October 2011 issue

HELLO PHILIPPINES Connecting Global News & Views For The Community

GWENDOLINE RUAIS

Miss World Philippines 2011

UK & Europe Edition

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October / November 2011 Monthly Issue

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OFW News • Global News • Local News • Entertainment • Politics, Law & Social News • Business & Finance • Celebrity, Showbiz & Entertainment • Environment • Sports

Volume 2 - Number 10

MAYA CELESTE PADILLO OLESEN

Miss World Canada 2011

FRE INSIDE E

Miss World Denmark 2011

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SIERA ROBERTSON Miss World Guam 2011

Filipina Representatives for Miss World 2011

Full Story Page 2

Past Miss World Philippines’ representatives Page 4 Toni Gonzaga 10th Year Celebration in Showbiz

Miss World Winners from the Past Page 10

Shalani Soledad: A marriage made in heaven

Page 32

Metrobank: Voted best bank in the Philippines

Page 22

Page 24

Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao rematch

Page 38

Aquino: New investments for the Philippines Page 16

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October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

Miss World Turns 60, returns home to London to Celebrate its 60th Anniversary Lorela U. Sandoval

I

n celebration of its 60th Founding Anniversary, the Miss World pageant will return to its roots in London on Sunday, 6 November 2011 and its finals will be broadcasted live from Earl’s Court, London. This year, around 120 nations will vie for the prestigious title.

Said to be the longest-running foremost international beauty pageant, Miss World 2011 organisers revealed exciting changes in the event, such as adding four camera teams to monitor the contestants at their hotel and provide a non-stop exclusive coverage on TV and the web.

Besides that, the pre-judging process, wherein a board of industry professionals looks thoroughly at the qualities of every contestant and makes their evaluation, will be seen live on the web as well. These initial marks or evaluation will be displayed on an enormous World Scoreboard in the live final competition, prior to the start judging panel’s disclosure of their personal favourites and giving of final scores.

A peek at the past

Looking back, the first-ever Miss World pageant was launched in 1951 in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations. It was held on July 29, 1951, with only 26 contestants at the time.

Despite feminist protests, the pageant became a huge success, acquiring worldwide audience and television popularity all throughout the 50’s to 70’s.

Important changes in the judging process of Miss World were enforced in 1980. Vital statistics – used to be a key element in winning the title – were given less importance, while intelligence and personality became considerable factors in the evaluation process.

1992 to 1995 were considered significant periods in the pageant

with the finals transferred to Sun City, South Africa, figuring an audience increase of over a billion.

The pageant was brought back to Olympia in London in 1999, amidst protesters throwing flour bombs in absolute disapproval.

On its 50th Anniversary in 2000, the pageant was again staged in London at the Millennium Dome, with over two billion audiences worldwide.

With Eric’s death in 2000, his wife Julia Morley currently chairs the pageant to continue the legacy of Miss World, with franchises in over 120 countries and fundraising of about £150 million, without a doubt bringing the pageant to greater heights.

Beauty with responsibilities and controversies

Beauty pageants, such as the Miss World, also serve as a reminder to all that with great beauty comes great responsibility… plus, of course, its own share of controversies.

Marjorie Wallace, first American to bag the title, was compelled to surrender the crown 104 days during her reign in 1973, because she failed to carry out the basic requirements of the job. First Runner-Up Evangeline Luis Pascual from the Philippines was offered the responsibilities and duties of Miss World – but not the title. Pascual turned down the offer.

Miss World 1974 Helen Morgan of the UK was also compelled to step down four days following her coronation, after having found she was an unwed mother.

Miss World 1980 Gabriella Brum of Germany was similarly forced to resign a few days after her coronation, but on a different ground – discovery of her nude photo in a magazine.

Miss World 1998 Linor Abargil of Israel, on the extreme end, revealed days after winning the title that she was raped two months before the pageant. Rapist later convicted. shinymeteor.blogspot.com

missworldphilippines.com

Gwendoline Ruais - Miss World Philippines 2011

Riza Santos - Miss World Canada 2011

These and more controversies continue to challenge the pageant, but it remains steadfast over the years.

GMA senior vice president for entertainment Wilma Galvante and renowned boxing champion cum Congressman Manny Pacquiao.

Interestingly, three other Miss World representatives, for this year’s pageant, have Filipino genes. They are Riza Santos of Canada, Maya Celeste Padillo Olesen of Denmark and Sierra Robertson of Guam.

Santos, born in the Philippines but raised in Canada, had a brief stint in the Philippines’ entertainment industry, first as a housemate and second placer at Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity 2 edition in 2007, before appearing in television shows and movies.

The Philippines has been said to be working on a bid to host the Miss World 2013 pageant – the first in our history, if ever.

But until then, the question remains: will Ruais take home the first Miss World crown from London?

Pageant organiser Quirino said the country has a strong fighting chance.

Winners they all are

On a positive note, some contestants and winners left memorable and notable contributions during the pageant, and in their new chosen fields.

The first Miss World titleholder was Kerstin Haakonson of Sweden, the first and last winner crowned while wearing a two-piece swimsuit.

In 1966, Reita Faria of India bagged the crown and made history for her country, before becoming a doctor.

1970 was a year for black beauties, as Jennifer Josephine Hosten of Grenada and Pearl Jansen of South Africa became first and second placers, respectively, in what was considered a first-time feat at a foremost international pageant.

Halle Berry, who represented the USA in 1986, failed to win the crown with a daring bikini adorned with stars and ropes of beads worn at the pageant’s parade of national costumes, but she certainly made it big in Hollywood with a prestigious Oscar award and several movie hits under her belt.

Miss World 1994 Aishwarya Rai was the second Indian to win the title, and later on became the biggest female star in Bollywood. Fact is, her win marked the beginning of the so-called golden age – Indian contestants bagged the Miss World crown four times in the next seven years.

In 2001, Agbani Darego of Nigeria became the first black African to bring home the crown.

Several other beauties continue to make history for themselves in other fields.

On Philippines’ shores

missandmisterofdenmark.com

Maya Celeste Padillo Olesen - Miss World Denmark 2011

Sierra Robertson - Miss World Guam 2011

reinasuniversal.blogspot.com

The Philippines, so far, has not yet taken home the much-coveted crown since the pageant’s inception.

Closest to Evangeline Luis

Pascual’s First Runner-Up finish in 1972 was popular actress Sharmaine (Ruffa) Rama Gutierrez’s Second Runner-Up finish in 1993, with an Asia & Oceania’s Queen of Beauty award. A few other representatives from the Philippines either made it to the semi-finals or finished as runner-up winners in the past.

Previously, the Miss Republic of the Philippines and Mutya ng Pilipinas pageants were responsible for sending the country’s representative to the Miss World pageant, but not until the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) obtained the franchise in 1992.

This year, however, BPCI lost the Miss World franchise to Cory Quirino, who is a well-known beauty and wellness expert, television celebrity and newspaper columnist in the Philippines. Through this, the new Miss World Philippines pageant began.

The nation, in fact, again beams with pride and high hopes, as this year’s first winner of Miss Word Philippines, Gwendoline Ruais, possesses the three important Bs – beauty, brains and body – that could win the crown.

Ruais won the said pageant last September 18, 2011, held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. She brought home with her P1 million in cash, GMA-7 management contract and brand new condominium unit courtesy of SM Development Corporation, among other prizes.

Standing at 5’11 with perfect vital statistics of 36-26-36, it’s no surprise why this 21-year-old FrenchFilipina beauty from Muntinlupa City also received the Best in Swimsuit award.

Other winners were First Princess Helen Nicolette Henson, Second Princess Martha Chloe McCulley, Third Princess Bianca Paz and Fourth Princess Jaycel Arrozal.

Judges were celebrity doctor Vicky Belo, beauty expert Fanny Serrano, actress Iza Calzado,

Beauty With A Purpose

The Miss World Organisation has raised over £250 million for Children’s Charities throughout the world. Among the many recipients are the Nelson Mandela Trust, world-wide children’s charities and Variety Clubs International; all this money has been collected through the theme of ‘Beauty with a Purpose’, started by Julia Morley over 30 years ago. To this day, the Miss World Organisation is the only International contest to have adopted such a theme.

Apart from the commercial work and personal appearances which Miss World is contracted to undertake in each country visited, time is always set aside to allow each country a chance to hold a special function attended by Miss World. All monies raised from ticket sales, raffles, tombolas or donations etc are entirely donated to the underprivileged and handicapped children of that country. ■

Beauty With A Purpose Source: http://www.beautywithapurpose.com/index.php/en/history/year-by-year

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The Philippines’ representatives to the Miss World Pageant 1966 – Vivien Lee Austria 1967 – Margarita (Maita) Favis Gomez 1968 – Arene Cecilia (Pinky) Anas Amabuyok – Placement: 4th Runner-Up 1969 – Feliza Teresa Nuesa Miro 1970 – Minerva (Minnie) Manalo Cagatao – Placement: Top 15 Semi-Finalist 1971 – Onelia Ison Jose – Award: Best National Costume 1972 – Evangeline (Eva) Rosales Reyes – Placement: Top 15 Semi-Finalist 1973 – Evangeline (Vangie) Luis Pascual – Placement: 1st Runner-Up 1974 – Agnes Benisano Rustia 1975 – Suzanne Talam Gonzalez 1976 – Josephine (Joy) Salazar Conde 1977 – Ana Melissa (Peachy) Ofilada Veneracion 1978 – Louvette Monzon Hammond – Award: Miss Talent 1979 – Josefina Molon Francisco 1980 – Maria Milagros Guidote Nabor 1981 – Suzette Umali Nicolas 1982 – Sara-Jane Coronel Areza – Placement: Top 15 SemiFinalist and Award: Asia’s Queen of Beauty 1983 – Marilou Sadia Sandiua 1984 – Aurora Elvira Gayoso Sevilla 1985 – Elizabeth Dionisio Cuenco 1986 – Sherry Rose Austria Byrne 1987 – Maria Lourdes Manalili Apostol 1988 – Dana Mayor Narvadez 1989 – Estrella Singson Querubin 1990 – Antonette Elizalde Ballesteros 1991 – Gemith Gonzaga Gemparo 1992 – Marina Pura Abad-Santos Benipayo 1993 – Sharmaine (Ruffa) Rama Gutierrez – Placement: 2nd Runner-Up and Award: Asia & Oceania’s Queen of Beauty 1994 – Caroline (Cara) Villarosa Subijano – Placement: Top 10 Semi-Finalist 1995 – Reham Snow Hamdi Tago 1996 – Daisy Garcia Reyes – Award: Miss Personality 1997 – Kristine Rachel Gumabao Florendo 1998 – Rachel Muyot Soriano 1999 – Lalaine Bognot Edson 2000 – Katherine Annwen Dantes de Guzman 2001 – Gilrhea Castaneda Quinzon 2002 – Katherine Anne Ramos Manalo – Placement: Top 10 Semi-Finalist 2003 – Maria Rafaela (Mafae) Verdadero Yunon – Placement: 4th Runner-Up 2004 – Maria Karla Rabanal Bautista – Placement: 4th Runner-Up and Award: Asia & Oceania’s Queen of Beauty 2005 – Carlene Ang Aguilar – Placement: Top 15 SemiFinalist 2006 – Anna Maris Igpit 2007 – Margaret (Maggie) Nales Wilson 2008 – Danielle Kirsten Muriel Castano 2009 – Mari-Ann Umali 2010 – Czarina Catherine Ramos Gatbonton 2011 – Gwendoline Ruais

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October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

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DATE / TIME

EVENT

VENUE

ORGANISER

CONTACTS / REMARKS

8 October 2011 - Saturday 1:00pm to 10:00pm 9 October 2011 - Sunday 5:30pm

Filipino Mass and October Rosary with Fr Claro V. Conde

9 October 2011 - Sunday 7:00pm

Open Mic UK Regional Finals – Support Jay Heyman (Half-Cebuano)

9 October 2011 - Sunday 7:00pm 12 October 2011 - Wednesday 11:30am to 12:30pm

Diamond in the Rough – The First UK All Pinoy Fighting Event Kanlungan is Launching its Five Briefings about Migrant Care Workers in the UK B A U K 1 8 t h Annual Charity Dinner & Dance

Cam d en Centre, Cam d en Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE Houses of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA Marriott London Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London W1K 6JP

Batangas Association UK (BAUK)

3 212 / Glo Diaz 07572 795 321 / Ched Gomez 07980 066 209

16 October 2011 - Sunday 2:00pm to 8:00pm

A Taste of Home – AyalaLand International Marketing Limited Grand Launch with Jon Santos and K Brosas

Victoria Park Plaza Hotel, 239 Vauxhall Bridge Road, Victoria, London SW1V 1EJ

AyalaLand International Marketing Limited

Jake Jimenez jimenez.jake@avidaland.com / Lenyver Tecson 07583 524 010 / 020 7828 4392 / tecson.leny@avidaland.com

21 October 2011 - Friday 6:00pm to 8:00pm

P i n o y R a d i o U K 2 n d Anniversary

Philippine Embassy, 10 Suffolk Street, London SW1Y 4HG

Pinoy Radio UK as part of the Philippines-British Friendship Month

22 October 2011 - Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm 22 October 2011 - Friday 5:00pm to 8:00pm

Philippine Embassy Consular Outreach Mission in Glasgow Pinoy Binggo Night

Destiny Church, 70 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, Scotland G4 0RN Little Lane Hall

Philippine Embassy UK

22 to 23 October 2011

Birmingham Dive Show

NEC Birmingham

29 October 2011 - Saturday 6:00pm to 3:00am

Miss TG Diamond 2011 (TransGender / Gay Beauty Pageant) and Halloween Ball After Party!

