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ONLINE LEARNING
TAKES OFF FROM
SHIP TO SHORE
AND CLASSROOMS
FILIPINA NURSES GET
FIRST CRACK AT JAPAN’S
NEW POLICY ON HEALTH
WORKERS’ ENTRY
FEATURE 24
NEWS 17
filipino globe
Bolder text scam hits HK
hong kong / manila edition
www.filglobe.com
Issue 3, Volume 1
January 2007
Syndicate
divests DH
of phone
cards, cash
Culprits are
now closer than
people think,
warn authorities
Jose Marcelo in Hong Kong
A long-running text scam that has
ripped off millions of pesos from victims in the Philippines may have been
operating out of Hong Kong lately
with bolder and more ingenious methods, officials say.
This possibility arose after several
pre-paid roaming numbers bought in
Hong Kong were targeted in the latest scam.
Officials say the culprits are either
now in Hong Kong or they are working with well-placed local accomplices.
“This has been going on for a long
time, but the complaints have increased lately,” Vice Consul Noel
Novicio said.
“As early as two years ago, we
warned people about this scam and
posted an advisory on our website.
Mayroon pa ring mga naloloko,” he
said.
The method is a rehash of an old
scheme, starting with a text message
telling recipients that they have won
the grand prize in a lottery. They
are then asked to give their personal
details and instructed to remit an
amount for processing and documentation fees.
The victims would end up being
asked for more.
The latest scam targeted Rose Pineda, a domestic helper from Iloilo. She
said she received a text message from
a certain Karen Yuchengco that she
had won US$40,000 in a promotion
run “exclusively for OFWs” by the
GMA Foundation through the Bangko Sentral ng Pililipinas.
She was given a number (0919 340
3478) she could use to reply to the
message in which she was to give her
passport and ID numbers.
She was also instructed to send
HK$5,000 to the GMA Foundation
for processing and documentation
and to remit the money through an account held by Yuchengco.
“Pero umpisa pa lang nagsuspetsa
na ako, kaya wala talaga akong intensiyon na magpadala ng pera,” Pineda
told Filipino Globe.
Nevertheless, she called the number,
talked to Yuchengco and pretended to
An old con
game has
become more
aggressive and
sophisticated.
Authorities
believe it’s
also now being
operated out of
Hong Kong.
have fallen for the con. She was told
that the foundation’s exclusive remittance company would charge 10 per
cent in fees and costs.
Pineda was asked to send the
HK$5,000 “immediately or forfeit
your winnings”.
Authorities say the scam is remarkable for its audacity and thoroughness
and for having been able to track the
pre-paid roaming numbers to individual users.
“How else could they get those
numbers?” Novicio said. “It’s either
they’re working from here or they
THE CON GAME
• Targets are informed about winning a lottery via SMS
• They’re given a number to call
and told to give personal details
• They’re asked to make a
deposit for various fees
• Culprits come back for more,
and more ... and more
EDITORIAL – Page 20
have accomplices preying on people
who unwittingly give the mobile
phone numbers of their friends and
acquaintances.”
Previous versions of the scam have
used the GMA Foundation, which officials say can easily be identified with
President Arroyo’s initials, giving the
text messages legitimacy. This has
prompted Malacanang and the central
bank to issue a warning and denial.
The culprits have also claimed to be
associated with the Philippine television network GMA 7. The network
has denied any such link.
The text message appeared heavensent for the Filipina domestic helper
from Ho Man Tin.
She had just been picked as
the winner of the grand prize of
P950,000 in a raffle for overseas
workers conducted by the GMA
Foundation, it said.
Before she knew it, she had
become a victim of a text scam
syndicate at an enormous cost
– P126,000 in phone cards and cash.
“Ang sa akin lang naman po, gusto
ko lang maiahon sa kahirapan ang
aking pamilya,” she told consulate
officials.
She said an elaborate web of
details had led her into the trap.
The supposed foundation used
plausible addresses, registry numbers
and names and invoked the GMA
Foundation and the Bangko Sentral
ng Pilipinas.
She went along when told that she
only needed to “take care of a few
details” to collect the life-changing
bonanza.
She was first asked to send the PIN
numbers of 50 phone cards worth
HK$45 each, supposedly to cover
a fee for the Philippine Deposit
Insurance Corp, and to deposit
P14,500 and another P11,350 to an
account for bank charges and VAT.
More demands followed. The
syndicate asked for 15 phone cards
to cover a Malacanang clearance, 60
cards for a release order, eight cards
for the clearing of the check, 15
cards for a special accounts release
order, 32 cards for taxes, 48 cards
for transmittal fee, another 83 pieces
for extra bank charges, 42 cards
for Commission on Audit fees, 23
cards for Philhealth insurance and 42
pieces for the court clearance.
When she could no longer comply
with a demand for 60 more phone
cards, she finally gave up and went to
the consulate for help.
By then, she had parted with 418
phone cards, worth almost P120,000,
and P26,000 in cash.
JOSE MARCELO
2
news
filipino globe
January 2007
Bid launched to clear Preslyn
High-powered
lawyers gear up
for legal tussle
after offering
services free
of charge
Jose Marcelo in Hong Kong
Lawyers for Presyln-saga Catacutan
have taken the first step in their bid
to quash her theft conviction on the
back of growing public support for
the jailed Filipina domestic helper.
They’re confident they have made
a strong case for bail, which would allow Catacutan to regain her freedom
while her conviction is on appeal.
The lawyers are representing Catacutan free of charge.
“Preslyn was very thankful for the
offer of free legal services from the
law firm,” said Vice Consul Noel
Novicio, head of the consulate’s assistance to nationals section.
Catacutan, 30, has spent the past
month at the Lai Chi Kok correctional
institution after after being jailed for
six months for stealing three photos
and a letter from canto pop star Jacky
Cheung.
In sentencing, Magistrate Winston
Leung of Eastern Court threw out her
defense that she only took the items
as souvenirs.
“Our desire is to get her out of prison while she appeals the conviction,”
said Novicio, among those who had
stood by the Filipina domestic during
her three-day trial at the lower court.
Leung denied an earlier appeal for
bail.
Novicio said Catacutan is seeking
not only temporary freedom but the
quashing of the conviction, which
would clear her name.
Local organizations have launched a
“Fight for Preslyn” drive as well as a
fund-raising campaign as Hong Kong
residents, Filipinos and locals alike,
expressed outrage at the conviction.
It touched off a storm of controver-
Manila
The Social Security System
said children who were born
after a member was granted
permanent total disability
benefits are entitled to
dependent’s pension under
the Employees’ Compensation
program.
SSS president and chief
executive Corazon de la
Paz said the Employees
Compensation Commission has
approved the payment of the
benefit to the first five children
starting from the youngest.
All minor children, whether
legitimate or illegitimate who
were born after the member’s
contingency, shall be paid a
pension equivalent to 10 per
cent of the member’s pension
or P200, whichever is higher.
Where the number of children
exceeds five, the legitimate
children will have priority.
Eastern Samar
The Eastern Samar Provincial
Hospital has won the
Presidential Award of the
Philippine Hospital Association.
This is the second consecutive
year that ESPH has been given
the award in the 41-year history
of the province.
Last year, the provincial
government won an award from
Prison has been home to Presyln-saga Catacutan since her conviction for stealing from Jacky Cheung (below).
“
Obviously, Hong
Kong’s rich and
famous get treated
with kid gloves while
the rights of migrant
workers are ignored
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
South China Morning Post
sy and angry letters from Hong Kong
residents to newspapers, condemning
Leung’s decision.
One resident called it a “grave in-
justice” in a letter to the South China
Morning Post.
The letter added that the case “must
go to appeal as a matter of urgency.”
Two other letter writers said: “It is
disgusting that [Leung] showed his
bias for Cheung and even pronounced
a personal opinion that the accused
was probably planning to sell the pictures.
“Since when does surmising a motive amount to hard evidence in a
case?
“Obviously, Hong Kong’s rich and
famous get treated with kid gloves
while the rights of migrant workers
are ignored.”
Meanwhile, donation boxes have
been placed at the consulate and other
strategic places by Filipino organizations in a campaign to raise funds to
defray expenses for Catacutan’s legal
battle.
Consulate officials say the response
has been heartening.
Group wants to get OFWs pulling in one direction
Jose Marcelo in Hong Kong
Family matters, cultural issues and
spiritual fulfilment top the agenda of
a new group trying to get hundreds of
Filipino associations in Hong Kong to
pull in one direction.
The Filipino Community Services
Network (Filcomsen) is pushing for
closer cooperation among the estimated 320 Filipino associations, which
have largely worked on their own.
“It’s not our wish to be an umbrella organization because that would
sound a bit self-serving,” said Daphne
Kuok, a migrant workers advocate and
one of Filcomsen’s prime movers.
“But if we can harness the power
of involvement among Filipinos here
and find a common ground where
we can coordinate and work together for worthy causes, that would be
enough,” she said.
The group now has working relationships with 41 of the organizations,
said Irma Geolamin, head of the Gimbal Foreign Workers Association.
ANGBANSA
Filcomsen hopes to bring disparate groups together in a closer , better
organised environment. There are about 320 such organizations.
Kuok said Filipinos’ willingness to
get involved is heartening. “It’s better to see us getting organized and involved than doing nothing,” she said.
“And each group has each own
purpose to serve. Cultural groups,
for example, serve as an outlet for
our kababayans while the bayanihan
organizations allow them not only
to upgrade their skills but also to enhance their work potential.
“Spiritual groups, on the other
hand, fill their need for body formation while militant groups keep the
government on its toes.”
Kuok and other leaders hope Filcomsen will be the catalyst that would
have all these groups pulling together.
They have formed four committees
– policy advocacy, education, mentoring and administration – and have
tapped the help of these organizations,
depending on the necessity.
Legal and marital problems, for instance, are referred to Pinay Justice, a
society headed by lawyer Chato Olivas-Gallo.
Filcomsen’s livelihood projects are
handled by bayanihan groups.
Kuok said the power of unity
among Filipinos here was on display
during the May 2004 elections, where
several groups worked together to encourage migrant workers to register
– and vote.
Hong Kong eventually emerged as
the overseas post with the most number of registered voters as well as the
highest voting percentage.
Through Filcomsen, Kuok and its
other officials hope to tap that power
in the future.
“If we can sustain it, that would be
nice,” Kuok said.
the Association of Government
Accountants of the Philippines
for its outstanding performance
in financial management.
The province also received a
similar award from the Agap in
the regional level for the second
consecutive year.
North Cotabato
The husband of an overseas
Filipino worker facing murder
charges in Kuwait has appealed
for the intervention of the
government over her case.
Leo Vecina, husband of
accused OFW Mayin Vecina,
urged President Arroyo to help
his wife who remains comatose
in a Kuwaiti hospital due to a
spinal column fracture.
The OFW jumped from the
second floor of their apartment
after allegedly killing the twoyear-old son of her Kuwaiti
employer.
Vecina asked Arroyo for help
in the possible return of his wife
to Matalam, North Cotabato,
despite her condition.
“Nadawat ko naman ang
kapalaran sang akon asawa,”
he said. North Cotabato
governor Emmanuel Piñol said
they are helping Leo for his
immediate departure for Kuwait.
&Clarification
Correction
Due to an editing mistake, a
photo in the Celebrity section
of our December issue was
misidentified. Another was
erroneously used in a story.
Filipino Globe regrets the errors.
news
filipino globe
January 2007
3
Bomb joke grounds Filipino teenager
Youth posts HK$5,000 bail and allowed to return to Manila but will be back to face arraignment in Hong Kong
Jose Marcelo in Hong Kong
and Raul Acedre in Manila
A bomb joke blew up in the face of
a Filipino teenager whose vacation
in Hong Kong ended with him facing
charges in court.
Joselito Daza, 19, and cousin Sarah
Daza were offloaded from a Cebu Pacific flight bound for Manila and held
by Hong Kong authorities after he
made a joke that there was a bomb in
his carry-on luggage.
After being interrogated for hours
by airport officials, he was made to
post a HK$5,000 police bail and allowed to return to the Philippines.
He will be back in Hong Kong for
arraignment.
At the Ninoy Aquino airport, the
two breezed through immigration and
customs for the regular processing as
10 airport police officers led by intelligence and investigation division
chief Mel de los Santos and director
Rene Gonzales escorted them.
“They were led out of the airport by
passing through the restricted areas
reserved only for top government and
military or foreign officials,” an immigration official said.
“They breached airport security,”
he added.
Manila International Airport Au-
thority general manager Alfonso Cusi
ordered assistant general manager for
security Angelo Atutubo to investigate the incident since the Dazas were
ordinary passengers.
Consulate officials, who were in
touch with Hong Kong authorities,
said the teen was not aware that uttering the word “bomb” in airports and
on airplanes is a security risk and carries harsh penalties.
“For us in security, that is something serious,” said Angel Atutubo,
assistant general manager and chief
for security at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
According to consulate officials,
a stewardess questioned the teenager on the size of his carry-on bag
and asked him to put it in one of the
plane’s overhead compartments.
When he was asked what was in
it, he nonchalantly responded: “A
bomb.” The stewardess then informed
airport security personnel about the
incident.
It was not the first time such an incident happened in a Philippine carrier.
In September last year, a Filipina
was taken off a domestic flight after
making a similar joke.
She was allowed to leave on the
next flight after apologizing to airport
authorities.
Officials say the young man was not aware that uttering the word ‘bomb’
in airports and on airplanes is a security risk and carries severe penalties.
Poll volunteer recruitment
More than 250 election volunteers
are needed to man 22 precincts
in Hong Kong during the May
elections, the second time absentee
voting is being held worldwide.
The volunteers will assist about
90,000 registered voters, Consul
Victorio Dimagiba Jr said.
About 85 teams of three will be
fielded during the election period,
complementing consulate staff that
have been handling pre-election
matters, such as voter registration.
The election period begins on April
14 and will end on May 14.
Precinct volunteers will receive an
allowance of US$900 or HK$6,750.
Those serving on the board of
election inspectors will be paid
US$100 for the first 500 ballots that
they count, plus another US$100 for
the next 250 ballots, Dimagiba said.
Volunteers are required to
undergo a one-day training by the
Commission on Elections and the
Overseas Absentee Voting secretariat
in February.
The consulate is accepting
applications until January 21.
Election reports – Pages 8-9
For advertising inquiries
Venice Austria-Paita (Hong Kong) 9312 0169
Ricky Sumallo (Philippines) 0917 539 0486
TJ Badon-Doble (Philippines) 0928 502 0379
Josephine Miranda (Philippines) 0920 951 6917
filipino globe
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1095 Lippo Centre Tower 2
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Hong Kong
(852) 2918 8248
Email: [email protected]
4
news
filipino globe
January 2007
OFWs mark milestones on all fronts
REVIEW
2006
DEPLOYMENT
Lara Climaco looks
back on a year of
unprecedented gains
for the country and
examines prospects in
the global market
Quality jobs
next target
for Filipino
hopefuls
More high-end
jobs are in store
for Filipinos
this year as the
government
steps up
training and
documentation
of workers.
Lara Climaco in Manila
T
he past year was a milestone
in the Philippine government’s
bid to accelerate the flow of
Filipino workers overseas. According
to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, it had reached
the government’s deployment target
of one million Filipinos as early as
November.
This was a milestone not only because it brought unprecedented remittances, estimated by the Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas to have hit US$13
billion for the year, but also because it
opened opportunities for more “highend” jobs for the world’s third-largest
labor-sending country.
The labor department announced on
January 5 that with new destinations
and job prospects opening up, some
815,000 “high-end” overseas jobs
will be available to Filipinos over the
next three years. “This is over and
above the [workers] we have already
deployed,” Labor Secretary Arturo
Brion said, referring to the 1.09 million Filipinos deployed by the POEA
to some 190 countries as of the end
of last year.
Most of the upcoming jobs are in
the telecommunications, medical and
construction industries in Saudi Arabia, where four new economic centers, each as large as that in Dubai,
will be built over the next five years,
according to Rustico Dela Fuente, labor attaché to Riyadh.
“The biggest is the King Abdullah in the western region. This will
include a new seaport as big as the
port of Rotterdam,” he was quoted by
the Philippine Information Agency as
saying. Thus, aside from engineers,
pipe-fitters, welders, painters, electri-
cians, and surveyors in the construction industry, architects, technology
workers, accountants, analysts and
economists have sure jobs in the kingdom.
According to Dela Fuente, the Philippines would only seek to fill 20-30
per cent of the jobs set to open.
Meanwhile, the massive retirement
of baby boomers in Japan from this
year until 2009 will open opportunities not only for caregivers and nurses
but also computer-aided designers,
car designers and telecommunications engineers to take their place in
the workforce.
This, according to Riddles Conferido, Philippine labor attaché to Japan, would be on top of some 8,000
to 10,000 marine officers needed for
some 600 new ships to be built by
major Japanese shipping companies
until 2010.
Elsewhere in Asia, resort and tourism jobs in China, Malaysia and Singapore, as well as Brunei’s oil and
natural gas sector beckon, he added.
Over 150,000 jobs or 20 per cent of
the expected opportunities will be in
Europe and the Americas, according to Manuel Imson, labor attaché
to Geneva. Aside from the United
States, he said these jobs are spread
throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Canada, Spain and the
Carribean. The opportunities are in
the medical, health, construction, production, banking, finance, and maritime sectors.
Returnees face improved prospects at home
Lara Climaco in Manila
The United Nations has pegged the
number of migrants to developed
countries at about 2.2 million per year
until 2050.
“The challenge is the creation of a
more open global labor market where
it will be possible to effectively match
the supply and demand of labor globally,” said Brunson McKinley, director general of the International Organization of Migration.
“This includes the use of temporary
migration schemes and the encouragement of circulatory migration, which
would see the return of skills and
human resources home to promote
greater development in a migrant’s
country of origin,” he said.
That’s exactly what Labor Secretary Arturo Brion has in mind, with
the test case being returnees from Taiwan, who were among the first to be
included in the OFW databank.
They later joined the workforce in
Taiwanese-owned factories in the
Philippines’ special economic zones
in Subic and Clark.
Brion has also begun talks with
a major Philippine business group
about the latter’s participation in reintegrating returnees.
The reintegration program also involves upgrading the returnees’ skills
through various training programs,
such as the one for supermaids, which
can be availed of on a scholarship.
“The IOM, which considers the
Philippines’ global migration manage-
ment system as a model for the world,
believes that migrants who have developed and improved their skills
abroad can be catalysts of brain gain
by transferring and infusing knowledge, skills, and technology into their
countries of origin,” Brion said.
Major destinations of OFWs are
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Taiwan,
Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
Last year, Filipinos deployed overseas were mostly skilled workers and
professionals (photo).
These were medical and healthcare
personnel, food and hotel service
staff, information technology personnel, engineers, performing artists, as
well as construction and manufacturing workers.
Labor Secretary Arturo Brion has
spelled out the country’s plan to
secure quality jobs for overseas
Filipino workers while ensuring their
welfare.
Last year’s deployment – at over
one million – was a milestone
because more workers were
documented and thus and prepared
for foreign employment.
The Philippines is the world’s thirdlargest source of foreign labor, with
nearly eight million Filipinos expatriates living or working abroad.
Anecdotal evidence puts the actual
number at 15 million.
The more OFWs are documented,
the better the chances of their
remittances flowing into the financial
system rather than through informal
channels.
“The sustained expansion in
remittances reflected the continuing
strong demand for Filipino
manpower and the financial system’s
provision of innovative remittance
services in response to OFWs’
clamor for secure, timely and costefficient
modes of
transfer of
funds to their
beneficiaries,”
the Bangko
Sentral ng
Pilipinas said
in a report last
month
Remittances coursed through the
banks had reached US$10.3 billion
by October, when the level of inflows
grew strongly by 36.7 per cent yearon-year to reach US$1.19 billion
– the highest monthly level so far
recorded since 2001.
With the 2006 figures, Brion said
the labor department is now in a
better position to undertake a global
OFW skills mapping and profiling
system to match the local labor pool
with world market demand.
Global profiling will start this year.
Labor attaches from 34 Philippine
overseas labor offices worldwide
were briefed on their role in this
scheme during a recent conference in
Tagaytay City.
Brion said profiling would allow
the Department of Labor to put
together better reintegration and
protection mechanisms for OFWs.
According to the International
Organization of Migration, an
international watchdog for migration,
labor migration will be a fact of life
for years to come, with the global
workforce continuing to move from
Third World countries to developed
ones.
The World Bank also said the
slowing growth of the workforce
in developed countries and ageing
populations will be a pull factor in
increasing migration over the next
two decades.
filipino globe
January 2007 5
6
news
filipino globe
January 2007
Banks bet
on nation’s
newfound
strength
Beting Laygo Dolor in Manila
Tutuban mall in Divisoria teems with shoppers. Hope for the year is high among Filipinos across all classes of society as the economy improves.
Remittances help power our
strongest surge in 11 years
Things are looking up as indicators point to continued growth. Beting Dolor puts it in perspective
T
he Philippine political scene
may still be messy, but the economic picture is much brighter.
As 2006 ended and 2007 began, most
of the country’s economic indicators
were decidedly upbeat.
At the heart of the strengthening
economy are the millions of overseas
Filipino workers and Filipinos permanently living abroad.
Their remittances are projected to
grow by another 16 per cent this year,
just like last year.
The US$12 billion in OFW remittances boosted the country’s dollar
reserves which as of end-2006 stood
at US$23 billion.
Such data indicates that there is
some basis to the claims of the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that the rest of the world is
not getting a clear picture of the Philippine situation, including Filipinos
based abroad.
REVIEW
2006
ECONOMY
Among the bright indicators:
• The Philippine peso is at a six-year
high vis-à-vis the US dollar;
• The Philippine Stock Exchange
index is at a nine-year high; and
• Inflation is at a two-year low.
For foreign investors, the gauge as
to the strength or weakness of any
economy is usually its stock market.
For the year just past, P57.2 billion
was raised through stock offerings in
the PSE. This was the biggest level
since 1994, when the Philippines was
in the middle of its five-year growth
spurt during the Ramos era that
brought the country to “tiger cub” status in the region.
The PSE had all but collapsed in the
late 1990s when it was learned that
a crony of then President Joseph Estrada had manipulated the prices of a
speculative stock. Estrada reportedly
received hefty commissions from the
act.
Last year, investors finally returned
in a big way.
Net foreign buying in the bourse
in 2006 skyrocketed by 191 per cent,
to P68.53 billion from the previous
year’s P23.53 billion.
“The market’s superb performance
in 2006 is proof that economic reforms being implemented by the government, specially its efforts to manage the budget deficit, tame inflation
and stabilize interest rates, have once
again paid off,” PSE president Francis Lim said recently.
The return of business confidence is
expected to pay dividends this year,
but no one is betting on exactly how
much. National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) director
general Romulo Neri said he expects
gross national product – the sum total
of all goods and services produced by
the country inclusive of dollar remittances from OFWs – to hit 6 per cent
this year.
But Neda policy planning director
Dennis Arroyo said this was probably
“a conservative estimate.”
Among the industries enjoying
strong earnings are the manpower
export sector (slightly more than one
million workers were deployed last
year, and a similar level is expected
this year), construction (which unexpectedly experienced double digit
growth), call centers (steadily expanding outside Metro Manila thereby boosting some regions) and medical tourism (which is being counted
on to double the 2.5 million inbound
tourists of last year).
Filipinos ride fresh wave of hope as new year unfolds
Egay Serrano in Manila
The succession of good news in the
past year has finally penetrated the
Filipino’s psyche.
In the latest Social Weather Station
survey, 91 per cent of adult Filipinos
expressed hopefulness for the new
year. In seven previous surveys, the
figures ranged from 81 per cent in
2004 to 95 per cent in 2002.
The 2006 level marks an increase
from 85 per cent in the fourth quarter
of 2005. It is the second highest since
2000.
High hopes are in all areas – 93 per
cent in Visayas, 90 per cent in Mindanao, 87 per cent in Metro Manila
and 92 per cent in the rest of Luzon.
The figure is up by nine points in
the rest of Luzon, six points in Mindanao, and five points in Visayas.
Hope is high regardless of socioeconomic class – 92 per cent among
the middle to upper classes, 91 per
cent among the masses, 91 per cent
among the poor. Compared with 2005,
the figure rose in all classes, most of
all in the upper classes, which went
up by 19 points, from 73 per cent in
2005. In the lower economic classes,
the number has risen for two consecutive years.
It is significant to note hunger in
the family reduces hope for the new
year to a certain extent. Hopefulness
for the new year is 92 per cent among
Filipinos whose families did not suffer involuntary hunger in the last three
months.
