Planet Philippines (Calgary Edition) May 16-31, 2012 issue

Calgary Edition

By ChEriE m. del rio

T’S very common in show business for celebrities to appear in so-called exclusive interviews and call for press conferences whenever there are extensively publicized intrigues or scandals plaguing their names and tarnishing their reputations. They will answer questions from the press and from the fans, target the root of the intrigue with the hopes of putting an end to the rumors and controversy with an end goal to reinstating peace and positive publicity into their work. However, there are still a few showbiz personalities whose plan of attack is to respond with silence instead, to ignore the issues until they either become forgotten or get buried under newer controversies.

Piolo Pascual has taken this road. Amidst the intrigues thrown against him, he has chosen to keep mum about the issues.

Piolo’s breakup with KC Concepcion back in November of 2011 was definitely one that shocked the industry, and it was hot topic for quite some time. KC has indulged The Buzz with a tell-all interview where she spoke about her side of the story. She was quoted to have said the following about her breakup with Piolo: “May mga hinahanap ako na basic lang na hahanapin ng isang babae sa isang boyfriend, sa isang lalaki . . . May mga

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INTRIGUES WITH STONY SILENCE To this day, Piolo still wouldn’t give a response that would be conclusive enough to put the rumors and the intrigues to rest. Instead of denying the nasty insinuations, Piolo chose to keep silent.

‘Ayoko namang tumanda mag-isa.’ bagay na hindi ko na kayang lunukin, hindi ko na kaya yun tanggapin . . .

Naniniwala naman ako na pag sinasabi ni PJ na minahal niya ako . . . Pero, masakit man sabihin, hindi ako yung . . . siguro nag-fail din ako dahil hindi ako yung kailangan niya sa buhay niya. Or, hindi ako yung hinahanap niya sa buhay niya.”

Although she never completely divulged the specifics of the breakup, there were implications which were interpreted by fans and observers in ways they preferred: that Piolo could indeed be gay and that’s why he couldn’t

MAY 16-31, 2012

give KC what she needed, and that’s also why KC is not the one Piolo needs. KC was commended for sharing her story and exposing her emotions without really airing out dirty laundry on national television. It’s therefore not surprising that fans were hoping Piolo would do the same -- that he would also show up for an interview and reveal his side.

Piolo, however, did no such thing.

He has kept quiet, only giving a short statement where he asked for the people’s understanding: “Hihilingin ko lang siguro, pag-iintindi sa mga tao. Hindi madali yung proseso.

Hindi rin madali yung maraming nakaabang, maraming naghihintay, at maraming nakikialam. So, ang akin lang, hayaan na lang muna kami, especially si Kristina, na it’s not easy.”

To this day, he still wouldn’t give a response that would be conclusive enough to put the rumors and the intrigues to rest. Instead of denying the nasty insinuations, Piolo chose to keep silent. The question is, has this done him any good?

Some say yes, some say no - but the outpour of projects for Piolo seem to be pointing more towards the positive. Struggling through the post-breakup issues and the malicious remarks about his sexual preference, Piolo continues to steadily rise and reclaim his glorious place in showbiz. He has a new soap opera, entitled Dahil Sa Pag-ibig, and topbills Star Cinema’s summer movie offering, Every Breath U Take. He continues his hosting gig in ASAP and maintains his presence in the world of Tv commercials and product endorsements.

In a recent interview on Showbiz Inside Report, the 35-year-old hunk said he wants to get married and settle down before turning 40, and eventually have more children with his future spouse.

“Ayoko namang tumanda magisa. Gusto ko magkaroon ng maraming pang anak, two or more, pag nag-settle down ako,” he said. That’s why when he is in love, he said he gives it his all.

“Sweet akong tao. I’m very affectionate. ‘Pag ako nagmahal, binibigay ko naman eh,” he said, adding that he has done crazy things for love.

When asked how he is able to withstand all the spiteful remarks and rumors hurled at him, Piolo replied, “Nagpapasalamat po ako because hindi ako pinapabayaan ng Diyos. At lahat po ng nangyayari sa buhay ko, whether good or bad, ay itinataas ko lang po sa Kanya.” n

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MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL...

Who’s the most deserving Artist of them all?

By CHERIE del rio

N the middle of all the usual celebrity hoopla in Philippine showbiz is a debate that is slowly rising to the surface, buzzed with no less than the industry’s biggest names: from the Superstar to the King of Comedy to the legends and pillars of national cinema. But what is this National Artist Award, really? What is so special about it that so many of the country’s brightest stars, despite the countless awards they have already received, still all yearn for the flicker of that medallion? the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) defines the award as “the highest national recognition given to Filipino individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts...” It’s therefore no surprise that any artist who wishes to be recognized and remembered for his craft will, once in his lifetime, dream of earning the said medallion. But what does it take to be worthy of this award? the NCCA has a list of the criteria for selection: Artists who… ... through the content and form of their works have contributed in building a Filipino sense of nationhood; … have pioneered in a mode of creative expression or style, thus, earning distinction and making an impact on succeeding generations of artists; … have created a substantial and significant body of works and/ or consistently displayed excellence in the practice of their art form thus enriching artistic expression or style; … enjoy broad acceptance through: prestigious national and/ or international recognition, criti-

Five names have been put forward as possible nominees for National Artist for Cinema. Their achievements are more than enough for them to qualify to stand before that magic mirror for scrutiny.

DOLPHY

NORA

EDDIE

VILMA

this year, five names have been mentioned for nomination. Initially, it was only Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos who were shoved into the spotlight of the debate. Later on, however, other names were thrown into the arguments: showbiz legends Dolphy, Joseph estrada and eddie Garcia they have, after all, redefined the acting craft itself and

they are names well known in every Filipino household, regardless of age and social status.

Nora, the original Superstar, has a long list of achievements and awards in the field of both movies and music, with trophies for Best Actress and hall of Fame awards here and there. In 2010, she was recognized as one of the “10 Asian

JOSEPH

Any artist who wishes to be recognized will dream of earning the said medallion. cal acclaim and/or reviews of their works; respect and esteem from peers.

So far, there’s only been a total of five National Artists in the field of Cinema: Gerardo de Leon, eddie Romero, Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal (all film directors), and Fernando Poe, Jr. (Ronald Allan Poe in real life).

Best Actresses of the Decade” by the Green Planet Awards.

Vilma, dubbed “the Star for All Seasons”, holds the title of Grand Slam Queen for winning the Best Actress award from four major award-giving bodies in the same year and is hailed as the longest Box-Office Queen in the industry.

Comedy King Dolphy paved the road to excellence for the country’s comic films, setting a comedy act that will forever be tough to follow.

In 2010, he was awarded with the “Grand Collar of the Order of the Golden heart”, is the highest presidential award to a private citizen.

Joseph estrada has 33 years worth of movies and tV work -- his charm and popularity spilling over the bounds of showbiz and later reaching the pinnacle of Philippine politics: the presidency. eddie Garcia is recognized as the most nominated and most awarded actor in FAMAS awards history. his long list of awards and movies speak for his impact on the showbiz industry. their achievements are more than enough for them to qualify to stand before that magic mirror for scrutiny. But the question of who is the most deserving of all lies not in the hands of the public or Congress.