29 October 2011 - Saturday 9:00am

BFAB Mini Olympic

29 October 2011 - Saturday 2:00pm

15 October 2011 - Saturday 6:30pm to 1:00am

FCN OctoberFest 2011

Kilnamanagh Community Center, Treepark Road, Dublin 24, Ireland St David’s Catholic Church, Connaught Road, East Cowes, Isle of Wight PO32 6DP Beck Theatre, Grange Road, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 2UE

Filipino Community Network (FCN)

Contact: 087 663 016701

Jay Heyman - therealjayheyman@gmail.com / http://www.youtube.com/therealjayheyman / www.openmicuk.co.uk www.tri3tar.com Kanlungan

British-Filipino Association of Bradford (BFAB)

Facebook: Fiesta Bingo Bonanza

Buttons Media Annual International Transgender and Gay Beauty Pageant hosted by DIVA

020 8123 0559 / 07919 888 692 / office@buttonsmedia.com / www.misstgdiamond.com

Nabwood Sports Centre, Cottingley New Road, Bingley BD16 1TZ

British-Filipino Association of Bradford (BFAB)

Facebook: BFAB Mini Olympic

Family Day

Robert Hall, Upperton Road, Leicester LE3 0HB

Association of Filipino Radiographers in the UK (AFRUK)

Joel Casayuran 07809 837 451 / 01162 871 083

29 October 2011 - Saturday 5:00pm

Fil-Am Halloween Party

Filipino-American Friendship Club (FIL-AM UK)

30 October 2011 - Sunday 11:00am

I’d Turn Back if I W e re You!

RAF Lakenheath Chapel, RAF Lakenheath, Lakenheath, Suffolk IP27 9PN P&O Ferries, Show Lounge Pride of Rotterdam, Terminal 1, King George Dock HU9 5QA

Maharlika

Eva Rodrigo - Hull Maharlika 07774 540 786 / Carmichael Besitan - Scarborough Maharlika 07916 593 924 / Lolita Boddy – Maharlika 07973 469 450 / £10.00 - No tickets, No entry.

5 November 2011 - Saturday 9:30am (Start) 9:00am (Doors Open)

“Ikaw ang Pag-Ibig” – Film Showing

Curzon Chelsea Cinema, 206 Kings Road, London SW3 5XP

In commemoration of the TriCentennial of the Devotion to Ina: Virgin of Penafrancia

For details please contact 07824 885 573

6 November 2011 – Sunday 5:00pm

Miss World 2011

Miss World Limited

11 to 12 November 2011 – Friday and Saturday) 7:30pm 12 November 2011 - Saturday 11:00am

Lahing Kayumanggi’s Annaual Production

Earls Court, Earls Court 2, Warwick Road, London SW5 9TA The Cockpit Theatre, Gateforth Street, Marylebone, London NW8 8EH Procession starts from Mansion House

Lord Mayor’s Show 2011

Lahing Kayumanggi Dance Company

Ronnie Del Barrio 020 7193 9828 / info@lkdance.org.uk

The Lord Mayor’s Office

The Philippines will be participating in this grand event. For more information on the Lord Mayor’s Show 2011 www.lordmayorsshow.org

12 November 2011 - Saturday 6:00pm

“Big Blue Night in Autumn” – Featuring Wak-Wak Band

Chelford Village Hall, Chelford Road, Cheshire SK11 9AS

Samahan ng mga Filipino sa Macclesfield (Filipino Association of Macclesfield)

Erwin Icharas 07917 194 514 / Baden Perez 07701 081 376 / Grace Sagun 07769 173 781 Ticket Price: £12.00 (Food Included)

19 November 2011 - Saturday 7:30pm

The Filipino Cultural Show “Lahing Kayumanggi” Dance Company in Cardiff

Motor Point Arena, Mary Ann Street, Cardiff CF10 2EQ

Samar-Leyte Association, Wales, UK (SLAWUK), Pinoys in Cardiff and other Filipino Organizations

For tickets contact Live Nation www.livenation.co.uk / 07413 039 644 / 07721 087 267 / hughlour2001@gmail.com

19 to 26 November 2011

2011 Philippine Volcano Climb

Philippines

Fundraising event of the Scottish Filipino Charity

For more details on how to register and itinerary can be found on this link http://www.scottishfilipinocharity.org/?page_id=271

25 to 28 November 2011 – Friday to Sunday

Vice Ganda Royal Sample with Jon Avila

Star Events & Entertainment

London – www.seetickets.com Wales – 07795 412 822 / 020 8166 8908 Manchester – www.ticketmaster.co.uk Dublin, Ireland – 020 8166 8908

Every Sundays

Ssshhh…DYBK?

25 November – London 2 6 N o v e m b e r – W a les 27 November – Manchester 28 November – Dublin, Ireland The Shadow Lounge, 5 Brewer Street, London W1F 0RF

DIVA / Ssshhh Dolls

020 8123 0559 / office@buttonsmedia.com / www.dybk.co.uk

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October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

60 WINNERS 1951

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1951 – Kerstin (Kiki) Haakonson – Sweden 1952 – May Louise Flodin – Sweden 1953 – Denise Perrier – France 1954 – Antigone Costanda – Egypt 1955 – Susana Duijm – Venezuela 1956 – Petra Schurmann – Germany 1957 – Marita Lindahl – Finland 1958 – Penelope Anne Coelen – South Africa 1959 – Corine Rottschafer – Holland 1960 – Norma Gladys Cappagli – Argentina 1961 – Rosemarie Frankland – United Kingdom 1962 – Catharina Johanna Lodders – Netherlands 1963 – Carole Joan Crawford – Jamaica 1964 – Ann Sidney – United Kingdom 1965 – Lesley Langley – United Kingdom 1966 – Reita Faria – India 1967 – Madeline Hartog-Bel Houghton – Peru 1968 – Penelope Plummer – Australia 1969 – Eva Reuber-Staier – Austria 1970 – Jennifer Josephine Hosten – Grenada 1971 – Lucia Tavares Petterle – Brazil 1972 – Belinda Green – Australia 1973 – Marjorie Wallace – United States of America 1974 – Helen Morgan – United Kingdom 1975 – Wilnelia Merced Cruz – Puerto Rico 1976 – Cynthia Jane (Cindy) Breakspeare – Jamaica 1977 – Mary Ann Catrin Stavin – Sweden 1978 – Silvana Rosa Suarez Clarence – Argentina 1979 – Gina Ann Cassandra Swainson – Bermuda 1980 – Gabriela Brum – Germany 1981 – Carmen Josefina (Pilin) Leon Crespo – Venezuela 1982 – Mariasela Alvarez Lebron – Dominican Republic 1983 – Sarah-Jane Hutt – United Kingdom 1984 – Astrid Carolina Herrera Irrazabal – Venezuela 1985 – Holmfridur Karlsdottir – Iceland 1986 – Giselle Jeanne-Marie Laronde – Trinidad & Tobago 1987 – Ulla Weigerstorfer – Austria 1988 – Linda Petursdottir – Iceland 1989 – Aneta Beata Kreglicka – Poland 1990 – Gina Marie Tolleson – United States of America 1991 – Ninibeth Beatriz Leal Rodriguez – Venezuela 1992 – Julia Alexandrovna Kourotchkina – Russia 1993 – Lisa Hanna – Jamaica 1994 – Aishwarya Rai – India 1995 – Jacqueline Maria Aguilera Marcano – Venezuela 1996 – Irene Skliva – Greece 1997 – Diana Hayden – India 1998 – Linor Abargil – Israel 1999 – Yukta Mookhey – India 2000 – Priyanka Chopra – India 2001 – Agbani Darego – Nigeria 2002 – Azra Akin – Turkey 2003 – Rosanna Davison – Ireland 2004 – Maria Julia Mantilla – Peru 2005 – Unnur Birna Vilhjalmsdottir – Iceland 2006 – Tatana Kucharova – Czech Republic 2007 – Zhang Zi Lin – China PR 2008 – Ksenia Sukhinova – Russia 2009 – Kaiane Aldorino – Gibraltar 2010 – Alexandria Mills – Unites States of America

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Environment

October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

2 storms hit PH, blames climate change Lorela U. Sandoval

N

ature has its way of saying the cold, merry months of “ber” have arrived indeed, but the rainy season is far from being over yet. Storms Pedring (International name: Nesat) and Quiel (International name: Nalgae) successively entered the Philippines on September 24 and September 29, respectively, and targeted the Northern provinces as soon as it made landfall, resulting to loss of lives and damages on property.

Considered among the strongest typhoons to slap the country this year, latest reports said Pedring and Quiel left almost three million people displaced, 58 people dead and 34 still missing. Deaths were mostly due to landslide and drowning.

Majority of the affected people came from Region II, namely Quirino, Isabela, Cagayan and Nueva Vizcaya, then followed by Tarlac, La Union, Pangasinan and Cordillera Region (CAR).

The provinces of Ifugao and

Benguet entirely lost its power, while Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and La Union, Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija experienced power outages or interruptions, too.

Affected people have since been requesting for food, potable water, medicines and dry clothes. Several government and non-government entities have quickly responded and in fact, continue to bring relief goods to the ravaged provinces until now.

Rehabilitation is clearly underway, as President Benigno Aquino III called for a meeting last October 3, to discuss the rehabilitation efforts for the provinces affected. Among other things, the rehabilitation plan would include an assessment of the rice supply in the country as farmers in Bulacan, Pangasinan and Pampanga provinces were greatly affected. notoffline.com

Roxas Boulevard at the height of Typhoon Pedring

newsinfo.inquirer.net

Massive flooding in Calumpit, Bulacan and worsened by typhoon Quiel

Flooding was reported to be about waist or chest high to about two stories deep. Waters released from varied dams after reaching critical levels were identified to have contributed to the flooding in some areas.

But Under-Secretary Benito Ramos, Executive Director of National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said that if gauging by the quantity of rainfall from Quiel, it wasn’t sufficient amount to cause more flooding as compared to Ondoy’s case. Some areas, however, may likely remain under water for several more days, he assessed. Though it appears that flooding in areas, like Bulacan, is slowly diminishing, days following the two storms.

President Aquino also expressed his hopes that the new weather disturbance spotted, which could enter the country on October 10 and turn into a low-pressure area or tropical depression and possibly be called Ramon, will no longer contribute to the damages left by the recent storms.

Blame it on climate change Floods will be the new norm, Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate climate change committee, said, as she recounted the words of Under-Secretary Graciano Yumul of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). She recalled the under-secretary pointing out that, even though typhoons only bring a smaller amount of water, flooding is still most likely to occur.

Several officials pointed out the culprit of all these occurrences: climate change. It refers to “any distinct changes in weather patterns, such as temperature, rainfall, wind and snow over a long period of time,” scientists explained.

Many experts and officials also have identified some of the contributing factors to such phenomenon: deforestation, illegal logging, irresponsible garbage disposal, slash-andburn farming and quarrying in mountains, among other things.

As a matter of fact, the nation should expect dry season to be even drier and wet season even wetter in the next 20 to 50 years, Under-Secretary Yumul warned. This was echoed by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), predicting more storms will hit the nation in the coming decades.

Unless government policies and projects are enforced to fight climate change, Filipinos should prepare for more storms, flooding and drought in the near future. ■

Wind Power a Renewable Source of Energy Vittorio Hernandez

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n the popular Spanish novel piece “The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha,” the protagonist was portrayed as a crazy person who attempted to battle the windmill which he perceived as ferocious giants.

Windmills have gone a long way from perceived enemies of crazy Spaniards to its initial use to mill grain for food production to present sources of renewable, alternative and clean forms of energy.

As prices of crude oil continue to soar in the international market and the global movement gains ground to reduce dependence on fossil fuel due to global warming caused by carbon dioxide emissions from engines powered by traditional sources of fuel, wind power has gained more acceptance across the world.

Aside from wind being a free commodity and available in all parts of the world, wind power appears to have more advantage than solar power since some countries do not have enough sun during winter periods.

Wind power is tapped when the blades move which causes the gears inside a windmill to convey power to a mechanical device. It had many industrial uses including for paper production, threshing and processing of seeds, wool, paints and stone products.

At the peak of windmill use in Europe, about 200,000 windmills were in use. However, the industrial revolution led to the decline of use of windmills, which were replaced with steam and internal combustion engines.

The first windmills used to generate electricity were built by the end of the 19th century in Scotland. By the 1930s, farms in the U.S. tapped wind power to generate electricity.

The initial oil price shock in the 1970s and the second shock in the 1990s as well as concerns over energy security and global warming led many countries to take a second look at wind power as an alternative energy source.

To date thousands of windmills are running around the world with a total nameplate capacity of 194,400 megawatts. Europe has about 48 per cent of the windmills.

The United Kingdom is expected

to have by middle of 2011 installed wind power capacity of over 5.7 gigawatts, making U.K. the world’s eighth largest producer of wind power in the word. Over the next five years, Renewable U.K. forecasts that over 2 GW of capacity will be deployed every year, making wind power the second largest source of renewable energy in Britain after biomass.

In 2010, the Gunfleet Sands, Robin Rigg and Thanet offshore wind farms were completed and went on stream. However, what stands in the way of building more wind farms is the higher cost estimated by the Royal Academy of Engineering at 5.4 pence per KWH for onshore installations and 7.2 pence for offshore. In comparison, it costs 2.2 pence to develop gas and 2.3 pence nuclear power plants.

In the Philippines, there is the Northwind Bangui Bay Project in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, which was funded by a $48 million grant from the Danish government in 1998.

From the initial 19 large turbines spaced 236 metres apart, the number of windmills has grown to 49 which produces 25 megawatts or almost 40 per cent of Ilocos Norte’s electrical power.

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Windmills were initially used for industrial purposes, but eventually were tapped to generate electricity like the Bangui wind farm in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.

The wind farm, the largest in Southeast Asia, is estimated to reduce 56,788 tons of carbon dioxide emissions of greenhouse gases for the 21-year expected lifetime of the windmills or 1.2 million tons of CO2.

Besides providing clean energy

to Bangui, the windmills have become a tourist attraction and led to the construction of beach resorts in the poblacion. Hopefully, it won’t attract crazy Spanish tourists from La Mancha who would mount horses and dare the windmills to a duel! ■

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Politics, Law & Social News

VP Pacquiao?

