AKO ay Pilipino - Stranieri in Italia

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compliments
of
Filipino Violinist
achieves Music
Degree
Angel Locsin
Pasisikatin ng
DOS!
PAHINA
20
PAHINA
12
AKO ay Pilipino
Nag-uugnay sa mga Pilipino sa Europa
ary
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Editorial Office: via Virgilio Maroso 50,
00142 Rome - Italy
Phone: +39 06 8741 0508
Fax +39 06 8741 0528
email: [email protected]
ISYU 8
SETYEMBRE, 2007
EU Pasisinayaan ang
‘Blue Card’ upang
Mahimok ang mga
Highly-Qualified
Foreign Workers
More Pinoys
Suffer
Depression
due to Poverty,
OFW Parents,
Disasters
Bilang tugon sa mga pangangailangan ng Europa sa mga highly-qualified workers, pasisinayaan ng Brussels ang isang EU-wide work permit
para sa employment ng mga non Europeans, saanmang bansa sa loob ng
27-nation bloc, ito ang sinabi ng EU
home affairs Commissioner Franco
Frattini sa EUobserver. Ang idea
ng EU work permit – ay gagawing
‘Blue Card’ na mula sa kulay ng
European Union flag –at pormal na
gagawin ngayong buwan. Ang Blue
Card, ay inaasahang, makakahimok
sa mga manggagawa na pumunta sa
Europe kaysa sa US, Canada o Australia at mabawasan ang kakulangan
ng mga manggagawa na humaharap
sa bloc dahilan sa maunting populasyon at pagbababa ng mga bilang
More Filipinos are suffering from
depression due to intense longing
for loved ones working overseas
or to feelings of helplessness in the
face of natural and man-made disasters, experts said. Dr. Felicitas
Soriano, president of the Philippine
Psychiatric Association (PPA), said
the widespread phenomenon of Filipino parents working abroad is taking a heavy toll on the mental health
of their children. “If you are left behind by your mother or your father
who is an OFW, you sometimes get
lonely. You long for the affection
and presence of your parents. Sometimes, that can lead to depression,”
Soriano said in an interview after a
health forum organized by the Philippine College of Physicians and
Zuellig Foundation.
ipinanganganak ayon kay Mr. Frattini. “Ito ay ayon sa akin- ayon sa
Europa-na maipromote at mahimok
ang mga highly-skilled migrants
na pumunta dito kung sila ay kailangan “, aniya. Si Mr. Frattini na
siya ding VP of the EU ay nagsabi
na nais niyang i-suggest ang “possibilidad ng intra-EU movement”
na may mga kondisyon. “Ang Blue
Card ang siyang papayag sa mga
holder na makarating mula sa isang
from one EU member state patungo
sa iba pagkatapos ng initial period
ng dalwang taon, at kung mapapatunayan na legal ang pananatili nito
sa kanyang trabaho. Ang holder ay
kailangan na makapunta sa ibang
member state pagkatapos ng ilang
taon.
pahina 3
Mga Batang Migrante
Inaabuso sa Kulungan
ng Spain
pahina 4
pahina 6
Sport
Pinoy ang
napiling
Sports Idol
Romulo Leads ASEAN
Ministers in adoption of two
key documents boosting
migrant workers welfare
Pimentel Renews Call for
Federalism to end Rebellion
in Mindanao
pahina 10
Asians Sing, Dance
and Shine!
pahina 12
The St. Joseph Social
Center Accomodates and
responds to the needs of the
Filipino Migrants
Isa pang gymnast ang nakapasok
sa elite list ng top young athletes,
matapos mahirang bilang ultimate
Pinoy Sports Idol sa pagsasara ng
third season ng contest kamakailan,
na napapanood tuwing Sabado sa
Studio 23.
pahina 23
British
Embassy
Warns Filipino
Job seekers
pahina 16
pahina 15
pahina 14
2
SETYEMBRE, 2007
BALITANG EUROPA
AKO ay Pilipino
Balak ng EU na Bumuo ng
European Migration Network
Binabalak ng European Commission ang lumikha ng isang European
Migration Network (EMN) para sa
epektibong probisyon ng up-to-date
information at ang data ng lahat ng
mga migratory developments’. Nais
ng ENM na makagawa ng higit na
informed policy- at ng decision-making para sa ongoing development ng
European immigration at ng asylum
policy.
“The European Migration Network,” pahayag ni the Vice-President of the Commission, Franco
Frattini, “ito ay mahalagang instrumento upang mapalago ang kaalaman tungkol sa migratory phenomena sa EU, salamat sa mga abilidad
na napalawak at naipublish sa policy
reports, ang mga nasuri na statistical
data, ang mga nai-produce na specific studies at ang pagbibigay ng
relevant ad-hoc information na may
kinalaman sa migration at asylum
hindi lamang sa policy-makers kundi
sa general public”.
Hangarin ng ENM’s ayon sa proposal na “’na maibigay ang mga
impormasyon na kailangan ng mga
Community institutions, Member
States’ authorities at institutions, at
ng general public sa migration at
asylum ang magbigay ng providing
up-to-date na may layunin at kompletong impomasyon sa migration at
asylum kasama ang suporta sa mga
patakaran at decision-making ng European Union sa kanilang lugar. Para
mapanatili ang layunin na ito ang
Network ay kailangnan magcollect
at magpalitan ng existing data at impormasyon mula sa mgasources; na
nagsagawa ng analysis na may data
at impormasyon na publish reports;
makagawa at mapanatili at kailangan
ay mga internet-based information
na exchange system accessible sa
publiko (EMN website); at kayang
Applications ng Asylum sa UK
Kumokonti na
Patuloy ang pagbagsak ng bilang ng asylum seekers sa UK
dahil halos 2,000 nitong 2006
ang pinakamababang level na
nagsimula pa noong 1993, ito ay
ayon sa statistics na ipinublish ng
Home Office noong Agosto. Ang
bilang ay ipinakita na 23,610 ang
aplikasyon hindi pa kasama ang
mga dependants na nakatira na
noong nagdaang taon na nagbigay ng 8% kada pagbagsak ng
aplikasyon kompara noong 2005.
Ipinakita rin sa report na “ang
pagtatanggal ng walang karapatan
sa UK ay nakaabot na sa record
levels. Umabot na sa 2006, 63,865
tao ang napaalis sa UK na tumaas
ng 10% sa level noong 2005. Ang
bilang ng asylum seekers ay bumagsak bukod pa sa mga dependants na inialis noong nagdaang
taon na may itinaas na 19%”.
Ayon kay Home Office Minister Tony McNulty : “Malakas
ngayon ang kontrol sa na siyang
nagbibigay ng malaking aplikasyon sa mga asylum na aplikasyon.
Ngayon ay mas madami pa ang
dumarating sa Britanya at humihingi na makatanggap ng asylum.
Sinasabi namin na ginawa na maing doble ang mga resources para
sa patakan sa migrasyon at noong
isang taon ay nakadala na kami
ng mga pagpapaalis sa mga illegal sa Britanya na halos ang isa ay
napapatalsik sa loob lamang ng 8
minuto.
“Ngayon ay gumagawa pa kami
ng mabilis na hakbang upang hig-
pitan ang seguridad. Sa susunod
na 12 buwan ipapakilala na namin
ang single border force, pagcheheck ng mga fingerprints sa lahat
ng mga aplikante ng bisa, ang
ID cards para sa ibang lahi, ang
electronic passenger screening at
ang Australian-style points system. Ganun din magtatangal kami
ng 2000 ibang lahgi na nasa mga
kulungan sa loob ng isa hanggang
6 na buwan sa taong iuto at ang
Prime Minister ay nangako na
magpapatalsik ng 4,000 katao sa
katapusan ng taon.”
Ang huling ulat ay nagpakita
na ang bilang ng mga tao na nabigyan ng settlement ng 2006 o
ng indefinite leave na manatili sa
UK ay bumaba din ng by quarter. Ang bilang ng mga pasahero
na pumasok sa mga porto at napaalis sa Britanya ay nasa 34,825
noong 2006 at tumaas ito ng 6%
kumpara sa nakaraang taon.”
Sinabi pa ni Mr. McNulty na:
“Napakahirap na ipagpatuloy ng
ganitong trabaho upang paalisin
ang mga pumapasok sa UK na
walang karapatan na manigil dito
dahil delikado sa publiko.
“Kami ngayon ay patuloy na
naghahanda ng mga e-borders
programme na kung saan sa
kauna-unahang pagkakataon ay
pinayagan kami na pabalikin ang
mga tao sa kanilang bansa at suriin ang kanilang mga paglalakbay
laban sa watch-lists.
“Ang pilot scheme, Project
Semaphore, ay nakakuha na ng
29 milyong pasahero na halos nagissue ng lampos sa 13,000 alerts
at natapos sa pag aresto ng 1000
katao.
“IRIS, ang ating pinagkakatiwalaan na traveller programme
na nakabase sa iris recognition, na
nagbigay ng malaking tagumpay
sa airport sa Britanya ng mahigit
sa 100,000 pasahero na nakapasok na halos.”
Ang mga quarterly asylum na
bilang mula pa ng Abril hanggang June 2007 ay nagpakita ng
pagbagsak ng aplikasyon ng mga
asylum na ipinagpapatuloy. Sa
huling 3 buwan ay nagkaroon ng
4,950 na applications, bukod ang
dependants, na may 13% ng nakaraang quarter. Ang pagpapaalis ay bumagsak sa mga asylum
seekers bukod pa ang dependants
na halos 7% ang ibinaba kumpara
sa first quarter of 2007.
makapag operate ng European at international bodies. Ang Network ay
kinabibilangan ng National Contact
Points, isang sangay ng Member
State, at ng European Commission.
Ang National Contact Points ay bahagi ng the Member States. Ito ang
magbibigay daan sa aktibong partisipasyon mula sa Member States at
ang gagarantiya sa EMN’s na makapagtrabaho ng maayos kasama ang
EU’s political agenda, ang Steering
Board na nagtayo sa bawat miyembro
ng Member State, ang Commission at
ang European Parliament na siyang
magrerepresent dito. Ang Network
ang magpapanatili na magkaagapay
ito sa Commission, na magbibigay
ng malaking daan upang makagawa
ng mga taun taon na programa at ng
mga pondo base sa National Contact
Points at ang pagpili ng service provider na siyang tutulong na makipag
ugnay sa Network”.
Vatican Official: Ang Mga Migranteng
walang dokumento ay Hindi Mga Kriminal!
Ang pagiging “walang dokumento ay hindi katulad ng pagiging kriminal”, pahayag ng isang
Vatican official sa Global Forum
on Migration and Development.
Sinabi ni Archbishop Agostino
Marchetto, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and
Travellers “Sa kanilang pagiging
Independently sa kanilang legal na
estado, ang mga migrante ay mga
tao at may mga karapatan din na
dapat igalang at irespeto.,” binanggit din ito ng Vatican Radio.
Ang archbishop ay gumawa ng
mga hakbang na tumutukoy sa
global forum, na nag-usap usap
ang mga nongovernmental at ang
mga faith-inspired organizations
kasama ang labour unions na in-
isyatibo ng Belgian government
upang magkaroon ng konkretong
proposals para sa paglago ng mga
international policies on migration
and development. “Ang mga tao
ay may karapatan na mamuhay ng
mapayapa at may dignidad sa kanilang sariling mga bansa, at sila
ay may karapatan na mangibang
bayan kung kinakailangan na
makamit ang kanilang pangangailangan”, saad ni Archbishop Marchetto sa forum. Sinabi pa niya
na ang “international community
ang mas kailangan na magbigay
ng epektibong promosyon ng kapayapaan at pag unlad sa buong
mundo upang hindi mapilitan na
mangibang bayan ang mga tao at
ng mapigilan din ang bilang ng le-
gal na migrasyon. Ang migrasyon
ay hindi para sa digmaan o kahirapan ng isang umuunlad na bansa
ngunit ito ay para sa pangangailangan ng ibang bansa na matulungan ng mga mayayaman na
bansa para sa mga manggagawa”.
“Kaya, ang mga migrante ay may
kontribusyon sa bansa ng kanilang
pagkatao,” dagdag pa niya. “Ang
mga migrante ay may obligasyon
na respetuhin ang mga batas ng
kanilang bansa na pinuntahan at
magkaroon ng layuning integrasyon mula sa bansa at matuto ng
kanilang salita. Ang mas magbibigay sa kanila ng respeto sa bansa
at ang pagmamahal at patatanggol
sa kanilang sarili. “ pagtatapos ni
Archbishop Marchetto.
AKO ay Pilipino
BALITANG EUROPA
SETYEMBRE, 2007
3
EU Pasisinayaan ang ‘Blue Card’ upang
Mahimok ang mga Highly-Qualified Foreign Workers
Bilang tugon sa mga pangangailangan ng
Europa sa mga highly-qualified workers, pasisinayaan ng Brussels ang isang EU-wide
work permit para sa employment ng mga non
Europeans, saanmang bansa sa loob ng 27-nation bloc, ito ang sinabi ng EU home affairs
Commissioner Franco Frattini sa EUobserver.
Ang idea ng EU work permit – ay gagawing
‘Blue Card’ na mula sa kulay ng European Union flag –at pormal na gagawin ngayong buwan. Ang Blue Card, ay inaasahang, makakahimok sa mga manggagawa na pumunta sa
Europe kaysa sa US, Canada o Australia at
mabawasan ang kakulangan ng mga manggagawa na humaharap sa bloc dahilan sa maunting populasyon at pagbababa ng mga bilang
ipinanganganak ayon kay Mr. Frattini.
“Ito ay ayon sa akin- ayon sa Europa-na
maipromote at mahimok ang mga highlyskilled migrants na pumunta dito kung sila ay
kailangan “, aniya.
Si Mr. Frattini na siya ding VP of the EU
ay nagsabi na nais niyang i-suggest ang “possibilidad ng intra-EU movement” na may mga
kondisyon.
“Ang Blue Card ang siyang papayag sa mga
holder na makarating mula sa isang from one
EU member state patungo sa iba pagkatapos
ng initial period ng dalwang taon, at kung
mapapatunayan na legal ang pananatili nito sa
kanyang trabaho. Ang holder ay kailangan na
makapunta sa ibang member state pagkatapos
ng ilang taon. Ang card holder ay maaari din
na makabalik sa kanyang bansang pinanggal-
ingan at makabalik muli upang makapasok
sa EU territory pagkatapos ng apat o limang
taon, na walang pagsisimula sa mga administrative procedures na kailangan na gawin”
saad ng EUobserver.
Ayon sa Brussels, ang mga pagkilos na ito
ay makakasugpo sa mga migrante na magtagal ng pananatili sa Europa at ang makasugpo
sa mga devastating effect of “brain drain”
mula sa bansang lumalago.
“Ang blue card ay hindi permanenteng card
na tulad ng sa American green card”, pahayag
ng EU commissioner. Ang card “ay nagbibigay lamang ng posibilidad na mag anyayaya
sa mga highly-skilled workers na makarating
at maiwasan ang brain draining dagdag pa
niya.
Sinabi pa ng EU VP na “ang pagkakataon
na ito ay simpleng patakaran lamang para
magkaroon ng mga access sa mga tao na kailangan... ngunit ito ay tataas sa bawat member
state kung makikita kung gaano karami ang
kailangan nila”.
“Kung sakali na member states na sila lalo
sa reluctant concerning low-skilled or seasonal workers, sila ay posible din na makainggayo ng mga highly-skilled migrants – tulad
ng mga engineers, doctors, researchers”, pagtatapos niya.
Sinabi ng Commission na sa 2050, ang labour shortages ay tataas kapag nagretire na
ang 25 million Europeans na nagtatatrabaho
mula sa one-third ng population ay magiging
lampas ng 65 taong gulang.
Padadamihin ang Theory
Test Questions para sa mga Nag-aaral na
Driver at Motorista sa UK
Simula sa buwang ito ang mga
nag-aaral na driver at mga motorista sa UK ay makakaranas ng
dagdag na theory test questions
upang mapalaganap ang kaligtasan
sa pagmamaneho sa mga kalsada.
Ayon sa the Driving Standards
Agency (DSA), ang Executive
Agency ng Department for Transport, “ang pagtaas ng bilang ng
multiple choice questions sa mga
tests ay makakatulong sa mga nagaaral na magkaroon ng malawak na
pag-aaral at magkaroon ng mataas
na antas na kaalaman”.
Sinabi ni Jill Lewis, DSA’s Head
of Lifelong Learning na: “Mahalaga na mapabilang ang mga
nag-aaral na maghanda ng maayos
para sa mga theory tests katulad ng
ginagawa nila sa ibang mga exam.
Ito ay magdadagdag ng mga bilang
ng mga tanong sa kanilang mga
test upang mabigyan sila ng mas
malinaw na coverage ng buong
syllabus.”
Matatandaan na ang parehong
sasakyan na kotse at motor na test
ay mayroong 35 katanungan at ang
mga nakuha ng exam na ito ay kailangan magkaroon ng 30 tamang
sagot. Pero simula sa ika-3 ng Setyembre ang bilang ng mga tanong
ay magiging 50 at ang passing
score ay 43. Ang exam na ito ay
magbibigay ng oras para sa multiple choice na bahagi ng theory
tests na tataas sa 57 minuto at ang
bayad ay tataas din.
Ang updated version ng Official theory test book and CD Rom
ay makikita sa mga tindahan, o
di kaya ay magpunta sa official
bookstore button sa DSA website
(http://www.dsa.gov.uk).
Ang fee ay tataasan dinmula sa
£21.50 to £28.50 para sa theory
tests na kukuhanin para sa kotse at
motorsiklo na gustong matuto bago
o pagkatapos ng ika-3 ng Setyembre. Para sa libro ng theory test,
kailangan bisitahin ng mga nagaaral ang http://www.direct.gov.
uk/drivingtest o di kaya ay tumawag sa 0870 0101 372; (Minicom:
0870 01 06 372; Welsh Speakers:
0870 01 00 372).
Pamilya ng mga Highly Skilled
Immigrants sa Netherlands
makakakuha ng Permit sa loob
ng dalawang linggo
Plano ng Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) sa Netherlands na pabilisin ang proseso ng residence permits para sa pamilya ng
members of highly skilled immigrants. Isang sulat ang ipinadala ng
Dutch Lower House of Parliament by Justice State Secretary Nebahat
Albayrak ang nagsasabi na ang “ang miyembro ng kapamilya ng mga
highly skilled immigrants na nakisama sa kanilang bansa at makakuha
na ng residence permit sa loob lamang ng dalawang linggo.”
Hangarin ng Immigration at ng Naturalisation Service (IND) na pabilisin ang proseso ng mga applications para kapamilyang miyembro
sa loob lamang ng dalawang linggo na kasama ng mga highly skilled
immigrants. Kung lahat ng klase ng migrante at kanilang miyembro
ng kapamilya ay kumpleto at tama, mamadaliin itong asikasuhin ng
IND’s special knowledge at labour migration desk.
Noong nakaraang buwan ay sinimulan na ng IND ang pagpaprocess
ng mga applications ng mga migrante na nais na magbago ng kanilang
estado patungo sa highly skilled immigrant status sa loob lamang dawalang linggo. Ito ay makakapagpadali sa mga batang may talento na
makahanap agad sila ng trabaho.
Tinatayang 8,800 highly educated ng migrante ang nabiyayaan na ng
mabilis na prosesong ito simula ng ito ay pasinayaan noong October
2004. Nakipagkasundo rin sa halos 2,600 companies at institutes ang
IND na magamit ang ganitong klase ng patakaran. Ang tatlong pinakapopular na sektor ng employment sa tipo ng mga migrante na may
mataas na pinag-aralan ay ang ICT, industry at ang scientific education/research. Ang tatlong nangunguna na bansa ay an gmga bansang:
India, the United States of America at Japan.
Ang mga Employers na nag-enrolled sa IND’s Highly Skilled Immigrant Programme ay makakapag-employ ng migrante ng mas mabilis.
Ang mga Highly skilled immigrants ay mga “migrante na pupunta sa
Netherlands para magtrabaho at makakuha ng gross salary na hindi
bababa sa 46,541 euro, o 34,130 euro kung sila ay bata 30 taong gulang. Sila ay hindi kailangan pang mag apply ng work permits at ang
kanilang aplikasyon para sa residence permits dahil ito ay ipaprocess
na ng special IND desk sa Rijswijk loob ng dalwang linggo. Ang desk
na ito ay mabilis at maingat sa pagpopoproseso ng mga aplikasyon
mula sa mga employers at ng mga employees”. Ang mga employers
na nais maghire ng highly skilled immigrants ay makakakuha ng deklarasyon at application forms sa special page ng IND’s website: www.
ind.nl.