Behind the mirror, the voice that shall answer the controversial question is actually a triumvirate. the National Artist Award is administered jointly by the NCCA and the Cultural Center of the Philippines and is conferred by the President of the Philippines at the recommendation of the two bodies. In the end, President Aquino will have the final say as to which star’s reflection is brightest of them all. n

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LIFE+ STYLE PLANET

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Pinoys turning to Internet, mobile phones FILIPINOS, especially the youth, are turning to the Internet and mobile phones for sources of information, as shown by the number of users in recent years.

Lauren Denny, Philippine country director of the Oxford Business Group (OBG) said Filipinos are “avid” users of computers and the Internet, with 36 percent of those aged 16 to 60 going online everyday through PCs, tablets and mobile phones.

Research firm Euromonitor found that 16- to 24-year old Filipinos spent the most time using computers among the world’s 15 fastest-growing youth markets last year.

Mobile phone penetration in the country is near saturation point, with 100 million subscriptions as of 2010, thus making this platform important for marketing.

Smart Communications Inc. is betting that web-enabled mobiles will soon be the most popular way of accessing the Internet, especially for low-income consumers. Taking advantage of this, the telco is planning to offer smartphones ranging n

Let’s talk business INSTEAD of a military standoff, like what’s going on between the Philippines and China at the Scarborough Shoal, private firms from both countries are pursuing business negotiations as a means to settle claims over another disputed area - Recto Bank.

In early May Philex Mining CEO Manny Pangilinan visited China upon invitation of the China National Offshore Oil Cor-

poration to discuss a partnership to explore the resource-rich Recto Bank, which is located 148 km off the coast of Palawan and 400 km south of the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

The Philippine government has allowed Philex Mining to conduct drilling operations in the area, whose gas potential is bigger than the natural gas reserves at Malampaya. n

Belief in God highest in PH BELIEF in God is highest in the Philippines at 94 percent, according to a study by the University of Chicago.

Citing data from surveys performed in 1991, 1998 and 2008 in 30 countries, the university’s National Opinion Research Center found that, on average, 43 percent of those aged 68 and older were certain that God exists.

By comparison, an average of 23 percent of people aged 27 and younger were firm believers in God, according to the report, which gathered data from the International Social Survey Program, a consortium of the world’s leading opinion survey organizations.

Belief was lowest in Western Europe, with only 13 percent of former East Germans believers.

In the United States, 81 percent of people surveyed said they had always believed in God, and 68 percent support the concept that God is concerned with people in a personal way. n

Intramuros by night THE historic walled city of Intramuros will soon become a nighttime destination. In six months, Fort Santiago, which houses the Rizal Shrine, will open its gates to guests for nightly cultural shows.

Nothing for night visitors to fear, as the Walled City will no longer be dark at night. The plans

include installing lights on the centuries-old buildings and churches of Intramuros.

And the nearby Maestranza Park by the Pasig River will become a village of cafés, restaurants and shops, resembling Singapore’s Clarke Quay, a historic riverside wharf where old warehouses have

been restored and converted into restaurants and nightclubs.

Intramuros Administrator Jose Capistrano Jr. said they had opened discussions with the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) for the staging of performances in the open-air Rajah Sulaiman Theater inside Fort Santiago. n

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LIFE+STYLE

We’re tops in business English THE Philippines emerged No. 1 in a global index measuring business English proficiency in the workplace.

In a study conducted by GlobalEnglish Corp., the Philippines scored above 7.0 in the Business English Index, which

is “within range of a high proficiency that indicates an ability to take an active role in business discussions and perform relatively complex tasks.”

Joining the Philippines in the top five were Norway (6.54), Estonia (6.45), Serbia (6.38) and Slove-

nia (6.19) GlobalEnglish Corp.’s annual Business English Index (BEI) showed that the lack of Business English proficiency was “threatening the productivity of companies, industries and country-specific economies.” n

Teen pregnancy ‘alarming’ TEEN pregnancy in the Philippines rose 70 percent in a span of 10 years from 1999 to 2009, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The UNFPA 2011 annual report showed the number of teenage pregnancies in the country rising 70 percent from 114,205 in 1999 to

195,662 in 2009, the highest teenage pregnancy rate among member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The report said there are 53 births per 1,000 women aged between 15 and 19 in the Philippines. Officials said the trend is “alarming.” n

PH bore brunt of disasters in 2011 THE number of documented natural disasters in the Philippines surged 50 percent last year, mak-

ing it the world’s most disaster-hit country in 2011, according to the Citizens’ Disaster Response Cen-

Princesa City. A reward of P1.5 million has been put up for the brothers’ capture.

Representative Ruben Ecleo Jr. of Dinagat Island has not been seen since a Cebu City court on April 13 found him guilty of parricide and sentenced to at least 30 years’ imprisonment. Ecleo was found guilty of killing his wife, Alona Bacolod-Ecleo on June 5, 2002. n

Palparan

Fugitives from justice THREE prominent personalities – all politicians – are being hunted by authorities for serious offenses, including murder and kidnapping.

Retired Major General Jovito Palparan has gone into hiding since December 2011 when a warrant of arrest was issued against him and three other military personnel. Palparan is charged with two counts of

Kidnapping and Serious Illegal Detention for the abduction of UP students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño on June 26, 2006 in Hagonoy, Bulacan.

Former Palawan Governor Joel Reyes his brother Marjo Reyes, who is the mayor of Coron town are wanted for the Jan. 24, 2011 killing of broadcaster and environmentalist Gerardo “Gerry” Ortega in Puerto

ter (CDRC).

CDRC said natural disasters last year cost the Philippines P26 billion, displacing a record 15.3 million people - a huge jump from the 6.75 million people in 2010. A total of 33 of the 302 natural disasters worldwide occurred in the Philippines.

It said the 15.3 million people displaced by disasters last year exceeded the previous record of 14.5 million in 2006.

The big jump in the number of displaced people was due to a series of destructive tropical cyclones, such as typhoon Reming in 2006 and tropical storms Ondoy in 2009 and Sendong in 2011. n

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organizations involved.

By CArMElA g. lapeña

ETRO Manila is far from what could be called a walkable city. in less than ten minutes of walking in the EDSa-Ortigas area, for instance, one realizes just how unpleasant it is. The sidewalk is narrow, the ground is uneven, there are few covered areas, the lighting is poor, and on top of everything, the air is very polluted. When it rains, mud puddles only make things worse. at the recent Ortigas CBD new Mobility Mapping Workshop, participants from various sectors put their heads together to come up with ideas to improve mobility around the area.

Pedestrian safety

MRT passengers can hardly move when they get off at the Ortigas station.

HOW TO MAKE MANILA

A WALKABLE CITY

Eight out of 10 people in Metro Manila take public transportation, but pedestrians are often the last priority on the roads. There is lack of safe pedestrian crossing, sidewalks and bridges, a predictable public transport and direct routes.

With the objective of creating more efficient, cost-effective, and eco-friendly transportation for everyone in Metro Manila, the workshop gathered together representatives from the government, NGOs, big businesses, and the academe.