It is 90 per cent among those whose
families suffered involuntary hunger
only once or a few times (moderate
hunger), and only 78 per cent among
those who suffered often or always
(severe hunger).
Among the things that fuelled hopefulness is news of the peso surging to
a six-year high due to massive OFW
remittances and bullish investor interest in the Philippines. The peso closed
at P48.915 to the greenback on January 2, the first day of trading of 2007.
It was the peso’s strongest finish since
hitting 48.90 to the greenback in 2001
This year, the peso is expected to
trade between 47 and 48 to the dollar.
The best economic signal of all
was the Philippines’ finally ending
some four and a half decades
of International Monetary Fund
“tutelage.”
Towards the end of December,
the Philippines prepaid a US$221
million debt to the IMF. This
effectively signaled its exit from
its post-program monitoring
arrangement with world lender. That
loan was not due until April of this
year.
“The prepayment will serve as a
watershed event in the Philippines’
relationship with the IMF since it
will end the country’s use of IMF
resources after nearly four and a half
decades,” said Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas governor Amando Tetangco
(below) of that turning point.
The exit from IMF tutelage
– usually referred to by the Leftleaning community as “intervention”
– means that the Philippines was
now sending a “clear signal to
the international community that
the structural reform process and
macroeconomic prudence in the
Philippines
have firmly
taken root,”
Tetangco
added.
The BSP
projects the
peso to rise
to the P47
to US$1 this
year. This
immediately results in lower
payments for imports and debt
servicing.
On the negative side, however,
exporters will earn less and OFWs’
families will receive fewer pesos for
the same amount remitted or earned.
Still, to the outside world, the
country’s economic managers are
taking the right track.
Just before 2006 ended, World
Bank country director Joachim von
Amsberg announced the approval
for the Philippines of the first
development policy loan – a soft loan
at concessional rates – in eight years
worth $250 million.
“We are happy to support the
Philippines with policy-based
lending,” he said. For its part, the
Asian Development Bank also gave
the Philippines good marks for its
handling of the economy in the year
just past.
In December, the ADB approved
US$650 million worth of loan
programs for the country. Of this,
US$450 million will be used to
restructure the Philippine power
sector, while the US$200 million will
be used to strengthen the country’s
financial sector.
ADB Vice president Lawrence
Greenwood Jr said the loans
were the biggest in eight years.
This, he said, was the ADB’s way
of showing its “confidence in
sustaining achievements in fiscal
consolidation and sectoral reforms
that the (Philippine) government has
embarked on.”
filipino globe
January 2007
7
8
news
filipino globe
January 2007
Comelec eyes web, mail voting
Seafarers may now cast their ballot at nearest embassy as restrictions are lifted
The Commission on Elections is introducing innovations aimed at helping facilitate voting of registered Filipino voters abroad.
Among these is the lifting of certain restrictions on seamen, Comelec
spokesman James Jimenez said.
“They [seafarers] will be able to
cast their votes wherever there are
Philippine embassies,” he said.
The Comelec is also expanding coverage of its voting by mail system and
is considering implementing secured
internet voting.
The new policy on seafarers came
amid mounting complaints against
the old practice of limiting them to
vote in Comelec-designated
areas.
“They [the
seafarers]
could not say
in which port
they’ll be in
on
election
day,” he said. For this year’s mid-term
polls, he said all registered Filipino
voters based abroad will vote 30 days
before election day on May 14.
To guard against flying voters, Jimenez said the Comelec will implement a cross-referencing system
wherein it will provide all Philippine
embassies with names of registered
overseas Filipinos.
“The name of a seafarer who already
voted in one embassy will be crossed
out to prevent this person from voting
again in another embassy,” he said.
Latest figures show 16,107 seafarers based abroad were registered Philippine voters as of 2005.
Voting by mail requires postal delivery of ballots to voters who will afterwards mail them back to embassies
with jurisdiction over them.
The Comelec is expected to announce countries where voting by
mail will be implemented. The the
system was piloted through Philip-
pine embassies in Japan (Tokyo and
Osaka), Canada (Toronto, Ottawa and
Vancouver), and London for Filipinos
in England and Ireland.
Jimenez likewise said the Comelec
is also studying how foreign-based
registered Filipinos, estimated at
500,000, can vote through the internet.
“We know this will push through
but I’m not sure if we can start it this
year,” he said.
Web-based voting is cheaper since
it only requires one server to electronically connect the Comelec’s central
canvassing station to voters, Jimenez
said.
Forget the
brains for a
while, you
need EQ
Joseph Estrada has plenty of it, so
does Chavit Singson. If they were
to run on a single ticket, they’d be a
formidable team.
Forget the odds of getting the bitter
rivals together. The point is that both
men are potent crowd drawers and
attractive vote getters because they
have a high EQ. That’s emotional
quotient, by the way.
“Leaders should first be
communicators. Many political
candidates forget that,” said
Henry Tenedero, an educator and
motivational speaker.
Tenedero has been giving a lecture
tour for political candidates on the
subject, teaching them how to win
votes using various international
learning techniques.
He said some senatorial candidates
have an edge because they have
what it takes to connect with voters
emotionally.
Take Chiz Escudero, for instance.
“By his name alone, Chiz Escudero
has an edge because his nickname is
what we say when we want people to
smile on camera and he does smile a
lot,” he said.
In 1998, Tenedero predicted that
then vice-president Joseph Estrada
would win that year’s presidential
elections because he had the highest
EQ among the candidates then.
Tenedero said EQ is the “ability,
capacity, or skill to perceive, assess,
and manage the emotions of one’s
self and others, and, for political
reasons, of the audience.”
He said other senatorial aspirants
with “high EQ” are Manila Mayor
Lito Atienza and Singson.
“The administration’s [possible]
lineup got a boost when Chavit
[Singson] came in because he instills
a ‘pleasant fear’ among the voters,”
Tenedero said.
So voter appeal is down to a
cocktail of serious emotional
qualities, and not just all brains,
Tenedero said.
Still, to be a candidate, you do need
to know how to read and write.
RAUL ACEDRE
ANGBANSA
Agusan del Sur
Six people were feared
dead after their houses were
buried in a landslide near the
boundary of barangays Balobo
and Maasin, Esperanza,
Agusan del Sur, belated reports
reaching the regional police
said.
Agusan del Sur provincial
information officer Ferdinand
Perez confirmed the disaster.
He said Agusan del Sur
governor Eddie Bong Plaza
sent engineers, relief and
monitoring teams to the area,
which is located some distance
from the provincial capital.
Municipal social welfare
officer Luzminda Benadero was
assigned to head the rescue
team.
Police reports said only one
among those feared buried
alive was rescued. He was
identified as Faustino Pungcol,
a resident of barangay Maasin,
Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.
Cordillera
Some species of butterflies
indigenous to the Cordilleras
face extinction due to
deforestation and other forms of
environmental degradation.
This was learned from a study
done by two researchers of the
Department of Environment and
Natural Resources-Cordillera
Administrative Region.
Researchers Imelda Ngaloy
and George Tomin said the
Ben Abalos confers with Comelec officials. The opposition’s call for change is directed specifically at Abalos.
Quit for fair polls, Abalos urged
The opposition yesterday is seeking
the removal of the head of the Commission on Elections, saying it is the
only way to ensure the credibility and
integrity of the May elections.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino
Pimentel urged Comelec chairman
Benjamin Abalos to step down voluntarily.
He said Abalos should heed public
clamor and that Malacañang should
appoint someone with integrity and
not identified with the administration.
“The crisis of confidence that continues to hound the Comelec threatens
to prevent the poll body from fulfilling its constitutional duty to conduct
honest and orderly congressional and
local elections on May 14, 2007,” Pimentel said.
Reached by telephone, Abalos said
he did not wish to glorify Pimentel’s
statement.
“I have a mandate to perform my
duty as Comelec chairman,” he said.
Pimentel said that the “Hello Garci”
controversy and the scandal over the
Mega Pacific poll automation deals
Only with
the stepping
down of
Comelec
chief Ben
Abalos
(above,
center) can a
fair election
be possible,
says
opposition
leader
Aquilino
Pimentel
(left).
had severely eroded the poll body’s
credibility.
He repeated his call on Malacañang
to appoint Abalos’ replacement from
the political opposition’s nominees, as
the late President Ferdinand Marcos
did before the parliamentary elections
in 1984. But Comelec Commissioners Romeo Brawner, Rene Sarmiento
and Nicodemo Ferrer—all appointed
after 2004—need not be covered by
the proposed changes in the poll body
since they had not been involved in
any wrongdoing, Pimentel said.
presence and abundance of
the beautiful winged insects are
indicators of a good and wellpreserved environment. Ngaloy
and Tomin, however, observed
that some species of butterflies
indigenous to the region have
dwindled.
They expressed fears
that these species may
become extinct if their
natural environment is further
destroyed. They urged
authorities to take action.
Albay
The Department of Health has
warned the public to brace for
respiratory diseases, fungal
infections, cold and fever due
to the unpredictable weather
condition in the Bicol region.
Bicol DOH regional director
Nestor Santiago said that
since November last year, the
region has been experiencing
intermittent heavy rains that
have caused the number of
respiratory, fungal infections
and other diseases to surge to
near epidemic proportions.
“The health of the general
public is threatened by
continuous bad weather
condition in the region,” he said.
“We advise the public to take
the necessary precautions.”
Santiago urged the public to
always bring an umbrella and to
take ascorbic acid and eat more
fruits to avoid colds.
“We advise the public to
avoid flooded areas and dirty
places,” he said.
news
filipino globe
January 2007
9
Estrada release offer ‘a political ploy’
Opposition demands Defensor should
quit if his word turns out to be empty
Raul Acedre in Manila
Is it for real?
Presidential chief of staff Mike
Defensor has been thrown into the
defensive after announcing that
President Arroyo supports the release
of Joseph Estrada as a gesture of
reconciliation.
As questions swirled around the
timing of the announcement, a few
months before national elections
in which Estrada is backing an
opposition ticket, his political allies
demanded that Defensor resign if his
words turn out to be a false promise.
Senator Panfilo Lacson said
Defensor, himself a candidate in
the May elections, is using the
announcement as a political ploy to
win votes from the opposition.
“Why only now,” said Estrada’s
son and San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito.
He said the move should have been
“made years ago”.
“Defensor is merely trying to court
the Estrada votes,” Ejercito said.
“It’s the masa [popular] votes that
he is after,” he added.
“He should make good on his
word or quit,” said Senator Aquilino
Pimentel.
In making the announcement,
Defensor said Arroyo supports
Estrada’s temporary release from
detention, pending a court ruling
on graft charges, as part of the
government’s efforts at national
reconciliation. No date has been
specified.
“The Erap problem has continued
to hound us and
the stability of
the country. It
is high time
that we set this
aside and focus
on the work of
strengthening
the economy and
achieving progress for the country,”
said Defensor, who added that he had
been appointed as “point man” for
the initiative.
In February last year, Defensor also
made an announcement regarding the
conditional release of Estrada on his
own recognizance.
But Malacañang said it would not
compromise the rule of law, insisting
this is a matter for the courts and the
Sandiganbayan to decide.
Presidential chief legal counsel
Sergio Apostol warned that Estrada’s
alleged crimes do not allow a release
on recognizance.
Even in detention, Estrada remains
a potent political force.
Joseph Estrada, shown with former US defense secretary William Cohen in this file photo, remains popular
with the masses, who delivered his stunning victories as mayor, senator, vice-president and president.
10
news
filipino globe
January 2007
Bolder, kinder era dawns for region, says GMA
A bold and humane Asean emerged to
cement its place on the world stage at
the end of a leaders’ summit in Cebu.
President Gloria Arroyo called its
emergence a new dawn for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
In a landmark accord, the 10 members of the regional grouping agreed
to adopt stringent policies on migrant
rights. It liberalised trade, travel and
various key services in the region.
At the same time, it signed an expanded agreement to fight terrorism and issued a strong warning
to North Korea to scrap its nuclear
weapons, tackle serious food shortages and account for foreigners kid-
napped by the regime in recent
decades. Pyongyang’s missile and
nuclear tests “threaten the peace and
security of our region and the world,”
the summit leaders said.
The summit was also attended by
leaders of China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea as well
as those from East Asia,
It was an unusual move as nations
usually sympathetic to North Korea,
including China, linked their antinuclear message with appeals for
Pyongyang to respond to humanitarian issues.
They urged the reclusive regime
against a second nuclear test and to
scrap its atomic arsenal.
The inclusion of the abductions
issue was a diplomatic victory for
Japan, which said 12 of its citizens
kidnapped to train Pyongyang’s spies
in the 1970s and early 1980s are still
unaccounted for.
Also, China agreed to the reference
to the abductees, apparently indicating that its patience is wearing thin
after the North’s nuclear test in October.
Japan said it was the first time China has publicly raised the abductions
issue.
A Japanese official described the
agreement of both Seoul and Beijing
to the wording as a “huge step.”
South Korea said more than 480 of
its citizens have been seized by the
North since the Korean War more
than 50 years ago.
Asean opens up nursing sector
Agreement allows
mutual recognition
of qualification
and licenses
More than 100 people, mostly
dancers due to perform at
a gala dinner for the Asean
leaders in Cebu, ended up in
hospital after coming down with
food poisoning.
The victims included beauty
queens Melanie Marquez and
Gemma Cruz-Araneta and
Gerard Salonga, brother of
international artist Lea Salonga.
They were treated at Cebu
District Hospital, Chua Hospital
and Perpetual Help Hospital.
“These are all gastroenteritis
cases and we received reports
that six patients were confined,
but most of them were
released later,” said Dr Susana
Madarieta, the Department of
Health’s regional director.
No foreigners were among
the victims. The victims were
said to have eaten on Saturday
packed dinners of vegetables,
grilled meat and barbecue.
Asean leaders have confirmed
their commitment to further
strengthen cooperation in the
fight against terrorism.
They adopted the Asean Convention on Counter-terrorism,
which calls for greater cooperation among the region’s frontline law enforcement agencies
(photo) and relevant authorities
in curbing all forms of terrorist
Asean leaders show their solidarity with their counterparts in Asia-Pacific at the summit hosted by President Arroyo.
signed during the Asean leaders summit in Cebu, is improved access to social services by migrant workers.
It sets out workers’ rights and binds
member countries to specific obligations on improving their living conditions and protection from danger such
as human trafficking, illegal recruitment and exploitation.
By adopting stringent policies on
worker protection, member countries
have the collective strength to demand equal treatment for their workers from nations outside the grouping.
“We have the moral suasion to ask
other countries, such as those in the
Middle East, America and Europe, to
respect our policies as a group,” said
Hosts serve up more than omelette with egg
Prayers for peace and eggs for good
weather.
Cebu spared no efforts to ensure
the success of the Asean summit,
the biggest and most imporant
international event it has hosted.
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia
sent two truckloads of eggs to the
Carmelite Sisters as an offering
for good weather, the bad one last
month being the reason for the
postponement of the original summit
date.
But just in case the weather was
uncooperative, National Organizing
Committee secretary general
Ambassador Marciano Paynor came
up with the closest thing to most
everyone’s simple answer: umbrella.
Food poisoning
War on terrorism
Raul Acedre in Manila
Asean has become the next key market for Filipino nurses after it affirmed
an agreement to liberalise nursing services.
The agreement is part of a wideranging accord, which provides for
freer trade and travel policies as well
as easier migration in the region.
Under the so-called mutual recognition agreement, signed in December,
nurses licensed by their respective
governments can work in any Asean
country without having to sit that
country’s licensure exam.
However, they are required to register and convert their qualification to
a local license before they will be allowed to work.
Ramon Kabigting, director of the
Bureau of International Trade Regulation of the Department of Trade and
Industry, said the agreement allows
the Philippines to be more aggressive
in entering the Asean market.
Asean groups the Philippines, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand,
Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos
and Myanmar.
With a combined population of 479
million, it is bigger than the United
States or the European Union.
A major highlight of the agreement,
SUMMITNOTES
Paynor made more than 500
umbrellas available to keep the
region’s heads of state dry.
Prayers were also offered for
a peaceful summit after earlier
warnings of possible terror attacks.
A bomb explosion which killed
several people in Mindanao did not
help ease concerns over security at
the summit.
Metro Cebu had been blanketed
by rains in the days leading up to the
summit.
Paynor quickly assured the faintedhearted, saying: “Natural occurrences
such as the weather is something we
cannot do anything about.
“Other countries still hold their
summits even when snow is falling
and world leaders still attend because
they cannot do anything about it.”
Even so, he said enthusiasm had
not waned among the participants.
“Everyone who needs to be here
are here,” said.
“The same people that were
supposed to come last December also
came this time,” he said.
He said the postponement was a
blessing in disguise as it allowed
organisers to fine-tune preparations
for the high-level meeting, including
putting the finishing touches to
the Cebu International Convention
Center.
Garcia, put it more succinctly when
she said: “We were ready then, we
are more than ready now.”
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos, a summit spokesman.
Most Asean migrants working in
the region are in the manufacturing
and services sectors.
The Philippines deployed more
than 250,000 newly hired and rehired land-based workers in the region 2005, the latest year for which
official data is available.
The workers were deployed to Brunei (8,666), Cambodia (689), Indonesia (2,138), Laos (164), Malaysia
(6,058), Myanmar (151), Singapore
(27,599), Thailand (2,400) and Vietnam (1,102).
Summit officials said the agreement
was a vital confirmation of the leaders’ “shared responsibility to ensure
a secure and prosperous Asean community”.
Under the agreement, the Asean
member countries will promote “decent, humane, productive, dignified
and remunerative employment” for
migrant workers.
It also calls for the development of
reintegration programs in their countries of origin.
“This ensures the returnees have realistic prospects of being reintegrated
into the domestic workforce,” a Philippine official said.
acts. The leaders stressed that
terrorism, in all forms and manifestations, is a serious threat to
international peace and security
and a direct challenge to the attainment of peace, progress and
prosperity of the region.
Under the convention, Asean
countries agreed to carry out
their obligations in a manner
consistent with the principles of
sovereignty.
Mike takes charge
First Gentleman Jose Miguel
Arroyo (photo) hosted a
“tertulla” in honor of the Asean
spouses in “Malacanang sa
Sugbo” or Malacanang in Cebu.
“Tertulla” is a traditional native
entertainment
for honored
guests.
With music
from a brass
band and
native dancers
in colorful
costumes
providing a
festive atmosphere, Arroyo
treated the Asean spouses and
other visitors to a native fiesta.
Others on hand were
presidential daughter Luli
Arroyo, Foreign Affairs
Undersecretary Ambassador
Francisco Benedicto, Margot
Osmena, wife of Cebu City
mayor Tomas Osmena and Paz
Radaza, wife of Lapu-Lapu City
mayor Arturo Radaza.
filipino globe
January 2007 11
12
news
filipino globe
January 2007
Applicants warned over online fraud
Increase in number of complaints about jobs advertised on
websites prompts action from POEA and labor department
Raul Acedre in Manila
Prospective overseas workers have
been warned to be alert for fraudulent
online job recruitment offers.
The Department of Labor said the
internet is rife with such deals, luring
applicants with cheap and fast deployment.
It issued the warning amid an expected explosion in demand from
overseas markets for Filipino labor.
It said unscrupulous individuals
and illegal recruiters could exploit
the situation and prey on gullible applicants.
Up to one million overseas jobs are
expected to come on stream in the
next three years, with Filipinos seen
as frontrunners in the market.
POEA deputy administrator Leo
Cacdac said there has been a steep
rise in the number of applicants who
seek jobs through the internet and fall
prey to illegal recruiters and scams.
As a precaution, the POEA posted
pointers to job applicants using the
internet:
• Read the entirety of the web site.
Examine whether the company name
and profile appear believable. Check
for its company profile or the “about
us” page to see its office location and
phone numbers.
• Examine the website design plus
all links and pages available. A legitimate company would not mind
spending a large amount of money to
have a website designed beautifully
as the same serves as its window to
the world.
• Take note of the website’s invitations to send resumes and application
papers through postal mail or drop
boxes. Most legitimate web sites
would like you to fill up your resume
online or send them through e-mail.
• Take note of their offers. Beware
of “too-good-to-be-true” salaries and
other job perks including accommodation and bonuses.
• Use search engines (Yahoo,
Google, etc) and look for the company name or topics similar to those
discussed on the web site you have
visited.
• Check the domain name of the
website to secure additional information.
• Report to the POEA or other
law-enforcement authorities any illegal recruitment activities conducted
through the internet.
Cacdac said the POEA allows licensed recruitment agencies to advertise their job orders on their websites
or any online search companies if the
vacancies are covered by manpower
requests of accredited employers.
The POEA
(above) allows
licensed
agencies to
post their job
orders online
if these are
covered by
manpower
requests from
accredited
employers.
Labor, business told to
iron out wage dispute
Sort it out among yourselves. Malacanang has signalled the message to
labor and business groups, which are
locked in a festering dispute over proposed wage increases.
Presidential spokesman Ignacio
Bunye called on the parties to find
a common ground “in the spirit of
teamwork for the economy”.
He said the government is looking
for ways to help break the deadlock
but is careful in striking a balance between the rights of workers and the
survival of businesses that employ
them.
“The government has been steadfast
in making sure that socioeconomic,
non-wage benefits are fully extended
to our workers through stable prices
of basic commodities and enhanced
social services,” he said.
At issue is a P125 across-the-board
increase in the daily wage of workers
in the private sector.
The increases are to be implemented on a staggered basis over the next
three years.
The
measure has been
approved
by
Congress and
is pending approval in the
Senate.
Senate committee chairEstrada
man Senator
Jinggoy
Estrada said the Upper House is not
inclined to pass Congress’ version of
the measure and added he personally
favors a P100 increase.
He said a lower wage threshold is
fair to workers and will ensure that
their employers will not go out of
business in trying to meet it.
President Arroyo has been lobbying
Congress to approve a measure that
would allow a new round of salary increases for government workers.
She has asked the Senate and the
House to grant an average 10 per cent
increase in the base pay of state workers effective in July.
news
filipino globe
Leviste faces
murder rap in
friend’s slay
Relatives of the slain associate of former Batangas governor Antonio Leviste have vowed to use all legal means
to get justice.
“We will fight to the end to get justice for my father,” said Dina de las
Alas, the victim’s daughter. “Lalaban
kami.”
Leviste admitted shooting Rafael
de las Alas, a longtime associate, in
self- defense in the former governor’s
private office in Makati.
As police continued their investigation into the murky circumstances of
the killing, they said they would file
murder charges against Leviste if they
find evidence of premeditation.
De las Alas’ family said they are
at a loss as to the motive for the killing, describing the two men as “very
close, with 42 years of friendship”.
Leviste rushed out of his office after he shot the victim and asked to
be taken to a hospital, suffering from
breathing problems. He later admitted
the killing to police.
Investigators found the victim holding a gun. They are looking for witnesses, including a man who tried to
mediate an argument between the two
men before the shooting.
January 2007
13
US rejects military pact review
Smith custody
transfer hounds
government amid
sellout claims
Daniel Smith
spent weeks in
the Makati City
jail before he was
handed to US
custody. He is
now detained at
the US embassy
in Manila, pending
his appeal against
a rape conviction.
Raul Acedre in Manila
The United States has rejected a review of the Visiting Forces agreement
in the wake of the controversy over
Daniel Smith, calling it unnecessary
and premature.
“I think we stated many times previously that it would be premature to
renegotiate the VFA while there is
this current case that remains in the
Philippine judicial system,” embassy
spokesman Matthew Lussenhop said.
Lussenhop made the remarks after
Malacanang said it was considering a
review of the agreement, which covers the conduct of joint military exercises and the treatment of military
personnel.
Malacanang’s overtures came after the government released Smith,
jailed for 40 years for the 2005 rape
of a young Subic woman, to US custody. Smith had been remanded to the
Makati City jail, pending an appeal.
The government is at pains to explain Smith’s transfer amid allegations Manila sold out to Washington.
This came after President Arroyo
said she gave the green light to bypass
the courts “to save bilateral ties with
the US,” media reports say.
Claims are rife an “exchange deal”
was struck after the US immediately
announced the resumption of military
exercises with the Philippines, earlier
cancelled in the wake of the custody
dispute
Malacanang denied any such deal,
and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto
Romulo said the custody transfer was
in accordance with the VFA. The
move angered rights groups, which
accused the government of collusion
with Washington, and threatened a
deepening split among administration allies in the Arroyo-controlled
Congress, which called the decision
“dangerous and hasty”.
14
news
filipino globe
5,000 still trapped in Lebanon
Philippines in
crisis mode as
ambassador quits
and violence
deteriorates
Raul Acedre in Manila
The Philippines has stepped up monitoring of the situation in Lebanon in
the wake of the resignation of its ambassador to the war-torn country.
