March 2015 'A' issue by MShare Limited

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

Kris Aquino and Herbert Bautista.

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

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March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

PHL rekindles efforts to measure natural resources for policy devt, economic planning THE Philippines is restarting efforts to do an accounting of its natural resources through a World Bank-backed program that would help to unlock the potential of the sector for economic growth and address environmental issues – particularly in the mining industry. The Philippines is one of the eight countries that are implementing WAVES, or Wealth Accounting and the Valuation of Ecosystem Services, World Bank Phil-WAVES task team

leader Stefanie Sieber said in a briefing in Pasig City. Other countries implementing the program are Botswana, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Madagascar and Rwanda. WAVES is a global partnership that aims to promote sustainable development by ensuring that natural resources are mainstreamed in development planning and national economic accounts. Citing a 2006 World Bank

Application that looked at produced capital, intangible capital and natural capital, Sieber said natural capital is the most important for low income countries but is not measured. “[WAVES will] help countries adopt and implement accounts that are relevant for policies,” she said. “You can think of many natural capital accounts we could produce, but the main purpose is really to do something that policy issues are suppressing in individual countries.” Nothing new. But compiling a natural capital account (NCA) is nothing new to the Philippines since it has been done in the 1990s, National Economic and Development Authority Deputy Director-General Emmanuel Esguerra said in the same briefing. However, it was not fully institutionalized due to the lack of budget as well as global standards in measuring natural resources, he said. “Reasons alluded to was there was no standard methodology. There were also challenges to institutional capacity and resources for agencies that were supposed to take the responsibility for natural capital accounting,” Esguerra noted. But early in 2014, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) was give a

small funding by the government to restart environmental accounting – even prior to the approval of WAVES – interim assistant national statistician Raymundo Talento said. In April 2014, the Phil-WAVES project was signed with the World Bank, and was officially launched in September. From then on, the PSA has started gathering data for the NCA. Among the data being collated were gold, copper, nickel and chromium. “These are the major metal minerals we have... Simply because of the data and time constraint... we’re not doing any extra survey but only relying on data from the NSO [National Statistics Office] and MGB [Mining and Geosciences Bureau],” Talento said. “But what we notice is we need to do more labor since we discovered there are a lot of data sitting around in the bureau that needed to be processed,” he added. The PSA hopes to come out with initial data after the first semester, after which it will hold several consultative forums with mining companies and the public, Talento noted. A useful tool. Esguerra said the NCA is a useful tool for development planning that can serve as a guide

to formulating plans and policies for sustainable development. “If we’re able to measure changes in natural capital, that gives us an idea about sustainability of development and design policies in order to address those issues,” he said. One issue that can be addressed with the program is in the mining industry. “I think it’s still going on and they have to do with sustainability of these operations,” Esguerra said. Conflicting land and water use, particularly in Palawan and in Laguna Lake, can also be addressed through the Phil-WAVES, project consultant Elisea Gozun said. But the acceptance of NCA in relation to policy development and economic planning will take some time to get traction, Esguerra said. “It’s not easy to change behaviors or mindsets... “If it took years for GDP (gross domestic product) accounting to take hold and to be appreciated and for a standard to be adopted across countries, now you’re introducing national capital accounts for a system that’s been there for generations, let alone getting budgets for this effort to be supported,” he added. ■ Danessa O.

Rivera / VS, GMA News / February 18, 2015 / 1:00 PM

Above-7 percent growth this year for Phlippine economy within sight—report MANILA – Philippine economic growth this year could hit the government target of at least seven percent. In a joint report, First Metro Investment Corporation (FMIC) and University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) said the Philippine economy is likely to get a boost from a recovery in government expenditures and electionrelated spending in the second half of the year. “Our outlook for 2015 of a return to above7 percent GDP growth easily exceeds almost all others’ expectation,” FMIC-UA&P said in their quarterly Market Call. To date, most forecasts are for gross domestic product (GDP) growth of under 7 percent in 2015 after the economy expanded by 6.1 percent last

year. GDP is the amount of final goods and services produced in the country, and as such measures economic performance. “However, if we consider that Q4 had little unusual drivers, 2015 should do even better as we count on the following: sharp decline in inflation rates that should boost consumer and firm spending, recovery of NG’s infrastructure and general spending in view of the Presidential elections in May 2016, and massive election spending that should start in H2,” they said. They said the decline in prices of rice and fuel should bring down overall inflation. At the start of this year, inflation settled near one-and-a-half year lows after prices of fuel, transport and utilities contracted. “We expect average H1 inflation to average 2.4 percent, and only slightly higher in H2. With inflation slipping and US Treasury bonds also southward bound,

we see strong downward pressure on interest rates, which should spur stronger consumer and investment spending,” FMIC-UA&P said. They said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will take its cue from the European and Japanese central banks, both of which have eased monetary policy after their economies contracted. “With the QE in the Eurozone and Japan, central banks around the world are easing as well to avoid currency appreciation, and we don’t think the BSP will simply ignore these trends,” FMICUA&P said, referring to the quantitative easing that the European and Japan central banks have done to spur their respective economies. Besides monetary easing, FMIC-UA&P said the Philippine economy will also get a boost from the national government,

which has more spending room given its below-ceiling fiscal deficit so far. As for exports, which propped up the Philippine economy last year, growth could slow down in the first quarter, FMICUA&P said.

“However, we expect an acceleration thereafter as the recovery gains further traction and Eurozone and Japan QE impact spreads throughout the world,” they said. ■ Rain Castro / InterAksyon.com /

MANILA – Here’s a happy problem for property developers, particularly those with condominium projects in Makati and nearby areas. Gil Puyat Avenue, one of the major roads that cuts across the Makati central business district (CBD) will be closed for two years to give way for the construction of an underpass. According to Jones Lang LaSalle country head David Leechiu, this seeming disruption to the wheels of commerce at the country’s

main financial district presents an opportunity for property companies. During a forum organized by the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Leechiu said rentals in the middle market would soften in the short-term, owing to the small glut in the condominium market. But this would be good for Metro Manila workers who would drive demand for half-way houses to save them travel time going to and from their workplaces.

“People coming from Ortigas to Makati will see longer travel time. Many people may take an apartment in Makati instead of spending four hours inside a car,” Leechiu said. Ranging from executives to call center agents, the apartment rental market could help stabilize prices, he said. Leechiu said the volume of condominium units will fall in the next five years, especially since land is getting scarce in Metro Manila. ■ Chantal

February 25, 2015 / 9:54 PM

2-year closure of Buendia Ave. to spark condo rental market in Makati

Reyes / InterAksyon.com / February 18, 2015 / 5:03 PM

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March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Billions of dollars worth of investments at risk if BBL is shelved, says MinBC chair FOREIGN investments worth billions of dollars are at risk if the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is not passed, the head of the Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) said Wednesday. MinBC chairman Vicente Lao said huge amounts of investments will be lost “in case the BBL will not be approved. He did not specify the amount of money involved. “Without the Bangsamoro Basic Law... I doubt if investors will take risks, because these are huge investments,” he told reporters in an interview Wednesday in Quezon City. The BBL embodies the peace agreement signed by the Philippine government and the MILF in March 2014. Foreign investors that have expressed interest in Mindanao are Malaysians and Indonesians who want to put up banana, palm oil, and pineapple farms, Lao said. “Once that happens, that will create a lot of employment for a lot of people there,” he said.

Senate resumes probe on Mamasapano clash. Senator Grace Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, shows on Tuesday, February 24, a photo purportedly showing Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters with some members of the Abu Sayyaf taken during a gathering in Sulu. Poe asked MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal if those in the photo were indeed MILF fighters. Photo by Benjie Castro.

Petrochemical

developments.

According to the MinBC, many Malaysians have already shown a keen interest in putting up palm oil plantations as well as getting into mining and agriculture, duck raising and poultry raising.

Lao noted the Bangsamoro is ideal for raising ducks because of the huge Liguasan Marsh and Lake Lanao in Lanao del Sur. The potential for petrochemical development in Mindanao is very high, he said, noting that there are studies

that there are billions of barrels of oil under the Liguasan Marsh. “If in case the Bangsamoro will not be approved, definitely these petrochemical developments will not come in,” he said. He noted that investors are concerned about the peace and order situation. “The major problem is really security, without the BBL in place, it will be difficult to secure the investments of foreign investors,” he said. Commitments. While investors already in the area are not expected to just withdraw their investments, the MinBC is more concerned about those who have already made commitments. “We are worried that the ones who have committed to come in will not come in unless we resolve the issue of the BBL,” Lao said. Last week, House Deputy Speaker Giorgidi Aggabao told reporters that support for the proposed BBL among the majority coalition in the House of Representatives has been eroded in

light of the January 25 Mamasapano incident where 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos died in a clash with rebels from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Under the framework agreement, the Bangsamoro territory will cover the present geographical area of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the municipalities of Baloi, Munai, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagoloan, and Tangkal in Lanao del Norte. This include all other barangays in the municipalities of Kabacan, Carmen, Aleosan, Pigkawayan, Pikit and Midsayasap that voted for inclusion in the ARMM during the 2001 plebiscite, as well as the cities of Cotabato and Isabela, and all other contiguous areas where there is a resolution of the local government unit or a petition of at least 10 percent of the registered voters in the area asking for inclusion at least two months before the BBL is ratified.

■ Kathryn Mae P. Tubadeza / VS, GMA News / February

25, 2015 / 2:05 PM

Business demands PNoy come clean on Mamasapano but won’t back calls for him to resign MANILA, Philippines - Seven business groups called for sobriety on Wednesday but nevertheless called on President Benigno Aquino III “to render a full accounting on Mamasapano to the Filipino people,” saying he has “no choice” but to do so. In a statement, the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc., Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, Mindanao Business Council and Philippine Business for Social Progress also said they would not back calls for Aquino to resign over the deadly January 25 mission to get Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan.”

Although Marwan is said to have been killed in the Special Action Force operation, 44 police commandos, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Fighters and at least five civilians also died in the ensuing clash. The massive loss of lives has placed Aquino in the center of a firestorm over suspicions he and resigned Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima, suspended in December over graft charges, supervised the operation to get Marwan while leaving other key officials and the military in the dark until the mission was already underway. In their statement, the business groups reaffirmed “our support for the Aquino administration and the Bangsamoro Peace Process.” They said the country “has achieved much under the stewardship of President

Aquino and his government, citing the economic gains they credited to the administration’s “credible campaign to restore integrity and good governance has gained traction and the respect not only of Philippine business but also the international investment community.” They also cited the government’s “insistence on the settlement of disputes through the rule of law.” At the same time, however, they stressed that “the facts surrounding Mamasapano must still be satisfactorily established and justice must be dispensed where it is due.” They said it “seems inevitable that President Aquino, as commander-inchief, ultimately will have no choice but to render a full accounting on Mamasapano to the Filipino people.” “Let the chips fall where they may,

President Benigno Aquino III stands by the casket of one of the SAF commandos who fell in Mamasapano (file)

but too much is at stake for silence to be invoked for the protection of old friends and allies,” they added. “Only with a full and satisfactory accounting will justice be possible, and only after justice has

been satisfied can the peace process get back on track based on the trust and confidence that is needed of both parties.” ■ InterAksyon.com / February 25, 2015 / 1:07 PM

Senate OKs bill allowing foreign ships to dock in PHL ports THE Senate on Monday approved a bill allowing foreign ships carrying Customs-cleared import or export shipments to dock in multiple Philippine ports. Eighteen senators voted in favor of Senate Bill 2486, which exempts foreign cargo from Section 1009 of the Tariff and Customs Code of 1978. This provision states that cargoes from a foreign vessel may only be carried by the same vessel through any port of entry to the port of destination in the Philippines. Under the newly approved measure, foreign ships will be allowed to go directly from one domestic point to

another, instead of transshipping cargo to local carriers. Senator Bam Aquino, who sponsored the bill, said Senate Bill 2486 is expected to promote trade in the Philippines. “This is our first step in our effort to further unlock the shipping industry. Let it grow and thrive, and make it as efficient as possible as we anticipate more trade, more economic activity, and real inclusive growth for the Filipino people,” Aquino said in a statement released after the measure’s passage. The senator added that the bill can also help free up space in the Port of

Manila. Senate President Franklin Drilon, for his part, said the proposed legislation can better prepare the Philippines for economic integration with other Southeast Asian nations this year. “Improving our shipping industry and logistical capacity will position the country in the global market and improve the flow of goods and services in the country, which will help businesses and ordinary Filipinos alike,” Drilon said in another statement. A counterpart bill is still pending at the committee level in the House of Representatives. ■ Andreo C. Calonzo / VS, GMA

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March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Why BOC shredded P50M worth of fake branded shoes IF it were solely up to the Bureau of Customs (BOC), it would simply donate to the needy and the unfortunate the P50 million worth of smuggled fake branded shoes and slippers it destroyed on Tuesday, but the law says otherwise. Instead the bureau threw the 150,000 pairs of footwear from China into shredding machines. “Bakit hindi na lang ipadala sa mga nasalanta para may bago naman silang shoes?” said one netizen who goes by the name Cat Person. Netizens made such suggestions as reaction to the BOC move.

“If it were up to us, we would donate those items in a heartbeat to the less fortunate, but we are bound by law to destroy fake products,” Jay Crisostomo of the BOC Public Information and Assistance Division told GMA News Online on Wednesday. He cited Section 190 of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines which states that the BOC Commissioner is “empowered to make rules and regulations for preventing the importation or exportation of infringing articles prohibited... and for seizing and condemning and disposing

of the same in case they are discovered after they have been imported or before they are exported.” Leonardo Limbo, enforcement officer for the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, said the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines requires that counterfeit goods “should be put out of commerce – they don’t go back to trade.” The brands also do not allow the government to donate the seized items, Crisostomo noted. “We cannot donate because the brands does not allow it. They don’t want to donate them because it’s like allowing their brands to be used and

displayed. It will affect their sales and will not cure the sickness of patronizing fake brands,” he said. Among the global brands that were destroyed were Nike, Adidas, Converse, Skechers, The North Face, Leaveland, Merrell, Lacoste, Vans, Havaianas, and Ipanema. A 21-year old college student, who sells fake branded shoes online for extra income, said the destruction of the knockoffs was not a good news for sellers like her. For obvious reasons she asked not to be named. “Kung titingnan, sa part ng mga nagbebenta, syempre hindi maganda ‘yun... Nakakapanghinayang ‘yung mga

nasirang shoes na ‘yun kahit fake kasi para sa amin, negosyo pa rin ‘yun,” she told GMA News Online. For those who patronize fake rubber shoes, the news was a big letdown. “Disappointed kasi ‘di hamak na mas mahal ang original kesa sa fake... At least naka-rubber shoes ka na parang original sa halagang P1,000,” another student, Joacquin Amoranto, told GMA News Online in a separate interview. “Kaya ako bumibili ng fake kasi hindi halata... Okay ang quality. ‘Di nga lang ganun kagaan at pulido pero worth it naman,” Amoranto said. ■ Kathryn Mae P.

Tubadeza / VS, GMA News / February 25, 2015 / 7:07 PM

PHL payments surplus narrows to $136M in January – Bangko Sentral investors pulled out their money from the local economy and reinvested it elsewhere,” MetisEtrade Inc. analyst Cherica Vicente told GMA News Online. “Although the $136 million surplus is lower than the previous month’s $864 million, we can see that there is still more inflows of foreign exchange in the country than outflows,” she added. Vicente said the surplus in December was mainly driven by remittances from overseas Filipinos sending money to their family during the holiday season. Cash remittances or money sent through banks and transfer agents expanded by 6.6 percent to $2.3 billion in December last

year, the highest monthly level to date. “Given that the holiday season has passed, there were relatively lower inflows last January,” Vicente noted. The payments position is the difference in the amounts of foreign exchange flowing into and out of the country in a particular period and accounts for transactions with the rest of the world. A deficit slices the forex reserves. The country’s gross international reserves widened to $80.18 billion as of end-January, $0.64 billion higher than the $79.54 billion in December. ■ Kathryn Mae P. Tubadeza / VS/BM, GMA News / February 18, 2015 / 6:08 PM

ORIGINAL CREATION & COPYRIGHT RESERVED BY © HELLO PHILIPPINES 2015

BOC destroys P50M-worth of counterfeit shoes. Personnel from the Bureau of Customs on Tuesday, February 24, destroy over 150,000 pairs of smuggled counterfeit footwear products of well-known brands worth at least P50 million in Manila. The counterfeit products were seized from a warehouse at Olivares Compound in Parañaque City. Photo by Danny Pata.

THE Philippine payments surplus contracted in January from a month earlier, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data released Wednesday showed. The balance of payments position registered a $136-million surplus in January from $864 million in December last year. The payments position swung to a $4.48-billion deficit in January 2014 when foreign fund managers withdrew their hot money placements from the Philippines in light of possible higher yields in the US. “January 2014’s trade deficit was caused by capital flight from emerging markets such as the Philippines. Foreign

BUSINESS & FINANCE

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March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Senator Recto urges DOE to ensure no brownouts during Pacquiao-Mayweather fight AMID the looming brownouts due to a power shortage, a senator on Wednesday urged energy officials to ensure there are no outages on May 2 in the US (May 3, PHL time), the day Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and unbeaten American champion Floyd Mayweather will slug it out in the ring. “If the people won’t be able to cheer Manny because power is out, they will jeer the government,” Senator Ralph Recto said in a statement, adding that the government will be the “punching bags” of people who would be deprived of watching on TV the PacquiaoMayweather fight. He said the government should use the special powers it is asking from

and which Congress is poised to grant the President to prevent blackouts this summer when demand for electricity is at its peak, “especially on May 2.” “You have the powers, you will have hundreds of millions of pesos, you have the time, so please see to it that there will be no brownout not only on May 2 but throughout summer,” he said. Malacañang has invoked provisions of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) in asking Congress for emergency powers to contract additional capacity and avert an impending power crunch. Section 71 of law states that “upon the determination by the President of the Philippines of an imminent shortage of the supply of electricity,

Congress may authorize, through a joint resolution, the establishment of additional generating capacity under such terms and conditions as it may approve.” The Senate is currently deliberating on a resolution to give President Benigno Aquino III special powers in addressing a power supply shortage. “The effectiveness of the emergency powers will be tested on May 2,” Recto said. “I think one promissory note we should be asking from the Department of Energy is that there will be adequate supply of electricity on the day of the Pacquiao-Mayweather bout,” he added.

