Gina Lopez leads `one big push` to clean up the

May 2009
Celebrate Mother’s
Day on May 10!
Take a break and treat Mom to Bantay Kalikasan’s Palawan
ecotour, indulge in a lunch buffet at the Eugenio Lopez
Center (details on page 11) or check out gift ideas from
Rockwell Power Plant Mall (on page 12).
Available online at www.lopezlink.ph
Gina Lopez leads ‘one big push’
to clean up the Pasig River
2008 performance:
ABS-CBN
lumalakas pa! ...p.2
Who
made
it?:
2008
LAA
nominees
known
IN 1999, ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI) did the near impossible when it successfully took on the management of the reforestation of the La Mesa Watershed area through its then newly formed
environmental arm, Bantay Kalikasan.
This year, the foundation trains its sights on a bigger and more
ambitious rescue effort—cleaning up Manila’s jewel, the Pasig River,
through Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig (KBPIP).
”We have to change the way we look at the river,” AFI managing director Gina Lopez said during the program launch in
February. “We should use the media to awaken the consciousness and the reverence that people should have for the Pasig
River.”
“This is a massive project because you’re not just talking of the
Pasig River but also of the tributaries,” stressed KBPIP project
manager Girlie Aragon in a later interview with LopezLink.
“It requires the involvement of a large number of the population;
in fact, most of Metro Manila, if you really want to keep it clean
over the long term.”
The 27-kilometer Pasig River winds through Metro Manila
and connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay by way of the Napindan Channel, one of the four major tributaries; the others
are San Juan River, Pateros-Taguig River and Marikina River.
In all, a total of 47 tributaries, esteros and creeks feed into the
river.
Project co-managers
KBPIP aims to arrest some 80 years of abuse of the Pasig River,
which saw the waterway decline steadily from “an important means
of transport and center of economic activity” during pre-Hispanic
Turn to page 6
...page 4
Photo: Damon Lynch
Join the
180-day
challenge! …page 10
View of San Juan River from Sevilla Bridge, Mandaluyong. San Juan River is a major tributary of Pasig River.
Lopezlink May 2009
Lopezlink May 2009
Meralco welcomes
PBR decision
2008 Lopez Group financial performance
ABS-CBN lumalakas pa!
By Carla Paras-Sison
NANATILING
malakas
ang ABS-CBN noong 2008
at umakyat ng 9% ang consolidated net profit nito sa P1.4
bilyon, mula P1.3B noong
2007. Nagdagdag din ng 12%
ang consolidated revenues
sa P22.3B mula P19.9B. At
bagama’t mahina ang TV advertisements sa pangkalahatan,
bumaba lamang ng 1% ang airtime revenues ng ABS-CBN
sa P13.5B from P13.6B.
Bumuti naman ng 9% ang
direct sales sa P5.8B dahil sa
pagdami ng subscriptions sa
ABS-CBN Global, lalo na sa
Estados Unidos. Nang idadagdag pa ang kontribusyon ng
SkyCable na P2.6B noong
2008, umabot ng P8.8B ang
direct sales kasama ang SkyCable, or mataas ng 52% sa
P5.8B noong 2007.
Tumaas ng 12% ang total expenses sa P19.9B mula P17.7B
dahil na rin sa consolidation
ng SkyCable. Ang cost of sales
and services ay umakyat ng
41%. Gayunpaman, bumaba
ng 3% ang production costs
dahil sa masugid na pagbabantay sa mga gastusin.
Inaasahang lalo pang lalakas
ang ABS-CBN sa hinaharap
dahil sa proyektong magpapalakas sa broadcast signal
nito. Sa kasalukuyan, mahina
ang signal ng ABS-CBN sa
Metro Manila at suburbs at
sa Central Luzon kung kaya
malabo ang reception ng flagship nitong Channel 2 sa mga
kabahayan. Ang malabong
reception ay nakakaapekto sa
pagpili ng mga programa ng
mga manonood.
Marami pang ibang pinagkagastusan ang ABS-CBN
noong 2008 upang mapabuti
ang paglilingkod sa mga
manonood. Inilunsad nito ang
DZMM Teleradyo sa TFCNow! at sa cable, gumamit
ng tapeless TV production,
at bumili ng 5% sa Multiply
Inc., isang social network-
ing site sa internet. Dahil sa
mga ganitong investment,
naabot ng ABS-CBN ang
mga bagong manonood tulad ng kabataan, at naibababa
ang gastos para sa paggawa at
pagtago ng video.
Power group nagsaayos ng
pagkakautang
Nahirapan ang power
and energy sector ng Lopez Group noong 2008 dala
ng pagbuno sa mga pagkakautang na dolyares at yen na
apektado naman ng pandaigdigang krisis pampinansiyal.
Bagama’t tumaas o hindi
halos gumalaw ang revenues,
pawang bumaba ang net income ng mga kumpanya sa
power group, at malaking
bahagi nito ang pagbaba ng
halaga ng piso sa dolyar at sa
yen noong nakaraang taon.
Ang Energy Development Corporation (EDC) ay
nag-report ng P1.3B na net
income, mas mababa ng 85%
mula P8.6B noong 2007. Ang
revenues naman ay umangat
ng kaunti (+2%) sa P19.1B
mula P18.8B. Kasama sa resulta ang P8.9B na pagkalugi
mula sa revaluation o pagbago ng halaga ng Japanese
yen debt ng EDC. Mayroong
JPY12 bilyong pagkakautang
ang EDC na dapat bayaran sa
Hunyo 2009.
Ang epekto nito ay bahagyang naibsan ng P2 bilyong
one-time income mula sa arbitration award na tinanggap ng
EDC sa contract implementation issues nito sa National
Power Corporation. Kung
tatanggalin ang mga nonrecurring items na ito, ang recurring
net income ng EDC ay umabot
ng P5.5B.
First Gen revenues, tumaas
Ang First Gen ay nagreport
ng 61% na pagtaas ng consolidated revenues sa US$1.8B sa
2008 mula US$1.1B noong
2007. Ang pagyabong ng revenues ay dahil sa consolidation
ng EDC sa First Gen. Bumaba naman ng 86% ang net in-
ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETINGS
May 13: First Gen Corp., Rockwell Tent, 9 am
May 25: First Philippine Holdings Corp., Meralco Theater, 3 pm
May 26: Meralco, Meralco Theater, 9 am
June 9: Energy Development Corp., (tentative), TBA
June 11: Benpres Holdings Corp., Meralco Theater, 8am
June 18: ABS-CBN Corp., Dolphy Theater, 8 am
*TBA—Time, venue to be announced
come sa US$14.5 milyon mula
US$104.6M.
Ang pag-utang ng First
Gen noong bilhin nito ang
controlling stake sa EDC
noong Nobyembre 2007 at gayundin ang unrealized foreign
exchange losses mula sa revaluation ng foreign currency
loans at assets ng First Gen
group ang may pinakamalaking epekto sa pagbaba ng net
income.
Nakabawas din dito ang
pagbayad ng buwis para sa buong taon ng First Gas Power
Corporation, dahil nag-expire
na ang income tax holiday nito
para sa Santa Rita power plant
noong Mayo 2007. Humina
rin ang net income ng First
Gen Hydro Power Corporation (FGHPC), ang owner
at operator ng PantabanganMasiway hydroelectric power
plant complex, dahil sa mas
kaunting irrigation requirements na nagpababa sa generation output nito at sa presyo
sa wholesale electricity spot
market.
Inaasahang babalik sa normal ang kalagayang pampinansiyal ng First Gen sa taong ito
dahil sa pagtatapos ng malalaking refinancing activities at
sa pagbayad ng huling bahagi
ng Japanese yen loan ng EDC
sa Hunyo.
Electricity sales bahagyang
tumaas
Ang Meralco naman ay
nagtala ng consolidated net
income of P3.13B noong
2008, mas mababa ng 22%
kaysa P4.04B. Kasama rito ang
provision for probable losses at
refund na P6.62B at sa halagang ito, P2.52B ang para sa
disallowed
TOTAL REVENUES
2007
2008
% change
Net income/ (loss)
2007
2008
P1.39B
+12
P1.27B
P19.94B
P22.31B
ABS-CBN
P2.93B*
+12
P5.37B
P19.89B
P22.31B
Benpres
P1.30B**
+2
P8.60B
P18.80B
P19.10B
EDC
US$14.5M
+61
US$104.60M
US$1.10B
US$1.80B
First Gen
P1.19B*
+43
P4.48B*
P55.00B
P78.57B
FPHC
Financial
P3.13B***
-4Results (unaudited)
P4.04B
P200.69B
2008
P191.78B
Meralco Jan. 2008-March
% change
+9
-45
-85
-86
-73
-22
*Net income attributable to equity holders of the parent
**Kasama ang P8.9 bilyong losses from the revaluation of EDC’s JPY12 billion loan at P2 bilyong one-time income from arbitration award; kung wala
ang mga ito, nasa P5.5B ang recurring net income ng EDC
***Kasama ang P2.5B na provision for probable losses para sa disallowed recovery of generation costs; kung wala ito, nasa P5.65B ang net income
ng Meralco
recovery of generation costs
samantalang P4.10B ang para
sa pagsauli ng transmission
charges sa mga customers.
Kung wala ang provision
para sa probable losses dahil sa disallowed recovery of
generation costs na P2.52B,
ang net income ng Meralco
ay umabot sa P5.65B o mas
mataas ng 39% kumpara
noong 2007.
Ang total consolidated revenues ng Meralco ay bumaba
ng bahagya (-4%) sa P191.78B
mula P200.69B. Ang revenue
mula sa bentahan ng kuryente ay mas mababa ng 5%
sa P187B mula P196B. Ang
overall electricity sales ay lumaki ng 2% sa 26,799 gigawatt-hours sa 2008. Gayunpaman, bumaba ng 4% ang
average electricity rates dahil
sa mas mababang presyo ng
power generation. Sa katapusan ng 2008, bumilang ng
4.57 milyong customers ang
Meralco.
FPHC revenues
Ang First Philippine Holdings Corporation (FPHC)
na holding company para
sa power businesses ng Lo-
pez Group ay nagkaroon ng
consolidated revenues na
P78.57B noong 2008. Ito
ay mas mataas ng 43% kaysa
P55.00B na revenues noong
2007.Ang net income attributable to equity holders of the
parent ay P1.2B, o mas maliit
ng 73% kaysa P4.5B. Ang
pagbaba ng net income ay dahil sa mas mataas na foreign
exchange losses at finance
charges noong 2008.
Noong Abril 2008, nagissue ng P4.3B na halaga ng
preferred shares ang FPHC
para sa pagbabayad ng bahagi ng mga pagkakautang
nito, at para na rin sa mga
bagong
pinamumuhunan
sa electronics at electricals
manufacturing. Kasama ang
Benpres Holdings Corporation, binenta ng FPHC ang
lahat ng shares nito sa in First
Philippine
Infrastructure
Inc. (FPII) noong Nobyembre 2008. Nakatanggap ang
FPHC ng halagang P6.2B sa
naturang transaksiyon.
Ang pagbabawas ng utang
ng FPHC at ng mga kumpanya sa ilalim nito ay itinuturing na masinop na pagharap
sa kasalukuyang kaguluhan sa
pandaigdigang kalakal.
Benpres consolidated
revenues lumobo
Ang Benpres, parent company ng ABS-CBN at ng
FPHC, ay nagtala ng consolidated revenues na P22.307B
noong 2008, o 12% na mas
malaki kaysa P19.891B noong
2007. Kaya lamang, bumaba
ng 66% ang net income attributable to the equity holders of
the parent sa P1.811B kumpara sa P5.365B.