Ambassador Francis Al Bichara resigned on December 15, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Charge
D’Affaires Walter Salmingo will retire at the end of this month.
The changes were confirmed by Esteban Conejos, the undersecretary for
Migrant Workers Affairs.
He said the plan for overseas Filipino workers in Lebanon needed to be
updated because of these changes and
in light of the uncertain political situation in the Middle East country.
Thousands of Filipinos are still in
Lebanon after last year’s massive repatriations ordered by the Department
of Foreign Affairs as violence deteriorated.
In July, the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel involved targeted
strikes, Conejos said.
The situation remains unstable. A
recent ceasefire was followed by a
deadly missile attack in October, the
assassination of a Cabinet official, the
resignation of six Hezbollah leaders,
and a siege by Hezbollah members of
parliament and the prime minister’s
office,
Conejos said there was a lull during
Christmas and Hajj, but the violence
could escalate. The Philippines is
watching the situation closely.
He said that sectarian violence
could also erupt among Catholics,
Sunnis, Shiites, Hebrews, and other
Christian groups.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto
Romulo has instructed General Roy
Cimatu of Task Force Lebanon to
leave for Beirut to assess the situation and give an update on plans for
overseas Filipino workers who are
still there.
Philippine officials in Lebanon were
looking into specific threats to the
safety of OFWs, he added. But first,
January 2007
ANGBANSA
Cebu
Four years ago, he was hailed
as a drug-buster after he
testified against two prominent
Cebu businessmen in a House
investigation.
Now, Bernard Liu, 45, is
himself facing drug charges
after being arrested by police.
Liu was arrested at a funeral
home in barangay Lahug during
a wake for an uncle.
In his testimony before
the House committee on
dangerous drugs, chaired
by Cebu City first district
representative Antonio Cuenco,
Liu said he had carried 40 kilos
of shabu from Hong Kong to
Cebu, allegedly for his former
employers, brothers Peter and
Wellington Lim.
The Lim brothers denied the
allegation.
But Liu’s testimony became
the basis for the justice
department’s decision to charge
him with drug trafficking.
Iloilo
“
We are considering
the possibility of
holding OFWs in a
specific holding area
Iloilo City has joined the
worldwide movement that aims
to lessen so-called greenhouse
gas emissions.
Engineer Noel Hechanova
of the City Environment and
Natural Resources Office
announced the initiative,
coinciding with the launch of
the Clean Cities Program. Iloilo
City recently became a member
ESTEBAN CONEJOS
Foreign affairs undersecretary
of the program. Hechanova
also said the city has installed
energy-efficient bulbs in nearly
100 street lamps.
More than 1,000 passenger
jeepneys have also been
restricted from entering the city
proper. This has helped cut
carbon dioxide emissions.
The move is expected to result
in fuel savings of more than
P150 million and a significant fall
in carbon dioxide emissions.
As violence in the country escalates (top), the capital Beirut (above),
once known as the Paris of the Middle East, is thrown into more
uncertainty. About 5,000 OFWs are trapped in the worsening situation.
the officials have been told to locate
the OFWs
“We would like to be one step ahead
of the situation there, whatever it is,”
Conejos said. “We are considering the
possibility of holding OFWs in a specific holding area.”
More than 6,000 OFWs have been
repatriated to the Philippines. Another 5,000 are left with their employers
and are waiting to be sent home.
Meanwhile, a ban on job placement
and deployment to Lebanon is still in
effect.
Nueva Vizcaya
Saudi shows promise as others balk at supermaid pay
Dante Vino in Manila
Saudi labor officials are reviewing
the country’s employment policies,
including those covering the salaries
of overseas Filipino workers.
Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said
this development bodes well for
OFWs in light of a new Philippine
policy raising the minimum salary of
Filipino domestic helpers to US$400
a month.
He said Philippine officials and
their Saudi counterparts met recently
in Riyadh (left) to discuss OFW
salaries in different job categories.
This was the first positive response
to the new policy, which came into
force last month, after other Mideast
countries, including Kuwait and
Dubai, balked at the higher pay.
Media reports from those countries
say some Filipinas have been turned
down for jobs because they have
become unaffordable.
These concerns were expressed
earlier by employment agencies,
which warned that labor-importing
countries might turn to other sources,
such as Thailand, Indonesia and
Vietnam, for their househelp needs.
Brion said the Saudi response was
consistent with the need to update
its labor policies and bring them into
line with the realities in the market.
Saudi Arabia employs 200,000
OFWs, accounting for 70 per cent of
Filipinos in the Middle East.
The Philippine Army is set to
file rebellion charges against
officials from this province and
neighboring Nueva Ecija for
allegedly providing financial and
logistical assistance, including
firearms and ammunition, to
New People’s
Army rebels.
The officials’
alleged
support to
insurgents
were
discovered from documents
seized in a raid on a rebel
camp later known to have been
abandoned somewhere at the
Caraballo mountains last year.
A rebel returnee who turned
military asset said the officials
have been helping the rebels
for sometime now.The two
officials are mayors of towns
on the boundary of Nueva
Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija at the
Caraballo mountain.
news
filipino globe
January 2007
15
Pinay policewoman blazes trail to Jersey City’s Finest
Rick Sumallo in New Jersey
Next time you hear a cop’s whistle
in Jersey City, spare a thought for
Connie Cacnio.
Manila-born Cacnio, 28,
became Jersey City’s first Filipino
policewoman after graduating from
the Jersey City Police Academy, one
of 44 recruits (right) who received
their certificates last month.
A former journalist, Cacnio, is
only the second Asian American
woman to have joined the force. The
distinction of being the first belongs
to a Chinese American who earned
her badge in April last year.
“It hasn’t hit me yet,” Cacnio
told The Filipino Express, a US
community newspaper. “Only when
I see people in need, then I become
aware that I am a police officer now
– that I have to do something to help
them.”
Cacnio said she began to think
about becoming a police officer
after being moved deeply by the
September 11, 2001 terror attack on
the US
“I was living in New York then,
at The Village,” Cacnio said. “That
night, I saw the suffering first hand.
I wanted to help, and not just watch
helplessly.”
At the same time, a policeman
putting up recruitment posters for the
city police department encouraged
her to apply.
“We have no Asian American in the
force,” Cacnio quoted the policeman
as saying.
On her first night as a
policewoman, Cacnio had her first
brush with danger.
She was driving on Route 440 in
south Jersey City with her training
officer when she heard the police
radio blurt out: “Shots fired! Shots
fired!”
“That was the first time I actually
smelled burning tires,” Cacnio said,
describing how her training officer
had to drive fast in responding to the
radio call.
It turned out to be a carjacking
incident. One policeman ran to the
back of a house to try to move in on
Teachers survive Texas ordeal
the suspect. Cacnio pulled over and
went into action, her gun drawn.
Still, she sees herself more in the
role of a juvenile reform activist,
helping youths become upright
citizens and getting offenders back
on their feet as useful members of
society.
To do this, Cacnio plans to go
back to school and enrol in either
sociology or criminology.
She also wants to be assigned to
a special unit, “maybe the juvenile
squad”.
“I grew up in Jersey City, and this
community strongly needs Asian
women in the law enforcement,”
Cacnio said.
Cacnio, the youngest of 10
children, arrived in the US in 1978,
barely a year old. Her father is from
Pampanga while her mother is from
Pangasinan.
Thousands
regain
Filipino
citizenship
Raul Acedre in Manila
Victims of an illegal recruiter, they relied on each other to pull through, writes Don Cruz
I
n the worst of times, they turned
to the Bible and to each other.
Finally, salvation came as the
Filipino community rallied around
them.
“I needed strength and constant
encouragement to sustain me in our
desperate situation, so I read the
Bible and the Purpose-Driven Life
every day,” said Chemelyn Estacio.
Estacio was one of 200 teachers
recruited by a Filipino employment
agency to work in El Paso, Texas
only to find the jobs promised them
did not exist.
Their hopes dashed, they also
found the US$10,000 they each paid
the agency gone in a gaggle of empty
words.
“We were down to the proverbial
last dollar,” Estacio said of her own
group of eight, who shared a rented
small apartment.
What little they had left had
become such a critical issue that
spending it had to be decided by the
group as a whole.
“Once we contributed 50 cents
each for a burger dinner and ended
up stricken with guilt at having spent
so much on such a luxury item,” she
said.
Their situation taught them the
value of resilience and solidarity
that sustained them through the
harrowing ordeal.
The great American
Dream lured the group
to Texas (above) with
promised teaching jobs
that did not exist.
“
Once we contributed
50 cents each for a
burger dinner and
ended up stricken with
guilt at having spent
so much on such
a luxury item
CHEMELYN ESTACIO
On their harrowing US ordeal
That was three years ago.
Now gainfully employed and
making their mark in the American
school system, the group looks
back on the experience with a sense
of gratitude for the small Filipino
community that helped keep their
hopes alive.
“We can’t thank them enough for
the moral support and the little favors
here and there,” recalled Estacio,
who teaches handicapped children.
“We would never have survived
without them.”
Not only have they found jobs,
they have also been able to bring the
recruiters to justice.
Acting on their complaints, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
stepped in and found that the
recruiter, Omni Consortium Inc, had
been engaged in illegal recruitment.
Chief executive Florita Tolentino,
president Noel Tolentino and senior
officers Angelica Tolentino, Cesar
Librodo and Owen Cruz have been
charged before the El Paso district
court with 200 counts of conspiracy
to commit alien smuggling and
visa fraud, mail fraud, and money
laundering.
The charges cover the company’s
activities since 2002.
Charged with conspiracy to commit
interstate transportation in aid of
racketeering, were two former West
Texas public school administrators
and an elementary school principal,
for sponsoring work visas of dozens
of the teachers in exchange for free
trips to Asia.
“It’s a cautionary tale that all of us
should learn from,” said a Filipino
consulate official in Houston.
“It pays to have the paperwork
examined by the relevant authorities
rather than taking it at its face value,”
he said.
“We [the Philippine government]
have a screening process designed
to protect applicants from illegal
recruiters. It’s there for everyone to
use.”
Nearly 24,000 Filipinos have reacquired Philippine citizenship since
the Dual Citizenship Law was passed
three years ago.
As of January 2 this year, a total of
23,946 applications for dual citizenship had been approved, Immigration
Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr
(below) said.
These successful applicants could
now enjoy their rights and privileges
as Filipinos, Fernandez said.
The bureau receives an average of
10 to 20 applications for dual citizenship per day, according to Arvin Santos, head of the
BI task force
on dual citizenship.
The dual citizenship law was
passed in 2003
but was only
implemented in
2004 after the
BI was tasked as lead agency for its
implementation.
Under the said law, former naturalborn Filipinos who became naturalized citizens of other countries could
apply for Philippine citizenship.
The law was enacted to encourage
former Filipinos living in other countries to return here and invest or buy
property, the BI said.
The number of applications surged
in October 2005, Santos said, when
the bureau decided to relax the requirements for dual citizenship.
Under the new rules, applicants are
no longer required to submit their National Statistics Office-authenticated
birth certificates. Instead, they can
submit their birth certificates from the
local civil registrar in their birthplace
or other documents proving that they
were natural-born Filipinos, such as a
Philippine passport, a voter’s affidavit
or a marriage contract.
Fernandez said the rules were eased
following complaints from applicants.
16
news
filipino globe
5,000 OFW jobs up in Canada
Fresh opportunities open up in fast-food industry which is now paying almost P500 an hour
Jose Murillos in Vancouver
Canada has singled out overseas Filipino workers for employment in its
oil and gas industry, opening the way
to 5,000 high-paying jobs.
This came after Labor Secretary Arturo Brion and Employment Minister
Pat Atkinson of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan (photos) signed
a wide-ranging agreement on labor,
employment and human resource development.
Brion said the agreement affirmed
the preference for OFWs in the Canadian labor market.
As a result, more than 5,000 jobs
will become available to highly skilled
Filipino workers this year alone, with
more coming on
stream next year,
he said.
Philippine labor
attache to Toronto
Francisco
Luna
said the agreement
open “better paying, safer, quality
job opportunities in Canada” for undocumented truck drivers in Iraq and
oil and gas workers in other parts of
the Middle East.
He said Canada’s labor demand also
includes higher paying fast-food type
of jobs.
“Normally, these job types pay C$6
[P250] to C$7 per hour, but here, they
pay as high as C$12 [P496] to C$15
an hour,” he said.
Canada accounts
for an increasing
volume of remittances from OFWs.
Bangko Sentral
ng Pilipinas figures show remittances from Canada
topped $117.06 million in 2005, an
increase of 73.8 per cent from $67.33
million in 2004.
Saskatchewan is one of the provinces comprising the vast central and
western area of Canada, which includes Manitoba, British Columbia,
Alberta, and other territories.
Alberta is rich in oil sands deposits,
a type of fuel that requires a complex
extraction and refining process, which
in turn, is labor-intensive.
The oil sands industry is experiencing an acute manpower shortage,
prompting Canadian authorities to
consider imported labor.
Philippine officials see this as an
opportunity for the country’s oil
workers, who for the longest time
have been employed largely in the
Middle East.
“This could be our next Saudi,”
said a Filipino engineer, one of the
first Filipinos to work in the Alberta
oil sands.
“Oil sands is difficult to extract and
refine, and requires a combination of
high technology and plenty of manpower.”
Saskatchewan’s immigrant program has
allowed thousands of Filipinos to work in the
province, making them vital contributors to the
local economy.
January 2007
ANGBANSA
Isabela
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan
has sought to block the
implementation of a 5 per cent
surcharge the Isabela Electric
Cooperative II wants imposed
on late payment of electric
bills, and the eviction of the
coop’s offices from the capitol
compound.
The board members said the
electric cooperative has no right
to impose fines or surcharges
on its members without proper
consultation.
Board Member Cesar
Purugganan, committee chair
on laws and regulations, said
complaints from consumers
have reached his office about
alleged excessive charges and
the “uncaring ways” of the coop
towards its members.
Board Member Ysmael
Atienza said Iselco 2 put up its
building without permit, nor has
it paid any real property tax to
the provincial government.
Baguio
Acting city mayor Reinaldo
Bautista has authorised clearing
and sanitation work in the public
market to restore it as one of the
favorite tourist destinations in
this mountain resort.
Historically, the site was where
the American government in
1908 built the first public market
which was destroyed during
World War II.
Thousands of visitors and
residents go there because it
sells the cheapest vegetables,
native garments, souvenir items,
processed food, fresh livestock
and poultry products, cutflowers,
fresh marine products, and an
array of domestic wares.
Bautista said the plan calls
for the reconstruction and
improvement of the historic
public market by a private
developer.
Openings in welding, fabrication and long-haul trucking
An acute labor shortage in Canada
has thrown up job opportunities for
Filipinos across key sectors, from
health care to metal fabrication,
welding and long-haul trucking.
The Philippines has secured
these opportunities after signing
an agreement with Canadian local
governments, paving the way for
thousands of Filipinos to work in the
country.
Jose Brillantes (right), the
Philippine ambassador to Canada,
said the Saskatchewan Immigrant
Nominee Program was targeting up
to 5,000 people to come and work in
the province by next year.
He said jobs in welding, metal
fabrication, long-haul trucking, and
health care were among those that
were open.
Saskatchewan labor minister Pat
Atkinson praised
the contributions
made by Philippine
immigrants to
Saskatchewan
society and the
economy.
“The number of
Filipino immigrants coming to the
province is increasing dramatically,”
Atkinson said.
“The Philippines is the number one
source country of applicants to the
program. Skilled workers from the
Philippines will give Saskatchewan
business owners another means
of filling their jobs, which will
foster the continued growth of our
province.”
She said opening the province
to immigrants would help build its
economy.
Long-haul trucking ... Pinoys could be in the driver’s seat.
Nueva Vizcaya
After President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurated
the Nueva Vizcaya section of
the P2.5 billion peso VizcayaBenguet road, another road that
will link this province to nearby
Ifugao will be built soon.
Governor Luisa Cuaresma
said the provincial government
will take the initiative to
undertake the road project that
will traverse the province’s
vegetable-rich town of
Ambaguio and Asipulo in
Ifugao.
Cuaresma said the provincial
development council which she
chairs has endorsed the project
to the Cagayan Valley regional
development council chaired
by bishop Ramon Villena,
which in turn, will endorse it
to the national government for
funding.
The 20 kilometer road project
is estimated to cost at least
P200 million.
news
filipino globe
Speak Japanese and be
ready for caregiver job
With language proficiency a requirement for employment,
Filipinos are trying not just to speak but to write as well
Joey Molina in Tokyo
In a few more nights, Maria Falqueza
and Olivia Pineda expect to be proficient enough in Japanese to get a
much sought-after certification, one
of the last steps towards full employment in Japan’s health care system.
Even so, the wait has not dampened
their enthusiasm as caregivers in a
nursing home west of Tokyo.
“They are really cheerful and make
the atmosphere here very bright,”
wheelchair-bound Hisae Kajiwara,
81, says in an Agence France-Presse
report. “They always make the beds
just perfectly,” adds 79-year-old Mitsu Sekiguchi.
The praise is well-earned. Falqueza,
25, and Pineda, 30, have shown more
than a willingness to do a good job.
They have been doing their best to
give something back to an institution
that has been a source of encouragement.
“Our colleagues are nice and our
elderly customers are kind, often
teaching us Japanese customs,” says
Pineda. “I want to keep working as a
caregiver in Japan.”
Falqueza adds: “I’d like to have a
stable job here, have savings, and enjoy being young.”
The two are among 15 Filipinos
who have been accepted as trainees at
health care facilities in Japan, ahead
of the full-fledged entry of Filipino
nurses after the signing of a freetrade agreement between Japan and
the Philippines last year.
The agreement was the result of
lengthy negotiations between Manila
and the government of then prime
minister Junichiro Koizumi. It was
finally affirmed during a recent visit
to the Philippines by Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe, paving the way
for the entry of up to 1,000 Filipino
nurses and caregivers over the next
two years.
Under the agreement, the care
workers are required to learn Japanese and to pass Japanese certification
examinations, even if they are already
legally qualified in the Philippines.
So every day, Falqueza and Pineda
attend four hours of Japanese classes
in the morning and then “literally rush
to catch a rapid train to the care support facility”, more than two hours
away.
They work four hours there, and
when they go home, it is already 9:30
p.m.
Two years from now, they hope to
get Japanese certification and reenter
with working visas.
Japanese officials say the country’s
care support industry faces a daunting shortage of workers as a result of
a shrinking population, beginning in
2005.
“Every facility is desperate to secure workers, because many workers,
especially ones of good quality, are
quick to leave due to tough working
conditions involving night duties,”
says Hiromichi Mizuno, president of
a nursing home in Osaka.
The average annual salary for
caregivers at public facilities funded
through the insurance system is 2.2
With huge
demand in Japan
for nurses and
caregivers to look
after the elderly,
Filipino hopefuls
are responding
with everything
they’ve got,
including the
patience to learn
the Japanese
language.
“
Our colleagues are
nice and our elderly
customers are kind,
often teaching us
Japanese customs
MARIA FALQUEZA
Nursing home caregiver
million yen (US$18,800), well below
the 3.8 million yen average for salaried workers, according to a government survey.
So far, managers who have hired
Filipino trainees see only the positive
sides.
“Because they are hardworking and
have warm personalities, they are accepted by colleagues and by customers,” said Keiichi Kaneko of ZECS
Community, a listed company that
has accepted Filipino trainees for care
support facilities.
Makoto Nanba, president of the
Nanohana home, where Falqueza
and Pineda work, said the only major
challenge he saw was the language
barrier.
“If they can write and communicate
more freely with colleagues and people in the facility, I don’t mind hiring
them full time,” he says.
The tough requirement for Filipino
caregivers – and the comparatively
small number who will be allowed
to work here – is seen by some as a
deliberate attempt to avoid a political
backlash.
“I think the conditions imposed reflect the Japanese government’s intentions to limit the number of caregivers
coming to Japan to a significantly low
level,” says Nanba. “But I think it’s
also true that foreign labor could provide downward pressure on salaries
for care workers.”
Japan admits only foreign workers
who are highly qualified in specific
fields, such as computers.
It is in talks with Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam on free-trade deals
that could involve loosening conditions for working visas.
“As the care industry always craves
workers, I expect the immigration
laws will have to be changed in the
near future to allow more in,” says
Masahiro Hachiya of the nongovernmental International Care Aid Organization, which supports Falqueza
and Pineda financially.
January 2007
17
Davao ex-entertainer
cashes in on English
If Filipinos are trying to learn
Japanese to enhance their career
prospects, the Japanese are
learning English for the same
reason – and more.
The idea is not lost on Annie
Yanagida, a former entertainer
from Davao who turned it into a
successful business by putting up
an English language school.
“Many of my students are there
for years because they have made
a habit of learning English,” said
Yanagida, president of Annie’s
English School south of Tokyo.
“Japanese who travel a lot find
that English helps them to get the
most out of their experience in
other countries,” she said.
Yanagida came to Japan in
the early 1908s to work as an
entertainer. Like many other
Filipino women in Japan, she
married a Japanese and raised a
family.
But she did not stop there.
Armed with a bachelor’s degree
from the Holy Cross of Davao
College, she went about setting up
English tuition for a few Japanese,
mainly colleagues of her husband.
When English courses boomed
in the country, driven by Japanese
executives keen to become
proficient in the language of
international business, Yanagida
had been in position to catch the
first wave.
“It’s the usual story of a great
idea whose time has come,”
Yanagida said.
“Now, the Japanese are not only
learning English as a means to
communicate in business, some are
doing it as a pastime.”
From a handful of students,
Annie’s English School now has
A video wall
in Tokyo
advertises
a language
school.
Japanese
are taking to
English with
the same
seriousness
as they attach
to travel.
English helps
them to enjoy
more fully the
experience
of being a
tourist in
a foreign
country.
more than 100 students from three
to 70 years old.
“The Japanese government is
also pushing their nationals to
learn English, that is why, a lot of
English schools are sprouting all
over Japan,” she said.
This means stronger prospects
for Yanagida’s school, already a
money-spinner from continued
enrollment and above-average
tuition fees.
The school charges the
equivalent of P60,000 a year for
a two-hour session for a group of
three to 10 and P5,000 per session
for individuals.
Once they complete the program,
they are issued certificates. “Many
of them come back to learn more,”
she said.
The continuing relationship has
its fringe benefits. This has helped
Yanagida push Davao as a tourist
destination to her students.
For the past six years, she has
been bringing groups of visitors
to Davao as a kind of tourism
ambassador, although there is no
formal arrangement.
In August, Yanagida is bringing
20 schoolchildren and their parents
for the Kadayawan Festival, which
attracts balikbayans and tourists
from the US, Australia Europe,
Korea and China.
With all that, does she have time
for anything else?
She does. Yanagida is an
interpreter at the police and public
prosecutor’s office. She also works
at the University of Creation, Art,
Music and Social Work, Gunma
Beauty College, Takasaki Art
Center College, Takasaki Training
School of Care Workers, and
Takasaki College of Therapy.
filipino globe
18 January 2007
Dr Steve Warren is board
certified in family medicine
as well as hospice and
Dr
Steve Warren
is board
palliative
medicine
certified in family medicine
as well as hospice and
palliative medicine
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focus
editorial & features
filipino globe
January 2007
19
Chance encounters of the best kind
About a year ago, during a
maddening visit to Las Vegas as part
of a meandering US tour, I found
myself in the cavernous innards of
The Venetian hotel, that incongruous
and humongous clone of Venice, or
at least bits and pieces of what passes
for La Serenissima in the middle of
the Nevada desert.
As with most encounters with Las
Vegas UFOs – that’s unrepentantly
faux objects to you, thank you
– the experience was, needless to
say, jarring and just shy of stomach
churning.
The place was gaudily gilded and
beautifully blinding, and it left me
with an unsettling sense of vertigo,
much like what an ant probably feels
when it finds itself inside a dropdead gorgeous half-pair of Manolo
Blahniks: The surroundings may be
deluxe, but I expect that divine foot
to come down hard and crush me to
death.
So it was somewhat of a solace
to find myself wandering into a toy
store in the hotel’s magical retail
cave, where the presence of soft and
cuddly things offered some comfort
to my homesick heart.
Still, the dead stares from the toys’
button and glass-ball eyes left me
cold, and I was about to sulk out of
the store when a soothing
voice beckoned me back: “Sir,
may hinahanap po ba kayong special
toy? Gusto n’yo ng tulong?”
She stood there like a bahay-kubo
– short and squat, but sturdy and
solid on her feet, these ones clad in
boat-sized moccasins that made her
look, with her waist-length doublebraided hair, like a Pocahontas of
FIRSTWORD
editor’s briefing
Rex
Aguado
the Pacific. Her name was Aling
Virgie and I got chatting with her as
customers were few and far between.