■ Amita O. Legaspi / VS, GMA News / February 25, 2015

/ 3:26 PM

Pacquiao to retire after Mayweather bout?. Boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquaio stretches prior to a training session at the Pacman Gym in General Santos City on Monday, February 23. Pacquiao hinted on Monday that his longawaited fight against US opponent Floyd Mayweather could be his last, saying he would head into the May bout with retirement on his mind.

DoubleDragon picks 5 more sites for chain of community malls

MANILA - DoubleDragon is expanding the footprint of its soon-torise chain of community malls. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, DoubleDragon

Properties Corporation said its unit, CityMall Commercial Centers Inc (CMCCI) has secured 5 more sites, including one in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental; one in Tagum City, Davao del Norte; one Iloilo

City; two in Tarlac City. This brings to 20 the total number of sites for the company’s chain of community malls under the “CityMall” brand. The Dumaguete project will occupy a 1.3-hectare corner lot along Veterans Avenue National Highway (DumagueteBacong Road) at the heart of the city, which is the most populous in the province of Negros Oriental. The project site is beside the GSIS office, across the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, and near the Siliman University and the St. Paul University. The Tagum project occupies a 1.9-hectare lot at the corner of LapuLapu Extension and Maharlika Highway, which is the main road that neighboring towns to the capital city of Davao del Norte. The project site is surrounded by schools, transport terminals, subdivisions,

hospitals, churches, government offices, hotels and commercial establishments. The Iloilo project in Parola will become part of another DoubleDragon project, the Iloilo-Guimaras Ferry Terminal, a 1.3-hectare fully landscaped complex which will house a terminal for ferries plying the routes of Guimaras and Iloilo. The Ferry Terminal Complex is envisioned to provide a world-class ferry terminal with the CityMall-Parola Iloilo inside the complex to provide commuters an array of food and retail choices. The first of two Tarlac projects will be located at the southern terminus of the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), which is a 93.77-kilometer fourlane expressway north of Manila built by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). The southern terminus

BPO workers staying longer in their jobs—survey MANILA – Business process outsourcing (BPO) workers are holding down their jobs far longer than they used to. In a statement, Towers Watson said its annual BPO/Shared Services/ Call Center Industry Total Rewards Survey showed that the turnover rate at Philippine BPO companies fell to its lowest in four years in 2014 (see chart below).

Source of data: Towers Watson

“The sector, though fast-growing, has adopted various strategies in talent acquisition, including expanding operations outside the National Capital Region (NCR) to tap talent in Cebu, Davao and Southern Luzon,” said Vangie Daquilanea, Global Data Services Practice Head of Towers Watson Philippines. “This has, in turn, minimized talent movements within the NCR,

registering the lowest attrition rate in the last seven years,” she said. Towers Watsons’ annual survey provides insights into compensation practices and trends in the industry, helping companies make informed decisions about total reward programs for its employees. The international consulting firm’s survey found that the Philippine BPO sector is anchored on qualified talent availability, thus the need to expand to other areas to avoid talent saturation in NCR. As such, Central Visayas salaries are found to be about 23 percent lower than in NCR, making it a viable location for BPO companies to operate in. This supports an international research on the top global outsourcing destinations, identifying Cebu in the top eight. According to the survey, salaries in the industry have risen by an average

7 percent last year, and are expected to grow at about the same rate in the next two years. Pay increases are performance-based, so exemplary performers are rewarded more, and non-performers are given zero to minimal increases. The compensation mix leans more towards guaranteed compensation, supplemented by a minimal annual performance bonus equivalent to 1 to 1.5 months of pay. The survey also found that the BPO sector has the most robust health and wellness programs, as companies take care of their employees by offering stress/risk assessment programs, health screening, counseling, fitness

of the SCTEX is at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales. The SCTEX project site will be integral to Seaoil Philippines’ 24/7 refuelling station in the area. Lastly, the CityMall-Tarlac MacArthur will rise on a 1.9-hectare corner lot along the MacArthur Highway and would be bounded by subdivisions, commercial establishments, schools and churches. DoubleDragon said the company will capitalize on Tarlac’s location as a pitstop for travellers going to northern Luzon. DoubleDragon aims to put up 25 CityMalls this year and increase that to 100 by 2020. CMCCI is jointly owned by DoubleDragon and Henry Sy Sr. of the SM Group. ■ InterAksyon.com / February 25,

2015 / 5:19 PM

competitions, and smoking cessation programs, among others. According to Towers Watson, providing these health and wellness programs to employees paves the way for building a culture of health awareness, and ultimately becomes a shared responsibility between employers and employees. Eighty companies participated in this year’s survey, representing the entire service outsourcing spectrum in the country, comprising information technology outsourcing, knowledge process outsourcing and BPO service lines. “The continuing growth of the Philippine economy has largely benefited the BPO industry, since it gives foreign investors a positive impression of the country’s business environment. Scalability, experienced talent availability, foreign language skills, and a share of the graduate pool, all point to a very bright future for this sector,” said Daquilanea. ■ InterAksyon.com / February 19, 2015 / 11:24 AM

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March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Pinay domestic helper from Jordan clears MERS-CoV test confirmed that one of its cabin crew has showed flu-like symptoms and is now undergoing medical observation. Citing the city health office, a report on “24 Oras” on Monday said the condition of the flight attendant has since improved and there is no confirmation yet that the patient has MERS-CoV. Meanwhile, Suy urged Filipinos abroad, specifically those in the Middle East, to have themselves checked once they show symptoms of the deady virus. ■ Amanda Fernandez / NB, GMA News /

THE domestic helper from Jordan who was initially suspected of having the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus (MERS-CoV) has tested negative for the disease, the Department of Health said on Tuesday. At a press conference, DOH spokesperon Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy said the domestic helper, who showed symptoms of MERS-CoV, which included high fever, coughs, difficulty in breathing and loose bowel movement, has been cleared from the deadly virus last Sunday. “Clear na po iyon last Sunday, hindi

siya nagfi-fit ng investigation natin kung MERS-CoV o hindi,” he explained. The domestic helper was confined at a hospital in Cotabato City on Feb. 12. The DOH is set to check the status of a Cebu Pacific Air flight attendant who just came from Saudi Arabia, and has been confined at an isolation room in a private hospital in General Santos City. “We have no info on that, but we will check,” Suy said, when asked for updates on the flight attendant’s situation. In a statement, Cebu Pacific Air

February 17, 2015 / 12:58 PM

SOME six weeks after suing the US government for supposedly denying their work petitions, over 500 Filipinos and other Asian workers also filed a lawsuit against their casino employer in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) for allegedly lying to them about their immigration status for at least 18 months. Through their counsel Samuel Mok, the foreign workers filed the lawsuit in federal court against Hong Kong Entertainment (Overseas) Investments Ltd., owner of Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino, and the casino’s majority shareholder Mega Stars Overseas Ltd. Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino is the only operating casino in the US territory. On December 8, 2014, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) denied the so-called transitional CNMIonly worker (CW-1) petitions for these

over 500 foreign workers at the casino. USCIS is an agency under the US Department of Homeland Security that deals with immigration benefits. The workers, most of them from the Philippines, stated in their complaint that Hong Kong Entertainment and Mega Stars knew at least 18 months before December 8, 2014 that their respective CW-1 employment petitions were in jeopardy of being denied due to several warnings that USCIS issued in the form of “notices of intent to deny and notices of intent to revoke.” But the casino employer, according to the workers, deliberately withheld this information from them out of fear they would stop working and transfer to other employers. The workers said this would have shut down the casino business operations and ultimately cost Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino a huge sum

of money. The employees are seeking relief for fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation and wrongful termination. The plaintiffs include Eric F. Dona, Donny Rivera, Melinda Rivera, ChungLiang Chiu, Shingo Kajiwara, Shao Han, Lorenzo Pacia III, Didith Pacia, Ming Yang Yuan, Chuan Hui Xu, Flordeliza F. Camiguing, Jovelyn F. Reyes, Richard Julio L. Reyes, and Ernest Y. Rivera. The 500 workers are unnamed coplaintiffs in the lawsuit. Most of the plaintiffs also have US citizen children. Their lawyer asked the US District Court for the NMI to prevent the casino owners from terminating the plaintiffs or removing their name from an administrative appeal. The workers are asking the court to declare as “false” Hong Kong Entertainment’s statement that it was

Asian workers, including Pinoys, sue casino employer in CNMI legally permissible for the plaintiffs to continue working even though USCIS had denied their CW-1 petitions. They were referring to the human resources director’s January 19, 2015 letter stating that any worker who “disagreed” with Hong Kong Entertainment’s claim that it was “not unlawful” to return to work would be deemed to have “resigned” his or her job and processed out of the company. “At the time of this statement, HKE knew that federal immigration regulations prohibited a CW-1 worker from continuing employment once his/her CW-1 petition was formally denied,” the workers’ lawyer said. In December 2014, over 500 foreign workers at Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino filed a separate lawsuit in federal court against US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and other federal officials over USCIS’s

denial of the casino’s 197 CW-1 petitions involving 693 beneficiaries. A separate lawsuit was also filed in federal court by casino owner Hong Kong Entertainment’s president and board chairman Kwan Man against US Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez and other federal Labor officials. That lawsuit was for allegedly violating the casino employer’s due process right over the assessment of civil penalties of $191,400 for violating the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino is the largest private employer on Tinian, one of the main islands in the CNMI. The CNMI’s capital island of Saipan is some three hours away by plane from Manila. Most of the foreign workers in the CNMI are from the Philippines. ■ Haidee V. Eugenio / KBK, GMA News / February 17,

2015 / 12:43 PM

Japan grants one-year extension for Filipino nurses

FILIPINO and Indonesian nurses will get the chance to train more to pass Japan’s rigorous nursing and care qualification exams after its government allowed trainees to stay an additional year. A report on Japan Times said the extension would also give candidates who failed but received good scores in their last qualifying exams more time to prepare. Passing rates are expected to go up with the extra year, as it had in 2011 and 2013 when a similar extension was passed, the

report said. Around 300 Filipino and Indonesian candidate nurses and caregivers who arrived in 2013 and 93 Indonesian health workers who arrived in 2012 will benefit from the extension, it added. Prior to the move, nurses were given three years and three chances to prepare for the exams, while caregivers were given four years but only one chance to pass. The language barrier is suspected to be the reason behind low passing rates.

In 2013, nurses posted a pass rate of 10.6 percent, while caregivers set 36.3 percent rate. Japanese Consul General Maria Teresa Taguiang had earlier encouraged Filipino nurses and teachers to try their luck in Japan due to the high demand for English teachers and caregivers there. However, she advised Filipinos to learn how to speak and read Nihonggo in order to look for employment in Japan. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / February 24, 2015 / 5:39 PM

Take safety precautions, Pinoys in parts of Spain reminded amid orange cloud threat

FILIPINOS in some areas in Spain were urged to stay indoors and take safety precautions amid the threat from a toxic orange cloud after an explosion at the Igualada chemical plant. In an urgent advisory dated Feb. 16, the Philippine Embassy in Madrid said at least three people had been reported injured due to the explosion. “The Philippine Embassy in Madrid wishes to advise the Filipino community in the neighboring towns of Barcelona, Spain, particularly in the town of Igualada, where a large orange toxic cloud has spread over the area following an explosion that happened at a chemical plant in said place, to

stay indoors until the cloud has fully dissipated,” it said. The embassy also said that pending the announcement from Catalan authorities declaring the area to be publicly safe, Filipinos in the area are urged not to place themselves in danger. It said this means “avoiding unnecessary travels near the area or taking pictures of the orange cloud.” “Filipinos are also strongly advised to use gas masks if they need to go out of their homes and to immediately avail of medical assistance in case of symptoms emanating from inhalation of the toxic chemicals,” it said.

The embassy cited a statement from the Catalonia regional government indicating the blast occurred when chemical products being delivered to a plant owned by the Spanish company Simar in Igualada City carne into contact, exploded and set a truck on fire on February 12. Also, it quoted firefighters as saying the chemicals were nitric acid - which is corrosive and toxic - and ferric chloride. “Due to the incident, the Catalan authorities instructed people to shut their windows and stay inside their homes as a precaution,” it said. The embassy said the confinement

order was partially lifted two hours after the explosion, but emergency services continued advising children,

elderly people, pregnant women and those with respiratory problems. ■ Joel Locsin / LBG, GMA News / February 19, 2015 / 7:12 AM

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March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

US extends eligibility for employment to certain dependent spouses THE United States government will extend the eligibility for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B non-immigrants who are seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident status. The extension will be effective starting May 26, 2015, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) director León Rodríguez. He said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) amended the regulations to allow H-4 dependent spouses to gain employment in the US. An H-4 visa is a visa issued by the USCIS to immediate family members of the H-1B visa holders. An H-1B, meanwhile, is a non-

Pinay babysitter charged for stealing P6M from employer in UAE –report A Filipina babysitter in the United Arab Emirates has been charged for stealing some P6 million in valuables from her American sponsor last year. Prosecutors charged the Filipina of stealing a painting worth Dh200,000 and other items worth Dh300,000, according to a report on UAE news site Gulf News on Sunday. But the Filipina, described in prosecution records as a runway, did not show up at the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday, where she was to enter a plea. Despite her absence, Presiding Judge Mohammad Jamal is expected to hand a ruling in absentia against her on March 17. On the other hand, the babysitter’s sister and the sister’s boyfriend stood trial before the Dubai Misdemeanors Court for their alleged involvement in the theft. Discovery. The theft was discovered by a Filipina housemaid, who noted the

babysitter was stealing children’s clothes and games and other valuables from the sponsor’s house in September. Prosecution records showed that when the American sponsor confronted the babysitter, she said she took the children’s clothes and games and other items, and gave them to poor children in the Philippines. “When I confronted her, at first she denied… but then she admitted that she had sent clothes and games to impoverished children in her homeland. Later I called up my family in the US to ask them if they had received the children’s clothes that I had sent them… I was told that they had not arrived,” the American sponsor testified to prosecutors. The American sponsor canceled the babysitter’s visa and sent her back to her recruitment agency. However, the American eventually found the babysitter also allegedly stole valuables worth more than Dh300,000 while she worked for her between 2010 and 2014.

Minimum wage set for Filipino household workers in Oman PHILIPPINE officials in Oman have issued a memorandum setting the mandatory minimum wage for Filipino household service workers there. According to a report on the Times of Oman, Filipino household workers will get a minimum of OMR160 (roughly P18,000) starting March 1. The memorandum, dated February 15, was in compliance with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration’s (POEA) rules and regulations regarding minimum wages in Oman. Labor attaché Nasser S. Mustafa said complaints about salary violations have also prompted the Philippine Embassy there to issue the memorandum to recruiting agencies and employers. Upgraded contracts for domestic workers were introduced by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in November along with other initiatives to improve the conditions of foreign workers in all its member states, among them Oman.

These contracts seek to give foreign workers annual leaves, eight-hour work shifts, weekly dayoffs, and the right to live outside their employer’s households. Employers are also barred from confiscating their passports and obliged to pay their end-of-service indemnity and overtime pay. Philippine Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz then said the unified contracts could “end soon the days of abuse and exploitation” faced by Filipino household workers in the Middle East. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / February 18, 2015 / 3:14 PM

The stolen items included a painting worth Dh200,000. Testimony. The American sponsor told prosecutors the Filipina maid had sent her photos on WhatsApp of the items the babysitter took. She said the Filipina maid discovered children’s games and clothes and other items hidden in the babysitter’s bedroom. When the American sponsor entered the bedroom, she found the stolen items hidden in the cupboard. “I checked my belongings and I discovered that she had stolen a valuable painting, blankets, rugs, bedcovers, gold, jewellery, clothes, accessories, and other items,” she told prosecutors. Meanwhile, closed-circuit television equipment in the American’s house showed the babysitter, her sister, and the sister’s boyfriend, may be involved in the theft. ■ Joel Locsin / KBK, GMA News /

February 23, 2015 / 1:32 PM

immigrant visa in the US. Under the rule, H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B visa holders must file an Application for Employment Authorization or Form I-765 with supporting evidence and pay $380 in order to receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or Form I-766. H-4 dependent spouses must be the principal beneficiaries of an approved Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker or have been granted H-1B status to become eligible for EADs, the USCIS said in a statement. Eligible individuals must submit their applications on or before May 26. USCIS estimated that 179,600

individuals may apply for employment authorization this year and 55,000 annually in subsequent years. The US announced changes in visa rules in May 2014 to encourage highly-skilled workers to remain in the country and “support US businesses” and its economy. Nurses with specialized skills in particular were seen to benefit the most as such workers are needed to help in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, among other health concerns in the US. The US Department of State estimates that there are 4 million Filipinos living in the US. ■ Rie Takumi /

KBK, GMA News / February 25, 2015 / 2:23 PM

Singapore-based OFW to represent PHL in latte art competition in Sweden A Filipino barista working in Singapore will be the Philippines’ representative to the prestigious World Latte Art Championship to be held in Sweden, a television report said Tuesday. Mark Chan earned the spot after besting nine other contestants in the recently held Philippine National Latte Art Championship, a report on “24 Oras” said. It will be the first time that the Philippines will field a contestant to the World Latte Art Championship, the report said. “First time na magkakaroon tayo ng latte art [competiton] sa Philippines, syempre yung Filipino barista community dito sa Singapore sobrang solid yung support,” said Chan, who flew to the Philippines just to join the competiton. The report said Chan wowed the

judges with patterns like Semi-Picasso Swan, Three-Layered Tulips, and Inverted Tulips. “It highlights the artistic expression of the baristas,” said May Juan, executive director of the Association of Filipino Baristas, of the local competition. “The latte art competiton is more on the design on the latte drink that we normally iniinom.” The World Latte Art Championship will be held in Gothenburg, Sweden, this June. ■ KBK, GMA News / February 17, 2015 / 8:18 PM

