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Time to quit, Puno urged

Aquinos ally draws ak over P1-b midnight deal
NTERIOR and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno came under re on Saturday, with several lawmakers demanding his resignation and seeking a full-blown investigation on the allegedly anomalous P1-billion midnight purchase of rearms he made for the National Police.

By Maricel V. Cruz

Senator Miriam Santiago said she would ask for an investigation on the unique and anomalous authority given to Puno, a longtime ally of President Benigno Aquino III, as overseer of police matters. Senior opposition member Rep. Orlando Fua of Siquijor sought a resolution in the House of Representatives directing an appropriate committee to nd out if there are laws being violated by Puno when he approved the contract with Trust Trade and its partner, Glock Asia Pacic Ltd., last Aug. 31, the same day that President Aquino named

Manuel Roxas II as Interior secretary and gave him a free hand to bring in his own team. An administration ally, Rep. Angelo Palmones of Agham party-list group, sought Punos resignation in the name of delicadeza. The investigation on this purchase deal handled by Puno is a real test of President Aquinos much ballyhooed matuwid na daaan and anti-graft program, Fua told the MST Sunday. The probe, Fua said, would also test the Presidents integrity and commitment to purNext page sue reforms in PNP purchases.
Puno

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Vol. I No. 11 12 Pages, 1 Section P18.00 SUNDAY, September 9, 2012

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The Sunday Edition of ManilaStandardTODAY

VLADIVOSTOKPresident Aquino on Saturday participates in discussions with leaders of the

Asia-Pacic Economic Cooperation. On Sunday, he and President Hu Jintao (right) will hold bilateral talks to tackle the conicting territorial claims on the West Philippines Sea, among other issues. MALACAANG PHOTO/ AP

Manila-Beijing talks slated; territorial conict on agenda

By Joyce Paares and Sara Fabunan
VLADIVOSTOK (via PLDT) President Benigno Aquino III is slated to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao today (Sunday) at the sidelines of the 20th Asia Pacic Economic Cooperation summit here in Russky Island. This will be the rst time that the two leaders will hold a bilateral dialogue since Mr. Aquinos state visit to China in August last year and since tensions broke out between Manila and Beijing over conicting territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). It (meeting) will take place. The format has been nalized. Were just waiting for a nal time for the meeting, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said Saturday. I am very sure (the territorial dispute) will be discussed, del Rosario added. He noted that during Mr. Aquinos last meeting with Hu, the two leaders agreed that the disputes in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) are not the sum total of the relations (between the Philippines and China). What wed like to happen is wed like to go back to that agreement, which essentially states that both leaders will try to move forward the bilateral agenda and abstract the contentious issues and deal with that separately, del Rosario said. Hu had already met with his counterparts from Indonesia, Brunei and Vietnam the Philippines fellow-members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Brunei and Vietnam also claim parts of the contested areas in the Next page West Philippine Sea.

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Pag-IBIG Fund President-CEO Darlene Marie Berberabe brings energy and integrity to her new turf.

Special session on RH bill sought

By Maricel V. Cruz
PROPONENTS of the Reproductive Health Bill urged the House of Representatives on Saturday to hold a special session and immediately pass the highly-divisive measure. The call came even after Malacanang said on Friday that President Benigno Aquino III has adopted a hands-off policy on the issue, and had decided to allow partymates in the Liberal Party in Congress to work out a compromise with anti-RH bill proponents. Palace spokesman Ricky Carandang said the president will not meddle on the affairs of Congress, despite a plea from lawmakes for him sto step in and break the impasse in his own Liberal Party at the House. At this point, we leave it to the House and the Senate to work out whatever deals or com promises they see t as far as the RH bill is concerned, Carandang said.
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SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

Tariff cuts on green products approved

By Joyce Paares
VLADIVOSTOK (via PLDT) The Philippines has agreed to lower tariffs of 54 environmental goods and services (EGS) during the 20th Asia Pacic Economic Cooperation here in Russky Island. Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo said the initiative to lower the tariff to a minimum of ve percent, which he described as very controversial, will take effect by 2015. The Philippines will subscribe to this and so we will list the 54 EGS, Domingo said. He said three Philippine products will be affected, namely boilers and condensers, waste incinerators, and water puriers. Eight items on the list, on the other hand, will benet the countrys exports sector, namely solar cells, parts of solar water heaters and solar inverters, parts of ltering machines, machines for waste water management, air quality monitors and automatic voltage regulators for renewable energy applications. Other products in the list include batteries and energy storage. Russian Economic Development Minister Andrey Belousov earlier urged APEC trade ministers to increase the initial list of 20 green commodities up for tariff reduction. The ministers of some of the developed economies said that the list is much too short. The experts will work to extend this list. I am condent that the list will be extended, because there are more goods we could add to it, Belousov said. A United States Department of Commerce report showed the global market for environmental technologies was at $782.4 billion in 2008, with the United States by far the largest single market at $299.5 billion. Washington has proposed capping tariffs on solar panels, water and wind turbines, water treatment pumps, waste incinerators, deep discharge batteries and other products to spur trade and reduce the costs of goods.

Winners. Female winners of the Mr & Ms HRAB 2012 pose for the camera after the pageant held in Baguio Convention Center on Thursday. The winners are (from left): Thea Krissa LLmado, 5th runner-up; Hazel Clarence Ibay, 2nd runner-up; Aira Leigh Suguitan, Ms HRAB 2012; Josephine Talosig, 1st runner-up; Eugene Carla Baguio, 4th runner-up and Sheryl Castillo, 3rd runner-up. RICK REYES

Zambo violence feared over tribal heads ambush

A MINING concern has called on law
enforcers to preserve peace and order in Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur as it condemns the killing of the 11-year old son of Timuay Lucenio Manda and the attempt on Timuays life in an ambush perpetrated by several armed men Tuesday morning in Barangay Datagan.
if law enrorcers failed to preserve the peace and order in Bayog. TVI Resource president Eugene Mateo said in a statement: TVIRD strongly condemns the ambush that resulted in the death of the innocent son of Timuay Manda. Our hearts bleed for him and his innocent son. Vicious crime such as this should have no place in a country that professes Christianity and brotherhood. We
Filipino people that the special class called Pnoys KKK group (Kaibigan, Kaklase at Kabarilanfriends, classmates and shooting buddies) are not above the law. Puno figured prominently in the botched and embarrassing handling of the Quirino Grandstand hostage taking incident in August 2011. He was on top of the police operations together with Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim when the lamented and botched rescue effort turned into a bloody mess. Despite the mishandling of the Quirino Grandstand hostage tourist massacre, Puno got off with a slap on the wrist. The HongKong government up to this day had banned HK residents from visiting the Philippines. He (Puno) is just a trusted kabarilan of Pnoy. If he (Puno) is a true friend, he should have resigned even after the Luneta booboo, Palmones said.

On Saturday, the local police announced the arrest of two of the suspects in the ambush of Manda, a Subanen chieftain who is at the forefront of a campaign against illegal mining and illegal logging. TVI Resource Development Phils. Inc. expressed fears the killing of the young Manda and the wounding of his father, Lucenio, showed blatant violations of laws that could result in more bloodshed

could only hope that our law enforcers, the PNP and the military will not only condemn the killing but act accordingly to enforce our laws, Mateo said. Timuay Manda, a second termer barangay chairman of Barangay Conacon, in Bayog is a peaceloving tribal head who always upholds the interest of his constituents and tribesmen, Mateo said. As we grieve the death of Jordan and the wounding of his father, we are also hoping that this incident will open the eyes of our law enforcers. We trust that lip service will stop and that the people of Bayog will see comcrete actions from them, he said. Manda and his son Jordan was on their way to the lone government school in Barangay Datagan when unidentied armed men ambushed them at Purok 3 of the said barangay. While Manda was hit on

his shoulder, his son was fatally hit on the head killing him instantly. We know that Timuay supports legal and responsible mining operation and abhors the illegal ones. Since he always upholds the law and the best interest of his constituents and tribesmen, we call on our authorities to investigate and arrest the perpetrators so justice may be served to the family of Timuay Manda. He deserves no less than that, Mateo said. Manda for his part issued a statement denouncing the illegal activities in his hometown. To set the record straight, I am not anti-mining. I am against illegal mining. I am a government official a barangay captain of Barangay Conacon. I swore to uphold the law. We have our laws in mining and other environment laws. While I appreciate the sympathy of some groups about what happened and their condemnation

of the assailants, I cannot afford to make this matter as their avenue for expressing their anti-mining advocacy to which I do not subscribe, Manda said. Manda and his son Jordan were on their way to the lone government school in Barangay Datagan when unidentied armed men ambushed them at Purok 3 of the barangay. While Manda was hit on his shoulder, his son was fatally hit on the head and died instantly. The Army and police arrested the two suspects, Marlon Luao and Coloy Entag, in their house in barangay Conacon around 10 a.m. Friday, Inspector Erol Alejo said. A caliber .45 pistol and bullets from one of the suspects were recovered from the suspects, who were now detained at the Zamboanga del Sur police headquarters pending the ling of charges against them. MST Sunday

Special...
On Thursday, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales III urged the President to lead his party in the same way he did when the Palace instigated the ouster by impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. But Carandang ruled out an active role for the President, saying he had already made his position known on the subject many times. Ifugao Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat Jr., one of the major proponents of the RH bill, said he believes that the approval of the RH bill during the present Congress is realistically workable. The Senate is on the verge of period of amendments and that should challenge us to do so in the House, said Baguilat, chairman of the House Committee on National Cultural Communities. Baguilat added that there was no need to hold a special session since both Houses of Congress are on right track as far as the timetable for the approval of the RH bill is concerned. But if the bill gets hostaged by parliamentary tactics, we may need a week of session just devoted on RH, Baguilay told the Manila Standard. The House has formed a technical working group with the Senate and reasonable members of the Catholic church to work on the compromise version of the measure. The intransigence of those opposed to the RH bill has torpedoed the forging of a viable and reasonable compromise on the measure, former minority leader and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman had said earlier. In a statement, Lagman said the Lower House has been left with no option but to proceed and consider the proposed amendments in order to pave the way for a nal voting.

Time...
More than anything else, the investigation will also determine President Aquinos faithfulness to his oath of ofce: walang kurap, walang mahirap, he said. Opposition stalwart Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano said that the contract involving the purchase of 60,000 pistols for the police at a cost of P997.99 million should be thoroughly reviewed and investigated not only by Congress but also by other agencies of government. It involves the taxpayers money, said Albano, a member of the powerful House Committee on Appropriatios. House Assistant Majority Leader and party-list Rep. Sherwin Tugna of Citizens Battle against Corruption said that charges should be initiated against Puno before the Ofce of the Ombudsman. I dont think (Congress is the right venue for Puno to answer the allegations against him. The proper forum is the Ofce of the Ombudsman if and in case somebody les a case against him, Tugna said. Palmones, for his part, urged Puno to resign for delicadeza, saying that the controversy involving Puno is a chance for the President to show the

administers rst aid on an earthquake victim during a disaster prevention drill conducted by the Philippine National Red Cross in the aftermath of ooding and eathquakes that hit parts of the country. AP

Its just a drill. A student

Puno is known to be a ring range gun master of the President. Except for a penchant for practical shooting and enthusiasm for rearms, Punowho earned a degree in Agricultural Economics at University of the Philippines, in Los Baoswas appointed by the President to handle the PNP and other police matters in the DILG.

Manila-Beijing...
In his meeting with Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang, Hu said Beijing and Hanoi must remain coolheaded and exercise restraint in dealing with the maritime dispute. Hu said claimants must avoid taking any unilateral measure that will magnify, complicate or internationalize the dispute to prevent the issue from affecting East Asian cooperation and regional stability. China has remained lukewarm to a Philippine proposal to bring the dispute before the United Nations and use the UN Convention for the Law of Sea or Unclos as a mechanism to resolve the row legally. Mr. Aquino also met with Tan Sang today and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. The President also found an ally in Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during their bilateral meeting yesterday. Lee reiterated his countrys support for a peaceful resolution of the disputes in accordance with international law, including Unclos. President Aquino expressed his gratitude for the very strong support that Singapore has given the Philippines in terms of its position in the West Philippine

Sea, del Rosario added. Hu, in his bilateral meeting with the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, described the dispute as a chronic headache that should be resolved properly through dialogue and negotiations. The Chinese leader also told Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that Beijing is willing to work with Asean on the drafting of a binding Code of Conduct that will govern territorial rows in the region. The president and the rest of the delegates, who reportedly spent P15.3 million for the trip to Vladivostok, Russia are set to arrive Sunday evening (today).Presidential deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said on Saturday that Aquino and the rest of the delegates will leave Russia at around 9 p.m. (Russian time) today and will arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport by 6:15 p.m. (Manila Time) via chartered plane. The President and his delegation are expected to arrive at 6:15 p.m. Manila time on Sunday (today). After holding bilateral talks with the heads of Singapore and Chile, Aquino also attended the APEC Leaders Retreat Session 1, the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Dialogue with APEC leaders, and he also joined the other world leaders in the APEC Leaders Dinner.