Vittorio Hernandez

E

ight-division boxing title holder and Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao hinted during the first week of September that he will soon hang his gloves and retire from boxing. Pacquiao wants to level up his recent foray into Philippine politics by eyeing the vice presidency in 2016.

Pacquiao said that five years from now he plans to run for the second highest post in the country or the vice presidency.

The announcement would make Pacquiao’s November 12 fight with Juan Manuel Marquez in Mexico one of his last in his stellar boxing career that saw him rise from a construction worker to the world’s pound-forpound king.

From his humble beginnings in General Santos City, Pacquiao carved his name in the boxing field by winning all his 50 plus fights, except for two losses.

However, the past few years he had stepped one foot into the political arena by running for congressman in General Santos and also in the entertainment world by being a recording artist and TV host/actor.

Pacquiao initially lost to a female opponent in 2007, but won in 2010 when he run for the same position in neighbouring Sarangani Province.

However, Commission on Election Chairman Sixto Brillantes dashed hopes of Pacquiao because the boxer and congressman is not qualified yet to run for vice president due to the minimum age requirement of 40 set by the Philippine constitution. The boxer, who was born on December 17, 1978, would only be 37 in the May 2016 election.

Pacquiao also said that he plans to also run for governor in Sarangani before he makes a try for the VP post. When the boxer learned of Comelec’s reminder, Pacman accepted the

Thou shall not light Vittorio Hernandez

T

he Philippine battle against smoking continues to heat up after a Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court refused in September to lift a temporary restraining order it issued on the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) new smoking ban law that covers the national capital region in the Philippines.

From allowing smoking in certain public places, the ban covered all public spaces including sidewalks, which prompting two security guards caught by MMDA environmental officers in Quezon City in July to question the metropolitan agency’s authority to apprehend smokers and the inclusion of sidewalks and major and minor roads in the MMDA’s smoking ban.

The MMDA definition of public places includes transport terminals, loading and unloading bays, pedestrian over and underpasses, schools, hospitals, youth recreation centers, government offices and areas 100 metres away from public areas.

The MMDA backtracked and eased a bit on the definition of a public place, but still made more than 8,000 arrests in almost three months of implementation. Those

MMDA’s no smoking campaign is hampered by legal definition of what is a public place.

arrested were fined P500 for firsttime offenders, up to P5,000 for second-time violators and up to P10,000 for third-time offenders.

On a national scale, Congress passed the Tobacco Control Act in 2003 which set guidelines and regulation of packaging, sale, distribution and advertisements of tobacco products.

Despite the approval of the Act, the Philippines continue to lose the battle against the habit with the number of young smokers going up from year to year. Production of tobacco also has been rising at an average of 20 percent in value over the past eight years.

According to the National Tobacco Administration, 74 million kilos of tobacco were harvested in 2010, which rose to 77 million in 2011 and expected to further go up to 80 million in 2012.

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clarification from Brillantes and expressed hope the law would be amended.

However, even setting aside the age requirement, Pacquiao is not assured of a poll victory for the two higher posts he is eyeing because many Filipino voters no longer cast their ballots based on the popularity of the candidates.

His poll loss against Darlene Antonino is sufficient proof.

Popular movie stars who have run for electoral posts have lost in past elections, although there

have also been instances of cheating. To cite a few are action king Fernando Poe Jr. who tried to run for president, superstar Nora Aunor, sentimental songstress Imelda Papin who attempted to run for governor in Bicol provinces and multi-awarded drama actor Christopher de Leon who failed in his attempt to become mayor in a Batangas town.

There would also likely be questions about his educational qualifications and performance as a legislator, which are not as impressive as his boxing record. Observers still recalled his first debate with veteran Congressman Edcel Lagman over the reproductive health bill which saw him clobbered in Congress.

One woman would likely be elated by Pacquiao’s plan – that it to retire from the ring. It would be his religious mother Dionesia Pacquiao who has been pleading for several years with her son to hang up his boxing gloves.

On a less serious note, pundits said the title “Vice Pacquiao” sounds so much like famous gay comedian Vice Ganda. ■

Despite the court decision, the Department of Health supports the MMDA’s anti-smoking campaign because of the vice’s effect on the health of smokers and non-smokers alike.

The DOH pointed out in response to the lawsuit that a smoker’s right ends when he breaches the right of others to protect their health, particularly second-hand smoke.

The government’s battle to cut smoking in the Philippines, however, is hampered by the fact that President Benigno Aquino III

is a smoker and refuses to kick the habit despite calls by several health organizations for him to set a good example to Filipinos.

The contribution of the tobacco industry to the national coffers could also be a major factor behind the losing battle outside the national capital region since tobacco farmers paid more than P34 billion in taxes to the government while tobacco traders and cigarette firms contributed about four percent of revenues to the Bureau of Internal Revenue. ■

Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao has higher political ambitions, but is not yet qualified to run for vice president in 2016 because of his age.

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Philippines vs. Arroyo Lorela U. Sandoval

T

wo major corruption complaints will be filed against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo before Christmas, senior officials revealed in a statement last September 13.

The credibility of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, according to Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, relies on its ability to indict Arroyo and other officials charged of corruption. But the details of the possible cases were withheld, which, according to Abad, has to be done to guarantee convictions.

Abad further explained that corruption grew during Arroyo’s reign for two reasons: a culture of political patronage and lack of internal control. But the current administration is firm to get rid of corruption at all levels of the government, he told press. ■

‘We will be watching’ — Malacañang Lorela U. Sandoval

F

ollowing the imposition of 12 percent value added tax (VAT) on toll fees last October 1, Malacañang said in a statement that they will keep an eye on people who will try to charge higher fees on goods and services. According to Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte, toll fee VAT has little impact on goods and services basing on their computation, so there is no need for any price increase that is beyond their computation.

Valte added that VAT collection on toll fee will be put to proper use and will provide an additional

revenue of P1.3 billion to P2 billion to the government. In earlier statements, Malacañang also disclosed that profits from toll fee VAT will finance social service projects.

But, according to reports, toll way operators will have the vast majority share of the VAT amassed from toll

fees. This is because similar to other companies that have annual gross sales of over P1.5 million, they are permitted to deduct VAT paid or output tax from their consumption of goods and services as well, which means they can request for credits for excess input taxes or tax refunds. Even road users, it is said they can now claim input tax paid on VAT, consequently decreasing VAT payments and collections.

The VAT on toll fees was supposed to have started collection last August 16, 2010, but Supreme Court prohibited it.

Nevertheless, they said it is hard to get rid of VAT since this has been imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). ■

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October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

Aquino converted foreign trips into new investments Lorela U. Sandoval

F

resh from his trips to China, Japan and USA, President Benigno Aquino III brings home good news to his constituents – in the form of new investments.

President Aquino first visited China on August 30 to September 3 and revealed that the Philippines have closer ties now with China. In his statement aired on dzRB Radio, a government-run station, shortly after he arrived, he said that both countries have agreed to continue and strengthen their support to each other, acknowledging the decades of relationship the two nations have already established.

For one, China consented to supporting the ASEAN Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which makes the South China Sea rather a “sea of friendship and co-operation.” Both parties also concurred to make 2012-2013 as the Philippine-China Year of Friendly Exchanges, which aims to have a two fold increase of the twoway tourist arrivals in 2016 by two million. By 2016, they also seek to produce $60 billion in total joint

trade. They also signed agreements that would involve tourism, culture, sports, trade, economy, technical cooperation and information.

President Aquino’s visit to the US on September 18 to 23 was also reported to be productive, as he mentioned establishing a new investment pledge for the Philippines’ coconut industry with business groups. Coco water is recently a big hit in the US market.

He, in fact, described it as a “milliondollar industry”. Two American companies who expressed interest in investing in the coconut industry are Pepsi Corp, Vita Coco and its local partner Fiesta Coco Equity.

Reports said the investment in coconuts may not be that big, but the great contribution is employment generation for Filipinos.

The President also noted that several other companies made commitments of expanding their operations and investments in the Philippines, at the same time exploring new possibilities. Among them are IBM for the information technology sector, CG/LA for infrastructure and Convergys and EXL on business outsourcing, among others.

Reports said upon the invitation of US President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, President Aquino also took part in the Open Government Partnership (OGP) held in New York. The OGP, according to him, is an initiative to push for honest, open and trustworthy government.

The OGB committee includes USA, United Kingdom, Brazil, Norway, Mexico, Indonesia, South Africa and Philippines.

President Aquino had a meeting as well with US-ASEAN Business Council officials. The council includes big names in the business sector such as Coca-Cola, Citigroup, Pfizer, and GE, among others.

His visit to Japan on September 25 to 28 was also successful. Fact is, despite Japan’s worst nightmare of earthquake and tsunami last March of this year, Tokyo was still able to provide an official development assistance loan to the Philippines amounting to 9.2 billion yen, which when converted is around 5.87 billion pesos or 120 million dollars.

Four business agreements were also signed, as witnessed by the President himself. The agreements involve First Metro Investment

Technology kills post offices Vittorio Hernandez

O

ne of the victims of technological advances, primarily in communications, is the post offices. As more people around the world shift to email and text to communicate faster, the market for snail mail shrinks at a rapid pace threatening the very existence of postal services.

Although the impact is felt in practically all postal offices around the world, it is most felt in large countries which employ thousands of postal workers whose jobs are threatened as national governments grapple with huge budget deficits and are forced to downsize operations of their post offices.

Unfortunately, the response of postal workers to the threat of downsizing is to stage strikes, which often only reinforce the idea that the traditional snail mail is fast becoming obsolete. Unlike transport strikes which paralyze cities, postal strikes’ impact is hardly felt since few people anyway send important messages by traditional mail.

The effects of such industrial

action are felt mostly by recipients of government social security programs and pensioners who still rely on cheques sent by mail.

In the United States, the U.S. Postal Service was expected to report a loss of up to $10 billion when it ended the fiscal year on September 30. Postmaster General Patrick Donahue is convincing Congress to grant the agency new legal authority to change delivery schedules, shutter post offices and lay off more employees in a bid to survive the economic slowdown and changing consumer preference on mailed matter.

Unless Congress acts fast enough, the postal service will default on a $5.5 billion payment due in September.

Even before the legislature approves the requested new authority, the agency had already initiated several cost-cutting measures along the same lines to survive the hard times as more people go electronic for their mails and bills. As a result, mail volume this year dipped to 167 billion pieces delivered, down 22 per cent from 2007. Donahue said that the postal service will continue to have a place

in an increasingly electronic-driven world, but it needs to change and adapt to survive.

Congress had previously turned down the agency’s request to repeal a law that mandated USPS to deliver mail six days a week, although U.S. President Barack Obama is in favour of removing Saturday mail delivery service. Had the lawmakers agreed to the amendment, it would have saved USPS $3 billion yearly.

There are also plans to reduce the postal service workforce to 425,000 employees in the next four years which would save the agency $60 billion yearly.

USPS also plans to close up to 3,700 units across the U.S., which represents 12 per cent of the country’s post offices, which would lead to closure in all states, except Delaware. More than 50 percent of the planned closures are in rural areas.

In Canada, employees of Canada Post held rolling strikes in August to protests cuts the Canadian government made as demand for mail service declines. This led Ottawa to lockout the striking postal employees.

To end the lockout, the federal

Prime Minister Yoshiko Noda of Japan also stressed their pledge to enforce the Japanese-Bangsamoro Initiative for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD) projects, in which a “rice-based farming technology” will be introduced

by Japan to the Bangsamoro, the Filipino-Muslims generally found in Southern Mindanao.

Corporation and Mitsui and Company Limited, Federal Land and Orix Corporation, Clark Development Corporation and Ingasco and Transnational Diversified Group and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) Line.

Japan’s top tire maker, Yokohama Rubber Company Limited, also plans to spread out its production in the Philippines, according to President Aquino, making it the biggest factory of the company worldwide.

government introduced back-towork legislation in Parliament to help restore the postal service back to normal amid the cost-cutting measures introduced by Canada Post.

However, during the strike, volunteer postal workers still delivered the pension and social security cheques to ensure the public would not be adversely affected by their rotating strikes.

Similar industrial action was made by employees of the Royal Mail in Britain in October 2009. About 42,000 mail centre staff striked for three days to protest changes and cost-cutting measures which were the result of dwindling mail handled.

Up to 2006, the Royal Mail was still posting profit before tax by handling 84 million items daily.

However, after 2006, profits declined yearly from a peak of £312 million that year.

Fortunately for the Philippines, the 13,800 employees of the Philippine Postal Corporation are not as restive as their counterparts from the U.S., Canada and Britain with no known history of industrial action on their part. The only negative issue against the government agency is the pilferage of mailed matter particularly parcels sent overseas containing imported items.

The downsizing of postal offices is an inevitable event, said Illinois

Among other things, education was also discussed, as PM Noda will invite 400 Filipino nursing students in an exchange program to study in Japan. Further, President Aquino disclosed Japan’s interest in infrastructure investments and in introducing the so-called “terrestial digital TV broadcasting system,” which would considerably enhance broadcasting in the Philippines.

But aside from sealing business deals and investments, President Aquino also donated $1 million to Japan, to assist the said country in its rehabilitation efforts after the strong earthquake and tsunami.

The money was said to have come from his social fund or pork barrel as critics call it. ■

Representative Danny Davis, who chairs the House Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia sub-committee.

Davis was quoted by FoxNews as saying, “We’ve seen this coming for several years now, quite frankly…

The volume simply is not there, e-commerce has taken its toll. We used to write letters to grandma and stuff like that, now we just don’t do that anymore. You can’t deliver what’s not there.”

There are, however, a few holdouts who would want to receive the traditional Hallmark Christmas greeting card by post during the Yuletide and other special occasions in life.

Unfortunately, they are a minority and continue to shrink in number not sufficient to sustain keeping Mr. Postman on the government budget amid an era where messages are sent and received within seconds through more popular electronic communication tools such as email and text messages.