Filipino newcomers to Canada diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age –study FILIPINOS who move to Canada are more prone to having breast cancer at a younger age than women from other parts of East Asia or Caucasians, according to a recent study. They are also more likely to be diagnosed with a more aggressive form of cancer and are more likely to undergo a mastectomy, according to the paper titled “Breast Cancer Amongst Filipino Migrants: A Review of the Literature and Ten-Year Institutional Analysis.” Of the 782 patients studied at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, which has a sizeable Filipino patient population, Filipino newcomers to Canada were diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age (53), compared to other East Asians (55) and Caucasians (58), the study showed. “The Canadian Filipino community is a growing community and this new research raises the question of whether our current Canadian guidelines

calling for mammograms starting at age 50 are meeting specific cultural needs of different ethnicities when it is known that it takes years for a breast cancer to develop,” said Dr. Jory Simpson, a surgical oncologist in the CIBC Breast Centre of St. Michael’s and one of the three authors of the study. Moreover, the study also showed that 22.6 percent of Filipinos tested positive for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, a protein which promotes the growth of cancer cells. In a statement, Simpson said this was “disproportionately high” compared to those of East Asians (14.4 percent) and Caucasians (15.1 percent). At least 35 percent of Filipino women with the same sized tumors as other groups underwent mastectomies, higher than Caucasians at 22.5 percent and East Asians at 28.3 percent, the study further said. “Migrant Studies have consistently

shown that when a woman moves from a region of low incidence to a region of higher incidence her risk of developing breast cancer increases,” said Simpson and his co-authors, Kaleigh Briggs and Ralph George, in their abstract. “Many questions remain such as: how do we increase awareness about the benefits of screening mammography in the Filipino community? Should screening start at an earlier age? And finally, how do we ensure that the Filipino women are getting the adequate treatment given the aggressive nature of their breast cancer? Addressing these disparities should be viewed as a priority in breast cancer research,” they added. According to the Canadian government, more than 450,000 individuals had identified the Philippines as their birth place as of 2011. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / February

25, 2015 / 4:01 PM

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March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Fishing firm: 43 ‘abandoned’ fishermen not our employees FISHING company Citra Mina on Wednesday denied that the 43 Filipino fishermen who were supposedly abandoned in Indonesia for six months were its employees “To set the record straight: the 43 fishermen hereto alleged are not fishermen workers nor employees of Citra Mina,” the firm’s spokesman Fred

Lumba said in an email to GMA News Online. He added that the fishermen, who were arrested off Ternate, North Maluku, in August last year for alleged illegal fishing, were employed by one Felisa Abe, owner of the fishing boat Love Merben. At the time of their arrest, the

43 Pinoy fishermen jailed in Indonesia seek payment from employer. At a media briefing in Manila on Monday, 43 Filipino fishermen released from Indonesian jail demand compensation from a giant General Santos City-based fishing firm, which allegedly abandoned them during their six-month detention in Ternate Island, Indonesia. The ‘abandonados’ arrived in the country on Monday on board a Cebu Pacific flight from Jakarta. Danny Pata

fishermen, who arrived home last Monday after six months in detention, did not possess any travel documents. Liaison work. Lumba also denied that the company did nothing to repatriate the fishermen, saying they served as liaison between Abe and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). “We assisted her (Abe) by doing liaison work with the DFA since September last year,” he said. Workers’ groups Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Maggagawa (SENTRO) and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF) had accused Citra Mina of abandoning the fishermen following their arrests. The two groups said it was them who worked for the repatriation of the 43 after the fishermen were abandoned by the General Santos City-based Citra Mina.

But according to Lumba, IUF and SENTRO “did not spend a single centavo for the repatriation process,” citing DFA Consul General in Manado Jose dela Rosa Burgos. “I told them that if they wanted to help, they can give food or clothing. You can quote me on this,” Lumba quoted Burgos as saying during their meeting last Monday. He said it was the DFA which shouldered the airfare of the 43 fishermen. Retrenched workers. Meanwhile, Lumba also clarified that they did not illegally terminate the 237 workers SENTRO and IUF accused them of dismissing due to involvement in unions. He said the Citra Mina Seafood Corporation (CMSC) closed in September 2013 after changing operations from processing fresh frozen tuna to cooked loin and canned tuna.

“We retrenched the entire 180-employee workforce with prior approval from the DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment), giving each employee all benefits accruing them under the law, including separation pay checks before signing quitclaims witnessed by DOLE officials,” Lumba said. He added that only 12 CMSC workers refused to accept their separation pay and Citra Mina’s Return-To-Work Order, issued last Aug 12, 2014, offering them to return to the canning company. The House committee on labor and employment will hold a hearing on the fishing industry and Citra Mina on March 18. Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello told GMA News Online last February 20 that subpoenas may be issued to the company should it refuse to attend the hearing. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / February

25, 2015 / 1:40 PM

Indian technician jailed 6 months for molesting Pinay receptionist in UAE

AN Indian technician was sentenced Sunday to six months in jail in the United Arab Emirates for allegedly molesting a Filipina gym receptionist there last November. While the Indian admitted he opened the Filipina’s jacket, he insisted he was merely trying to read the label, UAE news site Gulf News reported. The Gulf News report said that despite the Indian’s defense, presiding judge Mohammad Jamal handed down the jail sentence - and ordered him deported once he completes his jail term. The ruling is subject to appeal within 15 days, the report added. Investigation showed the Indian cooling systems technician, 26, was

doing maintenance work at the gym when he groped the Filipina receptionist. “I am at fault. I only touched her back when I tried to remove her jacket to read the label and know what brand she wore,” he claimed. The Filipina, 26, said the technician was called in after the cooling system did not seem to be working in the gym’s fitting room. She said the Indian and two of his coworkers arrived, and the suspect asked her about the control board while his coworkers waited at the reception area. “I accompanied the defendant to the jacuzzi room where the board was placed. He drew his shoulder very close to mine. He gazed at me strangely. I felt scared and

stayed far from him. Then he asked my name and quickly came towards me and pulled my jacket… he wanted to read the label,” the Filipina was quoted as saying in the Gulf News report. She said she moved away as she was scared, and asked him not to touch her. “While he was talking about the cooling system, he took me by surprise and pressed his palm to my cheek. I scolded him and warned him to stay away. Instead, he came towards me and opened his arms, wanting to hug and kiss me. I pushed him away and left. He walked behind me and touched my neck and back and smiled at me,” the Filipina said. ■ Joel Locsin / RSJ, GMA News / February

MARIA Victoria Venancio, a temporary foreign worker in Canada, is currently in the middle of a legal battle to stay in the country where quadriplegics like her have better opportunities to work and live independently. But things are not looking good for the 29-year-old OFW. On February 16, she was issued an exclusion order during a deportation hearing, which means she is just one step closer to deportation,according to a report on CBC News Edmonton. The report said the actual removal would have to come from Canadian Border Services Agency, where Venancio’s lawyer, Chris Bataluk, is expected to make a last-ditch effort to have the order deferred. According to CBC News Edmonton, Bataluk is expected to cite Venancio’s application to stay in Canada on compassionate grounds as reason for the request.

The Canadian Border Services Agency has yet to schedule an enforcement hearing, the report said. Bataluk was quoted in the report as saying that Venancio would be “in a very difficult situation” if ever she is deported to the Philippines, where “there’s no public health infrastructure.” He said in Canada, Venancio, who moved to Edmonton from the Philippines in 2011, can enjoy PWDfriendly amenities such as paved streets and Disabled Adult Transit Service buses. In a separate report on Edmonton Sun, Bataluk said the cost and standard of medical care in the Philippines was “nothing that’s comparable” to what could be offered in Canada. Seven months after she arrived in Edmonton, Venancio was riding her bike on her way to work when she was hit by a car and seriously injured. The accident left her in a wheelchair and

unable to work, which meant she was unable to renew her visa and is now in the country illegally. Since she is not legally in Canada, Venancio is not eligible for health care, the CBC News report said. Venancio has sued her former employer for medical and disability coverage. Thomas Lukaszuk, a Member of the Legislative Assembly, told CTV News that Venancio’s case put a spotlight on issues faced by the country’s temporary foreign workers program. ■ Rie Takumi /

Fil-Am chef Dale Talde expands resto Quadriplegic OFW fights deportation from Canada business to New Jersey and Florida 23, 2015 / 9:32 AM

KBK, GMA News / February 17, 2015 / 5:50 PM

Maria Victoria Venancio lost her job and permit to stay after a traffic accident left her a quadriplegic.

NOTED Filipino-American chef Dale Talde has expanded his pop restaurant business to New Jersey on February and will bring his Filipino creations to Florida later this year. An article on the New York Eater said the Park Slope, Jersey City branch of Talde will serve the chef’s signature items such as pretzel pork and chive dumplings as well as Korean fried chicken with spicy kimchi yogurt sauce. Dim sum items such as the McBao, a roasted pork bun with sweet pickles, and robatayaki samples like charred lobster tails will make their debut in the branch, along with over 100 types of wine and unique cocktails, the report added. The Jersey branch opened next to Carrino Provisions, an Italian market opened by Talde and partners Anthony Carrino and John Colenari in January. It also allows diners who couldn’t

get a table at the popular restaurant to have their wontons delivered at their homes. Culinary site The Daily Meal, meanwhile, reported that the Talde branch that will be opened at Thompson Miami Beach will serve the same food as its Brooklyn counterpart, along with new dishes influenced by local Miami flavors. Talde first pinged on Filipino foodies’ radars in 2012 when he became one of the top contenders for the ninth season of “Top Chef.” According to his biography on Bravo, the chef’s passion for food first emerged when his immigrant parents taught him the basics of the kitchen while growing up in Chicago. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1998 before going on to staff and consult at famous eateries such as Naha, Morimoto, and Buddakan. ■ Rie Takumi

/ KBK, GMA News / February 25, 2015 / 7:20 PM

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Australia warns women IS no ‘romantic adventure’

SYDNEY – A worrying number of Australian women are heading to Iraq and Syria to become so-called Islamic State group “jihadi brides”, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Thursday, warning against notions of a “romantic adventure”.

At least 110 Australians have left to fight alongside militants in the Middle East and security officials said between 30 and 40 women were among them or were actively supporting the group in Australia. “Sadly we are seeing a younger

Women wearing a niqab walk under a billboard erected by the Islamic State group in the IS controlled Syrian city of Raqa on November 1, 2014

cohort seeking to join the conflict in Syria and Iraq and an increasing number of young females,” Bishop said, responding to the high-profile case this week of three British teenage girls heading to Syria. “This defies logic. Family and friends need to reach out to young people at risk before it’s too late.” She cited the case of 22-year-old Amira Karroum who left her Sydney home just before Christmas and died in fighting in Syria. “Her death was not martyrdom, it was a tragic senseless loss,” said Bishop. She added that many women heading to conflict zones were either attracted to male foreign terrorist fighters, were accompanying their partner, or actually looking for a husband and being told online they could find one in Syria and Iraq. Bishop warned they faced a brutal regime that treated women appallingly.

“This is a terrorist organisation that has an appalling track record when it comes to women,” she told ABC radio. “They actually have online instructions on how to treat a sex slave. They encourage sexual assault on children who haven’t even reached puberty. “So their attitude towards women is utterly appalling and so young women shouldn’t be led to believe that there’s some romantic adventure attached to supporting Daesh (Islamic State) and similar terrorist organisations.” An estimated 550 women from across Europe have also travelled to join the jihadists and Bishop said Australia was working with Muslim communities to highlight the risks. “We have a number of community initiatives and programmes, working with local communities, working with schools, working with families,” she said. “Our initiatives in tackling the

spread of online extremist content on websites is also part of that, working with local mosques, working with community groups.” Her comments came as an Australian man who travelled to Syria to battle militants was reportedly killed—the first Westerner to die fighting alongside the Kurds. “An Australian man was killed in an assault on Tuesday by the Islamic State against a position of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) near Tal Hamis in Hasakeh province,” said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman. Australia’s foreign affairs department said it was aware of the reports but its “capacity to confirm reports of deaths in either Syria or Iraq is extremely limited”. “Australians who become involved in overseas conflicts are putting their own lives in mortal danger,” it added. ■ AFP / February 26, 2015

China trumpets Xi’s ‘Four Comprehensives’ theory CHINESE state-run media gave wall-to-wall coverage Wednesday to President Xi Jinping’s newly declared “Four Comprehensives” political theory as he consolidates power and advances his own brand of Communist thought. The People’s Daily, the ruling party’s official mouthpiece, devoted a front-page editorial to the quartet: “Comprehensively build a moderately prosperous society, comprehensively deepen reform, comprehensively govern the nation according to law, comprehensively strictly govern the Party”.

The concepts would be the lead item on state broadcaster China Central Television’s nightly news programme, it said, and the official Xinhua news agency was to disseminate Xi’s political theory— to be republished by news outlets around the country. Xi first mentioned the idea during a trip to Jiangsu province in December, and a party journal carried an introduction to it last week. But Wednesday was the first time it was promoted on a mass scale. The Communist Party has had a penchant for numbered catchphrases ever since revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.

In the 1960s Mao railed against “the four olds”—old customs, culture, habits and ideas—in his quest to remake society, and the trend has continued ever since. Former president Jiang Zemin’s somewhat intangible “Three Represents” theory was a call for more open membership of the ruling party, which has “Eight Immortals” among its elite revolutionaries. In its editorial the People’s Daily said the Four Comprehensives would “lead the way for strategic layout for national renewal”. But such political pronouncements

are often catchphrases with little precise definition or impact on policy. The first step in the strategy was “achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people through the Chinese Dream”—a phrase that has so far been the catchphrase of Xi’s administration. Despite the Communist Party moving away from its Marxist-Leninist roots to embrace a more market economy— “socialism with Chinese characteristics”— propaganda output and official communications remain awash with jargon. Jiang’s theory and his successor Hu

Jintao’s own “scientific outlook on development”—a call for sustainable economic growth that has little to do with science—were invoked regularly by cadres at all levels to support the party’s policies, and have been enshrined in the national constitution. Nearly five years ago Xi himself, then vice president, gave a speech at the central party school decrying the use of political jargon that walled the ruling party off from the country’s more plainspoken citizens. He gave no examples in his attack on “empty words”. ■ February 25, 2015

Public morals should “stand higher” than individual rights, Uran Ryskulov, Kyrk Choro’s head of ideology, told AFP. In their nomadic past Kyrgyz people “always lived in harmony with nature” Ryskulov added, explaining his opposition to same-sex relations.

be used to manipulate people have become the new political rhetoric.” Patriotic conservative groups like Kalys and Kyrk Choro have gotten more prominent as Kyrgyzstan has grown closer to Russia politically, and Djakupova says it is “impossible to rule out” that some receive funding from the Kremlin. “Russia has seen that this strategy has helped Western countries promote their values abroad, so why not try it?” Kyrgyzstan is the only of the five former Communist states of Central Asia to host competitive elections and have an independent multi-party parliament, but it has been plagued by political unrest and instability. ■ AFP /

Kyrgyzstan to vote on controversial anti-gay law BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyzstan is s/et to vote on a controversial bill that would make it a crime punishable by up to six months in jail to present gay relationships in a positive way in the ex-Soviet state. The move by the predominantly Muslim Central Asian country follows an anti-gay law passed in Russia in 2013 which bans promoting gay relationships to minors. The Kyrgyz legislation would criminalise “forming positive attitudes toward non-traditional sexual relations”—a euphemism for gay relationships. Lawmaker Nurkamil Madaliev, one of the bill’s backers, said that he expected the legislation to receive its second reading “before the end of the month,” although a civil servant at the parliament told AFP that a vote would not go ahead on Friday as originally planned. The bill has strong support in Kyrgyzstan’s pro-Russian parliament, where MPs overwhelmingly voted for it in the first of its three mandatory readings last year. It is also backed by nationalist groups. But it faces opposition from Western

governments and rights organisations. The European Parliament warned in a resolution last month that the “adoption of this bill could affect relations with the EU,” which provides budget support and other assistance to aid-dependent Kyrgyzstan. In January, Human Rights Watch said that “discriminatory legislative proposals” threaten to “erode the democratic progress” in the republic, where a violent revolution in 2010 toppled former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev. ‘Alien to the majority’. Nationalist groups have defended the bill against Western critics, however, rejecting LGBT rights as a foreign concept.

Demonstrators hold national flags and posters during an anti-gay rally in Bishkek

On February 5, the Kalys (Justice) group rallied in support of the text outside the main government building in the capital Bishkek. “Between five and 10 NGOs are actively lobbying the interests of the LGBT community,” the group’s leader, 31-year-old Jenishbek Moldokmatov, told journalists. “What gives them the right to speak for the rest of the country?” In the country’s more conservative provinces, a homosexual will still be “met with pitchforks,” he warned. The protesters accused the West of hypocrisy over its support for gay rights. They held up images from conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria. Moldokmatov is known for his antigay stance. Last year he burned an image of a Kyrgyz-born Ukrainian man he deemed a “gay activist” outside the US embassy in Kyrgyzstan. Another patriotic group, Kyrk Choro (Forty Warriors), wrote an open letter to Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev claiming that homosexuality “is alien to the majority of the population.”

Tired

‘Western

slogans’.

Support for the bill can be attributed to “fatigue” with “Western slogans”, said Cholpon Djakupova, a political commentator. Political revolutions in 2005 and 2010 promised reforms and new freedoms, but failed to curb corruption or raise living standards. “The idea of personal liberties and the rule of law are fading,” she said. “Vague national values that can

February 26, 2015

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March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

FREE LISTING of events in HELLO PHILIPPINES newspaper. Please email info@hello-philippines.com to include your event. D I S C L A I M E R : The Events Diary r listing does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or fa f vouring by HELLO PHILIPPINES newspaper. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Hello Philippines newspaper and/o / r the Publisher. What’s On is a Filipino Events Diary r listing fo f r UK and Europe. 201 DATE / TIME

EVENT

CALENDAR OF EVENTS – UK & EUROPE VENUE

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

Biyahe Tayo

Saturday, 28th March 2015

LGBT-UK Charity Ball

The Dome, Tufnell Park 2 Dartmouth Park Hill, NW5 1HL London, United Kingdom Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, London, UK

May 2nd 2015 TBC

Mutya ng Pilipinas 2015

Manchester (Venue to be confirmed), Manchester, UK

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

Independence Day sa Newcastle at Pista sa Nayon Yorkshire Barrio Fiesta 2015 Lahig Kayumanggi Rehearsals

Blaydon Rugby Club, Hexham Road, Swalwell, NE16 3BN, Newcastle, UK June 7th Ripley racecourse, Ripley, Yorkshire , Ripley , UK Every Sunday. St. Andrew’s United 14:00pm - 18:00pm. Reformed Church Hall, Frognal Lane (corner Finchley Road), London NW3 7DY. Nearest tube: Finchley Road. Eevery 2nd SUN. Filipino Family Mass English Martyrs Catholic 14:00pm. at English Martyrs Church. Chalkhill Road, Catholic Church Wembley Park, HA9 9EW. FREE LISTING of your events in HELLO PHILIPPINES newspaper. If info@hello-philippines.com to submit your event.

