...the honest driver

Driver, others turn over cash to Mayor Lim

March 19, 2011
Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines — An honest driver and representatives from the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) Saturday turned over a bag full of money amounting to ¥81,000 yen cash (P44,460.90) to Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim after it was left by a passenger inside a taxi while inside the South Harbor compound in Port of Manila.

Lim welcomed the PPA representatives led by Francisco Mancile together with a certain Quezon Agallos who is a taxi driver who discovered a bag with cash amounting to a total of ¥81,000. (J. Cahinhinan)

...the shelter

Marker honoring PHL for saving Jews unveiled

03/19/2011 |

GMANews.tv

Philippine officials in Israel unveiled this month a marker honoring the Philippines for saving Jews during the Holocaust in World War II.

The marker commemorated the Philippines' "opening its doors" and its denunciation of the persecution of Jews, right before World War II broke out.

"This is the second recognition of this kind; the first was the Philippine Open Doors Monument inaugurated in June 2009 in the Holocaust Memorial Park in Rishon LeZion, outside Tel Aviv," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a news release Saturday.

Ambassador Petronila Garcia, Dean of Boys Town Jerusalem (BTJ) Rabbi Moshe Linchner and Honorary Chairman of the BTJ Foundation of America Josh Weston led the unveiling ceremony of the Philippine marker in BTJ last March 14.

During the ceremony, BTJ Rabbi Linchner and Chairman Weston presented the Jan Zwartendijk Award for Humanitarian Ethics and Values to President Manuel L. Quezon, who with the Filipino people, denounced the persecution of Jews.

Garcia received the award on behalf of the late President, the DFA said.

In her speech in English and partly in Hebrew, Garcia thanked the BTJ officials and the project facilitators.

She narrated the story of the 1,200 Jews who arrived in the Philippines and the brotherly gestures of President Quezon and the Filipino people, who later provided livelihood opportunities to the refugees.

"These gestures of humanity are unparalleled in the history of the Philippines and the friendship of Jews and Filipinos is very much alive and vibrant today," said Garcia.

On the other hand, she noted Israel had opened its doors to 40,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who now take care of the survivors of the Holocaust and World War II.

Garcia added the marker also represents mutual commitment to educate the young generations of Jews and Filipinos about this magnanimity and gestures of humanity as well the great friendship long after the end World War II.

More than 300 guests attended the solemn ceremony in BTJ (Kiryat Noar Yerushalayim) to witness the unveiling of the marker.

Attending the event were members of the Israeli academe, BTJ students, Israeli Foreign Ministry officials, YadVashem (Israel's Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority), government officials, survivors and descendants of refugees in the Philippines during the Holocaust, the Filipino Community, Filipino soldiers from the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), Philippine Honorary Consuls, and Embassy officials and staff in Tel Aviv.

Indignation rally

The DFA said that in 1938, Filipinos rallied in Manila to denounce the persecution of Jews in Germany.

Shortly after this, President Quezon offered 10,000 visas to European Jews who went to the Philippines until World War II reached the country; only 1,200 visas were issued because of the war.

In 1940, President Quezon supported the construction of a housing community in Marikina and donated a portion of his estate as farmland for the refugees.

During the war, both Jewish refugees and Filipinos survived the street battles in Manila. A few Jews reportedly even joined the US forces in the country.

In 1947, three years after the death of President Quezon, the Philippines also stood by the Jews as the country delivered the most crucial and deciding vote to the UN Resolution creating the State of Israel.

The Philippines was the first Asian country to officially recognize Israel as a state.

Nearly 75 years after the rally in Manila and the arrival of Jewish refugees in the Philippines, President Quezon and the Filipino people are recognized by BJT in the Jan Zwartendijk Memorial Garden, named after the non-Jewish Dutch diplomat who also came to the rescue of Jews by offering them visas so they can leave Europe.

This great history of friendship during the Holocaust and World War II was left untold for many years until the publication of the book entitled "Escape to Manila" authored by the late Frank Ephraim together with the chronicles and testimonies of Max Weissler.

Both Weissler and Ephraim arrived in the country as young refugees from Germany and survived World War II atrocities in Manila. — LBG, GMA News

...the green fashionista

Fashionista with green conscience

By Carol Tanjutco, JD
INQUIRER.net

Once in a lifetime you meet women of substance whose contribution to the global society has such an impact on all levels of the economic echelon. On March 15, 2011, Philippine’s environmental fashion guru Dita Sandico Ong presented her latest runway collection of Filipiniana dressing at the Philippine Center located at the heart of New York’s elite fashion district, Fifth Avenue.

It was a delightful fete to New Yorkers who are tired of the dreary winter, a green showcase of our home-grown pineapple and banana fiber hand-woven into elegant paru-paro (butterfly) wraps, her trademark of modernized Philippine fashion. Spanning 25 years in her ingenious craft, Dita Sandico Ong is a household name in the exclusive Makati City villages, and among dignitaries wearing her famous banana linen and rayon wraps.

A foremost advocate of environmental conservation, Dita owes her success to her tribal weavers, from whom she continues to draw inspiration.

“Art is about weaving, weaving the untold lives of our tribal communities, our cultural link to the past so that we can pass it on to the future generations. The use of banana fiber (abaca) can help women and prevent them from migrating to foreign lands, particularly in these times,” quipped Dita.

Her interest in tribal communities started 40 years ago when her father used to take her as a little girl to travel to the Mangyan villages of Mindoro. Today she found herself working with the Hanunuo tribe from the distant Bulalacao. Her vision is to set up weaving centers and eco-cultural villages in Oriental Mindoro, Ilocos Sur and Catanduanes.

Through her work, Dita champions the cause for environmental consciousness, calling on everyone to be sensitive to what we can do. In this global launch, she adopted the theme GREEN, symbolic of planting seeds.

Fortunately for Dita, her parents sent her for professional training at Tobe Coburn in New York to study merchandising. Her mother who was then a fashion merchandiser at C.O.D. Manila, served as her mentor. Aside from her own clothing company, Cache Apparels, Dita works as Fiber Consultant for the Center of International Trade Missions (CITEM) which has showcased The Ten Best Fiber Producing Companies in the Tokyo International Gift Show 2010 in Tokyo, Japan.

Hosting the green fashion show is Madame Fe Cabactulan, wife of Ambassador Libran Cabactulan, our Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Her exclusive guest list included the spouses of the United Nations ambassadors, community leaders, guest of honor Loida Nicolas Lewis, and the A-list of Consulate General of New York led by newly appointed Consul General and Mrs. Mario delos Reyes De Leon.

The Philippine Center auditorium was transformed into an haute couture fashion stage, preceded by an excerpt from a one act opera composed by Carmela Buencamino Sinco, Raya and Sagin, based on a myth of the origin of the banana. The featured story of a forbidden love between human and spirit was rendered by Victoria Wefer, soprano and Gregory McDonald, tenor. Miguel Braganza directed and choreographed the show featuring professional models, courtesy of Emmanuelle Modeling Agency, with some dignitaries who themselves strutted the catwalk. It was a most welcome respite, so timely as we approach the lively springtime.

