...the Billboard artist

Young Filipino artist wins billboard competition

 

by Patrick Camara Ropeta

ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

03/29/2012

 

LONDON - An artwork created by a young Filipino student from Amsterdam will soon be up on giant billboards across the UK after being chosen as one of the winners of an art competition.

 

Seventeen year old Antonio Perez from International School of Amsterdam submitted two of his artwork for the “Who Are You?” competition by The Arts University College at Bournemouth (AUCB) and JCDecaux.
One of his works, a vibrant image of the sun rising behind clouds, was among the 25 shortlisted entries chosen by a panel of judges from the creative industries, including award-winning designer Morag Myerscough, urban artist Soap, arts writer Gavin Lucas, set designer Rhea Thiersten, creative agents Jono Hilt and Nick Mustoe, JCDecaux’s PR Manager Janet Guest, AUCB Deputy Principal Professor Jim Hunter, and AUCB Communication Manager Simon Pride.

“I love Antonio's bold use of color and graphic style. The idea of the sun shining from behind clouds is one that artists have looked at for hundreds of years, it has an iconic quality, reminding me that however hard it may be in the moment to stay positive, the sun is still there and will reappear. It is a really simple, strong illustration that will look fantastic on a billboard,” said Pride.

Following a public vote on social media Facebook, Perez’s work was revealed as one of the Top 10 winning entries, racking up an impressive 1,143 Likes at the time of publication, ahead of all the other entries.
“I felt shocked and overwhelmed of the outcome of the votes, not knowing there will be a lot of people that will be supporting me,” Perez told ABS-CBN Europe.

“I want to think that I won because they believe in my work and my belief, that there will come a time our countrymen will soon get out of their shell and work for the good of our Fatherland. I also have never won any public competitions before so this is a new experience to me especially winning something that I love to do best.”

On his inspiration for the winning piece, he said: “I thought about what the contest was all about, Who Am I? And thought, I am a Filipino and so I imagined my painting to be similar to the Philippine flag, which is one of the clearly familiar image of my country. So I used the sun and the colors of the flag to paint my piece with extra symbols showing that Philippines will soon reveal itself from concealment.”

Perez’s parents, Marino and Milagros, came from General Santos and Caloocan respectively, before settling in Cainta, Rizal after marriage. In 2006, the family moved to Singapore due to work commitments, followed by a relocation to Amstelveen in The Netherlands in 2010.

“We did not know that he entered his art work in a contest in UK. He only informed us when he received an e-mail from the school that his work was shortlisted as one of the top 25 and that it will be posted in Facebook,” recalled Mr. Perez.

“I was just so proud of his achievement. This is a rare event and it does not happen everyday. And the fact he was the only Filipino able to enter the top 10 spot, our kababayans in the UK should know that there will be billboards in the country and the artist is a 17-year-old Filipino.”

Other winning entries included works by young artists based in the UK, exploring their identities through photography, painting and digital art, using mixed images from fashion to forensic science, snapshots to body art, and words to nature.

“What immediately stood out was the quality and then the variety,” observed Pride, who conceptualized and organized the competition with his team at AUCB.

“Inevitably there will be as many answers to the question ‘Who Are You?’ as there are people, but we didn't expect such diversity. The energy, the humor, the charm, the cleverness, the beauty, the positivity and the skill all remind us what it is to be young, talented and fearless.”

He concluded: “The project was designed to give young people a giant platform for them to express and develop their talent, but much more than that, we got a wonderful story.”

"Who Are You?" is an art competition launched by AUCB, providers of specialist arts education in the UK, in association with JCDecaux, the largest outdoor advertising company in Europe. It aims to nurture young creative talent by providing a large-scale platform for their work.

This year’s Top 10 winning entries will be shown in billboards across England on 16-30 April, including spots in Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Southampton, Brighton, Guildford, Oxford, Bath, Bristol and Exeter.
A public exhibition will also be held on 25-28 April at The Arts University College at Bournemouth, in Dorset, southwest England.

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...the math wizzards at Valcea, Romania

Pinoys Win 17 Math Medals in Romania

By JONATHAN M. HICAP

Manila Bulletin

March 28, 2012

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino students won 17 medals and awards including four gold medals, a perfect score and four first-places in two international math competitions in Valcea, Romania.

The Philippines participated in the 15th Clock Tower School Mathematics Contest, held from March 23-25, and organized by Romania’s Ministry of Education, Research, Youth and Sports, Romanian Mathematical Society, Valcea County School Inspectorate and Valcea Teacher Development Centre.

Dr. Simon Chua, president of the Mathematics Trainers Guild (MTG), which provided the training materials for the Filipino contestants, said the country won four gold medals, four silver medals and one merit award in the Clock Tower contest.

Winning gold medals for the Philippines are Kaye Janelle Yao of Grace Christian College, Czarina Angela Lao of Saint Jude Catholic School, Adrian Reginald Sy of Saint Jude Catholic School, and Jervis Chua of Philippine Cultural College-Main.

Yao also holds the distinction of getting a perfect score to top her year level in the contest. For her feat, she was awarded a gold cup in addition to a gold medal.

Silver medalists are Shaquille Wyan Que of Grace Christian College, Kelsey Lim Tion Soon of Grace Christian College, Hubert Yao of Iloilo Central Commercial School and Himig Marcos of Philippine Cultural College Main. Adam Chan of Grace Christian College got a merit award.

The Philippine team also won in the Blitz contest.

Bagging individual first prizes for the country are Kelsey Lim Tion Soon, Adrian Reginald Sy, Kaye Yao and Hubert Yao.

