...the FUN slogan evrywhere

PH tourism slogan on CNN and London cabs, buses

By Jocelyn R. Uy, Tina G. Santos
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Saturday, May 5th, 2012

PHILIPPINE ROAD SHOW. London’s iconic black cab, one in a motorcade led by Filipino officials on Tuesday, goes around the streets of London proclaiming that “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” The London promotion opens the country’s new tourism campaign that targets the millions from all over the world predicted to converge in the UK capital for the Queen’s jubilee feat and the Olympics. DFA PHOTO

The tourism department’s new slogan, “It’s more fun in the Philippines” is going places.

On Monday, a DOT-produced TV commercial carrying the new brand traveled the world via the media giant CNN.  On Tuesday, the government’s tourism campaign took to the streets of London with 50 black cabs and 25 double-decker buses carrying banners of the new slogan.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said the 30-second TV ad was inspired by some 12,000 memes generated online that put a witty spin on the new slogan.

The simple TV ad begins with the statement: “We asked people why it’s more fun in the Philippines…” and is followed by a montage of memes showcasing the country’s culture and scenic tourist spots. The DOT said it secured a clearance to be able to use Boney M’s “Gotta Go Home” as soundtrack for the ad.

The ad montage includes a snapshot of a dining table set up on the white sands of El Nido, Palawan province, and the blurb: “Outdoor cafes. More fun in the Philippines.” There is also a photo of the wide-eyed tarsier captioned, “Staring contests. More fun in the Philippines.”

The TV ad also has a video of flickering Christmas lanterns described as “Stargazing. More fun in the Philippines.”  A photograph of a horse-drawn carriage (calesa) has the caption: “Stretch Limo. More fun in the Philippines.”


Price tag: P63M


The DOT spent P63 million for the CNN TV spot which will run until June, Evelyn Macayayong, chief of the Tourism Marketing Communications Office, told the Inquirer in a phone interview. “We got a huge discount for the spot,” she said, adding that producing the TV commercial almost cost nothing since the DOT used materials—a mix of photographs and videos—donated by the public.

“The phenomenal and viral success of ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines’ is greatly due to the people who have participated in the campaign with their catchy and witty versions, each proving to the world how it is indeed more fun in the Philippines,” the DOT said.

The commercial ended with a question posed to viewers: “What will you come up with?”—some sort of a come-on for potential travelers to explore the Philippines.  Jimenez explained that the last statement was meant to keep the campaign’s interactive theme going.

The tourism agency said the airing of the TV ad on CNN was timely since the media outlet was also featuring a weeklong special, “Eye on the Philippines” focused on different aspects of Filipino life and culture. The live reports began on Monday.


Motorcade in Central London

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the motorcade around Central London was led by Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Enrique Manalo and Philippine Tourism-London head Rosario Afuang, and included members of the press and the Filipino community. It made an unscheduled stop on Oxford Street—the busiest commercial district in the United Kingdom and in Europe—to give British shoppers an impromptu performance of Philippine songs and dances.

“This is just a sample of what you will experience when you visit our country,” a statement released by the DFA yesterday quoted Manalo as saying during the promotion. “A culture of fun, beauty and excitement awaits every visitor. With [our] 7,107 islands, guests are sure to find islands that will suit their [kind of] adventure.”

Queen’s Jubilee, Olympics

Aside from the banners carried by the vehicles around London’s  most famous and visited sights,  “It’s more fun in the Philippines” images will appear on 75 panels in some of London’s busiest underground stations, including Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Circus, Afuang said.

“There will also be 30-second ‘More fun’ ads appearing on 1,400 digital screens onboard London cabs,” she added.

The DFA said “the UK campaign will remain in time for the millions of visitors from around the world attending the Queen’s Jubilee in June, the Olympic Games in July and the Paralympic Games in September.”


“[More than] 100,000 British tourists traveled to the Philippines in 2011—an all-time high,” the DFA said.

Tourists from the United Kingdom lead the European visitor traffic to the Philippines and rank 10th overall.


The DFA added that the London motorcade was part of synchronized efforts with DOT-Manila to promote the country worldwide through CNN International, and was meant to jump-start the government’s bid to draw 10 million tourist arrivals by 2016.

...the sick man of Asia no more

‘PH not sick man of Asia anymore’

By Doris C. Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Saturday, May 5th, 2012

The Philippines, which has lately seen new record highs in stock market trading, is making good progress in creating a more favorable image in the international community, according to the Filipino chief executive officer of the Bank of Singapore.

 

 

“The image is improving a lot… It’s not the sick man of Asia anymore. There’s less corruption,” said Renato de Guzman, CEO of the global private bank, who was interviewed on the sidelines of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) annual meetings Friday.

 

 

According to De Guzman, the Philippines has learned well the lessons of the previous Asian financial crisis (of 1997), following which local banking regulators introduced an array of reforms that have kept the banking system “quite insulated” from the subsequent US financial crisis in 2008 and the lingering crisis in Europe.

“I think confidence is high,” said De Guzman who served as one of the panelists at a business forum within the ADB meetings sponsored by BNY Mellon. The forum discussed the impact of the US financial crisis three years after.


Revenue the weak spot

The banker is hoping the Philippines would merit a sovereign investment grade rating but does not think this would necessarily happen within the year.

“It’s the revenue that’s still the weak spot,” De Guzman said.

According to some analysts, the international credit-rating agencies are waiting for the Philippines to pass new revenue-generating measures in Congress before giving the much-coveted investment grade rating.

But even without such a rating, financial markets have priced Philippine debt as if it were investment grade, they said. For instance, they have allowed the Philippines to sell offshore bonds at a lower cost than investment-graded Indonesia.

De Guzman helped build the franchise of Dutch financial giant ING in the Philippines, which was among the 10 new foreign banks allowed to set up local branches in the mid-1990s. He then relocated to Singapore to head ING’s Asian private banking business which was sold to the OCBC Group in early 2010. The Bank of Singapore, which he heads, is an OCBC subsidiary solely focused on the private banking business.

Emerging markets

De Guzman said the Bank of Singapore was still upbeat on emerging markets.

“The growth rates are still there. The banking system is healthy. In terms of debt side, default rates are low and expected to remain low so I think there will still be more debt issuance. And then the debt to GDP (gross domestic product) is very low. Foreign debt against foreign reserves is very low. The fundamentals are very strong,” he said.

The Bank of Singapore has an “overweight” rating—or a recommendation to accumulate more assets than prescribed by the benchmark—on equities and high-yield emerging market debt.

“Even with the volatilities, there’s a lot of opportunity to buy,” he said.


PH stocks ‘very expensive’

In equities, De Guzman said his bank favored the US and China. In the case of China, he said valuations were very attractive.

On the other hand, stocks in the Philippines and Indonesia have become “very expensive,” he said.

Speaking at the BNY Mellon forum, De Guzman said private banking clients are demanding more risk management knowhow from their bankers and have become more selective in investing. They have also started doing business with multiple institutions instead of choosing just one.

Private banking clients now also favor simpler, more liquid assets and are giving a higher allocation to cash.


“They want more diversification,” he said, adding this meant that private bankers would have to offer “more tailored” solutions to high-net-worth clients.

Desmond Mac Intyre, president and CEO of Standish Mellon Asset Management Co., said investors were still chasing yield and in the past two years have been moving funds to emerging markets on a “strategic” instead of “tactical” basis.

“Ultimately it’s not a short-term phenomenon. It (emerging market) will be a structural asset class,” he said.