...the inventor

Pinoy-made solar car to compete again in int'l race

PATERNO ESMAQUEL II,
GMA News

03/18/2011

To parade the benefits of solar energy, a Filipino-made solar car will run in the 3,000-kilometer World Solar Challenge in October – the second time the Philippines will compete in the bi-annual race.

Improving on the designs of two previously-manufactured solar vehicles, the car named Sikat II will try its engine on a race track that spans Darwin to Adelaide in Australia. The vehicle runs on solar energy converted into electricity, doing away with the non-renewable and often atmosphere-polluting petroleum.

Sikat II —to be designed and built by 22 engineering students and seven teachers of the De La Salle University-Manila— boasts of a “faster" capacity than that of its predecessors, Sinag and Sikat I.



With a two-kilowatt motor, Sikat II will run at a top speed of 110 kilometers per hour, and weigh in at less than 180 kilograms.

Sikat II weights in at less than 180 kg —110 kg lighter than the Philippines’ first solar car, Sinag, and at least 20 kg lighter than the first version of Sikat.

“Sikat II is a testament of Filipino creativity and ingenuity, talent and technological capability in tapping clean and renewable sources of energy such as solar power," said the Philippine Solar Car Challenge Society, Inc., which helps in managing the production of the solar vehicle and its participation in the race in Australia.

The debut run of the first solar car Sinag did not leave Filipinos disappointed, finishing 12th among 40 participants in the World Solar Challenge in 2007.

In 2008, a solar-powered car also managed to complete a ‘round-the-world trip with the chief United Nations climate official, Yvo de Boer, on board.

"These new technologies are ready," then said 36-year-old Swiss schoolteacher Louis Palmer. “It's ecological, it's economical, it is absolutely reliable. We can stop global warming." — TJD, GMA News

...the queen city of tourism

Cebu maps out tourism value chain

MB – Fri, Mar 18, 2011

CEBU CITY, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry-Cebu Provincial Office (DTI-Cebu) and the Department of Tourism Central Visayas (DoT) 7 is set to join forces in mapping out a more comprehensive tourism value chain in a move to maximize tourism in Cebu, which is the province's major economic driver.

DTI Cebu Director Nelia Navarro said both agencies will allocate P50,000 to fund the collaboration.

Both agencies are mandated by the present administration to form an alliance working closely to boost several industries in Cebu through tourism, she said.

Initially, Navarro said the two agencies may use the existing study made by the DoT that showed some suggestions on how to take advantage of tourism to boost small industries and residents in tourist attractions.

DTI-7 Director Asteria Caberte said that in the regional scope, the partnership will also make use of its own trade and tourism value chain through the help of the German Technical Cooperation - Small and Medium Enterprise Development for Sustainable Employment Program (GTZ-SMEDSEP).

"The value-chain roadmap will identify the trail of tourism destinations in these regions at the same time discover the best products that will be sold to tourists in each destination," Caberte said.

The initial plan for the tourism-value chain is to encourage the establishment of "souvenir shopping malls" in growth centers to serve as the major venue for souvenir products in the region.

"Tourism is the big market left untapped by our producers especially in the countryside areas," Caberte said.

According to Caberte, this initiative will pave the way for a tremendous growth of the souvenir industry sector, and would encourage countryside residents to start off a promising souvenir business.

Part of the roadmap is also to provide training for rural folks on how to maximize tourism as a market for their local productsb - good packaging, improved quality and product presentation, among others.

...the surf capital

Incoming investments seen to propel Surigao economy

MB – Thu, Mar 17, 2011

SURIGAO CITY, Philippines - The effort of the eight-month-old governance of the local officials to make this city develop its economy and ultimately make it more globally competitive has started to bear fruit following the expected opening of various businesses here.

City Mayor Ernesto T. Matugas said the opening of notable foreign and domestic businesses here will also generate more tax revenues and provide employment opportunities.

He cited the Koreans and Malaysians who will establish sustainable fishing and fish processing, fish marketing and distribution, and aquaculture operations with ecological limits here.

The Republic of Korea through KOICA will establish a 10-hectare "Integrated Fishery Resources and Facility Complex" here that will serve as a collection port for fish and marine products for the whole province of Surigao del Norte, and other provinces of the Caraga Region, said Matugas.

The cost of this big project is expected to reach P300 million, a huge portion of which will be a grant assistance from the Republic of Korea.

While the city government here will shoulder the land acquisition cost amounting to P5 million, he said.

The Malaysian Business Group who met with the city mayor and other local officials at the City Hall last weekend also expressed their desire to the local officials to help in the improvement of the city's economic development by establishing several businesses.

...the solid path

PH set for solid growth in 2011

S&P sees PH growing 5.1-5.6% this year

By Michelle Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
03/16/2011

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines and the rest of Asia are poised for another year of solid growth in 2011 even if the impact of the killer earthquake and tsunami on Japan remained unclear, according to global credit watcher Standard and Poor’s.

“We expect the region to record another year of solid growth in 2011 after 2010 proved that Asia is emerging from the [global financial] crisis in a strong position, even as the economic picture for Japan following the recent earthquake remains less clear,” said Tom Schiller, a senior regional analyst. “But growth presents a unique set of challenges for policy makers, officials and investors across the Asia-Pacific region.”

However, S&P said growth for the region with the exception of Australia and New Zealand was expected to moderate slightly from last year because of ongoing worries over the US and euro-zone economies.
The Philippines is expected to grow 5.1-5.6 percent this year from 7.3 percent in 2010.

Powerhouse China is projected to grow 9.1 to 9.6 percent in 2011, lower than last year’s 10.3 percent and this was expected to impact the rest of the region.

“Chinese authorities are adopting measures to rein in expansionary monetary policy to help combat rising inflation, escalating asset prices, and higher wage inflation,” S&P added.

“We expect these tightening measures are likely to prune money supply and credit growth in 2011. Slowing growth in China is likely to drag on growth around the region, in our view, with many nations beginning to post softer growth numbers.”

Japan, which is struggling to cope with the devastation wrought by a magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami that triggered a crisis at a nuclear power station, is seen growing 1.3-1.8 percent. The world’s third-largest economy expanded 4 percent last year.

South Korea’s economy is projected to grow 4.3-4.8 percent from 6.1 percent in 2010.

Singapore’s growth is to moderate sharply to 4.5-5 percent from 14.5 percent last year, Malaysia is seen expanding 4.8-5.3 percent and Indonesia 5.9-6.4 percent from 6.1 percent.

Thailand’s economy will ease to 4.0-4.5 percent from 7.8 percent.

S&P said inflationary pressure was a key concern for the region, which faced the prospect of tighter monetary policies as authorities sought to temper price rises, it said in its twice-yearly regional outlook.

“Rising prices stem in part from rapid growth and the easy credit conditions that the region’s governments put in place to support their economies during the global financial crisis,” the credit ratings firm said. “We expect the region’s central banks to continue to tighten monetary policy this year.”