Ang malakas na performance ng ABS-CBN ang
nag-angat sa revenues ng
Benpres. Gayunman, tulad
ng mga kumpanya sa power
group, nagkaroon din ng foreign exchange losses ang Benpres sa halagang P2.270B,
kumpara sa foreign exchange
gains noong 2007 na P3.242B.
Bumaba ang halaga ng piso
laban sa dolyar noong 2008 at
karamihan ng pagkakautang
ng Benpres ay dolyar.
Nagkaroon naman ng gain
on sale of investment in an associate na P3.2B ang Benpres
ng ibenta nito ang shares sa
FPII noong Nobyembre.
reports sustained growth in ‘08
B AYA N
r e ported
t h e
continuous growth of its voic e ,
broadband and strategic services
in 2008.
Strong subscriber and revenue growth contributed a 15%
revenue increase to P6.3 billion from the P5.5B posted in
2007 as well as a 34% increase
in EBITDA to P1.88B compared to 2007’s P1.4B.
“Our strategic move to offer unlimited talking through
bayanWIRELESS landline
(BWL), while maintaining
our advantage in fixed voice
and data services, is starting
to pay off,” said chief executive consultant Tunde Fafunwa.
Revenue growth was driven by an 11% gain in voice
services, to P3.8B over P3.3B
the previous year, with a
marked increase of 123% for
BWL.
Data and Internet business
gained 18% over the previous
year, at P2.4B compared to
2007’s P2.05B. Internet revenues, including BayanDSL,
continued its record upswing,
posting P1.4B, thus gaining
36% higher than the previous
year’s P1.0B.
The growth of BWL and
BayanDSL drove Bayan’s revenue to grow 15% versus industry growth of 4%.
Bayan also made headway
into increasing its total subscribers by 9% to more than
500,000 by the end of 2008.
Bayan also maintained its market leadership in the wireless
landline category with a 30%
increase in 2008 to 180,000
postpaid clients.
Bayan recognized a P777
million loss after taxes due to
unrealized foreign exchange
losses.
“The Bayan story in 2008
was one of customer growth
based on strategic technology
and infrastructure investments
we made,” Fafunwa said.
(Freyja Santos)
Meralco boosts renewable energy portfolio. MERALCO signed a contract for
the supply of electricity with Montalban Methane Power Corporation (MMPC), allowing Meralco to
source clean energy from the MMPC’s 8.19-megawatt renewable power generating plant in Rodriguez,
Rizal. The plant will recover harmful methane gas from the Rodriguez garbage dump to generate electricity, enabling Meralco to increase its capacity and alleviate global warming through the reduction of carbon
emissions during electricity generation. Photo shows (l-r) Meralco executive vice president and networks
head Ricardo Buencamino, Meralco president and COO Jose P. de Jesus, MMPC chairman Salvador
Zamora II and MMPC president Peregrino Fernandez. (Meralco Corporate Marketing)
MERALCO said it welcomes the approval by the Energy Regulatory Commission
(ERC) of its rate translation
under performance-based regulation (PBR).
With the approval, Meralco
will be the latest electric utility
to implement PBR-based rates.
The National Transmission
Corporation, whose operations
were recently assumed by the
National Grid Corporation of
the Philippines, first implemented PBR rates three years
ago. For Meralco, implementation will start May 2009.
The ERC approved an average
distribution charge of P1.22 per
kWh. It also directed Meralco
to accelerate the CERA refund,
from 4 centavos implemented
starting March, to 14.61 centavos per kWh this May.
With the three rate developments for May—the PBR
adjustment, CERA refund
change, and lower transmission
charges—there will be a net reduction of 1.4-centavos per kWh
in average power rates for May.
With the PBR, customers
can look forward to higher efficiency and reliability in electric-
ity service since the distribution
utility (DU) is fined if it does
not meet service level standards.
Private DUs are mandated to
enter PBR, a rate-setting methodology successfully employed
in countries such as the United
States, the United Kingdom
and Australia.
“It is close to six years since
Meralco was last allowed to adjust its rates. The last time we
had an adjustment was in June
2003 when the bill was unbundled,” the company said in
a statement. (Meralco Corporate
Marketing)
MERALCO assured its customers that it will continue to
provide uninterrupted power
this summer season. However,
the power utility said that a significant increase in the demand
in electricity due to the hot
weather might lead to unavoidable outages because of system
overload and breakdowns.
“Although Meralco regularly
upgrades and maintains its facilities so these operate in the
best condition, there may be instances when some areas within
the Meralco franchise may experience some power interruptions caused by circumstances
beyond its control,” said energy
management head Nixon Hao.
the
summer
“During
months, consumption levels of
our customers increase. Cooling appliances like air-conditioners, refrigerators, freezers,
electric fans and water pumps
would be in great demand to
fend off the heat. Vacationing
students would be staying at
home and … spending their
free time with entertainment
appliances,” added Meralco
external
communications
manager Joe Zaldarriaga.
Meralco customers are asked
to conserve and use electricity
wisely to further lower their
consumption and thus avoid
system overloading. Electricity conservation measures in-
clude the proper cleaning and
maintenance of appliances so
that these may work more efficiently, the use of compact
fluorescent lights, the systematic planning and usage of flat
irons, air-conditioners and refrigerators.
Meralco suggests that their
consumers check their electricity usage through the Meralco
appliance calculator (MAC) at
www.meralco.com.ph and at
leading appliance stores. Customers are also encouraged to
visit the website for electricity
saving tips and to get in touch
with the Meralco Call Center
hotline at 16211. (Meralco Corporate Marketing)
Meralco braces for
EDC gears up for more increased power usage
overseas ventures
AS part of its expansion of its
geothermal operations abroad,
Energy Development Corporation (EDC) is branching out
to Indonesia, where it is set
to develop that country’s geothermal resources.
The company is studying
several options, including undertaking a preliminary survey
of four geothermal sites in Indonesia.
EDC president and chief
executive Paul Aquino said Indonesia is welcoming foreign
geothermal companies willing
to develop its vast geothermal
resources. He added that EDC
was among the firms that had
applied with the Indonesian
government to conduct a preliminary survey.
Aquino said that Indonesia
presents good opportunities,
which the company intends to
explore. But EDC is also looking at opportunities in other
South Asian countries as well
as in the Middle East, he added.
The company is also awaiting the renewal of its drilling
contract with Lihir Gold Ltd.
in Papua New Guinea; the
contracts with Lihir, a leading
gold producer in Asia Pacific,
is one of the major sources of
EDC’s drilling revenues for
the past decade. The company
has purchased a modern drilling rig worth about P21 million to help it bag more international drilling contracts, as
well as boost revenue streams.
(Toni Nieva)
ABS-CBN leads in nat’l TV ratings
ABS-CBN continues to uphold
its leadership in the national
TV ratings with an overall audience share of 44% or eight
percentage points higher than
GMA’s 36%, based on the data
from global research specialist
Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS)
for March 2009.
Vivian Tin, head of ABSCBN research and business
analysis, said the network’s programs dominate the primetime
block, clinching seven out of the
top 10 slots with the inspirational teleserye “May Bukas Pa”
(39.1%), “I Love Betty La Fea”
(37.5%) and “Tayong Dalawa”
(36.2%) leading the race.
“TV Patrol World” (31.9%)
continues to be the country’s
leading TV news program,
while “Maalaala Mo Kaya”
Zaijan Jaranilla as Santino in
“May Bukas Pa.”
(32.6%) and “Rated K” (30.6%)
have been performing strongly
during weekends. “Wowowee”
(22.0%) is the only noontime
program that made it to the
Top 20.
ABS-CBN continues to
register strong performances in
Northern and Southern Luzon,
the Visayas and Mindanao. Its
TV ratings in Metro Manila
are fast gaining ground, while
its ratings in the suburbs and
Central Luzon have improved
due to the ongoing retrofitting
of the network’s tower and the
introduction of UHF channels
in provinces like Bulacan and
Pampanga.
“We expect improvements
in reception in the suburbs
starting midyear,” Tin said. “In
Central Luzon, we have set up
UHF channels so viewers can
watch our programs and this
has addressed the problem.”
In terms of socioeconomic
class, the TNS data shows
ABS-CBN is leading in 85%
of the total Philippine households or those belonging to
classes AB, C and D. It is also
leading in 70% of the country’s
areas. (Kane Choa)
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Did you miss an issue of LopezLink? Access our archives at www.lopezlink.ph
Lopezlink May 2009
PR
couch potato
CHALLENGE
Social work, quality products associated with Lopez name
By Carla Paras-Sison
A survey commissioned by
Benpres Holdings Corporation Group Public Relations
showed that the public distinctly associated the Lopez
family with helping people and
communities, as well as with
delivering quality products
and services.
The image study aimed
to establish how the Lopez
name, vis-à-vis those of other
prominent families in Philippine business, is perceived by
the general public and special
sectors, namely businessmen,
government officials, and
opinion makers that include
media and the academe.
The study provides a baseline against which future
activities can be measured
for their impact and contribution to the Lopez Group’s
perceived quality and social
responsibility.
According to Boo Chanco,
senior vice president of Benpres Group PR, the results
of the study will serve as inputs for the group, as well as
for individual companies, in
planning business operations,
corporate social responsibility
(CSR) projects and corporate
communications work.
Strengths of Lopez name
Similar to a number of
prominent families included
in the study, the Lopezes are
strongly associated with being a
“provider of quality products.”
However, according to service provider TNS, the Lopezes
are differentiated for their concern for people and being “in
the service of the Filipino.” This
translates also to the perception
that the business is “not run
purely for profit.” Most mentions of their concern for people
were about their donations
to foundations, charities and
institutions, and the general
description, “help the poor.”
for ABSC B N
among all
sectors, as
respondents cited
the quality
of ABSC B N
programs
ABS-CBN’s Eugenio Lopez III is
b a l a nc e d
one of the Lopez family members acwith contive in feeding programs for commucern for
nities served by group foundations.
the com Among the Lopez Group munity and social development.
companies, ABS-CBN and Meanwhile, satisfaction for
Meralco are the more highly Meralco was driven by its proassociated with the Lopez fam- vision of required services and
ily. There was a high satisfaction providing them well. However,
‘LopezLink’ now interactive!
THE online edition of LopezLink, the monthly publication
of the Lopez group of companies, becomes interactive beginning May 2009 on its dedicated
website, http://lopezlink.ph.
Published since 1999, LopezLink was the brainchild of
the late Eugenio Lopez Jr.,
who wanted Lopez Group
All publicity, good and bad, may be
welcome, but it won’t hurt to try to
offset the bad. Charlotte Risch writes
about navigating one’s way through
“15 seconds of fame.” Excerpt:
THERE are few things your
clients should be aware of and
ready for when seeking 15
seconds of fame through TV,
radio or print.
1. Many times there is an immediate sense of urgency in
the media. If a reporter calls
and you miss it, return their
call as soon as you can. If it’s
a topic you aren’t comfortable
discussing or you aren’t the
right person …either recommend another source or idea
for them.
2. You may spend hours prepping for a TV segment and
only 20 seconds of it is shown
in a story. This is the reality
of editing and time elements
behind the scenes with producers.
3. Sometimes you are only half
of the story. To be unbiased,
journalists will sometimes
look for another source to
discuss the topic at hand.
employees
to
receive accurate
and first-hand
information on
each
member
company, as well
as participate in
the in-depth discussion of issues affecting the group.
Over the years, LopezLink
has evolved into a strong employee communication tool. It
has become a means to clarify
issues from the management
perspective, to inform employees and boost their morale, as well as to rally them
toward Lopez Group goals.
