August 2014 'a' issue

Marian Rivera: ‘Eat Bulaga’ reveals who I am Story on page 28

Connecting Global News & Views For The Community

UK & Europe Edition

August 2014

Volume 5 - Number 15

Celeb Scoop

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SONA 2014 PNOY TURNS EMOTIONAL, SAYS FILIPINO WORTH FIGHTING FOR FACED with mounting criticism and eroding approval ratings, President Benigno Aquino III on Monday turned emotional in his fifth and penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Towards the last part of his SONA, Aquino’s voice broke and he appeared close to tears while recalling the memory of his parents, slain Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and the late President Corazon Aquino.

“Mga boss, binigyan ninyo ako ng pagkakataong pamunuan ang transpormasyon... Kung tinalikuran ko ang pagkakataon, parang tinalikuran ko na rin ang aking ama’t ina at ang lahat ng inalay nila para sa atin. Hindi po mangyayari iyon,” he said.

A reluctant candidate, Aquino was a senator who was propelled into the 2010 presidential race following the outpouring of grief

President Benigno Aquino III delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives on Monday, July 28. Photo by Joe Galvez.

Heart Evangelista shines brightest at SONA red carpet

when his mother died the previous year.

“Hangga’t nagsisilbi tayong lakas ng isa’t isa, patuloy nating mapapatunayan na the Filipino is worth dying for, the Filipino is worth living for, at idagdag ko naman po, the Filipino is definitely worth fighting for,” the President added.

Part of the phrase—the Filipino is worth dying for—comes from the President’s father, Ninoy Aquino, who was gunned down shortly after his arrival in 1983.

The assassination ignited protests against the dictatorial Marcos regime and led to the 1986 EDSA uprising, which swept Mrs. Aquino to the presidency.

Acceleration Program (DAP), which has been declared partially unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The executive branch has already appealed the high court’s decision on the spending mechanism.

In her modern Filipiniana, Heart Evangelista was the brightest star on the red carpet before President Benigno Aquino III delivered his fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday.

The President is facing three impeachment complaints before the House of Representatives, two of which cited DAP as basis.

Pollster Pulse Asia earlier reported a significant drop in Aquino’s trust and approval ratings based on a survey covering the period when certain acts under the DAP were struck down by the high court.

PNoy turns personal. In a rare reflective mood, Aquino recalled how he almost died during a failed coup attempt against his mother in 1987 and said the spectre of getting killed during his incumbency has crossed his mind.

“Pangalawang buhay ko na po ito. Hindi po natin maiiwasang magisip, may araw kayang pagsampa ng entablado, ito na ba ang huling araw? May nagtagumpay bang magtanim ng bomba?

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NEWS

August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

SONA 2014 PNoy turns emotional Magtatagumpay ba ang may maiitim na balak?” he said.

Aquino said if anything happened to him, he would have been satisfied with what he had accomplished in his more than four years as the country’s top elected official.

“Kapag dumating nga ang panahong iyon, masasabi ko bang okay na rin?

Sasabihin ko po sa inyo, mata sa mata, sa lahat po ng inabot natin, ako po’y masasabi kong kuntento na ako,” he said.

The President’s sisters also became

emotional during the speech. His youngest sister, actress Kris Aquino, was seen crying at the gallery while her brother was talking about their parents’ legacy.

After his speech, President Aquino received a standing ovation and rousing applause from Congress members, most of whom are his allies.

Initially combative. Earlier in the speech, Aquino had been in a combative mode, criticizing his “desperate” detractors for supposedly stepping up the campaign against him.

“Habang nakikita ang pagbabago sa lipunan, nangyayari na nga ang ating inasahan: lalong dumadalas, lalong umiinit, at lalong tumitindi ang pag-atake nila sa atin... Desperado na po sila,” the President said.

“Sanay na tayong sinasalubong ng negatibong komentarista sa almusal, pang-aalipusta sa tanghalian, insulto sa hapunan, may intriga pa bilang midnight snack,” he added.

The President sought to rally the public

Commentary: 6 things we learned from Senate hearing on DAP

MANILA - (Last July 24, the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Sen. Chiz Escudero, held a marathon hearing lasting over six hours on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), with the declared intent of getting key officials like Budget Sec. Florencio “Butch” Abad to explain the controversial economic stimulus scheme. Abad, who had avoided the press and had taken awhile to give data even to the Supreme Court that declared DAP’s four anchor practices as unconstitutional, was the main resource person – but got able support from practically the entire Cabinet in the gallery and from LP partymate Senate President Frank Drilon. Here’s one postscript to that hearing).

1. Speed isn’t everything, after all.

DAP seems to not have been accurately named because “acceleration” - the raison d’etre of this strange creature - turns out was not necessarily always the basis for choosing which project to fund. Secretaries Butch Abad and Emilio Abaya, for example, were hard put to explain to Sen. Nancy Binay why P549 million to rehabilitate the airport - including its notorious toilets was withdrawn. First, they said there were structural issues, then they said they had decided to centralize the contract for renovating all toilets in all DOTC-supervised

facilities like airports, seaports nationwide.

To which Nancy Binay asked, “I thought you were in a hurry?” Abad then said that, well, under DAP, speed isn’t really the only consideration; cost efficiency was also a factor.

But what was so hard about just fixing the toilets?

Abad and Abaya could only mumble a reply when Sen. Binay reminded them of last weekend’s septic tank leak that sent a stink through the airport.

2. The Senate still has some tough senators - particularly among the new ones. Even in the absence of minority stalwarts, the younger senators can, if they wanted to, muster the intelligence, interrogatory skills and the spunk to grill the obviously very adept advocates of DAP like Senate President Franklin Drilon and Budget Secretary Butch Abad.

Sen. Nancy Binay, often derided as a poor shadow of her lawyer-dad, stunned Abad with her quick, pointed, follow-up questions. JV Ejercito was a class act on at least two issues: first, he asked Abad, given the popular President’s near-total control of Congress, why he didn’t just run to Congress for additional funds. Then, as Abad concluded his statement, Sen. Ejercito said, your good intentions are noted but that’s

why they came up with the statute defining the crime of technical malversation.

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” intoned the senator. Abad, he said, is trying to justify technical malversation. They could have passed an appropriation measure from Congress to cover these supposedly crucial projects, but ignored the co-equal branch of government. “That’s the intent of passage of the law against technical malversation to tell people like him that one cannot juggle funds, no matter how good the intention.”

Another neophyte senator who shone was Grace Poe, who, despite running under the administration slate, left the guests from the Executive squirming with her questions.

She wanted them to explain why billions from DAP were given to the Customs Bureau for its obligations to the SGS. Given that the obligation must be honored, the question is: How did this fit into “priority” and “urgent” criteria for DAP? 3. At the Senate, you’re not always speaking under oath. Abad (almost) wasn’t. The Senate should clarify its rules on putting witnesses under oath. Drilon didn’t hide his dismay at being overruled

by Finance panel chair Chiz Escudero on Binay’s request to put Abad et al under oath.

What lies were they peddling that needed

Cabinet execs on Aquino: We feel his burden PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III kept sa kaniya, ang lakas ng loob, galing sa statements by his mom and his dad, himself from breaking into tears as he started to end his penultimate State of the Nation Address with words on his commitment to serve, saying that the Filipino was worth fighting for.

After the speech, several members of his Cabinet empathized with the President, saying they too felt the burden Aquino carried.

“He is burdened by being president because all of us are burdened by the responsibility. Ramdam niya ang kahalagahan, ang kabigatan ng pagiging pangulo. Ramdam din namin yun dahil kasama namin siya. Ang maganda, sinasabi niya ramdam niya ang burden pero kaya ko dahil kasama ko ang mamamayan. Yun pakiramdam ko ang pinakamagandang mensahe niya,” Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman told reporters after Aquino’s speech.

Soliman said Aquino got his inspiration from the Filipino people, adding that in this year’s SONA, Aquino spoke from the heart.

“Para sa akin, naramdaman din naman kung paano galing sa puso ang kaniyang sinasabi. Alam naman nating lahat, itong sinasabi niya, ramdam araw araw. At para

mamamayan mismo, mga taong kumikilos para sa pagbabago,” Soliman said.

Towards the last part of his SONA, Aquino’s voice broke and he appeared close to tears when he recalled the memory of his parents, slain Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and the late President Corazon Aquino.

A reluctant candidate, Aquino was a senator who was propelled into the 2010 presidential race following the outpouring of grief when his mother died the previous year.

Meanwhile, for his part, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that the President most likely turned emotional because he felt the burden of being the leader of the country.

“I think he recognizes that he bears the mantle that the parents have passed on to him. Sa lahat ng ginagawa ng pangulo, ang konsiderasyon niya lang ang kapakanan ng taong bayan. And kung panay batikos sa kaniya umaga, hapon at gabi, patuloy pa rin ang paniniwala niya na ang Filipino ay worth dying for,” Lacierda said.

He added that Aquino continued to be inspired by his parents, and that he would fight to honor their legacy through service.

“And for that reason he recalled the

at dinagdagan niya. Patuloy pa rin ang paglalaban para sa kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan sa natitirang dalawang taon ng pangulo,” Lacierda said.

Aquino was initially combative, criticizing his “desperate” detractors who he said were supposedly stepping up the campaign against him.

“Habang nakikita ang pagbabago sa lipunan, nangyayari na nga ang ating inasahan: lalong dumadalas, lalong umiinit, at lalong tumitindi ang pag-atake nila sa atin.... Desperado na po sila,” Aquino said.

“Sanay na tayong sinalubong ng negatibong komentarista sa almusal, pang-aalipusta sa tanghalian, insulto sa hapunan, may intriga pa bilang midnight snack,” he added.

For his part, Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad said that he understood why Aquino resented those who criticized him, saying that the adverse opinions were “baseless.”

“Unfortunately, the big blots have not stopped, and the criticisms were so baseless. So I think, without meaning to do it, he unburdened himself before our people, because he knows at the end of the day, this is not just his own fight, but the

against his critics, saying the latter are out to deprive Filipinos of government services.

“Ang totoo po, hindi naman ako ang kinokontra ng mga ito, kundi ang taumbayang nakikinabang sa tuwid na daan,” Aquino said. “Mga Boss, kontra po sila sa inyo,” he added, referring to his constituents using the terminology he introduced in his first SONA in 2010.

Aquino also openly threatened rice hoarders and corrupt officials at the Bureau of Customs.

Continuation from page 1

“Kumikilos kayo kontra sa mga Pilipino; kami naman, isinusulong ang interes ng bawat Pilipino. Tingnan natin kung sino ang mananalo,” he said.

A substantial part of the President’s speech, which lasted for an hour and a half, focused on the Aquino administration’s achievements.

He also cited the supposed benefits of DAP in the first part of his speech. ■

Andreo Calonzo / KBK/YA/NB, GMA News / July 28, 2014 / 5:27 PM

funds sought. They repeatedly reminded each other (Drilon and Abad mostly) that the lawmakers only made nombra, or “nominated” projects but “never received or handled [DAP] funds.” Therefore, it’s wrong to say the lawmakers received P100 million in DAP funds after delivering the Corona impeachment to the Executive. No, sir, they did not receive funds. They only made “nombra.”

Photograph by Bernard Testa, ©InterAksyon.com “Wala kaming natanggap ni piso protection from a possible perjury suit? nang nagnombra kami ng mga proyekto.

4. Youth is, sometimes, lost on the Regardless whether they are affiliated with young - and wisdom on the old. If Nancy, Grace and JV behaved like this was really the President, or ally of the President or a forum for shining a light on DAP, other the opposition, puwedeng magnombra ng senators didn’t seem to have the same proyekto,” declared the Senate President.

But wait, wasn’t that the same defense interest. Trillanes tapped Abad with leading used by the accused lawmakers in PDAF? questions, and like Drilon, sought to elicit 6.

The Senate is the worst forum replies that would have brought out the for expecting honest answers on DAP. beauty of DAP. The young Bam Aquino Despite his admission of having received disappointed by behaving like, well, the er, “nominated” projects worth - P100 President’s first cousin. million from DAP, Senate President Franklin At one point, Sen. Aquino even echoed Drilon turned the hearing into a wholesale PNoy’s “excuse me!” moment in his July 14 national address, making a sweeping absolution for PNoy allies in Congress. He distinction between PDAF and DAP, i.e., said that the Liberal Party members did PDAF was stolen by crooks; DAP wasn’t not receive a single centavo from DAP, and stolen and benefited the people. that they only nominated millions worth of 5. It wasn’t Abad on the defensive. The projects to be funded by the acceleration Liberal Party heavyweights at the Senate program. Abad affirmed all that Drilon hearing repeatedly deflected blame on testified to. ■ Ernie Reyes and Chuchay Fernandez / lawmakers through whose offices DAP InterAksyon.com / July 26, 2014 / 1:45 PM

people’s fight,” Abad said.

Abad earlier resigned from his position, following widespread criticism over the Disbursement Acceleration Program, parts of which were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. President Aquino, however, rejected Abad’s resignation.

Other than defending the president, Abad also called on the public to unite for the country’s grater good.

“Kaya ang pakiusap ko sa taong bayan, ay talikuran na nating yang masyadong pampupuna na wala naman batayan.

Di naman natin sinasabing tumigil silang magpaalala sa pangulo kung kailangan naman. Pero yung katotohanan ay katotohanan, at wag haluan ng

kasinungalingan,” Abad said.

No mention of PDAF scam. Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said that while the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam was not mentioned, she was satisfied with the President’s speech.

“Everybody talks about, it’s almost in the daily news, so no need to highlight it. Siguro, kaya hindi na binanggit,” De Lima said.

The PDAF scam is currently being tried at the Sandiganbayan, with three senators detained for their alleged involvement in funeling millions of pesos of public funds to bogus NGO’s. Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla are currently in jail while the trial is ongoing. ■ NB, GMA News / July 28, 2014 / 9:01 PM

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BUSINESS & FINANCE

August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

5 things that PNoy can and will boast about the economy in his SONA...

1. Credit ratings upgrade, second round. Debt watchers are impressed with the reforms that are taking place under the Aquino administration that Standard and Poor’s and Japan’s R&I hiked their ratings on the Philippines’ long-term credit a notch above minimum investment grade (BBB).

S&P even believed that the effects of the reforms would go well beyond 2016 but R&I but is not that confident.

“There is risk that the next government will not be as reform-minded as the Aquino administration. However, pressures from growing international relationships, such as the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, along with public expectation for sustained reform initiatives, should deter the post-Aquino government from going backwards,” it said.

2. Public-private partnership projects are finally moving.

3. The number of jobless Filipinos have dropped. Unemployment in the first quarter eased to 7 percent from 7.6 percent despite the slowdown in the economy’s growth and more people are actively sseking jobs at 65.2 percent this year from 63.8 percent in 2013.

4.

Revival of manufacturing.

Economists here and aborad have been saying that inclusive growth can be achieved withthe help of the revival in manufacturing as it provides many jobs even to the unskilled workers. With the rosy growth prospects in the Philippines and the Japanese-Chinese relations souring, many companies are moving their factories here.

5. Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP). Yes, it’s unconstitutional. Yes, it was abused and many unspeakable truths can be heaped upon the implementation of this scheme but it has helped unclog the spending bottlenecks in 2011 when the Philippine economy was slowing down, which was enough to alarm debt watchers and economists. Analysts had been worried about the effect of the Supreme Court ruling that DAP was unconstitutional but some have said the economy would continue to chug along at a healthy pace even without it. ■ Likha Cuevas-Miel / InterAksyon.com / July 26, 2014 / 9:00 AM

Gov’t reverts to budget deficit in June as spending surges

MANILA - The government’s budget deficit expanded more than six-fold last month, erasing the surplus enjoyed at endMay. In a report, the Department of Finance (DOF) said the national government incurred a P62.5 billion deficit in June, six times higher than the P8.5 billion a year ago.

This caused the fiscal position to revert to a deficit of P54 billion in the first half of the year, five percent higher than last year and a reversal of the five-month surplus this year.

The DOF blamed the wider deficit at

end-June to government efforts to speed up spending.

The government spent P201.1 billion last month, a 44 percent expansion from the P61.6 billion a year ago. This led the six-month spending to P987.7 billion, an 11 percent increase year-on-year.

By contrast, revenues reached P138.6 billion in June, thus short of what the government needed for expenditures, thus the reversion to a deficit.

For the first six months, revenues amounted to P933.7 billion, also behind the amount spent for the period. ■ InterAksyon.

com / July 28, 2014 / 11:23 AM

A hike in public works led to higher expenditures, which outpaced revenue collection in June.

Here’s what businessmen want to hear from PNoy’s 5th State of the Nation Address

Absence of trading gains pulls down BDO’s 6-month net income

MANILA – Earnings of the country’s largest bank declined by more than a fifth in the first six months of the year after it failed to replicate extraordinary trading gains booked in 2013.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Henry Sy-led BDO Unibank Inc said its net income dropped 22 percent to P11.05 billion in the first semester from the P14.1 billion reported in the same period last year.

The six-month figure represents nearly half of BDO’s profit guidance of P22.8 billion for the entire 2014. Last year’s performance got a boost from a surge in trading gains as the bank sold down a portion of its holdings of investment instruments.

On a core operating income basis, BDO’s profit rose 19 percent at end-June as net interest income jumped 24 percent to P24.7 billion.

Core income was buoyed by a 21 percent expansion in customer loans.

Gross customer loans improved 21 percent to P975.1 billion in the six-month period from the P806.6 billion last year.

This was financed by a 35 percent increase in deposits to P1.37 trillion from

P1.02 trillion a year ago. The lender opened 17 new branches in the second quarter, sustaining growth in low-cost deposits and effectively bringing down cost of funds.

At end-June, trading and foreign exchange gains reached P4.2 billion, while fee-based income expanded 9 percent to P8.3 billion from P7.6 billion in 2013.

Despite the increase in lending, BDO’s non-performing loan ratio fell to 1.6 percent in the first half from 2.4 percent a year ago, while its coverage ratio increased to 174 percent from 148 percent over the same period.

BDO remains well capitalized with a capital adequacy ratio of 14.5 percent, and common equity tier 1 ratio of 13.1 percent under the Basel III standard. These ratios are well above the regulatory minimum of 10 percent and 8.5 percent, respectively.

“As the Philippine economy copes with changes in the political, global and environmental landscapes, BDO continues to build on its primary business strengths in order to capitalize on new opportunities and further solidify its market leadership,” the lender said. ■ Krista Angela M. Montealegre /

InterAksyon.com / July 28, 2014 / 10:36 AM

MANILA – What do businessmen want to hear from President Benigno Aquino III’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA)?

InterAksyon.com asked members of the business community about their wish list and this is what we got: “PCCI five-point agenda in SONA: investing in hard and soft infrastructure that will provide safety nets to industries through competitive power rates, and lower cost of logistics and transportation; initiating stronger reforms in governance to curb smuggling, corruption and institute transparency through PublicPrivate Partnership program; ensuring better coordination between national government and [local government units] to ensure consistency of application of laws; pushing for reforms in labor policies and practice to attract more investments and create more employment; and working with all branches of government to reform procedures and practices that will evolve the internationalization of small and medium enterprises.”—Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries president Alfredo M. Yao “We hope that the President can

consider the recommendations from the Philippine business groups and Joint Foreign Chambers on good governance and integrity, inclusive growth, infrastructure development, energy security, foreign investments and smuggling. It may be best for the President to support passage of an FOI [Freedom of Information] Law as an urgent priority and to issue an EO [Executive Order] in support of the Integrity Initiative.”— Makati Business Club executive director Peter Angelo V. Perfecto “SEIPI would like to see a power roadmap that ensures electricity supply security and low cost, the lifting of the Manila truck ban until port congestion is relieved and the automation of Bureau of Customs procedures so that transparency reduces corruption.”—Semiconductors and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc president Dan C. Lachica “We want to hear President Aquino express his full and unwavering support to enhancing the competitiveness of local manufacturing of motor vehicles.

Specifically, he should give his commitment to address automotive industry issues such as small domestic market base and weak

local parts suppliers’ capability. He should provide definite direction on how to address the issue of increasing costs gap between vehicle locally produced (cost higher by around $2,000 and imported Completely Built-Up (CBU) unit of the same model.”— Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc president Rommel T. Gutierrez “The business groups are most interested in institutionalizing integrity and good governance, achieving inclusive growth, accelerating infrastructure development, ensuring energy security and price competitiveness, increasing foreign investments, and addressing smuggling.

