august_2007_issue_WE..

AMERICAN DREAM
EXTENDED
NEWS 4
BALIK-TANAW 41
Thelma Unite is studying radio
and TV production in the US,
thanks to supportive employer
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filipino globe
hong kong / manila edition
Volume 1 Issue 10
www.filglobe.com
August 2007
Senior carers, families face deportation under new UK policy
Three senior carers who have worked
in Newport, England for four years
face losing their jobs and deportation
to the Philippines, reports say.
Malou Cortez, Casina Gabriel and
Socorro Santos (right) could lose their
right to work in the country under a
new Government system for immigrants.
The three came to Britain in 2003
when the government was actively recruiting carers from the Philippines.
They have since worked at The
Cottage Christian Nursing Home in
Newport.
Their work permits run out in less
than a month and they have been
refused extensions. It would leave
them without income, unable to claim
benefit and the government would be
likely to seek to deport them - along
with their families.
Cortez has two children, aged five
and 11, who have grown up in New-
port, while all three have husbands in
the town. “How do they expect me
to feel?” Cortez said. “I have an 11year-old daughter who is supposed to
go to secondary school in September.
Now we don’t know what is going to
happen.”
David Edgar, a legal expert from
the West Midlands, whose 79-yearold mother Ann is at the home, has
taken up their case.
As well as sympathising with the
situation, Edgar believes care at the
centre will suffer from losing them.
The care home and hundreds of others in the Britain, are likely to face a
staff shortage if they lose thousands
of Filipinos.
He said Malou’s children, although
born in the Philippines, are “practically English” having spent four years
in the country.
Shock over UK rules – Page 18
Pinoys miss
out on jobs,
fair deal
in Macau
Labor office powerless to help nationals
due to the absence of official recognition
Jose Marcelo in Hong Kong
With the Philippine labor office not officially recognised, Filipinos in Macau are underrepresented.
Filipinos in Macau are being denied
proper representation in labor disputes and missing out on job opportunities in the absence of a full Philippine consulate in the territory, a top
labor official said.
Macau-based labor attaché Carlos
Sta Ana said the host government has
all but clipped the authority of the
Philippines’ labor extension office in
the territory in recent years, preventing him from interceding on behalf of
Filipino workers in labor cases.
“[Macau] officials say they no longer recognise our authority to represent our workers and, worse, we’ve
been made aware that since we’re not
a recognised consulate, they can just
drive us out of here any time,” Sta
Ana told Filipino Globe.
“So you can see kung gaano kahirap
ang sitwasyon namin dito.”
The labor extension office, which
Sta Ana has headed since 2005, is the
Philippine government’s only presence in Macau apart from the consular missions held once a month by
INSIDE
Budget constraints
hamper efforts to
establish full mission
2
Problems beyond POLO 2
Editorial
22
the Hong Kong consulate, which has
jurisdiction over the former Portuguese colony.
But with its powers watered down,
Sta Ana’s team has been reduced into
an advice-giving body for distressed
Filipinos and a receiving point for
grievances which it passes on to the
Hong Kong consulate.
“There was one time when we were
asked by Filipino workers to intercede
in their labor talks with a big hotel casino,” Sta Ana said.
“But we were just brushed off by
the company’s lawyers who said they
do not recognise our authority to represent our workers.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
2
news
filipino globe
August 2007
I will resist pressure to close
down Macau office: Vicente
Congen admits serious difficulty in managing its operations from Hong Kong
Jose Marcelo in Hong Kong
Much as he would like to see a Philippine consulate rise in Macau, Consul
general Al Vicente says there are no
tangible signs it will happen anytime
soon.
“It all boils down to the budget, I
guess, at sa ngayon hindi pa nabibigyan ng priority,” said Vicente, who
has been batting for the creation of
a full consulate in the former Portuguese colony since he assumed office
in Hong Kong last year.
Vicente believes the growing number of Filipinos in Macau has made
the situation there impossible to manage from Hong Kong.
The latest communication Vicente
received from Macau raised that urgency. It urged the Philippines to fulfill its commitment to build a bigger
Macau presence, which it had made
in a bilateral conference in Beijing
among top-level government officials
a few years ago.
“It’s a standing commitment of
the Philippines to open [a consulate
there],” Vicente said. “In fact, pagdating ko pa lang dito sa Hong Kong,
that was among the first things they
told me.
“So I’ve once again been called by
their officials and they were saying,
‘Mr Consul general, I hope you’re not
losing sight of this commitment and
we would like to get a categorical answer on when you’ll do so.’
“I’m sure [Macau officials] are also
very much aware that the presence of
Filipinos there is growing and they
think that it’s all the more reason for
us to open what we call a career consulate.
“I think they are also being asked
by the government in Beijing so I told
them that I hope they do not think that
we’re reneging on it but the thing is,
the money part has always been the
problem.
“Once I suppose we get the budget,
I think we’ll be setting it up.”
The latest official statistics placed
the number of Filipino migrant workers in Macau at more than 10,000
– the second biggest in the territory
after workers from the mainland.
The number does not include undocumented workers who routinely
go to Macau in search of work on
cheap flights from the former Clark
Air Base in Angeles City.
Even other countries with fewer
nationals in Macau, recognising its
growing potential, are in a rush to
“Minsan naman I sent a letter to the
police in behalf of another Filipino na
nagkaroon ng kaso. Police officials
simply answered that they are dishonoring our letter.
“Even visitations to Filipinos imprisoned in Macau jails by their relatives, hindi na ino-honor ang sulat na
Pangasinan
Cattle rustling in Pangasinan
suffered another big blow
with the arrest of two people,
including the gang leader, in
separate raids by the police on
their respective residences in
San Carlos City.
The arrest of Ramos, alias
“Ponso”, suspected leader of
a cattle rustling syndicate in
San Carlos City and adjacent
municipalities, and Rogelio
Magno came three days after
the arrest of two other rustlers
in barangay Duclac Quiteb,
Urbiztondo.
Ramos, a resident of Balite
Sur in San Carlos City, has a
standing warrant of arrest for
murder with no bail bond for his
provisional liberty.
The raiders were armed
with a search warrant issued
by Regional Trial Court Judge
Ulysses Raciles Butuyan of
Branch 31 in Tayug town.
Davao
Consul general Al Vicente backs the
creation of a consulate in Macau but does
not see it happening any time soon.
BY THE NUMBERS
10,000
Filipino workers in Macau, comprising the
second-biggest group after mainlanders
set up consulates there. Indonesia is
set to open its Macau consulate this
month, Vicente said.
Aside from the embassy in Beijing, the Philippines also maintains
consulates in Hong Kong, Shanghai,
Guangzhou and Xiamen. Filipino migrant workers in Macau are far more
than in any of the four mainland cities.
“Macau is a [labor] market for us,
“
It all boils down
to the budget, I
guess ... hindi pa
nabibigyan ng
priority
AL VICENTE
Consul general to Hong Kong
especially for the skilled workers dahil they can apply for work directly.
Puwede nga iyong kahit tourist visa
ka lang, you can apply for work there.
Unlike dito sa Hong Kong, if you en-
ter as a tourist you have to exit as a
tourist,” he said.
“They need workers, that’s a fact,
with all the developments going on
there. That’s good for our workers
and the more we need to establish a
full presence there.”
Vicente is also aware of the difficulties encountered by the labor extension office in Macau manned by assistant labor attaché Carlos Sta Ana but
vowed to resist pressure from Macau
to close it down.
“The thing is, they don’t really
recognise [the labor extension office]
because in reality, that should be under a consulate,” he said.
“Para bang hindi nila binibigyan ng
importansiya dahil to them, it does
not suffice the requirements of a consulate.”
Problems beyond scope of labor attache
Grievances received regularly
by the labor extension office in
Macau are best addressed by an
assistance to nationals section
of a full consulate, not a labor
office, labor attache Carlos Sta
Ana said.
“Madalas ang mga idinudulog
sa amin ay problema ng pamilya,
di kaya mga reklamo ng mga
nabibiktima ng scam,” he said.
“Wala naman kaming magawa
kundi magbigay ng advice at iforward sa Hong Kong office ang
mga ibang complaints.”
But Sta Ana’s biggest concern
is the welfare of Filipino workers,
pointing out that Macau’s laws
on foreign workers are not as
clear-cut as Hong Kong’s and
labor terms – from compensation
to workers’ rights – are mostly
forged on the negotiating table.
Worse, Sta Ana has to do the
job with his hands tied behind his
back.
“Except for the contracts of
domestic helpers, Macau laws
on foreign workers are not welldefined,” Sta Ana said.
“So the more na nagiging
importante ang negotiations,
and the more na kailangan na
palaging may naka-alalay sa
ating mga workers.”
Jose Marcelo
Filipinos missing out on jobs and fair deal
FROM PAGE 1
ANGBANSA
galing sa amin. Humihingi muna sila
ng official letter from the Hong Kong
main office bago nila payagan.”
The lack of a full Philippine consulate in Macau, Sta Ana said, has also
hampered the labor department’s attempt to corner a major percentage
of the growing job opportunities that
have sprouted in what has become the
gambling capital of Asia.
“We can’t really take advantage of
the economic boom here because we
can’t even hold bilateral talks with the
government,” Sta Ana said.
“Kung may nakukuha man na trabaho para sa mga Pilipino ang mga
agencies natin, paambon-ambon lang.
Hindi tayo makalaban ng puspusan
dahil processing lang ng working
visa, kailangan pang tumawid muna
papuntang Hong Kong ang mga applicants.”
No explanation has been given for
Macau’s snub of the RP extension office, but consulate officials in Hong
Kong admit the mainland government
has grown frustrated over the Philippines’ failure to fulfill its commitment
to set up a consulate in Macau.
The Philippine Association of
Social Workers, Davao City
chapter, led the oath-taking of
new social work board passers.
Davao chapter president
Liwayway Caligdong said the
65 new social workers are
graduates of bachelor of science
in social work from Notre Dame
of Marbel University, Cotabato
City State Polytechnic College,
Notre Dame of Tacurong
College, Siliman University,
Ateneo De Davao University,
Holy Cross of Davao College
and University of Mindanao.
Director Josephine VillegasLiamzon of the Professional
Regulation Commission
administered the oath.
Two of the new social workers
placed eighth during the recent
board examinations.
Parents and social work
program coordinators and
academics were honored during
the ceremonies.
Bacolod
The Bacolod Traffic Authority
Office said only 10 per cent of
drivers in the city are habitual
traffic violators, most of them
passenger utility jeepney
drivers.
Pastor Edgardo Agtoto,
traffic authority chief urged
commuters and pedestrians to
help discipline those habitual
violators by obeying traffic
rules themselves.
Agtoto cited the need for
continuing education of drivers
to instill discipline. Erring ones
will be apprehended.
“Disciplined drivers must not
follow the undisciplined but
also teach them to obey the
rules,” he said.
“Passengers must also
observe loading and unloading
areas and use pedestrian
lanes. Let us maintain order in
the streets.”
filipino globe
August 2007
3
4
news
filipino globe
August 2007
Thelma Unite lives US dream
Backed by her employers, she is taking a course in TV and radio production
Gilda M Bernal in Hong Kong
I
am going places ... faraway places
I only saw in my dreams,” said the
voice on the other line. It was an
early Monday morning in Hong Kong
and around four o’clock on Sunday
afternoon in California. Thelma Unite
was thousands of miles away, enjoying the cool breeze of the West Coast
when she was interrupted by a call
from this writer. “I wish you could really see how happy I am to be here,”
she said.
“Here” is what Unite calls her
dream. Here is Huntington Beach City
in Orange County, her new home,
where she is about to start her studies
in radio and television production in
Golden West College. Here is where
she starts a new life.
From being a foreign domestic
worker, Unite is now a foreign student in a foreign land.
Stories like this don’t come often.
But when you hear the excited, almost childlike voice of Unite on the
other line, you know she is living her
dream. You can’t help but wonder
how she got there.
It’s a leap of faith, coupled by determination and luck that brought Unite
to the US. High school educated,
Unite worked as a domestic worker
in Hong Kong for 10 years. “I had no
choice but to work in Hong Kong but
it did not stop me from doing something more,” she adds.
Unite said she was determined to
study. With help from her employers,
Francis Thong, director of information technology at the Hong Kong
International School, and Roseanne
Thong, a writer, she started to learn
about computers.
“I want to learn because I want to
inspire others to learn,” the 31-yearold said. And this mantra inspired her
even more to start building a library in
her hometown Ballesteros, Cagayan.
The drive paved way for Care@
Unite Foundation in 2003, which
delivers educational resources and
equipment (mostly computers) to
public day care centers, schools and
libraries in the Philippines. Scores of
underprivileged children are also recipients of financial and educational
assistance in her hometown.
“My employers saw how determined I was to make something out
of myself. I am blessed and they have
helped me believe in myself more,”
Unite said.
Late in 2006, her lady employer
asked about her plans after she’s done
working in Hong Kong. The Thong
family has decided to migrate to the
US and they did not want Unite to be
left behind.
“Then they told me about the idea
of supporting my studies, not in Hong
Kong but in the US,” she said. “I
thought they were kidding but I realized that they must have been planning this for a while.”
The application process was not
easy. But Unite’s determination was
unwavering; she grabbed the chance
to finally get out of her domestic work
status and get herself back to school.
She narrowed down which course she
would like to take and the college near
her employers’ place in Huntington.
Then she had to apply and study
for a placement exam. “My [alaga]
ward gave me some money and I used
that to buy reviewers. She took an
“
It was her dream.
So we gave her an
opportunity to put
her foot in the door
by bringing her to
the US
FRANCIS THONG
Employer
Thelma goes
on camera to
interview a
contestant
on Pop Fans
American Idols
for TV Guide.
Below, on her
way to school
in Huntington,
Orange County.
English proficiency (TOEFL) test in
Hong Kong and flew to California for
her placement test. “My computer experience helped me a lot because the
tests were computerised.”
She learned late in May that she
was accepted into Golden West College. It is located at the heart of Huntington Beach coastal community
and has around 13,000 students. The
website of GWC says the school was
founded in 1965 as part of the California Community College system. It
offers various two-year college courses and vocational certificates that can
be used to transfer to a university program.
“I’ve always wanted to work in a
radio or television show. Maybe I can
even continue my studies and transfer to one of the bigger universities,”
Unite said. “But I am just happy to be
studying again for the next few years,
and it’s a big step for me.”
Her employers have agreed to
shoulder the cost of the first year
of her studies and will give her a
monthly allowance. The tuition fees
for the year alone is about US$16,000
(roughly HK$125,000), an amount an
ordinary domestic worker could only
earn after more than three years of
working in Hong Kong.
“She’s a go-getter.Very motivated
and very passionate for the things she
believe in,” said Francis Thong of
Unite. “We saw her potential to succeed and we wanted her to go beyond
just being a domestic worker.”
Thong recalled that in the more
than six years that Unite worked with
them, all she talked about was going
to school.
“It was her dream. So we gave her
an opportunity to put her foot in the
door by bringing her to the US,” he
said, adding that Unite’s chance of
success is greatly multiplied if she
gets to the US.
“But I told her that although education is very important, if a good opportunity comes her way, she can grab
it and if she wants to further her studies she can do so,” Mr Thong said.
“Education is a life-learning process and what is important is what
she learns in life, how she learns from
people, how she listens, how she projects herself.”
Unite is welcome to stay at the
Thong residence in Huntington for as
long as she wants.
But she also needs to find her way
after a while and start to do things on
her own.
“I studied in the US too and was
on a scholarship grant and I think
Thelma, with her potential and desire
to learn, can also do the same,” Mr
Thong said.
From a once impoverished life,
Unite has stepped into a new chapter
where all roads to success move forward.
Unite’s older sister Fely, who also
works in Hong Kong, said Thelma has
always been talented. “She can sing,
she can act, she can even write.”
More importantly, Thelma knows
how to dream big.
ANGBANSA
Benguet
Municipal mayor Ruben Paoad
said his town, located some
20 kilometers north of Baguio
City, is determined to join the
regionwide development of
tourist areas as its contribution
to the growing international
popularity of eco-tourism in the
Cordillera region.
President Gloria MacapagalArroyo launched eco-tourism
in the area during her official
visits to the far-flung areas of
Apayao Province, including the
easternmost town of Barlig,
Mountain Province.
These areas are seldom
visited by tourists until the
recent tourism promotions by
the government.
Paoad said the historic
Paterno Cave offers pleasant
natural sceneries of forest
areas and hectares of terraced
farms, adding these natural
attractions will draw tourists.
Cebu
An association of spa owners
in the country is asking the
government to regulate and
monitor the operations of spa
and wellness establishments.
Marjorie Lopingco, Spa
Association of the Philippines
president, said the government
should check “incompetent” spa
establishments.
Spa and Wellness Association
of Cebu president Johnie Lim
echoed Lopingco’s call. Lim said
there are several “low quality”
spa outlets in Cebu.
He said the proliferation of
spas may be the result of high
demand for such services.
Spa “is not a trend anymore,
but a lifestyle,” he said on the
sidelines of an industry forum.
But he said there are small
spas with insufficient amenities
that offer the same services
as those accredited with the
Department of Trade and
Industry.
Baguio
The Department of Public
Works and Highways said
that the second flyover of
this mountain resort 250
kilometers north of Manila
will be finished in December
next year to further ease the
traffic problem in the central
business district.
DPWH regional director
Mariano Alquiza said that
more than five years ago,
foreign consultants saw the
need for the infrastructure
project to complement the
first flyover at the end of
the 100-kilometer Halsema
Highway linked to the main
city thoroughfares.
Known as the BGH Rotunda
flyover, it connects the allweather Marcos Highway and
Kennon Road to the various
city routes like Governor Pack
Road and Kisad Road.
filipino globe
August 2007
5
6
news
filipino globe
August 2007
Cheung’s hiring privileges remain suspended, says Labatt
Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung
(right) and his wife will have to
go through the scrutiny of Filipino
labor officials if they hope to employ
another Filipina domestic helper in
the future.
Labor attaché Romy Salud pointed
this out to a representative who
introduced herself as the secretary
of Cheung’s wife – retired actress
Wei Lo. She went to the consulate
on August 16 to inquire about the
process the celebrity couple must
follow in hiring another Filipino
helper.
Salud said Cheung and his wife’s
privilege to hire another Filipina
helper has been under suspension
since the highly publicised theft case
against their former helper, Preslyn
Catacutan, was filed in court in
August last year.
Although it was the Cheungs
who had filed the case and even if
Catacutan’s conviction had been
upheld by the High Court, Salud
said the consulate’s policy requires
that all employers involved in cases
against their maids need to go
through an assessment before the
suspension can be
lifted.
“We’ll just follow
the process,” said
Salud. “I’m keeping
an open mind about
it. This [case]
happened before
my time kasi, so I need to get a full
grasp of the situation and hear what
they have to say before making a
decision.”
An August 28 appointment has
been arranged by Lo’s secretary for
the couple to meet with Salud.
The consulate has blacklisted
more than 100 employers in its drive
against maltreatment of Filipina
helpers. Assistant labor attaché Nida
Romulo said the ‘sensitive issues’
raised during Catacutan’s trial make
an evaluation all the more essential.
“We’re not denying them that
privilege naman, but we need to
appraise the situation before giving
the go-signal if she wants to hire
another Filipina domestic helper
again,’’ said Romulo.
“We all know that this has been a
very sensitive case. At kami kasi ang
mananagot sa gobyerno natin. Kung
basta-basta na lang namin inallow
‘yan at tapos may nangyari, baka
akusahan pa kami that we allowed
one of our helpers to step into a
lion’s den.”
Consulate employees claimed
labor officials were not happy with
the aggressive manner in which Lo’s
secretary made the approach.
Romulo shrugged off questions
about the secretary’s attitude but was
quick to add: “Nirerespeto naman
natin sila pero dapat respetuhin rin
nila tayo.”
Jose Marcelo
Learn from Preslyn’s
experience: barrister
High Court cites breach of trust in denying her appeal
Jose Marcelo in Hong Kong
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Breach of trust. These words should
ring clear in the minds of Filipino
workers, more so domestic helpers, if
they do not want to bear the full brunt
of Hong Kong law, cautioned barrister Ody Lai.
Lai, the only Filipino barrister practising common law in the territory,
said any offense committed in Hong
Kong that involves a betrayal of trust
between employee and employer are
dealt with severely by the courts and,
more often than not, result in prison
sentences.
“Almost mandatory ang pagkakulong kapag may breach of trust na
involved. Kaya dapat mag-ingat ang
mga kababayan natin,” Lai said in the
wake of the High Court’s decision
denying Preslyn Catacutan’s appeal
against a theft conviction
With the territory’s economy driven
by service-based businesses, Hong
Kong cannot afford the trust between
employer and employee to break
down, lest the whole system collapses. That is the reason its laws hold this
element sacred, Lai said.
The breach-of-trust factor had
weighed heavily when Catacutan,
then represented by Lai, was jailed
for six months by a lower court for
stealing three photos and a letter from
the Repulse Bay home of Canto-pop
star Jacky Cheung last December.
It was cited by High Court Judge
Verina Saeeda Bokhary when she
denied Catacutan’s bid to quash the
conviction.
“Maraming classification kasi ang
theft. There’s theft between strangers, pick-pocketing for example. Or
nagpunta ka sa Park N’ Shop, nagshoplifting ka, theft rin iyan. O kaya
may naiwan na gamit ang ibang tao sa
mesa, kinuha mo, theft rin ‘yan.
“Ang problema kasi ngayon, may
theft na sinasabing breach of trust, at
ito iyong nangyari kay Preslyn. Like
kung ninakawan mo ang kaibigan mo,
or iyong employer mo. Or kung nagtatrabaho ka sa isang office at kumuha
ka kahit coupon bond lang or scotch
tape, breach of trust yan.
“Kapag ganoon, nagiging aggravated theft na kasi may kasamang pagsalungat ng kumpiyansa.”
Domestic helpers are in a more
delicate situation, Lai said, since they
serve in their employers’ homes and
news
filipino globe
August 2007
ANGBANSA
Borongan
Pope Benedict XVI has named
a Boholano the new bishop of
the diocese of Borongan, which
covers Eastern Samar.
Fr Crispin Varquez succeeds
Bishop Leonardo Medroso, who
was assigned to the diocese of
Tagbilaran in October 2006.
Varquez is the outgoing
vicar-general in the Borongan
diocese and curate of St
Joseph the Worker parish in
Tagbilaran City, Bohol.
His appointment was
announced by the Vatican
in Rome. It was announced
simultaneously in Manila by
Msgr Wojciech Zalsuki, charge
d’affaires of the apostolic
nunciature.
Varquez was born in Sevilla,
Bohol. He studied philosophy at
the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Seminary in Tagbilaran and
Theology at St Augustine Major
Seminary in Tagaytay City.
North Cotabato
Goat raisers across the province
are upbeat about the prospect
of the goat raising industry
to complement the provincial
government’s rubber/oil palm
coconut-based ruminants
program.
North Cotabato vice-governor
Emmanuel Piñol, in a recent
meeting with goat raisers,
said the program aims to
bolster goat-raising as another
means of livelihood for farming
communities.
“The [province’s goat-raising]
industry definitely assures our
goat raisers and small farm
families of better income,” Piñol
said.
Under the program, some
10 pairs of Boer goats would
be distributed by the provincial
government to farming
associations for them to breed
and share its offspring to
counterparts in neighboring
villages.
Iloilo
Preslyn Catacutan had hoped to quash the conviction and clear her name.
After the ruling by the High Court, Preslyn has decided not to appeal.
are entrusted with everything a person
holds dear – from valuables to their
loved ones.
Because of this, Lai said domestic
helpers can never be too careful when
it comes to handling valuables of their
employers.
“Number one, remember that ang
property ng amo mo is under your
care and safe-keeping. Kahit nga
mga sulat, kahit walang value ‘yan,
possession pa rin ng amo mo ‘yan.
Huwag mong salungatin yon. Sabi
nga, huwag kang bantay salakay,” she
said.
“Ang dapat na tandaan mo, kung
may duda ka, huwag mong kukunin,
puwera na lang kung may expressed
permission ang amo mo. Pati nga
iyong mga bagay na ibinigay sa iyo,
kung puwedeng kumuha ka ng written permission, mas maganda.
“Or kung maaari sumulat ka ng
thank you note at i-Xerox mo para
may katibayan ka na ibinigay sa iyo
‘yon.”
Lai, who has handled over 30 cases
involving Filipinos since starting her
Hong Kong practice in 2000, said that
more often than not, it is the domestic
helpers’ negligence that has led them
to fall foul of the law.
She cited the case of a Filipina maid
who was caught stealing $20 from her
employer and was sentenced to one
month in prison two years ago. Another maid who was charged and convicted of siphoning what amounted
to loose change from her employers’
grocery money was given a one-week
sentence, she added.
“Pero mas marami sa ating mga domestic helpers mapagkakatiwalaan.
Kahit sino ang tanungin mo, sasabihin sa iyo mga Pilipino pa rin ang
kanilang pinagkakatiwalaan.”
The provincial government of
Aklan is optimistic it can reach
its target of one million tourists
in Boracay by 2010.
Aklan provincial planning
officer Roger Esto said nearly
600,000 tourists visited
Boracay last year.
He said direct flights from
South Korea to Aklan boosted
the number of tourists in the
island.
Direct flights from China will
start in September, Esto said.
He did not disclose the airline.
Esto said Boracay is
getting a good exposure with
the island now becoming a
venue for major international
conventions.
This week, the island plays
host to the 18th Asean Senior
Officials on Environment
(Aseon) meeting with the
participation of three senior
officials on environment of
Japan, Korea and China.
For advertising inquiries
Bob Waterfield (Hong Kong) 9470 2764
Ricky Sumallo (Philippines) 0917 539 0486
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Josephine Miranda (Philippines) 0920 951 6917
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7
8
news
filipino globe
August 2007
Storm rains out nurse hopefuls
NCLEX examinees get second chance in Manila after Hong Kong test is cancelled
Adan Magnaye in Hong Kong
One of certainly the last batches of
Filipino nurses, doctors and professionals going to Hong Kong for the
regular National Council Licensure
Examination for registered nurses in
the US did not count on one additional test to their already frayed nerves:
Typhoon Signal No 8.
The disruption caused by tropical
storm Pabuk to Hong Kong on the
afternoon of August 10 took its usual
toll on local businesses and commuters rushing for home.
And an unwitting victim of the shutdown of offices and activities in the
SAR on that wet, gloomy Friday was
a group of Filipina travelers who had
been scheduled to take the tests – their
ticket to their American dream.
Some did not get to sample the computerised adaptive tests at all, having
been told on their arrival at the testing
center at the Grand Millennium Plaza
in Sheung Wan that their session was
cancelled, just like every activity in
the SAR whenever Typhoon Signal
No 8 was in effect.
But one unlucky Filipina, Angelica
Joy Soria, of Badoc town in Ilocos
Norte, managed to answer 10 questions before she was told she could no
longer continue.
“Nilapitan ako ng proctor,” she said.
“Sabi niya ‘We need to stop you.’ Di
naman sinabi kung bakit. Akala ko
me nagawa akong violation. Paglabas
ko ng cubicle, marami nang Filipina
doon. Around 15 kami siguro. Saka
lang sila nag-explain kung bakit.”
All is not lost for Soria, a nurse at
The Medical City’s operating room
for the past 1 ½ years, and other hopefuls like her who were left frustrated
by that black Friday.
Rita Chen, who was manning the
reception desk that weekend for test
administrators Pearson VUE, told
Filipino Globe that all of them would
have another chance to take the examination.