Second prize winners are Czarina Angela Lao and Shaquille Wyan Que while third prize winners are Himig Marcos and Jervis Chua.

Chua said the chairman of Clock Tower School contest was impressed and amazed by the performance of the Philippine team.

Serving as trainers of the Philippine team are Arvie Ubarro of the Philippine Institute of Quezon City and Josephine Lorenzo Sy-Tan of Grace Christian College.

Besides the Philippines, other participating countries in the contests included Romania, Bulgaria, Indonesia and Moldova. The Philippine delegation arrived in the country last March 27. (Jonathan Hicap)

...the Nick Kid's Choice nominee

Charice is Nick Kids Choice Awards nominee (The Philippine Star) March 28, 2012

| Zoom

MANILA, Philippines - Get ready for a powerhouse roster of celebrity presenters and performers at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2012 in Los Angeles. Joining this year’s host, Will Smith, on stage are Chris Rock, Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, Zac Efron, Heidi Klum, Victoria Justice, Miranda Cosgrove, Big Time Rush, Chris Colfer and Cee Lo Green as well as recently announced performers, UK pop sensation One Direction and Katy Perry.

Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2012, airing in the Philippines on April 12, 10 a.m., will be the most global version yet with the introduction of a new international category.
Nicksters will be given the opportunity to vote in a new category — Favorite Asian Act.

Featuring four of Asia’s most popular music acts, Agnes Monica (Indonesia), Charice (Philippines), Wonder Girls (Korea) and Yuna (Malaysia), they join the star-studded line-up of nominees from all corners of the world.

Kids have been invited to vote since March 1 and can still cast their votes until March 31 in 20 total categories by logging on to kca.nick-asia.com/vote. Voting for the 2012 KCAs spans over six continents across 13 localized voting sites in 10 different languages, giving kids practically everywhere the chance to decide who takes home a coveted blimp.

Nickelodeon, now in its 32nd year, is the No. 1 entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the US and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s US television network has been the No. 1-rated basic cable network for 17 consecutive years.

...the great expectation

Phl expects more credit ratings upgrade this 2012 By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star) March 28, 2012

MANILA, Philippines - An upbeat President Aquino yesterday hinted that the Philippines might be able to get more upgrades from credit rating agencies this year, owing to significant improvements in the economy and brighter infrastructure prospects.

“We would be very surprised if there will be no further upgrades given the developments that are happening in the country,” he told businessmen who attended the Philippine Investment Forum at The Peninsula Manila hotel in Makati City.

He attributed improvements in the local economy to efforts he made to level the playing field, weed out corruption, make efficient government services, provide financial help to the poorest of the poor and pump prime the economy, among others.

In 2011, the Philippines obtained a ratings upgrade from three international credit rating agencies, namely Fitch, Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s, who all acknowledged improvement in good governance implemented by the administration.

Fitch gave a BB+ or one level below investment grade while Moody’s gave BA2 and S&P BB, both two levels below investment grade.

Moody’s hinted recently they are mulling on giving another upgrade this year if Manila manages to trim down its debt.

“We’re operating in the midst of a lot of global uncertainty. That’s a negative factor in our case. We have ratings agencies that have been here for their assessments a few years back and we are very timid,” Aquino noted.

“But I think what is more important is that the market is already responding to the prospects faster than the ratings agencies,” he said, citing as example the 5,000 level breach at the Philippine Stock Exchange, where 4,000 used to be almost impossible.

“We are being treated, I understand, at the same level or better than those that have already been posted at investment grade,” Aquino added, acknowledging that the “market knows best.”  

Phl economy no longer dependent on OFW remittances

Aquino also declared back in December 2011 that the Philippine economy is no longer dependent on remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to keep it afloat, and is more focused on “investment-led growth.”

“I think (the reason why) we are a little bit more insulated now points to the fact that we have more investment-led growth rather than purely consumption resulting from OFW remittances,” he told reporters in a chance interview.

Defending members of his economic team from criticisms, Aquino pointed out that the lower-than-expected gross domestic growth for 2011 was due to the fact that domestic economy nowadays is no longer consumption-driven.

“A majority of our economic growth drivers before comes from remittances and not from productivity here in the country. Before, when the opposition bloc was in the administration, our economy was more consumption driven,” he said in Filipino.

Aquino, for the nth time, justified the 3.2 percent GDP growth during the third quarter, which was way below the economic managers’ projection of a 3.8 to 4.8 percent growth, saying the Philippines does not live in a vacuum, and is affected by the global recession.

This is why the government released its P72-billion stimulus package in October 2011, which is “precisely meant to ameliorate all of these effects brought about by what has been happening in the world economy.”

“Remember Japan had production shortfall after Fukushima affected so many of our semi-conductor industries as well as our vehicle sales, amongst other things. The Middle East issue is also another problem area for us,” Aquino explained.

“Even the Eurozone crisis, the American slowdown – all of that affected us,” he added, highlighting that compared to other economies, the Philippines remained resilient and had in fact been upgraded by credit rating agencies due to prudent and judicious spending.

The President is nevertheless optimistic that growth targets for this year are still achievable, but did not categorically say whether there would be additional funds to the stimulus package, which Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said could have P20 billion more.

“We are hoping and we are marching towards that goal (achieve projected growth targets),” he said.

For one, Education Secretary Armin Luistro updated him on the “substantial improvements” in the government’s efforts to address classroom shortage.

“We’re very close to meeting the target for the classrooms for this year and hopefully that will lay the basis for the really expanded school building program for next year, among other things,” Aquino revealed.

The same is true in the infrastructure program of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), even if there had been under spending in 2011, when disbursements were withheld to ensure that beneficiaries get the funds.