“This is a unique opportunity to be creative in shaping the future of our community,” said ADB Country Director Neeraj K. Jain in his welcome remarks during the workshop.

Sustainable transport system A better transport system may be as easy as following these AvoidShift-Improve (ASI) tips shared by Clean Air Initiative-Asia: 1. avoid • Reduce the need for travel • Avoid trips with integrated land use planning and transport management • Work closer to home, live near a supermarket or grocery store 2. Shift • Choose more environmentallyfriendly modes of transport, do away with energy consuming modes • Move from gas-guzzling vehicles to non-motorized modes • Promote and use public transport • Low-carbon and low-emission transport

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Vendors clog the sidewalks, forcing pedestrians to walk in the middle of the street. lete paradigm that building more where they have very wide pedes3. improve • Prefer clean technology, better roads will deal successfully with the trian facilities; Seoul, where they tore down a highway and revived increased demand for mobility. quality of fuels Instead, the workshop uses the a stream; and Jakarta, where they • Vehicles should be cleaner • Technologies that capture the new mobility paradigm to develop have a car-free day once a week.

Using color-coded stickers, pollutants instead of spewing sustainable transport systems. This is done through Avoid-Shift-Im- participants marked maps of the them out in the air • Better fuel quality, alternative prove measures, taken from a publi- Ortigas area, indicated connecfuels with reduced emissions cation of the German International tion points between modes of According to Clean Air Initia- Cooperation, and accepted by sev- transport, areas for improvement, opportunities for business, as well tive-Asia Policy and Partnership eral organizations including CAI. Measures consistent with the as for “moving minds” in order to Manager Glynda Bathan-Baterina, we should do away with the obso- new paradigm can be seen in China, get key people like leaders and big

Common themes were revealed during the workshop discussion.

Eight out of ten people in Metro Manila take public transportation, but pedestrians are often the last priority on the roads. This was echoed during the workshop, with participants noting the lack of safe pedestrian crossing, sidewalks and bridges.

It was also noted that there are many redundant transport hubs, with public utility vehicles stopping before and after intersections.

Participants also pointed out that a lack of predictable public transport and direct routes results in longer periods in transit, which costs time and money.

Several suggestions included a request to widen the sidewalk along ADB complex. “We have to improve sidewalks also, so people would like to walk. If that means more greenery, a covered area para hindi ka maulanan o kaya maarawan masyado, so be it,” said Tiklop Society’s Pio Fortuno Jr., representing one workshop group.

Bike lanes were high on the list, as well as a bike sharing program to encourage people to use private vehicles less, and a carless day.

A particularly ambitious idea envisioned a green space linking Ortigas Center to the Pasig River, as well as toward Greenhills and including the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club, which was envisioned as a public park.

“The city is really starved for green spaces,” said ADB Senior Transport Specialist Lloyd Wright.

The green way would have a cycle route, as well as outdoor galleries, street furniture, playgrounds and organic businesses.

While participants were excited about their ideas, they had to remain realistic and consider the research that needs to be done, as well as possible barriers to their dream city. Current routes as well as land ownership would need to be plotted in a Geographic Information System. Experts must conduct a gap analysis to identify the overlaps in the current routes. Some of the barriers were the need for legislation, and of course, funding.

More importantly, the question is whether pedestrians are willing to shift to green modes of transport. Participants agreed that there is a need to raise awareness on the health benefits of walking, and make it attractive for people. (GMA News) n

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Located near Aurora, the 13-million-hectare Benham Rise has been declared by the United Nations as part of Philippine territory.

BENRAM RISE

PH’S NEW TERRITORY OFF AURORA By pAtErno esmaquel ii

MAGINE an area bigger than the Philippines’ biggest island, Luzon, that potentially contains steelproducing minerals and natural gas for domestic consumption or exportation.

This is Benham Rise, a 13-million-hectare area off the coast of Aurora province, which the United Nations (UN) recently confirmed as part of the Philippines’ continental shelf and territory.

“We own Benham Rise now,” Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said in a media interview. “This is for future Filipinos.”

Unlike Scarborough Shoal and other portions of the South China Sea, no other country claims the area that is almost a quarter bigger than the 10.5-million-hectare Luzon.

The UN approval means Benham Rise, an underwater plateau by definition, is an extension of the Philippines’ continental shelf, an area rich in living and non-living resources like minerals and gas.

Based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), the

No other country claims Benram Rise, an area almost a quarter bigger than Luzon that is rich in living and non-living resources like minerals and gas. The UN approval means the underwater plateau is an extension of the Philippines’ continental shelf. continental shelf comprises the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas 200 nautical miles (NM), or 370 kilometers, from a State’s baselines or “edges.”

The UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UNCLCS) approved Benham Rise as the Philippines’ extended continental shelf three years after the country filed a claim and defended it before the UN commission. (The UNCLCS was formed under Unclos.)

It is now up to the Philippines to enact a law or executive order establishing the boundaries of its continental shelf, marine law expert Jay Batongbacal told Rappler.

With this, he said, the Philippines can explore and exploit resources in a bigger area of seabed.

Batongbacal said based on two initial samplings in the area, Benham Rise keeps a large amount of heavy metals like manganese, whose accumulation into manganese nod-

ules can help in the production of steel, among other things.

Considering the area is a seabed, which is known to contain gas hydrates, Benham Rise is also potentially a rich source of natural gas, he said.

He noted, however, that Benham Rise – which is 2,000 to 5,000 meters deep – “has not really been explored.”

This is the Philippines’ first successful validation of a territorial claim under Unclos, according to a paper on Benham Rise prepared by parties privy to the claim.

Unclos, incidentally, is the same UN convention the Philippines is invoking in its ongoing dispute with China over Scarborough Shoal. China has repeatedly rejected the Philippines’ invitation to bring the two countries’ dispute to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea, another body formed under Unclos.

Batongbacal sees hope in the

recent UN approval. “In terms of demonstrating our country’s capability to make and prove claims to areas under international law, this is positive proof that we can do it, given the right people, resources, and adequate preparation and time,” he said.

Dr Mahar Lagmay, professor at the University of the Philippines’ (UP) National Institute of Geological Sciences, said this victory “demonstrates our technical, scientific, financial, and political capabilities as well as resolve to claim seabed territory.”

Meanwhile, a Philippine oil company says its gas field – in a section of the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) also claimed by China – could be nearly twice as big as the Philippines’ largest known deposits.

According to Philex Petroleum, estimates of the Sampaguita field reserves had been upgraded to 4.66 trillion cubic feet (TCF), from a pre-

vious estimate of 3.4 TCF. Energy Secretary Rene Almendras said he hoped “its big resources will help us face the need for energy in the future.”

But there is a minor hitch: the gas field is at Reed Bank, about 148 kilometers (92 miles) off the Philippine island of Palawan, where last year the Philippine government accused Chinese vessels of harassing an exploration vessel.

The Philex announcement came amid a continuing standoff between Philippine and Chinese ships around Scarborough Shoal, another West Philippine Sea outcropping that is subject to conflicting claims by both countries.