Whether it’s a central banker or a pension fund, investors will continue to turn to emerging markets as they focus on their liability management, said Mac Intyre.

...the Pinoy wave in US

Pinoys make headway in US politics, performing arts

By NR RAMOS

May 4, 2012

Manila Bulletin

Victor Lirio with Lea Salonga (Diverse City Theater Co.)

MANILA, Philippines – 72-year-old Guillermo Udarbe, formerly a doctor by profession, found his way into a small town in the US several decades back. Today, he happens to be the mayor of Ridgway, Pennsylvania.



Originally from Camalaniugan, Cagayan, Udarbe shared that he decided to settle in the area as it reminded him of his hometown. He admitted that the early years there were hard for him and his wife.


“We received phone calls telling us to go away. They even called us niggers,” said he in a report on GMA News.


But the couple persisted, staying on even as the population of the town declined during the height of the recession.


According to the same report, Ridgway’s population today stands at 4,600, where about 98 percent are Caucasians and two percent are Asians.


Udarbe decided to run for mayor in the 2009 election. He trampled his four American opponents, winning on a 65 percent margin.


“It’s all because of my relationship with the people. I’m a friendly guy,” Udarbe said.


Since Udarbe assumed office, Ridgway has slowly come back to life.


Just recently, Consul General Mario de Leon Jr. lauded Udarbe for his effort and dedication.


Consul General De Leon said, "Mayor Udarbe's election as the first Asian American and Filipino American mayor of Ridgway is truly an outstanding feat considering the fact that Ridgway is 98.5% Caucasian. Asian Americans comprise just 0.7% of the population and there are only three Filipino-American families in his borough, including his own family. With his remarkable achievements, Mayor Udarbe has brought a great honor for the Philippines and the Filipino-American community."



Like Udarbe, Victor Lirio has found a place for himself a state away in the land of milk and honey– via Broadway, that is.


Lirio discovered acting at an early age in the Philippines. He went on to pursue his dream in San Francisco at age 11 before eventually moving to New York.


In 2003, he founded the Diverse City Theater Company (DCT), which develops and produces original stage productions.


In a report on GMA News, Lirio shared that the Filipino, as artist, is doing well and thriving in New York.


He went on to cite several names including Nelson Eusebio, May Adrales and Victor Maog as among those who contribute to the continued rise of Pinoys in their field.


According to Lirio, he aims to further the cause through DCT by commissioning, developing and producing original plays.


“I want to create a theater company that also promotes non-traditional casting of actors by producing pieces traditionally cast with Caucasian actors—classical or contemporary—with actors of color,” he said.


Though he admits it is quite a huge undertaking, Lirio said, “If we want to capture a bigger share of the roles that are being cast on Broadway, we need to expand the way we portray ourselves. Then we can better influence mainstream producers, directors, casting directors—the commercial theater establishment—in the way they see Asians. As Americans. Perception is reality, as they say.”

...the Henderson Quality awardee (UK)

Pinoy nurse wins award for care for elderly patients in UK

May 5, 2012

GMA News

A Filipino nurse won a prestigious award in the United Kingdom for his care for vulnerable elderly patients there, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported Saturday.



Francis Fernando, a Filipino nurse at the Salisbury District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, was awarded the National Health Service (NHS) Clinical Leaders Network (CLN) AQuA Henderson Quality Award.

"Fernando received the Award's First Prize during the CLN Congress last April 25 for the 'Striving for Excellence in the Care of Elderly Patients with Hip Fractures' project at the Salisbury Hospital.  The award-winning project is now set to be adopted in hospitals across the UK," the DFA said.

Fernando received his award from Chief Nursing Officer in England Jane Cummings and NHS Medical Director Professor Bruce Keogh.

UK Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley provided an inspirational video message at the Award presentation during the CLN congress.

Apart from the Award's glass trophy, Fernando received a UK£5,000 (PhP341,569) bursary from the CLN to start a Fracture Liaison Service in his hospital, the third of its kind in the UK, to help prevent primary and secondary hip fractures and save billions of pounds in medical treatment expenses.

He has also agreed to continue to campaign for vulnerable patients with hip fractures across the UK through CLN's bank of clinicians and the National Hip Fracture Database.

CLN is a 5,000-strong national professional leadership network for clinicians in England.

It bestows its Quality Award each year to recognize the work of clinicians who lead projects that result in clinical improvements and differences in patients' lives.

There were more than 1,000 entries for this year's award, the DFA said.

Philippine Ambassador to the UK Enrique Manalo welcomed Fernando to the Philippine Embassy in London last May 2, and feted him for the honor he brought to Filipinos in the UK.

"Mr. Fernando is a consummate and caring professional and a true representative of Filipinos in the UK. He has certainly raised the image of the Filipino and made all of our kababayans proud with his prestigious award and his selfless work," Manalo said.

Fernando has been working at the Salisbury Hospital for the past 12 years.

Two years ago, he was appointed as the hospital's first Filipino Band 7 nurse (Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioner), and campaigned for the improvement of service to vulnerable elderly patients with hip fractures.

The hospital began improving its national rankings, last year placing 12th out of 176 NHS Trusts that participated in the largest database of hip fractures in the world.

1st non-British award winner

The DFA said Fernando is the first nurse and the first non-British national to win the Award's First Prize.

Previous winners were doctors and other health care professionals.

"The ultimate winners in all of this are the patients and their families," said Fernando.

"I had to be more proactive and find innovative ways of meeting the Best Practice Tariff Standards for hip fractures, and then present our project to different audiences around England. We have a fantastic team of clinicians here at Salisbury that is at one with our goal to be the best in the country," Fernando said.

Fernando said there are about 200 Filipinos working at the hospital, including five in his team.

In 2012, Fernando's hospital stands close to the top of the national rankings with respect to achieving the Best Practice Tariff for hip fractures.

Their work resulted in reduced length of stays and re-admission and mortality rates as well as excellent responses from patients and their families. — LBG, GMA News

...the feeling

'Phil So Good': Paradise on earth

 

By Pocholo Concepcion in Manila

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Asia News Network 

Fri, May 4, 2012

 

"The Philippines is the land of music in Asia..." - Julien Drolon, French Writer turned musician

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - A new music video starring a Frenchman singing about his love for the Philippines is turning out to be a great pitch for tourism in the country.

The song, "Phil So Good", is written and performed by French writer-turned-musician Julien Drolon.

Shot on location across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, the video can be seen on YouTube and on the website juliendrolon.com. It shows Drolon basking in the sun on various beaches in the country and extolling, in French and English, this "paradise on earth". He also visits other popular destinations.

The music is an upbeat mix of funk, reggae and dance pop, and lends a cosmopolitan touch to the tropical scenarios.

But it is the guest appearance of Filipino actress Rhian Ramos that kicks the video into high gear. Ramos raps in English and Tagalog about what makes the country tick. She is visually arresting-singing and dancing, fixing the camera with persuasive eyes that seem to speak only the truth!

Drolon told Inquirer Entertainment that he saw Ramos' hilarious cameos on Moymoy Palaboy's famous spoof music videos, and was convinced she was perfect for "Phil So Good".

He said Rhian was one of the main reasons that he had decided to spend more time in the country. "More than the places, it's the people that made me come back again and again," he said.

Drolon, 30, produced an earlier video that was a cover version of VST & Co.'s "Ipagpatawad Mo (Forgive Me)", and featured a Filipino beauty queen, Venus Raj, fourth runner-up in the 2010 Miss Universe contest.
The Frenchman first came to Manila in 2007 while on assignment for an international news agency to write a story on investment prospects in the Philippines.