She and her ex-military husband,
who had been in the US for more
than two decades, have just moved to
Las Vegas from California because
of Nevada’s lower tax rate, although
this means they had to leave their
three grown-up children in San
Francisco where they were working
as professionals.
The conversation was like tinolang
manok when one is nursing a cold
– refreshing, bracing and nourishing.
And by the time I left Aling Virgie
behind her counter stacked with
stuffed toys, she had offered me for
free one of the rooms in their big
suburban home should I care to visit
Las Vegas again.
“Wala naman kasi kaming kasama
sa bahay ngayon, kaya palaging
welcome ’yong mga kababayan,” she
said.
“At saka magaling akong magluto.
Besides, merong pang libreng tour,”
she added with a laugh.
I myself was still smiling as I
headed out of the hotel’s frigid
interiors into the warm Nevada
sun. It’s time like this that I recall
happy memories of bumping into
fellow overseas Filipino workers or
expatriates abroad, just when one
is lost and feeling low in an alien,
unmapped place.
Some three years ago, in the
middle of the old town centre of
Galway on the western seaboard of
Ireland, a young Filipino slapped me
on the shoulder and shouted amid the
throng: “Kababayan!”
He and his wife, also from the
Philippines, had been in Ireland for
almost a year working as nurses.
They’d been to Galway before
and they dutifully walked with me
towards what I was searching for,
a popular bookshop that has since
declared its own final chapter.
I thanked the two of them and I left
them there, two brown faces in a sea
of white and Irish green.
Just last year again, guess who
was giving me instant – and free
– instructions on how to operate a
German-language washing machine
in the middle of Berlin? Another
kababayan, of course, this time a
young engineer working at the city’s
international airport.
And so it goes, these chance
encounters with the Philippine
diaspora. Sure, some of these
accidental meetings turned out
somewhat sour.
But all in all, travelling and
running errands around the world
these days can be made much more
bearable by the kindness of strangers.
Although in most cases, those
strangers will turn out to be no
strangers at all.
[email protected]
Ang kaibigan kong si Peter, isang OFW
Naging bahagi ng aking buhay
bilang manunulat at makata na
magkaroon ng mga kaibigan artist.
Ang iba’y seryoso sa pagpipinta at
ang iba’y kartunista o ilustrador.
Sa Hong Kong napadpad ang
isang kaibigang ilustrador na dati’y
book illustrator ng Adarna House
na naglalathala ng aklat pambata at
naging art director ng isang kilalang
pahayagan.
Siya rin ang gumawa ng logo ng
una kong aklat ng tula na Tagak
Series at gumawa pa ng maliit na
poster na may karikatura ko at isang
tula.
Matalik na kaibigan si Peter
Espina at alam kong nasa isang
kilalang pahayagan o publikasyon sa
Hong Kong.
Noong nagsisimula siyang
ilustrador ng aklat sa Adarna House
ay hindi pa siya masyadong matinik.
Mas daig siya nina Albert Gamos
at Ibarra Crisostomo nakasama rin
niya si Onie Millare.
Nahasa si Peter sa pagguhit ng
mga ilustrasyon sa aklat pambata
pagkaraa’y nasabak sa pagiging art
director sa pahayagan.
Mula roo’y nagtayo siya ng
sariling opisina bilang artist sa
isang kondominyum sa Lungsod ng
Mandaluyong.
Walang anuano,nabalitaan naming
si Peter ay pumunta ng Hong Kong
at isa nang artist sa publikasyon
doon.
ITAASMO
kabayan
TEO
ANTONIO
Matagal-tagal ding di kami nagkita
ni Peter.
Minsan sa isang paglulunsad
ng aklat ng kaibigang makata sa
Bistro’70 sa Quezon City ay may
dalaginding na umawit.maganda
ang boses at humanga kami.
Ipinagtanong naming kung sino ang
batang iyon.
Lumapit sa amin ang ina ng bata,
laking gulat naming na kabiyak ng
puso ni Peter ang ina ng bata.
Di kataka-taka dahil isang guro
sa musika ang misis ni Peter.
Kinumusta naming si Peter at ang
sagot, “Nasa Hong Kong pa rin at
kayod nang kayod.”
Dalawang dekada na ang
nakalilipas at marahil lumikha na ng
maganang pangalan si Peter sa mga
publikasyon sa Hong Kong bilang
isang iginagalang na Filipino artist.
Nasaan ka man Peter naulila kami
ng iyong pakikisama at talino sa
pagguhit
Dahil noong kami’y nanggaling
sa Ihaw Balot Plaza sa Scout
Borromeo sa Quezon City ay si
Peter ang naghatid sa akin sa bahay
sa Mandaluyong. Pareho kaming
nakakatulog sa inuman. kaya nang
ihatid niya ako pauwi ay dumaan
muna kami sa lugawan at kumain.
Pagkaraa’y nagpahinga sa FX
na minamaneho ni Peter. Pareho
kaming nakatulog at bandang alauna ng umaga nang ako’y magising
at ginising ko si Peter.
Naalimpungatan si Peter at kinapa
sa bulsa ang susi ng FX. Hindi niya
matandaan kung saan nailagay ang
susi ng sasakyan.
Hanap kami nang hanap at nasa
tabi pala ng gulong sa harapan ang
susi. Nalaglag ang susi bunga ng
ispiritu ng serbesa at matinding
antok.
Kaya’t pag magkikita kami ni
Peter sa inuman ay binibito ko
siya, ‘Pre di na ako magpapahatid
sa iyo magtataksi na lang ako.”
Nahahalakhak si Peter.
Iyon ang panahon ng pagsasama
namin ni Peter sa Pinas .Nasaan man
siya ngayon ay hindi na serbesa ang
kanyang itinataas.
Itaas mo Peter ang magandang
kapalarang natamo diyan sa Hong
Kong.
Nasaan ka man magtatagpo rin
tayo sa iyong pagdalaw o pagbabalik
sa sariling bansa. Iba ang may
pinagsamahan pare.
Itaas mo ang dangal ng Pilipino.
[email protected]
Leonardo Da Vinci’s genius ran from art to science and technology.
Religion, rebirth and a
prayer for an old friend
The late Bishop Fulton Sheen of
New York occasionally showed an
earthy sense of humor that could
belie the depth of his thoughts on
religion and its practitioners. Once,
he professed that three surprises
await him in heaven.
First, he will see there some people
he did not expect to see.
Second, he will not see there some
people he expected to see.
Third, and the biggest surprise
of all, who says he will make it to
heaven?
Some meddlesome and
presumptuous local people of the
cloth would see something relevant
to themselves in all this beneath
its light-heartedness. Separation of
church and state is a sacred pact that
either could ignore or defy only at its
own peril.
Early in the 16th century, Martin
Luther seceded from the Roman
Catholic church to dramatise his
resentment against its “corruption
and worldliness.”
He strongly denounced the practice
of selling the so-called indulgences
to attain God’s forgiveness and went
a step further by asserting the utter
futility of using the church and its
priests to merit God’s mercy and
redemption.
Each man could be his own priest,
Luther virtually proclaimed, he
does not need any churchman’s
intercession to be in God’s grace.
Thus, the Reformation began.
It was actually spawned by the
excesses of the Catholic church
during the Middle Ages, a period
lasting about 400 years.
We like to think the locals have
learned a lesson from its own history.
The word Renaissance was bandied
around sometime back by the high
court. If there had been a rebirth,
which the French noun signifies,
many did not see it, except perhaps
a handful of people who dabbled in
the law.
The Renaissance was a resplendent
renewal in the Classics, epitomised
by Leonardo da Vinci of the Mona
Lisa fame. Considered “the most
versatile genius that ever lived,” this
PRESSBOX
comment
FT
Ocampo
authentic ideal of the Renaissance
man also dabbled in anatomy, botany,
hydraulics, engineering, mathematics
and philosophy, sculpture and
painting.
After his death, a design for
the present-day helicopter was
discovered in his architectural
drawings. He exerted a lasting
influence on Michelangelo and
Raphael.
Maid Marian has only herself to
blame for this Renaissance man
twaddle.
Our prayers go to Tony Modena
Our long-time friend, Philippine
Ambassador to Israel Antonio
Modena, was home for the holidays.
During a late afternoon snack with
old comrades, we noticed a marked
change in him.
Before this, he told us in a rather
hoarse voice over the phone that he’d
“come clean” when we meet.
He did. He had been stricken with
lung cancer and his Israeli doctors’
prognosis does not bode well: Eight
months to two years.
As we were doing this piece, a
mutual friend called to say that he
had been rushed to Medical City due
to a collapsed left lung.
To all his relatives and friends,
please find a prayer within you and
say it for him.
[email protected]
FT Ocampo wrote editorials and columns
for Malaya in the waning years of the
Marcos dictatorship and on the democracy
that replaced it, and later contributed a
weekly commentary to the Daily Inquirer.
Now semi-retired, he tends a small
backyard garden where he reads and
listens to light classics and oldies.
20
forum
filipino globe
TINGINNAMIN
Let’s not take scam warnings lightly
Until you become a victim, it’s
easy to dismiss scams as something
thoroughly clueless people deserve.
“Tatanga-tanga kasi, kaya ayun
tuloy …” is a callous remark some
are quick to throw at victims.
Sadly, it is true, and no matter how
much it pains us to point this out,
we sometimes set ourselves up to
be victimised by unscrupulous and
corrupt people.
We are reminded of a Pilipino
saying “Walang manloloko kung
walang nagpapaloko.”
It’s precisely because of the
indifference and cynicism that we
treat the matter that fraudsters are
able to ply their trade with impunity.
They take advantage of society’s
lack of real concern and of victims’
unwillingness to come out and be
subjected to ridicule.
What happens is that we, as a civil
society, unwittingly provide them
cover behind which to propagate
their evil deeds.
The consulate’s oft-repeated
warning about a long-running text
scam that has ripped off millions
from victims, should not be taken
lightly. In fact, other government
agencies and offices, from
Malacanang to the Bangko Sentral,
have issued notices to anyone who
cares to listen.
And now, there’s an even more
urgent reason we in Hong Kong
should be especially watchful, given
evidence that a text scam syndicate
may now be operating out of the
territory.
The latest incident came about after
the culprits pinned mobile numbers
on pre-paid roaming cards, bought in
Hong Kong, down to their owners.
There’s no telling what the culprits
are capable of doing as they are able
to hone their already sophisticated
and elaborate methods further.
These have given them every
chance to be bolder and more
aggressive in hitting the gullible.
While the authorities are doing
their best to stop them, it is up to
us, ordinary citizens and potential
victims, to rid society of these
predators by not falling prey.
SULATLETTERS
Sana po maging successful ang
bill ni congressman Ferjenel
Biron. Maganda ang kanyang
panukalang benepisyo para
sa ating OFWs. Hindi lang
ang mga overseas workers
ang makikinabang dito kundi
pati na rin ang ating bansa sa
pamamagitan ng pagbibigay
ng insentibo sa mga OFWs
na lalong magsikap sa
pagtratrabaho sa ibang bansa.
Six years na po ako dito sa
UK, pero katulad ng iba, wala
pa akong ipon dahil sa taas ng
bilihin sa ating bansa.
Umaasa akong masusunod
ang mga biyaya na hatid ng
panukalang ito ni congressman
Biron. Buong puso akong
sumusuporta rito.
Maraming salamat po.
Sonia Lantion
United Kingdom
thought of something more
useful and helpful to us who they
like to call the new heroes.
Thank you and more power.
Amerlita Farne
Hong Kong
I have read the supermaid story
in your newspaper and on your
website. I have to say that the
policy behind the supermaid
program is not fair.
For example, why is it that
OFWs returning from a vacation
in the Philippines are again
required to go through three
hours of PDOS (pre-departure
orientation seminar)?
I would think that our
policymakers would have
First of all, I would like to thank
you for opening this website
(filglobe.com) for us overseas
Filipino workers.
The site is great for us to be
updated not only about the
situation in our country but on
how things are going for us
working abroad.
Thank you for giving us a
voice on this website.
More power to Filipino Globe.
Almer Ubat
Dubai
January 2007
Different strokes for
different TNT folks
IT is literally impossible to live
and work in the US without
running into those Filipinos
we quaintly refer to as TNTs.
Everyone knows this to mean
“tago ng tago” or constantly
hiding, but the politically correct
term for them is undocumented
aliens.
Most estimates place the
number of undocumented aliens
in the US at around seven million,
and Hispanics comprise the bulk
of them. As to how many of
these are Filipinos is a matter of
conjecture. Suffice it to say that
the number is anywhere from a
few hundred thousand to a couple
of million.
As for our kababayans, when I
was living there, I met a relative of
a relative who had entered through
the Mexican border. Since the US
embassy in Manila had denied his
visa application several times, he
took the hard route.
Through this youngish man, I
learned that crossing through the
Rio Grande was the most widely
accepted route. There are sections
of this river that are only kneedeep. But the US Border Patrol
knows this, so they naturally
watch over these sections more
than the other deeper and more
dangerous ones.
This particular Pinoy – let’s call
him Billy – employed what turned
out to be a wise plan. He planned
his crossing for Christmas Eve,
when he correctly believed that
border guards would not be doing
their jobs with any great degree of
enthusiasm.
That Christmas Eve a few years
ago, Billy was in the company of
a handful of Mexicans who had
the same plan. By late evening
of Dec. 24, he was in a Mexican
hill overlooking American
territory. He could even hear
Christmas carols being played
on the other side, he told me. He
and the Mexicans managed to
cross without incident, and upon
reaching the US they parted ways.
Because he had crossed into
Texas where he had no friends
or relatives, Billy simply spent
Christmas Day trying to find
public transportation – in all
probability a Greyhound bus – to
neighboring California, where
his relatives lived. He did not
tell them of his plan, so that they
were somewhat surprised when he
finally showed up in Los Angeles.
It had been the saddest night
of his life, Billy told me, but
many more depressing weeks and
months would follow. Since his
rush across the border had taken
place before the 9-11 terrorist
attacks, he did not have too hard
a time getting the most sought
after Social Security number. But
finding jobs was not easy, and he
learned soon enough what many
VIEWPOINT
the observer
Beting
Laygo
Dolor
Filipinos discover when they go
to the US to live – close relatives
can’t be counted on to extend allout, wholehearted support.
Harboring an undocumented
alien entails some risk, of course,
and most Pinoys legally residing
in the States do not want to take
that risk. Thus anyone seeking
to become a TNT is forewarned.
Better have enough money to
survive on your own, and make
sure you have a variety of skills
other than the profession you are
used to. An engineer in Manila, he
has worked as messenger, janitor
and fastfood crew in California.
The one thing I remember now
about him is that he kept his
dishes in the ref because there
were cockroaches in the small
house that he rented.
Unlike Billy, another TNT
whom I befriended seemed better
prepared. Let’s call him Randy.
Randy and I even got to work
together for a short while, as he
served as a section editor in the
newspaper where I ended up.
Technically, he said, he was not
really a TNT as he had entered the
US legally as a newspaperman.
But his visa had expired and
he decided to stay in California
because he said there was nothing
for him in the Philippines.
Randy, too, made it there before
9-11 and so had not only his
Social Security card, but also a
Department of Motor Vehicles
license. Having a car gave him
the mobility to move about, and
he was always on the lookout for
a job that would sponsor him. For
some reason, the newspaper where
we worked could not hire him, so
he left after a few months.
Randy joined one of those
organizations that organized
unions in large private companies.
He was promised sponsorship, but
I don’t know if this ever happened.
Last I heard, Randy had gotten
married to an American woman,
which means that sooner or later,
he can file for US citizenship.
Great story, you think? Not really.
See, Randy is gay and he paid that
American woman to marry him.
So says his best friend who called
me up last week and who like
me decided to come home to the
Philippines after a couple of years
in the proverbial land of milk and
honey.
Different strokes for different
folks, I guess.
[email protected]
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 Josephine Miranda (Philippines), TJ Badon-Doble (Philippines), Venice Austria-Paita (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
community
filipino globe
January 2007
21
Mix of Pinoy
sentimentality
and striking
Islamic ideas
Jun Cañete dabbles in everything from design
to photography and new-media development.
Incidentally, he is also a superb visual artist.
Rex Aguado looks at his many talents
V
eteran Hong Kong gallery
owner Karin Weber probably
sums it up in a single but
doubly significant sentence: “The
main problem of Philippine art, as
with the entire country, is one of
image.”
The voice and vision behind the
eponymous gallery in Central’s
Aberdeen Street believes that the
Philippines’ myriad problems, from
politics to man-made disasters, have
hijacked both national and global
attention from its formidable ranks of
artists and cultural warriors.
In a way, Weber has been waging
her own slight but sustained
campaign for Philippine art by
generously opening her gallery’s
doors to Filipino artists both in Hong
Kong and in the Philippines.
This month, she fired another salvo
by hosting an exhibition of works by
Filipino artist Jun Cañete in a move
that flags if not a fresh phase then
definitely a new face in the local
Philippine art scene.
In his show, Aikea-Guinea: Studies
In Post-Arabesque Composition,
Cañete joins the abstractionist ranks
of local Filipino artists Noel de
Guzman, Jun Cambel, Manuel Rubio
and, to some extent, Ben Guia in
exploring non-figurative painting.
But the similarity ends there, for
Cañete introduces something
different; roughly put, it’s painting
by – and with – numbers.
“There is nothing new to
using non-objective form to
do composition, but I used
these geometrical objects with
compositional approach derived from
the principles of Islamic decorative
art or what is commonly known as
arabesque,” he said.
If Cañete talks with an academic
and technical accent, that’s largely
due to his background as a computer
programmer, interactive designer and
new-media developer.
At the same time, his current focus
on the arabesque and its variants is
apparently rooted in his philosophy
and theology training in university,
and his stint as a photojournalist in
the Philippines in the late 1980s.
He now manages a laboratory and
studio facility he himself designed
for teaching digital film production
and editing to language and
communications students at the City
University of Hong Kong.
As an independent media producer
for the past four or five years, he has
directed, shot, edited and scored his
own documentaries.
Embracing the Pillars, his
experimental film on converts
to Islam, was an entry in the
last Yamagata International
Documentary Film Festival. He and
his wife, photojournalist Corazon,
are currently working on two
independent films.
“I call my compositional approach
post-arabesque to acknowledge
my debt to Islamic decorative art
Jun Canete has been deeply influenced by Islamic forms, best seen in his Aikea-Guinea piece (below).
Photos: Corazon Cañete
“
The main problem
of Philippine art,
as with the entire
country, is one
of image
KARIN WEBER
Hong Kong gallery owner
principles, but at the same time, it
also deviates from the traditional
form in great ways due to the
possibilities available through the use
of new digital imaging techniques,”
Cañete said.
Some people may find it hard
identifying a strain of “Filipinoness”
in Cañete’s digital arabesque works,
which are printed on paper or canvas
using archival ink, giving them a
certain Old Masters glow and patina.
The artist himself agrees that race
or ethnicity was hardly an issue here.
“I have to be honest, but there is
very little ‘Filipino-esque’ about this
exhibition at all, except that I am a
Pinoy artist and I happen to name
three of the art pieces with Maranao
words,” he said. Still, the explosion
of colors is definitely of tropical
origin. And the organic forms that
swirl and sway talk of the fecundity
of rainforests and warm-water reefs.
“On one level, these are nonobjective visual impressions of
undulating surface patterns and
shimmering light, of sea creatures
and island life evoking, the persistent
memory of water,” Cañete added.
“On another level, they are a
personal tribute to what is epic
and beautiful from a civilization
that often appears paradoxical and
enigmatic to most outsiders.
“It’s an attempt at contributing and
drawing attention to the ongoing
global efforts for cross-cultural
dialogue and understanding.”
In a way, Cañete’s works speak of
a certain evolution, if not mutation,
among Filipino expatriate artists
simply due to the fact that the
motherland is an ocean or a continent
away.
“I guess we, as expatriate artists
here, have to come on our own,
independent of the wider Philippine
art scene back home,” he said.
“Some of us developed our art in
the environment and social context
of this multicultural and increasingly
globalised metropolis we have
adopted as our home. This is what
defines us now as artists.”
The “Aikea-Guinea: Studies In
Post-Arabesque Composition”
exhibition runs until 17 January at
the Karin Weber Gallery in Central.
Visit the gallery web site at www.
karinwebergallery.com for more
information about the artist and his
works. The website also features other
Hong Kong-based Filipino artists.
Visit www.filglobe.com for a
complete transcript of Filipino
Globe’sinterview with Jun Cañete.
IMAGESGALLERY
The Philippine Association of Hong Kong presents a HK$25,000 check to Hong Kong
Bayanihan Trust. From left are Scylla Kwong, Ning Espiritu, Tess Ubamos and Kye Diamante.
Consul general Al Vicente and new PAHK chairman Mike Ranola (behind lectern) pose
with the rest of the officers during the induction at the Hong Kong Bankers’ Club.
22
community
filipino globe
January 2007
Star-studded
show to cap
Tunog Pinoy
Star Search
This mural, made from thousands of phone cards, evokes the OFWs’ experiences in Hong Kong. It was part of a US exhibit by Joel Ferraris (below).
Art and heart on life’s canvas
A successful exhibition
in the US has given
Joel Ferraris a fuller
understanding of
an artists’ sense of
purpose, writes
Rex Aguado
A
rtists are typically notorious
for their hissy fits, egos as
expansive as the cosmos and
attitude to match. In this respect,
Joel Ferraris is a major failure. Not
only is he so down to earth as to
be almost subterranean, he is also
brutally honest about his spirituality,
a frankness that can be initially
disquieting to some but refreshing
to others.
While a handful of people may
quibble over this seemingly outdated
mix of art and heart, Ferraris – a
Filipino artist long based in Hong
Kong – believes that it is precisely
this spirituality that has brought him
to a new level in his craft.
Late last year, Ferraris was
asked to show what amounted to a
retrospective of his works as part
of the Spectrum Series program
of the University of Pittsburgh in
Bradford – the first Filipino invited
to the prestigious multicultural and
multinational event.
“It was my first solo exhibition in
the US. It was my first time to apply
for a US visa and my first time to go
to the US. All were first attempts,”
said Ferraris, who started showing
his works in Hong Kong with the
John Batten Gallery in Sheung Wan
in 1997, along with Filipino artist
Tito Cascante.
“The Spectrum Series presents
a wide array of art and aesthetic
expressions from the rest of the
world,” he added. “Being the first
and only Filipino invited to this
program means to share with them
“
It aims to encourage
people, artists most
especially, to examine
themselves and see
their relevance
to society
JOEL FERRARIS
Hong Kong-based Pinoy artist
our culture where religion and
spirituality are a major player.”
But it wasn’t that straightforward.
After receiving the Spectrum Series
invitation in 2005, Ferraris found
himself in a major quandary.
“I am a family man and my
youngest kid was only a year old.
That was also the time I was doing a
big mural project for a clubhouse in
Tseung Kwan O under my company
[Ferraris Art Studio]. I was also
facilitating two mural projects for
a hotel in Hawaii, which my two
brothers in the Philippines were
working on.”
Fortunately, in a confluence of
events that Ferraris could only
describe as divinely inspired, he was
able to surmount major financial
and logistical hurdles with the help
of family members and friends
from Hong Kong and his native
province of Iloilo (including a crucial
assistance from a former elementary
school classmate from 35 years ago
who is now based in Chicago) and
new acquaintances in the US, both
Americans and Filipinos.
“This was the main reason the title
of my show is Free Flow,” Ferraris
said.
“Simply put, it is accepting gladly
whatever blessing that God the
Father Almighty has granted without
being bitter if the things we expect
did not happen.
“All in all, I didn’t have a hard
time applying for a US visa and
entering the US. People welcomed
me and I received some kind of
respect and special treatment after
they learned that I am an artist.
“It’s strange, but I feel that even
the weather welcomed me in
Pennsylvania. A freak snow that was
so thick at 30 inches – the last time it
occurred was in the 1800s according
to Bradford residents – made it
possible for me to experience it. And
when I was going to the airport for
my trip back to Hong Kong, a double
rainbow adorned the California sky
as if to bid me goodbye.”
Looking back at his experience in
Bradford, Ferraris cannot help but be
philosophical.
“In the US exhibition, especially
after I visited some art galleries, I
realised many things. What is the
goal of artists? Is it fame, fortune
or the guarantee to have one’s name
remembered in history? Or is it
using one’s talent just to survive
when others are having a hard time
surviving?
“The exhibition was not just about
how an artist’s talent or his fame can
turn his every artwork into cash, but
to make people realize that there’s
more to life than just being talented
or gifted or rich. The show identifies
and stresses the need for spiritual
enlightenment.