That means central banks will raise interest rates to fight inflation.

Standard and Poor’s also said regional central banks might also consider further capital control measures and other actions to prevent risky assets bubbles.

S&P said the credit outlook for the Philippines and other economies in Asia-Pacific remained favorable despite the disaster in Japan.

It noted that while there might be a spillover of the economic effects of the devastation in Japan to neighboring countries, these were unlikely to cause significant trouble. As such, their credit ratings are unlikely to be dragged by the crisis in Japan.

...the investment climate

More inbound investment missions coming

 

By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT

March 16, 2011

MANILA, Philippines – The government will bring in various inbound missions from Indonesia, Singapore, India, Europe and Middle East countries, Trade and Industry secretary Gregory L. Domingo said.


Domingo said this following the successful state visits of President Aquino to Indonesia and Singapore and the recent trip of Board of Investments managing head Cristino L. Panlilio to the Qatar and Doha and Europe. Domingo himself headed an investment mission to India.


“We will bring them in so they can see for themselves the changes and have a firsthand view of the investment opportunities in the country,” Domingo said.


According to Domingo, the challenge now is to carry inward investment missions from these countries.

By bringing the foreign businessmen into the country, they themselves would be able to answer the usual concerns of investors on stability of business and ease of doing business.


Domingo said that the recent state visits of President Aquino in Indonesia and Singapore was very successful where the President has one on one meetings with the decision makers.


“Our measure of success is the fact that we were able to convey to the decision makers, the biggest taipans in Indonesia to start looking into the Philippines again,” he said.


In Indonesia, Aquino has one-on-meetings with the owners of Bakhri, Lippo, Salem and Pangetsu.


Domingo said the Salem Group does not need any convincing because it has huge investments in the country already, but the company is looking at other investments here whether in agriculture, petrochemicals and certain manufacturing to complement what they are at present.


In Singapore, the President has also met with a much bigger group and a smaller group of 15 businessmen, who are all captains of industries. Singaporean firms are interested in the Philippines PPP projects.


Both Singaporean and Indonesian firms are interested in tourism projects.


Domingo has made it a policy to prioritize inbound investment missions rather than outbound because that would be more effective. Outbound missions would be conducted only to very targeted markets and companies.

...the youth

Empowerment of SK pressed

By MARIO B. CASAYURAN

March 16, 2011

Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines — Despite its being exploited by some politicians and political parties for their own political agenda, the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) must be enhanced and empowered rather than be abolished, Sen. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., chairman of the Senate local government committee, said Wednesday.

Marcos stressed this after calls to rid of the SK because of perception that it is prone to corruption, its inefficiency and superfluity.

“We have been hearing calls to get rid of the SK on allegations that in some instances, youth leaders have been used, abused, and exploited by some politicians and political parties for their own political agenda. I say we give this institution a second chance.

Through restructuring, reforming and re-engineering, the SK can once again form our youth to be agents of change,” he said.

This developed as former Senate President Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr. joined Marcos in pushing for the Aug. 8, 2011 election at the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) although the Aquino administration wanted it postponed because it wanted it (ARMM elections) synchronized with the national and local elections in 2013.

Although Marcos asked that the Aquino administration consult first the people in the ARMM, Pimentel chided Malacañang for certifying as urgent a bill which seeks to postpone the August ARMM elections.

Pimentel pointed out that the President may only certify a bill as urgent to meet a public calamity or national emergency even as he emphasized that ‘’there is no public calamity except that which
Malacañang is foisting on the people of ARMM by denying them their right to elect their leaders.’’

“There is no national emergency except an imagined one by those close to the President who want to assume power at ARMM without a legitimate mandate coming from the electorate,’’ he said.

As a keynote speaker during the “1st Sangguniang Kabataan Joint Regional Assembly for Luzon’’ held in Zambales, Marcos emphasized that the problem of corruption is not confined to the youth.

“Corruption is a menace in our own society. The answer or solution to this social cancer of ours is a serious reconstruction of a new moral value system, which has been severely damaged over the years,” he said.

...the restorer

Ilocos Norte to restore Paoay church

03/16/2011

GMA News

Ilocos Norte province officials are planning to restore the ancient Paoay Church (St. Augustine Church), one of Ilocos region’s major attractions.

Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos wants the project to make the province the country’s “northern gateway," a report of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said.



Back of Paoay Church by Neil Gratuita (Flickr.com)

“We have a lot of potential tourist attraction to be developed, enriched and appreciated, and to be enjoyed," the CBCP news site quoted Marcos as saying.

Paoay Church is currently a property of the Diocese of Laoag, Ilocos Norte, and is part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's World Heritage List.

The CBCP said its renovation may boost tourism in the towns of San Nicolas and Currimao and the cities of Laoag and Batac.

Marcos said architect Felino Palafox was tapped to design a tourism plan that would consolidate Paoay’s existing infrastructures surrounding Paoay Church like the plaza, the ruins of the Catholic convent and the frontage of a state-run university.

“Tourism is the largest industry in the world, bigger than oil," Palafox said when he agreed to come up with a tourism design for Ilocos Norte.

A commercial arcade, which would feature the town’s unique products, along a stretch of the road lining the Paoay Church will also rise to generate more tourist activities.

The construction of Paoay Church was started by the Augustinian friars in 1694.

Led by Fr. Antonio Estavillo, it was completed in 1894 and was re-dedicated in the same year.

During the revolution in 1898, its coral stone bell tower was used by the Katipuneros as an observation post. – VVP, GMA News

...the summit host

Manila to host global anti-corruption summit

 

abs-cbnNEWS.com

03/16/2011

The Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) has chosen Manila as the venue of its next global conference in February 2013.

The Philippine Senate and the Southeast Asian Parliamentarians Against Corruption (SEAPAC) will jointly host this biennial global gathering, which will be attended by over 500 members of parliament from 50 countries worldwide.

Manila was chosen as a venue in line with the Aquino administration’s current flagship program of anti-corruption.

GOPAC is the only parliamentary network with the singular focus on combating corruption. There are currently over 900 members of GOPAC, representing over 90 countries in all the regions of the world.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara, the only Asian representative to GOPAC and founding president of SEAPAC, was elected vice president of GOPAC. Dr. Nasser Al Sane of Kuwait was re-elected president.

Angara was the driving force behind the establishment of SEAPAC in 2005 and is a member of the Executive Board of the Ottawa, Canada-based GOPAC.
“Achieving good governance and fighting corruption can be strengthened by building networks among institutions.  International cooperation is a key ingredient.  Just as corruption transcends borders, so too must we fight it on a transnational level,” he said.

...the cartoonist

Cartoon Network seeks Pinoy animators

BusinessWorld Online
14 March 2011

 

Not many people know that the creator of the widely popular cartoon Johnny Bravo is a Filipino-American animator named Efrem Giovanni "Van" Bravo Partible.

Mr. Partible created the character Johnny Bravo as part of his 1993 senior thesis animation project called Mess O’Blues for his Studio Arts degree at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California.