His five-month stay was extended to another five months when he was commissioned to write another article about the country.

After doing more writing around the world, he took a break in Mexico and Spain. He said spiritual enlightenment came to him in Mexico and led him to pursue music as a career.

"The Philippines is the land of music in Asia," Drolon said, explaining his decision to launch his music career here. "In France we don't live music the way Filipinos do."

He admitted that his passion was rooted in his appreciation of Bob Marley and Michael Jackson.

He has so far recorded six songs with an all-Filipino lineup of musicians that also serve as his regular band, including keyboardist Leal Nanca, who wrote the rap lyrics to "Phil So Good." Drolon has also worked with Noel Mendez, Jack Rufo, Rico Blanco and the band Brownman Revival.

The six tracks are contained in an EP album, also titled "Phil So Good", now available online through iTunes and Amazon. It will be released in music stores nationwide at the end of this month.

Drolon is currently on a mall tour around the country. He said he has signed a deal to distribute his album in China, and will promote the record in Spain and in France.

COPYRIGHT: ASIA NEWS NETWORK

...the World's best climate change law

UN lauds Philippines' climate change laws 'world's best'

 

By Michael Lim Ubac in Manila/

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Asia News Network 

05 May 2012

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - The Philippines' laws on climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) are the "best in the world," UN special envoy Margareta Wahlstrom said Thursday.

Wahlstrm, special DRR representative of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, praised the Philippines for taking the lead in the global campaign to mitigate disaster risks brought about by global warming.

She commended Senator Loren Legarda, the UN Champion for DRR and CCA for Asia and the Pacific, for ensuring the passage of climate-responsive laws and for mainstreaming the CCA and DRR mechanisms into the national political agenda.

"You do have now an excellent legal framework for disaster risk reduction and an excellent legal framework for climate adaptation. The basis [of the laws] is really for empowering local governments," Wahlstr?m said in a press conference.

Legarda thanked Wahlstr?m for the compliment, but told the media that the "challenge is to translate them into local community action to save lives, and reduce disaster risks and economic losses."

An environmental crusader for two decades now, Legarda authored the Climate Change Act of 2009 (Republic Act No. 9729), which created the Climate Change Commission and cosponsored the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (RA 10121).

Wahlstrom stressed that both laws highlighted the policy shift from a reactionary to a proactive stance in addressing disasters.

"We have in the Philippines the best two laws-not only in Asia-Pacific, but in Margareta's words-in the world," said Legarda.

Since her arrival on Tuesday, Wahlstr?m has met with government officials, businessmen and donors. She will be here until May 5 to engage both the government and private sector in strengthening the country's disaster resiliency initiatives.

She will go to Albay province, where she will have a discussion with 31 mayors in a two-day seminar sponsored by Governor Joey Salceda.

"We are here to really sustain engagement in the Philippines, and support the realization of the legal basis of the action plan that already exists in the country," Wahlstrom said.

Wahlstr?m talked about the international strategy on disaster risk reduction, or UNISDR, that called for "safe schools, safe hospitals and safe cities" through programs such as the retrofitting of buildings, the relocation of communities and government public infrastructure from hazard-prone areas, and capacity-building such as disaster-preparedness training.

Other environment laws

Legarda also authored other environmental laws such as the Renewable Energy Act, Solid Waste Management Act and the Environmental Awareness Education Act.

She pointed out that "the challenge is to translate national policies, plans and programs into local action with measurable gains."

She said that with the policy framework already in place, what was needed was to make the laws work at the grassroots' level.

...the preferred investment destination

PH seen becoming preferred investment destination of MNCs

By: Doris C. Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Thursday, May 3rd, 2012

 

 

The Philippines is emerging as a favored investment destination of large multinational corporations seeking to diversify their global manufacturing operations as factory costs rise in China, an official of investment banking giant BofA Merrill Lynch said.

 

 

James Quigley, New York-based executive vice chairman for international corporate and investment banking at BofA Merrill Lynch, said in a briefing on Wednesday that 20 years ago, chief executive officers of big multinational corporations would say it was difficult to do business in the Philippines because everything would depend on who you know and whom you were connected to.

“But now I think there is greater transparency, higher fundamental comfort level of doing business in the country. As companies around the world diversify their manufacturing footprint, given the Philippines’ centralized location in Asia, its historical close ties with the United States, and because of its highly regarded free democracy that works, with its strong demographics, it is a place where you can move your manufacturing operations to other than China,” said Quigley, who is in town to attend the Asian Development Bank meetings.

“Should it continue to do the right thing—that will increase its share of FDI [foreign direct investment] flows,” he said. “I feel very strongly that as MNCs look to move labor-intensive manufacturing operations to emerging markets, the Philippines can increasingly become the preferred destination of those FDIs.”

Based on feedback from corporate leaders around the world, Quigley said investors were becoming “uniformly comfortable” with the actions of the Philippine government.

The BofA Merrill Lynch executive said investors were happy to see public fiscal sector surpluses, more equity and fixed capital formation and a sound local banking system.

“The demographics are compelling with a growing middle class, a need for significant infrastructure investments and the increasing world-class multinational companies based in Manila,” Quigley said.

The investment banker added that Manila was likewise logistically well situated within Asia. Today, he said worker remittances were still important but in the context of overall economy, it was becoming less important.
“There’s real growth locally. People are focused on demographics, on political stability and the success of the democracy and local policies,” he said.

At present, the investment banker said many multinational corporations were diversifying out of China in the same way that financial institutions spread out risk assets to mitigate earnings volatility or that asset managers invest in a pool of assets to temper volatility in returns.

“Gone are the days of over-concentration of manufacturing in one jurisdiction, and CEOs, from the standpoint of good corporate governance and business practice and risk management, are looking to diversify their manufacturing facilities. I think the Philippines stands to benefit from that,” he said.

Other emerging markets in Asia that were attracting a lot of interest from those setting up overseas factories were India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.

...the future Canadian Prime minister

Canada minister: Next Canadian Prime Minister may have Pinoy roots

 

May 3, 2012

GMA News

 

 

As more Filipinos have chosen to make Canada their home in recent years, a Canadian official said it was not impossible that the next Canadian Prime Minister will have Filipino roots.

According to a news release of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Jason Kenney, Canada's Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, "extolled Filipino-Canadians for what they have brought to Canada and recognized the possibility of Canada being led someday by a Prime Minister of Filipino descent."

The DFA said Kenney made the statement during the launching of the "Tinig Pinoy" Internet radio at Parliament Hill last April 27.

"Tinig Pinoy" is an Ottawa-based radio program bringing the latest news from the Philippines, updates on local community developments, timely interviews, and Original Pilipino Music (OPM) to Filipinos overseas.
 
Founded by Dan de Castro 20 years ago, Tinig Pinoy has gone global with 24/7 programming via internet radio at http://www.tinigpinoy.net/.
 
Kenney said "Tinig Pinoy" was a step forward in the growing presence of the Filipino community in Canada.
 
"No other community typifies the Canadian values of hard work, responsibility, respect for traditions and family values more than Filipinos," Kenney said.
 
Meanwhile, Canadian foreign minister John Baird also lauded Filipinos for their contributions to their adopted homeland.
 
"We are fortunate to have a large and vibrant Filipino community helping build a stronger and more prosperous Canada," Baird said.
 
He noted that Filipinos have "built a reputation as some of Canada's most active citizens."
 
