Vol 4 No 14.pmd

P 8.00
VOLUME 4
NUMBER 14
FRI - SAT
JUNE 18 - 19, 2010
NO WAGE DEMAND IN CL YET
DOLE eyes P10-12
minimum pay hike
BY DING CERVANTES
C
ITY OF SAN FERNANDO –
The director of Department
of Labor and Employment
(DOLE) in Central Luzon is
suggesting a daily minimum wage
increase of about P12 in his
region.
This amid reports indicating that prices of basic
commodities have increased by this much
since two years ago in his
area.
In an interview with
Punto Central Luzon, director Ernesto Bihis noted, however, that the labor
sector has not filed any
PAGE 6 PLEASE
RP faces
water crisis
BY DINO BALABO
MALOLOS CITY—Ironies
marked the opening of the
Luzon Water Summit at
the Clark Freeport on
Tuesday.
This includes the fact
that while surrounded by
water, the country has the
second lowest per capita
water availability in Southeast Asia, beating only
Thailand.
Two of the 12 Water
Resources
Regions
(WRR) in the country are
already experiencing potable water deficit, groundwater in nine major cities
are now stressed, while
some major tourist destinations were tagged as
water quality hotspots.
“This requires concerted efforts among us, not
only from government
agencies, but from all of
us,” Vicente Paragas, executive director of the National Water Resources
PAGE 6 PLEASE
MONEY MAKER. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2nd from right) cuts the ceremonial ribbon
during the inauguration of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) building in the City of San
Fernando, yesterday. With her are (L-R) Angeles City Mayor-elect Edgardo Pamintuan, City of
San Fernando Oscar Rodriguez, Finance Sec. Margarito Teves and BSP Governor Armando
Tetangco Jr. PHOTO BY JOEY PAVIA
ON DEMOLITION OF 16 BUILDINGS
Tarzan to probe CIAC
BY JOEY PAVIA
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – First District Rep.
Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin
yesterday vowed to lead
a congressional investigation into the alleged illegal demolition of at
least 16 buildings at the
Clark International Airport
Corp. (CIAC) aviation
complex.
In an interview just before the inauguration of the
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) building here,
Lazatin said he feels “sorry” for the buildings as they
were still usable.
“It is more expensive to
build those buildings today
than destroy them. It was
not wise to destroy them
as they have really durable roofing systems,”
said Lazatin, who disclosed that he and Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo
inspected the warehouses last year.
He added that there
PAGE 6 PLEASE
Pelayo (left) explains to CIAC Board Chairman Mangio (right) and Board
Member Angeles his proposed projects at the CIAC property derailed by
the demolition of 16 buildings. PHOTO BY JOEY PAVIA
Man hunted for killing bro
BY ARMAND GALANG
GUIMBA, Nueva Ecija –
A former policeman is
now the subject of a manhunt after he allegedly
shot his brother over an
unpaid P400,000 loan in
Barangay Manacsac
here recently.
Police identified the
suspect as Ayyot Ganot
while the victim was his
younger brother, Rino
Drug pusher
huli sa buy-bust
PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON • JUNE 18 - 19, 2010 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY
NI ERNIE B. ESCONDE
2
ORANI, Bataan – Bumagsak sa
kamay ng pulisya Miyerkules ng
hapon ang diumano’y kilalang
drug pusher sa Orani at Hermosa, dalawang bayan sa Bataan,
at nakumpiska sa kanya ang
tatlong bricks ng pinatuyong
marijuana fruiting tops.
Ayon kay Chief Insp. Edgar
Balagso, Orani police chief,
nahuli ang tricycle driver na si
Jovet Macaspac, 24, sa isang
buy-bust operation sa barangay
Bayan, Orani bandang 3:30 ng
hapon.
“Ito’y resulta ng matagal at
masigasig na pagmamanman
sa kanya ng pinagsanib na puwersa ng Hermosa at Orani police bilang kampanya ng pulisya
sa ipinagbabawal na gamot,”
pahayag ng hepe.
Bagama’t inamin diumano ng
suspek na sa Lubao, Pampanga galing ang marijuana, sinabi
naman nitong hindi niya kilala
ang pinanggalingan ng ipinagbabawal na substance. “Ang identity ng source ang kasalukuyan
pa naming inaalam,” sabi ng
police chief.
Nahaharap ang suspek sa
kasong violation of Section 5,
Article II ng Republic Act 9165 o
mas kilalang Anti-Illegal Drugs
Act. Nakatakda itong iharap sa
Bataan Prosecutors’ office sa
Balanga para sa inquest.
Napatunayan sa pagsusuri
ng chemist sa Bataan Crime
Laboratory sa Balanga City na
talagang pinatuyong marijuana
fruiting tops ang nakumpiska sa
suspek.
Itinanggi naman ni Macaspac
na nakakulong sa Orani Municipal Police Station na siya ay
isang drug pusher.
Pinapurihan ni Senior Supt.
Arnold Gunacao, Bataan police
director, ang Hermosa at Orani
police stations sa patuloy na
kampanya laban sa ipinagbabawal na droga.
THINK
GREEN
edly turned bitter until
Ayyot drew a .45 caliber
pistol and shot the victim.
Police investigator
said that Ligaya rushed
his husband to a local
hospital but the latter was
declared dead-on-arrival
by attending physicians.
The gunman fled toward Victoria, Tarclac on
board a commandeered
motorcycle after the killing.
Yokohama extends goodwill
through Brigada Eskwela
PORAC, Pampanga –
Yokohama Tire Philippines, Inc (YTPI) through
its Corporate and Social
Responsibility (CSR) program shows its strong
support to education as it
launched a five-day
“Brigada Eskwela” activity that started last June 7
at Siñura Elementary
School in preparation for
the opening of classes
this month.
During the event, YTPI
volunteers together with
the students, parents, faculty members and the local community, joined
hands in the repair and
beautification of the elementary school.
Maintenance works
such as the repainting of
the school walls, chairs
and tables, cleaning of the
school grounds and landscaping gave the public
school a major facelift that
created a more conducive
learning environment for
the students.
“These worthwhile endeavors by Yokohama Tire
Philippines, Inc had been
very helpful to us. It’s a
blessing that they chose
to help the elementary
school of Siñura as a great
deal of attention was necessary in maintaining the
facilities of the school.
Without their financial and
people support, we cannot
accomplish this very remarkable result” school
principal Nelson M. Buan
said.