“It aims to encourage people,
artists most especially, to examine
themselves and see their relevance
in a society hungry for good
role models amid the effects of
drug addiction, homesickness
and separation, immorality and
decadence and all those negative
things and influences that are
targeting the young.
“I did hope that in my small
way, I was able to contribute to
international understanding and in
making people realize the hardships
experienced by foreign workers
forced to work abroad just to make
sure their families survive back
home.”
Visit www.filglobe.com for the
complete transcript of the interview
and for useful links to his artwork
and exhibition.
It’s down to the homestretch, and
soon, Tunog Pinoy Star Search will
be crowning the winners in a fitting
finale.
Ten aspiring singers will compete
in the grand finals on January 28 in
Chater Garden.
Filipino TV and radio celebrities
will attend the event as special guests
and judges.
The contest is organised and managed by IPVG Corp of the Philippines
on the Konek Pinoy information service platform, accessible exclusively
through IDT Asia’s Tawag Na phonecards.
The winners will receive fabulous
prizes, including a recording contract
with Viva Records.
The competition was launched in
August last year, and two winners
were selected every month from hundreds of participants who used the
IDT Tawag Na phonecards to record
their songs.
Their entries were aired on the
weekly Philippines Tonight Show on
Metro Plus AM 1044 radio.
Listeners were invited to cast their
votes for their preferred contestant,
also using IDT Tawag Na phonecards.
The contest attracted close to 400
aspiring singers and about 350,000
votes were received during the elimination periods.
“We’re delighted by the response
we’ve received for the Tunog Pinoy
Star Search contest,” said Chip Barton, managing director of IDT Asia.
“Our objective is to provide our
customers with the best value-added
services they can get in Hong Kong,”
he said.
“This contest has allowed many new
people to become more familiar with
our Konek Pinoy information service
platform. We wish all the finalists the
best of luck during the grand finals.”
The final two monthly winners
picked in December are 28-year old
Erlyn Guillermo and 29-year old Ruzziel Lumibao.
Guillermo lives on Hong Kong island and comes from Iloilo City. Ruzziel works in Sai Kung and is originally from Ilocos Sur.
New votes for the 10 finalists are
now being received. Voting closes on
January 25.
In the run-up to the finals, the finalists will be featured and interviewed
on the Philippines Tonight Show.
Listeners will be able to phone in
to give their prediction on who will
be the first Tunog Pinoy Star Search
singing champion.
Under contest rules, the winners
will be selected based on public votes
made through Tawag Na phonecards
(60 per cent).
The remaining 40 per cent will
come from votes of the judges during
the grand finals.
Interestingly, most of the finalists
hail from northern Philippines, including Baguio, Zambales (with two
finalists), Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur,
Pangasinan, and Bataan. The south is
represnted by one finalist from Iloilo.
The grand finals will be aired live
on the Metro Plus AM 1044’s afternoon weekend radio programme.
young globe
filipino globe
January 2007
23
Up here, this will take your breath away
Margaret Ortega, 13,
is a student in Hong
Kong’s South Island
School. In November,
she joined a field trip
and came back with
an experience to
remember ...
N
ot many people have a
chance to climb a mountain
in their lifetime, much less
reach its summit.
So when my chance came, I took
it. Here I was, a 13-year-old girl
tackling the tallest mountain in
Southeast Asia.
It was our first school Focus Week
trip. South Island School sent 12
students and two teachers to climb
Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia.
The climb was grueling and
demanding and I had to fight my way
through. Half of the team had already
given up about halfway up the
mountain, but I kept telling myself
“you’re almost there”.
I remember the feeling I had
when I reached the summit. I was
so proud of myself and what I had
accomplished. I knew I’d treasure the
moment for the rest of my life.
Our trip started at 8 am when we
boarded a Dragon Air flight to Kota
Kinabalu. We arrived at around 11.
Outside the airport was a bus waiting
to bring us to the Kinabalu National
Park 1,563 meters above sea level.
Established in 1964, it’s one of
Malaysia’s oldest national parks. Six
years ago, it became the country’s
first World Heritage Site, designated
by Unesco for its “outstanding
universal values” and the important
role it plays as one of the most
important biological sites in the
world.
We arrived at the headquarters at
about 2:30 pm. The bus dropped
us off at a place where we would
be staying for most of our trip,
Nepenthes Villas.
They looked very impressive:
roomy two to three-storey villas with
four bedrooms each. Two of these
had twin beds, the others had queensized beds.
With two bathrooms in each villa,
two living rooms, two fireplaces and
Mountaintops
seem to bubble
up into the clouds
(above, left).
A cool stream
rushes below
a foot bridge
and into a water
fall, where my
classmates and I
enjoy a relaxing
break. Far left,
the entrance to
the headquarters
of the Kinabalu
National Park
bears a plaque
of dedication. I
couldn’t resist the
chance to have
my photo taken
with it.
“
I wish other children
will have a chance
to climb a mountain,
touch a cloud and see
the rising sun turn
a dense fog into an
incredible sparkle
two kitchens – and four balconies
altogether – the place was a lot for
us to fill.
It was nowhere near what any of
us expected since we were told that
we were going to “rough it”.
We were extremely happy with the
splendid surprise.
There were loads of cool things
I did on the trip, and I learned a lot
about plant species, animals and the
Malaysian tropical rainforest.
We walked on high bridges
dangling above streams and
whitewater-rafted on rushing rivers.
But the thing I was looking forward
to was the climb to the summit of
Mount Kinabalu.
I wish other children will have a
chance to climb a mountain, touch
a cloud and see the rising sun turn a
dense fog into an incredible sparkle.
Most of all, I hope that in the future
we can also have educational trips to
the Philippines. I’d like to experience
its natural beauty and share it with
the world.
24
news
January 2007
Ship out or learn online, traine
Distance learning has taken a giant leap on
the back of the internet. Now, online degree
courses are as accessible and convenient
to everyone as a bus ride to school. Beting
Laygo Dolor looks at the e-learning
phenomenon and its prospects
C
all it education without limits,
or colleges without borders.
The latest trend in learning
allows men and women of all ages
who are hungry for a degree or who
simply want to learn new skills
to do so from the comfort of their
homes. Or wherever it is that they are
assigned.
Called electronic learning or elearning, anything from short courses
to complete bachelor’s degrees can
be completed through the internet and
other forms of electronic media.
Even a seaman spending months
traversing the world’s oceans can
pick up the knowledge to assure his
moving up the ranks. Thus a third
engineer can move up to second
engineer then to chief engineer. Or
a third mate can rise to second mate
then to chief mate and finally master.
All because he earned a degree that
gave him the knowledge to do more.
A domestic helper, meanwhile,
can very easily take up a hotel and
restaurant management course, or
learn caregiving or practical nursing
by spending her days off and rest
hours studying.
The technology behind e-learning
isn’t all that new, really. It’s been
around for around a decade now,
which means that all the kinks of the
“early days” have been ironed out.
In the U.S., for example, degrees
in practically all fields can be earned
from Phoenix University, one of the
biggest institutions of learning there.
One of the most outstanding
graduates of an electronic distant
learning course from Phoenix is
Miami Heat center Shaquille O’Neal,
who has officially become a lawman
– he’s a sheriff’s deputy in the off
season – because he completed a
course in criminology. Not with
messy modules sent by mail, but by
files sent via the internet.
There is one barrier from getting a
home study degree from an American
school, however. The US colleges
which offer e-learning still charge
the same high rates as conventional
colleges and universities. For
practical intents, they remain beyond
the reach of all but the wealthiest
Filipinos. Fortunately, such a barrier
does not exist where Philippine-based
schools are concerned. Best of all,
even the Philippines’ top schools are
offering e-learning, led by no less
than the University of the Philippines,
which last week was again in the list
of the world’s top schools.
(Among Philippine schools, UP
ranked the highest as it landed in the
200s. Next came La Salle which was
in the 300s, and Ateneo in the 400s.
Finally, UST ranked 500 in the list of
the world’s 500 best schools, which
had Harvard University at No 1.)
According to Dr Rhodora Azanza
of UP’s college of science, their
experience was that e-learning turned
out to be “an exceptionally fine tool
for the creation of densely woven,
multi-layered and highly demanding
new course material.”
This could mean that non-science
course like interior design or music
may be less adaptable for e-learning.
Perhaps there are some areas where
the physical presence of professor and
teacher remains necessary.
Still, virtual classrooms and virtual
libraries provide a rich source of
information that was inconceivable a
mere decade and a half ago.
Today, it has become possible
for a student anywhere to sit in
and listen to a lecture from the best
professors through the “magic”
of what businesses refer to as
teleconferencing. That student could
in truth be an entertainer in Japan or
a cabin attendant in a luxury liner. It
doesn’t matter. She can listen “live”
“
Students who are
consistently reticent
in actual classrooms
are more likely to
speak out, regularly
and confidently
through e-learning
DR RHODORA AZANZA
UP College of Science
as the lecture is being delivered,
or have the luxury of hearing the
good prof at his or her convenience.
Lectures are simply saved and sent
as electronic files. All that’s needed
is a reliable PC, a DSL line (which
are now available wireless, for the
good of the seamen-students out
there) and the time and willingness
to learn.
According to Dr Azanza, the
energetic discussions and debate
among teachers and students which
are needed to sharpen minds have
not disappeared with e-learning.
On the contrary, “students who
are consistently reticent in actual
classrooms are more likely to speak
out, regularly and confidently,
through e-learning.”
Education consultant Andrew Kerr
of the Mabuhay Satellite Corp says
that e-learning makes education
more accessible to everyone. In
fact, it is not just high school or
college education that can be earned
via e-learning. Since learning is a
continuous process, training modules
for big and small companies can also
be delivered in the same manner. One
of the Philippines’ biggest private
corporations, the Phil. Long Distance
Telephone Co, has embraced elearning for its 13,000 employees.
Alexander Kibanoff, assistant
vice-president of PLDT’s training
and career center, said his company
was among to be “lured by the buzz
created by e-learning” at the turn of
the millennium.
Because they found e-learning
to be a “heaven sent” solution for
their need to constantly train and
upgrade the skills of their executives,
managers and staff, they embraced
e-learning to the max. Courses were
offered through what they called their
CBT Campus.
feature
filipino globe
ees make a choice
r
Push for vocational
education in skills
upgrade program
Edgar Serrano in Manila
Distance courses
are tailored to fit the
different demands of
workers, from seafarers
(above) to nurses,
machinists, engineers
and call center
operators (left, middle).
UP (far left) and De La
Salle University (left)
have excellent online
facilities for
e-learning. Virtual
classrooms and
virtual libraries
provide a rich source
of information that
was inconceivable a
mere decade and a
half ago.
After an initial false start when
most executives didn’t quite fully
comprehend what PLDT’s own
virtual campus was all about, the
telecoms company’s workers finally
got the picture when they were told
that CBT was nothing more than
“Learning through the Net.” This,
in simplest terms, is what e-learning
is all about. The internet can deliver
anything from pornographic trash
to the most complex mathematical
formulas, to lessons in physics or
instructions on how to build an atom
bomb. It all depends on what one
is looking for. E-learning simply
delivers that most prized of all gifts
– knowledge.
Through e-learning, anyone can
gain the knowledge to make himself
or herself a better person. Degrees
earned and courses completed
are only the gravy to the wisdom
gained…electronically.
25
Human resource development is
one of the key areas of concern
the country faces to meet
globalisation.
But the Philippine Overseas
Employment Administration
admits some difficulty in meeting
the demand for certain types of
skills, mainly due to scarcity of
qualified workers.
The country is having difficulty
providing skilled workers abroad
despite the huge demand for
overseas workers.
Nurses, math and science
teachers, construction workers,
oil and gas personnel, and
electricians are facing a a market
where supply of qualified labor
is tight.
To meet these new challenges,
the Technical Education
and Vocational Schools
Administration is expanding its
education and training program.
Under the program for health
workers, for instance, a high
school graduate can first enroll in
a six-month caregiver course and
pass a competency assessment,
Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority Augusto
Syjuco said.
After being issued a national
certificate, the candidate will have
the qualification and opportunity
to work as a caregiver.
At any given time, a caretaker
or caregiver who worked abroad
may return later to the program
take another six months of
training in order to earn a health
care service certificate that
qualifies the candidate to provide
health care.
She may now be accepted
to work as a nursing attendant,
nursing aide, hospital assistant
or health aide in various private
and public hospitals and barangay
health centers that are now
suffering from acute lack of
health care workers.
After her first year of vocational
training, the worker can complete
the midwifery program and be
qualified to take the midwifery
licensure exams, earn income as a
midwife, and save enough money
to return to school.
The next stage will take the
worker only another two years
to earn a nursing degree, and
arrive at the next job platform as
a nurse.
Under the traditional system of
education, a high school graduate
may opt for a less expensive
college degree program and end
up among the burgeoning ranks
of out-of-work or underemployed
college graduates.
An agreement was signed
recently between Tesda, the
League of Municipalities of the
Philippines and the Liga ng mga
Barangay sa Pilipinas wherein
the local government units will
coordinate and promote training
programs in their respective
constituencies.
Under the agreement, Tesda will
issue scholarship certificates to
qualified constituencies of each
municipality through their local
leaders.
The local governments
will also provide assistance
in developing the technical
capability of the municipalities
through its network of regional
and provincial offices and Tesda
training centers.
The agreement also calls for
local government leaders to
provide the trainees access to
facilities, tools and equipment
and in local colleges and
training centers run by the local
government.
Local governments will ensure access to equipment and training centers.
26 January 2007
filipino globe
home, health & beauty, stars & sports
filipino globe
life
January 2007
27
I’m getting thoroughly flustered with toilet that won’t flush clean
Q
What can you do if too little
water comes from the tank to
flush the toilet bowl clean?
Melvin Severino
Sampaloc, Manila
A
The first thing you should do
is check the water level in
the tank. It’s probably too low.
If the water level doesn’t reach
within 1 ½ inches of the top of the
overflow tube, bend the float arm
up slightly to let more water enter
the tank.
If the water level is correct but
there’s still not enough water
DIYBOB
do it yourself
ROBERT
LUNARIA
coming from the tank to clean the
bowl properly, the problem may
be the tank ball on the flush valve
at the bottom of the tank. The ball
is probably dropping too soon
because the guide is set too low.
Raise the guide, but make sure
it stays in line with the lift wire. If
the guide and the wire are out of
alignment, the tank ball will not
drop straight into the valve seat
opening, and the toilet will run
continuously.
Look for other cause of
inadequate flushing. The small
ports around the underside of the
toilet bowl’s rim can get clogged
with residue from chemicals in
the water and prevent a sufficient
amount of tank water from running
out into the bowl.
A small mirror can help you
examine the holes, and a piece
of wire coat hanger or an offset
Phillips screwdriver—if one is
available—can ream out any
clogged debris.
Here’s another common
problem among toilets. Toilet
tanks can sweat and drip onto
your floors just as the pipes can.
There are jackets designed
specifically to fit over the tank and
absorb the moisture.
There are also drip pans that
fit under the tank to catch the
dripping condensation so that it
doesn’t damage your bathroom
floor. A device called a temperator
valve is another way to combat
tank sweating.
The valve provides a regulated
mixture of hot and cold water,
which lessens the difference
between the temperature inside
the tank and the temperature
of the surrounding air. It is
this difference in temperature
that causes condensation, or
sweating.
Consider installing a temperator
valve if the water in the tank
is usually below 50 degrees
fahrenheit.
Send your questions or comments to
[email protected]
Stocking up
need not be a
waste of space
in the kitchen
You don’t want to be stuck with costly changes
after the work is all done, so it makes good
sense to plan ahead, writes Carmelo Antonio
T
he cabinets you use in your
home is often the first design
choice in rooms such as
bathrooms and kitchens.
Their style and color will define
the room style and determine
what kind of other items, such as
countertops, will finish the room.
As you get ready to build your
dream home, there are many tough
decisions to make as to what
materials to use and what style you
would like in the home.
What type of cabinets you use will
determine the style and feel of your
kitchen as well as some bathrooms.
The cabinet style and color will
help to determine the counter tops,
flooring and other finish work.
“Once the cabinets are in place, it
is not an easy change to switch them
out,” says interior designer Rose
Zamora.
“So it pays to do a little planning,”
she said.
In the kitchen alone, cabinets will
account for 60 to 70 per cent of the
cost.
There are three main types of
cabinets to choose from: stock, or
standard, semi custom, and custom.
Stock cabinets are mass-produced
to standard sizes and are ready to be
installed. -They are generally made
with widths in three-inch increments.
“
Once the cabinets
are in place, it is not
easy to switch them
out ... So it pays to
do a little planning
Rose Zamora
Interior designer
This can cause some wasted space
in your kitchen if there are some odd
spaces to fill with cabinets.
Stock cabinets are obviously the
cheapest route to take when looking
for cabinetry since they are already
manufactured.
Semi-custom cabinets are a step
up from stock. They allow more
flexibility in design and style
choices.
For the most part, these types of
cabinets are still manufactured to
predetermined sizes.
Going with this type of cabinets
generally means going to
manufacturers’ showrooms and
customising existing designs to meet
your needs.
Semi-custom has been compared
to buying a suit but then having it
altered to fit your needs.
Custom cabinets are the most
expensive option due to they are
designed and constructed to meet
your requirements.
A carpenter often builds these on
site. Going with custom cabinets
provides endless flexibility with
sizes, amenities, and styles to make
your kitchen or bathroom have the
exact look you are striving for.
Other features to consider in your
cabinet selection are knobs and
handles and the door style.
These features can help liven up
any type of cabinets by adding to the
certain style that you are striving for.
Many people will want to search out
antique or unique knobs and handles
to accent the style of the room.
Depending on
your budget
you can have
a wide array of
cabinet choices,
from stock to
custom-built. As
cabinets help
set the tone for
your kitchen,
your choice of
design, material
and color is
important.
28
your health
filipino globe
January 2007
Breast self-examination
may help save your life
First, let’s get one thing straight
about breast cancer: It’s not a death
sentence.
Early diagnosis of breast cancer
may save your life.
But as everyone will tell you (not
just your family doctor), prevention
is better than cure. In this case, it’s
early detection that is better than
cure.
Romina Lucas, 35, wants to know
how to go about this.
“I know I can do selfexamination,” she writes in from
Malaysia, where she works as a
computer programmer. “What’s the
best time and way to do it?
We asked Dr Jose “Joey”
Bienvenida, a fellow of the
Philippine College of Surgeons, to
respond to Romina’s query.
Dr Bienvenida is chairman of the
department of surgery, Mandaluyong
City Medical Center, and training
officer of the department of surgery
at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in
San Juan.
He writes:
The best time to do breast selfexamination is about a week after
your period or on a select day that’s
easy to remember.
Follow these simple steps:
Lie down with your right shoulder
on a pillow or folded towel and put
your right hand behind your head.
With the fingers of your left hand
flat, press down on your right breast
using a circular motion. Feel for any
lumps or thickenings. Do the same
on your left side.
Also, squeeze each nipple and
the area around the nipples gently
checking for any clear or bloody
discharge.
Examine your breasts in front of a
mirror, first standing and then with
your hands in the air, followed by
HEALTHTALK
what the doctor says
Dr Jun
Amigo
your hands pressing down on your
hips. Look for changes in size or
shape, dimpling or puckering, or
unusual changes in the appearance or
position of the nipples.
You may also want to perform selfexamination in the shower, where
fingers glide easily over wet, soapy
skin.
Keep your fingers flat and
move your hand over your right
breast while holding your right arm
in the air. Then do the same on the
left side.
If you find a lump, don’t panic.
Eighty per cent of lumps found in
breasts are not cancerous. It’s useful
to remember that breast cancer can
develop at any age.
Your your risk increases as you
grow older and your chances of
developing breast cancer are twice
as great at age 70 as they were at age
50.
Bear in mind that more than 70 per
cent of all women with breast cancer
have no family history of the disease.
You could also go for
mammography. It’s a safe and
effective screening tool for finding
most breast cancers before they
can be felt. But it is important to
be examined regularly by your
doctor and perform monthly breast
self-examination, following up on
any physical symptoms even if a
mammogram is negative.
Breast cancer
can develop at
any age. But it
is treatable if
detected early.
Eighty per cent
of lumps found
in breasts are not
cancerous.
[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
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.
Those who maintain a particular regimen to stay trim, such as jogging, are likely to be believers in the
concept that sugar-free is a healthy way to go. Artificial sweeteners are cashing in on this idea.
How to enjoy the sweet
life without the sugar
It’s the bane of the weight conscious and an obvious
risk for diabetics, writes Rica Sanchez-Cruz
D
iet Coke, Splenda, sugar-free
chocolates. All are supposed
to contain the ideal substitute
for sugar – artificial sweeteners.
However consumers find them,
and whatever verdict they may have
received about their sugar-free,
calorie claims, these products have
seen people embrace them as a way
to enjoy life without eliminating all
things sweet.
In the Philippines, the sugarfree culture is a relatively new
phenomenon, mostly limited to
diabetics and weight-conscious
individuals trying to keep their trim
figure for all time.
Beauty queen Gloria Diaz is said
to have ascribed her lasting beauty
and figure to a sugar-free regimen, a
conscious effort to cut down on sugar
even if she does not need to.
“Sugar-free is now more than a
buzz word,” said Nora Lobena, a
dietician at the Unversity of Sto
Tomas Hospital. “It’s a way of life.”
If you’re trying to lose weight,
or trying to maintain a Gloria Diaz
body, avoiding sugar is one of the
best ways to reduce your calorie
intake.
However, not all artificial
sweeteners are calorie free. In fact,
some have almost as many calories
as sugar. They’re also somewhat
controversial.
Even if you try to avoid artificial
sweeteners, however, you may still
be consuming them in products
you’ve never considered.
Did you know that artificial
sweeteners are in your toothpaste,
mouthwash, chewable vitamins and
cough drops?
Sweetness doesn’t just come
from sugar – there are hundreds of
organic, synthetic, and inorganic
compounds that taste sweet.
Many plants contain sugar
derivatives known as glycosides.
Stevia, for example, is a plant high
in glycosides that has been used
for centuries to sweeten foods and
drinks. The degree of sweetness
we taste depends on how well the
receptors in our tongue interact with
the molecules. The stronger the
interaction, the sweeter we perceive
the taste.
Taste scientists at a company called
Senomyx have identified the taste
bud receptor that is responsible for
finding what we consider “sweet.”
Artificial sweeteners are
compounds that have been found to
elicit the same (or a similar) “sweet”
flavor we get from sugars.
Some are low-calorie because
they are so much sweeter than sugar
that only a tiny amount is needed.
Others are low-calorie (or no calorie)
because our bodies can’t metabolise
them. They simply pass through
our digestive system without being
absorbed.
Saccharin, the first artificial
sweetener, was discovered in 1879
by a scientist who failed to wash his
hands before dinner and noticed that
his fingers tasted sweet.
Other artificial sweeteners have
also been discovered simply because
scientists licked their fingers while
testing a new drug or smoked a
cigarette that was placed near a
sweet-tasting compound.
Poor personal hygiene has been the
dieting industry’s windfall.
These laboratory discoveries
underscore the fact that these
sweeteners are artificial, regardless
of how they’re advertised.
Why, then, are there so many
different artificial sweeteners?
The answer is that there is no one
sweetener that can be used in every
product that calls for sweetness.
So there. Have a sweet day.
filipino globe
January 2007
29
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want them to
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will help you get your
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filipino globe
the OFW newspaper
30
lakbayan
filipino globe
January 2007
First thing about our ‘last frontier’
Few places on earth
are endowed with
such a breathtaking
combination of the
exotic and the good life,
writes Tess Mauricio
D
ubbed as the Philippines’
“last frontier” for its
preserved natural habitat,
Palawan is the largest province in the
Philippines.
It has nearly 2,000 islands, so
it comes as no surprise that it is
home to numerous pristine beaches,
rare wildlife and the country’s two
Unesco Natural World Heritage sites
– Tubbataha Reefs, for its diverse
underwater ecosystems, and the St
Paul Subterranean River, one of
Mother Earth’s longest underground
rivers.
Access to the World Heritage
sites is through the capital, Puerto
Princesa, consistently in the top of
the country’s “Clean, Green and
Peaceful” cities and known to be its
biggest in terms of land area. The
nation’s major air carriers serve the
destination from Manila. Tubbataha
is about 100 nautical miles via a
live-aboard dive boat while the St
Paul Subterranean River is about a
three-hour land trip from the capital,
Puerto Princesa
With the province’s catchphrase
“Every Island an Adventure,”
Palawan makes no secret of its ecotourism stance. Blessed with the
country’s few remaining rainforests,
it prides itself on the richness
of relatively pure terrestrial and
marine resources, and the people’s
achievement in preserving them.