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Talks make substantive gains

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

THE Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front ended the fourday 31st round of peace talks in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday with with both parties saying they reached substantive gains in the negotiations.
The four-day meeting which was marked with mutual trust, sincerity and cordiality, successfully worked towards the crafting of a framework agreement. The respective technical working groups continued their discussions, reached consensus on many issues and submitted preliminary reports which were duly noted by the panels, the negotiating panels said in a joint communique. Philippine panel chairman Marvic Leonen said he was optimistic about the progress of the peace talks. We are denitely moving forward. By next meeting, we hope that we not only move forward but nd a quantum leap in our negotiations, Leonen said. I am humbled and admit a certain level of guarded excitement as we make history in measured -- and certainly painstaking steps. These are indeed exciting times. Let us make history together. Leonen explained that the Philippine and MILF panels have kept to our mandates but found, many times, creative options and agreement on these options. We hope that the levels of principled collegiality that our panels and technical working groups have earned will carry on into the next meeting and into the implementing period as well as the advocacy period, Leonen said. On his part, MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said there was clear, positive movement in the negotiation. As we approach the last stretch of our negotiation on the issue of framework, it is very clear that there is a buildup of excitement and expectations among our people, and including the constituents of the government. If we succeed to sign the framework agreement then we expect a very good atmosphere on the

ground, he said. Although there is a clear movement in the negotiation there are still elephants that we have to ght on the way. But with determination and commitment of both parties, well be able to sign the document very soon, Iqbal added. Malaysian facilitator Tengku Dato Abdul Ghafar Tengku Mohamed, in his own statement, congratulated the negotiators for a job well done. Once again, I have to congratulate everybody for a good job the two panels, Government Peace Panel and MILF Peace Panel, and the two Technical Working Groups for their indulgence. We know that negotiations are very tough, Ghafar said. Im looking forward to the next round of talk so that substantive progress can be achieved during that time especially bridging the most contentious issues, he added. In the midst of the talks, bandit groups led by Ameril Umra Kato staged attacks on government forces in some parts of Central Mindanao, but the MILF deployed troops to deter futher actions that coudl derail the talks. Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF political affairs chief, said they deployed their elite national guard to ensure that Katos group would comply with an agreement to stop hostilities.

Good gab. Chief government negotiator Dean Marvic Leonen shakes hands with Mohagher Iqbal of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front after the peace talks in Kuala Lumpuir, Malaysia. At the middle is Malaysian facilitator Tengku Dato Abdul Ghafar Tengku Mohamed. Inset shows Leonen chatting with government panel member Dr. Hamid Barra and International Contact Group member Steven Rood on Day Three of the fourt day talks.

Im having stem-cell treatment, Gloria tweets

FORMER President Gloria Arroyo announced on Saturday that she will undergo her fourth intravenous stem cell treatment on Monday. This Monday I will have my fourth stem cell intravenous treatment with my alternative medicine doctor, the former leader, who is now a congresswoman of Pampanga, posted on her Twitter account @gmarroyo around 10 a.m. Its cultured stem cell and much more modest in price than the one coming from sheep or ones own body, the former President added in a succeeding tweet, but she did not divulge how much she would be spending for the treatment or the name of her physician. Arroyo had earlier tweeted three health bulletins announcing that she had just come from her thrice weekly therapy at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City where she was held under hospital arrest from December last year until July. She was arrested in November last year in connection with the St. Lukes Medical Center in Taguig City. Doctors performed a 5 hour spine surgery June 29 last year. However, a mineral deciency prevented proper healing and two more surgeries were performed in August 2011. While Arroyo has mostly remained silent about her health condition, her allies in the House of Representatives, particulary Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, have been lobbying that she be allowed to leave the country to seek medical treatment abroad.

Anti-rice smuggling bill eyed

By Maricel V. Cruz
LAWMAKERS vowed on Saturday to craft a measure that will address rampant large-scale rice smuggling that threatens the countrys food security and jeopardizes the income of local rice farmers. Rice smuggling if left unchecked will continue to be a large barrier to our attainment of rice sufciency and food security programs, said Batangas Rep. Mark Llandro Mendoza, chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, who co-authored House Resolution 2658. The resolution was also coauthored by Butil party-list Rep. Agapito Guanlao, chairman of the House Committee on Food Security, and Abono party-list Rep. Robert Raymund Estrella. Mendoza cited the two rice smuggling incidents in Subic, Zambales. About 90 20-footer container vans, loaded with Mango Brand Premium White Rice from Vietnam, were seized last July 24 and 420,000 bags, weighing 21,000 metric tons of Indaan White Rice, were intercepted last May 15. If not through the strong efforts of the Bureau of Customs, this illegally imported rice would have surely been supplied in our local markets, adversely affecting local rice farmers, Mendoza said. Mendoza said it is now high time to heighten national efforts to check and penalize rice smugglers to protect and strengthen the rice sector.

electoral sabotage cases she is facing charges before two regional trial courts, but was granted bail last July. She had spent eight months in hospital arrest since Nov. 15 last

year, rst at the St. Lukes Medical Center in Taguig City, then at the VMMC starting last December. Early last year, Arroyo was diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy and was treated at the

Sherwin, Grace Poe considered for Senate

ASIDE from Senator Francis Escudero, the opposition coalition United Nationalist Alliance is also considering to include censors board chief Grace Poe-Llamanzares and Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian in its senatorial slate, according to its chairman and Vice President Jejomar Binay. They are being considered, Binay said amid reports that Escudero and Llamazares are already in the UNA senatorial ticket which will released this month ahead of the October 1 deadline for the ling of certicates of candidacy with the Commission on Election. Binay said they so far have only 10 candidates in the slate: Senator Loren Legarda and Gregorio Honasan; Cagayan Rep. Juan Ponce Enrile Jr.; Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay; San Juan City Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito; Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia; former senators Richard Gordon, Ernesto Maceda and Juan Miguel Zubiri; and businessman Jose de Venecia III. Binay, however, hinted that they take away a candidate from their line-up, but did not elaborate. Until after we make the announcement within this month, there will be additions and there may even be removals, Binay said. UNA is a coalition of PDPLaban of Binay and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino of former President Joseph Estrada. Escudero on Friday refused to comment on the issue and said that he does not want to pre-empt the decision on the nal slate. Sara Fabunan

Solidarity Day. Employees of different government agencies, dressed in traditional costumes of foreign nations, join Vigan City residents in celebrating World Heritage Cities Solidarity Day with a parade on Calle Crisologo as part of a contest for the top Heritage city in the world. DANNY PATA

Binay deplores slay of Makati city engineer in Albay

By Florencio P. Narito
VICE President Jejomar Binay on Saturday deplored the killing of Makati City Engineer Nelson Morales, who was to run for the mayorship of Malinao town in Albay next year but was gunned down by three unidentified men outside a church in Barangay Estancia in the same town. Binay said Morales, who was also city engineer when the Vice President was still Makati City mayor, was made provincial chairman of the United Nationalist Alliance after he told Binay of his plan to run for Malinao mayor earlier this year. I said I admired his dedication to public service and his desire to serve his hometown. He told me that for so many years he has served the people and City of Makati. Its about time that he serves his hometown and his kababayans, Binay said. His desire to serve, however, ended today in the hands of assassins, the Vice President said. The family of Nelson Morales deserves justice. Malinao, 55, had just stood as a wedding sponsor along with his sister, incumbent Malinao Vice Mayor Alice Morales, when four armed men red at them as they were about to leave the St. Nicolas Parish in Barangay Estancia at around 10:30 a.m. of Friday, said Bicol regional police spokesman Supt. Renato Bataller. The vice mayor was able to escape unhurt but her brother and his aide Raul Capital, 48, sustained gunshot wounds. Morales was taken to Dr. Amando Cope Memorial Hospital in Tabaco City after the attack but he died at around 2 p.m. of same day. Capital was brought to the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital in Legazpi City for medical treatment. UNA secretary general Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco condemned the murder and urged the authorities to step up their search for the perpetrators. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family of Engr. Nelson Morales in their time of grief. We mourn the death of a good man and we reiterate the hope that the authorities will be able to arrest those behind this senseless killing, Tiangco said. The Makati City government also released a statement expressing sadness over Morales death. Engineer Nelson Morales was a hardworking city ofcial and a dependable co-worker. He is also one of several city ofcials who enjoyed the full trust of Vice President Jejomar Binay during his term as mayor, and incumbent Mayor Jun Binay. We condemn his killing and urge the authorities to leave no stone unturned in the search for his killers and the masterminds. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, with whom we share a deep sense of loss over the senseless killing of a good man.

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SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

US ALARMED BY ASIA-PACIFIC ROW

Clinton asks Russias help

VLADIVOSTOK, RussiaAlarmed by a rise in nationalist sentiment around the Asia-Pacic, the Obama administration is looking for Russia to play a greater role in the region as it seeks to quell growing maritime tensions.
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clin- Rim leaders to gauge Moscows intentions as ton was to meet on Saturday with Russian it looks increasingly eastward after decades President Vladimir Putin at meeting of Pacic of European orientation. US ofcials say they
Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF: A) RECALCULATED MAP FOR REGULATORY YEAR 2013; AND B) THE TRANSLATION INTO DISTRIBUTION RATES OF DIFFERENT CUSTOMER REGULATORY YEAR OF THE ERC APPROVED ANNUAL REVENUE REQUIREMENT (ARR) FOR SUBIC ENERZONE CORPORATION (SEZ) UNDER THE PERFORMANCE BASED REGULATION (PBR) FOR THE REGULATORY PERIOD OCTOBER 1, 2011 - SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 ERC CASE NO. 2012-096 RC SUBIC ENERZONE (SEZ), CORPORATION

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, meets US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on her arrival at the APEC summit in Vladivostok, Russia, on Saturday. AP

Applicant. x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that on August 3, 2012, the Subic Enerzone Corporation (SEZ) filed its application for approval of: a) the recalculated MAP for Regulatory Year 2013; and b) the transition into Distribution -Rates of Different Customer Regulatory Year of the ERC - Approved Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) for Subic Enerzone Corporation (SEZ) under the Performance Based Regulation (PBR) for the Regulatory Period October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2015. In the said application, SEZ alleged, among others, the following: 1. It is a private corporation duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Philippines, with principal office at Canal Road corner Labitan Street, Central Business District, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Olongapo City. It is the duly authorized operator of the power distribution system of the Subic Freeport Zone, located in the Provinces of Zambales and Bataan, by virtue of the Distribution Management Service Agreement (DMSA) entered into with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on May 15, 2003; In year 2010, in accordance with the provisions of the Rules for Setting Distribution Wheeling Rates, as amended (RDWR), it filed an application for the approval of its ARR and Performance Incentive Scheme (PIS) covering the Second (2nd) Regulatory Period from October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2015. Thereafter, on July 6, 2011, the Commission issued the Final Determination (FD) in that application setting its opening Maximum Average Price (MAP) for the Second (2nd ) Regulatory Year 2013 of the Second (2nd) Regulatory Period (MAP2013) at PhP1.4793/kWh; In implementing the rate translation subject of the instant application, it has recalculated the MAP for the Second (2nd) Regulatory Year 2013, without taking into account Side Constraints, at PhP1.5007 IkWh, thus: . MAP2013 = [ MAP2012 X { 1 + CWI2013 - X}] + S2013 - K2013 + ITA2013 MAP2013 = [1.4734 x { 1 + 0.0381 - 0.0427}] + 0.0340 - (0) + 0 MAP2013 = Php 1.5007 /kWh 4. The foregoing recalculated MAP2013 has breached the Side Constraints value for the Second (2nd) Regulatory Year 2013 as a result of the abrupt increase of the P0 value which affected the smoothed price path, as shown in Annex C of the instant application; Inasmuch as a strict application of the Side Constraints will cause the substantial build-up of under-recoveries early on in the Second (2nd) Regulatory Period, it requests the Commission to relax the Side Constraints to minimize under-recoveries in the Second (2nd) Regulatory Year 2013 which may not be adequately addressed in subsequent rate translations during the Second (2nd) Regulatory Period. Equally important, a relaxation of the side constraints will enable it to implement its approved capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operating expenses (OPEX) for the Second (2nd) Regulatory Year 2013 given that the ARR set in its Final Determination (FD) will not be reduced; With the foregoing recalculated MAP2013, it proposes its conversion into the following distribution rate structure: Residential Distribution Charge PhP/kWh PhP/kW Supply Charge PhP/kWh PhP/Cust/Mo Metering Charge PhP/kWh PhP/Cust/Mo 1.8419 0.1332 0.2372 5.00 Commercial - A Commercial - B 1.7536 239.04 185.07 0.8811 267.22 300.34 710.64 Industrial 0.6182 280.12 3,482.37 1,176.47 Streetlights 1.6186 27.34 100.14

would welcome a more active Russian role in the Asia-Pacic where territorial disputes, including between US allies Japan and South Korea, sparked by nationalist rhetoric have fueled fears of conict. A senior US ofcial traveling with Clinton said Russias engagement in the region has until now been episodic, not very active and primarily focused on the six-nation effort to get North Korea to give up nuclear weapons. Now, with Putin actively promoting Russian greater economic and strategic ties with Asia and hosting the annual Asia Pacic Economic Cooperation forum summit in much spruced up Vladivostok, Clinton is eager to hear what his goals and ambitions are and how they might complement US efforts, particularly in easing strains that could interfere with oceangoing commerce in the Pacic, the ofcial said. The ofcial said the United States

wanted to see more sustained Russian interest in the Asia-Pacic. Clinton began Saturday by signing an agreement with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that will enhance US-Russia scientic cooperation in the Antarctic, as well as link national parks on either side of the Bering Strait. With Lavrov, she also stressed the importance of dealing with the ongoing crisis in Syria, where Russia, along with China, has blocked UN action that would penalize the Syrian regime for refusing to allow a political transition, a second US ofcial said. The pair also discussed efforts to get Iran to comply with international demands to prove its nuclear program is peaceful, North Korea and boosting trade between the US and Russia, the ofcial said. The ofcials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the talks.

