via Crusis, which the late Ricardo Navarro started in 1955.

Enaje, a Catholic, took to the

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The CRUCIFIXION MAN cross in 1986, less than a year after he survived a fall while painting a billboard at the outer wall of a three-story building near the Philippine Rabbit Bus station in Tarlac City. He woke up without any fractures, wounds or internal bleeding.

“Out of gratitude, I promised God I would share His sufferings on the cross. I promised Him nine years,” he relates.

He continued the vow to ask God to cure his daughter Ejay who suffered from bouts of asthma. Although this wish was granted, Enaje extended the vow when a large lump grew on his wife Juanita’s left jaw. The lump was gone in four years but Enaje decided to complete the third nine-year vow, which is supposed to end this year.

“I wish I could retire because His blessings have been too many already. But our village leaders want me to continue because the man who wants to replace me has a lot of vices.

They find him unworthy of playing Christ either in the Via Crusis or in the Crucifixion,” Enaje explains.

Juanita joins the conversation, telling her husband, “You are always brought to the hospital for some ailments whenever you say ‘this is going to be my last year. “Enaje nods in

Enaje beside four wooden crosses three of the crosses will be fixed on the hill on Good Friday, the fourth one is where he will be nailed. agreement.

Remigio de la Cruz, the barangay captain, describes Enajeas “quiet, very family-oriented and helpful to his neighbors.”

Juanita admits that while she has been used to seeing him do the yearly ritual, she has always been worried for her husband’s safety.

“He’s extremely quiet on Good Friday. He just prays. All that I do is ready the clothes he is going to wear,” she shares.

On the advice of the Department of Health, Enaje keeps four stainless steel nails soaked in alcohol throughout the year.

At noon of Good Friday, he leads the Via Crusis that ends at the hill on PurokKuatro. He treads a sandy road reddened

by the blood of mandarame (flagellants) who wound their backs with glass shards and beat their backs with burilyos (24 bamboo sticks attached to a rope).

Enaje is raised to the cross in the middle of the hill, with his arms, wrists and feet tied with cloths. In his 10 minutes of prayers, he doesn’t look at the large crowd that gathers at this spectacle of pain or demonstration of faith.

“When I’m up on the cross, I believe that God hears my prayers. I pray the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ and pray for the wellbeing of my family and friends.

I also pray for our community and our leaders,” Enaje says.

Men acting the parts of centurions bring the cross down, take out the nails in pairs and use hammers to drive the nails through Enaje’s palms and feet before raising him to the cross again for five minutes.

The nails are driven through the same spots in his palms and feet. “Every time, it is painful and bloody,” says Enaje. The pain gets worse when the nails are taken out and medics clean the wounds, he adds. For the rest of the year, those spots show no signs of the violent ritual.

According to Enaje, his vow has brought his family blessings like good health, kinship, peace and jobs.

While the Church does not condone the bloody ritual, it has not done any determined step to stop it.

“It is enough that they go to confession to reconcile with God, go on fasting, pray the Rosary or attend the Mass to deepen their faith and relationship with God,” says Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, head of the Archdiocese of San Fernando said. “Violent forms of penance and penitence are discouraged and prohibited.”

In his study of Cutud Holy Week rites, Sir Anril Tiatco says the crucifixion as well as the flagellation in Cutud, could be seen as a “modified form of Catholicism” for people who are “keepers of an old tradition in the context of faith.” n

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DD a few more Facebook friends and earn the title “new tourism ambassadors” in the process.

The catchy campaign comeon was pitched by Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr., who urged more than nine million overseas Filipinos to “go into the social network and begin to connect with everyone else in the world.”

“No matter how many kinds of Filipinos are in the world today -- Filipino-Americans, Filipino-Chinese, Filipino-Italians, Filipino-Japanese, Filipino-Singaporeans, Filipino-French, Filipino-Arabs, Filipino-Germans, Filipino-Canadians and FilipinoSwedes, among others -- there will always be only one type of fun. It’s called Filipino fun,” Jimenez said in a speech during the closing program of the Second Global Summit of Filipinos in the Diaspora on Feb. 27 in a Makati City hotel.

He said that kind of fun comes from an openness, which happens to be a common Filipino trait.

“To build a nation, one can only begin with the most basic of all ingredients -- national pride.

Your self-esteem, your confidence is what will make people sit up and take notice. They will praise you for your hard work, your perseverance, your intelligence, your discipline,” he said.

“But if you are great fun, if you are confident in yourself, they will follow you in the Philippines,” he added.

In his remarks, Jimenez also urged overseas Filipinos to come home to the Philippines more often.

Last year, a record 4.27 million tourists visited the country, a 9.07-percent increase over the 3.92 million visitors in 2011.

Jimenez expressed confidence that the 2012 figures could be surpassed this year with the help of the Filipino diaspora, which he said was “not just a spreading out of Filipinos.”

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Come and Join the ‘Filipino Fun’

No matter how many kinds of Filipinos are in the world today, there is only one type of fun – Filipino fun.

“Because if all we did was to spread out, it could be the beginning of a separation, which is what makes this gathering very crucial, some important and so necessary,” he said.

Jimenez said the tourism slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines” is an invitation to the world that Filipinos share more than a language.

“We share a common view of our world. We remind each other of the things that matter most -- family, friendship and God,” he added.

For his part, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the government was encouraging the active participation of overseas Filipinos and their involvement in national issues.

“Our foreign service posts are partners of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas in communicating with and mobilizing overseas Filipinos to participate in various programs,” including, among others, the Business Advisory Circle, which assists Philippine nationals

abroad in setting up business partnerships in the country; the Alay Dunong program, which systematizes the skills and technology exchange between overseas Filipinos and the Philippines; and the Return and Reintegration Program, which assists balikbayans to successfully reintegrate into local life.

Del Rosario said the country’s embassies and consulates abroad were also taking a proactive approach to urge overseas Filipinos to join the country’s overseas absentee voting and dual citizenship programs.

The government also puts the welfare and protection of the rights of Filipinos abroad in its top priorities, he added.

“In cooperation with other government agencies and international organizations, the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) has repatriated a total of 14,203 OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) from areas affected by civil strife or natural disasters, from 2011 up to the present. In particular, a total of

3,457 Filipinos were repatriated from war-torn Syria since the uprising began in 2011. Despite the ongoing crisis in the Middle Eastern country, the Philippine Embassy in Damascus continues its operations in order to evacuate the OFWs who remain there and ensure their safety and well-being,” he reported.

Del Rosario said during the past eight years, 746 Filipino seafarers who fell victims to piracy had been released and repatriated through the joint efforts of the country’s embassies abroad, manning agencies and the sailors’ principals.

Last year, 122 Filipino victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment were assisted by the DFA, he said.

In 2011, a total of 28 OFWs facing the death penalty were provided legal assistance by the agency. Last year, at least 40 of 130 OFWs with death penalty cases were commuted to life or fixed imprisonment, he said.

To further intensify efforts to promote and protect the rights of Filipino migrant workers, the DFA head said the Philippines had adopted a new qualification framework containing sets of training regulations for Filipinos that prescribe competency standards for various qualifications.

“The country also ratified in August 2012 the International Labor Convention (ILO) No. 189 on decent work for household service workers,” said Del Rosario, noting the Philippines was the “first Asian nation to commit itself to the respect and implementation of the new ILO labor standard that was adopted on June 16, 2011, during the ILO conference in Geneva.”