4
SETYEMBRE, 2007
BALITANG EUROPA
AKO ay Pilipino
Mga Batang Migrante
Inaabuso sa Kulungan
ng Spain
S
inabi ng Human Rights Watch report na
“Daan-daan ang mga hindi nasusubayan na mga migranteng kabataan mula
sa Africa ang nakakaranas ng pang-aabuso at
sexual abuse sa Spanish government migrant
detention centres ng Canary Islands”. Mahigit
900 ang mga hindi nasamahan na migranteng
bata ang dumating noong nakaraang taon sa
“Canary Islands matapos ang mga mapanganib at traumatic na paglalakbay na ginawa
ng mga ito sa barko. Bilang pagtungon sa
mga bilang mga bata na dumarating sa tabi
ng mga dagat noong nakaraang taon sa Canary Islands regional authorities ay nagbukas
ng apat na emergency centres para sa pabahay
ng 400-500 migranteng bata na karamihan ay
mula sa Senegal at Morocco.”
Ang pamagat ng report “Unwelcome Responsibilities: Spain’s Failure to Protect the
Rights of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
in the Canary Islands,” ay nagpapakita kung
ano ang kalagayan ngmga bata sa centres na
ito kung saan sila ay namamalagi sa hindi
alam kung gaano katagal sila doon na halos
siksikan at mahirap na kondisyon. Sinabi ng
mga bata sa Human Rights Watch na “na ginagawa nila na hindi saktan ito ng mga staff,
at mailayo saanman klase ng pang-aabuso
sa mga kasama. Hindi naman sila natutuwa
makapag-aral sa mga publikong paaralan dahil sila ay may limitado lamang na oportunidad.”
“Ang mga kabataan ay kailangan na Spanish authorities, hindi sila makaranas pananakit
at pang-aabuso,” saad ni Simone Troller, Europe children’s rights researcher for Human
Rights Watch. “Ang Canary Islands government ay magsasarado na ng kanilang centres
at maiayos ang mga bata.”
Ang Canary Islands regional authorities at
ang Spanish government hanggang ngayon
ay wala pa ring solusyon para sa mga batang
nasa mga sentrong ito.
Ang paglilipat sa 500 kabataan ay kailangan ng maayos na pangangalaga sa Spanish
mainland mula sa negosasyon ng Ministry
of Labour and Social Affairs, na mayroong
limitado na proteksyon na dapat makamit sa
serbisyong dapat na ibigay ng Canary Islands.
Higit sa lahat, ang implementasyon ng agreement ay discriminatory laban sa mga Moroccankabataan na napiling ilipat.
Ipinahayag pa ngHuman Rights Watch na
“may mga karapatan ang mga bata na ito na
manatili sa bansa kahit na sila ay nasa Spanish territory dahil nakasulat sa probisyon ng
Convention on the Rights of the Child ng Espanya na pinasinayaan noong 1990”.
“Ang karapatan na kilalanin ang solusyon
na inapila Spanish government para sa mga
bata na nakarating sa bansa. Kailangan na
makapag-aapply ang mga ito ng asylum”,
saad nito.
“Ang gobyerno ay kailangan maglaan ng
family reunification matapos ang careful assessment depende sa desisyon ng bata. Kung
anuman ang gusto ng bata ay kailangan na
ibigay ng Spanish government para sa oportunidad na integrasyon nito at seguridad ng
kaligtasan”.
“Hindi ako masaya dito, kung makakaalis lang ako dito gagawin ko. Hindi kami
binibigyan ng pagkain,” pahayag ng isang 17
taong gulang na Senegalese boy at La Esperanza emergency centre in Tenerife.
Sinab i ng mga bata sa Human Rights Watch
na marami silang naranasan na hirap mula sa
pang-aabuso. Isa pang 17 taong gulang sa La
Esperanza ang nagpahayag na “may nanakit
dito habang naliligo ito at hanggang sa makita
na dumudgo na lamang ang bibig nito matapos na saktan.” Sinabi naman ng 13 gulang sa
Arinaga emergency centre na “ang mga staff
members ay sinasaktan din sila.”
Tumawag ang Human Rights Watch sa Canary Islands government at sa Spanish government “upang maaksyunan ang pangyayari
na ito at isarado na ang center na ito. Dapat
mailipat ang mga bata upang maging maayos
ang mga ito at mailayo sa mga ganitong klase
ng pang aabuso na magbibigay ng garantiya
sa kaligtasan ng mga kabataan.”
Umapela din ang Human Rights Watch sa
mga authoridad na imbestigahan ang mga
kasong ulat at maling pagtrato sa mga bata.
“Kailangan din na maipaalam sa mga kabataan
ang kanilang karapatan lalo na sa kanilang
mismong salita ng maunawaan ng mga ito at
kailangan na maiparating din sa mga ito ang
kanilang karapatan sa mga dokumentasyon
lalo na sa legal residence, work permits, education and health”, saad nito.“
Fingerprint Technology palalakasin
ang seguridad sa UK Border
Netherlands : IND Magbubukas
ng mga Regional Offices
Humigit sa kalahating milyong sets ng fingerprints
ang nakuha mula sa visa applicants mula sa mga rollout programme mula noong nakaraang taon, ito ang
resulta ng UKvisas annual report.
Ang fingerprinting ay compulsary na bahagi na
ngayon ng UK visa application process na mula sa
ibat ibang bansa din ng mundo. Sa pagpapatupad nito
ay lalong hihigpitan at palalakasin ang border control, ang higit sa 6,000 sets ng prints na tutugma sa
katauhan ng isang migrante
Ang Fingerprints ay kinukuha bilang requirement
sa “visa application process at ang pagsusuri laban sa
UK Government records na makilala ang mga tao sa
UK immigration authorities. Kapag nagamit ng UK
the authorities ang data ng isang tao ito ay makakatulong sa kanila kung sila ay totoong nagtatatrabaho sa
UK o kung ang mga ito ay namatay na o nawawala.
Sinabi ni Home Office Minister Liam Byrne: “Ang
mga bagong fingerprint visas ay mabilis na paraan
laban sa illegal na migrasyon. Sa pangongolektya
ng mga fingerprint information sa migrante na dumarating sa UK in advance ng kanilang paglalakbay
ay makakatulong na agad sa overseas border control
kung totoo o perke ang visa applicants.”
Ayon naman kay Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Minister Dr Kim Howells: “Ang pagrerecord ng mga
biometric information ay makakapagpakilala sa mga
tao ng mas mabilis at ng dahilan ng kanilang pagpunta sa bansa. Sa mga nagdaang taon ay naipakilala
na ang biometric data collection technology sa mga
visa application process. Ito ang susi ng layunin ng
mga pinalakas na borders.”
Ito ay napakainteresado din sa ibang gumagamit ng
biometrics tulad ng fingeprintspara sa iba pang layunin hindi lamang sa border control. Ang UK visas
ay kolaborasyon na ng bilang ng mga European countries ng mga pilots on joint biometric capture.
Ang Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) sa Netherlands ay
magbubukas simula sa buwang ito ng mga regional offices upang maasikaso ang lahat ng mga immigration issues. Nangangahulugan ito na lahat ng
mga responsibilidad mula sa Aliens Act ay ililipat hanggang sa municipalities ng IND. Bawat IND’s regional offices ay magbibigay ng “ imposmayon
na regular temporary residence sa Netherlands, makakatanggap ng application para sa residence permits at na-issue na ang residence documents”.
Kapag nabukas ang IND office sa isang rehiyon ay hindi na kailangan pang
magpunta ang mga migrante upang magsubmit ng application ng temporary
residence permit sa Aliens Office sa town-hall ng municipality kung saan
sila nakatira.
Saan at kung kailan maaaring pumunta sa IND office ng iyong Rehiyon
Sinabi pa ng Home Office na “na ayos ang ito sa
pagkilala ng mga tao rin na lalabag sa mga batas ng
UK, ang pagbabawas ng pang-aabuso sa UK’s immigration at asylum systems, combat visa fraud, reduce
unfounded asylum claims, improve the smooth running of the visa service; at ang proteksyon sa indibdual. Ang UK visas ay umaasa na makukumpleto
na ito sa Abril 2008 na global roll-out ng biometric
data collection technology sa lahat ng UK overseas
missions sa loob ng 135 bansa at 111 visa application centres sa 53 bansa. Ang roll-out programme, ay
magsisimula ngayon September 2006 na sasakop sa
three quarters ng world’s population kapag natapos.
Ito ay ang paraan na pangungulekta ng biometric data
(ten fingerscans and a digital photograph) mula sa lahat ng mga visa applicants, irrespective of nationality
saanman bansa ito iaapply.”
IND office
1. Zwolle
2. Utrecht
Address for visitors
Opening on
Zuiderzeelaan 43-51
8017 JV Zwolle
Gebouw Dienst
Burgerzaken en Gemeentebelastingen
Arthur van Schendelstraat 500
3511 MH Utrecht
24-09-2007
24-09-2007
3. Rijswijk
Sir Winston Churchilllaan 293
2288 DC Rijswijk
15-10-2007
4. Den Haag
Immigratiekantoor
Stadhoudersplantsoen
24
2517 JL Den Haag
15-10-2007
5. Rotterdam
Stadswinkel Centrum
Coolsingel 40
3011 AD Rotterdam
15-10-2007
6. Eindhoven
Wordt nog bekend
gemaakt
Magistratenlaan 222
5223 MA ‘s-Hertogenbosch
05-11-2007
7. Den Bosch
05-11-2007
7. Den Bosch
Magistratenlaan 222
5223 MA ‘s-Hertogenbosch
05-11-2007
8. Amsterdam
Orlyplein 141 – 147
1043 DV Amsterdam
26-11-2007
9. Hoofddorp
Mercuriusplein 1
2132 HA Hoofddorp
26-11-2007
AKO ay Pilipino
BALITANG EUROPA
SETYEMBRE, 2007
5
Tulong para sa mga Women and Carers sa UK
kapag naging Batas ang Pensions Act 2007
Ang mga kababaihan at carers sa
UK ay makatatanggap ng malaking
tulong sa reforms to the state pension system ng Pensions Act 2007,
na natatanggap ng Royal Assent.
Para sa mga napakaraming low income na kababaihan ito ay magiging dagdag na £50 kada linggo sa
2050s mula sa state pension. Sinabi
ni Secretary of State for Work and
Pensions Peter Hain: “Ang Act na
ito ay magdadala ng mahahalagang
reporma sa state pension system sa
henerasyon. Maraming kababaihan
at carers ang nadedeny ang kanilang
pension na dapat nakukuha dahil sa
ang kanilang pamilya at responsibilidad ay hindi nakapagtrabaho ng
tama at sapat sa tagal ng dapat na
kanilang paghahanapabuhay.
“Ang Act na ito ang magbibigay sa
mga kababaihan at carers ng tamang
deal upang makagawa ng mas madali at balanse na responsibilidad
at pagkilala sa kontribusyon na ginagawa nila sa komunidad. “Halos
three quarters sa mga kababaihan
na retiring sa 2010 ay dapat tumanggap ng full Basic State Pensionskumpara sa 35% ngayon at 50% na
walang riporma. Mahigit sa 90% na
mga kababaihan at kalalakihan ang
retiring sa 2025 na dapat tumanggap
ng full Basic State Pension.”
Binawasan din ng reporma at naging “30 bilang ng taon ng kontribusyon na kailangan na matanggap ng
ang full Basic State Pension”. Ito ay
aplikable lamang sa mga babae at
lalake mula noong ika- 6 ng Abril
2010. Ang kasalukuyan na 39 taong
gulang para sa mga kababaihan at
44 para sa kalalakiha. Ang Act ay
itataas ng State Pension Age sa 68s
a 2046 para sa kalalakihan at kababaihan.
Ayon sa reformed system, “ang
mga tao na nag-aalaga ng mga bata
at matanda na mayroong disability
ay maaring magkaroon ng state pension entitlement sa pamamagitan
weekly carer’s credits. Ang credits
ay higit na flexible kaysa sa Home
Responsibilities Protection (HRP),
na kailangan pa ang tao ay may
‘qualifying year’ para makakuha
ng state pension entitlement”. Nakasaad pa sa reporma na, “ang tao
na makakaabot ng state pension age
sa 2050, ay kailangan na maghanapbuhay ng lampas sa 40taon at kailangan na makabuo ng total entitlement ng £145 per week (2007-08
earnings terms) mula sa Basic State
Pension at State Second Pension.
Ito ay kumpara sa mababa na £100
a week na walang riporma.”.
Pinuri ni Mr. Hain ang bagong
pensions settlement sat sinabing
“Ang Act ay bumuo ng bagong pundasyon sa pensions settlement. Ito
kasama na ng Basic State Pension
sa mga kita na may tamang edad
ng pamumuhay sa syudad. Ito ang
magbibigay ng tamang deal sa state
pensions,at kami ay magbibigay
ng platform fpara sa mas malaking
pag-iimpok para sa indibidual at
mga employers ng bagong savings
scheme na ipapakilala sa susunod
na Pensions Bill.Sa kauna-unahang
pagkakataon ang lahat ng mga employees ay makakaaccess na ng
workplace pension na may minimum employer contribution, at ang
contribution para sa gobyerno. “ Idinagdag pa niya na “Ito ay sa tulong
ng consensus na kanilang itinayo na
ngayon ay gagawin ng agreement
sa mga tao na kailangan ng trabaho
para sa kanilang kinabukasan at pamumuhay. “Pananatilihin ng consensus ang mga importante na public confidence ng bagong pensions
settlement at ang mapatatag ito sa
susunod na henerasyon.
Race Equality Priyoridad ng UK’s Cohesion Minister
Sinabi ni Cohesion Minister Parmjit Dhanda na
“Kailangan na mapataas ang pakikipaglaban sa pantay na karapatan at matanggal ang maling pagtingin
mula sa mga ethnic minority backgrounds na mapalago ng edukasyon at business”. Ayon sa isang bagong
report “ang cross-government ay nakafocus ang break
down ng barriers na maiwasan ang ibang miyembro
ng Black at Minority Ethnic communities mula sa
equal oportunidad, karapatan at responsibilidad ay
nagmumula sa tunay paglago.”.
Binaggit din ni Cohesion Minister, Parmjit Dhanda
ang repleksyon na “sa aking karanasan habang sa
pangalawang henerasyon sa Asian in Britain at sinabi
na ang bagong focus na ito na matulungan ang maraming tao- kabilang ang lahi, pananampalataya, o ang
ethnic origin- na nakakagawa ng kanilang malakingparte sa komunidad.”.
Ipinahayag pa niya na ang kanyang priority “ay ang
mapag usapan ang inequalities na hinaharap ng mara-
ming kababaihan na muslim Muslim at mga kabataan.
Ang ulat ay ipinakita sa employment rate gap sa pagitan ng Pakistani at Bangladeshi na kaba baihan sa
mga puti na nagbago mula1970. Naniniwala siya na
ang gobyerno ay kailangan na makinig sa mga boses
ng mga komunidad na dapat mapakinggan- na magbibigay ng economic and social benefits sa syudad”.
Nagsalita siya sa isang community project sa South
London, Parmjit Dhanda sinabi niya na: “Maraming
miyembro ng Black at Minority Ethnic Communities
ang nais na magpunta sa Britain ngayon. Ngunit dahil
hindi sila angkop sa hitsura ay nakakaisip na lang sila
na wag ng magtuloy. “
“Lumaki ako na Sikh at sa ikalawang henerasyon
ng Asian sa predominantly white community. Napakapalad ko at nabigyan ako ng benepisyo ng aking
mga magulang na gawin ang makakaya ko sa school
at makapunta sa university. Ngayon kailangan ko ng
tulong ng Minister na matulungan ang mga minority
communities na maibigay ang nararapat sa kanilang
mga anak”
Sinabi niya na gusto niya na masigurado na ang
gobyerno ay gumagawa ng paraan na buksan ang pintuan para sa mga kababaihan at kabataan na hindi tinitingnan kung anu ito bagkus kung anu ang makakaya
nitong potensyal. Ang kailangan ay ang maging patas
ang pagtingin sa mga tao lalo na ang may mga ethnic
backgrounds at suportahan din ang mga ito na makapamuno saanman lugar kung sila ay may kakayahan.”
Sinabi din ni Mr. Dhanda na ang UK ngayon ay
mas comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation
sa Europe. “Targeted interventions in school are raising educational achievement and ethnic employment
rates are rising. I welcome these positive changes but
we still have a long way to go. Across public services
and across Government we need to continue to take
the steps that are needed to deliver greater equality
and build strong communities,” sabi niya.
Ang Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society
(IOSS) strategy sa Government’s commitment ay ang
makakuha ng matatag na cohesive communities na
ang bawat indibidual kahit anung lahi ay mabigyan
ng pantay na karapatan at responsibilidad.
Idinagdag pa ng Minister na: “Local people know
their communities better than anyone. I want to make
sure Government is supporting small and locally
based projects, who are often best placed to reach out
to members of the community and find creative solutions to help people access services, challenge racism
and bring people together.
“I know there is incredible work going on in communities to promote equality and celebrate the diversity of this country. I believe diversity has brought
huge economic, social and cultural benefits and I
want to support community groups to find the best,
hands-on ways to respond to local needs, increase opportunity and build strong cohesive communities.”
UK Bagong Batas para maiwasan
ang Forced Marriage
Inaprubahan ng UK Parliament ang isang legislation na nais protektahan
ang “victims of forced marriages and preventing them from taking place”,
pahayag ng Ministry of Justice. Sa ilalim ng Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act, “where a forced marriage has or is about to take place, courts will
be able to make orders to protect the victim or the potential victim and help
remove them from that situation. The courts will have a wide discretion in
the type of injunctions they will be able to make to enable them to respond
effectively to the individual circumstances of the case and prevent or preempt forced marriages from occurring”.
Ang batas ay inihain sa Parliament noong nakaraang November sa pangunguna ni Lord Lester of Herne Hill bilang Private Member’s Bill. The
Government then worked to strengthen the draft legislation and laid amendments to the Bill to provide greater powers for the courts to identify and
protect victims of forced marriages.
Sinabi ni Bridget Prentice, minister at the Ministry of Justice na: “This
legislation sends out a clear message that forced marriage, a breach of an individual’s basic right to choose who and when they marry, is not acceptable
in our society. It will enable us to make better use of civil court remedies to
provide protection to those placed in this intolerable position.
“The Act is just one part of a much wider programme of work already
underway to raise awareness of the problem of forced marriages and protect
women’s rights in this area.”
Pinahayag namanni Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC na: “The Bill tackles a
serious social problem in a practical and sensitive way. It has become law
in record time because it has won the support of all three main political
parties and of grassroots bodies like the Southall Black Sisters, IMKAAN,
Ashiana and Karma Nirvana, who work to protect women and children
against being forced into marriage. What matters now is to translate the
new law into practical reality. That will require strong leadership within the
minority communities working in partnership with public authorities and
voluntary bodies.”
Ayon naman kay Meg Munn, minister at the Foreign & Commonwealth
Office,: “I am pleased that Parliament has passed a new law to tackle forced
marriage. The Government’s Forced Marriage Unit has helped many people since it was launched in 2005. This new legislation will give greater
protection to potential victims and victims and I look forward to its speedy
implementation.”
The Act will give the courts the power to make Forced Marriage Protection Orders to stop someone from forcing another person into marriage.
The courts will have a wide discretion in the type of injunctions they will
be able to make to enable them to respond effectively to the individual
circumstances of the case and prevent or pre-empt forced marriages from
occurring.
Furthermore, courts will be able to attach powers of arrest to orders so
that if someone breaches an order they can be arrested and brought back to
the original court to consider the alleged breach. The Act will also enable
people to apply for an injunction at the county courts, rather than just the
high courts. It will also enable third parties to apply for an injunction on
behalf of somebody else.
6
SETYEMBRE, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
BALITANG PINAS
AKO ay Pilipino
More Pinoys Suffer Depression due
to Poverty, OFW Parents, Disasters
By Sheila Crisostomo
More Filipinos are suffering from depression due to
intense longing for loved ones working overseas or to
feelings of helplessness in the face of natural and manmade disasters, experts said.
Dr. Felicitas Soriano, president of the Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA), said the widespread phenomenon of Filipino parents working abroad is taking a
heavy toll on the mental health of their children.
“If you are left behind by your mother or your father
who is an OFW, you sometimes get lonely. You long for
the affection and presence of your parents. Sometimes,
that can lead to depression,” Soriano said in an interview after a health forum organized by the Philippine
College of Physicians and Zuellig Foundation. She said
substance abuse is also a major cause of depression.