“From the DPWH, they have learned from the first two quarters (of 2011) that safeguards have to be built in in order to prevent leakages. So we did not spend unwisely, I think we spent wisely and we’ll have more acceleration in the second semester,” he said.

...the rave

PSE, Bloomberg, Singapore investors rave about PHL economy – DFA

 

March 28, 2012

GMA News

 

 

The sentiment among Singapore-based banks, asset managers and investment houses point to a keen interest toward the Philippine economy’s new path toward growth, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.

 

This was the assessment of the Philippine embassy in the City State after the March 15 roadshow by Bloomberg L.P., Philippine government, and Philippine Stock Exchange.

 

"The discussants expressed very positive views on the country's economic trajectory, with the panel moderator from Bloomberg admitting that his attempts to play 'devil's advocate' proved unsuccessful because everyone in the room seemed to be convinced of the emerging Philippine success story," the DFA said.

 

Ten macroeconomic indicators point to the Philippines' strong economic position and attractiveness as an investment destination, Trade Undersecretary Cristino Panlilio noted in his opening address to the event held in Singapore’s Bloomberg Auditorium.

 

The PSE was the strongest performing stock market in Asia in 2011, ahead of Indonesia and Malaysia, with a 4.07-percent year-to-date increase, said Panlilio. 

  

PSE president and CEO Hans Sicat then showed the audience of 100 people the figures reflecting the stability of the Philippine economy and the strength of its market indicators.

 

He cited the credit ratings upgrade received by the Philippines from Fitch Ratings, Standard & Poor's and Moody's Investors Service since 2008.

 

Representatives from two of Philippines’ strongest industry sectors also made separate presentations

 

Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. president and CEO Arthur Tan discussed the resurgence of the Philippines as a strategic option for the electronics industry in Asia.

 

Nickel Asia Corp. chief financial officer Emmanuel Samson expounded on his company's future prospects and track record producing nickel from the Philippines.

 

Samson cited the ongoing development of Taganito HPAL project, the biggest mining investment in the country to date at $1.4 billion.

 

Nomura Holdings economist Euben Paracuelles said in his presentation, "On the Path to Investment Grade," the present fiscal reforms are already creating conditions for higher growth for the Philippines.

 

Paracuelles cited the drastic reduction of special purpose funds in the budget—subject to highly discretionary spending—from P900 billion in 2010 to P200 billion at present. 

 

A panel discussion on "Will the Momentum Continue: Foreign Perspectives" capped the roadshow. Economists and wealth managers from Bloomberg L.P., JP Morgan Chase, Standard Chartered, and Western Asset Management were led the discussions.

 

Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Minda Cruz, Consul Cathy Torres, and trade assistant at the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Singapore Anne Cathy Ronquillo also participated in the roarshow. —VS, GMA News

...the demographic sweet spot

PHL growth story isn’t a fluke, BSP’s Tetangco tells investors

 

March 28, 2012

GMA News

 

 

 

“This is not a false start, the Philippines has indeed come on its own. The growth story is not a fluke, it is the result of a series of reforms, reforms that were critically thought of and well executed." - BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr.

 

 

 

A series of reforms helped the Philippines weather the uncertainties from a sputtering US economy and the European debt crisis, Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said Wednesday.

 

Tetangco told participants of the two-day Philippine Investment Forum, “The New Beginning,” sponsored by Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, the Philippine economy is on an upward trajectory fueled by stable macroeconomic conditions.

 

“This is not a false start, the Philippines has indeed come on its own. The growth story is not a fluke, it is the result of a series of reforms, reforms that were critically thought of and well executed,” the central bank chief said.

 

In his keynote address, Tetangco said emerging market economies would continue to drive global growth.

 

“Global growth remains relatively unsteady and fragile. In fact, the global economic growth outlook for 2012 is expected to be tilting towards a further slowdown but emerging and developing countries will continue to outpace advanced economies in terms of economic growth,” he added.

 

Philippine output grew 3.7 percent last year on lower government spending and weak global demand. It grew 7.6 percent in 2010, helped by election spending.

The demographic sweet spot
 

The Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) sees the Philippine gross domestic product growing between 5 percent and 6 percent.

 

“While some countries are facing problems relating to their aging population, the Philippines is set to enter its demographic sweet spot. Studies have shown that extended periods of accelerated economic growth have coincided with the countries entering this period,” Tetangco said.

The Philippines is the last major Asian economy to benefit from this demographic dividend by 2015 as the median age of the country is only 22.2 years—well below other young countries in Asia, according to the United Nations.

 

“On the basis of this potential to capitalize on these demographic dividends, the Philippines is well placed to ramp up its growth trajectory,” Tetangco said.

 

This growth would be achieved in a macroeconomic environment of low inflation and monetary policy that supports expansion, he noted.

 

“We will continue to provide a sound monetary policy framework one that is finely calibrated, appropriately flexible, and well communicated to stakeholders so that inflation target is well guarded,” he said. —VS, GMA News

...the kid Model

Three-year-old Fil-British kid models for famous clothing line

KIMBERLY JANE TAN

GMA News

March 27, 2012

Another Filipina seems to be on her way to making a mark in the international fashion scene, and she's only three years old.

Delancey Rose "Dee" Bayudan-Van Meir, born to a Filipina mother and a British father, was recently selected to model for the children's line of the famous American clothing line Gap.

Melody Santiago, Dee’s aunt, told GMA News Online that her niece is the only Filipino to be selected for Gap Kids’ collaboration with Diane Von Furstenberg (DVF).  She said Dee got the job last year through her New York-based talent agency Generations Model Management.