We look forward to President Aquino providing details of strong programs to accomplish these critical objectives.”

—American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines senior adviser John D. Forbes “That he will start implementing the recommendations of the private sector on infrastructure, government bureaucracy and industry specific initiatives in order to ensure continued economic growth and prosperity.”—Management Association of the Philippines past president Melito Salazar “I hope he focuses on what he intends to accomplish the remaining months of his term and not discuss DAP [Disbursement Acceleration Program] nor hit on past administration anymore as he already talked about them extensively in the past. We just want to ensure good things he has done will continue with next administration.”—BDO Capital and Investments Corp president Eduardo V. Francisco ■ Krista Angela M. Montealegre / InterAksyon.com / July 26, 2014 / 10:25 AM

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BUSINESS & FINANCE

www.hello-philippines.com

August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

5 top consumer concerns of Filipinos (and 3 things they’re doing to address them)

Shoppers in Carriedo St. in Manila

Begun in 2005, the Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions measures consumer confidence, major concerns, and spending intentions among more than 30,000 respondents with Internet access in 60 countries. Confidence levels above and below a baseline of 100 indicate degrees of optimism and pessimism, respectively.

Indonesians remain the second happiest with a score of 123, but this dropped by a point from the first quarter. Confidence also dropped, if not stayed in negative territory, in the 4 other Asean countries included in the global survey.

Thailand led the bearish lot, with confidence dropping 3 percent quarteron-quarter to 105, as political instability gripped Bangkok.

The outlook in Vietnam and Singapore also turned gloomier, with the index dropping a point each to 98. Malaysians however were less bearish in the second quarter, with the index climbing a point to 93.

Nielsen said job security, work life balance, and health are top of mind among Filipinos, whereas political stability and costlier food were key concerns among other Southeast Asian consumers (see chart 1).

Top 5 major concerns over the next 6 months. “The Philippines is showing quarter-on-quarter increase in consumer confidence which is largely driven by a strong economy and its growing middle class population,” said Nielsen Philippines

managing director Stuart Jamieson.

In the BSP survey mentioned earlier, jobs and the state of household finances also figuredprominently as a major concern among respondents. The concern over jobs and incomes persist despite the drop in the unemployment and underemployment rates in the first quarter of this year.

This concern for jobs and finances is reflected in the cautious spending among Filipinos. Despite their optimism, consumers polled by Nielsen remain prudent with their finances, saving their spare cash after covering essential expenses (see chart 2).

Top areas consumers are allocating their spare cash. In terms of how they spend their money, Filipinos limit spending on new clothes, and keep watch of the amount they spend on gas and electricity.

They also would rather put off an upgrade in their technology gadgets (see chart 3).

Top 3 actions taken to save on household expenses. “Although more Filipino consumers are joining the ranks of the middle class, these consumers have a strong focus on saving for household emergencies, health issues and the future in general. They are more aware of how they manage their day-to-day and long-term financial goals,” said Jamieson.

“To be able to tap into the expanding but financially-conscious middle class Filipino consumers, marketers should develop a range of products and services which will provide good value for money,” he said. ■

Chart 1. Source: Nielsen

Chart 2. Source: Nielsen

Arnold S. Tenorio / InterAksyon.com / July 22, 2014 / 2:09 PM

Chart 3. Source: Nielsen

ORIGINAL CREATION & COPYRIGHT RESERVED BY © HELLO PHILIPPINES 2014

MANILA – Filipinos grew more optimistic in the second quarter of the year, even as the outlook among their Asean neighbors turned bearish.

In its latest survey, Nielsen said consumer confidence in the Philippines climbed 4 points to 120, making Filipinos the third happiest consumers in the world.

Consumer sentiment is important for a country like the Philippines where household spending is responsible for twothirds of the economy. Consumer spending, which expanded by 5.8 percent yearon-year, helped prop up Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first quarter of the year.

Nielsen’s poll mirrors a similar survey done by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) that showed consumer confidence turning less bearish in the April to June period. In that survey, respondents were upbeat about the economy and their incomes.

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BUSINESS & FINANCE

August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

Holcim Philippines’ 2Q earnings growth lags revenue, as power costs offset strong sales MANILA – The local unit of Swiss cement giant Holcim posted record volumes in the second quarter but earnings hardly changed, as higher power costs in Mindanao dampened profitability.

In a briefing on Monday, Holcim

Philippines Inc chief executive officer Ed Sahagun announced that the country’s leading cement manufacturer registered a profit of P3.32 billion in the first six months of the year, 8.7 percent higher than the P3.05 billion in the same period in 2013.

Holcim Philippines’ net income inched up 2 percent to P1.65 billion during the second quarter alone from P1.62 billion a year ago. Higher power costs in Mindanao where the cement maker operates two plants weighed on earnings in the April to June period after growing by 16.8 percent in the first quarter.

Sahagun said the cost of electricity may have gone down in July as some power plants came on stream.

Sales volumes expanded by 8.8 percent year-on-year to 92 million bags of cement in the first semester, from 84 million bags in 2013. In the second quarter alone, Holcim Philippines sold a record 47 million bags of cement.

The first-half growth is faster than the 6 percent registered by the industry in the same period.

The cement maker expects to sustain its growth pace for the rest of the year,

projecting an 8 percent expansion for the entire 2014 and 5-6 percent expansion pace over the long term, Sahagun said.

Improved volumes and minimal price increases boosted revenues by 8.5 percent to P8.81 billion in the second quarter, pushing first-half revenues by a tenth to P16.86 billion from P15.28 billion a year ago.

Strong construction activity buoyed by rehabilitation efforts particularly in the Visayas, the sustained government and private sector spending as well as the rollout of the major private-public partnership projects boosted demand for cement, Sahagun said.

With the onset of the rainy season in the second half of the year, Holcim Philippines will shift its focus to completing the regular maintenance of its plants.

Sahagun said Holcim Philippines and Lafarge Republic Inc will complete by next

year a study that will set the stage for the merger of their operations following the planned union of their parent firms.

Sahagun estimates the combined market share of both parties at 62 percent with Holcim cornering 34 percent and Lafarge Republic’s share at 28 percent.

Their combined market share will drop to 48 percent after the merger as the latter disposes some of its assets in Bulacan and Iligan due to regulatory constraints.

“We follow all laws…Where we have big overlaps, doon nagdi-dispose. Nandoon rin ang malaking planta ng Holcim,” Sahagun said.

Swiss giant Holcim revealed an all-share deal to acquire France’s Lafarge in April that would create a cement giant with combined sales of $44 billion. The merger is expected to be completed in the first half of 2015. ■

Krista Angela M. Montealegre / InterAksyon.com / July 28, 2014 / 4:03 PM

Meralco reports weak demand in 1H, expects ‘Glenda’ to soften 3Q results

MANILA - Profit at Meralco rose in the low single digits in the first six months of the year on the back of below-average sales growth, with the country’s largest electricity distributor expecting its third-quarter performance to take a hit from Typhoon Glenda.

In a press conference today, Manila Electric Co (Meralco) president Oscar S. Reyes said the company’s electricity sales went up 2.6 percent to 17,299 gigawatthours in the January to June period, from 16,863 gigawatt-hours in the same six months of last year.

The growth, however, was lower than the 4 percent average for Meralco, Reyes said.

He said the increase was brought about by a 5.3 percent hike in the demand from industrial customers, led by the basic nonmineral, steel, food and beverage sectors.

Demand from Meralco’s commercial accounts likewise increased 3 percent due to brisk real estate and trade activities, but residential customers’ consumption decreased by 0.5 percent.

Reyes said the contraction in household demand was brought about by the relatively cooler temperatures in the first four months of the year, as well as by high electricity prices that regulators subsequently adjusted.

Meralco’s customer count rose 3.6 percent or by 191,720 to 5.5 million at endJune.

Meralco chief finance officer Betty C. Siy-Yap said revenues dipped 6.7 percent to P132.2 billion from P141.7 billion last year due to reduced pass through costs.

As a result, first-half earnings rose 2.1 percent to P9.6 billion this year from P9.4 billion last year.

This includes a P9.3 billion downward adjustment in the utility’s purchases from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market based on an Energy Regulatory Commission order, as well as the impact of foregone revenues

from customers who have opted to source their power supply directly with plant operators under open access, and of lower system loss charges.

Reyes said the company is still assessing the impact of Typhoon Glenda on financials for the year.

Based on initial estimates, Meralco incurred P310 million in material costs, exclusive of labor and contractual expenditures. “Glenda” downed more than 2,000 poles and 4,000 lines.

Reyes said July sales dipped by 1.3 percent as a result of the damage.

“August sales will also be affected. Hindi

pa na-reflect yung impact ng Glenda. But we remain hopeful that our result this 2014 will still reflect an improvement over 2014,” he said.

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

by Manuel V. Pangilinan. ■ Euan Paulo C. Añonuevo / InterAksyon.com / July 28, 2014 / 3:45 PM

Philippines’ demographic ‘sweet spot’ to peak in 2045, says PSA MANILA - The Philippines’ population is expected to hit 142 million by 2045, with majority of Filipinos in the working-age group, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

According to its latest population projections, PSA said around 50 million Filipinos would be added in a span of 35 years.

“This increase in numbers would take place even if the average annual growth rate is projected to decline significantly, from 1.73 percent during 2010-2015 to 0.65 percent during 2040-2045,” PSA said. The Philippine population grew by 1.9 percent a year between 2000 and 2010.

The PSA said 67.5 percent of the population in 2045 would be working-age or between 15 and 64 years old. The share

of working-age Filipinos by that year would be higher than the 62 percent in 2010.

This is the veritable demographic ‘sweet spot’ that pundits have said the Philippine economy was entering since majority of the population would be working for a living.

The agency said the graying of the country’s population is expected to continue over the projection period. In 2010, Filipinos aged 60 years and over comprised 6.7 percent of the population. This group is projected to account for about a tenth of the population in 2025 and about a sixth in 2045.

The proportion of those aged 65 years and over is estimated to increase to 6.5 percent in 2025, and to 11.4 percent in 2045. As of 2010, this group comprised 4.3 percent of the population.

The number of children aged 0-14 years is projected to fall over the same period. In 2010, one out of three Filipinos belonged to the 0-14 age group. By 2045, the corresponding proportion would be one in five.

“Even the absolute number is projected to be reduced from 31.3 million in 2010 to 30 million by 2045,” the PSA said.

The percentage of children under 5 years of age is estimated to decrease rapidly, from 11.6 percent in 2010 to 6.7 percent in 2045, a 42 percent reduction in 35 years.

Women in their child-bearing age — between 15 and 49 years old — would account for 24.9 percent of the population in 2045. They made up 25.7 percent of the population in 2010. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / July 28, 2014 / 5:24 PM

Overseas Filipino workers at NAIA arrival area

PNoy’s family, other controlling shareholders sell sugar heirloom

MANILA – The family of President Benigno Aquino III and other controlling shareholders of Central Azucarera de Tarlac Inc (CAT) have sold their stake in the listed sugar company for P1.80 billion.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, CAT said the Don Pedro Cojuangco, Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr, Reyes, Teopaco, Aquino and Lopa families sold over the weekend a total of 19.77 million shares of the company, representing 69.98 percent of its outstanding capital stock, at P91 per share to CAT Resource and

Asset Holdings Inc (CRAHI).

CAT did not identify the investors behind CRAHI. The listed firm recently denied reports that it had been sold to the group of either Martin Lorenzo or Fernando Cojuangco.

CRAHI will conduct a mandatory tender offer for the remaining shares of the listed firm as required by the Securities Regulation Code.

The purchase price represents an 8.33 percent premium from its closing price of P84 per share last Friday. Its shares rallied 4.10 percent to P88.10 apiece today.

Net income rose 5 percent to P56.34 million in the nine-month period ending March from P53.54 million a year ago on lower costs of goods sold.

Established in 1927, CAT operates a sugar mill and refinery, distillery and carbon dioxide plants in Barrio San Miguel, Tarlac City.

The refinery’s board of directors is headed by the President’s uncle, Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. ■ Krista Angela M. Montealegre / InterAksyon.com / July 28, 2014 /

7:23 PM

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Not 2, but 5 young scientists to represent PHL at Novartis BioCamp

FOR the first time in eight years, the Philippines will send five students instead of two to the three-day Novartis International BioCamp seminar in Basel, Switzerland this August.

Novartis will sponsor two of them while the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Department of Health (DOH) will sponsor the other three.

The five chosen are: • Arjelle Agupitan and Alvin Bello graduates from the University of the Philippines with degrees in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; • Jortan Tun - a graduate student at the UP Marine Science Institute; • Kin Israel Notarte - a Siliman University graduate working on a masters degree in microbiology at the University of Sto. Tomas; and • Gerald Ryan Aquino - a research associate at the Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratory of the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.

All students completed their undergraduate degrees with latin honors (either Cum Laude or Magna Cum Laude).

“We couldn’t decide who among you will be going because we wanted all of you to go. We had a long time discussing and debating about it,” said Jaime C. Montoya, Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, addressing the five shortlisted candidates during the Local

Novartis Biocamp workshop on Saturday.

He continued, “[Health Secretary Enrique] Ona and [Environment Secretary Mario] Montejo wanted me to make this announcement: All of you will be going to Basel, Switzerland!” The statement spurred cheers from the five shortlisted candidates.

In an interview with GMA News Online at the sidelines of the event, Montoya said that DOST and DOH will jointly spend at least half a million pesos for each of the three candidates they are sponsoring.

The Novartis International Biotechnology Leadership Camp (BioCamp) is a three-day seminar held at the Novartis International Headquarters in Basel. This year, 60 students from around the world will arrive at the camp on August 24. The program starts on August 25 and ends on August 27.

According to the Novartis website, the at the Biocamp the students will be able to interact with key Novartis scientists, receive first-hand experience about starting and running a biotech company, and explore career opportunities in the healthcare and biotech industries.

“They will be trained not only in science, but also in entrepreneurship,” Montoya told GMA News Online.

“It’s only this year that the secretaries decided to pitch in and sponsor the other three. And the reason for this is they saw the potential of these postgraduate students—of exposing them to a biotech camp. If you see it as a return

of investment, [they are] worth it,” said Novartis Healthcare Philippines’ chief scientific officer Dr. Francis M. Domingo in a separate interview with GMA News Online.

However, Domingo said that there are logistical processes that still have to be done by Novartis’ local arm given the unprecedented decision of the two government departments.

“It’s only an additional three, but we’re do our best,” Domingo said. “I think it will work out kasi nakakahiya naman sa mga secretary.” ■ Kim Luces / BM, GMA News / July

27, 2014 / 6:39 PM

10-year-old UAE-based Pinoy with rare heart defect to undergo operation in India

A 10-year-old Filipino boy with a rare congenital heart defect is heading for India to undergo an operation, after a foundation offered to sponsor the procedure.

Gil Merced and his parents will travel to Kochi for the operation, according to a report on UAE news site Khaleej Times on Sunday.

The report said Aster DM Healthcare chairman and Dr Moopen’s Foundation founder Dr. Azad Moopen offered to bear the expenses for the life-saving surgery at Aster Medcity.

Aster Medcity chief pediatric cardiac surgeon Dr. Sajan Koshy will conduct the operation while Dr. T.M. Jaison, specialist cardiologist at the Aster Jubilee medical complex in Dubai, will provide follow-up care.

Teleconferencing links between India and Dubai will help in post-operation care.

Merced suffers from Tetralogy of Fallot, a condition that causes the oxygen level to drop and breathing difficulty.

Earlier, Khaleej Times quoted the boy’s mother Mercedita as saying the condition causes him to become “very weak” and lose consciousness.

The boy’s parents could not raise the money needed for the operation.

Mercedita, 52, works as a teaching assistant in Dubai, with a salary of just Dh2,250 (P26,536).

His father used to work in Dubai but the company he worked with was sold, and he had to leave the UAE after losing his job.

Gil’s two elder brothers work as janitors

have meager incomes as well.

Presently, the family shares a room in Satwa, and the church they attend, St Mary’s parish church in Oud Metha, tried to help them. Church volunteer Susan Jose brought the case to Khaleej Times, which helped seek financial assistance from readers.

It was not the first time Dr. Moopen has offered to sponsor an operation for a young Filipino. He had done so for 50 children from underprivileged families in the Philippines via his foundation’s “Healing Touch” program.

So far, 19 operations have been conducted successfully, the Khaleej Times report said. ■ Joel Locsin / LBG, GMA News / July 27, 2014 / 9:49 AM

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August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

SF-based Pinay cyclist dies raising funds for AIDS education SAN FRANCISCO — Edna FloresLagunte lived to give back every way she could. She died doing exactly what she loved to do — making a difference for those who need it most.

Last month, the altruist hopped on her bike for the 13th year she had been riding with the AIDS/LifeCyle (ALC), a seven-day,

545-mile trek from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

“Yes folks, I am at it again for the 13th time (I consider 13 lucky this time only),” the avid cyclist said on her website as she braced for the June 1-7 ride to raise $10,000 for one of her favorite causes. “’One wish that I have for myself is that

Edna Flores-Lagunte (right) died on June 8, 2014, four days after she suffered a heart attack midway into a 545-mile fundraising bike trek from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Photo from Youcaring.com

one day, when my husband Rich and I have children, there will be no more AIDS,” she shared her goal on the site.

“I have heard stories about the days when the AIDS pandemic was taking lives left and right. I have met people who have lost friends and partners. I have friends who live with HIV and AIDS day in and day out from those newly diagnosed to those who are long-time survivors. These seven days on AIDS/ LifeCycle provided me with those things and a whole lot more.”

Midway into the journey, the activist suffered a heart attack and died four days later.

The Filipina Women’s Network in its June communication broke the news to its members worldwide.

“Beloved and valued longtime FWN member Edna Flores-Lagunte passed away on Sunday, June 8, 2014 after suffering from a heart attack last Wednesday, June 4th,” the organization board of directors and members disclosed.

Flores-Lagunte was a proud promoter of sisterhood, the FWN statement stressed, remembering her as a “young and beautiful Filipina who always carried a smile and a

cheerful disposition.”

“Edna was an active and spirited member of FWN, always supporting our many causes and volunteering or attending our events for many, many years,” the largest professional association of women of Philippine ancestry in the United States said in appreciation of its departed member for “giving selflessly to others modeling for us what life on this earth is truly about.”

“Edna Flores-Lagunte described herself as ‘a 30-something first-generation Pilipina American (manueuvering) through life and the City’ via her roadbike, her running shoes, her ambitious nature and stubborn yet loving heart while baking a nice humble pie for all depending on the season,” Beverly Sotelo said in her fundraiser for FloresLagunte’s survivors on www.youcare.com.

“She made her husband Richard Lagunte so very happy that to the day she passed, he still celebrated monthanniversaries with her - complete with her favorite candy Reese’s Peanut Butter cups.”

Sotelo said Flores-Lagunte’s husband “is devastated and will need support as he creates a life without her by his side.”

Flores-Lagunte aimed to raise $10,000,

which donors, including “an anonymous fan” who gave $1000, have exceeded.

To date her site has received $15,051.91 for AIDS/HIV education through two beneficiaries.

“The San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the HIV services of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, beneficiaries of AIDS/ LifeCycle are working hard to make that wish a reality by educating others about the disease, giving those with HIV and AIDS access to care and medicine needed for them to live, and rallying local, state and federal government officials to make sure public policy regarding HIV and AIDS benefits those affected by the disease,” the advocate said on her site.

The next journey is scheduled for May 31-June 6, 2015.

“Every year, this landmark ride through beautiful California delivers a life-changing experience for thousands of participants from all backgrounds and fitness levels united by a common desire to do something heroic,” organizers promise.

To reach out to Ms. Flores-Lagunite’s family, click here. ■ Cherrie Querol Moreno /

Philippine News / July 22, 2014 / 2:23 PM

NZ firm accused of exploiting Pinoy laborers Andorra issues stamps to honor Pinoys there

A recruitment firm in New Zealand has been accused of exploiting its Filipino laborers by allegedly employing coercive tactic to control their workers.