She estimated that three out of every 100 Filipinos
suffer from depression. The figure does not include
those who are not aware of their condition or those who
are aware but don’t seek professional help.
Soriano also attributed to depression the rising
number of obese and overweight Filipinos. PPA treasurer Dr. Antonio Sison explained that there is a correlation between depression and obesity.
“Sometimes, when you are depressed, your appetite
increases so you eat a lot. You don’t notice that you’re
already gaining weight, that you are becoming obese.
But in some cases, depression can cause you to lose
your appetite. It really depends on the person,” Sison
said. He advises obese individuals to modify their lifestyles to ward off complications like diabetes and hypertension.
Career Exams to Proceed
as Scheduled
By Rainier Allan Ronda
Friday, August 24, 2007
Scientists Warn vs Selling State Power Assets
By Artemio Dumlao
Friday, August 24, 2007
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Filipino scientists
warned that the “accelerated sale” of the state’s power
assets will only pull upwards the cost of electricity for
consumers.
“Instead of looking at nuclear power to provide cheap
energy, President Arroyo only has to realize that most of
the energy resources she has auctioned off could have
provided the Philippines with cheap and renewable energy,” said Dr. Giovanni Tapang, national chairperson
of Filipino scientists group AGHAM or the Samahan ng
Nagtataguyod ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Sambayanan (Advocates of Science and Technology for the
People).
AGHAM noted that Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes
is mulling the use of nuclear energy as one of the options to provide cheap power. But Tapang pointed out
the country has many available energy resources: hydro, geothermal, natural gas, wind and solar sources. He
said, however, these have been all put up for sale by the
government to independent power producers (IPPs).
“Is the President now mulling building nuclear power plants to sell it again to foreign bidders?” Tapang
asked.
PGH Lifts Restriction on Maternity Cases
Friday, August 24, 2007
By Sheila Crisostomo
The Philippine General Hospital
(PGH) lifted yesterday the restriction it imposed on admission of
women about to give birth, a hospital official said.
“It’s back to normal,” said PGH
spokesman Dr. Michael Tee in a
telephone interview.
Last Aug. 3, PGH officials
called on mothers who were about
to give birth to go somewhere else
because the hospital’s nursery was
overcrowded with infants born
with complications. PGH normally admits up to 60 babies born
prematurely or with complications
in its nursery everyday. But prior
to Aug. 3, admission reached 90
babies daily.
The PGH, however, continued
to admit patients who were experiencing “complicated” delivery.
The management had observed the
situation for 20 days before restoring the hospital to its normal operation. Tee said the hospital would
further strengthen its networking
system with other government
hospitals under its “Tatak PGH”
program to prevent overcrowding
at the PGH.
Under the program, the PGH
provides training to the doctors
and staff of other hospitals in Metro Manila and nearby provinces to
enable them to attend to delicate
cases like complicated pregnancies. The overcrowding of the
PGH’s nursery section had been
attributed to the frequent transfer
of pregnant patients from other
government hospitals to the charity ward of PGH.
The Department of Education
(DepEd) announced yesterday
that the second National Career Assessment Examinations
(NCAE) for all 4th year high
school students in public and
private high schools will push
through as scheduled on Aug. 28.
DepEd said the National Education Testing and Research Center
(NETRC), which will conduct the
test, is all set to administer the examination next Tuesday.
“Public and private 4th year
high school students will take the
exams to determine which career
path is best to take after graduation, based on the individual test
results,” DepEd said.
The department said that the
schedule of the test has already
been decreed in DepEd Memorandum 270 series of 2007 published earlier, wherein it was
provided that the NETRC shall
administer the NCAE to 4th year
high school students every last
week of August. This year the test
is set on Aug. 28. DepEd officials
earlier revealed that there were
plans to postpone the NCAE due
to the string of class suspensions
last week due to floods caused
by heavy rains brought by ty-
phoons “Chedeng,” “Dodong”
and “Egay.”
The NCAE is being administered by DepEd to provide
graduating high school students
with information on where their
competencies lie to help them
choose what course to take after
high school. DepEd officials are
promoting technical-vocational
(tech-voc) education and training
as a viable career path for high
school graduates before going on
to college. The department is pursuing the campaign for tech-voc
education with the Commission
on Higher Education (CHED)
urging schools to “ladderize” their
college programs, which involves
the infusion of tech-voc education
and skills training in the first two
years of the curriculum to ensure
that college students learn technical skills even if he or she does
not finish the four- or five-year
college course. The NCAE will
enable students and parents to
better assess the career options of
high school graduates based on
the student’s skills and propensity
towards various fields of interest.
NCAE will evaluate not only
academic aptitude, but also technical and vocational capabilities,
as well as entrepreneurial skills.
This aims to enable students, as
well as their parents, to rationalize
career prospects, as well as focus
on careers with jobs available in
the future. The NCAE was developed by the NETRC in consultation with testing experts from the
Center for Educational Measurement (CEM). The NETRC will
oversee the administering of the
test to some 1.5 million private
and public high school students. It
will be recalled that the results of
the NCAE for school year 200607 showed that more than half of
the 1.3 million students who took
the test showed poor aptitude for
college courses.
AKO ay Pilipino
BALITANG PINAS
SETYEMBRE, 2007
7
GMA urged to use P600-M Fund for
Cloud-Seeding to Rehab Watersheds
By Artemio Dumlao
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
ITOGON, Benguet – The P600 million released by
President Arroyo for cloud-seeding operations to counter the effects of the dry spell should be used instead to
reinvigorate denuded watersheds, an irrigation official
said.
Abraham Akilit, regional director for the National Irrigation Authority (NIA), pointed out that cloud seeding
is very expensive yet not an effective way of addressing
environmental concerns. NIA-CAR has spearheaded a
comprehensive watershed management and rehabilitation program involving the denuded Mount Data National Park that covers a huge portion of Benguet and
Mountain Province.
Akilit said they were successful in mobilizing the 16
barangays along the Bayudan River – one of the critical
areas in the watershed – to plant at least 200,000 waterbased and fruit-bearing trees to jumpstart the program.
But lack of funds and support from higher authorities,
Akilit said, is a stumbling block to reforest denuded
mountains so that there would be abundant water supply for domestic and irrigation purposes, especially for
lowland areas.
He added that with the disaster brought by the previous three typhoons on agricultural crops in the lowlands, the government should refocus on the comprehensive rehabilitation of watersheds in Cordillera and
other parts of the country.
However, Akilit lamented, “ironically, some NIA
officials in Manila have been opposing the watershed
management and rehabilitation program prepared by its
Cordillera office because of the belief that it is not their
mandate to pursue the program.”
Former NIA administrator Arturo Lomibao promised
to provide P10 million as seed money for the watershed
program but the release of the funds was “overtaken by
certain events,” Akilit said, but did not elaborate. Stiff
opposition from some executives at the NIA national
office who refuse to understand the importance of combining environmental protection and irrigation projects
was another reason, he said.
POEA allows Online Recruitment
By Mayen Jaymalin
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has given the go signal for the on-line
recruitment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for
various employment openings abroad. POEA chief
Rosalinda Baldoz said the agency’s governing body
already issued the rules and regulations for recruitment agencies engaged in electronic-hiring of OFWs.
Under the new regulation, Baldoz said only POEAlicensed recruitment agencies or partner entities are
authorized to recruit Filipino workers through the
Internet.
“Non-licensed agencies engaging in on-line recruitment is considered illegal recruitment and subject to
penalties provided under the law,” Baldoz said in an
interview.
Baldoz said the POEA decided to come out with
rules governing on-line recruitment so as to prevent
the proliferation of illegal recruitment being done
through the Internet. According to her, POEA has
been receiving numerous complaints regarding agencies posting non-existent overseas jobs in the Internet. Baldoz added that POEA is now investigating
the on-line hiring of Filipino workers to Iraq, where
the Philippine government has an existing deployment ban on OFWs.
2 Subic Firms face Probe on Fuel
Smuggling
By Paolo Romero
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) is now investigating two oil firms in Subic
suspected of smuggling billions
of pesos worth of fuel into the
country. Scores of corrupt Bureau
of Customs officials are also facing criminal and administrative
charges for conniving with suspected smugglers. PASG chief
Undersecretary Antonio Villar
identified the two oil firms as Oil
Link and PTT.
However, he said the PASG is
still double-checking the information it has on the two oil firms
before filing cases against them in
the next few weeks. The government earlier filed criminal cases
against another Subic oil firm,
Tri-Solid, for alleged oil smuggling. According to Villar, TriSolid has 138 million liters of unaccounted fuel. “We’re building
airtight cases so they (charges)
will hold in court,” Villar said in a
press conference in Malacañang,
adding that the country losses
around P20 billion a year due to
oil smuggling.
He said PASG received reports
that Oil Link, which is reportedly
a sister company of Uni-Oil, has
about 12 undeclared tanker shipments of diesel or gasoline. The
government could receive some
P3 billion in payment from Oil
Link alone if it wins in the legal
battle. Meanwhile, Villar disclosed that President Arroyo is
likely to grant the appeal of Gawad Kalinga to donate proceeds
from the auction of seized smuggled vehicles to the foundation.
In his letter to Mrs. Arroyo dated
Aug. 15, Gawad Kalinga founder
Antonio Meloto suggested that to
ensure transparency, the auction
of smuggled goods must be witnessed by representatives from
the SGV auditing firm and the media. Villar said the PASG will also
be donating to the Department of
Social Welfare and Development
smuggled used clothing the group
recently seized in Davao.
New Investment Scams on the
rise – NBI
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Despite recent exposes on investment scams, an official of the
National Bureau of Investigation
(NBI) said yesterday they have
received reports that new syndicates offering money-making
schemes through the Internet have
reportedly began sprouting in the
country. NBI-National Capital
Region director Ruel Lasala said
the new online investment scams
are reportedly operated by members of earlier investment scams
whose operations have been shut
down.
“But unlike other alleged online
investment scams, the new syndicates impose a lower minimum
investment amount of $100,” Lasala said.
The NBI said these new players now give products such as cell
cards to people who invest a minimum of $100 (P45,000). These
investment websites also promise
a daily profit of two or three percent, which Lasala said was “too
high” and had an “unreasonable
interest rate.” He also appealed
to the National Telecommunications Company (NTC) to block
the websites of these syndicates
to prevent them from duping un-
suspecting prospective traders.
The NBI recently filed syndicated estafa charges before the Department of Justice against owners, incorporators and employees
of two alleged investment firms:
the Performance Investment
Products Corporation (PIPC) that
is reportedly using another company name called PIPC Corp.,
and the Internet-based FrancSwiss Investment. PIPC offered
one to two percent monthly earnings while FrancSwiss promised
a daily interest rate of 4.5 percent
and an additional 10 percent commission called “e-points” for every person an investor recruits.
Evelyn Macairan
8
SETYEMBRE, 2007
BAHAGI NG LUZON
AKO ay Pilipino
Violence feared to erupt in
N. Vizcaya Mining Site
Thousands stranded as Cagayan
bridge collapses
By Charlie Lagasca
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
By Charlie Lagasca
Monday, August 20, 2007
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya
– Violence is feared to break out in
mountainous Kasibu town as antimining villagers vowed to stand
their ground against the entry of
equipment of a foreign mining firm
in their area despite an earlier court
order for them to clear the road leading to the exploration site.
Last week, provincial sheriffs
tasked to implement a court injunction gave the anti-mining residents of
Kasibu five days or until tomorrow
to vacate the road leading to the exploration site of Oxiana Philippines,
backed by an Australian mining
firm, or else be forcibly dispersed.
However, the anti-mining villagers,
led by tribal elders and supported by
environmental groups and the local
Catholic Church, vowed to stay on
until further consultations between
them and Oxiana and government
representatives.
“It is our roads they will be passing through. And besides, we will
never be in favor of mining,” said
Denny Dugay, an official of Barangay Paquet, who alleged that Oxiana did not consult local leaders on
the project, an allegation which the
mining firm denied. The Mines and
Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and
the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples both said residents in
the primary impact zone, majority of
whom are Bugkalots, have endorsed
Oxiana’s exploration project.
Engineer Jerrysal Mangaoang,
MGB’s Cagayan Valley regional
director, said their national office
granted Oxiana a two-year explora-
tion permit covering 3,000 hectares
in the Bugkalot-dominated area to
explore gold, copper and other minerals of possible commercial value.
Oxiana has filed a case against at
least 21 residents, including the
chairmen of four Kasibu barangays,
who have prevented the entry of its
exploration equipment.
The Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement and various local
environmental groups said the government should not have issued an
exploration permit to Oxiana since
its site is part of the Palali-Mamparang watershed area.
Besides Oxiana’s, Kasibu also
hosts the multibillion-peso goldcopper project of Oceana Gold
Philippines, a local subsidiary of
the Australian-New Zealand mining
consortium Oceana Gold Ltd., in
Didipio village.
TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan – Thousands of motorists and
passengers were stranded when part of a more than three decades old
Lucban bridge in Abulug town in the northwestern part of this province collapsed Saturday night, following an attempt by an overloaded
40-ton truck to cross the bridge.
Traffic is now back to normal in the area after nearly two days of
round-the-clock work by the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Cagayan engineering district and the provincial engineering office to construct a temporary bridge.
Chief Superintendent Ameto Tolentino, Cagayan Valley police director, said no one was hurt in the accident, which happened when
the overloaded truck carrying a bulldozer, tried to cross the bridge despite exceeding the load limit.
This caused the 50-meter span of the 300-meter-long bridge to collapse at around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, making passage for all types of
vehicles impossible.
The province’s northern towns west of Abulug leading to Ilocos
were temporarily cut off from the rest of the province and isolated
from this capital town.
Built during the Marcos administration, the Lucban bridge served
as a vital link between this country’s northernmost mainland province
and the Ilocos provinces.
Gov. Alvaro Antonio and Rep. Florencio Vargas, whose 2nd congressional district covers Abulug town, had already gone to the area to
fasttrack the rehabilitation of the bridge so as not to affect economic
activities in the province.
67 barangay sa Pampanga lubog pa rin
sa tubig baha
Monday, August 20, 2007
CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga – Lubog pa rin sa tubig baha ang animnapu’t pitong barangay sa Pampanga dahil sa patuloy na ulan dulot ng bagyong “Egay,”
ayon sa ulat kahapon. Sa tala ng Provincial Disaster
Coordinating Council (PDCC), kabilang sa nanatiling
lubog sa tubig baha ay ang Minalin na may walong
barangay, lima sa San Fernando City, 7 naman sa
Macabebe, 9 sa Masantol, 3 sa bayan ng Sto. Tomas,
6 sa Lubao, 7 sa Candaba, 3 sa Guagua, 6 sa Mexico,
7 sa Sasmuan at 5 sa bayan ng San Simon. Sinabi si
Luchie Gutierrez, executive officer ng PDCC, patuloy naman ang relief operations sa apektadong mga
barangay partikular sa mga bayan ng Candaba at Masantol na ang tubig baha ay umabot sa taas na tatlo
hanggang apat na talampakan.
Kahapon ay binisita ni Gov. Ed Panlilio ang ilang
barangay na apektado ng tubig baha partikular sa
bayan ng Candaba kung saan aabot sa 25 pamilya ang
inilikas dahil sa patuloy na pagtaas ng baha.
Ric Sapnu
Fake Money circulating in Ilocos
By Myds Supnad
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
CAMP PRESIDENT QUIRINO, Ilocos Sur – Authorities here
warned the public yesterday to be cautious in receiving money, following the confiscation of P68,000 counterfeit money in Bantay town
recently.
Senior Superintendent Jessie Cardona, PNP director, said his men
are hot on trail of a syndicate behind the circulation of fake money in
the province.
Senior Inspector Arsenio Ramos, chief of Bantay PNP station, reported to Cardona that they were able to confiscate various denominations of fake money from Rochina’s store owned by Leonardo Rochina,
of Barangay Cabalengegan, Bantay town.
The fake bills, totalling P68,000, are in P1,000, P500 and P100 denominations.
Based on investigation, Ramos said syndicate members
left the fake money behind
upon sensing that policemen
will be arriving soon. The
group reportedly came from
either Manila or Bulacan.
“We are now looking into a
group, which is possibly the
same syndicate circulating
fake money in nearby provinces and in Manila,” added
Cardona.
AKO ay Pilipino
SETYEMBRE, 2007
SAKOP NG VISAYAS
9
Business optimism down for second half
By Des Ferriols
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Business became less optimistic
of their prospects for the third and
fourth quarters of the year, indicating more caution even before the
disruption caused by the crisis in the
US credit market. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said yesterday that its recent Business Expectation Survey (BES) showed possible
business expansion and rise in employment in the next months before
the onset of the holiday season.
However, the BSP said that even
before the blow-out that triggered
a global sell-off of stocks, Philippine businessmen were already
edgy over the emerging problems in
the US housing market. The survey
covering the third and fourth quarters was conducted in late July and
early August, long before the US
housing problems exploded into a
full-blown crisis in the US credit
market. The quarterly BES indicated that the confidence index of business enterprises remained strong at
40.9, up by 19.2 index points compared to last year, but fell by 5.5
points from the previous quarter’s
survey results.
According to Central Bank Deputy Governor and officer-in-charge
Diwa Guinigundo, more firms indicated expansion in their activities
in the coming two quarters. Guinigundo, however, said there was
a slightly more cautious business
outlook in the third quarter compared with the second quarter. He
said respondent firms attributed this
to the slackening of production for
the third quarter due to seasonality.
4,000 Take Nursing Exams
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Guinigundo said even before the
break-out of the US credit problem,
businessmen were already anticipating a slowdown in the US economy
because at the time, it was apparent
that the US was having problems in
the housing market.
“The rest of the concern is related
to the usual anticipation of competition, with cheap imports from China,
the increase in crude prices as well
as power and water shortage,” he
said. On the other hand, Guinigundo
said there was some optimism over
prospects in the fourth quarter that
businesses attributed to better macro-economic conditions reflected in
low inflation, stable interest rates,
strong peso and improved investment conditions.
Guinigundo said businesses were
also counting on increased remittances from overseas Filipinos, as
well as the solid performance of
Asian economies and the onset of
the holiday season, which is always
accompanied by an increase in domestic consumption. The BSP said a
breakdown of respondents indicated
that importers, along with importerexporters, were the most optimistic, while exporters were generally
more grim.
According to Guinigundo, businesses in Metro Manila were generally more optimistic than their
counterparts outside the capital. But
both sections of the business sector
noted that their access to financing
had improved and this was reflected
by the increase in bank lending during the period.
Guinigundo said optimism was
strongest in the construction sector,
which reflected the growth in the
property sector. He said this was the
sector that also exhibited the highest expectations in terms of employment, indicating that constructionrelated job creation would be on the
rise.
Close to 4,000 Filipino nurses are taking the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to be held in Manila starting today.
Presidential task force on NCLEX chief Dante Ang reported that a total of 3,500 Filipino nurses have registered to take the US licensure
examination.
“NCLEX examination will be held daily from Monday to Friday and
we already booked a total of 3,500 examinees until December,” Ang
disclosed. Ang said 90 Filipino nurses will be among the first batch of
NCLEX examinees, a majority of them from Metro Manila. Nurses
from neighboring countries have yet to express their intention to take
the examination here, said Ang. He added that extending the NCLEX
to other areas in the country would depend on the number of examinees. “If there is a surge in the number of examinees, US may probably
allow examinations in Cebu and Davao,” he said.
According to Ang, each Filipino nurse who will take the examination
in Manila will be able to save at least P100,000 that would be needed
if they take the test abroad. “But with this great opportunity comes a
great responsibility for us to maintain the integrity of the examination. We should not endanger the credibility of the NCLEX here,” Ang
said.
Ang urged Filipino nurses to refrain from taking any action that may
compromise the holding of the US board examination in the country.
The US National Council of State Boards of Nursing Inc. (NCSBN)
earlier announced that NCLEX testing will be conducted in Manila to
allow “greater customer service” to nurses who are applying for work
in the US.
All security policies and procedures currently used to administer the
NCLEX examination domestically
will be fully implemented in the
Philippines. Foreign nurses aspiring to work in the United States
are required to apply to the board
of nursing in the state or territory
where they wish to be licensed
before registering for the NCLEX
examination.
Mayen Jaymalin
Community Consultant
for the Filipino Community in Spain
Western Union, a leading global financial
services company, has an open position in
her marketing team for Spain.
The specific emphasis of this role will be to
provide greater insights and understanding
of Filipino communities and consumers in
Spain in order to leverage this information
effectively through marketing initiatives.