After Hanna-Barbera Cartoons saw Mr. Partible’s project, they asked him to do a pitch for a seven-minute cartoon based on Mess O’Blues. He then shortened his project, leading to the creation of a character named Johnny Bravo -- a muscular guy with a James Dean pompadour and a voice like Elvis Presley.

Johnny Bravo was then featured as part of a new animation showcase called World Premiere Toons produced for cable channel Cartoon Network in 1995.

The popularity of the short animated feature led Cartoon Network to commission a full series. Johnny Bravo, the animated series, debuted on Cartoon Network in 1997, and was renewed for multiple seasons until it finally ended its official run in 2004.

LOOKING FOR TALENT

Impressed with the success of Johnny Bravo, and the talent of Mr. Partible, Cartoon Network executives visited the Philippines last week to scout for Pinoy animators, writers and producers who could help develop new projects for the cable channel.

Silas Hickey, Cartoon Network’s creative director for Asia-Pacific animation development told Manila-based reporters that he is on the lookout for the "next Van."

"We at Cartoon Network have always known about the talent that Filipino animators have. But instead of just letting them animate the characters that we already have, we have to find talented animators who can come up with compelling characters that we can feature on Cartoon Network," Mr. Hickey said in an interview.

Based on the report by the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc., there are about 100 animation studios in the Philippines employing about 10,000 animators, producers, writers, and directors, among others.

The animation industry in the Philippines posted total revenues of $110 million in 2008, growing from $70 million in 2006.

Mr. Hickey said Cartoon Network has worked with various Philippine-based animation studios for a variety of projects. "But this is the first time in our company’s history that we are considering to work with Filipino animators to develop a new show that we can produce for airing not only in Cartoon Network Asia, but for our other markets as well, like Europe," he said.

He explained that Cartoon Network has already conducted a similar project with Indian animators with positive results.

"We worked with Indian writers when we spoofed the Indian legendary tale Mahabharata," he said.

Mr. Hickey said developing new characters as created by local talents is part of Cartoon Network’s strategy to remain relevant in the region. "We believe that it is important to come up with characters that our audiences can relate with," he explained.

Mr. Hickey said Cartoon Network has received a huge number of entries from the Philippines when they conducted their pioneering original content development initiative called Short New Asian Pacific Cartoons or SNAPtoons last year.

"The numerous entries from the Philippines have proven to us that there is so much talent here, that is why I went here to check [the Philippine animation industry] out myself," he said.

Mr. Hickey had meetings with various animation studios in the country during his five-day stay until last Saturday. He explained that he will meet with Cartoon Network Asia executives based in Hong Kong to discuss which Philippine-based animation studios made the first cut.

A LONG PROCESS

He explained that the process of developing a new animated series will take "at least two years" from developing the characters, to the actual production.

Once the new animated series is ready, it will debut on Cartoon Network, which is aired in over 166 countries in 26 languages across 27 separate feeds, reaching nearly 265 million homes worldwide.

"We are open to any idea. Even if you think no one would ever, ever, ever let you make your character into a new show, we would like to see it," Mr. Hickey said. "Who knows? We might have the next Johnny Bravo on our hands." - Jeffrey O. Valisno

...the investor's haven

Investments nearly triple in Jan.-Feb.

March 15, 2011

Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines – Investments in the first two months of the year jumped 184.7 percent to P28.237 billion or almost tripling the P9.917 billion investments generated in the same period last year, the Board of Investments said.

BoI executive director Lucita Reyes said the new projects were approved under Book 1 of the Omnibus Investments Code, which means investments in regional headquarters and ROHQ.


The investments represent the combined cost of the 36 projects approved, which is higher than the 22 projects approved in the January-February period last year.


“The first two months performance would show that we would be able to surpass our target of P258 billion or even maintain our 2010 performance of P300 billion,” Reyes said.


Reyes said these projects are expected to create 5,007 employment once they become fully operational. The employment generation, however, is 15.6 percent down from 4,225 job opportunities for the 22 projects that were registered in the same first two months last year.


The big ticket items approved in the first two months of the year are in the renewable energy sector of Energy Development Corp. for its P14.447 billion 86-megawatt wind power plant.


This makes a total of four wind power projects in Ilocos Norte. These include the North Wind power project in Pangui, Pagudpud, which is operational already, the 120-mw project of Energy Logic Philippines and the new EDC project.


Another big RE project is the P5.192 billion Canlaon Alco Green Agro Industrial Corp. for the production of bio-ethanol and by-products. (BCM)

...the designer of the week

Oliver Tolentino to headline Palm Springs Fashion Week as "Designer of the Week"

SPOT 

Tuesday,  Mar 15, 2011

Filipino designer Oliver Tolentino will headline the El Paseo Fashion Week in Palm Springs, California as "Designer of the Week" on March 20.

The Bataan-born designer will present 50 to 60 pieces made from Philippine fabrics on March 26 (LA time) before a 600-strong crowd. Other designers scheduled to showcase their works include Trina Turk (March 25), and Project Runway's Michael Costello, Mondo Guerra and Christopher Collins (March 23).

"I love playing with colors and flowy fabrics like chiffon," Tolentino said. "My design philosophy is bringing colors and prints and the labor-intensive finishings of the East to the timeless elegance of silhouettes from the West. I love playing with prints and manipulating fabrics that you initially would think won't work but ultimately come together in beautiful creations."



Oliver Tolentino won the Sustainable Eco Fashion Award at the 2010 Bahamas Fashion Week. Photo courtesy of Tolentino.



Tolentino, the first Filipino to participate in the El Paseo Fashion Week, won the Sustainable Eco Fashion Award last year at the Bahamas Fashion Week.

...the antipiracy council head

PH heads anti-piracy council

 

By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN

March 15, 2011

 

 

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines was recently elected to hold the highest seat in Southeast Asia's anti-piracy council.

According to Lieutenant Cmdr. Armando Balilo, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Public Affairs chief, Vice Admiral Ramon Liwag, PCG’s vice commandant for operations, was unanimously elected last March 2 as the new chairperson of the governing council for the Regional Cooperating Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery in Asia-Information Sharing Center (RECAAP-ISC) which is based in Singapore.

Being the chairman of the council, Liwag will spearhead the anti-piracy policy formulation, oversee the financial integrity and accountability of the organization, and review and endorse the annual work plan and budget of the RECAAP-ISC.

Balilo said Liwag’s installation as the new chief of the Southeast Asia’s anti-piracy council is viewed as recognition of the growing confidence of Asian countries in the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Philippines in general, as a regional key player in enhancing cooperation to combat piracy.

Last year through the RECAAP network, the PCG recovered three pirated shipping vessels which included M/T Asta, a tugboat which was pirated in Indonesian waters and recovered in Dinagat Island,
Surigao.

...the actor

Diether helps raise P4.5 M for UN's World Food Programme

March 15, 2011

Manila Bulletin

 

MANILA, Philippines - Diether Ocampo was one with Pizza Hut and Taco Bell in collecting more than 4.5 million pesos for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support school feeding programme in Mindanao.