Clinton, who is lling in for President Barack Obama at the summit, has spent the last week in the Asia-Pacic urging peaceful resolutions to competing territorial claims between China and its smaller neighbors in the South China Sea. The US wants to see the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China establish quickly a code of conduct for the area to be followed by a mechanism to resolve the conicts peacefully without intimidation, coercion or clashes. At the same time, tensions have ared between Japan and South Korea over claims to Dokdu Island and Clinton will see the leaders of both in Vladivostok to express US concerns about their dispute over Dokdu Island and remind both countries of the importance we place on their determination to work well together, the ofcial said. We have been concerned by tensions of late between Tokyo and Seoul. AP

2.

3.

China quakes leave 80 dead; rescue efforts hampered

BEIJINGBlocked mountain roads were hampering rescue efforts after twin earthquakes struck southwestern China and killed at least 80 people, leaving ofcials worried Saturday that the death toll could rise further. More than 100,000 residents were evacuated after Fridays quakes toppled thousands of houses and sent boulders cascading across roads in a remote mountainous area along the borders of Guizhou and Yunnan provinces. The damage was preventing rescuers from reaching outlying towns, and communications were disrupted after the midday quakes hit in a region of small farms and mines where some of Chinas poorest people live. Weather forecasts Saturday said there was a chance of rain over the next three days, which could hamper rescue work. But there was some good news, with state television reporting that four babies had been born in temporary hospitals set up since the quakes hit. The rst magnitude-5.6 quake struck just before 11:30 a.m. Friday and was followed by an equally strong quake shortly after noon, joined by dozens of aftershocks. Though of moderate strength, the quakes were shallow, which often causes more damage. The state-run Xinhua News Agency said Saturday that 80 people had died in the quakes. It said earlier that hundreds had been hurt, but did not immediately give a new injury toll Saturday. Hardest hit was Yiliang County, where all but one of the deaths occurred, according to the Yunnan provincial governments ofcial website. Another 730 people in the area were injured, Xinhua said. Yiliangs high population density, imsy building construction and landslide-prone hillsides were blamed for the relatively high death toll. AP
Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Branch 45, MANILA IN THE MATTER OF THE CANCELLATION OF ENTRIES IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH OF JEROME M. RICO RE ANNOTATION FOR LEGITIMATION Petitioner, -versusSP PROC. NO. 12-128104 THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF MANILA and THE CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL (National Statistics Office) and all persons Interested therein, Respondents. x----------------------------------------------------------x ORDER A Verified Petition has been filed by the petitioner Jerome M. Rico through counsel, with prayer as follows: "WHEREFORE, premises Considered, it is respectfully prayed of this Honorable Court, after publication, due notice and hearing that an Order be issued directing the Local Civil Registrar of Manila to cancel the annotation at the back of the Birth Certificate. Other just and equitable reliefs are likewise prayed for under the attendant circumstances." The petition states, among others, that: the petitioner is the offspring of Roel M. Rico and Jovita Maquiling; they got married to each other; the spouses filed a Deed of Acknowledgement for the legitimation of the petitioner which was annotated at the back of the petitioner's birth certificate; lately, the parents of the petitioner received a feedback from the respondents saying that the annotation of legitimation is not applicable because the father has prior impediments, and they adviced the petitioner to cancel the entry hence this petition for cancellation of annotation. The petition is set for hearing on September 25, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. before this Court at Room 534, 5th Floor, at the City Hall of Manila, at which date and time all persons interested may file their oppositions or answers and appear and show cause, if any, why the petition should not be granted. Let copies of this Order be published at the expense of the petitioner once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks, in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines, to be selected by raffle. Furnished the Office of the Solicitor General, Local Civil Registrar of the City of Manila and the National Statistics Office with copies of this Order and the Petition together with its annexes, at the expense of the petitioner. SO ORDERED. Manila, Philippines, June 15, 2012. (SGD.) MARCELINO L. SAYO, JR. Judge
(MST-Sept. 9, 16 & 23, 2012)

5.

6.

In this Aug. 17, 2012 photo, Haitis ag ies outside the earthquake damaged National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Before years end, President Michel Martellys administration and the aid group started by Hollywood star Sean Penn will demolish the remains of the Beaux Arts structure so they can build a successor. Some of the surviving pieces of the palace will be carried away by hand by local preservationists. AP

Charity to rebuild ruined Haiti Palace

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HaitiThe aid group led by Hollywood star Sean Penn has begun demolishing the National Palace that was destroyed in Haitis powerful 2010 earthquake. The Haitian government invited reporters Friday to see Penns humanitarian organization, J/P HRO, begin the threemonth effort of tearing down the presidential home so it can be rebuilt from scratch. The earthquake damaged hundreds of buildings in the capital of Port-au-Prince and in other cities to the south. The National Palace was among them, and it came to symbolize the scale of devastation brought by the disaster along with government inertia. Penns group volunteered to demolish the National Palace and the dollar amount hasnt been released. The government of President Michel Martelly says its still trying to gure out who will rebuild the National Palace. AP

The above conversion is being effected in accordance with the Uniform Filing Requirements (UFR), relevant sections of the RDWR and the methodology described in Article V of the Distribution Services and Open Access Rules (DSOAR), as amended, using relevant information in the Final Determination; 7. In support of the instant application, it submits the following supporting documents: Annex A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 B C 8. Particulars Proposed Rate Schedule Net Revenue Requirement by Class & Proposed Application of Regulatory Smoothing Class Allocation Factors Operating & Maintenance Expenditures Distribution, Supply & Metering Assets Depreciation of Distribution, Supply & Metering Assets Other Taxes Rate Schedules Side Constraints & Comparative Rates

The approval of the instant application will allow it to fulfill its obligations under the PBR, to implement in a timely manner its CAPEX and OPEX programs for the Second (2nd) Regulatory Year of the Second (2nd) Regulatory Period, and to avoid losses which may ultimately result in the deterioration of services to its consumers; and It prays that, after due notice and hearing, the Commission approves the following: a) b) c) The recalculated MAP for the Second Regulatory Year 2013 of PhP1.5007/kWh; The relaxation of the Side Constraints for the Second Regulatory Year 2013; and The proposed distribution rate structure, as follows: Residential Commercial - A Commercial - B 1.7536 239.04 185.07 0.8811 267.22 300.34 710.64 Industrial 0.6182 280.12 3,482.37 1,176.47 Streetlights 1.6186 27.34 100.14

9.

Canada shuts down Tehran Embassy

TORONTOCanada shut its embassy in Tehran on Friday, severed diplomatic relations and ordered Iranian diplomats to leave, accusing the Islamic Republic of being the most signicant threat to world peace. The surprise action reinforces the Conservative governments close ties with Tehrans arch foe Israel but also removes some of Washingtons eyes and ears inside the Iranian capital. It comes as Irans talks with world powers over its nuclear program have stalled and Israel is weighing the option of a military strike to prevent it from developing atomic weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful objectives only. The move also underscores the widening gaps between Western countries attempts to isolate and punish Iran and Tehrans efforts to forge closer ties with energy-hungry Asian trading partners such as India and Pakistan to counter Western sanctions. Irans recent push to bolster and redene its links with Asia makes the break with Canada a less serious blow to Tehran than it would have been years ago. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said that the Canadian embassy in Tehran will close immediately and Iranian diplomats in Canada have been given five days to leave. A spokesman for Irans foreign ministry, Ramin Mehmanparast, called Canadas decision hasty and extreme and said that Iran would soon respond, the semiofcial Fars news agency reported. A note in Persian posted on the door of Irans embassy in Ottawa read: Because of the hostile decision by the government of Canada, the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ottawa is closed and has no choice but to stop providing any consular services for its dear citizens. Baird said Canada was ofcially designating Iran a state sponsor of terrorism and gave a long list of reasons for Canadas decision, including Tehrans support for Syrias embattled President Bashar Assad in that countrys civil war. AP

Distribution Charge PhP/kWh PhP/kW Supply Charge PhP/kWh PhP/Cust/Mo Metering Charge PhP/kWh PhP/Cust/Mo

1.8419 0.1332 0.2372 5.00

The Commission has set the application for jurisdictional hearing, expository presentation, pre-trial conference and evidentiary hearing on September 20, 2012 (Thursday) at ten oclock in the morning (10:00 A.M.), at the SEZ Principal Office, Canal Road corner Labitan Street, Central Business District, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Olongapo City. All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the proceeding may become a party by filing, at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements in the ERCs Rules of Practice and Procedure, a verified petition with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioners name and address; (2) the nature of petitioners interest in the subject matter of the proceeding, and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a statement of the relief desired. All other persons who may want theirs views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the proceeding may file their opposition to the application or comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before the applicant concludes the presentation of its evidence. No particular form of opposition or comment is required, but the document, letter or writing should contain the name and address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition or comment and the grounds relied upon. All such persons who may wish to have a copy of the application may request the applicant, prior to the date of the initial hearing, that they be furnished with a copy of the application. The applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making a request with copies of the application and its attachments, subject to reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Likewise, any such person may examine the application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the usual office hours. WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson, ZENAIDA G. CRUZ-DUCUT, and the Honorable Commissioners, MARIA TERESA A.R. CASTAEDA, JOSE C. REYES, ALFREDO J. NON and GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 28th day of August 2012 at Pasig City.

ATTY. FRANCIS SATURNINO C. JUAN Executive Director III

(MST-Sep. 2 & 9, 2012)

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Sunday
OPINION ManilaStandardTODAY
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

A5

I Do Bidoo Bidoo and Bona

ARE WE THERE YET?
THERE is no other way to present this appeal but through a direct pitch: You must watch I Do Bidoo Bidoo, the movie! If you are one of those people who have been bewailing the monotony of the output of the local movie industry and have therefore sworn off watching Filipino movies, I Do Bidoo Bidoo will make you believe once again in the greatness of the Filipino talent. Yes, we are still capable of producing great movies. If you are one of those who have been wondering for the longest time when we would be able to come up with a musical that is comparable to the likes of Mamma Mia, wonder no more. I Do Bidoo Bidoo is in many ways even better than foreign musicals. For one, it features music that has relevance and meaning in our lives. Second, its a movie that makes you feel good about being Filipino. If you are busy, you simply have to nd the time to do it. If you feel lazy or not in the mood to watch a Filipino lm, you just have to snap out of it and haul your butt out to a nearby theatre where I Do Bidoo Bidoo is showing. I have watched I Do Bidoo Bidoo twice already and will probably watch it again. On both occasions, the audience gave the movie a hearty applause in the endsomething that is unusual during a screening of a Filipino movie, and in this country. We need to support initiatives like I Do Bidoo Bidoo because commercial success is the best motivator for lm producers and our artists to keep on pushing the envelope. Put another way, if we want our local lm industry to churn out quality lms, we need to create the demand for them. This is one of those things that cannot be done by just ranting about it or signing petitions online. We have to remember that movie producers are rst and foremost businessmenthey need to make money and their movies need to be protable in order for them to keep on producing great movies. As it is, we are told that I Do Bidoo Bidoo is not exactly making the kind of money that Private Benjamin or My Other Woman made, which is really sad because I Do Bidoo Bidoo is innitely better than those two other lms, which were major blockbusters. If you dont patronize movies like I Do Bidoo Bidoo, then you should stop complaining about the sorry state of Philippine cinema.

EDITORIAL

BONG C. AUSTERO

Go out and watch.