This position requires certain level of
independence, working under pressure in a
competitive and fast changing environment
The individual will work very closely with
the Spain team, based in Madrid and will
report to the Spain Marketing Manager.
The ideal candidate is a native of Philippines:
I 25 - 35 years old
I Min. 3 years experience in Marketing and PR or Promotions
I Extensive experience with fieldwork
I High levels of creativity & motivation
I Excellent communication, presentation & interpersonal skills
I Willingness to extensively travel in Spain
I Good connections with the Filipino Community in Spain
I Excellent English, Spanish & Tagalog
I Eligibility to work in Spain is required
This position is for a determined period of min. 3 months
To apply for the ‘Community Consultant for the Filipino Community in Spain’ please send your resume to the following address:
[email protected]
10
SETYEMBRE, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
By Christina Mendez
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino
Pimentel Jr. reiterated his call for a
shift in government from presidential form to a federal system, saying
this would end the decades-old Muslim rebellion in the south. Pimentel
PARTE NG MINDANAO
AKO ay Pilipino
Pimentel Renews Call for Federalism
to end Rebellion in Mindanao
reasoned that Muslim dissidents in
Mindanao would stop clamoring for
a separate, independent republic if
their aspiration for genuine autonomy in the form of a Bangsamoro
Federal State is fulfilled. He argued
that the federalization scheme, far
from dismembering the republic,
would make it more united and cohesive.
“I think it is necessary for us to
restructure our thinking, that by
adopting the federal system, we
are not dividing the nation; rather,
we are creating federal states out of
the Republic of the Philippines,” Pi-
Pinugutang 10 Marines naiganti
na – AFP
Monday, August 20, 2007
Naniniwala ang Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) na kahit papaano’y
naiganti na nila ang 10 Marines na pinugutan ng mga bandidong Abu Say yaf
noong Hulyo 10, sa pagkakapatay ng mga pangunahing lider ng grupo sa engkuwentro nitong nakaraang Sabado sa Basilan. Sinabi ng AFP na kasama sa 42
napatay na Sayyaf sina Kumander Furugi Indama at kapatid nitong si Umair,
alyas Abu Jihad. Si Umair ang pinaniniwalaang pinuno ng grupo ng ASG na
pumugot sa ulo ng 10 Marines. Itinuturing umano nilang tagumpay sa panig ng
pamahalaan ang engkuwentro nitong nakaraang Sabado dahil ilang lider ng ASG
ang pinaniniwalaang napatay nila. Kahapon ay muling pinaulanan ng bomba ng
AFP ang tatlong posisyon ng Abu Sayyaf sa Basilan.
Sa ulat ng National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), inumpisahang
paulanan ng 105-mm howitzers dakong alas-6:30 ng umaga ang mga hangganan ng bayan ng Tipo-Tipo, Sumisip at Ungakaya Pukan sa Basilan. Bahagya
namang humupa ang harapang sagupaan ng mga sundalo at mga bandido ngunit patuloy pa rin na nagsasagawa ng “reconnaissance operations” ang AFP sa
mga kuta ng bandido. Sinabi ni AFP Spokesman Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro na
patuloy pa ring hinahabol ng kanilang puwersa ang mga bandido. Sapat naman
anya ang kanilang puwersa para lipulin ang ASG at hindi na kailangan pang
magdagdag.
Sa kabila ng pagkasawi ng 15 pa nilang tauhan, nanatili pa rin umanong
mataas ang morale ng kanilang mga sundalo at desidido na lipulin na ang mga
terorista. Ipinagbawal naman ng AFP ang muling paglipad ng mga MG 520 attack helicopter habang iniimbestigahan nila ang dahilan ng pagbagsak ng isa nito
sa Basilan, kamakalawa kung saan nasawi ang piloto nito. Sinabi ni Bacarro na
nagsasagawa muna sila ng imbestigasyon sa dahilan ng pagbagsak nito matapos
na kumpirmahin na hindi tinamaan ng bala ng mga bandido ang helicopter kaya
bumagsak.
Danilo Garcia
mentel explained.
Pimentel noted that the peace negotiations have been stuck on the issue of ancestral domain, or the recognition of the right of Muslims to
their traditional homeland in Mindanao. He pointed out that ancestral
domain is just one of the many issues being raised by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in
upholding the rights of Muslims.
“The problem is the government
seems to have no interest at all in
offering the federalism proposal in
the peace talks,” he said.
Pimentel said the failure to discuss the federalism proposal, which
has the support of leaders of the
MILF and Moro National Liberation Front and various sectors of the
Muslim community, is a major reason why the peace negotiations have
dragged on for over 10 years, with
the prospects of a final peace agreement still hazy. Peace talks between
the government and the MILF have
been suspended because of ongoing military offensives in the south
against the rebels over the killing of
14 Marines in Basilan last July 10.
As proposed by Pimentel, there will
be 10 federal states under the proposed system of government: four
in Luzon (National Capital Region,
Northern Luzon, Central Luzon,
Bicol), three in the Visayas (Eastern, Western and Central Visayas)
and three in Mindanao (Northern
Mindanao, Southern Mindanao and
Bangsamoro). Pimentel stressed
that the proposed Federal Republic
of the Philippines will retain sover-
eignty over the nation and the federal states will have to contend with
the powers and functions that will
be delegated to them and defined in
the Constitution.
Economic package for Mindanao
Senators Richard Gordon and
Gregorio Honasan urged the government to start a comprehensive
peace process and real economic
package for Mindanao as a means to
end “the longest running insurgency
in Asia, if not the world.”
Sen. Francis Escudero earlier
criticized the administration for not
having a long-term solution to the
problems of Mindanao.
Honasan agreed that there should
be a comprehensive peace process.
“Let us agree on a long-term objective on issues such as land, development, two cultures in one political system,” Honasan said. “It’s
been 34 years and we are facing
the same problem. So there must
be something wrong with our approach. There should be improved
intelligence, followed by development peace process.”
For his part, Gordon suggested to
President Arroyo that the government finish constructing the circumferential road in Isabela, Basilan,
which will pave the way for local
prosperity because goods can move
faster in the province. “This will be
very significant because of the increase in the number of rubber trees
and the abundant production of lanzones,” he said.
DOT eyes South Cotabato as Major Tourist hub
Monday, August 20, 2007
From terrorism to tourism – Mindanao
will soon get a makeover, starting with South
Cotabato, which the government is eyeing to
develop as a major tourist destination. Tourism
Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said the province
in Central Mindanao could help sustain the
growing interest of foreign travelers and investors in Mindanao.
“Mindanao is very rich in terms of culture and natural attractions. The region is also
steeped in history and tradition. It is only fitting
that we share this with the rest of the world, and
offer a unique and unforgettable experience,”
Durano explained. A few weeks ago the US government issued a travel advisory for its citizens
to exercise caution when traveling to the country, particularly Central Mindanao and South
Cotobato allegedly due to terrorist threats. But
Durano said the US warning had not prevented
foreign tourists from visiting the country, including different destinations in Mindanao. As
of May 2007, the DOT’s research and statistics
division recorded a total of 74,562 foreign and
local travelers have visited South Cotabato. This
figure is 14.45 percent higher than the 65,147
arrivals attained in 2005. Durano said DOT is
currently exploring other areas in Mindanao that
can generate interest and spread the economic
benefits of tourism. He said he visited South
Cotabato recently for an ocular inspection of
major attractions, and also to discuss with local
officials the opportunities in the area.
Durano pointed out that South Cotabato is accessible to foreign visitors via the international airport in General Santos City. And
it is known primarily for the tranquil Lake Sebu,
one of the country’s major watersheds and a rest
stop for migratory birds. The area is also home
to the indigenous highland T’boli tribe, whose
culture and traditions are ardently protected
with the help of an international nongovernment
organization, Durano said. Historical, archaeological and ethno-cultural artifacts of the T’bolis
are showcased in the Lake Sebu Museum, a native bamboo thatched house located within the
tribal village. Outside this homely institution,
visitors can witness craft making, cultural cel-
ebrations, tilapia fishing and the T’boli way of
life in general.
Durano said the DOT would assist the
South Cotobato provincial government in developing the areas surrounding Lake Sebu through
the Grassroots Entrepreneurship and Employment in Tourism (GREET) program, which provides financial grants to small and medium businesses engaged in tourism-oriented livelihood
projects. “The T’bolis are very skilled people
who produce a wide and unique range of native
arts and crafts. We plan to set up artisan villages
with homestays around Lake Sebu to feature the
tranquil environment, the colors of the T’boli
culture and the creativity and hospitality of the
people,” Durano revealed. The province further
holds a variety of magnificent land and water
forms that can easily attract adventurers such
as the Seven Falls, good swimming spots and
nature trails. There is also the Lonon Falls, the
largest of the group, which pours thousands of
cubic meters of water to a natural pool and Mt.
Matutum, which offers mountaineers breathtaking views. South Cotabato also boasts of practically typhoon-free weather, good roads, as well
as warm and hospitable accommodations.
Mayen Jaymalin
AKO ay Pilipino
KALAWAKAN SA EUROPA
SETYEMBRE, 2007
11
Asean Embassies in Vienna Host Successful “One
Asean” Conference at Vienna’s Diplomatic Academy
Asean Charter Task Force Chair Amb.Rosario Manalo Discusses ASEAN-EU ties
T
he newly formed ASEAN
Committee-Vienna (ACV),
composed of the diplomatic
missions of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam
in the Austrian capital, successfully
hosted a one-day conference on the
topic “One ASEAN: A Partner for
Europe” at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna last 19 July. The
conference was formally opened
by ASEAN Secretary General Ong
Yeng Kong and Dr. Johannes Kyrle,
Secretary General of the Austrian
Foreign Ministry, with diplomats,
businessmen, think-tank representatives and members of the academe
in attendance. The programme
featured two sub-sessions, during
which ASEAN-European Union political relations and ASEAN-EU relations in the economic arena were
discussed through presentations by
a panel of experts from the ASEAN
and EU sides, who then fielded
questions from the audience.
Ambassador Rosario G. Manalo
of the Philippines, Chair of the
High-Level Task Force Chair of
the High-Level Task Force on the
Drafting of the ASEAN Charter, delivered a well received presentation
on the topic “ASEAN-EU Political
and Security Relations: An Assessment and the Way Forward”.
Ambassador Manalo provided
a historical overview of ASEAN,
tracing its evolution into one of
the world’s most cohesive and successful regional organizations, as
well as the development of its 30year-old relationship with its first
–ever dialogue partner, the EU.
Ambassador Manalo also provided the audience with an update on
ASEAN’s moves towards becoming an ASEAN Community by 2015
and on the status and highlights of
the draft ASEAN Charter. Ambassador Manalo stressed the Charter’s
anticipated central role in ASEAN’s
efforts towards becoming a rules-
Philippines Takes Centersatge
on French TV
El Nido, Palawan , is at primetime French TV1’s’s top-rating
summer hit show, Koh-Lanta. The
French version of the American
television show “Survivor”, Koh
Lanta has 5 to 7 million viewers
every Friday watch 16 contestants
vie for a prize of 100,000 Euros.
The contestants whose ages range
from 16 to 55 years old, were selected from more than 25,000 applicants and include among others, a financial adviser, a retiree,
a CEO, an agriculturist and a train
conductor. They must survive 40
days on the island and go through
adventure games, mental challenges and physically demanding
tasks. Now running on its third
week, the show has generated
mass interest in the Philippines
as a tourist destination and has received glowing reviews about the
beauty of Palawan .
A magazine has referred to it
as “un petit paradis sur Terre”
(a mini-paradise on earth) what
with its luxurious vegetation,
crystalline waters and tropical
climate. According to Philippine
Ambassador José Abeto Zaide,
the Embassy already received an
exponential increase of queries on
Palawan and the Philippines as a
whole from holidaymakers. “Television is a medium that is crucial
to the promotion of Philippines
in French consciousness, and we
are delighted that Palawan was
chosen by the producers for this
year’s edition of Koh Lanta as it
showcases what the Philippines
can offer”, added the Ambassador.
Shot between February and
March of this year, Koh Lanta
was realized with the support
of the Department of Tourism,
through its representative for
France Ms. Venus Tan, who coordinated with local companies
and the local government, among
them El Nido Resort, Seair and
Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Manila
. As an added incentive the show
will raffle off a roundtrip ticket to
the Philippines for two (2) at the
end of its run.
based organization characterized by
efficiency, improved working methods, and a membership that adheres
to the group’s collective instruments
and decisions.
Aside from Ambassador Manalo,
the ASEAN side was represented at
the Conference by ASEANIndonesia Director General Ambassador
Dian Triansyah Djani, ASEANThailand Director General Nopadol
Gunavibool. The two sub-sessions
were moderated by Former Indonesian Ambassador to the US Soemadi
D.M. Brotodiningrat and Ambassador Wolfgang Schallenberg, President of the Austrian Association for
Foreign Policy and International
Affairs.
The One ASEAN conference
kicked off a series of commemorative activities being organized by
the ASEAN diplomatic missions in
Vienna during the year, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the
organization.
Ambassador Rosario G. Manalo delivers her presentation on ASEAN-EU
political relations and the ASEAN Charter at the “One ASEAN” Conference cohosted by the ASEAN Embassies in Austria and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna
In Support of Filipino Entreprenuers in the Netherlands, Ambassador Romeo A. Arguelles attends the
2nd Annual Filipino Explorer
Philippine Ambassador to The Hague, Netherlands,
Romeo Arguelles reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Embassy team attended the 2nd
Annual Filipino Explorer at the province of Zeeland, South of the Netherlands. The organizers, Merly Samontina and her Dutch husband Ron Kooiman,
initiated the event in 2006 with the hope of providing
a venue for Filipino entrepreneurs in the Netherlands
to promote Philippine food and non-food products to
the Dutch public.
In his opening speech, Ambassador Arguelles congratulated the participating Filipino entrepreneurs
and encouraged them to increase their efforts to further penetrate the Dutch market. The Ambassador
also stressed the importance for Filipinos and their
families in the Netherlands to continue patronizing
Filipino food and non-food products so that Dutch
shops/supermarkets will feel the demand and acquire,
in their inventory, Philippine products.
At the event were exhibits and sale of an extensive
array of Filipino food products, Filipino-made jewelry, bags and other accessories as well as ratan and
bamboo furniture. Mama Sita representatives held
a cooking demonstration to showcase the various
Mama Sita products available in the Netherlands.
The organizers expressed optimism of increased
participation in the event in the coming years. The
organizers also received the assurance of the Embassy’s continued support as the event promotes the
spirit of entrepreneurship, promotes Filipino products
and gives recognition to Filipino entrepreneurs in the
Netherlands.
Ambassador Arguelles is flanked with Mrs. Merly Samontina and husband Mr. Ron Kooiman, the organizers of the
event. Also in the picture, from extreme right, are the Embassy’s Cultural Officer Edwin Edralin and Consul Leila LoraSantos; from extreme left, Economic Officer Hermenegilda Bustos and visiting Cultural Officer from the Philippine
Embassy in Vienna, Ms. Cora Cruz.
12
SETYEMBRE, 2007
KALAWAKAN SA EUROPA
AKO ay Pilipino
Romulo leads ASEAN Ministers in adoption of two
key documents boosting migrant workers welfare
In a move that bolsters the region’s efforts
to protect and promote migrant workers rights,
Secretary Alberto G. Romulo led the ASEAN
Foreign Ministers in the adoption of two key
documents boosting migrant workers welfare. Describing the adoption as a “significant
stride forward” for migrant workers rights
protection and promotion, Secretary Romulo
said the two key documents “strengthened
on-going efforts at building a caring and sharing ASEAN community and expanded the
ASEAN network of concern and support beyond our region.”
“We are moving ahead and building on our
commitment in the 12th ASEAN Summit in
Cebu to build a truly caring and sharing region. Here in Manila, ASEAN has shown firm
resolve in advancing the promotion and protection of migrant workers’ rights,” Romulo
said after the 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting Retreat. “We are taking pro-active steps
to protect our nationals within and outside of
the region. For this demonstration of the deep
and enduring human ties that bind us, and for
the vision and follow through actions, our region’s peoples can only be thankful,” added
Romulo.
Adopted during the 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting were the Statement on the Establishment of the ASEAN Committee on
the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the
Rights of Migrant Workers and the Guidelines
for the Provision of Emergency Assistance by
ASEAN Missions in Third Countries to Nationals of ASEAN Member Countries in Crisis Situations.
The ASEAN committee is tasked to ensure the implementation of the ASEAN Cebu
Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Migrant Workers. The
ASEAN Committee is also tasked to facilitate the development of an ASEAN instrument on the protection and promotion of the
rights of migrant workers. The Committee’s
functions include, among others, the promotion of bilateral and regional cooperation and
assistance on matters involving the rights of
migrant workers, the sharing within ASEAN
of best practices relating to the promotion and
protection of migrant workers’ rights and the
harmonization of mechanisms between both
sending and receiving states that promote and
protect migrant workers’ rights.
The harmonization of mechanisms is among
the ASEAN commitments identified in the
Declaration on the Protection and Promotion
of the Rights and Migrant Workers. Signed
in Cebu during the 12th ASEAN Summit in
January, the Declaration on the Protection and
Promotion of the Rights and Migrant Workers advances one of the Philippines’ key international advocacies under President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo.
During the AMM’s Opening Ceremonies
today, President Arroyo underscored the im-
portance of migrant workers’ rights protection
and promotion. Secretary Romulo also hailed
the adoption of the Guidelines on providing
emergency assistance.
“The Guidelines underscore ASEAN’s recognition of our shared responsibility to uphold
our people’s rights and welfare given the rapidly changing conditions in our region brought
about by globalization,” Secretary Romulo
said. “For the Philippines and ASEAN, the
protection and promotion of migrant workers’
rights have taken on a very real significance
and represents an enduring commitment,”
Secretary Romulo said.
Madrigals perform anew at cathédrale
des invalides, Paris
Philippine Ambassador to France José Abeto Zaide
reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the
Philippine Madrigal Singers – popularly known as the
“Madz” – returned to the Cathédrale St. Louis des Invalides for a triumphal encore performance on 26 June
2007 as part of the Embassy’s commemorations of the
60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and France.
The cathedral was festooned with French and Philippine banners when the Madz took the guests through a
journey of secular and spiritual songs before seducing
them in the second half of the program with Philippine
kundimans. The talents of the famed singing group were
much appreciated by the audience made up of French
society and government figures, members of the diplomatic corps, and prominent Filipinos including Paris-
based celebrity KC Concepcion.
On 27 June 2007, the Madz shared the stage with Ligaya Fernando Amilbangsa’s Alun-Alun Dance Circle at
the 1,300-seat UNESCO auditorium. The twin-bill engagement by the finest combination of song-and-dance
artists is the highlight in the Philippine bid to return to
the UNESCO Executive Board.
Besides engagements by the Madz and the Alun- Alun,
the year-long commemoration of the 60th anniversary
of Franco-Philippine relations in Paris includes cinema
(revival of Manuel Conde’s Cannes-awardee “Genghis
Khan”), painting exhibits (José Oviejero, Manny Baldemor, Gus Albor, Phyllis Zaballero, Claude Tayag and
Juvenal Sanso), barrio fiesta, convocation of the Order
of the Knights of Rizal, and Christmas Bazaar and Parol
Contest.
“The Guidelines expand the scope of our
caring and sharing community and clearly
shows how the ASEAN values our peoples,”
Romulo explained. Under the Guidelines, the
Missions of ASEAN members are to extend
assistance to nationals of ASEAN members
who are caught in conflict or crisis situations
in third countries.
“We welcome the support of our ASEAN
partners on this endeavor and we look forward to working closely with our neighbors
and other friends in the international community to move this agenda further forward,”
Secretary Romulo said.
Filipino Violinist achieves Music Degree
There is no better way to learn the art and craftmanship of music than in
the land of great musicians and composers. Several Filipino students have
discovered the rich musical heritage in Germany and in Berlin. Like Jose
Rizal, they have benefited from the academic opportunities offered here and
have proven that Filipinos could also excel abroad. Justin Texon is one of
them. He has just graduated his bachelor’s degree in Music from the prestigious Hanns Eisler Music School in Berlin.
Justin Caesar Texon was born on September 26, 1977 in Manila, Philippines. He started his formal studies of Music at St. Scholastica College of
Music in Manila where he finished his degree “Bachelor of Music” major
in Violin. From 1995 to 1996, he was a member of the Asian Youth Orchestra. In 1998 he joined the world-renown orchestra, “Jeunesses Musical
Weltorchester.” Leaving the Philippines in 2001, he ventured into further
studies in Berlin. He achieved his bachelor’s degree as Orchestra musician
at the Hanns Eisler Musikhochschule in 2005.