The 4.5 million peso donation, which is 114 percent higher than the sum raised by the same campaign the previous year, was handed over by Ocampo and Philippine Pizza, Inc. Chief Operating Officer Lars Peterson to WFP Country Director and Representative Stephen Anderson, in an event held at Pizza Hut SM Araneta Center.

“I am truly happy to be a part of the Pizza Hut family and to be able to do what I can to help its cause. WFP is supporting the process of bringing children back to school after years of displacement and I wish for their continued success in their fight against hunger,” said Diether, who volunteered his services to the campaign.

Through the 60-day fundraising campaign, which ended on Dec. 31, 2010, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants in the Philippines received donations from customers in different ways.

...the actor

Diether helps raise P4.5 M for UN's World Food Programme

March 15, 2011

Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines - Diether Ocampo was one with Pizza Hut and Taco Bell in collecting more than 4.5 million pesos for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support school feeding programme in Mindanao.

The 4.5 million peso donation, which is 114 percent higher than the sum raised by the same campaign the previous year, was handed over by Ocampo and Philippine Pizza, Inc. Chief Operating Officer Lars Peterson to WFP Country Director and Representative Stephen Anderson, in an event held at Pizza Hut SM Araneta Center.

“I am truly happy to be a part of the Pizza Hut family and to be able to do what I can to help its cause. WFP is supporting the process of bringing children back to school after years of displacement and I wish for their continued success in their fight against hunger,” said Diether, who volunteered his services to the campaign.

Through the 60-day fundraising campaign, which ended on Dec. 31, 2010, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants in the Philippines received donations from customers in different ways.

...the fashion covergirl

Filipino designer Monique Lhuillier featured in People magazine

SPOT – Monday

 Mar 14, 2011

US-based Filipino designer Monique Lhuillier was featured in the latest edition of People magazine where she talks about the gowns she created for singer-actress Mandy Moore at the recent Oscar Awards, reports PEP.ph.

Moore wore two Lhuiller creations: a nude, off-shoulder  mermaid dress with 2,500 citrine crystals, matte gold sequins, and gold beads on the red carpet, and a cobalt blue gown during her "I See the Light" performance with Zachary Levi  from the animated film Tangled (where she voiced Rapunzel).

"What girl is not going to feel great wearing a dress like this?" Moore said about her red carpet dress, and likened her blue gown to a "big cupcake, but in the best way possible!" Lhuillier said she wanted to highlight the small waistline and feminine shoulders of the singer, and that her creations looked "beautiful on Mandy because she's so statuesque and elegant," according to PEP.ph.

More than 10 workers were said to have created the two gowns within 550 hours. Other stars who have worn Lhuillier creations include Catherine Zeta-Jones, Demi Moore, Anne Hathaway, Marcia Cross, Jessica Simpson, Ashlee Simpson, Taylor Swift, and more.

...the trendsetter

Pinoy designer showcases hip, young designs in LA Fashion Week

 

JANET SUSAN NEPALES

GMA News

03/14/2011

LOS ANGELES — Filipino fashion designer Alan del Rosario recently showcased at the Los Angeles (LA) Fashion Week hip, young, and vibrant designs that were part of the spring collection of his popular Burlapp line of clothes.

Del Rosario, the first Filipino fashion designer to be a finalist in the first Oscar Designers Challenge contest, presented 30 dresses that were hip, young, vibrant, wearable, and cool.

Filipino fashion designer Alan Del Rosario with one of his clients, Glee's Lea Michelle, during the recent Golden Globe Awards - Janet Nepales

The show was held at the Supper Club in Hollywood, California as part of the Los Angeles Fashion Week.

Alan is a graduate of the prestigious Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise (FIDM) in LA where his fellow Cebuano friend and colleague, Monique Lhuillier, also graduated.

A Bob Mackie Fashion Design awardee and scholar, Del Rosario remains humble despite his success in Hollywood.

He is also the recipient of the California’s Designer of the Year award and GenArtLA’s Fresh Face.

One of Del Rosario's most famous clients is Glee’s Lea Michele whom we interviewed one time on the Glee set wearing one of Alan’s Burlapp dresses.

“I love the Burlapp clothes!" Lea told us when we told her that she was wearing a Del Rosario creation. “They are so comfortable, stylish and hip."

Photo by Janet Nepales

At the recent Golden Globes, we introduced Del Rosario to Lea, who could not contain herself and screamed with delight upon meeting the talented fashion designer.

Aside from Lea Michele, his other famous Hollywood clients include Michelle Pfeiffer, Debra Messing, Paris Hilton among others.

In the recent Golden Globe awards show, he also dressed up former Miss Universe Margaret Gardiner in a sexy leather gown with a peek-a-boo back and a revealing front slit.

Alan’s creations have been featured in such reality shows as “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," and the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency.

He has also been featured before in the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Show during LA Fashion Week.

Del Rosario's inspiration

When asked where he gets his inspiration for his designs, Del Rosario smiled and said, “I really don’t know."

Photo by Janet Nepales

“They just come from various elements, things, people and experiences that I encounter," he explained.

He added, “Everything that I see inspires me. Sometimes I just wake up in the middle of the night and discover a concept."

During the fashion show, although he hardly had any food nor sleep, Del Rosario was still always smiling.

He was charming, positive, and passionate – loving what he does well: fashion designing. – VVP, GMA News

...the mall of the masa

Tutuban Mall sets P1.5-B redevelopment

By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT

March 14, 2011

Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines – The Tutuban Mall, the wholesale and retail shopping hub, has announced a major facelift including the development of additional 11.5-hectare property to create a sprawling 20 hectare mix-use commercial center right at the heart of the City of Manila.


Ernesto Hilario, Tutuban Mall business development manager, told reporters at the project launch that the 11.5 hectare-new development will feature commercial areas but also hospitality amenities that would operate on a 24/7 basis.


“We would like to capture the younger market, particularly the students. We are also positioning for the younger Binondo Chinese,” Hilario said.


Part of the plan is the construction of six-story budget hotel, a review center hub and a fresh produce area with estimated initial project cost of P1.5 billion.

“There is no new hotel near here for the accommodation of traders. The nearest hotel would be Manila Opera House and Manila Hotel,” he said. It would be a 250-room hotel.


The review center hub hopes to attract the review centers for board exams scattered around the Claro M. Recto area into one new place.


The new development would also include an ‘Auto City’ or an ‘upgraded Banaue’ where all the automotive showrooms and services are located. There would also be a specific area for motorcycle displays.


Another area would be devoted to a strip mall, which would be developed similar to the Bonifacio Hi-Street to cater to the new generation of ‘Binondo Chinese’.


Hilario, however, said that the new Tutuban Commercial Mall would still retain its symbol as a wholesale and retail market. It has six existing buildings.


The Center Mall would be devoted to the retail market.


The night market in Tutuban, which used to be seasonal, is now on a 365 days a year.