“The Candidates Office department will contact each one of them
on Monday, the first working day, and
arrange a rescheduling,” Chen said.
“Every candidate will be properly advised. If they don’t receive a call, they
can get in touch with our Asia-Pacific
office (in Australia).”
Kane Johnson, supervisor of a
group taking Asia-Pacific Pearson
An imperfect storm blew slightly off
course Angelica Joy Soria’s (right)
pursuit of her American dream at
quite a cost.
Unable to take her scheduled
NCLEX test in Hong Kong because
of tropical storm Pabuk, she returned
to Manila waiting for another chance
to take the examination for which she
had already spent a ton.
Good thing she won’t have to pay
additional money for the rescheduling, and she has the option of sitting
the exam in Manila, where the test
has been made available only starting
this month. And she is fortunate too to
have a generous benefactor to finance
her ambition.
Joy’s aunt, Edith Kimpo, has been
working since the `70s as a nurse at
Metro Manila
A janitress has turned
over 1,100 US dollars
(over P50,000) she found
while cleaning a hallway in
preparation for the arrival of
newly crowned world champion
Gerry Penalosa at Terminal 2 of
the Ninoy Aquino International
Airport.
Vicky Tolentino could have
kept the money for her four
kids but the idea never crossed
her mind even if the 11 pieces
of 100 US dollar bills were
wrapped only with tissue paper.
“I was supposed to throw the
tissue in the trash can when I
felt the money inside,” the 31year-old Taguig resident said.
Tolentino instead reported
the matter to her immediate
supervisor, Roland Pareja,
who accompanied her to the
Intelligence and Investigation
Division to return the money to
its rightful owner.
South Cotabato
The Hong Kong test center at the
Grand Millennium Plaza in Sheung Wan
is one of only three outside the US.
The test will now also be administered
in Manila from the end of this month.
VUE calls for NCLEX inquiries, also
assured there was no problem in rescheduling and taking the exam at another location, Manila included – at
no extra cost – as long as the reasons
warrant it.
Indeed on her return to Manila, 23year-old Soria received word from
Pearson VUE. She is now scheduled
to take the exam on August 29 at the
Trident Tower in Makati City.
Other examinees who were rained
out took the ordeal with a smile. Neither did they blame Pearson VUE for
the cancellation of their test sessions.
“It’s not their fault na di kami nakatake ng exam. The decision came
from the Hong Kong government.
There’s nothing we can do about it,”
said one examinee.
Her consolation? She had more
time to explore the city. “Hong Kong
is a beautiful city. We might as well
enjoy our time here.”
Hong Kong, Seoul and London
were the first cities outside the United
States to offer the licensure test in
BY THE NUMBERS
60,000
Amount in pesos needed to take the US
nursing licensure exam in Hong Kong
2005. Manila is the latest international outpost to be chosen for regional
tests, with the initial batch of candidates sitting for the exams on August
23 this year.
Registration for the pioneering test,
also to be conducted by Pearson VUE,
did not start until July 13 and was not
announced until just days earlier.
By that time, Soria and her fellow
candidates had already made arrangements for the Hong Kong examinations. Pulling out would have meant
additional costs. A request for a
change in schedule alone required a
fee of US$50.
They also stood to forfeit a large
chunk of the money they paid for
plane fare and hotel accommodation.
Taking the NCLEX test in Hong
Kong, according to one examinee,
costs at least P60,000. “Kaya pag nahirapan ka sa exam at feeling mo di ka
pumasa, isipin mo na lang na natalo
ka sa sugal,” she said. “Pag pumasa
ka naman, malaki ang balik sa investment mo. Para ka ding tumama ng
jackpot.”
More fortunate than Soria were
Makati City resident Katrina Maclang
and Cherrie Prowel of Paranaque.
Both were able to complete their
sessions in Hong Kong on August
9, when Pabuk was but a sneeze and
only Typhoon Signal 3 was hoisted.
But Katrina and Cherrie had also
entertained thoughts of taking the exams on August 10 on the advice of a
superstitious friend who had told them
that after the number 8, the number 10
was the next lucky number preferred
by the Chinese.
For Soria, though, neither number
proved auspicious.
Missed chances, unfinished business and city tour gone sour
Adan Magnaye in Hong Kong
ANGBANSA
the St Luke Roosevelt Hospital in
New York.
Now close to retirement,
Kimpo
would like nothing
better than to see
a kin follow in her
footsteps and enjoy the benefits of
working as a registered nurse in the
US. Kimpo shouldered Joy’s expenses – from the cost of the review to her
trip to Hong Kong for the exam on
August 10.
According to Joy, she had to pay
P19,500 for review sessions at the
Gapuz Review Center – that’s for 12
days of comprehensive review and
five days of final coaching.
She also had to pay US$307 for her
test application and scheduling on top
of the phone calls to the Asia-Pacific
offices of New South Wales-based
Pearson VUE, which administers
the regional computerised adaptive
tests for the National Council of State
Boards of Nursing of the US.
On her trip to the SAR, her aunt, Pat
Cunanan, of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, accompanied the comely 23-year-old.
They took advantage of a Cebu Pacific promotional tour package offer
in June, where each paid US$292, excluding the customary P1,600 travel
tax, for a three-day, two-night stay in
the SAR.
In the hotel lobby, while waiting for
the bus to take the pair back to Chek
Lap Kok for the trip home, Joy could
only look with envy at some fellow
examinees – not because of the bulky
shopping bags and Giordano merchandise they were carrying.
These other girls had somehow
managed to take the examinations
either a day earlier despite Typhoon
Signal No 3 on the morning of August
10, just hours before Joy herself was
scheduled for a test.
In fact, Joy managed to answer
10 questions before her session was
abruptly called off because of Pabuk’s
growing menace.
However, Joy managed to stay upbeat despite her misfortune. Maybe
her luck will change for the better
when it comes to her next actual test,
she said.
But her aunt Pat had more cause tor
complain.
“Di ba puwedeng i-refund ang gastos?” she asked, half-joking.
As it turns out, she was in Hong
Kong not only to provide morale support to Joy but also to take a city tour.
She missed out on that, too.
Two crude bombs ripped
through a bus terminal in
southern Philippines, killing one
and wounding an undetermined
number, in the second attack in
as many months on the station,
police said.
Robert Kuinisala, police chief
in South Cotabato province, said
a man was killed instantly when
the first device exploded at
about 5.30 pm at the terminal in
Koronadal City. Minutes later, a
second bomb exploded inside a
parked commuter bus, he said.
“We’ve sent some people to
investigate the explosions,” he
said, adding a group engaged
in extortion activities could be
behind the attacks.
“The bus company got
telephone calls early in the day
from a group called al-Khobar
demanding protection money.”
On July 7, an improvised
bomb exploded at the same
terminal in Koronadal City.
Cagayan de Oro
City Mayor Constantino G.
Jaraula has vowed to transform
the Cogon public market into
an ideal marketplace that will
benefit residents and the city
government.
Jaraula made the remarks as
he inspected the Cogon market
with Senator Mar Roxas and
saw the vast potential for
economic feasibility of the
public market’s second and
third levels.
He ordered the City
Economic Enterprise
Department to list down
vendors occupying the atrium
of the Cogon market’s ground
floor in preparation for the
move.
They will be relocated to
the second floor while the
atrium will be used as an open
space for special events and
gatherings.
A fountain will also be
installed in the atrium.
news
filipino globe
10 agencies
suspended,
scores on
watch list
August 2007
Short courses
get boost as
participating
schools hit 400
Through the
practice of
reprocessing,
workers cleared for
work abroad could
find themselves
doing jobs different
from what they
signed for.
POEA crackdown targets growing
practice of illegal reprocessing
Edgar Serrano in Manila
Ten recruitment agencies have been
suspended and many more are on the
watch list in the latest crackdown on
erring employment firms, Philippine
Overseas Employment Administrator
Rosalinda Baldoz said.
RDRI International Manpower,
Town International Manpower and
Skyline International Placement have
had their licenses cancelled while the
rest were given from six to 12 months’
suspension.
Sources said another batch of about
100 agencies face suspension for circumventing the reform package on the
deployment of household workers.
Baldoz said recruitment agencies
deploying domestic helpers to the
Middle East are under tight watch
after reports of a practice called “reprocessing”.
Under the practice, agencies process
the worker’s employment documents
for valid job orders but for other employment categories such as salesladies and service crew of accredited
principals.
Baldoz said the workers end up as
domestic helpers or for a position or
employment different from the one
appearing in the employment contract.
Most of the workers interviewed by
the Labor Assistance Office at NAIA
before their departure for the Middle
East were processed as skilled workers, office personnel or for positions
that do not require verification of in-
dividual employment contracts.
Meanwhile, the 10 agencies criticised the suspensions, saying they
were carried out without prior hearing. They said the complaints against
them were based solely on reports by
the Licensing and Regulation Office
9
and observation of the Labor Assistance Center.
In defending its action, the POEA
said the agencies “acted in utter disregard and with the end in view of
circumventing the reform package for
household service workers.
More than 400 colleges and
universities across the country have
adopted the ladderised education
program, the Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority
said.
There are 221 such programs in
95 public schools and 641 in 371
private schools, offering courses in
agriculture, business, tourism, health,
information technology and maritime
science.
The ladderised education program
is designed to give school leavers
an opportunity to take up short-term
vocational courses while having
the option to continue their degree
courses.
Secretary Buboy Syjuco, Tesda
director general, said 127,885
scholarships have been distributed
nationwide under LEP.
More than 47,824 trainees in short
courses requiring critical skills in key
disciplines have graduated.
Syjuco said more than 16,000
graduates have found immediate
employment, helping address the
jobs mismatch in the country.
Tesda has established a language
institute at its Taguig complex,
allowing overseas workers to gain
workplace language skills. The new
facility was recently inaugurated by
President Arroyo.
Egay Serrano
10
news
filipino globe
August 2007
Clash looms as troops press on
Army pursues rebels in heightened offensive even as peace moves continue
A major gunbattle is imminent as
government troops close in on Abu
Sayyaf rebels and their Moro National Liberation Front supporters, armed
forces chief General Hermogenes Esperon Jr (right) said.
The rebels are believed to have been
involved in the killing of 26 Army
soldiers last week.
“We are optimistic that probably
anytime we could register another
encounter against them and probably
inflict more casualties on the Abu
Sayyaf,” Esperon said.
The government is stepping up its
military offensive in Mindanao even
as efforts are under way through diplomatic channels to prevent further
bloodshed.
BY THE NUMBERS
120
Rebels and supporters in a group being
pursued by troops after killing of 26 soldiers
A peace process in Malaysia hopes
to bring both sides of the conflict to
the negotiating table, while local executives in the Mindanao autonomous
region are pressing their bid to reach a
political settlement.
Meanwhile, Esperon and presidential adviser on military affairs, retired
Army general Arturo Carillo, turned
over financial assistance from President
Arroyo to the families
of the slain soldiers and
wounded personnel.
Esperon said the military is “not growing
impatient” over the re-establishment
of the armed contact.
He said he is fully aware that the
soldiers are doing their best to pursue
the group.
The pursued groups are led by
Radullan Sahiron of the Abu Sayyaf
in Sulu, and Albader Parad and a certain Dr Abu.
Believed to be with them are the
two leaders of the Southeast Asian
regional terrorist network, Jemaah Is-
lamiyah’s Dulmatin and Omar Patek.
Dulmatin is believed to have been injured in an earlier clash.
The estimated 120-man Sahiron
group was behind the ambush of
Army soldiers who were on a supplyprocurement mission to Jolo town.
All 11 members of the team died in
the ambush.
Pursuing troops caught up with the
ambushers the same day, leaving 15
dead and nine soldiers injured.
The military said 27 Abu Sayyaf
bandits and cohorts died in the ensuing clash.
Esperon said there is no stopping
the military from pursuing the offensive against the Al Qaeda-linked Abu
Sayyaf and their cohorts.
Egay brings
more misery
to a battered
Metro Manila
August 2007
ANGBANSA
Dagupan
The sari-sari store will take
center stage with the holding
of a Sari-Sari Store Exhibit in
Dagupan on September 28-30.
The fair, under the auspices
of Northern Luzon retail giant,
City Supermarket, is believed
to be the first of its kind in the
country.
To be attended by sari-sari
store owners from Region 1,
the exhibit includes a seminar
with top suppliers of consumer
goods as speakers who will
teach hands-on owners of
sari-sari stores on how to make
their small business viable.
Dagupan City vice-mayor
Belen Fernandez, whose
family owns CSI, said from
80 to 100 main suppliers of
assorted consumer goods will
be on hand to guide sari-sari
store owners and prospective
entrepreneurs so that they can
run their small enterprises.
Cebu
Behind thick stone walls topped
by electrified razor wire, one of
cyberspace’s most unlikely hits
is already warming up as the
rest of Cebu stirs from sleep.
Pockets of inmates stretch and
practice their latest moves. Then
the morning workout gets under
way in earnest in the exercise
yard of the Cebu provincial
detention and rehabilitation
Center.
In their identical orange prison
Raul Acedre in Manila
A spot of sunshine broke through
the clouds for the first time in almost
a week, but Metro Manila and
neighboring areas remained in the
clutches of super typhoon Egay.
Increased threat of rain and
flooding forced Malacanang to
suspend classes and shut government
offices for the third day running on
Friday in the proverbial lull before
the storm.
Metro Manila is still reeling from
the chaos and destruction wrought by
heavy rains this week in the eye of
the monsoon season.
The National Disaster Coordinating
Council reported that the heavy
downpour and flooding displaced
hundreds of families in Metro
Manila.
“It’s our strongest typhoon so far
this year,” state forecaster Lucrecio
About said.
“It can wash out everything not
made of cement or steel with that
wind.”
More than 220 people were
evacuated from their flooded homes,
mostly in the capital’s flood-prone
suburban cities of Marikina, Malabon
and San Juan, NDCC said.
It earlier suspended classes at all
levels in the metropolis including in
the provinces of Bulacan, Tarlac and
Pampanga.
Government weather agency
Pagasa said storm signals have been
upgraded as super typhoon Egay
maintained its strength as it moved
closer to Batanes province.
Blowing northwestward at 9 mph,
the typhoon was expected to pass
near the northernmost province
of Batanes on Saturday before
blowing toward southern Taiwan and
mainland China, About said.
The howler could pick up strength
as it hovers over the ocean and turn
into a super typhoon with sustained
winds of 134 mph.
Tropical storms in the region
gather intensity from the warm ocean
waters and frequently develop into
typhoons that hit Taiwan, Japan, the
Philippines and southern China.
filipino globe
Back-to-back typhoons brought Metro Manila to its knees last week. Egay was the strongest this year.
US filmmaker takes pedicab to GMA function
Pedal-powered transport
helped famed US filmmaker
Quentin Tarantino make his
way around a massive traffic
jam at the height of the typhoon
to receive the International
Director Achievement Award
from Philippine President Gloria
Arroyo.
Filipino director Amable
Aguiluz, who
invited Tarantino
to the Cinemanila
International Film
Festival, said he
and Tarantino, the
director of Pulp
Fiction and Kill Bill, got caught
in traffic two kilometers from the
presidential palace where they
were due to meet Arroyo. So
they left their vehicle and hired
pedicabs – chauffeured bicycles
with sidecars attached – to reach
the palace on time.
President Arroyo herself was
laid up in a monstrous traffic
jam in Ayala and showed up late
for a morning function, with the
appropriate apologies, of course.
PAL wants freer competition among flag carriers
Philippine Airlines said it would
push for the removal of all form of
government subsidies to flag carriers,
particularly in the Middle East and
Southeast Asia once open skies in the
region takes effect next year.
PAL, the only privately owned flag
carrier in Southeast Asia, said subsidies and all other forms of state aid
“can seriously distort competition.”
It said it is ready to compete but
underscored the need for “equal opportunity” for all in an “open skies”
regime.
Members of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)
agreed in 2004 to adopt open skies in
the region beginning with unlimited
flights between key cities by December next year.
Earlier, several airlines such as Australia’s flag carrier Qantas, pushed for
a ban on unfair subsidies enjoyed by
Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore
Airlines and other carriers.
In Southeast Asia, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International and
Malaysian Airlines are also known to
have received government subsidies.
PAL submitted its position to the
Philippine air panel for ongoing regional multilateral air traffic rights
negotiations.
uniforms, up to 1,500 march and
clap in unison as they perform
precision dance routines with
the Village People’s In the Navy
and YMCA pounding from six
well-worn black speakers.
And why not? Their version
of Michael Jackson’s Thriller
had been watched nearly 4.4
million times on YouTube as of
last week, uploaded by Byron
Garcia, the Cebu provincial
security consultant who came up
with the idea.
Metro Manila
Filipino doctors would be
barred from migrating and
working abroad to avert a
possible shortage of medical
practitioners, if Health
Secretary Francisco Duque III
had his way.
“While we’re out there
treating other people, the
irony is we don’t have anyone
to treat our own people. Of
course, the authorities will not
allow it. Political leaders will
not allow that. I will not allow it.
If I have to respond to it today,
I will close the door,” he said.
“The government has the
authority, the power, to close
the exit doors,” he said.
Duque said that while he
does not have the exact
data, he believes that the
Philippines is on the brink of a
shortage of medical doctors.
He estimates that the
country has lost from 5,000 to
6,000 doctors since 2001.
SmarTone Vodafone Ad
film
11
12
news
filipino globe
August 2007
Close watch on new daily wage
Labor inspectors to conduct spot checks to ensure compliance by employers
The Department of Labor and Employment is closely monitoring the
implementation of the new wage order in Metro Manila to ensure compliance.
Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said
measures are in place to ensure that
employers comply with the new minimum wage and other labor standards.
Labor inspectors will conduct spot
visits to establishments.
The new wage order, which sets a
new minimum daily wage of P362
in Metro Manila, will take effect 15
BY THE NUMBERS
362
The new minimum daily wage in pesos that
workers in Metro Manila will begin to receive
days after publication in a newspaper
of general circulation.
Brion said violations of the minimum wage are usually widespread in
the first few months but begin to taper
off as more employers adjust.
The new daily minimum wage includes a P12 increase and a P50 cost
of living allowance, which has been
integrated into the package.
The wage increase applies to all
minimum wage earners in the private
sector in Metro Manila, regardless of
their position, designation or status of
employment and irrespective of the
method by which they are paid.
However, it does not cover household or domestic helpers or those in
the personal service of another, including family drivers, and workers
of registered barangay micro business
enterprises.
Regional wage board director Raymundo Agravante said exempted from
the coverage of the wage order are
distressed establishments, retail and
service establishments employing not
more than 10 workers, establishments
whose total assets are not more than
P3 million, establishments facing potential losses, and establishments affected by natural calamities.
SSS lifts
pension
payments
by 10pc
The Social Security System has
announced a 10 per cent across-theboard increase in pensions for more
than one million pensioners effective
this month.
“Starting in September, pensioners
will receive in their accounts the
10 per cent increase [retroactive
to August] on top of their regular
pension,” SSS president and chief
executive Corazon de la Paz said.
This is the second time in less than
a year that SSS has granted a 10 per
cent increase in pensions.
The last pension increase in
September last year was the first
increase in pension benefits since
2000.
The SSS has 1.2 million disability,
death and retirement pensioners.
Pension amounts range from a
monthly minimum of P1,000 to a
maximum of P21,443.
Executive vice-president and chief
actuary Horacio Templo said the
increase does not affect the financial
soundness of the fund, which has
enough resources to last until 2038.
In 1999, existing pension funds
were projected to last until 2015,
Templo said.
He said that despite the increase,
SSS is expected to post a surplus
of P2.6 billion in contribution
collections against benefit payments
because of vigorous collection.
An improving economic climate
is expected to boost employment
as well as increase membership
contributions.
The SSS, which is celebrating its
50th anniversary on September 1,
was cited in a recent survey by the
Social Weather Station as number
one among government financial
institutions in battling corruption.
SSS obtained a “very good” rating
of +52 in the survey that polled
managers of 705 companies in
Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro
Davao and the provincial clusters of
Cagayan de Oro-Iligan and CaviteLaguna-Batangas.
To clamp down on corruption, SSS
has created an integrity committee,
which looks into its operations,
systems and procedures.
filipino globe
August 2007
13
ANGBANSA
Davao Oriental
Hong Kong Jumbo Tours
The public has been warned
against buying and eating
shellfish from Balite Bay in
Mati, Davao Oriental, which has
been tagged as a red-tide area.
Balite Bay is among
the coastal waters in the
Philippines that is banned
for shellfish harvest and
consumption this month.
The Bureau of Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources said that in
Davao region, only Balite Bay
was identified to be a harmful
source of all types of shellfish
and alamang.
Eight coastal waters in the
country, including those of
Davao Oriental, have been
banned for shellfish harvest.
The others are Milagros and
Mandaon in Masbate; Juag
lagoon in Matnog and Sorsogon
Bay in Sorsogon; Bislig Bay
and Hinatuan Bay in Surigao
del Sur and Dumanquillas Bay
in Zamboanga del Sur.
Tuguegarao
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap
assured the supply of irrigation
water for the 3,222 hectares of
cornfields in Tuguegarao even
as he urged the city’s corn
producers to plant the crop
and help fill shortages in food
production brought about by the
prolonged dry spell in most parts
of Luzon.
Yap said with the
counterparting scheme of the
Voucher contract worker
tickets to Canada/USA
national, provincial and city
governments in raising the
needed amount for fuel and
oil to operate the Namabbalan
communal pump irrigation
project and the clearing of the
irrigation canals through which
the irrigation water flows, and an
additional cropping season for
corn, will reduce the shortage in
corn supply.
He was speaking on the
sidelines of a visit to the
province.
A young worker fills out an SSS application form. Pensions will increase by 10 per cent starting this month.
Look into peso rise, Congress urged
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel has called on the government
to adopt measures to cushion the
negative impact of a surging peso on
overseas Filipino workers and their
families.
He has also sought a Senate inquiry
into the strengthening of the currency
against the US dollar.
The move came as remittances sent
by overseas Filipino workers again
breached the billion-dollar mark after
it hit US$1.1 billion in June.
This brought the January-June total
remittances to US$7 billion, 18.1 per
cent higher than the US$5.96 billion
a year ago.
“The continuous strengthening of
the peso against the US dollar is benefiting our national economy by improving our country’s balance of payments and allowing the government to
Peso ... from strength to strength
service the country’s debts at a lower
cost, among others,” Pimentel said as
he filed Senate Resolution 62 seeking
legislative inquiry into the matter.
However, he said the families of
OFWs have been complaining because they are severely affected by
the adverse exchange rate.
From more than P52 to the dollar at
the start of the year, the exchange rate
now ranges from P45.43 to P45.75 to
the US dollar.
“OFWs in general are grumbling
that while their salaries remain the
same, the value of their dollar remittances to their families has drastically
fallen,” Pimentel said.
“Many export-oriented firms are
now in financial distress due to the
current trend in the peso-dollar exchange rate,” he said.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor Amando Tetangco said the June
figure alone is the 14th consecutive
month that remittances hit the billion
dollar level.
He attributed the continuous surge
of remittances to more efficient remittance transfer services and an increase in remittance outlets.
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Zamboanga
Three farmer leaders were
abducted by a group of
unidentified gunmen on a
highway in Zamboanga del Sur
province, a Hong Kong-based
human rights commission
reported.
The Hong Kong-based Asian
Human Rights Commission
said the incident took place
on August 3 in Sitio Kawayan,
barangay Balongating in the
town of Guipos, Zamboanga
del Sur.
The commission identified
the abducted farmer leaders as
Antonino Roda, 39, Eric Buhain,
23 and Julius Sango, 21, all
members of the Anakpawis
party-list group.
The commission said the
victims were seized by nine
armed men, four riding-tandem
on two motorcycles while five
aboard a van while the victims
were traveling.
Police investigations are
continuing.
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14
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filipino globe
August 2007
Pinay stands
tall on US
architecture
landscape
Albay
Health authorities have warned
residents of 11 villages against
possible contamination of
their drinking water due to
the collapse of a portion of
a reservoir wall in Barangay
Balinad.
The Albay Provincial Health
Office advised residents to filter
and boil their drinking water.
The water was subjected
to analysis and it was found
that its chemical contents had
“turbidity” or muddy sediments.
Despite the turbidity findings,
the test showed that the water
had no bacteria content, the
result of recent efforts to
encourage filtration to ensure
safe and potable drinking water.
Other findings from the
analysis indicated that the
water from the spring source
meets the drinking water
standard on the levels of iron,
chlorine, nitrate, alkalinity and
copper.
Lira Luis is putting a distinctly Filipino stamp on some
of America’s landmarks, writes Laura G Perez
A
rchitect Lira Luis is a
towering landmark on the
Filipino-American landscape.
Her work has been featured in
leading American publications and
exhibited in state museums. She is
in the registry of Who’s Who Among
Executive and Professional Women
in America (Honors Edition) by
Cambridge Who’s Who Registry of
New York, 2007.
The only Filipino to have
graduated from Taliesin West
– Frank Lloyd Wright’s School of
Architecture – since its establishment
in 1937, she started a Lira Luis
Brand, with offices in New York,
Phoenix and Manila. She also heads
Progressive Habitats Foundation,
an organization that offers design
services to the homeless and helps
in rebuilding the flood-devastated
Mississippi.
She first got our attention last year
when she designed a US$4 million
mall in Arizona patterned after the
Philippine nipa hut in collaboration
with American Architect George
Sheller.
“It is not a literal interpretation
of the indigenous house in our
country, more of utilizing the bahay
kubo’s stilts. The stilts for the mall
were angled in such a way that they
give the impression of movement
and activity which are important
elements in any restaurant or retail
environment.”
Aside from this project, Lira
became famous for her Portable
Transient Shelter Pods, a runner-up
in Metropolis Magazine’s NEXT
Generation design competition. “It’s
a housing solution that was originally
designed for homeless seafarers in
the Philippines.
“I want to be known as a socially
responsible architect,” says Lira
who is currently based in Chicago,
the same city where Frank Lloyd
Wright first built his Oakpark Home
and Studio as a young architect, and
where Ernest Hemingway lived.
She admits that she has a soft
spot for the homeless which could
be the result of having studied in
the School of the Holy Spirit in
Quezon City (elementary and high
school) and the University of Santo
Tomas (BS Architecture). “Oh yes,”
she chuckles, “those five years of
Theology at UST.”
Graduating cum laude from UST in
1995, she was offered a scholarship
by prestigious schools in England
and Scotland but she chose the
Taliesin West scholarship.
Only a maximum of 35 students
are accepted in Taliesin West’s
bachelor and MA programs every
year, out of the thousands who
apply from different countries.
She took its masteral program for
three years, staying in a studio at
daytime and sleeping each night
Palawan
US-based Filipino architect Lira Luis (above) is not shy to innovate. She
introduced the concept of the nipa hut to these Arizona desert tents (below).
“
I want to be
known as
a socially
responsible
architect
LIRA LUIS
Architect and green activist
in a tent without electricity, phone
and water, in its 600-acre property.
It is part of the school’s experiential
training that connects students to
their environment in the Arizona
desert. “We were trained to co-exist
with nature.” The great Frank Lloyd
Wright was a proponent of organic
architecture. He believed that the
structure should blend with, not
impose, on nature. He also believed
that humanity should be central to all
design.
“I have always admired Frank
Lloyd Wright. It was such a joy to
study and live in a building that
he designed. My other favorite
structures are Fallingwater in
Pennsylvania (with a stream and
waterfall running under the building)
and the Solomon Guggenheim
Museum in New York which is like a
seashell.”