The Philippines maintains that both Reed Bank and Scarborough Shoal are well within its maritime territory but Beijing, which claims almost all of the West Philippine Sea, disputes this.

The Sampaguita field is near Royal Dutch Shell’s Malampaya, the Philippines’ largest gas field, which provides fuel to power Luzon and has estimated reserves of 2.7 TCF. Philex said the total reserves at Reed Bank could be as high as 16.6 TCF of gas and 416 million barrels of oil. (Rappler.com) n

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By MA stEllA f. arnaldo

he Department of tourism has launched a national blueprint that seeks to address the key challenges in developing the tourism sector, in a bid to increase the sector’s share in the country’s total economic output.

Unveiled at a forum on may 3 during the 45th annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the asian Development Bank in manila, the national tourism Development plan calls for the total investment of p265 billion over five years, from 2011-2016, for the country to be able to reach its target arrivals of some 10 million international and 35.5 million domestic tourists by 2016. the forum was attended by industry stakeholders including representatives from hotel and accommodations, travel agencies, airline representatives, etc.

Of the amount, government’s share is p74 billion for the duration of the five-year master plan, with the largest chunk or p50 billion to build roads and airports, explained rolando Canizal, DOt Director

TOURISM PLAN TARGETS 10-M TOURISTS BY 2016

Philippine Ambassador to the UK Enrique A. Manalo (center) joins tourism officials, trade partners, media representatives and members of the Filipino community in launching the tourism campaign in London.

The slogan ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines’ “makes a compelling argument for choosing the Philippines as one of the world’s top tourist destinations. . . It is rooted in our competitive advantage, a ‘deliverable’, where Filipinos put genuine value in being able to participate to make their guests feel at home.”

for the Office of tourism planning, research, and Information management. For this year, p3 billion has been allotted for roads and airports construction, and p17 billion in 2013. the plan also “cuts up” the country into 20 clusters, nine of which have been identified as priority clusters for investment and development, based on the “identification of secondary gateways as premier entry points” to these areas, said Daniel Corpuz, DOt Undersecretary, tourism planning and promotions during his presentation of the plan. these nine priority clusters include Central Visayas, metro manila and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, rizal, Quezon), Central Luzon, palawan, Western Visayas, Davao Gulf and Coast, +31

Investment of P265 billion over five years, from 2011-2016, are planned in order to reach target arrivals of 10 million foreign and 35.5 million domestic tourists by 2016.

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By AlAn c. roBles

F only somebody could arrange for famed boxer Manny Pacquiao to fight a world championship bout everyday. or if only Good Friday could be made to happen every week. Then Metro Manila’s traffic problems would be solved, with streets empty because people would either be indoors watching the fight, or out of town on holiday.

Absurd as they are, these “solutions” seem more likely to happen than the actual remedy that experts have long sought: an integrated, unified approach to traffic management free of local government politics. Thanks to those very politics, that vision has remained unrealized for decades.

UNTANGLING METRO MANILA’S GRIDLOCK Vehicular speed may drop to five kilometers per hour during rush hours on the main artery Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.

Efforts to arrive at long-term, lasting solutions to Metro Manila’s traffic woes have always ended up in a tangled mess due to four core problems: disorganized polity, indiscipline of many people, rampant corruption and lack of good public transport. yves Gonzalez, head of the Traffic Discipline office of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) puts it this way: “Metro Manila has a population of 12 million at night and 15 million in the daytime, so there’s a migration of about three million persons.

All of them have to use the roads.”

And so do millions who commute within the city.

According to Gonzalez, vehicular speed may drop to five kilometers per hour during rush hours on the main artery Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA).

The MMDA reports that “major roads are no longer sufficient to accommodate the rapidly rising traffic volume”. The situation is

Mass transit system like the LRT/MRT, is key to addressing the traffic mess but it cannot cope with the huge ridership.

made worse by outmoded traffic signals, poor road conditions and a lack of efficient public transport. A mere accident on an important intersection is likely to paralyze many streets for hours.

The national government estimates that Manila’s traffic congestion annually costs about US$3 billion in lost productivity, illness, wasted fuel and vehicle maintenance. The burden falls on those who can least afford it. A World Bank report noted that “pedestrians and commuters from lower income groups account for 75 % of all trips in Metro Manila”.

Metro Manila is a giant sprawl

of 16 cities and one municipality. But while the metropolis has expanded, its roads have not kept pace with the increasing load. According to the MMDA, 1.9 million vehicles were registered in Metro Manila, almost 15 % more than in 2008. Today, the MMDA’s Traffic Discipline office relies on 1,400 traffic enforcement staff. Its funds are limited. This year it can spend a mere P1.2 billion, only 20 % more than in 1995.

The MMDA is increasingly relying on information and communication technology (ICT). It set up a Twitter account in 2010, which currently has 180,000 followers. It also

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started offering downloadable traffic apps for mobile devices last year and recently partnered with a radio station to air live traffic updates. It also uses street cameras, laser speed guns and digital display boards on EDSA. The goal is to make traffic itself smarter. Gonzalez says: “One of the biggest causes of jams is lack of information.” If people do not know there was an accident in a certain place, they keep driving there, adding to the problem.

Efforts to arrive at long-term, lasting solutions have always ended up looking like the traffic itself – gridlocked in a tangled mess. There are four core problems: • the disorganized polity, • the indiscipline of many people, • rampant corruption and • the lack of good public transport.

Metro Manila’s 17 local government units are touchy about their rights. Moreover, they are not the only bodies with a say in traffic matters. A study prepared for the University of the Philippines states: “The road development program is still not linked to any particular land use scheme.”

The solution would be to set up an authority over the entire agglomeration, but this issue is politically sensitive. The leader of this authority would be extremely powerful, perhaps second only to the national president.

Motorists’ discipline is poor.

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“The government should focus its attention on the provision of more mass transport systems in Metro Manila.”

Lack of discipline on both drivers and pedestrrians makes matters worse. and in the DVD format.

The problem of corruption is probably even more pervasive than indiscipline. Paying bribes is very common. There are probably very few Filipino drivers who have not paid off a traffic policeman at one time or another. It will take generations to address this issue, but Gonzalez says a promising start would be to pay traffic enforcers decent wages so that they’ll have less incentive to accept bribes.

Corruption compounds Manila’s traffic problems in another important way. Gonzalez says that “a bus operator with a franchise for 30 buses is actually likely to operate up to 45 buses”, and will get away with it by “bribing the right people”. The MMDA official estimates that a “surplus” of 30 to 40 % must

People load, unload and park their cars and trucks pretty much anywhere they please. They disregard traffic signals and sometimes cruise down the wrong side of streets. Motorcyclists often drive on sidewalks.

The relaxed attitude to laws is not restricted to drivers – commuters unhesitatingly flag down public vehicles in the middle of the street, while pedestrians are prone to dash randomly across busy avenues.

MMDA official Gonzalez says the issue can be addressed by enforcement and education, but he is not contemplating fast change: “The target should be the youth; they’re the ones who haven’t yet acquired bad habits.” The MMDA will therefore soon start an awareness campaign, including the use of “entertaining” videos on YouTube

be added to the 200,000 officially registered public utility vehicles that ply Metro Manila’s streets. To tackle this challenge, the MMDA will soon require public buses to use RFID (radio frequency identification) chips that can be monitored via GPS and linked to a program that will expose rogue buses.