Citing a report by the news program “3rd Degree,” New Zealand-based nongovernment organization Stand Against Slavery accused Tech5 of providing its Filipino workers with “substandard accommodation at exorbitant rates.”

In a press statement, the NGO said the Filipino construction workers were charged $155 each per room “with three men to a room.” It also said the firm made a verbal arrangement with the men before leaving the Philippines that they would be liable for the cost of their toolbox.

“But once in New Zealand that cost escalated to $7,700 each (now slightly reduced to $5,600 per person), and repaid at a rate of $125 per person per week for over a year,” Stand Against Slavery said.

Filipino workers interviewed by “3rd Degree” said they were charged exorbitant fees for rundown housing. In a single flat, 14 workers are charged $150 each weekly to live in a six-bedroom villa, while eight others were made to live in a garage with a weekly rent of $155.

Intereset-free loans. Tech5 director John Wyatt, however, denied the accusations, saying their employees are provided “quality accommodations.” He also said they had reduced the rent to $125 a week per worker.

“We’re paying for gas, power, internet, Sky [cable], and then we’ll put on the odd boxing match that they like and, like I said, there’s no issue with the housing. I’m not quite sure why we’re talking about it actually,” Wyatt told TV3.

In a detailed answer, Tech5 clarified that its employees are briefed on the accomodation, tools, and transport fees they need to pay back during their time in New Zealand.

“Some workers going to other countries are forced to borrow from money lenders... if they want to take up job(s). We think that’s unfair and is why we cover their costs via an interest free loan which is then paid back as a weekly deduction from their wages,” Tech5 said in a letter to TV3.

But Reynaldo Lugtu, a Filipino Tech5 worker, said the contracts they reviewed in the Philippines didn’t mention such fees.

He said they were only informed of them in a second contract they were made to sign upon their arrival to New Zealand.

“We are all surprised, and naturally we ask each other why the contract is like that, you know, ‘We don’t know about here, sir.’ We are afraid. That’s why we can’t talk much. We can say nothing, only sign. We can do nothing,” TV3 quoted Lugtu as saying.

The firm said it has more or less 100 Filipino workers among its workforce.

Bonded servitude. Lawyer Paul Brown, who represents Filipino workers in Christchurch, said another point of concern with Tech5 contracts was an addendum imposing a bond of $10,000 to employees who terminate their employment before their set three years.

“I would call that an attempt at bonded servitude. That’s a direct attempt to stop these guys working for someone else,” he said.

Tech5 said it has never imposed the bond and has amended the cost so it “will only cover direct costs like the cost of airfares and tools that we provide to our staff.”

“The bond is designed to protect us should staff leave to work for another employer, or return home, leaving us out of pocket for the costs we have incurred on their behalf,” it said.

Christchurch is New Zealand’s largest city in South Island. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA

News / July 22, 2014 / 3:44 PM

IN recognition of the contribution of overseas Filipino workers there, Andorra has issued “Població Filipina” stamps in their honor.

The Philippine Embassy in Madrid said Andorra’s Ministry of Culture issued 90,000 of the stamps in €92 cents denominations last July 7.

“The stamp features three children of Filipino origin who live in Andorra – Veronica, Dylan, and Von Mart – wearing barong tagalog, balintawak and salakot,” it said.

“Andorra´s postal service is operated

by Spain and France whose postal administrations issue their own postage stamps for use in Andorra only,” the embassy added.

The embassy said there were about 800 Filipinos in Andorra in 2013.

Most of them work as engineers, sales

Andorra issues stamps to honor Pinoys there. Philippine Embassy in Madrid

agents, and hotel and restaurant workers while most of them remain Filipino citizens, as it takes at least 25 years´ residency

for a foreigner to be eligible for Andorran citizenship. ■ Joel Locsin / LBG, GMA News / July 25, 2014 / 8:31 AM

Fake marriages more rife than thought, British MPs warn LONDON - Sham marriages to win the right to live in Britain are more prevalent than thought and a major risk to immigration control, a group of lawmakers warned on Friday.

The number of suspect couples referred to the interior ministry each year had more than doubled over the past three years to 2,145, a parliamentary committee said.

It urged for registrars, who officiate marriages, to be given the power to refuse to marry couples they find suspicious.

“There is an industry of deceit in the UK which uses sham marriages to circumvent immigration control,” said committee chair Keith Vaz. “The estimated 10,000 sham marriages appears to be increasing at an alarming rate. One sham marriage can provide UK residence rights to an entire extended family who would otherwise have no right to be here.”

Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to cut immigration to the country ahead of a general election in 2015 in which migration is a touchstone issue.

A government estimate of 4,000 to 7,000 fake marriages a year was likely smaller than the true figure, independent chief inspector of borders and immigration John Vine told the committee.

Vine said the problem was “one of the

biggest potential threats to immigration control.”

Most commonly, people from outside the European Economic Area try to marry residents from within the zone to gain the right to live in Britain for themselves and their extended families.

Nationals from Lithuania, Poland, Portugal and Slovakia were reported to be those most commonly involved. Some Eastern European young women were offered cash and a new start in Britain for taking part.

The lawmakers called for more action such as asking embassies of the most commonly involved nationalities to issue warnings, and through well-publicised prosecutions.

“We are taking ever tougher action...to crack down on those who try to cheat our immigration system by abusing marriage laws,” a Home Office spokesman said. ■ AFP / July 25, 2014 / 7:54 AM

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August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

More foreign nurses may qualify for H-1B visas MORE foreign nurses may be able to come and work in the US sooner than usual, following the release of a recent memo by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) describing how they can be sponsored for the H-1B temporary work visa.

The H-1B visa is available to foreign workers who fill specialty occupation jobs in the US, such as physical therapists, accountants, engineers, graphic designers, finance or IT professionals, or teachers.

The term “specialty occupation” is generally described as jobs that require highly specialized knowledge or at least a bachelor’s degree for an entry-level position.

The critical factor for H-1B sponsorship is the job requirement and not whether the foreign worker has a bachelor’s degree.

The recent USCIS policy memorandum, dated July 11, potentially expands and formalizes which nursing positions in the US may be considered for H-1B sponsorship.

It could open the door tomore foreign registered nurses (RNs) who already possess at least a bachelor’s degree in the field of nursing.

Since entry-level nursing jobs in the US do not normally require a bachelor’s degree, prior USCIS policy did not consider

nursing as an H-1B specialty occupation, except in limited cases. As a result, very few foreign nurses qualify for H-1B visas, and eventually obtain their green card while working in the US. Most of them come to the US on immigrant work visas after waiting for three to five years. For instance, nurses from the Philippines – one of the largest sources of foreign RNs – are currently stuck in a fouryear wait.

Under the recent seven-page memo, foreign registered nurses can skip the long wait for immigrant visas and instead enter the US as H-1B temporary workers and pursue their green card applications while in the US. Three general groups of nursing jobs in the US may now be H-1B-caliber positions: • Nursing positions at healthcare organizations, under the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program. An H1B sponsor with ANCC Magnet status indicates that its nursing workforce has attained high standards of nursing practice and possesses at least a bachelor’s degree.

• Nurses performing specialized and complex duties usually associated with the attainment of a bachelor’s degree,

Pinay nurse found dead in NJ; boyfriend arrested

A Filipina nurse was found dead by the roadside last week in New Jersey with multiple stab wounds in her body, an online report said Sunday.

The report on Courier Post Online said the body of 41-year-old Jennifer Bongco was found at Erial and Wiltons Landing Road in Winslow Township, New Jersey, by a pizza deliveryman on the wee hours of Friday.

The victim’s boyfriend, identified as Kevin Ambrose, 52, was arrested in Atlantic on the same day as a suspect in the killing, the report said.

The murder was reportedly witnessed

by Bongco’s five-year-old daughter Jessica Frantes.

Citing information from the police, the saideight Ambrose picked1 Bongco at PM pagereport 12 - size of page.pdf 7/31/14 up 1:09 work on Friday morning, with Jessica in the back seat.

Jessica reportedly told the police that she saw her mom and Ambrose arguing while inside the car. She was quoted as

such as: addiction nurses, cardiovascular nurses, critical care nurses; emergency room nurses; genetics nurses; neonatology nurses; nephrology nurses;oncology nurses; pediatric nurses; peri-operative nurses; or rehabilitation nurses.

• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) is considered a specialty occupation “due to the advanced level of education and training required for certification.” Some APRN positions include the Certified NurseMidwife (CNM); the Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS); Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP); and the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).

All nurses in the US must possess a nursing license. To be licensed, the nurse must complete an approved nursing program and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Other specific requirements to practice the nursing profession vary from state-to-state.

At present, there is no state that requires a bachelor’s degree in nursing for licensure.

However, state licensure requirements may change. In case a bachelor’s degree will be required for a nursing job in a particular state, a foreign RN may obtain an H-1B work visa for that particular job.

The U.S. government has projected a

maximum of six years in the U.S. This sixyear maximum may be extended, provided a green-card case is on track for the H-1B worker. Their spouse and children under 21 years old may obtain H-4 visas and accompany them in the U.S. At present, an H-4 spouse is not allowed to work while in the US. The USCIS, however, is studying the possibility of granting H-4 spouses work authorization. ■ Cristina A. Godinez, Esq / KBK, GMA News / July 28, 2014 / 3:08 PM

Twister kills 2 Filipinos on camping trip in Virginia

TWO Filipinos from Jersey City, New Jersey died after a twister tore through the Cherrystone Family Camping and RV Resort in Virginia on Thursday.

CBS New York reported that Lord Balatbat and Lolibeth Ortega, a couple, were killed when a tree fell on their tent due to the tornado’s force.

Lheandrew, their 13-year-old son, is in critical condition after his tent was crushed by a tree. His sisters Lharizia Ann, 11, and Lheana saying that she saw Ambrose “hitting Ann, 6, did not suffer serious injuries. mommy.”

In their interview with NJ.com, Lord’s One of Bongco’s friends told police she father Luis said his grandson was in a coma. saw Ambrose drop Jessica off at the victim’s He said he and his wife were struggling house. Jessica’s 19-year-old sister Maria, with the loss and wanted to go to Virginia, who opened the door, said her sister was but a doctor’s order prevented them from covered in blood. traveling.

It is still not clear why Bongco was killed.

One of their neighbors told NJ.com that The Courier Post Online said Bongco the Balatbats looked forward to their yearly earned her nursing degree in the camping trip to Cherrystone, and “never Philippines, before coming to the United expected” the tragedy to happen.

States with Santos in the early 2000s. ■ KBK, CBS New York reported that the GMA News / July 28, 2014 / 4:04 PM campground hosted 1,300 people when the EF1 (with gusts of 138-179 IME (UK) Limited, a London based money transfer company is seeking for a kph) tornado tore energetic and enthusiastic personal to join our team as a 'Marketing and Sales through the 300-

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faster than average growth in the demand for nurses until 2022. Many factors lead to the growing need for nurses and other healthcare professionals in the U.S., including: the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (also referred to as “Obamacare”); the emphasis in preventative care; high rates of chronic conditions; and the increasing demand for healthcare from the baby boomer population.

H-1B workers are allowed to work for a

acre resort. Estimated winds of between 136320kph injured 36 other campers.

Prior to their deaths, Lolibeth worked as a lab tech at Quest Dynamics, while Lord was a manager at Walgreens.

According to “24 Oras” Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is still in the process of confirming the identities of the Filipinos who died in the twister.

Likewise, Philippine officials in the United States are verifying with US authorities if the couple was Filipino.

The Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C., in posts on its Twitter account Friday evening, also said it is ready to extend assistance to the family of the victims.

“Philippine Embassy (is) in touch with authorities in Cape Charles (Virginia) after (a) tornado hits campgrounds, killing couple believed to be Filipino,” it said.

It added it is “ready to extend assistance” to the family of the victims, including a seriously injured son. ■ Rie Takumi and Joel Locsin / JDS/KBK, GMA News / July 25, 2014 / 7:07 PM

UAE court fines Pinoy for possession of stolen curtains

A United Arab Emirates court over the weekend fined a Filipino Dh5,000 after he was caught in possession of Dh30,000 worth of stolen curtains allegedly stolen by his three co-workers.

The Filipino, 39, had been caught in possession of the curtains when police searched his house last February, UAE news site Gulf News reported late Saturday.

The primary ruling remains subject to appeal within 13 days.

Earlier, the court had sentenced the Filipino’s three co-workers – also Filipinos – to three months in jail each, followed by deportation.

But the Filipino said one of the co-workers had brought the curtains home, and asked him to keep the items.

“I was not aware the curtains were stolen from the company where I worked,” he told the court when he entered a not guilty plea.

For her part, the company’s German manager said she told the police immediately after she discovered that Dh30,000 worth of curtains were missing.

Police eventually arrested the three Filipino workers. — Joel Locsin / LBG, GMA News / July 20, 2014 / 9:32 AM

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Although NOTAMs were in place over some areas of Ukraine at the time, MH17 was not in contravention of any of these.

“The fact that a civilian aircraft was shot out of the sky over what was designated a safe flight corridor is proof that we have to take a much closer look and redefine what we consider safe flight corridors,” wrote Dunleavy.

“The best way to do this is for the airlines, IATA (International Air Transport Association) and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), to get together and review existing processes and set more stringent standards about what they consider to be

Malaysia Airlines also came in for sharp criticism after it emerged that one of its jets had flown over war-torn Syria, just days after the MH17 disaster, although the airspace was not subject to restrictions.

World aviation officials will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the downing of Flight MH17.

The “special high-level meeting” will cover “appropriate actions to be pursued in order to more effectively mitigate potential risks to civil aviation arising from conflict zones,” said an ICAO statement. AFP / July 28, 2014 ■ Cristina A. Godinez, Esq / KBK, GMA

Stronger rules needed on flight paths: Malaysia Airlines official LONDON - The commercial director of Malaysia Airlines on Sunday called for a complete overhaul of the way flight paths are deemed safe following the downing of flight MH17 by a suspected missile over rebel-held eastern Ukraine.

Writing in Britain’s Sunday Telegraph, Hugh Dunleavy said the disaster would have “an unprecedented impact on the aviation industry”, claiming that airlines can no longer depend on aviation authorities for reliable information about flying over conflict zones.

“For too long, airlines have been shouldering the responsibility for making

decisions about what constitutes a safe flight path, over areas in political turmoil around the world,” he wrote.

“We are not intelligence agencies, but airlines, charged with carrying passengers in comfort between destinations.”

Airlines seek the most direct routes possible to minimise flight time and fuel costs, but must take account of “notices to airmen” (NOTAMs), which advise of danger in specific places and at specific airports.

These are issued both by aviation authorities from the home country of the airline and by the countries they are flying over.

Stronger rules needed on flight paths: Malaysia Airlines official

safe flight corridors,” he added.

But other carriers, including British Airways and various American airlines, had already taken the decision not to fly over eastern Ukraine.

News / July 28, 2014 / 3:08 PM

Naval ships from US, India and Japan to start war games

File photos taken in September 2007 shows Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JS Yuudachi (DD 103) during the Malabar Exercise in the Bay of Bengal

TOKYO - The United States, India and Japan are set to kick off week-long war games in the Pacific, beefing up naval ties as they warily eye an increasingly assertive China and its military buildup.

Warships from the three countries are to begin the joint exercises on Friday, after an official opening ceremony at the Sasebo Naval Base in southern Japan on Thursday.

Known as the Malabar Exercise, the annual event usually involves India and the US, but Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force (MSDF) will take part this year, the third time since 2007.

The exercises off Japan’s southern coast come on the back of rising regional tensions as Delhi and Tokyo remain embroiled in territorial spats with Beijing.

China is also at loggerheads with some Southeast Asian nations over its claim to large swathes of the South China Sea. Washington has been increasingly turning its focus to Asia as it looks to counter Beijing’s growing influence and a military buildup that has unnerved some of its regional neighbours.

“India, Japan and the United States have a shared strategic interest,” said international relations expert Takehiko

Yamamoto, professor emeritus at Tokyo’s Waseda University.

“The aim of this naval exercise is for (the three countries) to manage a vast sea area stretching from the western Pacific to the Indian Ocean.

“They need to make sure the lines of communication stay robust -- this exercise has China in mind,” he added.

India is nervous about the so-called “string of pearls”, the concept of a network of ports around the Indian Ocean to which China’s navy would have access, Yamamoto said.

“For India, this is a great threat,” he said.

Growing ties. The manoeuvres also reflect growing ties between India and Japan, on both the military and economic fronts, with Japanese Prime Minister making an official visit to Delhi in January -- when the two nations agreed to “further strengthen” their defence cooperation and conduct regular naval exercises.

The July 25-30 exercises will include three Indian ships, a frigate, a destroyer and a supply ship, along with 700-800 personnel, Indian navy spokesman DK Sharma told AFP. Sharma said the exercises would include

anti-piracy, anti-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and helicopter drills.

“We just concluded... our naval drills with Russia, and since we have already travelled thousands of miles to that side, it’s only natural that Japan will participate in the Malabar Exercise,” he said.

The US Seventh Fleet, which covers the western Pacific and Indian Ocean, will take part in the war games while Japan is dispatching two escort ships, one US-2 search-and-rescue amphibious plane and one P3C patrol plane, said an MSDF spokesman.

He said several hundred Japanese personnel would take part.

“The purpose of Japan’s participation is to improve the strategic capabilities of the MSDF and to strengthen the cooperation among the three militaries,” he added.

China has lashed out at Abe after his cabinet formally endorsed a reinterpretation of Japan’s pacifist constitution banning the use of armed force except in very narrowlydefined circumstances.

Beijing argued that it could open the door to remilitarisation of a country it considers insufficiently penitent for its actions in World War II. ■ AFP / July 24, 2014 / 3:58 AM

Japanese PM opens LatAm tour with Mexico energy deals

JAPANESE Prime Minister Shinzo Abe struck a series of energy deals with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto at the start of a five-country Latin American tour.

Abe, whose visit to the region comes on the heels of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s, met Pena Nieto at the presidential palace for talks that ended with the signing of a raft of deals.

The new agreements included one between Mexican state oil firm Pemex and Japan’s development bank, and another between Pemex and the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation.

With Japan on the lookout for new power sources after the Fukushima disaster forced the shutdown of its nuclear reactors, energy is high on the prime minister’s agenda for the trip.

Mexico is undergoing sweeping changes in its energy sector, with Congress poised to end struggling Pemex’s 75-year monopoly and open up the oil and gas sectors to foreign investment.

The two leaders, both elected in 2012, took turns praising each other for the reforms they have implemented.

Pena Nieto hailed the “bold transformations” of Abe’s fiscal stimulus

and monetary easing programs, while Abe drew parallels between their leadership styles, saying both saw reform as a growth strategy.

Traveling with a delegation of Japanese executives and his wife Akie, Abe received a red-carpet greeting at Mexico City airport from Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Meade.

Pena Nieto and first lady Angelica Rivera then threw a welcome ceremony for them at the presidential palace.

Kenko Sone, an official traveling with Abe, mentioned the “special interest” of Japanese companies in Mexico’s shale gas, though he said there were no firm investment plans yet.

Sone said that it would be cheaper for Japan to import gas from Mexico than from the United states. The American gas Japan currently buys comes from the eastern United States, and must be shipped through the busy Panama Canal.

Japan is Mexico’s fourth trade partner, with total trade of $19.3 billion last year.

There are some 800 Japanese companies that have investments in Mexico, especially automobile giants like Nissan, Mazda and Honda.

Abe is the first Japanese leader to visit

Mexico since Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2004.

Natural resources. Abe’s nine-day trip -- which will also take him to Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, Chile and Brazil -comes two days after China’s Xi wrapped up his own four-country tour.

The interest of the rival powers underlines Asia’s growing interest in the region’s fast-growing economies and vast natural resources.

Announcing Abe’s trip earlier this month, government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Latin American countries “are increasingly important for the Japanese economy because of their growing economies and natural resources.”

Japan, long one of the world’s top exporting countries, has registered two consecutive years of trade deficits since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami triggered the Fukushima disaster.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivers a speech at the Industriales Club in Mexico City, on July 25, 2014

With its emerging economies, Latin America holds promise as a relatively untapped market for Japanese exports, in addition to its coveted raw materials.