Company officials reply to
sent-in queries and address
news hogging the headlines.
LopezLink, a multiple
winner of industry awards in
employee publications, has
also helped bond employees of
the Lopez Group and enhance
their sense of belonging and
Lopez citizenship. Up-to-date
information on corporate initiatives such as wellness activities
and consumer promotions have
helped employees plan better to
maximize their own company’s
membership in the group.
How to engage media
4. Don’t expect a profile
story or front-page story
every time you have
news to share.
5.Never threaten a reporter
or try to bribe them into
producing a story.
6. Just because you advertise
does not mean you get any
special priority for stories.
Yes, there are some situations and media outlets that
offer play for pay, but that’s
a whole other topic to discuss for marketing plans.
7. Sometimes the interviewer
won’t ask you anything from
the talking points provided
prior the interview. Be prepared for possible off-thewall questions or controversial viewpoints, too.
8.A reporter usually works on
a variety of stories at a time.
During the interview, they
may not even know your
name or may even call you by
the wrong name. Don’t get
offended and politely correct.
The point is to make sure your
message(s) and your name
and business come across.
9. A story could be rescheduled
many times. Sometimes the
reporter doesn’t know when
it will run. You may have
something happening on a
Saturday, but the reporter
wants to do it Sunday. Find
a way to make it work.
10. Cold hard fact: Sometimes
the interviewer doesn’t really care about the topic. For
LopezLink’s dedicated website allows registered users to post
comments on news and issues of
the day. Career or job opportunities across Lopez companies will
also be made available. The site
provides access to video clips and
media coverage of Lopez Group
activities, as well as links to the
websites of Lopez companies.
Be heard. Register now
for free and comment on the
latest articles you’ve read in
LopezLink. Suggest how your
monthly source of Lopez
Group news can serve you
better. (C.P. Sison)
example, in a TV interview,
they will have a producer and
director in their ear (an IFB)
talking as you talk, so you
may feel ignored. This could
be true. But that doesn’t matter, you still need to get your
message out to the audience,
so be energetic and be informative in everything you say.
11. Visuals are important.
Always bring hi-res photos,
product brochures or video
material to an interview.
12. A media coach is a very
wise investment. If you want
to get the right message
across, you need to know
how to do it and you must
practice, practice, practice.
13. Your clients are needed for
stories. Always have a few
people in mind that are willing to speak to a reporter.
14. Don’t say “No comment”
or ask for certain things to be
“off the record.” This is why it’s
important to go over talking
points and be prepared through
media coaching so you know
how to get your point across
effectively.
this satisfaction is negatively
impacted by a general perception of expensive rates and
perceived nontransparency in
the setting of rates.
Most popular
Among CSR projects, Bantay Bata 163 is the most popular
among all sectors, and is strongly
associated with either ABSCBN or the Lopez family.
TNS is a global market
research company with headquarters in London and operations in 34 countries including
China, the biggest market in
the world. TNS was supervised
by ABS-CBN Research, consultants of Benpres Group PR.
biz EXCELLENCE
16 vie for LAA
THE Lopez Achievement
Awards (LAA) program
management received 16
entries when the nomination
period closed at 5 p.m. on
April 17, 2009.
The LAA seeks to recognize team and individual
achievements that are exceptional, that contribute to
business objectives and exemplify group’s core values.
In this cycle, all six LAA
categories (Business Management, Customer Focus,
Corporate Image-building,
Operations Management,
Human Resource Focus,
and Public Responsibility)
are represented. Here is the
roster of nominees and their
achievement titles:
Benpres Corporate Governance Award Team, International Corporate Governance; Bayan Business ISO
Certification Team, Bayan
Business at Your Service:
ISO 9001:2000 Certified;
SkyCable Plant Preventive
Maintenance Team, Innovative Solutions—Remote
Status Monitoring System;
SkyCable Field Service
Group, Improved Field
Servicing Efficiency; E-Media Program—ABS-CBN
Foundation Inc., Schools for
Schools (S4S) Campaign.
LopezLink Team, Unity
in Diversity: LopezLink
2008; “The Power and the
Glory” Team, Eugenio Lopez
Foundation Inc., “The Power
and The Glory, The Story of the
Manila Chronicle, 1945-1988”;
Team FPIP, Self-regulation:
A New Business
Strategy Beyond
Regulatory
Compliance;
Lopez Museum Conservation Lab, Lopez Museum
Conservation Work; MK
Buffer Zone Communications Team, Harmonizing
Environment and Technology to Win the Mt. Kanlaon
Buffer Zone Crisis.
EDC 2008 Arbitration
Team, Successful Arbitration Case against NPC;
EDC, T&D Maintenance
Team, Rehabilitation of 25
Units of Defective 230KV
Live Tank Power Circuit
Breakers; FPIC Management Coordinating Council, A Sustained Business
Turnaround.
Communi Corporate
cations
Division—ABSCBN, ABS-CBN Kapamilya Services; AEI Business
Management Team, Strategic Expansion to Fuel
Transition from Start-up to
Growth Company; and AEI
HR Team, Organizational
Transformation to Achieve
Growth Objectives and Superior Performance.
After the prescreening
process, the nominations will
be submitted to the screening committee composed of
functional experts, who will
then determine the semifinalists. Finally, the panel of
judges will select the best
among the semifinalists.
Log on to www.lopezgroupbeknet.net for more
details about the program.
(Bheng Relatado-Rubia)
treats
New format for
‘Pilipinas, Game
KNB’
“Pilipinas, Game KNB” now has
an exciting team format! The new
“Pilipinas, Game KNB” features eight
teams in the elimination. Four will advance to
the Taranta Round, then the top two advance
to the Diskarte Round. The team with the
best strategy and the widest knowledge
plays in the Million Round for the P2million jackpot. Watch the new “Pilipinas, Game KNB” after “Ruffa and Ai,”
only on ABS-CBN. (Kane Choa)
Edu Manzano
‘Only You’ starts cooking
THE TV remake of the “Koreanovela” “Only You” stars the
most talented stars in the industry—Angel Locsin, Sam Milby
and Diether Ocampo.
“Only You” revolves around
people who are searching for
their happiness and how this
search will changed their lives
forever.
Angel plays Jillian, a very
stubborn and proud girl who has
Velvet airs ‘Stylista’
Aspiring fashion enthusiasts vie for a job with Elle magazine in “Stylista,” airing Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. on Velvet. Each episode of “Stylista” features an assistant task and
a fashion editorial assignment. One person is fired each
week until the last assistant standing is “promoted” to the
real-life job opportunity. Velvet (Channel 53) is available
on SkyCable Platinum, SkyCable Gold, SkyCable Silver
and other quality cable operators. (K. Solis)
Lifeline for global Pinoys
The ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) show
“Crossing Borders” tackles key issues that affect
today’s global Pinoys. The host, immigration
lawyer Mike Templo, is joined by a panel of
experts in giving advice on concerns such as
getting a visa and finding a job abroad.
The program also features the stories of
Filipinos who have made it overseas.
Mike Templo
Viewers may send in questions and
stories through www.crossingborderstv.multiply.com. Catch
“Crossing Borders” Thursdays at 10:30 p.m. on ANC. (K. Choa)
Bringing ‘primetime’ feel to
‘Hapontastic’
SHAINA Magdayao and Melissa Ricks relive the classic
movie “Kambal sa Uma” as they breathe life to Ella (Melissa)
and Vira (Shaina), originally portrayed by Rio Locsin. The
story revolves around Ella and Vira, twins who have mouselike features. They are considered lucky charms by their
respective families yet the luck they bring seems to be not
meant for them. Directors Manny Palo and Rechie del Carmen said that they will definitely do their best to bring the
“primetime” feel to the afternoon
block of ABS-CBN.
The other artists that shape
the powerhouse cast of
“Kambal sa Uma” are Jason
Abalos, Matt Evans, Lotlot de Leon, Eva Darren,
Aldred Gatchalian, Carlo
Guevara, Bing Davao,
Allan Paule, Nonie
Buencamino,
Bangs
Garcia, Jordan Herrera
Shaina Magdayao
and Gina Alajar. (Lorelie
and Melissa Ricks
Dionisio-Piravalasamy)
Romana, Iya Villania,
Irma Adlawan, Candy
Pangilinan, Bing Pimentel, Ella Cruz and Dick
Israel. Don’t miss the
newest
primetime
series set to feed
your hungry hearts
and mind with a
pinch of love and
happiness! (L. Dionisio-Piravalasamy)
Kristine is ‘Maruja’
Foreclosure prevention tips
The Filipino Channel’s (TFC’s) flagship program, “Balitang America,” launched recently the first-ever foreclosure
prevention workshop on air. “Payong Kapamilya sa Foreclosure” is a segment on “Balitang America,” the only nightly
Filipino news program in the US that offers direct and
free advice and information to Filipinos. To see all installments of “Payong Kapamilya sa Foreclosure,” visit www.
youtube/TFCbalitangamerica.com. (Nerissa Fernandez)
a passion for cooking. Her high
school friend, Jonathan (Diether)
loves her dearly and shares her
passion for cooking. On the
other hand, TJ (Sam) is from a
wealthy family who owns a large
hotel and restaurants. As the
story progresses, each will touch
the life of the other and this will
spark love.
“Only You” also stars, Tirso
Cruz III, Al Tantay, Dimples
Lopezlink May 2009
Kristine Hermosa
“KOMIKS Presents Mars Ravelo’s
Nasaan Ka, Maruja?” will definitely
give you the chills as it changes the
face of your Saturday afternoon
viewing this May.
After Susan Roces and Carmina
Villaroel comes a new embodiment
of Maruja, Kristine Hermosa. Kristine will play the role of Cristy, a
lady who has vivid dreams which
at first she cannot explain. As the
story progress, clues and hints lead
the way to the real meaning of her
reveries.
Don’t miss an episode of “Komiks
Presents Mars Ravelo’s Nasaan Ka,
Maruja?” Saturdays after “Cinema
FPJ.” (L. Dionisio-Piravalasamy)
ABS-CBN is media partner for Baguio’s
100th. ABS-CBN, through the initiative of the Regional
Network Group (RNG), is the official partner of the Baguio
Centennial Commission (BCC) and Activasia as part of the
city’s centennial celebration beginning September 1, 2009.
The lineup of activities includes the ABS-CBN Kapamilya
Caravan; the “Amazing Baguio!” adventure race; the Baguio
Centennial Charter Celebration to commemorate Baguio’s
100th Charter Day; the Grand Cañao Festival; and an electric
lights parade. Photo shows (l-r) ABS-CBN Baguio station
manager Bernie Aldana; ABS-CBN RNG head Jerry Bennett;
and BCC chairman Virgilio Bautista. (Katherine Solis)
‘Kapamilya Funtaserye’ Day is back!
FUN, excitement and games will surely
shower upon the participants of the Kapamilya Funtaserye Day as ABS-CBN
Licensing shares a bunch of freebies and
laughter on May 3 at SM Southmall and
on May 10 at SM San Lazaro. The event
highlights include a super sale of assorted
ABS-CBN toys and an afternoon of par-
lor games, performances by kid talents
from “Goin’ Bulilit,” “Super Inggo” and
“Kung Fu Kids,” and a guest appearance
by “Matanglawin’s” Kuya Kim Atienza.
Don’t miss a day of enjoyment and entertainment. Join the Kapamilya Funtasarye
Day brought to you by ABS-CBN Licensing! (L. Dionisio-Piravalasamy)
‘Kapamilya’ join Failons in remembering Trina
IT was a very solemn moment as
Kaye Etong, daughter of broadcaster Ted Failon and the late
Trinidad “Trina” Etong, poured
out her emotions during a Holy
Mass offered by ABS-CBN for
Trina at the Dolphy Theater.