ORGANISER

FilLGBT-UK

MPUK

CONTACTS / REMARKS

Emma Tel: 07730 601939

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

LKDance

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

Hosted by: Alyssa Gonzales

Becky at 07949857699 / Lina B at 07579418510.

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DISCLAIMER: The Events Diary Listing does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by Hello Philippines newspaper. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Hello Philippines newspaper. This is merely an Events Diary Listing of what is happening within the Filipino Communities in Europe. This is for general information only. 1st Saturday

201

MONTHLY FILIPINO COMMUNITY MASSES IN GREATER LONDON

5:00pm

Devotion in Honour of Our Lady of Fatima (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament / Rosary / Benediction / Mass) St Pius X Catholic Church, 108 Orme Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 3SB – Oliver Abasolo – 07782 661 922 2:00pm Five Precious Wounds Parish, Brentfield Road, Stonebridge Park, London NW10 8ER 1st Sunday Mervic Monocillo – 07894 636 140 5:00pm Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, Friary Road, Peckham, London SE15 1RH 1st Sunday Allen Abeleda – 07713 625 888 4:00pm St Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, 103 Woolwich New Road, London SE18 6EF 2nd Saturday Moises Espanola – 07894 648 639 2:00pm English Martyrs Church, Chalkhill Road, Wembley Park, Wembley HA9 9EW 2nd Sunday Becky Sarinas – 07949 857 699 / 07425 761 519 / Lina B – 07579 418 510 nd 2:00pm St Dominic Catholic Church, 243 Violet Lane, Waddon, Croydon CR0 4HN 2 Sunday Merlie Mirto – 07722 216 462 2nd Sunday 4:00pm St. Anselm and St. Cecilia, 70 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3JA Feliciano Ramirez – 07733 680 748 rd 3:00pm Sacred Heart of Jesus, New Priory, Quex Road, Kilburn, London NW6 4PS 3 Sunday Sheidrick de Leon – 07738 210 202 3rd Sunday 3:00pm Blessed Sacrament Parish, 157 Copenhagen Street, Islington N1 0SR Christy Sangalang – 07709 119 969 Last Saturday 6:00pm Our Lady of Dolours, Servite Parish Church, 264 Fulham Road, London SW10 4EL Fr Allan Satur – 020 7352 6965 / fulhamroad@rcdow.org.uk / Roland Adap – r_adap@hotmail.com Last Sunday 12:00pm St Pius X Catholic Church, 108 Orme Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 3SB Oliver Abasolo – 07782 661 922 Last Sunday 2:00pm St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 218 Roehampton Lane, London SW15 4LE Rafael Santiago – 07795 254 451 Every Sunday 5:00pm Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 20 Brixton Road, Oval, London SW9 6BU Ben Ortiz – 07723 318 486 First Wednesdays 6:30pm Filipino Mass and Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Farm Street Church of the Immaculate Conception (Jesuit House Chapel), access on 114 Mount Street, London W1K 3AY – Josie Ramos – F R E E L I S T I N G o f y o u r e v e n t s i n H07723 E L L O 024 P H I591 LIPPINES newspaper. If you know of any events please contact us via

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HEALTH and Lifestyle

March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

How to keep your teeth clean BRUSH your teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day for about two minutes to help keep your teeth and mouth healthy. Plaque is a film of bacteria that coats your teeth if you don’t brush them properly. It contributes to gum disease and tooth decay. Tooth brushing stops plaque building up. Try to make sure you brush every surface of all your teeth.

When should I brush my teeth?

Brush your teeth for about two minutes last thing at night before you go to bed and on one other occasion every day. Your dentist or hygienist may give you further advice based on your own dental health and needs.

Should I use an electric or manual toothbrush? It doesn’t matter whether

you use an electric or manual toothbrush. They’re both equally good as long as you brush all the surfaces of all your teeth and you use fluoride toothpaste. However, some people find it easier to clean their teeth thoroughly with an electric toothbrush.

What should I look for in a toothbrush? For most adults, a

toothbrush with a small head and a compact, angled arrangement of long and short round-end bristles is fine.

Medium or soft bristles are best for most people. If you’re using an electric brush, one with an oscillating or rotating head may be more effective than a manual toothbrush. However, making sure you thoroughly clean your teeth at least twice a day is more important than the type of brush you use. If in doubt, ask your dentist.

What type of toothpaste should I use? It’s important to use a toothpaste

with the right concentration of fluoride. Check the packaging to find out how much fluoride each brand contains. • All children can use family toothpaste containing 1,350-1,500ppm (parts per million) fluoride, providing you supervise brushing up until the age of seven and make sure children don’t lick or eat toothpaste from the tube. Children under six who don’t have tooth decay can use a lower-strength children’s toothpaste, but make sure it contains at least 1,000ppm fluoride. • Below the age of three, children should use just a smear of toothpaste. • Children aged between three and six years should use a pea-sized blob of toothpaste. • Children over the age of seven and

young adults should use a toothpaste that contains 1,350-1,500ppm fluoride. • Adults should use a toothpaste that contains at least 1,350ppm fluoride. Your dentist may advise you or your child to use a toothpaste with a higher concentration of fluoride if you need it. It’s fine for babies and children to use the family toothpaste rather than a special children’s toothpaste, provided it contains the right concentration of fluoride. Don’t let children lick or eat toothpaste from the tube. How to brush your teeth Make sure you brush all the surfaces of all your teeth, which should take about two minutes. Remember to brush the inside surfaces, outside surfaces and the chewing surfaces of your teeth. After brushing, spit out any excess toothpaste, but don’t rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash. If you need any more information on your toothbrushing technique, speak to your dental team. Children need to be helped or supervised brushing their teeth until they’re at least seven years old. How to floss. Flossing isn’t just for dislodging food wedged between your teeth. Regular flossing may also

reduce gum disease and bad breath by removing plaque that forms along the gum line. It’s best to floss before brushing your teeth. • Take 12-18 inches (30-45cm) of floss or dental tape and grasp it so you have a couple of inches of floss taut between your hands. • Slip the floss or dental tape between the teeth and into the area between your teeth and gums as far as it will go. • Floss with 8-10 strokes, up and down between each tooth, to dislodge food and plaque. How to use interdental brushes. You can use interdental brushes or singletufted brushes instead of flossing,

especially if there are gaps between your teeth. The brush should fit snugly between the teeth. Never use toothpicks to remove trapped food from between your teeth as you may damage your gums, which could lead to an infection. Your dentist or hygienist will be able to advise you on the best way to use interdental cleaning for your teeth. Should I use mouthwash? Using a mouthwash that contains fluoride can help prevent tooth decay, but don’t use mouthwash straight after brushing your teeth. Choose a different time, such as after lunch. And don’t eat or drink for 30 minutes after using a fluoride mouthwash. ■ NHS Choices

Get rid of bad breath Teeth facts and figures • Use sugar-free gum. The chewing (such as cheese), coffee, smoking and BAD breath is something we all TEETH are vital to our overall health, helping us to bite and chew food. How much do you know about them? Milk teeth. Babies’ teeth begin to develop before they are born, but in most cases don’t come through until they’re between 6 and 12 months old. Most children have a full set of 20 milk or baby teeth by the time they’re three years old. When they reach five or six, these teeth will start to fall out, making way for adult teeth. Adult teeth. By the age of 12 to 14, most children have lost all their baby teeth and have their adult teeth. There are 32 adult teeth in total, 12 more than in the baby set. The last four of these, called wisdom teeth, usually emerge later than the others, generally between the ages of 17 and 21. Wisdom teeth removal. If wisdom teeth don’t come through properly, or at all, it may be necessary to have them removed. What are teeth made of? The part of the tooth that you can see above the gum is called the crown. This is covered in hard, shiny enamel. Enamel is the hardest substance in the body and protects the more sensitive inner parts of the tooth. Underneath this is the dentine, a sensitive substance that makes up most of the tooth. Dentine is a hard substance, though not quite as hard as enamel. Dentine protects the inner part of the tooth, called the pulp. The pulp is where each tooth’s blood supply and nerve endings are found. The blood supply is

what keeps the teeth alive and healthy. The nerve endings send messages to the brain, such as whether you’re eating something hot or cold or if you have a decayed or damaged tooth. The pulp goes all the way into the root of the tooth, which is hidden under your gum. Cementum covers the root of the tooth, and periodontal fibres connect the tooth to the jawbone. Types of teeth. There are four different types of teeth: • Incisors. These are your four front teeth on the top and bottom jaw. They’re used for cutting and chopping food. • Canine teeth. These are sharp, pointy teeth. You have one on each side of your incisors on your top and bottom jaw, making a total of four. They help to tear food. • Premolars. Next to your canine teeth are your premolars (also called bicuspid teeth). You have eight premolars in total, four on your top jaw and four on the bottom. They are bigger and wider than your incisors and canine teeth, and are used for crushing and grinding food. Molars. You have eight molars, four on top and four on the bottom. These are your strongest teeth and work with your tongue to help you swallow food, mashing it up until it’s ready to be swallowed safely. ■ NHS Choices

worry about but are too polite to mention when we notice it in others. Everyone has bad breath from time to time, but for one in four adults in the UK it’s a regular problem. Persistent bad breath can be embarrassing. It can make people feel shy, awkward and self-conscious. It’s easy to spot bad breath in others but you can never quite be sure about your own. If you think you might have bad breath, there’s a simple test you can do. Lick the inside of your wrist and sniff. If the smell is bad, you can be pretty sure your breath is too. Or, ask someone you trust unreservedly to smell your breath. Don’t be offended if they tell you there’s a problem. Wouldn’t you rather know? Generally, bad breath (also called halitosis) isn’t serious. In most cases it’s caused by poor dental hygiene. Bits of food that get caught between the teeth and on the tongue will rot and can sometimes cause an unpleasant smell. Strong smelling food such as garlic, onions, some milk-based products

some types of medication can all cause short-term bad breath. The build-up of decaying food and other bits of debris on the surface of your tonsils, known as tonsil stones, is another source of bad breath. Bad breath can be caused by some medical conditions, such as dry mouth; diabetes; gastritis; infections in the throat, nose or lungs; as well as liver and kidney problems.

Tips for fresh breath

• Brush your teeth twice a day. Use a fluoride toothpaste. Correct and regular brushing is very important to keep your breath smelling fresh. • Brush or scrape your tongue. A soft rubber wiper called a tongue scraper can remove bacteria at the back of the tongue, which brushing can miss. • Floss your teeth. Brushing alone only cleans up to about 60% of the surface of your teeth. Flossing removes food trapped between teeth, which would otherwise turn stale and smelly. Another product you can buy to clean between your teeth is an interdental brush. • Use an antibacterial mouthwash. The best time to use mouthwash is just before bedtime. There are many different types of mouthwash. Most are alcohol-based. Alcohol can dry out or irritate your mouth, so if you have problems, switch to an alcohol-free brand that contains chlorhexidine or hydrogen peroxide.

stimulates saliva and stops your mouth drying out. A dry mouth can lead to bad breath. But gum is not a substitute for proper oral hygiene. Always clean your teeth thoroughly, even if you’ve chewed gum. • Have a check-up with your dentist at least once a year. It’s a chance to have a deep clean of your teeth and review your oral hygiene practices. You’ll also get a definitive answer on whether you’ve got bad breath. • Quit smoking. If you smoke, your breath is likely to smell of stale smoke. Smoking cigarettes also increases your risk of getting gum disease, which is another cause of bad breath. If you have persistent bad breath, try keeping a diary of all the foods you eat, and list any medicines you’re taking. Take this diary to your dentist – they may be able to suggest ways to solve the problem. If your breath doesn’t improve no matter what you do, you might not even have bad breath. Some people are convinced they have bad breath when they don’t. This is a condition known as halitophobia. People with halitophobia are paranoid about the smell of their breath. They become fixated with cleaning their teeth, chewing gum and using mouth fresheners. Treatment for halitophobia involves talking therapies and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help the person overcome their paranoia about the smell of their breath. ■ NHS Choices

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HEALTH and Lifestyle food

A balanced diet

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

Most people in the UK eat and drink too many calories, too much fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables, oily fish and fibre. It’s important to have some fat in your diet, but you don’t need to eat any foods from the “foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar” group as part of a healthy diet.

Fruit and vegetables: are you getting your 5 a day? Fruit and vegetables are a

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

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

Meat, fish, eggs and beans: all good sources of protein. These foods are

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

a good alternative to snacks high in saturated fat, but they do still contain high levels of fat, so eat them in moderation.

Milk and dairy foods: avoid full fat varieties. Milk and dairy foods such as cheese and yoghurt are good sources of protein. They also contain calcium, which helps keep your bones healthy. To enjoy the health benefits of dairy without eating too much fat, use semiskimmed, 1% fat or skimmed milk, as well as lower-fat hard cheeses or cottage cheese, and lower-fat yoghurt. Eat less fat and sugar. Most people in the UK eat too much fat and sugar. Fats and sugar are both sources of energy for the body, but when we eat too much of them we consume more energy than we burn, and this can mean that we put on weight. This can lead to obesity, which increases our risk of type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and stroke.

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

is found in foods such as cheese, sausages, butter, cakes, biscuits and pies. Most people in the UK eat too much saturated fat, which can raise our cholesterol, putting us at increased

March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

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

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

Tips for eating a healthy diet.

Research into the links between diet and depression is ongoing. As yet, there is not enough evidence to say for certain that some foods help relieve symptoms of depression. However, a healthy balanced diet is important for maintaining good general health. “The most important thing is to eat regularly and to include the main food groups in your daily diet,” says Dr Lynn Harbottle, consultant in nutrition and dietetics at the Health and Social Services Department in Guernsey. A diet based on starchy foods, such as rice and pasta, with plenty of

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

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

Include some protein at every meal.

Protein is essential for the growth and repair of the body. You can get it from

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

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

man, don’t regularly drink more than three-to-four units a day. If you’re a

woman, don’t regularly drink more than two-to-three units a day. Use our alcohol unit calculator to find out how many units there are in different types of alcoholic drinks. Don’t drink alcohol if you’re taking antidepressants. When you make changes to your diet, set yourself realistic and achievable goals. Lynn warns against crash or miracle diets that might not be nutritionally balanced. Instead, make moderate changes. If you want to make major changes to your diet, see your GP, who can refer you to a registered dietitian.

Further information about diet and mental wellbeing. The energy diet

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

Scoop DONATIONS FROM THE HEART GMA Network turns over 1,783 blood bags to the Philippine Red Cross 24

www.hello-philippines.com

LAST February, the station with a heart continues to make a difference in the lives of Filipinos with the annual Kapuso Bloodletting Day held in key areas across the Philippines. Now on its 7th year, the Kapuso Bloodletting Day is a project of GMA Network’s Corporate Affairs Division in cooperation with the Network’s socio-

Award winning GMA News personality Kara David

March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

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civic arm, GMA Kapuso Foundation and GMA Regional TV, in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross. The event, which encouraged the entire Kapuso workforce to take part in saving lives by donating blood, was held last February 11 at GMA Network Center in Quezon City. The whole day affair saw employees, officers, artists

GMA Artist Center star Phytos Ramirez

and even their family and friends taking time out from their daily work activities to participate in the worthy cause. The initiative was also extended nationwide with bloodletting drives held in the regions, namely, Ilocos, Dagupan, Bicol, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Davao and GenSan, on February 14. The Kapuso Bloodletting Day yielded a total of 1, 783 blood bags (799, 550 cc) with the event in Quezon City producing 333 blood bags (147, 050 cc) and the regional bloodletting drives producing 1, 450 blood bags (652, 500 cc). “This event was a success, not only because the donations this year surpassed the prior year but also because this huge turnout and continued support is a testament to our solidarity with the Network’s commitment to uplift the lives of our fellow Filipinos,” says GMA Kapuso Foundation EVP and COO Mel C. Tiangco. “None of this would be possible

Kapuso bloodletting turnover

Regional bloodletting in Cagayan de Oro

Regional bloodletting in Iloilo

Regional bloodletting in Ilocos

without the generosity and bravery of each Kapuso donor who believe in and donated to our cause,” she furthers. GMA Corporate Affairs AVP Teresa L. Pacis, meanwhile, says this activity is a concrete means by which employees can engage in the Network’s corporate social responsibility efforts. “The

annual bloodletting program is an integral part of our CSR platform. We look after the welfare of our employees by encouraging them to mine the health benefits of donating blood. At the same time, we get our employees to actively take part in enriching the lives of our fellow Filipinos.” ■

Kris Aquino says Herbert Bautista proposed marriage last year Continuation from page 1 That same week, Philippine Star entertainment columnist Ricky Lo revealed that the mayor had not yet ended his relationship with longtime girlfriend Teresa “Tates” Gana with whom he has two children and suggested that he might not be ready to commit to Kris for the long haul. But Kris believes there’s another reason why Herbert broke up with her. “Inayawan nya ko, I’d like to think not me the actual person, but the complicated baggage that comes with having a relationship with me.” Sounding emotional and sentimental throughout her post, Kris also posted the video lyrics to three love ballads: Whitney Houston’s “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and “I Look To You” and The Jets’ “Make It Real”. In justifying why she’s now revealing all the details about this particular episode in her personal life, Kris posted the hash tag, “#CLOSURE” captioning a screenshot of her blog in her Instagram account and suggesting she has learned from the experience and is ready to move forward. “This is the first time I’ll publicly acknowledge this, because I can now recall with absolutely no bitterness or regrets… And maybe the rejection I went through is a blessing, because I needed to feel the hurt, in order to learn to be less selfish and more compassionate, to empathize more readily with those suffering from all kinds of pain.”