He also said that very
few people from the private
sector took initiatives on
providing assistance to the
school ever since the
school served as an evacuation center during the
Mt. Pinatubo eruption in
1991. Funding for the
maintenance of the school
were only relied upon from
the government which is
insuffiecient and we only
have to contend ourselves
on very old, poorly maintained buildings, tables
and chairs year after year.
Aside from maintenance work, a tree planting activity was also part
of the event wherein students participated in planting more than 50 seedlings
inside the school premises.
This activity is part of
YTPI’s celebration of June
as the environment month.
YTPI hopes that planting
trees with school children
will encourage young individuals to plant trees in
preservation of our natural
resources.
Last April 6, YTPI funded for the construction of
the school stage of Siñura elementary school
wherein the commencement exercise of 23 graduating students was held.
It was the first time an
important school event
was held in a stage. Prior
to its construction, faculty members made use of
trucks, using its bed as a
platform during the graduation rites and school programs.
The Brigada Eskwela
is a manifestation of the
commitment of the YTPI
CSR through its adopt-aschool program. YTPI is a
manufacturing plant producing high quality Yokohama brand tires sold
worldwide. It was established in 1996 inside Clark
Freeport Zone and has
been successfully operating since then.
Busy Bees. Yokohama Tire Philippines,
Inc volunteers together with the local
community busy on repainting classroom
walls and window panes.
TRIPPERS. Program hosts Patrizia, Porky, Ysobel and Dixie presented
to media. PHOTO BY BONG LACSON
Kita-Kits launched
‰ The first and Only Travel Show in Central Luzon
TRAVEL CENTRAL Unlimited Inc., a
travel agency with a production outfit has
announces the launching of the first and
only travel show in Central Luzon. A
Weekly TV show that will feature places and tourist spots, food and delicacies to be aired over GNN Channel 44.
The show will make use of a situational
comedy/love story at the same time a
travel show, which makes it more appealing to all types of viewers.
Hosted by four young adults, Ysobel, Dixie, Porky and Patrizia; four
unique individuals sharing a passion for
discovery. Kita-kits is their story. See
how the story unravels as they share
their unique passion for adventure.
Somewhere, sometime in their lives
they find themselves caught in a struggle of hearts and minds. Ysobel and Dixie, once inseperable, now found themselves caught between the crossroads
of their lives; that of mending differences, that of growing old in the city or simply retiring in a more simple life.
Kita-kits will be aired every Sunday
starting July 2010 over GN Channel 44,
the newest regional television channel
in the region. Kita – kits is the perfect
weekend excursion for the entire family
with ongoing demontrations, cultural
performances and interactive activities.
Kita – kits will tarvel all around Central Luzon. The show is inviting every-
one to visit Region III: Aurora, Bataan,
Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales. Moreover, it also offers an array of escapes from everyday
life.
Produced by Travel Central Unlimited Inc., with Ms. Edna de Jesus Eufenio as the Producer/Managing Director,
Allyn De Ocampo as the Executive Producer, Director and Editor, John Paul
Martinez as the Production Manager,
Kashmer Manalo, the write, Diego
Dobles, the Audiman, Nigel Laxamana,
the Photographer and Graphic Artist,
Camile Sanguyu, Toni Aguilar and Pam
Asuncion a sthe Production Assitants.
Travel Central Unlimited Inc. closely works and partners with the Department of tourism and all local government units in Central Luzon as part of
its mission in promoting the tourism in
the region.
For further information contact:
Travel Central Unlimited Incorporated
Edna de Jesus Eufemio
Producer
09216283165
[email protected]
Allyn De Ocampo
Executive Producer/Director/Editor
09062311112
[email protected]
Game Gizmo opens
at SM City Baliwag
THE NEWEST tech hub is
now open to cater hobbyists with the latest trends
in gaming. Game Gizmo
has a wide range of video
game machines like Sony
Playstation, Nintendo Wii,
and Xbox 360 as well as
hand held units such as
Sony PSP’s and Nintendo
DS.
Upgrade your gadgets
with their huge selection of
latest games and accessories. Original collector’s
item of various characters
like Astro Boy, Iron Man
and Optimus Prime among
others are also available at
Game Gizmo.
Game Gizmo is located at the ground floor of
SM Baliwag, near Worlds
of Fun.
PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON • JUNE 18 - 19, 2010 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY
PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO conferred
the distinguished Order of Lakandula upon Commission on
Higher Education Chairman Emmanuel Y. Angeles in
recognition of his outstanding contributions to education,
healthcare and public service, on June 12, 2010 at Holiday
Inn Resort Clark. They are joined by (L-R)) Dr. Cornelia L.
Angeles; Angeles University President Atty. Joseph
Emmanuel L. Angeles and his wife, Atty. Marianne Elizabeth
B. Angeles and their two sons Theodore James and Mathew
Dominic; and AUF Medical Center President/CEO Atty.
Gabriel Martin L. Angeles.
Ganot, 40, married, and
lives in the same barangay.
Investigation showed
that the victim and his
wife Ligaya, were on
board a tricycle on their
way home on Sunday,
and from an undisclosed
place at about 6:50 a.m.,
the suspect confronted
his brother to pay him the
P400,000.
The argument report-
3
Open season again
SO WE thought the 32 media martyrs of
Magunidanao last year were to be the last of the
Fourth Estate’s sacrifice to the altar of press frredom?
So we thought wrong. In less than 24 hours, two
broadcasters were killed in separate places in the
country.
In Davao Oriental, Desidario Camangyan of
Sunshine FM radio was shot dead as he hosted an
amateur singing contest in Manay town Monday
evening.
A hard-hitting commentator, Camangyan, 52,
regularly criticized corruption in the local governments
and illegal logging.
In Ilocos Norte, Jovelito Agustin, 37, a reporter and
anchorman of local radio station dzJC Aksyon Radyo
was waylaid by two motorcycle-riding gunmen
Tuesday night.
Agustin and a nephew where riding a motorcycle
on the way home after an evening broadcast when
shot. He died in a hospital before dawn Wednesday
while his nephew was slightly hurt.
said Agustin told co-workers he had received
threats through text messages, and suspected a local
politician he criticized on air for alleged corruption
could be after him.
Agustin was reported to have told media
colleagues that he had received threats through text
messages, and suspected a local politician he
criticized on air for alleged corruption could be after
him.
The killers in both incidents have – as usual –
remained at large, and unidentified.
Mediamen beware. The culture of impunity in this
country is as strong as it can ever be.