(Philippine Daily Inquirer) n

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Gangsters’ Paradise:

Most Recent Activity: January 30, 2013 caught on CCTV.

Award-Winning Gang Names N

OBODY likes feeling like they’re living in the badlands and there’s nothing funny about feeling unsafe. We do live in ridiculous times and make no mistake, we do not like the fact that people unite to form an alliance filled with evil intentions. Gangs, gangs, gangs. What are we to do with you? We will mock you, that’s what we’re going to do.

No-Nonsense Award: AKYAT-BAHAY GANG Modus Operandi: They climb into your house and steal things.

Merits of the Name: They’re not fooling around, they just tell you what they’re going to do to you. Well, your house.

Leave some lights on and keep your house safe.

Most Recent Activity: January 22, 2013 in a fatal police encounter.

Operating Outside the Toolbox Prize: MARTILYO GANG Modus Operandi: Gang members (typically) use a hammer to break glass-enclosed display cases and start looting.

Merits of the Name: You would think that the Martilyo Gang is all about hammers, but no. In the latest heist, they used a pipe wrench to carry out the “breaking” part of the operation.

Most Recent Activity: January 26, 2013 in a brazen heist in SM Megamall.

Badge for Allusion: BASAGITLOG GANG Modus Operandi: A set of gang members throw eggs at car windshields to reduce visibility, forcing the driver to leave the vehicle, and present-

ing an opportunity for other members to start looting. What were you thinking?

Merits of the Name: Saying the name causes a reflex reaction for men to cover their dangly bits. We›re glad they›re not using rocks to break windshields but since egg-breaking against the effigies of corrupt politicians is a pretty popular form of protest, maybe the gang can rage against the machine instead and not steal from honest citizens?

Most Recent Activity: April 11, 2012 reported by GMA News.

Special Citation for Creating Confusion: BUDOL BUDOL GANG and DUGO DUGO GANG Modus Operandi (BudulBudol Gang): A group of people will pretend to be foreign tourists or some other variation, carrying with them a bundle of cash. They will claim to need to change currencies immediately and will convince the victim to exchange their money, jewelry, or cell phone for the bundle of cash. The swindlers leave and when the victim checks the bundle, it›s all counterfeit money.

Modus Operandi (DugoDugo Gang): A gang member calls

a house and fakes an emergency, telling whoever is on the line that a family member has been in an accident and cash needs to be given to a lawyer or someone from the authorities. No one›s really hurt, they just want the money.

Merits of the Name: It›s not uncommon for people to mix up the MO of the BudolBudol Gang with that of the DugoDugo Gang. We think this is proof that these guys are truly masters in the art of confusion.

Most Recent Activity: February 5, 2013 for DugoDugo Gang, and December 24, 2012 for BudolBudol Gang.

Cheeky Geometry Award: DONUT GANG Modus Operandi: Gang members drive around mall parking areas and steal spare tires.

Merits of the Name: They could have been the “Torus” gang, as the doughnut shape is technically a torus. That sounds mean and imposing but instead, their thieving ways have earned them a quite ridiculous moniker. Makes you think they›re crazed cravers for baked goods, which they should magically turn into. Can›t we all just eat and be happy?

Runner Up Shortlist: Techno Gang Modus Operandi: Members of the Techno Gang pretend to buy from online sellers but during the meet-up, they force you into a car, take your possessions from you, and then leave you stranded on the streets.

Merits of the Name: Instead of sounding likes thieves from the modern age, the gang name makes it seem like they get down to a specific genre of music that is reminiscent of the synthesizerheavy 80s.

Dura Gang Modus Operandi: While you›re sitting comfortably in your preferred mode of public transportation, gang members spit on you, and during your moment of panic as you open your bag to find something with which to wipe your face, they slip their hand into your bag and take your wallet and/ or mobile phone.

Merits of the Name: The Dura Gang is just gross and the name is appropriately disgusting.

DagaDaga Gang Modus Operandi: Also called the Acetylene Gang, these thieves dig a tunnel under the establishment from which they want to steal.

Merits of the Name: We›re thinking that it›s not really nice to name yourself after a pest but then again, if that›s what you›re being then we guess it›s not such a bad deal to be called DagaDaga. However, in the rodent family, rats are easily caught as they leave a pile of dirt when they dig (unlike moles who do things neatly). Perhaps they need to rethink their name—or better yet, rethink their career path.(SPOT. ph) n

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PH gaming seen to surpass Singapore’s

T

HE Philippines’ burgeoning gaming industry may surpass Singapore’s $5.6-billion gaming market by 2018 on the back of favorable local demographics and a likely spillover of foreign high-rollers, foreign bank Credit Suisse said.

Credit Suisse initiated coverage on the Philippine gaming sector with a rosy outlook of a 28-percent compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) for the industry over the 2012-2018 period.

“We view the Philippines as having a potentially larger domestic market in the high-margin mass segment compared to other Asian gaming hubs on the back of favorable demographics,” the report said, noting that the Philippine population of 97 million was almost thrice that of Singapore, Malaysia and Macau combined.

Credit Suisse pointed out that the Philippines also had the fastest growing working-age population in emerging Asia,

The PH gaming industry may Singapore’s $5.6 billion market by 2018, Credit Suisse said. projected to grow by more (very important persons) into than 2 percent annually over local shores. the next 10 years. AcceleratOverall, the research sees a ing wage growth, signs of inlonger sustained growth for the creased spending power and Philippines compared to SinADdue to stronger junket consumer confidenceFULL at near-PAGE gapore record highs all pointed to faparticipation and a protracted vorable demand prospects, the novelty effect. research said.

“We believe that Philippine It also noted that limited hotel casinos will be able to draw capacity and the absence of stronger participation from new casinos elsewhere in the junkets—and consequently region until 2015 could result provide a more stable supply of in a spillover of foreign VIPs credit to VIP clients—as lower

tax rates in the country will allow for higher commissions to be paid to junket operators.

Moreover, based on our channel checks, the regulatory environment in the Philippines appears much more conducive to junket operations as compared to Singapore,” it said.

“We expect Philippine casinos to exhibit higher profitability than regional peers in nonMacau Asia on the back of a more favorable cost structure,” the report said. Although tax rates on gaming revenues are lower in Singapore than in the Philippines, the report noted that Singapore casinos are also taxed at the bottom-line whereas gaming profits of Philippine casinos are not, while Malaysia casinos are likewise taxed at the bottomline, on top of having a higher effective tax rate on gaming revenues compared to the Philippines. with full news by Doris C. Dumlao from the Inquirer

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11 Pinoys on ‘Forbes’ Billionaires List

LEVEN Filipinos made it to the Forbes magazine’s Billionaires List for 2013, with mall magnate Henry Sy emerging as the second-richest Southeast Asian based on net worth.

The family of Sy, who started gaining wealth through his SM Malls and later diversified into real estate and other businesses, was ranked 68th on the Forbes list, with a net worth of $13.2 billion.

He placed just below Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, whose net worth totaled $13.3 billion.

“The Philippines’s richest man, Henry Sy, saw his fortune swell by more than $5 billion as shares of his holding firm SM Investments, the country’s most valuable company, surged by over 50 percent, fueled by reports that it may merge its property units. SM Prime, which he controls and is run by son Hans, is the Philippines’s largest mall developer; it opened a fifth mall in China in December.