While the city’s streets are blanketed by registered and unregistered buses, the fabled jeepneys and motorized tricycles, that coverage does not result in efficiency, but in chaos and discomfort.

Things could be different, as Gonzalez knows only too well. He says: “In Singapore you can get anywhere using public transport, it doesn’t matter if you’re a laborer or a lawyer, you can use public transportation, it’s efficient and it’s comfortable.” Manila has an elevated light and medium train system which is a boon to commuters, but the network coverage is inadequate, the trains are always packed full,

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their number insufficient to handle the volume of passengers.

Faced with these unpalatable public transport options, many residents can’t be blamed for aspiring to buy their own cars. According to Gonzalez, “everyone wants to get out of the public transport situation”. According to a 2007 study, the first transport preference of Manila commuters is the car, and if they have to take public transport, they prefer the train. The study observes: “It is important for the government to focus its attention to the provision of more mass transport systems in Metro Manila.”

Gonzalez agrees. He says: “We need to raise public transportation to a level such that people can actually choose it as a viable alternative.” Otherwise, he warns, Filipinos will just keep on buying cars “even if they have no place to park it, or don’t know how to drive it”.

Without coordination and planning, the city faces the prospect of slowly choking on an increasing volume of vehicles jammed down an inadequate number of streets, and MMDA’s current efforts will be a rearguard battle at best.

(Published in D+C [Development and Cooperation], a monthly publication funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and commissioned by ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL.) n

TOURISM PLAN TARGETS 10-M TOURISTS BY 2016

From page 28 Northern Mindanao, Bicol, LaoagVigan.

Corpuz noted that there were some obstacles to the attainment of the plan’s goals and targets among which are the “uncompetitive tourist destinations and products; limited flights and seat capacities including the poor quality and limited capacity of international and domestic transportation and infrastructure destination, as well as other restrictions that have limited market access; and weak public sector tourism governance and human resources development policies and practices.”

To overcome these challenges, he stressed that strategic directions and programs that will be undertaken in the plan are: the development and marketing of competitive tourist products and destinations; improvement of market access, connectivity, and destination infrastructure; and improvement of tourism institu-

tional, governance, and industry manpower capabilities.

In his keynote address at the forum, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said the plan is an “inventory of tourism attractions” in the country, the first time this has been done in the history of the agency.

He also defended the agency’s slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines” against critics who said that the problems of the sector can’t be solved with just a tag line.

“Those who say that have limited knowledge of the persuasive power of words, of communications.”

The slogan, he said, “makes a compelling argument for choosing the Philippines as one of the world’s top tourist destinations. It is rooted in our competitive advantage, a ‘deliverable’, where Filipinos put genuine value in being able to participate to make their guests feel at home.”

It is second nature to Filipinos, he said, to be hospitable and seize

The country is divided into different priority turism areas for more efficient marketing. every opportunity to make guests’ God and nature.”

Jimenez stressed that initial efevery visit to his home successful.

He added that the slogan has forts of the department has already “energized” the system and “con- started bearing fruit. In the first tains one thing that works so well quarter of 2012, inbound tourism in an open competition … it is has jumped by 16 percent to 1.15 the truth. It is about Filipinos million. This, he said, brings the and their infectious love of things agency closer to its 4.6 million arthe world tends to forget -- fam- rivals target for the year.

The increase is the market’s ily, friends, and communion with

“quick response to promotion initiatives” -- arrivals from China, he said, grew by 77 percent, Korea 16 percent, Taiwan 37 percent, Australia 18 percent, the United Kingdom 2 1 percent, and Germany 18 percent.

The DOT has just undertaken its initial international tourism campaign by advertising the new country brand and slogan in CNN. Funding for the advertising campaign -- estimated at P63 million -will be shouldered by the DOT, and the Departments of Budget and Management, Finance, Trade and Industry, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

The DOT said the 30-second spots on CNN cost about P19,000 each.

With close to 4 million tourist arrivals in 2011, the country still ranks way behind its neighbors - Malaysia (25 million), Thailand (19 million), Singapore (13.2 million), Indonesia (7.6 million), and Vietnam (6 million). (InterAksyon.com) n

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CORONA AGREES TO TESTIFY DEFENSE lawyers of Chief Justice Renato Corona announced during the impeachment trial on May 8 that their client would testify if the Senate tribunal subpoenaed Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and 11 others in connection with the purported dollar and euro deposits.

The presiding judge, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile agreed to issue the subpoenas. Morales promptly said she would obey the Senate and appear at the trial..

The defense lawyers said the decision to testify was reached after Corona saw copies of documents submitted to the Senate court by Harvey Keh, leader of a good-governance advocacy group and a supporter of President Aquino. The papers purportedly showed that Corona had amassed $10 million in his bank accounts, the lawyers said.

Corona has denied the existence of the supposed accounts and was

incensed when he got hold of the Keh documents, the lawyers said.

Also a factor in the decision to testify was the scolding the defense got from Enrile last May 7 for presenting what he said were witnesses whose testimonies he considered irrelevant to the issue that

Corona had fudged entries in his statement of assets and liabilities (SALN).

Enrile wants to wrap up the proceedings by the end of the month. A twothirds vote, or 16, is needed to convict Corona.

Defense lawyer Ramon Esguerra played down media reports that Corona may opt to resign if the Senate acquitted him or if he finds that the evidence against him is strong to warrant a conviction.

Esguerra said that Keh’s allegation was the “last straw.”

“Everything changed when the Chief Justice learned about this new fabricated bank documents. He was more than mad.

He was fuming mad when he examined the documents,” he said.

“This is too much. This has to end,” Esguerra quoted the Chief Justice as saying.

Asked if chief counsel Serafin Cuevas and the other lawyers who had opposed Corona’s taking the stand had opposed the decision to testify, Esguerra said: “No. We saw that he realized the importance of him testifying to address the clamor.”

“After what happened (on May 7), we realized that it was the end for us.

We need to conclude sooner or later. So we realized that we should confront the issues and try not to dodge them anymore,” he said. n

Life and death situation?

PALACE: LET COURT DECIDE ON GMA’S TREATMENT ABROAD IT’S up to the courts to decide whether former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, reportedly stricken by a life-threatening condition, should be allowed to seek medical treatment abroad, Malacañang said.

The government doctor and jail custodian of Arroyo confirmed on May 11 that Arroyo had been experiencing choking episodes whose cause was detected in the quantum electrochemistry examination (like a CT scan but more thorough) that she underwent last May 10.

But Dr. Nona Legaspi, the director of the VMMC where Arroyo is detained, refused to issue an official statement on what an unnamed ally of the former President had said was “a life-threatening condition” that may require immediate surgery abroad.

Occidental Mindoro Rep. Ma. Amelita Villarosa, a political ally and close friend of Arroyo, said the former President and now Pampanga Representative was facing a “life and death” situation.

“She needs medical treatment. She cannot eat because there is a metal blocking her food.

She can speak but with great difficulty,” she said.