During the course of his studies, he has deepened his musical experiences
by participating in various orchesters and by staging different concerts. In
2001, he joined Germany’s youth orchestra, “Bundesjugendorchster Deutschland” and since then a member of the “Hanns Eisler Sinfonieorchester.” The following year, he became a member of the “Festivalorchester
der Bachakademie” in Stuttgart, Germany. He has participated in several
concerts in Asia, Europe and in the US. In the Philippines, he has played
with the Manila Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Bamboo Organ Festival
Orchestra, Peace Philharmonie Philippines and with the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchester.
On July 4 and 10, Justin Texon had his Final Examinations for his Degree
as Music Teacher. He has certainly achieved much after that eventful year
1996, when he won as Best Violinist in a National Contest for young people
in the Philippines. More than ever, he was able to prove that Filipinos can
also play the works of great masters like Mozart, Beethoven, Piazolla or
Vivaldi; and that we, Filipinos could also shine abroad!
Justin Texon showed that Filipinos can also play works of
great musicians during his final examinations in Berlin
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14
SETYEMBRE, 2007
ANGAT SA ALEMANYA
AKO ay Pilipino
Asians Sing, Dance and Shine!
F
ilipinos sang Tagalog songs. Vietnamese built the stage. Indonesians cooked
“Satay.” Children from Laos and Thailand presented a traditional dance. Asian Reynas joined the Santacruzan. Asians planned together, helped each other and celebrated their
multiculturality, rain or shine. Asian Feast is
the event of the year, the cultural fiesta, the
experience of Asian’s varied culture in songs,
dances, food and arts. Guests from Asia,
Germany and around the world “journeyed”
together on June 23, 2007- a day which “we
will cherish in our heart and memory in the
coming years,” commented one guest.
The compound of the rather quiet St. Aloysius Church and the nearby Schillerpark was
transformed by the Asian Festival into a cultural magnet whose sounds and sights have
enriched both the Asian and European guests
alike. Seven Booths were already open at 12
noon where Asian specialties were cooked and
served. The air was filled with the smell of
meat marinated with exotic Asian spices. The
variety of cuisine offered turned the event into
a humble “Asian Food Fest.” Other booths
sold Asian goods, fresh vegetables, clothing
and accessories.
The Cultural Program started at 2 PM with
the “Jubilee Song” which fittingly expressed
the vision of the Asian Feast: “No more walls,
no more chains, no more selfishness… for we
are all together as one family.” This was followed by the rare showcase of traditional and
indigenous dances from various Asian countries. Guests from Oceania also enriched the
grandious repertoire. More than 20 dances
and five song performances where witnessed
by around 300 guests.
Aside from the dancers from Vietnam,
Thailand, Laos and the Pacific Islands, the
performers from the Philippines - the Manisan Dance Group, Moving Friends, Philippine Folk Dance Youth, Berlin and the Loved
Flock Community Choir, enriched the colorful cultural repertoire.
The highlight of the Feast was the “Asian
Santacruzan”. Vietnamese ladies in their traditional costume supported their representative as “Divina Pastora”. Likewise, the Indonesians where represented by the “Reyna
Mora.”
The angels carrying “Ave Maria” came also
from different Asian countries. The 24 other
“Reynas” and Personalities were represented
by Filipinos and Germans. The Reyna Elena this year is Ms. Denile Magallanes while
the “Hermana Mayor” group is the Moving
Friends. After the Santacruzan, there was a
short program with dances from Thailand and
the Oceanian continent.
The Asian Feast culminated with the “Asian
Night.” Guests enjoyed the rest of the evening
in the short program and the disco held at the
Hall of the same church. It was a fitting conclusion of a day full of fun, culture, memories and meeting of friends. The Asian Feast
which takes place for the second time this
year achieves its goals of sharing the richness
of Asian culture, of binding the Asians closer
together and of creating bridges of communication and dialogue. Indeed, it was a day
when Asians proved that they can sing, dance
and shine!
Fr. Adonis Narcelles Jr., SVD
Lady of Fatima attracts Pinoy Pilgrims
The Filipino Community in Berlin organized this
year’s Community Pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal
from July 23 to 27. It was a very memorable and
blessed spiritual journey for the more than 30 participants who spent time in prayer and reflection in this
holy place where the Blessed Virgin Mary appreared
to three children, Jacinta, Lucia and Francisco, exactly 70 years ago.
The group had the chance to celebrate the daily
Holy Mass at various chapels, namely: Holy Family
Chapel, Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel, Basilica and
at St. Joseph’s Chapel. The nightly Rosary and procession touched the pilgrims from around the world.
The Filipino delegation was able to lead the praying
of the “Hail Mary” in Tagalog on two evenings.
Two of the highlights of the Pilgrimage were
the Stations of the Cross and the visit to the differ-
ent places where the Angel and our Lady appeared.
The Houses of the three children, especially meeting
living members of their extended families also impressed the group. The multi-medial Exhibit, “Fatima: Light and Peace” was well-appreciated especially the guidance of the Filipina Sister Leopolda. The
pilgrims were proud to see a piece of the Berlin Wall
as a testimony of the fall of eastern Europe through
Mary intercession.
Aside from Fatima, the group was able to visit Lissabon, Bathalia and Nazare. All in all, it was a rewarding and priceless spiritual journey which has inspired
the pilgrims to continue discovering God’s ways not
only in holy places like Fatima or Lourdes but also in
the normal events of daily life. Everybody is looking
forward for the Community Pilgrimage next year…
FADN
“Ihaw-Ihaw” Dinumog ng mga Bisita
Isang hapon ang inilaan ng Filipino Community sa Berlin
para sa “Ihaw-Ihaw sa Bayernallee” na dinaluhan ng mga
bisitang Aleman, Pinoy at iba pang galing sa ibang bansa
noong ika-24 ng Hunyo. Dahil sa ganda ng panahon ay marami ang dumalo sa nasabing picnic na ang pakiramdam ay
parang nasa Pilipinas. Ang hangin ay nangamoy ng inihaw
na manok, isda at bar-b-q. Pagkatapos ng kainan ay isinagawa naman ang Raffle Draw na ang unang gantimpala ay
biyaheng papuntang Pilipinas na ipinagkaloob ni Alyss Gronau Filipinas Reisen. Marami pang ibang pa-premyo ang
inuwi ng mga nagsipagwagi gawa ng bigas, kawali, appliances, at marami pang iba. Isa na namang masayang hapon
ang naranasan ng mga Pinoy sa Berlin kasama ng kanilang
mga bisita – isang hapon na puno ng saya at masasayang
ala-ala.
German Feast with Pinoy Touch
The Filipinos showed once again their being “good ambassadors” of
Philippine Culture during the German Feast of the Holy Spirit Community in Berlin-Charlottenburg. One can easily notice the presence
of the Filipinos through their colorful booths decorated with pictures,
clothes and posters from the Philippines. Like during the previous
years, the members of the Pastoral Team of the Philippine Community
in Berlin served Filipino Food to the delight of the Germans and other
guests. About 20 kilos of Pansit and more than a hundred Lumpia’s
were enjoyed by the guests who even enjoyed looking at how Pansit
is being cooked.
The Filipinos also rendered a fitting tribute to the Parish Priest Fr.
Manfred Krause who is leaving the parish for another assignment. The
Loved Flock Choir sang during the short program while the Moving
Friends danced several dances which culminated with the “Tinikling.”
Guests also tried to dance to the delight of the appreciative audience.
This Feast was again an opportunity for the Filipinos to show the richness of their culture be it in song, dances or food. It was a significant
contribution towards cultural understanding, respect, integration and
prophetic dialogue.
Fr. Adonis Narcelles Jr., SVD
AKO ay Pilipino
KAGANAPAN SA UK
SETYEMBRE, 2007
15
London Hosts Biggest Philippine Barrio
Fiesta in Europe
Once again in Lampton Park in
Hounslow, Middlesex became the
stage for the biggest Philippine barrio fiesta in the UK and throughout
Europe. It is headed by the Philippine Ambassador to the United
Kingdom Edgardo B. Espiritu and
all satff of the Embassy.
“On its 23rd year now, the Hounslow Barrio Fiesta is the longest running and the most attended Philippine barrio fiesta in the UK , which
Filipinos from all over the UK and
other cities in Europe take time off
just to attend,” Ambassador Espiritu
said.
This year, more than 70,000 people joined the fiesta celebration as
Filipinos and British alike trooped
to Lampton Park as early as 9:00
a.m. to join the fun. Around 80 stalls
were put up, showcasing various
Philippine products from canned
goods to native delicacies, Philippine remittance companies and
banks, travel agencies, cargoes, real
property developers, restaurants and
catering services, retailers and other
service providers.
The Philippine Embassy also had
a booth to provide information on
consular services, tourism, labor,
PAG-IBIG, and SSS. The first day
kicked off with a cultural program
featuring various Filipino talents
based in the UK , The program
lasted through the afternoon. Ambassador Espiritu also addressed the
crowd at the fiesta. In his remarks
to the crowd, Ambassador Espiritu
said, “As you celebrate and enjoy
the festive atmosphere of this event,
I hope that you will not forget to use
the occasion as a venue for promoting our rich cultural heritage so that
our young generation of Filipinos
and our British friends present today will have a greater understanding and genuine appreciation of our
cultural tradition.”
He also took the opportunity to appeal to Filipinos present to actively
participate in the country’s development endeavors, saying, “I encourage you to remain active players in
our economy, not only as remitters
but also as investors in your respective provinces.”
In the afternoon, the Philippine
Tourism-London Office hosted a
reception for Friends Philippines
& the Embassy booth. The reception was attended by more than 100
friends of the Philippines , mostly
British nationals involved in promoting Philippine tourism to the
British market. Former British Ambassador to the Philippines Paul Dimond and his wife were also guests
at the reception. Hounslow Mayor,
Councillor Andy Morgan-Watts and
his wife were also present.
The second day started off with
a parade around Hounslow High
Street through to Lampton Park .
Philippine Deputy Chief of Mission
Reynaldo Catapang and officials of
the Philippine Centre led the parade.
More than 300 people representing
various professional and geographical Filipino organizations in the UK
as well as Embassy personnel and
youth groups joined the parade. The
WOW Philippines taxi promotion
and the Igorot Association UK with
their native costumes were two of
the main attractions at the parade.
The parade was followed by a
cultural show, which featured local
Filipino talents and the Miss Little
Philippines contest. Mr. and Mrs.
Catapang crowned the winner of the
pageant and Mr. Catapang also addressed the crowd on the day. He
echoed the importance of barrio fiestas in promoting Philippine cultural traditions in the UK .
The crowd braved the afternoon rain to have a glimpse of
Filipino artists Regine Velasquez,
Epi Quizon and Nyoy Volante, who
all came from the Philippines to perform at the fiesta.
The Hounslow Barrio Fiesta is a
project of the Philippine Centre, an
umbrella organization of more than
twenty Filipino organizations in the
UK dedicated to promoting Filipino
culture through barrio fiestas and
other cultural activities.
British Embassy Warns Filipino Job seekers
The British Embassy in the Philippines warned Filipino job seekers of fake job offers through the internet that offers a high salary, good benefits, free travel
and housing in Britain. In a statement, the British embassy said, “Some scams offering U.K. employment
have proliferated on the Internet recently. These can
exploit unwitting and often desperate applicants.”
“Often, the starting point of this type of operation
is the receipt of an unsolicited electronic mail (email)
offering work in the UK while other offers are sent
directly to job seekers who post their resumés on job
sites,” it added.
The advisory said fake job offerings could be distinguished by the use of free e-mail address, such as
Yahoo, Hotmail, and MSN. It warns the job offers
may look genuine but searching the internet for the
recruiting company would fail to bring any results.
Pinapayagan ng Manatili ang mga
Caregivers sa United Kingdom
Pinapayagan na ng British Home Office na manatili o magpatuloy ang mga
pinoy na nagtatrabaho bilang mga caregivers sa United Kingdom. Muling
binuksan ang pintuan ng UK sa mga pinoy at sa kanilang pamilya na manatili lalo sa kanilang marangal na trabaho. Ito din ay sa ulat na ipinalabas
ng ABS-CBN Balitang Europe sa ulat ni Gene Alcantara. Binigyan linaw
din ito ni Charles Kelly na isang immigration adviser na siyang nagsabi na
ang mga caregivers na nagtatrabaho na doon ay pwede ng manatili subalit
kailangan nilang sumunod sa mga patakaran na iniimplementasyon para
sa trabaho na kanilang ginagawa o hinahanap. Ang Home Office ang nagaproba ng directive na ito noong ika-13 ng Agosto, 2007. Dagdag pa niya
hanggang sa 20,000 libong mga matatanda ang dapat maalagaan at nangangailangan ng tulong ng mga care giver na may mga working permit.
16
SETYEMBRE, 2007
PINOY SA EUROPA
AKO ay Pilipino
The St. Joseph Social Center Accomodates and
Responds to the needs of the Filipino Migrants
T
he St. Joseph Social Center is
the center that accommodates
and responds to the needs of
migrants from different countries
who came to seek help. It is located
at no. 13 Ayiou Maronas 1010 Nicosia with telephone numbers 0035722668338, 00357-22665055 and fax
no. 00357-22666411. It is managed
and run by the Sisters of St. Joseph
namely Sis. Adeline Condon, and
Sis. John Cullen from Ireland, Sis.
Antonia John from India, and Sis.
Magdeline Nan Za Hly from Myanmar. They are also responsible
for the Association For Support of
Foreign Workers. The association
is being helped by a committee, all
migrants are represented on the committee and meet once in a month
to discuss the problems and the organization of the different activities
which take place in the center. Below
is the background of the Congregation and the routine activities being
held in the center.
The Congregation of the Sisters
of St. Joseph of the Apparition is a
missionary religious Congregation,
founded on Christmas night 1832 at
Gaillac in France by St. Emilie de
Vialar who was canonized by Pope
Pius XII in 1951. The name of the
Institute calls to mind the mystery
of the Incarnation as revealed to St.
Joseph in the Gospel of St. Matthew.
The name reminds the Congregation
of that which the foundress wanted it
to become, by vocation a living sign
today of the love of God, which has
become incarnate and reaches persons through human actions. Today
the Congregation has spread to 32
countries in all the five continents in
the world. In the year 1844 the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition
came to the island of Cyprus to respond to the needs of the people of
that time.
They were the first religious to
come to the Island and had French
and English schools for the people.
They had also dispensaries to treat
the patients; the name of Sis. Sophie is still remembered not only
by the people of Larnaca in Cyprus
but also registered in the Government records. In the years to come
the schools were closed and were
handed over in the hands of the lay
people. The two missions of Larnaca
and Nicosia remained in the hands of
the sisters. The mission became entirely a new one and this time it is to
respond to the needs of the Migrants
from Sri Lanka, India, Philippines,
Myanmar, Africa, Kurds, Iraq, and
many other countries. The house of
Come
the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition became a house of refugee for
the people who had no shelter.
Today the center has a lot of activities accommodating the refugees
who come regularly.
The routine activities are the following; regular sunday gatherings of
all domestic workers of different nationalities, legal cell that help everyone in need with a lawyer employed
for the purpose, counseling and
support to the one in need, teaching
Greek and English languages, computer classes with a tutor employed
for the purpose music classes for
those interested to learn music, sew-
ing, drawing, painting and many others.
Sunday is a day when the Government of Cyprus has asked all the
employers to give a day’s holiday to
all the domestic workers. It is a day
when the center has a hundreds of
young women and men who come to
participate in different activities and
come for counseling.
The Sisters are always available to
them. Day and night the door of the
center is open to the homeless, and
they have a big number of girls who
come for shelter everyday.
The problems of the migrants are
very complicated and the Sisters are
available to the girls and the woman
whenever they are needed. The center started with the goodwill of all the
people in the area. In the beginning
they were generous. The Sisters of
the St. Joseph could manage to a certain extent the expenses of the center
but now, they do not get much help
except from the government and
from their own Congregation.
They are obliged to keep the center
running because of the number of
people who come for help, for shelter, and for some formation classes.
Carmen Brazan
- Vda. de Llauderes with reports
from Sis. Adeline Condon
Philippine Consulate General in Milan Launches ComputerLiteracy Course For Migrant Filipino Workers
The Philippine Consulate General in Milan , Italy
recently launched its Basic Computer Course at the
Consulate’s Community Technology Learning Center
for Filipinos in Milan and northern Italy . The Microsoft-sponsored program is being conducted by the
Consulate in coordination with the DOLE-OWWAMicrosoft’s Tulay Project aimed at helping Filipinos
overseas upgrade their skills. The Italian governmentaccredited Filipino NGO Balikatan is the Consulate’s
Filipino community partner for this project.
The initial batch of thirty Filipino trainees started
last week in two shifts. Three-hour training sessions
are conducted every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Many Filipinos have signed up for the computer course
where they will undergo basic computer training with
additional batches scheduled for September, October
and November. The Consulate plans to conduct advanced computer courses and tapping graduates from
the program to train future enrollees.
The Consulate’s thrust is to train and upgrade the
skills of Filipino workers in Milan and northern Italy
given the country’s labor-friendly environment.
The program is also intended to bridge – through
the use of the modern information highway – the communication gap between the Filipino migrant workers
and their families back home. Through the wonders
of computer technology, the costly expense of keeping
in touch with families in the Philippines will be drastically reduced.
This computer learning project is being replicated in
other Philippine embassies and consulates in countries
where there are large concentrations of Filipino workers – Hong Kong , Saudi Arabia , Taiwan , and Rome
, as well as in various OWWA regional centers in the
Philippines .
Another developmental project of the Consulate is
the Caregivers’ Course, which is currently on its second batch of trainees, and the Manipulative Massage
Therapy Training, which will have its fourth batch of
trainees on 13 September 2007. Over 30 Filipinos have
graduated from the first training batch in the Caregivers’ Course while about 80 have finished the Massage
Therapy Course. Many graduates of the courses are
now practicing and earning from their new skills.
shine
with us!
Since its debut on the World Wide Web in
March 1997, it’s been a colorful journey for
philstar.com!
From a simple online edition of The
Philippine STAR, we have embraced a
bigger vision of becoming a portal for the
Filipino global community.
In keeping with our service-oriented direction,
we are evolving again to give you a new look,
brand new services and more interactive
features.
We are family!
You are home!
As your virtual home on the Web, the new philstar.com
recognizes readers’ need for a complete view of the news from
home. We give you news from The Philippine STAR, updates
from Cebu and the Visayas from The Freeman, Cebu’s oldest
English daily. We also give you the joy of reading the news
in Tagalog and Visayan through Pilipino STAR Ngayon and
Banat, respectively. And through People Asia magazine, we
profile the most interesting personalities in the Philippines
and in Asia.
Beyond news, philstar.com is for the Filipinos wherever they
are in the world. Let’s talk, share, rave, rage, rant, bond. We
open our site for the free flow of information, for a vigorous
exchange of ideas, for reaching out to fellow Filipinos, for
getting to know each other and our country better.
Our family is growing.
Log on to www. phil star. c o m
We are not perfect but we are together!
AKO ay Pilipino
Athletics - Cyprus
Anglo-Fil Debuts in Athens
S
ummer months are the busiest
time for athletic competitions
everywhere and Cyprus is no exemptions. Athletes have been very busy
preparing themselves for the various
summer competitions held within the
island and internationally.
An under-17 athletics competition
was held at G.S.O Tsirio stadium in
Limassol on 16th - 17th of June this
year, the same stadium where Brian
Adams performed his first ever concert in Cyprus! Different clubs from
all over Cyprus sent their best athletes
to compete for a place to go to Athens
(Greece), with the best top two athletes
for each category having the chance to
go as part of the National Team to compete in the same age group against the
top two athletes from Greece.
Turning fourteen last month meant
that Cathrine Beatty, a member of the
G.S.P. Athletics Club of Nicosia since
March this year, is now considered to
be at the senior level and was one of the
lucky athletes taking part in this event
representing Nicosia for the hammer
event. Cathrine managed to obtain second place with a throw of 38.65 metres
during this competition, which quali-
SETYEMBRE, 2007
AKSYON SA CYPRUS
fied her to go to Athens as part of the
Under-17 National Team to compete
against Greece.
Preparation for this competition involved a month and a half of hard training, every day except Sundays, as well
as frequent competitions to get used to
the idea of throwing in front of a big
audience. Thankfully, the school exams
and school term had finally finished by
then, which gave Cathrine less pressure
in preparing herself.