Unibank, run by daughter TeresitaSy-Coson, is the country’s largest bank,” Forbes said.

Sy, the magazine added, came from China as a child to work in his father’s convenience store. “Starting with a small shoe store in Manila, he built one of the country’s largest retail groups.”

The other Filipinos who made it to the 2013 Billionaires List were Lucio Tan and his family (ranked 248th with net worth of $5 billion); Enrique Razon Jr. (258th, $4.9 billion); Andrew Tan (345th, $3.95 billion); David Consunji and family (503rd, $2.8 billion); George Ty and family (554th, $2.6 billion); Lucio and Susan Co (736th $2 billion); Robert Coyiuto Jr. (931st, $1.6 billion);

Tony Tan Caktiong and family (1,031st, $1.4 billion); Andrew Gotianun and family (1,175th, $1.2 billion); and Roberto Ongpin (1,175th, $1.2 billion).

Forbes’s latest list, consisting of 1,426 names with an aggregate net worth of $5.4 trillion, was again led

by Mexican telecommunications mogul Carlos Slim Helu (net worth of $73 billion), followed by Microsoft’s Bill Gates ($67 billion), Amancio Ortega of Spanish retailer Zara ($57 billion), Warren Buffet ($53.5 billion) and Larry Ellison of Oracle ($43 billion).

There were 1,426 names on the 2013 list, with 201 new additions.

“Once again the US leads the list with 442 billionaires, followed by Asia Pacific [386], Europe [366], the Americas [129] and the Middle East and Africa [103],” Forbes said.

This is the 27th year of the publishing of the Forbes Billionaires list.

“The Forbes Billionaires [List] ranks individuals rather than large, multi-generational families who share large fortunes. So MajaOeri, who has a disclosed stake in pharmaceutical firm Roche, makes the list, but her eight relatives who, with a non-profit foundation, share a $16-billion fortune do not. In some cases, we list sib-

lings together if the ownership breakdown among them isn’t clear, but here, too, they must be worth a minimum of $2 billion,” the magazine said.

Tobacco king Lucio Tan, who, according to Forbes, started as a chemical engineer and mopped floors to pay for school, consolidated many of his private holdings, including Asia Brewery, which makes Beer na Beer, and his stake in Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco, which has an estimated 80-percent market share of the country’s cigarette market into publicly listed LT Group in which he owns close to 90 percent. Fortune includes Hong Kong-based Eton Properties, and a stake in Philippines Airlines.

Razon, Forbes said, controls the Manila-listed International Container Terminal Services and saw his wealth climb by $3 billion following last May’s listing of Bloomberry Resorts, his new hotel and casino venture in which he retains a 71-percent stake. His Solaire Resort &

Casino is one of four new casinos in the Manila Bay complex.

In December, he sold nearly 9-percent stake in Bloomberry to Global Gaming, the casino manager, at much below market value as per a pre-arranged deal.

Andrew Tan, who is a son of a factory worker, did odd jobs to put himself through college, Forbessaid.

“Saved money he earned as a kitchen appliance salesman to buy a distillery and made his first fortune in brandy. His holding company, Alliance Global, which has interests in food and beverage, real estate, gaming, saw its shares climb 70 percent since last year on higher profits, revenues from gaming. With Malaysian tycoon Lim KokThay’sGenting Hong Kong, he plans to start building a new $1.1-billion casino, Resorts World Bayshore, in a new entertainment hub in the Philippines, that is due to be completed in 2016,” Forbes said.

Consunji, a former concrete inspector, debuted on the list on better understanding of his holdings, Forbes said. “He founded the construction company DMCI in 1954 and later expanded into infrastructure, real estate, mining and power.

Stock price of the Philippines Stock Exchange-listed company, which is up more than twentyfold since its 2009 low, took hit recently when an accident at its coalmine in Antique province claimed three lives. Son Isidro is DMCI Holding’s president.”

(Business Mirror) n

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PTIMISM is soaring that the Philippines is finally becoming an Asian tiger economy, but critics caution a tiny elite that has long dominated is amassing most of the new wealth while the poor miss out.

President Benigno Aquino has overseen some of the highest growth rates in the region since he took office in 2010, while the stock market has hovered in record territory, credit ratings have improved and debt ratios have dropped.

“The Philippines is no longer the sick man of East Asia, but the rising tiger,” World Bank country director MotooKonishi told a forum attended by many of Aquino’s economic planning chiefs recently.

However economists say that, despite genuine efforts from Aquino’s team to create inclusive growth, little progress has been made in changing a structure that for decades has allowed one of Asia’s worst richpoor divides to develop.

“I think it’s obvious to everyone that something is structurally wrong. The oligarchy has too much control of the country’s resources,” Cielito Habito, a respected former economic planning minister, told AFP. He presented data to the same economic forum at which Konishi spoke, showing that in 2011 the 40 richest families on the Forbes wealth list accounted for 76 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

This was the highest in Asia, compared with Thailand where

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Some of the elite families have dominated since the Spanish colonial era that ended in the late 1800s.

Oligarchs Corner Country’s Wealth

Despite wide-ranging reforms since 1981, big chunks of the market remain effective oligopolies or cartels, it said.

Habito said the path to riches for the few is also helped by a political culture that allows personal connections to easily open doors.

The Aquino government’s mantra since succeeding grafttainted Gloria Arroyo’s administration has been good governance and inclusive growth, and their efforts have been applauded by the international community.

The government is spending more than $1 billion this year on one of its signature programmes to bridge the rich-poor divide.

The conditional cash transfers programme will see 15 million of the nation’s poorest people receive money directly in exchange for going to school and getting proper health care.

However Louie Montemar, a political science professor at Manila’s De La Salle University, said little had been done at the top end to impact on the dominance of the elite.

“There’s some sense to the argument that we’ve never had a real democracy because only a few have controlled economic power,” Montemar told AFP. “The country dances to the tune of the tiny elite.”

Nevertheless, the government and economists say there are many other reforms that can be taken to bring about inclusive growth.

Analysts said the most direct path out of poverty was improving worker skills, using higher tax revenues to boost spending on infrastructure, and rebuilding the country’s manufacturing sector. (Agence France Presse) n

the top 40 accounted for 33.7 percent of wealth growth, 5.6 percent for Malaysia and just 2.8 percent for Japan, according to Habito.

According to the Forbes 2012 annual rich list, the two wealthiest people in the Philippines, ethnic Chinese magnates Henry Sy and Lucio Tan, were worth a combined $13.6 billion.

This equated to six percent of the entire Philippine economy.

In contrast, about 25 million people, or one quarter of the population, lived on $1 a day or less in 2009, which was little changed from a decade earlier, according to the government’s most recent data.

Some of the elite families have dominated since the Spanish colonial era that ended in the late 1800s.

Prominent Spanish names, such as Ayala and Aboitiz, continue to control large chunks of the economy and members of the families are consistent high

placers on Forbes’ annual top-40 wealth list.

Their business interests range from utilities to property development to banking, telecommunications and the booming business process outsourcing industry.

Many of the ethnic Chinese tycoons, such as Sy and Tan, got their start soon after the country gained post-World War II independence from the United States.

The tendency for the same names to dominate major industries can be partly attributed to government regulations that continue to allow near monopolies and protections for key players.