Even bills, books and newspapers – which are also part of the bulk of mailed matter handled by post offices – are also under threat as bills are sent to subscribers online and could be paid via electronic banking, while books are sold in electronic form and more newspapers and magazines shift from print to online editions. ■

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Business & Finance

October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

$120 billion trade targets Metrobank expands remittance service may remain a pipe dream with MoneyGram International Lorela U. Sandoval

T

he current administration’s target to double exports in the next five years to $120 billion may remain a pipe dream, reports said.

According to Aniano Bagabaldo, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Philippines Exporters Confederation, after being hit by a financial slump in 2008 to 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis, exporters only got one-year recovery period before they’re hit again by new challenges, such as the strong peso, weak

economies of US and Europe and high costs of engaging in business in the country.

Another issue that concerns exporters is the high cost of energy in the country. In fact, Bagabaldo said in reports that the country has the highest power rate among all Asian countries, which also discourages foreign investors from visiting and exploring the possibilities.

Because of all these issues raised, and the fact that most local exporters are smallmedium enterprises, it would be very difficult for them to remain tough in the midst of crisis until these issues are resolved. ■

Stricter rules on entry of imported books imposed by Customs Lorela U. Sandoval

I

mporting books to the Philippines is not going to be as easy as it used to be, as the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has implemented stricter rules for duty and tax-free entry of imported goods.

The Customs Memorandum Order 25-2011, issued by Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez, calls for the “uniformity in the treatment of book importations.” According to the new regulation, among the imported books exempted from the new rules are those that have been considered as educational, scientific and cultural materials under the Florence Agreement.

Signed in 1952 in Florence, Italy, by 17 countries, the Florence Agreement waives tariffs on books and other printed materials so as to aid in the free flow of scientific, cultural and educational materials.

The Philippines signed the agreement in 1979.

Alvarez also said that under this agreement, applicants for importations are advised to secure a certification from the UNESCO Office in the country, stating the books to be imported are covered by the Florence Agreement.

Also exempted are books or raw materials for books covered by the Book Publishing Industry Development Act or RA 8047, as

well as book importations by nonprofit and non-stock educational institutions. To apply for dutyfree importation of books by non-profit, non stock institutions, a certification from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) or Department of Education (DepEd) must be acquired to prove these are economic, historical, scientific, philosophical, vocational or technical books.

To avail of said exemptions, importers must visit the Department of Finance (DOF) to apply.

Meanwhile, to be able to import books or raw materials for book publishing, the importer must follow these guidelines: attach his registration paper with the National Book Development Board (NBDB) as book publisher to the duty tax exemption application; submit a certification from local suppliers attesting that the raw materials to be imported are not available locally.

Books, newspapers, magazines, bulletins or reviewers that appear at regular intervals and have fixed rates for sale and subscription are also free from value-added tax (VAT).

Nonetheless it is still required for importers of such materials to acquire a certificate from DOF. Without these certificates, corresponding rates of duty shall be imposed by the government. ■

M

etropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) has partnered with leading global payments company, MoneyGram International, to extend its money transfer service to Filipinos abroad.

Metrobank was the first MoneyGram agent in the Philippines to implement AgentConnectR, a platform integrating the money transfer service with the Bank’s system.

With this platform, beneficiaries receive cash more quickly and conveniently at any Metrobank branch.

“With our tie-up with Metrobank, our total network has more than 8,100 locations in the Philippines,” said Nick Cunnew, Senior Regional Director of MoneyGram Asia Pacific region. “And with AgentConnect, Metrobank now

provides the fastest possible processing time for MoneyGram transactions. Customers are able to receive international money transfers within minutes, based on the Bank’s operating hours.”

“As the trusted banking partner of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), we aim not only to understand but provide solutions to their needs,” said Richard So, Senior Vice President and Head of the International Offices and Subsidiaries Group of Metrobank.

“Being away from their loved ones, it is important to OFWs to be able to send money to the Philippines easily and securely without giving their beneficiaries added hassle.

One of the key advantages of this partnership is that the beneficiaries using the MoneyGram service may conveniently claim their

proceeds at any of the hundreds of Metrobank branches nationwide.”

For easy remittance through MoneyGram, OFW beneficiaries only need to complete and submit a “receive” form, along with their valid IDs. Remittances may then be released either in Philippine Pesos or in U.S. Dollars. Abroad, the OFWs may send money through MoneyGram’s global network of 233,000 agent locations in 191 countries and territories. For the closest location near you, please log on to www.moneygram.com.

“Beyond remittances, we also tailored products and services such as MetroHome and MetroCar loans, insurance coverage, investment funds, and savings accounts, specifically for OFWs and their beneficiaries,” added So. ■ Source: Metrobank

Metrobank is Best Bank in the Philippines

M

etropolitan Bank & Trust Company (Metrobank) once again emerged as the Best Bank in the Philippines in the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2011. The Bank retains the award this year because of its progression from being a remarkable turnaround story to a strengthened position as an industry leader. According to Euromoney, Metrobank’s pursuit in growing its assets and profitability during a period when the economy experienced its best rate of growth in 35 years, while continuing to improve asset quality, deserves recognition considering all banks across the region are racing to do the same.

The Euromoney Awards

for Excellence 2011 is one of the most reputable awards in the finance services industry globally. It recognizes 25 global awardees covering 100 countries worldwide.

Their central theme focuses on recognizing institutions and individuals that demonstrate leadership, innovation, and momentum in the markets in which they excel.

“We’re very honored to be recognized by Euromoney for the second year in a row,” says Metrobank President Arthur Ty. “This is a testament to the unwavering support of our clients, the efforts of a strong management team and our continued pursuit to be the best bank for all our stakeholders.

With a strong foundation in

place, we are committed to achieving long term and greater success for the bank,” adds Ty. Last year, Metrobank was bestowed with the highest recognitions from renowned global financial publications including Euromoney’s Best Bank in the Philippines for 2010. The other awards were Asiamoney’s Best Domestic Bank in the Philippines and Bank of the Year from The Banker. The Bank was cited for its leadership and innovation, as well as efforts in strengthening its balance sheet, improvements in corporate governance and investor relations; increased transparency to its stakeholders and strong share price performance. ■ Source: Metrobank

MoneyGram now offers remittance direct to BDO account

B

eneficiaries with accounts in BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDO) can now receive remittances straight to their bank accounts following a recent agreement with MoneyGram, a leading worldwide money transfer company.

The said service would soon be launched in MoneyGram locations worldwide to heighten convenient access and allow beneficiaries to receive remittances the fastest way possible. Apart from offering credit to BDO account in MoneyGram outlets, money senders may also remit online through www.emoneygram.com.

Once the money has been credited to a BDO account, the client may claim his/her remittance from any of the more than 1,400 BDO ATMs or from over 10,000 Expressnet, Megalink and Bancnet ATMs nationwide.

Clients may also withdraw over the counter from about 730 BDO branches all over the country, with some open even on weekends and holidays. For those who don’t have BDO accounts yet, applying for one is very easy as all they have to do is to open with only P50 initial deposit and they may start receiving remittances

through their BDO peso account.

The partnership for the credit to account service is a milestone for both companies.

BDO is the only Philippine bank exclusively accredited by MoneyGram for its credit to bank account in the country. For MoneyGram, the said service marked its first foray in the AsiaPacific market. The global firm, with a huge network of 233,000 local agents across 191 countries and territories, recognizes the Philippines as one of the most important remittance markets in the world. ■ Source: BDO

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October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

Shalani, Roman: A marriage made in heaven

I

t could be the next wedding of the year in the Philippines, as two politicians take their relationship a notch higher. Congressman Roman Romulo of Pasig City and Councillor Shalani Soledad of Valenzuela City finally set their wedding date – January 22, 2012.

Truth is, it should have been in February of the same year, but thanks to their feng shui expert who suggested making it a month earlier. The family of Congressman

Romulo is all out to Soledad and their wedding, which the former’s sister, Mons Romulo-Tantoco, even called “a marriage made in heaven”. The engagement was said to have taken place at the Our Lady of Fatima Church in Valenzuela City.

On a political note, the couple has also made initial plans to run for separate seats in the next election: Soledad as Congresswoman in Bulacan and Romulo as Senator. ■

First Carinderia Fiesta 2011 held at World Trade Center

Taiwanese “visitors” raided for credit card cloning

J

ust when you thought cloning was only for humans and other living organisms popularly portrayed in the movies, think again.

Last September 14, 15 Taiwanese nationals were arrested by the agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in synchronized raids at two classy subdivisions in Quezon City for alleged involvement in credit card cloning.

According to reports, the raiding teams from the NBI Technical Investigation Division gathered up at about 7 pm at BF Homes Subdivision and entrapped the

said Taiwanese suspects before they could even escape. The other suspects at Filinvest II Subdivision, however, were able to flee before the arrival of the raiding teams.

The said suspects seemed to have established connections with individuals in the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Immigration, if gauging by the list of phone numbers seized among their equipment, according to the raiding team. NBI agents also suspected that these suspects may be part of a credit card cloning syndicate.

Names of the Taiwanese

F suspects, who claimed they were just visitors in that subdivision, were not disclosed yet pending further investigation. But as of September 21, it has been revealed that the said suspects will be charged with Access Devices Regulation Act. ■

or the very first time, a Carinderia Fiesta, a food forum and festival, was held at the Philippine World Trade Center, last September 23 to 24, participated by more than 200 carinderia operators in the Philippines.

The fiesta, which was organized

by Marylindbert International, aims to look at possible ways to build and care for the interest and welfare of about three million registered and non-registered carinderia operators and owners in the country.

According to reports, the event also became a gastronomic treat for the public who had the chance to sample dishes that were prepared

The invasive airport scanners Vittorio Hernandez

A

mong the security measures put in place in airports in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in the US, it is probably the invasive naked body scanners that has created the most controversy.

In a bid to prevent the smuggling of devices which could be used to hijack planes, a growing number of airports across the world have increased their security measures ranging from removal of shoes and belts, body pat downs, use of biometric passports and more high-tech devices to check if passengers carry items not allowed by aviation laws.

Although airports have long been using x-rays to check contents of checked-in and handcarried bags, devices hidden by people in their bodies are more difficult to detect particularly if these are not made of metal.

In the last few years naked body scanners were introduced in several airports such as the Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport

The naked body scanners have been protested not only because of its invasion of traveller’s privacy, but also over health concerns due to the radiation that the high-tech equipment emits.

in California, Luton Airport in London and Pearson Airport in Toronto.

Called millimeter wave scanners, the naked body scanners showed the outline of the human body as if the passenger was not wearing clothes. It includes outline of private body parts, which are possible hiding places for tiny devices that terrorists

could use to hijack or blow up planes.

To ensure privacy of the passengers going through the scanner, the screener who views the naked body images on a computer screen is in an enclosed space in another room. Under the rules, the technician who views the images does not see the person who went through the equipment to ensure

privacy. The images are also supposed not to be stored but must be erased immediately.

However, several violations have taken place, which have created public uproar. One of them was the admission by marshals in Orlando, Florida that they saved 35,000 images on their scanners using the

by carefully chosen carinderias from Metro Manila. It also held lectures on how to creatively cook famous Filipino dishes usually served in carinderias, as well as talks on hygiene, sanitation, food preparation, standardization, portioning and budgeting, among others. A cooking contest was also held under nine food categories and an interesting exhibit of the history of carinderia.

The festival also gathered suppliers in the food industry, for those future entrepreneurs who would like to venture into such industry and for the current carinderia owners and operators who plan to broaden their materials or supplies. ■

Gen 2 millimeter wave scanner.

Efforts have been made to block the use of the scanners, but governments insisted on using them in the name of national security and refused to grant exemptions despite the push by human and civil rights groups.

Beyond the question of privacy, there is also the matter of health because of the issues related to rays emitted by the scanners. The active scanners direct millimeter wave energy on the passenger and then interpret the reflected energy, while passive scanners read only the raw energy naturally emitted from the human body. The passive systems are as safe as taking photo using a digital camera, but animal cancer studies show that chronic exposure to microwave radiation may result in increased rate of tumor growth.

Another unresolved issue concerning the scanner is the cost-benefit because studies have demonstrated that the equipment had failed to detect some objects such as a handgun hidden in an undercover agent’s undergarments on several test runs. Despite several months in use, there had been no report of terrorists captured because of the scanners. ■

COME HOME TO A BEACH VACATION EACH AND EVERY DAY! “The hustle and bustle of city life does take its toll on people who are as busy as we are. Imagine just how wonderful it would be to feel like you’re on vacation every single day.

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THE AZURE is located on SLEX (West Service Road) beside SM Bicutan. It is also a short drive away to the Alabang Town Center, Festival Mall, Magallanes Village, Ayala Alabang Village, Villamor Golf Club, the Asian Hospital in Alabang and schools such as Southville International School, Southridge School and De La Salle Santiago Zobel School.

For information, call Century Properties at 0207 5336558, 07590394331, 07894278347; e-mail enquiries@ centurygroupeurope.com; or visit www.centurygroupeurope.com, www.buycenturyproperties.com, and www.centuryproperties.co.uk.

– Pio iiol oollo Pasc aassc scuua ual aall & Ru Ruffa ffa G Guutierrez Gut uutt Authorized to sell by HLURB LTS 23599 and LTS 23646. The images and details shown herein are intended for illustration purposes only. While the information are based on present plans, which have been created with great care and effort, the developers reserve the right to change proposed project features, amenities, prices and terms without prior notice. It is then recommended that the client confirm their accuracy and subsequent changes, if any. Further, the client holds the developers free from any legal and financial claims resulting from the information contained herein.