She said she and Herbert have in time become friends again, “comfortable to catch up over the phone every few weeks or so” but after she declined to to take his call four times the day after her birthday last Valentine’s Day, she realized it’s no longer a good idea to remain close to him. That was also after her 7-year old son Bimby reminded her how she’ll feel if she did answer her phone. “I realized as much as I want us to be friends, we can’t. There were just too many promises that my heart so desperately wanted to believe in. And continuing the friendship will continue to make me long for what wasn’t meant to be.” Despite her experience with Herbert as well as the other previous men in her past, Kris continues to pray that someday, the right guy for her will finally come along. “I still pray for someone who can be my strength. I still pray for someone to talk to at the end of a long day, someone who will listen, and someone who will also teach me new things, challenging my mind, and mirroring my values. “Someone to pray with and pray for. Someone I can trust with all my fears, someone who accepts my past, and still looks forward to our future. And someone who won’t be tired about love, but will accept, nurture, and treasure what we will share,” she concluded. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / February 25, 2015 / 3:40 PM

7 years aand 7 months Relationships last long not because they are destined to last long. Relationships last long because two brave people made a choice.. to KEEP it, to FIGHT for it and to WORK for it. To my Bestfriend in this world, my partner in life, my love-- We’ve been through good and bad, thick and thin but always remember that no one could ever destroy the love that we have. My Lord Jesus Christ thank you for being our center, our core and our foundation. We surrender and offer everything to you my Lord Jesus Christ! Thank you thank you.. yay Happy 91 months my answered prayer! I love you @rodjuncruz #072307 #NewYork #USTripDec2014 ©Instagram

Are wedding bells ringing soon for Rodjun Cruz and Dianne Medina? SUNDAY All Stars mainstay Rodjun Cruz and longtime girlfriend Dianne Medina join the list of celebrities who demonstrate that true love may exist in the world of showbiz. The two TV personalities have just celebrated 7 years and 7 months as a couple. In one of Dianne’s recent Instagram post, the couple is seen at the Empire State Building in New York during their US trip in December last year. The TV5 talent

also wrote, “Relationships last long not because they are destined to last long. Relationships last long because two brave people made a choice.. to KEEP it, to FIGHT for it and to WORK for it.” She then addressed her beau, “To my Bestfriend in this world, my partner in life, my love-- We’ve been through good and bad, thick and thin but always remember that no one could ever destroy the love that we have.” “My Lord Jesus Christ thank you for being our center, our core and our

foundation. We surrender and offer everything to you my Lord Jesus Christ! Thank you thank you.. yay Happy 91 months my answered prayer! I love you@rodjuncruz #072307 #NewYork #USTripDec2014,” she continued. Now that the couple is going for their 8th anniversary, is another celebrity wedding underway? Tune in on GMANetwork.com to find out. ■ Cherry Sun / GMANetwork.com / February 25, 2015

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March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

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Eight GMA Finalists in 2015 New York Festivals EIGHT entries from GMA Network were named as finalists - the most number of finalists among all local TV networks - in the highly esteemed 2015 New York Festivals World’s Best TV and Films competition. Top-rating weekend news magazine program Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho was shortlisted in the Human Interest category for its episode “From Saudi with Love.” A heartwarming story about gratitude that crosses borders, defies language barriers, religion and ethnicity, the episode featured Saudi journalist Rawan Radwan’s search for her former Pinay nanny. Chosen as one of the finalists in the Community Portraits category

Sid Lucero as Andres Bonifacio

was afternoon program Reporter’s Notebook for its “Burak at Pangarap” episode. It centered on the story of twelve-year-old Junjun, one of the 78,000 children in Metro Manila facing severe deprivation of shelter, after his family was left homeless when a fire razed their home and more than a hundred other houses in Malabon City. Late-night documentary program Front Row, in turn, made it as a finalist in the Best Public Affairs Program category for its feature on the neurodegenerative disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Titled “ALS,” the documentary took viewers beyond the viral Ice Bucket Challenge and showed the real story

Mike Enriquez and wife Baby

behind the disease in the eyes of the patients and their families. Katipunan, GMA Network’s first historical mini-series, earned a finalist status for its premiere episode “Teresa” under the Best Camerawork category. Produced by GMA News and Public Affairs, Katipunan shed light on the real Andres Bonifacio and the men and women who started the revolution. Meanwhile, nominated in the Biography/Profiles category was GMA News TV’s weekend documentary program Reel Time featuring “Dungkoy,” a ten-year-old boy from Calauan, Laguna, who was abandoned by his parents and was left alone to take care of his paralyzed grandmother.

Walang Rape sa Bontok

Jay Taruc

RN Jiggy Manicad and Maki Pulido

Regional bloodletting in Ilocos

Mel Tiangco

Travel documentary program Motorcycle Diaries’ “Karapatan ng Bata” episode, also on GMA News TV, was named as a finalist in the Human Concerns category. The episode showed how poverty denies countless Filipino children their basic rights through the eyes of several less fortunate children in the country. “Walang Rape sa Bontok,” one of the winning entries in the first Cine Totoo Philippine Documentary Festival produced by GMA News TV, was listed as a finalist in the Film/Documentaries category. The documentary by Carla Samantha Ocampo tells the story of two Filipinas, both victims of sexual

abuse, who yearn for a utopia where women can live without being sexually violated. Further, GMA News TV’s “May Pagasa” station ID, a collection of stories of hope that aims to show the power of the human heart to see light in the midst of darkness, was chosen as one of the finalists in the Station/Image Promotion category. All finalists will proceed to a second round of judging by award-winning industry experts from around the globe. Winners will be presented at the 2015 Television and Film Awards Ceremony scheduled on April 14 in Las Vegas. ■

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March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Docu on child survivors of Yolanda premieres at Singkuwento filmfest FOLLOWING his intriguing gender-bending Cinema One Originals feature film debut, “Seoul Mates”, South Korea-based Filipino filmmaker Nash Ang takes on the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda in a 60-minute documentary scheduled to have its world premiere at the Singkuwento International Film Festival this Saturday, February 21. In an interview with InterAkyon, the young filmmaker, who is currently taking his masters degree in filmmaking at the Korea National University of the Arts, said his film follows the lives of child survivors and their remaining families one month after the Yolanda tragedy. “It’s actually a two-part story. The first part will be shown in the festival. The second half or the finale will show the developments of the story a year after the disaster,” the young filmmaker revealed. Aware that there are numerous films about Yolanda and its survivors that have already been made, Direk

Nash is quick to point out that he and his crew were actually among the first to chronicle the fallout of the calamity. “We were already there in Leyte around one month or just a few weeks after the tragedy. There were still so many unsettled things when we arrived. But we were fortunate to be staying at Palo Cathedral with the priests there at the time of filming. So that saved us a lot of budget,” he recalled. “We spent our Christmas and New Year there with our case studies and we were able to take a lot of footage. We finished filming on the first day of classes in January of 2014.” As for the film’s title, Ang said he had already decided on “Paraiso” even before production started. “From the point of view of a Filipino and filming Filipinos, I know our values. The way we are known for our resiliency. Ang Pilipino kahit na pilitin mong paalisin sa isang lugar ay ayaw nila, ipaglalaban nila ito hanggang kamatayan. So yun ang naging

inspiration ko kung bakit ‘Paraiso’ ang title. It’s the place where people find happiness,” he replied. Direk Nash added that while he intends to enter “Paraiso” in other international film festivals following its Manila premiere, he hopes to finish the second part of the film that he plans to shoot two years after Yolanda struck the country. “Paraiso” is one of three films set to open Singkuwento. The other two are Robert Reyes Ang’s “TNT: Tago Nang Tago (Always on the Run)”, a short about an illegal immigrant in the United States; and Perry Escaño’s “Ang Platinong Buhok”, a short documentary that pays tribute to the late theater, television and film actress Amable “Ama” Quiambao. Escaño himself is the festival director of Singkuwento which started in 2013 as a non-competition festival of short films by a small group of filmmakers. This year, the festival now includes a competition for short films with awards

A scene from Nash Ang’s documentary, ‘Paraiso’.

for Best Short Film, Best Cultural Short Film and Best Documentary Short Film. Organized in cooperation with MPJ Entertainment Productions, the National Culture for the Commission and the Arts (NCCA) and the Office of the Mayor of Manila, the Singkuwento International Film Festival 2015 will run from February 21 to 28 at the Leandro Locsin Theater at the NCCA

Building, 633 General Malvar Street, Intramuros, Manila. For screening schedules and details on all films that will be screened at the festival, visit Singkuwento’s official Facebook page. Likewise, for more information about “Paraiso” which will have a second screening on February 26, visit the film’s website. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / February 21, 2015 / 7:15 PM

Brillante Mendoza launches ‘filmmaker-friendly’ Sinag Maynila filmfest EVEN with his international success, celebrated filmmaker Brillante Mendoza has always been asked why he has opted not to join local independent film festivals. “One reason why I don’t join other film festivals here is I already have foreign producers so I don’t really need grants to get my films made. At the same time, that also gives me ownership of my films,” Mendoza recently told InterAksyon and other media during the recent launch of Sinag Maynila, a new independent film festival he is spearheading along with Solar Entertainment Corporation where he is creative director. But even as he is not actively involved in the local indie film circuit, Mendoza said he is very much aware of the plight of our local filmmakers especially when it comes to the rights to their own work. So when Solar Entertainment CEO Wilson Tieng came up with the concept for Sinag Maynila, Direk Brillante made sure that it will be what he calls a “filmmaker-friendly” film festival.

“I told Mr. Tieng that if we’re going to support the filmmakers, let’s support them wholeheartedly and he’s very agreeable to this,” he revealed. Aside from a generous grant of P2 million for each participating filmmaker, along with the support of SM Cinemas, the country’s largest cinema chain, Mendoza hinted that the filmmakers will also have part-ownership of their films. Without discussing the details, he said that the terms in Sinag Maynila are definitely “better than those of other film festivals.” Scheduled from March 18 to 24 in designated SM Cinemas in SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, SM Manila, SM Fairview, SM Southmall, SM Mall of Asia and in SM Aura Premier where the red-carpet opening ceremonies will be held, Sinag Maynila kicks off its maiden year with five feature film entries from some of the country’s notable indie directors. They are “Balut Country” from Paul Sta. Ana (“Oros”), “Bambanti” by Zig Dulay (“M: Mother’s Maiden Name”), “Imbisibol” by Lawrence Fajardo (“Posas”),

Solar Entertainment CEO Wilson Tieng and filmmaker Brillante Mendoza address the media during the recent launch of Sinag Maynila Film Festival.

“Ninja Party” by Jim Libiran (“Tribu”) and “Swap” by Remton Zuasola (“Ang Damgo ni Eleueteria”). There was supposed to be a sixth entry in “Death by Gokkun” by Joselito Altarejos (“Kasal”) but the director opted to pull out of the festival and has instead entered his film in an international film festival. Direk Brillante said this is fine by him since he really wants to help his fellow filmmakers have the same success he has

had in the international circuit. “This is my 10th year as a director. I think it’s time for me to pay back or pay forward to other filmmakers and give them the same opportunity that I had in terms of international exposure,” he declared. Mendoza is scheduled to receive an international lifetime achievement award from the ongoing Singkuwento International Film Festival. With Sinag Maynila, he said there’s a good chance of pushing and

Angelica Panganiban rails against ‘Tadhana’ online piracy

Following Angelica’s series of tweets, fans immediately deleted their posts which prompted this reaction from the actress. A check with torrent sites revealed that the one of the uploaders of the film goes by the handle, “kenneth1391 (buhay pirate)”, the same guy who has also been uploading other copies of Filipino films which mostly look like they were recorded directly from their theatrical screenings. But those who have seen the uploaded “Tadhana” were surprised that the copy is of DVD, high definition quality with hard-coded, unremovable English subtitles which suggests that it may have been directly sourced from a master copy of the film.

ACTRESS Angelica Panganiban has every reason to be on cloud nine these days. Her latest movie, Cinema One Originals sensation “That Thing Called Tadhana”, is a certified blockbuster. As

Angelica Panganiban in a scene from ‘That Thing Called Tadhana’.

of February 19, the acclaimed romantic comedy made on a P2 million grant had grossed over P120 million in the box office according to a tweet by its writerdirector, Antoinette Jadaone. Angelica also won her second straight Best Actress trophy for her performance as Mace, a woman jilted by her boyfriend of eight years. After first winning the acting plum last November at the Cinema One Originals film festival, Angelica shared best actress honors at the recent Gawad Tanglaw awards with superstar Nora Aunor, who won for “Dementia”. But some people could not help raining on her parade. Copies of the

film leaked to YouTube and torrent sites earlier this week. Angelica thought that it was bad enough that fans had resorted to downloading a pirated copy rather than watching it in cinemas where it is still showing. What she found more upsetting was many of those downloaders even had the audacity to tag her on Twitter and Instagram as they posted their reactions after watching the unauthorized copy. The actress tweeted the screenshots of those posts that included the account names and photos of the downloaders, most of whom are young girls who either are not aware or did not care that they had engaged in an illegal act.

crossing boundaries as he has personally worked closely with the filmmakers in the development of their films. “Sinag Maynila does not only up the ante. Working with Brillante Mendoza, we hope to give our homegrown filmmakers the chance to tell the stories of Filipinos in the most compelling visual narrative possible,” added Tieng. “The five films show great promise of high recognition not just locally but in international independent film festivals as well.” Mendoza stressed that Sinag Maynila is not out to undermine or compete with other film festivals. “We are not here to compete with anyone. More festivals means more opportunities to deliver more films, more stories, especially from independent directors. For our part, we don’t want to just produce films. We want to produce good films. And we want the public to watch all five films,” Mendoza concluded. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / February 25, 2015 / 11:15 AM

The copies uploaded in YouTube (mostly now removed) also appears to be from a digital source. Aggressive efforts have been made by the Optical Media Board and the Motion Picture Anti-Film Piracy Council (MPAFPC) to curb piracy in the country. This includes a new infomercial about the Anti-Camcording Law produced by Quantum Films starring “English Only, Please” star Derek Ramsay that is currently shown in cinemas prior to every screening. However, piracy of local movies, whether available in DVDs or through online downloads remains an industry concern as even low-budget indies are not spared. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / February 22, 2015 / 7:23 PM

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Heroism of ordinary Filipinos remembered at the ‘War and Rebuilding’ symposium “SOMETIMES we have to confront the sad reality of the past,” historian Prof. Xiao Chua shared before students and other guests during his talk at the “War and Rebuilding: 70 years after the Battle for Manila” symposium on Tuesday, February 24, at Robinsons Place Manila. The talk is in line with an ongoing exhibit commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Battle for Manila, also dubbed as the “Rape of Manila,” “Liberation of Manila,” and considered as one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Hosted by Lourd de Veyra and organized by Interaksyon, the activity featured an in-depth presentation on the history of the battle, putting context into what gave birth to the battle, the atrocities suffered by Filipinos, and how Manila was finally liberated. Underscoring the importance of remembering this part of Philippine history, Chua shared “‘Yang nangyari

sa Maynila, katiting lang yan kasi sa buong Pilipinas ganyan din ang nangyari pero buo pa rin ang bansa natin. We survived. Ang ‘di masyadong nakukwento yung kabayanihan ng mga tao. War brings out the worst in people but war also brings out the best in people.” (“What happened in Manila is only a small part of the bigger picture because the war took place all over Philippines, but we remained intact. We survived. The heroism of the people was oftentimes not told. War brings out the worst in people but war also brings out the best in people.”) “When we remember the war, opo, natuto po tayo sa mga leksyon na ang mga digmaan walang panalo ngunit sabihin natin na kung may tagumpay man sa digmaan na kailangan natin dalhin sa pangaraw-araw na buhay— dahil sa kanila kaya tayo nabubuhay. Malaya tayo na itakda ang ating sariling buhay nang hindi tinatapakan

Students at the ‘War and Rebuilding’ symposium organized by InterAksyon on February 24, 2015. Photo by Bernard Testa, ©InterAksyon.com.

niyuyurakan ng dayuhan. Yun po sana ang ating alalahanin: ang kabayanihan ng ordinaryong tao.” (“When we remember the war, yes, we learn about its lessons that there is really no victor in war. But what we can say is, if there is a good thing about the war that we need to remember in our daily lives, it would be the fact that because of the war we were able to live. We are free to set the course of our own lives without being stepped down by others. This is what we should remember: the heroism of ordinary people.”) Prof. Chua’s talk was then followed by the showing of an 18-minute documentary film entitled “Orders from Tokyo,” featuring clips from the war. Professor Gerard Lico of the U.P. College of Architecture also shared with the students key insights on what it took to rebuild the lovely city designed by world-class urban planner Daniel Burnham and which was known as the “Paris of the East” and “Pearl of the Orient” before WWII. Lico discussed the transition of the architectural styles and history of the city of Manila pre-World War II, the damage sustained by the city, and how the second most devastated Allied city (next only to warsaw) was able to rebuild itself. Lico’s talk was followed by the showing of a TV5 documentary, hosted by Lourd de Veyra, about the Battle for Manila. The episode is part of News5’s award-winning “KAYA” documentary series.

Guests view an 18-minute film entitled ‘Orders from Tokyo’ at the ‘War and Rebuilding’ symposium organized by InterAksyon on February 24, 2015 at Robinsons Place Manila’s Cinema 1. Photo by Bernard Testa, ©InterAksyon.com.