Santiago said the advertisements for the line were released in Canada and the United States last March 15 and will be released worldwide on March 28.

“I felt so proud and so excited seeing my niece's images in the Internet and…displayed in all countries all over the world, knowing that she has Filipino blood and [is bringing] pride to our country,” she said.

Santiago said Dee also just recently had a shoot with fashion magazine Vogue Bambini for its May 2012 issue. She said her niece also modeled clothes for Target, the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, last year.

Roots

Dee’s parents are Hazel Bayudan, a Filipino nurse and clinical instructor based in New Jersey, and Brendon John Van Meir, a professional drummer from Bristol England, UK.

Santiago is Bayudan’s distant cousin from Aliaga, Nueva Ecija.

Santiago said Dee’s parents met in June 2007 while Brendon was playing in a gig in New York City.  When the couple eventually had Dee, she said her parents immediately noticed her love for the camera and tried getting her into professional modeling.

“Delancey is a very active, happy, and friendly child. She loves to dance, sing and pose in front of camera. Dee has great fun and loves the attention she gets when modeling,” said Santiago.

Dee’s aunt said that when her niece gets older, her parents plan on sending her to a performing arts school in New York City. - VVP, GMA News

...the Vow

PNoy vows to make PHL more competitive for investors

 

By AMITA LEGASPI

GMA News

March 27, 2012

 

 

 

Boasting about the progress made by his administration, President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday vowed to make the country even more competitive for investors.

 

“The bottom line here is: if we want businesses to set up shop here and create jobs for our people, we have to be competitive,” Aquino said in his speech during the Philippine Investment Forum in Makati City.

 

He said the government has to focus on industries where there are actual opportunities for mutual benefit.

 

“The world is getting increasingly smaller, and we find ourselves pitted against countries who have very competitive business propositions. We cannot compromise our position by making life more difficult for companies because of corruption or red tape,” he said.

 

Aquino then added that government cannot sacrifice the jobs created by the businesses, because it is the people who will take the brunt of the hit if the businesses choose to operate elsewhere.

 

“We need to continue fostering a good environment for business—one that is both stable and predictable. I assure everyone here today: this belief will always be a core principle of our administration; and I invite all of you to ride this wave of optimism early, and invest in our country, be it in agriculture, infrastructure, tourism, or any other sector. We are eager to work with all of you.” Aquino said.

Political will

 

The President said his administration’s political will made it possible for the country to erase its image of being “the sick man of Asia.”

 

“Let no one doubt that we are doing the three things which were previously thought of as impossible: we are calling people to account; we are putting closure to the controversies that had sapped our institutions of their vigor and had diminished their legitimacy in the eyes of our countrymen; in other words, we are exercising political will,” he said.

 

He noted that his administration had reformed the manner of allocating and dispensing public funds.

 

“We have thrown the book at the thieves; and we are collecting what the government is due. That is how we are fighting corruption, and making a mark. We have fought the culture of naysaying and negativity, and have given a sense of empowerment to our people, replacing the hopelessness of the past with a steadfast commitment to building a society that indeed works. We have put an end to business as usual and proclaimed a country open for real business,” Aquino said.

Stock index

 

Because of the reforms, he noted that the Philippine Stock Exchange index was able to break the 4,000 point-barrier and even breached 5,000 points.

 

“The PSEi closed at another record high just 11 days ago at 5,145.89 points. For those of you keeping score: that’s 21 record highs in the 21 months of our administration,” he said.  

                            

He also noted that international organizations have started to take a second look at the Philippines and even recognized the reforms.

 

“Suffice to say: we are proud of the progress we have made, but we are not satisfied with just this. We Filipinos know just how much potential this country has; and we are working even longer nights to fulfill this potential,” he said.

 

Aquino said for this year, his administration is focusing on three specific sectors -- namely: agriculture, infrastructure, and tourism -- that will have the largest impact on the economy and in the lives of our people and expected to create much-needed jobs in the timeliest manner.

 

Aquino said his administration increased the budget of the Department of Agriculture by more than 50 percent to P53.3 billion to finance irrigation projects, more farm-to-market roads, and more buying posts.

 

He said these projects will directly impact the lives of those who find their livelihoods in agriculture, and will move the country closer to the goal of reaching rice self-sufficiency in 2013 “which we believe extremely doable.”

 

On the infrastructure programs, as of March 15, the Department of Public Works and Highways reported that it has bidded out nearly 90 percent of the 2,128 projects worth P63 billion this year.

 

He said 91percent of the projects have already been issued notices to proceed and “we are confident that, very soon, we will reach 100 percent.”

LRT 1 extension project

 

Aquino also said his administration approved P133 billion worth of projects for different sectors including the LRT Line 1 South Extension Project, worth P61.53 billion.

 

The plan is to extend LRT Line 1 by almost 12 kilometers, from Baclaran, through Paranaque and Las Pinas, to Bacoor, Cavite.

 

“I have full faith that Transportation and Communication Secretary Mar Roxas will have this extension operational at the soonest possible time. That, in a little while, we will be able to expand transportation, and open the gates a little wider between Metro Manila’s and not just Cavite’s but the entire CALABARZON economies,” Aquino said.

 

He also noted ‘leaps and bounds’ of the tourism industry with the recorded more than 400,000 visitors in January alone, the highest monthly visitor count in the country’s history.

 

“If we can sustain this, we are set to welcome almost 4.8 million visitors this year. This is really close to five million,” he said.

 

He added that this is still quite away from the target of 10 million yearly visitors by 2016 but it is still a big leap from two years ago, when they were expecting just around three million visitors a year.