The trip to Athens finally arrived on
third of August. Realising that neither
her coach nor her mother would be with
her during this trip, it made her feel excited but at the same time apprehensive,
to be travelling on her own. Being the
only foreigner in the team and being
very shy of speaking the Greek language, she had to learn quickly to get
along with her teammates so as not to
be left on her own. Luckily, she is the
sort of person who can easily get along
with everyone.
About 21 athletes from the Nicosia
team plus their coaches and organisers met at the new Olympic Committee building and headed off to Larnaca
airport to meet up with the rest of the
Till Death Do Us Part
For better or for worse till death do us part. This is the wedding vow
of the newly wed couple Pastora Shiela Dumaoang of Agappi Christian Fellowship and Ranier Celestino as they expressed their conjugal
love and sealed it with eternal bond through the Holy Matrimony last
June 3, 2007 held at # 22 Pente Pigadia St. Agio Omoligites 1076
Nicosia.The wedding ceremony was conducted by Dr. Samuel Lee of
the Samuel Lee Worl Evangelism in a garden setting. It was attended
by the couples employers respectively with their closest friends, relatives, and with several invited guests.
Pastora Shiela and Ranier first met last December 25, 2005 at Jesus
The Savior Fellowship Church in Nicosia. Their meetings were followed successively as they get attracted with each other. Ranier loves
to play guitar and Pastora Shiela loves to sing. Until he finally courted
her and became friends. Their friendship blossomed into an intense
committed relationship. Finally they committed themselves as husband and wife in Jesus Name.
Carmen Dolorez B. Brazan-Llauderes
Cyprus team to catch the early morning
flight to Athens. The Cyprus national
team stayed at the luxurious 5* Metropolitan Hotel in Athens. The venue
for the competition was Agios Kosmas,
which is a 30-minute drive from the
airport and around 10 minutes from the
hotel.
Their first day in Athens was spent
resting and exploring the hotel, as well
as going to the stadium to get the feel
of the ground and a bit of training in
preparation for the competitions.
Her coach specifically instructed
Cathrine before she left that since her
competition would not be until Sunday, 5th August; Saturday would be a
rest day for her. Luckily, Athens did not
have the extreme heat that Cyprus has
experienced during the last few weeks
and the temperature was much more
pleasant than here. All competitions
were held from 6:00 PM until 9:30 PM.
In the morning of the second day of the
competition, a small group of athletes
went to the centre of Athens for a bit
of ‘stress relieving’ shopping. At 6pm,
the games opened, and the competition
started with the 100m hurdles.
Cathrine’s event was at 6.15 pm, and
competing against much older (17+)
and experienced athletes, she finally
took 4th place with a throw of 33m. Although nowhere near her best, she felt
that she gained a lot of experience from
competing in such a high profile event
and is now even more determined to
bring back a medal next time!
When the games had ended, the Cyprus team decided to go out and celebrate their best athletic year yet at a
local café. The next day was the last
day to be spent in Greece, and because
the competitions were over, the Cyprus
team took the opportunity to go for a
little sightseeing. First the team visited the Parthenon in Acropolis, which
amazed everyone with it’s’ beauty and
enormity. Then they took two coaches
to ‘The Mall Athens’ for a last-minute
spot of shopping! After spending 3
hours in the Mall it was time to go to
the airport. Three hours later, saying
goodbye to newly made friends, they
were on their way back to Nicosia by
bus at two-thirty in the morning with
triumph in their hearts!
Cathrine Beatty
17
Dr. Samuel Lee During
Pentecost
Dr. Samuel Lee was the keynote speaker during the Pentecost celebration held in Rex Cinema Larnaca. He proclaimed the Word of God in Luke 19:1-10 Zacchaeus The
Tax Collector. He said, “ When we desire to see Jesus like
Zacchaeus we must overcome hindrances to draw near to
God.” We need to surrender our life to him to be saved.
We must repent and avoid sins. God knows us intimately. “
Abide with His Word to recieve eternal life. Because we are
like a dead meat without the spirit of God,” he concluded.
Dr. Lee is an Apostle Pastor of Samuel Lee World Evangelism. He said he is highly priveleged to minister the Word
of God to Cyprus for over ten years now and to the rest
of the world. He came with a Wonderful Man of God Bro.
Thomas Asante.
The celebration was a gathering of different churches and
fellowships from different places in the island mostly foreigners. It was hosted by Jesus Christ Foundation pastored
by Pastora Mhel Villanueva and Pastor Carlos Villanueva
Jr. The theme is “ Uniting God’s People in the Island and
Releasing Then to Advance the Kingdom of God.
The praise and worship was led by Sis. Shirley Rinell
with Filipino Worship Team. All prayed for the unity of pastors, leaders, and churches and asked God for a new annointing for this time and season.
The Pentecost celebration is a symbolic and a significant
festival in the church. It was on this day that the holy spirit
was poured by Jesus Christ in the group of about 120 disciples, [ Acts 1:13-15] The celebration was a victory for the
glory of God.
Carmen Dolorez B. Brazan-Llauderes
Hon. Consul Kyriakides Meets Consular Volunteers
A meeting was held between the Philippine Honorary Consul to Cyprus Mrs. Shemaine Alonso Bushnell - Kyriakides and the counsular volunteers held in
her residence in Nicosia.
She said, ‘’ there are 9049 legally staying filipinos in Cyprus based from the Immigaration report. A
regular passport application requires 10 - 15 working
days and costs 60 cyprus pounds while an expidite
passport application only takes 5 - 7 working days
and costs 84 pounds,’’ she added.
During the meeting, the vounteers suggested to
the Honorable Consul wheather they could possibly
conduct a consular outreach mission on her behalf to
reach out more OFW’s who couldn’t come to her office. Mrs. Kyriakides gave them her approval. Following her approval the consular volunteers conduct-
ed immidiately a two-separated consular outreach
mission in Paralimni and in Larnaca respectively.
There were about 90 OFW’s from Paralimni met
by consular volunteers Emong Pedroso, Marites Caligtan, and Elizabeth Fernandez. Meanwhile consular
volunteers Primrose Lomas and Carmen B. Llauderes
met more or less 60 OFW’s in Larnaca.
Consular Volunteers also conducted information
disimination and distribution of passport, OWWA,
and PAG-IBIG application forms. They encouraged
fellow filipinos to join programs and projects of the
government for their benefits and welfare.
CDBBL
18
A
SETYEMBRE, 2007
SPIRITUAL READINGS
GIRASOLE
s we come to the end of summer we
have reflected about the sea (July
issue) let me now write about what
we always see as we travel along the roads
of Europe in her vast rolling hills. It is sunflower.
This is a legend. A nymph Clytie fell in
love with the sun god, Apollo. Throughout
the days she would sit and stay motionless,
watching the sun god Apollo in his radiant
glory shining and journeying across the
sky. But Apollo did not notice her. The love
of Clytie was not even reciprocated. Yet
Clytie remained faithful and hopeful with
her love of Apollo. Everyday she watched
Apollo passed by, staring at him until her
last day.
Apollo took pity on her and admired her
faithful love. And so Apollo changed her
into a flower. This flower is bigger compared to other flowers, has bright and stunning colors of yellow and black. And much
more this flower continues to what the
nymph Clytie did, always facing and worshipping Apollo, facing always towards to
sun. Thus it is known as sunflower a symbol of submission to love, turning always
to her beloved, ever faithful never doubtful,
unwavering to her choice.
Isn’t beautiful? Isn’t very touching? We
always set our sight on the one whom we
loved. We always look after whom we care.
We always want to see, to hear or to be with
our beloved. Like sunflower we want to
turn, to face, to be in sight of our beloved.
This is an interesting episode in the life
of Saint Anthony Abbot (250-356). He
lived his whole life as a hermit in an Egyptian desert. He was noted for his holiness
and people came for his spiritual advises.
There were always three monks who never
failed to visit him. Two of them always
asked questions about themselves, about
their salvation. But the third monk was always quiet, totally silent, without saying
anything.
After some time the hermit Anthony said
to him, “you have been in the habit of coming here and to visit me all this time. And
yet you do not ask me any questions.” The
monk answered, “good father, it is enough
for me just to look at you.”
Have you noticed that the sunflower
moves with the sun and always facing proud
and tall to the sun? Have you observed that
at the sunset the sunflower bowed down?
Like sunflower let us always turn to the one
we must love. Like the sunflower let us always set our sight and life to the One who
loves us most. And He is no other than our
Lord Jesus who is the true light as He said,
“I am the light of the world, the one who
follows me will not walk in darkness, but
will have light and life” (John 12,8). The
book of Psalm proclaims, “for the Lord
God is a sun and a shield; he bestows favor and glory. The Lord withholds no good
things from those who walk in uprightness”
(84,12).
Have you heard the Italian song about
sunflower? The Italian word for sunflower
is girasole. It means always turning towards
the sun. And a portion of that song goes like
this:
Come un girasole giro intorno a te
Che sei il mio sole anche di notte
E’ come un girasole, io te seguiro.
E’ mille volte ancora cui innamorero!
Like a sunflower, I turn always toward
you
for you are my sun even in the night
And like a sunflower, I will follow you.
and for a thousand times more
I will fall in love with you still!
Inspirational Messages
Tulong!
There were three brothers who were all compulsive in their desire to hit the pot
of gold in the world of business. Even as young high school students on to college,
their parents were constantly breathing over their shoulders for them to make it to the
top no less. The competitive spirit they learned to sharpen in the classroom against
their classmates soon became a lethal weapon against each other later in life. In the
absence of an outside ‘enemy’, the battle soon turned brother against brother.
With more than enough money now as yuppies, they never were in contact with
each other as they were living separately by themselves, avoiding even the traditional reunions they were taught to hold on a regular basis by their late parents. No
pansinan talaga! At lalo na’t walang pakialaman.
Suddenly, the eldest brother died. The remaining two brothers were shocked no
end, and in few minutes notice, the two met to take stock of their situation, as they
made preparations for the cremation of their eldest brother. They were assisted by
their former family driver who was living in the slum area.
Helplessness divorced from self-pity breeds an inch into our humanity. In helplessness, one either despairs or connects.
Magaling sa salita ang Pinoy. Mautak ang Pinoy. Magaling sa diskarte ang Pinoy.
There is absolutely nobody with so much money who will not need the shoulders
and the hands of the poor, and there is no one who is so poor who will not have
something to offer the rich.
Acute
I cannot forget the words of a mother telling her children who kissed her hand
when they arrived from school “Mabuti lang kayo habang maliliit pa, pero pag laki
niyo, ang sungay niyo ay hinagpis ko na.” The face and trust of a child is mysteriously arresting to adults. Nagigitla’ ang pagkatao natin, Tenderness is innocence and
compassion. Powerlessness magnets kindness.
Bawat baby ay cute, di ba? Mahirap hindi-an ang bata. Pag tanda’ nagiging
‘acute’ na. Buti na lang may second childhood tayong inaasahan sa pagtanda natin,
pero pangalawang hinagpis sa magaalaga sa atin! Balik pampers.
The problem really starts when we have all forgotten where we have started to
learn how to walk, and the first time we earned our first paycheck. Nakakalimutan
din natin ang mga tumulong sa atin, na hindi pa nga natin lubos na napapasalamatan.
Loving and caring lose their value when we start counting the times and the ways.
Kung kelan pa umunlad ang buhay natin as OFW, e, doon pa tayo natuto magaling
magbilang ng utang na loob sa natulungan din natin. Think again. Indeed, we have
changed a lot. Money leads to independence, and independence cut from all sorts of
gratitude, flirts with greed and egoism. Maski ang nanay natin hindi na tayo kilala.
Nanunungay na ang dating musmos.
And since we do not really know our true selves, the relationships we establish
are often short-lived and skin-deep. We only listen to what we would like to hear.
Tragedy, or comedy, or acute?
Comments/feedbacks to [email protected]
T
hinking deeper about sunflower I
came out with this interesting messages for you.
First, always turn to God. Whatever happens, wherever we are let us always turn to
God. In our needs let us seek God first. In
our wandering let us go back to God. With
our success and with our triumphs let us always remember God. In our happiness let
us return to God, to praise Him and to be
thankful to Him. As the sunflower moves
in the direction of the sun, let us then direct
our heart and mind to God. Let us focus our
vision to God’s plan for us.
Let us keep our will attune to God’s
ways, our goals align to God’s mission.
Prophet Joel reminds us, “rend your heart,
not your garment. Return to Yahweh, your
God-gracious and compassionate” (2,13).
Santa Teresa de Avila tells us “withhold
your heart from all things: seek God and
you will find Him.”
Second, as we turn to God, let us therefore try Him and trust Him. God has always the right answers to our quests and
questions in life. God has always the best
remedy for our pains and problems. God
consoles. He heals. He helps. So why not
try Him first? God is always available and
very approachable. He always listens and
attends to our needs.
So why not go first to God? He is our
safety. He is our protector and great provider. God always wills what is best for us.
He does what is most beneficial for us. So,
let us try Him first and always trust Him.
We must lay our burdens to Him. Entrust
all your cares to God. Jesus is telling us,
“come to me, all you who work hard and
who carry heavy burden and I will refresh
you. Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me for I am gentle and humble of
heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke
is good and my burden is light” (Matthew
11, 28-30). Saint Augustine says, “trust the
past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s
love and the future to God’s providence.”
Third, take God always in your life.
As we do our earthly pilgrimage towards
heaven surely we will encounter many challenges and responsibilities. There could be
hardships. There would be trials and even
temptations. But whatever and wherever let
us take God with us.
Let us remember Him and take refuge in
AKO ay Pilipino
Him. Our works could be demanding and
difficult. Our people could be uncooperative, our superiors unforgiving. Our labors
could be unproductive or the results frustrating. So, let us take God with us and
think of Him. God will make a way.
He will do everything possible. He will
surely grant us a bountiful harvest. There
is always invitation from God to return to
Him, to try Him and take Him. Jesus is telling us always, “if you wish be a follower of
mine, deny yourself and take up your cross
each day, and follow me” (Luke 9,23).
Let us accept the invitation of Jesus. Let
us take Him in. And so before taking any
serious decision let us think of Him. Let
us take recourse to Him. Before assuming
great tasks or before going to places let us
take God with us, in our works, and in our
workplaces.
God always sets His sight on us. He is
always after our safety, our security and
much more for our salvation. He wants to
take us with Him in heaven. So let us take
Him in our hearts, in our homes. Blessed
Mother Teresa used to say, “I am a little
pencil in the hand of a writing God who is
sending a love letter to the world.”
As I admired the beauty of sunflower I
was struck by its striking reaction to the
sun. After looking up at the sun, and when
the sun sets the sunflower looks down on
the soil. After facing and enjoying the
brightness of the sun and at the end of the
day the sunflower bows down. As sun gives
way to night the sunflower too faced down
to the earth.
And this could be our cue. After we look
up to God we have to look for our brothers
and sisters. After we receive rays of graces
from God we have to shine for others. After
we face God we have to the reflection of
God’s goodness to others.
Like in the Italian song “come un girasole intorno ate” let us always move towards God, turning always to Him. Let us
fix our vision to Him. Let our desire is always God. The sunflower portrays our deep
longing to be with God, to see Him face to
face. It describes our utmost need to remain
and to stay with God.
Mons. RUPERTO CRUZ SANTOS
Rector of Pontificio Collegio Filippino
National Coordinator for the Pastoral
Care of Filipino Migrants
Thoughts of the Month
There are three types of people in this world: those who make things happen, those
who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened. We all have a choice.
You can decide which type of person you want to be. I have always chosen to be in
the first group.
Mary Kay Ash
Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do.
You can go as far as you mind lets you. What you believe, you can achieve.
Mary Kay Ash
The stories of past courage... can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they
cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul.
John F. Kennedy
Giving of yourself, learning to be tolerant, giving recognition and approval to others,
remaining flexible enough to mature and learn - yields happiness, harmony, contentment and productivity. These are the qualities of a rich life, the bounteous harvest of
getting along with people.
Jack C Yewell
May we never let the things we can’t have, or don’t have, or shouldn’t have, spoil our
enjoyment of the things we do have and can have. As we value our happiness let us
not forget it, for one of the greatest lessons in life is learning to be happy without the
things we cannot or should not have.
Richard L. Evans
Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours
per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.
H. Jackson Brown
If you have it [Love], you don’t need to have anything else, and if you don’t have it,
it doesn’t matter much what else you have.
Sir James M. Barrie
What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by
achieving your goals.
Zig Ziglar
The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourselfthe invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us-that’s where it’s at.” Jesse Owens
PUSO SA PUSO
AKO ay Pilipino
SETYEMBRE, 2007
19
Ms. Heart's Corner
Dear Ms. Heart
Dear Josephine,
Napakaopen mong tao. Hindi naman talaga madali na malaman sa isang tao kung
bakit mo siya minahal sa kabila ng pagkakadama natin minsan kung mahal ba nila
tayo. Minsan hindi natin makita ang pagmamahal na dapat sana ay ibinibigay sa
ating mga babae. May limang klase ng language of love na posibbleng makatulong
sayo para malaman mo kung mahal ka nga ng bf mo. Ito ang tinawag na language
of love. Una ay ang words of affirmation. Ito ay kung lagi niyang sinasabi sayo na
mahal ka niya, lagi ka niya itenetext na mahal ka niya. Ikalawa ang quality of time.
Nagseset siya ng time at panahon para sayo para magdate kayo, mag usap kayo
at magkwentuhan kayo. Parng time to each other. Pangatlo, ang gifts, ito iyong
binibigyan ka niya ng regalo, naalala ka niya through simple or big things. Pang
apat ay ang physical touch, hindi man siya nagsasalita ay ipinapaalam niya ito sayo
by holding your hands, inihahug ka niya, iyong through sense of touch na ginagawa
niya sayo especially kapag kailangan mo siya at ang panglima ay acts of service,
ito ay kung pinaglilingkuran ka niya, pinagsisilbihan ka niya ika nga eh para kang
prinsesa na pinagsisilbihan ng iyong prinsipe. Ngayon hanapin mo sa limang iyan
kung ginagawa ba iyan ng bf mo sayo at malalaman mo na by means of by 5steps
kung talaga nga bang mahal ka niya. Pakiramdaman mo ring mabuti. Sana ay natulungan ka namin at kayong lahat na aming mga readers.
Sumasaiyo,
Ms. Heart
How are you? Hope everything is fine.
Naaasar ako sa bf ko kasi parang feeling ko
hindi niya ako mahal. Hindi ko siya maunawaan, hindi ko malaman kung paano ko
huhulihin ang loob niya.
Isa sa character ko ang pagiging makulit,
sabi niya sweet naman daw ako.
Mahal na mahal ko siya and everything that
i can ginagawa ko para sa kanya pero hindi
siya ganun sa akin. Nasasaktan ako kasi natatakot ako na baka hindi niya ako mahal or
ginagawa lang niyang basehan ang relationship namin para sabihin na may gf siya or
may makasama.
Ms. Heart paano ko ba malalaman kung
mahal niya ako talaga? Tulungan mo ako
hirap na hirap na ako.
Gumagalang,
Josephine
Pinoy Jokes
ENTRY na malimiy natin nakikita sa mga
school ay hindi tinitagalog? Answer: Kasi
pag tinagalog yan: WALA ID WALA PASOK...........
NGEEeeeekkkk
Sulat dear pipe,
pakisabi kay binge na nanalo si pilay sa
takbuhan...
nagmamahal,
putol kamay!!!
bulag at duling magsusuntukan
Exam
Anak: Tay, bagsak ako sa exam.
Itay: Bakit?
Anak: Kasi hindi ko po alam kung ano
iyong EFFORT...
Itay: Dun naglalanding ang mga EFFLANE...
Arthritis
Juan: Pare palagay ko tumatanda na ata
ako, masakita na paa ko!
Pedro: Arthritis yan pare o rayuma, madali
lang gamot jan..”epitren”
Juan: Ay talaga pare?baka naman mahal
yan?
Pedro: di pare!! ganito gawin mo punta ka
sa riles paipit kasa tren epitren..
bulag: hoy duleng wag ka magtago sa
dilim...
duleng:panu ako hndi magtatago!!! eh
dalwa kayo!!!
nyeeeh!!!
NO ID NO ENTRY
bakit ang sign na: NO ID ENTRY NO
Pinoy Recipe
Pancit Palabok
Estimated preparation for toppings: 1 1/2 hours
Estimated cooking time for
sauce & noodles: 40 minutes
Pansit Palabok Ingredients:
Palabok Noodles / Sauce
1/2 kilo miki noodles
1/2 kilo small crabs
5 cloves of garlic,
minced
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons of atchuete seeds or oil
2 tablespoons of patis (fish sauce)
4 tablespoons of cornstarch, dissolved in water
1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate (MSG)
1 1/2 cups of water
Palabok Toppings
Tinapa flakes (smoked fish)
Cooked shrimps, shelled
Squid adobo, sliced into rings
Pork chicharon, grounded
Spring onions, chopped
Hard boiled eggs, shelled, sliced
Fried garlic, minced
Fresh calamansi (lemon), sliced
Pansit Palabok Cooking Instructions:
Extract fat and meat from clean crabs, set aside.