But Japan is not the only one showing growing interest in the region often considered the United States’ back yard.

The back-to-back Chinese and Japanese visits come at a moment when territorial disputes between the Asian rivals have pushed their relations to a low point.

China’s Xi headed home from his own trip to Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and Cuba with dozens of deals in areas from oil to mining to agriculture.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also recently wrapped up a tour of the region, visiting Cuba, Nicaragua, Argentina and Brazil.

Xi and Putin, who overlapped in Brazil, played to Latin American resentment toward perceived dominance of the region

by Japan’s longtime ally the United States.

Together with Brazil, India and South Africa -- their partners in the BRICS group of emerging nations -- they announced a new $50 billion development bank and $100 billion reserve fund to rival the Westerndominated World Bank and International Monetary Fund. ■ AFP / Jul 26, 2014

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They also referred to a report by European police agency Europol in February last year identifying Singapore as the base of a trans-national syndicate fixing matches with bribes of up to 100,000 euros ($135,000) per match.

When he convicted Ding on July 1, the judge dismissed as “far-fetched” the businessman’s argument that he was not a match-fixer but a freelance journalist with a local tabloid who had an “interest in writing about match-fixing”.

State prosecutors had asked the court to hand down a sentence of up to six years in jail and a maximum Sg$300,000 ($242,000) fine as a signal to the world of Singapore’s seriousness in eradicating match-fixing.

But the judge said that while Ding may be part of an organised group rigging matches, there was insufficient evidence to prove that he was a member of a “large international criminal syndicate that operates on the scale described by the media reports”.

Defence lawyers said they would appeal the three-year sentence as well as the court’s refusal to grant bail.

said “it cannot be right to make Mr Ding pay for the actions of every match-fixer in Singapore”.

Defence lawyers had argued for a light sentence, saying that no football match was actually fixed and that “the integrity of the Beautiful Game has not been compromised”. ■ AFP / July 24, 2014

Singapore match-fixer jailed for three years in sex-bribe case SINGAPORE A Singaporean businessman was jailed for three years on Thursday for providing prostitutes to three Lebanese football referees in a match-fixing attempt that has put the spotlight on the city-state’s role in global sports corruption.

Nightclub owner Eric Ding Si Yang, 32, was refused bail while he appeals the ruling, and state prosecutors said they would file a motion before a higher court to demand a harsher punishment.

Ding was found guilty on July 1 of corruption for bribing referee Ali Sabbagh, 35 and assistant referees Ali Eid, 34, and Abdallah Taleb, 38, before a match last year in Singapore.

District Judge Toh Yung Cheong said as he handed down the jail sentence that Singapore’s reputation had been tarnished by match-fixing.

“Match-fixing offences bring not only the sport into disrepute, but also affect Singapore’s reputation and image as a country internationally recognised for having low levels of corruption,” Toh said in his written judgement.

This could affect the city-state’s “drive to be a prime venue for prestigious

international sporting events,” he said.

Toh earlier ruled that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that Ding offered the Lebanese match officials the sexual services of prostitutes to “induce the three of them to agree to getting involved in match-fixing”.

The three officials were arrested in April 2013 before they could officiate at an Asian Football Confederation Cup match between Singapore-based club Tampines Rovers and India’s East Bengal.

All three subsequently pleaded guilty to corruption charges. Sabbagh was jailed for six months while Ali Eid and Abdallah Taleb served three-month sentences.

Major global syndicate. The case is the latest in Singapore’s long history of matchfixing scandals.

In September last year, Singapore police detained 14 people believed to be members of a global match-fixing syndicate including the suspected mastermind Dan Tan. That investigation is still ongoing.

Prosecutors in the Ding case cited reports by the international media about a major global syndicate operating out of Singapore fixing football matches around the world.

“This court can show the international community our collective disdain for match-fixing with a severe sentence that would make a powerful and unambiguous statement that match-fixing and corruption in sport has no place in Singapore,” state prosecutors said in their written submission.

But defence counsel Thong Chee Kun

A part of Forbidden City is seen in Beijing, on February 15, 2014

Singapore match-fixer jailed for three years in sex-bribe case

Iraq army kills 17 in anti-jihadist raid between government forces and IS in the

This Centers For Disease Control (CDC) image shows the bubonic plague, a bacterial infection which killed tens of millions of people in 14th-century Europe

China ‘seals off’ town after man dies of bubonic plague

BEIJING - A Chinese town has been sealed off and 151 people placed in quarantine since last week after a man died of bubonic plague, state media said Tuesday.

The 30,000 people living in Yumen in the northwestern province of Gansu are not being allowed to leave, and police at roadblocks on its perimeter are telling motorists to find alternative routes, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said.

Other reports said that earlier this month the 38-year-old victim had found a dead marmot, a small furry animal which lives on grasslands and is related to the squirrel.

He chopped it up to feed his dog but developed a fever the same day. He was taken to hospital after his condition worsened and died last Wednesday.

“The city has enough rice, flour and oil to supply all its residents for up to one month,” CCTV added.

“Local residents and those in quarantine are all in stable condition.”

CCTV said authorities are not allowing anyone to leave, although a previous report by the China Daily newspaper said “four quarantine sectors” had been set up in the city.

No further cases had been reported by Tuesday.

Plague is categorised as a “Class A infectious disease” in China, a report by the official news agency Xinhua said, “the most

serious under China’s Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases”.

Bubonic plague is a bacterial infection best known for the “Black Death”, a virulent epidemic of the disease that killed tens of millions of people in 14th century Europe.

A more recent pandemic, the Modern Plague, began in China in the 1860s and reached Hong Kong by 1894, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says on its website.

“Over the next 20 years, it spread to port cities around the world by rats on steamships,” it says. “The pandemic caused approximately 10 million deaths.”

Primarily an animal illness, it is now extremely rare in humans.

Modern antibiotics are effective in treating plague, the CDC says, but without prompt treatment it can cause serious illness or death.

“Human plague infections continue to occur in the western United States, but significantly more cases occur in parts of Africa and Asia,” it adds.

Cases occasionally emerge in China. A villager who found a dead marmot and ate it with other residents of Litang in Sichuan province, in the southwest, died of the disease in September 2012, a newspaper run by the health ministry reported.

Chinese media have not specified whether the latest victim’s dog fell ill. ■ AFP

/ July 21, 2014

AN Iraqi government raid on jihadist targets in a flashpoint town southwest of Baghdad killed 17 people on Monday, including at least three civilians, medical and tribal sources said.

“Bombardment targeted the Fadhiyya district at 1:00 am,” Sheikh Mohammad al-Janabi, a tribal chief from Jurf al-Sakhr, a town 60 kilometres (40 miles) from Baghdad, told AFP. Janabi said two women and a child were among the dead, a toll confirmed by a doctor at the main hospital in nearby Iskandariyah.

Both said that 12 people were also wounded and that some of them were transferred to the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah in the neighbouring province of Anbar.

That suggests some of the casualties of the raid were jihadist fighters from the Islamic State or one of its allied Sunni militant groups, although none of the sources could say how many.

A lieutenant in the Iraqi army said: “The Iraqi forces used a variety of weapons to target insurgent bases in Jurf al-Sakhr overnight.”

The mainly Sunni town, which lies in the north of Babil province, is the scene

of almost daily fighting between progovernment forces and Sunni militants.

Islamic State (IS) jihadists launched a sweeping offensive in northern Iraq on June 9, conquering the second city Mosul and large parts of the country’s Sunni heartland.

Jurf al-Sakhr lies on the edge of what became known during a previous wave of sectarian bloodshed eight years ago as the “triangle of death”.

The army and allied Shiite militia, such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq, take up positions in the town during the day but often pull back at night, which allows insurgents to plant roadside bombs.

The loss of Jurf al-Sakhr would threaten government control over one of only two main roads linking Baghdad to the southern Shiite heartland, including the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf.

Baghdad executions. The rebellious Sunni city of Fallujah is cut off from IS’ desert stronghold on the Syrian border by government-controled pockets, notably in Anbar’s capital Ramadi.

The province’s police chief, Major General Ahmad Saddag al-Dulaimi, told AFP that his forces and allied tribal fighters beat off an attack on Ramadi Sunday.

He described the fighting as the fiercest

Iraqi security forces set up checkpoints on streets leading to the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad on March 27, 2012

region and added: “Nine policemen were killed and 11 wounded in 17 hours of battle.”

Doctor Ahmad al-Ani, at Ramadi hospital, confirmed the toll.

Dulaimi claimed anti-jihadist forces killed 35 IS fighters and captured 14, but AFP was not immediately able to confirm those figures.

“They were carrying the black flag and most of them were dressed Afghan-style,” he said.

A captain in the army confirmed there had been intense fighting in Albu Faraj, north of Ramadi.

“They are testing the resistance of the security forces and the tribes,” he said.

North of Baghdad, three fighters from the Shiite militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq were killed and five wounded near Mansuriyah while defending the Hamrin dam from an IS attack, army and hospital sources said.

Meanwhile, in the capital, four people were shot dead with silenced weapons in three different neighbourhoods Monday, police and medics said.

The sources described them as civilians but said the exact circumstances of their deaths were not immediately clear.

Twelve unidentified bodies with bullet wounds were also found in different, mainly Shiite, districts of Baghdad, an official at the ministry of interior and a medic said.

While IS fighters have been repulsed in their efforts to move closer to Baghdad, the kind of violence that plagued the capital long before the onslaught has continued.

Car bombings, mostly targeting police checkpoints but also restaurants and shops, roadside bombs, “sticky bombs” concealed on parked vehicles and remotely detonated, assassinations and kidnappings occur almost daily.

The violence has caused intense displacement of both Sunnis and Shiites, turning a once very mixed city into a honeycomb of religiously homogenous neighbourhoods. ■ AFP / July 28, 2014

INTERNATIONAL / GLOBAL NEWS

August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

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17

Pinay pianist gets standing ovation in India music fest

A picture taken on July 28, 2014 shows smoke billowing from an oil depot where a huge blaze started following clashes around Tripoli airport, in the south of the city

PERFORMING solo in Chennai, India, Filipina pianist Alexandra Minoza received a standing ovation as she set the bar for a music festival celebrated worldwide.

Minoza was the only Filipino to perform at the Goethe Institute-organized Fete de la Musique, a yearly musical festival that was held last June 21, a news release from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

For her first piece, Minoza played Claude Debussy’s “Claire de Lune,” the third movement of the famous composer’s “Suite bergamasque.”

She followed it with “Ballade No. 1,” one of Frederic Chopin’s most technically challenging pieces.

Indian pianists joined Minoza for the

festival’s finale, playing the country’s national song “Vande Mataram” and “Kinderszenen” by Robert Schumann.

A piano faculty at the KM Music Conservatory in Chennai, Minoza recently earned her Master of Music in Advance Piano Performance at the Royal College of Music in London.

Prior to her performance in India, she earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore.

The Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra was Minoza’s first experience with the orchestra, having her first concert with the group at the age of nine, the DFA said. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / July 24, 2014 / 3:40 PM

Alexandra Minoza. DFA photo

Second Tripoli fuel depot ablaze Non-core staff of PHL Embassy in Libya to relocate to Tunisia in ‘very dangerous’ turn

LIBYA said a second fuel depot caught fire Monday in Tripoli, in a “very dangerous” development following a huge oil tank blaze triggered by clashes around the capital’s airport.

“The situation is very dangerous after a second fire broke out at another petroleum depot,” the government said, warning of a “disaster with unforeseeable consequences”.

The blaze erupted on Sunday night when a rocket struck a tank containing more than six million litres (1.6 million gallons) of fuel.

The depots are located on the road to Tripoli’s international airport, which rival militias have been fiercely fighting for since July 13.

They contain more than 90 million litres of fuel, according to the National Oil Company.

Firefighters have been battling to extinguish the blaze with limited resources since Sunday night, but ongoing clashes have repeatedly forced them to flee the area.

In its statement, the government issued yet another appeal to the combatants to “cease fire immediately”.

But rockets were still being fired into the area at around midday on Monday, an AFP photographer at the site reported. ■ AFP / July 28, 2014

WITH the security situation in Libya showing no sign of improvement, the Philippine Embassy in Libya has started relocating its non-core staff to Tunisia.

In a statement issued Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said: “Due

to the increasing violence and lawlessness in Tripoli, all non-core staff of the Philippine Embassy there are being relocated to Tunisia. Staff dependents were repatriated last week.”

The DFA said male officers and staff augmented by the Rapid Response Teams will remain in Tripoli to oversee the repatriation of overseas Filipino workers.

Meanwhile, the DFA said the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli continued to appeal to Filipinos to enlist for evacuation “before all routes and options become extremely difficult.”

Last July 20, the Philippine government raised the alert level in Libya to “4,” citing

the “extremely unstable” situation there.

“Under Alert Level 4, the Philippine government undertakes evacuation ofabout 13,000 Filipino nationals there as soon as possible while no Filipino national will be allowed to travel to Libya,” the DFA said.

Filipinos can contact the Embassy through the telephone numbers (00218) 918-244-208 / (00218) 911061166, and the e-mail addresses tripoli.pe@gmail.com; tripoli.pe@dfa.gov.ph.

Their relatives can call the DFA’s 24-hour hotlines at (02) 552-7105 and (02) 8344685, or send queries by e-mail tooumwa@ dfa.gov.ph. ■ Joel Locsin / RSJ, GMA News / July

28, 2014 / 11:31AM

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FREE LISTING of events in HELLO PHILIPPINES newspaper.

Please contact us to include you event on events@hello-philippines.com

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2014 CALENDAR OF EVENTS – UK & EUROPE

DATE / TIME 9 August 2014

EVENT Fiesta sa Milton Keynes 21st Annual Milton Keynes Fiesta

VENUE Campbell Park Central Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire MK9 4AD

ORGANISER Milton Keynes Filipino British Society

9 August 2014 Saturday 9:00am – 5.00pm

Brighton & Hove 2014 Barrio Fiesta

Wilson Avenue East Brighton Park BN2 5TS

Brighton BHFC

9 August 2014 Saturday 9:00am

Pistahan Sa Nayon!

Barrio Fiesta in Scotland 2014

Filipino Community in Scotland

17 August 2014 Sunday 10:00am – 5:00pm

Scotland Barrio Fiesta 2014

29/30/31 August 2014 Friday-Sunday 18.00 30 August 2014 Saturday 8:00am to 7:00pm 30 & 31 August 2014 Saturday and Sunday 20 September 2014 Saturday

70’s Superband The Return

Queens Park Recreation Ground, 520 Langside Road Glasgow G42 7JQ Hamilton Park Racecourse, Bothwell Road, Hamilton, Lanarkshire ML3 0DW Bradford, London & Shrewsbury

Side Projects and Simply C

Carol Panday: 07903 547 676

Filipino British Cooperative Society (FIBRICS)

Allan Etrata 07506 683 937

29 November 2014 Saturday

Miss Pearl of Asia UK

Lower Castle Park , High Street, Colchester, Essex CO1 1UN Heaton Park Middleton Road Manchester M25 2SW Baden Powell House, 65 – 67 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5JS Camden Centre Jude Street, King's Cross London WC1H 9JE

1st Saturday

5:00pm

1st Sunday

2:00pm

1st Sunday

5:00pm

2nd Saturday

4:00pm

2nd Sunday

2:00pm

2nd Sunday

2:00pm

2nd Sunday

4:00pm

3rd Sunday

3:00pm

3rd Sunday

3:00pm

Last Saturday

6:00pm

Last Sunday

12:00pm

Last Sunday

2:00pm

Every Sunday

5:00pm

First Wednesdays

6:30pm

Barrio Fiesta sa Colchester 2014 Barrio Fiesta Manchester 2014 Mrs Philippines UK

CONTACTS / REMARKS Merald Yates 07909957313 Eddie Chua 01908 370 579 Anita 07557 358 013 Fe 07588636573 or Grace 07415063324 Elsie 07138878290 Gavin 07525130320 Alex Alfonso: 07766 632 614 Emms Panagdato: 07958 024 085 Joyce Hicban: 07725 251 585 Email: thedirectors@bahfc.co.uk Alex Pullan: 07505 117 889 07456 658 592 Erik 07795 068 798

Aurora 07748 252 530 / aurobb0203@gmail.com Aguman Kapampangan UK

MONTHLY FILIPINO COMMUNITY MASSES IN GREATER LONDON

Zanie Del Mundo 07886 881 432 / zendel22@hotmail.co.uk 07547 985 508 enquiries@misspearlofasia.com www.MissPearlOfAsia.com

Devotion in Honour of Our Lady of Fatima (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament / Rosary / Benediction / Mass) St Pius X Catholic Church, 108 Orme Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 3SB – Oliver Abasolo – 07782 661 922 Five Precious Wounds Parish, Brentfield Road, Stonebridge Park, London NW10 8ER Mervic Monocillo – 07894 636 140 Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, Friary Road, Peckham, London SE15 1RH Allen Abeleda – 07713 625 888 St Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, 103 Woolwich New Road, London SE18 6EF Moises Espanola – 07894 648 639 English Martyrs Church, Chalkhill Road, Wembley Park, Wembley HA9 9EW Becky Sarinas – 07949 857 699 / 07425 761 519 / Lina B – 07579 418 510 St Dominic Catholic Church, 243 Violet Lane, Waddon, Croydon CR0 4HN Merlie Mirto – 07722 216 462 St. Anselm and St. Cecilia, 70 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3JA Feliciano Ramirez – 07733 680 748 Sacred Heart of Jesus, New Priory, Quex Road, Kilburn, London NW6 4PS Sheidrick de Leon – 07738 210 202 Blessed Sacrament Parish, 157 Copenhagen Street, Islington N1 0SR Christy Sangalang – 07709 119 969 Our Lady of Dolours, Servite Parish Church, 264 Fulham Road, London SW10 4EL Fr Allan Satur – 020 7352 6965 / fulhamroad@rcdow.org.uk / Roland Adap – r_adap@hotmail.com St Pius X Catholic Church, 108 Orme Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 3SB Oliver Abasolo – 07782 661 922 St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 218 Roehampton Lane, London SW15 4LE Rafael Santiago – 07795 254 451 Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 20 Brixton Road, Oval, London SW9 6BU Ben Ortiz – 07723 318 486 Filipino Mass and Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Farm Street Church of the Immaculate Conception (Jesuit House Chapel), access on 114 Mount Street, London W1K 3AY – Josie Ramos – 07723 024 591

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www.hello-philippines.com

HEALTH and Lifestyle

August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

There’s very little official guidance on precisely how much food children require so you’ll need to use your own judgement.

A good rule of thumb is to start meals with small servings and let your child ask for more if they are still hungry.

Try not to make your child finish everything on the plate or eat more than they want to. And avoid using adult-size plates for younger children as it encourages them to eat oversized portions.

It may also help if you encourage your child to eat slowly and have set mealtimes.

You can use mealtimes as an opportunity to catch up on what’s happened during the day.

Eat healthy meals. Children, just like adults, should aim to eat five or more portions of fruit and vegetables every day.

They’re a great source of vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Getting 5 A DAY shouldn’t be too difficult.

Almost all fruit and vegetables count towards your child’s 5 A DAY including fresh, tinned, frozen and dried. Juices, smoothies, beans and pulses also count.

Discourage your child from having too many sugary or high-fat foods like sweets, cakes, biscuits, some sugary cereals and soft drinks. These foods and drinks tend to be high in calories and low in nutrients.

Aim for your child to get most of their

calories from healthier foods such as fruit and vegetables, and starchy foods such as bread, potatoes, pasta and rice (preferably wholemeal). And switch sweet drinks for water.

Less screen time and more sleep!

Alongside the advice to get them moving more is the need to reduce the time they spend sitting or lying down in the day.

Help your children avoid sitting and lying around too much as this makes them more likely to put on weight.

Limit the time your child spends on inactive pastimes like watching TV, playing video games and playing on electronic devices.

There’s no hard and fast advice on how much is too much, but experts advise that children should watch no more than two hours of television each day. And remove all screens (including mobile phones) from their bedroom at night.

It also helps children stay trim if they sleep well. It’s been shown that children who don’t have the recommended amount of sleep are more likely to be overweight.