Asked if an appeal should be made to President Aquino to allow Arroyo to go abroad for medical treatment, Villarosa said “let’s wait for her doctors to make a formal announcement.”

This was also the stance of Arroyo’s sons, Camarines Sur

Rep. Dato Arroyo and party-list member Juan Miguel Arroyo (Ang Galing Pinoy).

“That has not been confirmed officially, or at least by the medical doctors… The case is now pending before the courts,” said presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

As far as Malacañang or government doctors are concerned, they have yet to receive any information on the reported “lifethreatening” condition of the former President, Lacierda said.

He noted that Arroyo was in detention for a nonbailable offense. “It is now within the courts to decide. If they should decide to seek medical attention (abroad), that would be left to the judgment of the judge, the courts to do so,” he said.

Arroyo was ordered arrested last year by Pasay City Judge Jesus Mupas on the nonbailable charge of electoral fraud and is confined under hospital arrest at the state-owned Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC). She has since been indicted in connection with the aborted $329million National Broadband Network contract with Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE Corp.

“I can confirm a positive yield during the examination based on the report of our medical team who observed the procedure, but it was a wet reading, we are still waiting for the official written medical report from Dr. Robert Anastacio,” Legaspi said in a phone interview. n

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NO CHINA BAN ON TRAVEL TO PH, ONLY ADVISORY

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario belied reports of a travel ban imposed by the Chinese government against the Philippines.

“We understand it is not a ban, but it is a travel advisory to avoid, for example, areas where protests are taking place,” Del Rosario told GMA News Online in a text message last May 11.

Filipinos, led by civil society groups, staged a protest in front of the Chinese consulate in Makati City on May 11, denouncing what they call China’s aggression toward the Philippines involving the Panatag Shoal in West Philippine Sea over which the two countries remain in a geopolitical deadlock.

Manila and Beijing are both asserting territorial sovereignty over the shoal the Chinese call Huangyan Island.

Del Rosario noted the rally was a peaceful democratic exercise by Filipinos–similar to the three-day protest actions staged earlier by Chinese groups in front of the Philippine Consulate in New York City.

Amid the protests, he said the Philippines remains a “safe and welcoming country.”

Del Rosario pointed out that Manila and Beijing are working on

Rallyists protest China’s ‘bullying’ outside Chinese Embassy in Manila. easing visa requirements for Chi“We don’t see that these comnese nationals, the fourth largest mitments are off track. We think foreign visitors to the Philippines, that the commitments can very well next to South Korea, United States be met,” Del Rosario said. and Japan.

The Philippines and China have During the China state visit of both deployed non-military vessels President Aquino Beijing last year, to the disputed shoal.

Del Rosario said China vowed to Both sides have resumed negoincrease inward tourism to the Phil- tiations in Manila in a bid to diffuse ippines to about three million Chi- tensions in the area and end the nese visitors. four-week-old impasse.

China and the Philippines likeTensions started last April 10 wise agreed to increase bilateral when Philippine authorities spotted trade to $30 billion in a few years several Chinese fishermen in the time, he added. shoal, located within its 200-nautical

mile exclusive economic zone as outlined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Manila said such rule, which gives maritime nations the right to explore, exploit and develop areas within its EEZ, bolsters its claim over the shoal.

China rejected Manila’s territorial claim, citing ancient maps and records to prove its ownership of the area and refusing to take on Manila’s challenge to seek arbitration under the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

The shoal lies 124 nautical miles from Zambales province in northwestern Luzon and 472 nautical miles from China’s nearest coast in Hainan province.

China virtually claims the resourcerich South China Sea in its entirety, including the Spartly Islands and other areas within Philippine waters.

Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam are also claiming parts of South China Sea–now regarded as a potential regional flashpoint for geopolitical conflict.

China International Travel Service, one of the country’s largest, said it was suspending trips from May 10 based on safety considerations. Nationwide online agency

Ctrip.com has also suspended trips, an agent said, citing “anti-China sentiments in that country right now.” She said the company acted on its own without official orders.

The Shanghai Tourism Bureau had also ordered a suspension, according to staff with the Yiyou and Guojikuaixian travel agencies in the eastern financial hub.

The suspensions came as China’s embassy in Manila issued a safety warning to its nationals in the Philippines over protests planned on May 12. Chinese tourists also make up about 9 percent of total arrivals to the Philippines, according to the Department of Tourism. n

SUDOKU ANSWER FROM PAGE 13

MAY 16-31, 2012

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NEWSROUND-UP

CHINA HOLDS PHILIPPINE BANANAS ABOUT P700 million worth of Cavendish bananas from the Philippines have been rotting in the major Chinese ports after they were denied entry because of Beijing’s territorial dispute with Manila over the Scarborough Shoal, the president of the Kidapawan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ramon Floresta, said.

“The Mindanao plantation owners and farmers urge President Benigno Aquino III to immediately intervene and fast-track the settlement of the dispute,” Floresta told the Manila Standard. “Chinese traders have stopped buying bananas and pineapples from us. With firm resolve, the standoff can be settled diplomatically.”

Floresta said 1,000 containers full of bananas landed in Beijing and Shanghai last week, and that 800 more containers were in transit. The last shipment for the month had been harvested and were being packed, but Mindanao’s businessmen had found there were no more buyers, he said.

Floresta says the Philippines exports 30 percent of its banana production three times a month to China, a voyage that takes seven days.

The Philippine Banana Growers and Exporters Association said the more stringent quarantine measures in China could jeopardize the country’s P4.75-billion banana industry.

“This will greatly affect the local banana industry. Not just exporters like us but people on the ground, those who work in the farm and their families,” group president Steve Antig said.

Floresta said the Chinese traders had been told that the tougher restrictions on Philippine fruit exports was in retaliation for Manila’s strict restrictions on pork and chicken imports.

But Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon said China accounted for very little of the country’s pork and chicken imports, most of which were coming from the US, Canada and Europe. n

AQUINO: CORRUPTION IS OVER

SAYING the days of corruption that flourished under Gloria MacapagalArroyo were over, President Aquino gave his word to international lenders that he would put to good use the money they would lend to the Philippines—and they could check this out later.

“You will continue to see results.

You will continue to see a Philippines that is finally living up to its potential,” Mr. Aquino said in his speech on May 4 that capped the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) board of governors.

“We are prepared to follow through on our commitments, and you are by all means welcome to see if we’re living up to our word,” he declared.

“Investors and Filipinos alike see what is happening: Here is a country determined to turn the corner by instituting genuine, wide-ranging, meaningful reform, and acting on its belief that good governance is the bedrock of equitable progress,” the President said.

“We have had six positive ratings actions since we took over government a little less than two years ago—a stark contrast to the single upgrade and six downgrades in the nine years of the previous administration,”

PNoy: Days of corruption are over. he added.

He said the country’s stock market also experienced 27 all-time highs in his 22 months in office.

The President noted that the ADB’s official development assistance (ODA) to the Philippines amounts to $761.97 million.

This includes $643.85 million for projects concerning social protection and support, agrarian reform, rural infrastructure, better health care and irrigation in the southern Philippines.