 

“Now there is the possibility of welcoming 5 million visitors. We still have four years and three months left to reach our target—and we know that, each year, we can grow our number of visitors closer and closer to our goal,” he said. — RSJ/KG, GMA News  

...the Island of 'Survivor'

‘Survivor’ USA shoots in Camarines Sur

 

by Reyma Buan-Deveza

ABS-CBNnews.com

03/27/2012 12:04

 

MANILA, Philippines - Camarines Sur Governor L-Ray Villafuerte confirmed that the U.S. version of the hit reality TV show "Survivor" is now being shot in Caramoan Islands in Camarines Sur.

 

"Actually may 'Survivor' doon. It's a really big production but I cannot (give more details) because I signed a confidentiality agreement. It's is being filmed right now and it's going to air in September," Villafuerte told abs-cbnNEWS.com on Tuesday.

He added that the shooting only started last week and will wrap up in August.

Contestants perform a challenge for a European version of "Survivor" shot in Caramoan, Camarines Sur. Photo from the Facebook page of Caramoan Paradise

According to speculations on the show's fan sites, the American version of "Survivor" with host Jeff Probst is shooting two seasons in the Philippines -- Seasons 25 and 26 -- back to back.

"Survivor" Season 24 is currently airing worldwide. The next season is expected to air in the fall.

Tourism boost

Villafuerte said the filming of the show will help local businesses in Caramoan.

"They are hiring 400 people. They pay them daily wage, they are hiring sasakyan, bangka at lahat ng local supplies doon ay binibili nila so grabe ang business in the locality," he said.

Tourism establishments are also using "Survivor" to market their products.

CK-Inn, in fact, mentioned the shoot on its website.

"The whole Matukad island will be closed during March as production team of USA is now in Caramoan preparing for the Survivor show," it announced on its website.

Tour operator Caramoan Paradise even offers packages that would give tourists a glimpse of the "Survivor" experience.

"Survivor USA is setting up now at Caramoan, shooting will start by March... get the chance to have a glimpse of it.... for only P1,300 2D1N (flat rate)... experience being a castaway," it said on its Facebook page.

Hollywood movie shoot

This is not the first time that Caramoan was chosen as shooting location for "Survivor."

Villafuerte said the French and Swedish versions of the reality TV show were also shot in Camarines Sur.

"Survivors France, Sweden, Belgium, India, Turkey, Serbia, Israel have filmed there as early as four years ago," he said.

But since the American version of "Survivor" attracts a global audience, countries are eager to host the show.

In Asia, the U.S. series has already shot in Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and China.

Aside from "Survivor," Villafuerte also bared that a Hollywood movie will also be shot in the province.

"Magkakaroon ng Hollywood film sa amin this year, I can not say again (what it is)," he said.

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..the Bourne impression

‘Bourne Legacy’ location manager on Pinoy hospitality, top tourist draws

By JULIEN MERCED C. MATABUENA

Manila Bulletin

March 26, 2012

'The Bourne Legacy,' starring Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz, will be released on Aug. 3 in the US (Photo courtesy of screenrant.com)

“The real reason to go to the Philippines is to explore its more than 7,000 islands, from the heights of the rice terraces of Banaue to dives with the whale sharks in Donsol — and that’s just on one island, Luzon." - Dow Griffiths, location manager

In an interview with The New York Times published on March 22, Griffiths spoke of his and his crew’s stay in Manila for the movie shoot, thus: “The ‘Bourne’ movies are known as a more urban and gritty kind of product, and that was certainly true of Manila. It is congested, with the highest population density in the world. But the people are the best thing about it. Don’t be fooled by the signs everywhere that say ‘Check Your Firearms at the Door.’

“Many citizens are packing, but you couldn’t meet more hospitable people;” he related.


In a TV interview January, the film’s Philippine producer, Jun Juban, said that the producers picked Manila over Jakarta, Indonesia and Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam for the shoot for the reason Griffiths cited.

According to his official website, Griffiths is a film industry veteran who has been working as a Supervising Motion Picture Location Manager since the mid-'70s, specializing in “remote, foreign locations.” His most recent projects were “Contagion,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender,”  “Merchant of Shanghai,” “Indiana Jones 4: The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull,” and “The Bourne Supremacy.”

Griffiths also raved about the service given to them while billeted at a hotel in Makati.

“Sometimes, when you are traveling, no matter how much you spend, you can’t buy good service,” he said, adding, “we enjoyed personalized service at very affordable prices.”

Asked if he’d go back to Manila for a vacation, Griffiths said, “For the casual traveler, it’s a good place to go to get somewhere else.”

“The real reason to go to the Philippines is to explore its more than 7,000 islands, from the heights of the rice terraces of Banaue to dives with the whale sharks in Donsol — and that’s just on one island, Luzon.

“El Nido, on Palawan Island, is paradise, and for a family trip, you are very well looked after at any of the resorts,” he was quoted as saying.

Griffiths, along with the cast and crew of “The Bourne Legacy,” were in the country from January to February this year. Their filming locations included parts of Manila, Navotas, Marikina and Palawan.

...the most beautiful hospitals

St. Luke’s one of world’s most beautiful hospitals: website

ABS-CBNnews.com

03/26/2012

 

The patient's room at the presidential suite of SLMC Global City. The suite also has a receiving area, a kitchen, a bathroom and a guest room. Photo from SLMC Global City

MANILA, Philippines – St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) Global City in Taguig is one of the most beautiful hospitals in the world, according to a website.