For decades after independence from the United States in 1946, important sectors such as air transport and telecommunications were under monopoly control, according to a Philippine Institute for Development Studies paper.

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More Than Just a Heartthrob By cherie del rio

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F there’s one thing Dingdong Dantes has proven recently, it is that he’s not just another pretty face in showbiz. He’s not just the multi-talented heartthrob with a hot body and a stellar career in the entertainment industry.

The Breitling brand ambassador recently had the chance to, in his own words via Instagram, “cross out one of the first entries to my bucket list”.

He was able to fly with seven pilots of the Breitling Jet Team during the 18th Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark, Pampanga.

The said aircraft was actually used in the opening scene of the 1997 Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies.

But flying with the Breitling Jet Team is perhaps the least of Dingdong’s biggest accomplishments this year. The young actor has gone international via the film Dance of the Steelbars, which is set to hit theaters on May 22. Dingdong shares billing in the international film with Patrick Bergin, an Irish actor.

Dingdong’s streak of good luck extends to his personal advocacies. He is the founder and chairman of YesPinoyFoundation (YPF), which “arose out of the simple yearning of an Edsa baby named Jose Sixto “Dingdong” G. Dantes III to help others, especially the youth, achieve their dreams of having a better life despite poverty and powerlessness.” Supported by friends in the entertainment, business and nonprofit sectors, YPF was established on Aug. 21,

2009, 26 years to the day when Ninoy Aquino was killed on the tarmac of the Manila Internagional Airport.

Initially, Dingdong and his friends and supporters focused on providing college scholarships to sons and daughters of fallen Philippine Marine soldiers, since Dong is a Marine reservist who is very much aware of the common soldier’s plight.

In response to pressing problems, YPF’s core program later expanded beyond giving financial aid to poor students.

The YesPinoyFoundation calls out to all Filipinos, particularly the youth to volunteer for a good cause: “You can make a difference in reshaping the future of our country. The future of our nation is now in your hands.”

For his work with YesPinoy, Dingdong was recognized by the international organization Devex (in partnership with the Chevron Corp.) as one of the 40 development leaders under the age of 40, dubbed “Manila 40 Under 40”. The awardees were chosen based on a public nomination process and the candidates were judged according to their influence on development initiatives and agenda in the Philippines. The 40 Under 40 program is conducted globally by Devex, an international

organization of half a million professionals around the world that believes that “a more efficient global development can change the world.”

Other notable local awardees names joining Dingdong in the prestigious “Manila 40 Under 40” are TV personality Kara David (founder of Malasakit Fund), social entrepreneur and ssenaatorial candidate Bam Aquino (co-founder of Microventures, Inc.), and Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian.

Dingdong’s commitment to his chosen advocacies is not the only thing that has gained attention and recognition. The actor-dancer is showing a new side of him that endears him even more to Filipino audiences both locally and abroad.

He is no longer just confined to charming viewers -- he has plans of wowing the crowd with his directorial skills. He is no stranger to the field of directing and producing movies as he had already launched a movie under his own company, Agostodos Pictures. Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles, which was

released last year, earned quite a few high praises for the 32yearold Kapuso star.

Dingdong has been vocal about his desire to make the biopic of no less than Ninoy Aquino.

“Ninoy Aquino has always fascinated and inspired me in so many ways, so it’s something,” Dingdong revealed to ABS-CBN News recently. “It’s part of my wish list.”

The actor is keen to produce the film in collaboration with Star Cinema. He has worked previously with the same production outfit for two of his blockbuster films --One More Try in 2012 (for which he garnered Best Actor recognition) and Segunda Mano the year before.

2013 just might be Dingdong’s big year in showcasing talents other than acting and dancing. He has already made quite a name for himself in showbiz, but it seems there’s no stopping this actor in conquering new adventures in the entertainment scene. Heartthrob actor today, director / producer / young nation leader tomorrow. n

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Piolo, Shaina dating?

REPORTS linking Shaina Magdayao to PioloPascual have surfaced again. Rumors about the two first emerged late last year when they were seen enjoying each other’s company during a trip to Singapore in October for the ABS-CBN Sunday musical show, ASAP.

Shaina even posted pictures of her and Pioloon her Instagram account, even describing the actor as a “handsome date.”At the time, they insisted that they are just friends and in a previous interview, Piolosaid he was worried that such rumors might affect their friendship.

There have been reports lately that the two have been spotted together several times.

Piolo did not deny that he and Shaina have gone out. “Okeynaman kami, we’re friends. Angdami naming ginagawakunganuano. …There are things that we just let happen. But for now, we’re good friends,” he said.

Angel beats Nora, Vilma as Best Actress ANGEL Locsin, who was judged Best Actress in the

Star Awards for Movies, sais she was worried over the possible reaction of the fans ofacclaimed actresses Nora AunorandVilma Santos whom she bested for the award.

“Anginiisipkolangkaninanangnanalongaako, ‘Paanoakomakakalabasnangbuhay?” joked, Angel. “Feeling ko, ‘Oh, my God, nandiyanangmgaNoranians. NandiyanangmgaVilmanians…’ Although hindinamansilamgasalbahe, mabaitnamansila. Peroparanganolangako, parang… paanokobaie-explain angsariliko?

Dahilsiyempreyungmgaidolonila, nakakailang best actress awards na.”

Angel was cited as Movie Actress of the Year in the 29th PMPC Star Awards For Movies last March 10 for her role in One More Try, an entry in the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival. She beat Nora Aunor (Thy Womb), Vilma (The Healing), Gina Alajar (Mater Dolorosa), Bea Alonzo (The Mistress), Jodi Sta. Maria (Migrante), and Angelica Panganiban, her co-star in One More Try.

Sunshine leaves conjugal home SUNSHINE Cruz isn’t ready to patch things up with husband Cesar Montano again, even if he expressed his wish to save their marriage following reports of his infidelity. She admitted that she has left her conjugal home.

“I just want to be happy right now and do whatever I want to do namakakabuti para sa akin,” Sunshine an-

The couple in happier times. swered when asked if she was closing her doors on another reconciliation with Cesar.

The singer-actress stressed that she gave the marriage her all. “For now, I just have to move on and be happy,” she added.Netizens have also noted that Sunshine changed her Twitter name from Shine Montano to Sunshine Cruz.

Will Sarah have her first on-screen kiss?

WILL Sarah Geronimo have her first screen kissing scene with Paulo Avelinoin her upcoming drama anthology, Sarah G Presents? But Paulo saidthe script doesn’t have

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Showbuzz a kissing scene.

“Perokunglalagyannila, bakithindi? Kung sakalinggaganapsiyang role namakakakissing scene kosiya, mapapangakokosakanyana it will be strictly professional,” the award-winning actor said.

But considering how strict Sarah’s parents, particularly her Mommy Divine, are, it would take a lot of convincing to make the Pop Princess to agree to an on-screen kiss.

naananpagdatingsa love life.

Sobrangtakotnatakotakonungnakarelasyonkosi Jed kasialamnamannatinnabatasiya, marami pa siyangmakikita, perosiyempreiba pa rinanggandako. ‘Yung insecurities konagkapatong-patong, ‘yungtampuhannaminnagkapatong-patong.

And then nunglumipadakosa America, doonkona-realize nasigurobigyankoang chance angsarilikonaumibigmuli,” she said.