I am not going to do a review of I Do Bidoo Bidoo because everything that needs to be said about the lm can be summarized thus: Its a great movie. So please go and watch it. *** Bona, PETAs theatrical adaptation of the Lino Brocka masterpiece of a lm, is on its last run this weekend at the PETA Theatre Center in Quezon City. I am not sure there are still tickets available for todays performances but you can still take your chances if you havent watched it yet. I must admit that one of the reasons I went out of my way to watch Bona was because I wanted to see how PETA would be able to successfully adapt a movie into a stage play. Given the iconic stature of the lm, transplanting it to the stage seemed like a daunting task. For instance, the two scenes that framed the Brocka lm seemed impossible to replicate onstage. The lm opens in the midst of the Black Nazarene procession in Quiapo and ends with that memorable shot of the main character (Nora Aunor) pouring boiling water over the object of her obsession (Philip Salvador) in a symbolic act of redemption and self-empowerment. Both scenes are gripping because of brilliant camera work. In the last scene of the movie, the director effectively showcased Aunors brilliance as an actress by freezing the scene into parts and showing the actresss quick shift in emotions from anger, to helplessness, to liberation all within a few seconds. In PETAs adaptation, director Soxy Topacio ingeniously stretches the scene to allow Eugene Domingo (who plays Bona) to achieve the almost impossible challenge of showing her liberation from a mad obsession within a few minutes time. The amazing thing is that it worked. Domingo is gifted actress and in this play she is riveting. PETAs adaptation proved that certain elements of the human condition are universal and not bound by time. The play is set in the present and the context had been updated to reflect current realities, but the central theme of obsession remained as potent and gripping. Indeed, obsession manifests in various forms and ways and while it afflicts individuals, it is a condition that is deeply rooted in social structures. But the most important message that should be articulated is that there truly are no limits to what artists can do to interpret life onstage. I now agree with PETA wholeheartedly; there is no bigger screen than the stage. For this, PETA and the whole cast of Bona the play deserve commendation.

The plot thickens

INTERIOR Undersecretary Rico Puno is being accused of going to the ofces and to the condominium unit of the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo on the day after the private plane carrying the latter crashed off the coast of Masbate. Puno, accompanied by several police ofcers, was reportedly looking for specic documents in the secretarys possession. Robredos widow says she knew of the visit. In fact, it was she who advised the househelp not to allow the visitors inside the secretarys Quezon City residence. It was later revealed that prior to his death, Robredo had been investigating Puno for allegedly questionable transactions in the purchase of rearms. Punos ofce, in the meantime, has released pictures of a trip to Robredos ofce. Yes we were there, the pictures seemed to say, precisely to secure the secretarys belongings. Exactly what needed securing, nobody could say. A police ofcer who was part of Punos team that day insists that they made the trips under the instruction of no less than President Benigno Aquino III himself, who had called Puno on the night of the crash. The President, who is now in Russia to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, has not commented on the issue. Puno is a close friend of Mr. Aquino. Palace spokesman Ramon Carandang however confirmed that Robredo had been investigating sensitive issues in the department prior to his death and hinted that the details of who or what were being probed would soon surface. This twist comes soon after the appointment of Secretary Manuel Roxas II to Robredos post. Roxas, as did Robredo, belongs to the Presidents Liberal Partyone of two factions of Mr. Aquinos supporters. Puno belongs to the other groupone supposedly under the leadership of Vice President Jejomar Binay and some of the Aquinos closest family friends. It is easy to dismiss the whole thing as a turf war between the two inuential groups vying for Mr. Aquinos favors. After all, upon Roxas appointment two weeks ago, there was instant talk that Puno could be on his way out of the DILG. Then again, the matter is too serious to simply be the product of political inghting. The implications are grave and far-reaching, Puno being somebody in the Presidents inner circle. What does this say about the much-touted straight and narrow path, and the ght against the culture of entitlement? How does one stop speculation about the untimely death of an ofcial who was quietly doing his job? Puno once said that only he could tame the President. Lets see how tamed the President will allow himself to be in unearthing what really happened, and why.

See you at the movies

of rabid and impassioned, under-thebelt comments from readers. Not that I am complaining. In fact of all the things I have been writing about in the last 10 years, the last two columns for the Manila Standard accounted for the most intense reactions I ever got in my writing life. The on- and off-line comments came thick and fast, making me paranoid and catatonic like Nicole Kidman in The Others, with the urge to hide under the bed or seek refuge behind thick curtains. I also realized that if one has effectively provoked the anti-RH bill camp one must be ready to deal with personages that hiss and spit green bile ala Linda Blair in The Exorcist. An incensed reader promptly issued me a one-way ticket to hell while another total stranger accused me of being a paid hack, and that being an expat, I have no business meddling in Philippine affairs. I didnt realize that I have also been stripped of my nationality despite the steady ow of remittances sent back home. To all critics, I plead not guilty. I must confess though that I totally underestimated the power of the condom or the pill to trigger the most righteous anger from deeply offended Catholics. Its like spilling out the beans on Justin Bieber that he actually looks like a young virgin lesbian. Thats a nono announcement like inviting the Great White Shark in a Spielberg movie. Dont ever dare declare war while in the midst of Biebers most loyal teenage girl fans, youll end up trampled and spitted on, with manicured fingernails poking your eye sockets and assorted body holes. Why not write something light and breezy? I do enjoy writing movie reviews but lately the lms I have seen are limited to dark, urban realities and character-driven joyless dramas that made my contact lenses oat like ying saucers in teary eyeballs. The last joyful movie I saw was Mamma Mia, but the experience turned to a semi-disaster when Pierce Brosnan started a love hymn to Meryl Streep on top of a craggy hill somewhere in Greece. I promptly lost all respect for Brosnan and two weeks after that toecurling episode I saw Brosnan clones everywherelaying on the sofa, waiting at bus stops, riding elevators, his contra-tenor voice stalking me like the undead in The Sixth Sense. And who wants film noir when real life can be more exuberant these days? Everything in the cinema seems to be plotted with dark schemes, their stories brewing in angst-filled environs and cloaked with imminent disaster. Even the re-telling of Snow White or the Brothers Grimm are all, well, grim. Compare the disaster cinema we have with the drama of Senator Sotto and the impertinence of Senator Enrile. With both senators, one gets a free, two-in-one Laurel and Hardy show, where the only thing missing is a Ku-Ku soundtrack that we can dance to. Back to the question: w hen does one write humor or choose writing the opposite? The answer will separate the wheat from the chaff, and any writer worth his salt knows that humor or humor writing is hard to pull off because it requires verbal timing coupled with the ability to nd the absurd in the most unexpected places. Dipping ones ink in green bile is easypeachy these days of high taxes and soaring oil prices. Comedy is not easy as it seems. It requires impeccable timing and a straight horsey face. Thats why we always love comedians. They are the only constant sources of joy in our dim and grey universe. We should pay higher salaries to comedians and employ them everywhere. In newspapers, in our ofces, in banks, in presidential palaces, in the most repressive places since a peal of laughter can effectively work wonders with our pancreas and liver. Believe me, the health of our liver is as important as the health of our country.

By Joel Vega
MY friends are complaining that I have lost my humor and that I have been writing on serious, life-anddeath issues like the reproductive health bill and the privileged gripes of Senator Tito Sotto. Theyre throwing side glances at me as if I was a raw side dish they have mistakenly ordered in a Japanese restaurant. From my side, I see their facial expressions transformed to Jack Nicholsons Here-Comes-Johnny-character in The Shining. Yes, the one with the axe and the maniacal grin. Maybe I have lost my humor after all the bad vibes unleashed by the last two columns I wrote for the MST. These column articles elicited a round

Joel Vega lives in Nijmegen in the Netherlands where he enjoys eating cheese while tracking the movement of local typhoons in the Philippines. He still dreams of pocketing another Carlos Palanca poetry award.

MST Sunday
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Edited by Roderick t. dela Cruz extrastory2000@gmail.com

A6

SUNDAY

SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

Sterling boss transforms

By Othel V. Campos

HENRY Lim Bon Liong was only 25 years old when he took over the family business after his father, Lim Seh Leng, died in a business trip to Hong Kong in 1976. Still fresh from college then, Lim, a Mechanical Engineering graduate of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, became the chairman and chief executive of the Sterling Paper Group of Companies, now a conglomerate with 2,000 employees all over the country.
Being the eldest in the family, I had to step into the shoes of my father. That same year, we had the major turning point in our lives and in our business. With Joseph, the second eldest child next to me, we tried to help out how to make the company bigger and more prosperous, he says. From selling books and magazines, a legacy that his father passed on to his children, Lim made sure that in every business venture that the family established later on, his fathers name would be remembered. From his fathers name were coined several corporate names of the family business, a great show of lial piety that is common in the Chinese culture. We have many businesses, and most them we named after our departed father. We want all our efforts and achievements dedicated to him. Sterling, for instance, has the ring to his name which is Lim Seh Ling. We have companies that have his initial for its name, he says. To this day, Lim says he can still clearly picture in his mind the small bookstore in Chinatown, where his father used to sell books, magazines, newspapers and even records of Chinese songs. The store catered strictly to the Chinese population during that time. Looking back, I realized that had not my father limited the market to Chinese customers and instead included book-loving Filipinos to its market clientele, the opportunity then could be huge, he says. Central Book Store Inc. was rst established in the 1950 by then the very young Lim Seh Ling at age 20, a few years before National Book Store came into being. Lim grew up helping in the family business with only two workers back then. He helped in book and album binding, and spent hours at the bookstore trying to contribute his

rice industry
Always the risk-taker, Lim was also cognizant of the prevailing property boom and ventured into property development in the early 1980s, putting up three industrial parkstwo in Bulacan and the 100-hectare Sterling Techno Park in Carmona, Cavite via SP Properties Inc. Other companies under the Sterling Group are the SP Container and Packing, which produces environmentally-sound packaging and paper cups for big-scale clients; Expressions Inc, the retail arm for school and ofce supplies, greeting cards and letter sets; Sterling Animation Intl. Inc., promoter of popular animes like Dragon Ball Z, Ranma Half and Sailor Moon; Straight Lines Inc., which produces greeting cards; Sterling Paper Inc., which

share to the family business. Chinese children like us were taught to help the family at a very young age. Everybody does his share. My mother also helped in the binding of albums and books. She has a very good organizational skill. Thats why she was the one taking care of the factory. My father traveled back and forth to China to bring the latest reading materials and Chinese records. I think that was the reason why they were a good combination, Lim says. Soon, the small bookstore expanded its services to include book binding and photograph albums that led to the creation of Sterling Book Binding Inc. in 1959, the

rst company under the Sterling Group of Companies. One of the companys rst products was the Acefree Photo Albums, which remain a very saleable product even after 50 years. From the small bookstore in Chinatown, the company expanded its business portfolio to include interests in manufacturing, import-export, real estate, animation, business process outsourcing and retailing. With the acquisition of Springwood Industries, manufacturer and exporter of wooden chopsticks and tongue depressors, Central Book Store has evolved into an importer of school and ofce supplies.

designs and manufacture notebooks and letter sets; and SL International, importer of raw materials for paper making as well as of furniture, rubbermaid products and the exclusive distributor of renowned Little Tikes toys. Despite his esteemed role as the family patriarch, Lim never discounted the contributions of his siblings Willy, Joseph, Gerry and Evelyn, the youngest and only girl in the brood, to their family business. All his siblings and even his mother held key positions in the companies. When Henry decided to diversify into agriculture, he was humble enough to admit he did not know a single thing about growing crops, even less in advanced crop science such as hybridization. [Former] President Joseph Estrada gave me the idea to go into agriculture. I remembered him saying that once he be the President, agriculture will be at the top of his priority list and that for a country to rise above poverty, one has to put more faith and develop the farming sector. At once I realized, there must be more to agriculture than simply planting crops. Apparently, that is the only push
We do look for different types of meters. We also study what is the latest trend in meters or if there is a need to upgrade relying on the probability of more smooth ow of water to our meters and longer meter life, as well. With the certication, we can say we are world class in terms of how we calibrate our meters, says Dela Cruz. We are the rst in Southeast Asia to have this type of metric system, using the volume of water for accurate test to ensure accuracy for the consumer. It is a big deal for our customers who ask if their consumption was properly measured. We serve our customers, he says. Othel V. Campos