HealthExecNews.com, which describes itself as “a health care information network and daily publication focusing on trends and issues facing executives working in the health care industry,” ranked St. Luke’s 11th in its list of 25 hospitals.

Hospitals from the United States dominated the list, with Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, California getting the top spot.

Other hospitals in the list are based in Hong Kong, Dubai, Thailand, England, Lebanon, Switzerland, Australia, Panama, and Austria.

“SLMC has received international accreditation and is recognized as one of the best hospitals in Asia and the entire world. As such, it regularly receives patients from around Asia, Micronesia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States,” the website said.

“This hospital holds 650 patient beds, with almost half of those available as fully-furnished, private suites with televisions and other modern conveniences to make every visit as comfortable as possible,” it added.

SLMC Global City, a high-end hospital, opened in January 2010. The first St. Luke’s hospital is located in Quezon City.

Last year, former president-turned-congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was under hospital arrest in SLMC Global City in relation to an electoral sabotage case.

She stayed in the hospital’s lone presidential suite which at the time costs P50,000 a day, or P47,619 for senior citizens.

The amount is more than half the monthly salary of President Benigno Aquino III, which is pegged at over P90,000, excluding taxes.

Arroyo was eventually transferred to Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City.

...the Blue Ridge's Best Sailor

Best sailor on US command ship is Pinoy

VERONICA VELARDE-PULUMBARIT

GMA News

March 26, 2012

 

 

The best sailor on the USS Blue Ridge — the "finest flagship" of the United States — is a Filipino, one of the ship's ranking officials said.

LtJG Clinton Beaird, Public Affairs Officer, said of Filipino Senior Chief Petty Officer Ed Agustin: "He’s the best sailor that we have on board." 

The USS Blue Ridge is the US Navy's most technologically advanced ship. It is the permanent flagship of "Commander," the navy's Seventh Fleet. 

During Operations "Desert Storm" and "Desert Shield" in the 1990s, the USS Blue Ridge served as the flagship for the Commander of the US Naval Forces Central Command. 

Beaird said Agustin, 47, was one of some 76 Filipinos serving on the USS Blue Ridge. The Filipinos represent some 12 percent of the ship's nearly 1,000 crew.

Asked by GMA News Online why he was considered as the "best sailor" of USS Blue Ridge, Agustin said, "Dito sa military, nag-eexcel ang mga Pilipino. Kasi karamihan ang mga nagjo-join sa Navy sa US bata pa, 17 or 18 years old. Tayo, [mga Pilipino], nagjo-join mga 24 [years old] na, mature na, mas dedicated na sa trabaho."

Agustin, one of the ship's sailors who were recruited from Subic Bay in the Philippines, said he was in charge of the ship's maintenance.

He was born and raised in the Philippines. His family is from Balagtas, Bulacan, and he studied at the University of the East.

He said the last time he came home to the Philippines was "two or three years ago. Exciting. I was looking forward to sinangag, diniguan, papaitan."
 

Asked what he liked about working for the US Navy, Agustin said, "Yung retirement is guaranteed. After 20 years makakapag-retire na ako. Wala kang makikitang trabaho na after 20 years pwede ka nang mag-retire. Pwede kang umuwi ng Pilipinas."

Manila: 'A favorite port of sailors'

Captain Daniel Grieco, who assumed command of the USS Blue Ridge in May last year, said: "Manila has long been a favorite port visit for sailors. This visit provides our sailors the opportunity to appreciate  the unique Philippine culture and to experience the sights and sounds of this busy international city."

A decorated officer, Grieco holds master's degrees in Business Administration (from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University) and National Security Affairs and Strategic Studies (from the US Naval War College).

Captain Derek Rey, who was born and raised in the US but whose parents are both Filipinos, said he was looking forward not only to visiting places such as Intramuros or Corregidor but also tasting Pinoy food. 

"I like nilaga, pancit, lumpia — anything you have in birthday parties," Rey said. 

Rey said he told his colleagues at the USS Blue Ridge that "the values of the Filipinos are
very much aligned with the Navy and Marine Corps."

"They [Filipinos] value honor, courage, and commitment and hard work. Those are the values that we embody and the military as well," Rey said.

He thinks his colleagues would "feel right at home in the Philippines."
 
IT seaman Jen Romnick Escano, a satellite communications operator, was also born and raised in the US to Filipino parents. "My mom is Caviteño but my dad is from Pangasinan."

Escano said "it feels great being able to come to the mother country. It’s nice to come back to the mother country."

He said the last time he was in the Philippines he was "too young." Now he feels he can appreciate the country and its culture even more. "I can’t wait to have balut. A lot of my friends are afraid of balut but I'm not," he said.
 

All in the "Navie"
 
Meanwhile, a junior officer, Ensign Maria Josefa Veloria, 25, enlisted in the US Navy as a Logistics Specialist after graduating from the Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois.

A daughter of Brig. Gen. Mariano Veloria, Maryjo — Pepay to her family and friends — ranked first out of 800 sailors in Military Excellence.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class 1979, Gen. Veloria is now the commander of the 53rd Engineering Brigade of the Philippine Army.

Maryjo said out of six siblings, four of them are in the US Navy. The eldest child in the family, Maryjo said she has been with the US Navy for five years now.

She has visited 34 countries and Dubai was the place she liked best. "Iba po talaga siya sa mga napuntahan ko," Maryjo said.

Her mom Navie, who welcomed her at the Manila South Harbor with her dad, said she was the first "Navie" member of the family.

In jest, their mom said all of her four children followed in her footsteps and chose to become Navy personnel and not an Army man like their father.
 