Trina died April 16 after suffering from a gunshot wound in
the head. Her remains were cremated on April 22.
ABS-CBN chairman and CEO
Eugenio Lopez III and network
executives Peter Musngi, March
Ventosa, Charie Villa, Maria
Ressa, Glenda Gloria, Bong Osorio, Evelyn Javier, and other radio
and television news personalities,
along with other Kapamilya, came
together and condoled with the
Failons. The mass was sponsored
by the news and current affairs
division and the Manila radio di-
vision.
Fr.Tito
Caluag, in
his homily, urged
ever yone
to realize
that there
are no accidents in
life. He
also urged
Ted’s family to “go ABS-CBN CEO Eugenio Lopez III (2nd from left) leads netback to the work executives and employees in offering a mass for the late Trina
G a l i l e e s Etong, mom of Kaye Etong (3rd from left) and wife of anchor Ted
of
your Failon.
life with your mom. Begin to see Kaye said all the support that
the things that you did not notice their family received had been a
before. The special graces that she big help.
shared with you in her lifetime, “Lahat po kayo ay naging tunay
channeled by God through your na Kapamilya,” she said. (Anne
mother.”
Grace Apostol)
The cast of “Only You”
Cinema One
Originals’
‘Yanggaw’
soars high
“YANGGAW” proved
once again that ingenuity comes with just
rewards!
The Best Film of the
2008 Cinema One Originals bagged three major
nominations at the 6th
Golden Screen Awards:
Best Performance by an
Actor in a Leading RoleDrama for Ronnie Lazaro; Best Performance
by an Actress in a Supporting Role- Drama,
Musical or Comedy for
Tetchie Agbayani; and
the Best Motion PictureDrama where “Yanggaw”
(Strawdogs Production
Films) is up against six
other films.
“Yanggaw” revolves
around an ordinary provincial family with an
extraordinary problem—
their youngest daughter is
afflicted with “yanggaw,’”
the deliberate transformation of a human being
into an aswang.
It’s twice the celebration as the “Yanggaw”
team also got six major
nominations in the 25th
PMPC Star Awards for
Movies to be held in
May.
“Yanggaw” is produced and owned by
Cinema One and Creative Programs Inc.
through its Cinema
One Originals movie
project. (Kane Choa)
A scene from the movie
Lopezlink May 2009
executiveFEATURE
by the numbers
By Carla Paras-Sison
THE Pasig River and
KBPIP at a glance:
27
Length of the Pasig
River, in kilometers
Number of major and
minor tributaries
47
7,000
Estimated amount of
garbage generated by Metro
Manila residents per day,
in tons
1,500
Estimated
number of
tons dumped illegally on
private land, rivers, creeks
and Manila Bay
Percentage of the
pollution in the
Pasig River coming from
household waste, according
to a PRRC study
60
160
Number of
“eco aides”
employed to
clean up the
river in 2008
96,000
Estimated number of informal settlers along the river
407
Target number of
clean river zones
to be put up along the river
7
Number of years KBPIP
aims to restore the river
to Class C status
Clockwise from top: A scenic view of the Pasig River; Environment Sec. Lito Atienza,
Gina Lopez and NHA general manager Rico
Laxa sign on to support KBPIP; Boys at play
in the river as captured by New Zealand
photographer Damon Lynch; Residents
demonstrate the spirit of volunteerism as they
clean up Estero de Paco; Gina Lopez with
PRRC, MMDA officials and other VIPs at
the launch of the Sta. Ana MRF; The backs
of the shanties in the Paco estero look out to
a floor of trash; Houses await their new occupants in the Calauan resettlement site.
KBPIP... from page 1
times to being biologically dead in the
1990s. Today, one routinely comes
across images of the waters choked
by a solid floor of detritus, so thick
one can almost walk on it; of giant
pipes gushing industrial waste into
the waters; or even of residents literally using the river as their personal
toilet, without batting an eyelash.
“We need to make the person in
Quezon City, for example, realize
that what little creek or that estero
behind his house is actually flowing
into the Pasig River, so anything he
throws into that actually ends up in
the Pasig,” Aragon said.
Through the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC),
project comanagers AFI and the
Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) target
zero toxic input into the river by
controlling pollution at the source.
The two organizations have thus
far enlisted the support of the local
governments of Quezon City, Manila, Mandaluyong, Taguig, Pasig,
Marikina and Makati. Also on the
government side, the Metropolitan
Manila Development Authority
meet the
Marathon
Mark your calendars, get set…
ON November 8, 2009,
run for Pasig from Del Pan
Bridge in Binondo, Manila
and follow the river’s course
to Laguna de Bay. For more
info, call the KBPIP secretariat at 416-1991 or 4152272 local 3797.
Lopezlink May 2009
(MMDA), the National Housing
Authority (NHA) led by Vice
President Noli de Castro, and the
Department of Science and Technology’s Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI)
have come onboard.
From the private sector, Manila Water Co., Maynilad Water
Services Inc., Goldilocks, Globe
Asiatique Realty Holdings and
ABS-CBN are among those that
have signed on to support KBPIP,
in addition to a growing list of individual partners.
The rehabilitation of the
river will be accomplished chiefly
through physical efforts on the part
of KBPIP and its partners, and
raising the consciousness of the
population in general, Aragon said.
First phase
Now ongoing is the first phase of
the seven-year rehabilitation effort,
which saw PRRC and AFI work
together in the voluntary relocation of some 94 households in Paco,
Manila and another 57 from under
the Mindanao Bridge in Quezon
City to new homes in Montalban
and in Calauan. The latter site is
being administered by AFI itself.
KBPIP team
PROVIDING able support to Gina Lopez and Girlie Aragon in Kapit Bisig Para
sa Ilog Pasig (KBPIP) is a fresh and dynamic group of women who channel their
years of experience in marketing, law,
media
and nonprofits into the race
to save the Pasig River.
Ruby Dans, Deputy
project director
An AB Political Science and Bachelor
of Laws graduate of
the University of
the Philippines
(UP) in Diliman,
Aragon, who is also deputy director of Bantay Bata 163, said their
experience in different programs—
BayaniJuan, Bantay Kalikasan, Sagip
Kapamilya, Bayan Microfinance, EMedia and Bantay Bata—will come
in handy in Calauan.
Existing partnerships with
government agencies and nonprofits will also be put to good use as
everyone gets busy with laying the
groundwork for a new life for the
transplanted residents: with the
Department of Education for putting in educational TV infrastructure and teacher training and educational facilities; and with Gawad
Kalinga and Habitat for Humanity
for housing units.
“As Bantay Bata, were doing the
nutrition and feeding program and
the parenting program,” Aragon
said. “We started with a feeding
program so that we could address
both the survival and the advocacy
issues. These things that we have
had a track record in in the foundation we’ll now put into Calauan
and Montalban.”
The organization aims to relocate a total of 1, 000 informal
settlers this year.
With the clearing operations
under way, KBPIP aims to estab-
Ruby joined the KBPIP team in 2009. As
deputy director, she handles the operations
of KBPIP and supervises the team of community organizers. She is also in charge
of government and community relations. Before joining KBPIP, Ruby
handled consultancy duties for
Ayala Foundation and Optiserve Technologies.
Ambie Burac, Media promotions and management head
An AB International Studies graduate of Maryknoll
College, Ambie started her
career as a production as-
lish clean river zones or CRZs in
key locations, but especially at the
headwaters, along the river, which
will be overseen by the concerned
Metro Manila LGUs. According to
Aragon, up to 14 CRZs out of the
targeted 407 are already in place.
Immediate targets
“A lot of the pollution is domestic, so if we can try to stop the
toxic input in those sources, then it
would be easier to keep the waters
downriver clean,” she said.
To address the problem of
solid waste management, material
recovery facilities (MRFs), which
are basically better-equipped recycling centers, will be put up so
barangays will have a place to put
their empties and nonbiodegradable waste (see sidebar story).
Getting the CRZs and MRFs
up and running are among KBPIP’s
immediate targets this year. Meanwhile, First Balfour Inc. under Dr.
Fiorello Estuar has taken on the
job of being the engineering consultants for the project, pro bono.
“They are now working on a
framework which can be adopted
by all the stakeholders and meant
to align all the solutions that each
stakeholder can pursue,” Aragon
said. “Hopefully, when we harmo-
sistant in the 1980s. Working her way up,
she became a producer when she was just
23 years old. Ambie has produced a long
list of musical shows and concerts featuring
artists such as Gary Valenciano, Regine
Velasquez and Ryan Cayabyab. As the
head of media promotions and management, Ambie ensures that the
awareness campaign for KBPIP
is properly disseminated in
media, radio, TV and print.
Noemi Arguillo, Resource
mobilization head
Backed by her BS
Industrial
Pharmacy
nize the different plans, we will
be closer to cleaning the river up
faster.”
Other components of the physical thrust of the cleanup include
the construction of easements
along the river to deter people
from resettling in the area, as well
as putting in filtration systems and
garbage traps to catch solid waste
in the water. Bioremediation,
meanwhile, will be utilized to
clean water right at the source, so
that it is already clean by the time
it goes on to the Pasig.
For the long term, KBPIP is
working with the two water companies, Maynilad and Manila Water, to fast track the establishment
of wastewater treatment plants for
large-scale cleanup of wastewater.
KBPIP also plans to launch
an information and education
campaign on sorting of garbage
and how to compost, with special
emphasis on schools and marketplaces.
“Anything that the child learns
in school, he takes it home with him.
And marketplaces seem to be a major area where waste just flows into
the river,” Aragon explained. “We
can start our education campaign
in those areas. But not just us—it’s
degree from UP as well as a pharmacy
licensure, Noemi started her career in the
pharmaceutical industry. Eventually, she
began handling marketing duties for a
pharmaceutical company. From 2003 to
2007, Noemi directed marketing for TFC-Europe. Now, as
resource mobilization head,
she is responsible for raising
funds and mobilizing support for KBPIP projects.
Pilar Villanueva, Volunteer
affairs head
Since 1987, Pilar has
been affiliated with an
really mobilizing the schools, the
barangays in the community.”
Cleaning up the river and dealing with the logistics that come
with the job is very challenging,
what with the sheer number of
people involved within and without the organization. Aragon
averred that the key lies in engaging everybody and firing them up
because some of them might possibly just have the solutions.
Outpouring of volunteers
The support has been heartening, she observed. “There’s been an
outpouring of volunteers, ideas on
how to help us along. It’s been very,
very encouraging, and we just need
to set up the vessels to catch all this
goodwill.”
She emphasized the important
role of the media and the citizenry
in monitoring the project. Media
may also help push the project
forward by encouraging corporate
and community effort, as well as
highlighting success stories and
other activities and initiatives.
“If we don’t involve the citizens, how can we ever hope to patrol such a massive area? We really
have to count on citizen participation to monitor, so that no settlers
will try to put up a shanty again in
the areas that we’ve cleared; otherwise it’s not going to work.
“It’s really up to everyone to make
this one big push,” she stressed.
Indeed, the KBPIP chief and
the rest of her team are keeping
their eyes on their one agendum—
a clean river in seven years.
“We’re aiming for that. Were
giving it everything that we’ve got,
Gina and the rest of the people
here. With the people behind us,
we are hopeful,” Aragon said.
international nonstock, nonprofit volunteer organization based in England, giving her valuable experience in organizing
and coordinating with volunteers for a
cause. A Liberal Arts graduate of De La
Salle University, Pilar began working in KBPIP
in 2009. As the head for
volunteer affairs, she is
in charge of matching
would-be
volunteers
with the needs of the
different
KBPIP
activities.