In 2006, she went back to Manila
for the first time after seven years,
and launched an audio book about
FLW’s architecture titled “Frankly
Speaking: It’s the Wright Way .”
The book-launching was held at
Oakwood Premier, by Ayala Land,
Inc, a company she worked for 10
years ago.
Lira is exceptionally articulate,
hardly pausing during the interview,
as if she does not run out of ideas.
She also sounds very enthusiastic
about any topic that is brought up.
No wonder she is often invited to
speak at architects’ conventions.
Makati, HSBC building and a few of her favorite things
Laura G Perez in Sacramento
What does Lira Luis think of the
high-rise buildings in Hong Kong?
She says they have their own
charm and character.
“I like the design of the HSBC
building. It’s innovative.”
But she says she does not care
for the Cathedral of Sagrada
Familia in Spain, designed by
Antonio Gaudi. “It reminds me of
melting candles.” This cathedral
has been under construction for
over a century.
Lira says that after 9/11,
some American architects have
designed buildings with a hole in
the middle, perhaps a subliminal
defense against another Twin
Towers-style plane attack. They
are also into green buildings.
She does not think the
Philippines buys the principles
of organic architecture very
much. On her website, she freely
expresses what she thinks of the
Makati skyscrapers:
“Makati is flanked by cookiecutter buildings designed by
foreigners who have displayed a
total lack of understanding of a
tropical country in a lower latitude
close to the equator.
ANGBANSA
“Why did we allow this to
happen?
“Partly due to the Filipino
mindset of colonialism and
branding, anything imported, in
this case designed by a foreigner,
must be good.
“This is contrary to the organic
architecture I’ve learned. A
building needs to be site-specific.
“One can’t just pluck the floor
plan of a building from out of an
industrialised nation like America
then build it in a country in
different latitude.
“It’s like buying a fur coat in
New York because it’s hip and
trendy then wearing it in Manila
where it’s 30 + degrees C.”
Lira thinks President Arroyo
needs to support initiatives that
create environmental awareness
and responsibility.
She says the government needs
to establish a national benchmark
for the design, construction, and
operation of high-performance
buildings.
Architects need to help solve
the environmental problem
through design. “I’m currently
pursuing accreditation to become
a professional Sustainable Design
Expert.
The repair and rehabilitation
of the city’s airport terminal
building is now in full swing.
This, after Palawan
representative Abraham
Khalil Mitra, together with
representatives of Department
of Transportation and
Communication and Air
Transportation Office, held a
ground-breaking ceremony at
the city’s airport.
”It’s a slow season for
tourists. I think it’s a good time
to start the construction”, said
Mitra, referring to repair and
rehabilitation of the airport
terminal under Phase 1 worth
P28 million.
He said they are expecting
another P100 million this
September for Phase 2 of the
terminal building.
Phase 1 and Phase 2 are
scheduled for completion in
June 2008.
news
filipino globe
War veterans
pitch in to save
9-year-old
Filipino girl
Ailing orphan arriving in New Jersey
for surgery to repair heart with holes
Rodel Almazan in New Jersey
Meraly Mariano’s failing heart could
be bursting with joy.
The nine-year-old orphan is due to
arrive in the US for a life-saving surgery to repair a rare condition – holes
in her heart.
Thanks to her adoptive father, Vietnam War veteran Jude Tiner of Bayonne, New Jersey, Mariano will have
a new lease on life.
Tiner adopted Meraly after he had
heard about orphans in the Philippines
through his church City Chapel.
Last year, he went to the Philippines
to see for himself.
“It reminded me of the orphans I
saw in Vietnam,” he told the Bayonne
Community News.
Meraly, whom Tiner described as
“very outgoing” immediately caught
his attention.
Upon learning about the girl’s heart
condition, Tiner made it a mission
to get her the much needed surgery.
On returning to the US, where Tiner
works as a longshoreman at the New
Jersey docks, he immediately started
a fund raising for Meraly’s operation.
She is scheduled to undergo surgery
at the St Joseph’s Children’s Hospital
on August 20.
Doctors say that if Meraly does not
get the needed heart surgery, she may
not “survive to see the age of 16.”
Meraly has seen doctors in the Philippines, but it wasn’t until she was
examined by a private doctor that
the diagnosis was confirmed. By that
time, her condition had worsened as
her immune system
began to fail.
With the help of
Bayonne City Council president Vincent
Lo Re (left), Tiner got
in contact with local
civic leader Harold
Kawalek, who made
some arrangements. Fellow Vietnam
veterans are helping Tiner raise funds
locally.
Gift of Life Foundation, a project of
the Rotary Clubs of District 7490, got
the St Joseph’s Children’s Hospital to
perform the surgery for free and provide housing and meals for the child
and her guardian while at the hospital.
Also helping Tiner with the fund
raising is fellow war veteran Dr Jack
Smith, who just returned from Iraq.
The Rotary Club and City Chapel in
Bayonne are accepting donations on
Meraly’s behalf.
Isabela
The Department of Agriculture
has pledged P11 million in
counterpart funding for the
construction of one more small
water impounding project to
ensure the supply of irrigation
water to the town’s arable
lands.
The amount will increase
the P4.8 million share from
the provincial and municipal
governments of Isabela
to complete the needed
infrastructure that will boost
agricultural production.
Agriculture regional executive
director Gumersindo Lasam
said the support fund had
received approval from
Agriculture Secretary Arthur
Yap.
At least P16 million will go
into the construction of the
water impounding projects
in barangay Dingaling and
irrigation canals from an
existing pump irrigation system
built 15 years ago.
Bayonne City officials and civic leaders have lined up behind the cause.
Broker faces child porn charges
A Filipino-American property
broker has appeared in district court
in Chicago, charged with child
pornography.
Michael Macalindong, 24, is
accused of using the social network
site facebook.com to prey on
minors.
Macalindong, a US citizen and
resident of suburban Fox Lake,
Lake County, Illinois, pleaded not
guilty to taking sexually explicit
photographs and video of at least
three minors, according to Randall
Samborn, a spokesman of the US
Attorney’s office.
One of his alleged victims was
a 15-year-old boy from suburban
Evanston, who authorities say
Macalindong lured to his home for
sex last year by using facebook to
pose as a teenage girl.
The incident is believed to be the
first time that the facebook website
was used to contact a minor for
predatory reasons.
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August 2007
15
16
news
filipino globe
August 2007
Filipina cooks it up for Bush
White House photos
As White House
executive chef,
Cris Comerford
feeds presidents
and monarchs
Steve Knipp in Washington DC
O
n July 14, France’s famous
Bastille Day, two dozen of the
world’s top chefs met for dinner in the elegant enclave of Monaco.
The high-profile culinary congregation was the annual meeting of the
celebrated Club des Chefs (“Club of
Leaders’ Chefs”). Each of the 24 master cooks gathered has reached the
pinnacle of their profession, having
served cuisine of the highest order to
kings, queens, princes, prime ministers and presidents.
Among them, one of only two
women, was a petite, and youthful
looking 42-year-old Filipina – Cristeta Comerford.
Comerford, known as “Cris” to her
family and friends, was not the least
bit intimidated in this, the most exclusive dining club in the world. That’s
because, next month will mark two
full years since the Filipino-American made history when she became
the first woman – and Asian – to be
named executive chef at the White
House.
In the more than 40 years since
Jackie Kennedy-Onassis created the
post of White House executive chef,
only five people have held the coveted job, and all have been men.
Born in Manila, Cris was raised in
the working-class neighborhood of
Sampaloc. She was one of the youngest of 11 children, with six half-brothers, one half-sister and three full sisters. Her father, Honesto, was a principal in a public elementary school
in Manila while her mother, Erlinda,
was a homemaker.
Because her mother was a good
cook, the family rarely ate out and
so Cris learned many of her basic
culinary skills at her mother’s elbow.
After finishing high school, Cris studied food technology at the University
of the Philippines in Diliman in the
late 1970s; but, ironically she did not
graduate. Her family emigrated to the
US, settling in Chicago, before she
could get her degree.
But armed with her mother’s excellent training, and her own talent, she
slowly built a remarkable culinary
career, working in various notable
restaurants and hotels, as far afield as
the wine country of California and Vienna, Austria.
While at university, Cris was trained
in French classical techniques, but
once in the US, she started to spe-
Dumaguete
Mayor Agustin Perdices has
warned that local gangs, such
as Bloods and Crips, will be
under close monitoring by the
city government and the police.
Perdices said that in
“negotiating” with members of
Bloods and Crips, it doesn’t
mean the city is tolerating
the existence of gangs in
Dumaguete.
He said that even as the
authorities recognise the
right of individuals to form
themselves into groups, the law
enforcers should not let their
guards down.
Last week, local gangs
signed a peace agreement that
states, among other things,
that they would only engage in
positive undertakings.
Residents have expressed
concern that an overly friendly
policy to gang activities would
send the wrong signal.
Cebu
Cris Comerford whips up a presidential storm (above) and gets interviewed by the White House press (below).
cialise in American cuisine, and then
began to create original dishes of her
own design with a unique American
flavor.
It was in 1995, while working at the
ANA Hotel in Washington DC, that
Cris was recruited by the executive
chef of the White House to work for
president Bill Clinton.
Then, exactly two years ago next
month, Chris was promoted by Laura
Bush to the top culinary job in the
White House.
At the time of Cris’s appointment,
Mrs Bush, speaking at the family
ranch, told international media: “I am
delighted that Cris Comerford has accepted the position of White House
executive chef. Her passion for cooking can be tasted in every bite of her
delicious creations.”
Cris’s salary is said to be in the
range of US$100,000 a year, but the
work can be grueling. Her day begins
as early as 5am when a White House
car picks her up at her home in nearby
Maryland, where she lives with her
husband – also a chef – and their sixyear-old daughter, Danielle.
According to US Census Bureau
figures, Cris, a naturalised American,
is one of about 2.4 million FilipinoAmericans in the United States.
Although her father is deceased, her
mother, now 78, lives in Chicago with
Cris’s sister Ofelia, just outside Chicago, and the two families gather as
often as Cris’s schedule will allow.
At any one time, depending on
what functions are scheduled, Cris is
in charge of between five and 30 people. But even in an ordinary month,
more than 2,000 guests can be fed at
the White House. And these are not
just ordinary diners, by any means.
Cris has created and designed 10course formal dinners for scores of
VIP Americans, from senators and
governors to mayors, sports figures
and pop stars. And then there are
the world leaders, such Manmohan
Singh, the prime minister of India.
Soon after becoming executive
chef in 2005, Cris prepared a special welcome dinner for Britain’s
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who were making
their first visit together to the United
States. Yet, perhaps her proudest
moment was when she prepared a
formal state dinner in honor of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Though Cris spends a lot of time
preparing her staff and creating special menus for formal diplomatic
dinners, glamorous social events,
and colorful holiday dinners at
Christmas and Easter, she is also
responsible for creating the First
Family’s normal meals.
It’s well known that President Bush
relishes his “comfort food”, including
such classic high-calorie American
staples as barbecue pork ribs and
“Tex-Mex” dishes, as well as cheeseburgers with beacon. But Mrs Bush
is also renowned for wanting healthy
foods for the 60-year-old president,
so Cris has to work hard to achieve
that delicate dietary balance, to keep
the president both happy and healthy.
It’s not known if Cris has introduced Bush to such savory Philippine
treats as crispy pata, and lechon, or to
such beloved sweets as halo halo or
leche flan.
Last November, when Bush was
meeting with President Arroyo at
an Apec summit in Vietnam, he was
overheard saying to her: “If you’ve
noticed the paunch, it’s because the
food [at the White House] is very,
very good.”
Such words must surely be music to
the ears of Cris Comerford.
New York could become cultural wasteland, Fil-Am artists warn
The last thing you’ll think of New
York is a cultural wasteland.
Yet, that’s what the Big Apple
could become, if draft rules
clamping down on public artistic
expression are passed, critics say.
Filipino-American artists
– from budding filmmakers to
photographers and painters – are
most vocal against a plan by mayor
Michael Bloomberg (right) to curb
certain artistic activities.
ANGBANSA
The new
regulations would
require a permit for
any type of filming
or photography
that involved “an
interaction among
two or more people at a single site
for 30 or more minutes.”
“This is a travesty. New York is
one of the most photographed and
filmed cities on earth. And to have
struggling artists get a permit and
insurance to use the beauty of the
city in their work is unacceptable,”
says a Filipino-American
photographer and filmmaker.
Civil liberties groups are already
planning to sue the city government
if the rules are approved.
The rules are nothing new to
professional filmmakers and
photographers, who have always
been required to get permits.
Budding Fil-Am filmmaker Jonze
Saguirre called the proposal a
“blow to the spirit of New York
City”.
“New York is known to be a great
nurturer of potential talent. But
rules like these not only curtail
artistic freedom and civil liberties
but destroy its image as an artists’
haven,” he said.
City officials insist the rules aren’t
an attempt to quash free speech.
A desalination plant and several
deep wells in the 295-hectare
South Road Properties will
assure steady water supply for
settlers in the city’s multi-billion
peso reclamation area.
Cebu City mayor Tomas
Osmena said the city
government and the Metro Cebu
Water District) are discussing
plans for the city to supply water
to the water district.
Osmena said the plant could
produce 500 to 700 cubic
meters of potable water and as
much as 20,000 cubic meters
a day once the plant becomes
fully operational.
“There’s clear water under the
sea. The issue and scare tactic
about Cebu not having enough
supply of water is not true,” he
said.
“SRP can be a source of
water and we can even supply
the Metropolitan Cebu Water
District.”
Basilan
The military’s Western
Mindanao Command has
stepped up security measures
aimed at preventing the entry
of contraband in the island
province of Basilan.
Wesmincom information
officer major Eugenio Batara, Jr
said check points have been set
up in strategic places to block
the entry of illegally purchased
firearms and ammunition,
including explosives that could
be used against government
troops.
Batara said the move is aimed
at preventing lawless elements,
especially the Abu Sayyaf,
from replenishing their supplies
while government troops are
pursuing them in the hinterlands
of Basilan.
Fourteen marines were killed,
10 of them beheaded, in an
ambush by the Abu Sayyaf
rebels allegedly aided by the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
filipino globe
August 2007
17
18
news
filipino globe
August 2007
Australia opening up to contract workers, but POEA warns on scam
Australia’s job market for Filipino
nurses and skilled workers is
expanding fast, Raul V Hernandez,
honorary consul to Melbourne, said.
Hernandez said Victoria state
alone would need some 10,000
nurses in the next three years. He
said Australia also needs more
plumbers, welders and other skilled
workers from the Philippines and
other countries in Southeast Asia.
Demand for more workers has
prompted Australia to introduce
a short-term visa called “457”, he
said.
“Technically, there is now a
contract workers situation in
Australia,” Hernandez said, adding
contract workers can now stay
a minimum of three months to a
maximum of four years.
Under the new visa system, a
qualified worker who has proven
himself to be a good performer can
apply for permanent residence after
three years, Hernandez said.
He added that Australian
businessmen are looking for
investment areas outside Manila.
Meanwhile, the Philippine
Overseas Employment
Administration warned hopeful
overseas Filipino workers not to
be duped by a bogus recruitment
agency, whose employees collect
fees supposedly in exchange for
jobs in Australia.
POEA administrator Rosalinda
Baldoz warned overseas jobseekers
against the West PAC Recruitment
Agency.
Baldoz issued the warning after
over 100 people filed complaints
against four employees of the said
Shock over new UK carer rules
Espiritu makes urgent appeal as thousands face job loss under tough policy
Santos Boyce in London
The Philippines has asked Britain to
reconsider the case of Filipino senior
caregivers who face deportation under tough new immigration rules.
Ambassador Edgardo Espiritu lobbied Britain’s Health Minister Jacqui
Smith (below) in a bid to salvage the
situation for dozens of Filipinos who
stand to lose their jobs under the new
policy.
Espiritu sought “urgent and measured steps” to allow those already in
Britain to renew their visas “as long
as their employers have positions for
them and are willing to engage their
services”.
Reports say a dozen Filipino senior
carers in Cambridge have been refused new visas and faced immediate
deportation
Thousands more are directly affected by the new policy, which uses
a point system to screen applicants for
working permits and residency.
The Philippine embassy in London
went into action after obtaining a
copy of an internal memo by Southern Cross Healthcare, one of the largest independent care providers in the
country with more than 500 homes.
The memo advised senior carers
who have been in Britain for less
than five years that their work permits
would no longer be renewed under
the new policy.
Espiritu said the embassy had participated during consultations on the
planned changes to the immigration
policy.
“At every point, we were assured
that efforts will be taken [by the Home
Office] to have the policy changes
transparent and prospective, not only
in approach, but also in application,”
he said.
He made the appeal to Smith “on
behalf of the thousands of Filipino
carers who have given so much to the
British health sector”.
“Right now, their collective prayer,
The new policy not only affects Filipino senior carers
but all nationals in supervisory positions who have
been in Britain for less than five years.
BY THE NUMBERS
25,000
Filipino senior carers and support staff
working in various British care homes
that I have humbly taken on the privilege of bringing to your attention, is
simply that those already in the UK
be allowed to renew their work permits as long as their employers have
a position for them and are willing to
engage their services,” he said.
Britain announced its points-based
managed migration policy would take
effect on January 1, 2008, beginning
with the highly skilled migrants category.
The category under which senior
carers could fall was not expected to
be in operation until middle of next
year. “It now seems that the summer
of discontent and anxiety has begun
for many of our senior carers. They
feel terribly let down. And many of
their patients and employers share
this feeling and their worries on what
the near future holds for them.”
The embassy is advising those affected by the policy shift to continue
discussions with their employers as
only the latter have the legal standing
to lodge a work permit application
and renewal.
At the same time, the embassy has
assured Filipino senior carers that it
will pursue their cause with the British government, the employers and
the public.
An online petition is making the
rounds, picking up more advocates by
the day.
“It is fantastic to know that a lot of
people truly care about the carers,”
Espiritu said.
There are about 25,000 Filipino senior carers and support staff working
in various care homes in Britain.
recruitment agency for duping them
with supposed job placement in
Australia.
The POEA Anti-Illegal
Recruitment Branch said West
PAC is not a registered recruitment
agency.
The complainants said the
agency’s employees asked them to
shell out P5,500 each as processing
fee for jobs in Australia.
Cambridge
legislator takes
cudgels for
Filipinos
A dozen embattled Filipino nurses
who are facing deportation from Britain have found an unlikely ally in a
Cambridge legislator.
David Howard has taken up their
case with Liam Byrne, minister of
state for the Home Office, to allow
them to renew their work permits.
The 12 are all senior carers in Cambridgeshire. They face deportation
after they were refused new work
visas, the Cambridge Evening News
reported.
“These are qualified and hardworking nurses who came to this country
at our request and they are now simply being discarded,” Howard said in
a letter to Byrne.
“This is not the way to treat people
doing a very important and difficult
job,” Howard was quoted to have said
in defense of the nurses.
The nurses left the Philippines in
2003 under a British recruitment
scheme for carers when it became
difficult to hire nurses from the European Union.
Some of the nurses work at residential care homes but others visit housebound patients in their own homes.
Howard asked Byrne to save the
Filipino nurses from deportation.
“This policy seems unfair and illjudged and I hope your department
will reconsider it,” he said.
“This decision will lead to a shortage of carers. I hope the Home Office
will reassess whether this role should
be again included on the shortage list
to allow these vacancies to be filled
by overseas staff,” Howard said.
The Home Office had announced it
would no longer issue work permits
to foreign nationals for senior carer
positions.
But Howard reminded the Home
Office that “without these important
staff, vulnerable adults will not receive the care they require which puts
additional pressure on family members and informal carers”.
Pinay nurse deported after dawn crackdown
Charles Kelly in London
It had the makings of a police roundup, and in one incident last week,
Cecilia, a Filipino nurse in Britain,
was taken from her house in a dawn
raid by immigration officers.
They knocked on her door at 6 am
and demanded to see the passport of
another Filipino, who just happened
to open the door.
They then asked for Cecilia’s
passport, which she said was
at the Home Office pending an
application for Further Leave
to Remain.
One of the officers went
to his car and returned with
Cecilia’s passport and told her
she was staying in Britain illegally.
She was taken to Uxbridge police
station and transferred to a detention
center pending deportation on the
next available flight.
The police refused to
allow Cecilia’s family or her
employer to see her.
Cecilia came to the UK on
a work permit in 2004.
Last year, she changed jobs
and transferred to another
employer. The new employer was
confident they could arrange her new
work permit without the help of an
immigration adviser.
Two applications and refusals
later, Cecilia’s existing visa was
about to expire. The inexperienced
employer decided to submit an FLR
application, despite the fact that she
still had no work permit.
However, before any further action
could be taken, Cecilia was picked
up and detained under tough new
immigration rules, which have been
the cornerstone of visa policy under
British Home Secretary John Reid
(above left).
Liam Byrne ... ball in his court.
filipino globe
August 2007
19
20
news
filipino globe
August 2007
Arroyo appeals for life of Saudi OFWs
editorial, community & features
filipino globe
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for
Special Concerns Rafael E Seguis
(right) paid a visit to Saudi Arabia on
a mission to stay the execution of two
female OFWs, who were convicted
for murder in Jeddah.
Seguis’s trip followed a report received by the Department of Foreign
Affairs that Idan Tijano and Mariana
Sakilan, both domestic helpers, were
scheduled for execution by beheading.
“We’re trying to help,” said the veteran diplomat Seguis, who stopped
over in Riyadh on his way to Jeddah,
BY THE NUMBERS
7
Filipinos on death row in November when
Seguis began his life-saving diplomacy
where he delivered a letter of appeal
from President Arroyo to the Saudi
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The MFA director general received
Seguis and assured him the letter
would be promptly sent to the royal
court.
Arroyo’s letter
seeks the “kind
intervention
of
the royal court to
stay the execution
while negotiations
for blood money
are under way”.
Seguis, accompanied by Consul General Pendosina
Lomondot, visited Tijano and Sakilan
at the Briman Prisons here.
Tijano and Sakilan were meted the
death penalty for the stabbing death
of the pregnant Egyptian wife of their
employer in 1981.
They were also found to have in
their possession jewelry stolen from
their employer.
The Philippine Consulate General
in Jeddah, where they sought sanctuary after the killing, surrendered them
to the authorities.
The grand sharia lower court found
the pair guilty of murder with robbery
and sentenced them to die. The Supreme Judicial Council in Riyadh, the
equivalent of the Philippine Supreme
Court, upheld the guilty verdict after
a review by the court of appeals.
Lomondot told Filipino Globe a
Saudi lower court is seldom overruled
once it issues a decision on cases that
carry the maximum penalty of death.
Along with the two OFWs who
have since been freed and another
who was executed Tijano and Sakilan
were among seven Filipinos on Saudi
death row.
In November, Filipino Globe reported Seguis flew in to the kingdom
to work for the early resolution of
their cases.
Sarah Dematera from the Eastern
Province and Reynaldo San Pedro
from Jeddah were both freed after
paying blood money, while Reynaldo
Cortez was executed in Riyadh.
Rodelio Lanuza and Nonito Abono
are the two other Filipinos on death
row.
Exchange rate
stabilisation
fund ‘answer
to our woes’
Consulate eyes
complaint
against Jeddah
supermarket
Chito Manuel in Jeddah
A company in Jeddah has been hiring
workers from the Philippines on visit
visas to work in its chain of supermarkets in Saudi Arabia, the Philippine
Consulate said.
Officials said they were considering
a formal complaint against Sawary
Marketing and Development Group,
after the company left seven of the
illegally hired workers to fend for
themselves without securing exit visas for them.
Consul General Pendosina Lomondot also warned jobseekers in the
Philippines against accepting job offers in Saudi Arabia using visit visas.
“Unless you are looking for trouble,
don’t attempt to come to work in
Saudi Arabia without a work visa,”
he said.
The seven workers sought help
from the consulate when their employer gave them plane tickets and
their passports without securing exit
visas for them, after employing them
without residency/work permits.
Vicky Salian, head of the consulate’s
Assistance to Nationals Section, said
Sawary was trying to evade responsibility by returning the passports of the
seven workers without exit visas.
“Sawary’s management is in a bind
because if it goes to the passport department to secure exit visas for these
workers, its practice of employing
workers without work permits would
be exposed,” said another consulate
official investigating the case.
Sawary management did not return
calls seeking comment.
Documents obtained from the consulate, including the affidavits filed by
the seven workers, showed that they
were among nine Filipinos who arrived in Jeddah on August 18, 2006.
One of them managed to go home
last May, while one opted to stay with
the company.
They said they had asked their company to send them home primarily out
of fear of being arrested for working
in the kingdom illegally.
“We were duped into coming here
to work illegally. They promised to
provide us work visas but until now
we have not been given any,” said Jeffrey Ponce, 30, who worked as merchandiser at Sawary Supermarket.
What to do when incomes drop, as
a result of the rising peso against the
dollar, and severely affects you and
your family? OFWs in Riyadh think
they have the answer.
Saying the time is now to show
some muscle, a group in Riyadh has
launched a signature campaign (http://
petition.patnubay.com) to ask the
Philippine government to establish an
exchange rate stabilisation fund.
Another group wants a partial boycott of remittances.
In e-mails making the rounds of the
net it says: “Let’s do this: they know
that if we cut our remittances by half
for three consecutive months, we can
bring back the exchange rate to 56 pesos to the dollar or even higher ... Ano
pa ang hinihintay niyo ... action na.”
While a partial boycott doesn’t exactly look like a workable option, the
proposal that government establish a
stabilisation to support a P50 to US$1
exchange rate is doable, although
some lawmakers, Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas and economic chiefs do not
see it in this light.
“They can always find the funds.
It’s all a matter of budget allocation.
It’s doable kung gustong gawin at
seryoso ang gobyerno sa pagtulong,”
PNB country manager Usman Navarro told Filipino Globe.
“If they can do it to the exporters
why not the OFWs. Pag-aralan lang
kung ano ang mechanics. Problem
is, hindi talaga seryoso ang gobyerno
Some Saudi groups are calling for a partial boycott of remittances to shore up the US dollar’s exchange rate.
when it comes to interests and welfare
of OFWs.”
Navarro said the best argument for
preferential rates for OFWs is that if
there are nine million OFWs, multiply these by three to include their
families, then you have 27 million affected by the dwindling proceeds of
their remittance, against a small sector represented by the exporters.
Rene Layug, a community leader
in Riyadh, said: “Sabi tumataas na
ang ekonomiya pero ang katotohanan
bagsak ang dollar worldwide, at isa
pa, di naman ramdam ng sinuman
na maganda na ang ekonomiya lalo’t
mataas pa rin ang mga bilihin.”
Riyadh-based Ronnie Abeto, of
V-Team-Advocacy and Community
Service, which is spearheading the
petition for the peso stabilisation
fund, said: “If they can start a US$1
billion stabilisation fund for Philipine exporters, why can’t they do it
for OFWs? It is grossly absurd to say
they will ‘let the market determine the
exchange rate’ for OFWs and ordinary
citizens, while doing the opposite for
the more organised and politicallybacked exporters.”
Probe sought on ‘smuggling’ of workers to US site in Baghdad
Scores of Filipino laborers have
been smuggled from Kuwait to
work on a US construction site in
war-torn Baghdad, reports say.
The workers are being paid
“premium wages” to compensate
them for taking risk by working in
an area believed to be a prime
target by Iraqi militants.
The report prompted calls for an
urgent investigation by Senator
Mar Roxas.
He asked the Department of
Foreign Affairs and the Department
of Labor and Employment to
exhaust all diplomatic channels to
investigate the matter.