For his part, Member of Parliament and Co-Chair of the Canada-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship Group Kevin Lamoureux cited the role of Filipino workers in the health, manufacturing, and hospitality sectors.
 
Lamoureux also acknowledged the Philippines as Canada's top source of temporary workers.
 
For his part, Philippine Ambassador to Canada Leslie Gatan said the presence of Baird, Kenney and Lamoureux in a Filipino community event demonstrated the strength of the two countries' friendship. - VVP, GMA News

...the UK billboard contest winner

Young artist's painting unveiled on UK billboards

 

by Patrick Camara Ropeta,

ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

05/03/2012

 

 

LONDON - A painting by a young Filipino artist from The Netherlands has been unveiled on billboards in England after winning an international art competition.

Antonio Perez, a high school student based in Amstelveen, was among the winners of the ‘Who Are You?’ competition hosted by the Arts University College at Bournemouth (AUCB) and JCDecaux.

The 17-year-old aspiring artist visited the UK to view his winning artwork on giant billboards, and attended the exhibition launch of the Top 10 winning entries at the AUCB Gallery in southwest England.

“Winning the competition is overwhelming. It makes me feel speechless, especially after I saw my art on billboards. I had nothing to say. I was just struck and shocked at the same time. It’s a great opportunity for me, and it’s a once in a lifetime thing,” said Perez, whose winning entry was inspired by pop art.

“Before I did the piece, I looked at different artists, and the one that caught my eye was Roy Lichtenstein, who is a pop artist. I saw one of his pieces and that’s where I got the inspiration from. I also wanted a comic feel to my piece.”

Beyond its bold colors and daring style, Perez’s work caught the attention of judges and viewers due to its passionate patriotic theme.

“Most of the feedback is about it being different, because every other piece were about themselves while mine is about my country. I really wanted to express ‘me’ with my country too," he explained.

“I had nine other pieces before, and I asked myself ‘Who am I?’ I thought about expressing myself as busy, or even flying, because I would like to fly, but then it hit me - what about the Philippines? If I want to express myself, I should also express every other Filipino in the world.”

Perez is studying art, math, English, Japanese and IT at the International School of Amsterdam in The Netherlands, where his parents currently live due to work commitments. Originally from Pasig and Davao in the Philippines, the family lived in Singapore before moving to Europe in 2010.

“Everyone at school was commenting about my painting and the competition. They were telling me it was great, even people I didn’t know. It shocked me how technology can simply mass communicate,” he recalled.

“Who Are You?” is an international art competition providing a platform for upcoming young artists chosen by a panel of judges from the creative industries. Twenty five entries are selected and entered into a public vote on social networking site Facebook, where 10 winners will emerge to join an art exhibit at the AUCB Gallery and on billboards across England.

“The biggest platform we can think of for artists, designers, and photographers as a 48 sheet billboard. It’s a medium I love coming from advertising, and it’s very traditional, but it’s very impactful. It’s part of our lives whether we like it or not,” explained Simon Pride from AUCB, organizers of the competition.

“We mixed it with online, because that’s where young people are living and communicating. With this campaign, we’ve brought the two things together. We created a community and project online, but the end result of it was the posters we’re seeing now.”

Winning entries from the competition, including Perez’s work, was exhibited on billboards in Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Southampton, Brighton, Guildford, Oxford, Bath, Bristol and Exeter.

---

...the ADB recipients

Students, teachers in three PHL colleges to gain from $650,000 ADB grant

 

May 3, 2012

GMA News

 

 

The Asian Development Bank has forged with the Philippines a $650,000 technical assistance grant to improve teaching and learning in colleges that supply information and communications technology graduates to the business process outsourcing industry.
 
According to the memorandum of understanding signed between Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and ADB country director Neeraj Jain, 900 faculty and 3,000 students will benefit in at least three colleges that will serve as ICT hubs funded by the grant.
 
“The IT-BPO sector has been one of the sunshine industries in the Philippines and sustaining its performance has been the priority of this government as we believe on its potential to generate jobs and in the process, boost demand and growth in the country,” Purisima said.
 
While, $500,000 of the grant will come from the Republic of Korea e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund by the ADB. The Philippine government will provide the remaining $150,000 in the form of “in kind contributions.”
 
The ADB said it worked out the grant, because “national competitiveness, moving into knowledge-based services, and achieving and maintaining rapid economic progress, would require an educated workforce equipped with skills that meet the demands of high-growth industries.”
 
According to the MOU, at least three hubs will be established: one each in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Each hub will be ICT-enabled and provide “online training” to teachers and “digitized learning modules and study guides” for students.
 
Implementation will be monitored by a steering committee chaired by the Finance Department and with members from the Commission on Higher Education, National Economic and Development Authority, the Business Processing Association of the Philippines, among others.
 
Citing Board of Investment figures, the ADB said” IT-BPO revenues grew by 24 percent to roughly $11 billion with the industry employing 638,000 people as full-time employees.”
 
The Aquino administration has set a $25-billion industry revenue goal by 2016. —Earl Victor Rosero, GMA News

...the ADB host

Phl's hosting of ADB meeting to create positive image for the country: official (philstar.com) May 02, 2012

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' hosting of the 45th Asian Development Bank (ADB) meeting could be a chance for the country to highlight its gains under the Aquino administration for almost two years and to create more positive image for investors, a senior government official said Wednesday.

Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang said it was timely that the focus of this year's ADB's annual meeting is on inclusive growth, which is also the platform of the current government.

"The fact that it is being hosted by the Philippines after several decades, is a recognition also of where the Philippines has gone over the last two years in terms of trying to get the economy started, renewing democratic values and basically getting the country on a positive footing," he said.

Carandang said the government hopes that the four-day ADB event, which started on Wednesday, could lead to a "more positive image" of the Philippines overseas and "more business deals" that will help the local economy move forward and create more jobs.

ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda, in a press conference on Wednesday, said that about 4,300 are participating in the annual event.

...the "FUN" slogan airs on CNN

‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ TVC premieres on international news channel

By JULIEN MERCED C. MATABUENA

May 2, 2012

Manila Bulletin

The first two TV ads launched by the Department of Tourism consisted of memes, such as this one, that tell why it's 'more fun in the Philippines' (Screen grab courtesy of DOTPhilippines' YouTube page)

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Tourism’s “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign takes off and goes international as its TV ads debut in one of the world’s premiere news cable channel, the CNN (Cable News Network), on Monday, April 30.


The announcement of its airing was made by DOT Sec. Ramon Jimenez Jr. himself on his Twitter account the same day.


“Gusto nating ipakita na talagang it's more fun in the Philippines. Kaya ang ginamit nating music, ginamit nating mga images, even the pacing of the music, and the timing, it's fun,” DOT Asec. Domingo Ramon Enerio III told “24 Oras” in a taped interview aired on Tuesday.


The 30-second ad features photos not only of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, but also of its people and things that are uniquely Filipino. The images used were shot by regular Filipinos, depicting variations of the “It’s more fun in the Philippines” slogan and flashed one after the other accompanied by an upbeat song in the background. Parts of it were reportedly sung by Apl.de.Ap, the Filipino-American member of the hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas.


A second ad that runs for 15 seconds was released also on Monday, featuring a clip of a tarsier perched on a tree branch with the slogan, "Staring contests. More fun in the Philippines."


Incidentally, CNN has put the Philippines on the spotlight through its “Eye On” series. For a whole week, from April 30 to May 4, the news channel will run special reports about various topics such as the people, culture, politics, and business.