“You have helped out in our public-private partnership program, in our efforts to reform the justice

system, and our energy-efficient electric tricycle project. We are getting to where we want to be faster because of your assistance,” Mr. Aquino said.

He said the ADB meeting in Manila “reaffirms the newfound confidence the international community has exhibited towards my nation.”

“For this, you have the gratitude of our people, and a commitment from my administration. Gone are the days when the funds you funnel to our country will end up like water leaking through a broken pail,” the President said.

Secretary Ricky Carandang, head of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, said the $761.97 million ODA had been programmed for projects from 2011 to 2016.

“The President was referring in general to how borrowed money was misused in the past and not specifically to any loan program,” Carandang said.

Mr. Aquino spoke of how his administration, through good governance, had improved the government’s financial health and generated confidence from investors.

As in some of his previous speeches, he cited the difficulties his administration faced after the alleged excesses of the past Arroyo administration. n

AQUNO RULES OUT PARDON FOR ARROYO PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has ruled out any pardon for former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo if she is found guilty of the corruption and other charges filed against her. Aquino made the declaration in an interview with CNN correspondent Anna Coren.

“I think my constituents would not agree with my pardoning her, and I act only on their wishes,” the President answered when he was asked if he would pardon Arroyo in the same manner that she pardoned her predecessor, Joseph Estrada.

Arroyo is facing the non-bailable charge of electoral sabotage before a Pasay City court and corruption charges in the antigraft court Sandiganbayan. The electoral sabotage charge is in connection with the alleged rigging of the elections in 2007 to favor her senatorial candidates while the corruption charges stem from the bribery and overpricing scandal surrounding the P16-billion NBN-ZTE deal that was subsequently rescinded.

“We believe the cases we filed are proper and are well-evidenced,” Aquino said.

He said the administration went to court expecting a conviction.

Aquino also touched on his views on the administration’s responsible parenthood bill now pending in Congress and the issue of the Marcoses. Asked if the dictator Marcos ruined the Philippines, Aquino said, “Yes,” and said he would not allow Marcos

to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani even if cases are filed against him or even if he’s impeached in connection with the decision.

Meanwhile, eight members of the “Morong 43” on May 3 charged Arroyo and 18 others in the Department of Justice (DOJ) with torture and other human rights violations the health workers suffered when they were arrested and detained in 2010. Edre Olalia, counsel of the health workers, said the case against Arroyo was the first criminal charge filed against a former Philippine president for human rights violations. He noted that the human rights cases filed against Marcos were civil cases.

“The complaint serves as an eloquent reminder to GMA (Arroyo) that she will not get away with the inhumane acts that her administration fostered or tolerated. This will put to test the application of the dictum on command responsibility. It will also be an acid test for the antitorture law, which ironically was signed by Arroyo into law in 2009,” Olalia said at a press briefing at the DOJ. In a 25-page complaint, eight health workers said Arroyo, former Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Victor Ibrado and former Army chief General Delfin Bangit, “by virtue of their offices, had actual knowledge of the commission of the torture against us, and are criminally liable … under the principle of command responsibility.” n

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Economic indicators are looking good.

ECONOMY TO GROW BY 5-6% - OFFICIALS ADMINISTRATION officials are optimistic that the Philippine economy will expand by 5 to 6 percent in 2012, higher than the 3.7-percent growth posted in 2011.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano W. Paderanga Jr. told reporters on the sidelines of the 45th Asian Development Bank governors’ annual meeting in Manila on May 2 that the government’s expenditures program was getting on track and economic indicators were looking “good.”

ADB president Haruhiko Kuroda said the Philippines and its neighbors were poised to weather the effects of a mild recession in the Euro zone this year, but stressed the urgent need for membercountries to address the wide income inequality in their jurisdictions.

Kuroda said the crisis in the Euro zone was not expected to cause a significant drag on growth rates of Asian economies and on remittances that countries like the Philippines receive.

“We expect a rosier 5 to 6 percent GDP growth for 2012” not only because of “strong spending” but also because of the government’s “strong resolve on good governance,” Public Works Secretary Rogelio L. Singson said.

GDP or gross domestic product is the value of goods produced and services rendered in the country in a given period. It excludes remittances by overseas Filipino workers and earnings of Philippine firms abroad.

Singson enumerated other signs of economic improvement: • Good performance of the Philippine Stock Exchange which had seen more than

17 record closing highs since January.

• A banking system that is “one of the healthiest in Southeast Asia.”

• Rating upgrades from international rating agencies.

• Strong foreign exchange reserves and overseas remittances.

• Growing domestic consumption.

• Business confidence These strengthen business confidence in and provide “strong international support” for the Philippines, especially for its public-private partnership (PPP) program, said Paderanga and Singson.

Cosette V. Canilao, PPP Center executive director, said four projects were recently submitted to the National Economic and Development Authority for review and more projects were in the pipeline.

She said the Australian Agency for International Development had committed additional funding, bigger than the $7 million allotted last year, to support the PPPs through a grant administered by ADB. An additional $9 million will augment the PPP Center’s Project Development and Monitoring Fund, a revolving fund to finance pre-investment studies of selected project proposals, Canilao said.

Optimism in the first quarter came from accelerated public works and signs of exports recovery, Paderanga said. He said the GDP growth of 5.5 percent in the first three months was within range.

The country’s top economist said this level of growth may be sustainable throughout the year if government spending, the main growth driver this year, continued on an accelerated pace as in the first few months. n

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PH NOT SICK MAN OF ASIA ANYMORE THE Philippines, which has lately seen new record highs in stock market trading, is making good progress in creating a more favorable image in the international community, according to the Filipino chief executive officer of the Bank of Singapore.

“The image is improving a lot…

It’s not the sick man of Asia anymore. There’s less corruption,” said Renato de Guzman, CEO of the global private bank, who was interviewed on the sidelines of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) annual meetings.

According to De Guzman, the Philippines has learned well the les-

sons of the previous Asian financial crisis (of 1997), following which local banking regulators introduced an array of reforms that have kept the banking system “quite insulated” from the subsequent US financial crisis in 2008 and the lingering crisis in Europe.

“I think confidence is high,” said De Guzman who served as one of the panelists at a business forum within the ADB meetings sponsored

by BNY Mellon. The forum discussed the impact of the US financial crisis three years after.

The banker is hoping the Philippines would merit a sovereign investment grade rating but does not

think this would necessarily happen within the year.

“It’s the revenue that’s still the weak spot,” De Guzman said.

According to some analysts, the international credit-rating agencies are waiting for the Philippines to pass new revenue-generating measures in Congress before giving the much-coveted investment grade rating.

But even without such a rating, financial markets have priced Philippine debt as if it were investment grade, they said. For instance, they have allowed the Philippines to sell offshore bonds at a lower cost than investment-graded Indonesia. n

PH, CHINA TALKING AGAIN

THE Philippines and China are talking again, and they are trying to work out a temporary solution to their dispute over Scarborough Shoal, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said on May 11.

The good news from Del Rosario came as Malacañang reiterated that the government had no hand in the anti-China protests in Manila and other capital cities around the world.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said Filipino and Chinese diplomats in Manila had resumed talks to break the deadlock over Scarborough Shoal.