Julia Barretto groomed to be the next Claudine

Maja on Gerald: We’re not yet an item MAJA Salvador says she and Gerald Anderson are not yet an item although she didn’t deny that they are seeing each other.“Hindi pa [kami]. Agadagad? Ayokopangunahan. Sa akin nalangmuna. Siguro in time,”Majasaid in an interview.

Majaadmitted that she is happy being with Gerald, who has been defending her against intrigues. She said that right now she and Gerald are enjoying each other’s company with some of their friends.

“Aaminkomasayanamanako. Perohanggang dun muna. Ayokomunamagdetalye.

Perosobrangsalamatsakanyakasinararamdamankona special akotalagasakanya at ipinagtatanggolniyaakokahitpapaano,” she said.

DUBBED as “showbiz royalty” owing to her clan of local celebrities, Julia Barretto hopes to follow in the footsteps of her aunt, Claudine.

The 15-year-old daughter of former actress Marjorie Barretto and comedian-actor Dennis Padilla was formally introduced recently as one of the 12 new recruits of ABSCBN’s talent management firm Star Magic.

As part of the group dubbed “Star Magic Circle 2013,”” Julia’s career beginnings is already on track to follow Claudine’s, the younger sister of Marjorie and another Barretto actress, Gretchen.With her famous mom’s and aunts’ successes in the entertainment industry preceding her entry, Julia said she sees as an advantage the “pressure” that comes with being a Berretto.

Furor over Anne’s ‘wet number’ ANNE Curtis found herself in the eye of the storm after her “provocative number and outfit” on the Sunday variety show, ASAP 18. In a controversial birthday production number last Feb. 24 on ASAP

Pops opts for younger men 18, Anne did a “shower/rain scene” while singing Diamonds

by American pop star Rihanna.

Aside from the sexy gestures, what caught many viewers’ attention was Anne’s long gown with a high slit that extended up to her waist. This left many viewers wondering if she was wearing any underwear at all.

The production number prompted the Movie and Television Review Classification Board (MTRCB) to call for a “gender-sensitivity investigation” onASAP.

POPS Fernandez says she sees nothing wrong with dating younger men because they “are more sure of themselves, more aggressive and most importantly, they’re single.”

She also prefers dating Filipino men, “although people say Pinoys are big babies.”

Ai Ai reconciles with boyfriend

COMEDIENNE Ai Aidelas Alas turned emotional as she thanked her businessman-boyfriend Jed Salang for not giving up on their relationship after their most recent misunderstanding.

“Thank you for not giving up on us. Thank you nahinabolmoako, hindikanawalanngpag-asa. Thank you for loving me,” she said in an interview on The Buzz “Angdamikong insecurities sabuhay, angdamikongdi-

The 46-year-old singer and mother of two boys admits to have dated “several” guys younger than her after the annulment of her marriage to singer-TV host Martin Nievera.

“I recently asked my sons’ opinion on this and they said it’sokay with them, as long as I’m happy,” said Pops. Pops and Martin have two sons -Robin, 26, and Ram, 23. n

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UST late last year, KC Concepcion couldn’t help but gush and heap praises on her suitor Pierre-Emmanuel Plassart, going as far as describing the French filmmaker as “the real thing” and “the answer to my prayers” in an interview with the gossip show, The Buzz, in November.

KC Not Ready for Serious Romance

KC describes Pierre as “the real thing.”

But KC is singing a different tune these days. Just when the fans thought that everything’s going smoothly between the couple, the actress-host backpedaled, revealing that she’s not ready to commit, and has asked Pierre for some space.

“We reached a point where things just got a bit too serious, and I’ve realized that I’m not ready for a serious relationship,” KC said at her recent launch as endorser of Boardwalk’s Signature Style collection.

“He might just get hurt

in the end, so I decided to preserve the friendship we have now.”

Though Pierre did try to push

whatever he thought he had with KC, the 27-year-old Kapamilya star said she wasn’t on the same level as her suitor when it comes to fighting for love.

“He understands me, but of course he tried fighting for it.

But for it to work out, we have to be on the same level. And I’m not,” she said. “I still have many things to do. So for now, I’ll just have to sacrifice.”

Did Pierre spook KC by proposing or offering marriage were too early? “That’s a personal question,” she said, giggling. Prodded by reporters, KC begged off: “Let’s not talk about it right now. Anyway, I think I’ve shared enough.”

KC, whose relationship with Piolo Pascual ended on a sour note and magnified by a TV meltdown,

said that, for now, she wanted to enjoy being single; have fun and see the world more after all she’s been through.

That doesn’t mean thought the she’s shutting her doors on Pierre, KC said, adding that she’s open to the possibility of getting back together with him when the time is right. “True love waits,” she said. “We’ll see if he can wait until I’m ready.”

She continued: “We’re still communicating. I didn’t turn him down. He’s a very good guy and comes from a decent family. I so love his family, and they love me back.”

Her mom Sharon Cuneta had expressed her approval of Pierre numerous times in earlier interviews. So understandably, she, too, was quite disheartened about how things turned out between her daughter and Pierre. “At times, nanghihinayang siya because Pierre is a decent man. But like I’ve said, I don’t want to do something I can’t fully commit to.”

While she’s open to entertaining new suitors, KC stressed that she doesn’t want anything serious. “Entering a serious relationship entails a lot of risks.

You have to be whole again,” she pointed out.

Meanwhile, KC just renewed her contract with ABS-CBN, and is set to appear alongside Judy Ann Santos and Sam Milby in the coming drama series Against All Odds.

“I also want to do more hosting. I want to experiment and explore, and make sure I become a better host, actress and performer,” KC said.

The interview ended when a showbiz scribe asked KC whether or not she’s on speaking terms with Piolo. Before walking away from the cameras, KC broke into a smile and replied, politely, “Ayoko na po munang sagutin. I’ll just take after Anne Hathaway,” referring to the Oscar-winning actress’s reaction when asked a sensitive question by entertainment columnist Ricky Lo. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) n

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Multicurrency bank accts for OFWs pushed

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HE recruitment sector has urged the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to allow commercial banks to accept foreign currency accounts for overseas Filipino workers to mitigate the effects of rising appreciation of the peso against the pound.

Recruitment sector leader Lito Soriano made the call in reaction to BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Gunigundo’s statement that OFWs are not paid in dollars but in local foreign currencies and are therefore less affected by the strong peso.

Soriano pointed out that the appreciation of the peso, now down to P61 to £1 as compared to P92 to £1 in 2008, has greatly affected millions of OFW families since the pound lost 33% of its value.

He said the BSP should open multi-currency deposits facilities with commercial banks so that earnings of OFWs in various countries can be deposited in different currencies directly to their foreign currency accounts.

Soriano, co-convenor of the Competitive Currency Forum said that if the BSP allows the move, OFWs can now deposit local currency earnings like Riyals, Dirham’s, EU, Pounds, HK dollars, NT dollars, Malaysian Ringit and all other foreign currencies convertible by the BSP to their foreign currency accounts and reduce the cost of exchanging their local currency to US dollars for remittances to their beneficiaries.

Many recruitment leaders have also noted that while they are not paid in dollars, OFWs still have to go to banks or remittance centers to have their salaries converted into dollars for transmission to the Philippines.