Meanwhile, Enerio stressed that this ad campaign “is everybody's campaign.”


“Tourism is the Filipino people's business. We want them to be part of this campaign. We want them to embrace it and call it their own,” he added.


Celine Clemente, President of the Tourism Congress, commended this latest initiative of the DOT.

“This is a very, very long awaited welcome from the [Tourism Congress] stakeholders. It's now time, this is a very huge project and a very welcomed initiative. We should reach the world, and CNN is one way of reaching to the world,” she said.

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The first two TV ads launched by the Department of Tourism consisted of memes, such as this one, that tell why it's 'more fun in the Philippines' (Screen grab courtesy of DOTPhilippines' YouTube page)	36.96 KB

...the Benham rise

PH claim to Benham Rise arises

ABS-CBNnews.com

05/02/2012

MANILA, Philippines - An area just off the coast of Aurora province that could be rich in natural gas and mineral deposits now officially belongs to the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday.

DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said the UN has verified that Benham Rise, the a 13-million-hectare area, belongs to the Philippines' continental shelf and territory.

"We were awarded the extension of continental shift in that area of Luzon which actually is believed to have lots of minerals and therefore would help for the development. We are happy that shows UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea] supports our plans with regard to the continental shelf," Hernandez said briefing.

The Philippines' extended continental shelf was approved 3 years after the country filed an official claim on the area.

Scarborough dispute

Meanwhile, Hernandez  confirmed on Wednesday that China has around 23 boats at Scarborough shoal just off Zambales province.

He said the boats include 4 government ships, 8 fishing vessels and 11 service boats.

 The Philippines has 2 ships in the area -- the  BRP EDSA and a vessel sent by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

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...the new Japanese confidence

Gaining Ground On Japanese Investments

 

Ambassador Manuel M. Lopez Mission

By MYRNA M. VELASCO

April 30, 2012

Manila Bulletin

 

 

Banking on the revived interest of investors, Philippine Ambassador to Japan Manuel M. Lopez is embarking on a new and lofty mission – to make great strides in attracting foreign capitals that can help lift the country’s economic stature.

It is some sort of a ‘role-shift’ for him – considering that he is one of the ‘big boys’ in the Philippine business scene, and has always been a private sector player at that. Prior to his diplomatic assignment, he has been chairman and chief executive officer of the country’s biggest power distribution utility – the Manila Electric Company.

But in a sit-down interview with him at his office at the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, one could easily forget his elite background back home once he starts talking emphatically about his job of convincing Japanese investors to put their money in the Philippines and as he narrates the routine task of looking after the welfare of the Filipinos working and residing there. And yes, he is relishing the fact that he is doing such mission as a service to his country and people.

During his watch, at least he’s reassuring that the Philippines will not sit idle and let itself surpassed by other countries when it comes to cornering its share of those Japanese yen investments.

“For some time, we have been losing out to our neighbors. We are being forgotten, so we have to regain some lost grounds. Thankfully, the Japanese investors are looking at the Philippines again with renewed interest and a lot of that has something to do with the promise of good governance plus transparency,” he stressed.

There have been myriad of in¬terests when it comes to Japanese investments in the country – includ¬ing the opportunities being offered via the public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements (i.e. those for rail system, energy projects, road network, water and even disaster management systems); semicon¬ductor and electronics; small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and tourism-related ventures.

While it is still falling behind Asean neighbors, the Philippines is certainly on a “rebound path” when it comes to foreign direct investments (FDIs) from Japan. Of the 771 billion yen worth of investments flowed to Asean countries last year, the Philippines cornered 80.7 billion yen in the pie (and mainly funneled to invest¬ments in the semiconductor and electronics sector). That registered an increase of 86.4% from 2010 level of 43.3 billion yen.

Focus on core competence

Mr. Lopez emphasizes though that the prudent step is “to focus on our core competence” – which he be¬lieves are in the areas of electronics, SMEs and tourism.

“The big boys like Marubeni and Mitsubishi are already familiar with the risks and how to do business in the Philippines … they will invest according to their assessments of risks and opportunities and the set of incentives being offered, so it would be less of a worry for us. What I’m telling my trade attaché is to concentrate on areas where we can be competitive,” he said.

The envoy is particularly latching on the experience of Japanese firms which already etched their own success stories as to their investments in the country – such as in the case of Tsuneishi Heavy Industries, a medium-sized firm which is into parts manufacturing, design and engineering service for shipbuilding industry that set up its business office in Cebu.

“Tsuneishi first put up its office in an abandoned area, and now they’re employing 12,000 to 13,000 Filipinos. They’re happy with their experience so they are now planning to expand. So it is one of the success stories that we can build up on,” Mr. Lopez noted. The others are Terumo Medical Cor¬poration at the Laguna Technopark; and Yazaki-Torres Manufacturing Inc. which is into the manufacturing of automotive wiring harness sets and is also sited in Calamba, Laguna.

Mr. Lopez shared that a recent investment roadshow to Osaka by Philippine Economic Zone Authority’s (PEZA) Director General Lilia de Lima may also generate additional investments for the country. He tipped off that four firms have committed to relocate in the country – two of which are into toys manufacturing.

The other FDIs they are counting on are the interest of Japanese inves¬tors to join the biddings for railway projects; and the recently-sealed contract with Takenaka Corporation for the civil works of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) 3 terminal; among others. The bit of good news on the Takenaka deal was on the project cost reduction won over by the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), which according to Mr. Lopez, was pared to $45 million from $85 million originally.

Another area that Mr. Lopez is passionate about is positioning the Philippines as a tourism destination – primarily for the divers and golf en¬thusiasts. These ventures are being coupled with discussions of increasing airline flights between key cities of Japan and the Philippines.

“We are coordinating with the DOT (Department of Tourism) for them to do promotional activities here to raise awareness among the Japanese that we have excellent golf courses and diving spots,” he stressed.

As to sustaining the interest of the “big-ticket Japanese investors”, the envoy noted that the Keidanren mission who called on President Aquino last March has been an affirmation to that. Major league players such as Toyota Motor Corp., Sumitomo Corp.; Toshiba Corp.; Marubeni; East Japan Railway Company; Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd.; Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line); Showa Denko, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd., and All Nippon Airways Co. Ltd. were all there scouring for new investment opportunities.

Dealing with ‘VIPs tough competition’

Not all investment-economies are created equal, so cornering the attention of the Japanese investors would not be easy, Mr. Lopez has admitted, noting that “we will be most challenged by our own Asean neighbors.”
“When it comes to competition, Thailand is the first choice for Japanese investors, so it’s difficult wrestling with them given the set of incentives that they can offer,” he averred.

Interestingly though, he rates that the country can still gain com¬petitive advantage against other Asean countries – or at least, it can be on a head-to-head race with Vietnam and Indonesia.

“We cannot compete with Thailand anymore. But the real compe¬tition is with the V-I-Ps,” he said, referring to Vietnam-Indonesia-Philippines. “Thailand is already saturated and Vietnam has been increasing its wages, so we might as well take advantage of those develop¬ments by making our own investment offers more attractive,” he stressed.

In a separate interview with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), they acknowledged that “companies which have subsidiaries in the Philippines still find value in in¬vesting or expanding,” hinging more on the incentives being offered at the PEZA zones as well as the country’s highly-educated labor market. But the Japanese investors still complain of hurdles in the country’s “changing tax system” as well as the state of infrastructures which are relatively inferior to others.