(Faizza
Tanggol)
GIRLIE Aragon is concurrent project director of Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog
Pasig (KBPIP) and deputy director
of Bantay Bata 163 (BB163), both
programs of ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI). The former artistic
director of the Cultural Center of
the Philippines has stayed on top of
BB163 operations since 2000, setting
up the Children’s Village in Norzagaray, Bulacan and the program’s
nationwide branch network.
“I found it very hard to refuse
Gina (Lopez, AFI managing director). I knew very little (about social
work) but what attracted me was
the recognition (by AFI) that creative imagination had a role to play
in the healing of abused children, in
helping them imagine a better life.
With my background in arts and
culture, I found the connection in
the use of imagination for healing.
Besides, how do you refuse abused
children? I wanted to see where it
(AFI work) would take me and how
I could help,” recalls Aragon.
A University of the Philippines
graduate of AB English and Comparative Literature, Aragon was
drafted for the KBPIP project in
February 2009.
“It’s been a privilege to actualize
Gina’s vision, which I’ve found to
always be anchored on the highest
ideals, sustained by the wonder and
faith of a child, and executed with
incredible energy and passion. I saw
in the Pasig River project a chance
for us to have a more humane, livable urban environment. It’s imagining and creating a better space for
people to live in. A large part of this
is in reestablishing our connection
to the water around us, and in this
case, the Pasig River,” says Aragon.
According to Aragon, a shift
in consciousness is needed, that is,
people must care for and give value
to the river again so that they will
face the river instead of turning their
backs to it. Such change of mindset
is a key element to support the mul-
tifaceted solutions and activities for
the Pasig River’s revival.
With Aragon’s track record in
program management, keeping
various components of operations
consistently working toward the vision, it was but natural for Lopez
to enlist her help for KBPIP.
One of the biggest challenges
the project is facing is the lack
of land in Metro Manila, not
only for settlers, but also for
the recycling facilities that
would help reduce water
Gina Lopez’s deputies
The artist and the traffic
pollutants. Another hurdle is the relocation away from the waterways.
“A lot of well-intentioned people
have done this (river cleanup).
Sometimes we do a cleanup and
the next day, it’s dirty again. So we
just do it all over again. This is the
time to show our mettle. We have to
show that we are serious about the
cleanup and that we will not be going away anytime soon. We’re giving it our best shot,” says Aragon.
Enter the traffic cop
First Philippine Holdings Corporation’s Fiorello R. Estuar also
joined the KBPIP team in March
2009. He had come out of retirement in 2001 to lead construction
subsidiary First Balfour Inc., where
he is now vice chairman and chief
executive officer.
A civil engineer with a Doctor
of Philosophy degree from Lehigh
University who good-naturedly refers to himself as a “doktor ng bakal”
(doctor of steel), Estuar found the
KBPIP to be a “very exciting project”
and was drawn in by Lopez’s vision
and passion for the Pasig River.
“I saw it as an opportunity to
make a contribution,” says Estuar.
The project also allows him to network with many like-minded per-
sons and organizations who wish to
reduce pollution and create a better
metropolis.
Within a month, Estuar put
together a general framework in
which the many aspects of the program—the multifaceted solutions
to the multifaceted problems of the
Pasig River—can be classified and
monitored. Applying project management techniques, there is now
room to accommodate the efforts
of all interested parties and a way
to measure their contribution.
The reduction of pollution loads
will be the main measure for activities directed toward cleaning up the
river. Pollutants in the Pasig River
have been identified as domestic
liquid waste, industrial liquid waste,
and solid waste. Estuar has classified solutions to reduce waste into
seven categories: treatment of waste
at source; relocation of polluters;
programs by the water utilities that
require massive investments; direct
river cleanup, including dredging;
effective governance; enhanced
communications and fundraising.
Because there are many groups
who all want to revive the Pasig
River, including the Pasig River
Rehabilitation Commission, lo-
The whole plant, including the
bioreactor, costs P2 million to build
and to put into operation for a year;
the amount also includes training and
advocacy (for the MRF personnel), and
equipment costs. KBPIP’s Aragon said
that KBPIP is looking at putting three
MRFs per quarter, or 12 in a year.
“KBPIP sets up MRFs in communities that are strategic to reducing
the solid waste pollution load; that is,
they are near major tributaries that
feed into the Pasig River. The equipment in the MRF includes shredders,
styro oven, different bins for sorting
and either a bio-digester, composter
or vermi compost beds,” she said.
cop
cal government units and a host of
nongovernment organizations, all
their activities can be logged onto
the framework to properly account
for their efforts and the impact each
project has on the overall goal.
In this manner, Estuar will act
as some sort of traffic cop to make
sure various activities are actually
helping, and properly prioritized
in terms of how much help they are
contributing to the goal.
Aragon welcomes Estuar’s framework as a means to align all the efforts
being done to clean up the Pasig.
“There is a chance for everybody
to come in and to help in whatever
way they can. Gina wants to involve
the Lopez Group companies in
taking stewardship of certain portions of the river. Personally, apart
from cleaning up the water, I hope
there is an opportunity for public
art spaces in the redevelopment of
the Pasig River,” she says.
Estuar says, “Let’s support this
worthwhile undertaking. We can
contribute as corporations, as individuals. There is no one solution
to the problem, but with the many
community-based and participatory approaches, we have that chance
to help.”
SPOTLIGHT There’s hope for WASTE
TO improve the solid waste disposal
service and convert trash into products,
KBPIP will set up bioreactor equipment plants in several communities.
The material recovery facility (MRFs),
wherein solid waste is segregated into
biodegradables and nonbiodegradables,
will make use of a plastic recycling
technology developed by the Department of Science and Technology.
Kitchen, yard and market waste
are shredded and turned into compost (organic fertilizer) and/or into
methane to power the shredders.
The nonbiodegradables are sorted,
shredded and melted to produce new
products.
Piso Para sa Pasig
Text to save
a river!
The MRF process where biodegradables
and non-biodegradables are properly
segregated and recycled
To date, two MRFs are already in
place, one each in Mandaluyong and
Sta. Ana, Manila. After one year of operation, the MRF will be turned over
to the barangay or LGU, since they
provided the land to build the facility.
Help clean up the Pasig
River just by texting!
Type GIVE <space>
ILOG and send to 231
for Smart or Talk ‘N’
Text subscribers and to
2366 for Globe, Touch
Mobile, and Sun Cellular subscribers. Every
time you text,
you
are
giving life
to the Pasig River.
CSR ACTIVITIES
Lopezlink May 2009
EDC holds 6th Energy Camp
KCFI welcomes new board
members: Joaquin Quintos IV of IBM
ASEAN, De La Salle University-Manila president Bro. Armin Luistro, Juan Miguel Luz of the
National Institute for Policy Studies, and UNICEF
representative to the Philippines Vanessa Tobin. Photo
shows (bottom row, from left): KCFI president and executive director
Rina Lopez Bautista; Lopez Group chairman Oscar M. Lopez; and
Felipe Alfonso of Meralco; (middle row) Luz; Dr. Fe Hidalgo, formerly
of the Department of Education; Angela Travis, proxy for Tobin; Ramon
Jimenez Jr. of Jimenez Basic; and (top row) Atty. Roderico Puno of Puno
& Puno Law Offices; Carlo Katigbak of SkyCable; and Quintos. Not
in photo: Eugenio Lopez III of ABS-CBN Corp., Luistro and Tobin.
(Dittie Galang)
BAYAN ACADEMY
CALENDAR
ENERGY Development Corporation
(EDC) is holding a series of Energy
Camps until May 29, 2009 in its geothermal project sites in Ormoc City, Leyte;
Palinpinon, Negros Oriental; Sorsogon,
Bicol; and Kidapawan, North Cotabato.
Camp participants are 338 students from
public high schools.
Running for nine days per site, the 6th
EDC Energy Camp aims to provide participants with experiential learning that
promotes physical wellness and instills
environmentalism, discipline and teamwork.
A brainchild of EDC president and CEO
Paul Aquino, the camp was conceptualized
in 2004 with the goal of providing children
in the company’s host communities with an
alternative way of learning. It also aims to
orient them on the importance of geothermal energy and environmental protection.
“This is a continuing gift of empowerment to the children of our host communities, a gift which gives them the opportunity to visit geothermal projects while
immersing in worthwhile activities and
discovering their talents,” Aquino said.
Aside from sports and ballgames, the
campers are taught basic martial arts, knot
AFI UPDATES
Diabetes info drive
BAYAN Academy offers
the following certificate
training programs this
month:
Teaching Entrepreneurship & Management
May 4-6@ Far Eastern
University, Manila
Learning Methodologies
& Materials Development
May 4-8@ University of
Pampanga, Pampanga
Strategic Management
towards Effective Health
Care Systems
May 12-13@ Bayan
Academy, QC
Learning Methodologies
& Materials Development
May 18-22@ University of
San Carlos (USC), Cebu
Teaching Entrepreneurship & Management
May 25-29@ USC, Cebu
Learning Methodologies
& Materials Development
May 25-29@ Colegio San
Agustin, Bacolod
Professional Management Certificate Courses
for Corporations
May 14-15, 21-22, 28-29@
Bayan Academy, QC
For more info, contact KC
Villanueva at 928-5576 or at
[email protected].
The Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (PSEM),
in cooperation with DZMM, ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI) and
Merck Sharp & Dohme signed a memorandum of agreement to promote
public awareness of diabetes through Diabetes Academy On-Air. PSEM
officers will tackle topics on diabetes, including facts and myths, nutrition, lifestyle, prevention and treatment in “Bago Yan Ah!,” aired Sundays
at 4:30 p.m. on DZMM. Diabetes Academy On-Air will run until July
5, 2009. To join the trivia contest, text 0927-9839698 or email [email protected]. (She Capili)
Eco-Academy hosts Miss Earth
beauties
Bantay Kalikasan EcoAcademy hosted an
environmental seminar
for the Miss PhilippinesEarth 2009 beauties at La
Mesa Ecopark. Resource
mobilization officer Darryn Castillo gave presentations on La Mesa and
the global water crisis
while Bangon Kalikasan’s
Joey Papa talked about
solid waste management.
Gandang Kalikasan
Miss Negros Occidental carefully pots the soil.
Inc.’s Dylan Wilk
and Anna Meloto-Wilk also discussed their “green” lifestyle. Later, the
candidates potted tree seedlings at the Bahay Punlaan. Miss Earth Foundation aims to increase awareness of vital environmental issues and to
build strong community ties through its projects. (Ana Terrese Junio)
Soldiers fulfill La Mesa promise
Philippine Army soldiers returned to La Mesa to bike and plant trees, fulfilling their commitment to enhance Tower 11, which is used to monitor the
watershed. Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Philippine Army commanding general Victor Ibrado also pledged to donate gravel to rehabilitate
La Mesa’s road network. Save the La Mesa Watershed project manager
Valerio Mendoza thanked the soldiers for their cooperation in improving
the forest, while BK program adviser Marlo Mendoza cited the partnership
between BK and the military in preserving nature. (A.T. Junio)
tying, rappelling, v-traverse, map reading,
basic first aid and other outdoor survival
skills. There are also classroom lectures
about how geothermal energy is harnessed,
accompanied by plant tours and excursions.
Lessons on social graces such as dancing
and table etiquette are also given.
The EDC Energy Camp received an
Anvil Award from the Public Relations
Society of the Philippines and a Gold
Quill from the International Association
of Business Communicators. (Toni Nieva)
THE Business Excellence
Management Group led by
Rene Mayol launched the
“Diet in Carbon, Max in
Green” climate change
program for the Lopez
Group in La Mesa
Ecopark’s Punlaan area
on April 21, 2009.