He said that if the reports are
true, the government must ensure
their safe return.
Reports said 51 Filipinos were
duped into the deal after being told
they were going to Dubai, only to
learn that they were to be sent to
Baghdad.
They were then brought to
Kuwait, where they were smuggled
across the border.
“If this is true, this is forced labor
at its worst,” Roxas said.
He said his information came
from a July 26 briefing by the
Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform of the US
Congress.
The committee is investigating
alleged abuses in the construction
of the US Embassy in Iraq.
Press Box – Page 21
August 2007
21
Banking on 2020
vision and hoping it
will all come true
Special diplomat Seguis hand-carries President’s letter to Saudi authorities as time runs low
Chito Manuel in Jeddah
focus
I
Baghdad’s heavily fortified green zone, where the 51 overseas Filipino workers were reportedly taken to work.
Placed in harm’s way – deliberately
T
he first flurry of reports were
quite unnerving. Some 51
overseas Filipino workers
were supposedly hijacked to Iraq to
help build a new US$600 million
embassy in Baghdad’s green zone.
Nothing wrong here, except for
the fact that the OFWs were made
to believe by their recruiter that they
were bound for Dubai, where hotel
construction jobs awaited them.
An American emergency medical
technician on the same flight told the
story to the London Times, which
was confirmed by a US architect who
was travelling with the OFWs.
Now comes the good news.
About a week after the story broke,
labor officials flatly stated that
only 11 Filipino workers had been
deliberately deceived by the recruiter.
Of the 11, six have already returned
to the Philippines, although Labor
Secretary Arturo Brion admitted that
“as of now, we can’t find them”.
He identified the 11 OFWs, those
who are still in Iraq and those who
have returned. No other details were
given.
President Arroyo has instructed
her special Middle East envoy to
“rescue” our compatriots who are
reportedly working under sub-human
conditions, living in cramped trailers
... deplorable beyond what any man
should tolerate.
The travails of our OFWs never
seem to end.
In Dubai, at least a million-strong
foreign construction workers have
notched a few humble victories
PRESSBOX
comment
FT
Ocampo
after years of “indentured servitude”
toiling in temperature of 110 degrees,
sleeping in sardine-packed rooms in
desert dormitories.
They now enjoy midday breaks,
improved health benefits, upgraded
living conditions. A crackdown on
non-paying employers had been
strictly instituted.
The population of the United Arab
Emirates is almost entirely composed
of foreigners in the workforce.
When they “went on a rampage”
on the site of what is being billed as
the world’s tallest building, called
Burj Dubai, the country’s labor
minister blandly commented: “We
don’t force people to come to this
country ... they’re building a whole
new life for their families.”
The international rights group
Human Rights Watch acidly
asserted: “That’s what exploitation
is, you take advantage of someone’s
desperation.”
T
he “world’s biggest dragon” is a
building in China, according to
news reports.
When finished on its target date of
2009, it would be a metal structure
21 kilometers long, its head rising
some nine meters from the ground.
Intended as a tourist destination,
it will have galleries, where
visitors can inscribe their names
and advertising space will also be
provided. All for a fee, of course.
Although Christian belief holds
the dragon as a nefarious symbol,
Chinese mythology deems it a
benevolent beast.
Thus, the Dragon festivals in
Chinatowns all over the world
where Chinese nationals still cling
to ancestral beliefs. Not quite,
incidentally, the US$300 million
structure has already been named the
Ancestral Dragon.
Ever since China started
embracing the victories of capitalism
in the late 1960s, its economy has
grown by the proverbial leaps and
bounds. Even the United States is
now worried about China’s surging
market economy and, in our part
of the globe, only a few would
doubt that it will set the pace in the
economic front very soon and in the
years to come. The long-sleeping
dragon is wide awake.
Karl Marx need not worry that
“capitalism contains the seeds of its
own destruction”. Where China is
concerned, Communism is still very
much alive. Just a few months ago.
a judge sentenced to death a corrupt
public official and was executed a
few days later.
Communism has its good points,
too, it seems.
t’s 2020, the year when President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
declared that her plans to put the
Philippines’ international ranking
on a par with Singapore’s would be
fulfilled.
In Baguio, Carmen is happy
about her handicraft shop which
is now showing a profit. The store
is something she had dreamed of
during the 18 years when she slaved
for a demanding Chinese family in
Hong Kong.
Today she sources various
handicrafts from people in the
villages around the Mountain
Province, and so many tourists have
been patronising her store, she’s had
to hire her niece to help out. And
she’s glad her son gets high marks
in high school and plans to study
engineering.
There’s only one dark cloud in
Carmen’s horizon – her daughter
Marisa, who went to Saudi Arabia
four years ago to work as a domestic
helper, has not been in touch for nine
months.
There have been no text messages
or letters in the mail, but Carmen
keeps hoping she’ll hear from her
soon. She is, after all, looking after
Marisa’s little boy (the result of a
teenage pregnancy), and she’s been
trying not to think of all the horror
stories she’s heard about Filipinas
returning to Manila from the Middle
East in coffins.
Meanwhile, in Cebu, Flor is
happily discussing her company’s
sales with her accountant (who’s
her cousin). The tricycle business
is booming, despite the fact that her
husband had initially messed things
up when he was fiddling the accounts
(to cover his cockfighting debts).
She finally banished him two years
ago to her sister’s farm in Bohol
from where she learned he had
wandered off to work as a waiter at
a resort in Panglao and was flirting
with foreign female tourists.
Flor doesn’t care if she doesn’t
hear from him again, as he was
never a good provider for their four
children (much less for herself).
She has always considered herself
unlucky as far as her feckless
husband is concerned, and she’s
relieved to be rid of him.
If he turns up again in Cebu in
future, she’s determined not to lend
him anymore money, should he get
into another financial hole – as he
always did when she was working
her fingers to the bone all those years
in the battery factory in Taiwan.
In Singapore Elmer, who hails
from Surigao, alternately drives a
van and a car for a slave-driving
family who hadn’t increased his
wages each time his contract was
renewed.
Some years earlier, he became
involved with a pretty Ilocana he met
at Lucky Plaza, the popular hangout
for Pinoys with all its products from
home. Clarita was a single girl
working for an Indian family who,
PINOYDIMSUM
observations
Isabel T
Escoda
she complained to him, treated her
very badly.
Sometimes they wouldn’t give her
Sundays off, which ruined whatever
plans she and Elmer had made for
their assignations.
Elmer’s main problem, initially,
was that he had a longtime girlfriend
in Surigao by whom he has two
small children. He had promised
to go home and marry her when he
wound up his contract in 2018.
But after getting involved with
the clingy Clarita, he stopped
corresponding with the mother of his
children and, worse of all, stopped
sending her money.
Instead, Elmer and Clarita wound
up their contracts, moved to Ilocos
“
So, in 2020,
will life really be
fine for these
former OFWs?
Will President
Arroyo’s plans
materialise,
making Filipinos
finally prosper at
home?
to get married, and he went into the
tobacco business with his father-inlaw. He knew he wouldn’t be able
to go back to Mindanao but doesn’t
care as he’s content with his present
life.
So, in 2020, will life really be fine
for these former OFWs?
Will President Arroyo’s plans
materialise, making Filipinos finally
prosper at home?
Or will it all remain a dream – with
Carmen still scrimping in Hong
Kong to save for her handicraft store,
and Flor realising that she’ll need to
work abroad another five or six years
to save for her tricycle business?
And will Elmer get Clarita
pregnant and decide he doesn’t want
to settle down in Ilocos and will
instead flee to Bahrain, where he’ll
land a job with an Arab wheelerdealer and make pots of money?
And will GMA’s Singapore goal
sadly remain just a dream?
22
forum
filipino globe
TINGINNAMIN
August 2007
Walang-hanggang bukal
ng pag-asa ng Pilipino
P
Behind Macau’s glitter, an ugly truth
In the grand scheme, it’s hard to
overlook Macau.
An economy aflutter with
unprecedented growth from
gambling profits is likely to seduce
workers of all stripes – white collar,
blue collar, green collar, you name it.
The long view is that the former
Portuguese enclave will continue to
prosper well into the next decade,
fuelled by a Las Vegas-style
competition in the hotel-casino trade.
But closer to the ground, where
tens of thousands toil to feed its
appetite for expansion, the reality is
less impressive.
Take the case of the 10,000plus Filipinos who have joined its
burgeoning workforce.
Because Macau refuses to
recognise our labor extension office
there, our nationals are missing out
on opportunities. Worse, they’re
missing out on a fair deal when it
comes to labor disputes with their
employers.
While we don’t wish to meddle
in Macau’s domestic policy, we
find its treatment of our official
representative discomfiting,
Granted it only wishes to deal with
a body at the consular level, the fact
that our government has a presence
of any kind at all in the enclave
should be enough grounds for a little
consideration.
We are not sure if Macau’s
attitude is one of exasperation at the
slow progress of plans to set up a
consulate there – a commitment we
made to the government in Beijing.
We certainly hope it isn’t so.
SULATLETTERS
Your story on bank mergers
(Banks urged to go easy on
layoffs) reminds me of the saying
“easy to say, hard to do”.
The dynamics of mergers
and acquisitions are such that
redundancies are inevitable
because the core objective of the
exercise, in the first place, is cost
saving.
Still, there’s room for a little
sensitivity here. For instance,
staff could be retrained for
other positions, or offered early
retirement, in the case of those
of retirement age.
I’m not sure if Philippine
companies have the kind of
corporate culture that would take
these issues into account.
I hope they do – for their sake
and for the good of staff morale.
Butch Mendecis
Malate, Manila
Kasabay ko ang ilang mga
OFWs na buong sipag ng
nagbuhat ng kahoy, nagmasa
ng semento at nagpukpok sa
dingding at atip ng isang bahay.
Sulit ang pagod ko.
inakamainit na balita
nitong mga nakaraang
buwan ang pagpapalaya
sa isang Filipino seafarer sa
Nigeria. Kasama ang limang
taga-Britanya,tatlong Amerikano
at isang taga-Nigeria. Pinalaya
ito ng armadong grupo na
nakikipaglaban upang makontrol
ang negosyo ng langis sa Nigeria
Delta Region, ayon sa ulat.
Nauna rito, ang pagpapalaya
kamakailan ng 15 inhinyerong
Filipino at sinundan pa ng ilang
kababayang pinalaya rin pagkaraan
ng masusing pakikipagtulungan
ng pamahalaan ng Nigeria sa ating
pamahalaan. Ayon na rin sa ating
embahada, ipinagbabawal na ang
pagpapadala o pag-alis ng mga OFW
sa Nigeria. Pero mahirap na raw
pauwiin ang mga Pilipinong may
kontrata na doon nang matagal.
Noon una’y nakiusap ang
pangulo ng Nigeria na sana’y hindi
tumigil ang Pilipinas sa pagpapadala
ng mga “skilled workers” sa bansa.
Kaya lang, sa sunod-sunod na
pagkidnap sa ating mga kababayang
nagtratrabaho doon ng mga
militanteng grupo sa Balyesa State
ng Nigeria ay lumabo nang lumabo
ang pagpapadala ng mga Pilipinong
magtratrabaho.
Ang mga umuwing nakidnap na
Pilipino kahit hindi sila sinaktan
ng mga kumidnap ay nagkaroon ng
sindak, pangamba at takot na muli
pang magbalik sa Nigeria upang
magtrabaho. Siyempre, may mga
Pilipino namang hindi natatakot
pumunta kahit na sa Iraq na mayroon
pa ring panganib ng digmaan. Bukod
sa pagtulong ng Amerika na masugpo
ang karahasan at walang humpay na
pagbomba ng mga “suicide bomber.”
Maraming Pilipino sa Nigeria,
may mga kababayan pa rin
tayong nagtratrabaho roon.
Hindi mapakialaman ng ating
gobyerno ang mga kontrata noon
pa napagkasunduan ng ating mga
“skilled workers” sa mga kompanya
ng langis, maliban na lamang kung
boluntaryo silang aalis.
Kahit may digmaan sa alinmang
bansa, naroroon ang mga Pilipino
ITAASMO
kabayan
Teo
Antonio
upang magbakasakali. Sa dulo man
ng sumasabog na pulbura, sa kamay
man ng dahas ng pagkidnap, sa
sumisiklab mang bomba’t granada,
di mapipigil ang ating matatapang na
OFW na humanap ng masaganang
pagkakataon kahit puhunanin ang
pawis, luha’t dugo.
Sa marahas na daluyong ng
kahirapan, sa kabila ng sinasabing
“
Naroroon pa rin
ang karaniwang
Pilipino, kahit
mamangka sa
dagat ng apoy
patungo sa
ibang bansa,
ay pagtuloy na
maglalakbay
dahan-dahang umaangat ang
kabuhayan ng bansa, lumulobo ang
bilyong pondong ipinadadalang
“remittances” ng ating OFW,
nagtatanong pa rin ang iba: “Nasaan
ang kaunlaran?”
Naroroon pa rin ang karaniwang
Pilipino, kahit mamangka sa dagat
ng apoy patungo sa ibang bansa,
ay pagtuloy na maglalakbay at
makikipaglaban sa unos ng buhay.
Lagi silang naniniwala sa pagasa laban sa pag-asa. Sa walang
hanggang bukal ng pag-asa.
New/renewal 32 pages
$425 New/renewal 64 pages
Replacement of lost passport 32 pages
Replacement of lost passport 64 pages
Issuance of travel document
Amendment of passport entries
A: In the issuance of travel
documents, the Consulate is guided
by Section 13 of the Passport
Act of 1996, which states: A travel
document, in lieu of a passport, may
be issued to:
(a) A Filipino citizen returning to the
Philippines who for one reason
or another has lost his/her passport
or cannot be issued a regular
passport;
(b) A Filipino citizen being sent back
to the Philippines;
(c) An alien spouse of a Filipino and
their dependents who have not yet
been naturalised as a Filipino and
who are traveling to the Philippines
or is a permanent resident of the
Philippines;
(d) Aliens permanently residing in the
Philippines who are not able to
obtain foreign passport and other
travel documents;
(e) A stateless person who is likewise
a permanent resident, or a refugee
granted such status or asylum in the
Philippines.
Visa services
Single entry (3 months) $212.50
Multiple Entry (3 months) $425
Special investors resident visa
Special resident retiree’s visa
Affidavit of support/consent
Acknowledgment of instruments (deeds, powers of attorney)
Authentication of documents
Jurat (sworn statements, letters)
Original Seen
Seen and noted
Contracts (authentication and verification)
Issuance of certified true copy of document
Taking of deposition
Report/registration of marriage/birth/death
Any other certification
Executive EDITOR: Rex Aguado PUBLISHING CONSULTANT Philip Evardone ADVISERs Therese Necio-Ortega, Prof Dr Maurice Teo BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Ricky Sumallo
CORRespondents Eddie Alinea (Manila), Celeste Terrenal (Manila), Terrie Fucanan (Manila), Chito Manuel (Jeddah). Rick Sumallo (New Jersey), Loi Liwanag (Los Angeles)
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Bernie Domantay, AccessPoint (Philippines) Josephine Miranda (Philippines), TJ Badon-Doble (Philippines), Bob Waterfield (Hong Kong)
EDITORIAL BOARD Rex Aguado, Philip Evardone, Prof Dr Maurice Teo CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Beting Laygo Dolor, Teo Antonio, Chito Manuel, Danny Vibas, Dante Vino
Filipino Globe is published once a month by Apex Services (HK) Ltd, Suite 1905, Lippo Centre Tower 2, Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong, telephone (852) 2918 8248, email [email protected]. No part of this publication
may be reproduced without the written permission of the publishers. Printed by Premier Printing Group, Yuen Long, New Terrories, Hong Kong
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SSS CONTRIBUTION SCHEDULE
All OFW members
Salary
bracket
Q: What is the procedure for
obtaining a replacement if a
tourist loses his/her passport in
Hong Kong?
1) Report of Lost Passport issued by
the Hong Kong Police
2) Photocopy of the lost passport’s
data and visa pages (if available)
or an NSO-issued birth certificate in
security paper
3) Identification Cards (ie, HKID,
GSIS, SSS or LTO cards)
4) Four passport-sized pictures with
white background and with applicant
in decent attire (eg, shirt with collar
or blazer)
5) Affidavit of loss
6) Affidavit of loss notarisation fee
(HK$212.50)
7) If applying for a travel document,
travel document fee (HK$255)
8) If applying for a replacement
passport, passport fee (HK$425 for
32-page passport/HK$510 for 64page passport)
9) Telex charge (HK$40) for obtaining
passport database records from
the Philippines
The National Administration’s conduct of foreign relations has garnered a high satisfaction rating from the
public.
In the Social Weather Stations’ second-quarter survey, foreign relations got a satisfaction rating of 22 per
cent, with 50 per cent of respondents satisfied, against
27 per cent dissatisfied.
Other issues like helping the poor, fighting terrorism
and land reform received satisfaction ratings of 19 per
cent, 18 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively.
Foreign relations has always earned high marks from
the public, with the issue getting ratings between 19 per
cent and 32 per cent in the past two years.
Susuong ang Pilipino sa gitna ng karahasan, kung kaya’t marami pa rin
sa kanila ang patuloy na nagtatrabaho sa Iraq.
$510
$765
$1,190
$255
$170
Multiple Entry (6 months) $680
Multiple entry (1 year)
$1,020
$3,400
$3,400
Notarial services
High marks for diplomacy
Ano na kaya ang nangyari sa
mga Pinoy na may-akda ng mga
nobelang paperback?
Madalang na ako makakita
ng mga bagong titulo, di tulad
nang dati na marami kang
mapagpipilian pag nagpunta ka
sa Central.
Naging gawain na naming
magbabarkada na maghiraman
ng paperback, kaya tuloy halos
wala kaming nakaligtaan.
Jane Lobegas
Discovery Bay
Passport services
Q: Under what circumstances will
the consulate issue a temporary
travel document?
A: It is important to bear in mind
Section 15 of the Passport Act of
1996, which states: No new passport
shall be issued until satisfactory
proof is shown that the passport was
actually lost and after the lapse 15
days following the date of submission
of the affidavit of loss is herein
required.
Provided, however, that in the
case of a passport reported lost
be a Filipino traveling abroad, the
Consulate may waive the 15 days
requirement if the loss has been
proven to the Consular Official’s
satisfaction. Provided, further, that in
case the Filipino who reported
a loss of passport is returning to
the Philippines, the holder may be
issued a travel document.
Provided, finally, that in the event
the lost passport is found, it should
be destroyed if a replacement has
been issued, or mailed to the holder
who was issued a travel document.
In applying for a replacement
passport or travel document, the
following should be submitted:
23
August 2007
CONSULAR FEES AND CHARGES
ASK OUR CONSULATE
Q: Can a domestic helper sponsor
his/her employer for a visit to the
Philippines? Is a sponsorship
necessary in the first place?
A: It is not necessary for a helper to
sponsor her employer should the
latter wish to visit the Philippines.
As long as the employer meet
the requirements necessary for a
temporary visitor’s visa, then he
or she can apply for a visa at the
Philippine consulate general. Visas
are issued within two working days
from the date of application.
It is important to note that holders
of Hong Kong SAR passports can
enter the Philippines without a visa
for seven days only.
Send your questions to Filipino Globe,
Suite 1905, Lippo Centre Tower 2,
Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong or
send an e-mail to [email protected]
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Arthur Bocalde
Causeway Bay
Parami nang parami ang
tumutulong bilang mga
boluntaryo sa Gawad Kalinga.
Nakakatuwang makita na hindi
na lang tayong mga Pilipino ang
nag-aalay ng panahon, pagod
at pawis sa paggawa ng bahay
para sa mahihirap.
Pati mga dayuhan ay nakilahok
na rin sa pagpapalawak ng
misyon ng Gawad.
Nagkaroon ako ng
pagkakataong makatulong nang
kaunti noong huli kong uwi sa
Pilipinas.
lingkod-bayan
filipino globe
Talk on Labor Ordinance
The Labour Department is organising a talk on the
Employment Ordinance for Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong.
The talk aims to enhance their understanding of
their employment rights and benefits under the Ordinance.
It will be held on Sunday, 26 August, from 3 pm to 5
pm, at the theatre of the Sheung Wan Civic Centre.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Compensation
range
(pesos)
4,750 – 5,249.99 5,250 – 5,749.99 5,750 – 6,249.99
6,250 – 6,749.99 6,750 – 7,249.99 7,250 – 7,749.99
7,750 – 8,249.99
8,250 – 8,749.99
8,750 – 9,249.99
9,250 – 9,749.99
9,750 – 10,249.99
10,250 – 10,749.99
10,750 – 11,249.99
11,250 – 11,749.99
11,750 – 12,249.99
12,250 – 12,749.99
12,750 – 13,249.99
13,250 – 13,749.99
13,750 – 14,249.99
14,250 – 14,749.99
14,750 and over
Comparative schedule
Before Now
Before
Now
Monthly
salary
credit
(pesos)
5,000
5,500
6,000
6,500
7,000
7,500
8,000
8,500
9,000
9,500
10,000
10,500
11,000
11,500
12,000
12,500
13,000
13,500
14,000
14,500
15,000
Before
Now
470
520
705
780
940
1,040
517
572
752
832
987
1,092
564
624
799
884
1,034 1,144
611
676
846
936
1,081 1,196
658
728
893
988
1,128 1,248
New
monthly
contributions
(pesos)
520
572
624
676
728
780
832
884
936
988
1,040
1,092
1,144
1,196
1,248
1,300
1,352
1,404
1,456
1,508
1,560
Before
Now
1,175
1,222
1,269
1,316
1,363
1,410
1,300
1,352
1,404
1,456
1,508
1,560
Flexi Fund
Around 300 participants in the talk can be accommodated.
For further information, interested participants may
call the Labour Department at 2399 2263.
Disneyland calling children
Filipino children in Hong Kong between the ages of
seven and 11 are invited to an open casting session
for the Small World vocals to be used in an upcoming
attraction at the Hong Kong Disneyland.
Small World is a new attraction to be opened in early
2008.
The ride will feature a multitude of audio-animatronic
figures in the style of children of the world singing A
Small World, a song composed by the Sherman Brothers as a tribute to all children.
The song will be adapted in Tagalog, Korean, Cantonese and Putonghua for use in Hong Kong Disneyland.
The chosen Filipino children, one boy and one girl,
will record the Tagalog version of the song.
They will join other children during the official recording session on 29 September and their vocal tracks will
be used in the new attraction.
Interested participants should contact the casting director, Charlotte Chiu, on 9217 2904 or via e-mail at
[email protected].
Contributions must not be less than P200 a month
PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL
14/F UNITED CENTRE, 95 QUEENSWAY, ADMIRALTY
Hotlines: 9155-4023 (Consular), 6080 8323 (Labor), 6345 9324 (OWWA),
Trunkline: 2823 8501 Fax: 2866 9885
Working hours and statutory holidays
The Consulate is open from 9 am to 4 pm, Sundays to Thursdays,
except during the following holidays:
1 July Hong Kong SAR
Establishment Day
26 September Chinese
Mid-Autumn Festival
1 October China National Day
19 October Chung Yeung
Festival
1-2 November All Saints’
and All Souls’ Day
30 November Bonifacio Day
22 December Chinese Winter
Solstice Festival
24-25 December Christmas Day
30 December Rizal Day
Note:
Other holidays may be declared
by the Philippine government
24
MISSION UNBEATABLE
feature
filipino globe
August 2007
25
Despite the odds, Dr Vanessa de Villa is hopeful that a liver transplant facility will be finally established in the Philippines to make the procedure more accessible to indigent children
When you wish upon a star
... your dreams come true
Jose Marcelo in Hong Kong
A
t a time when Dr Vanessa de Villa
should be celebrating a new lease
on life to liver transplant patient
MJ Sultan, her thoughts were on
the many more MJs that could be saved back
home.
As MJ flew back to Manila on August 13
grateful for the opportunity to live like any
normal kid after surgery at Queen Mary
Hospital, De Villa could not help feeling
wistful for other Filipino patients denied a
similar chance because of the lack of a liver
transplant program in the Philippines.
“This has become my personal crusade,
pero ang hirap,” De Villa said from her
office at Queen Mary Hospital, where she
is clinical assistant professor and part of the
liver transplantation team in the Department
of Surgery.
“Marami na akong naranasang
frustrations.”
Her dream of bringing liver transplantation
to the country took roots when De Villa, a
BS Zoology (cum laude) and BS Medicine
graduate from the University of the
Philippines, worked on her PhD in medicine
and surgery at the University of Navarra in
Spain.
She was ready to lead the program after
a stint with the liver transplant team at the
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan in
1998, but De Villa’s campaign suffered one
setback after another.
Together with Dr Carlo Marquez, De Villa
made a pitch to every hospital in Manila, but
none was willing to fund the program. There
were also a number of publicised attempts by
the government to launch a program. Most of
them ended up as rhetoric.
“I’ve talked to all of the hospitals which
have the means to fund the program, pero
walang nangyari,’’ she said.
“There have been attempts, pero none have
taken off.”
Meanwhile, De Villa said her patients in
Manila “were dying under my nose. Wala
naman akong magawa”.
It was these frustrations that drove De
Villa and Marquez to move overseas. Hong
Kong’s proximity to Manila and the large
Filipino support group in the territory
influenced the Filipina surgeon’s decision to
accept an offer from Queen Mary Hospital
last year.
From her own initiative, five Filipino
liver patients have been able to avail of the
lifesaving procedure in Taiwan. De Villa
has also paved the way for another Filipino
surgeon to be part of the liver transplant team
in that island.
MJ was the third Filipino child from an
indigent family to get a liver transplant at
Queen Mary with the help of De Villa.
The bill was covered by funds from
charitable institutions and donations from
the Filipino community as well as other
kindhearted people in the territory.
The two others who underwent liver
transplant at Queen Mary before MJ – Mark
Mendoza in March 2006 and Louie Perez in
August 2006 – now live normal lives in the
Philippines.
“The good thing about Hong Kong is that it
is nearer, so I’m still in a place where I could
continue to help other Filipinos,” De Villa
said. “Besides, maliit lang ang Hong Kong
so it is easier to mobilise [para humingi ng
tulong for the indigent patients].”
Dr Vanessa de Villa performed
MJ Sultan’s lifesaving liver
transplant. She says about
P40 million would be enough
to establish a liver transplant
facility (below right) in the
Philippines. The cost will
be a fraction of the HK$1
million needed to undergo
the procedure at Queen Mary
Hospital (below left). At right,
MJ beams as he continues to
recover after surgery.
Jose Marcelo in Hong Kong
When Muhammad Jamail Sultan
marks his fourth birthday on
August 20, he will be relishing a
present like no other. The gift of
new life.
“Ito na po ang
pinakamagandang regalo at
pinakamasayang birthday ni
MJ,” said his mother Sally as the
Sultan family got ready to return
to the Philippines after almost
four months in Hong Kong.
MJ, diagnosed with biliary
artresia just six months after he
was born, returns to the Sultans’
humble home in La Loma,
Quezon City with a healthy liver
and, God willing, a normal life
ahead of him.
Such a happy picture seemed
remote last year, with MJ just
one of several Filipino kids from
poor families knocking on doors
of charitable institutions and
scourging for funds needed for a
lifesaving transplant.
Most of those liver patients,
Sally admitted, never even lived
long enough to see a ray of hope.
“Marami po ang hindi na
umaabot sa transplant,” she said.