The department did not disclose the negotiation points but going by China’s “requirements,” as Hong mentioned in his talk with journalists in Beijing, the consultations would lead to, at best, temporary agreements that would allow the two sides to disengage without losing face.

Stressing the need to “pursue a peaceful resolution” of the conflict with China, he said the DFA would follow a three-track approach: political, through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations; legal, through United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) settlement; and diplomatic, through continuing consultations.

Meanwhile, Filipino-Americans brought their “anti-bullying” protest against China to Washington DC. It was part of other protests mounted against Chinese consular offices in New York , San Francisco , Chicago , Los Angeles and Seattle .

The nationwide protests were organized by the US Pinoys for Good Governance (USP4GG), a group closely identified with President Aquino. But the DFA stressed this was a purely private enterprise without the blessings or support of the government. n

18 WORKERS KILLED IN BUTUAN FIRE A FIRE at a three-story clothing store in Butuan City in the early hours of May 9 killed 18 employees, most of whom were women who were asleep and trapped on the top floor.

The fire broke out at 3:55 a.m. and raged for five hours. Firefighters and police scouring the gutted building found 17 bodies, city police chief Pedro Ubaldo said.

Store employee Mylene Tulo, who escaped with two coworkers, said she was roused from sleep as the fire spread rapidly in the third-floor office where they slept.

Vice Mayor Lawrence Fortun said based on the account of the surviving employees, the steel door of the establishment was locked from the outside, making it difficult for anyone to escape if disaster struck.

Factory owners reportedly lock up the premises to foil any plans of stay-in workers from taking off with the merchandise.

Fortun said the investigation was also trying to determine the responsibility of the store’s owners, who faced charges.

“It could be negligence resulting in multiple homicide against the store owners,” Fortun said.

Amid the inferno and yells for help, Tulo managed to dash out with her colleagues. They sustained minor burns on their arms.

“We wanted to rouse others from sleep, but the fire was already too strong,” a stunned Tulo said.

At least 20 employees, mostly women, were sleeping at the store when the fire broke out, Ubaldo said.

Relatives and friends, most of them in shock and tears, gathered in search of loved ones in front of the building, where police stood with body bags of the victims’ remains.

Tulo said she used images from her memory of the location of the fire exit as she led coworkers Grace Canoy and Vickly Celes out of the burning building.

Tulo, Canoy and Celes were the only survivors out of the 21 stayin workers of dry-goods and apparel store Novo Jeans and Shirts on Montilla Boulevard here.

Fire Inspector Alrick Gomez, Butuan fire marshal, said 17 bodies, mostly of women, were found by firefighters and volunteers.

The body of an 18th victim had not been found, Gomez said. n

SANTIAGOS SEEK PROTECTION US DOUBLES MILITARY AID TO PH FROM TULFO BROTHERS Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington DC.

THE United States will this year double military aid to its ally the Philippines, which is engaged in a prolonged maritime standoff with China.

The ramping-up of Washington’s defense assistance will see military aid in 2012 jump to $30 million as well as “real-time information sharing” on the Philippines’ maritime territory, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said.

“We have been making representations for this since last year,” he said, stressing this was before the outbreak in April of the tensions with China.

The increased aid was confirmed during the recent US visit of Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto del Rosario and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin for talks with their US counterparts Hillary Clinton and Leon Panetta.

They discussed the almost

month-long face-off with China over a shoal in the South China Sea that is claimed by both countries.

The Philippines also asked the US for ships, planes and radars to help modernise its poorly equipped military.

Hernandez said the “foreignmilitary financing” aid could be used to buy new equipment or maintain existing military resources.

The US State Department also said “it will explore additional creative funding streams for the Philippines”, he told Agence France-Presse.

“The Philippines and the United States would also intensify cooperation in real-time information sharing to enable the Philippines to know what is happening in its maritime territory and enforce its laws,” Hernandez added. n

SHOWBIZ couple Raymart Santiago and Claudine Barreto are now seeking protection from a Quezon City court against threats the Tulfo brothers allegedly made against them on their public affairs show T3 on TV5 last May 7.

The couple filed a petition for a writ of amparo—from a Spanish term for protection—against T3 hosts Raffy, Ben and Erwin Tulfo in which they appealed for a special protection order (SPO) against the brothers.

The Santiagos are asking for a SPO barring the Tulfos from coming within 500 meters of either of them and the assignment to the couple of police escorts.

The couple lodged the petition last May 11, four days after the T3 hosts threatened the Santiagos on the air following a brawl at NAIA 3 last May 6 involving the Santiagos and their friends, on one hand, and the Tulfos’ older brother, Inquirer columnist Ramon Tulfo.

The request for protection against the Tulfo brothers is separate from a criminal complaint that the Santiago couple filed against them for grave threats and slander.

Both the civil and criminal cases stemmed from the May 7 episode of T3, hosted by the three brothers on TV5. The Tulfo brothers later issued an apology and have been suspended by their network, TV5, for the utterances.

The Movie and Television Ratings and Classification Board also imposed a 20-day suspension on the program.

Meanwhile, Tulfo added grave oral defamation charges to his initial complaint of grave coercion and physical injuries against the Santiagos.

Tulfo’s lawyer cited three “relevant aggravating circumstances, saying the attack had been carried out “with insult to, or in disregard of, the respect due his client on account of his age.” Tulfo is 65. n

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PHILIPPINES

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NEWSROUND-UP

NEW NEDA CHIEF TO FOCUS ON ‘INCLUSIVE GROWTH’ UNIVERSITY of the Philippines (UP) economics dean Arsenio Balisacan, newly appointed secretary of economic planning and director-general of the National Economic and Development Auuthoroty (Neda) said his focus in his new job is on “inclusive growth.”

“I told the President earlier I’ll do my own share,” Balisacan said when news of his appointment as acting chief of Neda was announced.

Balisacan added, “He (Aquino) already knows my work on poverty alleviation and rural development,”

which fits the requirement of a person who will head the government’s economic planning agency.

Balisacan is low-key but is wellregarded among groups of development economists, policy makers, academe, and funding agencies here and in the region.

He said he hopes to tap on his poverty alleviation expertise as he steers Neda towards more rural development-related efforts.

“I hope I can help on the poverty alleviation efforts of the government because that’s really close to

Growth should trickle down to the poor. my heart,” he said.

“My interest is really is getting the growth process to be more inclusive because our experience is, we have [economic] growth but it

does not spread to the poor,” said the author of several books and academic papers on poverty and development.

“Even the President understands that we are so Manila-centric. You’ve seen some of my numbers, the poverty is in the countryside. If we tackle that, even urban problems will be mitigated,” he added.

He said the much touted and big ticket items under the banner publicprivate partnership (PPP) program is not enough to address poverty since these projects, too, are concentrated

on the country’s capital.

“PPP is just one of the many tools to get people work, but it can’t be the one-for-all solution for our problems. These projects are very attractive [to investors] for urban areas because there is market growth here,” he stressed.

Projects that involve “highways in the provinces or irrigation for small farmers,” among others, are infrastructure projects that “address rural problems but are not really attractive for PPP investors,” he explained. n

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