The less children sleep, the greater the risk of them becoming obese. Lack of sleep can also affect their mood and behaviour.

If your child has a medical condition then the advice in this article may not be relevant and you should check first with their GP or hospital doctor. ■ NHS Choices

• being secretive about their eating habits • becoming anxious, upset or guilty when asked to eat • vomiting, or using laxatives in order to lose weight Self-harming teenagers. People who self-harm usually try to keep it a secret from their friends and family and often injure themselves in places that can be hidden easily by clothing.

If you suspect that your teenager is selfharming, look out for any of the following signs: • unexplained cuts, bruises or cigarette burns, usually on their wrists, arms, thighs and chest • keeping themselves fully covered at all times, even in hot weather • signs of depression, such as low mood, tearfulness, a lack of motivation or lack of interest in everything • changes in eating habits or being secretive about eating, and any unusual weight loss or weight gain • signs of low self-esteem, such as blaming themselves for any problems or thinking they are not good enough • signs they have been pulling out their hair • signs of alcohol or drug misuse

Teenagers who take drugs. Signs that your teenager is taking drugs can include: • losing interest in hobbies, sports or other favourite activities • losing interest in their appearance or personal hygiene • dramatic changes in behaviour • suddenly forming an almost totally new group of friends • excessive tiredness and lack of appetite • playing truant from school • dilated pupils, red eyes, bad skin • spending an increased amount of money, coupled with a refusal to explain why • stealing money from you Finding any of the following items in their room or in the house, could indicate that they are using drugs: • pipes • rolling papers • small medicine bottles • eye drops • butane lighters • homemade ‘bongs’ (pipes that use water as a filter) made from tin cans or plastic drinks bottles • scorched tinfoil • razor blades • syringes ■ NHS Choices

Overweight children: advice for parents IF your child is overweight, there’s lots you can do to help them become a healthy weight as they grow.

As a parent, it can sometimes be difficult to tell that your child is overweight. A child may not look particularly heavy to be overweight. And, because more children are becoming heavier at a younger age, we’ve become used to seeing bigger children.

There’s a lot you can now do to help your child reach a healthy weight.

Research shows that children who achieve a healthy weight tend to be fitter, healthier, better able to learn, and more self-confident. They’re also less likely to have low self-esteem and be bullied. And they’re much less likely to have health problems in later life.

As a parent, there’s lots you can do to help your child become a healthier weight.

Getting them to be more active and eat well is important. Here’s lots of practical advice to help you.

Steps for success. Here are five key ways you can help your child maintain a healthy weight. You can read this whole page or click on the links below to go directly to the topic you want to know about: Be a good role model. One of the best ways to instil good habits in your child is for you to be a good role model. Children learn by example. One of the most powerful ways

to encourage your child to be active and eat well is to do so yourself.

Set a good example by going for a walk or bike ride instead of watching TV, or surfing the internet. Playing in the park or swimming with your children shows them that being active is fun, and it’s a great way for you all to spend time together.

Get active. Overweight children don’t need to do more exercise than slimmer children. Their extra body weight means they will naturally burn more calories for the same activity.

All children need about 60 minutes of physical activity a day for good health, but it doesn’t need to be all at once. Several short 10-minute or even 5-minute bursts of activity throughout the day can be just as good as an hour-long stretch.

For younger children, it can take the form of active play, such as ball games, chasing games like “it” and “tag”, riding a scooter, and using playground swings, climbing frames and see-saws.

For older children it could include riding a bike, skateboarding, walking to school, skipping, swimming, dancing and martial arts.

Walking or cycling short distances instead of using the car or bus is a great way to be active together as a family – and you’ll save money too.

Child-size portions. Try to avoid feeding your child over-sized portions.

Worried about your teenager?

ARE you worried about your teenager?

Many parents find that their children act differently during the teenage years.

It is common to worry that they may be affected by mental health issues such as depression or eating disorders, or be involved in risky behaviour such as taking drugs, abusing alcohol, having unprotected sex, or committing crimes.

Normal teenage behaviour or something more serious? Teenage behaviour can be erratic and unpredictable, so it can difficult to distinguish when they are just ‘being a teenager’ and when something more serious is going on. But, as a parent, there are certain warning signs to look out for.

Linda Blair, clinical psychologist, advises: “As a parent what you can do is look out for unexpected and persisting changes.

“Have they changed in any way that is particularly out of character for them?

For example, if your teenager is usually very sociable – and he or she withdraws socially to a large degree – there could be a problem.

“If they’re normally very chatty and they become completely uncommunicative, it may be worth exploring whether it’s due to more than just teenage angst.”

Encourage teenagers to talk.

Most teenagers become moody and uncommunicative from time to time. This is often due to hormonal changes, which make the teenage years an emotional time.

Many teenagers haven’t yet developed the skills to talk about emotions, so communication becomes very difficult.

Teenagers also have to go through a process of setting themselves physically and emotionally apart from their parents.

However, if you’re worried about them, you may be able to encourage them to open up. Direct questioning can make them feel very threatened, so a more subtle approach is more effective.

Linda Blair suggests: “If you’re having trouble getting them to open up to you, be available to them as much as possible.

Take every opportunity to be there for them at times when they feel comfortable talking freely.

Eat together whenever possible. A great example is to provide a taxi service – being in the car is a non-threatening situation for them because you’re not looking at one another. Have meals together whenever you can – perhaps take them out for a pizza, for example.

If they refuse to talk to you and you are worried that something more serious is going on, you may need to open up other channels of communication for them.

Be honest and explain that you’re worried that they’re going through something difficult, and if they can’t talk to you, that’s fine, but they should talk to someone. Try offering helpline numbers, or suggesting a GP or a friend of the family.

Let them `choose` where to go for help.

Allowing them to make a decision about how and where to seek help can also be beneficial. Linda explains: “If you’re very worried, whether about drugs or an eating disorder, you can try offering them what’s known as a ‘forced choice decision’.

“Present them with two choices, both of which represent a positive step. For example, suggest they talk either to your GP or to a named family friend. That way, they feel more in control.”

Spotting the signs of abnormal teen

behaviour. Many of the symptoms listed below can often be attributed to normal teenage behaviour. However, if you’re worried, it can be helpful to know the signs of a possible problem. You may then choose to discuss your concerns with your teen, or get advice from your GP. Depression in teenagers. Noticeable symptoms of depression in teenagers can include: • continuous low mood or sadness • voicing/showing feelings of hopelessness and helplessness • frequent tearfulness • being irritable and intolerant of others • apparent lack of energy or motivation, and little or no enjoyment of things that were once interesting to them • slowed movement or speech • changes in appetite or weight (usually decreased, but sometimes increased) • frequent unexplained aches and pains • disturbed sleep patterns (for example, problems going to sleep and/or waking throughout the night, particularly in the early hours of the morning) • losing interest or being disruptive at school or playing truant • constantly complaining that they feel bored or lonely Teenage eating disorders. The most common eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. Signs of eating disorders can include: • having a preoccupation and concern about food and gaining weight • a desire to lose weight even though their friends or other family members worry that they’re underweight • letting people around them think they have eaten when they haven’t

22

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HEALTH and Lifestyle food

The truth about sweeteners

ARTIFICIAL sweeteners: chemical cocktails or a potent weapon in the fight against tooth decay, diabetes and obesity?

Whatever your opinion, there’s no avoiding them. They are found in thousands of products, from drinks, desserts and ready meals, to cakes, chewing gum and toothpaste.

Fears about their potential toxic effects have been around ever since the first sweetener, saccharin – once known as “the poor man’s sugar” – was discovered in 1879.

Cancer, strokes, seizures, low birthweight, high blood pressure, vomiting, dizziness – all have been cited as risks from consuming sweeteners.

But none of these claims have stuck, and demand for sweeteners continues unabated as consumers try to cut their sugar intake while still satisfying their sweet tooth.

The UK sweetener sector is valued at £60 million, and more than a quarter of

British households buy artificial sweeteners.

Sweeteners are low-calorie or caloriefree chemical substances that are used instead of sugar to sweeten foods and drinks. Find out what the evidence says on the safety of some of the most common sweeteners approved for use in the UK: Saccharin link to cancer discredited.

Discovered in the US in 1879, saccharin is the oldest artificial sweetener.

It is calorie-free and 300 to 400 times sweeter than sugar. Some people find it has a bitter or metallic aftertaste.

A wide variety of foods and drinks have saccharin added to them, including baked goods, chewing gum, drinks and table top sweeteners. Saccharin is also used in cosmetic products (such as toothpaste, mouthwash and lip gloss), as well as vitamins and medications.

Saccharin is not broken down when digested. It is slowly absorbed into the system and rapidly excreted, unchanged, by the kidneys.

After being suspected of causing bladder cancer in rats, the Canadian government banned saccharin as a food additive in 1977 (although restricted access to saccharin as a table top sweetener was maintained). The US government warned that it could cause cancer.

Since then, many studies have disproved any link to cancer. After a complete evaluation of the evidence in 1999, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that saccharin could no longer be considered a possible carcinogen in people.

The European Scientific Committee for Food (SCF) re-evaluated the safety of saccharin in 1995 and concluded that it did not pose a cancer risk to people. It stated that “while it is unlikely that the tumours in the male rat bladder are of relevance for man, it has not been possible to unequivocally demonstrate this”.

Saccharin is still banned in Canada, although the ban is under review. Some health groups maintain that infants, children and pregnant women should avoid it due to the possibility of having an allergic reaction, although there is no evidence to back this up. Acceptable daily intake: 5mg/kg body weight.

All sweeteners in the EU will have undergone a rigorous safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) or its predecessor, the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF), before they can be used in food and drink.

August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

Moreover, Cancer Research UK and the US National Cancer Institute have said there is no evidence that sweeteners are associated with cancer risk in humans.

“Studies on artificial sweeteners have found that they do not increase the risk of cancer,” states Cancer Research UK. “Large studies looking at people have now provided strong evidence that artificial sweeteners are safe for humans.”

As part of the evaluation process, the EFSA sets an acceptable daily intake (ADI), which is the maximum amount considered safe to consume each day over the course of your lifetime.

You don’t need to keep track of how much sweetener you consume each day, as our eating habits are factored in when specifying where sweeteners can be used.

Are sweeteners healthy? Safe, yes, but are they healthy? Food manufacturers claim sweeteners help prevent tooth decay, control blood sugar levels and reduce our calorie intake.

EFSA has approved the health claims made about xylitol, sorbitol and sucralose, among others, in relation to oral health and

controlling blood sugar levels.

Dietitian Emma Carder states: “Research into sweeteners shows they are perfectly safe to eat or drink on a daily basis as part of a healthy diet.”

She also says they are a really useful alternative for people with diabetes who need to watch their blood sugar levels while still enjoying their favourite foods.

“Like sugar, sweeteners provide a sweet taste to foods and drinks, but what sets them apart is that, after consumption, sweeteners don’t increase blood sugar levels,” she says.

It has been suggested that the use of artificial sweeteners may have a stimulating effect on appetite and, therefore, may play a role in weight gain and obesity. However, research into sweeteners and appetite stimulation is inconsistent. Also, there is little evidence from longer-term studies to show that sweeteners lead to increased energy intake and contribute to the risk of obesity.

“While more research is needed, sweeteners continue to have a useful role in offering a sweet taste without adding extra calories,” says Carder. ■ NHS Choices

• low – 5g of total sugars or less per 100g If the amount of sugars per 100g is between these figures, then that is a medium level of sugars.

The sugars figure in the nutrition label is the total amount of sugars in the food. It includes sugars from fruit and milk, as well as the sugars that have been added.

A food containing lots of fruit or milk will be a healthier choice than one that contains lots of added sugars, even if the two products contain the same total amount of sugars. You can tell if the food contains lots of added sugars by checking the ingredients list.

Sometimes you will see a figure for “Carbohydrates”, and not for “Carbohydrates (of which sugars)”.

The “Carbohydrates” figure will also include starchy carbohydrates, so you can’t use it to work out the sugar content.

In this case, check the ingredients list to see if the food is high in added sugars.

Labels on the front of packaging. There are labels containing nutrition information on the front of some food packaging.

This includes labels that use red, amber

and green colour-coding and advice on reference intakes (RI) of some nutrients, which can include sugar.

Labels that include colour-coding allow you to see at a glance if the food is high, medium or low in sugars.

• red = high • amber = medium • green = low Some labels on the front of packaging will display the amount of sugar in the food as a proportion of the RI. RIs are guidelines about the approximate amount of particular nutrients required for a healthy diet.

Ingredients list. You can get an idea of whether a food is high in added sugars by looking at the ingredients list. Added sugars must be included in the ingredients list, which always starts with the biggest ingredient. This means that if you see sugar near the top of the list, you know the food is likely to be high in added sugars.

Watch out for other words used to describe added sugars, such as sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, hydrolysed starch and invert sugar, corn syrup and honey. ■ NHS Choices

The facts about sugar

MOST adults and children in the UK eat too much sugar. Cut down by eating fewer sugary foods, such as sweets, cakes and biscuits, and drinking fewer sugary soft drinks.

Sugars occur naturally in foods such as fruit and milk, but we don’t need to cut down on these types of sugars.

Sugars are also added to a wide range of foods, such as sweets, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, and some fizzy drinks and juice drinks. These are the sugary foods that we should cut down on.

Why cut down on sugars? Evidence from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey shows that most adults and children eat more sugar than is recommended as part of a healthy balanced diet.

Many foods that contain added sugars (and often have few other nutrients) are also high in energy, which is measured in either kilojoules (kJ) or calories (kcal). Eating these foods often can contribute to you becoming overweight.

Being overweight can increase your risk of health conditions such as: • heart disease • type 2 diabetes To eat a healthy, balanced diet, we should eat these types of foods only occasionally, and get the majority of our calories from other kinds of foods such as starchy foods and fruits and vegetables.

Sugary foods and drinks can also cause tooth decay, especially if you eat them between meals. The longer the sugary food is in contact with the teeth, the more damage it can cause.

The sugars found naturally in whole fruit

are less likely to cause tooth decay because the sugars are contained within the structure of the fruit. But when fruit is juiced or blended, the sugars are released. Once released, these sugars can damage teeth, especially if fruit juice is drunk frequently.

Fruit juice is still a healthy choice, and counts as one of your recommended daily five portions of fruit and vegetables. But it is best to drink fruit juice at mealtimes in order to minimise damage to your teeth.

Tips to cut down on sugars. For a healthy, balanced diet, cut down on foods and drinks containing added sugars.

These tips can help you cut down: • Instead of sugary fizzy drinks and juice drinks, go for water or unsweetened fruit juice (remember to dilute these for children to further reduce the sugar).

• If you like fizzy drinks, try diluting fruit juice with sparkling water.

• Swap cakes or biscuits for a currant bun, scone or some malt loaf with low-fat spread.

• If you take sugar in hot drinks or add

sugar to your breakfast cereal, gradually reduce the amount until you can cut it out altogether.

• Rather than spreading jam, marmalade, syrup, treacle or honey on your toast, try a low-fat spread, sliced banana or low-fat cream cheese instead.

• Check nutrition labels to help you pick the foods with less added sugar, or go for the low-sugar version.

• Try halving the sugar you use in your recipes – it works for most things except jam, meringues and ice cream.

• Choose tins of fruit in juice rather than syrup.

• Choose wholegrain breakfast cereals, but not those coated with sugar or honey.

Nutrition labels and sugars. Nutrition labels often tell you how much sugar a food contains. You can compare labels and choose foods that are lower in sugar.

Look for the “Carbohydrates (of which sugars)” figure in the nutrition label.

• high – over 22.5g of total sugars per 100g

Fruit juice is still a healthy choice, and counts as one of your recommended daily five portions of fruit and vegetables. But it is best to drink fruit juice at mealtimes in order to minimise damage to your teeth.

24

NEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

7 provisions under the RH Law that need immediate implementation, now that we’re 100-million strong MANILA – The birth of the 100 millionth Filipino baby should compel the government to fully implement the reproductive health law, former Albay Representative Edcel Lagman said.

Lagman, one of the authors of the law, said there was “critical immediacy” to make the law work for the people “as an increasing population imperils finite resources and strains limited budget.”

“It is symbolic that baby girl Chonalyn was born at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, which has long been reputed to be a baby factory, where inordinately numerous deliveries are recorded daily,” he said.

It took Congress 13 hears to enact the measure, which was passed during the 15th Congress.

Lagman highlighted the following provisions of the RH law, which he said needed immediate implementation: 1. Government extension and grant of reproductive health care, services, and commodities to the marginalized sectors who are willing acceptors of RH and family planning programs.

2. The procurement by the Department of Health (DOH) of medically-safe, legal, effective, and non-abortifacient contraceptives and devices for distribution to the poor and to the local government units (LGUs).

3. The retraining of barangay health workers so that they could competently assist in the implementation of the RH Law. 4. The immediate formulation of an RH

curriculum by the Department of Education (DepEd) for enrolled adolescent pupils and students which may be adopted by private schools so that RH good practices and beneficent results can be instilled early among the young.

5. Extensive training of teachers who will handle reproductive health classes for adolescents in the coming school years.

6. Adequate outlays for RH for inclusion in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to be submitted to the Congress by the President after the SONA. 7. Meaningful and responsive appropriations by the Congress starting 2015 to fully implement the RH Law. ■ Lira Dalangin-Fernandez / InterAksyon.com / July 28, 2014 / 9:37 AM

Chonalyn Sentino, 100 millionth baby, 27 July 2014, Jose Fabella Hospital. Photo by Brian Manoguid.

‘No shortcuts’: Lessons on nation-building, via sports, from a ball-kicking, bar-topping Blue Eagle FORMER Blue Eagles varsity football player and 2012 Bar Topnotcher Ignatius Michael “Mickey” Ingles was the guest speaker at the Ateneo de Manila High School Intramurals Opening earlier this month. The following excerpts are from his address to the Ateneo high school students, which we publish here with his permission.

Coach Brax asked me to come today and share some values that I learned in sports and that I’ve used in the different aspects of my life, be it in my career as a lawyer, a law student, and a bar topnotcher.

Three values immediately came to mind: the values of preparation, discipline, and hard work.

When I was still playing in the Ateneo Men’s Football Team under Coach Ompong, our team had this motto – a mantra, actually: “If you don’t do it in training, if you don’t bring it in practice, you definitely won’t be able to do it in the game.”

We put a premium in practice, imposing fines on those who were late or missed training sessions. We put a premium because we knew the value of coming into the game, or coming into the season, with the best preparation one could possibly have.

We had this mindset because we knew and understood that there were only two things that you could control in sports and in life: the effort you put out and how well you prepared.

You can’t control the weather, the airconditioning in a stadium (even if you’re Lebron), your opponents, and, my goodness, the referees. And you definitely can’t control the results of the game. That’s why you’re left with focusing on yourself - with the effort you put out, and the preparation you put in.

That’s where discipline and hard work come in.

Ask any successful athlete. Ask Lebron James or any of the Ateneo Women’s Volleyball Team players what their secrets to success were, and they’d tell you that it isn’t a secret. It all boils down to hard work and discipline, how many hours you spend honing your craft and the number of sacrifices you have to make.

Champions aren’t made overnight;

championships are not won on a whim.

Champions are made in the gym, in the baseball field, in the basketball court, in the futbol field, and in the training ground.

Champions are made when it’s just you - alone, with no one watching or cheering you on - pushing and challenging yourself day in and day out.

Champions are made when things get tough, when your body starts to ache, when your mind wants to quit, but you keep going, you keep pushing, you keep fighting, because you know it’s worth it.

Because you know there are no shortcuts to success.

And, guys, there are no shortcuts. You can’t expect instant results. You can’t go to the gym once a week and expect six-pack

abs. You can’t miss trainings and expect to be on the first team, or the starting eleven, or the starting five. You can’t give 50-, 60-, 70-percent in training, and expect to give 100-percent during thegame. That just doesn’t happen.

Things are not that easy.

And that’s the problem, that’s what’s lost on today’s society. We get everything so easy. You need research done for your research paper, there’s Google and Wikipedia. You’re hungry, there’s delivery.

You need to stalk - I mean, know more about that pretty girl from Assumption, there’s Facebook. Everything’s so easy.

But with this ease, this convenience, comes the temptation - this huge temptation - to cut corners and take shortcuts.