Seasoned executive finds new challenge in water business

FERDINAND dela Cruz, a seasoned corporate executive at Ayala Corp., nds his job at the conglomerates water unit Manila Water Co. more challenging than ever, because he is now involved in the distribution of water, which he says is a basic, fundamental necessity. Ayala Corp., the parent rm of Manila Water, is known for shufing its top executives across different companies and industries. Dela Cruz, for one, moved from Globe Telecom, where he served for nine years, to Manila Water as the group director for east zone business operations and its corporate strategic affairs group. Dela Cruz, a cum laude graduate with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of the Philippines and a board topnotcher, honed his skills as a manager in various companies such as San Miguel Corp., Inbisco Philippines, Unilever Philippines and Ayala Land Inc. He also served as the president and general manager of Kraft Foods [Philippines] Inc. for more than a year and country general manager in Indonesia for two years. My basic training, I got from Unilever Philippines. What helped me beat the odds of the corporate world is the training I got from the different industries I came from. There are many structured trainings Ive been through as well as on-the-job experiences. The other good thing is getting good role models. I have quite a few mentors in my past and present careers, says dela Cruz. Dela Cruz would not dare single out a particular person who has inuenced his career the most, lest he might be accused of favoritism. He says his new post in Manila Water has given him another colossal challenge. This being a basic, fundamental necessity, water has always been a problem of the past and even the present. We are working to address current issues so as to minimize the concerns of the coming generations, he says. Dela Cruz is one of the Manila Water executives present during the unveiling of the countrys rst state-of-the-art Metrology Center. It is considered the rst ISOaccredited water meter testing laboratory recognized by the Philippine Accreditation Ofce with an ISO.IEC17025:2005. The center is a comprehensive and modern water meter testing facility that employs international standards for meter testing/calibration. We received the ofcial accreditation since February of this year. We just found reason to celebrate this. After all, we are the rst in Southeast Asia to get this ISO certication. Having another international accreditation has made us even more competent in our trade but more importantly, we want our customers to nd satisfaction in our service. After all, were all consumers here, says Dela Cruz, who is married and a father of four. He says while standards are being worked out to comply with the international code, Manila Water is also constantly upgrading its metrology facility to keep abreast of the latest trend and design, in keeping with its mandate for providing not only safe water but accurate meter reading for the benet of the East Zone clientele. One will think, from the customer point of view why does it matter. All of us have water meters in our homes and our consumption is measured by this water meters. We make sure the meters out there, those that Manila Water installed, are calibrated and are measured using world class standard, Dela Cruz explains. So if our standards are ISO-accredited, that means our customers can rest assured that their meters are properly calibrated, their consumption accurate or would be within the tolerance level according to international standards. The people would not doubt their water bills, he says. Dela Cruz says the company conducts random inspection of meters regularly on a monthly scale to make sure that both domestic and industrial meters installed in its coverage area are accurate, thus ensuring the accuracy of water bills received by customers. We test the meters before and after we install them. If there are problems, we return it to the supplier and have them replaced. This bodes well for us, for suppliers knowing that we have this technology. We gured that they will be careful enough to send their products because of our facility, he says. He says every seven years, the company replaces water meters, knowing that the device may not be functioning as efciently as brand new meters due to the usual wear-and-tear problems. The company is also always on the lookout for new metering trends that will save water and generate savings for customers.

I needed, says Lim. His latest venture brought him to China in search for a technology that will help Filipino farmers increase harvests. It was during this journey to China that I met Prof. Yuan Longping, a hard-working scientist dedicated to nding a solution to Chinas food scarcity problems in the early 1960s. I was doing my research and was told that he was the person who can answer my questions. He was at the time, quite mailap. He only nds meaning in the work he did, that time, for his country and countrymen, says Lim. Lim considers Longping, a two-time Nobel Award nominee, his one and true mentor. Lim says it was Longping who saved China from starvation. His research ndings led to massive reforms in agriculture in China. For me, its very providential that I was introduced to the Professor. We met in early 1988. We developed a special bond. I had no knowledge of agriculture, then. Some say, Im lucky that I got the condence and trust of Prof. Longping when he showed no interest to even meet top companies of Fortune 500. He even shunned invitations by countries like Indonesia. During those years, Indonesia was struggling to improve its rice yields, says Lim. I really cannot say how we just felt comfortable with each other. It was probably the afnity of having the same culture, of having the same needs, Lim says, adding that the Chinese professor, later on, had even loaned him three of his most trusted scientists to assist him in his research for the hybrid rice variety suitable to Philippine climate. From the initial 75 hybrid rice varieties Longping gave Lim for eld trial, none had successfully owered or blossomed in the Philippines. Scientists at the International Rice Research Institute told him to create a variety that is wholly his own, since Chinese hybrid rice seeds are location-specic, owering and bearing grains only in the temperate weather in China, and oftentimes within 130 to 150 days. On the other hand, rice crops in the Philippines bloom as early as 90 days. It was never easy, how we got we are now. Especially, when we ventured into agriculture. Money was not the only thing invested. Pain, frustration and hardships were on the top of the list. But basically frustration. When I bought the 40-hectare property in Laguna for the needed research facility, I almost backed out. P100-million [investment] for a 40hectare land, that was really too much that time. But I bit the bullet, says Lim. Lim had to let go of his other properties to pool together the money needed for the research facility. Without any promise of a breakthrough, Lim pushed through with the research. After almost three years of disappointing results, he was on the brink of letting go of his vision. After spending hundreds of million of pesos, I nearly came to a decision to just stop everything, he admits. The breakthrough happened in the third year. Thus born SL Agritech Inc., Sterling Groups agriculture company that produces hybrid rice seeds with great yields. Two months prior to the successful discovery, however, the Lim family met an accident on their way back to Manila from an event in Olongapo. A container trailer crashed against their family van, taking the lives of his mother, the late Maria Co Chiao Ty Lim and his younger brother Willy. All of us were seriously injured. I had broken ribs, busted lungs. The doctor had to insert a tube to remove blood from my lungs. I thought I will die. During those dark days of my life, I blamed God for what happened to my familymy mother and brother gone, myself and other family members all conned in the hospital with several of us in critical condition. But life has to go on, Lim says. Two months after the accident, Lim says one of his scientists reported a breakthrough in the research. He didnt claim the honor for himself but he said that it was my mother who led him to the discovery. You can either choose to believe this or not but according to him, in the wee hours of morning, he felt tremors on his bed like someone is trying to wake him up. Then he saw my mother. And a little voice inside his head told him to go out to the eld and check the plants. And true enough, the rice plants in plot 8 showed signs of fertilization. I consider this my mothers legacy to our family, to all of us who benet from the grain that I called SL-8H, after the name of my father, he says. SL-8H has revolutionized rice production in the country. SL Agritech became the leading commercial producer of rice seeds that have signicantly raised the yield of Filipino farmers. The Philippines hopes to achieve selfsufciency in rice next year and become a net exporter in the coming years.

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SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

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PAG-IBIG FUND PRESIDENT-CEO DARLENE MARIE BERBERABE

EXECUTIVE IN A HURRY
By Arman D. Armero

THERE are CEOs and there are CEOs, and then, theres Atty. Darlene Marie Lelen Berberabe.
Atty. Berberabe or simply Lelen to family and friends, is the President and Chief Executive Ofcer of the PAG-IBIG Fund, also known as the Home Development Mutual Fund, which functions as a national savings program and an affordable shelter nancing for the Filipino worker. Lelen, 44, is lean and small in frame, but make no mistake about it, the lady is bigger-thanlife, a consummate professional and a hardworking, dedicated and honest public servant, who, in just over one-and-a-half year as HDMF CEO, transformed the Fund into a more dynamic and

responsive agency which had extended its reach to more Filipinos, both here and abroad. Last July, after only more than a year as the Funds CEO, Lelen was honored in the 2012 CEO EXCEL Awards along with 10 other awardees and one Lifetime Achievement awardee, a testament to her excellent management of the P310-b Fund. During the ceremony, she was also cited as the only awardee for having the shortest stint as CEO. Lelen came aboard the HDMF on the invitation of no less than its chairman, Vice President Jejo-

mar Binay, who was then screening candidates for the position to replace the Funds former CEO, Jaime Fabianian. Of course I knew him as the Vice-President but I didnt know him personally, said Lelen, who added that Binay learned about her through her brother-in-law, Benjie Martinez, who was the VPs chief of staff. At rst, Lelen was reluctant to sign in as a candidate for the position because she had plans of relocating to Singapore in relation to her job then as chief legal ofcer of Procter & Gamble.

OUTSTANDING CEO. Darlene Marie Berbarabe delivered her acceptance speech as one of the awardees in the CEO Excel Award ceremony held last July. Berberabe was cited as the only awardee of her batch to win the honor after being a CEO of the Home Development Mutual Fund after only a year and a half.

I was told that some of the names being considered were bankers. I actually said that they should get those bankers since Im basically a lawyer and I dont have a general management background, said Lelen. But after she came back from Singapore for a brief hiatus, Lelen got a call from Binay himself, who convinced her to take the job. When eventually her application was approved, there was no turning back for Lelen. Siyempre nakakahiya ng tumanggi kasi si Vice President na yun, said Lelen, who ofcially became the Funds second lady CEO in November, 2010. Topnotch student and lawyer Binay must have been impressed by Lelens credentials, one she had painstakingly built starting her college days as a student of the University of the Philippines. Lelen earned a Bachelor of Arts Philosophy degree, summa cum laude, and class valedictorian from UP in 1989. She graduated salutatorian from the College of Law in 1999, while juggling her time as a law student and a professor in Philosophy. She nished her MA in Philosophy as a recipient of Full Academic Scholarship to write her masteral thesis in UP. Described as a labor law specialist, she worked with the Quisumbing Torres Law Ofce (Baker & Mckenzie Manila ) in 2000-2004, and from 2002-2006, Lelen was a Professional Lecturer in the UP College Law, where she taught Labor Law and Legal Method. Before government service beckoned, Lelen had been employed as Chief Legal Ofcer for four years (2004-2010) by Procter & Gamble Philippines, a multinational manufacturer of fast moving consumer goods. But Lelens mettle was tested right in her rst month in ofce because of a controversy she inherited from the funds former administration, in which the HDMF was defrauded of P7 billion by developer Deln Lee of Globe Asiatique. It was a turbulent time for Pag-ibig. We had to face the Senate investigation to explain our position because people had become wary and scared of putting their money in the Fund. But through Lelens exemplary leadership, the Fund was able to weather the storm, and for the next few months did not only stay aoat, but managed to introduce several innovations to strengthen its credibility and standing as a public service institution. But perhaps its most impressive accomplishment under Lelens watch was when the Fund obtained the highly-coveted ISO 9001-2008 certication in recordbreaking time of three months and 19 days, making PAG-IBIG Fund the rst among key shelter agencies to get the certication and the fastest among government nancing institutions. (For the Funds other accomplishments, see related story on

this page). Pro-active Management Style Lelen describes her management style as hands-on and pro-active. Since taking over the management of the Fund, with its 36 branches and 18 foreign desks overseas in Asia, Middle East and Europe, she had been relentless in ensuring that the Funds programs are disseminated to the agencys stakeholders and end-users, who are mostly composed of ordinary workers. Im very pro-active. Working days are usually spent in meetings with the stakeholders, developers and businessmen, sometimes even the end-users, Lelen said. Ive also travelled all over the country talking to various people, including the mayors and governors. I also make myself available to the media for interviews, because as CEO, I understand that I am the face of PAG-IBIG. Lelens non-stop working days usually start with morning exercises as soon as she wakes up at around 5:30 a.m. A self-confessed tness buff, Lelen said she had been exercising since she was 20 years old. I even worked as an aerobics teacher when I was teaching Philosophy in UP, said Lelen. A single mom (her marriage to former PBA superstar Samboy Lim was annulled in 2008), Lelen said her life revolves around her work and her only child Jamie B. Lim, a 15-year old karatedo who had won 13 gold medals in international competitions. On Sundays, she and Jamie bonds together by watching movies and going to the malls. Wala na nga akong social life. And no, Im not dating. Her non-existent social life notwithstanding, Lelen appears to be enjoying her stint as HDMF CEO, even as she recognizes that she could be out of her job anytime. I dont have a xed tenure. There is a law introduced last year that appointive positions only have a one-year tenure that is subject for review. So para kang nag-aaply uli. Thats why I treat my job on a day-to-day basis. My mindset is I have to do my best today, because I may not be here tomorrow. But then, I can always go back to the private sector. But Lelen believes that what she had brought to the Fund was a sense of purpose, a passion for work and a non-compromising attitude towards genuine, and incorruptible government service. I like to leave this job in the future with my values intact. We were taught by our parents to value our name because it is our true wealth. When I rst came here, some people say that its ok to receive gifts, but I will not tolerate that. Im not here to enrich myself, but to serve. Later on, they understood what I am as a person and I think that it also inspired them to do their job well. If that time comes though, the government would be poorer without a Lelen Berberabe, the consummate professional and a genuine public servant.