MJ was one of the fortunate
few to be given a lifeline, thanks
primarily to Filipina surgeon
Vanessa de Villa, the liver
transplantation team of Queen
Mary Hospital and Rowena
Barcelo – Sally’s childless sister
who donated a part of her liver to
her nephew.
About HK$1.2 million was
spent for the procedure, the bulk
coming from major charitable
institutions.
Sally said the Islamic Union
of Hong Kong raised about
$160,000 for MJ while about
$50,000 to $60,000 came from
mostly anonymous donors in
the territory who answered the
Sultans’ plea for help.
A balance of about $40,000,
Sally said, was settled when the
liver transplantation team of
Queen Mary Hospital, including
De Villa, raised the amount
among themselves.
The bubbly kid even got an
early birthday present when a
Filipino working in Hong Kong
Disneyland treated the family to a
day with Donald and Mickey.
They also savored a day at
Ocean Park, courtesy of Daphne
Kuok, who was a prime mover
in the low-key core group that
contributed and raised funds for
MJ in Hong Kong.
A lot more will be required
for the child’s post-surgery
care to cover the maintenance
medicines, as well as the battery
of criticial tests that will have to
be performed on MJ.
But the smile that constantly
creases MJ’s face these days has
helped the Sultans face the future
with a lot of hope and optimism.
“Nasagot po lahat ng dasal
namin,” Sally said. “At ang
importante makakauwi kami na
malusog na uli si MJ.”
“
I’ve talked to all of the
hospitals which have
the means to fund the
program, pero walang
nangyari ... There
have been attempts,
pero none have taken
off ... They don’t see
[the program] as a
priority until now. But
I’m not losing hope
DR VANESSA DE VILLA
Liver transplant specialist
But aside from the huge expense, De
Villa said patients having to go overseas for
their transplants also have to endure more
difficulties than necessary, primary among
them the lack of a support group.
“Siyempre, kulang sa support ng family,
dahil at the most two or three family
members lang ang puwedeng umalalay sa
kanila,” she said. “Even then, dagdag pa rin
sa gastos nila iyon.”
De Villa estimates that about P40 million –
an amount which she, in a fit of exasperation,
pointed out is just a small portion of a
lawmaker’s pork barrel fund – would be
enough to put up the equipment and train
staff to get a liver transplant program up and
running.
An estimated HK$1 million is required for
a liver transplant in Hong Kong, and around
half that amount in Taiwan.
If and when such a program is put in place
in the Philippines, De Villa said the cost
of liver transplantation could be slashed
significantly and could be made far more
affordable to a lot more Filipino patients.
“Unfortunately, they don’t see [the
program] as a priority until now,” De Villa
said. “But I’m not losing hope.”
MJ enjoys a day out with Mickey and Minnie, thanks to a Filipino cast member at Hong Kong Disneyland.
26
community
filipino globe
August 2007
filipino globe
August 2007
Gems among bookstore’s best-sellers
Photo: Paolo Sandino
Bookazine builds on a
family tradition selling
books, but its biggest draw
may be its Filipina staff,
writes Gabby Alvarado
Y
ou enter a bookshop in the
heart of Central. You see
Filipinas, smartly dressed
in blue blouses and striped black
slacks and blazers, manning the cash
register and arranging books on the
shelves.
The one nearest you pauses from
her work and, with a disarming
smile, turns her attention to you as
though you’re a long-lost friend.
Nothing like the demeanor of the
strict librarian you’ve known when
you were a schoolkid or someone
with no intention but to make you
part with your hard-earned money
for the latest Harry Potter book.
Feeling lost in Hong Kong? Don’t
panic. You’re in the right place.
Filipinas are at the frontline of
Bookazine’s seven shops all over
Hong Kong and are doing a fine job
of it.
In a city of bookworms and
magazine and comics lovers,
Bookazine stands alone in a crowded
market as a thriving operation fuelled
by traditional Filipino hospitality and
charm. Nearly half of the company’s
staff are Filipinas. The friendly
atmosphere they help create makes
people – local residents, expats or
domestic helpers alike searching for
a good read – feel instantly at home
in the shops.
“Filipinas have a great way with
people,” says Ellie Luk, the chain’s
general manager who helps the
Mirchandani family run the 22-yearold business. “They’re slightly more
extroverted and welcoming. They
remember customers’ names and
customers like that. Our staff helping
them and talking to them adds to the
whole shopping experience.”
Shonee Mirchandani, who together
with younger sister Arti and mom
Nisha makes sure Bookazine and
its parent company Far East Media
(HK) Ltd run smoothly, is impressed
with Filipinas’ ability to deal with
customer complaints and requests
with the patience and calm of a
Mother Teresa.
“Some customers are very
The welcoming smiles are from Ana, Aurora, Gina and Marina. Lorina is on the phone. Below: Bookazine founder
Mohan Mirchandani, or Tatang (father), as he was fondly called by the Filipinas, died more than three years ago.
challenging and they try to push you
until you break,” she says.
Bookazine was established in 1985
by the late Mohan Mirchandani,
who emigrated to Hong Kong from
Bombay in 1973 with bold ambition,
entrepreneurial spirit and a lifetime
spent in book sales and distribution.
The Mirchandanis of India, including
Mohan’s sister and two brothers,
have been dealing in books
for a living as well as for
the love of it.
“I wish we had designer
clothing or jewelry,”
Shonee says laughing,
before adding seriously:
“A book is a noble product.
It gives people experience
and it’s like sharing
something with them.
Books do change lives,
even though that sounds
cliché.”
Adds Ellie: “It’s about
doing something you
love. Books are a far
better product than selling
vacuum cleaners.”
Being in the business,
for both Shonee and Ellie,
is like being part of a book
club without borders.
Hence, they are comfortable
with people of any race or color,
who they see not just as clients or
employees but as part of that huge
circle of book lovers with diverse
interests.
“Hindi sila yung nakatutok sa
trabaho palagi. We’re doing our
responsibilities kahit wala sila,” says
Lorina Mojica, store manager of
“
Filipinas have a
great way with
people. They’re
slightly more
extroverted and
welcoming
ELLIE LUK
General manager
Bookazine’s largest branch on the
third floor of the Prince’s Building on
Chater Road.
“Sa kanila galing ang policy at
kami ang nag-e-execute. Pero hindi
kami parang robot. In my case,
binibigyan nila ako ng discretion to
make decisions in a way na hindi
makakasira sa company. But they
need to be informed, of course.”
Andrea de Jesus joined the
company from Manila’s National
Bookstore in September 1991 and
has fond memories of Mohan, who
passed away 3-1/2 years ago. She
was recruited by Mohan during one
of his trips to the Philippine capital,
where he had links with such chains
as Goodwill Bookstore.
Born in Novaliches, Andrea
quickly rose from the ranks. She was
a stalwart of every newly opened
branch, the latest on the ground floor
of the Lippo Centre in Admiralty.
“Istrikto pero nasa lugar,” she says
of the Mirchandani patriarch. “Kung
sino ang may kakayahan sa trabaho,
binibigyan niya ng opportunity.
Naka-support siya sa lahat ng
bagay.”
At a time when regular bookstores
were rare in Hong Kong, according
to authors and professors Kwok Siutong and Kirti Narain, Mohan opened
the first Bookazine shop at the
Hopewell Centre in Wan Chai.
He found it more economical to
open a store than continue employing
an army of book hawkers, as was
the usual practice then. By 2004,
according to Kwok and Narain, the
business had expanded to seven
shops and had annual turnover of
about HK$80 million.
English-language fiction,
magazines, cookbooks, self-help
reading and children’s books are the
core of Bookazine’s business, whose
primary clients are women and kids.
That’s where Filipinas come in. They
love children, are easy to get along
with and helpful by nature.
But not everyone is given the
opportunity to work at Bookazine.
“I don’t see a distinction about
nationality. They’re like everyone
else. They need to be qualified for
the job,” Shonee says.
“They have to know about the
book industry, have experience,”
adds Ellie. “It helps if they like to
read. They should have gone to
school, have managerial skills and be
able to work with a team.”
Ellie points out that Filipinas are a
natural when it comes to customeroriented businesses, hence they are
visible in restaurants, coffee shops
and the like. “They have good
rapport with people,” she explains.
Through the years, Bookazine
has hired and also lost its share
of Filipina workers. But like the
classics prominently displayed on
its shelves, Filipinas appear to be an
indispensable feature of the store.
They’re no different from a
bestseller: Hard to put down.
SmarTone launches search for
this year’s Miss Barkadahan
We deliver your message
Talk to us about your
advertising needs.
We have the solution.
For advertising inquiries
filipino globe
Bob Waterfield (Hong Kong) 9470 2764
Ricky Sumallo (Philippines) 0917 539 0486
TJ Badon-Doble (Philippines) 0928 502 0379
Josephine Miranda (Philippines) 0920 951 6917
1905 Lippo Centre Tower 2
Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong
(852) 2918 8248
email: [email protected]
the OFW newspaper
One of the most awaited events in
the Filipino community is on.
Barkadahan sa SmarTone continues
to recruit candidates for its most
prestigious beauty pageant – Miss
Barkadahan 2007.
With the theme “Be the Star of the
largest OFW Community in Hong
Kong”, Barkadahan sa SmarTone is
inviting all qualified candidates with
the following criteria to drop by the
clubhouse starting on Sunday, August
19, from 9 am to 5 pm.
· Female OFW and Barkadahan
member;
· 18 years and above;
· Of any civil status;
· With pleasing personality and
good moral character;
· With a special talent in singing,
dancing or any performing arts and
· With sufficient knowledge of the
products and services of Barkadahan
sa SmarTone
Recruitment will continue until
September 2.
Nominations and applications can
also be done through MMS. Send
two pictures of the candidate – closeup and half body via MMS with the
name, age and cell number to 9689
4440 on or before Aug 31. Local
charges will apply.
Non-BSS OFWs need to join the
service and be a member of BSS
upon joining the contest.
Western Union Ad
film
27
28
community
filipino globe
August 2007
card
Beefing up for competition Gold
program,
Gabby Alvarado
fleshes out the
aspirations of a
pair of bodybuilding
enthusiasts
Roel Boholst (second from
right) trained under his
friend and mentor, Arman
Villasoto (below), the 2002
Mr Hong Kong winner.
H
e did not bring home the
trophy, but Roel Boholst felt
like a winner.
“Happy. Kasi makakakain na ako
ng gusto ko. Yan ang premyo ko,’’
said Roel. “Sa tagal ng diet wala
kang makain kundi isda at gulay.”
Pandacan-born Boholst, a bartender
at the Stormy Weather watering hole
in Lan Kwai Fong, is a neophyte
bodybuilder. He could not have
chosen a bigger and more prestigious
contest for his first attempt at
competition, the annual Mr Hong
Kong championships no less.
Under the guidance of Arman
Villasoto, the 2002 Mr Hong Kong
winner, Roel trained like there was
no tomorrow and went on a crash
diet. But time was not on their side.
Even the one-month reprieve the pair
received, when the competition was
moved back from its traditional June
date to July 29, was not enough to
get Boholst in tiptop shape.
Neither could he hone to perfection
in just five months with Arman
the posing techniques that would
highlight his physical attributes, and
acquire the confidence and grace
so essential for success in such
demanding contests.
“Kabado kaya lang may suporta
naman. Nasa likod ko lang lagi si
Arman,” Roel said of his competition
debut. “Di ko lang talaga napeperfect ang posing. Ganyan naman
pag beginner.”
And so the dark, bedimpled
muscleman had to settle for the thrill
of competing in, and surviving, one
nerve-wracking experience before
a Queen Elizabeth Stadium full of
discerning spectators, bodybuilding
enthusiasts, fitness trainers and some
of the finest physical specimens on
earth.
Boholst, 31, made it among the
finalists in the novice 70 kgs or
below category won by Joe Pang
Wai-chung. His mentor and friend,
Arman, fared better. The Ilonggo
took second runner-up honors in the
senior 75 kgs or below class won by
world championships veteran Jaffy
So Ming-hei, who also captured
overall honors.
Together with family and
supporters, they celebrated with
platefuls of mouth-watering pizza at
Alfredo’s.
Once home, Roel feasted on
heapings of rice, his favorite beef
caldereta and lemon cream pie that
“
Gusto ko lang
magka-muscle
dati. Tapos
nakilala ko si
Arman, nainggit
ako sa kanya
ROEL BOHOLST
On how he got his start in bodybuilding
his wife and fellow fitness buff Gaye
had prepared.
“Ang laki ng potential ni Roel.
Masipag mag-ensayo, may disiplina
at determinasyon. Kinapos lang
talaga kami sa preparasyon,”
said Villasoto, also a former Mr
Philippines winner and Southeast
Asian Games competitor.
Apart from mistakes in posture
every newcomer is prone to make,
Boholst needs to improve on his
lower physique, according to
Villasoto. “Sa upper body niya,
wala akong comment. Kaya lang
panay ang focus sa upper body, hindi
naging balanse ang training,” he
added.
After his baptism of fire, Roel is
now ready for more challenges. This
early, he and Arman have their sights
set on next year’s Mr Philippines and
Mr Hong Kong competitions as well
as invitational contests in the Middle
East. “Wala pang isang linggo
pagkatapos nung Mr Hong Kong,
workout na uli kami,” said Arman.
“Ayaw naming maghabol uli ng oras.
Para walang pressure.”
For the moment, though, a rigid
diet of fish, vegetables and protein
shakes can wait – which is just fine
by Roel, a basketball fan who never
dreamed of becoming a muscleman
until he was inspired by Arman’s
success in the 2002 Mr Hong Kong
contest.
“Gusto ko lang magka-muscle dati.
Tapos nakilala ko si Arman, nainggit
ako sa kanya,” he said.
In the short time he has trained
with his idol, Roel has developed a
chest that threatens to burst out of his
tight-fitting shirt, arms that look like
oversized longganizas and abs that
are the envy of many. But Gaye and
their four-year-old daughter Angelica
seem oblivious to the changes in his
physique.
“Pag araw-araw kayong
magkasama, parang di napapansin,”
Roel said. “ Pero natutuwa si Gaye
dahil wala akong bisyo at di umuuwi
ng lasing. Natatawa lang siya pag
may ibang taong nakakapansin.”
On the Saturday following the
Mr Hong Kong contest, Roel and
Arman were in World-Wide House
like two teenagers on an outing. But
don’t get the idea they were out skirtchasing and ogling the pretty Filipina
domestic helpers on holiday.
“Pagkain ang hina-hunting namin,”
Roel said, smiling.
Davao retailer joins Western Union network
Emcor, a wholly owned Filipino retail
chain of household appliances and
motorcycles, and Western Union Co,
a leading provider of global money
transfer services, have reached an
agreement to offer Western Union
money transfer services via Emcor’s
retail stores in Visayas and Mindanao.
Davao City-based Emcor is the
first retail company to join Western
Union’s network of more than 6,400
agent locations in the Philippines.
Emcor has nine affiliated companies that produce high-quality products and services in the motorcycle
and household appliance industry.
In becoming a Western Union agent,
Emcor will be the first company of its
kind in the Philippines to offer remittance services.
Being based outside Metro Manila,
Emcor strengthens Western Union’s
footprint in the Vis-Min area.
“Because our business is in the reselling of products rather than manufacturing them, the essence of our
company’s business operation is highquality customer service,” said Emcor
founder Jesus del Rosario.
“Emcor’s reputation for excellent
customer service and drive for maximum client satisfaction fits well with
Western Union’s focus on taking care
of our customers,” said Patricia Riingen, Western Union’s vice-president
for the Philippines. “This gives us the
opportunity to reach out to Filipinos
in the Visayas-Mindanao area and offer them the same quality service we
offer our customers in Manila. By the
end of this year, Emcor will have specially built Western Union kiosks in
100 Emcor retail stores.”
lalong
pinalawak
Mga diskwento sa fashion retail
outlet, photo processing services at
entertainment center ay ilan lamang
sa mga pinakabagong benepisyo na
handog ng Western Union sa mga
miyembro nito na mayroong Western
Union Gold Card, ayon sa phased
reward program nito.
Nakipag-partner ang Western
Union sa mga kilalang retail at
entertainment establishments sa
Hong Kong para mabigyan nito
ng mas exciting at mas maraming
pribilehiyo ang mga Western Union
Gold Card members nito.
Instant price discounts sa Kodak
Express, Ocean Park at Marathon
Sports ang pwedeng ma-enjoy ng
mga Western Union Gold Card
members. Ipakita lamang nila ang
kanilang Western Union Gold Card
kapag sila’y namili sa mga nabanggit
na program partners.
Discount coupons sa Giordano at
Kodak Express para sa special offer
nito na Kodak 6.2 megapixel digital
camera sa halagang HK$990 lamang
ang maaari ring makamit ng mga
Western Union Gold Card members
sa bawat padala nila ng pera gamit
ang kanilang Western Union Gold
Card.
Bukod pa sa mga pribilehiyong
ito, ang mga miyembro ng Western
Union Gold Card na nagpapadala ng
pera sa Pilipinas o Indonesia gamit
ang kanilang card ay may libreng
personal accident insurance rin mula
sa Prudential na nagbibigay sa kanila
ng coverage na abot sa 35 araw.
Pagmamay-ari ng Western Union
Gold Card ang isa sa kinakailangan
upang makamit ang mga nakalulugod
na benepisyong ito.
Mas mabilis din ang pag-proseso
ng money transfer kapag gamit ang
Western Union Gold Card.
Libre ang pag-apply ng Western
Union Gold Card, at makukuha
ang application form sa alinmang
kasaling Western Union agent
location o Western Union promoters.
“Naniniwala ang Western Union na
mahalagang pagkalooban ng espesyal
na mga pribilehiyo ang aming mga
natatanging customers,” sabi ni Chris
Yau, director ng Hong Kong, Taiwan
at Macau.
“Inilunsad namin ang retail
rewards program kasama ang mga
kilalang retailers tulad ng Marathon
Sports noong nakaraang taon at ito’y
naging popular at matagumpay,”
dagdag niya.
“Sa taong ito, lalo pang pinaganda
ang mga reward offers mula sa mas
maraming program partners kaya
mas maraming offers ang pwedeng
pagpilian at makamit ng mga
Western Union Gold Card members.
“Ang lahat ng ito’y para
makapagdulot ng karagdagang
benepisyo sa aming mga miyembro
upang maging sulit talaga ang
pagkakaroon nila ng Western Union
Gold Card.”
Mayroon mahigit 312,000 agent
locations ang Western Union, isa
sa pangunahing remittance service
providers sa mundo. Ito’y nasa
kabuuang 200 bansa at teritoryo.
filipino globe
home, health & beauty, money, travel, stars & sports
life
August 2007
29
What to do with footprints on floor and hard, slippery surface?
Q
Cleaning floors is easy
enough. Are there ways
of doing it even more easily,
especially on certain types of
flooring?
Rhomina Hobayan
Hong Kong
A
Dirt from the street collects
on feet and gets tracked
into your house dozens of times
a day. The little dumps, spills,
and heel marks of daily living
accumulate with startling speed.
And unless your home has only
one kind of floor throughout, you
will have to deal with cleaning
different kinds of hard-surface
floors. The first step toward
efficient floor cleaning is to know
what your floor is made of.
DIYBOB
do it yourself
ROBERT
LUNARIA
The cleaning method that works
for one surface may ruin another.
That’s where tips and guidelines
on cleaning come in handy on just
about every type of hard-surface
floor – from asphalt tile to wood.
To shine and resist foot traffic,
linoleum must be waxed. But
once it is waxed, the only regular
maintenance linoleum floors need
is vacuuming and an occasional
swipe with a damp mop.
A cup of vinegar in the
mop water will bring up the
shine on the floor, so you can
delay rewaxing until it’s really
necessary.
Remove heel marks from
linoleum by dipping fine-grade
steel wool in liquid floor wax. Rub
the spot gently, and wipe with a
damp cloth.
Solvent-based products can
soften and damage linoleum.
Scouring the floor, flooding it with
water, or using very hot water is
also bad for linoleum floors.
The fastest way to clean a
linoleum floor is with a one-step
cleaner or polish, but the best way
to clean the floor is to mop it with
an all-purpose cleaner. Dissolve
the cleaner in warm water, rinse,
and apply two thin coats of selfpolishing liquid.
On the other hand, a no-wax
vinyl floor is a breeze to maintain.
All you have to do is keep it
clean. Here’s how to do it:
Wipe up spills with a sponge
dipped in dishwashing liquid.
Scrub off heel marks with a
synthetic scouring pad.
To wash the floor, use an allpurpose cleaning solution. Test
any cleaner in a corner before
using it on the entire floor.
Sometimes a no-wax floor dries
with a film. Don’t panic; just mop it
again with water containing 1 cup
of white vinegar, and the floor will
glisten like new.
Do not scour the tile or flood
with water. Water can seep into
the seams.
Send your questions or comments to
[email protected]
Roof over your
head – and you
can keep shirt
on your back
Choices are limited only by your willingness to
learn what’s out there. Tom Arguelles looks at
the type of roofing most suitable to your needs
W
ithout a doubt, the roof is
one part of your house
you cannot afford to
compromise on. Yet, having quality
roofing is not synonymous with huge
expense.
If you know what to do, you can
have an economic roof over your
head without losing the shirt on your
back.
The type of roofing material you
use will depends on the style of home
you are building, the slope of the
roof, and local building restrictions.
The most common in the
Philippines is metal roofing using
galvanised iron and metal shingles.
Metal-shingle roofing has have
been around for years. Today’s
advances have made it available in
many different colors, shapes and
styles.
Metal shingles will typically be
interlocking and can be made up of
aluminum, copper or stainless steel.
This type of roofing is lightweight
and doesn’t crack, split, rot or burn
and will typically last over 50 years.
Metal can also be used on many
different styles and on both steep and
flat roofs.
Elsewehere, ashpalt roof is highly
favored for its durability and heatdeflection qualitites.
“This is the most common type
“
[Metal shingles]
are the most
popular. The
benefits are
obvious
SALOME BLAS
Building contractor
of roofing material used today in
the West, notably the United States,
where, for some reason, we get most
of our building ideas from,” says
Manila building contractor Salome
Blas. “The benefits are obvious,” she
adds.
This type of shingle is divided into
two different categories, organic or
fiberglass (non-organic).
Organic shingles are manufactured
with a cellulose fiber base made
from recycled paper and wood fibers,
which is then saturated with asphalt.
Then a mineral coating is applied
to resist weathering. Fiberglass
shingles are produced in a similar
fashion but the core is made up of
fiberglass.
This tends to provide more
flexibility and added strength over
the organic. Dimensional shingles
are a variation of organic or
fiberglass shingles. They are similar
to the standard organic or fiberglass
shingle, however, the cores are much
thicker.
The additional layers of material
can be sculpted to provide different
shadow lines to give the roof a more
custom look.
Asphalt shingles are manufactured
in a wide variety of colors and are
rated by their projected lifespan of
20-30 years.
Then are wood shingles. The
majority of wood shingles comes
from Western red cedar.
The reason this type of wood is
used most often is its resistance
to decay. The wood shingles are
recommended for roofing because it
is cut from knot-free heartwood that
makes it resistant to the elements.
Roofing options
range from
iron sheets
common in the
Philippines (top)
and ashpalt
shingles
favored in
the United
States (left). A
combination of
both can also
be made to
work (above).
30
health matters
filipino globe
August 2007
lakbayan
filipino globe
February
August 2007
31
No vaccine for dengue,
so prevention is crucial
Mothers use a special ward in a Manila hospital to breast-feed their babies. Fewer of them are doing so these days.
Formula vs mother’s
milk: the story so far
As the legal battle continues in the Supreme Court,
mothers are deciding what’s best for their infants
N
ext time you hear of Marcy
Dotilla, she will have given
birth, and as she keeps telling
everyone who cares to listen, she will
have begun raising her baby on her
own milk.
“This is the only way to feed my
child,” said Dotilla, 21. “I don’t
care about what all those television
advertisements are saying – that
formula milk will make my child
smarter,” she said.
The reason is both health and
economics. Dotilla, who is jobless,
cannot afford the US$50 a month
that formula costs. Her husband
works at a warehouse, earning the
minimum wage of less than US$200
a month.
This is heartening news to Filipino
and UN health authorities. Dotilla
is among a dwindling minority who
swear by mother’s milk as the only
way to ensure their infants stay
healthy in every way.
The proportion of Filipino babies
who are exclusively fed on breast
milk in their first six months dropped
from 20 percent in 1998 to 16
percent in 2003.
Health authorities are concerned
about aggressive advertising
by formula producers. Now the
long-running battle over what
companies can say and do to promote
commercial substitutes for breast
milk has reached the Supreme Court.
“
Infant formula has
been glamorised
to the point that
many mothers are
now convinced
that it is superior to
mother’s milk
DR NICHOLAS ALIPUI
Unicef representative
“Infant formula has been
glamorised to the point that many
mothers are now convinced that it
is superior to mother’s milk,” said
Dr Nicholas Alipui, the Unicef
representative to the Philippines.
For instance, Wyeth, a
pharmaceutical and nutritional
company based in the United
States, has been running television
advertisements for its Promil brand
that feature child prodigies who
can paint or play the piano. The ads
have become so well known that a
Filipino who shows above-average
intelligence is often teased as a
“Promil kid.”
Nothing, Alipui said, could be
further from the truth. He said that
about 82,000 children under five
die each year in the Philippines,
mainly because of poor nutrition.
He cited a WHO statistic that said
16,000 of these deaths are caused
by “inappropriate feeding practices,
including the use of infant formula.”
To encourage breast-feeding, the
Philippines government enacted a
Milk Code in 1986 that regulates the
marketing of formula.
The code bans advertisements
and other promotional activities for
formula intended for babies up to one
year old. Last year, the Department
of Health revised the code, extending
the promotion ban to milk substitutes
for children up to two years old.
The companies, Wyeth
among them, challenged the
revisions, arguing that they are
unconstitutional. The Supreme
Court, which issued a temporary
restraining order against the new
regulations, is expected to rule on
their legality in a few weeks.
Bill author confident of cheaper medicine next year
Cheaper medicine will be available
in the country by the first quarter of
next year, the main proponent of a
draft bill in Congress said.
Iloilo congressman Ferjenel Biron,
the bill’s author, said support for the
measure is overwhelming.
Speaker Jose de Venecia has
imposed a deadline for the bill’s
passage, he said.
“Speaker de Venecia said the
deadline for the passage of the bill
will be from 30 to 45 days upon the
opening of Congress, which started
last July 23 when President Arroyo
delivered her State of the Nation
address,” Biron said on the sidelines
of a press briefing.
The measure would benefit some
80 million Filipinos, especially
the poor, who cannot afford to buy
expensive medicines, such as those
for diabetes, cancer and other serious
illnesses.
One of the major health problems
during the rainy season is dengue
hemorrhagic fever.
It occurs in all age groups. This
disease, transmitted by aedes, a daybiting mosquito, is preventable but
is prevalent in urban centers where
population density is high, water
supply is inadequate – resulting in
water storage and a good breeding
place for the vector – and solid
waste collection and storing are also
inadequate.
Marissa Antonio of Yuen Long,
New Territories, wants to know the
symptoms and how best to prevent
the spread of the disease.
For some insights, we asked Dr
Arlene Calimlim-Lim, a pediatrician
at Mandaluyong City Medical Centre
and visiting consultant at St Martin
De Porres Hospital.
Dr Lim is also the past president
of the Mandaluyong City Medical
Society.
She writes:
Dengue hemorrhagic fever is an
acute infectious disease manifested
initially with fever.
Aedes aegypti, the transmitter of
the disease, is a day-biting mosquito
which lays eggs in clear and stagnant
water found in flower vases, cans,
rain barrels, old rubber tires, etc. The
adult mosquitoes rest in dark places
of the house.