Upping the ante
PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON • JUNE 18 - 19, 2010 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY
A BOUNTY of P200,000 offered by the Criminal
Investigation and Detection Group-3.
No takers.
The reward money doubled by the Regional Police
Office -3 to P400,000.
Still no takers.
Now, a relative of slain businessman Florencio
“Jack” Yap raised to P1 million the offer for solid
information that will lead to the solution of the triple
murder of Yap, Rene Tetangco, Jr. and Dennis Quinto
on June 2.
As police investigators have not penetrated the
blank wall they are facing with their probe of the
massacre, the victims’ kin have asked the National
Bureau of Investigation to join in the investigation.
With the NBI and the raised bounty, it is hoped that
the perpetrators of this heinous crime be brought to
justice.
A whopping P1 million for information, any takers?
4
EDGAR V. MOVIDO
Founder
LLL Trimedia Coordinators
Publisher
General Manager Atty. Gener C. Endona
Editor Joey R. Aguilar
Editorial Consultant Caesar “Bong” Lacson
Marketing Manager Joanna Niña V. Cordero
Administrative Staff Ma. Teresa U. Villanueva
Layout Dondie B. Ventura
Circulation Gilbert Mendoza
Business & Editorial office at Unit B Essel Commercial Center,
McArthur Highway, Telabastagan, City of San Fernando
Tel. No. (45) 636•6327 Cel. No. 0917•481•1416
e-mail address: [email protected]
pdf file at http://www.punto.com.ph
Punto! Central Luzon is a proud member of
The Philippine Press Institute
O p i n i o n
Plundered anew
acaesar.blogspot.com
Zona Libre
Bong Z. Lacson
NINETEEN YEARS ago, what the wrath of Mount Pinatubo failed
to destroy in the American-abandoned Clark Air Base human greed
plundered.
So we heard of someone named “Hakot” – as we H-over minding
Kapampangans say it – cleaned and cleared the once teeming
bastion of American imperialism and decadent capitalism in the
Far East not so much of the ash and sand that buried it but of
anything of value that remained in it, not even the toilet bowls and
sinks spared.
So we read of the most profitable of the novel enterprises that
arose from the devastated base: the total demolition of damaged
buildings, the scrap – galvanized iron roofing, wood panelings and
ceilings, parquet and tile flooring, steel beams – contracted out to
junk dealers.
Nineteen years hence, the buried military base has completely
– like the proverbial phoenix – risen out of the ashes and transformed
itself into the booming Clark Freeport.
Indeed, nineteen years have passed but the plunder of Clark
has remained extant. The plunderers of a different breed, but their
greedy way all too similar. That is if one is to believe all the talks
arising out of the current scandals obtaining at Clark today.
As it was at the time of “Hakot”, so it is now at
the time of someone monikered “Boy Demo” aka
“Boy Scrap” – the demolition of buildings to make
money out of the scrap materials.
The difference is that in the immediate Pinatubo
period, only heavily damaged buildings already
condemned as dangerous and unserviceable were
demolished. This time, even highly serviceable
buildings that need but minor refurbishing were
being taken down to their very foundation.
Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo rued that it
would take no less than P120 million to construct
just one building similar to those demolished. His
is a double lamentation with the wrecker’s ball
smashing some of the buildings intended to be
part of his proposed Clark One-Stop Agricultural
Market that would have showcased the best
produce not only of his melon, tilapia, and riceyielding town but of the rest of Pampanga and
Central Luzon.
Such wasted resources! Such wasted
opportunities! And at what profit?
Sixteen buildings have been demolished as of
last count, 14 only last month. Think of the millions
of pesos saved there, per Pelayo’s computation.
Sixteen buildings gone to rabble. And the
Clark International Airport Corp., in whose area of
responsibility the buildings were located, claimed
ignorance of it. So CIAC Board chairman Nestor
Mangio himself admitted.
“It has come to my attention that several
warehouse structures within the CIAC are being
demolished…I understand we have not discussed
this matter with the Board. May I know by what
authority are these demolitions happening?” wrote
Mangio to CIAC President-CEO Victor Jose
“Chichos” Luciano early this month.
On whose authority were the buildings
demolished? Pelayo has long been asking
Luciano too.
The mayor also wanted to know: “Where did
the demolition proceeds go? How did these scrap
materials go out of the Clark gate? Who are the
officials involved here?”
Questions I do hope our good friend Chichos
will be able to answer – most convincingly – in a
media conference scheduled as we go to press.
In the spirit of fairness, I shall devote the whole
of my column for Monday on Chichos’ reply.
Until then, let me remind you that this here is
just one part of the “continuing plunder of Clark.”
Allegedly.
TODAY IN HISTORY
Napoleon defeated at Waterloo
AT WATERLOO in Belgium, Napoleon Bonaparte suffers defeat
at the hands of the Duke of Wellington, bringing an end to the Napoleonic era of European history.
The Corsica-born Napoleon,
one of the greatest military strategists in history, rapidly rose in
the ranks of the French Revolutionary Army during the late
1790s. By 1799, France was at
war with most of Europe, and
Napoleon returned home from his
Egyptian campaign to take over
the reigns of the French government and save his nation from
collapse. After becoming first consul in February 1800, he reorganized his armies and defeated
Austria. In 1802, he established
the Napoleonic Code, a new system of French law, and in 1804
was crowned emperor of France
in Notre Dame Cathedral. By
1807, Napoleon controlled an
empire that stretched from the
River Elbe in the north, down
through Italy in the south, and
from the Pyrenees to the Dalmatian coast.
Beginning in 1812, Napoleon
began to encounter the first significant defeats of his military career, suffering through a disastrous
invasion of Russia, losing Spain
to the Duke of Wellington in the
Peninsula War, and enduring total defeat against an allied force
by 1814. Exiled to the island of
Elba in the Mediterranean, he
escaped to France in early 1815
and set up a new regime. As allied troops mustered on the
French frontiers, he raised a new
Grand Army and marched into
Belgium. He intended to defeat the
allied armies one by one before
they could launch a united attack.
On June 16, 1815, he defeated the Prussians under Gebhard
Leberecht von Blucher at Ligny,
and sent 33,000 men, or about
one-third of his total force, in pursuit of the retreating Prussians.
On June 18, Napoleon led his remaining 72,000 troops against the
Duke of Wellington's 68,000-man
allied army, which had taken up a
strong position 12 miles south of
Brussels near the village of Waterloo. In a fatal blunder, Napoleon
waited until mid-day to give the
command to attack in order to let
the ground dry. The delay in fighting gave Blucher's troops, who had
eluded their pursuers, time to
march to Waterloo and join the
battle by the late afternoon.