Meanwhile, attendees of the symposium found the event educational, and a reinformcement to what they have heard from their elders. Fifty four year-old Martin Tan, a teacher shared, “(the symposium was) very informative. Ngayon ko lang naconfirm yung kwento ng magulang ko na ganoon pala talaga ang nangyari nung panahon na ‘yun, na ganoon katindi ang atrocities.” (“The symposium was) very informative. It is only now that I was able to confirm the stories of my parents, that those events really happened during that time, that the atrocities were severe that time.”) “We have to really remember yung ating history kasi ‘pag ‘di natin binalikan yung nagdaang panahon, para tayong walang direksyon sa pupuntahan. Dito nakikita natin ang

facts,” Tan also added. (“We have to really remember our history because if we don’t recall the past, it is as if we have no direction to go to. (It is through history) that we are able to see the facts.”) For students at the symposium, the vivid details shown in the film has been an eye-opening experience as well. Kenway Carter, a 17-year-old student from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, shared, “yung pinagaaralan sa school tungkol sa history ay limited lang so hindi nae-explain in detail kaya ‘di namin naiisip. Ngayon lang naming nakita.” (“What we have learned in school on history is limited and isn’t being explained in detail so we don’t think about it. We only saw what it’s all about just now.’) ■ Romsanne Ortiguero / Lifestyle Section, InterAksyon.com / February 25, 2015 / 7:01 AM

More Pinoy dual citizens seen with MILF guerrillas watch from a distance as amended German citizenship law PNP Board of Inquiry visits encounter site MANILA – Amendments to Germany’s citizenship law could pave the way for more Filipino dual citizens in the European country, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday. The amended German Nationality Act, which came into effect last December 20, abolishes the exclusivity rule that required children born of foreign parents to choose only one citizenship. Thus, children born in Germany after January 1, 2000 to foreign parents can now choose to have both German citizenship and that of their parent’s country when they turn 21, provided one parent has been staying legally in the country for eight years and the child grew up there—meaning they have lived there for eight years, attended school for six years, or graduated from a German school or occupational training. The amended law also extends the exemption from choosing a single citizenship to children born in Germany

to foreigners between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 1999 and who were naturalized in the year 2000, provided as well that they grew up there. The DFA said the amended German law “will not affect the current rule in the Philippines that children born of mixed marriages (e.g., Filipino-German) are entitled to both citizenships (dual citizenship by reason of blood).” Philippine Ambassador to Germany Melita Sta. Maria-Thomeczek welcomed the amendments to the German law,

Screen image extracted from News5, n5e.interaksyon.com

saying these were “important in ensuring that Germany continues to be an open and multicultural society.” “It is especially important that Filipino-German youth, many of whom continue to closely identify themselves with the Philippines, are able to stake their claim to their parent’s homeland,” she added. “No difficult decisions will have to be made—the only decision they will have to think about it is when to renew their Philippine passport.” ■ InterAksyon.com / February 26, 2015 / 11:41 AM

WHEN the PNP board of inquiry visited the site in Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao where the bulk of the SAF 44 fell on January 25, aside from residents in the area, other eyes were watching them. About a hundred meters away were MILF fighters, from the unit that had engaged the SAF that fateful day, this time providing a “second layer of security for the visitors,” as this pointof-view report by Mindanews’ Carolyn O. Arguillas put it. We are reposting the first excerpts from the article with a link to the whole story with permission from Mindanews. SITIO ALILING, Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao “Tingnan nyo, basta may coordinate, wala talagang problema (See, if there’s coordination, there is really no problem),” Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commander Haramen said as he and his men watched from behind a row of banana plants on Tuesday while members of the Board of Inquiry of the Philippine National

Police (PNP) led by Director Benjamin Magalong walked across the cornfields where 35 of the 44 slain members of the Special Action Force (SAF) were found on January 25. Unknown to the newly-arrived visitors, Haramen, operations commander of the 7th Brigade of the 105th Base Command of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), and his men - all of them armed - were, earlier that morning, mingling near the river with members of the PNP who were serving as the advance security team. By noon, across the river, elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who helped escort Magalong’s team would line up to stand guard when the BOI team arrived. Shortly before the BOI arrived, the MILF commander ordered his men to leave the treeline - a row of coconuts and bananas - some 150 meters from the riverbank, so the PNP security forces in uniform and in plainclothes could take over. ■ Carolyn O. Arguillas /

Mindanews / February 26, 2015 / 11:27 AM

March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

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Philippines, Slovak Republic Strengthen Ties SLOVAK Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák met with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario on Monday, February 23, to discuss ways to boost bilateral ties in the

first high-level visit by a Slovak delegation to the Philippines since 2001. Deputy Prime Minister Lajčák’s visit took place as the Philippines and the Slovak Republic held their

inaugural Political Consultations on February 23. Secretary Del Rosario led the Philippine delegation, while Deputy Prime Minister Lajčák led the Slovak side in a robust exchange of views on bilateral, regional and global concerns. The discussion focused on further strengthening ties in key areas of cooperation such as agriculture, trade and investments, education and culture, defense and energy. Elevating bilateral trade from its current modest level was given special emphasis by the Ministers. The meeting also touched on the Philippines’ priorities for the ASEAN Integration and its chairmanship of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2015. Earlier, in the Deputy Prime Minister’s courtesy call on Secretary Del Rosario, the two Ministers agreed on the importance of a peaceful resolution to the disputes in the West Philippine Sea under the framework of international law. A Joint Plan of Action between the Philippines and the Slovak Republic was also signed during the meeting. Under this framework, the Philippines and the Slovak Republic will commit to enhance trade and investment cooperation, renewable

energy, defense, address concerns on consular matters and law enforcement, increase cultural and educational cooperation, strengthen people to people ties, and emphasize cooperation in various multilateral fora such as the United Nations (UN) and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Prior to the meeting, the Minister and his delegation visited the Avion Power Plant in Batangas on Sunday, February 22, and offered a wreath at the Rizal Monument on Monday,

February 23. The Slovak energy and engineering firm Istroenergo Group supplied the gas turbines for the plant, which will be operational in the latter half of 2015. It is expected to boost the power-generating capacity of the Luzon grid. Deputy Prime Minister Lajčák and the Slovak delegation also called on Vice President Jejomar Binay and Defense Undersecretary Fernando I. Manalo during his visit. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / February 24,

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French President François Hollande To Undertake State Visit To The Philippines THE President of the French Republic, François Hollande, will visit the Philippines from February 26 to 27 on the invitation of President Benigno S. Aquino III. Accompanied by a delegation of over one hundred officials, celebrities and media people, the State visit is a first by an incumbent President of France to the country since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1947. President Aquino and President Hollande will discuss various facets of a bilateral relationship that has gained momentum in recent years. They will also exchange views on pressing regional and global issues, including terrorism, which has recently manifested itself in France in the Charlie Hebdo killing spree that

claimed the lives of 20 people in the heart of Paris. Upon arrival, President Hollande will motor straight to Luneta Park to lay a wreath in honor of Jose Rizal. The Philippines’ national hero was inspired by the ideals of the French revolution in 1789 - liberty, equality and fraternity. Rizal wrote the first chapters of El Filibusterismo in Paris. Aside from shared democratic values, increased economic partnership will be a common objective. France is the Philippines’ 2nd largest trading partner in the European Union (EU) with two-way trade amounting to US$2.39 billion in October 2014. This represented an increase of 24% from the same period of the year before. President Hollande will use the

occasion of his State visit to the Philippines to drum up support for action on climate change. France is hosting the 21st meeting of the Conference of Parties or COP21 in Paris in December 2015. It is estimated that about 40,000 stakeholders will attend COP21. President Hollande’s visit reciprocates President Aquino’s first official visit to France in September 2014. In 1986, France was the first country to recognize the government of President Corazon Aquino under another Socialist President - François Mitterand. France is the fifth largest economy in the world, and second largest EU economy after Germany. It is a major global investor and a leader in

the Francophone world composed of some 40 countries in Africa, Europe and the Americas. France is one of

the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / February 21, 2015

DFA Rolls Out Authentication IT Systems THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) rolled out on February 20 two authentication information technology systems which will help improve the delivery of consular services to the public. The roll out ceremony for the Authentication Document Management and e-Registry Systems was headed by DFA Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Concerns Rafael E. Seguis and APO Production Unit Chairperson Milagros S. Alora. In October 2014, the two organizations signed the Memorandum of Agreement for the Procurement of Authentication Certificates with e-Registry and Document Management Systems which led to the development and commissioning of the two systems. The development of the two IT systems as well as the acquisition of 21 computers, 11 scanners, two servers

and one storage device required for operating the two systems were done at zero cost to the DFA and are value added in the printing of highly secure and tamperdeterrent Authentication Certificates. “Consular service is not limited to the issuance of passports and visas but also includes authentication service. With the rollout of the two Authentication IT systems today, authentication service, more commonly known as “red ribbon,” takes a big leap forward from the medieval age and joins the information age. Therefore, by extension, the consular service we provide also gets a big boost from this endeavor,” Undersecretary Seguis said in his brief remarks. The Document Management System co-developed by the DFA and APO Production Unit is designed to streamline existing repetitive and cumbersome backend operations processes to cut down the turn-around time and optimize

manpower resources. The Document Management System will also serve as the platform for the standardization of authentication services in Philippine Embassies and Consulates General abroad. On the other hand, the e-Registry System will make available a database of specimen signatures which can be accessed by DFA Satellite and Regional Consular Offices as well as Philippine Foreign Service Posts overseas. “This will also make possible further decentralization of Authentication Services to our Regional Consular Offices, which is in line with our mantra to make consular services more convenient, closer and accessible to the public,” Undersecretary Seguis commented about the e-Registry System. The e-Registry System likewise makes online verification of Authentication Certificates issuance by interested parties

(Top photo) DFA Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Concerns Rafael E. Seguis (seated, middle) tests the online verification capability of the e-Registry System. Looking on are APO Chairperson Ms. Milagros S. Alora (seated, left), APO General Manager Jaime H. Aldaba (standing, leftmost), APO Board of Trustee Luz L. Palacio (standing, 2nd from left), DFA Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Wilfredo C. Santos (standing, 2nd from right) and Authentication Acting Director Siegfred T. Masangkay. (Bottom photo) Officials from the DFA and APO Production Unit, Inc. are joined by Mr. Ishaq Ibrahim Aloraini, CDA, a.i. of the Royal Saudi Embassy (3rd from right); Mr. Saad S.M.S. Alajmi, Consul of the Embassy of the State of Kuwait (2nd from right); and Mr. Medhat Abughaneim, Media Translator from the Embassy of the State of Qatar (rightmost).

possible, further fostering security and integrity of public documents. Starting 09 March 2015, all Authentication Certificates issued in the Philippines can be verified online through the DFA website. “This undertaking is beneficial in light of the growing number of overseas Filipinos. Currently, one out of ten Filipinos are overseas as migrant workers and immigrants. At some point, they will need

their documents to be used abroad to be legalized through our Department,” Undersecretary Seguis said. The e-Registry System will also pave the way for the Philippines to join and implement the Apostille Convention, which streamlines into a single formality the legalization procedure of public documents to be used abroad. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / February 24, 2015

PHL Businesses Explore Opportunities in Myanmar THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-National Capital Region (PCCI-NCR), headed by Philippines-Myanmar Business Council Chairman Ruy Moreno, and PCCI-NCR Vice-President and Agriman

Ambassador Chua talks to Philipines-Myanmar Business Council Chairman Ruy Moreno.

Enterprises President Danilo Sanchez, undertook an exploratory mission to Myanmar from February 22 to 25. The seven-member business delegation met Philippine Ambassador to Myanmar Alex G. Chua on February 23. Mr. Sanchez said the exploratory mission in Myanmar aims to look for possible business opportunities for Philippine Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Ambassador Chua noted the increase in business missions from the Philippines since last year. He expressed hope that these business missions would lead to closer relations between Philippine

and Myanmar businesses. The entry in 2014 of Ayala Land, Manila Water Inc. and ComWorks Inc. bodes well for Philippines-Myanmar economic relations, he added. During the meeting, Mr. Norberto R. Ong, Senior Consultant of Waterstone Myanmar Consulting Services Co., Ltd., gave an overview of the developments in Myanmar’s economy. Mr. Ong said agriculture, tourism and education are promising sectors for Philippine businesses. PCCI-NCR also conducted industry visits and market scanning, and met with the members of the Union of

(Left photo) PCCI-NCR business delegation with Philippine Ambassador to Myanmar Alex G. Chua (center) and Career Minister Ma. Lourdes Salcedo (4th from left) at the Philippine Embassy.

Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries (UMFCCI) for a one-on-one business matching. Dduring the State Visit of President U Thein Sein to the Philippines on 05

December 2013, PCCI and UMFCCI signed a Memorandum of Agreement which provides for exchange of information and business missions. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / February 25, 2015

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ASG deaths in Patikul rise to 14; suspected Malaysian JI members also being hunted MANILA – Reports reaching Manila indicated that the number of casualties on the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) side has climbed to 14 dead and 19 wounded in the renewed fighting that erupted Wednesday in Sulu, Rear Admiral Reynaldo Yoma, commander of the Task Force ZAMBASULTA (Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, TawiTawi), said Thursday. “Six of the 14 dead Abu Sayyaf bandits were from body count,” Yoma reported. Yoma, also commander of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao Command, said government security forces were in the process of verifying reports that at least three still- unidentified Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) personalities were among the encountered bandits. On Wednesday, elite forces from the Army Scout Rangers and Special Forces encountered up to 300 Abu Sayyaf bandits in Barangay Tanum in

the town of Patikul. According to Ensign Chester Ramos, spokesman of ZAMBASULTA, the firefight also resulted in the death of two government soldiers and 16 others wounded. At Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang ordered all unit commanders in Basilan and Sulu to intensify their operations against ASG. “This is not a purely military solution to this lingering social problem. I will commit troops to relentlessly pursue the armed bandits who are hiding in the jungles and another group of soldiers will work with the local government and non-government organizations in addressing the wide array of community issues that are also attributed to the existence of the ASG,” Catapang said.

He said that he is considering an option to send in more troops to help flush out the Abu Sayyaf Group. Colonel Alan Arrojado, commander of Joint Task Group Sulu, identified the soldiers who died in the encounter on February 25 as Corporal Lonell Bautista, 35, of Emilio Aguinaldo, Cavite, and, Private First Class Ervin Roquero, 23, of Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental. Among those who were wounded were 1st Lt. Ramsel Dugan and 2nd Lt. Bernard Mabazza. Tracking the bandits’ withdrawal route, the troops pursued them deep inside the jungles located in the adjacent sub-village of Kan Jimaw, Tugas, Patikul. Another firefight ensued at 9:15 a.m. Thursday when the Scout Rangers spotted at least 100 bandits led by Hatib Sawadjaan. The troops belonging to the 35th Infantry Battalion came upon an

First Metro, Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui explore investment banking tieup MANILA - The investment banking arm of Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company and Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) have forged a partnership that would expand their reach across Asia. In a statement, First Metro Investment Corporation (FMIC) said it signed a Memorandum of Intent (MOI) with SMBC, together with SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. and SMBC Nikko

Securities (Hong Kong) Ltd. The MOI would allow the parties to “explore opportunities,” focusing on debt capital markets and debt-related transactions. Noburu Kato, SMBC director, general manager and head of the Asian Investment Banking Department, said the signing comes at a right time since the Philippines is ready to participate and compete internationally, with

its robust economy and fast-moving market. “This agreement will allow businesses and investors from either the Philippines or Japan to take part in the debt issuances of clients of First Metro and the SMBC Group. This MOI will definitely be a basis of the many business opportunities in the coming years,” Kato said. “This is just the beginning. More work has to be done to fully harness this MOI, so that both our financial institutions, and on a macro basis our countries, will benefit from it,” FMIC president Roberto Juanchito Dispo said. ■ Chantal Reyes / InterAksyon.com / February 26, 2015 / 10:38 AM

Hunt on for 2 detainees in Sarangani jailbreak TWO of the four escapees are back in custody Thursday, with one surrendering and the other being recaptured, GMA General Santos’ Jennifer Solis reported. Still at large are Ronald Oppus, 23; and Roberto Caratayco, 21. Inmate, Romnick Poster, 22, was recaptured with the help of barangay tanods Thursday afternoon. Poster faces murder charges. The fourth, Gerald Lipasana, surrendered Thursday morning. One inmate was killed while three were injured in Wednesday night’s jailbreak at the Malapatan District Jail. Killed was Mudla Kim, who had charges of robbery with homicide. He purportedly tried to wrest a firearm from a guard and was shot in the ensuing motions.

Planned

for

two

planned as early as two months ago, with Kim as mastermind. They used the help of Oppus, a “trustee” or an inmate who had gained the guards’ trust. The escape occurred supposedly when the three jail guards went out to have dinner. “Nakuha ang susi kasi isinabit lang sa pako. Noong pagbukas nung isang preso ng selda, lumabas na yung tatlo. Sumunod na rin kami,” Lipasana said. When the guards saw the escape attempt, a commotion ensued, and the

inmates fled in different directions, most of them going through the back of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology compound. Investigation. An investigation is underway to determine the facts and if there was negligence. Warden SJO4 Allan Garmin insisted security at the jail was not lax. Three guards face possible disciplinary action if it can be established they were negligent. ■

Joel Locsin / ELR, GMA News / February 26, 2015 / 11:25 PM

months.

Lipasana, who surrendered because he got hungry while hiding in the mountains, said the jailbreak was

A hunt is on for two of four inmates who escaped in a jailbreak in Sarangani province on Wednesday night

Screen image extracted from News5, n5e.interaksyon.com

abandoned enemy encampment in the same village at around 11:40 a.m., which was large enough to accommodate at least 50 persons. “Civilian tipsters revealed that three Malaysian nationals, who are suspected

to be members of the Southeast Asian regional terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiya, were being coddled by the group of Sawadjaan,” Arrojado said. ■ Jaime Sinapit / InterAksyon.com / February 26,

2015 / 6:15 PM

Australian arrested for allegedly abusing, trafficking young girls PHILIPPINE authorities on Friday arrested an Australian national for allegedly abusing and trafficking young girls in Northern Mindanao. A compsite team of agents arrested Peter Scully, 51, over allegations of his activities, GMA Northern Mindanao reported. The arresting team had representatives from the National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group

Region 10, and the NBI-Manila’s Anti Human Trafficking Division. An initial investigation showed Scully allegedly victimized young girls in Cagayan de Oro city and Bukidnon. He is also reportedly a fugitive in Australia as he faces charges there for fraud. Scully has also been accused of broadcasting sexual acts involving children. ■ Joel Locsin / LBG, GMA News / February 21, 2015 / 9:35 AM

Pinoy in Ohio bar killings gets life –reports AN undocumented Filipino in the United States has been sentenced to life imprisonment for shooting and killing three men, including an off-duty police officer, at a Fremont bar last year, reports said. Igmidio Mista was convicted on three charges of murder and one count of attempted murder, a report on Sandusky Register said. The report added that the 34-yearold Mista, who pleaded guilty for the charges, will not be eligible for parole until he’s served at least 40 years in prison. On March 9 last year, three people were killed while one was wounded when Mista opened fire following an altercation inside Last Call Bar on West State Street in Freemont, Ohio, a separate report on Toledo Blade said. The reports identified the fatalities as Jose Andy Chavez, 26, the offduty police officer; bartender Ramiro Sanchez, 28; and customer Daniel Ramirez, 25. Another victim, Ramiro Arreola, 25, was shot but eventually survived. Earlier reports said the argument

Igmidio Mista

started after Mista slapped Chavez’s wife for allegedly badmouthing him. At the time, Chavez was celebrating his birthday at the bar. Mista was reportedly asked to leave the bar, but returned with a firearm and started shooting. The Sandusky Register report said Mista accepted a last-minute plea deal, just as his case was set to go to a jury trial before Sandusky County Common Pleas Judge Barbara Ansted. It said Mista was “mostly silent” during the proceedings held Tuesday last week (US time). ■ KBK, GMA News / February 23, 2015 / 2:46 PM

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TINATAKPAN ANG KASALANAN? Critics hit ‘massive cover-up’ to shield PNoy from Mamasapano liability

MANILA – Critics of President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday slammed what they said was an “apparent massive cover-up plan” to shield the chief executive from liability in connection with the January 25 Mamasapano operation, which resulted in the death of 44 elite policemen, 18 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and five civilians. Critics assailed Aquino and his alleged “protectors” a day after it was reported that according to some 25 members of the House of Representatives, they were told by the President that he was fed lies about the bloodbath unfolding in Brgy. Tukalanipao in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. “From the changing script of Cabinet members to the attempts of his allies in both the Senate and the House to shield him from accountability, it is apparent that there is a massive coverup plan that’s now being implemented,” Kabataan partylist Rep. Terry Ridon said.