The market size (or the lack of purchasing power because of smaller middle class base) may also serve as deterring factor, especially for companies which are gearing up for bigger sales. Such that when car parts manufacturing firms had to relocate because of the Thai floods, they have chosen Indonesia over the Philippines because of the former’s “richer” middle class.

The OFWs in the value chain

While reinvigorating investor confidence takes up a significant portion of the Tokyo embassy’s work, dealing with the needs of the Filipino workers in Japan is definitely not too low in the totem pole.

The ambassador ostensibly discussed the “policy matters” they have been taking up with the Japa¬nese government to improve the working conditions of Filipinos deployed there – including those that will be included in the fine-tuning of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement or JPEPA.

“The bulk of our OFWs here are seafarers, about 70%. And that may even increase to 75% because of higher demand,” Mr. Lopez has disclosed.

In the coming years, he is expecting that deployment of Filipino nurses and caregivers will also rise – yet there are hurdles that have yet to be addressed, including the overseas workers’ proficiency of the Japanese language.

A display of ‘selfless dedication to duty’ of at least four Filipino nurses when the double whammy of earthquake and tsunami ravaged Japan last year, which caught even the attention of the Japanese Prime Minister, has somehow been chang¬ing the ‘opportunity landscape’ for Filipinos in the profession, according to Mr. Lopez.

“It is what we’re telling the government of Japan, through their Foreign Ministry, that there is more to the nursing care than just passing the examinations – the extra care from the Filipinos and the loyalty,” he stressed.

In that same period when Japan was at its lowest point, there were other Filipino workers who were altruistic in extending their service even when confronted with extreme disasters – the information technology (IT) professionals who have not abandoned their jobs so they can help ensure some systems work – includ¬ing the banks’ automated teller machines (ATMs) because of the heavy withdrawals resorted to by people for survival.

“It’s a story that IBM told me. Many nationalities left, but the Filipinos stayed and they made the system work at the height of the calamity – especially those for the ATMs. You really have to expect those kind of chaos, but the Filipinos were there working,” he said.

The ambassador admitted “that has always been my lament that in everything that came out in the me¬dia, the dedication and the efforts of our Filipino workers in the face of the disaster were never highlighted – it should have been something that we should be proud of.”

Whether levering for investment flows or advancing opportunities for the overseas Filipino workers, Mr. Lopez noted that ultimately, the goal would be to move the Philippines out of obscurity and into the fast lane.

...the growth forecast (PH gov't)

PH officials optimistic on 5-6% economic growth

By: Riza Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

 

 

MANILA, Philippines–The country’s top officials are optimistic that the Philippine economy would grow 5 to 6 percent in terms of gross domestic production (GDP) for 2012.

 

Socioeconomic Planning Sec. Cayetano W. Paderanga Jr. told reporters on the sidelines of the 45th ADB  Governors’ Annual Meeting (Manila 2012) that government’s expenditure program is getting on track and economic indicators are looking “good.”

Public Works Sec. Rogelio Singson said “strong spending” and government’s “strong resolve on good governance” ensure that spending is done efficiently.

Both officials also cited business confidence and “strong international support” for the Philippines.

In early 2011, slow government spending and sluggish global trade resulted in 4.6 percent GDP growth in the first quarter of 2011.

Manufacturing and other services, real estate, renting and business activities, and the recovery of agriculture drove economic activity in the first quarter of 2011. Increased investments in fixed capital and household spending also helped offset some of the slowdown.

The domestic economy must grow by an average of 7 to 8 percent annually to generate enough employment and income opportunities for a larger number of Filipinos, according to the Philippine Development Plan 2010-2016. In 2011, contraction in the electronics-heavy Philippine exports pulled down services and other growth drivers.

...the "party"

Phl to showcase economic gains in ADB Board Meeting in Manila May 01, 2012 Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippines will showcase the economic gains of the two-year old administration of President Benigno Aquino during the 45th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) which will open Wednesday at the sprawling Philippine International Convention Center here, an senior official was quoted as saying today.

In an interview with the Philippine Star, a leading Manila daily, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said that the four-day meeting which Philippines is again hosting after 10 years, is " like a coming out party of the Aquino administration" where the government can display to the world the reforms and changes now taking place in the country.

Some 4,000 delegates from 67 countries that would include financial and economic officials will attend the ADB meeting.

According to Purisima, through the event, the administration hopes to impress dignitaries from the world's monetary and financial institutions about the progress of the Philippines. " Good governance is good economics. That's what we want to show," he said.

Earlier, Governor Amando Tetangco of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the country's central bank, said the ADB meeting would give an opportunity for Southeast Asian countries to discuss means to improve their resilience given the lingering ill effects of unfavorable economic events outside the region.

Tetangco said being host to this year's convention, the Philippines deems it proper to take the lead in discussing issues that will help emerging Asian markets in responding to global shocks.

"It's an opportunity for ASEAN countries to discuss how we can further intensify regional cooperation given the challenges brought about by what is happening in Europe and the rest of the world," Tetangco said.

Under the financial integration plan of ASEAN member countries, their financial systems will be linked to facilitate more economic activities within the region and, thereby, accelerate their growth.

With better economic-growth opportunities in the region, member- countries would no longer have to rely heavily on countries outside the region, officials said.

The United States and the Eurozone are major export markets for goods produced by the Philippines and other emerging Asian countries. However, demand from these areas has been falling due to their economic problems.

BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said although the ADB meeting would not have an immediate impact on poverty reduction, it would intensify peer pressure among ASEAN nations to work harder to bridge the income gap among rich and poor nations.

"It will pose a challenge to central bankers and policy makers that there's slippage in terms of implementation of policies that would reduce poverty," Guinigundo said.

Finance Undersecretary Rosalia de Leon, the head of the Manila 2012 Country Host Secretariat, said that while the Philippines can highlight its development programs during the meeting, "we can also have the perspective of other countries, including ways on how to alleviate poverty."

During the meeting, three important ADB and ADB Institute (ADBI) projects will be presented, including ADBI's flagship project: Climate Change and Green Asia.

Also during the meeting, the ADB would unveil the mechanics of its 12 billion US dollars soft loan facility, which it hopes to raise despite a bleak global economic scenario.

ADB president Haruhiko Kuroda earlier said the expected 12 billion US dollars figure was for the next four-year cycle of the ADB development fund beginning in 2013.

The four-year cycle ending this year was worth slightly more than 11 billion US dollars, he said.

The ADB provides concessional loans to its 67 member countries to fund various projects, from schools and bridges to health clinics and roads, with the aim of improving the lives of the region's poorest.

Kuroda said major negotiations for contributions to the fund were carried out in the past six months, with Japan again emerging as the biggest donor and the ADB waiting for other countries to confirm their pledges.
The final figure will be announced during the Manila meeting.

While donors agreed that there was an urgent need to finance development work around the region, the global economic uncertainty had made it difficult for many to dip into their purses, Kuroda said.

"There are still so many poor people in those low income countries, and they need assistance in infrastructure, healthcare, education and so on," Kuroda said.

"But of course the major donors, the traditional donors, have difficult economic and fiscal situations," he added.

...the improving press freedom

Global survey shows positive gains in press freedom in Phl By Jose Katigbak 02May 2012 STAR Washington Bureau The Philippine Star

It said the Philippines jumped in the world rankings to 88th place from 93rd previously.

WASHINGTON – Freedom House gave the Philippines a shout out in its global survey of media independence for continuing to make positive gains in press freedom.

It said the Philippines jumped in the world rankings to 88th place from 93rd previously.