According to Hilario, 50 percent of the new development would be alloted to roads and open spaces to make it more convenient for shoppers, a lesson they learned from the construction of the existing Tutuban mall.


The Tutuban redevelopment also envisioned the creation of an intermodal terminal hub being the home to Philippine National Railways.
 

Hilario said they are going to get more traffic once the PNR starts its full operation for northern and southern routes. The PNR Bicol line will start in June and the Tarlac line in the first quarter of 2012.


“Although the Binondo-Divisoria is already huge market,” he said.


The management has already started talking with existing tenants. It has an existing 2,000 tenants.

The mall is owned by Tutuban Properties Inc., which is wholly-owned by publicly-listed firm Prime Orion Philippines Inc.


The management is trying to position Tutuban as a brand, not a destination to be able to capture the image of affordability and quality products.


“The redevelopment of the Tutuban Mall is going to change the landscape of wholesale and retail marketing and further metamorphose into a more dynamic and progressive shopping hub in the country,” Hilario said.

...the coco water

RP eyed as source of Pepsi coco water

 

March 14, 2011

Manila Bulletin

 

 MANILA, Philippines – Global beverage giant PepsiCo Inc. is looking at the distribution of ‘coconut water’ in the US market with the Philippines as primary source.


Trade officials said that Brazilian businessman Rodrigo Veloso, founder and CEO of One Natural Experience (O.N.E.), who came here over a year ago to explore for the sourcing of young ‘coconut water’, has renewed interest in the Philippines.


Based on the plan, O.N.E. will produce the ‘coconut water’ in the country but PepsiCo will take care of distribution in the US market.


“They should produce it here because the tendency for this kind of product is to produce it at source,” the official said.


The initial volume of ‘coconut water’ that O.N.E. would like to source from the Philippines is 10 containers a month. The country’s total coconut production is placed at 16 million tons a year.


Last year, PepsiCo and O.N.E., a Los Angeles, California-based coconut water company, has announced PepsiCo’s increased investment in O.N.E., thereby acquiring a majority stake in the company. This represents a second round of investment in O.N.E. by PepsiCo and Catterton Partners, a private equity firm based in Greenwich, Conn.


Coconut Water is one of the fastest growing categories in the U. S. beverage market.


The trade official, however, said that there is not enough supply of coconut water that can be produced in the country.


The number of productive coconut trees in the country has dwindled over the years because of neglect due to the lower price of copra. It was only lately that prices of copra have reached an all-time high of P60 per kilo following the strong demand of coconut oil in the world market.


Trade and Industry undersecretary Merly Cruz said the biggest producers of coconuts in the country are Davao , Bicol, Samar, Leyte and Quezon, but coconut production has dwindled over the years because there have been lesser coconut development programs and no more replanting.


She said there is also a huge demand for coconut water concentrates in the U.S. after a Thai supplier has stopped its export business.


Cruz said the government is pursuing an advocacy to develop high-value added products out of coconut by-products to create awareness among Filipinos that there is money in these lowly products and in doing so they would be encouraged to cultivate their coconuts and replant new ones. (BCM)

...the Pinay referee

Pinay nears realizing dream

 

 

MB – Sat, Mar 12, 2011

 

 

MANILA, Philippines - When Editha Botecario completed her one-month internship program in the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League, it moved her a step closer towards achieving her dream of becoming just the second Filipina international referee.

"If not for this internship program of the ABL, I wouldn't be this close toachieving my dream," said Botecario,a 24-year old Physical Wellness studentat the University of Makati who is also a local coach and referee in various women's leagues.

Botecario, who lives in West Rembo, Makati near the UMak campus, is the first student to complete the ABL's internship program, which was formally launched yesterday at the Gerry's Grill branch of Ali Mall in Cubao.

ABL CEO Kuhan Foo and AirAsia Philippine Patriots co-owners Mikee Romero and Tony Boy Cojuangcosaid the internship program will helpother aspiring referees to realize their dreams.

"This internship program is very beneficial for our country," Romero said. "The plan is to get maybe two to four students in the first phaseof the program and probably we'llincrease it to 10 to 20 students as we progressed."

On his part, Cojuangco said: "The ASEAN Basketball League brings regional cooperation in sports to another level. By exposing students to the realities on the ground, they gain valuable insights that spur their young minds to craft fresh and innovative ideas in their chosen field."

The internship program, according to Foo, will have students take part in various aspects such as marketing, advertising, technical aspects and television production not only for the league and its teams but from sponsors as well such as with AirAsia and GE.

"We wanted to make a difference as far as sports in the region and we want to give back to communities and the internship program is a start for us," Foo said.

Cojuangco, who runs the soon-tobe launched AirAsia Philippines, sees this program as a way to make "jobsecurity as AirAsia Philippines' first priority even before our first flight."

...the tennis ladies

Patrimonio, Mendoza win titles in Brunei

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Philippine Daily Inquirer
03/13/2011

MANILA, Philippiines—Filipinos Clarice Patrimonio and Jurence Mendoza rounded off a big week by each winning a title in the 43rd Brunei ITF Championships in Bandar Seri Begawan on Sunday.

The 17-year-old Patrimonio, daughter of PBA great Alvin Patrimonio and wife, Cindy, secured her second ITF singles title with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over giant-killer Hsu Ching-wen of Chinese-Taipei.

Jurence Mendoza then teamed up with Brian Yeung Pak-long of Hong Kong for a come-from-behind 4-6, 6-2, 10-2 victory over second seeds Ega Uneputty and Indra Wijaya of Indonesia to bag the boys’ doubles crown.

It was the first doubles title for Mendoza and the fourth straight for Yeung in the Asian circuit.

Patrimonio’s coach, Karl Santamaria, said the victory of Clarice, the No. 2 seed, did not reflect the tense struggle in a match that lasted two and a half hours.

Hsu, who had earlier beaten top seed Katherine Ip of Hong Kong and world No. 840-ranked Voni Darlina of Indonesia, engaged Clarice in hard-fought rallies.

The Filipino appeared to get stronger as the match progressed and, with the predominantly Filipino crowd cheering her on, overwhelmed the Taiwanese in the second set, 6-0.

Patrimonio reached the finals via a clinical victory over Chinese Taipei’s Ruan Hui-zhen, 6-1, 6-2.

Patrimonio missed a twin victory as her pairing with Thailand’s Siriporn Phakamad, bowed to Japan’s Mao Nishiguchi and Ayano Sonoda, 6-7, 6-7, in the finals.

...the Sirikit Cup winners

Ardina bags title; Phl 2nd in Sirikit Cup (The Philippine Star)  March 13, 2011 12:00 AM

  

Dottie Ardina with her Queen Sirikit trophy| Zoom

MANILA, Philippines –  Dottie Ardina used a strong start and a solid finish to fire a two-under 70 and turn back world No. 1 Hyo Joo Kim to snatch the individual crown in the 33rd Queen Sirikit Cup at the Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi, India Friday.