“The Mamasapano cover-up will be Aquino’s Watergate,” the lawmaker said referring to a series of political scandals in the U.S. involving abuse of power and bribery and obstruction of justice during the administration of Richard Nixon that led to his resignation in 1974. “Instead of continuing in this obvious effort to escape accountability, Aquino should instead admit responsibility and bare everything he knows,” added Ridon. He said that in “the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, the Nixon administration mounted a grand coverup scheme to shield then US President Richard Nixon from the whole affair.” “This cover-up was essentially the Nixon administration’s stumbling block that eventually led to his resignation,” Ridon said. Ridon pointed out that the “official Palace story” had shifted dramatically more than a month since the incident, with Malacañang now saying that

Aquino was “misinformed” by resigned Philippine National Police Chief Alan Purisima and relieved PNP-Special Action Force Director Getulio Napeñas. “It’s a big shift from what the President was saying a few weeks back. It’s a new script, and it’s a bad one,” Ridon said. He said the “official Palace script was being followed to the letter” with the line of questioning at the Senate hearing on the incident. The House of Representative suspended its own inquiry only after one hearing. Party-list representatives Jose “Lito” Atienza of Buhay and Jonathan dela Cruz of Abakada said the new story on the incident being weaved by Malacanang was part of the allegedly “continuing lying session.” “Kung ang may kasalanan si Purisima, eh bakit andyan pa sa tabi niyo, kung may kasalanan, dapat arestado na [If Purisima committed a sin, why does he continue to be at your side instead of being already

Militant groups march on EDSA at the 29th anniversary of the People Power Revolt, with calls for President Benigno Aquino III to resign over the Mamasapano debacle. Photo by Bernard Testa, ©InterAksyon.com

arrested]?” Dela Cruz said. ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio claimed that Malacanang was also covering up the United States government’s participation in the operation. He said the Senate investigating panel easily took the word of the Department of Foreign Affairs that there was no American involvement in the operation, despite an affidavit of a police official saying there were six

Americans at the tactical command post in Shariff Aguak at the time of the Mamasapano mission. For his part, Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Carlos Zarate said the President was “obviously trying to cover his tracks.” “This is a potential liability for the President after his term, this is clearly an act of obstruction of justice,” he said. ■ Lira Dalangin-Fernandez / InterAksyon.com / February 25, 2015 / 5:09 PM

PNP BOI to 55th SAF’s lone survivor’s alleged killing spree

President Aquino talks to relatives of one of the fallen SAF personnel at the wake for 42 of the 44 men at Camp Bagong Diwa on Friday. ©Malacanang Photo Bureau.

THE Philippine National Police Board of Inquiry would also investigate allegations that the lone survivor of Special Action Force 55th company, P02 Christopher Lalan, killed at least one civilian, GMA News’ “24-Oras” said Thursday. According to the report, Lalan earlier said in an interview right after the Mamasapano clash that he killed at least eight people during his escape from the encounter site in Maguindanao. Another report said that Lalan shot a civilian and four members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in a mosque while fleeing. PNP BOI head Director Benjamin Magalong said the panel would also look into the issue to make its report as comprehensive as possible.

“Probably one of the collateral issues siguro na kailangan tignan. You should remember na hindi kami prosecutorial dito. We’re just purely a fact finding [body],” Magalong said. PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr. said the investigation would not cover up for anyone but it was also fair to consider the situation Lalan was in at the time. “According naman sa narration niya more of part ng operation ‘yung ginawa niya to survive. Masasabi natin ‘yung assumption of regularity,” Cerbo said. Psychiatrist Dr. Ma. Bernadette Arcena explained that Lalan was probably going through a difficult time after the incident. “‘Yung guilt feelings mo na bakit ikaw nabuhay, bakit sila namatay lalo na pag

PHL, France to share intel, best practices vs. terrorism THE Philippines and France on Thursday explored ways to step up the fight against terrorism. President Benigno Aquino III said both countries agreed to share intelligence and “best practices” to thwart terrorist activities. It has been more than a month since Islamist terrorists killed 11 people in Paris and a month after police commandos killed alleged Bali bomber Marwan in Maguindanao. In a joint press conference with French President Francois Hollande, President Benigno Aquino said they tackled how to “fortify” both countries against terrorists during an expanded bilateral meeting in Malacañang Palace. “Terrorism is a problem for all of mankind, and if we do not act together, then we are not fortifying ourselves to the nth degree possible and this is something that we should avoid,” Aquino said.

Last January 7, 11 people were killed and 11 others were injured after Islamist terrorist brothers attacked the offices of French satirical weekly newspaper, Charlie Hebdo. The terror attack drew condemnation from several countries, including the Philippines. Militant Islamist groups such as the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf continue to threaten parts of southern Philippine island of Mindanao. West PHL Sea issue. France also expressed support for the Philippines’ efforts to settle through international arbitration its territorial dispute with China over parts of the South China Sea, which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea. Aquino said Hollande backed his administration’s push for a rulesbased approach to the Philippines’ territorial dispute with China. “We reiterated the importance

of maintaining peace and stability in Southeast Asia and promoting maritime security, freedom of navigation and the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” the Philippine leader said in his speech. The Philippine and China have been engaged in a territorial dispute over parts of the South China Sea over the past years. The Philippines claims the West Philippine Sea is part of its exclusive economic zone under the international law. China, meanwhile, bases its historical claim over the area on its “nine-dash line.” Last year, the Philippines brought its territorial dispute with China before the Netherlands-based Permanent Court of Arbitration. Beijing, however, has rejected the arbitration proceedings, repeatedly

PNoy welcomes Hollande at Malacañang. President Benigno Aquino III welcomes French President François Hollande at Malacañang during the latter’s state visit to the Philippines on Thursday, February 26. The visit is a first by an incumbent French leader to the country since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1947. France is the PHL’s second largest trading partner in the European Union (EU) with two-way trade amounting to US$2.39 billion in October 2014. Photo by Benhur Arcayan

insisting on bilateral talks to settle to issue. Agreements. The Philippines and France inked agreements seeking to promote cooperation in various fields. Aquino and Hollande witnessed the signing of a pact that will

nagiisa ka sa isang pangyayari. There’s depression, guilt, feeling ng trauma tapos anxiety din,” Arcena said. PNP health service spokesman Chief Insp. Raymond Santos confirmed this saying that Lalan showed signs of trauma a week after the incident but has significantly improved thanks to therapy. “Sa lahat ng mga wounded na SAF siya kasi ‘yung may pinakamalaking adjustment na gagawin sa sarili para maka cope. [Pero] hindi na siya ngayon yun parang na rarattle, fearing for his life, para bang galit sa nangyari. Ngayon makakausap mo na siya ng normal. Relaxed na siya,” Santos said. ■ Andrei

Medina / NB, GMA News / February 26, 2015 / 10:03 PM

encourage French tourists to visit the Philippines. The Philippines and France signed the following trade-related agreements: Business Agreement for the operation, management and maintenance of the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) between the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and its private-sector partner, the Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC); the Letter of confirmation for the financing agreement for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit project; and the letter of award for the Manila Light Rail Transit Line 1 Extension project between the Light Rail Manila Corporation and French companies: Bouygues Travaux Publics, and Alstom Transport. The two countries also formally agreed to increase student exchanges, and to undertake efforts to protect marine resources. ■ ELR, GMA News / Andreo C. Calonzo / GMA News / February 26, 2015 / 9:57 PM

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Palace says sorry to thousands affected by EDSA road closure, but militants say Aquino paranoid MANILA - To those stuck in hours of traffic, or forced to walk several kilometers to work on account of the the closure of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue during Wednesday’s 29th EDSA revolt anniversary, sorry. That’s Malacanang Palace apologizing to the public, a day after thousands of people were inconvenienced by the closure of EDSA’s northbound side stretching from Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City, practically all day. Two events - a wreath-laying at EDSA People Power monument and Mass at EDSA Shrine, both attended by the President occasioned the closure of the historic highway, Metro Manila’s main artery. “We apologize to our countrymen who were stuck in traffic as a result of yesterday’s road closure,” Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said at Thursday’s Palace press briefing, President Aquino offered a wreath at the People Power Monument in Quezon City in the morning, then

proceeded to the Shrine of Mary Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA in Ortigas for the holy mass celebrated by Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle. Coloma said he heard Chairman Francis Tolentino of the Metro Manila Development Authority explain earlier that they had issued an advisory about the road closure two weeks ago, but acknowledged that perhaps the advice for motorists to take alternate routes had not been disseminated well enough.

Govt simply paranoid - activists.

Militant groups, however, saw something more sinister than a mere problem of MMDA communicating the traffic advisories. Anakpawis party list said the police and the Aquino administration were out to prevent “the peaceful EDSA 1 People Power commemoration by different progressive groups” who had announced earlier plans to organize human chains and marches on EDSA.

Many of the groups were calling on the President to either resign or at least come clean on the Mamasapano debacle, where 44 Special Action Force (SAF) members sent to Maguindanao to get Malaysian terrorist Marwan ended up engaging in battle the Moro rebels, despite the ongoing peace process. Lamenting the “paranoia” of the government setting up obstacles to blunt the EDSA Day protests, the group Anakpawis said in a statement Thursday: “In February 1986 thousands upon thousands of ordinary masses from different walks of life trooped to EDSA calling for Ferdinand Marcos to step down. But yesterday; people who wanted to participate in the EDSA 1 commemoration were blocked by flanks of police force in Boni Serrano Street near Camp Crame. It also set

up another blockade near the EDSA shrine in Ortigas.” President Aquino “obviously is in paranoia state, taking yesterday’s simple activity as threat to his administration,” said Anakpawis party list Rep. Fernando Hicap. Hicap also said that the “lowest turnout “of yesterday’s EDSA crowd in Ortigas “only shows the exclusivity and elite character of the exercise led by Aquino. His celebration of EDSA 1 was a farce and totally shameful to all those who fought against martial law and genuine democracy.” After 29 years farmers are still denied of their right to land, workers’ salary did not significantly raise while the number of jobless Filipinos rose to 12 million under his term, Hicap claimed. Compounding Aquino’s shortcomings were “his criminal

neglect of calamity victims and the botched Mamasapano encounter that led to the death of his 44 PNP-SAF men and civilians,” the party-list lawmaker said. “As an EDSA 1 beneficiary; Aquino failed to use its inspiration to come up with essential reforms in the government that will serve the interest and welfare of the ordinary masses,” said Hicap. He reminded the Cojuangcos and Aquinos - two political clans that have seen two members ascend to the presidency and several others elected or appointed to key posts since 1986 - that the EDSA 1 uprising “is not all about the Aquinos and other players of the said historical event in the country. Rather, it is all about the collective effort of the ordinary people who defy and fought martial law.” ■ InterAksyon.com /

February 26, 2015 / 5:31 PM

Pinoy in UAE needs P3.14M for bone marrow transplant URGENT help is needed for a Filipino based in the United Arab Emirates who now needs Dh260,000 (P3.14 million) for a bone marrow transplant. Genna Gagola, 33, told UAE news site Gulf News she only earns Dh2,500 (roughly P30,000) as a sales executive at a furniture shop and could not afford the operation for her husband Alden. “Doctors here have now referred Alden for bone marrow transplantation abroad because they say he is a high risk patient. Thankfully we have found a matching bone marrow donor in

Alden’s sister in the Philippines but the hospital there [wants] us to pay P3 million up front,” she said. The amount does not include outpatient care and fees but is still cheaper and convenient than in other areas like India or Germany. She added Alden’s insurance partly shouldered the costs but this was not enough. Alden, a cook at a restaurant chain, was diagnosed with leukemia and had to stop work in April 2014. He returned to work last September but was hospitalized for more chemotherapy.

Genna has set up a Facebook page called “Alden Gagola’s BONE Marrow Transplant FUND.” She also set up a stall at the Dubai Flea Market to sell books, old clothes and special T-shirts with the lines “Alden’s Battle is my Battle” for Dh20 each. The Gulf News report said some buyers upon learning of Alden’s plight even bought the shirts for up to Dh40. “We have been a loving couple and we were even looking forward to having kids together. Please help us resume our normal lives together again,” she said. ■

Joel Locsin / LBG, GMA News / February 22, 2015 / 3:36 PM

PNoy told: Bare all text messages, phone calls related to Mamasapano ops LAWMAKERS belonging to the progressive bloc in the House of Representatives on Thursday challenged President Benigno Aquino III to publicly disclose all his text messages and calls from December 2014 to January 27, 2015 determine the extent of his involvement in the top secret police operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said Aquino only showed select text messages he received from then-suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Alan Purisima when he met with lawmakers and families of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers killed in Mamasapano last Jan. 25. “[There’s] a conscious effort engineered by Malacanang to shield Pres. Aquino and this should be exposed. President Aquino here is the most accountable because he was the one who approved the operation and authorized Gen. Purisima to command the operation even when he was suspended,” he told reporters in a press briefing Thursday.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan slammed what she called a “strip tease of text messages” shown by Purisima during the recent hearing on the Mamasapano clash, the snippets of which she said were carefully chosen to shield Aquino from accountability. Screened. “The text messages that were released seem to be screened and the actual text messages of Pres. Aquino and Purisima during the most crucial time of the operation from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. were not released,” she noted. Sen. Loren Legarda, in one of the public hearings on the Mamasapano incident, asked the joint Senate committee to subpoena text messages from the telecommunications companies, even after the military and police officials involved, including Purisima, submitted transcripts of their SMS exchanges in connection with the mission. Purisima even read into the record his exchanges with Aquino. In one message, Aquino asked about the two other high-value targets after the commandos neutralized terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan.

“Not that I don’t trust the sources, I requested that the text messages from Telcos should be submitted to us,” Legarda said in the hearing. Sen. Grace Poe, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, told GMA News Online that she has asked Senate President Franklin Drilon to sign the subpoena for Purisima’s phone records. She said the documents from the telcos would still be part of the committee report on the Mamasapano incident even after the hearings wrapped up earlier this week. Committed to the truth. Asked for comment on the militant lawmakers’ call, Malacañang said that it would like to wait for results of various probes on the Mamasapano incident. “The President is committed to ferreting out the truth. It is best to await the full report of the Senate and the Board of Inquiry,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a text message. An ally of Aquino’s in the House said the call was unnecessary “The executive session in the Senate and

the BOI was given all the info they needed in the investigation. Not necessary,” said Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento, the secretary-general of Aquino’s Liberal Party. In a transcript of text messages that he read before a Senate inquiry Monday, it was revealed that Purisima had told Aquino the military was already providing mechanized and artillery support even though they have not yet been deployed at that time. Purisima was already suspended as PNP chief when the SAF commandos

carried out the operation to nab terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Abdul Basit Usman. Oplan Wolverine. Earlier this week, Aquino showed lawmakers the text messages he received from Purisima that fateful Sunday at a meeting in Malacañang. He convened the meeting in part to explain the extent of his involvement in the police operation dubbed “Oplan Wolverine.” One of the lawmakers present at the meeting, Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, said the lingering questions he had about the President’s involvement in the Mamasapano operation were answered by Aquino’s presentation of the text messages he had received from Purisima. “Bago sa akin ang sinabi ni PNoy [sa meeting] dahil doon ko nalaman that he wasn’t given complete details about what’s happening on the ground. The reason why he didn’t act with urgency was because he didn’t know the true picture,” he said. ■ Xianne Arcangel / NB, GMA

News / February 26, 2015 / 5:40 PM

Solon bats for safeguards on powers of Bangsamoro police NEWS

March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

MAGDALO party-list Rep. Francisco Ashley Acedillo on Thursday said some provisions of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) must be changed, particularly those on the powers of the regional police force. Acedillo expressed his fear that the Bangsamoro police may become a “peer force” or a force equal in strength to the AFP if the region’s law enforcement agency is allowed a wide leeway to buy its own firearms. He said the current version is riddled with constitutional “landmines” the real danger of which will only be known once the measure is passed and enacted. “If I were the government, the prudent action I can do is to tell the Bangsamoro that procurement should only be in support of police provisions. But what would happen if they buy armor piercing rifles, cruiser rifles, recoilless rifles, carriers, armored vehicles? Does this mean to say they can convert themselves into a peer force? We don’t want that to happen,” he said. Red flags. Even as the government peace panel has consistently urged the public to keep its faith in the sincerity of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, with which a peace agreement was signed, Acedillo said there are “red flags” in

the group’s sincerity which should not be ignored. The lawmaker and his fellow partylist Rep. Gary Alejano earlier said they have received reports that the MILF is continuing its recruitment activities despite the signing of a ceasefire agreement. The group has also drawn flak for returning the weapons it seized from the Special Action Force (SAF) troopers it clashed with last Jan. 25 in poor condition. Forty-four SAF troopers died in an encounter with members of the MILF and other armed groups in Mamasapano, Maguindanao while carrying out an operation to arrest two high-profile terrorists. “Sinasabi ho sa atin, matuto naman tayo magtiwala sa kabilang panig, aren’t we doing that already? Precisely, dahil sa nangyari sa Mamasapano at dahil may natatanggap tayong ulat, hindi natin dapat ipagsawalang bahala iyon,” he said. Full decommissioning. With the House set to resume deliberations on the Bangsamoro bill on March 3, Acedillo said he will push for the inclusion of a provision providing for the full decommissioning of the MILF’s firearms before the planned plebiscite in 2016.