The country also improved its rating to 42 points from 46 points previously after a major decline in 2009 – due to a reduction in violence against journalists, attempts by the government to address impunity and expanded diversity of media ownership.

Of 197 countries and territories assessed in 2011, a total of 66 were rated free, 72 were rated partly free, and 59 were rated not free.

Freedom House assigns a numerical ranking to each country based on the legal environment in which media outlets operate, political influences on reporting and access to information and economic pressures on content and the dissemination of news.

Each country in the rankings receives a score from 0 (the most free) to 100 (the least free) which serves as the basis for an overall press freedom designation of free, partly free, or not free.

Finland, Norway and Sweden tied in 1st place with 10 points each in the latest ranking. At the bottom in 197th place was North Korea with 97 points.

The Asia-Pacific region as a whole exhibited a relatively high level of press freedom in 2011, with 15 countries and territories rated free, including Australia, Japan and Taiwan.

Thirteen countries were rated partly free, including ASEAN members Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.
Other ASEAN members Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar were among the 12 countries in the Asia-Pacific region rated not free.

Freedom House is a Washington-based independent watchdog organization that supports democratic change, monitors the status of print, broadcast and Internet freedom around the world and advocates for democracy and human rights.

Pinay crowned Miss Teen Universe 1st runner-up

 

ABS-CBNnews.com

05/01/2012

 

 

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines' representative to the international Teen Universe pageant was crowned first runner-up at the contest's recently held coronation night in Managua, Nicaragua.

 

Clarisse Obia, first runner-up in the 2012 Teen Universe pageant

Clarisse Marie Obia, 19, won first runner-up during the coronation night at the Hall of the Ruben Dario National Theater on April 30, besting hopefuls from Costa Rica, Canada, Margarita Island, and Brazil, who were also among the top six finalists.

Emerging as the 2012 Teen Universe titlist is Panama's Sasha Nikyta Kam.

Obia, who is a student from Lyceum of the Philippines University, was chosen by the Bb. Unibersidad organization to represent the country after earning a top ten spot in its inaugural pageant last year.

Born in Biñan, Laguna, Obia wore a national costume by designer Kim Gan in the international contest in Nicaragua.

During the send-off gathering for Obia in April, the the 5-foot-6 beauty said she plans to represent the Philippines by highlighting Filipino hospitality.

“I’ll just show how much I love my country, and I’ll prove to them that it really is more fun in the Philippines.

I’ll show them how hospitable Filipinos are, and that there are many great things about the Philippines, the places, the food, and us Filipinos ourselves,” she said at the time.

“I’m pressured and I’ve gone into extensive training, so hopefully, with the support of my family and my Bb. Unibersidad family, I can bring home a crown,” she added.

The Bb. Unibersidad organization hopes to follow up Obia’s success as it gears up to crown her successor.
The 2012 Bb. Unibersidad Pageant will see 35 university hopefuls vying to represent the Philippines in the next international Teen Universe competition.

The coronation night for the 2012 Bb. Unibersidad Pageant will be held on May 18 at the AFP Theater in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

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...the cake masters

Pinays win bronze in London cake competition

 

 

ABS-CBNnews.com

 05/01/2012

 

 

"A Summer Wedding at Westminster Abbey" won the bronze award at the Cake International Show in London. Photo from Valeri Quiencen

MANILA, Philippines – A Filipina proudly announced on Tuesday that her company bagged the bronze award at a recently held cake decorating contest in London.

Valeri and Christina Quiencen of Queen of Hearts Couture Cakes won at the Cake International Show for their creation titled “A Summer Wedding at Westminster Abbey,” which features flowers and a stained-glass panel made from buttercream.

Valeri told ABS-CBNnews.com via Twitter that Queen of Hearts was the only Filipino exhibitor in the competition.

She added that their cake shop is the only company in London “specializing in buttercream art.”
Valeri, a London-based nurse, started baking cupcakes with Christina as a hobby, and decided to turn it into a business.

On Facebook, she admitted that it was hard for their buttercream creations to compete with fondant cakes and sugar flowers, which hold their shape well.

“It was a nice experience for us… There were loads of absolutely stunning cakes. It’s really hard to compete with fondant made cakes, but we are very happy we got bronze on our first competition. We will definitely aim for better next time,” Valeri said.

“So next time, we really have to make the most of buttercream,” she added.

---

...the best beaches

The Philippines' best beaches and islands

If white sands aren't your thing, this isn't the country for you. Otherwise, bust out your flip-flops and follow us

By Candice Lopez-Quimpo

CNN GO

30 April, 2012

Picking a favorite beach in the Philippines is like trying to pick a favorite child.  Challenging, but not impossible.

With more than 7,000 islands edged by white sand buffering turquoise waters filled with some of the world's most diverse marine life, not everyone will agree on which one is best.

Disagree with our picks? Share your favorite Filipino island or beach in the comments box below.

 

1. El Nido, Palawan

Hollywood loves El Nido. Scenes for the upcoming final installment of the "Bourne" series were shot here. The island was also the setting of a pit stop on "The Amazing Race."


If Palawan is indeed "the last frontier" of the Philippines, as it's been dubbed, the coastal town of El Nido is the gateway to wild adventure.

Sure, it's got powder-fine beaches and gin-clear waters. But the views are what really sell the place.

Off the coast of El Nido are majestic karst limestone formations, empty lagoons, marble cliffs, prehistoric caves and waterfalls. All are easily explored.

Wet your fins: El Nido is a popular base for divers. Surrounding waters contain more than 50 species of coral, and attract whales, whale sharks, sea cows, manta rays, dolphins and endangered turtles.

 

2. Boracay, Aklan

Sundowners, anyone? Just another perfect day in Boracay.


White Beach is the place most frequently associated with Boracay, the most popular holiday destination in the Philippines.

Its four-kilometer stretch welcomes everyone from beach bums to adventurers. At night, the beach comes alive with candle-lit sand castles, cozy restaurants and bars that stay open til dawn.

Away from White Beach are calmer resorts. There is a less boisterous side of Boracay and it still offers secluded strips of sand, coves, caves and cliffs.

Come with the wind: During the early months of the year, Boracay attracts hundreds of kite-boarders and windsurfers who compete in the International Funboard Cup. The rough waves and strong winds make Boracay an ideal destination for water sports fanatics.

 

3. Palaui Island, Cagayan Valley

Getting to Paluai's best beach is a challenge, but the rewards make the hassle worthwhile.

This isolated island is a natural secret -- only the brave and persevering bother to visit.

Glorious white sands surrounded by volcanic rocks on one side kiss blue-green waters on the other.

Snorkeling and diving brings you face to face with coral gardens and a rich marine reserve.

Palaui is all about raw beauty. But it takes some work to get there.

Treks should be blessed with clear blue skies, patient companions and trusted local guides.

Getting to the island's most prized stretch of beach requires battling thorny grass, muddy ground and a mangrove forest.

Uncharted Philippines offers a three-day Palaui Island Photography Tour for US$240 that includes transportation, accomodation, food and guides. Visit Unchartedphilippines.com. 

Sleep with stars: With no resorts or hotels, Palaui has only one real option -- camping under the stars. Otherwise, visitors are left to explore homestay options.

 

4. Panglao, Bohol

Just your average Panglao beach. Tired of looking at white sands yet? We're not even halfway through.

Once a sleepy island, Panglao is being roused by travelers in search of gorgeous beaches.

It’s a refuge for those who appreciate a diverse menu of aquatic attractions.