In repeated attacks, Napoleon
failed to break the center of the
allied center. Meanwhile, the Prussians gradually arrived and put
pressure on Napoleon's eastern
flank. At 6 p.m., the French under
Marshal Michel Ney managed to
capture a farmhouse in the allied
center and began decimating
Wellington's troops with artillery.
Napoleon, however, was preoccupied with the 30,000 Prussians
attacking his flank and did not release troops to aid Ney's attack
until after 7 p.m. By that time,
Wellington had reorganized his
defenses, and the French attack
was repulsed. Fifteen minutes later, the allied army launched a
general advance, and the Prussians attacked in the east, throwing the French troops into panic
and then a disorganized retreat.
The Prussians pursued the remnants of the French army, and
Napoleon left the field. French
casualties in the Battle of Waterloo were 25,000 men killed and
wounded and 9,000 captured,
while the allies lost about 23,000.
Napoleon returned to Paris
and on June 22 abdicated in favor
of his son. He decided to leave
France before counterrevolutionary forces could rally against him,
and on July 15 he surrendered to
British protection at the port of
Rochefort. He hoped to travel to
the United States, but the British
instead sent him to Saint Helena, a remote island in the Atlantic
off the coast of Africa. Napoleon
protested but had no choice but
to accept the exile. With a group
of followers, he lived quietly on St.
Helena for six years. In May 1821,
he died, most likely of stomach
cancer. He was only 51 years old.
Source: www.history.com
Information
as freedom
Pumapatol
Ricky A. Clores
THE 14th Congress orchestrating a coup de grace on us by killing
the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill offers no surprise. If the
congressmen had done otherwise, that would have been a
spectacle to behold in awe and inspiration, a complete turn of
events, a real stunner if not a miracle, so to speak. At the time the
FOI bill’s supposed birthing, there was no quorum, 139 respectable
congressmen were again A-B-S-E-N-T.
When we visit the crime scene, the unnecessary demise of
this matter-of-life-and-death bill was probably not only due to the
usual suspect of play of numbers and incompetence. Witnesses
are saying there could be more. The FOI Bill’s death is no suicide,
according to some members of the House, who swore in their honour
that indeed they were no ghosts. They were PRESENT(!) during
the roll call for warm bodies. The Speaker of the House
Representative Norberto Nograles simply ignored them because
the Speaker and his cadre of supporters were bent to execute the
sinister plan of killing the FOI bill. The plot thickens.
“The Speaker has a double standard in getting
a quorum. If he wants a law passed, he always
finds a way. But if he does not want it, he has
plenty of reasons,” says Rep. Arthur Villanueva
of the Citizens” Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC).
But then again, why would the Speaker want the
FOI Bill dead? There is nothing in the bill that
spells disaster to Juan/Juana De La Cruz. The
FOI Bill simply ascertain and make known the
democratic rights of every Filipino to have full
access to all information pertaining to the conduct
of the state. This is especially true to the deals
that government officials enter into, including such
mega contracts as ZTE, fertilizers for farmers,
equipment for elections, etc. If the mere mention
of such deals make you blood pressure go up, it
is because we were all kept in the dark when
these deals were hatched or if these notorious
deals were cancelled, it was due to the vigilance
of people, mostly journalists who had the courage
and wherewithal to expose them.
Just imagine for a moment that every able body
is given the weapon, the means, and the concrete
mandate to access all government transactions
that public officials enter into. This is like putting
lights to corners of the dark rooms of our house.
We are given a chance to catch and put burglars
to prison, if not shot them, if need be (Ask anyone
who has experienced being robbed, and the latter
is quite often the preferred choice).
But then again, are we barking at the wrong
House? Were the honourable congressmen to
blame? Were they the real plotters? Or, they simply
acted as executioners? We should instead be
going to Malacanang and inquire there. Of course
we run the risk of getting a slammed door or a
bullet in the head, instead of the truth. Malacanang
after all is known to many to be allergic to truth.
The National Union of Journalists of the
Philippines (NUJP) offers a glimpse on the nature
and motive of the crime, “The only conclusion we
can draw about the badly scripted drama that
Nograles and his accomplice—Majority Leader
Arthur Defensor and Camiguin Representative
Pedro Romualdo—acted out is that, even in his
last moment as a Speaker, the political
expediency that characterized the out-going
administration continues to trump our longsuffering people’s hopes for good governance and
an end to corruption.”
However, are we paying attention? The
congressmen acted as expected. The “betrayal,”
as the Catholic Bishop Conference of the
Philippines aptly frames it, bears strong
resemblance to a story of a monk, who once a
upon a time, was asked by a scorpion to cross
the river, lest the poor scorpion gets drowned for
not knowing how to swim. Because it is in the
nature (and perhaps training) of the monk to help
creatures of all kinds, sinister or not, the
honourable monk could not but be of service to
the beleaguered scorpion. You know the rest of
the story. The honourable monk received the
venomous bite of the despicable scorpion in spite
of the monk’s generosity. The moral, or so as we
are told, is that the monk and the scorpion, acted
as they acted because their behaviours are
“embedded in their genes” (Does the phrase ever
sound so familiar? If so, you must truly be a Filipino
concerned of the moral leadership or the lack of it
of our Patria Adorada).
I heard a mambabatas (not mambabarang eh)
over the radio that FOI Bill was not worth
supporting because it does not provide the
necessary sanctions, and the right to secure
information anyway is written in the Constitution.
Given the nature again of our public servants to
refuse, cry for immunity and ultimately deny us
of precious information, when asked about public
transactions, can any Juan, Hesus or Maria or
Joseph (susmaryosep!) simply go to the busy,
very busy indeed, government offices and demand
information? You tell me. Any addition therefore,
to the right to know, is a welcome development.
Public officials have the penchant to operate
in the dark. There are a few pleasant things that
actually transpire in the dark. This is especially
true with transactions. This nine-year-old bill
precisely seeks to improve transparency in
government transactions and to uphold the
people’s right to know. This is not an issue of
sanctions, this is an issue of gifting the Filipino
people the notion that you can have access to
verifiable information, especially the shady and
run-of–the mill contracts that have been the mark
of this out-going administration.