And this is why discipline is so important.

Discipline pushes you to say “no” to what’s easy, and say “yes” to staying the right course, even if it’s hard.

It’s pretty obvious that discipline and hard work are vital outside sports.

Look at the news today. If you read the newspapers or listen to the radio, you will see the headlines filled with people who take shortcuts and cut corners. You can see them in our politicians who steal our money as a shortcut to wealth. You can see them in shady businessmen who cheat the government, their customers, and their own employees as a shortcut to fulfill their ambition. You can see it in so-called

“brotherhoods” that beat neophytes to death as a shortcut to friendship and true brotherhood.

These we do not need in our country. We do not need liars, cheaters, thieves, people who take shortcuts to the detriment of our nation, especially as we try, strive, and struggle to make a name for ourselves as a country in the international arena.

We do not want to be known as a nation whose people take shortcuts; we want to be known as a nation whose people stay the right course, even when it’s hard ... especially when it’s hard.

That’s the discipline we need. That’s the hard work we need to put in.

That’s the same discipline and hard work which we learn to value in sports.

What values, what lessons these are! Who would’ve thought something so important to nation-building can be learned through something as fun as playing sports?

Go out there and have fun. Play with your heart; play to win. Never compromise the purity of sports. Make the most of your youth toplay and enjoy because you’ll surely miss it when you’re older.

But in your quiet moments, take the time to reflect on the values and the lessons you learn from playing sports, and see how you can apply them to make yourself better, make the people around you better, and make your country better as well. ■ Ignatius

continued to expand.

“Market conditions three years ago may not be as conducive as this year, as well as for next year where there is uncertainty over the interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve,” Neri added.

On rating the Basel III capital instruments, Fitch gave it a notch down from an issuer’s anchor rating based on risks from increasing non-performance and the possibility of increasing losses. ■ Danessa

Michael D. Ingles / July 28, 2014 / 2:32 PM

Fitch sees PHL banks issuing more debt for capital and growth under Basel III DEBT watcher Fitch Ratings expects Philippine banks to issue more Basel IIIcompliant debt to refinance capital and to support loan growth.

The Basel III-compliant Tier 2 instruments will be mostly targeted at the domestic market and will largely be driven by the need to refinance legacy instruments and support growth, Fitch said in an e-mailed statement.

“There has been over P50 billion or $1.15 billion of Basel III Tier 2 instruments issued to date in the Philippine banking system,” it said.

Fitch said this followed the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’s (BSP) move to unveil the new Basel III capital rules in January 2013.

“Activity picked up following Basel III implementation in January 2014, with issuance to date limited to the local market amid more favorable pricing for the banks

and healthy domestic demand from institutional investors and trust accounts,” it said.

The BSP implemented on January 1, 2014 the Basel III standards, or the new global benchmarks on capital conversion, common equity Tier 1, and total Tier ratio that will impact on banks’ debts and asset positions.

Following the 2008 financial crisis that led to the current global depression, Basel III was instituted as a set of global banking reforms aimed at strengthening the ability of banks to withstand future crises.

Fitch said over P120 billion in legacy Basel II-Tier 2 capital will have to be replaced, driving more issuance of Basel III notes moving forward.

Moreover, the continued balance sheet growth in an expanding economy–where loan growth has averaged 15 percent

recently–will also fuel local banks’ issuance of Basel III capital instruments.

“The banking system is considered well capitalized with healthy capital buffers above the BSP’s Basel III requirements of 8.5 percent common equity Tier 1 capital adequacy ratio (CAR) and 10.0 percent total CAR, but these buffers may erode in a rapidly growing system,” Fitch said.

Current market conditions are favorable for banks to raise funds and build up capital, Bank of the Philippine Islands lead economist Emilio Neri Jr. told GMA News Online.

“It won’t be difficult to raise capital as people are looking for an outlet for excess funds,” he said.

As of end-May, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said domestic liquidity, or money circulating in the financial system, grew by 28.4 percent to P6.94 trillion as lending

O. Rivera / VS, GMA News / July 28, 2014 / 10:45 AM

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Carpio joins Sereno in blocking Jardeleza’s nomination for SC justice post MANILA - Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. Aranal-Sereno and Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio have joined together in blocking the nomination of Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza for the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (SC).

This was revealed in the petition for certiorari and mandamus of Jardeleza filed before the SC on July 11, 2014.

It was Justice Secretary Leila De Lima who acted as the “whistleblower” that Carpio appeared before the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to object on Jardeleza’s nomination.

De Lima disclosed this fact with Jardeleza that Carpio testified against the Solgen on the issue of West Philippine Sea because the position of the Solgen is allegedly least favorable to the country on its plan for a joint exploration with China.

De Lima is the ex-officio member of the JBC and an ally of Jardeleza being a former law partner of the Solgen.

“Department of Justice Secretary Leila M. De Lima informed him (Jardeleza) that Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio appeared before the JBC and testified against him,” the petition said.

Carpio and Jardeleza were classmates at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law. Jardeleza landed 3rd place in the 1974 Bar Examinations while Carpio landed 6th place during the 1975 Bar Examinations.

Carpio graduated one year late due to his involvement in a fraternity war.

The SC has ordered Sereno and the JBC to explain the alleged “railroading” of Jardeleza’s nomination for the lone vacancy in the SC. During the regular en banc session, Sereno inhibited herself from the deliberations since she is the main respondent to the case.

Sereno and Carpio are the main oppositors in the nomination of Jardeleza which forced the JBC not to include his

name in the shortlist of nominees despite garnering the required majority votes.

In his petition for certiorari and mandamus with application for a temporary restraining order (TRO), Jardeleza asked the SC “to declare Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Aranal-Sereno and the JBC “as having acted with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction in not including [him] in the shortlist of nominees transmitted to the President on June 30, 2014.”

He also urged the SC to “direct the JBC to include him in the shortlist of nominess for SC Associate Justice vice Justice Roberto A. Abad.”

Abad reached the compulsory retirement age of 72 last May 22.

Likewise, Jardeleza also sought a TRO, “ordering the President, through Executive Sec. Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr., to desist from appointing an Associate Justice [vice Justice Abad], pending determination of the merits of the case.”

The JBC, chaired by Sereno, had submitted four names in the shortlist to the Office of the President (OP) namely: Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justices Jose Reyes and Apolinario Bruselas, Jr., each topping the votes, coming in second is Commission on Audit (COA) Chairperson Maria Gracia Pulido-Tan and Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC)

Judge Rogelio Daway with four votes like Jardeleza.

The JBC had indicated that while one nominee has garnered majority of the vote, the said nominee’s name was not included in the shortlist because of the invocation of Rule 10, Section 2, of the JBC rules. ■ Perfecto T. Raymundo / Philippines News Agency / July 28, 2014 / 1:35 AM

No augmentation to landowners’ compensation - DAR MANILA - The Department of Agrarian Reform reiterated Monday that no funds outside of what was appropriated by Congress were added to the fund which government uses to pay the cash portion of the compensation to landowners.

DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes explained that Congress appropriated a total of P7.932 billion for landowners’ compensation for the years 2010 and 2011, under the 2010 and 2011 General Appropriations Acts, respectively. A Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA) for the said amount was released to the Land Bank on October 4, 2011. Of the total amount, the release of P5.4 billion was facilitated through DAP and correspondingly released to the Land Bank as part of the government’s disbursement strategy.

Paying the landowners for lands acquired for distribution, in this case out of the P7.932 billion, was mandated not only by the law (R.A. No. 6657, as amended) but also by the Constitution, said the DAR. “Some groups are trying to make it appear that this is the first time that the government is paying landowners. It is not. The DAR has been paying landowners for lands it acquired for distribution under its agrarian reform program for more than thirty years”, de los Reyes said.

Secretary de los Reyes explained last week that although an amount was indicated for landowners’ compensation in

File photo of Hacienda Luisita farmers protesting outside the Times Street home of the Aquinos in Quezon City.

the list of DAP-Identified Projects, this item was included in the list only because it was part of the government’s disbursement strategy. However, he pointed out that there was no augmentation of the funds facilitated through the DAP for the said purpose. He clarified that the entire amount released through the NCA (cash)—a part of which was released through the DAP strategy— were appropriated by the Congress under the 2010 and 2011 General Appropriations Acts (GAA).

No contradiction with DBM. The DAR also belied statements that it contradicted the explanation of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on the release

of cash for landowner’s compensation through the DAP. According to DAR, this actually complemented the “List of DAP-Identified Projects” published by the DBM in its website, which described the Landowners Compensation item as “5.46B indicated in the memo to the President but only indicated as cash release…”, and where the following statements were provided for as remarks: “This item was included in the DAP as part of the disbursement strategy since it only required the release of the NCA (cash). It already has an appropriation in the FY 2010 and FY 2011 GAA in the total amount of 7.932B. The cash requirement

19 civilians slain in Sulu Abu Sayyaf ambush MANILA – At least 19 civilians, most of them women, were killed and 13 others, including children, were wounded when Abu Sayyaf gunmen ambushed the vehicles they were riding in Barangay Upper Talipao in Sulu early Monday morning, the military said.

The apparent target of the ambush were members of the Barangay Police Action Team “reportedly involved in a rido (clan feud)” with relatives of Abu Sayyaf members, Brigadier General Martin Pinto, commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade, said in an earlier phone interview.

Initially, Pinto said 16 had been killed,

including children in the ambush that happened around 8:30 a.m.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines public information office later updated the death toll and clarified the initial reports about the fatalities.

It said the ambush was carried out by around 50 gunmen led by Indang Susukan and Sibih Pisih on “a convoy of 40 civilians and 10 barangay police aboard two public utility jeepneys.”

Pinto said troops have mounted pursuit operations against the gunmen while the bodies of the dead have been returned to their families.

“We’re still in (coordination) with the barangay officials and also with the mayor and vice mayor. We’re assisting them in securing the families of the victims and bringing the wounded to the hospital,” Pinto said. ■ Jaime Sinapit / InterAksyon.com / July 28, 2014 2:01 PM

was released on October 4, 2011 to beef up disbursement alongside disbursements under DAP.” The Department emphasized that the fund for landowners compensation was validly appropriated and allotted under the 2010 and 2011 GAAs; with the actual cash release of a portion of the amount merely facilitated through the DAP. DAR reiterated that it was the Supreme Court decision on the case of Apo Fruits Corporation and Hijo Plantation, Inc. vs Land Bank of the Philippines in April 2011 which prompted the Land Bank to seek the immediate release of the cash appropriated for landowners compensation.

Militants’ claim: DAP approval driven by Hda. Luisita compensation. “We must also remember that the Supreme Court had not yet decided with finality the Hacienda Luisita case when the acceleration of the cash release for landowners compensation was approved in 2011,” said DAR Undersecretary Anthony N. Paruñgao in refuting statements that the DAP was approved to pay Hacienda Luisita, Incorporated.

The Supreme Court decision in the Hacienda Luisita case became final only in April 2012, six months after the NCA for the landowners compensation was released to the Land Bank.

“HLI is just one of the more than 4,000 landowners who were paid just compensation from the Agrarian Reform Fund which was partially funded through the DAP strategy”, added Paruñgao.

“Let me add that if there are groups who believe that the Land Bank has made a mistake in its appraisal of the just compensation of the HLI, the proper forum to question this amount is the DAR Adjudication Board or the special agrarian courts (Regional Trial Court).”, Undersecretary Paruñgao stressed.

The DAR officials were reacting to Sunday’s statements by militant group leaders and party-list representatives that the family of President Aquino became among the main beneficiaries of the DAP even before their clan-owned Hacienda Luisita has yet to be distributed to farmer beneficiaries.

Bayan Muna Reps. Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate said this on the eve of endorsing an impeachment complaint against Aquino by concerned individuals and members of several people’s organizations.

Colmenares said DAR had admitted that in October 2011, a Notice of Cash Allocation in the amount of P7.932 billion, corresponding to appropriations in the General Appropriations Act of both 2010 and 2011, was released to the Landbank.

Included in the released amount was P5.432 billion, which the DBM later admitted was released through the DAP, as part of its disbursement strategy, said Colmenares.

Surprisingly, added the party-list solon, DAR Secretary de los Reyes claimed that the P5.432 billion “was not an augmentation of the fund for Landowners Compensation” and that the “entire P7.932 billion corresponds to the 2010 and 2011 appropriation for Landowners Compensation in the GAA for those years,” “Which is which now? The DBM claimed that DAP-released funds is an augmentation. Yet, Sec. De los Reyes is now saying that what his department received is not an augmentation but a part of appropriations under the General Appropriations Act (GAA). If so, why did the amount of P5.432 billion come from DAP and not from the National Treasury?” asked Colmenares.

Rep. Zarate meanwhile said that “it is obvious now that that compensation for the landlords, including the AquinoCojuangco owned Hacienda Luisita, is a major beneficiary of the DAP. This adds insult to the farmers’ situation, who have had their crops destroyed, and have been monitored, harassed and killed at the hand of the military and police operating in the area. The support services for farmerbeneficiaries has even been slashed by P475 million. It is also clear that the Aquino administration has an overwhelming bias for landlords and utter disregard for farmers.” ■ InterAksyon.com / July 21, 2014 / 6:18 PM

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Marian Rivera: ‘Eat Bulaga’ reveals who I am PRIMETIME Queen and Queen of the Dance Floor Marian Rivera often appears in the noontime show Eat Bulaga where she joins the Sugod Bahay Gang.

In the segment Juan for All, All for Juan, Marian travels with Jose Manalo, Wally Bayola and Paolo Ballesteros to different houses and discovers the different stories of Filipinos.

In the short span of time that she has

joined the show, she has had several different experiences where she had been teased by her co-hosts, where her name cannot be identified by fans, and where she gets urged and encouraged to give the wrist watches she wears.

She is grateful to Eat Bulaga for the opportunity to show a side of her that viewers cannot see in the string of primetime soap operas she stars in.

“Isa ‘yan sa pinapagpasalamat ko

August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

kasi sa Juan for All po, totoo po lahat ng nangyayari,” she told Walang Tulugan.

Unlike in her previous projects, she shoots without a script and gets to be as spontaneous and honest as she wants.

“Wala po kaming script. On the spot po ang nangyayari so hindi po scripted.

Kung ano ang sabihin at ibigay namin, ‘yon po ang totoong nangyayari,” she added. ■ Mary Louise Ligunas / Bochic Estrada,

GMANetwork.com / July 25, 2014 / 3:16 PM

Kapuso Foundation provides aid for typhoon Glenda victims

TRUE to its credo of Serbisyong Totoo, GMA Kapuso Foundation, the socio-civic arm of GMA Network, quickly responded to the call for disaster relief in the wake of typhoon Glenda.

In its ongoing nationwide relief efforts, the Kapuso Foundation has since served over 15,800 victims within two days after the storm entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

On July 14, a day prior typhoon Glenda entered PAR, the Foundation dispatched its initial team towards the province of Albay.

By July 15, hours before typhoon Glenda’s landfall, relief operations began with the distribution of relief goods to individuals in evacuation sites in Pulangi, Albay. A total of 4,000 individuals have since been given assistance. On the day typhoon

Glenda crossed southern Luzon and South of Metro Manila, 550 people were served by the Foundation’s soup kitchen in Bulelak Gym, Malanday, Marikina and an additional 250 individuals in Bangkulasi, Navotas were served with hot meals and relief goods for 100 families. By nightfall, close to 4,000 evacuees from Orion, Bataan were given relief goods by another Kapuso team dispatched in the area.

Large-scale relief operations were also carried out in Atimonan, Quezon, another of the hardest hit areas, serving at least 7,000 individuals. The Foundation’s disaster relief operations will be abetted with planned medical missions in the provinces of Quezon and Bicol, two of the identified hardest hit provinces by typhoon Glenda.

GMA Kapuso Foundation continues to accept donations in the form of rice, noodles, canned goods, ready-to-eat food packs, and blankets at the GMA Kapuso Foundation Office, GMA Network Drive cor. Samar st., Diliman, Quezon City or at the GMA Kapuso Foundation warehouse, 366 GMA Compound, Tandang Sora Avenue, Barangay Culiat, Quezon City from Monday to Friday, 9:00 am until 6:00 pm.

Cash donations may also be deposited without service fee deduction to peso and dollar savings accounts of Kapuso Foundation in all branches of Metrobank, UCPB, PNB and Cebuana Lhuillier. All donations are tax-deductible. For more information, please log on to www. gmanetwork.com/kapusofoundation. ■

She accompanied her boyfriend, Senator Chiz Escudero, to the event. Wearing a white terno by Joey Samson, Heart drew raves for her simple but stunning look.

Heart Evangelista shines brightest at SONA red carpet Aljur Abrenica wants out of contract with GMA Network

Mark Bautista off to London to play Ferdinand Marcos in musical based on Imelda’s life KAPUSO singer Mark Bautista is bound for London to play the role of Ferdinand Marcos for the production of “Here Lies Love,” a musical based on the life of the late former president’s widow, Imelda Marcos.

“Here Lies Love” began as a collaboration between former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and electronic musician Fatboy Slim. According to the show’s official website, it “retraces the astonishing journey of Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos from her meteoric rise to power to her descent into infamy and the People Power Revolution.”

The show will begin its London run on September 30 and will be on until January 8 next year. Natalie Mendoza, an Australian actress with Filipino lineage, will play Imelda Marcos.

According to a report by Ricky Lo in the Philippine Star, Bautista auditioned for the creators along with director Alex Timbers.

A regular on “Sunday All-Stars” on GMA7, Bautista previously took the stage in local productions of “Noli Me Tangere” and “The Full Monty.”

Bautista is the second Kapuso singer in recent months to bag a major role in a London production. Rachelle Ann Go currently stars as Gigi in the West End revival of Miss Saigon. ■ JST, GMA News / July 26, 2014 / 5:46 PM

ACTOR Aljur Abrenica on Thursday filed a petition for confirmation of rescission of his current contract with GMA Network, according to a report by Nelson Canlas.

He decided to file the petition because he feels his career plans are not “aligned” with plans of the network for him.

His contract with the network runs

through 2017.

“Hindi ako nakikipag-away.

Tumatanaw ako ng utang na loob. Ayoko sana umabot sa ganito”, added Abrenica, who broke into showbiz after being named one of the winners of the fourth season of StarStruck, a reality search show, in 2006.

In response to the development, the network released a short statement: “GMA Network has not yet received a copy of the complaint filed by Mr. Aljur Abrenica.

A statement will be issued when we have received and reviewed the contents of the complaint.” ■ JST, GMA News / July 24, 2014 / 2:51 PM

Jennylyn Mercado says her relationship with Mark Herras is solid EX-COUPLE Jennylyn Mercado and Mark Herras were each other’s date at the recently concluded Yahoo Celebrity Awards last July 18. Is this a sign that the two have rekindled their flame?

We talked to Jennylyn backstage after her acceptance speech for her Female Kontabida of The Year award. She got the most votes for her portrayal of the cunning Roxanne in Rhodora X. “First time kong manalo ng kontrabida award. First kontrabida role ko rin. Hindi ko inexpect na doon ako mananalo,” she said.

She also said that she found her comfort zone in playing kontrabida roles. Jennylyn shared, “Parang mas madali kasi para sa akin. Walang effort. Hindi ba mas mahirap umiyak at maapi kaysa sa ikaw na ‘yung sasampal at sasabunot.”

She also noted that working with Mark Herras in the show made it easier for her

because they know each other so well and have gone through a lot together. “’Yung relationship namin, ‘yung friendship namin, solid pa rin. Gusto naming maging role models sa mga love teams na magkakaibigan, sa mga magex na pero friends pa rin talaga kahit ano ‘yung pinagdaanan namin at kahit anong mangyari,” she said.

She added, “Kumbaga, para sa akin, si Mark ‘yung isa sa mga pinaka comfortable ako na makatrabaho and para ko nang kapatid iyan. Pamilya na kami. As long as si Mark, walang problema.”

Jennylyn also said that she is friends with all of her ex-boyfriends, including Dennis Trillo. ■ Samantha Portillo and Bochic Estrada / GMANetwork.com / July 23, 2014 / 4:17 PM

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With new album and PhilPop victory, Kyla’s career back in full swing “IT’S funny how every time I practice and I sing this song, I cry. It’s such a powerful, healing and beautiful song. And I’m hoping everyone will get to hear it. What a blessing to be chosen to interpret this.”