Palawan is also home to exclusive
resorts, offering a wide range of
activities perfect for family getaways
and honeymoons. Most are dotted in
the northern end of the province and
may be reached by smaller aircraft
through the secondary airports in
their vicinity.
El Nido and Club Noah Isabelle
share similar layouts and ecotourism thrusts, with topnotch
services. What cuts them above the
rest is their location, surrounded
by limestone cliffs and mysterious
deep blue waters. The general area
of both resorts is so enchanting or
looks so untouched by time that one
might expect to see elves and fairies
peeking from the ferns or prehistoric
creatures jutting their heads out of
the bushes.
Marine sports activities such as
fishing, snorkeling, windsurfing and
kayaking, as well as instructions, are
available for guests of the resorts free
of charge. Island-hopping tours, cave
explorations and visits to nearby
lagoons are just as exhilarating.
Sometimes, sea turtles accompany
boats during lagoon entries, making
a few tourists shed tears of joy. Of
course, like most of the province,
scuba diving is simply superb.
Farther north, in the Busuanga
area, is Club Paradise. The resort is
frequented by Europeans for good
reason – white sandy dunes for
frontage with a few more scattered
semi-secretly around the island,
warm and friendly staff, exotic
species roaming the premises and
a good range of activities and
Lagen Island in El Nido sets you up for an enchanting
encounter outdoors and in the cottages (below, right).
The St Paul Subterranean River (bottom, right) is a World
Heritage site. Below are the stripes of Caluit Island.
entertainment. As sea grass is
indigenous to the area, the general
vicinity is a natural habitat for the
“dugong,” a close relative of the
manatee or sea cow.
This was the catalyst for the World
Dugong Research Foundation to
set up its facility on the island, and
dugong observations, both in and out
of water, are part and parcel to Club
Paradise’s attractions.
Again, scuba diving is excellent
here. However, it has a somewhat
different draw in this area since over
50 Japanese warships were sunk by
Allied Forces in World War II.
Thus, wreck diving is a typical
program. Normally, you would
need an advanced diving license to
penetrate the wrecks, but quite a few
of these are in shallow enough depths
and with wide enough passageways
to be safe for the regular openwater diver. The dive gives an eerie
yet exciting and thrilling feeling
knowing the dive site is a grave for
hundreds of soldiers that perished,
compounded by the claustrophobic
sensation within, and the risks of
diving. Still, one or two wrecks
are less than 15 feet deep for the
adventurous snorkeling enthusiast.
Other Club Paradise pull factors
are its tours to Calauit and Coron
Islands. The Calauit tour is a safari,
where African animals mixed with
rare local species roam around
freely. The giraffes, gazelles, zebras
and water bucks were imported by
the Marcoses at the peak of their
rule and the island was declared a
sanctuary. It may be one of the very
few locations in the world to see
these exotic creatures in a beautiful
beach scene.
Coron, on the other hand, boasts
natural springs, exotic tribes,
limestone cliffs and wreck dives.
However, it is noted for the
cleanest and greenest lake in the
Philippines called “Kayangan.”
Nearby is Barracuda Lake, equally
pristine. Both lakes are located inside
tall limestone cliffs. They are a little
difficult to get to due to some sharp
edges along a mountain path but both
are always worth the trip.
Under water, the brown and
grayish walls of the limestone look
like cathedral spires and towers. The
hot and cold temperatures of the
water don’t seem to mix and a clear
line between the two is visible at
about eight feet deep.
filipino globe
January 2007 31
32
your money
filipino globe
January 2007
Set yourself up for the challenge
– and drive your own success
I started my marketing services
company armed only with a gutsy
outlook, the accumulated business
experience I had gained as a senior
manager, plus the skills that I had
learned from the training I received
from my previous employers in the
Philippines and overseas
We started from a garage with a
secretary, janitor, computer expert
and an assistant.
In its early days, the company sold
products by mail. We did feasibility
studies for overseas firms that
wanted to enter the local market,
and for local companies that were
planning to expand their business
portfolio.
There were challenges every day.
Many of these had easy solutions,
others required a bit more thought
and experience.
These challenges are true today.
The most common headache for
businessmen are customers who do
not pay on time. They undermine
your cash flow and profitability.
Often, you are forced to either
provide extra discounts in order to
make it easier for them to pay. Or,
worse, you are forced to borrow
money from the bank or a loan shark
until you get paid. Some customers
are cold-hearted and simply ignore
OFWWISE
be your own boss
Herbie
Sansianco
their obligations after service has
been rendered or goods have been
delivered to them.
Of course, there are factors beyond
our control, such as political and
economic instability. The Asian
financial crisis of 1997-1998 and the
post-election slump in 2004 reversed
earlier gains by the economy. Many
small businesses closed – they say
some 45 per cent of the total. Those
that survived did so at the cost of
very narrow margins and jobs.
Then there is the issue of raw
material suppliers. Problems occur
when they cannot cope with demand
or are unable to deliver on time.
The result is a chain reaction of
production setbacks that ultimately
undermines sales.
The damage is magnified if it
happens at the peak of the production
cycle.
Labor also provides some nasty
surprises. A sudden resignation in a
small company could be seriously
disruptive.
A star salesman, for example, can
set you back with his clients, if he
suddenly decides to quit. A departing
accountant could throw a company’s
finances awry, more so if he leaves
behind accounting anomalies.
It’s easy to just pack up and close
the company if the business does
not prosper in the first three years
of operation. However, many do
not realise that there is a need to
persevere for a good five years. This
means that you should be financially
secured to go through it.
Business is good as long as your
target customer is spending and
needs your product. Being there at
the right time, right place and at the
right price are key.
You cannot be making money for
someone else all your life. At some
point, the entrepreneurial bug will
bite you while employed, or as you
are going to retire. You should aim to
be your own boss after your contract
expires. Running your own company
has its unique rewards. Its success
will be driven by you.
Three years is not enough to gauge the potential of a business. Be prepared
to do it over a five-year window, which means having enough capital.
filipino globe
your money
January 2007
33
You can do business with PLDT, Globe
Telecoms rivals
target OFWs for
low-cost business
deals, packages
Raul Acedre in Manila
and Jose Marcelo in Hong Kong
If you have been a customer of PLDT
or Globe Telecom, chances are you
have been using their telecoms services.
You are likely to be one of millions of overseas Filipino workers
who have made a small investment
to make sure you stay connected with
your family, wherever in the world
you might be.
Time to ramp up that investment and
participate in the rewards of the burgeoning telecoms services business
– by being a service provider yourself
to these telecoms companies.
PLDT and Globe are tapping the
entrepreneurs among OFWs by introducing low-cost packages that offer them a chance to operate their own
business
PLDT has myDSL Internet Café
Plus, an all-in-one package for as
low as P35,000 down payment and a
monthly fee of P4,000.
The package includes five PCs, internet connectivity and merchandising support.
Although the offer has yet to be
launched in Hong Kong, Duds Esquillo, sales manager for 1528 Smart,
sister company of PLDT, said plans
are afoot to make it available for Filipino workers in the territory.
“Hopefully we can do it soon,” Esquillo said.
Lani Dotingco, a Hong Kong domestic helper who owns a variety
store in Lucena, said she would be interested to find out more about the offers. “Mukhang maganda,” she said.
PLDT’s retail business group head,
Butch Jimenez, said PLDT was targeting about 2,000 internet café stations
or more in the first quarter of 2007 in
this offering.
Globe Telecom and its wireline unit
Innove Communications have created
a low-cost broadband package for
families of OFWs.
Called Globe Negosyo, the project
is intended for OFWs seeking to start
or are engaged in small businesses
such as neighborhood variety stores,
bakeshops and kiosk retailers.
OFW families can take advantage
of Globe Broadband with free PC
and Globelines landline service for as
low as P1,995 a month for a 384 kbps
connection or a one Mbps connection
plus a desktop and landline for P2,495
a month.
“We’re giving our OFWs with existing businesses here an opportunity
to augment their income by adding
Globe Negosyo package to their businesses,” Globe marketing business
group head Ailene Averion said.
“With a minimal investment, they
will get a chance to earn more from
payphone use, Internet use, and IDD
and NDD calls.”
Averion added that OFWs that have
yet to start their own business could
tap Globe Negosyo with a small
capital. Globe Negosyo is also available to operators of micro businesses
other than OFWs and their families,
she added.
With growing
public interest
in the internet,
especially
among OFW
families, PLDT
is plugging into
the market.
It’s offering its
Internet Cafe
Plus package
at P35,000
downpayment
and P4,000
monthly fee.
The package
includes five
PCs, internet
connection and
merchandising
support.
Advertorial
34 January 2007
filipino globe
celebrity
filipino globe
January 2007
35
Pretty pictures and swashbuckling fare
From fairy tales to real-life adventures, this year’s showbiz offerings promise to be a cut above the rest
Danny Vibas in Manila
E
vil-fighting and life-saving
superheroes, outer space and
underworld beings, as well as
an assortment of sorcerers and fairies
with either clear or unclear
sexuality, will again be among Pinoy
televiewers major entertainers this
year, along with the eye-catching
costumes, prosthetics, and computergenerated visual and sound effects
that go with them.
Oh, yes, those Filipino-dubbed
Korean period and contemporary
drama series will continue to be a
staple in the network servings of
daily entertainment fare.
That’s aside from home-made soap
operas whose themes are variations
on rich versus poor, good versus
evil, love conquers all. But, then,
despite their worn-out themes, some
of these soap operas may prove to
be effective star-making tubs for
upstarts and for network discoveries
who have had more than enough
exposures in supporting roles.
Then, too, digital movies will
still supplement our film-viewing
fares even as these low-budget
creative outputs continue to bring
honor to the country from the
international film festivals despite
their being hardly patronized by local
moviegoers.
Movies in 35mm format will still
unroll every now and then. The
bands’ popularity, which peaked
in 2005, stabilised in 2006 -- and
may go downhill this year. solo
performers will live it up again
in the Year of the Pig, especially
with the entry into the pop music
scene of the ultimate winners and
the grand finalists of ABS-CBN 2s
Pinoy Dream Academy and ABC 5s
Philippine Idol.
Here are some close-up shots of
what 2007 will partly look like in
Pinoy showbiz.
The networks will go on with their
battle of nightly soap operas of the
fantasy kind. Some fantasy shows
will be of the blast-from-the-past
kind while others will be futuristic.
ABS-CBN 2s forthcoming Rounin
seems to be of the back-to-thepast kind. It is set in some distant
village in the distant past during
which Asians were warring tribes
with martial arts might and mystical
powers.
The action-fantasy series is
directed by Erik Matti and topbilled
by Diether Ocampo, Luis Manzano,
Rafael Rossel, Joross Gamboa,
Singapore are among the countries
that the treasure-hunting characters
of Angel will smuggle themselves
into.
Robin is more than just the series
lead actor. He is also its fight
director.
Katrina Halili also has a major role
in the upcoming fantasy yarn.
A Japanese anime-inspired warrior
by the name of Lupin will be Richard
Gutierrez’s new superhero character
when he hangs up his cape as
Captain Barbell this month. The new
series also goes by the title of Lupin.
Angel Locsin’s character in Asian
Treasures is not the only super
woman personality the Kapuso
Network is bent on popularizing this
year. Knowing that two heads are
better than one, it is also launching
this first quarter of 2007 Super Twins
starring Jennylyn Mercado and
Nadine Samonte, both discoveries
from the networks second season
of its talent search reality show
Starstruck.
Dennis Trillo plays a major dual
role in it, thus implying that the title
role also applies to his character.
Super Twins must have been
inspired by the Taiwanese series
Diether Ocampo (right) topbills Rounin from
ABS-CBN 2, which continues to flag its toprated show (bottom) for fresh talent. Nadia
Samonte (below, left), is the other half of Super
Twins while Robin Padilla stars in – and directs
– Asian Treasures. Gladys Gueverra headlines
Magic Camison.
“
Despite their wornout themes, these
soap operas may
prove to be effective
star-making tubs
for upstarts and for
network discoveries
PREVIEW FORECAST
On stars’ prospects this year
Rayver Cruz, Shaina Magdayao,
Nikki Gil, AJ Dee, Agot Isidro,
and comecking ex-bold star Ina
Raymundo.
The network built a set in
Binangonan, Rizal and swore
everyone into confidentiality about
what they see, hear, and wear during
the taping.
Rounin adds to the visual effects
excitement proferred by the
networks ongoing fantasy series
Pedro Penduko and Super Inggo.
The former is topilled by GI baby
Matt Evans, a discovery from the
networks Pinoy Big Brother-teen
edition which aired in the summer of
2006. Little boy Makisig Morales, a
finalist in the Sarah Geronimo-hosted
teen and kiddie singing competition,
portrays the title role in Super Inggo.
Rival network GMA 7 kicks off
the year by launching at least one
fantasy tale right this January. Its
opening salvo is Asian Treasures
which features the new martial arts
superhero team of Angel Locsin and
Robin Padilla.
It’s Robin’s first time to work on
a GMA 7 show, though he did the
movie Till I Met You with Regine
Velasquez for GMA Films in October
2006.
In 2005, he starred in an ABS-CBN
action-drama series with Judy Ann
Santos called Basta’t Kasama Kita.
Asian Treasures is an adventure tale
that has a multi-country setting, thus
its title. Malaysia, Thailand, and
Amazing Twins whose Filipinodubbed version aired on separate
years first on IBC 13 and then later
on ABS-CBN 2.
In the Taiwanese tale, though, the
twins are boys.
A personality-transforming, lifechanging chemise is the generator
of fantasticated stories in Magic
Camison, a drama anthology that
willl have different lead stars every
episode.
Comedienne-singer Gladys
Guevarra plays the chemise-wearing
fairy who will pass on the magical
chemise to some deserving, or
simply lucky, girls.
It seems to have not occurred in
the minds of GMA 7 executives that
girls and women don’t use chemise
anymore these days of minimal
dressing.
Well, anyway Nadine Samonte will
be the anthology’s first featured star.
Meanwhile, the networks waterbased Atlantica, a high-budget fare
topbilled by Dingdong Dantes,
continues floating into Pinoy homes
this 2007.
We hear it won’t get any extension
due to unimpressive ratings and it
will be replaced by Super Twins by
February or March.
36
celebrity
filipino globe
January 2007
Newcomers get all
the breaks in TV
primetime soap
Danny Vibas in Manila
Young stars Kim Chiu and Gerald
Anderson topbill Sana Maulit Muli,
ABS-CBN 2’s newest primetime
drama series and virtual opening
salvo for the networks 2007
programming.
The new soap started bubbling in
viewers’ homes on January 8.
That’s a risky move for the
executives of the Lopez-owned
network. Both Kim and Gerald have
not even been around for a full year.
As should be obvious from their
surnames, they are neither grown up
kids nor grandchildren of once wellloved showbiz idols.
They are not even famous actors
from theater, or what some people
call legitimate stage.
Their only claim to fame is their
having been part of the teen edition
of the reality show Pinoy Big Brother
which aired summer of 2006. Kim
was, in fact, the grand prize winner,
and Gerald was one of her runnersup.
Several reporters at the press
huddle for the new show, in fact,
variously voiced their doubts on the
capability of the untried and untested
Kim-Gerald love team to carry a new
soap to the top of the ratings.
Some of them doubt that the show
would rate well at all since even its
supporting cast lacks once-toprated
big stars or those who have at least
made waves in previous TV soaps,
the likes of Eula Valdez, Jean Garcia,
and Cherie Gil,for instance.
The show’s supporting cast is
composed of real-life husbandand-wife Tonton Gutierrez and
Glydel Mercado, Gloria Diaz,
Michael de Mesa, Jeffrey Santos,
Erich Gonzales, Jake Cuenca, Mark
Bautista, Mickey Ferriols, Marco
Aytona, Neri Naig, Arron Villaflor,
child actor Kyle Balili, and Nathan
Lopez. But a somewhat fresh
combination and character casting
are what ABS-CBN 2 production
executives want to offer and entice
viewers with in Sana Maulit Muli.
Although married for two years
now, Tonton and Glydel are playing
husband and wife on-cam for the first
time.
They have always been just lovers
in all the soaps they have appeared
in together. Glydel’s character is
the villain in the story. Erich, who
portrays their daughter, is as much a
villainess in the story as her on-cam
mother is.
A winner of a reality show like
Kim and Gerald (particularly of
the tentatively shelved Star Circle
Quest), Erich used to portray sweet
young things. Erich’s character is the
third angle in the soaps tear-jerking
love story.
Gloria, who portrays Gerald’s
foster mom, will have a MayDecember affair with Mark, who has
settled for supporting roles so soon in
his acting career.
He once portrayed the title role in
the movie Lastikman and leading
man to Sarah Geronimo in a shortlived soap on the same network. In
fact, in that soap (Sarah, the Teen
Princess) Gloria portrayed Sarah’s
mom. (The former Miss Universe
did not make it to that huddle, so the
press missed her characteristic wit
and forthrightness.)
And what have Kim and Gerald
to say for themselves through
all the doubts expressed about
their bankability as lead stars of a
primetime soap opera?
They are both giving it their best,
both insist.
“Sana Maulit Muli is actually very
challenging because the story and
the characters are serious. We’re not
just going pa-cute and pa-smile-smile
lang,” they said.
Kim Chiu
and Gerald
Anderson are
undaunted by
their lack of
track record.
They’re
starring in
ABS-CBN
2’s newest
primetime TV
series and
confident
they’ll carry
it off.
The stage is set for Starstruck and the aim is to find a Sam Milby (top, center). The network may already have
found one in Dave Valentino, who is actually a Gonzaga but is no relation to Toni Gonzaga (below). Whew.
GMA 7 takes star search
to mysterious next level
Goal is to find its own Sam Milby in bid to show up rival
Danny Vibas in Manila
It’s Starstruck season once more
over at GMA 7. Now in its fourth
season, the artista search has been
curiously, if also mysteriously, if not
unjustifiably, given the subtitle The
Next Level.
Showbiz whispers have it that
GMA 7’s goal this first quarter
of 2007 is to discover through
Starstruck its very own Sam Milby.
Yes, Sam Milby, the Fil-Am boy
who easily became ABS-CBN 2’s
biggest male star in 2006, practically
rivalling Piolo Pascual (the two had
the most high-budget endorsement
jobs in 2006) in wild and massive
popularity.
Sam’s easy rise to stardom
happened soon after he was
discovered in the very first edition
of the Endemol-franchised reality
show Pinoy Big Brother from which
he emerged a mere runner-up to
ultimate winner Nene Tamayo.
And the grapevine also has it that
GMA 7 has found its Sam Milby in
the person of Starstruck contestant
Dave Valentino, from Virginia, USA.
Dave, 20, was named on January
7 among the shows 14 finalists of
seven boys and seven girls. In some
angles, Dave easily looks like Sam
Milby. They have almost the same
height, about 5’8”. He also talks like
Sam, that is, in a gentle US country
boy way (Sam grew up in the
farming state of Ohio).
They even have almost the same
timbre of voice. And if Sam used to
be part of an unknown band in Ohio,
Dave had a recording contract with,
as he himself puts it, a small-time
company in Virginia. And do you
know that Dave’s real surname is
actually Gonzaga?
Yes, as in Toni Gonzaga, who
was once paired up with Sam in a
movie. Toni, the multi-talented girl
that GMA 7 production executives
relegated to bit roles and thus smartly
moved to ABS-CBN 2 where she
was instantly treated as a major
star and talent. (It was actually the
GMA 7 blocktimer Eat Bulaga that
gave Toni a big break as co-host and
from where ABS-CBN production
executives pirated her.) So, why
would GMA 7 executives allow their
potential star go by a surname that
practically plugs for free one of the
rival networks biggest stars?
Dave doesn’t claim to be related to
Toni Gonzaga in any way. Actually
he doesn’t know if they have blood
kinship at all. Because even if he
was actually born in the Philippines,
he has never met his dad. The man
abandoned him and his mother soon
after Dave’s birth.
It was his mom and the mom’s
family that took him to the US as a
little boy.
Dave is just one of the close to
10,000 young star wannabes from
all over the country who responded
to cattle call auditions held at the
country’s flashy malls and at GMA
7 studios in Quezon City and in key
provincial cities.
The Top 20 aspirants were
presented to the press a few days
before New Year’s Eve. And then
right on New Years Eve, four of them
– two girls and two boys – had the
fine luck of being eliminated. Way to
go, eh?
On the night of the first Sunday of
January, one male and one female
were booted out, thus clearing the
way for the 14 finalists of which
Dave is one. He made it through text
votes and through the judgment of a
so-called Starstruck Council.
For the first time in the contest’s
four-year history, text-voting comes
to play, although there’s still the
so-called Starstruck Council of
three showbiz personalities whose
collective vote supposedly forms
50 per cent of a contestant’s overall
rating. Multi-awarded actressTV host Lorna Tolentino, V-film
commercial director Louie Ignacio,
and talent manager Douglas Quijano
make up the Council.
celebrity
filipino globe
Love team
or not, it’s
been a blast
for Richard
January 2007
37
The break-up is said to have
been caused by Angel Locsin
not having time for Oyo. She
was one of the busiest stars
last year.
DANNY VIBAS in Manila
They were a love team in
Mulawin, both the TV series
and the movie in which they
portrayed flying lovers
who were half birds and half
human. That was in 2005.
Last year, however, each went
solo, and soared mightily high
– Richard Gutierrez (below) in
Sugo at first and then in Captain
Barbell, and Angel in Darna and
then in Majika.
As 2006 was coming to a
close though, they were reteamed up in the year-end film
festival Mano Po 5 of Regal
Entertainment. But there is no
doubt that the fans mightily
supported their respective solo
flights, making them the hottest
young stars of 2006 not tied to a
love team.
Angel was the most visible
female young star last year as
she was signed up to endorse
various products, including one
that paired her up with the rival
network’s Piolo Pascual.
She has more endorsement
commercials than ABS-CBN
2’s Kristine Hermosa and Bea
Alonzo. This year, Angel and
Richard are on their own again.
Angel is paired with Robin
Padilla in GMA 7’s Asian
Treasures which has a multicountry setting. The new actionfantasy series starts airing this
month.
As for Richard, he is set to
star in Lupin, also a fantasyadventure, when his Captain
Barbell ceases to go on air.
This year, Angel and Richard
will have one re-team up
movie slated to be GMA Film’s
Valentines presentation – The
Promise. It will have in its lead
cast Rhianne Ramos, Richard’s
leading lady in Captain Barbell
which bids farewell on air on the
second week of this month.
She’s one heart-broken angel
Her movie was
ignored by the film
fest jury, and now
this. Danny Vibas
reports
T
owards the last days of 2006,
news broke out that Angel
Locsin and Oyo Boy Sotto
have called it quits.
It was Angel herself who made
the revelation in a TV interview the
day after the MMFF awards night
in which Enteng Kabisote 3 was not
only acknowledged as the festival’s
top-grosser but was also proclaimed
as the festival’s first best movie.
Angel’s MMFF entry was Mano
Po 5 in which she was re-teamed up
with Richard Gutierrez whom she
last worked with in Mulawin. The
movie, an entry in the 2005 MMFF.
Mano Po 5 won four awards – best
cinematography, best production
design, best musical scoring and best
sound recording. And yet, it was not
adjudged among the festival’s three
best films.
Then, too, at that time, the movie
had been running only sixth or
seventh in the box office (But then
the MMFF went on until January
12, so the film’s box office standing
may have improved after the awards
night.)
As if it was not heartbreaking
enough to have a movie ignored by
the festival jurors for top awards,
Angel got heartbroken, too, in her
off-screen lovelife.
Weeks before Christmas,
specifically during the press huddles
for Mano Po 5, Angel was still
“
Hayaan niyo na lang
muna kami. Sa amin
na lang muna iyon
ANGEL LOCSIN
Pleading for privacy over break-up
covering up about the shaky state of
her romance with Oyo.
Oyo, in a separate press affair for
Enteng Kabisote 3, hinted that Angel
might join him and his mom Dina
Bonnevie, along with the latter’s
relatives and friends, in spending
Christmas in a beach resort in Cebu.
(Oyo’s mom has long been separated
from his dad, Vic Sotto.)
A tearful Angel practically begged
GMA 7’s Startalk host Butch
Francisco not to make her talk about
the details of why she broke up with
Oyo Boy. “Hayaan niyo na lang
muna kami. Sa amin na lang muna
iyon,” pleaded Angel.
She stressed that she is very sad
about the break-up even as she
asserted that she and Oyo remain
friends.