The Philippines settled for runner-up finish to South Korea, which cruised to its fifth straight victory in team play. But Ardina stunned the field with her awesome game, finishing with a 211 and nipping the fancied Hyo by one in their battle for the individual crown.

“I really wanted to win that’s why I gave it my best shot,” said Ardina, who overcame a three-stroke deficit to beat Korea’s top player. “It’s just too bad that we fell short of our title drive in team play.”

But her victory more than made up for the team’s failed bid as Ardina proved her worth and showed she can beat even the best player in world.

With Chihiro Ikeda bouncing back with a 71 after a 78 in the second round, the Phl closed out with a second straight 141 and a 429, four shots off Korea’s 425 aggregate in the 54-hole tournament among the leading teams in the Asia-Pacific region.

Jayvie Agojo, who counted for the team with a 71 in the second round, had a 74 and didn’t count for the squad, whose campaign was sanctioned by the Women’s Golf Association of the Phils. and sponsored by the International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

Hyo, the reigning World Amateur individual champion, cracked under pressure and hobbled with a 74 for the team’s 143 output.

“It was a big win and a big boost for Dottie. By beating the world No. 1, I’m sure she’ll be winning big tournaments again,” said national team coach and ICTSI mentor Bong Lopez, whose wards also posted the country’s best finish at No. 8 in the World Amateurs last year while re-staking their claim as the top ladies team in Southeast Asia.

Ardina, 17, birdied the first three holes in impressive fashion to catch up with Hyo but dropped a shot on No. 4 and made the turn at 34. She three-putted No. 11 for another bogey and dropped two shots on the long par-3 12th when she pulled her 4-iron tee shot in the bushes.

But the veteran internationalist bounced back with birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 inside five feet and took a one-shot lead over the Korean ace heading to the par-5 18th. Hyo reached the green in two but flubbed an 18-foot eagle putt while Ardina laid it up and pitched to within five feet to match her rival’s birdie for the win.

...the UN resolution

UN body adopts PHL resolution empowering women in climate policies

 

03/13/2011

GMANews.tv

 

A key body of the United Nations (UN) has adopted a ground-breaking, Philippine-initiated resolution on gender equality and climate change.

The UN's Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) adopted the resolution by consensus during its 55th Session last March 4.

The resolution titled “Mainstreaming Gender Equality and Promoting Empowerment of Women in Climate Policies and Strategies" stresses the need to ensure women’s effective participation in environmental decision-making at all levels.

The Philippine Mission to the UN said in a news release posted on its website: “Fifty-three states co-sponsored the Philippine resolution, namely: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, the Central African Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, the Gambia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, the Niger, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,"

The Philippine resolution contains 12 action points, including a call on nation-states to integrate a gender perspective into their environmental and climate change policies, and to strengthen mechanisms and provide adequate resources to ensure women’s full and equal participation in decision-making at all levels on environmental issues.

It also highlights the need to integrate women concerns and gender equality perspectives in sustainable development policies and programs.

The resolution calls for all nations to facilitate and ensure women’s effective participation in the crafting and implementation of climate change policies, strategies and programs – particularly those related to the impact of climate change on the lives of women and girls.

Women ‘most vulnerable to climate change’

In formally introducing the Philippine resolution to the CSW, Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Libran Cabactulan said “the effects of climate change will be felt most acutely by those segments of the population that are already vulnerable owing to geography, gender, age, indigenous or minority status and disability."

“As an archipelagic state with a largely agricultural and rural population, and as a country beset by numerous natural disasters, the Philippines knows this first hand," Cabactulan said.

He added women are among the most vulnerable to climate change.

“In many countries, they make up a larger share of the agricultural workforce and they tend to have less access to income-earning opportunities than men. Women manage households and care for family members, which often limits their mobility and increases their vulnerability to sudden weather-related natural disasters," he said.

Cabactulan said the Philippines has implemented policies that seek to bring economic growth and development to all sectors of our society.

However, he said climate change "is a challenge that urgently calls for greater global cooperation." – MRT/VS, GMA News

...the friendly neighbor

Grateful South Korea makes PH biggest aid recipient

By Dennis Jay Santos
Inquirer Mindanao
03/12/2011


 DAVAO CITY, Philippines—South Korea continues to be grateful to Filipinos for their role in the 1950-1953 Korean War, a Seoul official said here Thursday.

As a manifestation of its gratitude, South Korea has chosen the Philippines as the largest recipient of its development assistance fund, Kim Jinoh, resident representative of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica), told the Inquirer.

At least 7,500 Filipino soldiers fought alongside Koreans against the communists during the war.

Among them was Fidel Ramos, who eventually became a Philippine president. The journalist Benigno S. Aquino Jr., who later became senator, covered the war, which saw the division of the Korean peninsula into the North and the South.

“Sixty years ago, the Philippines came to protect democracy in Korea and we would like to repay what they have done for the Koreans,” Kim said during the 6th founding anniversary of the Regional Training Center-Korea Philippines Vocational Training Center (RTC-KPVTC) here.

The South Korea-funded center recently received a silver accreditation from the Asia Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission, the second highest accreditation given for a technical school.

He said each year, the South Korea government through Koica sends $15 million to the Philippines, making it the largest grant recipient among the 44 developing countries that the agency has been assisting.

Kim said Koica plans to increase that amount to $20 million starting this year.

“These are grant assistance and not loans,” he said.

Kim said Koica’s funds are being used in development projects such as construction of hospitals, post-harvest facilities, and educational training centers.

In Palawan, Koica helped construct an airport.

Kim said South Korea also wanted to foster much closer relationship with the Philippines – not just in terms of aid – but also by increasing bilateral ties.

He said Seoul has found that South Korean businessmen are very much interested in investing in the Philippines. He noted the presence of about 120,000 South Koreans in the country.

“Koreans have a great appreciation for Filipinos and we are very happy to discover that Filipinos feel the same,” he said.

...the queen city

Cebu wins bid to host meet of chamber groups in Asia Pacific

 

By MALOU M. MOZO

March 13, 2011

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu will take center stage again when business chambers from 27 countries in the Asia Pacific region gather here for the 27th Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) conference in 2013.

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) President Samuel Chioson, along with CCCI past President Francis Monera and CCCI Vice President for External Affairs Nestor Archival has announced that the chamber will spearhead the 27th CACCI Conference set to take place in Cebu on the third quarter of 1213. The conference shall also be a fitting highlight to the CCCI’s 100th year celebration that year.

The three business leaders were in Istanbul, Turkey last March 6 to 8 to represent the CCCI in the 25th CACCI conference, a regional grouping of Apex national chambers of commerce and industry, business associations and business enterprises in Asia and the Western Pacific.

The conference serves as a forum for promoting the vital role of businessmen in the region, increasing regional business interaction, and enhancing regional economic growth.

Chioson said that among those who expressed similar intensions to hold the event were chamber organizations from Pakistan, Iran, Japan and Korea. But only the CCCI got the CACCI Board's nod.

No less than Webster Kiang, PhD, Director General of the Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry, wrote the acknowledgement letter addressed to the CCCI. That, Chioson said, signifies the CACCI's confidence that CCCI has the capacity to put together a global event.