Pound crab and extract juice on 1 1/2 cups of
water
On a pan, sauté garlic and onions until golden
brown then add crab fat, crab meat, 1 1/2 cups of crab
wash, patis and MSG. Bring to a boil and simmer for
10 minutes.
Add corn starch and continue to simmer while
constantly stirring until thick.
Put miki noodles in a strainer and dip in boiling
water for 5 minutes or until cooked.
Lay drained noodles on a platter and pour the
palabok sauce. Garnish with toppings and serve.
one way
sa palengke may isang amerikano na nagtanong sa tindero kung magkano ang isang
kilong manok.......
amerikano:magkeyno ang eysang keylong
meynok?.....
tindero: one way......
amerikano:ha?
tindero: one way sir.....
amerikano:anow?
tindero: isang daan bow-bow
Essential Health Tips
(The Basics to Practice Every Day)
“He who has health has hope, and he
who has hope has everything.” -Arabian Proverb
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways
to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators
or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your
kids; toss balls with friends, mow the
lawn. Anything that moves your limbs
is not only a fitness tool, it’s a stress
buster.
Think ‘move’ in small increments of
time. It doesn’t have to be an hour in
the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance
class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that’s
great when you’re up to it. Meanwhile,
move more. Thought for the day: Cha,
Cha, Cha…. Then do it!
2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods,
burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork,
bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage).
Dairy products such as cheese, cottage
cheese, milk and cream should be eaten
in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich
meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter
and sauces should be eaten in limited
amounts.
Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free
cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for
the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!
3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon
General announced that smoking was
harmful to your health, Americans have
been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we’ve seen
a surge in smoking in adolescents and
teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie
of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn
your children of the false romance or
‘tough guy’ stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just
one cigarette…. the next one.
4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters
come in many forms. Some techniques
recommended by experts are to think
positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a
day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak
in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a
park; read a good book; visit a friend;
play with your dog; listen to soothing
music; watch a funny movie.
Get a massage, a facial or a haircut.
Meditate. Count to ten before losing
your temper or getting aggravated.
Avoid difficult people when possible.
Thought for the day: When seeing red,
think pink clouds….then float on them.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can’t live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled
rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in
highway fumes and exercising near
busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside
when the smog rating is low. Exercise
indoors in air conditioning when air
quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery
in your yard. It’s a good pollution and
dirt from the street deterrent. Thought
for the day: ‘Smoke gets in your
eyes’…and your mouth, and your nose
and your lungs as do pollutants….hum
the tune daily.
6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to
longevity and help alleviate potential
injuries in car crashes. Thought for the
day: Buckle down and buckle up.
7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth
flossing. Nobody knows exactly why.
Perhaps it’s because people who floss
tend to be more health conscious than
people who don’t? Thought for the day:
Floss and be your body’s boss.
8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of
wine or one drink a day (two for men)
can help protect against heart disease,
more than that can cause other health
problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A
jug of wine should last a long time.
9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There’s a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and
having a cheerful outlook on life.
Thought for the day: You can’t be unhappy when you’re smiling or singing.
10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health
is a powerful one. But just because one
or both of your parents died young in ill
health doesn’t mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you.
Thought for the day: Follow these basic
tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.
20
SETYEMBRE, 2007
SHOWBIZZ GIGS
Angel Locsin Pasisikatin
ng DOS!
B
inigyan na ng grand welcome ng ABS-CBN
si Angel Locsin sa ASAP ’07. Nakailang song
numbers din si Angel at parang feel na feel niya
ang ginawa niyang pagkanta sa show. Nakasama niya sa
production number ang mga prinsesa at prinsipe ng mga
teleserye ng Kapamilya network, na ayon kay Angel ay
gusto raw niyang makatrabaho. Sa dulo ng mga pasasalamat niya ay nagdayalog siya ng, “Sa TFC (The Filipino Channel), ako po si Angel Locsin!” bilang opisyal
na pagpapakilala ng sarili niya sa Kapamilya viewers sa
ibang bansa. Nag-guest na din si Angel sa Kapamilya
Deal or No Deal ni Kris Aquino.
Isang reporter ng ABS-CBN ang naringgan na isang
source ang nagtanong ng “Bakit parang hindi warm ang
audience kay Angel?” dahil tila wala raw reaksyon ang
mga nasa studio pagpasok ng dating GMA star. After
Angel ay guest din sa game show ni Kris si Governor
Vilma Santos. Nagpunta raw si Angel sa dressing room
ni Ate Vi para magbigay-pugay. Na-excite daw ang
dalaga na makitang muli ang kanyang idolong aktres.
Natuwa si Gov. Vilma na sinadya siya ni Angel para
bumati. Ang ganda raw pagmasdan ng dalawang aktres
na parehong gumanap bilang Darna.
Bukod sa mga staff ng Dos at Star Cinema ay ang
lady boss mismo ng Star Cinema na si Ms. Malou Santos ang aligaga sa pag-aasikaso kay Angel. Halatang
ipinadarama raw nang husto ng Kapamilya network
ang matinding pag-aalaga sa bagong lipat na young actress. Kailangang magpabongga ng celebrity guests ang
show ni Kris dahil kinakabog ito sa rating ng katapat na
programa sa Siyete na Marimar. Ngayong gabi ipalalabas ang guesting ni Angel sa KDND. Kaabang-abang
kung magagawa nitong pataubin sa rating ang tinanggihan niyang telenobela ng GMA na napunta kay Marian Rivera. Bukod pa dito sadyang magiging mahigpit
lalo ang laban ng rating ng siyete at dos samantalang
malaking hamon kay Angel ang pagiging kapamilya na
dating kapuso.
AKO ay Pilipino
Vina Morales, Pinoy band win
IKON Asean
Popular singer-actress Vina Morales came home from Malaysia
where she won in the solo artist category of the IKON ASEAN regional singing competition held August 12. Morales won a cash prize
of $25,000. She arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport
(NAIA) with the members of the group Kjwan, who were declared
champions in the band category. Morales and the Kjwan band members were ecstatic over their victory, and knowing that they made their
countrymen proud by giving the world a taste of world-class Filipino
talent.
Morales, Sharon Garcia-Magdayao in real life, said those who
joined the contest did not only compete but instead, shared music with
other artists. She said she feels very blessed to have won but she also
dedicates her success to her fellow contestants. Morales sang the ABSCBN telenovela theme song “Pangako
Sa ’Yo” and “Feels So Nice” while
Kjwan sang “Invitation” and “One
Look.” They received their awards
from Astro Entertainment executive director Zainir Aminullah and
ASEAN Music Industry Association
chairman Arnell Affendi. The singing
contest was held at the Putrajaya International Convention Center where
representatives of other ASEAN
countries also competed. IKON
ASEAN, a contest which seeks to
bring together ASEAN talents under
one roof to showcase and celebrate
Asian entertainment, starts in a contestant’s home country.
Michael Punongbayan
Daya sa Game Show Nabuking
Nahaharap sa bagong kontrobersiya ang
bantog na noontime game show na “Wowowee” ng ABS-CBN matapos dagsain ng
reklamo ang Movie and Television Review
and Classification Board (MTRCB) at Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) tungkol
sa “anomalya” o “dayaan” sa pinakabagong
palaro nilang Wilyonaryo Jackpot. Sabado
ng inilunsad ang palaro ngunit ito ay celebrity edition lamang at nito lang nakalipas na
lunes, Agosto 20 pormal na binuksan para sa
mga contestants.
Naging contestant ang isang nagngan-
galang Weng at mismong si Willie Revillame ang umistima rito para sa mala-pera o
bayong na larong tinawag nilang “Wilyonaryo Jackpot.”Ang palaro ay parang pinball
at papipiliin ang contestant ng isang wheel na
may kulay at doo’y papahulaan kung nais ba
nito ang “Wilyonaryo” o “Winame.” Kung
ang Wilyonaryo ang pinili, may tsansa ang
contestant na manalo ng P2 milyon; P1 milyon
o P500,000 at bahay at lupa. Kapag Winame
(Uwi na ko) naman ang pinili, ibig sabihin ay
tatanggapin na lamang nito ang alok na pera
ni Willie at uuwi na lamang ang contestant.
Pinili umano ni Weng ang ‘Winame’ kasama
ang P100,000 na alok ni Revillame, bukod pa
sa napanalunan nitong P37,000 sa ‘elimination round’ bago ang jackpot round.
Hindi naman nabigo si Weng na maging
tama ang pasya dahil ang pinili nitong kulay
puting wheel ay naglalaman ng 0 na ibig sabihin ay kung ito ang pinili, tiyak na bokya o
uuwi siyang luhaan. Kagaya ng patakaran sa
iba’t ibang game show, sisilipin kung nasaan
ang ‘jackpot price’ at sinabi ni Revillame na
ito ay nasa kulay lilac o violet na wheel. Nang
aktong bubuksan ng kontrobersiyal na host
ang nasabing ‘wheel,’ lumabas umano rito ay
0 (zero). Nakasaad sa bahagi ng transcript ang
ganito:
Mariel Rodriguez: Ayon walang laman
Willie: Mali, Mali, Mali. Sandali. Ang P2
milyon ay (habang binubunot sa likod ng
wheel) eto pala.
Mariel Rodriguez: Hawak mo pala Pappy
Willie: Ayon hawak ko pala, Alright ayan
po ang P2 milyon, 2,000,000.
Dahil sa insidente, nabuko na dalawang
uri ng papel o ‘film’ mayroon ang ‘jackpot’ wheel ng nasabing palaro kung saan ay
maaari nilang gawing milyon ang zero na numero o gawing zero ang milyon na numero.
Ayon naman sa mga nakasaksi sa panonood,
nagtataka rin sila kung bakit nasa likod lagi
ng ‘wheel’ ang kamay ni Revilla. Ang naturang pagkakabuko ay nai-record ng ilang ‘televiewers’ at anumang araw mula ngayon ay
ipadadala nila ang kopya ng CD nito sa tanggapan ni MTRCB chairperson Ma. Consoliza
P. Laguardia at DTI na inaasahang magpapatawag ng imbestigasyon hinggil dito. Nabigo
namang makuhanan ng pahayag si Villame sa
naturang alegasyon.
Angie dela Cruz
Horoscope of the Month
. ARIES: (Mar. 21 - Abr. 19) - Magdiwang ka ngayon
dahil may magandang kapalaran ang darating sa iyo.
Malamang manalo ka sa lotto o ibang uri ng laro na
may premyo. Ngunit kung wala kang mapanalunan,
ang iyong pagiging masayahin ang isang katangian na
nagustuhan ng iyong mga mahal sa buhay kaya daig
mo pa ang nanalo ng malaking halaga. Lucky numbers at color for the day ang 2, 8, 26, 37 at magenta.
TAURUS: (Abr. 20 - May. 20) - Tiyakin mong magiging maganda ang iyong relasyon sa minamahal,
kasamahan, kamag-anak, kaibigan o kasambahay
dahil may bagay kang magagawa na mawawala ang
kanilang respeto at tiwala sa iyo ngayon. Upang
maiwasan, huwag kang magpabigla-bigla. Sa bawat
kilos, pag-isipang mabuti para walang masaktan
o makasakit ng damdamin. Lucky numbers at color
for the day ang 1, 15, 29, 36 at lavender.
LEO: (Hul. 23 - Ago. 22) - Sabay kayong mangarap ng iyong minamahal tungkol sa maganda
ninyong kinabukasan. Huwag idaan sa pangarap
lamang ang lahat. Pagsikapan ninyong makamit
ang inyong mga pangarap. Hindi mo mapapansinin ang mga maliliit na bagay na dating nagpapairita sa iyo dahil napakalayo ng iyong isipan sa
bagay na gustong-gusto mong makamit. Lucky
numbers at color for the day ang 1, 12, 36, 41 at
dollar green.
VIRGO: (Ago. 23 - Set. 23) - Magkatulad ang
inyong damdamin sa isa’t isa kaya walang problema kung magkarelasyon kayo. Huwag matakot na
mawala siya sa iyo o maangkin ng iba. Mawawalan ka ng gana sa iyong katrabaho. Pasensiya ang
kailangan habang naghahanap ng ibang mapapasukan. Lucky numbers at color for the day ang 9,
16, 25, 36 at blue.
GEMINI: (May. 21 - Hun. 21) - Mag-isip ka ng oportunidad na bagay sa magandang kikitain at dapat
mong tutukan ito ngayon dahil magiging magaan ang
mga magagandang ideya na iyong mahahagilap. Mapapasaiyo ang matagal mo nang hinihintay mula sa
trabaho o minamahal. Lucky numbers at color for the
day ang 8, 13, 30, 38 at midnight blue.
LIBRA: (Set. 24 - Okt. 23) - Magigipit ka sa isang
transaksyong papasukan kung hindi pag-aaralang
mabuti lalo na sa presyo ng mga materyales na
gagamitin. Mapapasok ka sa bitag ng magandang
makipag-usap na katransaksyon kung tatangatanga ka kaya maging alerto. Maging matalino sa
negosasyon upang may kitain. Lucky numbers at
color for the day ang 3, 19, 29, 33 at jade green.
CANCER: (Hun. 22 - Hul. 22) - Mag-ingat ka sa
pakikitungo sa isang Scorpio, Taurus o Capricorn
dahil magdudulot ito ng pagkairita sa iyong damdamin o magiging kaaway mo ngayon. Magigipit ka sa
pera sa araw na ito, bagay na palaging nangyayari.
Simulang magtipid upang di na maulit. Maiinggit
ka sa bagong labas na cellphone pero sorry na lang,
mag-ipon ka muna upang makabili. Lucky numbers at
color for the day ang 5, 15, 16, 28 at turquoise.
SCORPIO: (Okt. 24 - Nob. 22) - Madamdamin ang
magiging araw mo ngayon dahil may problema.
May aalis na malapit sa iyong puso o makokonsensiya ka sa mga narinig na usap-usapan na hindi
maganda laban sa iyo. Kung sa akala mo ay wala
kang nagawang pagkakamali, harapin at ipaglaban
ang karapatan at tiyak na titiklop sila at tatahimik.
Lucky numbers at color for the day ang 6, 14, 34,
35 at purple.
SAGITTARIUS: (Nob. 23 - Dis. 21) - Ngayon
mo malalaman ang katotohanan tungkol sa
iyong pag-ibig. Magdedesisyon na ang iniibig
o may matutuklasan ka tungkol sa kanya. Magingat sa isisiwalat na maseselang bagay tungkol
sa trabaho o ibang tao dahil mababansagan kang
tsismosa o tsismoso pag nagkataon. Lucky numbers at color for the day ang 2, 19, 27, 35 at indigo .
CAPRICORN: (Dis. 22 - Ene. 19) - Magiging
maalalahanin ang iyong kasuyo o minamahal
ngayon. Isang regalo o pasalubong ang marahil
maiaabot sa iyo. Isang sorpresa ang naghihintay sa pagdating ng isang matagal na kakilala o
komunikasyon mula sa isang hindi inaakalang
makakaalala. Lucky numbers at color for the day
ang 1, 9, 17, 40 at lilac.
AQUARIUS: (Ene. 20 - Peb. 18) - Malalagay
sa alanganin ang inyong samahan kung hindi ka
mag-iingat. May pagkakamali kang magagawa
o sila ang makagagawa ng pagkakamali. Magkakaroon ng munting alitan ngunit ito ay mabibigyan ng solusyon kung haharapin kaagad.
Samantala, iwasan munang makipag-ugnayan
sa kaibigang Taurus o Sagittarius dahil bibigyan
ka ng sakit ng ulo nito. Lucky numbers at color
for the day ang 5, 11, 25, 31 at avocado green.
PISCES: (Peb. 19 - Mar. 20) - Ngayon mo
maaalala at mabibigyan ng atensiyon ang mga
bagay sa ginawa niyang pabor o tulong na hindi ka nakapagpasalamat. Magiging maluwag
ang iyong panahong makipag-ugnayan sa taong
nakatulong sa iyo o mga matalik na kaibigan.
Lucky numbers at color for the day ang 12, 22,
38, 40 at pearl white.
SHOWBIZZ GIGS
AKO ay Pilipino
SETYEMBRE, 2007
21
Ruffa at Yilmaz Nagharap sa Pinas!
N
atagalan sa Pilipinas ang turkish-businessman na si Yilmaz Bektas matapos
itong bumisita at dalawin ang kanyang
pamilya na sina Ruffa Gutierrez at ang dalawa
nitong anak. Dapat sana ay Biyernes ay aalis
na ito pero naging pabago bago ang kanyang
isip. Halos tatlong araw pa itong nagextend
bago makaalis ng bansa dahil sa kanyang
pagiging urong-sulong. Mami-miss daw kasi
niya ang kanyang pamilya. Mami-miss din
daw kasi siya ng mga anak na sina Lorin at
Venice. Ito ang itnuyrong dahilan ni Yilmaz
ng hirap na pagbalik ng Istanbul, Turkey.
Urong-sulong man si Yilmaz sa kanyang
pag-alis sa bansa, hindi nagbabago ang
paninindigan ni Annabelle Rama na huwag
siyang harapin. Hindi ganoon kadali para kay
Annabelle (pati na rin kay Eddie Gutierrez)
na harapin at kaagad na patawarin si Yilmaz.
Sabi niya, alam niyang mahal pa rin ni Ruffa
si Yilmaz kaya ganoon kadali para sa actress/
TV host na mapatawad ang Turkish-business-
man, pero iba ang istorya nila ni Tito Eddie.
Mahal man ni Ruffa si Yilmaz ay alam ng
actress/TV host na kailangan niyang tapusin
ang ilang commitments dito sa atin kaya hindi
pa din masasagot kung magkakabalikan pa si
Yilmaz at si Ruffa. Iyung pagpapatawad ay
madali para kay Ruffa dahil mahal pa rin niya
si Yilmaz, pero ang tanong dapat ay kung nakalimutan na ba ni Ruffa ang mga pananakit
sa kanya noon ng estranged husband? Madaing magpatawad, pero ang kalimutan ang mga
nagawa ni Yilmaz, malabo ‘yon sa ngayon!
Anyway, natutuwa at masaya sina Lorin at
Venice sa pagdating sa bansa ng kanilang ama.
Natutuwa rin si Annabelle sa bagay na ‘yon.
Para sa kaligayahan ng mga apo ay hindi na
nagkontrabida pa si Annabelle sa pagdating
dito sa ‘Pinas ni Yilmaz. Kahit hindi hinarap
ni Annabelle ang estranged husband ni Ruffa
ay pinadadalhan niya ito ng pagkain sa hotel.
Pati sasakyan ni Yilmaz ay si Annabelle rin
ang nag-aasikaso.
Shaina Magdayao
Pwede ng
Makipagboyfriend!
Kubrador Patuloy na
Namamayagpag sa Ibang Bansa
Umaani pa rin ng tagumpay at
papuri sa mga international film
festivals ang pelikulang ‘Kubrador’ na prodyus ng MLR Films ni
Atty. Joji Alonso at pinagbidahan
ni Gina Pareno, at dinirek ni Jeffrey
Jeturian. Nakuha ng Kubrador ang
ikasampung award sa Brisbane International Film Festival kung saan
ginawaran ang movie ng NETPAC
Jury Award para sa promotion ng
Asian Cinema. Kaya naman si Atty.
Joji, sobrang happy dahil sa recognition ng pelikulang Kubrador
at umaasa siya na makagagawa uli
siya ng ganitong klase ng movie na
mabibigyan pa rin ng recognition sa
ibang bansa.
Richard Ayaw tapatan ang dating
kaloveteam na si Angel Locsin!
Hindi pa man nagsisimula
ang teleserye na gagawin ni
Angel Locsin sa ABS-CBN
ay may narinig nang tsika
na ipantatapat daw ito sa bagong primetime show ni Richard Gutierrez sa GMA na
Kamandag.Walang kaso kay
Richard ang paglipat ng dati
niyang kaloveteam sa Dos
dahil sariling desisyon ‘yon
ni Angel pero ang hiling daw
sana ng pambatong matinee
idol ng Siyete ay huwag pagtapatin ang mga programa
nila.Tila hindi mangyayari
ang gusto ni Richard dahil
narinig naming ipantatapat sa
Kamandag ang Taong Lobo
nina Piolo Pascual at Angel
Locsin.