Angel revealed that despite their
break-up, she and Oyo went to
visit together the grave of her late
boyfriend Mico Sotto who was
Oyo’s first-degree cousin who
died on December 29 two years
ago from an accidental fall in the
condominium building where he was
living then.
It was Mico’s death that brought
Angel and Oyo much closer to each
other. And it seems that it was at
Mico’s grave that they broke up.
After all, it was on the same spot
that they first sealed their love for
each other a few months after Mico’s
death.
Oyo must be very happy for having
been a part of an MMFF entry that
won a double whammy but he must
be very sad, too, for breaking up with
Angel. Meanwhile, Angel must have
confided to TV host Ali Sotto, Mico’s
mom her break-up with Oyo who is,
of course, her nephew.
And in a separate TV interview, Ali
broadly hinted that the relationships
growth was hindered by Angel’s not
having enough time for it.
Angel has a much more hectic
showbiz schedule than Oyo. In 2006,
she was actually the busiest female
young star.
Unfortunately for her relationship
with Oyo, they are hardly teamed up
in showbiz projects because they
had never been a showbiz love team.
In fact, in 2006, they teamed up
in only one movie, the suspensehorror TXT, co-produced by
APT Productions and Regal
Entertainment.
Though both Angel and Oyo are
identified with GMA 7, only Angel
is co-managed by the network. Oyo
is actually independently managed
by Malou Choa-Fagar, the executive
producer of the independentlyproduced noontime show on GMA 7,
Eat Bulaga.
Becky Aguila, Angel’s personal
manager, and GMA 7 have decided
to build up Angel’s career as an
independent star not tied up to any
love team.
And that’s the reason she and
Oyo rarely have projects together.
And, then, towards the last quarter
of 2006, Angel had to devote most
of her time preparing for her action
role in Asian Treasures and taping
the series with Robin Padilla who is
not only her leading man but also her
fight instructor for that cross-island
and cross-country fantasy series.
Robin has a reputation of easily
falling for his leading ladies.
So far, his name has not figured as
one of the causes of the break-up.
38
celebrity
filipino globe
January 2007
Is there
anything
better
than this?
Clint Eastwood epic loses out
to Babel but the Golden Globe
awards generally go according
to the script. Loi Liwanag
reports from Los Angeles
Clint Eastwood (below) was a nominee for Best Director for Flag of Our Fathers (above). Helen Mirren (below, center) won top honors for her role in The Queen. Leonardo DiCaprio
(below, center) was nominated for The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese (extreme bottom, right). Warren Beatty (below, right) was honored with a lifetime achievement award.
A
s expected, Helen Mirren
Forrest Whitaker and Martin
Scorsese won big in the
Golden Globe awards, the traditional
jump-off to the Oscars.
It’s no guarantee, of course, that
Golden Globe winners will march on
to claim Hollywood’s most coveted
statuette, but the awards, which are
handed out eight days before the
Oscar nominations, have nonetheless
provided fodder for tinseltown’s
favorite guessing game.
The big question is: Will Mirren,
Whitaker and Scorsese, make it big
on Holllywood’s biggest night next
month?
Still, the bigger question is: Will
the multinational drama Babel,
which won the Golden Globe for best
picture, come away with the Best
Picture Oscar as well?
Or, will it be the Robert Kennedy
story Bobby, the mob tale The
Departed, the suburban drama Little
Children or the royalty-in-crisis The
Queen?
Mirren received the Golden Globe
for playing both Queen Elizabeth I
and II.
She was cited for playing the
current monarch in The Queen and
for the title role in the TV miniseries
Elizabeth I.
She was nominated for best actress
in a TV miniseries or movie for
Prime Suspect: The Final Act.
Whitaker won for his role as
Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The
Last King of Scotland.
Leonardo DiCaprio had two
nominations for best dramatic film
actor in Blood Diamond and The
Departed, while Eastwood, who was
up for directing Globe for his World
War II epic Flags of Our Fathers,
picked up an award for Letters From
Iwo Jima, adjudged as the best
foreign-language film.
Toni Collette was nominated for
best actress in a movie comedy or
musical for the road-trip romp Little
Miss Sunshine and TV supporting
actress for Tsunami: The Aftermath.
Told in Japanese, Letters From Iwo
Jima was pitted against Mel Gibson’s
bloody Mayan epic Apocalypto.
Under Globe rules the two films
were eligible only in the foreign
language category, not the best
picture category.
Babel, a story of families around
the globe connected by a tragic
shooting in the North African desert,
also picked up nominations for
performers Brad Pitt, Rinko Kikuchi
and Adriana Barraza, director
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, and
best screenplay and musical score.
The Departed had six nominations,
with Scorsese copping the best
director award for it.
The winners were be announced in
the usual Hollywwod glitz and glitter
that is second only to the Oscars,
which will have its gala event on
February 25.
The Globes featured 13 categories
for film and 11 for television. Warren
Beatty received the Cecil B DeMille
Award for lifetime achievement.
filipino globe
January 2007
39
40
filipino globe
From golden
couple to busy,
doting parents
celebrity
January 2007
Brad Pitt and Angelina
Jolie attend a reception.
Below, how the tabloids
welcomed Shiloh seven
months ago.
With the arrival of biological child Shiloh,
they’re now a family of five and growing
If you ask them, Brad Pitt and
Angelina Jolie will tell you they’d
like a brood big enough to make a
basketball team, or bigger.
“We definitely want a big family,”
says Jolie, 31, who got Pitt, 43,
into adoption mode as soon as they
began their romance three years ago.
“It might seem crazy to build it so
quickly. But if we’re going to have
10 kids, we’d like to raise them while
we’re young,” she tells Elle UK
magazine in a recent interview.
The couple already have Maddox,
five, Zahara, two, both adopted,
and biological child Shiloh, seven
months. Jolie has definite plans about
raising a big family and traveling
the world as an ambassador of good
deeds for the United Nations. She is
thankful she has a partner that shares
her passion for both.
“What I wanted was to find
somebody who, first and foremost,
was a great father, because I was
already a parent,” she says. In Pitt,
who left Jennifer Aniston to marry
the former wild child Jolie, that
great father and parent live.
“He’s a thoughtful, intelligent
man. When it comes to talking about
something going on in the world and
what we can do, his natural instinct
is, ‘How and when can we do that?’,”
Jolie says.
“It’s the same with raising kids. He
just naturally knows he’s lucky to be
a dad to these really funny, lovely
little people, so the way he parents
them comes naturally. It’s just right.”
According to Jolie, she is actually
the one who has been most altered
by their romance. “You could say
he changed me,” she says. “I wasn’t
planning on getting pregnant. I’m the
one that got knocked up. So if you
look at it that way, it was me who
had the reversal.”
Angelina admits she tends to view
Maddox and Zahara with a more
sympathetic eye than she does golden
child Shiloh. “The world has this
opinion about the difference, then
you wonder if there is a difference.
In fact, I found the opposite,” she
says.
“I think I feel so much more for
Madd and Zee because they’re
survivors, they came through so
much. In some way they’re strangers
because they had this life before
me,” she says. “Shiloh seemed so
privileged from the moment she was
born, I have less inclination to feel
for her. I have to do the opposite
from what I expected.”
Jolie says the kids are “very funny
together, very loud and in each
other’s faces. “[Shiloh’s] grown
up with Zee screaming in her face
in the morning.” Still, she adds:
“I’m conscious that I have to make
sure I don’t ignore her needs, just
because I think the others are more
vulnerable.”
Asked about Madonna’s
controversial adoption of David
Banda, from Malawi, she says:
“I’m sure their hearts are in the right
place. But the reality is Malawi is
a country ... Well, it’s not on our
list, because there’s a very limited
number of countries you can adopt
from.”
celebrity
filipino globe
January 2007
‘I’ll be back better than ever’
Loi Liwanag in Los Angeles
Fire hits Hollywood
Oprah AIDS test
Oprah Winfrey is offering free
HIV tests to all students at her
newly founded Oprah Winfrey
Leadership Academy for Girls in
South Africa.
Many of the pupils attending
the Academy come from
families affected by Aids, and
the spread of the disease in
South Africa is so vast that
fewer than half of 15-yearolds will live to the age of 60,
according to research by the
Medical Research Council.
Winfrey underwent an HIV test
herself.
The media mogul set up
the $40 million school for
disadvantaged girls in the small
town of Henley-on-Klip, south of
Johannesburg.
Irwin daughter in US
The daughter of late Crocodile
Hunter star Steve Irwin is set to
make a number of high-profile
appearances in the US this week
to promote her new series Bindi,
The Jungle Girl.
Britney Spears is working hard to get into shape for what she promises to be a hot career comeback.
Mom gets the kids, K-Fed gets to visit
Britney Spears and Kevin Federline
have come to an agreement about
custody of their two young kids – at
least for the rest of the month.
The two will share custody this
month, but first the pop star will take
the children with her to Miami for a
week, according to court papers.
Spears, 25, was permitted to have
16-month-old Sean Preston Federline
and four-month-old Jayden James
Federline with her in Florida for the
break.
After that, Federline will be
allowed to visit the children at
Spears’ home in the afternoon on
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The estranged couple signed the
custody agreement, which runs out
on January 31. It stipulates that
Spears will use her “best efforts to
ensure that no third party visiting the
home” interferes with Federline’s
time with the children.
The document said Federline
wants only Spears, her assistant,
the children’s nanny and other
household staff to be allowed in the
home during his visits, but the couple
had not reached agreement on that
request. They also have not worked
out any custody arrangements
beyond January 31.
Paris Hilton may yet save her partying days – and nights
Paris Hilton (right) could avoid a
driving ban if a sympathetic Los
Angeles rehab center gets its way.
The 25-year-old failed a sobriety
test after being pulled over by
police in Hollywood earlier this
month. She later apologised,
blaming a 24-hour working day and
a lone martini for failing the test.
TAKEFIVE
The homes of Hollywood stars
including Mel Gibson, Pierce
Brosnan, Pamela Anderson,
Barbra Streisand and Courteney
Cox were threatened by
a fire that raced through
their exclusive California
neighborhood.
The blaze charred 20 acres
of land in Malibu, California,
destroying a guest house and
causing significant damage to
four other houses, before being
contained by fire officials.
Actress Victoria Principal
was among the residents who
rushed out to hose down her
home after the fire was reported
in the early evening. The cause
of the fire is still unknown.
Britney Spears is
through singing
the blues and is
ready to hit the
road again
I’m coming back better and leaner.
Britney Spears has that to say after
worried friends asked her about
her plans in the face of domestic
problems and a stagnant career.
This time, she is putting them –
and her fans – on notice. She’s telling
them to brace for a hot comeback.
“The last couple of years have been
quite a ride for me,” Spears says.
“The media has criticised my
every move and printed a skewed
perception of who I really am as a
human being,” the 25-year-old pop
star and tabloid target writes on her
website.
Spears, who filed for divorce in
November from Kevin Federline, 28,
her husband of two years, says she is
now more mature and free to explore
her next move “as an entertainer with
absolutely no strings attached”.
“I look forward to coming back
this year bigger and better than ever,”
says Spears, who adds she wants to
go on tour and hopes her new album
will be released later this year.
She continues to work hard on
her weight problem that has turned
her from being gorgeous to growing
wide.
“I will lick that too,” she vows.
“I noticed that one of my biggest
fan sites is shutting down soon and
I want you all to know that I do
understand all the reasons that went
behind making that decision, and I
am sad to see it closing,” she writes.
“If I were you I’d be unhappy
too if I had to read what I’ve been
reading every day.”
Spears, the mother of three-monthold Jayden James and one-year-old
Sean Preston, has drawn disapproval
from fans and other Spears watchers
for her recent nights out with party
girls Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.
The three have provided grist for
gossip columnists and the paparazzi
for their fabled partying that has been
a constant source of aggravation for
Spears’ publicist and manager.
One such incident reportedly
happened during a New Year revelry
in which Spears is said to have been
a self-appointed star of the show.
In that instance, her manager had
to come out to deny reports that she
collapsed shortly after leading the
New Year’s Eve countdown in a Las
Vegas nightclub.
41
The hotel heiressturned-pop star looks
set to be sentenced
to an Alcoholics
Anonymous program
by a court when she
appears to answer drunk-driving
charges next month.
But Hilton has been invited to
attend alcohol abuse counseling
by a new clinic, which promotes
moderation instead of abstinence.
Moderation management will
allow Paris to carry on drinking
and partying, as long as she follows
their strict program of moderation.
The sessions won’t cost
millionairess Paris anything, but she
will be expected to donate cash to
the center if the group helps.
“Paris is obviously an earlystage problem drinker, and an
abstinence group is an overkill and
inappropriate for a celebrity,” the
clinic’s founder says.
“She will find this alternative less
invasive to her lifestyle.”
Eight-year-old
Bindi Irwin, (left)
whose 26-part
documentary will
be broadcast on
the Discovery
Kids network
later this year,
will appear on
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
and The Late Show With David
Letterman. She will also address
the National Press Club in
Washington and perform at
concerts in Los Angeles.
Another titanic deal
James Cameron is set to
direct Avatar, his first dramatic
feature since the Oscar-winning
blockbuster Titanic in 1997.
The writer/director will start
virtual photography on the sci-fi
epic in April, followed by liveaction work in August, ahead
of a summer 2009 release, Fox
Filmed Entertainment said. It
will be shot in a new digital 3-D
format for release in 3-D.
Cameron already has spent
years in R&D on the multiple
processes needed to create a
US$190 million hybrid of live
action and animation, which
he vowed will never pass the
US$200 million mark.
“I’ve been the busiest
unemployed director in
Hollywood,” he said.
42
palakasan
filipino globe
January 2007
In-training Blu Girls hit top form
The Philippine Blu Girls are getting
closer to the top of their game in their
build-up for the Asia-Ocenia Olympic
qualifier in Taiwan next month.
“We’re getting there,” said coach
Aleli Nabong. “Everyone is happy
with the progress we’ve been making.”
Nabong said the team’s daily grind
focuses on practice games and scrimmage, which will make the girls better able to compete at the highest level
against the best in the region.
She said the February 1-7 tournament will feature topnotch squads led
by New Zealand, North Korea and the
home team.
Chinese Taipei landed second place
in the recent Doha Asian Games. New
Zealand was once a World Champion
while North Korea beat the Philippines in the eighth Asian Championship in Manila in 2004.
“Obviously, they’re the teams to
beat,” Nabong said.
As part of their preparations, the
Blu Girls saw action last year in the
first Cebuana Lhuillier Softball Invitational tournament, where they competed against the country’s top collegiate men’s softball teams and wound
up third.
Asaphil president Jean Henri Lhuillier is extending his full support to the
team.
“To complement our Blu Girls’
training, they will undergo a teambuilding session right before they
leave for Taiwan.
Korean Injin Chi is the WBC featherweight champion and holds a 31-3-1
win-loss-draw record. But ringsiders say he is overmatched to Pacquiao.
‘He’s not the
right man for
you, Manny’
Pacquiao’s outgoing manager says
champ made a poor choice in Korean
For a fighter of his caliber and a champion of his stature, Manny Pacquiao
has made a poor choice in Korean Injin Chi for his next fight, his outgoing
manager, Shelly Finkel said.
“What a shame. I guess that is what
it comes down to, an old featherweight for the right price,” New Yorkbased Finkel said.
The fight is scheduled for April 28
in Macau.
Pacquiao, who is coming off a stunning win over Erik Morales in Las
Vegas two months ago, could end up
facing similarly unworthy opponents
if his career continues to be mishandled, Finkel warned.
Pacquiao’s camp had no comment
but said the Filipino champion was
getting a fair deal from his new handlers headed by American boxing
promoter Bob Arum.
Chi is the reigning World Boxing
Council’s 126-lb champion and holds
a 31-3-1 win-loss-draw card with 18
knockouts.
But ringsiders believe the 33-yearold Korean is overmatched to Pacquiao. “Manny will lap him up like a
plate of kimchi,” an observer said.
Finkel said Pacquiao would have
to deal with his former outfit, Golden
Boy Promotions, if he wants to fight
the world’s “top fighters, not so-so
opponents”.
“When will he [Pacquiao] wake
up? He already lost one of his biggest
opponents in the loser of [Juan Manuel] Marquez or [Marco Antonio] Barrera. Manny has this attitude from the
people around him that he didn’t need
Barrera.
“That just isn’t true. They both need
each other. Now Barrera has Marquez
and who does Manny have? Chi? Who
got the worse deal? [It’s] Manny.”
Golden Boy, not Bob Arum’s Top
Rank, has the big-name fighters that
would generate a big payday, Finkel
said.
Also fighting under the Golden Boy
banner, besides Marquez and Barrera,
is unbeaten Joan Guzman of the Dominican Republic.
Finkel, who was instrumental in getting Pacquiao off New Jersey promoter Murad Muhammad in 2005, said he
knows the reason for Pacquiao’s decision to hook up with Arum and bolt
Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy.
“I know what Arum said to get
Manny. That is a discussion for another day,” Finkel said.
Meanwhile Morales has spent a
holiday in the Philippines with his
family.
palakasan
filipino globe
January 2007
43
PSA honors bumper crop of heroes
Eight share top award in historic break with practice after a raft of world-class performances
Celeste Terrenal in Manila
Dapat na bigyan ng karangalan ang
nararapat. Iyan ang tema ng desisyon
ng Philippine Sportswriters Association sa pagpili ng “Athlete of the
Year.”
Sa isang pambihirang pagkakataon,
walong mahuhusay na atleta na nagbigay kulay sa sports ng bansa ang
iaangat ng PSA sa karangalang pinagaagawan ng marami.
Sina boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, pool champions Efren “Bata”
Reyes and Ronnie Alcano, bowler
Biboy Rivera at Asian Games gold
medallists Joan Tipon, Violito Payla,
Antonio Gabica at Rene Catalan ang
naglagay sa bansa sa mapa ng mundo
sa kanilang tagumpay sa iba’t ibang
sports.
Ang kanilang
at ang ikatlo ay
kabayanihan ay
ang World 8-ball
nagbigay ng inOpen sa Reno,
spirasyon sa mga
Nevada.
Pilipino sa gitna
Nagpasikat din
ng mga problema
sa huling yugto
at trahedya na lung taon sina
mukob sa bansa.
Dennis Orcollo
N a k a t a k d a n g Winners ... Violito Payla, Antonio Gabica, Biboy Rivera and Ronnie Alcano.
at Ronato Altanggapin
ng
cano. Nanalo si
walong awardees
Dennis Orcollo
ang mga cue artists sa pangunguna ni
ang kanilang karangalan sa Enero 18 Efren “The Magician” Reyes. Tatlong sa finals ng World Pool League sa
sa Mall of Asia.
malalaking internasyunal na torneo Warsaw, Poland habang sinundan naNangunguna sa karangalan si Pac- ang pinanalunan ni Reyes – ang un- man ni Alcano yapak nina titleholdquiao na minahal ng mga Pilipino ang yugto ng San Miguel Asian 9- ers Reyes (1999) at Alex Pagulayan
dahil sa kanyang mabangis na kamao ball tour sa Ho Chi Minh City, sumu- (2004) nang sungkitin ang World
at malambing na ngiti. Kamakailan, nod ang World Cup of Pool sa Wales Pool Championship.
pinarangalan siya ng Ring Magazine, noong Agosto kung saan nakipagPinaigting ni Biboy Rivera ang
ang itinuturing na bibliya ng boksing, team up siya sa kanyang kumpare na huling hirit ng atletang Pilipino sa
bilang Fighter of the Year.
si Francisco (Django) Bustamante makapigil-hiningang performance na
Sumunod na nagpaangat sa bansa
tinampukan ng perperktong 300 isa
pandesisyong fifth game sa best-of-5
finals para makuha ang World Masters
Bowling Championship sa Korea.
Hindi rin makakalimutan ang
makapigil-hiningang laban nina Payla, Tipon, Gabica at Catalan sa Doha
Asian Games. Iniuwi ng apat ang gintong medalya na nagsilbing tampok
sa isa sa pinakamahusay na kampanya
ng bansa sa quadrennial meet simula
noong 1962.
Bukod sa walong atleta, tatanggap
din ng major awards sina James Yap
(pro basketball), Ken Bono (amateur
basketball), Juvic Pagunsan (golf),
Santy Barnachea (cycling), jockey
Jonathan B. Hernandez (horseracing)
and Real Spicy (horseracing).
“It is with pride and honor that we
recognise them,” sabi ni Jimmy Cantos, pangulo ng PSA.
Kapansanan, hindi
sagabal sa tagumpay
Celeste Terrenal in Manila
Hindi lamang ang sports kundi
ang buong bansa ang nais na
mabigyang inspirasyon ng mga
may kapansanang atleta na nanalo
sa Ninth Far East and South Pacific
(Fespic) Games.
Para kina swimmer Daniel
Damaso na isang bulag at
wheelchair-bound Juanito Mingarine,
ang kanilang pisikal na kapansanan
ay hindi naging isang kakulangan
upang magbigay karangalan sa
bansa at sa posibilidad na mabago
ang pagtrato sa mga tulad nilang
physically challenged.
Sinikwat ni Damaso ang gold sa
visually impaired 400m freestyle
S/12 habang si Mingarine ay sa
pentathlon P54-P58 wheelchair
event.
Bukod sa ginto, nakakuha rin
ang bansa ng tatlong pilak at pitong
tansong medalya sa event na idinaos
sa Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“Naghanda talaga kami para
maipakita naming na kahit kami
physically challenged mayroon din
kaming ibubuga,” ani Damaso.
“Nais kong maipakita na hindi
dapat na ituring na isang sagabal ang
pagiging bulag ko kundi isang paraan
para maiangat ko pa ang aking
sarili.”
Idinagdag ni Damaso na bagama’t
may mga polisiya na ang gobyerno
para iangat ang pagtratato sa mga
may kapansanang atleta, marami pa
ring mga katulad nila ang dumaranas
ng diskriminasyon.
“Hindi pa nawawala ang
diskriminasyon dahil nga ganito
kami, pero sa ganitong paraan
nakikita nila na kahit may
kapansanan kami dapat ay tratuhin
kami ng pantay dahil kaya rin
naming magbigay ng karangalan sa
bansa,” paliwanag ni Damaso.
Sa kabilang dako, umaasa naman
si Mingarine na ang kanilang
pagkapanalo ay magbibigay ng
inspirasyon sa ibang physically
challenged na Pilipino na lagpasan
ang kanilang kapansanan.
“Itong gold medal naming ay
patunay lamang na kahit na kulang
ka ng paa o wala kang paningin,
malaki pa rin ang magagawa mo sa
bansa. Hindi ibig sabihin na kulang
ka ng isang parte ng katawan mo
ay kulang na rin ang pagkatao mo,”
pahayag ni Mingarine.
“Our motivation comes from
within. We are representing our
country and we want to make the
Filipinos proud. At the same time, we
also want to boost our self-esteem,”
ani Mingarine.
Itinuturing din ni Mingarine na
maganda ang naging performance ng
kanyang teammates sa napakaliit ng
delegasyon ng Pilipinas.
“The performance of the
Philippine team was impressive
“
Nais kong maipakita
na hindi dapat na
ituring na isang
sagabal ang pagiging
bulag ko
DANIEL DAMASO
Handicapped athlete
considering the very lean
composition of the team, comprising
only 40 athletes compared to over
400 of the other national teams,”
pahayag pa nito.
Nanalo ng silver medal sina
Achelle Guion for powerlifting
(up to 40kg open) event, Alson
Tumbagahan for the sailing single/
access liberty event, at Josephine
Medina sa table tennis single/class
6-8 event.
Kumuha ang Pilipinas ng
bronze medal sa athletic events sa
pamamagitan nina Paz Enano (100m
wheelchair track T54 category),
Ruth Maragrag (400m wheelchair
track T53 category, Isidro Vildosola
(5,000m ambulant T46 category,
Evaristo Carbonel (discus F11
category and Jeanette Acebeda (shot
put F12 category).
Apatnapung Pilipino ang sumali sa Fespic Games kung saan tampok ang mahigit 2,000 atleta mula sa 47 bansa.
44
palakasan
filipino globe
January 2007
Bandila ng RP,
namayagpag
sa daigdig
ng palakasan
Humakot ng malaking karangalan ang
ating mga atleta sa umaatikabong taon
Celeste Terrenal in Manila
Nasapawan ng magagandang balita
ang anumang anino ng kabiguan sa
Philippine sports.
Nanguna sa pagbibigay ng
karangalan para sa bansa ang mga
bayani sa sports na nagbigay ng
inspirasyon sa mga Pilipino na
naghahanap ng bagong mga idolo.
Nanguna sa paghabi ng
imahinasyon ng Pilipino ang world
boxing champion na si Manny
Pacquiao na walang talo sa tatlong
laban at kinukunsidera ngayong
pinakamahusay na boksingero sa
daigdig.