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He said that while it’s difficult to make an inventory of the firearms in the MILF’s possession, it will also be dangerous to allow its members to keep 65 percent of its weapons by next year. “The MILF is supposed to transition into a political entity when the BBL is passed and yet we’ll allow them to have 65 percent of their weapons during this political exercise (plebiscite). We can’t let that happen,” he said. Under the protocol on decommissioning signed by the government and MILF, the decommissioning will take place in four phases. Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. had said an estimated 35 percent of weapons will be decommissioned during the third phase, which will occur after the BBL has been ratified. Asked if a complete decommissioning of the MILF’s firearms is possible by next year, Alejano said it will be difficult but it can be forced. “Kung pupwersahin, kaya ng gobyernong gawin… Kung gusto nilang ipilit ang BBL, ako ipipilit ko iyong 100 percent [decommissioning],” he said. ■ Xianne Arcangel / ELR, GMA News / February 27, 2015 / 12:16 AM

Online visas for expat families in Saudi soon–report FILIPINOS and other expatriates in Saudi Arabia may soon avail of a new online facility that lets them apply for visas for their spouses and children, a Saudi news site reported Tuesday. Deputy Crown Prince and second deputy premier and minister of interior Muhammad bin Naif launched the service Tuesday, Arab News reported. Quoting a source, the Arab News report said visas would be issued only to expatriates who are eligible to bring their families to the Kingdom. The Arab News report also quoted the source as saying that users must

register for the ministry’s Abshir services, which facilitate online requests from citizens and expatriates in English and Arabic. In the registration process, applicants can select the icon for a new user, then enter personal data such as iqama number, e-mail address, preferred language and mobile phone number. Fingerprinting at machines will activate the account. Users can also open accounts at an office of the ministry. ■ Joel Locsin / KBK, GMA News / February 17, 2015 / 7:07 PM

PABASA 2015 Date & Time: 02 April 2015 (Thursday from 20:00H – 24:00H) 03 April 2015 ( Friday from 9:00H – 12:00H and 16:00 – 24:00H ) 04 April 2015 (Saturday from 07:00H onwards Place: HO LY CRO SS CHAPEL Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road,London W6 8RF

52 Pembroke Road, London W8 6NX Tel.: 020 7602 7171 Email: lakbayasia@btconnect.com Web: www.lakbayasiapilgrimages.co.uk

& GUATEMALA MEXICO 7 - 21 MAY 2015 ... also shopping x JADE! th

Last chance for GUATEMALA: NO ONE CAN MATCH US ON SUCH DESTINATIONS! DIRECT Flight incl.- UNIQUE & MESMERIZING 15 DAYS!

the North, Centre & South of both countries! with OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE , Mexico city, Acapulco, BLACK NAZARENE of Guatemala, Antigua, the Mayan heritage and MUCH MORE... Not to be missed!

In the Philippines, the Pabasa started from way back in the Spanish Times when the missionaries introduced Christianity to the islands. In order to facilitate their catechetical work, they narrated the history salvation in poetry form which had greater appeal to the sensitivities of the Filipinos. All over the world, wherever there are Filipinos, they bring with them this Lenten tradition along with many other cherished Catholic traditions. ANY VOICES ARE WELCOME. If you wish to donate Salabat Tea (Ginger Tea) or Biscuits are most welcome. For enqueries, please contact Betilda on 07919380513 or Merla on 07939684558. Thank you very much and God Bless.

PORTUGAL, FRANCE, SPAIN

8th - 18th June 2015

11 days Marian Pilgrimage! FATIMA we will be there on the 13th June for the Anniversary of the Apparition, AVILA St. Therese Jubelee, GUADALUPE, LOURDES, ZARAGOZA, etc.

all visits / entries included, hotels in dinner / room and breakfast with 4 lunches!

MALTA, Gozo & Comino 24th - 30th June 2015

The Most religious Islands of the Mediterranean 7 days by air -BAall entries, visits, excursions, top hotel with dinner and breakfast + 1 fish lunch!

LAPLAND & ARCTIC CIRCLE 7th - 17th July 2015

Finland, Sweden & Denmark… Santa Claus & MIDNIGHT SUN experience!

FRANCE Summer weekend on the MANCHE coast

Seaside & pilgrimage: TREPORT, EU, etc. 24th - 26th July 2015

www.lakbayasiapilgrimages.co.uk

The 'PABASA' (which mean 'reading') is a Filipino Lenten tradition of continuous chanting the account of salvation history in Filipino poetry form. The Pabasa lasts for around 16 hours, with one or two people/groups alternating in singing verses from the Pabasa.

SPORTS

www.hello-philippines.com

March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

BOXING

Mayweather’s father expects easy fight for son vs Pacquiao: ‘Floyd will make him look like a baby’ WHILE some boxing fans are expecting a close fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, the father of the undefeated American completely thinks otherwise. “Floyd’s going to make him look like a baby. Believe me!” Floyd Sr. told fighthype.com. “Floyd can hit him with a jab and stuff easy, man. He’s the most hittable man in the world. You gonna see that. You gonna get a chance to see exactly what I’m talking about.” Floyd Sr. went on to belittle Pacquiao’s height and skills. The Filipino boxing champion stands at 5’6”, two inches shorter than Mayweather who is 5’8”, and gives up five inches of reach (67” against 72”). “He’s so damn short, you ain’t never seen nobody go downstairs and hit

FOOTBALL

Global FC gets 6-1 drubbing against Hong Kong club in AFC Cup debut UNITED Football League champion Global FC got a rude welcome from Hong Kong club South China AA its tournament debut after suffering a 6-1 demolition in the Asian Football Confederation Cup Wednesday night at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

South China, a former AFC Cup semifinalist and a many-time champion in Hong Kong, dominated from start to finish, taking the lead three minutes into the match before grabbing a commanding 3-nil halftime edge. The visitors easily doubled their

advantage in the second half against the hapless Global before substitute Mike Jonsson scored a consolation goal late in the match to avoid a scoreless outing for the squad. Mahama Awal, Daniel Mcbreen scored two goals apiece for South China while Lo Kong Wai and Chan Wai Ho each chipped in one apiece. The AFC Cup is a second-tier tournament for domestic clubs in Asia. Global earned the right to represent the Philippines in the AFC Cup for the first time as the reigning UFL titlists. Ceres-La Salle FC, last year’s national club champion, also had the chance to barge into the tournament group stages but lost in the qualifiers. Global will next take on Pahang FC of Malaysia on March 11 for their Group G matchup. ■ InterAksyon.com /

him in the body either. But see, it’s time for us to change things. Nobody did it, but I guess we gonna have to be the first ones that did it,” Floyd Sr. said. “Lookie here, man, he don’t ever move his head. If people don’t see that, (expletive)! Pacquiao has no footwork, he blocks with his face, and he can’t even spell defense.” Pacquiao’s lack of knockout wins in his recent fights was also slammed by Floyd Sr. The Filipino boxing champion scored his last knockout win in 2009 when he dispatched Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. “Let me tell you something, man. What I see is, first of all, the man ain’t knocked nobody out in five years. He ain’t knocked nobody out in 5 years, and the same guy that knocked his ass ice cold, for 12 rounds, Floyd beat

him 12 rounds easy,” Floyd Sr. said referring to Juan Manuel Marquez who knocked out Pacquiao in 2012. To be fair, Mayweather’s last knockout win came three years ago when he beat Victor Ortiz. Floyd Sr. also doesn’t see any problem with Mayweather, a righthanded fighter, facing a southpaw like Pacquiao who is seen to be the biggest threat to his untainted record. “This is one of the easiest damn southpaws Floyd is going to have a fight with. Man, Pacquiao, come on, man. I’m just trying to tell you, they gonna see when it’s time to go in the ring. Ain’t nothing to talk about. Floyd right now can definitely outthink him. Outthinking him ain’t even the problem,” Floyd Sr. said. ■ InterAksyon.com

/ February 25, 2015

BOXING Continuation from page 40

‘If i hurt him, I expect him to run’: Pacquiao reveals tactic vs Mayweather With him riding the bench for the rest of the game, his team beat the Talk N’Text team, 106-103, their third win against four defeats. Pacquiao downplayed criticism by exNational Basketball Association player Daniel Orton, who was fired by a rival PBA team last week for describing the boxing champ’s basketball skills as a “joke”. “Poor guy,” Pacquiao said, adding: “I will not react because I would be going down to his level.

“It’s like this: No person has ever succeeded without being criticized.” His courtside fans also backed him. “Everyone has a right to strut their stuff,” 36-year-old housewife Ginalyn Lacsana told AFP as she cheered the Kia team from her ringside seat. “You have to show respect,” agreed Ramli de las Armas, 29, who went to the PBA games while on vacation from work abroad as a machine operator in Saudi Arabia. ■ AFP / February 26, 2015

February 26, 2015 / 7:57 AM

FOOTBALL UFL: James Younghusband leads Loyola’s rout of Pachanga; Global seizes top spot after thriller THE Loyola Meralco Sparks avoided any dramatics against Pachanga Diliman after dominating from start to finish and pulling away with a 4-nil victory to register their third straight win in the United Football League Sunday at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. Loyola captain James Younghusband stood out for the Sparks, garnering two goals and an assist to power his team to their third straight win. “He’s the captain and we expect nothing less. This is James Younghusband. Anything less than that and I’ll be asking why,” said Sparks head coach Simon McMenemy. “He leads by example. He runs until the last minute. We asked him to play a

number of positions and he responded very well. He has the experience to play in those positions. He worked the boys and made sure they keep chasing. It’s what we expect. That was nothing special, that’s nothing different, that’s just what we expect of James Younghusband.” He started his outing by setting up Tahj Minniecon for the game’s opener in the third minute. The tables turned in the 30th minute with Minniecon providing the cross for Younghusband to head in. Loyola cemented their advantage with Graham Caygill firing in an assured finish in a one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper right after the halftime break. Younghusband converted a penalty after Anthony

Putrus-Schnell was brought down inside the box to wrap up the one-sided triumph. Loyola improved to nine points after three games, with Pachanga Diliman still yet to register a single point in three outings. Meanwhile, Dennis Villanueva scored a dramatic late winner to send Global FC to the top of the table with a 2-1 win over Stallion FC. Fresh from an 8-0 destruction of Team Soceroo, the defending champions found life difficult against a highly physical Stallion side. Things started perfectly for Global, with Mark Hartmann heading in a rebound in the eighth minute. But Jordan Mintah equalized five minutes later, setting the contest up to be a gritty affair.

©UFL photo

Villanueva then made a shot in the dying minutes to grab the win. “I have to be careful with what I say, but we’re quite upset with some of the challenges. To be brutally honest with you, physical we can handle – it’s a contact sport. But we’re seeing elbows, Dennis’ nose busted open. It’s very very difficult then to play football when you’re constantly disrupted with freekicks and injured players,” said Global head coach Leigh Manson. “I think the players got their just rewards in the end. Very late goal, but

top of the table. We’ve created a bit of a gap now with Stallion.” Villanueva’s late winner meant Global improved to 10 points in four matches to grab the top spot heading into their historic AFC Cup debut on Wednesday also at the Rizal Stadium. In other matches last weekend, an injury-riddled Green Archers United Globe, playing without Chieffy Caligdong and Tating Pasilan, blanked Philippine Army, 3-nil, while Kaya FC walloped Manila Jeepney, 4-nil. ■ InterAksyon.com / February 23, 2015 / 6:23 PM

SPORTS

March 2015 – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

www.hello-philippines.com

MORE SPORTS PBA Board to look into structure of league, plans to add independent ‘professional’ to search committee for next commish THE PBA’s Board of Governors made the decision on Thursday to look into a reorganization of the league’s structure as well as find a fourth member to join the committee formed to aid the search for the next commissioner. PBA chairman and Talk ‘N Text representative Pato Gregorio said that the Board will find an “independent” person outside of the PBA community to join the committee currently composed of himself, Purefoods’ Rene Pardo and Rain or Shine’s Mamerto Mondragon. That committee is tasked to draft the criteria for the successor of outgoing commissioner Chito Salud, who will be stepping down at the end of the season. “The [Board] as a group decided that we will invite an independent person, a professional, to be part of the search committee. And we are doing this for the first time to professionalize the search,” Gregorio said. But foremost on the Board’s agenda is the updated structure of the country’s top basketball league, which should be fixed by the time the new chief official inherits the post. “The new structure of the PBA is the more important process that we have to finalize first before we go to the criteria of choosing next commissioner. Anyways we have already identified

the members of the search committee. We just have to identify the fourth member,” Gregorio said. Purefoods representative Pardo emphasized the size of the league, which has expanded to 12 teams, as a factor in the changes that the Board envisions. “The league has grown so much. And seemingly we were overwhelmed by its growth. A few years ago we have only six. Now it has doubled to 12 teams. Then there is the D-League with another 12 teams. Just imagine the life of the commissioner watching two games every day. It’s really taxing and stressful process,” Pardo said. The planned restructuring has already been a point of discussion in a previous session by the PBA Board. “We realized the PBA is now a very

big league. We have the D-league and in the (Third) Conference we are inviting Asian reinforcements. We have 12 teams and three more want to join the PBA. We feel this is the best time to review and analyze if we should reorganize the structure of the league,” Gregorio added. “One thing we realize when we accepted Kia and Blackwater, it’s not a small investment anymore. We have to take care of the investment of the team owners. We have to take care of that franchise fee. We realize the PBA is a big league and the commissioner is doing so many things from administrative to attending games to traveling. Maybe it’s time to review if we also can take care of that franchise so we can entice more teams,” Gregorio said. ■ Rey Joble /

InterAksyon.com / February 26, 2015 / 6:22 PM

A DAY OF PILGRIMAGE TO OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM “We adore you, O Christ and we bless you, Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.”

Pilgrimage Chaplain: FR. CRIS FAJARDO, SJ

Date: PALM SUNDAY, 29 March 2015 Price: £25 (includes donation to Anglican Shrine, Catholic Shrine and the Priest) ACTIVITIES: 06:30 AM Assembly in front of Charing Cross Hospital 06:45 AM Departure from London to OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM Information: In 1061, the Lady of the Manor, Richeldis de Faverches, was taken in spirit to Nazareth, shown the house where the Annunciation took place and asked by Our Lady to build a replica in Walsingham. She was promised that 'Whoever seeks my help there will not go away empty-handed.” (The Roman Catholic National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, England 2012)

10:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:30 PM

Arrival and orientation around Anglican Shrine Stations of the Cross at Anglican Shrine Procession to Catholic Shrine via Royal Pilgrims Way (45 minutes to 1 hour walk) 13:30 PM Lunch (Bring your own food or food to share) 15.30 PM Blessing of Palms 16:00 PM Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (Catholic Shrine) 17:00 PM Departure from Walsingham PAY ON RESERVATION: £15 required deposit and itemized donation will be in our receipt. Any interested friends, please contact Betilda on 07919380513 or Merla on 07939684558. The Community Prayer CrusadeWest London is a non profit organization with no budget. Reservation without deposit is not considered as reserved.

LET’S START OUR HOLY WEEK WITH A MEANINGFUL DAY OF SACRIFICE AND OFFER OUR PERSONAL INTENTION TO OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM. Thank you and God Bless.

BASKETBALL

Meralco tries to bounce back against NLEX; Rain or Shine, Barako Bull collide THE Meralco Bolts aim to return to their winning ways as they tussle with the NLEX Road Warriors in PBA Commissioner’s Cup action Friday at SMART-Araneta Coliseum. Meralco and NLEX meet at 7 p.m. after the opening game between Barako Bull Energy and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at 4:15 p.m. Both games will be aired live on TV5. After an undefeated start, the Bolts (5-1) tasted their first loss of the conference against San Miguel, 102-86, in an out-of-town game in Cagayan De Oro last Saturday. But in that loss, Meralco wasn’t in full strength as hardworking import Josh Davis suffered an injury that kept him out as early as the second period. Davis is suiting up against NLEX, surely raring to bounce back after being

limited as a spectator as his squad struggled without him in their last outing. NLEX (2-4) is coming off a rousing 100-93 win over the Beermen last Tuesday in which the Road Warriors came back from 21 points down to edge the struggling Philippine Cup champion. In the first game, Barako Bull and Rain or Shine look to keep pace with the early leaders. The two squads both have an identical 4-2 slate and are seeking a win to strengthen their hold in the upper half of the standings. The Energy snapped their two-game skid after a 93-91 overtime win over Alaska last Tuesday while the Elasto Painters notched their second straight win with a 99-89 triumph last Friday also against the Aces. ■ InterAksyon.com / February 26, 2015 / 11:03 PM

sport

BOXING

‘IF I HURT HIM, I EXPECT HIM TO RUN’: PACQUIAO REVEALS TACTIC VS MAYWEATHER UNDERDOG Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday he has a simple tactic to beat American favorite Floyd Mayweather in history’s richest fight by two longtime rivals for the planet’s top “pound-forpound” boxer crown. “Use my left and right (fists),” the Filipino boxing hero told reporters when asked how he planned to deal with his undefeated foe’s height and reach advantage, as well as famed defensive skills. “If I hurt him I expect him to run. Otherwise he might fight me toe-to-toe.” The Philippines is in the throes of “Pacmania” as the 36-year-old, dubbed “The National Fist” by local media, is set to fly to the United States to train for the May 2 Las Vegas bout. The 38-year-old Mayweather, tipped as the favorite by bookmakers after announcing the megabucks fight last weekend, has not lost any of his 47 fights, in which he has scored 26 knockouts. Pacquiao has 57 victories and five defeats to his name, including two suffered as recently as 2012. He has two draws and 38 knockouts. But he exuded confidence Wednesday as he gave out free pizzas to supporters while preparing for his third game as a

basketball player in the Philippines’ top professional league. His determination to play for his Kia Carnival team has raised fears he might get injured before the fight, which US media report could net him an $80 million pay cheque. Injury fears. “I know what I’m doing,” said the 1.69-meter (5-foot 6-inch) Pacquiao, a devout Christian who is also the shortest and oldest player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He said he would also hit the court again on Saturday, hours before his US flight. “My Lord, my God, He is the Creator of everything. He knows everything,” he added, pointing to the ceiling and repeating his mantra that God will keep him from harm. Unlike his boxing, however, Pacquiao’s basketball career has been underwhelming. He has scored one solitary point, off a free throw, in his rookie season as playercoach for Kia Carnival. “That’s fine. What’s important is my team won. I needed to play to inspire my teammates,” he said Wednesday as his courtside struggles continued, going 0-2 with an airball in just under six minutes of play. Continue to page 38