Chioson voiced optimism that the CCCI, along with the rest of the province, is more than ready to host an international forum and promote Cebu's international competitiveness. “After all, we were successful in hosting the Asean Summit ( in 2007),” he said. “How much more now that we have many world class hotels to cater to a huge business conference?”

For his part, Monera enthused that “this will be an opportunity for Cebu to be introduced as a bustling metropolis ideal for tourism, business and investment.

...the new tourism hub

Bulacan gears up for 'tourism explosion'

By Jacky Lynne A. Oiga

March 13, 2011

The young guns of Bulacan (photo by RUDY LIWANAG)

Watch out for a “tourism explosion” in the province of Bulacan in the next three years.

Just like the colorful Bocaue fireworks shooting across the horizon, Bulacan will soon be bursting out with new tourism sites to boost domestic tourism.

Dubbed as the ’Gateway to the North’, Bulacan can easily be the next best thing in travel and tourism with its close proximity to Metro Manila and a myriad of heritage and scenic spots. For the longest time, Bulacan  has been known as the seat of the First Philippine Republic , but to date, the province has evolved into more than that.

Aside from a string of private resorts and water parks scattered around the province, Bulacan is also blessed with natural resources just waiting to be discovered. Today, a string of tourism developments are in the pipeline to turn some of Bulacan’s most underrated municipalities from being mere stops along the way to full-blown destinations.

 

Spearheaded by the gregarious first- term mayors of the municipalities of Angat, Bulakan, Doña Remedios Trinidad, Pandi, and San Ildefonso, a new wave of eco-tourism sites, retirement havens, and historical spots will spruce up the local tourism industry in Bulacan not only during the summer season, but all-year round.

Angat: Ecological spots

Mayor: Gilberto ‘Reggie’ Santos

Municipality profile: The hilly and mountainous town of Angat is the smallest municipality of Bulacan with a total of 7,400 hectare land area and 16 barangays. Its major industries include farming, poultry and livestock raising, and concrete aggregates.

 

Popular tourist attraction: The hilly and mountainous town of Angat is known for one of the county’s largest dams, the Angat Hydroelectric Dam. The dam supplies potable water and energy to Metro Manila and nearby areas. The place is also ideal for fishing and boating.

 

Coming soon: Apart from the strong potential of Angat Dam and River as ecological sites, Mayor Santos is also looking to rehabilitate Pugpog River into an eco-tourism park for kayaking and other river activities.

Other plans and prospects: Mayor Santos’ vision for Angat is for the town to be known as an eco-friendly, clean, and safe destination. Being the smallest municipality, he aims to encourage more investors to provide more employment for the people. Healthcare and education are also his main thrusts.

 

Bulakan: Fusion of history and contemporary

 

Mayor: Patrick F. Meneses

Municipality profile:  The coastal town of Bulakan was the first capital of Bulacan Province due to its proximity to Manila and accessibility through Manila Bay. However, when the national roads were laid out, the town was left out of the way and the capital was moved to Malolos City. This first class municipality’s main industry is fishing.

Popular tourist attraction: The monument of Marcelo H. del Pilar – patriot, writer, editor of the revolutionary paper La Solidaridad – stands tall in this town where he lived most of his life. The shrine is under the management of the National  Historical Institute.

Coming soon: The municipality of Bulacan is replete with historical sites perfect for educational tours and heritage walks. In a few years, Mayor Meneses aims to transform Bulakan into a historical city complemented with economic developments through modern establishments and better road accessibility.

Other plans and prospects: Mayor Meneses’ long term project for Bulakan is to develop a port area that will ease seaport congestion in Metro Manila. He also seeks to generate more funds for river rehabilitation and port dredging.

 

Doña Remedios Trinidad: Retirement haven

Mayor: Ronaldo T. Flores

Municipality profile: The municipality of Dona Remedios Trinidad, was created on September 13, 1977 under Presidential Decree 1196, in honor of the late mother of former first Lady, Imelda Romualdez Marcos, who was a pure Bulakeña. It is the largest municipality in Bulacan with 93,296 hectares and the richest in terms of mineral reserve. Primary industry is exporting Iron Ores and Marbles.

 

Popular tourist attraction: The Puning Cave is a relatively untouched hidden spot in Doña Remedios Trinidad but it has been famous for adventure seekers. The cave is located on top of a mountain so one needs to trek mountain slopes and pass through a virgin rainforest that will lead to the cave.

 

Coming soon: Located in the mountainous area of Bulacan, Mayor Flores calls Doña Remedios Trinidad as the little Tagaytay of Bulacan. According to him, the climate and the panoramic landscape of their town is perfect for foreigners and balikbayans who choose to retire in the Philippines.

Other plans and prospects: Mayor Flores’ primary goal is to improve the standard of living of his constituents, improve the quality of education, and encourage more industrial investors.

Pandi: Wave Pool Capital

Mayor: Enrico A. Roque

Municipality profile:  Pandi is a second-class municipality located at the eastern part of Bulacan, 41 kilometers northeast of Manila. The town is slowly making a name for itself in weaving ready-to-wear Barongs. Other industries include farming, poultry, piggery, metal craft, and furniture making.

 

Popular tourist attraction: The Kakarong de Sili Shrine was the actual site of the Battle of Kakarong de Sili, the bloodiest revolution in Bulacan where more than 3,000 Katipuneros died. Likewise, it was on this site where the Republic of Real de Kakarong de Sili of 1896 was established.

 

Coming soon: During the summer of 2009 and 2010, Pandi was the second most visited town in Bulacan for its massive water park resorts that feature multiple wave pools. Mayor Roque is planning on turning Pandi into the wave pool capital of Bulacan. He also hopes that someday, Bulacan will be the new summer capital of the Philippines.

 

Other plans and prospects: Mayor Roque plans to make Pandi more progressive in terms of education. He wants his town to have more colleges and high schools to encourage his constituents to value the importance of education in social building.

 

San Ildefonso: Nature tripping

Mayor: Paula Carla G. Tan

Municipality profile: Years before Spanish colonization, the town of San Ildefonso was known as Bulak because of the abundance of Kapok trees (cotton trees) growing on its hills. For a while, producing cotton was the biggest industry in San Ildefonso but after the trees start decreasing, the people turned into vegetable farming. The town is now known as the Vegetable Capital of Bulacan.

 

Popular tourist attraction: The Church of San Ildefonso in Guiguinto, San Ildefonso is one of the oldest churches in Bulacan. It is said that the church and convent were built in 1691.

 

Coming soon:  Surrounded by mountains, San Ildefonso is blessed with a number of caves and natural springs. Mayor Tan is working on rehabilitating these areas for trekking, mountain climbing, and swimming in the springs.

 

Other plans and prospects: In line with her tourism development, Mayor Tan is also reviving the festivals in San Ildefonso like the Bulang-lang Festival and Bulak Festival to attract more domestic visitors. She is also looking into improving infrastructures and attracting more foreign investors in their town.