Manila Representative Bienvenido Abante
captured the very essence why we need FOI,”I
believe the Filipino people should know that some
congressmen are wasting Filipinos’ money.” We
know this, right? And we know more, the infection
is not only true to some congressmen. With the
FOI, we will have the access to verify allegations
and secure the necessary information in our
defence. It is said that 40 percent of our budget
goes to corruption. With the FOI, this will not be
hearsay or something that our public officials
normally do, i.e., deny the allegations, use
whatever immunity they have, even if when caught
getting the cookies on the cookie jars. They can
cry, as they often do: where’s your evidence?
Present on our noses, at our disposal, will be the
I-N-F-O-R-M-A-T-I-O-N.
Anything, any move that can make our people
pro-active in the fight against corruption that has
hounded our nation for long, is a welcome treat,
is a fresh air in this stale moral environment, for
our children to grow up to. Yes Michelle, for the
survival of this nation, information is like food, like
water or air. Information is integral to our collective
and individual well-being.
And more. Information, as the Bill says it, is
freedom. That simple.
[email protected]
Napaguusapan
lang
Ni Felix M. Garcia
Keka mal ming
balayan, king aldo
mung katimawan
(KASUGLUNG NING MILABAS A ISYU))
KAIBAT, y Aguinaldo karin ne bintiwas
King Kawit, Cavite ing mal tang’ Watawat;
Tanda king iti yang aldo nang panaslag
Ning Katimawan king balayan tang’ maslag;
Hilario, Maniago, Makabulos’ Tarlac,
Hizon at Dayrit ning beitan tang’ labuad,
Upayang Kastila ikua rang asaldak!
Lubus ta’na sanang kumit Katimawan
King tagumpe tamu laban karing daywan,
Dapot ating Dewey a biglang dinatang
Sasyo tang Kalayan, yang keta sinamsam!
Sekupan ne’ing balen uli ning sikanan
Ning Agilang ibat king dane Albugan;
At keta ing Bansa miuman deng telanan
Ding e ta’ kalahing maputi mu naman.
Tutu inampang da itang Demokrasya
Dapot ila mu ring kekata dirikta;
At waman king Balen linto no’ kanita
Ding anti ri Osias, Quezon at Osmeña,
Roxas, Abad Santos ampon aliwa pa;
A sukat talan king sarili rang renda,
King pamipalakad king balen tang’ sinta,
Atyu kagulutan ing Tusong Agila!
Kaibat, uling atin lang apikasundu
King ing sadiang Laya ibie ra nang tutu,
Pauli nang Quezon… ding mesabing Kanu
Tiparan da ren ing karelang pangaku;
Nung ing mag-sarili lubus ta’nang agyu,
Dinan da neng Laya ing balen tang Indu;
Dapot itang aldo iniang sunlag niamu,
Ing pang-Aduang Gyera biglang mikaluku!
Karing pampang tamu bigla na’ lang linsut
Ding lalu pang lasip ampon makatakut;
At nung ding Kastila a keti sinakup,
Kanita la linto lang ganid ampon marus,
Deting tauling dintang a keti linusub,
Puri’t dangalan mu dekurak dang lubus;
Pilan lang anak mu ding keta metampus
Ban ipaglualu ria ing balen tang irug?
Salamat, kaibat ning atlung banuang singkad
Ing puersa ding Sakang ikua rang asaldak,
Ding msanib-sanib a puersang milangkap
Ning Agilang meko…at ding kekang anak;
Ing keyang pangakung magbalik at sukat,
Ya ing mepalyari king bansa migligtas;
Itang Yamashita a keti miglagpak
Mig-”Hara-Kiri” ya king keyang panatras!
Kalagpas ning gulu at miatahimik na,
Inampang neng miuman bansang Amerika,
Ing ganap at lubus a kalayan keka,
Kapamilatan ning beba ne ing Keya
At ing Kekatamu yanang pepaitas da,
Layun memayagpag king asul a banua;
Tan da king ing Bansang Perla ning Malasya,
Kalag ne gapus king panga-alipan na!
At ngening Malaya neng ganap ing Bansa
Itamung anak na mikalugud ta’ sa;
Misanmetung tamu king pusu at diwa
King nanu mang bage keyang kasaplala;
At keta, sakali’t atin pa aliwa
King aldo ning bukas miuman pang magnasa,
Pasibayu, itang miagum ban mamingua,
King kekatang Balen at Mal tang’ Bandila!
PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON • JUNE 18 - 19, 2010 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY
Editorial
5
DOLE eyes P10-12 minimum pay hike
petition for wage increase
before the Regional Tripartite Productivity and Wage
Board (RTWPB).
“Despite this, we will
convene the board next
week to tackle the possibility of wage increase,” he
said.
But Bihis said many
factors would have to be
considered before deciding on wage increases, as
he noted “export performance decline at the freeports in Subic in Zambales
and Clark in Pampanga,
as well as the Bataan export zone.”
“We must consider the
capacity of employers to
absorb increases. We
don’t want factories to
close and cause displacement and unemployment,”
he said.
In the past, the RTWPB in Central Luzon had
exempted the garment industry from wage increase
impositions arising from
significant slowdown in foreign markets.
In the National Capital
Region, a P22 spike in
minimum wage sparked
criticisms. Kilusang Mayo
Uno vice-chairman Lito
Ostares said the P22
wage increase was an “insult” to minimum wage
workers who have long
fought for a substantial
wage increase.
Bihis said, however,
that the labor sector in
Central Luzon tend to be
more “open-minded” about
wage increases.
“Unlike in the NCR and
Southern Tagalog were
most workers are migrants, workers in Central
Luzon have a different culture since they are mostly residents of the region
and go home daily to their
families, so they have
less expenses than migrants to spend for board
and lodging,” he noted.
Bihis also noted that in
Central Luzon, “we usually are ahead in coming out
with wage increase proposals which we continuously study regardless of
any petition for wage hike.”
“So even without demand from our labor sector, we issue wage orders,”
he noted.
Bihis cited studies
from the regional National
Economic Development
Authority (NEDA) and the
Department of Industry
(DTI) indicating that prices of basic commodities
in Central Luzon rose by
P‘10 to P12 over two
years.
“This we will use a
benchmark for any possible wage hike in the region.
Personally, I would espouse a minimum wage
increase of P10 to P12,”
he said.
Last year, no wage increase was implemented
in Central Luzon, although
some companies offered
instead other benefits
such as more medical assistance to their workers.