A more dynamic, responsive and pro-active Fund

UNDER President and CEO Darlene Berbarabes leadership, the Fund accomplished the following: Segmenting of portfolios into the regular housing program and affordable housing program that will allow improvement of the quality of the Funds loan portfolios by targeting members more appropriately and provide housing loan programs that best suit their needs. Use of full risk-based pricing framework that covers the Funds costs, its risks and a reasonable spread while taking into consideration market prices to make pricing competitive. With this pricing tool, changes in pricing and its impact can be easily assessed, and prices can be adjusted to reect market conditions. Use of borrower evaluation system similar to a credit scoring system being used globally by banks and lending institutions to evaluate the potential default risk posed by lending to a borrower. The Fund obtained the highly-coveted ISO 9001:2008 certication in record breaking time of three months and 19 days. Pag-IBIG Fund is the rst among key shelter agencies to get the certication and the fastest among government nancing institutions. The certication is recognition that the Funds membership registration process is at par with international standards. Launch of lowest interest rate of calamity loan at 5.95% from 10.75% per annum. In recognition of the Funds proven expertise in home nancing, the GSIS extended a P5 Billion credit facility to the Fund. Pag-IBIG Fund will now process all housing loans from GSIS members and employees. Increased maximum loanable amount to P6M from P3M to expand its market and serve more members. Under her leadership, the Fund has nanced 95,000 housing units worth P65.4B by end of July 2012. In addition, almost P74B worth of short-term loans was made available to 3.7 million memberborrowers as of June 2012. The Fund is also outsourcing the appraisal and collection services of the Fund to ensure better service and convenience for our members. Implemented LGU and employees housing through participation in the Pabahay Caravan (housing fairs), criss-crossing all the countrys regions, bringing the message to almost one thousand local chief executives to market its programs. Conduct housing fairs quarterly with selected big employers in private or government, and in other countries for our OFW members. Housing fair is our forum where we bring our accredited developers and their housing projects closer to our members. This is also a venue where the Fund offers its acquired assets to targeted groups of members. Still part of the housing fair is the home matching service, which allows Pag-IBIG to assist its members scout for houses they can purchase based on their location and preferred price range. Opened doors to informal sector by leading tie ups with FEJODAP and 1-UTAK, both organizations of jeepney drivers and operators, and SUMAPI, an organization of household services workers. Her novel and active approaches to bring in as many Filipino workers into the Fund as possible had led to the signicant increase in membership in 2011. To date, Pag-IBIG Fund has 11.3 million members, compared to 8.8 million members at the start of 2011. CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

Taytay seamstress blessed with Huge Isaac

Corazon Bautista (left) oversees her RTW business.

FOUR years ago, Corazon Bautista of Taytay, Rizal

took a P5,000 loan from a micronance lender, prayed for Gods guidance, and bought P3,000 worth of fabrics from one of the textile stores in the towns plaza.

for their daily needs. Her rstborn, however, was nephrotic, and the familys savings were spent mainly on hospital bills. In 2007 and 2008, the global nancial crisis hurt the garments

A skilled and versatile seamstress, she cut those fabrics into 150 pieces. With the help of her husband and a sewing machine, Bautista came up with stylish womens shorts like the ones she saw celebrity Anne Curtis wear on TV. She brought the items to the Pasig night market, where she tried to sell them in a corner in the dark, as she had no stall of her own. A man caught a glimpse of her merchandise and used ashlights to scan and inspect the items closer. The man, who turned out to be a merchant, liked what he saw, asked Bautista how many items she brought, haggled for a price of P50 apiece, and bought all of them. Bautista was happy to go home with P7,000 to her family. She used the entire proceeds to buy more fabrics. Today, Bautista employs 25 fabric cutters, pattern makers, seamstress and tailors who each week manufacture thousands of ready-towear shorts, blouses and T-shirts that nd their way to boutiques, department stores and shopping malls around Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon. I am a living witness of Gods grace, Bautista, a mother of two, says in Filipino during an interview. I thank God rst, and TSPI, second, for trusting me. By TSPI, she is referring to Tulay sa Pag-unlad Inc., a Gospeldriven, micronance non-government organization that lent her the P5,000. TSPI is a member of the umbrella group Micronance Council of the Philippines Inc.. Had she not taken that risk, she says, she and her family might still be living in a tiny cramped house that she says is more like an oven than an abode. They now live in a newly built, spacious twostory home, with a kitchen as large as their old house. Bautista, 42, was born in a large

family i n Albay with 15 children, three of whom died young. Her parents, a sherman and a sh vendor, did not have enough money to send all of them to college. She left Albay to try her luck in Taytay, Rizal where she rst worked as a household help while pursuing her studies at the Philippine School for Business Administration. Taytay, being the countrys garments capital, gave her opportunities to develop a new skill set as fabric cutter, pattern maker and eventually as a seamstress. She worked for a Taytaybased manufacturer of baby dresses for more than a decade. Bautista was 24 when she married Felix. The marriage prompted her to drop out of college as a third-year Accounting student. If I had nished college, I would have not become what I am today, she says. Working in the garments industry provided the couple just enough means

industry, leaving hundreds of factory workers out of work. Many lost their jobs when at least 10 factories closed shop and transferred to China, says Bautista. In our church alone, at least 40 members lost their jobs as factory workers. It was then the Christian church, where Bautista attends Sunday service, decided to help their jobless members by initiating a livelihood project. I proposed an RTW business, instead of a food business, because our expertise is in making clothes, says Bautista. Bautistas brother-in-law, who works in Canada, and the church pastor, invested in the livelihood project to produce RTW items. Bautista contributed her talent to the livelihood program. Her role and active participation in the development of the group project from a mere concept, however, awakened Bautistas dream of starting her own business. If only she had the opportunity and resources, she thought many times. I wanted to start my own business, but I did not have the money, she says.

Opportunity came one afternoon in 2008, when she spotted a group of women clad in white shirts and arranging monobloc chairs under a mango tree just across her house. She thought it was a Christian prayer meeting because the women were praying and warmly talking to each other. She decided to approach the women, and found out they were organized by TSPI for a seminar on micronance lending. She initially joined the group as an observer. She says she nally took the risk three months later, and availed of a P5,000 loan from TSPI. That loan led Bautista to the path of entrepreneurship. After the merchant bought all her merchandise that night in Pasig sometime in November 2008, she went home, determined to produce more items. The merchant, who has a stall in Baclaran, was not only her rst client, he would continue to place orders from Bautista to this day. Bautista ventured to other items such as blouses and T-shirts. We have many competitors. If we dont nd a way, we would be left behind. So we produced other items, she says. She approached TSPI for more loans. We started the business in November. By May of the following year, our investments trebled, allowing us to pay our loan and buy a sewing machine, she says. Bautista explains she actually settled the P5,000 loan in installments of P270 a week. Bautistas success in her venture was noticed by TSPI, which allowed her to avail of bigger loans such as P10,000, then P15,000, and later P30,000. Bautista says as an entrepreneur, she studies the latest fashion trend to produce what the market wants. We also change our designs, because others began copying our products, she says. She also explored other sources of fabrics, such as Caloocan City and Valenzuela City, aside from Taytay. Now, we buy at least 1,000 kilograms of fabrics every week to meet the orders of our buyers, she says. She employs 25 individuals, including eight who stay in her house. The others work in their homes, using the sewing

machines lent by Bautista. She says she nds joy with the fact that those who are working for her are able to send their children to schools. Buyers from Marikina, Baclaran, Monumento and as far as Pampanga go to Bautistas house to fetch their orders. Bautista says that each week, they manufacture up to 4,000 shorts; 1,000 blouses; and thousands more of T-shirts. Some department stores also took notice of the good quality and affordable price of her products. Bautista says her RTW items are now sold not only in Divisoria but also in department stores such as Market, Market and Starmall. Bautista sells her items at just a fraction of the price in department stores. She says that one time, she discovered that the blouses she sold to a trader for just P120 apiece ended up in a well-known boutique, where it is being retailed for more than P1,000. She later asked the owner of the shop for a higher buying price, and the owner agreed to add P30 per item. Bautista is happy with that arrangement at the moment. But she certainly has bigger plans for the future. Bautista intends to have a clothing brand of her own, thinking of the name Huge Isaac. The name, she explains, means Gods great blessing for her and her family. It also represents the rst names of her two sons, Eugene and Jacob Isaac. Inspired by Bautistas success, several of her siblings also established their own RTW businesses. One of her sisters, who live in Canada, suggested that they export RTW items to Toronto, where there is a large population of Filipino migrants and workers. Those are the plans, Bautista says, showing her determination to take more risks. To others who would like to go into business, she says: Dont be afraid to take risks. It is a part of life. If you take the risk, and put everything in Gods hands, you will be blessed. In 2011, Bautista was named the national winner in the Masikap Category of the Citi Micro-entrepreneur of the Year awards. RTD

Shoemaker repels Chinese invasion

ARMED with solid Filipino skills and persistence for good quality, a Marikina-based shoe manufacturer just refuses to back down in the face of massive inux of cheap synthetic footwear items from China that reduced the local shoe industry to a struggling enterprise. Our biggest accomplishments so far is to still be in business after so many years, amidst the stiff competition from imports, still able to stay protable and have a satised customer base, says Perry Chua, the vice president for operations of Trident International Trading Corp., which manufactures Swatch Seasider shoes. Chua, 38, says loyal customers, with preference for high-quality shoes, have kept them aoat. I would say one of the traits that make our shoes unique is quality. Loyal customers can attest to the durability of our shoes, he says. Filipinos continue to buy the Swatch Seasider brand, despite its relatively higher price than other shoes, mostly imported from China. While other Marikina shoemakers resorted to importing products to survive, Trident continues to craft handmade shoes. The biggest challenge would be going against imported goods, especially from China. Consumers always go for the cheaper alternative but fail to see they get a cheaper quality as well, he says. Chua admits that imported shoes affected their business, with their monthly sales now down to 6,000 pairs from more than 10,000 pairs in the past, but he believes the Filipino consumers will rediscover their love for good-quality products. I wish for Filipinos to recognize and acknowledge our own local capabilities and strength, he says. Chua says loyal customers have walked great distances in Swatch Seasider shoes because of the products durability. Swatch Seasider shoes are sold at SM Department Stores, Robinsons, Isetann, Gaisano, Landmark, Sta. Lucia East Mall, Ever Commonwealth, and other stores nationwide. He says his parents, Alex and Luisita Chua, established the company in 1981 under a small roof in Quezon City. In 1986, Trident moved to Marikina where it launched a series of boat shoes under the Swatch Seasider label. It started under a small roof by my father who had a dream to build a local shoe business to cater to the Filipino people. Together with a good friend, they started with less than 10 employees, he says. Aside from designing shoes, they would also be from around the world to produce Swatch Seasider shoes. He says every pair is handmade with strong attention to detail and every design with careful thought. He acknowledges the crucial role of their employees to the brands success. The biggest contributors are the people behind the

the marketing, sales and delivery guys. A lot of hard work and patience eventually paid off and after some years they managed to slowly build the business, Chua says. The company employed skilled designers, artisans and shoemakers to produce the best shoes. Trident International grew from a ve-man operation into a network of more than 100 skilled artisans, craftsmen, and patternmakers today. Chua says the company uses only the best materials

company. Their hard work and dedication to the craft led to the companys success, he says. Chua says his respect and trust in his employees result in a productive exchange of ideas. Since a lot of the people here have spent more years in the company than myself, I am always open to their suggestions and point of views. I have an open mind so we discuss each option in detail and decide on what is best for the particular problem on hand, he says. As a manager, he spends most of his time in the

ofce. I usually go to ofce early and my colleagues update me on the tasks at hand for the day. We have a bi-monthly meeting to tackle the problems and think of ways to improve our system, he says. Chua, who has two kids, says he spends most of his time with his family during weekends and whatever spare time I have left, I usually practice photography or play bowling. He says it is important that he enjoys what he is doing. Happiness is when you have fulllment with what you are doing. No matter how difcult or stressful it is you nd the time to enjoy it, he says. That principle also applies in business, he says. You have to be dedicated to your endeavor and nd the time to improve on your craft. Never forget that God is always there to lend a helping hand, he says. Chua is optimistic about the future of Trident and the Swatch Seasider label. As long as we stay true to our craft, and maintain our passion for the business, we can always overcome challenges. We do have to be exible and meet market demands, but as long as we stay focused to our objectives, we should be able to ride out any economic challenges, he says. His dream is to have more stores carrying the Swatch Seasider brand. We hope to someday have more independent accessible stores and provide good quality and reasonably-priced shoes for the Filipino people, he says. We hope to provide jobs for people. RTD

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SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

SMARTPHONES are one of the most popular forms of communication these days.
These smart gadgets have been kicking around for quite some time already and its feature set has greatly expanded from the simple set of contacts list, calendar, planner, photo capture, video recording to navigation, Internet browsing, email handling, and even running productivity and entertainment applications. No surprise why most people rely on smartphones because of the many advantages and benefit they offer. The many advantages of smartphones, not to mention all are the following:

Staying in touch has never been this easy

Smartphones offer a complete Internet experience. The Internet functionality that is experienced in a personal computer is now available on a handheld device. With the proper smartphone, anyone can send emails with attached les, browse the Internet, watch video on YouTube, Chat messaging. Smartphone users can check movie or ight schedules. Some smartphone provide GPS functionality that tells you exactly where you are and nd your destination anytime, anywhere.

Multimedia at your ngertips

Multimedia at your Fingertips. When stuck in a trafc jam, bored in your class or meeting, waiting for a ight, or in an awkward situation requiring an instant escape, your most loved media is now at your ngertips. Smartphones allow the users to save and download music, movies, video shows and even read with an eBook reader.