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HELLO PHILIPPINES

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Philippine Embassy / Philippine Department of Tourism

Republic of the Philippines

COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS

COMMITTEE ON OVERSEAS ABSENTEE VOTING MANILA

ADVISORY: CONSULAR OUTREACH MISSION, GLASGOW 22 OCTOBER 2011 (COM-4) The Embassy is pleased to announce the holding of its 4th Consular Outreach Mission for 2011 at the following venue: DATE : 22 OCTOBER 2011, SATURDAY TIME : 9 AM TO 5 PM (SATURDAY) VENUE : DESTINY CHURCH, 70 CATHEDRAL STREET, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, G4 0RN CONTACT PERSONS : MS. MARJORIE CHONG, DESTINY CHURCH (01415529823) AND MR. ALEX PULLAN, PRESIDENT, UNITED FILIPINOS OF SCOTLAND (07505117889)

SERVICES OFFERED: â&#x20AC;˘ E-PASSPORT APPLICATIONS (by booking with the Embassy from 10 October to 14 October 2011 only on a first-book/first-served basis) â&#x20AC;˘ EMERGENCY GREEN PASSPORT APPLICATIONS â&#x20AC;˘ PASSPORT VALIDITY PERIOD EXTENSION APPLICATIONS â&#x20AC;˘ PASSPORT AMENDMENT (FROM SINGLE TO MARRIED NAME â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ON GREEN PASSPORTS ONLY) â&#x20AC;˘ ONE-WAY TRAVEL DOCUMENT APPLICATIONS â&#x20AC;˘ REPORTS OF BIRTH, MARRIAGE, DEATH â&#x20AC;˘ NOTARIAL & LEGALIZATION SERVICES (AFFIDAVITS, SPAs) â&#x20AC;˘ NBI FORM APPLICATIONS â&#x20AC;˘ ACCEPTANCE OF PHILIPPINE VISA APPLICATIONS (NOTE: NO ACTUAL VISAS WILL BE ISSUED DURING THE OUTREACH MISSION) â&#x20AC;˘ PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP RETENTION/RE-ACQUISITION â&#x20AC;˘ ASSISTANCE-TO-NATIONALS AND LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING PHILIPPINE LAW â&#x20AC;˘ SSS, PAG-IBIG AND OWWA MEMBERSHIP/BENEFITS (OEC ISSUANCE) â&#x20AC;˘ ADVICE ON EMPLOYMENT/LABOR RELATED MATTERS ADVISORY: CONSULAR OUTREACH MISSION, LIVERPOOL 05 NOVEMBER 2011 (COM-5) The Embassy is pleased to announce the holding of its 5th Consular OutreachMission for 2011 at the following venue: DATE : 05 NOVEMBER 2011, SATURDAY TIME : 9 AM TO 5 PM (SATURDAY) VENUE : LEE VALLEY MILLENIUM CENTRE, CHILDWALL VALLEY ROAD, NETHERLEY, LIVERPOOL, MERSEYSIDE L25 1BR CONTACT PERSON: MS. TRICIA FERRIOL, PRESIDENT, LIVERPOOL FILIPINO ASSOCIATION, (07818141013).

SERVICES OFFERED: â&#x20AC;˘ E-PASSPORT APPLICATIONS (by booking with the Embassy from 24 October to 28 October 2011 only on a first-book/first-served basis) â&#x20AC;˘ EMERGENCY GREEN PASSPORT APPLICATIONS â&#x20AC;˘ PASSPORT VALIDITY PERIOD EXTENSION APPLICATIONS â&#x20AC;˘ PASSPORT AMENDMENT (FROM SINGLE TO MARRIED NAME â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ON GREEN PASSPORTS ONLY) â&#x20AC;˘ ONE-WAY TRAVEL DOCUMENT APPLICATIONS â&#x20AC;˘ REPORTS OF BIRTH, MARRIAGE, DEATH â&#x20AC;˘ NOTARIAL & LEGALIZATION SERVICES (AFFIDAVITS, SPAs) â&#x20AC;˘ NBI FORM APPLICATIONS â&#x20AC;˘ ACCEPTANCE OF PHILIPPINE VISA APPLICATIONS (NOTE: NO ACTUAL VISAS WILL BE ISSUED DURING THE OUTREACH MISSION) â&#x20AC;˘ PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP RETENTION/RE-ACQUISITION â&#x20AC;˘ ASSISTANCE-TO-NATIONALS AND LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING PHILIPPINE LAW â&#x20AC;˘ SSS, PAG-IBIG AND OWWA MEMBERSHIP/BENEFITS (OEC ISSUANCE) â&#x20AC;˘ ADVICE ON EMPLOYMENT/LABOR RELATED MATTERS â&#x20AC;˘ OVERSEAS ABSENTEE VOTING REGISTRATION (Please bring valid passport) All those who will avail of the services during the Outreach Mission are advised to check the documentary and other requirements at www. philembassy-uk.org.

Applicants may likewise download application forms in advance from the same website.

Those who wish to receive their e-Passports, visas to the Philippines, or other documents by Post are advised to submit a self-addressed stamped special delivery envelope with their applications.

Payments for consular services can be made in cash (English currency) or with postal money orders made out to the Philippine Embassy. Personal cheques are not accepted for payment purposes.

The Embassy looks forward to seeing you at the Consular Outreach Mission in Glasgow and Liverpool.

For booking form please contact the above or Philippine Embassy 020 7451 1780.

October / November 2011 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Monthly Issue â&#x20AC;˘ UK & Europe Edition

NOTICE OF REGISTRATION AND ELECTION TO ALL FILIPINO CITIZENS Notice is hereby given that under Republic Act No. 9189, otherwise known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003â&#x20AC;?, all citizens of the Philippines abroad, not otherwise disqualified by law, at least eighteen ( 18 ) years of age on the day of the election, and who are registered overseas absentee voters with approved application to vote in absentia, may vote for Senators and Party-List Representatives. For this purpose, all qualified Filipinos citizens not registered as voters under Republic Act No. 8189, otherwise known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Voters Registration Act of 1996â&#x20AC;?, (the system of continuing registration) shall file an application for registration while those who are already registered under the said Act shall file an application for certification.

For purposes of the May 13, 2013 elections, the filing of applications for registration/certification and transfer of registration records shall be filed at the Post or other designated registration areas from October 31, 2011 to October 31, 2012.

The 30-day voting period will commence on April 13, 2013 until 3:00 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock in the afternoon (Philippine time) of May 13, 2013 at Philippine Embassies or Consulates. (The time for voting to be announced later) For details, please contact Mr. Rosendo Rodriguez/Mrs. Edith Malilin at telephone numbers 02074511816 /02074511826/02074511803 or the following online/web sources: The Philippine Embassy, London (Official Facebook Page); @philemblondon (Official Twitter Account); www.philembassy-uk.org (Official website); and embassy@philemb.co.uk (for email queries).

Embassy of the Philippines, London, United Kingdom DFA-Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat (Manila) www.dfa.gov.ph / ww.dfa-oavs.gov.ph Hotlines: +6328344361, +6328343275

COMELEC-COAV (Manila): www.comelec.gov.ph Hotlines: +6325222251, +6325212952, +6325239924

Philippine Scores at the Taste of PATA Event

P

DOT London had quite a coup promoting the Tourism banner to the UK travel trade at the recent Taste of PATA event at Borough market last September.

The annual Taste of PATA evening showcases the region through a range of activities by participating tourism boards.

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attendance was a highly encouraging 24 percent increase in numbers from the previous year, underlining the significance of the event.

Enthusiastic visitors to the Philippines stand include Kuoni, British Airways Holidays, Dive in Style, Funway Holidays and Premier Holidays, all of which already sell flights and packages to the Philippines.

Kenwood, Flight Centre and STA Travel called on PDOT London to conduct future training and presentation at their offices due to the increased demand for Philippine holidays. PDOT London was also able to discuss the possibility of future joint-promotional activities with a number of travel trade representatives for the coming year.

The Philippinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; triumph at the event pushes the momentum forward as the country prepares to host the PATA Travel Mart in Manila in 2012.

Philippines at the TTG Incontri Rimini Fiera, 6-8 October 2011 The Travel Trade Gazette (TTG) Incontri continues to be the largest event for the travel industry targeting the outbound market in Italy. It has been going on for 16 years, attracting 40,000 trade visitors over the 3-day event.

The Philippines is set to make a determined push for the Italian trade by bringing together a number

of top diving and leisure operators, resorts and airlines. PDOT London will be joined by Sampaguita/ Asia Holidays, Intas Destinations, Annsett Holidays, Go Asia, Cathay Pacific and Philippine Airlines.

Visit the Philippines Stand at Stand 073-074 at PAD B3.

Participation at TTG is the highlight of a wave of promotional activities supported by PDOT London in Italy recently. Last week, Interface Tourism, PDOTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partner in Rome, gave a presentation on the Philippines to over 500 visitors at a dive convention hosted by H2O in Rome.

PDOT at the Philippine Cultural Tourism Week Riga, Latvia PDOT London will be assisting the Stockholm Philippine Embassy, which will be holding a Cultural and Tourism Week in Riga from 11-15 October at the historic Foreign Art Museum.

On 11 October, PDOT London will be giving a tourism presentation to Latvian tour operators. This represents a drive to bring the Philippine Tourism campaign to new emerging outbound markets such as Latvia. Meetings and sales calls are also lined up with the operators to discuss future joint promotional campaigns and familiarization trips.

There will also be performances by the multi-awarded University of Santo Tomas (UST) singers at the Museum for the week.

The renowned choir has bagged prestigious awards including the Grand Prize â&#x20AC;&#x153;Choir of the Worldâ&#x20AC;? at the Llangollen International Music Festival in Wales and the Grand International Prize at the Festival International de Polifonia

Y Habernas de Torrevieja in Spain last year.

An art exhibition of the works of five Filipino artists will be showcased during the week-long event.

Philippines, the Destination of Choice at this Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DIVE Show in Birmingham NEC Birmingham, 22-23 October 2011 The grand prize for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dive Show in Birmingham is a staggering 10-night all-inclusive luxury dive safari onboard the Philippine Siren.

The prize offered by PDOT London together with Worldwide Dive and Sail is reported to be one of the best prizes offered during the showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history worth ÂŁ8,000.00!

The Philippines is truly recognized as a world-class dive destination with awareness at an all-time high. Most of the top dive operators rate their Philippines packages among their most popular destinations.

Joining PDOT London at the Philippine Stand are partners Marco Vincent Dive Resort in Puerto Galera, Savedra Dive Centre in Moalboal and Thresher Shark Divers in Malapascua together with operators Banca Diving Philippines and Ultimate Diving.

In addition, PDOT London is launching a brand new dive page on its Tourism Philippines website during the show. The functionality is set to have interactive media including photos and videos for each dive destination in the country along with package offers and information on specific dive sites.

Visitors to the fair are invited to visit the Philippines in Stand Number 210 at the NEC Birmingham on 2223 October. â&#x2013; Source: Articles from Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) London, UK

October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

Opening Ceremony of the 3rd Ambassador’s Cup

T

he Opening Ceremony of the 3rd Ambassador’s Cup Basketball Tournament was held last Sunday, 2 October 2011 at the NewVic Sixth Form College, Prince Regents Lane, Plaistow London E13 8SG at 9:00am. The Philippine Embassy in London has once again organized the tournament in line with their continuing efforts to bring the Filipino community in the UK closer together.

This year, for 7 whole weekend days including the Opening Ceremony, another set of 10 UK-wide teams of up to 20 players each will participate and showcase their highest levels of basketball skill and sportsmanship.

Games will resume on the following weekends: 15 to 16, 22 to 23 and 29 to 30 October 2011. ■

Local News

www.hello-philippines.com

HELLO PHILIPPINES

27

Westfield Stratford City – Grand Opening

W

estfield Stratford City opened its doors to the public on September 13, 2011.

Europe’s largest urban shopping and leisure centre at 1.9 million sq ft, consists of leading UK retailers John Lewis, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer, housing over 250 stores and over 70 places to eat and drink as well as a unique food market, The Great Eastern Market.

The opening featured global superstar, Nicole Scherzinger, and the spectacular ribbon cutting ceremony conducted by Westfield Group Chairman, Mr Frank Lowy AC and London’s Mayor, Boris Johnson.

A city within a city, Westfield Stratford City combines lifestyle, entertainment, shopping and dining in a whole new district of London to discover.

Located at the gateway to the Olympic Park, Westfield Stratford City brings together the best of both indoor and outdoor retail.

Westfield Stratford City – A New Chapter in Retail is Born, Truly is The Next Chapter in Retail, The Next Chapter for Westfield, the next Chapter for London and the Next Chapter for Shopping. ■ Source: Westfield

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HELLO PHILIPPINES

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OFW News

POEA Administrator and COA Commissioner cited by anti-corruption group

T

he Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) has recently recognized the significant contributions of government workers and officials in the continuing fight against crime and corruption headed by no less than President Benigno Simeon “PNOy” Aquino III who has made an all out anti-corruption campaign a centerpiece program of the Government and who is himself VACC’s top honoree this year.

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Chief, Carlos Cao Jr. was among those cited for his vigorous campaign to institute reforms and moral renewal at the POEA wherein several employees already came out in the open to expose various anomalies and

one enlightened employee even surrenderred to the National Treasury P1million of what she gained from padding “job orders” illegally.

VACC marked its 13th founding anniversary with an awards ceremony at the Department of Justice to recognize individuals from the various pillars of the criminal justice system who contributed to the campaign against crime and corruption in the country for the year 2010-2011.

Likewise, Heidi Mendoza, newly– appointed Commissioner of the Commission on Audit (COA), was also cited for her no-nonsense advocacy to fight corruption in the Government. Mendoza, herself, blew the whistle on anomalies at the Armed Forces of the Philippines

(AFP) and went against the proddings of her superior then, who told her to go easy in her probe of the AFP fund anomaly. “To be an honoree along with Commissioner Heidi Mendoza, known for her staunchly dedicated service and unassailable character, is another humbling experience,” Cao said.

Cao said he is both humbled and honored by the citation of the VACC and vowed to make POEA a truly Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) service-oriented agency caring for their needs and welfare, but at the same time, an agency that protects Filipinos against the villains of ilegal recruitment and human trafficking.

To further demonstrate caring and transformational leadership by example, Cao donated his first month salary for the POEA Citizens Watch Against Illegal Recruitment and Human Trafficking.