Options include dolphin watching, whale spotting, diving with barracudas, jackfish, sea snakes and brilliant coral formations.

Natural charms: In addition to its beaches, the island of Bohol is famous for its Chocolate Hills, an unusual rolling terrain of more than 1,000 dome-shaped hills. The hills are named for their brown color during dry season, when grass dries up.

The “world’s smallest primate” -- the endangered Philippine tarsier -- also inhabits the island.

Multi-language edge: Years ago, a number of foreigners came to Panglao on holiday and never bothered to leave. Locals picked up their languages to better converse with the tourists. In addition to English, in Panglao you have a good chance of meeting a local with a handy grasp of German, Swiss or Japanese.

 

5. Bantayan Island, Cebu

If the crowds of Boracay turn you off, Bantayan Island has luxury comforts minus the action.

Bantayan has remained relatively untouched by modern life, save for a smattering of foreigners who have taken up residence, sucked in by the island's white sands, aqua-colored waters and red-gold sunsets.

Beers are cold and cheap, townsfolk are hospitable and the dreary troubles of the outside world are easily forgotten.

Holy crowds: If you're after peace and quiet, don't plan a stay during the Holy Week before Easter. The island is crowded with Filipino travelers during this period, with rooms and services booked months in advance.

Simplicity is key: Action-packed it ain't. There are no five-star hotels, no malls, no fashion-forward shopping centers.

 

6. Caramoan, Camarines Sur

Krabi who? The Philippines might not bring in the tourist numbers of Thailand, but its beaches can easily go toe-to-toe with the kingdom's best.


Named after the local sea turtle, Caramoan is as scenic as it is secluded.

Stretches of white sand run between huge boulders and rock formations. Scuba divers, island hoppers and beach bums all converge here.

Complementing the beaches are caves, waterfalls, freshwater pools, underground streams and lagoons.

Adventure site: The "Survivor" reality show series and similar international programs have used Caramoan as a shooting location.

Despite the locale's popularity with TV production companies, there are enough beaches to go around for everyone.

Top view: Mountain climbers can trek to Mount Caglago’s summit and take in a terrific view of the Caramoan islands and islets. The mountain is a pilgrimage site for some, thanks to its gigantic statue of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

 

7. Samal, Davao

Off the coast of Samal lies Buena Vista Island, with its blindingly white beaches. Pretty lady sunbathing not guaranteed.

A burgeoning tourist destination, Samal is on a mission to get the word out on its 118-kilometer coastline of white sandy beaches.

You know the highlights: pristine waters, lush greens, rock formations, mangrove and coconut palms. Numerous resorts provide a range of choices for visitors, from luxurious resorts to backpacker options.

The vanishing island: This curious moniker is the nickname of Shanipaan Shoal, a tiny island that literally disappears from sight during high tide. The only thing visible at high water is a single, elevated cottage poking out of the sea.

Underwater garden: The vast Coral Garden Marine Park, a fish sanctuary filled with diverse marine life, makes Sambal a favorite among divers and snorkelers.

 

8. Siargao Islands, Surigao del Norte

Beyond this pier is Cloud 9, one of Siargao's most famous surf breaks.

Known as the top surfing island in the Philippines, Siargao is often overlooked as a beachcomber’s paradise.

There are breaks for beginner surfers, moderate ones and even pros looking for three-meter-high waves. For those with zero surf skills -- and no desire to acquire any -- there are also pristine beaches with milder waves, perfect for sunning and swimming.

Surf’s up: Ideal days for surfing are between mid-August and mid-December, when the swell is most consistent. Beginners should visit when waves are smaller, around April or May.

 

9. Great Santa Cruz Island, Zamboanga

Great Santa Cruz Island is famous for its pink corralline sand, the only beach of its kind in the Philippines.


On Great Santa Cruz Island, pulverized red coral washed up from the sea floor mixes with white sand to produce a pink-hued beach.

It’s a different version of perfection: the powdery beach competes with the blue and green shades of the sea. Some parts of the beach are lovely in their undeveloped state. There are signs of civilization -- souvenirs, nipa huts and restrooms.

Beach visits are limited to day trips, so you have to squeeze everything into a few hours: swim, sunbathe, snorkel, dive, even fish for your lunch. Just don’t mistake serenity for safety -- there’s a deep drop in the sea just meters from shore.

Armed guards: The island is just a boat ride away from the city proper, but getting there requires extra precautions, due to local threats.

Only those with a tourist permit from the Department of Tourism in Zamboanga City can visit. The permit fee includes armed security escorts.

Why the need for security? According to the Department of Tourism’s regional office, it's a preventative measure: “On the security situation in Zamboanga City, there are no militant or terroristic activities recently.

Although there were reported shooting incidents, these were intended to specific victims due to personal grudges. The city is very vibrant and relatively peaceful.”

As a precaution, check with your embassy for security threats before traveling.

 

10. Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Nothing says "I'm on vacation" like an Instagram of yourself sunning next to a giant windmill.

Along the northern tip of the island of Luzon sits the coastal town of Pagudpud. It’s a quiet, sleepy and rural community, with little overt commercialism.

Perhaps because it takes time and effort to reach Pagudpud, the wide and inviting beaches are usually empty, making them ideal for those who enjoy mixing solitude with sun, sand and surf.

A row of windmills down the coast from Pagudpud makes for a picturesque if not unusual backdrop for a Filipino beach.

Wind and waves: Parts of Pagudpud are exposed to winds that blow in from both the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean, making the waves ideal for surfers, especially from July to October.  Windsurfers and kiteboarders are starting to take notice of this northern getaway.

...the record tourism arrival

DOT: Record number of tourists arriving in PHL

 

 

JON LINDLEY AGUSTIN

GMA News

April 30, 2012

 

 

The Department of Tourism (DOT) said the number of tourists arriving in the Philippines is at an all-time high: nearly 800,000 in the first two months of this year alone.

In an interview with GMA News Online, Evelyn Macayayong, DOT’s marketing communications officer, said 772,989 tourists arrived in the country during the first two months of 2012.

The figure is an all-time high.

According to Macayayong, January was the first time the country reached the 400,000 mark for any given month.

During the same period last year, DOT data showed that there were only 668,625 tourists who came to the country.

On Friday, in an interview on GMA News TV's "News To Go," Assistant Secretary Benito Bengzon said the tourist influx into the country during the months of January and February increased by about 15 percent from the same period last year

 

He said the improvement is partly a result of the new tourism campaign “It’s more fun in the Philippines!” launched in January this year.

 

“The campaign helped in creating awareness. It created buzz. Maraming naging interesado sa mga in-o-offer natin,” Bengzon said.

 

Asians comprise the most number of tourists who visit the country. The top tourists are nationals from Korea, China, the United States, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, Macayayong said.

 

On medical and sex tourism

 

Bengzon said the department implements a plan called the “National Tourism Development Plan,” a tourism platform from 2011 to 2016 which indicates tourism products the country has to offer such as medical tourism, adventure tourism, and heritage and culture.

 

Medical tourism is one of the reasons for the tourist influx. Bengzon said many visit the country for body enhancements, facial treatment, nail art, and wellness.

 

“Bukod sa mura dito, mas marunong mag-alaga ang Pilipino,” he said.

 

Bengzon admitted there are sex tourists in the country but claimed that they are negligible. In remarks that created a media firestorm last year, US Ambassador Harry Thomas asserted that a 40 percent of male tourists visit the country for sex.

 

Macayayong said the DOT projects about 4.6 million visitors this year. - VVP/HS, GMA News