First cousin of Migz Zubiri

Meanwhile, Gunnery sergeant Elwin Zubiri, 31, a first cousin of former Senator Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, said his job was to be a "liaison between the Navy and the Marine corps."

He said he was the only Filipino marine officer on board the USS Blue Ridge.

Zubiri said he feels a little nervous whenever he hears negative news about the Philippines or its neighboring countries.
 

"There’s still a little bit of, you know, a little bit of nervousness. You’ve got family here, what’s gonna happen?" Zubiri said.

Fast facts about the USS Blue Ridge

• There are approximately 650 Blue Ridge sailors, 350 US 7th Fleet staff embarked, and up to 450 more personnel during exercises aboard USS Blue Ridge.

• Command ship USS Blue Ridge has two commands aboard: the embarked 7th Fleet staff members and Blue Ridge crew. The 7th Fleet staff commands and controls ships and the other units assigned to 7th Fleet region. 

• The USS Blue Ridge was commissioned in 1970. First stationed in San Diego from 1970 to 1979, Blue Ridge was deployed to Yokosuka, Japan in 1979.

• USS Blue Ridge is referenced as LCC-19 (meaning Amphibious Command and Control ship number 19).

• The entire 7th Fleet can be coordinated in real-time using the advanced array communications systems aboard Blue Ridge.

• The 7th Fleet’s area of responsibility encompasses more than 48 million square miles - from the Kuril Islands in the north to the Antarctic in the south, and from the International Date Line to the 68th meridian east, which runs down from the India-Pakistan border.

• The area includes 35 maritime countries and the world’s five largest foreign armed forces. Five of the seven U.S. Mutual Defense Treaties are with countries in the area; Republic of the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Japan, and Thailand. Half of the world’s population lives within the 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

• At any given time, there are more than 60 ships, 200 aircraft and 40,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel assigned to the 7th Fleet.

- KBK, GMA News

...the Reuter's Journalist of the Year

Pinoy journalist named Reuters Reporter of the Year

 

ABS-CBNnews.com

03/26/2012

 

 

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino journalist Benjamin Lim was chosen by Reuters wire agency as its Reporter of the Year, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The award is given every year by Thomson Reuters, one of the world's largest international media organizations.

The DFA said Lim, Reuters' special correspondent in China, was selected for writing several "scoops" in 2011 such as:

• China's decision to clean up $ 1.710 trillion (RMB 10 trillion) in local government debt;
• Appointment of China's new banking, securities and insurance regulators;
• Democratic People's Republic of Korea's military's pledge of allegiance to Kim Jong-un;
• China's plan to build two indigenous aircraft carriers; and
• China's pledge to invest $ 1.5 trillion in seven new strategic industries.

Lim, who was previously Reuters bureau chief in Taipei and Beijing, received the Scoop of the Year award in 2007. He wrote a story that correctly predicted the line-up of the Communist Party's 17th Politburo Standing Committee.

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..the leader cities

PHL leads in New7Wonders Cities campaign

 

By CARMELA LAPEÑA

GMA News

March 26, 2012

 

 

After the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) was named one of the  New7Wonders of Nature, Filipinos are eager to win another of the NewOpenWorld Corporation's (NOWC) competitions.

 

Since the New7Wonders Cities global voting campaign was launched in November 2011, no less than seven Philippine cities are in the top spots in the South East Asia and Oceania category.

 

The picturesque Vigan is ranked first, followed by Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, and Bacolod City. Paranaque City comes in seventh, and is the only one from Metro Manila on the list. 

 

The global vote for New7Wonders Cities began in January with over 1,200 nominees from more than 220 countries. 

 

From March 7 to November 23, the choices are narrowed down to around 300 cities, with one per country, plus the top 77 voted.

 

The finalist phase will begin on Dec. 7, 2012, during which 28 official finalist candidates will be selected by a panel of experts. Voting will continue across the three phases until 2013, when the Official New7Wonders Cities will be revealed on December 7, 2013.

 

The New7Wonders Cities is the third campaign in the New7Wonders movement. Previous campaigns elected the man-made New 7 Wonders of the World and the New7Wonders of Nature.

 

Controversy arose last year when Maldives and Indonesia withdrew their respective entries from the New7Wonders of Nature contest and accused organizers of forcing them to pay “surprise" fees of up to $500,000 or P21.6 million, according to a report from The Guardian.

But Malacañang said the confirmation of PPUR was welcome news.

“Throughout the competition, Filipinos from all walks of life have given time, energy, and resources to this campaign. This effort has raised awareness not only overseas, but nationally as well: visits to the PPUR have increased tremendously. This is proof positive of how effective a national effort of this sort can be: to build awareness, express pride, and achieve results,” the Palace statement said. — RSJ, GMA News

...the second largest Asian group

Filipinos 2nd largest Asian group in US, census shows

By Nimfa U. Rueda

Los Angeles/Philippine Daily Inquirer

Asia News Network 

Sun, Mar 25, 2012

Los Angeles (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Filipinos are now the second largest Asian group in the United States, according to the latest census bureau report.

The number of Americans who have identified themselves as Filipino, either alone or in combination with another race, totalled 3.4 million, the report showed.

The total number is believed to be much higher than the census count. There are an estimated one million undocumented Filipinos in the United States.

Chinese-Americans make up the largest Asian group, with more than 4 million. Those from the Indian subcontinent are the third largest, with 3.2 million. Other significantly large Asian groups include the Vietnamese, with 1.7 million; Koreans, with 1.7 million, and the Japanese, with 1.3 million.

This statistical profile was based on the 2010 census of major racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Released on March 22, the statistical portrait of the Asian-American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations was produced for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which is celebrated annually in May.