Dante Jimenez, VACC chairman said, “The very essence for giving out these awards is that we are recognizing their contribution, first in cases initiated by VACC, and secondly, to give faith or maintaining the faith of our people in the criminal justice system”. ■

POEA: “PPP” is about caring for OFWs

T

he Philippine Overseas Employment Administration shows the way in “caring” for its public as it succeeded recently in inviting the private sector to help provide comfort and convenience to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) transacting business at its Office in Mandaluyong City.

Administrator Carlos Cao Jr. signed the deed of donations accepting in behalf of POEA 12 units of 7.5-tonner airconditioners from the Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation and the State Properties Corporation 4 units of 5-tonner airconditioners and a wide screen LED TV. The airconditioners will be installed in the newly renovated ground floor lobby of the POEA that has been enclosed to ensure a better cooling system for the comfort of OFWs, and minimize the blaring noise

brought about by the passing MRT trains and buses along EDSA and Ortigas Avenue. On the other hand, the big LED TV will be useful in the display of information on the processing of workers documents, anti-illegal recruitment campaign, and other updates on the overseas employment program.

“The dream of every government office to provide the best comfort for their clientele is now a reality at the POEA”, said Cao. Driven by the desire to alleviate the plight of the more than 3,000 OFWs, representatives of licensed agencies, foreign employers, and other entities who troop to the POEA daily, the POEA chief worked hard for a private-public partnership (PPP).

The move is in line with the directive of President Noynoy that government agencies and public

officials must show “caring” for the publics they serve.

The Rotary Club of Makati Central also donated water dispensers for use of OFWs while at the POEA. Other donors are also expected to share in this noble undertaking that are properly covered by deeds of donations in accordance with the Commission on Audit rules and regulations. ■

Poll: NHS Nurses in England ‘Fear Job Losses or Downgrades as Cuts Bite’ Almost 75,000 nurses expect to lose their jobs, have their hours cut or see their roles downgraded in the next year, according to a survey that highlights the growing impact of the NHS’s financial squeeze.

F

ive per cent of the NHS in England’s 410,000 nurses – some 20,500 in all – believe their posts will disappear in the next 12 months. Another 24,600 anticipate

a cut in hours, while another 28,700 expect to have their jobs reassessed as involving fewer responsibilities.

The findings, extrapolated from a Royal College of Nursing (RCN) poll of 8,000 of its members, have prompted renewed claims that the coalition is not honouring repeated promises to protect the NHS frontline from cuts.

The nurses’ fears come as more acute and mental health trusts across England decide to reduce

their nursing workforce as part of efforts to help in the NHS’s £20bn cost-saving drive.

For example, Plymouth hospitals NHS Trust plans to cut 281 posts, including 145 nursing jobs, to save £31m this year. The RCN is concerned that 130 existing nursing vacancies at the trust have led to staff shortages in some areas of medical care, and that patient safety could be at risk. ■ Source: The Guardian

October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

News Advisory

T

he Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) warns job applicants of a scheme employed by workers who want to return to Libya using another country like Tunisia as entry point.

POEA Administrator Carlos S. Cao Jr said that 59 teachers who were repatriated from Libya early this year reportedly plan to go back to the said country despite the existing deployment ban. At present, Libya is on alert level 4 or under total deployment ban and government continues to repatriate workers due to political unrest. The DFA has also issued a warning that OFWs caught at the borders of Libya and Tunisia face bigger problems.

The workers secured their exit clearances by presenting employment documents for Tunisia from the POEA satellite offices located in Calamba, Laguna, Baguio City, and Pampanga.

Over the weekend, two (2) workers were apprehended at the

Ninoy Aquino International Airport after the POEA immediately alerted the Bureau of Immigration of the discovery of a new scheme to work in Libya. Immigration authorities found out that the workers were in possession of two (2) working visas – one for Tunisia and the other for Libya, Administrator Cao added.

There are five (5) Filipino teachers who are now stranded in Tunisia because of this scheme, he said. “We do not want our workers to suffer over the great possibility of exploitation due to their desire to enter a country where there is an existing ban. That is why at the outset, we want them to use legal channels only and in countries where they are safe from harm,” Cao emphasized.

The public is enjoined to call POEA hotlines 722-1144/722-1155 or visit its website www.poea.gov.ph to check on the legitimacy of their agencies, including job orders. ■

Pinoys may break into Swiss health industry as trainees

P

hilippine officials in Switzerland are studying how Filipinos can break into the Swiss health care industry by starting out as trainees.

“The embassy is looking into the possibility of opening the door for Filipino healthcare workers to work in Swiss hospitals by starting as trainees,” the Philippine Embassy in Switzerland said.

In a news release of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the embassy cited two Filipino trainees of Swiss company APM Technica — Shera Cardinal and Rianne Cabiao — who called on Ambassador Leslie Baja at the Embassy in Berne on September 9.

The DFA said APM Technica is an adhesive and surface technology provider and has a facility in the Philippine Economic Zone in Cabuyao, Laguna.

For several years now, APM Technica has been bringing at least two trainees from the Philippines every 18 months to work at their headquarters in Heerbrugg in eastern Switzerland.

This program is being undertaken under the Philippines-Switzerland Agreement on the Exchange of Professional and Technical Trainees.

Last month, a bilateral working group met in Manila, together with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to discuss how a bigger number of trainees could avail of the program.

According to the Embassy, there are about 10,000 Filipinos in Switzerland, mostly working in international organizations in Geneva and in Swiss health institutions.

Au pairs Last year, the Philippine Embassy worked for the lifting of the ban on au pairs to Switzerland – the first such lifting of the ban for a European country.

An “au pair” is a foreign domestic assistant working for, and living with a host family who receives a small monetary allowance.

The lifting further enhances the strong people-to-people contact between the Philippines and Switzerland, the DFA said.

“Au pair” is a French phrase that means “on par” or “equal to.”

Under the au pair program, Filipinos “live on an equal basis in a reciprocal, caring relationship” with their host families, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The aim of the program is for the au pair, a foreigner, to be at par or equal to locals by being treated as a member of the family instead of a domestic servant.

In general, au pairs perform house work and child care. While they do not have formal salaries, they receive monetary allowance from their host families.

Well-liked foreign nationals In a recent meeting with Filipinos in Zurich, Baja said Swiss officials told him Filipinos in Switzerland are among the most respected and well-liked foreign nationals in the country.

“He told them that given this distinction, they are the best ambassadors of goodwill the Philippines can ever have in Switzerland,” the DFA said.

Diplomatic relations were established 55 years ago on August 30, 1956 but the first Swiss consular representation in Asia was established in Manila in 1862. ■ Source: GMA News

The Authentic Taste of the Philippines

The Kain-Na! range consists of frozen meat products made to a secret Filipino family recipe and high quality frozen fruit, vegetable and confectionary items sourced direct from The Philippines.

See list below of all the items in the Kain - Na! range.

Kain-Na! Grated Cassava Kain-Na! Whole Peeled Cassava Kain-Na! Grated Purple Yam (Ube) Kain-Na! Shredded Young Coconut (Buko) Kain-Na! Horse Raddish Leaves (Mallungay) Kain-Na! Jute Leave (Salujot/Ewedu) Kain-Na! Chilli Pepper Leaves (Sili) Kain-Na! Ground Cassava Leaves Kain-Na! Steamed Banana Kain-Na! Calamansi Fruit Kain-Na! Bitter Melon Leaves Kain-Na! Pandan Leaves Kain-Na! Green Tamarind Leaves Kain-Na! Sweet Potato Leaves Kain-Na! Rice Cake Kain-Na! Native Cake Kain-Na! Cassava Cake

MEAT Kain-Na! Pork Longanisa Kain-Na! Skinless Pork Longanisa Kain-Na! Pork Tocino Kain-Na! Chicken Longanisa Kain-Na! Skinless Chicken Longanisa Kain-Na! Chicken Tocino Kain-Na! Dugo (Pigs Blood) Kain-Na! Pang Papaitan (Heart Lungs & Tripe) Kain-Na! Pang Bopis (Heart & Lung) Kain-Na! Pang Bulaklak Kain-Na! Pang Dinuguan Kain-Na! Goto Kare Kare

Exclusively Distributed by

ASCO FOODS LIMITED Unit 3b, Corinium Industrial Estate, Raans Road, Amersham, Bucks, HP6 6JQ. UK. Tel: +44 (0)1494 434953 Fax: +44 (0)1494 726387 Email: sales@ascofoods.com Website: www.ascofoods.com

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Entertainment

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October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

Miss & Mr Philippines UK 2011 Diana Ong Photos By Joseph Garingarao

A

nother successful event was held on Saturday, 17 September 2011 at Camden Town Hall. A yearly pageant organized by Mrs. Eva Macadangdang that showcase the beauty and talents of Filipinos here in the United Kingdom.

All the candidates with their all-beaming smiles charmed a line up of judges from various backgrounds. They kept the crowd entertained throughout the night as they perform an upbeat hiphop, sexy salsa and traditional Filipino ethnic dances. They flaunt their bodies and strides during the catwalk and in the end, battled their wits for the Question & Answer

portion. It was truly energy filled experienced especially when the crowd cheered for their favourite candidate.

The Winner for Mr. Philippines UK 2011 was Elija Paul G. Villanueva and made a mark in the history of Miss & Mr Philippines UK 2011 as he received the following awards: Best in Swimwear, Best in Formal Wear, Best in Casual Wear, People’s Choice Award and Mr. Charity. While the title for Miss Philippines UK 2011 was Farrah Sattaur who won the Best in Swimwear section.

Filipinos are very talented and will always remain in the top of every pageant all over the world. We are recognized as one of the beauty and brain country that Filipinos should be proud of. ■

Miss TG Diamond 2011 D

ee Chanelle - better known in the Filipino community as “DIVA”, hostess/emcee of the past Mr & Miss Teen Philippines, various other Filipino events and Philip de Vera’s “Paper Dolls” is back on track after a short break from the limelight. She is currently back in Soho, West End promoting Sunday nights “CONFESSIONS: DYBK?” at the exclusive member’s club The Shadow Lounge, 5 Brewer Street, London W1F 0RF with her newly formed transgender pop live vocal harmony group “The Power Dolls” who hit the stage at 10pm with a range of pop classics and anthems with slick routines from “I will survive” to ABBA medleys. The night boasts HQ karaoke when drinks are half price from 7pm to 9pm and disco until midnight with resident DJ. She is also organising and hosting the upcoming Gay/ Transgender beauty pageant on Saturday, 29 October 2011 at 229 Venue, 229 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PN which is also followed by the Halloween Ball After Party with an array of beautiful gay/transgender contestants fighting for that Diamond Elite Status title of “Miss TG Diamond”.

Dee says “Actually there will be two main winners on the night Miss TG Diamond (Nonoperated/gay male) and Miss TG Diamond Plus (Surgically enhanced/transsexual). It’s a little unfair to compete with girls who are surgically enhanced with breast augmentation etc.

It’s not common knowledge but there is a huge difference between being a transsexual and a transvestite/cross dresser. In the Filipino culture everything pretty much falls under the Gay/ Homosexual umbrella. In fact the real term for transsexuals/transvestites/cross dressers and Drag Queens would be “Transgender” which is why I have named the pageant “Miss TG (Transgender) Diamond” I am so excited as this is the first time the pageant will take place on a Saturday night and we can follow it up with a Halloween Ball After Party where my new group “The Power Dolls” will be performing our debut live performance and everyone can dance the night away with our fab DJ until 3am. We can all celebrate!”

Dee initially created Miss Gay International and Miss TS International back in 2004 and supported by the strong GLBT (Gay Lesbian, Bi and Transgender) community, their family, friends and admirers. Miss TG Diamond is set to follow in the same footsteps with over 10 girls competing for the title and facing 6 savvy judges. The girls will be representing their favourite precious gemstone and parading in Creative Costume, Fantasy Wear and Evening Wear. As a pre-requisite to enter the pageant, the candidate must already have pageantry experience with some type of award therefore all the candidates will face the Q&A portion and demonstrate that beauty and brains go hand in hand.

With an array of gay and transgendered performers and billed as the biggest Transgender event of the year “MISS TG DIAMOND” is definitely not to be missed.

For information: www.misstgdiamond.com / 020 8123 0559 / 07919 888 692

32

HELLO PHILIPPINES

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Celebrity, Showbiz & Entertainment

October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

A wannabe’s journey to stardom Toni Gonzaga retraces the beginning of her showbiz career, proudly shares her accomplishments, and talks about the man who won her heart.

N

o one deserves to be called the Ultimate Multimedia Star more than Toni Gonzaga, who has earned her title through sheer determination and hard work in her 10 years in show business.

Born Celestine Cruz Gonzaga on January 20, 1984, in Taytay, Rizal, Toni says she owes it to her parents, Carlito and Crisanta, for making her dream to become a star a reality.

It was no mean feat though as she experienced being turned down in many of the auditions that she went to starting at age 7. She would often go home, telling her parents, “Daddy, hindi ako nakuha kasi ang daming mestiza.”

One of her most memorable letdowns was when she tried joining Ang TV, a 90s kiddie gag show that made stars such as Claudine Barretto, Angelica Panganiban and Jolina Magdangal. She had to physically fight her way through the long queue of star wannabes, only to get rejected in the end.

“Pinapila kami kasi dadaanan ng camera. Siyempre mararamdaman mo na pasok ka kapag matagal ang tutok sa’yo ng camera. Pero yung sa akin ang bilis, parang ‘di man lang ako na-focus,” she laughingly recalls.

It wasn’t until she landed a role as Piolo’s diehard fan in a softdrink commercial that she got her first big break. She then started a showbiz career as one of the co-hosts in the GMA-7’s hit noontime variety show, Eat Bulaga, in 2002.

By 2005, she transferred to ABS-CBN and was catapulted to stardom as the main host in the reality TV show, Pinoy Big Brother.

Her success in hosting eventually transcended the movies with her undeniable chemistry with Sam Milby in romantic comedies such as You Are The One (2006), You Got

Me (2007) and My Big Love (2008).