“Diet in Carbon, Max in
Green” advocates the reduction of carbon emissions and air
pollution through actions that mitigate
climate change, save costs and boost operational efficiency. “Diet in Carbon” uses a holistic and systematic approach, starting from
education and information on initiatives that
could reduce emission or sequester carbon
to actual implementation of mitigating
programs, monitoring or measurement and
recognition of outstanding efforts. “Diet in
Carbon” is an organization-wide program.
Greenhouse gas inventory
To join the program, companies need to
complete the “Diet in Carbon” commitment
document; develop a greenhouse gas (GHG)
inventory for the six major GHGs (carbon
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perflurocarbons and sulphur
hexafluoride); and set their GHG emission
reduction goal. They must also document
and report their progress towards their goal
every year. Measurement of GHG emission
is important: if GHG can be measured, then
it can be managed and reduced. To help the
companies set and achieve their carbon reduction goals, visit www.lopezgroupbeknet.
net for tools and guidance documents.
If companies can measure their impact to
the environment through GHG accounting,
then they can better manage their GHG
emissions and therefore reduce impact on
the global environment. GHG accounting
and reduction will put companies in a better
position to address current and future policies
and laws, and earn them the trust of
investors, customers and suppliers
as socially and environmentally
responsible business partners.
In addition, taking action will
allow them to gain external
recognition by participating in
national, local or international
reporting programs as well as
enhance their corporate image.
Managing director Gina
Lopez kicked off the round of
presentations by introducing ABS-CBN
Foundation Inc.’s undertakings in different areas of environmental preservation,
including in La Mesa itself.
Responsibility of business
Lopez also touted AFI’s newest project,
Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig. To help raise
funds for the months-old project, she asked
the participants to join the “Piso Para sa
Ilog Pasig” text drive. She calculated that if
Metro Manila’s 12 million residents texted
even just once a month, some P4 million to
P5 million will be raised.
Glynda Bathan of Clean Air Initiative for
Asian Cities and Lisa Antonio of Philippine
Business for the Environment, who represented the program management’s partners,
stressed the importance of GHG accounting
and management as a way to reduce companies’ carbon footprints. More than enjoying
the benefits of being early adopters, they said,
it is also business’ responsibility to stimulate
the community at large to take action.
About 40 engineers, safety officers,
managers, QA advocates and other environment, safety and health (ESH) staff
attended from Meralco, Rockwell Land,
SkyCable, Bayan, First Gen, EDC, FWV
Biofields, Asian Eye Institute, Philec,
First Sumiden, First Balfour, Knowledge
Channel Foundation Inc., First Philippine
Holdings, and Lopez Group Foundation
Inc. attended the program launch.
Lopez Group starts GHG
emission reduction drive
LGFI-backed
co-op marks
milestones.
Rafael M. Alunan III
(left), president of Lopez Group Foundation
Inc. (LGFI), inducts
the new board of directors of the Halad sa
Kauswagan sang Guimaras Multipurpose
Cooperative (Halad
MPC) in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras. Halad MPC was organized two years ago by LGFI and
ICODE NGO to help the victims of the 2006 oil spill with alternative livelihood programs. Now
on its second year, Halad MPC activities include vegetable production, agro-forestry, workshops
on bookkeeping and accounting, and various business operation modules. Target membership of
Halad MPC is 116 families. The Lopez family, through LGFI, is initially donating 15 hectares to
the cooperative. (Dulce Festin-Baybay)
ONGOINGS
Workshops
Lopezlink May 2009
@Lopez Museum
Creative writing for
kids, teens on May 16
and 23
IT’S time to squeeze those
creative juices! Turn off the
TV, unplug the PC and let
your kids engage the world
and discover its great
possibilities. Equip
them with the skills
Carla Pacis
for creating and entering new realities.
Skills learned today can help them for life.
Book Matters will hold a creative writing
workshop for kids on May 16 and another one for
teens on May 23, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. In these
workshops, participants will learn how to organize their thoughts and to discover the magic of
words in poetry.
Fee is P1,000, discounted price for children
of employees of Lopez Group, Ortigas Group of
Companies and JG Summit.
Both workshops will be facilitated by Carla
Pacis, a multi-award winner of the National Book
Award, a recipient of the Gawad C. S. Alabado
and the PBBY Writer’s Prize for her story “Mayroon Akong Alagang Puno.” She earned her masters
in creative writing at the University of the Philippines after winning second place in the 1995 Carlos
Palanca Awards for her “Dream Weaver” entry.
Pacis is a lecturer at the De La Salle
University-Manila. The former owner
of a bookstore specializing in children’s
books and educational toys, she is also
a founder-member of Kwentista ng mga
Tsikiting (KUTING), an organization
of writers for children. She is one of
the country’s strongest advocates for
children’s book publication and a moving
force in children’s education.
mans but also include animals? Look at your pets
and read about creatures in mythology and you
will see that animals and mythical creatures are
either the main characters or sidekicks in real life
as well as fiction.
On May 19 and 20, 10 a.m.-12noon, Lopez
Memorial Museum will hold a creature creation
workshop which will have students ages 6-12
draw their favorite animals, animals in mythology
and combinations of such animals. The workshop
will be facilitated by Joanah Tinio-Calingo.
Tinio-Calingo is a UP College of Fine Arts
graduate who has done workshops for Lopez Memorial Museum, Japan Foundation, and St. Benilde,
among others. She is a writer-illustrator of comic
books and strips such as D-Koi Junkie and some
animation films, and was a finalist in the First Philippine Graphic and Fiction Awards for her comic
version of Blind Beauty. Calingo’s films have received
awards from the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
Fan fiction with Anna Ishikawa on May
30, June 6
Are you a fan? What does it
mean to be a fan? The modern phenomenon of fan
fiction as an expression of
fandom and fan interaction was popularized and
defined via the Star Trek
fandom and fanzines
published in the 1960s.
Creature creation workshop on May
19-20
Do you know that characters in movies,
stories, etc. are not only limited to hu-
SPECIAL
feature
IT has been 95 years since the first
official Mother’s Day was celebrated
in the United States, and 101 since
the maiden Mother’s Day service in
St. Andrew’s Methodist Episcopal
Church in West Virginia, where Ann
Jarvis taught Sunday school. Ann’s
daughter, Anna Jarvis, is credited with
starting and setting in motion the
movement for a day to honor mothers
after her death in 1905.
Carnations—Ann’s favorite flowers—are associated with this celebration, being the blooms that Anna Jarvis distributed at her mother’s church
at the start of her campaign for a
Mother’s Day holiday. In later years,
the use of white carnations to signify
that one’s mother had passed on, and
a red one if she was living, became the
common practice.
Only nine years after it became
an official holiday in the United
States, Anna Jarvis was said to have
decried the crass commercialization
Anna Ishikawa
Author Anna Felicia SanchezIshikawa will explore fandom
through a workshop on May
30 and June 6 from 9 a.m. to
12 noon. She will discuss its
history, the characteristics
and diversity of fan writing,
and the challenges faced by
a fan writer. Workshop fee
is P700.
Sanchez-Ishikawa
graduated with a BA in
English Studies, major in Creative
NOSTALGIA
Writing, from the University of the PhilippinesDiliman, where she has won awards in the Amelia Lapeña Bonifacio Literary Contest and the
Supernatural Story Writing Contest. She placed
second for a full-length play in English in the
2004 Palanca Awards.
The creative writing and fan fiction workshops
are part of Book Matters, a festival celebrating
books and reading, especially those written by
Filipino authors. Organized jointly by Lopez
Memorial Museum, Ortigas Foundation Inc.
and The Children’s Library, the festival runs
from May 2009 to June 2009.
Those who cannot remember the past are
condemned to repeat it.— George Santayana
Learn to make simple classical binding
with hard cover using the lock-stitch
technique on May
16, 23 and 30
from 9 a.m.-12
noon with Loreto Apilado of the
Cottage Industry
Technology Center. The result is an elegant, sturdy
and strong classically bound book or journal. The
course also includes the proper use of hand tools
and basic equipment and the correct application
of raw materials. The duration of the course is nine
hours in total, 80% of which is for the development
of applicable skills and 20% is for the acquisition
of knowledge, latest trends on designs and applications. Fee is P5,500 including materials.
Apilado has had seminars on papermaking, book
arts and conservation here and abroad. He has been
in charge of teaching papermaking, paper crafts,
bookbinding; designing tools and equipment for
such workshops; and researching on and disseminating information on matters related to such topics.
The Lopez Memorial Museum is at the ground
floor, Benpres Building, Exchange Road, Pasig City.
Museum days and hours are Mondays to Saturdays, 8
a.m.-5 p.m., except holidays. For more information,
call 631-2417 or email [email protected].
ment—and you don’t even have to
break the bank to do it!
How about serving her breakfast
in bed? Or, if Mom’s the active type,
work up an appetite by going on a
brisk walk or engaging in a round of
tai chi at the UP Academic Oval, the
Ultra track, on Roxas Boulevard, or
wherever in your neighborhood, before
capping it off with a hearty brunch.
If you live far from Mom and
spending the day together is not possible, give her a call instead—preferably using the landline. Let her ramble
and share anecdotes about her week.
It’ll be a nice change from those 160character texts or hurry-up-this-iscosting-me cellphone conversations.
Go old school! Anna Jarvis may
have deplored the widespread use of
May 20, 1943
Manuel M. Lopez is born to Eugenio
H. Lopez Sr. and Pacita M. Lopez.
Classical bookbinding on May
16, 23, 30
Queen for a day
of Mother’s Day, even going so far as
to use up her inheritance to fight the
“abuse.”
Jarvis would surely be dismayed
to know that Mother’s Day has become such a colossal celebration that
consumers spend billions of dollars
for gifts in the form of flowers, jewelry, food and greeting cards for their
moms, wives, girlfriends, sisters and
aunts on this day.
The commercialization notwithstanding, why deprive Mom, Mama
or Nanay of this opportunity to be
queen for a day? It doesn’t matter if
you’re married with your own brood
to look after. Considering all that she
does and has done for her family, it’s
the least you can do to go out of your
way to pamper Mom with royal treat-
greeting cards, but that was in another era. With the use of the
Internet and text messaging as
default communication tools,
snail mail has become a quaint
relic that many people profess to
miss. Make sure to post your
card extra early, though—
there’s a good reason it’s
called snail mail!
Aside from sending
a card, add color to
Mom’s day by getting
her some nice blooms.
It will surely bring back
memories of her campus
sweetheart days—never mind if the
day’s bouquet is actually just from the
kid who used to drive her batty with
his nonstop crying.
May 27, 1947
Eugenio Sr. and his brother Fernando
acquire The Manila Chronicle as they
turn their sights on publishing on a nationwide scale.
May 1999
Benpres and JG Summit sell their 72%
stake in PCIBank to a consortium
composed of Equitable Bank, Social
Security System and the Government
Service Insurance System.
May 2004
Lopez Group chairman Oscar M. Lopez is cited as one of the Top 20 CEOs
in Asia by the Asian Business Leader
Awards. He is one of only two Filipinos
cited.
Source: Mercy Servida, head librarian,
Lopez Memorial Museum Library
10
Lopezlink
LIFELONG WELLNESS
qualities of wellness calendar
May 2009
Can xenon lights
affect vision?
IF you’re in a car and had to
turn away from the glare of
the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, then you’ve likely
experienced the effect of xenon
lights, also called high intensity discharge lamps (HID).