The last wage order in
Central Luzon was dated
June 16, 2008. The present
wage rates in the region’s
provinces, except Aurora,
is P302 for non-agricultural workers of firms with
assets worth P30 million
or more, P294.50 for workers for firms with less assets and P272 for agricultural plantation workers
and P256 for non-planta-
tion workers.
In hospitals with 20 or
more beds, the minimum
wage is P293, while those
in hospitals with less
beds get P278. Retail outlets with 16 or more workers give a minimum pay of
P291 while those with less
workers pay them P277.
Cottage industry workers
get a minimum of P256.
In Aurora, which is regarded as most rural in the
region, the pay for workers in agriculture is P251
in non-agriculture sector,
and P236 for plantation
workers and P216 for nonplantation workers, while
retail industry workers get
P173. Those in the cottage
industry get a pay of P224.
This, even as the party-list group Trade Union
Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said it will
push for a P75-a-day legislated wake increase in
the incoming 15th Congress.
TUCP Rep. Raymond
Mendoza said that the
P22 adjustment given by
the regional wage board for
Metro Manila “is a measly
sum and is an insult to
RP faces water crisis
FROM PAGE 1
PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON • JUNE 18 - 19, 2010 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY
Board (NWRB).
Paragas was interviewed by this writer after
presenting the current water realities in the country
in the first day of the Luzon wide Integrated Water
Summit held at the Fontana Convention Center in
Clark Freeport on Tuesday.
His Powerpoint presentation showed that the
country is experiencing
extreme weather highlighted by twin weather phenomenon—El Niño which
is marked with lack of rain
and drought and La Niña
which is characterized by
typhoons with above normal rainfall.
Paragas stressed that
the country is also surrounded by water and yet
the country has the second lowest per capita water availability in Southeast
Asia.
6
He also disclosed that
Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog are experiencing water deficit as of December 2007. This is because the two WRRs water potential are exceeded
by water demand and water allocation.
WRRs do not necessarily follow the regional
political subdivisions. In
the case of the WRR 1 and
2, it included the Cordillera Administrative Region.
In Central Luzon, water potential is less than
10,000 million cubic
meters (MCM), but water
demand projection by
2025 will be at least
18,000 MCM. Even higher is the water allocated as
of December 2007 at
about 20,000 MCM.
Paragas also said that
the country’s ground water potential is only 20,200
MCM per year.
He also identified nine
major cities in the country
with ground water stress.
It includes Metro Manila, Baguio City, Angeles
City in Central Luzon,
Metro Cebu, Bacolod City,
Iloilo City, Davao City, Cagayan De oro City and
Zamboanga City.
Paraas explained that
what makes groundwater
stress in the abovementioned cities discomforting
is the fact that they belong
to the country’s growth
areas.
He said that rapid development in those cities
results to rapid depletion
of water resources.
Paragas said that over
extraction of water due to
increasing demands has
resulted to decline in
ground water levels and
drying up of wells and
springs.
He said that water
stakeholders including every citizen must now reconsider their actions that
impacts water resources
were “only” two warehouses demolished then.
Lazatin said the warehouses were built by
Americans when they occupied Clark, and “the
structures have been created to last for many
years.”
CIAC President and
CEO Victor Jose Luciano
has yet to issue statements. He was set to
meet with reporters to air
his side at 3:00 p.m. yesterday.
Pelayo, for his part,
said he would file plunder
charges against Luciano.
He added that the demol-
ished warehouses cost
about P15 million each.
The board of directors
of the Clark Airport Corporation (CIAC) assured Pelayo of full support in his
exposé on the alleged unauthorized demolition of
16 big warehouses inside
the sprawling complex.
CIAC Board Chairman
daily wage in Metro Manila
is P382. The P22 adjustment will bring it to P404.
Many employers, however, insisted they could
not afford the P22 hike
since they have not fully
recovered from the economic slowdown , as they
warned of possible lay offs.
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
REGIONAL TRIAL COURT
THIRD JUDICIAL REGION
BRANCH 57, ANGELES CITY
IN THE MATTER OF CORRECTION
OF ENTRY IN THE CERTIFICATE OF
LIVE BIRTH OF ALISON G. DE LEON,
ALISON G. DE LEON,
of the country.
For their part, Dr. Maria
Luz-Enriquez of the National Agricultural and Fisher
Council (NAFC) and Engineer Isidra Penaranda
called on for the implementation of Integrated Water
Resources Management
(IWRM) approach.
IWRM is the coordinated development and management of water, land
and related resources
within hydrological boundaries to optimize economic and social welfare in an
equitable manner without
compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.
Penaranda further explained that IWRM is a
systematic and adaptive
process conducted in collaboration with stake holders for sustainable management of water resources in the context of social
equity and economic and
environmental objectives.
Tarzan to probe CIAC
FROM PAGE 1
workers who sustained
the country’s economic
growth in the last nine
years.”
“The amount is too low
and cannot even cover for
the increases in the prices of essential goods and
services,” he said.
The current minimum
Petitioner,
-versus-
SPEC. PROC. 8419
OFFICE OF THE CIVIL REGISTRAR
OF PORAC, PAMPANGA, and the
NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE,
Respondents.
X——————————————————————————X
ORDER
A verified petition has been filed by the petitioner praying that after
due notice, publication and hearing this Court renders judgment ordering
the respondents Local Civil Registrar of Angeles City and the National
Statistics Office to correct the entry in the Certificate of Live Birth of the
petitioner particularly the gender from MALE to FEMALE.
Finding the petition to be sufficient in due form and substance, the
Court hereby sets the hearing thereof on July 8, 2010 at 2:00 o’clock
in the afternoon to be held at the Session Hall of this Court, 2/F Hall of
Justice, Pulung Maragul, Angeles City after this Order shall have been
published in a newspaper of general circulation in Angeles City and
Pampanga at the expense of the petitioner for three (3) consecutive
weeks.
All persons interested in the said petition may appear before this
Court on or before the scheduled date and show cause, if they have
any, why the prayer thereof should not be granted.
Let copies of this Order and of the petition be served upon the Civil
Registrar of Porac, Pampanga, the Civil Registrar General, National
Statistics Office, Quezon City, the Office of the Solicitor General and
Office of the City Prosecutor, Angeles City, the other named respondents,
the petitioner and her counsel.
Also, furnish a copy hereof the Office of the Clerk of Court, RTC,
Angeles City.
SO ORDERED.
Angeles City, May 31, 2010.