“This is where a small amount is lost during that transaction. Allowing banks to accept foreign currency deposits will keep the value of the currency intact and can be converted into pesos directly by the depositor,” Soriano stressed.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration’s standard salary table is computed in dollars and foreign employers merely convert

FULL PAGE AD The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has been urged to allow commercial banks to accept foreign currency accounts for overseas Filipino workers to mitigate the effects of rising appreciation of the peso against the pound. these wages into their local currency for payment to their employees.

Meanwhile the recruitment sector urged the Department of Labor and Employment to initiate discussions with the Banko Sentral on how to moderate the effects of the strong peso on OFW families who now have to tighten their belts in order to cope up with the rising appreciation of the peso eating into their pound remittances.

The welfare of the onshore families of overseas Filipinos, especially OFWs -- who account for the majority of Filipinos have become poorer by more than 33% over the past 18 years, as the peso/pound rate moved from P92 to the current P61; this is the insidious “hidden inflation” which can reduce their buying power due to the rising inflation of 3.2% A recruitment leader said a strong peso is acceptable if the government could also regulate the prices of commodities by maintaining the buying power of the peso.

“But what is difficult to understand is, if the peso is stronger, it means paying less in the imported merchandise, how come the prices of goods never go down? When the pound was P92 to a pound, the price of gas

was only P38 pesos, so your £1 can buy 2.5 liter of gas. Now £1 is not even enough to buy 1.5 liters of gas,” he said.

with full news by Lee Ann P. Ducusin from Journal Online

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Healthcare Outsourcing Industry Posts Gains T

HE healthcare outsourcing industry more than quadrupled its revenues in two years amid increasing demand from the US and Europe, according to the Healthcare Information Management Outsourcing Association of the Philippines (HIMOAP).

In a statement, HIMOAP said the combined revenues of healthcare outsourcing companies in the country last year reached $430 million, 55 percent higher than the previous year’s $277 million and over four times more than the $102 million in 2010.

Healthcare information management is now the fastest-growing sector of the Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

The consulting firm Everest Group called healthcare outsourcing a “hidden jewel” in a report released last month. It

said the Philippines has the biggest pool of US-licensed nurses outside the US and “trains more than 6,000 nurses per year, while the domestic demand is less than one-fourth of this supply.”

“With the supply of professional nurses exceeding demand due to limited opportunities following the economic slowdown, the healthcare information management industry has been an attractive career alternative for an estimated 200,000 unemployed nurses in the Philippines,” HIMOAP president JuanlozBotor said.

“They have been excellent

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The healthcare information management industry offers an attractive career alternative for the 200,000 jobless nurses in the Philippines. in delivering a wide array of healthcare information management services, including medical transcription, data management, medical coding and billing, revenue cycle management, and pharmaceutical benefits management, among others,” he said.

Citing the Everest Group report, Botor said foreign companies have since “shifted their focus to the Philippines because of its large pool of available talent.”

“No other country in the world has the sheer volume of healthcare-trained professionals that you’ll find in the Philippines such as nurses, physical therapists, and doctors. This alone sets this country apart from every other country in its capabili-

ties,” said HIMOAP chairman Jeff Williams.

Since nursing education in the Philippines mainly follows US medical standards, Filipino graduates are familiar with American practices, “thus making the transition to healthcare BPO for US clients very easy for the nurses,” the Everest Group report said.

Filipinos’ English proficiency and service-orientation are also strengths.

“Global players... are not only leveraging the voice advantage of the Philippines for voice-based BPO but also using the unique value mix of medical know-how and good customer interaction skills to deliver niche services,” the consulting firm said. n

Two of Five Pinoys Remain Hopeful ALTHOUGH they continue to face many challenges, Filipinos remained optimistic about their personal and economic prospects for 2013 -- with nearly two of five Filipinos expecting their lives to improve in 2013, pollster Social Weather Stations said in its end-2012 survey.

Citing the results of its Dec. 8-11 survey, SWS said Filipinos ranked their personal prospects for 2013 “high” and prospects for the economy “very high.”

“Net economic optimism has been ‘very high’ (from +10 and above) in eight out of 11 surveys since June 2010,” the SWS said.

In the poll, 37 percent of

respondents said they expect their lives to improve in 2013, while 8 percent said things would get worse.

This brought the net optimism score to +29, which is two points higher than August.

Also, 33 percent of respondents were optimistic on the economy’s prospects for 2013, as opposed to 14 percent who were pessimistic, for a net +19 score.

The survey showed more Filipinos (25 percent from 21 percent) claimed their lives had improved the past year.

However, the SWS said the proportion of those who said

otherwise also rose (32 percent from 28 percent), keeping the net score at a “fair” -8.

Net personal optimism remained “very high” among the ABC class at +40 from +32 in August. Net optimism for ABC had been “very high” in majority of surveys done since September 2010.

The score among the class D or masa was +30 from August’s “high” +28. The SWS said since September 2009, the masa’s score has been above +20.

As for class E, net optimism went up four points to +24, which is still considered “high.”

Scores in Class E stayed above

+20 in 10 out of 14 surveys since September 2009.

Among the ABC class, net economic optimism remained at a “very high” +28.

The masa also garnered a “very high” score, +19, while class E gained five points to yield a score of +16, which is also “very high.”

The SWS noted unemployment stood at 6.8 percent as of October 2012, higher than the rate in October 2011 or 6.4 percent.

Some 2.8 million Filipinos do not have jobs, SWS said, citing National Statistics Office figures. n

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FTER drinking a tetra pack or juice drink, many people simply throw the thing away.

When magazines get old, these are thrown out, too. Fabric scraps go into the trash, together with used plastic bags, newspapers, and condiment sachets.

While many people throw away things without a second thought, but women recyclers see potential in items that are regarded by others as useless.

In one Typhoon Ondoy-devastated barangay in San Mateo, Rizal, a social enterprise of women and other community members collects discarded juice packs and turns them into “tetra pots” used for “urban container gardening.”

Mothers, janitors, and school children called “tetra pickers” collect materials from funeral wakes, burial rites in cemeteries, and schools. They are then sorted and sewed into “tetra pots” by women, who can earn as much as over P4,000 monthly each. The finished tetra pot is sold for P10 per piece, according to Lyn Ramos, Secretary of people’s organization Buklod Tao, which was cited for its work by EcoWaste Coalition.

The environmental organization, which aspires to a Zero Waste society, extolled the role of Filipino women as recycling champions, ahead of the observance of International Women’s Day on March 8.

EcoWaste Coalition lauded the role of Filipino women in resource conservation at home and in the community through innovative recycling and microenterprise development.

“Probably the most ingenious sector in the recycling chain, our women are creating fabulous decorative and functional products from stuff that are often burned or thrown to the bins, streets and dumps,” OchieTolentino, vice-president

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From tetra packs to tetra pots

Scavengers turn trash into cash

Finished products from recycled materials. of EcoWaste Coalition, said in a news release.

In Nueva Ecija, women with disabilities make quality native and recycled items, including Tigbi (Job’s tears) bead crafts from candy and snack wrappers. These are sold as Kalikasan Novelty Products, which is supported by Krusada sa Kalikasan; one of the groups cited by EcoWaste.

Also in Nueva Ecija, the Kalinga Ministry provides livelihood opportunities for women from crafts made of recycled

papers.