Applications or apps that you need

Apps allow the user to customize or personalize phones. Examples of these are Games, Utilities, Editors, and Interactive References. These are downloaded from online stores some are free, some need to be purchased.

Productivity on the go
Prime reason smartphones is now

widely used in business. Smartphones offer applications which emancipate users to be productive anywhere they go. To mention a few are, word processors, spreadsheet programs, presentation software, personal organizers, calendar, note-taking apps and voice recorders for business meetings. Smartphones today are soldering more features of a personal computer than ordinary cellular phones one reason why the biggest names in the industry are moving swiftly than ever to attract more attention. The latest and most competitive mobile Operating Systems (OS) in the market today are Android 4.1, iOS 6, BlackBerry OS 7and Window Phone 8. Which of these OS is the best? What does each offer that users will look forward to? Based on market analysis, XMG Global ranks Android as the number 1 OS for Smartphones with a 3-year average (2010-2012) market share of 39 percent. iOS ranks number 2 with 18 percent share followed by Blackberry OS at number 3 and Windows Phone at number 4 with 13 percent and 5 percent market share, respectively. Because of the recent developments from Microsoft, XMG Global forecasts that by 2015, Windows Phone will be the number 2 OS next to Android. Smartphones have come a long way over the past few years and will continue to do so to appease the insatiable consumer market. As technology continues its advances, the consumer and business users are presented with an extensive choice of smartphones that will meet expectations. The smartphone takeoff and ongoing feature upgrades are just proof of continuous innovation in this space. The user OS preference is just a matter of loyalty to a certain system or getting-used-toit mindset. Sometimes it is also a matter of curiosity in trying something new or the what-is-new-is-in mentality of most people. One cannot simply assume that only one will emerge as a victor in this war between these OS. Different people have different wants and needs. Therefore, one OS will not be able to cater to all tastes. Other than measuring market share, it may not be possible to truly dene the winner in this battle of OS.
The author is the statistician/research analyst of ICT think-tank XMG Global

BATTLE OF THE
By Cristina Musngi

SMARTEST

Smarter than ever. Smartphone features has expanded by leaps and bounds from the simple set of contacts list, calendar, planner, photo capture, video recording to navigation, Internet browsing, email handling, and even running productivity and entertainment applications.

FEATURES

ANDROID 4.1
Widgets are customized to the next level. Jelly beans makes the widgets move, with homes screens adapting to accommodate the placement and resizing of your widgets Latest version of Internet Explorer, IE10

IOS 6
No Tiles, no widgets. It uses app icons that users can scroll through the home page. Added functionality strengthens Siri and even locking children out of certain areas. iOS 6 brings over more features such as ofine reading and integration to iCloud allowing for tab syncing. Media is handled via both wired and wireless access via iCloud to the iTunes store, which has long provided music and lms. Settings are all sorted automatically, including whether ash is used or not. Focus is also automatic, unless specifying a certain area by touching the screen. For those who require a physical shutter button, iOS also allows the use of the up volume button as well as the on screen option. OS 6 brings in Passbook. Though not entirely an NFC based app, it provides a lot of the same features, keeping varying tickets to sports and other competitions, the theatre or cinema or airlines all in one easy to access, and constantly updated location anywhere you are. Apples new proprietary system providing turn by turn navigation, integration with Yelp for business listings, and Siri for voice control - 3D maps, a trafc service and a satellite view. Allows anonymized crowd-sourced data at the sites of trafc congestion to help you understand whats going on. iPad has grown in popularity and is boosted by iOS 6 bringing Siri over from the iPhone 4S to the new iPad. iPad sold 40 million units in 2011 expected to grow signicantly in 2012 and the coming years.

BLACKBERRY OS 7
Same professional home screen of its previous version but much slicker, smoother menu transitions, snappy response and plenty of new features.

WINDOWS PHONE 8
Live Tiles - the squares on the home screen that represents each apps for music player, messaging, etc. Windows Phone 8 brings more customizable tiles that allow users to squeeze even more apps. Google Nexus 7 comes with Chrome.

Interface

Browser

Blackberry Browser Both music and video (.mp4, .avi .mov .3gp .wmv supported) and audio playback are featured. Expand storage with a microSD card (for some models). Load music library onto the phone via Blackberry media sync. Blackberry OS features time-shifting camera app. It has the capability to wind back time on selected portions of photos to make sure that the image has captured all of its subjects at their best. Users can get information and link up with other NFC-enabled devices or authentic BlackBerry accessoriesall with a single tap. With BlackBerry Tag, user can invite a friend to BBM and share an app from BlackBerry App World, videos, pictures and music by aligning the backs of any two NFC enabled BlackBerry smartphones. Blackberry OS features high-quality maps including more information. The pinch-to-zoom feature is incorporated with its touch screen capability. BlackBerry Maps will always know where youre located, as long as you have cell service. It features cell-tower triangulation, GPS and Get Directions wizard.

Media

Provides 60fps across the whole device. Google Play is also at the heart of the whole OS, bringing Music, Movies and eBooks right to the forefront.

Stored and accessed via a microSD card, and the support for 1280 x 768 and 1280 x 720 resolutions on top of the current 800 x 480.

Camera

Faster than ever, and has a fast review system making editing and removing images simpler. Varying scene modes, customizable levels white balance and exposure. Panoramic mode and impressive zero shutter lag.

Simple, clean look, with a small menu button that accesses the cameras various settings. Nokia branded handsets are also set to bring over the PureView technology that was made famous in the Nokia 808 PureView.

Near-Field Commuinication(NFC)

Android Beam and Google Wallet (currently only available in the US). It provides Bluetooth devices, instant transfer of photos, videos and apps, as well as the instantaneous pairing of NFC enabled Bluetooth devices

Microsoft Wallet, making use of any NFC technology packed into handsets. This allows payment via services such as PayPal. Instant pairing of Bluetooth accessories is supported as well.

Maps

Google Maps- Street View, 3D and indoor mapping. Now, with Google, users (both pedestrians and motorists) are presented with details of how and when to leave to get to your appointments on time.

Microsofts proprietary Bing Maps. It now brings in Nokia Mapping System 3D street navigation, and Nokias Navteq Trafc Service.

Tablet Support

Android 4 was considered as the operating system that united both smartphone technology with tablet PC. Now upgraded to Google Nexus 7 device.

Blackberry Playbook runs on Blackberry Playbook OS.

Microsoft Surface tablet. No word yet from Microsoft as to whether we will see a Windows Phone 8 Tablet, we would bet that it ties in strongly to Windows 8.

Features Comparison of Smartphones Operating System. The table above shows a comparison of smartphone Operating Systems (OS) based on their main features and what we observed as minimum considerations during purchasing decisions. XMG Global summarized these features in the table above for easy reference.

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ARTS & LIFE

A10

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

Spoelstra Tupac, Pat Riley

on and

being single

By Dinna Chan Vasquez

WHEN Erik Spoelstra was rst appointed as head coach of the Miami Heat, he played the music of the late Tupac Shakur on motivate the motivator days. The players said, Oh, how old school!
When I put on some U2, the players cringed and ran out of the gym, said Spoelstra, who was the guest speaker of Executive Talks: The Champs Playbook, an event organized by Smart and the First Pacic Leadership Academy of the First Pacic Group. Whether they agree or disagree on certain things, Spoelstra makes it a point to connect with every member of the team every day, from the stars to the bench warmers. His relationship with the players is not always smooth. One recalls a shouting match with Dwayne Wade on the court. These are challenges we deal with every day. When you get through moments like that, thats how you become a family, said Spoelstra, who succeeded his mentor Pat Riley, now president of the Miami Heat. Spoelstra calls Riley his guiding light. People called me a kid when I was named head coach. They said I looked 22, he recalled. I was 37 years old! Those are the Filipino genes. They said I didnt look the part. Spoelstra, whose mother hails from San Pablo, Laguna, explained that being named head coach wasnt an overnight opportunity. I started as an intern 17 years ago, then I got a promotion, he said. understand how to connect, communicate with and understand his players more. He made an effort to get to know the players. It doesnt seem like much but a physical touch, not just a nod, not just a hello, but something on the shoulders, something on the chest when you talk to them. I nd that very compelling with them, he said. Managing personalities means dealing with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, known as the Heats Big Three. One of the rst thing we decided to do on our training camp in 2010 was to eliminate the Big Three and the Little 12 and we have 15 players. We will never really call them the Big Three. They are the Miami Heat, said Spoelstra. He sought the help of football coaches, motivational speakers and even psychologists to understand how he could connect, communicate and understand his players more.

Spoelstra says his Filipino genes make him look young

Leadership sucks
Spoelstra actually starts the seminar with a joke that he plans to write a book called Leadership Sucks. There are so many opinions from different people, I call them talking heads. Sometimes, it would be good to sit at the back and follow. Leadership is difficult, he says. So how does Spoelstra deal with distractions? Own it! Focus on things you can control. I dont read the papers. I dont watch ESPN. Dont take it personally, he said. During tough times, he tells his players, Apologize. No nger-pointing.

Single or in a relationship

Spoelstra with Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of Philippine Long Distance Co.

During the seminars open forum, Spoelstra was asked how come he doesnt have a girlfriend. Who says Im single? Being single doesnt The personal touch matter. My personal life is so far down the list of Spoelstra sought the help of foot- the things that matter. Whether or not Im dating ball coaches, motivational speakers somebody is not important. and even psychologists so he could Spoelstra also recalled how his Filipino moth-

er cried after he won the NBA championship, and how she avoided coming over to Miami during the recent nals. She thought she was the reason why we lost (in 2011) because she came to Miami. This year she stayed home in Portland and waited until we had the real opportunity to win, he said.

Team Phil wins Dream Match

last song of the set, Awit ng Kabataan was the perfect song to sum up the cause of the Tuloy sa Don Bosco Foundation. After the halftime break, James got on the scoreboard, drilling a ball in the back of the net. But Team Phils defense proved to be too strong, as Phil completed his a hat trick, and Yannick Tuason scored one more to put the game at bay. Models Daniel Matsunaga and Fabio Ide, popular TV host Paolo Bediones and actor Rafael Rosell played some key minutes for Team Phil, while Steven Silva and Marvin Kiefer suited up for Team James. At games end it was team Phil that lifted the rst ever Clear Dream Match trophy, but the ultimate winner was the sport of football and the children of the Tuloy sa Don Bosco Foundation the Clear Dream Match beneciary. Individual awards were given to Saba Garmaroudi for Best Keeper; Yves Ashime for Best Defender, Ateneos Mikko Mabanag for Best Midelder. Overall MVP was awarded to Park Min Ho and the Peoples Choice Award, which was decided to Twitter votes, was given to Eric Tai. I have to be careful about winding up Phil now. He has bragging rights now, said James. But Im already thinking of next years game. Dinna Chan Vasquez

James and Phil sharing a laugh on the pitch

ALMOST three thousand fans watched as the question on who is the better Younghusband was answered in the rst-ever Clear Dream Match at the grounds of University of Makati. In the end, would be Team Phils display of defense that won the game, as his squad defeated Team James, 5-1. The fans also saw other match-ups take place. Kaya F.C brothers Armand and Anton Del Rosario; Philippine Volcanoes Eric Tai and Andrew Wolff, and Boys Night Out DJs Tony Toni and Slick Rick all played on

opposite ends of the eld. The event, hosted by 89.9 radio DJ Mia Bayuga, kicked off with Jamaican drummers rallying the crowd, followed by an upbeat dance number by the Clear Dream Match beneciary, the Tuloy sa Don Bosco kids, as they grooved to the beat of Black Eyed Peas I Gotta Feeling. Both Daniel Matsunaga warms up with other Team teams walked hand in hand with kids from Tuloy Phil players sa Don Bosco as former UAAP football player, By half time, Team Phil had already scored Alejandro Rivera, sang the national anthem. two goals, while Oussenyou Diop added to We took the game seriously and we were as the goal tally making it 3-0. At halftime, Rico professional as we could be, said Phil. Blanco performed three songs. The third and

Sisters Nicole Schulze-Lopez, Lexi Schulze Berrenguer-Testa and Georgia Schulze Del Rosario enjoying the game

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ARTS & LIFE

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

A11

Lovely

To Cole, beauty with heart means achieving beauty in a way that is harmonious with your values.