OMAR T. VIOLA
Judge
PUNTO! Central Luzon: June 11, 18 & 25, 2010
Nestor Mangio is set to
report on their findings on
the demolition of buildings
in the next board meeting
next week. He and CIAC
Board Members Raffy Angeles and Jesus Nicdao
were members of the factfinding committee tasked
to investigate the demolition.
PAUNAWA NG PAGBABAHAGING
LABAS SA HUKUMAN NA MAY
PAGTALIKOD SA KABAHAGI
Ang Paunawa na ito ay para ipaalam sa madla na ang mga
tagapagmana ni MERCY PALOS ABIAN na namatay noong ika-27 ng
Nobyembre, 2009 sa Siyudad ng San Fernando, Pampanga ay
nagsakatuparan ng Pagbabahaging Labas sa Hukuman na may Pagtalikod
sa Kabahagi ng kanyang Time Deposit sa Plantersbank (Siyudad ng San
Fernando, Pampanga) na may halagang Dalawang Milyong Piso
(P2,000,000.00) na may Katibayan Blg. 056002.
Punto! Central Luzon: June 11, 18 & 25, 2010
KAWAWA NAMAN si Marian Rivera. All of a sudden, nawala siya sa number one position sa FHM sexiest gayung kailan lang yung
mismong FHM ang namaraling numero uno pa rin si Marian.
Ngayon si Angel Locsin na raw ang number one. And the reason they give, bigla raw sinipag ang mga fans ni Angel Locsin na
iboto siya, kasi nga siya’ng cover ng FHM ng May.
O hindi ba, malinaw na pinulitika lang si Marian para nga mabenta’ng isyung cover si Angel?
Call it marketing strategy.
Meron pang tsiskang di raw kasi payag si Marian na maging cover ng FHM. Meaning, matagal na nilang nililigawan si Marian pero
di napapayag. Sinubukan nilang gawing number the other year, to no avail. Kung napapayag nga naman si Marian, baka sobrang
yaman ang pasok sa kanilang kaban.
So si Angel ang na-cover sa May issue. Now, malinaw na ba kung bakit number one ulit si Angel?
Yes, Angel was number one a few years ago. After Katrina Halili. Kaso nga, napulitika naman ang
dalawa kaya lumagpak sa numero unong posisyon si Marian. And now, si Marian naman ang
napulitika.
O baka naman true na laos na si Marian at alam ng FHM na di na siya bebenta. Dahil
laos
na siya, di na siya makatutulong sa benta ng FHM.
by Cesar Pambid
Makes sense, hindi po ba?
Pero true ba, laos na si Marian Rivera?
Si Cristine Reyes nga pala’ng number one last year, na number two na ngayon. Si Marian, number three na lang.
The final list will be announced next week and so far, Iwa Moto is 4th, while Erich Gonzales is 5th, Katrina Halili
is 6th, Angelica Panganiban is 7th, Ehra Madrigal is 8th, Bangs Garcia is 9th, and wonder of wonders, the 40year-old Regine Velasquez who has never done any sexy pictorial is No. 10. Her hit show, “Diva,” must have
done wonders for Regine.
The
Gossipmiller
Bagong leadingman ni Kris Bernal,
naghubo’t hubad sa internet
MAKATULONG KAY si Daniel Matsunaga sa bagong career path ni Kris Bernal. The truth is
nagkapangalan si Kris nang ipareha ito kay Aljur Abrenica, but as soon as nagkaroon siya ng
kaunting pangalan, sa iba na siya pinasalo. Yung kaunting pangalan ni Kris ay ginagamit ng
GMA 7 to build up a Brazilian, si Daniel Matusnaga nga.
Well, guwapo si Daniel. Materyal talaga, kumbaga.
But would his ‘past’ help para sa kanila ni Kris Bernal?
Kelan lang ba yung nasa internet ang isang nude photo ni Daniel sa internet. Pinagpasapasahan na ito at ngayon, halos lahat ay may kopya na.
We receive a copy of the picture a few days ago and we must say na hindi ito masyadong
ka-wholesome dahil it showed a nude Daniel Matsunaga in his younger years. Tanging
isang palad lang niya’ng nakatakip sa kanyang pagkalalaki at yung pagkalago-lagong
pubic hair ay nagwawagayway inviting gays to ogle upon the picture.
It is said na na-depress si Daniel dahil dito. Sabi, sumumpa raw siyang di
na babalik sa Pinas dahil sa iskandalo. Pero ayan, heto naman siya’t binibuild up ng GMA 7.
And speaking of Kris Bernal, ayaw pa raw nitong magpa-sexy.
Hindi na rin daw tuloy ang pagpu-pose niya sa FHM magazine kasi
balitang kontra ang kanyang parents.
Kaya sa pagrampa ni Kris para sa Bench fashion show sa July 2,
naka-maong pants at t-shirt lang siya, and no-no ang underwear o bra
lang.
Si Daniel naman ang bago niyqng ka-loveteam at meron silang project
nito sa GMA 7.
Sa interview, nagsalita si Kris about Daniel and Aljur.
“Naninibago ako sa taping ng Wish Come True, kasi hindi ko kaeksena
si Aljur. Three years din kaming magka-loveteam at ngayon lang ako
nagkaroon ng bagong kapareha. Although nakasama ko na si Daniel sa
The Last Prince, talagang si Aljur ang kapatner ko.”
Ikinuwento rin ni Kris na alagang-alaga siya ni Daniel noong nasa Singapore
sila. Feeling baby ng raw siya sa pag-aalaga ng binata. Ang modelo pa nga raw
ang tagabitbit ng mga gamit niya.
“Ganyan pala ang Brazilian, maasikaso sa kanilang mga babae,” nakangiting
sabi ni Kris.
And yes, sabi ni Kris, parang kapatid lang daw ang turing niya kay Aljur noon.
Owwws!
Angel Locsin
Meet the Papaitan sisters: Gretchen and Claudine
PAPAITAN OR pinapaitan, for those who don’t know is a sampalok and bile flavored
stew of tripes and innards. It is either an ox or goat. (baka or kambing). This dish
is popular with those who love drinking liquor. It is one of the mainstay dish of
restaurants along the h-ways if you have ever traveled up north or Ilocos country.
Yan ang definition ng papaitan sa Wikepedia. Masarap ito na Pinoy delicacy
although medyo mapait kasi nga hinahaluan ng apdo.
Sa showbiz, may Ampalaya Girls. Like ampalaya, mapait ang papaitan at
hindi naman katuwa na ikumpara ka dito.