Tolentino cited how women recyclers turn trash in to treasure. Juice packs, condiments sachets, flour bags, rice sacks, fabric scraps, advertising banners, plastic sando bags, drinking straws, magazines, newspapers and “Yellow Pages” are transformed into a wide selection of carry, shopping and school bags and other functional items such as purses, baskets, letter holders, photo frames and shoe organizers.

Meanwhile, cereal boxes,

milk cartons and glossy periodicals are made into bracelets, earrings and other accessories, the group said.

“Their recycling efforts, done with utmost patience and creativity, are saving used containers and packaging materials from being burned, dumped or landfilled, which can badly affect the surroundings,” Tolentino noted.

According to EcoWaste, the women work from home or in simple workshops. Working in groups and cooperatives, they inspire others to do the same, and become “training grounds for eco-conscious entrepreneurs.”

Apart from helping save the environment, this helps the women earn supplementary income to aid their families.

“On top of reducing the volume of garbage and preventing pollution that can harm human health and the environment, this largely women-led recycling movement is building confidence, self-reliance and power among an erstwhile disadvantaged group of community women,” she said.

EcoWaste also cited the innovative work of Kilus Foundation in Ugong, Pasig City, the Rags2Riches project in Payatas, Quezon City, the Invisible Sisters comprising of housewives and “lolas” from urban poor communities in Metro Manila, the ABS-CBN Foundation’s Bayan ni Juan Project in Calauan, Laguna and the Women’s Multipurpose Cooperative in Baguio City, as among the growing list of successful recycling-based micro-enterprises that are turning “trash into cash,” empowering women and helping their families meet their needs, while protecting the environment from garbage and pollution. (GMA News) n

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Flash t Sabah Clashes

Malaysian soldiers patrol an area around KampungTanduo, Sabah, where followers of Sulu Sultan JamalulKiram III are scattered. About 61 people, including 53 fighters of the sultan’s Sulu Royal Army, had been killed as of March 10.

Papal Contender

t

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle (left) along with Mexican Cardinal Norberto Riviera Carrera pray with other cardinals at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican as they gather to elect Benedict XVI’s successor.

Tagle is among three clerics favored for pope by victims of sex abuse.

t Pinoy Peacekeepers Freed by Syrian rebels last March 9, 21 Filipino United Nations peacekeepers are welcomed in Amman, Jordan, by Philippine Ambassador Olivia Palala (right) and Jordanian officials. The Filipinos were monitoring a ceasefire between Israel and Syria when they were taken captive.

Battle of Manila

t

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and former President Joseph Estrada trade barbs and insults during a televised debate. The contest for the Manila mayoralty between the two erstwhile allies promises to be an acrimonious affair, dubbed as “AsiongSalongaversus Dirty Harry”. Erap played the role of AsiongSalonga in the biopic of the Tondo toughie while Lim, the former police general, is often compared to the movie character popularized

by Clint Eastwood.

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Flash t Never Again A man flashes the Laban sign, symbol of the fight against the Marcos dictatorship, as confetti rains on the Edsa People Power Monument during the commemoration on Feb. 25 of the 27th anniversary of the civilian-backed military revolt that toppled the Marcos regime.

t Flower Festival

Members of the TanghalangTeatroPino from the Pines City National High School perform during the Panagbenga Festival in Baguio City last month. The troupe presented the “Hulin” ritual of the Ifugaotribe during the planting and harvest seasons to drive away pests and bad spirits.

From Pulpit to Politics

t

A Catholic church in Bacolod has joined the political fray by putting up tarpaulins put up ins that tell the faithful whom to vote for and whom to junk in the May senatorial elections. The church calls those who oppose the Reproductive Health Law “Team Buhay” and those who support the measure “Team Patay”, a reference to the church’s notion that the law abets abortion.

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Overseas voters close to 1-M

O

VERSEAS absentee voters (OAV) who are eligible to vote in the May 13 elections total almost a million after the Commission on Elections reversed an earlier resolution that would have disenfranchised close to 240,000 voters who failed to vote in the past two elections.

“In effect, we are reinstating the list of those which we deleted in a previous resolution,” Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. said after the poll body issued Resolution 9653 allowing Filipinos living overseas to reactivate their voting status up to the last day of voting for OAVs. Section 9 of RA 9189 or the Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2004 gives power to Comelec to remove OAVs who failed to vote for two consecutive national elections.

“After discussions with the representatives of the overseas Filipinos, sabi nila, ano namang masama kung pagbigyan natin sila,” Brillantes said. “So we came back to the original plan where those who will come out and vote (their very presence) will be the act of activation para hindi nadi-disenfranchise yung mga gustong bumoto,” Brillantes added.

OAVs numbering 238, 557 were originally given until January 11 -- from an earlier deadline of December 21, 2012 -- to apply for reactivation but only 40 voters complied. With the reinstatement, the number of overseas voters is back to 988,384, almost 12,000 short

of the original target of one million absentee voters.

For this year’s mid-term elections, the new OAV registrants totaled 386,332 voters, the highest turnout so far. The second highest turn-out was last achieved in 2004, the first elections where the OAV sys-

tem was implemented, with 364,187 registrants. Three years later, new registrants dipped to 143,236. In 2010, 235,950 new voters registered.

The Comelec says overseas voters can start casting their votes at 8 a.m. on April 13, local time of the host country.

Voting will end at 7 p.m. of May 13, Philippine time. Voters who have not yet cast their vote beyond 7 p.m. can still vote if they are within 30 meters from the polling place.

Overseas voters have three ways to cast their vote: personal voting, postal voting and field voting, with Comelec choosing which form of voting is applicable for every diplomatic post.

For personal voting, OAVs will cast their votes at diplomatic posts or other voting areas designated by Comelec. Posts include Philippine embassies, consulates, Foreign Service establishments and other Philippine government agencies maintaining offices abroad. Posts also include the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) and the three Manila Economic and Cultural Offices (MECO) in Taiwan.

For postal voting, the ballots and other election paraphernalia are sent to the voters by mail. The voters can either mail or personally deliver the accomplished ballots to the diplomatic posts. For field voting, OAVs can cast their vote for a limited period in places were field registrations were held. (VERA Files) n

1 in 4 Pinoys gives bribes ONE in every 10 families has given a bribe for the early release of government documents or for favorable action by an agency, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said.

According to its 2010 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS), the NSO said 41.3 percent of households nationwide had at least one member who saw a government personnel or visited an agency to secure permits or licenses, pay taxes, avail of social services or seek assistance.

Of those who did avail of a government service, about 9 percent of the respondents gave money or something of

value to facilitate the transaction or avoid problems.

“In this survey, such giving of money or gift or favor or anything of value was classified into two types: supplydriven wherein a person voluntarily gives money or gift or favor or anything of value, and demand-driven wherein a person was asked to give it,” the NSO said.

The NSO survey revealed that 75 percent of families with at least one member who gave money, gifts or favors to secure favorable government action voluntarily offered the said incentive.

The other 25 percent were

asked to give it, adding that less than one percent of those who did not voluntarily provide an incentive, reported the incident to anyone in authority.

The NSO further revealed that 10 percent of non-poor families give money, gifts or favors in order to facilitate their transactions with a government office. This is higher than the 7 percent among poor families.

Among poor families who gave money, gifts or favors to facilitate their transaction with a government office, about 32 percent did so involuntarily, compared with 24 percent among the non-poor families.