L ily

THE lovely model-actress Lily Cole is The Body Shops rst-ever global brand ambassador and the new face of the companys Beauty With Heart campaign. Cole, named one of the top 30 models of the 2000s by Vogue Paris, has worked with many brands including Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Jean Paul Gaultier, Marc Jacobs, Prada, De Beers and Moschino.
dened and shaped it from its very beginning, and which I also identify with. I am still learning and growing, and discovering what is important to me is an educational and very personal process. Im involved with the humanitarian and environmental causes that are important to me because I believe that our planet and the people who live on it are incredibly special. If I can help inspire people in some small way to think about the world they live in and how they can make it a better place through their own personal actions and choices, then that makes me happy. This is just one of the reasons why I am working alongside The Body Shop. How do you live your values on a daily level? My personal values boil down to my intention: the intention to be aware, to be kind, to be honest, to make informed choices. The intention is everything, though the reality will inevitably sometimes fall short. No one is perfect! What inspired your interest in activism? All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing - Edmund Burke. I used to have that quote on my bedroom door growing up! Im not saying Im a good man, but I think as soon as you are aware of injustices you have a responsibility to try and address them... so I guess some of it is inspired by some sort of guilt complex! How can other people get involved? I am still constantly trying to nd and know my own truth, to be fearless. Im not sure there is ever an end to this. Being strong enough to stand within that position of difference and honoring your voice is the rst step towards activism. I believe its the small steps that matter. What else are you currently working on? I have three lms coming out this year, and am working on a very exciting, fairly radical, project in the social media space.

Cole is known for her long limbs, porcelain skin and ery red hair. "I denitely never thought of myself as model material. Me on a catwalk with all these superwomen?" adding that "if a designer says I inspire them, I'm still not sure how that happened," said Cole in a previous interview. She was discovered by a photographer walking along a street when she was only 14 years old. As part of Cole's collaboration with The Body Shop, the British brand is released a limited-edition range of cruelty makeup endorsed by Cole. The 100 percent vegetarian lineup, which has not been tested on animals, includes a trio of lip glosses, a hydrating pearl primer, a violet liquid eyeliner, and two creamto-powder colors for lips and cheeks, all of which contain no "bug shells, sh scales, or animal hair," according to the company. Cole answers some questions on her views on beauty and other things. Why did you decide to become a global advocate for The Body Shop? I have long been an advocate of the potential of using business and consumer power to cause positive change. The Body Shop takes a responsible attitude to people and the environment, and it feels amazing to be supporting a brand who are pioneers in that way of working. How do you feel that the current generation's views of beauty are changing? I feel like people are questioning supercial values and looking for real value instead. True beauty comes from within, and I feel that more and more people are beginning to realize that. What does Beauty with Heart mean to you? There is nothing more attractive than someone with a beautiful heart - it just shines out. It is so contradic-

tory to seek external beauty through products at the cost of other living beings. To me, beauty with heart means trying to achieve beauty in a way that is harmonious with your inner values. How has The Body Shop inspired you to think differently about beauty? The fact that The Body Shop was selling Henna when I was growing up denitely suggested that

The different faces of Lily Cole

red hair was cool - before I was wise enough to recognise that myself! There is a natural quality to The Body Shop approach which places its emphasis on enhancing rather than masking peoples faces! How do your core values compare with teh ve core values of The Body Shop? The Body Shop has ve distinct Values which have

GMA Kapuso Foundation launches Davao chapter

GMA Kapuso Foundation Inc. strengthened its regional public service efforts with the launch of its Davao Chapter last August 17 at the El Gato Restaurant, Rancho Palos Verdes Sports and Country Club, Davao City. With the theme "Serbisyong Tinud-Anay Para Sa Tanay (Serbisyong Totoo Para Sa Lahat)," the event was aimed at eliciting compassion from donors and promoting volunteerism in the largest and most populous city outside Metro Manila. Davao makes a strategic location to house the foundation's operations in the Southern part of the country. It is highly urbanized, making it geographically accessible to areas at the outskirts of Mindanao, where poverty levels are high. The Davao chapter complements the GMA TV Davao Station, and brings the mantra of Serbisyong Totoo on-ground much faster. According to Mel Tiango, the foundation's executive vice presiden and chief operating ofcer, the Davao chapter would facilitate and hasten the delivery of service to the Davaoeos given that most programs and operations are centralized in the Quezon City headquarters. "We want to go to the grassroots as we mount and deliver our public service efforts. We also want to involve more people in the cause of alleviating poverty levels and extending assistance in several areas across the country," she said. Tiangco, however, added that the foundation would eventually want to see the Davao Chapter Mariles Puentevella, station manager of GMA TV 5 Davao; Oliver Amoroso, assistant vice president for GMA Regional TV; Cel Amores, assistant vice president for Regional News and Public Affairs; and Gigi Lolarga, operations manager for GMA Regional TV. Since 2008, the foundation has been mounting humanitarian activities for Davao's underprivileged communities. These projects fall under GMAKF's four areas of social concern, namely, health, education, disaster relief, and values formation. Following the Cebu, Iloilo and Davao Chapter Launch, the foundation will also launch its Dagupan Chapter, where its operations began early this year. The foundation also plans to establish chapters in Bicol and Ilocos, where new GMA originating stations are also located. Individuals and organizations may take part in reaching out to the underprivileged Filipinos through GMA Kapuso Foundation. To make a donation, deposit under the account name GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc. For Metrobank, the account numbers are 3-098-51034-7 (Peso Savings) and 2-098-00244-2 with code MBTC PH MM (Dollar Savings). For UCPB, the account numbers are 115184777-2 and 160-111277-7 (Peso Savings), and 01-115-301177-9 and 01-160-300427-6 with swift code UCPB PH MM (Dollar Savings). Donations are also accepted through their Web site and in all branches of Cebuana Lhuillier nationwide.

Mel Tiangco toasts the Davao Chapter operate independently and generate support on its own. "Our end-goal is to make the Davao Chapter self-supporting, in that it should be able to mount its own medical missions, relief operations, etc. thru local support. But this does necessarily mean that we are excluding ourselves from extending help. We will be working hand in hand with them as we strive to better serve the residents of Davao." Tiangco led the ceremonial toast together with Jeffery Balde, executive director of GMAKF;

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Manila StandardTODAY

Sports

A12

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

Gracies showcase BRAZILIAN

JIUJITSU
in Manila
By Peter Atencio

Rolles Gracie stradles opponent Tonny Bonello and pounds away at his face. Rolles stopped Bonello by rear naked choke at 3:27 minutes of the third round of their heavyweight encounter. Gregor Gracie (left panel) gets a lift from members of his corner after beating Nicholas Mann by armbar at 3:26 minutes of the rst round of their 80-kg ght.

IN COMBAT sports no family is more famous

than the Gracies who rely on Brazilian jiujitsu to defeat much bigger opponents in Mixed Martial Arts matches. At the recent One Fighting Championship: Pride of the Nation at the Smart Araneta Coliseum the Gracie brothers Rolles, Gregor and Igorshowed why Brazilian jiujitsu is arguably the deadliest technique in unarmed battle in any arena.
Smart Araneta Coliseum. Two of the three brothers came up with wins, with Rolles Gracie stopping Tony Bonello by rear naked choke at 3:27 minutes of the third round of their heavyweight encounter. His younger brother Gregor won over Nicholas Mann by armbar at 3:26 minutes of the rst round of their 80-kg ght. Jung Hwan Cha defeated Igor by technical knockout in 1:03 minutes of Round 3 in the welterweight action. They fought in front of 14,000 Filipino fans who showed up to witness the true disciples of Brazilian jiujitsu in action. The 34-year-old Rolles Jr., who is a third degree black belter, is the eldest of the brothers. This 62 behemoth feels pretty satised with the outcome of his ght. So satised, that he is now spending time with his younger brother Igor as both took time out from their busy schedule to celebrate in Boracay. Im satised with the way I carried the ght until the submission in the third round, Rolles said. Rolles, who now has a ght record of seven wins and a loss, said that staying calm and focused on the game plan, which was to wait for a good opportu-

Brazilian jiujitsu is a combat sport which focuses mainly on grappling and ground ghting. Knowledge of Brazilian jiujitsu negates any advantage in size or strength. Even a smaller, weaker ghter can successfully defeat a bigger, stronger opponent by using leverage and proper technique usually joint locks and chokeholds - to defeat superior ghters. The techniques of jiujitsu was brought to Brazil by Mitsuyo Maeda, a student of Kodokan Judo with a history of challenging and interacting with other combat arts. Fighting in this form of martial arts is now largely identied with the Gracie family after Carlos Gracie, the eldest son of a circus owner Gasto Gracie, watched a demonstration of a ght in 1917, and later decided to learn judo. Since then, many members of the family came into the sport. It later became known as Brazilian jiujitsu or Gracie jiujitsu when members of the Gracie family migrated and spread it in the United States in 1925. Last week three members of the Gracie family, came to Manila, trained and fought in the One Fighting Championship: Pride of the Nation bouts at the

Igor Gracie absorbs punishment from the strikes of Jung Hwan Cha of Korea who defeated Igor by technical knockout in 1:03 minutes of Round 3 in welterweight action at the Araneta Coliseum.

nity to take down his opponent worked well for him. He described Bonello as a tough opponent with a black belt in Brazilian jiujitsu. Because of this, it was not easy for him to nd an opening. It was his second victory under One FC. During his previous ght, he beat American Bob Sapp in his debut ght in the One FC: Battle of Heroes last February. He won in by submission in 1:11 of the rst round in Jakarta, Indonesia. Gregor, the youngest of the brothers at 26, left the country with a win after

he got past Mann, a Universal Reality Combat Championship champion who specializes inYaw Yan. His win allowed him to redeem himself from a recent loss to Malaysian Adam Kayoom by unanimous decision last June in Kuala Lumpur. We have been pushing ourselves hard in training, and it was a good ght, said Gregor, who left for the United States shortly after deciding not to join his two other brothers during their vacation in Boracay. Igor, whose record stands at ve

wins and three losses, wanted to have a quick result against Jung. He won his last ght in 44 seconds of the rst round through an arm-triangle choke over Argentinian Manuelo Morales last March 24 in Brazil. But, Jungs striking kept him at bay as the Korean eventually took the win. He now has an 9-6-1 win-lossdraw card. Igor, however, remains positive after his setback. I expect to get back in the cage ASAP and put this loss behind me, said Igor. Rolles, Gregor and Igor are part of the third generation of Gracies who learned their ghting skills from Rolls Sr. who died from a hang gliding accident in 1982. Eleven members their fathers family taught Brazilian jiujitsu, with their eldest brother Carlson having been a champion during his time. I always knew that was going to be my way of life. I have my family members as my heroes so I always wanted to be like them, said Rolles, who added that he learned a lot from uncles and cousins. Igor, on the other hand, said he learned the sport by watching his uncles and cousins ght. They became his example on how to excel in the sport. I always looked up to them and wanted to follow their footsteps. And they always gave us the support we needed, said Igor. With their recent sortie in One FC, Rolles said they will soon be going for more challenges. Im already thirsty to ght again, when I get back home Im going to take a couple days off to enjoy my kids and after that Im back to training and have my manager work on my next ght, said Rolles.

Beach volleyball poised to make a splash

By Reuel Vidal
THE Shakeys V-League has made womens volleyball competition the hottest most popular sport among female athletes in the Philippines. Sports Vision, the group that organized and made the V-League the institution that it is now, is poised to go the next step by soon organizing beach volleyball tournaments as well. Ricky Palou, member of the management group of Sports Vision, Inc. said the group is talking to professional athletes from abroad about bringing their talent to the Philippines. They are also holding exploratory talks to nd the right sponsors for the future beach volleyball league. There are obstacles to be overcome of course. Foremost is the lack of a playing venue with a gallery for the audience. But with the growing popularity of the sport Palou is condent of success. The biggest hurdle is nding a place to hold the competition with room for people to watch the games, said Palou in an interview held during the beach volleyball competition of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines at the University of the East campus in Caloocan. Here in the Philippines there are no stadiums or courts with a gallery for an audience to watch beach volleyball games. We hold our UAAP competition here (UE Caloocan campus) with only a few dozen or so able to watch the exciting games. But once we address that problem I have no doubt that the sport of beach volleyball has the potential to really grow. The situation will soon be resolved according to Palou because there are reportedly plans to build a beach volleyball court, with a huge gallery near the Mall of Asia grounds where they also built the basketball arena which is up to international standards. Shakeys V-League started as an intercollegiate womens volleyball league in the Philippines formed in 2004 by a management group led by former PBA commissioner the late Jun Bernardino and Shakeys Pizza. Today the V-League is an institution that features the best collegiate volleyball teams in the University Athletic Association, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and even teams from the Philippine armed services. Even the Olympics has recognized the potential for the sport of beach volleyball. The highly appealing and photogenic sport has been a winner with broadcasters rst recognizing its potential when according to the International Olympic Committee it accumulated 3.5 billion television viewer hours during the 2004 Athens Games. Since then the popularity of the sport has grown by leaps and bounds abroad, inspired more countries to build up teams and recruit sponsors. Sports Vision hopes to repeat that success in the Philippines. Lithe, attractive women in bikinis, who are incidentally the best athletes in their sport, playing in an exciting competition. Whats not to like about beach volleyball?

Ateneo De Manila Universitys Bea Tan dives into the sand to save a point while teammate Fille Cainglet looks on during UAAP collegiate beach volleyball action at the University of the East beach volleyball sand lot in Caloocan.

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