Ang Ampalaya Girls, although, inaamin nilang mahilig sila sa ampalaya at
nagkaroon ng negative image in belonging to the group.
Ikatuwa naman kaya ng magkapatid na Gretchen at Claudine B kung
tagurian silang papaitan sisters.
Anyway, napakaasim kasi (iba yung may asim pa sa maasin, ha?) ng
dating ngayon ni Gretchen Baretto. Imagine, away sila nang away ng kapatid
niya gayung ayon kay Morly Alinio, dapat nagmahalan sila. May isyung
di raw malinaw ngayon sa pagitan ng magkapatid and any moment
sisiklab na naman ang giyerang ala- Second World War sa kanila.
Sobrang kaasiman at kapaitan di po ba?
At ngayon, isa si La Greta sa mga hated personalities sa showbiz.
Dahil sa away nila ni Angelica Panganiban. Obviously, naiinis ang
mga utaw kay Greta dahil hindi na nga cute at kawili-wili ang mga
pinaggagawa niya ngayon. Lumalabas, mas pabor ang marami kay
Angel.
O di ba, soibrang kapaitan yun?
In the past, dami pang kapaitan at kaasiman ni La Greta. Kahit
na noong bata pa siya, ganyan na siya kapait at kaasim. Yes,
kasing pait at kasing asim talaga ng papaitang nasobrahan ng
apdo.
At si Claudine? Kasing-pait lang ni Greta at kasing asim
din.
Need we enumerate why?
Wag na, basta super pasaway si Claudine at yun na yun.
Di ba Morly Alinio?
PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON • JUNE 18 - 19, 2010 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY
FROM PAGE 1
Laos na…inilaglag ng FHM…
Marian Rivera tinalo na ni Angel Locsin
(bilang pinakaseksi sa Pilipinas)
7
P.4-M reward fails
to attract witnesses
BY DING CERVANTES
PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON • JUNE 18 - 19, 2010 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The P400,000 reward
offered by the police for any
information that could solve
the murder case of a brother of the governor of the
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has so far failed
to lure any witness, except
a texter who apparently
wants to further confuse investigators.
Tetangco-Yap task
force head Senior Supt.
Wendy Rosario told Punto that after the police announced the P400,000 reward last week, an unidentified person sent him text
messages providing details on the place where
Rene Tetangco, brother of
BSP governor Amando
Tetangco, his friend Florencio Yap and Yap’s aide
Dennis Guinto were murdered in Angeles City last
June 2.
“We went to the place
and found it as an improbable site for the murders.
It could be that the texter
is himself the culprit who
is trying to mislead investigators,” Rosario said
without giving out details
on the information sent by
the texter.
The texter, he said, always turned off his cellphone after sending the
texts, he noted.
Rosario said that so
8
far, his task force has gathered testimonies from 18
persons, but none of them
were direct witnesses.
“Up to now, we don’t
even known exactly where
the victims were shot
dead,” he noted.
The victims’ bodies
were found in Yap’s van on
an empty lot in Barangay
Pampang in Angeles, but
probers were certain they
were killed elsewhere.
Amid lack of direct witnesses in the June 2 killing of a brother of Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas governor, the Central Luzon police increased yesterday
from
P200,000
to
P400,000 the reward for
anyone who can provide
information that could
identify the murder suspect or suspects.
The reward for any informant who could lead to
the arrest of the still unknown suspects in the
murders was initially
P200,000 from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)
based in Camp Crame, but
the regional police headquarters at Camp Olivas
added another P200,000
for a total of P400,000 reward.
“We hope this would
entice walk- in witnesses
who can provide us finally
with information that can
identify the suspect or sus-
pects,” Rosario said, but
lamented that as of yesterday, his task force still
faced a blank wall on the
suspects.
He said that four telephone numbers of the police were made public for
any one who had vital information that could solve
the murders, but no one
seems to have responded.
But the police announced initially only two
numbers as 09272208432 and 09085011278.
Rosario said that except for the misleading
texts he got from an unidentified source, he has
not received any call or
text despite the P400,000
reward.
Angeles police director
Senior Supt. Danny Bautista also noted no one has
contacted his office to relay any information on the
murders. He said two of
the other telephone numbers made public for witnesses belong to the CIDG
in Camp Olivas in San
Fernando.
Punto tried to call up
the CIDG number 0454632091, but it seemed to
be out of order. The one
who answered the other
CIDG number, through a
Camp Olivas trunk line,
refers the caller to the
same number which leads
only to a busy tone.
US envoy to
visit DMIA
UNITED STATES Ambassador
Harry K. Thomas Jr. will visit
the Clark Freeport Zone today
to see the ongoing development at the Diosdado
Macapagal International Airport (DMIA).
Clark International Airport
Corporation (CIAC) President
and CEO Victor Jose I. Luciano will welcome US Ambassador Thomas and Party
at the DMIA at about 2:30 p.m.
“This is an honor to us
(CIAC) that US Ambassador
Harry K. Thomas Jr., is visiting DMIA,” Luciano said.
Before proceeding to
DMIA, Ambassador Thomas is
expected to visit the Clark
Cemetery and pay a courtesy
call to Philippine Air Force
Commanders at the 600th Air
Base Wing.
Thomas will also lead the
launching of a new Hangar at
PAF’s 600th Air Base Wing.
Thomas is also expected
to visit the ongoing construction of the P308-million expansion of DMIA Terminal 1. Luciano will take the US envoy
to a walkthrough of the project.
The DMIA Terminal 1 expansion features two Passenger Boarding Bridges; Flight
Information Display System;
Closed Circuit Television; Public Television; Background
Music/Public Adress System;
X-ray Machines; Elevators and
Escalators.
The existing terminal has
a capacity of 2 million passen-
Thomas
gers per year. Luciano said
that the expansion of the current terminal will accommodate another 500,000 passengers increasing passenger volume to 2.5 million passengers
annually.
He said that DMIA plays
host to foreign and local carriers flying out of Clark. Among
them is Tiger Airways which
flies via Clark-Singapore, Air
Asia of Malaysia via ClarkKuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu; Asiana Airlines of Korea
via Clark-Incheon.
Cebu Pacific Air also flies
via Clark to Hong Kong;
Macau, Singapore and
Bangkok and domestic flights
to Cebu, while South East
Asian Airlines (Seair) via
Clark- Caticlan to the world
famous Boaracy Beach Island
Resort. Pacific Flier also has
chartered flights via Clark-Palau route.