WHAT’S ON

www.planetphilippines.uk.com

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SPOTon

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SPL

COMMUNITY

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Contact: Box Office 01245 606505 www.chelmsford.gov. uk/theatres

ft. The West End Mamas

7:30pm Civic Centre, Fairfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1JG

BFAB COMEDY CONCERT LAUGH ALL YOU CAN

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Saturday, 27 April 2013 Brought to you by:

27 April 2013 LAUGH ALL YOU CAN, featuring top rated Pinoy Stand up comedian Venue: St.William Hall, Ingleby Road Bradford Contact: BFABBritish Filipino Association of Bradford - 07780076256 / 07597135617

FEBRUARY 2013

26, 27 April 2013 PAROKYA NI EDGAR Comeback Concert 6:00pm Glenwood Centre, Circle Way West, Cardiff, CF23 6UW

BAMBOO UK TOUR London: 5 April 229 The Venue, Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PN

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Colchester: 6 April Colchester Leisure World, Cowdray Avenue, Essex CO1 1YH

Contact: Alastair Macdonald 07584 242 763 or Rodolfo Alviar 07855 294528

Manchester: 7 April Manchester Academy 2, Oxford Road, Lancashire, M13 9PR

18 May 2013

Miss London NABA 2013 Venue: Camden Centre, Euston Road, London WC1H 9JE Contact: Sabrina Maxim (07850880635) Ryan Abeleda (07515252235)

1-2 June 2013

1 June 2013

Barrio Fiesta Bristol: Eastville Park, Muller Rd Eastville, Bristol, BS5 6XA

Barrio Fiesta Yorkshire: The Racecourse, Boroughbridge Road, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 1UG

Contact: Gerome (07717884293) , Honelyn (07783343848), Clarence (07500896239)

Contact: Lolita Boddy 01765 535015, 07425 949239

8-9 June 2013

8 June 2013

Barrio Fiesta Morden: Morden Park, Morden, Greater London SM4 5DX

PHILSCOT INDEPENDENCE DAY

Contact: Tess Juval 07956593236, Gil Zarcilla 0208 204 7808

St. John’s Church Hall, Hayocks Road, Stevenson, Ayrshire, KA20 4DE Contact: Nally Carroll 01294 461709 Arlene Hunter 01294 601628

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15 June 2013

6 July 2013

Barrio Fiesta Oxfordshire: The Quadrangle Conference and Exhibition Centre, The Kassam Stadium, Grenoble Road, Oxford, OX4 4XP

Barrio Fiesta Newcastle: Blaydon Rugby Club Field (Carboot Area) Hexham Road, Swalwell, Newcastle NE16 3BN

Contact: Jose Ariel Lanada, chairman@filcomoxford.org.uk

Contact: Sally Sellars 07886742417 / Bong Bangayan 07824338251

7 July 2013

13-14 July 2013

Barrio Fiesta Leeds: Event Field, Temple Newsam, Leeds, LS15 0AF

Filipino British Society: Milton Keynes Fiesta 2013 Campbell Park, Avebury Boulevard, Milton Keynes, MK9 4AD

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Contact: Chris Dungca 07766 015698; Rowena Greenwood 07717 220095

Maria Davis 07737676850 Grace 07951939090

13-14 July 2013

20-21 July 2013

Barrio Fiesta Birmingham: Woodgate Valley Country Park, Clapgate Lane, Bartley Green, Birmingham B32 3DS

Barrio Fiesta sa London 2013 (The Biggest Fiesta in the UK)

Contact: Rozen Malonzo 07985159203 / 01212446900; Noel Azuro 07861805260

at your doorstep!

Just for an annual subscription fee of ÂŁ 10 (12 issues), please contact us at: T: 0203 371 7882 or email: splashpress@aol.com Start your subscription immediately!

Organisers: TFC and the Philippine Center

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EMBASSY NEWS

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ADVISORY ON RENEWAL/ CHANGE OF VISAS The Philippine Embassy in London wishes to advise all Filipinos intending to renew or change their entry/student/ other visas to the same visa category or another visa category, as a result of changes in the Point Based System of managed migration adopted by the UK Government, to transact only with duly licensed immigration consultants and/or solicitors.

The Philippine Embassy has been in receipt of numerous complaints from Filipinos regarding their failed dealings with unlicensed immigration consultants and/or solicitors.

While these complaints have been brought to the attention of local government authorities in the UK, our kababayans fail to obtain refund of the unconscionable fees often paid by them when they submit their documents to these unlicensed immigration consultants and/or solicitors.

It is suggested that all transactions be made at the offices of licensed immigraFULL tion consultants and/or solicitors and, when necessary, ask them to produce their license to practice as immigration consultants and/or solicitors before making any payment. Refrain from transacting business in clinics, cafes, telephones or mobile phones, e-mail, and other venues where it is not possible to ascertain the legitimate status of the immigration consultancy practice being offered.

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WHAT’S ON

Embassy Closures for MAR to APR 2013 The public is advised that, in observance of Philippine and UK holidays, the Philippine Embassy in London will be closed on the following weekdays of March and April 2013:

Thursday, 28 March (Maundy Thursday) Friday, 29 March (Good Friday) Monday, 1 April (UK Bank Holiday / Easter Monday) Tuesday, 9 April (Araw ng Kagitingan [The Day of Valor])

Regular office hours will resume and be observed from 2 to 5 April, on 8 April, and from 10 April 2013.

In case of death or detention of a Filipino citizen in the United Kingdom, please contact the Embassy’s emergency mobile phone at 07802790695.

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UK Businesses eyeing PH opportunities

C

LOSE TO a hundred British companies and organizations expressed keen interest in doing business with the Philippines during a forum organized by the UK-ASEAN Business Council (UKABC) last February.

Entitled “Meet the Ambassador: Opportunities in the Philippines”, the event provided an opportunity for the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Trade and Investment Centre (PTIC) in London to showcase the country’s priority trade and investment sectors to British and international businesses.

Philippine Ambassador to the UK Enrique A. Manalo led the presentations and highlighted the country’s remarkable economic performance. “The Philippine economy has being moving from strength-to-strength over the last decade”, said Ambassador Manalo.

“GDP, Investments, the Stock Market, Dollar Reserves, the Peso and Tourism are all booming and

breaking all-time highs, even against one of the most challenging global business environments in modern history.”

PTIC Director Anne Marie Kristine Umali expounded on the Philippines’ strong business environment and unmatched incentives for potential investors. She noted that over a hundred British corporations have already set up business operations in and with the Philippines, and that the UK is one of the largest direct and portfolio investors in the country.

Testimonials from British businessmen with established ties to the Philippines echoed the positive sentiment. Keith Waterton, Chief Operating Officer of ITRS Group Plc, a business solutions company that works with financial services sectors around the world, for instance cited the country’s language skills, pool of talent, central location and low costs as just some of the Philippines’ advantages.

An ope discussion followed the

British companies expressed keen interest in doing business with the Philippines during a forum organized by the UK-ASEAN Business Council (UKABC). presentations, with many more British groups and enterprises identifying their sectors of interest and establishing direct contacts with the Embassy and PTIC for future endeavours.

The Philippines is the first country to be featured on UKABC’s “Meet the Ambassador” series. The council, led by its Executive Director Tom

Burden, is under the British government’s UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) directorate and aims to get more businesses trading with ASEAN by targeting key businesses and decision makers from ASEAN and connecting them with UK businesses. with full news from PE London

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