Generally, the symptoms are:
• Sudden onset of high fever which
may last two to seven days
• Joint and muscle pain and pain
behind the eyes
• Weakness
• Skin rashes – maculopapular rash
or red tiny spots on the skin called
petechiae
• Nosebleed when fever starts to
subside
• Abdominal pain
• Vomiting of coffee-colored matter
• Dark-colored stools
Dengue is diagnosed by a blood
test, and anyone who is bitten by an
infected mosquito can get dengue
fever.
Risk factors include a person’s
age and immune status, as well as
the type of infecting virus. Persons
who were previously infected with
one or more types of dengue virus
are thought to be at greater risk for
developing dengue hemorrhagic
fever if infected again.
The mainstay of treatment is
supportive therapy. Increased oral
fluid intake is recommended to
prevent dehydration. If the patient
is unable to maintain oral intake,
supplementation with intravenous
fluids may be necessary to prevent
dehydration.
A platelet transfusion is rarely
indicated if the platelet level drops
HEALTHTALK
what the doctor says
Dr Jun
Amigo
significantly (below 20,000) or if
there is significant bleeding.
It is very important to avoid aspirin
and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
medications. These drugs are often
used to treat pain and fever, but
in this case, they may actually
aggravate the bleeding tendency.
There is no vaccine to prevent
dengue. Prevention centers on
avoiding mosquito bites when
traveling to areas where dengue
occurs. Eliminating mosquito
breeding sites in these areas is
another key prevention measure.
But there are some simple tips,
which will help you deal with the
problem:
• Use mosquito repellents on skin
and clothing
• When outdoors during times that
mosquitoes are biting, wear longsleeved shirts and long pants tucked
into socks
• Avoid heavily populated
residential areas
• When indoors, stay in air-
“
Remember:
anyone who
is bitten by an
infected mosquito
can get dengue
fever
conditioned or screened areas. Use
bednets if sleeping areas are not
screened or air-conditioned
• If you have symptoms of dengue,
report your travel history to your
doctor
Eliminate mosquito breeding sites
around homes. Discard items that
can collect rain or run-off water,
especially old tires.
Regularly change the water in
outdoor bird baths and pet and
animal water containers.
We strongly recommend that you
consult your doctor or healthcare
provider if you have symptoms of
dengue fever and have been in an
area where dengue fever is known to
occur.
[email protected]
If you have questions about health, send them to us and we
will try our best to answer them with expert opinion. With
Dr Jun Amigo, chief surgical resident at the Mandaluyong
City Medical Center, as moderator, this forum will feature
specialists on the chosen topic. Please note that this is not
intended as a medical consultation and readers are strongly
advised to see their doctor for proper advice. To contact
us, please visit our website www.filglobe.com and click on
“[email protected]” to send your queries.
Makakapamili ka ng sariwang seafood sa nagkalat na stalls (itaas) na puwedeng ipaluto kaagad (ibaba). Madaling matatagpuan ang Seaside eateries sa Macapagal Avenue malapit sa NAIA Road.
Kainan sa dalampasigan ng Maynila
Namnam mo ang
sarap ng laman-dagat,
kasama na ang dampi
ng hangin sa baybayin.
Ulat ni Gilda M Bernal
N
aaalala mo pa ba nang una
kang tumikim ng nilasing na
hipon, o kumain ng ginataang
kuhol na may sili at tuna na sinigang
sa kamias?
Malamang sa Hong Kong hindi
ka nakakakain ng mga ito. Siguro sa
iyong muling pag-uwi, ang una mong
gagawin ay mamalengke ng mga
isda at ibang klase ng seafood na
natutunan mong kainin simula pa sa
pagkabata sa Pilipinas.
Kung hindi ka na makapaghintay,
paglapag ng eroplano sa Maynila,
hatakin mo na ang iyong pamilya
doon sa reclaimed area malapit
sa airport. Mula sa NAIA Road,
dumiretso sa Diosdado Macapagal
Avenue at hanapin ang lugar na
tinatawag nilang “Seaside”. Madali
itong hanapin dahil halos lahat ng
mga sasakyan sa avenue ay dito
tumutuloy.
Matatagpuan dito ang seafood
wet market kung saan malaya kang
makapamalengke ng mga paborito
mong seafood – mula sa alimango,
tuna, salmon, hipon at iba’t-ibang
klase ng isda. Mayroon pang kuhol
at palaka. Puwede mong iuwi ang
mga ito o di kaya ay ipaluto sa
mga restaurants sa tabi. Malaya
ka ring makakapamili kung doon
kayo kakain sa “Aling Mahsya”,
“Yatai Ramen”, “Shylin”, “Claire
dela Fuente” o “Kay Mig” seafood
restaurants.
Ang isang kilo ng alimango ay
mabibili mula P300 hanggang P500,
depende sa laki at sa klase. “Anong
“
Kulang na lang
ay itaas namin
ang aming mga
paa sa upuan
para makakain ng
komportable
gusto niyo, babae, lalaki o bading?”
tanong ng nagtitinda sa amin. Mas
malaman daw at maraming taba
ang babaeng alimango, kaya kung
cholesterol ang hanap, ito ang
iyong pipiliin. Ang salmon at tuna
ay may kamahalan, mula P400 ang
isang kilo, samantalang ang kuhol
ay makukuha mo lang sa P80. Ang
hipon ay mula P200 hanggang P350
kada kilo. Mayroon ding bangus at
tilapia, mula P150-P250 ang isang
kilo.
Doon kami dumiretso sa “Kay
Mig” at kailangan pa naming
maghintay ng ilang minuto
para makapasok dahil puno ang
restaurant. Mayroong isang grupo
na nagbibilang ng mga 40 na katao.
“Malamang limang kilo ng sugpo
ang kinain ng mga ito,” sambit ng isa
naming kasama na takam na takam
nang kumain. Dahil hindi pa namin
alam kung paano ang bentahan sa
palengke, nakiusap kami sa waiter
kung puwedeng siya na lang ang
mamalengke para sa amin. Halos
lahat ng restaurant ay ginagawa din
ito.
Babayaran mo na lang ang halaga
ng kanilang pinamalengke at service
fee sa kanilang pagluto.
Nag-order kami agad pagkapasok.
Isang kilong salmon na isisigang sa
miso. Isang kilo ng hipon na niluto
sa bawang at butter. Isang kilo ng
babaeng alimango. Kalahating kilo
ng kuhol, luto sa gata at luya. Kanin
para sa limang tao.
Habang nililista ng waiter ang
mga order ay naririnig na namin
ang kalam ng aming mga sikmura.
Para makalimot ng kaunti sa gutom,
nakikanta kami sa babaeng nagkakaraoke sa isang private room sa
likod namin. Puwede rin pala kasing
ipa-reserve ang lugar para sa mga
private functions at mayroon nang
karaoke, LCD screen at CDs na
puwedeng hiramin. Puwede ring
mag-request ng disco lights kung
kailangan. Pagkatapos ng masayang
kainan, kantahan at indakan naman.
Pagkalapag ng waiter sa mesa
ng nilutong alimango sa bawang at
luya, wala nang makapagpigil pa sa
aming mga gutom na sikmura. Wala
pang isang oras, ubos na halos ang
lahat ng aming mga order. Kailangan
pa naming mag-order ng dagdag na
kanin at kalahating kilo ng hipon
dahil wala nang naiwan para sa
aming kasama na susunod pa dahil
na-trapik sa Edsa.
Sa bawat subo, namnam namin
ang sarap ng laman-dagat. Kulang
na lang ay itaas namin ang aming
mga paa sa upuan para makakain
ng komportable at makapagkuwentuhan pa. Pero dahil sa sarap
ng pagkain, halos hindi na kami
makahinga.
“Masakit na ang tiyan ko,”
sabi ng aking kapatid. Pero nagrequest pa ng halu-halo at habang
pinapanood namin siyang kumain,
iniisip namin kung saang parte ng
kanyang sikmura pa niya isisiksik
ang kanyang panghimagas.
Nang kuwentahin ang halaga ng
aming nakain, umabot ito sa P2,200
kasama na ang paluto at ilang bote
ng beer at coke. Pati na rin ‘yung tsaa
at halu-halo. Hindi na masama ang
presyo kung para sa limang busog na
busog na tao. “Tiyak, babalik tayo
dito,” sabi ng aking kapatid.
Pagkatapos nga lang ng dalawang
araw, nandoon kami ulit sa Seaside.
Nakakain na kami ng masarap
na pagkaing Pinoy, nakapagkuwentuhan pa kaming mag-pamilya.
Tunay ngang mas sumasarap ang
pagkain kapag kasama mo sa hapagkainan ang iyong mga mahal sa
buhay na matagal mong hindi nakita.
Industry forecasts hotel building boom as tourist arrivals top 1.5 million in first half
The number of foreign visitors to
the country increased by 10.9 per
cent in June this year compared
with the same month last year.
The Department of Tourism said
foreign arrivals reached 250,227 in
June this year, up by 24,604 from
225,623 arrivals in the same period
in 2006.
The number brought the total
number of visitor arrivals to a
record 1.53 million in the first half
this year, a 7.6 per cent increase
over the 1.42 million a year ago.
Tourist arrivals from Russia, the
United Kingdom, South Korea,
France, Italy, Hong Kong and
Singapore posted double-digit
growth.
The United States got the top
spot in terms of foreign visitors
with 314,336 in the January-June
period, an 1.8 per cent growth.
Korea was second with 312,318
nationals visiting the country, up
16.8 per cent on last year. Chinese
visitors rose 13.7 per cent to
73,362.
Visitors from Hong Kong jumped
19.8 per cent to 55,864 in the first
half.
Other top origins of foreign
tourists during the first six months
were Taiwan, Australia, Singapore,
Canada, the United Kingdom,
Malaysia, and Germany.
The Philippine Travel Agencies
Association said the tourism
industry would continue to expand.
This would drive demand for
accommodation, sparking a
building boom in hotels (right) and
other tourist facilities in the coming
months.
32
lakbayan
filipino globe
August 2007
Up close and
personal, it’s
a festival of
smiling faces
Tess Mauricio gamely gets behind the mask that
marks out one of the country’s most colorful and
exuberant celebrations – Bacolod’s Masskara
B
acolod City is indeed the
“City of Smiles”. During
October, a multitude of faces
wearing artistically crafted masks
all displaying enduring smiles in
vivid and colorful costumes parade
the streets to celebrate the vibrant
Masskara Festival.
Touted as the local version of the
Mardi Gras of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
this annual festival is a celebration
of life as people dance on the streets
to the beat of lively music under the
scorching heat of the sun.
Started as an added spice to a
routine military parade, awarding
ceremonies, and musical program
for the city’s charter anniversary,
the festival has become a tourist
attraction in its own right.
The Masskara Festival opens
on October 1 and continues until
the third week of the month. The
highlight of the festival always
comes on the third weekend, closest
to the city’s charter anniversary
celebration, when people from all
walks of life participate in streetdancing competition.
The contest is usually divided into
two categories: the barangay and
the open category. Different sectors
of the community and also from
neighboring cities participate in
the street dance parade. Also, some
corporate sponsors usually join the
open category, commonly held on the
last day of the festival.
The festival period reserves some
days for sports enthusiasts, too.
Especially organised for the youth,
many sports tournaments such as
chess, Mayor’s Cup tennis, golf
and swimming competition, and
the country motorcycle race are
being held during the season. Other
highlights of the festival include
band concerts, food festival, maskmaking contest and painting exhibits.
Through the years, the festival has
created noise not just locally but
also on the international scene. The
Masskara festival, organised by the
city government with the support
of the Department of Tourism, has
represented the country in various
festivals abroad such as the 1998
Chinggay Festival of Singapore,
2001 Lunar Festival of Hong Kong,
2004 International Tourism Festival
of Shanghai and 2005 Midosuji
Festival Parade in Osaka, Japan.
During the 2005 Midosuji Festival,
the group won the championship
in the foreign category, creating a
record as the first Philippine entry
to receive the award, topping other
foreign participants in the 10-year
history of the event.
The Masskara Festival was also the
inspiration for the logo of the 2005
Southeast Asian Games held in the
country. The festival mask used in
the logo captured the essence of the
Filipinos’ warm hospitality. Also, it
reflected the different cultures that
participated in the sporting event.
The word “Masskara”, coined by
Ely Santiago, former Art Association
of Bacolod president, comes from
“mass”, which means “many or
multitude of people” and from the
Spanish word “cara”, which means
“face”. It can also be translated
as “mask”. The festival is distinct
because of the colorful masks worn
by participants. Masks used in the
festival are crafted in paper mache,
designed with a smiling face. Thus,
this festival can also be translated as
“multitude of smiling faces”.
The tradition of showing off a
grin in masks started in 1980 as
the province of Negros Occidental
experienced a series of unfortunate
events. In the mid-1970s, it
experienced a crisis caused by the
collapse in the price of sugar on the
world market. As the province relies
heavily on the sugar industry, this
created great turmoil in the lives of
many Negrenses.
In response to the challenge
of rebuilding Negros Occidental
after the economic breakdown,
different cottage industries emerged
to create a variety of handicrafts
using indigenous materials. Other
industries, mainly food processing,
furniture and furnishings, garments
and agriculture like prawn and
high-value crop farming, helped to
accelerate the economy.
The Negrenses’ rich history once
told of how the sugar industry made
the lives of the people abundantly
It’s smiles all around as Bacolod celebrates. The Masskara Festival inspired the 2005 SEA Games logo (below).
“
Today, years after
the sugar crisis,
the sun shines in
Negros Occidental.
Negrenses
celebrate life along
the mainstreams of
modern technology,
industry and events
fair. It made them love the good
life. It can be seen from the kind
of cuisine they choose, the dresses
they wear, the kind of sports they
involve themselves in and the type
of cars they pick. But no matter how
lavish their lives are, they know how
to persevere and rise above harsher
times.
Today, years after the sugar crisis,
the sun shines in Negros Occidental.
Negrenses celebrate life along the
mainstreams of modern technology,
industry and events.
The streets explode in a blaze of color as participants – locals and visitors alike – turn out to party during three weeks of the October festival.
filipino globe
August 2007
33
34
money matters
filipino globe
August 2007
Your first customer can make or
break your selling proposition
I
have been frequently talking
about products manufactured by
a person or company, and very
little to highlight the service sector.
As an OFW, your assets are yourself
and the skill that you have acquired
by formal education or from training.
You decided for example to be a
domestic helper because that is your
strong skill being a homemaker back
in our country.
If you are going to undertake a
business based on an acquired skill
or interest, make sure to take stock of
what that skill is all about. List down
on a piece of paper what your skill
can do and what will be your unique
selling proposition.
The unique selling proposition
can be the quality of your work, the
faster way that you can complete the
work without compromising on the
quality of the end result, the price
you charge for rendering superior
service, your ability to give more
than what the customer is expecting,
or your reliability when called for,
particularly during work emergencies
or exigencies.
While listing your strong points,
you will come to realise that you are
like a product with many ingredients
that makes it desirable to purchase
OFWWISE
be your own boss
Herbie
Sancianco
and consume. You can then put a
price on those strong points. Just
remember on the other hand that
there are others like you selling a
similar skill.
Hence, you have to be
competitively priced. Your target
customer is always looking out for a
strong skilled service at an affordable
cost.
The buena mano customer should
always be treated with utmost care
in delivering the service promised.
That first customer will, in fact, be
your best advertisement because
of its endorsement value. Your first
customer is your first brag right that
will create the next customers up the
line.
One of the most important virtues
I practice to this day is that I deliver
what I can only promise with the
express hope that the circumstance
is acceptable to the customer,
particularly if time plays a major
factor.
I don’t overpromise because it
creates higher expectations from the
customer that may not be achievable.
Building contractors, for example,
do not usually promise to complete a
job ahead of time because they know
that cutting corners can become a
risk to the customer at a later time.
Customer satisfaction is a key
factor to a successful serviceoriented company. A repeat
customer’s satisfaction level
should continually increase at each
encounter.
This enables you later on to raise
your service fee without much
argument coming from the customer
because they know it is worth it.
Some customers, meanwhile, show
their appreciation by giving you
a tip or gratuity like in the case of
restaurant waiters, parking valets,
cabbies or plumbers.
Herbie Sancianco is a professor in
the graduate school for continuing
education, De La Salle College of
St Benilde, Manila
August 2007
35
Malacanang cracks down on pyramid schemes
The government has launched a
crackdown on illegal pyramid and
investment schemes victimising
overseas Filipino workers and the
public.
President Arroyo signed an
executive order creating an
investor protection task force.
The task force will monitor
investment schemes, including
real estate projects, especially
those marketed to the general
public and families of the OFWs,
Executive Secretary Eduardo
Ermita said.
Small and medium-sized enterprises make up 90 per cent of Philippine companies and provide 80 per cent of employment, but many banks are reluctant to lend to them.
Neri backs credit information act
Economic planning chief says measure will boost lending to small enterprises
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money matters
filipino globe
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Address:
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary
Romulo Neri is calling on Congress
to pass the Credit Information System Act, which is crucial in providing more credit to small and mediumsized enterprises
“It will help extend lending to small
industries if you have a more efficient
system with information exchange,”
he said.
Neri said spurring the growth of
this sector is crucial in improving the
country’s competitiveness.
Small enterprises comprise over 97
per cent of Philippine companies and
provide 80 per cent of employment
but do not have access to financing.
There are about 800,000 such enterprises, mostly non-clients of the
banking sector.
Many banks are reluctant to lend to
them for fear that they will be unable
to pay.
The legislative measure aims to address the issue by putting in place an
efficient credit information system
that would provide the banks with
critical information on the background and financial capability of
small borrowers.
Such information is expected to in-
crease the banks’ lending volume to
underserved sectors such as small and
medium-sized enterprises.
Neri also said Congress needs to
prioritise enactment of the following
measures to strengthen the country’s
competitiveness
• Amendment of the Electric Power
Industry Reform Act
• Fiscal Incentives Rationalization
Act
• Political Party Act and the Cheaper Medicines Act.
“Our power costs are too high. We
have to amend it in such a way that
there would be greater competition
among power generators and avoid
monopolisation of power,” he said.
Neri, also the director general of the
National Economic and Development
Authority, said the country should
continue working on ways to reduce
the cost of doing business to improve
the country’s competitiveness.
“We have to reduce the cost of doing business here – power, ports,
shipping, airlines and telecommunications,” he said.
“And we can only do that by ensuring greater competition in those
areas.”
Boost for mango producers
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filipino globe
the OFW newspaper
The government is pushing the
country’s mango industry on the
global market.
It is targeting the United States
in its new initiative under the
Department of Agriculture and
the Bureau of Plant Industry.
Dr Hernani Golez, chief of the
National Mango Research and
Development Center said certain
hurdles must first be overcome.
“Mango production cannot
meet demand because harvest
is seasonal. We have low-quality
control of the yield. And, we
cannot meet the quarantine
requirements of other countries,”
Golez said.
He made the remarks in Iloilo
on the sidelines of a governmentsponsored seminar on the use
of irradiation for quarantine
purposes.
Presently, only the Philippine
Nuclear Research Institute has
irradiation processes to prevent
the spread of diseases on food
exports, Golez said.
He said the Bureau of Plant
Industry recently received a
US$2 million grant from the
United States Department of
Agriculture to conduct a study to
enhance the competitiveness of
Philippine mangoes on the global
market.
The task force is headed by
the Department of Finance
and includes the Securities
and Exchange Commission,
Department of Trade and
Industry, National Bureau of
Investigation, Department of
Labor and Employment and the
House and Land Use Regulatory
Board.
Among its functions are:
• Monitor investment schemes
and products
• Give warnings on questionable
schemes and products
• File evidence and recommend
prosecution to the DOJ
• Recommend appropriate
legislation and regulations for
investor protection.
Arroyo directed the task force
to consult with the Department
of Justice on the status of cases
filed at the prosecutor’s office.
However, the prosecutors
must keep their distance from
investigators.
The move followed complaints
against phony developers and
unscrupulous money brokers.
36
celebrity
filipino globe
August 2007
filipino globe
celebrity
filipino globe
Guy finds her
peace in US,
not keen to
return home
N
ora Aunor is not likely to
come home to the Philippines
this year. Truth is, she is not
keen on returning to the country at
all even as all her five children (one
biological, four adopted) remain
happily settled in the Philippines.
Ate Guy, as she is still fondly
called by Filipinos despite her much
diminished box office appeal, harbors
resentment against the government
and all the powerful politicians,
claiming none of them extended even
mere gestures of support when she
figured in a US airport drug case last
year.
“Superstar nga ako, wala namang
rumerespeto sa akin,” sighed Ate
Guy to Nagmamahal, Kapamilya
host Bernadette Sembrano, who went
to interview the former Philippine
superstar in her temporary residence
in San Francisco, California for a
special episode of Bernadette’s early
Saturday evening show on ABSCBN.
The interview was conducted
entirely in Filipino which is how Ate
Guy habitually speaks.
“Kahit paano nakatulong naman
ako sa mga pulitiko natin. Di ba,
kung nakatulong ka sa kanila,
kahit paano, bigyan ka naman ng
importansya,” aniya
“Ang ibig kong sabihin, hindi
naman lahat ‘yan pera. Sana lang,
nagpasabi sila.
“Sana nung sandaling
nangangailangan ako ng tulong
dahil sa maraming problema ko
rito, nagparamdam man lang sila na
tutulong sila. Kaso wala naman,wala
lang. Di ba,wala na silang respeto?
Superstar nga ako, di naman nila
ako iginagalang,” said Ate Guy in
suppressed anger.
Her resentment notwithstanding,
the once much awarded actresssinger said she is at peace in the US,
where she had her first serious brush
with the law in her much idolised
and colorful life of rags-to-riches.
She admits to occasionally looking
back to her glorious life in the past,
which was much whispered about
in certain showbiz circles as heavily
punctuated with excesses and
eccentrities.
Ate Guy rued: “Ako naman kasi,
naniniwala ako sa kapangyarihan ng
nasa itaas. Siya ang nagtatakda ng
kung ano ang mangyayari. Kaya sa
akin, madalas Niya akong paluin,
pero ako lagi ang bumabalik sa dati.
Noon, pinalo Niya ako, sabi ko, hindi
ko na uulitin, pero inulit ko pa rin
‘yung mga pagkakamali ko. Pinalo
uli Niya ako. Siguro naman this time,
nagtanda na ako.”
Distant she may be from her
mass base of screaming fans in the
Philippines, Ate Guy still enjoys the
support of widely spread fans in the
US who occasionally get together to
support their idol’s concerts every
now and then for the three years that
For the first time since Pops
Fernandez (right) separated
from Martin Nievera almost 10
years ago, she called his live-in
girlfriend a ‘’homewrecker”.
The woman is Katrina Ojeda,
who a few months ago gave birth
to the couple’s first child, Santino
Martin.
And the Concert Queen
belted those words on account
of their sons Ram and Robin,
both in their teens now and
both cuddlesome and chubby,
and who in their younger years
In happier times, Nora Aunor poses with former president Joseph Estrada and other government officials. Below,
Ate Guy and her lawyer, Claire Espina, meet the Filipino press in the US during her controversial drug trial.
“
Ang ibig kong
sabihin, hindi
naman lahat ‘yan
pera. Sana lang,
nagpasabi man
lamang sila
NORA AUNOR
On official help that never came
she has been US-based. Among those
fans is a California-based Pinoy
couple, Ernest and Lorna Canumay,
who have become well off from their
real estate business.
They admire Ate Guy so much that
they have asked her to live in one of
their impressive houses apparently
for free and it’s where Nora lives
now – apparently with her lesbian
manager and musical director Norie
Sayo, who reportedly married Nora
in Las Vegas in 2000 by declaring
herself a man.
The Canumays say they admire and
love Ate Guy so much that they also
want to help her regain her lost glory.
“Gusto namin siyang tulungang
makabalik sa dati niyang estado. Para
sa amin, malaking bagay na ‘yun
kung maibabalik namin siya sa dati
niyang marangyang pamumuhay.
“Hanggang kaya namin, tutulong
kami,” the couple declared on
camera.
The couple seem to be aware
of Ate Guy’s mood swings and
a tendency to lead a bohemian
lifestyle as an artist.
They want her to put order in her
life. The couple seem willing to
eventually transfer ownership of
the house to Ate Guy – but without
bothering to explain how. Are they
selling it to her on the easiest terms?
Is it an exchange deal by making her
an endorser of properties they are
selling?
In any case, the couple said about
the house: “Basta pahalagahan niya,
pagsikapan niya, magiging kanya na
ang bahay namin.”
Meanwhile, the decision on the
drug charges against Ate Guy is
expected to be known on October 18.
Lotlot refuses to take calls as Nora breaks silence over ‘marriage’ to lesbian
Danny Vibas in Manila
Nora Aunor has finally broken
her silence over her alleged May
22, 2000 marriage to her lesbian
manager, Norie Sayo, in Las Vegas.
The alleged marriage was
discovered by a tabloid showbiz
columnist when he accessed the
Marriage Inquiry System of Clark
County, Las Vegas. That was at the
time everyone was also busy trying
to check out the reported marriage of
Ruffa Gutierrez to a certain Richard
Daloia, which appears on the same
website.
Interviewed in San Francisco,
California also by Nagmamahal
Kapamilya host Bernadette
Sembrano, the once-phenomenally
popular actress-singer said she
wants to put an end to the issue – but
refused to neither confirm nor deny
the allegation.
As officially recorded, what
supposedly took place between Ate
Guy and Norie was not a same-sex
marriage but a man-woman wedding.
This is because Norie declared
herself a man.
And whoever officiated the
wedding – if indeed one took place
– took Norie’s representations hook,
line, and sinker.
Norie does look like a man,
judging from file videos aired on TV
news reports about that controversial
marriage. She has cropped her hair
and styled it to make her look like a
man.
She is always in pants and polo
shirt. When she appears as a
keyboard-playing musical director
in concerts, she is in pants and
blazer. (Norie is not unknown in
the Philippines. She once briefly
managed the sexy actress-singer Rina
Reyes, among others.)
Back in Manila, some press people
(including this one) have heard Ate
27
37
‘Homewrecker’ tag sticks to Katrina Ojeda
Former superstar shows bitterness in
saying she has no plans to come back
Danny Vibas in Manila
August 2007
Guy sweetly addressing Norie as
“General”. TV host Boy Abunda
habitually and unhesitatingly refers
to Norie as “Kuya Norie.”
In the interview with Bernadette,
Ate Guy said she was hoping that
those who love her would also be
able to understand and respect her
decision of not explaining anything.
“Walang dapat i-explain. Kung
‘yong mga taong nagmamahal sa
akin naiintindihan ako mula umpisa
hanggang ngayon, siguro, pag sinabi
ko naman na wala akong dapat
ipaliwanag sa kanila, siguro naman,
kailangan nilang irespeto kung ano
‘yong dapat kong sabihin. Tapusin na
natin yan. Isarado na ‘yan,” she said.
“Ito na ang umpisa ng aking buhay,
panibagong buhay.”
Ate Guy said that except for her
adopted daughter Lotlot de Leon,
her children Ian (biological), Matet,
Kiko, and Kenneth accept whatever
is going on in her life.
“Naiintindihan nila ako, lahat ng
mga nangyayaring hindi mabuti sa
buhay ko, lagi silang nariyan at ‘di
nagsawa sa pagbigay ng suporta
at pagdamay,” Ate Guy said, even
as she admitted that she actually
never informed any of her children
about her plan to stay long, if not
permanently, in the US, when she left
about two years ago.