That’s what Kyla, the singer-songwriter dubbed as the country’s R&B and Soul Princess, posted on Instagram one day before she steered Jungee Marcelo’s “Salbabida” to the grand prize of the 3rd Philippine Popular Music Festival last Saturday.

Lifted by her spellbinding performance, the song bested 11 other formidable entries that made it to the grand finals night of the country’s premier songwriting competition held at the Meralco Theater.

Written by Marcelo as a tribute to his own personal lifelines, namely God and his wife, “Salbabida” reportedly resonated loudly not only to Kyla but also to the employees of the Meralco Theater who heard it during rehearsals.

“Alam naming mananalo kasi sa rehearsal pa lang, malakas na ang dating sa amin,” one theater usher told InterAksyon shortly after PhilPop chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan and PhilPop executive director Ryan Cayabyab announced the victory.

“Salbabida” also capped a big comeback for the 33-year-old who started her career as a child when she started

joining singing contests. Born Melanie Calumpad, she originally used her real first name as her stage name and represented the Philippines in the 4th Yamaha Music Quest in Japan where she interpreted Vehnee Saturno’s “Only World”.

Her stage name was changed to Kyla meaning “princess” by former True Faith keyboardist and PolyEast (formerly EMI Philippines) executive Francis Guevarra who signed her to a record deal in the year 2000.

Since then, Kyla’s career took off as she scored several big hits like “Bring It On,” “Hanggang Ngayon,” “I Will Be There,” “Ngayong Wala Ka Na” and “Back in Time”.

Regarded as one of the R&B pioneers in the country, Kyla has sold over one million albums in Asia since her first album in 2000. She has also received numerous accolades for her body of work, including the only female act with the most number of Awit Awards and the only Filipina to be honored with an MTV Video Music Award for her hit video of “Hanggang Ngayon” directed by Lyle Sacris.

In 2010, Kyla recorded her last studio album, “Private Affair”. The following year, she married PBA player Rich Alvarez, her boyfriend since 2005. It was then Kyla decided to lay low to focus on her marriage and raising a family even as she remained a mainstay of GMA’s “Sunday All-Stars” and

its predecessor, “Party Pilipinas”. Last year, Kyla scored another big hit when she gave birth to their first son, a baby boy.

“That part of my life plays a big role of this journey. Especially on how I see life in a much brighter perspective and how love has defined itself for me,” Kyla told InterAksyon and other media during the launch of her six-track extended play album which not surprisingly is also called “Journey”.

“The title kind of speaks for itself, my journey of life experiences. My last album came out in 2010 and here we are in 2014, and there are a lot of things that have happened, obviously. There are a lot of changes that I need to embrace as to the music industry and battle of producing quality songs. And people have seen me go through so many things, whether it’s my personal life or my career,” Kyla shared.

Kyla herself co-wrote two songs on the new record, including the title track which is a collaboration with Kettle Mata and fellow R&B artist JayR. “Dito Na Lang”, a throwback to the singer’s glory days or much likened to her hit “Hanggang Ngayon”; “I Got This”, a song that she co-wrote with Yosha Honasan mirrors many of her R&B hits. And then there’s “My Heart”, a song written by Brian McKnight for her wedding.

Two of the album’s best tracks, however, were written by no less than her PhilPop

partner, Jungee Marcelo. One is the carrier hit single, “Kunwa-Kunwari Lang,” a jazzy ditty co-written by Francis Salazar which has become a popular downloaded track on iTunes and Spinnr.ph. The other is “Atin ang Walang Hanggan”, a slow-burning ballad which also emphasizes the album’s firm R&B roots.

During the press introduction of PhilPop intrerpreters, Kyla also expressed optimism that “Salbabida” will also be included as a bonus track for future releases of “Journey”.

But regardless of what happens from here on, Kyla is just glad that both her life and career have come full circle.

Kyla and Jungee Marcelo pose with their trophy after winning the PhilPop grand prize on Saturday. Photo by Enie Reyes, ©InterAksyon.

“I have come from a long journey to finally release a new album again and I can say, it feels great to be back. Now that I have a family of my own, I’m back to what I love doing the most—singing and recording songs for my fellow music lovers” she concluded. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / July 28, 2014 / 1:58 PM

TV5 backs Paolo Bediones amid alleged sex video scandal

Lawyer posts photos of ‘battered’ Claudine’s face before and after makeup DAYS after a photo shoot featuring the actress showing wounds on her thighs, the lawyer of Claudine Barretto posted on Twitter undated photos of her with bruises on her face, demonstrating how they were supposedly hidden with makeup.

Ferdinand Topacio, responding to a a blog questioning whether Claudine’s thigh wounds were fabrications, posted the undated images of the actress on Sunday night.

Topacio added: “Now, the finished

product. We are not making this up.

The scars have been there all along. In conclusion, no woman would deliberately make herself ugly. Who inflicted them? I leave it to you guys.”

In a report by Nelson Canlas on “24 Oras” last Friday, Claudine bared that she had been keeping the wounds secret while getting treatment. According to her, even her family does not now about the injuries.

“Ina-accept ko na battered wife ako, so

para makatulong ding sa iba lumabas na rin ako,” she said.

She refused to identify who inflicted the wounds on her, but noted that it was part of her case involving the violence against women and their children act.

The camp of Claudine’s estranged husband Raymart Santiago, meanwhile, refused to comment on the matter until the actor is directly implicated by name to the issue. ■ JST, GMA News / July 21, 2014 / 8:26 PM

‘My Husband’s Lover,’ hit ngayon sa Vietnam PINAGKAGULUHAN ang mga Kapuso stars na sina Tom Rodriguez at Carla Abellana sa Vietnam kung saan ipinapalabas ngayon ang patok na teledramang “My Husband’s Lover.”

Sa “Chika Minute” report ng GMA news “24 Oras” nitong Lunes, sinabing sa airport pa lang ng Vietnam ay dinumog na ng

Vietnamese fans ang dalawa.

Sa Instagram post ni Tom, sinabi niyang tinatawag daw siya doon na “Vincent”, ang pangalan ng kanyang character sa teledrama.

Thankful sina Carla at Tom sa naging mainit na pagtanggap kanila doon ng fans.

Kasama rin nina Tom at Carla sa trip si

Jonalyn Viray na siyang umawit ng “MHL” soundtrack na “Help Me Get Over.”

Ipinapalabas ang “MHL” sa International Media JS Company sa Vietnam.

Dito naman sa Pilipinas, gabi-gabi namang inaabangan ang bagong serye nina Tom at Carla na “My Destiny.” ■ FRJ,

GMA News / July 22, 2014 / 3:35 PM

TELEVISION network TV5 expressed support for Paolo Bediones amid a sex video allegedly featuring the news anchor and host making the rounds on social media.

“The recent issue involving our news anchor, Paolo Bediones, on social media is a purely personal and private matter in which TV5 has no involvement or desire to intrude,” TV5 said in the statement.

“We accord our employees and talents all respect that are due them for their privacy and personal action or decision.

“We disapprove strongly the malicious and wanton publication of the video, an act that clearly violates pertinent cybercrime laws.

“We firmly express our support for our anchor Paolo Bediones in the face of a controversy that represents nothing more than an attempt to smear his reputation.”

Bediones’ name was a trending topic on Twitter on Saturday because of the spread of a sex video allegedly featuring him and an unidentified woman.

Efforts to contact Bediones through his manager Noel Ferrer went unanswered.

Last week, reporter Alex Brosas of tabloid Bandera noted that there were industry rumors that Bediones had a video that was making the rounds online. ■ JST, GMA News / July 27, 2014 / 3:36 PM

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SC employees continue protest vs. PNoy ‘bullying, dictatorship’ FOR the second time in two weeks, employees of the Supreme Court donned red and black shirts to protest President Benigno Aquino III’s alleged “bullying” of the judiciary.

Members of the Supreme Court Employees Association attended Monday’s flag-raising ceremony in color-coordonated shirts, the same thing they did exactly a week ago when they held a protest rally in SC grounds along Padre Faura in Manila.

“We will continue to wear red and black until marinig namin ang bagong statement ni President Aquino na dapat ma-straighten niya ang facts and figures niya,” said Guerrero, who is also president of the Judiciary Employees Association of the Philippines.

“Bullying na iyong ginagawa niya.

Iyong sinasabi niya sa public (against the judiciary) puwede niya isulat sa motion for reconsideration nila,” said Guerreo, referring to the motion for reconsideration earlier filed

by Malacañang seeking to reverse the high tribunal’s decision striking down acts under the Disbursement Acceleration Program as unconstitutional.

Guerrero said Aquino should not actually be defending DAP in public while the SC decision on the controversial funds is not yet considered final.

“Sub judice iyan eh... dapat contempt na iyan kaso ginagamit niya ang privilege niya pero bawal iyan sa batas,” Guerrero told GMA News Online. The sub judice (“under judgment”) rule prevents parties in a case from making public pronouncements on merits of a pending case.

Guerrero clarified that their “Red and Black” protest would not result in work stoppage in the courts. He said they might once again hold another “R&B” protest either on Wednesday or Thursday.

Guerrero also denied the Supreme Court had committed “cross-border” fund transfer when it asked in March 2013 the Budget

Department to transfer to the judiciary an additional budget of P100 million, which will be sourced from the Department of Justice’s Justice System Infrastructure Program savings from the 2012 budget. The transfer never pushed through after the SC withdrew the request.

Meanwhile, Guerrero welcomed moves in the House of Representatives to scrutinize the use of judiciary funds like the Judiciary Development Funds and the Special Allowance for the Judiciary, adding that such a probe would be an opportunity for lawmakers to realize the small budget goven to the judiciary.

“Ang SAJ and JDF repeal, okay kami doon pag-aralan. Maigi iyon,” Guerrero said.

He added that Aquino seemed to be targeting the SAJ and the JDF to control the judiciary.

“Alam nila kung saan kami puwede sakalain, sa finance. It seems na pati kami

ay gusto niya ma-kontrol. This is actually dictatorship po,” Guerrero said.

Guerrero said he and the rest of judiciary employees in the Philippines would be watching and listening to Aquino’s State of

the Nation Address when he faces Congress at the Batasan Pambansa later in the day.

“Alam namin na kami na naman uli ang magiging topic niya sa SONA niya,” he said.

■ Mark Merueñas / RSJ, GMA News / July 28, 2014

Two weeks after Glenda’s wrath, hard-hit Quezon asks for food SOME two weeks after Typhoon Glenda (Rammasun) devastated parts of Luzon, the Quezon provincial government continued to call for food donations for residents affected by the cyclone.

In a post on its Facebook page, the provincial government said it was prioritizing food items, adding it may not accept clothes as donations.

“Again, we are calling all Quezonians and concerned citizens for donations. Our priority are food stuff like canned goods, rice, noodles, sugar and coffee,” it said.

The provincial added it was not

accepting clothes right now.

Quezon was one of the areas hit hard

by Glenda, which left at least 98 dead and some P10 billion in damage to property.

The Quezon provincial government said its teams continue to go around distributing relief goods. It added it was trying to make sure affected barangays get help.

“We hope that you will show the same compassion and generosity to our brothers and sisters affected by Typhoon Glenda like when we conducted Oplan Make A Difference for Typhoon Yolanda Victims last year,” it said.

In the meantime, it said the public could reach the provincial government at the Governor’s Office at (042)373-6009/8, or via email at quezon.pio@gmail.com.

The GMA Kapuso Foundation’s Operation Bayanihan extended help to 1,750 families or about 7,000 people in Atimonan town in Quezon from July 16 to 18.

Distributed to the affected families there were 175 sacks of relief items, 146 sacks of clothes, 18 sacks of diapers, and 10 sacks of sanitary napkins. ■ Joel Locsin / NB, GMA News / July 28, 2014 / 12:54 PM

Muslims in Mindanao saw moon Sunday evening, celebrate end of Ramadan

COTABATO CITY – The month-long fasting for Muslims officially ended when the moon was spotted at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, also marking the end of Ramadan or Eid’l Fit’r.

At the compound of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in Cotabato City, officials and employees of the region altogether celebrated the occasion, eating together.

The celebration was led by ARMM Executive Secretary Atty. Laisa Alamia,

ARMM Tourism Secretary Marites Maguindra, and Department of Tourism Assistant Secretary Art Bonifacio.

In other parts of the city, thousands of Muslims gathered for a congregational prayer this morning.

Among the places where they gathered were the Grand Mosque, the Cotabato City State Polytechnic College, the People’s Palace, and the Cotabato City Central Pilot School.

Moro National Liberation Front Chairman Datu Muslimin Sema, ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman, and Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu immediately sent their greetings of goodwill.

All of Central Mindanao also celebrated the occasion.

A two-day holiday was declared in Cotabato City and ARMM for the Eid’l Fit’r celebration today. ■ Dennis Arcon / InterAksyon.

com / July 28, 2014 / 9:07 AM

Muslim women celebrate the end of Ramadan, 28 July 2014, Cotabato City. Photo by Dennis Arcon.

Sotto: 3 senators should remain detained at Camp Crame Meralco books 2% rise to P9.6B in first half net income

MANILA – Senate Deputy Minority Floor Leader Vicente Sotto III on Monday sought to prolong the detention of three senators in Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City until the final verdict of plunder and graft charges is decided by the Sandiganbayan.

In Proposed Senate Resolution No 798, Sotto said the detention of Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. should be maintained in Camp Crame so that they continue to carry their function as duly elected representatives of the people.

“Expressing the sense of the Senate that while the hearing of the charges against three incumbent senators are being heard by the Sandiganbayan, their detention at the Camp Crame compound of PNP be maintained in order that they may have the space to continue to function as duly elected representatives

of the people on the Constitutional principle that the accused are presumed innocent until final conviction by then proper court,” Sotto said in the resolution.

Sotto also cited Section 16 of Article VI of the Constitution that the Senate alone may decide on how its members may be disciplined, suspended or expelled as legal cover for their continued detention at Camp Crame.

“Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its member for disorderly behavior, and with the concurrence of two-thirds of all its Members, suspend or expel a Member.

A penalty of suspension, when imposed, shall not exceed 60 days,” Sotto said citing Paragraph 3 of Section 16 of Article VI of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero also on Monday assured that the Senate will function normally

even Enrile, Estrada and Revilla are detained.

“I can assure our people 100 percent that, with 20 senators, we have more than a quorum, attendance has been good, lately. The challenge has more to do with having less politics and more issues relevant to the people,” Cayetano said. ■ Ernie Reyes / InterAksyon.com / July 28, 2014 / 9:19 PM

MANILA Electric Company (Meralco) on Monday said net profit rose 2 percent to P9.6 billion from P9.4 billion a year earlier on better sales volume and better performance of subsidiaries during the period.

Core net income rose 8 percent to P9.9 billion from P9.2 billion in the same comparable period, the power utility said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Meralco attributed its financial results to a 3 percent increase in consolidated electricity sales volume, largely from industrial customers, and the contribution of operating subsidiaries.

“Continued growth in electricity sales volume, albeit muted by cooler average temperature, higher inflation rate and sustained operation excellence and efficiency were the key drivers which

enabled Meralco to post modest gains in net income,” chairman Manuel Pangilinan said in a statement.

“Growth in sales revenues and net income of a number of Meralco subsidiaries also contributed to the improvement in financial results,” he added.

Consolidated revenues slipped by 7 percent to P132.2 billion from P141.7 billion as result of a P9.3- billion downward adjustment from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, foregone revenues under the Retail Competition and Open Access and lower system loss charge.

Expenses for the period declined by 9 percent to P118 billion due to lower cost of purchased power.

“We expect the growth in volume to be sustained at 3 percent through the rest of the year,” Pangilinan said. ■ Danessa O.

Rivera / VS, GMA News / July 28, 2014 / 5:36 PM

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PHILIPPINE EMBASSY NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

EU Foreign Minister Ashton Supports Secretary Del Rosario’s Call for Peaceful Settlement of Disputes in the South China Sea AMID worsening conditions in the South China Sea, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario called on the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to join efforts to promote a rules-based approach in the settlement of maritime disputes in the region.

Speaking to foreign ministers who were gathered yesterday at the 20th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting in Brussels, Secretary Del Rosario said the submission by the Philippines of its claim to arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is a manifestation of its commitment towards peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law.

Lady Catherine Ashton, High

Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, echoed Secretary Del Rosario’s call and affirmed EU’s support for the right of claimants to seek resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, including through legal dispute settlement mechanisms. She urged against unilateral attempts by any party to assert its claims through the use of intimidation, coercion or force.

The foreign ministers present at the meeting endorsed the call of Lady Ashton and enjoined parties to seriously implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea towards the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. The foreign ministers also exchanged

views on the situation of the two regions as well as issues of mutual concern, including the evolving regional architecture in East Asia and non-traditional security challenges such as climate change, natural disasters and maritime security and safety.

Before the meeting ended, the ministers took concerted action of expressing their shock and indignation over the tragic downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH 17. They called for a full and thorough independent international investigation into the downing in accordance with international civil aviation guidelines.

The 20th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting drew the participation of foreign ministers from the 10 ASEAN and 28 EU member states. ■ Philippine Embassy Manila / July 24, 2014

Filipina Artist-In-Residence in Spain Donates Paintings of Dr. José Rizal and José Martí in Casa Museo León y Castillo

(Clockwise from left) Portraits of Dr. José Rizal and José Marti by Ms. Isabel Echevarria, done in acrylic and oil on canvass; Mr. Antonio Gonzaléz Padron, Ms. Isabel Echevarria, Mr. Larry Alvarez, Ms. Rosario Valcárcel and Mr. Juan Francisco González Diaz; Ms. Echevarria signs the Deed of Donation witnessed by Mr. González.

MS. Isabel Echevarría, a Filipina artist-inresidence of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain, donated the portraits of Dr. José Rizal of the Philippines and José Martí of Cuba at the Casa Museo León y Castillo in Telde, Gran Canaria on July 9. The paintings will be part of the permanent collection of the Museum.

The event was presided by Mr. Larry Álvarez Cadera, Councilor for Culture, National Heritage and Museum of the City Council of Gran Canaria (Cabildo de Gran Canaria). The two portraits were received

by Casa Museo León y Castillo Director, Mr. Antonio Gonzaléz Padrón of Telde.

The two paintings which were done in acrylic and oil on canvass by Ms. Echevarría, will be displayed alongside the important historical figure of Telde, Mr. Fernando León y Castillo.

The Museum was established in 1954 to

honor to Juan and Fernando León y Castillo, brothers born to a noble family in Gran Canaria who have dedicated their lives to solidarity and harmony, one as engineer and the other as a politician and diplomat, respectively.

During the ceremony, famous literary works written by both heroes were presented. The “Yugo y Estrella” of José Marti was read by Mr. Juan Francisco Gonzalez Diaz, a Cuban poet and narrator, while the “Mi Ultimo Adios” of Dr. José Rizal was read by Ms. Rosario Valcárcel, also a poet and narrator.

Ms. Echevarría expressed that it was an honor for her to bring together important historical figures of the past through her paintings. Both personalities were of great influence in the history of not only the Philippines and Cuba, but also of Spain. ■

Philippine Embassy Philippines / July 28, 2014

High Representative of the European Union For Foreign Policy And European Commission Vice-President Catherine Ashton Visits The Philippines VICE President of the European Commission (EC) and High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, (HRVP) Baroness Catherine Ashton will undertake a two-day official visit to the Philippines (PH) on 28 and 29 July 2014. The first visit to Manila by the EU high-ranking official coincides with the 50thAnniversary of PH-EU diplomatic ties and reaffirms the importance that they attach to their relations. HRVP Ashton will

be welcomed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario on her first official trip to the country.

HRVP Ashton and Secretary del Rosario will meet in Manila to discuss wide-ranging issues which will include the further expansion of the PH-EU economic cooperation, the Mindanao peace process and regional security. During the visit, the Philippine side will take the opportunity to express its appreciation for the outpouring

of support that EU countries have extended to the Philippines in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan, as well as the substantial assistance the EU has provided to the Mindanao Peace Process.