Most recently, she was awarded as SM Cinema’s 2011 Box Office Queen for her movie, My Amnesia Girl (2011), opposite John Lloyd Cruz.

To top it all, Toni has reached another milestone in her showbiz career with her record-breaking Toni@10 Concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last September 30. It is every singer’s dream to perform in the 15,000 seater stadium and the Ultimate Multimedia Star is happy to have achieved such a feat in her singing career.

Although singing is not her bread and butter, Toni has her fair share of platinum and gold record albums including You Complete Me, Falling In Love and All Me. Specifically, some of her hit originals are We Belong, Catch Me I’m Falling and Can’t Help Myself.

Tribute to her parents Asked to define what success means for her, Toni says that it’s not really about money or fame but making her loved ones proud of her accomplishments.

“Ang success para sa akin makitang proud sa akin mga magulang ko, masayang masaya na ako. Wala na akong mahihiling pa para sa sarili ko. Sa family ko na lang, sana maging happy kami lagi.”

Growing up, Toni had been so focused in her career that she had to set aside matters of the heart.

The fact that her parents are very strict further discouraged her from entertaining suitors in the past, even when she really wanted to. But she has no regrets, insisting that their over protectiveness worked out for the best.

“Sobrang saya ng childhood ko.

Kahit na deprived ako sa maraming bagay na bawal dahil konserbatibo ang mga magulang ko, hindi naman nila ako dineprive sa pangarap ko.

Kahit nung mga time na imposible, binuo nila sa isip ko na kaya ko magartista. Masaya ako kasi naabot ko ang pangarap kong yun.”

After all she has been through in

the business, Toni shares that other people’s criticisms have actually spurred her to become better at her craft. “I think it’s very important to have faith in yourself. Kahit sabihin ng ibang tao na ‘di mo kaya, kung naniniwala ka talaga sa sarili mo and if you have faith in God, nothing’s impossible.”

On falling in love Toni has always believed in falling in love at the right time.

True enough, she describes her boyfriend, director Paul Soriano, as someone’s who is “worth the wait”.

Paul is the grandson of the late Nestor de Villa (‘50s LVN matinee idol) and son of Jeric Soriano (director of the 80’s film Hotshots).

A TV commercial director, Paul has also ventured into film making, with two acclaimed indie films under his belt, A Journey Home (2009) and Thelma (2011).

Although they claim to be total opposites, both Toni and Paul came from close-knit families with a strong sense of faith. And it plays a big factor in keeping their relationship sturdy even after four years of being together.

“Magkaibang-magkaiba kami ng character. Pero one thing that’s keeping us together is that we love God. We both have a relationship with the Lord, so yun ang pinakamalaking common ground or foundation ng relationship namin.”

Toni reveals, however, that Paul used to be very jealous of Sam on their first year as a couple. It was around the time when Toni and Sam reunited in the big screen via My Big Love. Paul saw a music video of the two and couldn’t help but feel apprehensive about their on screen chemistry.

“Tumawag siya sa akin at sinabi niya, ‘Am I interrupting your love team? Am I a hindrance to both of you? I’m so sad, I think nakakasagabal ako sa love team niyo.’ Ang sabi ko, ‘Hindi, Paul, you see how good of an actress I am?

Pati ikaw napapaniwala ko,’” Toni fondly recalls.

If there’s anything that Toni loves

Toni Gonzaga

most about Paul, it’s the fact that he makes her feel loved and cared for all the time. “He always puts my happiness first even if sometimes it hurts him or he doesn’t want to.

He’s so selfless, not only with me but also with his family. Yun nga lagi sinasabi ko sa kanya, ‘Paul, reserve some for yourself, baka maubusan ka.’ Pero kaya nga daw it’s so good to have someone like me kasi ako naman daw yung pupuno sa mga binigay niya.”

Not yet ready for marriage Toni and Paul are such an ideal couple that many of their supporters are hoping that they would tie the knot soon. But Toni is very vocal about wanting to make the most out of her showbiz career for now. In fact, she was a bit irritated at Paul when he suddenly

Toni Gonzaga with her long-term boyfriend Direk Paul Soriano

asked her when she’ll be ready to marry him during a live episode of The Buzz last month.

“For a time nabwisit ako sa kanya sa mga pahaging questions.

Sabi ko, ‘Ano itong ginagawa ni Paul?’ Kasi lagi namin napaguusapan yun. Lagi niya ako inaasar na kapag Big Night daw ng Pinoy Big Brother, ‘Ano kaya mag-propose ako sayo?’ Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Hindi yun maganda, papatayin kita Paul!’”

Truth be told, Toni says that she and Paul have had talks about settling down in the future.

It’s just that both of them still have a lot of dreams to fulfill in their respective careers. “Ito si Paul maka-oo lang siya sa inyong reporters [na ready na siya at ako lang ang hinihintay niya]. Alam ko naman, sa totoong buhay, gusto namin [magpakasal], pero marami pa kaming priority sa ngayon. Marami siyang pangarap sa career niya at ako din naman.

Sabay naming ginagawa yun, nagsusuportahan naman kami.”

What is her ideal marrying age then? “30 is the new 25 sa generation namin. Pero ayoko naman bigyan ng time limit. Ideal lang sa akin yun. Hindi natin hawak ang mangyayari next week, next month, next year, so tignan pa rin natin.” ■

34

HELLO PHILIPPINES

www.hello-philippines.com

Celebrity, Showbiz & Entertainment

Camille’s husband dies at 31

C

amille Prats’ husband Anthony Linsangan passed away due to nasopharyngeal cancer last September 23, leaving her a widow at age 26, and their son Nathan fatherless at age 3.

It was a tough battle for Anthony who suffered terrible pain from chemotherapy. More than anything else, it frustrated him because he could hardly play with his son. “Grabe yung side effect ng radiation. Nasunog ‘yung leeg niya he couldn’t swallow, he couldn’t eat, he came to a point na halos ayaw na niyang ituloy pero hindi tinapos niya ‘yung treatment na ‘yon,” Camille related.

Nevertheless, Anthony remained a supportive husband by recording every episode of Camille’s

teleserye in GMA-7, Ang Munting Heredera. Even during the times he got confined in the hospital, he made sure that he doesn’t miss the show just so he could put it on record. On her part, the young actress shared that she was forced to put up a brave front since she was Anthony’s motivating force. “I

had to be strong for him. Siguro buong course ng treatment niya hindi ko ipinakita sa kanya na umiyak ako.”

There were times when she would feel so depressed though, wishing that she could turn back time, even back to the days when she and Anthony would constantly bicker about as petty as his cluttered paperwork in their dining area. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the way life works and Camille soon realized that she had to let her husband go. ‘Sige na mahal magpahinga ka na, okay na. Huwag mo nang isipin si Nathan. I’ll really make sure he won’t grow up to be spoiled and a brat. I’ll make sure you will be very proud of him.’” ■

Boy Abunda joins Bandila starting 3 October 2011

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s Showbiz News Ngayon (SNN) went off air, the King of Talk Boy Abunda has joined forces with awardwinning news anchors Karen Davila, Julius Babao and Ces Drilon in Bandila, which is now broadcast in an earlier timeslot. “Hindi naman po natin iniwan ang SNN, may traces pa rin ng SNN dito sa Bandila. Pinagbuklod lamang, pinalawak, pinalakas,” says Boy when asked about the network’s latest programming move. “At ito ay ginagawa natin dahil mas gusto nating ibahagi ang mas maraming balita sa ating mga manonood.”

Boy was said to be a great addition to Bandila with his background in news and current affairs in programs such as Etcetera, Kontrobersyal, Conversations with Boy Abunda

and The Bottomline. “It’s exciting. Sabay-sabay tayo sa excitement. Kung ano po ang magaganap, kasama po kayo sa paglalakbay na ito,” he adds. ■

her dogged fight against mining in Palawan. The “Happy Feet” episode features John Prats and Nash Agus who breathe life to the

humble beginnings of Pilipinas Got Talent Season 2’s dancing duo, Ramonito and Lordito Mata of Bukidnon. For the “Barcelona” episode, Jake Cuenca plays a gay man who’s torn by the embittered relationship of his parents, played by Vivian Velez and Ricky Davao. Indeed, Maalaala Mo Kaya remains true to its tradition in promoting Filipino family values with a total record of 800 episodes to date. ■

TV Patrol gains recognition in 2011 Emmy Awards

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A

fter six fruitful years in ABS-CBN, Mariel Rodriguez decided to transfer to TV5 where she was offered a hosting stint in Wil Time Bigtime as well as her very own show. The former Happy Yipee Yehey host made no secret about it even weeks before she made her final announcement. “I don’t have a contract at all [with ABS-CBN].

Isa ‘yan sa mga rason kung bakit nagkakaroon ng negotiation. Kasi may mga projects na napagusapan, pero sa kasamaang palad hindi na matutuloy.”

Now that she’s married, Mariel said that it has become more important for her to secure her future. She even cited that she couldn’t rely solely on her husband Robin Padilla as most of his finances go to charity works. “I have spoken to the management of ABS-CBN. They

know about my situation. Sabi ko, it’s nothing personal, work lang.”

When she finally made it official that she’s switching networks, Mariel did not forget to express her gratitude for everything ABS-CBN has done for her. “I will always be grateful for the breaks that they gave me, the unforgettable experiences and the wonderful people I met along the way. ABS-CBN is home. I don’t like saying goodbye. I’m hopeful that one day I will see them all again. I grew up in ABS-CBN. They made Mariel Rodriguez.” ■

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P

V Patrol was nominated at the 2011 International Emmy Awards for its comprehensive coverage of the Manila hostage taking crisis dated August 23, 2010. It was ABSCBN Senior Vice President for News and Current Affairs Regina Reyes who received the news program’s medal and certificate of nomination at the awarding

Mariel Rodriguez: Goodbye ABS-CBN, hello TV5!

Nora Aunor and Anne Curtis critisized over smoking cover photo

Maalaala Mo Kaya celebrates 20 years in Philippine TV hilippine television’s longest drama anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya marks its 20th Anniversary Celebration with three special episodes for the month of October. First on the list is the “Palawan” episode spearheaded by 62nd Cannes Film Festival Best Director Brillante Mendoza.

Starring Angel Aquino, the story revolves around a woman who loses her sight as well as the affection of her family amidst

October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

ceremony held in Manhattan, New York last September 27. The recognition was made even more meaningful because of the intense national debate over media’s coverage amidst such crucial and dangerous circumstances.

In an interview, Regina stressed that it’s truly an honour for Filipinos to be at par with top broadcasters

from across the globe and be able to establish ties with U.S. based news organisations such as CNN, NBC, CBC and ABC news. “Nagpapasalamat kami sa lahat ng mga hurado na nakapili sa TV Patrol bilang finalist. At ito ay dahil sa talino at kasipagan at dedikasyon ng mga nagtratraabaho sa likod ng TV Patrol,” she adds. ■

he Philippine Medical Association (PMA), which rallies behind the “Smoke Free Philippines” campaign, criticized Nora Aunor for posing with a cigarette on hand in her cover shoot for Yes Magazine. PMA volunteer Fr. Robert Reyes even admonished the Superstar for appearing in such a controversial photo, saying that it merely gives celebrities a bad image. “The Filipino reading public is not dumb.

If you want to be popular again, be wholesome. Gusto niyo ba gayahin ka namin? Ang trabaho ni’yo is to inspire us, not to scandalize us.”

He added that if Nora wanted a strong showbiz comeback, then her smoking photo is not the way to do it. “Nora, you are ill-advised. You think you are moving forward, [but] it’s a step backwards.”

Nora was hurt by the priest’s quick judgment of her, insisting that the issue was merely blown out of proportion. “Kriminal ba yung ginawa ng tao o ano? Masyadong

pinalaki yung isyu. Bakit ngayon lang napansin na naninigarilyo ako,” exclaimed Nora. She added that her cover photo wasn’t intended to promote tobacco at all. Nevertheless, she apologized to those who were offended by it.

Anne’s cover photo for Rogue Magazine drew flak for the same reason that it’s not conveying the right message, especially to the youth. PMA maintained that the issue is not about “censorship or freedom of one’s art and culture”, but rather about “life and death”, given the “clear and present danger” that tobacco smoke poses. Anne’s camp, however, has refrained from commenting on this debatable issue. ■

36

HELLO PHILIPPINES

www.hello-philippines.com

Celebrity, Showbiz & Entertainment

October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

‘No Other Woman’, a certified box office hit

D Westlife, in awe of Pinoy idols Pacquiao and Charice

I

t’s been five years since the ‘90s boy band Westlife first came to Manila, but their Pinoy fans were as zealous as ever during their recent visit for their 2011 Gravity Tour. The much anticipated concert was held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last September 29. Members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan and Nicky Byrne wowed the audience with a well-chosen repertoire including a medley of Viva La Vida, Only Girl,

Dirty Bit and Bad Romance. They also performed their biggest hits: Flying Without Wings, Swear It Again, You Raise Me Up, World of Our Own, Uptown Girl and When You’re Looking Like That.

In a meet and greet before the concert, the Irish superstars confessed that they’re actually big fans of world champion boxer Manny Pacquiao. Nicky admitted that they really wanted to perform with Manny on stage. They even

tried to invite him to their concert, but the latter wasn’t able to take a time off from the training camp. The group also expressed their interest to work with Pinay singing sensation Charice Pempengco in the future. Says Mark, “We’re also a big fan of her. I was talking to her a little bit on Twitter and she said that she’s also a Westlife fan and I appreciate her phenomenal voice.” ■

espite its cancelled premiere night due to Typhoon Pedring, No Other Woman had a huge box office turn-out, with tickets for last full shows being sold out in various malls. It was graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board not only for its production value but also for the clarity of message and lessons conveyed in the film. Starring Anne Curtis, Derek Ramsay and Cristine Reyes; No Other Woman is the story about how a self-confessed playgirl ruins what seemed to be an idyllic marriage of a reformed womaniser and his devoted wife.