Unang rumatsada si Pacquiao
nang pabagsakin si Erik Morales ng
Mexico sa 10th round ng kanilang
rematch sa Las Vegas noong Enero.
Ito ang unang pagkakataon na
natalo si Morales. Isinunod ni
Pacquiao si Oscar Larios, isa ring
Mexicano, na nabigo naman sa
unanimous 12-round decision.
Noong Nobyembre nang nakaraang
taon, tinapos ni Pacquiao ang
trilohiya nila ni Morales. Kahit pa
ito nilalagnat, tinapos ni Pacquiao
sa third round ang career ni Morales
at muling umuwi sa bansa na isang
bayani.
Sumunod na nagpaangat sa bansa
ang mga cue artists sa pangunguna ni
Bata “The Magician” Reyes.
Tatlong malalaking internasyunal
na torneo ang pinanalunan ni Reyes
– ang unang yugto ng San Miguel
Asian 9-ball tour sa Ho Chi Minh
City, sumunod ang World Cup
of Pool sa Wales noong Agosto
kung saan nakipag-team up siya sa
kanyang kumpare na si Francisco
(Django) Bustamante at ang ikatlo
ay ang World 8-ball Open sa Reno,
Nevada.
REVIEW
2006
SPORTS
Nagpasikat din sa huling yugto ng
taon sina Dennis Orcollo at Ronato
Alcano.
Nanalo si Dennis Orcollo kontra
Niels Feijen ng Holland, 8-5, sa
finals ng World Pool League sa
Warsaw, Poland habang sinundan
naman ni Alcano ng Calamba,
Laguna, ang yapak nina titleholders
Reyes (1999) at Alex Pagulayan
(2004) nang sungkitin ang world
pool championship sa Philippine
International Convention Center .
Pinaigting ni Biboy Rivera ang
huling hirit ng atletang Pilipino sa
makapigil-hiningang performance
na tinampukan ng perpektong 300 sa
pandesisyong fifth game sa best-offive finals para makuha ang World
Masters Bowling Championship sa
Busan.
Isinara ng Pilipinas ang kampanya
sa sports sa pagratsadsa sa Doha
Asian Games noong nakaraang
buwan.
Nag-uwi ang bansa ng apat na
gintong medalya mula sa pagsisikap
ng dalawang boksingero, cue artist at
wushu fighter.
Kumamada ang Pilipinas ng 4-6-9
gold-silver-bronze tally para sa ika18 puwesto sa medalya at nalagpasan
ang 4-5-9 output noong 1986 Seoul
Games.
Ang mga panalong ito ay ang
pinakamahusay na naitala ng
Pilipinas sa kampanya sa Asian
Games simula noong 1962 sa
Jakarta, Indonesia.
Dinomina nina flyweight Violito
Matapos ang paligsahan sa
Asian Games, na inihudyat
ng isang impresibong
fireworks display na lalong
nagpatingkad ng gabi sa
Doha, naitaas ng ating mga
batang atleta ang bandila ng
bansa. Naunang nanalo sa
Las Vegas si Manny Pacquiao
(kaliwa, ibaba). Dinomina
naman ni Bata Reyes ang
World Cup ng bilyar sa
Wales. Dala ng grupo sa
pagunguna nina Leo Oracion
at Romy Garduce (ibaba)
ang karangalan ng bansa sa
kanilang matagumpay na pagakyat sa tuktok ng mundo sa
Mt Everest.
Payla at bantamweight Joan Tipon
ang kanilang mga dibisyon habang
sinikwat ni Antonio Gabica ang
korona sa 9-ball singles sa isang
all-Filipino finale kontra kay Jeffrey
“
Kumamada ang
Pilipinas ng 4-6-9 goldsilver-bronze tally para
sa ika-18 puwesto sa
medalya at nalagpasan
ang output noong 1986
Seoul Games
RP MEDAL OUTPUT
Doha Asian Games
de Luna, at nanalo naman si Rene
Catalan, ang world champion sa 48
kg division pero umakyat sa 52 kg
division at nanalo pa rin ng gintong
medalya.
Naging usapan din ng taon ang
pagbalewala ng apat na climbers sa
lamig at tarik ng Mt Everest upang
akyatin ang pinakamataas na tuktok
sa mundo sa 8,848 meters. Narating
ni Leo Oracion ng Mandaue ang
tuktok noong Mayo 17 makaraan ang
75-araw na akyatin. Makaraan ang
dalawang araw, si Romy Garduce
naman ang nakaakyat na sinundan ni
Erwin Emata ng Tagum kinabukasan.
palakasan
filipino globe
January 2007
45
PBA shortens season, reaffirms commitment to help national team
The Philippine Basketball Association remains committed to the national team and is ready to jump in once
the country is allowed to play again in
international competitions.
This means disruptions for the teams
and a shorter schedule for the league,
which would lead to a potential loss
of revenue, PBA commissioner Noli
Eala said.
“The PBA wants to show an example for the entire basketball community that we have to make concrete
sacrifices, not just lip service,” he said
after a recent meeting of the board of
governors.
The board of governors approved
the initiative amid efforts by the basketball establishment to regain recognition from the international governing body that would allow the country
to play again in international tournaments.
“All this is geared towards the day
we get the go-ahead from Fiba [International Basketball Federation]” Eala
said.
The PBA agreed to start the second
conference early, probably in
the first week
of March, to
give the national team, whose
key
players
will be culled
Eala
from league,
enough time to
prepare for international qualifiers.
PBA games will be increased from
the current eight games a week to
nine, the wildcard phase will be re-
duced from a single-round robin
format among four teams to three
knockout games and the quarterfinals
will be cut to a race-to-two from its
present best-of-five format.
Besides Fiba Asia, which serves
as qualifier for next year’s Beijing
Olympics, the PBA is also setting its
sights on lending players for the Philippine team that hopes to take part in
the Southeast Asian Basketball championship in January next year.
The country has been suspended by
Fiba due to a leadership crisis in the
sports association. As a result it has
missed a number of key international
competitions.
The crisis was fuelled by the formation of rival factions purporting to
represent the national basketball association.
An attempt to have a single body
gained ground when former Basketball Association of the Philippines
president Senator Jinggoy Estrada
reaffirmed his commitment to earlier unification efforts by the sport’s
stakeholders.
Heard of a stateless sport?
Try Philippine basketball
FASTFORWARD
basketball woes
TITO
TALAO
What’s the state of Philippine
basketball?
If you saw Tom Hanks in the
movie Terminal, in which he
plays a tourist from a fictional
eastern European country stuck
in New York’s La Guardia airport
after a rebellion breaks out in
his homeland, you would have a
fairly good idea where Philippine
basketball stands at this point.
In the movie, western nations,
including the United States, sever
diplomatic ties with the country of
Hanks’character, turning him into
a stateless individual. Although he
has a passport and a US visa, these
are rendered invalid, and he is not
allowed to step out of the airport
into the streets of the Big Apple.
Inside the terminal, he can
go almost everywhere, sleep
anywhere and eat wherever he
pleases, but that’s about all he can
do.
Switch settings from airport
to basketball court, and the
parallels reveal themselves before
your eyes. Philippine basketball
is stateless at this juncture: It
can be played anywhere inside
the country – in the Philippine
Basketball Association, the
Philippine Basketball League, the
collegiate circuits, the provinces
– but it cannot step out of
Philippine territory.
Having been suspended by
the International Basketball
Federation (Fiba), the sport’s
world governing body, after a
pocket rebellion that resulted in
the expulsion of the 70-year-old
Basketball Association of the
Philippines by the Philippine
Olympic Committee, Philippine
basketball has had its ties with the
international community severed.
Efforts have been made to
resolve the impasse, but every
move has been shot down either
by partisan politics or vested
interests.
After former cabinet secretary
Joey Lina stepped down as BAP
president, a national congress
convened to announce his
successor heralded the accession
of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, eldest
son of the former president.
With much fanfare, Estrada
vowed to serve the interests of the
association and to do his best to
heal the wounds of division.
He also made it clear that he
would never allow the BAP to fall
under the aegis of an overnight
group, a vow hailed by BAP
members.
Then came basketball’s version
of the Hong Kong Handover.
Appraised fully of what had
transpired during Lina’s term, the
presence of the so-called Tokyo
communiqué, a document wherein
Fiba outlined the conditions under
which it would lift the suspension
on the country, and the formation
of the Samahang Basketbol ng
Pilipinas (SBP), a “reeducated”
Estrada, made a startling
turnaround “in the interest of
Philippine basketball”.
In a handshake agreement
in Hong Kong with Manny V
Pangilinan, the man leading
the revival of the sport, Estrada
agreed to step aside to allow
Pangilinan to assume the SBP
presidency while settling for
the largely ceremonial post of
chairman. The SBP would then
seek recognition from the POC
and its president Jose “Peping”
Cojuangco before pleading its
case once more with the Fiba and
its Swiss secretary-general Patrick
Baumann.
But dismayed by what they
called Estrada’s “unilateral
decision”, members of the BAP
executive board met and swiftly
ousted Estrada, declaring the
position vacant as quickly.
A media conference where its
huge plans were supposed to be
unveiled was held as scheduled
with Estrada and Pangilinan
presiding. But this time, Estrada
began his speech by saying, “I’m
here as your senator”.
On that note, the basketball
establishment again found itself
in limbo.
So much for basketball.
Back to the Tom Hanks movie.
Tom Hanks’ character
eventually gets a reprieve after
normalcy returns to his country
and diplomatic ties are restored.
He is escorted through the gates of
the terminal and out into the cold,
winter air of New York City.
Too bad, real life rarely has
fairy-tale endings.
Sa kabila ng kanyang kakayahan, malaki ang
respeto ni Willie Miller sa teamwork. Susulong siya
pero maghahanap pa rin ng mapapasahan.
Miller, ang kilabot sa
mga nakaw na puntos
Sa susunod na makita mo siya, malamang naikutan ka na
Celeste Terrenal in Manila
Posibleng dumating ang araw na
palitan ni Willie Miller ang kanyang
monicker sa “The Invisible Man”.
Ito ay dahil sa kanyang kakayahan
na magtago at pagkatapos ay manalasa, bago pa man mamalayan ng kanyang kalaban na nasa “harap” na nila
si Miller, huli na ang lahat.
Ilang ulit na ipinakita ng 5’11’’
guard ang kakayahan niyang lumipad
at sagasaan ang arsenal ng kahit na
anong koponan na hindi natitiktikan
upang iangat din ang momentum ng
Alaska Milk sa Philippine Basketball
Association Philippine Cup.
Inilatag ng 2002 Most Valuable
Player ang higit sa kinakailangang
puntos upang hilahin ang Alaska Aces
sa dalawang magkasunod na panalo
sa elimination round.
Sa kabayanihang ito ni Miller sa
court, mas maganda na ang posisyon
ng Alaska kumpara sa inaasahan ng
marami nang tumuntong ang mga ito
sa wildcard phase ng eliminations.
“I was just doing what I can to help
the team,” wika ni Miller. “My main
goal here is for us to get through the
wildcard phase and eventually go into
the finals,” dagdag pa nito.
Iba naman ang palagay ni Alaska
coach Tim Cone. “He was putting up
some big numbers and I was wondering if anyone would take notice,” sabi
ni Cone.
Naniniwala si Cone na si Miller ay
malaki ang potensyal na makikilala
muli ngayong season. “He’s playing
as well – or better than – his MVP
year,” dagdag ni Cone.
Sa nakaraang 96-90 panalo ng Alaska sa Welcoat, nagtala si Miller ng 24
points, siyam na rebounds, limang assists, dalawang blocks at isang steal.
Sinundan ito ng near-triple-double
sa kinamadang 25 points, 10 assists
at walong rebounds upang makasama
ang koponan nitong Alaska Aces sa
qualification round sa third straight
win at pinaghirapang 96-92 overtime
decision sa Purefoods Chunkee.
Habang isinusulat ito ay nagtala na
ang Alaska Aces ng walong panalo at
10 talong kartada na kanilang dadalhin sa kasalukuyang wildcard round.
Ang wildcard phase ay nasa single
round robin format sa sixth to ninthplaced teams upang madetermina
kung alin sa mga ito ang papasok bilang fourth at final quarterfinalist na
haharapin naman ang No 3 seed na
Red Bull sa nakatakdang best-of-five
series.
Sa carryover record, ang Alaska ay
nasa ikapitong puwesto at dalawang
laro ang layo sa Purefoods at Sta Lucia Realty.
46
palakasan
filipino globe
January 2007
Little Tiger
on the way,
says proud
champion
Coach Pat Riley is out with a hip injury.
The Miami Heat have already seen
Dwayne Wade, Shaquille O’Neal and
Jason Williams, the three pillars of its
championship victory last year, miss
action this season due to injuries.
Below, Lakers coach Phil Jackson is
getting back into shape after being laid
up for a while in sick bay.
There goes the neighborhood
“
That’s what
happens when
coaches end up
in sick bay
I don’t think my
voice is an entity yet
in their ear. They’ve
got to respond
to my voice
Rod Almazan in New York
Pat Riley has it, Phil Jackson and
Kobe Bryant are recovering from
it, and a host of players have been
sidelined by it this season.
Injury is serious business in the
NBA, prompting teams to change
strategy and budget and moving
players from the limelight to the
bench at the top of their game.
“It’s a nasty situation to be in for
anyone. But it’s as real as a threepoint shot. It can happen when
it’s least expected,” says NBA
commentator Bruce Alderson.
Riley has taken a leave of absence
from the Miami Heat because of
hip and knee problems, choosing
assistant Ron Rothstein to fill his
spot on an interim basis.
He was scheduled to undergo
surgey to remove floating chips in
his right knee. Surgery on his hip, the
malady that hurts him most now, is
not yet scheduled. The 61-year-old
coach doesn’t know how long he will
be out.
“I’m going to be displaced for a
while, but not disconnected at all,”
media reports say.
Already this season, the Heat have
seen Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane
Wade and Jason Williams – perhaps
the three biggest keys in last year’s
championship run – miss many
games with injuries.
“We have a championship team
that is sideways right now, so this is
going to be a great challenge,” Riley
PHIL JACKSON
On his return to action
said. “Keep your notebooks open.
We’ll see how it plays out.”
Across town, the Los Angeles
Lakers are just beginning to hit their
stride again with coach Phil Jackson
declaring himself “pretty much painfree” and Kobe Bryant on the mend.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” he told
reporters after watching the Lakers
scrimmage for season ticket-holders
at Staples Center.
“It’s good enough so I can go to
practices and feel comfortable on the
court.”
Bryant is lucky to have had surgery
during the off season, which means
he was back on the floor no later than
he should have been.
“It was good enough to get through
practice,” he said. But Jackson
wasn’t so sure. “He’s stalled out a
little bit on his rehab and on coming
back,” the Jackson said. “I really
want him to be healthy when he
comes back because a lot is asked
of him and he plays heavy minutes.
If things don’t go right, it could be a
setback.”
Kwame Brown (right shoulder) and
Chris Mihm (offseason right ankle
surgery) missed the first two weeks
of the season.
During Jackson’s recovery,
assistant Kurt Rambis had been
running training camp and coaching
preseason games.
“I don’t think my voice is an entity
yet in their ear and that’s one of the
things as a coach, they’ve got to
respond to my voice,” Jackson said.
Bryant certainly did. “He’s
the same old Phil, jumping up
and making sure he yells out
instructions,” and subtleties of the
game during practice,” he said. “We
definitely missed his voice.”
Tiger Woods described 2006 as a
year of loss that weighed more on
him for the death of his father Earl
(bottom) than the nine victories
he assembled in an otherwise
outstanding season.
But 2007 is certainly going to be
a lot different. For one thing, he
himself is going to become a father.
“Obviously, we couldn’t be happier
and our families are thrilled,” Woods
said on his Web site. “I have always
wanted to be a dad. I just wish my
father could be around to share the
experience.”
Woods and Elin Nordegren of
Sweden married in October 2004,
and Woods has said that he wanted
children sooner instead of later. He
did not say when in the summer the
baby is due.
The world’s No1 player skipped
the season-opening Mercedes-Benz
Championship on Maui.
“I’m going
to stick close
to home for
the next few
weeks,” he
said. Woods
will start his
2007 season
in the Buick
Invitational
at the end
of January,
“which will allow Elin and I to spend
more time with our families during
this very special time in our lives.”
Woods is entitled to a little time
off after a year in which he won nine
titles, eight of them official PGA
Tour events, including the last six in
a row.
This translates to a staggering
US$12 million, according to a Golf
Digest.
Woods earned US$11,94 million on
the golf course and US$87 million
from his off-course activities.
The increase of US$12 million
is attributed to a new contract with
Nike, additional overseas appearance
fees and advances from his new
Tiger Woods Design company.
With US$646 million in career
earnings, Woods is on track to
become the first billionaire in sports
by the end of 2010.
dibersyon
January 2007
filipino globe
BUHAYPALAD
ARIES Mar 21-Apr 19
LIBRA
As the holidays fade
into memory, you seem
very excited about the
idea of being able to
perk up the look of your home. It
might be that a beautiful furniture
or linens has caught your eye and
suddenly sparked your imagination.
It’s also possible that you received
cash or a gift certificate from Santa.
You don’t mess
around. When you
mean business, you
get right to it. Let
others stumble around the office
in their post-holiday fog. You’ll be
way ahead of the crowd when you
hit the high point in your chart and
allow you to announce an exciting
professional victory.
TAURUS
SCORPIO
Apr 21-May 20
Oct 23-Nov 22
Confidence is a
powerful aphrodisiac,
and you seem to have
it in abundance this
month. What a perfect way to start
the new year. The two weeks of
January will be particularly strong
for setting goals. If you have one
you’d like to launch into action, go
right ahead without delay.
GEMINI May 21-Jun 20
SAGITTARIUS
You’re ready to roll
up your sleeves and
get down to business.
All the planets will
be standing on the sidelines,
enthusiastically rooting for your
success every step of the way.
The year starts out with a bang.
You may celebrate a small or large
career victory this month.
You will have real
luck now. This year,
one change that
you’ll surely notice
is that your thinking will broaden
noticeably, and your confidence
will rise in equal measure. This
month, you’ll also have exceptional
courage, thanks to Mars’ tour of
Sagittarius until January 16.
CANCER
CAPRICORN
LEO Jul 21-Aug 21
AQUARIUS
Last month’s happy
holiday mood will
continue through the
first two weeks of
January, giving you a very soft and
happy re-entry to your regular life.
Friends that didn’t get a chance to
see during the hectic social season
will be eager to catch up with you
after all this time.
Will you be hustling to
complete a project that
is due on your boss’s
desk the moment
you get back from the holidays? It
seems so. Uranus will be in perfect
angle to that full moon – you’ll
surely impress VIPs with the work
you turn out, and your good work
could bring unexpected rewards.
VIRGO Aug 22-Sep 22
PISCES
Family and plans or
changes regarding
your residence or
other property, as
well as memories of holidays past,
may have brought you a mixture of
many emotions. In that respect, the
holidays asked you to adjust to new
conditions and demands of family,
so it wasn’t quite carefree.
Although December
was highly productive
on a professional level,
alas, the month offered
precious little room for social fun.
You certainly will have chances
now, especially during the second
half of January. You’ll have enough
fun activities to keep you feeling
excited about the new year.
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
Pinoy
signboard
humor
Dec 21-Jan 19
Birthday month is
almost always your
cup of tea. Many of the
planets will be heading
into Capricorn as the month begins,
so you’ll find yourself in the driver’s
seat and see things click almost
magically into place. You can
expect things to improve even more
as you get deeper into the month.
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
KATUWAANLANG
Nov 23-Dec 22
Despite all the work
you’ve had on your
plate lately, you will
have lots of reasons to
be proud. You have been producing
one accomplishment after another,
and have proven yourself to
be determined, dedicated, and
resourceful. Your bosses could not
fail to notice your worth to the team.
USEFUL NUMBERS
ANGSISTE
Sep 23-Oct 22
Do everything in your
power to wrap up
your negotiations,
meetings, and financial
preparations. By January 18, your
eighth house of credit, loans, taxes,
mortgages, inheritances, and other
financial resources, you won’t be
pounding your calculator nearly as
much as you have recently.
Jun 20-Jul 21
47
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
January 14
Workshop on racial
harmony. Boys and Girls’
Club of Hong Kong, 3
Lockhart Road, Wanchai.
9.30 am - 12.30 am.
Organised by Unifil-HK
and Migrante. Dolores
Baladares (9747 2986) or
Eman Villanueva (9758
5935)
January 21
PAOS and
entrepreneurship and
Dorie (2524 0996 or 9433
7173).
livelihood orientation
seminar. Bayanihan
Center, Kennedy Town,
10 am - 2 pm. Organised
by Overseas Filipino
Workers, Investors and
Entrepreneurs. For details
FEBRUARY 25
NOPT Hong Kong
7th anniversary and
Valentine celebration
(Search for Miss NOPT
and Miss Valentine).
Bayanihan Centre.
9.30 - 10:30 am
Thanksgiving mass.
1 pm program
Edna (9760 4962) Tess
(9344 5870).
EXCHANGE RATES
February 11
Pangasinan Solid Group
induction. Bayanihan
Center, Kennedy Town.
1-6 pm. Sam (6578 0175).
Hong Kong dollar
May 6
OFWIE Search for
Outstanding Overseas
Workers Inventors and
Entrepreneurs 2007
Send your activities and
programs for publication
to [email protected]
6.27
British pound
94.93
Saudi riyal
13.03
Canadian dollar
41.51
Euro
63.94
Australian dollar
38.34
Japanese yen
41.05*
Singapore dollar
31.81
US dollar
48.85
*per 100 pesos
Above rates are for reference purposes only.
Please check with your bank for actual rates.
shoot, show & tell
filipino globe
the big picture
January 2007
48
It’s hard to
resist the
Niagara Falls
temptation
FRANKLYSPEAKING
Lorna Taban
New York
ForTRESS FOR HERITAGE
Built like a fortress and guarded like one, the Dubai Museum is the
country’s main repository of its Islamic culture and heritage. On a
recent visit, architect Sammy Modena observed its simple, unassuming
architecture and snapped it. “I could use the idea,” he says.
PHOTOESSAY
Show us your flash for photography by giving us the big picture of the Filipino expat’s life. Photos must be accompanied by a
caption of not more than 100 words, describing the event or circumstances behind them. Or tell us an interesting anecdote or
observation in not more than 500 words and share them with the world.
Each photo or essay entitles its owner HK$200 and becomes the property of Filipino Globe. Photos should have a minimum resolution of three
megapixels. We reserve the right to make changes in line with house style. Entries should be sent to [email protected]
It is said that when you have been to
Niagara Falls, you have been to the
United States and Canada at the same
time.
It’s easy to understand why.
Niagara Falls lies on the Niagara
River and sprawls across the border
between the two great countries. Fed
by water from the four Great Lakes,
it dwarfs everything around it.
In its shadow, anyone is likely
to feel a sense of awe and of being
overwhelmed. It was exactly so for
me, during a recent visit.
To get the full Niagara experience,
I did a little research before my visit.
As it turns out, the experience defies
anything ever written about it.
Even as I picked up a few brochures on my way back and re-read
the experience, I found that there’s
nothing like being there, feeling the
misty spray in your face from the torrent as it rages down the great gorge,
and resisting the urge to jump in.
I learned that Niagara Falls has
a hypnotic allure that gives some
people that uncontrollable urge.
Officials say they recover an average of 20 people a year who chose
Niagara Falls as the place to end their
lives. But there are those who choose
to go over the falls in the name of
adventure.
Since the turn of the past century,
16 people have gone over the falls
in the name of adventure, the most
recent in October 2003.
Their desire to experience the thrill
has sent them to the edge of the falls
and down the 170-foot drop into the
swirling, icy waters below.
Of that number, 11 have survived,
and two men actually went over the
falls and survived twice. Some of
these daredevils spent thousands of
dollars – their life savings, in most
cases – building barrels and other
craft to protect themselves during the
horrific plunge into rocks and rapids.
Others went over with no protection
at all.
While the original location of
Niagara Falls was in present-day
Lewiston, New York, it has since
crept southward to its current location due to erosion. The falls recede
about four to five feet each year.
Niagara Falls is actually not one
waterfall, but three. The Niagara
River flows down from Lake Erie
and is divided by Goat Island.
There, part of it flows to the
horseshoe-shaped Canadian falls
(aptly named Horseshoe Falls), and
the rest flows to the American falls.
At the American falls, the river is
also split by a second small island,
Luna Island, creating the third, small
waterfall known as Bridal Veil Falls.