Ian, Kiko, and Kenneth visited her
in California some months ago. She
cooked for them, served them during
meals, and reminisced the old days
with them.
“Nakatutuwa, marami kaming
napag-usapan, marami silang
kuwento na matagal kong
hindi narinig. At higit sa lahat,
naintindihan nila ‘yung pagkukulang
ko sa kanila,” she said.
Since then, they have kept in touch
with her.
As for Lotlot (above), who has
tearfully and angrily demanded that
either Ate Guy or Norie or both
should come out and confirm or
deny the reports, Ate Guy said that
her eldest daughter has consistently
refused to answer her calls.
Comparing notes is not Martin’s cup of tea. He says Pops and Katrina are great at
many things in their own right. He refuses to be drawn on this sensitive topic.
‘Let me be
friends with
the guy that
loves Pops’
Martin Nievera invites former wife and her
boyfriend to spend Christmas in the US
Danny Vibas in Manila
M
artin Nievera was on the
spot at a press conference
to promote his upcoming
concert at the Mandarin’s Captain’s
Bar.
Expectedly, the question was
asked, and predictably, he took the
safest way out.
“I can’t compare [Katrina, his livein girlfriend, and Pops] because one
can get hurt,” he said.
“There are a lot of things better
with Katrina and there are great
things with Pops before. It’s hard to
compare.”
Martin admitted that Katrina
“entered my life when I was still
with Pops”.
“She’s the best thing for me right
now. She’s the best thing that ever
happened to me. She makes me very
happy, she tends to me when I’m
sick, she’s a hands-on mother. She’ll
be a perfect mother and wife.”
So doesn’t he plan to make
Katrina his legitimate wife? After
all, his marriage with Pops has been
annulled for 10 years.
“No plans yet, but I’m sure she’ll
be a perfect partner. As it is, the only
thing missing between us is the ring.”
Martin does not run out of fine
adjectives in describing his current
partner. He said she is grounded on
planet Earth and never gets jealous
whenever he says on national TV
that he loves Pops.
“She [Katrina] knows I love the
mother of my children,” Martin said.
“I never said that I’m in love with
Pops.
“All I said was I love Pops. I’m in
love with Katrina now, I think I’ve
always been in love with her.”
Martin said he is glad that he and
Pops are talking again. He said they
have been sending text messages
to each other about their eldest son,
Robin, who wants to study music in
the US.
Martin said he has invited Pops and
boyfriend Jomari Yllana to spend
Christmas with them in Las Vegas
– right in the house where he and
Katrina live.
“My kids call Jomari ‘Tito Jomari’
and I have no problem with that,”
Martin said.
“I’m very cool about that and I’ve
been that way with the other guys.
Let me be friends with the guy that
loves Pops so much.
“I thank him for taking care of
Pops.”
were casually
described by
Katrina as
“like monkeys
jumping up
and down on
Martin’s bed
which broke in
two”. That description triggered
Pops’ tirade. “She wrecked our
home.”
Sometime after Pops and
Martin separated, he took their
young sons to his apartment
where the boys playfully jumped
up and down on his bed until it
collapsed.
At that time, Katrina was
Martin’s “secret” girlfriend. He
called her up in the US and told
her about his broken bed. In
turn, Katrina, most likely without
malice, laughingly told their
friends about it.
For some reason, Pops had
never heard the story until her US
concert tour last month. When
she called up Martin about it,
both lost their cool.
Danny Vibas
38
celebrity
filipino globe
Behind the scenes in
Angel’s move to 2
Danny Vibas in Manila
She cried her heart out most of
the time and managed to sound
meek and aggrieved. Towards the
end, she pleaded for forgiveness
from GMA 7 executives who felt
injured by the move she made as
a talent manger.
Becky Aguila (below), the
controversial manager of top
young actress Angel Locsin,
tearfully met the press to clear
the issues hurled against her by
network executives, believed to
be headed by Wilma Galvante,
the GMA 7 senior vice-president
for entertainment. Those issues
stemmed from the manager’s and
the actress’ decision not to renew
her contract with GMA 7 and to
move on instead to ABS-CBN 2.
The press conference was
tendered by the Lopez-owned
Kapamilya Network, which by
now should have unveiled its
projects for the young actress
who, in turn, should
be home from London
where she took up some
crash courses in fashion
designing. Showbiz
managers rarely become
controversial, and the
only other manager
who habitually gets
controversial is GMA 7
host Lolit Solis.
Becky was accompanied by no
less than the young actress’ blind
father, Angel Colmenares, and
her lawyer, Joji Alonzo.
Becky repeatedly denied that
it was for a bigger talent fee per
project that Angel, with her dad’s
blessing, agreed to move to ABSCBN 2 – although she declined to
quote figures.
The portly and fair-skinned
talent manager stressed that the
network’s career plan for Angel
allows the young actress more
time for herself and her two
families (her parents are long
separated from each other and
have since put up their respective
families; Angel, however, stays
with her dad and his family),
as well as time for other
commitments and concerns.
In between tearful fits, Becky
revealed that Angel plans to go
to college this year since she
finished only high school and
realises that she needs a degree
to fall back on when her showbis
star fades.
Becky said it was GMA 7’s
overburdening Angel with work
that made the actress decide to
quit being co-managed by the
network. Angel turned down
the title role in the network’s
Filipino adaptation of Marimar,
the phenomenal soap opera
which made its eponymous
star, the Mexican singer-actress
Thalia, a household name in the
Philippines in the 1990s, when
the series aired on RPN 9.
GMA 7 aired a few years ago a
newly dubbed Filipino version of
Marimar and then proceeded to
buy the rights to adapt it featuring
an all-Filipino cast. Angel’s
turning down the role offered to
her before her co-management
contract with the network expired
on March 31 was the first clear
sign that she was not keen
anymore on being co-managed
by GMA Artists Center headed
by Ida Ramos-Henares. (The role
has since been won by Marian
Rivera, following a series of
auditions and screen tests.)
Becky denied Galvante’s
accusation in a previous
interview that she and
Angel lied to Galvante and
other GMA 7 executives
when they were asked in a
meeting about conducting
secret negotiations with
ABS-CBN 2 while
they were still set to negotiate
the renewal of Becky’s comanagement contract for Angel.
Becky said it was only after
she had sent a letter to Galvante
saying that they would no
longer renew the contract that
she offered Angel’s services
to the Lopez-owned network.
She emphasised that it was
she who made the offer to the
rival network, implying that
the Kapamilya network never
attempted to “pirate” Angel.
Becky revealed for the first
time that Angel told her that
sometime before the contract
ended, Galvante attempted to
make her (Angel) sign a contract
renewal when the executive
called the young actress to her
office at some pretext. Angel,
according to Becky, declined
to sign and instead politely told
Galvante that she would take the
copy of the contract to Becky
and her dad. Becky, on the other
hand, eventually received a call
from Henares requesting her to
find time to meet with Galvante
about the contract
Angel’s father, Angel Colmenares (left), attended the briefing at
which charges made by Wilma Galvante (right) were answered.
August 2007
Marimar, made hugely
popular by Mexican
actress Thalia (right) will
have a Filipino face in
Marian Rivera (below).
She will co-star with
Dingdong Dantes.
A
ngel Locsin (right) should be
back in the Philippines from
London as you read this.
And if plans did not miscarry, she
may have become a full-fledged
Kapamilya star by now. She should
have been signed with ABS-CBN
by her now equally controversial
manager Becky Aguila.
The young actress spent 10 days in
the US to grace the screening of her
Smarting from loss of its star, network banks on new series
Danny Vibas in Manila
L
ife goes on over at GMA 7
despite its having lost Angel
Locsin to rival network ABS-
CBN.
The Kapuso Network, as of press
time, is preparing to launch its
Filipino adaptation of Marimar,
the show that Angel turned down
because she wanted to take a break
from the grind of overnight taping
three times a week.
The equally lovely Marian Rivera
has been asked to take over the title
role phenomenally popularised by
the stunning Mexican actress-singer
Thalia. Marian has been in showbiz
for about three years, and Marimar
is her biggest break as it is her first
time ever to play a title character.
If the show rates well consistently,
then Marian is surely on her way to
become the network’s next Angel
Locsin.
When that happens, Marian may
be said to have overtaken the likes of
Jennylyn Mercado, Yazmin Kurdi,
Nadine Samonte, Christine Reyes,
and Katrina Halili, all of whom
joined showbiz one or two years
ahead of Marian.
Playing rich loverboy Sergio to
Marian’s Marimar who has managed
to lose more weight and now wears
tucked-in body hugging shirts,
Dingdong had been flabby for many
years, which was why he used to
wear loose dark shirts which he
never tucked in.
Dingdong has to lose weight and
buff up because he and Marian have
many beach scenes. Besides, both
Marian and Dingdong are no longer
in their teens so both needed to thin
down to look credibly young for their
Marimar and Sergio characters whom
a lot of people still remember as
scintillating and fresh-bodied lovers
in their teens. (Dingdong’s real-life
girlfriend, Karylle, the daughter of
“
GMA 7 is surely
treating it as a
flagship show
judging from the
gigantic billboards
it has put up
Zsa Zsa Padilla, was among those
who auditioned for the title role.)
Incidentally, Nadine whom we
mentioned earlier, is also in the series
as someone who desires Sergio who
is, of course, after Marimar. Nadine,
along with Jennylyn, has played lead
in the fantasy adventure Super Twins,
which ended about two months ago.
Nadine is also playing the lead role
in the network’s new soap opera,
Kung Mahawi Man Ang Ulap, which
teams her up with Dennis Trillo.
Incidentally, Marian was also in
Super Twins as the mother of Nadine
and Jennylyn when their characters
were still kids.
Marimar is not a realistic series. It
has a talking dog character, Fulgoso.
It’s easy to be upstaged by animal
actors or even by costumed actors
in the role of animals. We don’t
remember Thalia ever upstaged by
Fulgoso. We hope Marian won’t
ever be. We never got to find out
who voiced Fulgoso in the RPN
9 Filipino-dubbed version of the
90s. The new Pinoy Fulgoso will
be voiced by the versatile and very
talented Michael V so Marian had
better watch out.
Marimar is set to air this month.
GMA 7 is surely treating it as a
flagship show judging from the
gigantic billboards it has put up to
hype up the not-so-original show.
The series also stars Richard
Gomez, Manilyn Reynes, Katrina
Halili, and Mike Tan, among others.
Will Marimar make a big star of
Marian Rivera? Will Angel Locsin
regret her refusal of the project?
August 2007
Angel ready to soar at ABS-CBN
Danny Vibas in Manila
With Marimar project,
life goes on at GMA 7
celebrity
filipino globe
What if ...
and what we
can expect
from Marian
The comparisons are already flying,
and inevitably so. But the biggest
question seems to be “What if Angel
Locsin had taken the role of Thalia
by staying on with GMA 7?
That is academic, of course, given
what we know now.
Which makes it harder for
newcomer Marian Rivera to live up
to her role as Angel’s replacement.
To be fair, Marian has what it
takes to give justice to the character
– looks, talent and, most especially,
attitude.
She needs all of these in very good
measure, and a lot more, to carry the
eponymous series.
Marimar was so vastly popular
in the 1990s when it aired on RPN
9 that other stations followed suit
with their own Latin American
telenovelas, such as Maria
Marcedes, Impostora and others,
until the Chinese
came up with Meteor
Garden and the
Koreans with Lovers
in Paris.
So there’s a lot
of comparison
between the Latin
Grammy winner
original Marimar and her Filipina
counterpart, Marian Rivera.
The mezzo-soprano Thalia could
definitely sing. She has sold 12
million albums worldwide with a
sprinkling of Filipino songs like
Nandito Ako.
She continues to be active in music
although she is going to cool down
to be a mother for the first time next
month.
At 36, Thalia is an accomplished
artist. She has appeared in several
American TV and radio programs,
including Good Morning America,
Hard Copy, the Rosie O’Donnel
Show and Barbara Walters’ 20/20.
Marian Rivera could be as sensual,
sexy, and earthy as Thalia. But
can she appear fresh and yet act
lusciously or sing with gusto with a
lovely voice like her predecessor?
Everyone will be glued to GMA
7 when Marian starts her teleserye.
It is crucial that she performs well,
emotes well and moves well to create
a favorable impression on fans who
will do nothing but put her side-byside with the Mexican icon.
Marian should not copy any of
Thalia’s mannerisms and looks. It
is imperative that she has her own
style instead of being a second-hand
personality.
movie Angels and then some three
weeks in a convent school in London
(reportedly Assumption College) to
take three crash courses on fashion
design in preparation for her going
into the RTW business with some
business partners that reportedly
include Vivian Tan, daughter of
Filipino-Chinese tycoon Lucio Tan.
Angel’s “defection’’ to ABSCBN could not help but become
controversial as she was rival
network GMA 7’s hottest female
young star. Upon
her return from
London, she was
expected to admit
or deny that she
and Becky lied to
GMA 7 executives
about secretly
negotiating
with ABS-CBN 2’s top brass
even while they had begun to sit
down with Kapuso big bosses for
a possible renewal of the GMA 7
co-management contract. As of
press time, ABS-CBN 2 had yet
to announce the shows and other
assignments they intend to give to
Angel.
According to Becky, Angel has
asked her permission to visit GMA 7
executives sometime after she comes
home so she can say goodbye to
them and thank them for all the good
things they have done for her. Becky
said she will allow Angel to do so.
Angel is actually the GMA 7
39
female young star who did the most
flying in her shows. She was Richard
Gutierrez’s leading lady in Mulawin,
the series about a half-bird, halfhuman tribe.
And then she became Darna, the
country’s most popular komiks
heroine who could fly even only with
her cape. No wings needed. She also
did some wingless flying in Majika
and in Asian Treasures, her last show
on GMA 7 in which she was teamed
up with Robin Padilla.
40
celebrity
filipino globe
August 2007
Ruffa and kids
‘deserve the
protection
they’re getting’
Ilonggo film
ready to roll
in Cannes
after local run
PNP officers secure actress after messy
break-up of marriage to Turkish millionaire
O
fficials have defended the
police protection given to
Ruffa Gutierrez and her
children amid the messy break-up
of her marriage to Turkish tycoon
Yilmaz Bektas.
Politicians and police officials
agreed that only the kind of security
provided by trained officers can
ensure their safety in the wake of
alleged threats to their lives.
They said it was up to the courts
to decide the final outcome of
her marriage, but Ruffa deserved
protection as a public figure and as a
former goodwill ambassador of the
country.
Ruffa narrowly lost in the Miss
World beauty pageant in South
Africa in 1993.
While she has the means to
hire private security escorts for
her family, her getting temporary
protection from the Philippine
National Police ensures her complete
safety.
“Since she has been receiving
threats to her safety, and so that
her kids will be out of harm’s
way, they have to be protected as
Filipino nationals,” Nueva Vizcaya
representative Carlos Padilla said.
“It would be insensitive if Ruffa
was left alone to fend for herself
and her loved ones under the
circumstances,” he said.
Ruffa and her family will have
police protection for at least three
months, the officials said.
Beyond that, it would begin to
Ruffa Gutierrez and her children are receiving temporary protection, like all
other citizens who request security from the police, officials say.
strain the meager resources of the
police force, they added.
Ruffa’s mother, Annabelle Rama,
has gone to the extent of fetching the
policemen to watch over Ruffa and
her children.
“Our lawmen have always
responded to requests for protection
from the famous and from ordinary
citizens alike,” a top police official
said. “We don’t make a distinction.”
Guarding a famous person has its
perks. Some people feel they have
been dusted with a golden aura just
by being around someone who is at
the center of public attention.
The first full-length Ilonggo cultural
film in 30 years will soon see credits
at the Cannes Film Festival in France
after its preview run in Iloilo City
cinemas this month.
Sine Ilonggo, in cooperation with
Mowelfund and Robinson’s Place
Iloilo, premiered the local film
Dagyang, with Iloilo governor Niel
Tupas leading the early viewers.
Dagyang, a one-hour documentary
depicting local scenes and customs
and traditions, will have its regular
one-week run in local theaters at the
end of the month.
The film shows the much vaunted
sorcery of “manoghiwit”, the
Binanog dance of the “binukot” lass
in central Panay, the siege of Iloilo
provincial capitol last year and the
premier tourism event Dinagyang
Festival, on top of various tourism
landmarks and places of interest in
Iloilo.
It also depicts the best “La Paz
batchoy” soup and delicacies and
the Ilonggo tradition of respect for
elders.
Producer-director Joenar Pueblo
gambled on the film using minimum
resources to show off genuine
Ilonggo culture and come up with
a documentary which, he said can
capture the hearts of people in
Europe and the United States.
The film uses local talents.
balik-tanaw
filipino globe
August 2007
Handog ng Filipino Globe
Sagutin at manalo
Two round-trip tickets (HKG-MNL-HKG or MNL-HKG-MNL)
Three iPod Nano
Five tickets to Hong Kong Disneyland
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41
42
celebrity
filipino globe
August 2007
Mainland bans Jackie Chan’s hit Rush Hour sequel
Jackie Chan’s (right) new action
comedy sequel Rush Hour 3 has
been sensationally banned in China,
despite his status as a national hero.
The Hong Kong-born actor’s
film has prompted controversy in
recent weeks over a scene where a
family involved in organised crime
visits Paris. The association with
Triad gang members
reportedly angered
Chinese authorities.
But the staterun Film Bureau
insists the decision
to block the movie
was taken for commercial reasons,
even though the first two movies in
the franchise were box office hits.
Xiao Ping, of China Film Group’s
import and export department, says:
“We think it will not be popular in
China.”
Under strict rules, only 20 foreign
releases a year are permitted in
China and many that make it
through the censors are severely
edited first – like the unflattering
portrayal of Chow Yun-Fat’s
pirate character in Pirates of the
Caribbean: At World’s End..
Meanwhile, the Gong Li starrer,
Memoirs of a Geisha will not be
screened in China indefinitely,
despite attempts by the film’s
distributor to overturn the ban.
French teen beats Harry Potter
Whiz kid spends night in jail after illegally translating latest novel within days of release
T
he wizard would have been
proud, but Harry Potter author
JK Rowling is not impressed.
So a French teenager has spent
a night in jail and faces charges of
intellectual property violation.
His alleged crime: translating all
759 pages of Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows within days of its
release last month and posting it on
the internet.
The mystifying feat by the 16-yearold high school student from Aix-enProvence sparked lawsuits that has
now spread to thousands of illegal
translators from around the world.
Rowling’s lawyers say networks
of such cyber bandits are seeking to
profit from the boy wizard’s global
appeal, and they are growing more
sophisticated with every new tome.
“He just wanted to get the book
online and did not appear to be
seeking commercial gain, Aix
Prosecutor Olivier Rothe said of the
French kid.
The boy apparently compiled the
entire translation himself, Rothe said.
The teenager, whose name was not
released because he is a minor, was
picked up after a complaint from
police in Paris and was released after
questioning, Rothe said.
He said the boy could face charges
for violating intellectual property
rights.
The French agency for fighting
counterfeiting alerted Rowling
and Gallimard Jeunesse, the
publishing house that is releasing
the official French translation of the
unauthorised version, Gallimard said.
The publishing house said it
offered its support to the agency’s
investigation.
Gallimard spokeswoman Marie
Leroy-Lena said official Harry Potter
translator Jean-Francois Menard is
still working on Deathly Hallows,
since he only received the official
English version when it was released
July 21.
Menard refused to comment on the
pirated version.
Readers eager for the seventh and
final Potter adventure are frustrated
that it is taking him so long.
“To wait three months to have a
French version, that is too much”
said Ketty Do, a 17-year-old, flipping
through the English version at a
bookstore on the Champs-Elysees.
Do called the teen translator “a
courageous person,” but added,
laughing: “Still, I will wait for the
official version. After all, the kid is
only 16.”
Twelve-year-old Robin Gallaud,
had no such reservations. “If I find
the French version on the Net, I will
read it,” he said.
“
OLIVIER ROTHE
Aix-en-Provence prosecutor
JK Rowling loses court battle with British tabloid
A British court has rejected
JK Rowling’s lawsuit over the
publication of a photo of her son
that was taken on an Edinburgh
street in November 2004.
The photo showed Rowling and
her husband, Neil Murray, with their
son, David, in a baby carriage. It
appeared with a Sunday Express
story on the Harry Potter author’s
approach to family life.
Rowling sued Express
Newspapers and Big Pictures (UK),
the agency that supplied the photo,
complaining their right to privacy
had been violated.
The couple sought damages and
a ban on further publication of the
photo.Express Newspapers settled
the claim.
Judge Sir Nicholas Patten
dismissed the case against the
agency. Rowling said she and
Murray would appeal.
“Our aim has only been to protect
our children from press intrusion
during their childhood,” Rowling
said. “We see no legitimate
reason why, as in this case, David,
who was less than two years
of age at the time, should have
his photograph taken and then
published in the press.”
43
Playboy ‘sex assault’
Los Angeles police are
investigating claims of a sexual
assault at Hugh Hefner’s
Playboy Mansion.
Cops are refusing to reveal
details of the probe.
“For reasons of law and
confidentiality that are critical
in such investigations, no
additional information will be
released,” LAPD spokesman
Jason Lee said.
Playboy bosses have no
knowledge of the investigation,
but publicity director Rob
Hilburger said it might be linked
to a confrontation at Hefner’s
Midsummer Night’s Dream party
on Saturday, between a woman
and her ex-boyfriend.
Lindsay Lohan’s parents
are responsible for her bad
behavior, according to the
actress’ longtime bodyguard.
Tont Almeida, who worked
for Lohan for three years until
2005, claims Dina and Michael
Lohan failed to provide the 21year-old with any structure and
kept her working to pay for their
lifestyle.
He tells In Touch magazine,
“From a young age, she dealt
with her father’s physical,
emotional and drug abuses as
well as her mother’s drinking.”
Almeida also claims he had
to pull Michael off his daughter
– then 16 – after he “dragged
her out of the car, screamed at
her and called her a slut”.
He just wanted
to get the book
online, and
did not appear
to be seeking
commercial gain
August 2007
TAKEFIVE
Parents used Lindsay
Lawyers for JK Rowling (below right) say illegal translators are out to profit from the Harry Potter’s success
(above). The French lawsuit stemmed from a rip-off of the latest installment in the wildly popular series (below).
palakasan
filipino globe
DiCaprio opts out
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio (below)
has decided not to campaign
for any of the 2008 presidential
candidates, because none of the
politicians in the running “inspire”
him.
The Blood Diamond star, 32,
was a staunch
advocate of
Democratic
hopeful Senator
John Kerry in
2004 and traveled
across 14 states
to rally support
and raise funds
for him.
But DiCaprio says Democratic
frontrunners Hillary Clinton and
Barack Obama and Republican
Ron Paul, have yet to catch his
attention with their environmental
policies.
Pavarotti ailing
Luciano Pavarotti has been
hospitalized for tests in his
hometown of Modena, in
northern Italy, hospital officials
and his manager said.
Pavarotti, who underwent
surgery for pancreatic cancer
last year, was brought to
Modena’s Polyclinic two
days ago, said manager Terri
Robson. Earlier, a hospital
spokesman had said Pavarotti
was admitted.
Robson and officials at the
hospital declined to give the
reason the 71-year-old tenor
was hospitalised, but local daily
Il Resto del Carlino reported
that it was pneumonia.
Robson said she would
issue a statement later, but no
medical details were expected.
Higante ng
PBL, laging
taglay ang
bigat ng laro
Komportable si Ken Bono
sa kanyang timbang na
malaking tulong aniya sa
paglalaro ng depensa.
KEN BONO
On his plans for family and career
Sa kabila ng tinatamong tagumpay,
pamilya ang prayoridad ni Ken Bono
Celeste Maring in Manila
S
a kanyang bigat na 250-libra,
pinatutunayan ni Ken Bono
na mayroon siyang bilis at
karisma.
Kung tutuusin, sa husay, tangkad
at gilas ni Bono posibleng pagtuunan
na nito ng pansin ang mas malaki at
mayamang professional league.
Gayunman, ang prayoridad ng 22anyos na si Bono ay ang magkaroon
ng pamilya.
Katunayan, naghahanda na siyang
pakasalan ang kanyang longtime
girlfriend na si Maya Montecillo.
Siyempre, marami ang nagpapayo
sa kanya na isipin muna ang career.
Nakapanghihinayang nga naman na
isipin na ang tulad ni Bono ay hindi
mapasama sa PBA draft ngayong
taon.
Pero, para kay Bono, ang
mahalaga sa ngayon ay ang pamilya.
“A lot of people are telling me
not to waste the opportunity, that I
should join the PBA draft because
I’m already playing well,” wika niya.
“But to tell you the truth, I haven’t
really decided yet, I’m still looking
at the situations. Our wedding will
come first, I want to build my own
family. That is my priority right
now,” wika ni Bono.
Hindi naman kaila sa lahat na
lumaki si Bono nang walang ama.
Inaruga siya ng kanyang lola sa Iloilo
habang ang kanyang ina naman ay
nagtatrabaho sa Subic, Olongapo.
Aminado si Bono na ayaw niyang
pag-usapan ang kanyang ama at
hindi rin niya ito hinahanap.
Inihayag niya ang kakulangan ng
ama ay pinuno na ng kanyang mga
kamag-anak.
Sa ngayon ay naglalaro si Bono
sa Cebuana Lhuiller sa Philippine
Basketball League.
“
Our wedding will
come first, I want
to build my own
family. That is my
priority right now
At sa kasulukuyang season ng
PBL, nagpapakitang-gilas si Bono sa
itinatalang average na 16.5 marka at
10 rebounds bawat laro.
Bukod dito, isa rin siya sa haligi
ng Adamson Falcons na nakaapak
sa Final Four noong nakaraang taon
nang si Bono ay itinanghal na Most
Valuable Player.
Pinatunayan din niya na hindi
hadlang ang bigat ng kanyang
timbang sa kanyang paglalaro ng
basketball.
“All the coaches I’ve been with
wanted me to lose weight. But not
coach Leo [Austria]. He just told me
once that If I ever reached the PBA,
maybe I need to lose 20 pounds. He
just told me to play my best, follow
the instructions and that’s when my
game started to go up,” kuwento
ni Bono na isa sa mga hinahabol na
bagong recruit noon mula sa Iloilo
Central Commercial High School.
At ano naman ang masasabi niya
sa mga kritikong pumupuna sa
kanyang timbang. “I’m comfortable
with my weight. One advantage is
that playing defense is easier. I can
still run, I can carry my body,” wika
ni Bono.
Idinagdag niya na tumaas ang
kanyang kumpiyansa dahil na rin
sa tiwala at pagtitiyaga sa kanya
ni Austria.“I am really thankful
to coach Leo. He prodded me to
improve my skills,” wika ni Bono.
“Hindi ko talaga inakala na aabot
nang ganito sa basketball. My family
in Iloilo is very proud. That is why I
always do my best kahit practice or
actual game na,” sabi ni Bono.
Dahil sa pagtaas ng kanyang
morale, maaaring hindi nabawasan
ang timbang ni Bono pero ang
mga pumupuna at bumabatikos sa
kanyang bigat ay unti-unti namang
natutunaw.
Disgraced Noli Eala makes emotional exit from PBA
Raul Acedre in Manila
A defiant Noli Eala (right) stuck to
his guns over his disbarment by the
Supreme Court but bowed to his inner instincts in an emotional exit
from the Philippine Basketball Association.