Xenon headlights are up to
three times brighter than halogen lights. They contain xenon
gas, which magnifies light.
Used in headlights, xenon
lights produce a more uniform
intensity, allowing drivers to
see the road more clearly.
According to Dr. Edgar
Leuenberger,
Asian
Eye
Institute’s glaucoma and cata-
ract specialist, the use of
xenon lights comes with
a degree of responsibility,
and is not without risk.
“For someone with
minimal cataract condition,” he says, “the severe
blinding glare caused by xenon
lights can cause temporary
blurry vision that may lead to
accidents.”
He adds that although there
are no studies yet to show the
effect of xenon lights on vision,
there may be risk of eye damage from prolonged exposure
because they emit ultraviolet
rays.
launch
moved to May 9
THE Race to 180 contest will be launched during the Walk
the Talk with Lopez Group chairman Oscar M. Lopez at the
Eugenio Lopez Center, Antipolo on May 9.
All Lopez Group companies may join the contest, with
small companies forming joint teams. Each team must have
10 members and shall be led by the company CEO or COO
as team leader. Participants must secure clearances from their
doctors before the contest proper.
During the contest launch, the participants will undergo
the initial profiling/photo ops; uniforms shall also be issued
to participants for use during weigh-in schedules. This will be
followed by the weeklong blood chem and weigh-in on May
11-15. The final weigh-in will be done a week before the 2nd
Lopez Group Health and Wellness Fair, wherein the top three
teams and individual awardees will be announced.
For more info, contact Lopez Lifelong Wellness’s Benjo
Sandoval at [email protected] or call 631-6394.
106 games for Meralco’s 106 years. MERALCO Chess Club staged an intensified chess event for Meralco’s 106th
Employees’ Day with five National Masters—Gerry Cabellon,
Andrew Vasquez, Efren Bagamasbad, Rolly Andador and Rhobel
Legaspi—playing with all comers. Of the 106 games played that day,
four players won against a master: Earl Cabugao, Danny Degollado,
Ricky Tan and Jay Dicen. Photo shows NM Cabellon of Manila Sector (standing, right), who had earlier received the Chess Hall of Fame
Award for his achievements in chess, playing in a four-board simul.
Meanwhile, junior players Paulo Bersamina and Paul Casiano, sons
of Meralco employees, competed in the 2009 Palarong Pambansa
in Tacloban City as National Capital Region and Central Luzon
champions for the elementary division. (Raul Sol Cruz)
sports & wellness
Source: http://www.hella.com
There are other dangers for
drivers. “If you have a full trunk,
the hood goes up, causing the
light from the xenon lamps to
beam higher. You have to be
careful that they aren’t aimed at
the windshield of the oncoming
driver,” he explains.
If you have a car with xenon headlights, control the
beam to avoid accidents. Dr.
Leuenberger also advises that
if you have an eye condition,
get your vision tested before
driving at night. For more
info, call AEI at 898-2020 or
at 0918-8982020 or visit www.
asianeyeinstitute.com. (Sheila
Sochayseng)
A person is truly well if he or
she is:
Committed to a cause outside oneself
Able do whatever he/she
wants with intensity
and great energy,
and is seldom sick
Caring and loving, and can
be relied on in a
crisis
In tune with
the spiritual,
and has a clear
sense of purpose
and direction
Intellectually sharp,
able to handle information, and has an evercurious mind and a good sense
of humor
Well organized and able to
accomplish plenty of work
Enjoys the present instead
of focusing on the past or
looking toward the future
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
financialwellness
8
9
10
Comfortable with expressing the full range of human
emotions
Accepts his/her limitations,
handicaps and mistakes
Takes charge of his/her
life, practices positive selfcare, and is assertive
Benefits of wellness
Wel lness
reaps benefits not
only to the physical body but to
the soul as well.
Achieving a high
level of wellness helps
increase one’s energy
and look better,
delays the aging
process, reduces the risk
of chronic illness, and improves
muscle strength, endurance and
flexibility. Being well also boosts
one’s self-confidence and allows
him/her to perform better at
school, on the job, and in everyday living. (Benjo Sandoval)
Timeless money
MONEY Magazine’s Carla Fried lists
the experts’ money advice:
Be humble. Investing is a
big bet on an unknowable future. Being humble in the face
of uncertainty keeps you from
costly mistakes. You won’t jump
on yesterday’s bandwagon. And
before you invest, you’ll be
more likely to ask a key question: “What if I’m wrong?”
Have an emergency fund.
The first step in constructing any
serious financial plan is to create
an emergency cash fund—ideally, three to six months’ living
expenses—stashed in a lowcost ultrasafe bank account or
money-market fund. Without
this financial cushion, any
unexpected expense can derail
your long-term plans.
Mix it up. Nothing can break
the law of risk and reward, but a
diversified portfolio can bend it.
When you spread your money
properly among different asset
types, a rise in some will offset a
fall in others, muting your overall risk without a commensurate
drop in return. Load up on assets whose up and down cycles
don’t run in sync.
It’s the portfolio, stupid.
Most investors concentrate on
trying to choose the best stock
and pick the perfect moment
to buy or sell. It’s a waste.
What really matters to your
long-term returns is asset allocation—that is, how you split
up your portfolio.
Practice patience. Once
you arrange your assets into
your ideal allocation, don’t
tinker. Rebalance once a year
to keep your mix on track, but
otherwise …sit tight.
Keep perspective. When
the Dow sheds 300 points in a
day, it’s natural to feel doomed.
And when the market surges,
it’s easy to be convinced that
stocks have entered “a new paradigm,” to echo a bubble-era
phrase. Don’t delude yourself.
As Sir John Templeton notes,
“The four most expensive
words in the English language
are `This time it’s different.’ “
Just do it. The brain is wired
to make us undervalue long-term
goals and exaggerate the cost of
short-term sacrifice. Yet studies
show that people who do even
a little retirement planning had
twice the savings of those who
did almost none. Set concrete
goals—”I’ll pay extra on my
credit card” is more likely to succeed than “I’m going to get my
act together”—then commit.
Borrow responsibly. Face
this truth: If you let them,
lenders are only too willing to
advance you more than is good
for your family. You need to set
your own rules, such as “No
credit-card debt.” It’s never okay
to pay 15% to borrow for consumption. Borrow only to buy
assets that appreciate. A home,
yes. Education, sure. A 50-inch
flat-screen TV? No way.
Talk to your spouse. Your
most important financial partner isn’t your broker. It’s your
spouse. But research shows
that spouses often don’t agree
on even such basic info as their
income and savings. Wake-up
call: To make smart decisions,
you need to talk, and if you’re
like most couples, to do a better job at it.
Exit gracefully. You have
no excuse not to take elementary steps to make life easier on
those you’d leave behind.
Give wisely. Giving back
is always the right thing. Still,
there are more right and less
right ways to do it.
Keep money in its place.
People who say they value
money highly report that they
are less happy in life than
those who care more about
love and friends. Enough said.
(Excerpted from http://money.
cnn.com/)
MAY
2: Camaya Coast Aquathlon Challenge@Camaya
Sudoku
Maglaro tayo ng Sudoku, ang bagong libangan ng bayan!
Ayusin lamang ang mga numero simula 1 hanggang 9 para
ang bawat numero ay minsan lang magagamit sa bawat row,
column at kahon.
Coast, Mariveles, Bataan.
The third leg of the Speedo
Aquathlon Series. Visit www.
camayacoast.com or
www.nutriwellworld.
com/events.
9: Walk the
Talk with
OML@Eugenio
Lopez Center, Antipolo City.
Participants must register
with their respective HR
departments. Contact Rico de
Manzana @ 449-6122. The
Race to 180 contest will be
launched after the walk.
9: Japanese vegetarian
cooking, 2-5 pm@ Bay 3,
Santuario de San Antonio,
Makati. Fee of P1,950
includes recipes and certificate. Slots limited. Contact
382-7849 or 0918-9079659.
 Very
Easy
 Easy
 Medium
 Hard
11-15: Race to 180
weigh-in/blood chem.
16-17: ITU Subic Bay
International Triathlon,
750m-20k-5k@Subic Bay
Freeport. Contact Triathlon
Association of the Philippines
@ 710-8259 or Rick Reyes @
0916-5046513.
17: Market! Market! Year
2—2 miles, 5 miles and
10 miles@Market! Market!
Taguig. Visit http://runrio.
com/race_calendar/.
24-28: Tour of Hope.
Answer to May puzzle
Solution, tips and computer program available at www.
sudoku.com
Special rates for Lopez Group employees!
Puerto Princesa
ecotour packages
Until May 23. Kids Yoga
Summer
Camp@
23-24: TNF 100 Ultramarathon Trail Run, 10k-20k100k solo or relay @Sacobia,
Clark. Check http://thebullrunner.com/?page_id=1618.
24: Runnex 26th Anniversary Open Challenge,
5k-10k-10mi, 6 am@UP Diliman. Visit www.runnex.org
31: Earth Run, 5k-10k@
Bonifacio Global City. Contact Mary @ 0917-3928343.
Don’t keep the good news to yourself. Pass on your copy of LopezLink! For your comments and suggestions, please text 02-382-0139 (Bayan Wireless Landline).
LOVE
for
mothers could be considered our
overarching theme this May as we celebrate
Mother’s Day
Mother Nature gets a big boost from the
Lopez Group as ABS-CBN Foundation
Inc. (AFI) spearheads the latest campaign to
clean up the Pasig River through Kapit Bisig
Para sa Ilog Pasig. Gina Lopez is backed by
a team led by Girlie Aragon, an AFI veteran
from Bantay Bata 163. The team has planned
a host of activities to publicize and raise the
needed funds to carry out KBPIP’s target
of a clean river within seven years. Find out
how you can help!
Another major environmental endeavor launched recently, “Diet
in Carbon, Max in Green,” aims to reduce Lopez Group companies’
carbon footprints through greenhouse gas accounting and management. As one of the early adopters of such a thrust, the Lopez Group
stands not only to become a driving force in efforts to reduce the
impact of climate change, but to reap benefits in the form of savings
and improved CSR as well. To find out how your company can sign
up for this program, see our story on page 8.
On a related note, the results of an image study undertaken by
TNS validate the esteem and respect with which the public views the
Lopez Group and the Lopezes. According to the survey, more than
being a provider of quality products, what sets the Lopezes apart is
their inclination for altruism as seen in their donations to charities
and foundations, and their work with the country’s poor.
For our real mothers, meanwhile, we have some nifty Mother’s Day
gift ideas courtesy of Rockwell Power Plant Mall—footwear, skincare
products, bags and accessories; you name it, you can find it in Manila’s
fashionable mall. If a getaway is more Mom’s thing, AFI-Bantay
Kalikasan also offers a discounted Puerto Princesa, Palawan vacation
package. Or, if you want to remain in Manila, hie off to Eugenio Lopez
Center in Antipolo for their special lunch buffet with live serenade for
only P680 per person. Bring Mom and the whole family! For reservations, call 636-2886. Of course, make sure whatever present you give
Mom comes with a heartfelt “I love you” and a hug!
ooOoo
A news item said that the Ayalas are interested in buying into Energy Development Corp. What’s the latest on the company?—Belle
EDC’s Toni Nieva’s response: “In a disclosure to the Philippine
Stock Exchange in April, Ayala Corp. clarified the report saying it
Dear Rosie
‘wants a piece of Lopezes’ EDC.’ In its statement, they emphasized
that the company continues ‘to look at investment opportunities, including investments in the power sector, and we have not made any
commitment to invest in the power sector at this time.’”
ooOoo
Just want to say thank you for posting, as always, our Bantay Bata
merchandise in LopezLink. Thank you so much!—Freda
ooOoo
Please provide an update on the Sharon Cuneta-Ai-ai de las Alas
movie. I’m a long-time Mega fan and happy she’s back on the silver
screen!—Ena T.