Debut na ni Shaina Magdayao sa Nov.6 at
pinayagan na siya ng parents na maligawan
pero personal choice niya na huwag munang
seryosong makipag-boyfriend. Pero open siya
sa pagsasabing pinakamasugid niyang manliligaw ang ka-loveteam na si Rayver Cruz.
Hindi raw naman dahil sa nangyari sa kanyang
Ate Vina (Morales) kaya ganoon ang desisyon
niya. In fact, natuwa pa raw sila nang tuluyan
nakipag-break ang Ate Vina niya sa boyfriend
nito. Wala raw naman siyang tampo sa naging
boyfriend nito pero ayaw niyang magsalita in
behalf of her family.
Basta sila raw, sinusuportahan nila ang Ate
niya anuman ang maging desisyon nito. Kung
anuman daw ang nangyari sa kanyang Ate Vina,
pinalitan naman ito ni Lord ng blessing, nang
manalo ito sa first Ikon Asean Grand Finals last
Sunday, August 12, sa Putrajaya International
Convention Center sa Malaysia. Tumanggap
din ito ng cash prize na $25,000.
Dalawa ang entry nina Shaina at Rayver sa MMFF 2007, ang Katas ng Saudi ng Maverick Films na kasama
nila sina Sen. Jinggoy Estrada at Lorna Tolentino, at ang Bahay Kubo na happy sila na muli nilang makakasama sa Bahay Kubo ng Regal Entertainment si Maricel Soriano.
Ok Naman Daw ang Relasyon Kristine
at Diether Ocampo
Pinaghandaan ni Diether Ocampo ang presscon ng
Star Magic para sa kanya kaya nasagot niya ang lahat ng
mga tanong ng entertainment press. Inasahan ni Diether
na magtatanong ang mga reporter tungkol sa status ng
relasyon niya kay Kristine Hermosa. Ayon kay Diether,
mas maayos ngayon ang relasyon nila ni Kristine.
“Okey kami. We’re much better now. So far, we’re
able to rectify some things. Technically, nililigawan
ko pa rin siya, hanggang ngayon.” Itinanggi ni Diether
ang balita na nakatira sila ni Kristine sa iisang bahay
pero ipinapaalam sa kanya ng asawa ang lahat ng ginagawa nito. “That I don’t know, at was it a friendly
kiss.” ang sagot ni Diether sa balita na may nakakita
nang halikan ng isang lalake si Kristine at nangyari ito
sa Hong Kong.
“Yeah, I know the guy. He’s her friend. He’s a very
nice guy. As far as I know, she’s there (in Hong Kong)
for a vacation with her family.”
From somebody in the know, mahal na mahal pa rin
ni Diether si Kristine.
Nagtataka nga raw siya dahil hindi maintindihan ng
mga tao ang present set-up ng “mag-asawa” na sila pa
rin pero malaya nilang magagawa ang gusto nila. Ito
ang unconditional love niya para kay Kristine na sinasabi ni Diether.
Itinanggi rin ni Diether ang balita na busy sa mga charitable nakikipag-date na siya sa ibang babae. Masyado
raw siyang project niya tulad ng K.I.D.S. Foundation at
R.E.D. (for reduce, eliminateand decrease under nutrition).
Ang Department of Education at Department of Health
ang katulong ni Diether sa pagpapaabot ng tulong para
sa mga nangangailangan. So far, umabot na sa 400,000
ang bilang ng mga libro na donation ng K.I.D.S. sa mga
public school. Contributing photographer din si Diether
sa mga fashion magazine tulad ng Metro. Ipinagmalaki
ni Diether na siya ang photographer ng 4-page sexy pictorial ng isang Brazilian model sa September 2007 issue
ng UNO magazine
Huimingi ng Dispensa kay Ryan
H
umingi muna ng dispensa kina Mother Lily at
Roselle Monteverde-Teo si Ryan Agoncillo bago
sabihing more concern siya sa quality ng My Kuya’s
Wedding kesa box-office result. Pero, gusto rin niyang kumita ito dahil first movie niya sa Regal at para
kay Maja Salvador.
Samantala, hindi alam ni Ryan kung saan galing
ang balitang magpo-propose siya ng kasal kay Judy
Ann Santos sa year 2008. Nagulat siya sa nabasa dahil wala pa silang balak pakasal at mas pinag-uusapan
nila kung saan sila titira after their wedding. Gusto
nito sa may Alabang area at tiyak siyang papayag din
ang girlfriend. Hindi pa rin napag-uusapan ng dalawa kung saang simbahan sila pakakasal, pero hindi
sa Manila Cathedral.
May mga kuwentong naririnig si Ryan na naghihiwalay ang celebrity couples na dito ikinakasal at
ayaw niyang mapasama sila ni Judy Ann sa listahan.
Ibig sabihin, married life forever ang gusto nito with
the actress.
22
SETYEMBRE, 2007
SPORTS
AKO ay Pilipino
International Navigation (Limassol) wins
Philippines Basketball League (Cyprus) 2007
D
ell of Nicmustaosia and Interorient Navigation of
Limassol were not bothered with the soaring temperature reaching 40C today to play the final games of the
championship. After two months of playing basketball every
Sunday and with the heat gradually creeping up all the time,
the Philippine Basketball League (Cyprus) 2007 is finally
over!
Donald Luzon scored 21 points and Ace Generoso chipped
in with 15 as Interorient Navigation topped DELL 52-49 to
claim the Philippine Basketball League 2007 title on Sunday
morning in Nicosia. Both teams went basket for basket from
the tip-off, but the Limassol side kept their cool in the last
minutes of the game and deservedly captured the championship title.
During the post-game show, spectators were able to enjoy
the performances of Wilma Dayrit, Karen Julongbayan as
well as Homeboys and G-girls from Limassol who recently
won the dancing competition for the Philippine Independence
Day celebration. The organizing committee then presented a
total of 13 awards, which was followed by serving Filipino
foods provided by team members and the organizing committee. The best team uniform award was given to the team from
Larnaca, while Jhovaline was awarded the Fair-play award.
Miss Jennyln Honrado, representing MoneyGram, received
the PBL 2007 Muse award. The youngest player award was
given to Karl Julongbayan of Interorient Navigation who is
13 years old, with the Best Coach award also heading to the
First game of the final series between Dell & Interorient Navigation
with the new Honorary Consul of the Philippines, Mrs. Shermaine Bushnel-Kyriakides, Mrs. Popi Votsi, General Manger of Western Union
in Cyprus and the Sports League Committee members (3rd June 07).
Tipp-off of the Final game of PBL (Cyprus) 2007
Limassol side with Marvin Santos claiming it.
The Mythical Five Award was given to Jeffrey Sarmiento
of DELL, Donald Luzon of Interorient Navigation, Allan Paul
de Leon of Jhovaline, Allan of Larnaca and Ronald Ramos of
MoneyGram. Interorient Navigation’s Donald Luzon also received awards for the MVP of the league and the Best Scorer.
Jeffrey Sarmiento of DELL was awarded as the player who
scored the most three-pointers throughout the competition.
On the first series of the final, which was played on 3rd June
2007, DELL used a punishing final quarter to claim an important 69-56 victory over Interorient Navigation and take a 1-0
lead in the best of three series of the Philippine Basketball
League 2007 finals. Mrs. Shemaine Bushnel-Kyriakides, the
new Honorary Consul of the Philippines, made an honorary
tip-off, which was greeted with a long applause by Filipino
spectators. Among the guests of the organizing committee was
also Mrs. Popi Votsi, the General Manager of Western Union
in Cyprus who sponsored the league. After the final buzzer, the
spectators had an opportunity to enjoy basketball even more
when the selected team of the league faced the CyBasketball.
com team in a game with many attractive moves. The CyBasketball.com team had the upper hand throughout the game
eventually winning it 73-46.
In the second game of the league finals which was held on
17th June 2007, Interorient Navigation defeated DELL convincingly with the score of 55-37 and tie the final series at
1-1, while in the game for the third place MoneyGram demol-
The PBL (Cyprus) 2007 Champion – Interorient Navigation
(Limassol)
PBL (Cyprus) 2007 Runner-up – Dell Team with the organizing
committee and Nemanja Bjedov (Referee)
ished Larnaca 61-36. After leading throughout the first half,
the Limassol side almost let their lead slip away when allowed
DELL to take the lead for the first time in the game towards
the end of the third quarter at 27-28. When everyone expected
DELL to take a complete control of the game in the final period Interorient Navigation came back strong scoring 26 points
and holding their opponent on seven to win the game and force
the deciding third game today.
The organizing committee would like to thank the following for their kindness and generosity for the success of the
league: Western Union and G.A.P. Vassilopoulos Worldwide
Removals for their sponsorship, Keravnos Club for letting us
use their court, Mr & Mrs Tony Kyriakides, Mrs Morena Pavlou, Mr Costakis Panagides, Messrs Photos Photiades, Lenia
from Limassol, Aida of Boracay Club (Limassol) and to all the
teams and committee members who provided foods and drinks
during the celebration after the game.
A game is not always possible without a referee, so we would
like to say a big thank you to Mr Nemanja Bjedov, who has always shown his professionalism to all the players and was assisted by Mr Amin Houmayoun, for their help and assistance.
Congratulations to all the players of each team for showing the
true spirit of sportsmanship during the games.
TAYO’Y MGA PILIPINO – MAGKAISA TAYO!!!
Ester C. Beatty
Interorient Navigation and Dell Teams with the Referees and
Committee members during the Final game of the PBL 2007
Championship.
MVP & Highest Pointers award winner - Donald Luzon of Interorient Navigation received his trophy from Nemanja Bjedov, PBL
2007 referee
St. Catherine (Limassol) Summer Sports League 2007
After more than three months of
non-stop playing of volleyball and
basketball, the awarding ceremony
of the Inter-community’s St. Catherine Summer Sports League 2007
in Limassol, Cyprus got underway
on the 5th August 2007.
Although feeling under the weather, Mr. Arnel Ambon, Committee
Vice Chairman & Statistician of
the sports league opened the muchawaited ceremony. Mr. Ambon emphasized to all the players and participants alike that with such sport
events, he hopes that this will bring
us closer in the spirit of friendship,
goodwill and unity regardless of our
race, religion and nationality.
Fr. Andrew Arhin, organizer on
behalf of St. Catherine Catholic
Church, delivered an inspirational
talk encouraging everyone that
through the love of God may this
event keep our community stronger
and to use what they have learned
and experienced from this event
positively. Ms. Emilyn Sorilla,
Committee Chairwoman, assisted
by Ms. Carmel Carton presented the
trophies and medals to winners as
well as minor awards to players.
In the volleyball category, Kartoudes Team proved to too strong
for Mantovani Team in the twiceto-beat final games rule, and were
crowned 2007 Champions. Third
and fourth place were Propan and
El-Shaddai respectively.
As well as the Championship
trophy, Kartoudes team players
also received the following minor
awards: Mai de los Santos for best
team captain, Loida Asug for best
stopper award and Amethylen Amoguez.received the MVP award. The
best service award was received
by Lakshika Muthumali of Ceylon
Team while the Best Sportsmanship/Fair-play award was presented
to Western Union Team headed by
their coach/player “Mummy” Ruth
Tagalicud, who kept on encouraging her team to keep smiling even if
they were losing badly!
Best Manager Award was given
to Mrs. Ester Beatty who has shown
her total support to her team, Western Union, travelling all the way
from Nicosia whenever possible,
giving them encouragement even
when they were not always winning. La Maison Team received the
best in team uniform as well as the
Miss Muse 2007, which was awarded to Ms. Nhorie Joy Elio during the
opening ceremony of the league on
the 15th April 2007.
The best 12 Filipino players
were also selected amongst the top
four teams who participated in the
league for the much anticipated all
Filipino (women) Inter-Island Volleyball tournaments, which comprises of the best Filipino volleyball
players from the towns of Larnaca,
Limassol, Nicosia and Paphos respectively, to be held sometime in
September or October this year.
In the basketball event, Antipolo
Team claimed the Championship
beating La Maison 2-1 games in the
best of three series, while Archirodon Team finished third overall.
Rodel Ereneo of Antipolo Team was
awarded the Most Valuable Player
of the league. Miss Crisanta Endozo mesmerized the crowds with
her beautiful voice and was joined
by Ms. Gemma Cabral to provide
the entertainment at the awarding
ceremony, which was thoroughly
enjoyed by everyone.
SPORTS
AKO ay Pilipino
Pangako ni Pacquiao
Tinupad at Ginawa na
Pinaghahanda na ng Filipino Ring Idol ang kanyang susunod na laban at umaasang
hindi bibiguin ang mga pinoy na umiidolo sa kanya
M
atapos ang pangangakong binitiwan ni Manny
Pacquiao ay nagsimula na nga itong magpapahirap sa kanyang sarili sa ensayo, nang magumpisa na siyang umispar. Sumabak na si Pacquiao sa
isparing, pero tatlong rounds lamang, dahil batid niyang
may jetlag pa ang isa sa tatlong kinontratang kaispar ni
American trainer Freddie Roach na si David Ravelo, na
dumating sa Pilipinas noong Linggo at agad nagtungo
sa Cebu City.
“Medyo pagod pa sa biyahe ‘yung kaispar ko, kaya 3
rounds muna kami,” sambit ni Pacquiao, na dinaan lang
sa bilis ang kaisparing. Inaasahang sa mga susunod na
isparing ay hahataw na ng husto ang Filipino ring idol,
tulad ng ginagawa nitong halos pagpapakamatay sa ensayo lalo na’t sa isang mahalagang laban.
Ang 28-anyos na WBC International super-featherweight champion ay naghahanda para sa rematch
kay Marco Antonio Barrera, na nakatakda sa Oktubre 6 sa Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino sa Las Vegas. Sa unang laban ng dalawa noong Nobyembre 15,
2003 sa San Antonio, Texas - - umiskor si Pacquiao ng
11th round TKO kay Barrera. Nakatakda ring dumating ang dalawa pang makakaispar ni Pacquiao na sina
Urbano Antillon at Jose Armando Sta. Cruz. Higit din
ang inspirasyong idinulot kay Pacquiao ng pagbisita ng
asawang si Jinkee at bunsong anak na si Mary Divine
Grace o Princess sa Cebu City.
“Miss na miss ko ang pamilya ko, kaya sila na lang
ang pinapunta ko dito (sa Cebu), para hindi na ako
maka-absent sa training kung ako pa ang pupunta sa
Maynila,” komento ni Pacquiao.
Ang dalawa pang anak ng mag-asawa na sina Emmanuel at Michael Stephen ay hindi nakasama dahil
may pasok na sa eskuwela ngayong araw.
Walang Budget ang Isports
Dahil sa hirap talaga ng buhay
sa ngayon, pati isports ay talagang
apektado. Nabatid kay chef de mission
Romeo Ribano na natapyasan ang RP
contingent para sa Asian Indoor Games
sa Macau, China dahil sa problema sa
budget.
“The sepak takraw hoop men’s and
women’s teams will not participate anymore in the event because they have
no budget,” ani Ribano, na idinagdag
na baka madagdagan pa ang mga national sports association na matulad
sa sepak takraw association (PASTA)
na ‘di makahagilap ng pondo para sa
palaro.
Apektado sa desisyon ng PASTA ang
11 players (5-men at 6-women) kasama
ang dalawang coach at isang opisyal, na
kagaya ng ibang NSAs ay nais gawing
tuneup ang Macau Games para sa 24th
Southeast Asian Games na nakatakda
naman sa Thailand sa Disyembre 6-16
kung saan overall defending champion
ang ‘Pinas.
Barrios May Ibubuga
D
epende sa magiging performance sa
Philippine Cup na tatalbog umpisa sa
Oktubre 14, ‘di malayong ma-extend
ang pagiging officer-in-charge sa PBA at tuloy
maging ganap na commissioner si Sonny Barrios. Tinuran kahapon ito ni PBA chairman Tony
Chua sa kanilang pagdalo ni Barrios sa weekly
PSA Forum.
“The PBA board of governors may extend Mr.
Barrios service as PBA OIC or even tap him as
full commissioner of the league if he performs
well in the forthcoming Philippine Cup,” ani
Chua.
Idinagdag niyang bagama’t may agreement
ang nakaraang board na pinamumunuan ni
Ricky Vargas ng Talk ‘N Text, na ‘di na ia-appoint sa commissionership ang magiging OIC,
‘di naman malayong masusugan ito kung para
sa kabutihan ng pro league.
Wala akong nakikitang maganda ba ang
magagawa ni Mr. Barrios, siguro puwede ring
i-amend ang previous agreement namin basta sa
ikabubuti ng PBA,” ani Chua.
Sa parte ni Barrios, inihayag niya sa kanyang
panunungkulan bilang OIC hanggang Marso
2008 na gagawin niya ang kanyang makakaya
kasabay sa patuloy sa pagbalangkas ng mga
programa nang nagbitiw na dating commissioner.
“All I can say is I’m doing all my best to
please the board and maintain the PBA as the
no. 1 sports entertainment in the land. We will
adapt most of the programs implemented by the
previous commissioner,” sambit niya.
Pansamantalang tumutuwang kay Barrios bilang consultant si dating commissioner Rudy
Salud. Ilan sa mga nakahilera na ang 5-game
simula sa Gen. Santos City, Manila at Cebu
City sa opening. Ang unang anim na kumisyuner ng liga ay sina Leopoldo Prieto (1975-1983)
, Col. Mariano Yenko (1983-1987), Atty. Rodrigo Salud (1988-1992), Reynaldo Marquez
(1992-1993), Emilio Bernardino, Jr. (19932002) at dating abogadong si Jose Emmanuel
Eala (2003-2007).
SETYEMBRE, 2007
23
Villanueva, Cruz bida
sa SMB 9-Ball Bacolod leg
Kinaldag nina Eduardo “Pikoy” Villanueva at Rene “Bata” Cruz ang
kani-kanilang kalaban para tumapos na undefeated sa 38 man-field ng
4th annual San Miguel Beer Philippine 9-ball Open noong Linggo sa
Celebrity Billiards and Bar sa Bacolod City.
Ang Bacolod City native Villanueva, runner-up kay eventual champion Jose “Amang” Parica sa 1993 RP 9-ball Open sa Ninoy, Aquino
Stadium, ay nag-bye sa first round at pagkatapos ay giniba sina Warren Kiamco (7-6), Manolo Tanasas (7-5), Ronnie Aying (7-6) at Jarry
Pelayo (7-5), ayon sa pagkakasunud-sunod.
Habang si Cruz mula Nueva Ecija ay nag-bye din sa opener at nagwagi kina Edgardo Sibuco (7-6), Ranel Bayona (7-2), Jimmy Cheng
(7-5) at Jose Drilon (7-2), para maisubi ang first two slots sa two-day
event (August 18-19), kung saan tumayong punong-abala si Negros
Billiard Stable (NBS) president at Billiards and Snooker Congress of
the Philippines (BSCP) director Jonathan Sy.
Samantala, nanaig naman sina tournament favorites Roberto Gomez
ng Divisoria, Zamboanga at Jharome Pena ng Marinduque, para makopo ang nalalabing
two remaining slots sa
loser’s brackets, sa raceto-7, double elimination format at samahan
sina Villanueva at Cruz
sa Grand Finals sa September 14-16. Tinalo ni
Gomez si Drilon (7-5),
habang umibabaw naman si Pena kay Pelayo
(7-5) sa one-loss side.
Pinoy ang
napiling Sports
Idol
Isa pang gymnast ang nakapasok sa elite list ng top young
athletes, matapos mahirang bilang ultimate Pinoy Sports Idol
sa pagsasara ng third season ng
contest kamakailan, na napapanood tuwing Sabado sa Studio 23. Si Renatina Lipasana,
tubong Kalunasan, Cebu City,
ay naging ikalawang gymnast
na tinanghal na top sports idol
kasunod ni second season winner Rizza Desiree Garcia ng
Tondo.
Ang 16-anyos na si Lipasana
ay nakakuha ng 95.86 points
mula sa televiewers’ text votes
at sa judges’ score sheets, para
talunin si dancesport bet Shaira
Hope Bocane at taekwondo jin
Krystel Joy Kuan. Siya rin ang
nakakuha ng ‘Texters’ Choice’
award, habang ang “Darling of
the Press’ ay napunta kay Bocane. Ang tatlo ay binigyan ng
college scholarship grants sa
alinmang unibersidad na nais
nilang pasukan sa kolehiyo.
AKO AY PILIPINO
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