“To ease the pain of the people who
matter most to me, my family, especially my children, and to shield the
league ... from any erroneous perceptions related to my disbarment case
in the SC, I am tendering my immediate resignation as commissioner of
the PBA,” Eala said in a press statement.
The move came about a week after
the Supreme Court struck him from
the rolls of lawyers for immoral conduct over his sexual relations with a
married woman.
“I have made hard decisions in my
life, decisions which I always take
full responsibility for. Recent events
in my personal and private life have
necessitated that I make another hard
decision,” he said.
He thanked the PBA board, his
staff and supporters for helping him
“turn the PBA around”, saying the
league had reached new heights and
achieved new goals.
“I leave the PBA cognizant and
gratified that I have turned things
around with the help of the PBA
board, my hardworking staff and the
greatest players any commissioner
can ever have,” he said.
“Today the PBA has scaled new
heights and reached new goals
– financially stable, organizationally sound and still the biggest sports
entertainment property of the Philippines.”
Eala said his family, friends and
“especially my children” have stood
by him through the crisis. “I appeal
to all to allow me and my loved ones
to deal with this ordeal privately and
in our own time,” he said.
Eala vowed to pursue all legal
remedies to overturn his disbarment,
which stemmed from a complaint by
Joselano Gueverra, whose former
wife Irene Moje, had an affair with
Eala.
“I have long accepted the wisdom of the decision by the Supreme
Court and the fate that befell me
without regret or fear,” he said.
“I stand by my decisions in the
past comforted by the fact that I
have taken care of my family and
children, and made peace with those
I have aggrieved,” Eala said.
On August 1, the Supreme Court
disbarred Eala after it found Eala, a
married man himself, “showed disrespect for an institution held sacred
by the law” and “betrayed his unfitness to be a lawyer”.
44
palakasan
filipino globe
August 2007
Putol man ang tatlong daliri, di sagabal ito kay Jarry sa sagupaan
Kapag nawala ang isa sa mga
daliri, may mga ilang bagay ka
nang hindi puwedeng gawin,
itinuturing na nga itong isang
kapansanan para sa mga
manlalaro ng bilyar.
Paano kung tatlong daliri pa ang
mawala?
Hindi ito naging sagabal kay
Jarry Pelayo (kanan), isang
sumisikat na billiard player mula
Bacolod City.
Kilala sa mga bilyaran bilang
“Putol”, hangad ni Pelayo na
sundan ang yapak ng kanyang
mga idolo na sina world pool
champions Efren “Bata” Reyes,
Alex Pagulayan at world titlist
Ronato Alcano.
Sa kasalukuyan ay sumasali
ang 31-anyos na si Pelayo sa ilang
internasyunal na kompetisyon
bukod pa sa mga money games
upang malaman kung saan siya
nakatayo sa mga local na pool
players.
“Naglalaro ako ng money games
para magkaroon pa ng pangalan,”
wika ni Pelayo na naputol ang
talong daliri nang maglaro ito ng
paputok noong siya ay 10 taong
gulang pa lamang.
“Pero ang main purpose ko
talaga ay makakuha pa ng mga
kaalaman at experience kasi nga
lahat naman ng mga players na
nakakalaro ko ay international
campaigners,” dagdag ni Pelayo na
nakatira sa Malate.
Nagsimula si Pelayo na maglaro
ng pool noong siya ay 12 taong
gulang sa Reptiles billiard hall
sa Bacolod City na pag-aaari ng
sportsman at businessman na
si Jonathan Sy. Nakita ni Sy ang
potensyal ni Pelayo at inilaban siya
sa mas matatanda at mas may
karanasang mga manlalaro.
“Kaysa naman sa magmukmok
ako, parang naging hamon sa akin
yung kawalan ko ng mga daliri.
Sabi ko puwede pa akong maging
mahusay sa maraming bagay,”
wika ni Pelayo. “Isa pa, para
kasing oportunidad yun sa akin.
Gusto kong patunayan ang halaga
ko kahit na may kakulangan sa
akin. Gusto kong ipakita na kaya
ko kahit pa ganito ako,” wika ni
Pelayo.
Nang halos matalo na niya ang
mga mahuhusay na kalaban sa
Visayas, pumunta si Pelayo sa
Maynila upang maglaro ng money
games at sumabak sa ilang
internasyunal na torneo.
“Sabi ko sa sarili ko, eto
talaga yung pagsubok na
hinahanap ko,” wika niya. “Kung
magkakapangalan ako dito, ibig
sabihin pupuwede na ako sa mga
malalaking kompetisyon.”
Sa World Pool Championship
sa Maynila noong nakaraang
taon, nakalaban ni Pelayo ang
mahuhusay na foreign pool
players. Kabilang sa kanyang
natalo si Bob Hunter ng United
States at ilang Taiwanese.
Inihayag ni Pelayo, iniidolo si
Reyes, na maganda naman ang
kanyang record kumpara sa mga
mas kilalang Filipino cue masters
kung money game ang paguusapan.
Kabilang sa mga napanalunan
niyang event ay ang 1999
Governors Cup sa Laguna at
ang 2006 Six-Pocket Open sa
Blumentritt, Manila. Maganda rin
ang kanyang naging posisyon
sa “Manny Pacquiao 10-ball
Panersera Pababa” sa General
Celeste Maring
Santos City. Sheila Mae,
tatak sa isip
ang manalo
sa Olympics
Malalim at malawak ang ambisyon ng
diving queen para sa sarili at sa bansa
Celeste Maring in Manila
N
oon ay isang laro lamang
kay Sheila Mae Perez ang
diving, ngayon ito ay isa
nang misyon.
Kung dati ay tumatakas lamang
si Sheila Mae para makasama ang
kanyang mga kalaro sa pagda-dive
sa pier ng Camp Panacan, ngayon ay
iba na ang layunin ni Sheila Mae.
“Unang gold medal sa Olympics
ang gusto ko. Sa tuwing magpapractice ako iyon ang nasa isip ko,”
wika ni Sheila Mae.
“Historic kapag makuha mo ang
unang Olympic gold. Gusto kong ako
ang unang makapagbigay sa ating
bansa ng unang Olympic gold medal,
Malaking karangalan iyon para sa
akin,” wika ni Sheila Mae.
“Sa tuwing sasabak ako sa laban,
ang nasa isip ko ay ang makatulong
sa aking mga magulang, maiahon
sila sa kahirapan at mabigyan ng
karangalan ang aming pangalan,”
pahayag niya.
Lumaki sa kahirapan si Sheila
Mae. Ang kanyang ama na si Zenon
Perez ay isang cargo ship checker
habang maybahay naman ang inang
si Virginia. Lumaki si Sheila Mae sa
isang squatters’ area sa Sasa, Davao.
Dahil malapit sa dagat ang kanilang
bahay, limang taon pa lamang ay
marunong nang lumangoy si Sheila
Mae.
Hindi inaasahan ang
pagkakadiskubre ng husay sa diving
ni Sheila Mae. Ang totoo, ang
nakatatanda niyang kapatid na si
Maricel ang napili sanang magsanay
sa diving dahil si Sheila Mae ay
isang swimmer.
“Hindi ko inaasahan na masama
ako sa diving, kasi noong nasa school
ako, swimmer ako,” kuwento niya.
Pero pinili niyang seryosohin
ang diving nang mag-back out ang
kanyang kapatid. Kahit tutol ang
kanyang mga magulang, tumakas
siya at nagsanay sa Maynila.
Umuuwi lamang siya kapag panahon
ng Kapaskuhan.
“Seryoso ako sa pagte-training.
Gusto kong manalo,” wika ni Sheila
Mae na isa sa kinikilalang mahusay
na diver sa Southeast Asia.
Ang determinasyon ni Sheila Mae
ang nagpapalakas ng kanyang loob
para maabot ang kanyang hangarin
na makakuha ng gintong medalya sa
Olympics.
Katunayan, kinundisyon na ni
Sheila Mae ang kanyang sarili upang
magsanay nang husto. Sasalihan niya
ang lahat ng international diving
events upang maiangat niya ang
kanyang laro at mapantayan ang
mahigpit na kompetisyon sa 2008
Beijing Olympics. Ang internasyunal
na kompetisyon ay ang magsisilbing
training ground para sa kanya upang
patuloy na makasabayan ang diving
giants sa China at Malaysia.
“Mas maraming international
na competition ang sasalihan, mas
maganda. Kasi nakikita ko ‘yung
level ng mga kalaban at kung
nakakatapat na ako sa kanila,” wika
niya.
Pero kahit na seryoso ang isip
ni Sheila Mae sa kinabukasan,
nananatili siya sa kasalukuyan
– nananatili siyang mapagkumbaba.
Katunayan, ang mga insentibong
natatanggap niya kasama na
ang mula kay Pangulong Gloria
“
Gusto kong
ako ang unang
makapagbigay
sa ating bansa
ng unang
Olympic gold
medal. Malaking
karangalan iyon
para sa atin
SHEILA MAE PEREZ
Diving champion
Macapagal-Arroyo ay nakaimpok sa
bangko habang ang iba ay ginagamit
niya sa pagtulong sa kanyang mga
magulang at kapatid.
“Masaya ako kapag naibibigay
ko ang mga kailangan nila,”wika ni
Sheila Mae na ang tanging nabili sa
sarili ay isang cellular phone.
Katabi ang
Pangulong Arroyo,
hawak ni Sheila
Mae Perez ang
simbolo ng panalo
ng bansa sa
huling SEA Games
ba ginanap sa
Maynila. Kasama
niya ang ibang
atleta na nagtamo
ng gold medal
(itaas). Buong
karangalang
ipinapakita ni
Sheila Mae ang
mga medalyang
ginto (kaliwa).
filipino globe
August 2007 45
46
palakasan
filipino globe
August 2007
Beijing gives the world
a taste of things to come
I
was lucky to be in Beijing on
August 8, when China hosted
a lavish pageantry beamed
worldwide to celebrate the oneyear countdown to the 2008
Beijing Olympics.
As I sat there at historic
Tiananmen Square to witness
the grand celebration, my mind
flew back to 1988 and recalled
my 17-day experience when I
had the privilege to watch the Seoul
Olympics in Korea as a young
student.
I never imagined that 20 years
later, I will have the privilege again
to see the Olympics live. Napakabait
talaga ang Diyos.
Venus rising
from the water
Coming-of-age party
Mao would have been proud of the great army that China will march in the Beijing Olympics next year.
China’s sports machine
ticking like clockwork
Nothing is being left to chance in bid for Olympic glory
This time next year, the Olympics will
wear a Chinese face in a land where
it is expected to crown the nation’s
sporting greatness.
For its part, China is leaving nothing to chance. Besides being on track
to stage history’s best Olympiad, its
sports machine is ticking like clockwork.
Come August 8 next year, it will parade what is described as its strongest
army since Mao Tse-tung’s revolution.
It’s all happening quietly behind
the scenes, as the world marvels at
the transformation that the Games are
bringing to the capital.
In the table tennis gymnasium at
Beijing’s Shichahai Sports School, 30
tables in continuous play generate the
buzz of a busy factory.
This is one of 300 elite sports
schools where China trains its superstars, and nine-year-old Yu Xi knows
it. He lives at the school and sees his
family a few times a year – they live
1,000 kilometers away.
“Sometimes I miss them, but the
Olympics are a real hope of mine,” he
“
There’s a
Chinese saying
... When you
use a knife, put
all your force on
the sharp edge
LIU HONGBIN
Sports training director
said, speaking through the din of a
five-hour practice session. “Famous
athletes have come from this school,
and here we are helping the national
team in the Olympics.”
The school has turned out 31 Olympic or world champions, and at least
three graduates took gold medals in
Athens. Zhang Yining won two in
table tennis, and Teng Haibin and Luo
Wei claimed single golds – Teng in
gymnastics and Luo in women’s tae-
kwondo. Luo began as a hurdler but
was switched to minor sports with
medal potential.
“Every mother, every family has
the same dream,” said Zhuang Huilian, whose son attends the school. “I
really believe the coaches can make
him an Olympic champion.”
China won its first Olympic gold
medal in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and eventually won 15 gold, finishing fourth in a year the Soviet’s
boycotted the games.
In 2004, China was second to the
United States with 32 gold to 36 for
the Americans. China won 63 overall
and the United States claimed 102.
“There’s a saying in Chinese,” said
Liu Hongbin, Shichahai’s training director. “When you use a knife, put all
your force on the sharp edge.”
Competing at home, China may
get the boost it needs to surpass the
Americans.
“China has an incredible system
in their sports schools,” said Steven
Roush, chief of sport performance
for the United States Olympic Committee.
Look pa, you just won No 13
It was all in an afternoon’s
grind, and when it was over,
Tiger Woods was in a familiar
setting – the winner’s spotlight.
Incidentally, he had just won
his 13th major championship,
which moved him closer to Jack
Nicklaus’ hallowed 18, the gold
standard of golf.
Challenged only briefly on the
back nine of steamy Southern
Hills, Woods captured the PGA
Championship to win at least
one major for the third straight
season. He closed with a oneunder 69 for a two-shot victory
over Woody Austin, a gritty
journeyman whose consolation
was earning a spot on the US
team for the Presidents Cup.
Ernie Els also made a brief run
at Woods, but the ending was
all too familiar.
The only thing different about
this title was how it ended.
Woods became the first major
champion in seven tries to par
the 72nd hole at Southern Hills.
And it was his first major as a
father, walking in with wife Elin
holding their two-month-old
daughter, Sam Alexis.
Naturally, the kid was dressed
in red.
As I joined thousands others at
Tiananmen Square for the historic
event, I marveled at Beijing’s
massive transformation as it prepares
to welcome the world to next year’s
biggest sports spectacle.
There’s no doubt that the Beijing
Olympics will be China’s grandest
party as the world’s newest economic
superpower.
Newsweek describes the
transformation of Beijing for the
2008 Olympics “as perhaps the
most ambitious remake of any major
world capital in history, short of
the postwar reconstructions.” And
OLYMPICUPDATE
letter from beijing
Noel
Novicio
year’s major sports competitions and
in previous Olympics, China, indeed,
has the potential of overtaking the
US in gold medals and in the overall
medal count.
At world championships, or other
top international competitions in
2006, China won 43 gold medals
with 36 for the Americans and 35
for Russia. In 2004, at the Athens
Olympics, China already showed the
capability of dominating the gold
medal count, and that’s without the
benefit of hosting the Olympics.
The US won 36 gold medals in
Athens in 2004 with 32 for China.
The Americans had an edge of 39
medals in the overall count. The
Americans won 102, followed by
Russia (92) and China (63). Of the
36 gold medals, the US won 20
in two sports – track and field and
swimming. China won 21 golds in
five disciplines – badminton, table
tennis, diving, weightlifting and
shooting.
On home soil, I expect the Chinese
to surprise the world and win gold
medals in sports traditionally ruled
by the Americans like track and field.
Final torch bearer
perhaps as a fitting opening act
for the Olympic spectacle Beijing
plans, China is expected to surpass
Germany as the world’s third largest
economy this year after the United
States and Japan.
At the ceremony attended by
International Olympic Committee
President Jacques Rogge and
representatives from national and
Olympic committees, Wu Bangguo,
chairman of the Standing Committee
of China’s National People’s
Congress, said that it is a century-old
dream of the Chinese people to stage
an Olympic Games.
The Beijing Olympics, therefore, is
a perfect gift to the Chinese people in
a century already dubbed as China’s.
New sports superpower
Like many others who have observed
China’s sports buildup since its
breakout performance at the 1984
Los Angeles Olympics, I expect that
the Beijing Olympics will not only
serve as China’s massive comingof-age party as the world’s newest
economic superpower.
It may also serve as China’s
grand dance as the world’s newest
sports superpower. Many have
acknowledged that China may
displace the US as the top gold medal
team at the Beijing Olympics.
Based on its performance in this
Another focus of much speculation is
the final torch bearer who will have
the singular honor of lighting the
Olympic flame.
As an emerging sports power,
China has a lot of sports heroes to
choose from. In June, the organizers
of the Games launched a selection
campaign listing 21,880 eligible
persons.
According to a survey, Houston
Rockets star center Yao Ming and
China’s Olympic champion hurdler
and world record holder Liu Xiang
are the favorites. Both of them
said it is their dream to be the last
torchbearer of the Games.
Liu, who won the 110-meter
hurdles at the Athens Games and
holds the world record of 12.88
seconds, said: “To be the last
torchbearer is the dream of all
athletes.”
He is a favorite to repeat as an
Olympic gold medalist in Beijing
next year. Yao Ming, on the other
hand, joked that he hoped the
Olympic flame’s cauldron would be
so high so that only he would be able
to reach it.
But like other Chinese athletes who
are expected to carry the Olympic
dreams of an entire nation, Yao
Ming, one of China’s most popular
personalities, said: “Competing in
the Olympics on our home soil is an
opportunity I will really cherish.”
The writer is Third Secretary and Vice
Consul at the Philippine Embassy in
Beijing. His first overseas trip was to
watch the Olympic Games in Seoul,
South Korea, in September 1988, his
prize for winning the Olympic Quiz
Show presented by PTV-4 and Milo.
dibersyon
August 2007
BUHAYPALAD
ARIES Mar 21-Apr 19
LIBRA
While things will be
relatively calm, focus
on your agenda. You
can be quite productive
during this phase. You will be proud
of all you accomplish. In regard to
your finances, it’s clear you’ve been
spending a great deal of money
lately, perhaps because you plan to
move or fix up your house.
Most of August will be
perfect for socialising.
With a crowd of
planets, all in funloving, indulgent Leo, brightening
your house of people, places and
events, you’ll enjoy time to kick
back with friends. Over the past two
months you were surrounded with
lots of financial duties and details.
TAURUS
SCORPIO
Apr 21-May 20
Oct 23-Nov 22
You have now reached
a pivotal part of the
year, where true
change can take place
on several levels. These shifts
won’t be cosmetic changes that
only exist on the surface, but true
transformations. Life, for the most
part, will begin to look and feel very
different.
GEMINI May 21-Jun 20
SAGITTARIUS
This will be an
action-packed month,
perhaps not at all what
you expected. It will
be a month that will bring change,
growth, and communication – a
month that will allow you to show off
your leadership skills. You’ll have
help, too – you won’t have to do
every little thing alone.
Sagittarians inhabit
a different world than
the rest of us do. Your
world is big, bold,
and very colorful, as well as quite
eclectic, with plenty of people and
unusual new places to satisfy your
curiosity. Whoever said, “Think
global, act local” had to be a
Sagittarius.
CANCER
CAPRICORN
Nov 23-Dec 22
Dec 21-Jan 19
You seem nearly
obsessed with money.
You’ve just had to use
up a large part of your
cash at the full moon. So you’ll be
very motivated to find more. Cancer
has been through the wringer on
finances ever since Saturn entered
Leo two years ago. You will see the
light at the end of the tunnel.
Your financial situation
has been a thorn in
your side for a very
long time. Ever since
Saturn entered your financial sector
in July 2005, joint finances have
been troublesome. The kind of
funds that this house covers is not
salary you earn, but rather money
that is given to you by someone.
LEO Jul 21-Aug 21
AQUARIUS
You have had a long
and gradual process
of reinventing yourself.
You took on lots of new
responsibilities, including ones you
thought were beyond your ability
to handle. Much to your surprise,
you found that you could master
the seemingly impossible, and soon
others were coming to you.
The past two years
have been a trial
by fire for one close
relationship. If you
are married, engaged, or attached
in a close personal relationship, it
appears someone has given you a
hard time at some point. Difficulties
may have started as long ago as
July 2005.
VIRGO Aug 22-Sep 22
PISCES
It matters not if your
house is neat or a
messy disaster. Inside,
you like life to have
strong structure and an underlying
logic. The problem this year has
been that many elements of your
life have changed, sometimes
without any clear reason. You don’t
like unpredictable events.
This will be a powerful
month, for the eclipses
in your sign and in your
opposite sign of Virgo
are back. A lunar full moon eclipse
will appear in Pisces on August 28,
sure to be a key time in your time
line. Eclipses bring dramatic news.
You won’t see whatever news you
get coming.
USEFUL NUMBERS
Philippine Consulate
2823 8500
2866 6975
Labour Hotline
9102 0840
Immigration
2824 6111
Police/Fire/Hospital
999
Labour Department
2717 1771
Labour Tribunal
2717 1771
Airport assistance
2861 3980
Int’l Social Services
2836 3598
Caritas Filipino Serv
2526 4249
2147 5988
Bethune House
2721 3119
Bayanihan Center
2817 8928
Asian Migrant Center
2312 0031
Mission for Fil Mig
2522 8264
Unifil Hong Kong
2522 8264
Race Relations Unit
2835 1579
Fil Mig Work Union
2915 9468
ANGSISTE
Sep 23-Oct 22
As you begin the
month, you might still
be feeling the glow
of a promotion or at
the very least, high praise from a
powerful authority figure or client for
the excellent work you’ve turned in.
All your efforts are starting to add
up, and it has got to feel great. Go
and reward yourself.
Jun 20-Jul 21
47
filipino globe
KATUWAANLANG
Bakit di tumalon sa swimming pool si Kulas
Empleyado: Boss, namatay
pala manager natin, puwede po
bang ako na lang ang pumalit sa
puwesto niya?
Boss: Puwede naman, ewan ko
lang kung papayag ang punerarya.
***
Church Entrance Notice:
“Dear Parishioners: Please do not
leave your bags, wallets and cell
phones unattended. Others might
think those are the answers to
their prayers.”
***
Some say as women grow older,
they begin to lead a pious life
... pa’yos ng eyes, pa’yos nose,
pa’yos ng face, pa’yos ng boobs,
pa’yos ng bilbil. Pious talaga.
***
Tatlong pasyente sa Mental
Hospital – si Pedro, Mario at
Kulas – ang puwede nang ilabas
kung makakalusot sila sa exam.
Dinala sila sa isang swimming
pool na walang tubig.
Unang inutusan si Pedro ng
duktor na lumundag sa pool. Pag
bagsak niya, bali ang kamay.
Sumunod naman si Mario. Bali
naman ang inabot nito sa paa.
Nang oras na ni Kulas, ayaw
niyang lumundag sa swimming
pool.
Dahil dito, natuwa si Dok:
“Congratulations. Pwede ka nang
umuwi. Teka, bakit nga pala ayaw
mong lumundag doon sa pool?
Kulas: “Dok, hindi ako marunong
lumangoy.”
***
Mario: Pare,
noong mayaman
pa kami, nagkakamay kaming
kumain. Ngayong
mahirap na kami,
kutsara pa ang
gamit namin.
Pedro: Baligtag yata ‘yan?
Mario: Mahirap kamayin ang
lugaw, pare.
LARONGSUDOKU
Jan 20-Feb 18
Feb 19-Mar 20
Pinakamainit na laro ngayon, hamon sa kakayahang mag-isip at magbilang. Punuin ang mga square ng
numero mula 1 hanggang 9 na hindi umuuulit. May dalawa kayong tsansa para hamunin ang sarili. Suko?
Tingnan ang sagot sa aming internet edition (www.filglobe.com).
YOURDIARY
August 18
Association of Philippine
Builders’ Congen Cup
bowling tournament in
cooperation with the
Philippine Consulate
General. Arnold Grospe
9010 9183 or Brix Chico
6192 0298
August 19
Cabagis ninth anniversary
celebration, 1-6 pm, Seven
Seas, North Point. Joe
6442 8987
September 26
Marinduque Day
anniversary and oathtaking, 11 am - 4 pm,
Empire Hotel, Wanchai.
Jo 9533 7303
September 9
Borongan City fiesta
celebration, from 11 am,
Novotel Hotel, Queen’s
Road West, ($120
entrance). Rachel 9233
8413
Ongoing activities
Free Cantonese lessons.
First, second and fourth
Sundays, 2.30 - 4 pm,
Evangelical Community
Church Ministry Centre, 3/F
Hong Kong Pacific
Centre, 28 Hankow Road,
EXCHANGE RATES
Tsimshatsui. Fe 9145 1937
or 2732 7311.
Hong Kong dollar
British pound
92.0038
DOMOHK Search for Mr
Suave 2007. OFW, male
of any age, single or
married, with talent. Grand
finals in November. Medy
67731021, Rose 9203 3539
or Jhosie 9606 5140.
Saudi riyal
12.3136
Canadian dollar
42.8524
Euro
62.1286
Australian dollar
38.1449
Japanese yen*
39.5200
Singapore dollar
30.1076
US dollar
46.1820
Send your activities and
programs for publication
to [email protected]
5.9057
*per 100 yen
Above rates are for reference only. Please
check with your bank for the actual rates.
shoot, show & tell
filipino globe
the big picture
August 2007
48
LONDON CALLING
They say it wouldn’t be London without the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben (above). These icons of British heritage and architecture come to mind at the mention of London. Lately, Filipino
caregivers in Britain have taken to calling London (particularly 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s office) as a last resort in their fight to keep their jobs under new immigration rules.
See that forehead? It tells you the man’s a crook
N
ormally, when you hear the
term “vehicle license plate”
you think of something
affixed to the front and back fenders
of a car, not something attached to a
person’s head.
Of course, you’re probably not
the Metro Manila Development
Authority, which has hit on a way of
dealing with the increasing number
of motorcyle-riding criminals in
the capital. It wants all Manila’s
motorcyclists to paint their bikes’
license plate numbers on their
helmets.
As we all know, this is a standard
practice done in many other
countries, such as …well, let’s see
now …umm … All right I’m lying.
Anyway, the reason it hasn’t been
done elsewhere is undoubtedly that
other cities don’t have urban planners
like Manila’s.
MMDA’s logic, if we may be so
bold as to call it that, is that any
motorcycle-borne criminals will be
speedily tracked down if they have
their license plates stuck on their
LIGHTERSIDE
view from home
Alan C Robles
in Manila
[email protected]
“
This is a standard
practice done
in many other
countries, such as
…well, let’s see ...
helmets. That’s because, as we all
know, villains planning robberies
and murders always make sure to put
on accessories allowing them to be
easily identified, right? It’s probably
too much to expect crooks to be
considerate enough to paint their
helmets with more specific tags like
“Robber” or “Hitman”.
Naturally, Manila’s two million
motorcylists, (many of them laborers
and factory workers), aren’t too
thrilled at the idea. One day last
month, up to 5,000 of them rode
their bikes up to MMDA’s offices
to protest. The reports didn’t’ say if
the bikers were asked to give their
license numbers.
I can just hear what carping critics
of MMDA will say: putting license
numbers on motorcycle helmets isn’t
going to help.
The critics will claim there are
scores of motorcycle policemen who
can be deployed in regular patrols in
Manila’s streets.
They’ll assert that the key to
fighting crime is to actually post
policemen and law enforcers in
places where crooks regularly
congregate: malls, commercial areas,
certain streets, inside the session hall
of Congress, etc.
What do those critics know?
Don’t they realise that putting more
motorcycle cops on street patrols will
mean shifting them from missioncritical roles such as escorting
funeral processions, or closely
guarding MMDA officials?
Aren’t they aware our policemen
are already stretched? I’ve read an
e-mail going around about one man
who was recently robbed aboard
a bus but couldn’t find anyone to
report it to because several precints
he went to claimed it wasn’t their
jurisdiction.
That’s how overworked policemen
are: they’re rejecting complainants.
Maybe the man should have worn a
helmet with the word “Victim”.
MMDA has said it might even
require car owners to etch their plate
numbers on their vehicles’ windows
or bodies.
Soon, Manila’s streets will be full
of vehicles bearing large stickers.
Who knows, perhaps we’ll even
see them on police cars (“Big Bills
Only”) and politicians’ SUVs (“Pork
Mobile”).
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