Both PH and EU expect more improvement in their bilateral trade and investments. The Philippines anticipates the approval and acceptance of its application as a GSP+ beneficiary country of the EU in the next few months. Approval of the

application will result in further expansion of PH exports to EU and a substantial generation of employment in the country.

Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and EU were established in 1964.

There are more than 700,000 Filipinos in EU Member States, most of whom are in Italy and in the United Kingdom. The total trade between the Philippines and EU reached US$12.429 billion in 2013. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / July 25, 2014

Over 3100 Filipinos Register for Overseas Voting in Riyadh in 3 Months

THE overseas voters registration being conducted at the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh has gained momentum with 3,118 registering from May 6 to July 23 this year.

The Embassy started registration of Filipinos for overseas voting on May 6 at the Embassy premises in the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh. The Embassy had 1,398 registrants in May, but the number dropped in June to 241 registrants. From July 1 to 23, a total of 1,479 new registrants were processed at the Embassy.

The Embassy also accepted requests for the transfer of registration records, applications for reinstatement in the national registry of overseas voters, applications for reactivation of regis-tration records, and applications for change of address within the same jurisdiction. It accepted a total of 136 various related requests to overseas voters registration.

Recently, all Filipinos who have transactions at the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh must go through the process of registration for overseas voting and recapture of biometrics. The Embassy taem advises all its nationals who come to allot enough time for their intended transaction as well as the registration and recapture of biometrics.

Filipinos in the Eastern Region may register during the consular outreach missions also known as the “Embassy on Wheels.”

The Philippine Embassy calls on all Filipinos to disseminate this information on the ongoing overseas voters registration which will continue until October 2015. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / July 28, 2014

Conferment of Outgoing Israeli Ambassador OUTGOING Israeli Ambassador Menashe Bar-On is conferred by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert F. del Rosario the Order of Sikatuna, Rank of Grand Cross,

at the Department of Foreign Affairs on July 28 on behalf of President Benigno S. Aquino, III. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines

/ July 28, 2014

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HOUNSLOW SUMMER FESTIVAL POST EVENT PHOTOS

August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

Igorot UK’s Mini Museum at the Summer Festival ABOUT 30 genuine Igorot artefacts and antiques were given a new lease of life as the IGOROT UK displayed them for public viewing in their colourful marquee during the Hounslow Summer Festival on the 5th and 6th of July 2014. These precious artefacts were last seen at the British Museum when then Deputy Keeper Brian Durrans showcased the igorot culture and also displayed an Ifugao House (Alang) at the British’Museum’s department of Ethnography, Museum of Mankind in 1995.

The Igorot artefacts were kept and protected by the leaders of the Igorot UK after their british museum stint and the Alang is now back home gracing the Pooten resort in Asin, Tuba, Benguet.

As the Igorot UK members explained to those who visited the marquee, the artefacts played an important role in the daily lives of our ancestors and they give us a glimpse of how they lived and survived in the Northern Philippine mountains . As the Igorots coped with modernisation, they also have to adapt their ways of living and in the process, try to preserve their cultural practices. The Igorots are defined by their culture and traditions. Culture is seen as dynamic and is affected by migration, integration, education, religion, among others. The Igorot Culture is then in danger of losing its identity unless we make great effort to pass it on to the next generation.

Such is the passion of the Igorot UK in helping preserve culture and tradition, that so far away from the mountains of the Philippines, they proudly promote and share their cultural heritage.

Among the artefacts on display is the luden, a dried shell of a gourd (Tabungao) used to preserve and keep Etag ( salted meat),a native delicacy. This method of preserving meat survives within the Igorot culture today and some Igorots abroad make their own using more modern storage.

The Etag remains free from other chemicals except table salt. Other items on display that would characterize Igorot culture and tradition include the Gusi or Koli (earthen Jar) and Pasiking (rattan backpack). These two ancient artefacts are still being used todav, although more modern versions of each have emerged in the Igorot markets.

The Gusi or Koli, is used to store water or “Tapey”(igorot rice wine). Our ancestors put a grain of rice inside a Gusi because they believe it would please the anitos and give good luck to the owners. A broken Gusi could signify bad omen and owners can consult a mambunong (high priest) for

advise to counteract the bad omen. More often, the solution is a sacrificial chicken or a pig. The kind of Gusi and how many you own can be one way of identifying you as a “Kadangyan” or rich person.

The Pasiking or Pasangi is a bag made from rattan or bamboo. It is used to carry the belongings of Igorot hunters to carry the meat of hunted animals like, dear and wild boar. On the other hand, it can be used to carry the heads of the fallen enemies of the Igorots.

Perhaps the most notable of the display is the difference between the clothing of the different Igorot tribes namely Benguet, Mt Province, Ifugao, Kalinga and Apayao.

The hundreds of people who visited the marquee were educated about the different Igorot tribes, the different patterns to their costumes and their different dances. Some of the most famous Igorot myths (i.e. That Banaue rice terraces is in Baguio City) were also corrected. That is why the Igorot UK even displayed a map of the Philippines highlighting where Cordillera is because a lot of the marquee visitors, even the Filipinos, we’re asking where the Igorots are from.

The visitors, also asked about the Kabayan mummies which featured in the photos of the Benguet Org UK corner. It was explained that it’s a thousand years old ancient tradition, dating from as far back as 2000 BC that has been lost through the years but has similarities to how the Egyptians mummified their dead using of salt, herbs and smoke. The Kabayan mummies are endangered and are highly protected nowadays and considered as sacred relic of the Igorot Culture.

During the two day festival, the IGOROT UK, led by its current leader Archibald Nabus also took the opportunity to entertain the thousands of people who attended the festival thru their music and dances. Just outside the Igorot marquee, the Igorots drew an audience of their own with the beating of the gangsa (gongs) and their cultural dances performed for the public to enjoy. Every hour, the Igorot UK scheduled a performance of the different Igorot dances.

The playing of the gongs also drew the attention of the other Igorots in the public audience who were unaware of the Igorot Marquee and followed the familiar sound leading to their fellow Igorots. In the end, the Igorot UK were grateful for the opportunity to showcase their rich culture in such a huge event. We are Proud to have been a part of it all. Thank you Hello Philippines. ■

August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

HOUNSLOW SUMMER FESTIVAL POST EVENT PHOTOS

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August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

Damian Lillard calls meeting Gilas ‘an honor’, hopes to make US team to FIBA World Cup WITH the US national men’s basketball team’s training camp in Las Vegas set to begin on Monday, many NBA stars are hopeful about their chances to make the team that will represent the country in the FIBA World Cup in Spain this August.

Among those who will be trying out for a spot in Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, who was recently in Manila and had the chance to meet members of the Philippine national men’s basketball team.

Though he has already made his mark in the pros – having been a Rookie of the Year and an All-NBA third team guard in just his second year – Lillard feels like it is an honor to represent flag and country and

that he admires the Gilas Pilipinas players for having already done that.

“I’m blown away and honored by the fact that they look up to me, but in reality, they’re already in the national team while I’m still trying to make my national team,” Lillard told InterAksyon.com in an interview.

“To be around the Filipino national team, it’s an honor for me. Hopefully, I will be able to be a part of our national team and compete against them.”

For Lillard, becoming a part of USA basketball national team has long been a dream.

“When I’m watching Team USA play, I see the passion that they play with because

it’s our country against their country.

Everybody that’s in the United States is on our back, and everybody in their country is on their back. And we’re the guys that get to

represent all these people,” Lillard told USbased publication The Oregonian.

“And the feeling I get when I see the passion that they play with against these other countries – that’s something I want to be a part of. It would be an honor.”

The number of US team hopefuls is currently at 19 after the recent withdrawal of both Blake Griffin and Kevin Love and the addition of John Wall and Paul Millsap to the pool.

Wall’s presence will make Lillard’s inclusion a little tougher as he joins a camp roster that will feature some stiff competition at the point guard spot.

Lillard will be competing with Wall,

former NBA MVP Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry.

The shooting guard and small forward spots will be contested by reigning MVP Kevin Durant, James Harden, Paul George, DeMar DeRozan, Gordon Hayward, Chandler Parsons, Bradley Beal, Klay Thompson and Kyle Korver.

The bigs rotation will be a little thinner without Griffin and Love, with Millsap, Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Kenneth Faried and Andre Drummond set to participate.

Their roster will have to be trimmed down to 12 players for the World Cup. ■ Rey

Joble / InterAksyon.com / July 28, 2014 / 12:06 PM

Global beats rival Kaya to clinch UFL Football Alliance Cup GLOBAL FC pulled off a 3-1 victory over rival Kaya FC to hoist the United Football League Football Alliance Charity Cup on Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Mark Hartmann buried two goals to shoot Global to its second hardware of the season after winning the League campaign last June.

Global went up by one goal at the half

courtesy of a Hartmann goal at the 44th minute.

Izzo Elhabib lifted Global to a comfortable 2-nil advantage at the 48th minute, before Hartmann found the back of the net once again at the 67th minute for a 3-nil lead.

Chris Greatwich scored at the 81st minute to give Kaya’s lone goal of the match.

Photo by KC Cruz, ©Sports5 file

Global went home with a P100,000 cash prize which will be split to two charities, namely Payatas-based FairPlay For All Foundation and Homeless World Cup – Team Philippines.

Global’s Amani Aguinaldo also won the Most Valuable Player plum of the tournament.

Earlier in the day, Stallion Gilligan’s escaped the Loyola Meralco Sparks, 5-3, on penalties to finish as third place.

Stallion led, 2-1, at the 76th minute, but Loyola nailed the equalizer at the 86th minute to force extra time, where both teams failed to break the deadlock which led to the penalty shootout.

Stallion went on to bag the third place trophy, a consolation to its lackluster season where the squad failed to retain both of its Cup and League titles they both won last year.

The FA Charity Cup pitted the top six Division One clubs in a knockout tournament. It served as the culmination of the UFL’s season and a new addition to its calender on top of the Cup and the League competitions. ■ InterAksyon.com / July 27, 2014 / 4:45 PM

Bernabe Concepcion-Eden Sonsona fight ends in technical draw

A cut on Bernabe Concepcion prematurely ended his fight with Eden Sonsona.

Photo by JM Siasat.

FORMER world title challenger Bernabe Concepcion (32-6-2, 18KOs) and former world rated southpaw, Eden Sonsona (32-6-2, 10KOs) battled to a technical draw after an accidental clash of heads in round three at Mandaluyong Gym on Saturday.

Sonsona quickly dictated the tempo with jabs and lead right uppercuts in round one. The fight started to heat up after both fighters landed clean shots of

their own from an exchange in the center of the ring in round two.

The referee had to call timeout twice in round three due to an accidental low blow and clash of heads that opened a huge cut on top of Concepcion’s right eye.

The referee was forced to stop the fight after the ringside physician advised that Bernabe Concepcion can no longer continue. ■ JM Siasat /JST, GMA News July 27,

2014 / 7:52 PM

Photo by Ver Marquez, ©InterAksyon.com

NCAA- Mapua stuns San Sebastian to finally taste victory MAPUA finally barged into the winning column after surprising San Sebastian, 8981, in NCAA Season 90 action Monday at The Arena in San Juan.

Jesse Saitanan posted 24 points and nine rebounds to end the drought for triumph of the Cardinals, who lost six straight games to start the season.

After staring at a 28-22 deficit, Mapua launched a 16-2 run led by Jesse Saitanan and Carlos Isit, who scored 14 and 10 points, respectively, at the half to grab a 3830 lead late in the second period.

Mapua never looked back since then, having an answer to every run of San Sebastian which was able to close to within

three points, 67-64, with 8:17 remaining in the fourth period.

However, Andrew Estrella scored backto-back layups, then dished an assist to Joseph Eriobu for an 8-1 run that put the Cardinals ahead by double digits for the first time, 75-65.

Estrella sank a tough floater, then Leo Gabo scored on a breakaway to give the Cardinals their biggest lead at 11, 85-74, which the Stags couldn’t overcome.

San Sebastian suffered its third loss along with three wins as the Stags failed to barge into the top four and settle for a threeteam tie for fifth place. ■ InterAksyon.com / July

28, 2014 / 6:00 PM

Benilde seniors Mark Romero, Paolo Taha challenged to leave winning legacy in final year COLLEGE of St. Benilde seniors Mark Romero and Paolo Taha, who are both playing in their final year in the NCAA, want to leave their school with something to be proud of.

While the entire nation was focused of the President Benigno Aquino III’s State of the Nation Address, the Blazers star duo enjoyed one of the biggest moments of their respective collegiate stints.

The pair was instrumental in leading St. Benilde to a shocking upset win over the mighty San Beda Red Lions.

Romero scored 20 points, including 12 in the final period, while Taha added 16 in the stunning 83-76 triumph.

Benilde coach Gabby Velasco said that

he challenged the two outgoing players to come up with memorable exit.

“These two are on their last year. There’s a challenge for them to have a graceful exit, a legacy which they could leave for the school. It’s something the school could be proud of,” Velasco said.

Romero admitted that their coach’s challenge was foremost in his mind while playing on the court and that the Benilde pair could hardly believe it when the final buzzer sounded.

“We accepted the challenge of Coach Gabby. Me and Paolo were talking awhile ago and asking panalo ba talaga tayo?

Hindi kami makapaniwala. Wala pa kaming

panalo kasi sa San Beda maski sa mga summer leagues,” Romero said.

Taha, too, was proud of their win over the Red Lions, especially after coming so close but falling short last season.

“Sa whole stay ko sa St. Benilde, never namin tinalo ang Beda,” Taha said.

“Last year talo kami ng one point, ngayon napaghandaan namin sila.”

Romero promised that this win would not go to the Blazers’ heads and would instead inspire them to work even harder as they try to end their playing years on a high note. ”This win will make us humble and para magtrabaho pa ng husto.” ■ Rey Joble / InterAksyon.com / July 28, 2014 / 6:21 PM

Photo by Ver Marquez, ©InterAksyon.com

SPORTS

August 2014 – No. 15 • UK & Europe Edition

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Peñalosa brothers Dodie Boy Jr., Dave remain unbeaten after KO wins

Photo by Ver Marquez, ©InterAksyon.com

‘Mas exciting ang NCAA kaysa UAAP’- Mapua coach Atoy Co praises level of defense in own league

“MAS exciting ang laro sa NCAA kaysa sa UAAP.” That’s the observation of cage legend and Mapua Cardinals coach Atoy Co following his team’s upset win over San Sebastian on Monday.

A deadshot during his playing days, Co based his statement on the defense teams have been playing in the NCAA. “Mas grabe ang depensahan sa NCAA kaysa sa UAAP. Sa depensahan atsaka sa takbuhan. Kita mo naman sa depensa, talagang deny lahat,” the PBA Hall-ofFamer told InterAksyon.com after the game.

“Sa UAAP, parang semi-pro ang approach.”

The Cardinals finally made it to the win column after seven grueling games, and the former player known as ‘The Fortune Cookie’ believes it was due to the all the extra work his wards have been doing after practices.

“Ang sabi ko nga sa kanila, mayroon na tayong sariling gym. We cannot depend on the hours of practice that we had because it’s very limited,” said Co. “So I told them to work on their own and try to create their own signature move.” ■ Rey Joble / InterAksyon.com / July 28, 2014 / 6:59 PM

BROTHERS Dodie Boy Jr. and Dave Peñalosa both impressed and maintained their undefeated records in front of a packed crowd at Mandaluyong City Gym on Saturday.

Dodie Boy Jr. (13-0, 12KOs) started the fight against Indonesia’s Dicky Amtiran with agile lateral movements and reaching jabs to the body. His ring generalship allowed him to catch Amtiran by surprise, dropping the visiting opponent in the last 30 seconds of the first round.

Despite hurting Amtiran, Dodie Boy Jr. exercised patience with calculated attacks in round two. The southpaw Dodie Boy Jr. started throwing hard right hooks to the body which were visibly felt by Amtiran.

Dodie Boy Jr. cleanly landed repeated left straights and right hooks both to the top and body in round three. It was getting obvious at this point that Amtiran doesn’t stand much of a chance, Dodie Boy Jr. gladly ended the Indonesian’s misery with a right hook to the liver that sent him kneeling to the canvass.

Amtiran would not get up from that

body shot, earning Dodie Boy Jr. his 12th knockout in 13 professional fights. The official time was 1:14.

Dave Peñalosa (9-0, 6KOs) won his first eight-round bout by knockout against Danilo Gabisay but not without a trip to the canvass for the first time in his promising career.

Dave cautiously gauged his opponent with jabs and movement in round one. As soon as Danilo started letting his hands go, he got caught by a patented Peñalosa right hook counter followed by a left uppercut.

Dave started working the body in round two. Hard hooks from both hands to the mid section made Gabisay look helpless at one point as he asked the referee to call for a low blow when there was none. Gabisay landed a couple of right hands but not without getting countered with right hooks from Dave.

Dave was working the body and even stunned Gabisay with a right hook on top in round three. A brutal exchange in the center of the ring saw Dave getting dropped by a clean straight right.

Dodie Boy Peñalosa, Jr. (left) and brother Dave. JM Siasat

Gabisay soon found out that Dave meant business in round 4. A hard left straight from Dave sent Gabisay sitting on the ropes and got called for a knockdown. Smelling blood, Dave continued his attack and managed to drop Gabisay again, this time with a right hook in the last 10 seconds of the round.

Gabisay never seemed to have recovered from the last round. Dave’s well timed left straight to the stomach reduced Gabisay to a knee and was counted out. The official time was 1:23 of round five. ■ JM Siasat / JST, GMA News / July 27, 2014 / 2:45 PM

Pinoy fighter Edrin Dapudong eyes rematch after controversial world title defeat

FORMER IBO world super flyweight champion Edrin Dapudong is expecting an immediate rematch following his controversial defeat to Lwandile Sityatha in South Africa earlier this month.

According to Dapudong’s manager Manny Piñol, the rematch was signed before the team left South Africa and is tentatively scheduled on November 14, in Davao City.

Cries of blatant robbery from the Filipino camp came right after Sityatha won the title by split decision in front of a hometown

crowd. The newly-crowned champion was on the retreat most of the fight while the North Cotabato native Dapudong (29-6, 17KOs) showed that he meant business from the get-go.

The unfortunate turn of events was sadly not Dapudong’s first in South Africa. It can be remembered that he also suffered a controversial split decision defeat at the hands of Gideon Buthelezi there in 2012.

Dapudong came back seven months later for a rematch and won by first round knockout.

File photo by Ariel Fernandez

Now in a similar scenario, Dapudong will try to replicate his success in the Buthelezi rematch when he faces Sityatha for the second time later this year. ■ JM SIASAT / JST, GMA News / July 25, 2014 / 2:01 PM

sport

Damian Lillard calls Global beats NCAA- Mapua ‘Mas exciting ang meeting Gilas ‘an rival Kaya stuns San NCAA kaysa UAAP’honor’, hopes to to clinch Sebastian to Mapua coach Atoy make US team to UFL Football finally taste Co praises level of FIBA World Cup Alliance Cup victory defense in own league Story on page 38

Story on page 38

Story on page 38

©GMA News Online file photo

GO GIRL! FILIPINA TEEN MAKES HISTORY AFTER WINNING US JUNIOR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

Story on page 39 PRINCESS Mary Superal became the first player born in the Philippines to win a United States Golf Association championship when she turned back a late rally from Mexico’s Marijosse Navarro to bag the US Girls’ Junior Championship on Saturday at Forest Highlands Golf Club in Arizona.

“I feel very, very proud,” Superal told usga.org. She follows the footsteps of Filipino-American Dorothy Delasin, who won the event in 1996 while playing as a US national.

The 17-year-old Filipina led for most of the match before Navarro edged her by one stroke coming into the par-5 36th hole.

Superal calmly nailed a birdie to force an extra hole.

Superal got a big break after Navarro’s tee shot found water, and the Filipina finished the job by making par to win the championship.

“I was very shocked. We played this morning, and then she always make it on and make a birdie, so I was very shocked when her ball went in the hazard,” said Superal of Navarro’s big misstep.

A stalwart of the ICTSI golf program, Superal is coming off a victory in the 2014 Jakarta Junior World last month. ■ JST, GMA News / July 28, 2014 / 1:14 PM