The report also showed that Asians were the fastest growing population, increasing nearly 46 percent over the last decade. Their number increased to more than 17 million from 2000 to 2010. A close second was the Latino population, which rose by 43 per cent. By comparison, the African American and white populations grew by only 15 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively.

Census officials attributed the fast growth of the Asian population to immigration.

California, known as the gateway for Asian immigrants, had the largest population of Asian Americans, with close to 6 million, or nearly a third of the total nationwide. It was followed by New York, with 1.6 million.

Hawaii had the highest percentage of Asians, who make up 57 per cent of the island state's population.
The report showed that the Asian population grew dramatically in other states, such as Nevada, where the number rose by 116 per cent, and Arizona, by 95 per cent.

Among metropolitan areas, New York City had the largest Asian population, with more than 1 million, followed by Los Angeles, with 484,000, and San Jose, with 347,000.

Filipinos are the largest Asian group in the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Washington, Wyoming and South Dakota. The Chinese made up the largest Asian group in Colorado, Oregon, Utah, District of Columbia, North Dakota, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

...the new crab specie

4 new species of freshwater crab discovered in Palawan By Juancho Mahusay (The Philippine Star) March 25, 2012

A particularly colorful new species of freshwater crab called Insulamon Palawanense.| Zoom

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan, Philippines  – A group of scientists and researchers from two Germany-based institutes and students from universities in Manila has reportedly discovered last week four new species of the freshwater crab in this island province.

According to a research paper published online last week in the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, the four newly discovered species belong to the colorful Insulamon freshwater crab family.

This crab family, scientifically known as Insulamon Palawanense, can be found only in Palawan.

In the research paper, Dr. Hendrik Freitag of the Senckenberg Natural History Collections in Dresden, Germany and an associate professor at the Ateneo de Manila University who heads the Aqua Palawana Research Program, stated that they discovered the four new species during the process of taking a closer look at the Insulamon crabs.

The Aqua Palawana is a research program by Germany’s scientific institutes Senckenberg and Phyllodrom Leipzig, which investigates the biodiversity of Palawan’s inland waters for over 10 years.

Working in the program are local students and researchers from Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University in Manila, Western Philippines University, Philippine National Museum, Vienna Natural History Museum and the National University of Singapore.

...the heart of Asia

Puerto Galera cashes in on booming tourism sector

By: Amadís Ma. Guerrero, Contributor
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Saturday, March 24th, 2012

“There is more to Puerto Galera than White Beach,” claims Mayor Hubbert A. Dolor in a recent briefing with Manila media in his office.

“We are now promoting Puerto Galera as the heart of Asia, center of the center,” he adds.

The fabled coastal town—with its resorts, beach coves, waterfalls, abundant marine life, lim
estone cliffs, rock formations, coral gardens, dive sites and mountains—is at the northern tip of Oriental Mindoro.

It lays claim to having one of the most beautiful bays in the world.

As the international map puts it in French: “Les plus belle baies du monde.”

Dolor, who is also a physician and holder of a Master’s degree in Public Administration, says “the Philippines is part of the Coral Triangle and we are at the center of the center of marine biodiversity.”

Talking about biodiversity, shouldn’t Palawan lay claim to that? The mayor doesn’t think so.

“It (Palawan) is not in the center of the center,” he says.

Puerto Galera attracts two million tourists every year and its income is boosted by the Environment Usage Fee (EUF) of P50 per visitor.

By 2020, the town (now a first-class municipality) hopes to become a city, with its own airport.

The construction phase is starting, with an assist from the Department of Transportation and Communication.
Puerto Galera will likely have to wait a while to attain the status of a city, and in the meantime, it is bent on boosting its coffers through tourism.

“We have no other income except tourism,” the mayor says. “We have agricultural lands but our cooperative farmers have become tourist guides and boatmen.”

What about the dark side of tourism, as in sex tours and pedophilia?

“Gone are the days of human trafficking,” Dolor claims, “We have bars in Sabang but bars are part of tourism. There are regular checkups, and regular visits by doctors. So the bars are regulated and controlled.”

Gold also still exists in Puerto Galera and other parts of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro (the big island was known to the Spaniards as “mina de oro”).

Small-scale panning is tolerated but mining is a no-no.

“There is only one industry in Puerto Galera and that’s tourism,” the mayor declares.

..the best Director at Spain filmfest

Pinoy indie director wins in Spain film fest

 

ABS-CBNnews.com

 03/25/2012

 

 

MANILA, Philippines – Independent film director Eduardo Roy, Jr. is on a winning streak.

 

 

 

 

After his first directorial effort, “Bahay Bata,” won the Jury Prize at the Deauville Asian Film Festival in France early this month, Roy won the best new director prize for the same film at the recently concluded Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival in Spain, which ran from March 16 to 24.

The film festival posted on its website on Saturday that this is the first time the Jose Rivero prize for best new director award was given at the festival. The award comes with a cash endowment worth 12,500 euros or around P712,000.

“Bahay Bata,” written by Roy and Jerome Zamora, stars Diana Zubiri, Sue Prado, Mailes Kanapi, Peewee O'Hara and Jeoffrey Javier.

Zubiri has already won the best performer award from the Young Critics Circle for her performance in the film about a nurse working in a crowded maternity hospital.

“The Loneliest Planet,” a co-production of United States and Germany, won the top prize at the Spanish film festival, as well as best actress for Hani Furstenberg, who plays a young lover who travels with her boyfriend (Gael García Bernal) to the mountains of Georgia.

The second best film of the festival went to “Taboo” from Portugal.

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