It could have easily been a clichéd story about extra marital affairs. But given its perfect casting and killer lines, No Other Woman is definitely a must-see film. The plot gets even more exciting with Cristine’s retaliation and unforgettable lines like,

“Ang marriage parang exclusive subdivision, kailangang bantayan mong mabuti dahil baka may makapasok na squatter.” Anne on the other hand plays up her hateful role to the hilt with her scathing statements: “You can call me whatever you want, snake, bitch or other woman; but I promise you, I will never be a pathetic and boring housewife!”

How’s that for a comeback? ■

Vice Ganda to leave his manager Ogie Diaz?

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Karylle stars in first pan-Asian musical series, ‘The Kitchen Musical

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et in a famous restaurant called The Avilon, The Kitchen Musical traces the journey of Maddie, a rich girl who works as a sous chef right after graduating from a prestigious culinary school in Paris. In spite of her ideals and talent for cooking, she is bound to experience a series of tribulations with her tyrannical head chef and other envious

colleagues. Will Maddie be forced to give up her dream job or will she eventually win the love and respect of her boss?

The Kitchem Musical is a Pan Asian musical drama television series produced in Singapore by The Great Entertainment which is set to be shown in 22 countries across Asia and Europe. This ambitious project comprises an international cast including our

very own Karylle and Christian Bautista together with British thespian Stephen Rahman Hughes, Hong Kong supermodel Rosemary Vandenbroucke and New York-based Filipino stage actor Arthur Acuña. The show also promises to tempt the senses as it showcases French cuisine at its best alongside a variety of spectacular production numbers for 13 hour-long episodes. ■

ice Ganda admitted that he and his manager Ogie Diaz are going through a rough patch due to some work-related issues. Although he refused to give details about it, Vice insisted that his friendship with Ogie will remain the same no matter what. “Malawak yung salitang maghihiwalay. Pwedeng matapos yung relasyon namin bilang manager at saka talent, pero yung bilang magkaibigan, hindi mapuputol yun. Masyado kaming malalalim na magkaibigan,” said Vice during the September 28 press con of his upcoming movie Praybeyt Benjamin. As of press time, Vice claimed that he and

Ogie have taken steps to fix their misunderstanding.

In the meantime, Vice couldn’t contain his excitement with his second solo movie co-produced

by Star Records and Viva Films.

Praybeyt Benjamin is a comedy film that follows a closet gay’s journey to self-discovery as he joins the military to gain the respect of his family and peers.

His love interest in the story is no less than universal leading man, Derek Ramsay. “Walang kaartearte si Derek! Lalo na sa mga eksena namin na daring, ako ang nahihiya. Kahit na wala siyang malisya sa akin, ako meron talaga,” he quipped. ■

Maria Aragon and Thia Megia to sing in Pacquiao-Marquez bout

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ouTube sensation Maria Aragon and American Idol Season 10 Finalist Thia Megia were both chosen to sing in Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Juan Miguel Marquez on November 12 in Las Vegas. Thia is slated to sing the U.S. national anthem, Star Spangled Banner, while Maria gets to perform the Philippine national anthem, Lupang Hinirang.

“I just really never would have expected it. I have watched Manny Pacquiao’s fight ever since I was little girl. Now getting the chance to sing and seeing his fight live, I feel very blessed. It feels very amazing and I’m thankful to Manny,” said Maria who vows to keep her rendition simple and in accordance to the standards of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines

(NHCP) - (Filipino: Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan ng Pilipinas abbreviated PKPP).

Thia was equally thrilled with the news especially after meeting Manny during American Idol’s live tour in Manila. “I met him (Pacquiao) last night (September 17). It was amazing. I got to sing the national anthem for him. He told me that I will be singing in his next fight.” ■

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October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

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Sports

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October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

BOXING: Trilogy Finale

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ven with world championship titles in eight divisions, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao continues to seek to dominate the world of boxing in every way possible. The next on his list is a rematch with his rival, Juan Manuel Marquez, whom he faced back in 2004 and 2008.

The first fight ended in a draw and the latter, in a split decision in favour of Pacman. The reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) lightweight championship may be 6 years the Filipino boxing star’s senior but the 38 year old Mexican is

insideboxing.com

Manny Pacquiao Vs. Juan Manuel Marquez

seeking for retribution. Known for his quick counter-punches, Coach Freddie Roach describes Marquez as a very aggressive fighter and could possibly be one of the biggest threats to Pacquiao’s seamless record. The number one pound for pound boxer is not

quick to let things slide. Manny started training in August, an earlier start than the usual, and is preparing for what is considered to be the biggest fight of his life yet. He doesn’t only want to win this game to silence all his distracters, but more than anything else to known, this is his chance to prove to everyone that even at the age of 32, he is still the number one fighter in the world of boxing. Pacquiao and Marquez are set for a third fight under the catch weight of 144lbs on November 12, 2011 at Las Vegas, Nevada in the MGM Grand Arena. ■

FOOTBALL: Azkals Back on Their Feet

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fter a very rough loss to Kuwait, ending their journey to the World Cup 2014 in Brazil, the Philippine National team is back on their feet. This competition is not only a chance for the team to redeem themselves but as a grand comeback as a bigger, bolder and better team. The Azkals are battling it out in Kaoshiung, Taiwan against Taipei, Hong Kong and Macau for the annual fourcountry tournament, Long Teng Cup. The duration of the entire tournament is for an entire week, from September 30 to October 4, 2011.

As of October 3 Monday, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei are tied with 4 points each and are followed by Philippines with 2 points. Both games against Hong

Kong and Chinese Taipei resulted into a draw. Despite a goal from Phil Younghusband and 2 from Chieffy Caligdong in their game against Hong Kong on September 30, the match ended in a 3-3 draw. The game against Taipei, on one hand, ended in a nil-nil.

The third and final match of the Philippines will be against Macau,

currently at 4th place, on October 4, 2011.

The team has scheduled friendly match against Singapore on October 7 in the Jalan Besar Stadium before they finally head home to go against Nepal on October 11 for another friendly match in Philippine’s Rizal Memorial Stadium. ■ insideboxing.com

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RUGBY: Volcanoes, Erupting with Victory

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he Philippine Rugby team, more known as the Philippine Volcanoes, are making another loud racket, not because of provocative poses on billboards in EDSA but because of the tremendous performance they had last September 24 and 25 in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo in the 2011 Asia Men’s Rugby 7s Championships. The Philippine team was deemed as the underdogs of the tournament after placing 7th last August in the Shanghai 7s. The Volcanoes, however, exceeded expectations; beat Kazakhstan, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and China;

bagged the silver medal in the tournament in Borneo and inturn are qualified to the Hong Kong 7s in March 2012. The competition in Hong Kong next year is considered to be the World Cup for 7s Rugby wherein 24 invited teams will battle it out for supremacy for three days. Coach Matt Cullen is very happy with the numbers because this proves that the team is capable of competing in the international level. With players like Justin Coveney, Matt Saunders, Luke Matthews, Harry Morris and Chris Hitch leading the pack, the team are clearly headed for another victory. ■

BASKETBALL: Heralding Season 37 of the PBA

BASKETBALL: Smart Gilas Not exactly losers MART-Gilas may not have won a medal in the FIBA Asia Championship in Wuhan, China, or qualify for neither the 2012 Olympics in London nor even the FIBA World Qualifying Tournament but they are far from being called losers. The 2-point loss against Korea for the third

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place position may have been the demise of the Philippine’s journey to the Olympics in London but the Basketball National Team has achieved something that the country has not seen for 24 years, to make it as far Round 4 of the FIBA Asian tournament.

Prior to this, 1987 was the last mintscreen.com

time wherein the Philippines made it to the semi-final round placing fourth. This feat can be greatly attributed to the support of Manny V. Pangilinan and the system of Coach Rajko Tolomon, a Serbian native who was able to turn the Iran national team, a mediocre bunch, into champions.

He led them into a gold medal in the 2007 FIBA Asia competition and a debut to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Basketball Fans should not be wary, however, because this is only the beginning for Team Gilas. This kind of improvement is a mark of a winner and with a coach like Tolomon and team leaders like Chris Tiu and Marcus Douthit, the team is well on their way to another monumental accomplishment in the SEA games in November 2011. ■

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ctober 2, 2011 marks the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year for the Philippines.

And no, it is not Christmas. The opening of Philippine Basketball Association is one of the most awaited and celebrated events of the year for every Filipino Basketball Fans, which is probably 80% of the country’s population. Season 37 was kicked off at the Smart Araneta Colisuem with a game between Barangay Ginebra Kings and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

The season opener was a very tight and close game but Rain or Shine reigned supreme after winning by a point. Rookie Paul Lee, a former UE Red Warrior, led his team to a 94-93 victory by ending the game with 21 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds under his belt. Top scorers of the game were Rain or Shine’s Chan with 18 points and Ginebra’s Intal and Caguioa, scoring 16 points each. Lee, the 2nd draft

pick came second to JV Casio (Powerade) who was the top pick for this year’s PBA Draft.

With notable changes in the PBA this year such as the addition of talented rookies such as Lee and Casio, and the exodus of Tim Cone as head coach for Alaska Aces after 22 years and his move to a rather new team, B-MEG, fans are in for a very interesting season. These changes will definitely make the 2011 season of the PBA much more exciting than the previous year but it will always be, as it has always been, the most celebrated sporting event in the Philippines. ■

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Sports

October / November 2011 – Monthly Issue • UK & Europe Edition

Battle scars Vittorio Hernandez

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ports activities, by nature, are very physical and often result in bumps, scratches, bruises and sometimes broken and fractured bones among athletes.

However, some sports are riskier for injuries than others. Among those are boxing, football and rodeo.

Of these sports, boxing is easily the most popular among Filipinos because of Manny Pacquiao.

However, the Pacman is one lucky boxer because aside from becoming a billionaire because of the sport, he

has escaped major physical harm compared to other boxers.

A perfect example of the toll boxing has is former world champion Muhammad Ali, who was diagnosed in 1984 with Parkinson’s syndrome, which is due to head trauma. Another one is Filipino boxer, Z Gorres, who underwent brain surgery after his bout in Mandalay Bay in November 2009 and could no longer box again or lead a normal life.

In football, which is slowly starting to gain popularity in the Philippines, head trauma suffered by players could have long-term

PHILIPPINES

Foot ball

powerhouse team. Ravena and Slaughter, both part of this year’s Mythical 5, scored 18 and 11 points respectively. Monfort shot 9 points, Tiongson had 11 points, and this years’ Finals MVP, Nico Salva fired 15 points. The Ateneo senior was named the UAAP 74 finals MVP after garnering an average of 19.4 points by shooting 78% in the field during the finals series. This win will etch its way to the books because Ateneo has finally joined the ranks of four-peat titlist, University of Santo Tomas (‘93-‘96) and De La Salle University (’98-’01).

The only question in everyone’s minds is this: Can Norman Black lead the Blue Eagles into extending their reign for another or even two more years? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see to find out. ■

Rodeo

damage on athletes, such as britannica.com cognitive impairment at a younger age.

According to experts, 35 per cent of 513 retired football players are possibly suffering from mild cognitive impairment. Their average age was only 61 years old.

MCI patients have problems with memory, language or other mental functions. Although these problems are noticeable to the person or others and is confirmed by tests, it is not severe enough to affect daily living. However, they are at higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease over the next few years.

Blows to the head, which boxers also endure, could kill brain cells, even if the blows are not hard enough to produce a concussion.

1970’s boxing great A study of football players wearing Muhammad Ali has helmets with accelerometers Parkinson’s disease - one of the ailments discovered that every season, the athletes often suffer from average college football player gets due to head trauma. more than 1,000 blows to the head.

Rodeo was also identified as one of the most dangerous sports in the world by a sports epidemiologist.

His study was the result of a rodeo injury database made over four years.

The database said that about 20 for every 100,000 rodeo contestants could expect to suffer from a major injury, which could result to their death or their life altered in a significant way such as paralysis or losing a major organ.

In comparison, catastrophic football injury is only less than one in every 100,000 players.

Most of the injuries are caused by the bull, which often weights 900 kilos, stamping the fallen rider on his chest or back. The study disclosed that since 1989 there have been 21 deaths on the rodeo circuit. The majority of the injuries happened during rough stock events such as bull, junior bull, steer, saddle bront, and bareback riding. ■

CHEERDANCE: Blondes Do Have More Fun

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he University of the Philippines may not have won a UAAP Basketball Championship for 24 years but if there’s any team who dominates the hard court when it comes to cheerdance, it would be this university. Being last year’s champions and for a university known for its radical beliefs, the University of the Philippines (UP) Pep Squad came

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BASKETBALL: Kings of Katipunan

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HELLO

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mhelgarrido.blogspot.com

ctober 1, 2011 would stand to be one the most monumental moments for Ateneo Basketball History as the Ateneo Blue Eagles walked out the Smart Araneta Coliseum with their 4th straight championship.

The Blue Eagles has been battling with the FEU Tamaraws for the crown for two years already and the outcome for both series was the same. Ateneo had a 1-0 lead after winning Game 1 with a 82-64 score and were finally took it all after winning Game 2 with a score of 82, leaving behind the Tamaraws with a score of 69. The spectacular performance from outgoing FEU senior, Aldrech Ramos who churned out 20 points and 23 rebounds; and last season’s MVP RR Garcia who shot 16 points was still no match to the Eagles’

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prepared to wow the audience. And wow they did. Clad in Madonna inspired outfits and beach blonde hair, the members of the University of the Philippines Pep Squad left the crowd in Smart Araneta Coliseum last September 17, 2011 with mouths wide open and jaws dropped to the floor. The squad proved that if you want to stay on top, you have to know how to reinvent yourself- just like Madonna. The routine, immensely inspired by the pop icon, was completely innovative, flawless and groundbreaking. The UP Pep Squad emerged as the champions of the 2011 Samsung UAAP Cheerdance Competition, while the De La Salle University Animo Squad came in second and the Far Eastern University (FEU) Cheering Squad place third. You can watch the Cheerdance routine at www.hello-philippines.com. ■

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