ABS-CBN’s Lorelie Dionisio-Piravalasamy reports: “Shooting
of ‘Best Friends Forever’ is now ongoing. We are very delighted by
the rushes we’ve seen so far and cannot wait to have this on the big
screen. The cast already had a pictorial with master lensman Jun de
Leon. This is Star Cinema’s Mother’s Day presentation and will hit
the theaters on May 13, 2009.”
ooOoo
Any updates on how ABS-CBN is doing, ratings wise? The performance of Santino and ‘Tayong Dalawa’ are really impressive!—Raymond
As of the latest nationwide survey, ABS-CBN has upped its lead over
its nearest rival, with a 44% overall audience share. And yes, “May Bukas
Pa,” “Tayong Dalawa” and “I Love Betty La Fea” are doing extremely well,
helping the Kapamilya network dominate the primetime block.
ooOoo
Are there no writing workshops for adults this summer? May
an adult join the Carla Pacis workshop for teens in that case?—
M.G.
Adults are not allowed to attend the writing workshop for teens as
they may intimidate the teenagers. Plus, writer Carla Pacis jokes, what
if the teenagers are better?
If you have questions, comments, opinions, suggestions and reactions about
anything and everything about the Lopez Group, please send them to Dear Rosie
through email [email protected] or send text to bayanWIRELESS
landline number 02-3820139 (for Globe, add
2963 + 02 +3820139).
travel GRIFFIN SIERRA RECOMMENDS
Female cyclists will ride
500 kilometers in five days
to promote cervical cancer
awareness. Contact Joyette @
0917-8827352 or visit http://
thetourofhope2009.multiply.
com.
Yoga
Manila
studios
in
Alabang
and Makati. Visit www.
yogamanila.com/kids-yogasummer-camp.php.
Lopezlink May 2009 11
The ‘ invasion’ of dolphins is from March to November
SPEND the summer in one of the country’s most
beautiful spots through ABS-CBN Foundation
Inc.-Bantay Kalikasan’s community-based sustainable tourism project in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
The package offerings are discounted just for
Kapamilya employees. When you avail of this special treat, 10% goes to Bantay Kalikasan.
Visit Honda Bay, cruise in San Carlos River to
the ecotourism village, go spelunking, enjoy rock
climbing in Ugong Rock, go dolphin watching and
firefly watching, taste authentic Cuyuno food, and
a lot more!
There are three packages to choose from. These
include three days and two nights’ accommodation,
full board meals, tour guide fees and entrances fees,
boat and land transfers, and van services.
For reservations, visit www.abs-cbnfoundation.
com/mainnews.php?article=44 or contact Gerry Ortega
at 0917-5076719 or [email protected].
S
10
Cable car to Sentosa
ingapore Top
THE word that best describes Singapore is
“unique,” with its dazzlingly diverse culture,
cuisine, arts and architecture. Here’s a Top
10 must-do list when in the island nation:
Ride the world’s largest Ferris wheel (541
feet) and view Singapore from Changi
Airport to Sentosa Island, and even parts of
Malaysia and Indonesia.
Have some “durian”! The stunning Esplanade Theatre on the Bay has state-ofthe-art halls and rooms that host the world’s
top performing artists.
1
2
Esplanade Theatre
By Pauline Cala-or
3
4
Ride the cableways that span a harbor, to
get to and from Sentosa. Be mesmerized by
the sunset view of Singapore’s city lights.
In the Science Centre Singapore Waterworks water theme park, revisit concepts
such as water pressure and natural water cycles
through hands-on exhibits. Keeping dry is not
a worry—get into their giant dryer and learn
about evaporation at the same time!
Visit Suntec City’s gigantic bronze fountain which stands on four 138-meter legs.
Find out how you can benefit from feng shui,
which is integrated into the fountain design.
Experience the real Singapore heritage
in Chinatown’s family-run teahouses and
medicine halls. Don’t miss brands like Dragon
Brand Bird’s Nest and Eu Yan Sang.
In the 24/7, six-story shopping center, Mustafa, find everything from diamonds and
Indian chutney to cars and plasma TV sets.
Get another view of Singapore at Clarke
Quay. Try the reverse bungy jump and feel
5
6
7
8
your heart drop to your feet as you are flung up
at great speeds and then jerked back down to
earth. Nearby is the Alkaff pedestrian bridge
whose unusual shape was inspired by the
“tongkang” boat. As a gift to Singapore, the late
Filipino artist Pacita Abad led in painting the
structure, using 55 colors and 900 liters of paint,
and transforming it into a “bridge of art.”
Visit the night safari. The world’s first nighttime wildlife park has a new animal show
featuring leopards, pumas, otters, binturongs,
raccoons, owls, wolves, hyenas and servals.
Dig into a slice of old Singapore: have
some kaya (egg and coconut jam) toast
with a cup of local coffee at Chi Mee Chin, a holein-the-wall confectionery on East Coast Road.
What are you waiting for? Book a “Uniquely
Singapore!” trip with Griffin Sierra Travel Inc.
now! For more info, contact Diana, Allan or Shiena at 898-2451 or email [email protected].
9
10
12
Lopezlink May 2009
What’s new
from ABS-CBN Publishing this May
Last summer
hurrah with
‘Chalk’!
‘Metro’ defies age
Discover Metro cover girl Shaina Magdayao’s coming-of-age
story as she blossoms into an entrepreneur and sultry star. In
our monthly list of 20, Eula Valdes, Grace Nono and Tweetie
de Leon-Gonzalez, among others, share their secrets for maintaining radiance. In “Get Gorgeous,” turn back the clock with
tips on how to look five years younger. Pia Magalona speaks up
after Francis M’s battle with leukemia in “I, Woman.” Tess Villareal talks travel and dogs in “Independent Woman.” “Czech”
out Prague’s eastern charms in “Escape” and get some R&R in
Bicol’s Hotel Venezia.
Make the most of summer by grabbing the May
issue of Chalk! Cover girl
Karylle shares travel tips
and reveals her checklist
for her ideal man. The
Gigger Boys talk about
what they’re looking for
in life and
love. Whether
you’re
spending
your vacation hanging
out at the mall or chilling by the beach, glam up in
the cutest new shorts and beach gowns. Thinking
of getting a tattoo? Check out the comprehensive
step-by-step on everything you need to know.
By Sheila Quieta
like arroz Valenciana,
bringhe, morcon and
leche flan will bring
back memories of the
heavily laden tables of
your childhood. Recreate wonderful Vigan
specialties like bagnet,
pipian and dinengdeng.
Or try your hand at
fettuccine with gorgonzola cheese, and
fried rice with basil
and chicken.
Of ‘FOOD’ and fiestas
FOOD celebrates May with a special feature on
the Philippine fiesta. This issue includes a story
about a gastronomic journey to Ilocos Sur, an
essay about premium ice cream, and a practical
guide on easy outdoor entertaining. Fiesta dishes
Mom,
‘MYX Mag’ double
cover issue
Read about cover girl Sarah
Geronimo’s experience juggling a
singing and acting career and her
wins at the MYX Music Awards!
Flip over the magazine and you
have Bamboo! “American Idol” winner David Cook is our pinup boy!
Also, go behind the scenes of The
Dawn’s video for “Love Will Set Us
Free,” invade Diego Castillo’s crib,
know more about Diego Mapa, and
find out what happened to Kamikazee in Dubai.
ROCKWELL POWER PLANT FINDS
To
(Clockwise from top) Stella
McCartney jacket; Shu
Uemura skin purifier;
Carbon necklace; Goyard bag;
Chocolate Schu sandals
Editorial Advisory Board
Executive Editor
Contributing Editors
Carla Paras-Sison (Benpres)
Maite Bueno (Meralco)
Estela de la Paz (First Gen)
Kane Choa (ABS-CBN)
Angelo Macabuhay (FPHC)
Rafael Alunan III (Wellness)
Circulation
Editorial and Layout
Boo Chanco / Danny Gozo
Rosan Cruz
John Rojo (Bayan)
Arlene Torres (SkyCable)
Sheila Quieta (ABS-CBN Publishing)
Vienn Tionglico (Rockwell)
Vanessa Suquila (LGFI)
Lucy Torres (Tel. 449-2468)
Mousetrap Publishing
LopezLink is published by Benpres PR Group
4/F Benpres Bldg., Ortigas, Pasig City
Telefax: 633-3520
For feedback, please email
[email protected]
Available online at www.lopezlink.ph
By Lisa Gomez
THIS Mother’s Month, spoil Mom with the
best gifts you can buy, which can all be found
at the Power Plant Mall.
Goyard Orange Fidji
Accessory Lab has stuff to make Mom swoon,
with its branded bags, elegant accessories and
everything fancy. No mom will be able to resist
the Goyard Orange Fidji (P68,000), one of the
most popular bags being sold in this store.
White rose necklace
Moms love accessories, whether it’s a fancy
bracelet, studded earrings or a simple neckpiece. Give Mom a symbolic type of gift—a
simple white rose necklace from Carbon
(P1,398)—to show her how your love continues to bloom like a rose every day.
Stella McCartney jacket
Pick out a gift in Adidas, which has a newly
renovated store and fresh collections. Give
Mom the purple jacket from the Stella McCartney collection (P11,495), where organic
products are used. She’ll be sure to use it
whenever she hits the gym or goes for a jog.
Sandals
If your mom is hip and trendy, Chocolate
Schu Bar is the place to go for a present. Their
funky brown pair of sandals (P1,999) is definitely unique, just like Mom!
Skin purifier
Give your mom something she will definitely
appreciate, something that will keep her skin
with love
looking young and glowing—Shu Uemura’s
skin purifier (P4,000).
Also, get Mom to explore Power Plant
Mall’s newest stores!
Original Penguin by Munsingwear (R2
Level) has expanded its product portfolio to
include women’s apparel, footwear, watches
and eyewear. And, by retooling classic designs
and marrying suburban chic with a sense of
humor, Original Penguin exudes a greater appeal to the younger set.
Charles & Keith (R2 Level) is a must-have
footwear brand for ladies who require a fusion
of style and sensibility. The brand showcases
its latest concoction of grace, sensuality and
style with the Charles & Keith Signature Label that also features a collection of belts and
sunglasses.
Grab a bite at Elbert’s Cheesesteak Sandwiches (P1 Level). Elbert’s Cheesesteak Sandwiches boasts of steak sandwiches using USDA-
Elbert’s
Cheesesteak
Sandwiches
(top);
Original
Penguin by
Munsingwear
certified sirloin beef and caramelized onions on
a hoagie roll. Top it off with either cheddar or
provolone cheese or even marinara sauce for
that extra creamy, mouth-watering flavor.
Or, try out Cibo Bimbi (R3 Level), a childfriendly version of Cibo by Gaita Fores.
Whether it’s panini, pasta or pizza, your kids
will love the tasteful fun-servings of Cibo
comfort-food favorites.
All for mommies, all month
Mother’s Month at the Power Plant Mall kicks off with the Urban Mom’s Bazaar
on May 1-3 featuring gifts, clothes, handicrafts and knickknacks; also check out
the Mall-Wide Summer Sale on the same weekend. On May 9-10, Expo Mom
featuring activities and merchants geared towards mommies and their families will
be held at the Rockwell Tent; there will also be a Flower Fair at the R1 Level of the
mall. On all weekends of May, the Baker’s Dozen will be present at the Concourse
Level. For more info, log on to powerplantmall.multiply.com or call 898-1702.