...the gymnast hopeful

Calif. teen is PH gymnastics bet in SEA Games

 

By Rodney Jaleco

ABS-CBN North America News Bureau

07/05/2011

 

CALIFORNIA – Maria Victoria Recinto stretched and warmed up in a dark corner of the Marriot Wardman Hotel ballroom, contorting her seemingly frail frame until it looks as though she may break her bones.

This is the amount of discipline and devotion that Recinto puts into her chosen sport.

Recinto, 17, will represent the Philippines in the Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia this November. She was born in Quezon City but grew up in Palo Alto, California.

Recinto specializes in rhythmic gymnastics, perhaps one of the most exciting and exacting branches of the sport. It calls for individuals or teams to manipulate on or two pieces of apparatus such as balls, hoops, ropes or ribbons, and combines elements of ballet, gymnastics, dance and apparatus manipulation.

She is currently under the tutelage of US National Team coach Nataliya Lisogor, the former Ukrainian national champion.

Recinto reportedly trains 25-30 hours per week, and increases her training to 40 hours per week near competitions.

“I’m always at the gym practicing,” Recinto said.

The reigning Philippine national and California State champion, Recinto reportedly competed for the first time at age 4 in Singapore. When her father was reassigned to California in 2002, Recinto, then 8 years old, shifted from artistic to rhythmic gymnastics.

Despite the rigors of keeping competitive on the mat, Recinto has managed to maintain her grades at the Gunn High School in Palo Alto, where she is an incoming senior. She dreams of eventually joining the Ivy Leagues.

Filipino roots

The teen is proud of her Filipino roots. "It is who I am as a person. Both my parents are Filipino and I was raised the Filipino way," she said.

Together with a school chum, Erika Cagampan, Recinto has raised funds to buy school supplies for 300 Aeta school children in Zambales.

They are raising their goal this year, saying that they want to raise enough money for a feeding program.

...the ocean energy

Philippines set to have first ocean energy plant by 2018

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

The Department of Energy (DoE) expects the Philippines’ first ocean energy facility to start commercial operations by 2018.

Data from the National Renewable Energy Plan book showed that the first project to go into operation will be the 10-megawatt Cabangan ocean energy thermal conversion (Otec) project in Zambales.

The Cabangan project is one of 20 indicative power projects, which are expected to require a combined P11 billion in investments.

“While the country is endowed with vast ocean resource potential, there have been very limited activities in this sector. This is primarily because of the high investment cost for its exploitation,” the DoE said.

A study conducted by the Mindanao State University indicated that the country, being an archipelago, has a theoretical capacity of 170,000 megawatts over a 1,000 square kilometer ocean resource area.—Amy R. Remo

...the bringer of hope

Teachers bring hope to Aetas

By ELLSON A. QUISMORIO

June 17, 2011

BOTOLAN, Zambales, Philippines – Not all tales of children in deprived classrooms are meant to be sob stories.

Here at the Aeta resettlement site of Barangay Tumangan in Sitio San Juan, such scene of depravity has been the source of newfound hope for pupils, thanks to a group of volunteer teachers in the same province.

“Nakikita ko po sa mga bata na pursigido silang matuto (I can see in the children that they are determined to learn),” said Reynalyn Ramos, 18, a volunteer teacher, of Carael, Zambales.

Ramos is part of the initial batch of eight young educators from the United Group of Alternative Teachers (UGAT) that have been sent to the impoverished town through an outreach program hatched by St. Paul University in Manila.

“They are very interested to learn,” another UGAT member, 21-year-old Noel Clemente Jr., said of their pupils who are children from the indigenous tribe here. Clemente, of San Juan, also in this province, said that classes started last May.

A total of 21 Aeta children – eight in Grade One and 13 in Kindergarten – currently benefit from the five-day-per-week school sessions although adult tribesmen can be caught peeking as the volunteer teachers run their lessons.

“Plano rin po namin na magturo ng reading at writing sa mga matatanda (We’re also planning to teach reading and writing to adults),” bared Ramos.

Nipa hut classroom

Their “classroom” is far from the familiar enclosed space city-dwellers are used to, though.

An open nipa hut serves as the classroom itself, while a bench made of bamboo doubles as the Aeta pupils’ seat and table from which to write on. In front hangs a small blackboard, the kind that pre-schoolers use.




A nipa hut serves as a classroom for 21 Aeta school children at a resettlement site in Sitio San Juan, Barangay Tumangan, Botolan, Zambales. Volunteer teachers from the United Group of Alternative Teachers (UGAT) began holding school sessions earlier this month. (Photo by ALBERT GARCIA)



Recycled visual aids made from “Manila paper” cap off the school look.

But the energy and enthusiasm of the kids – evident in their “chorus” recitals and read along –make up for these poor conditions.

Donald Sta. Maria, tribe chieftain, thanked the volunteer teachers for imparting to the youngsters in his village that studying is still a worthwhile endeavor. As a gesture of appreciation, Sta. Maria said he is offering the use of the Tribal Hut as their new classroom.

Roughly twice the size of the current classroom hut, the Tribal Hut serves as meeting place for tribe officials and elders. With its cemented base, it is easily the most “luxurious” structure in Tumangan, which, sadly, is heavily dependent on outside assistance.

“Ito ang gagawin ko para mas marami pang batang matuto (I will do this so that more children would be able to learn),” said the chieftain.

Fulfilling job

The expansion of the outreach program ultimately depends on the entry of more volunteers like Ramos and Clemente, although both vowed that they would continue to teach for as long as the children to go classes.

“If others like us are willing to sacrifice, then all they need to do is attend a week-long seminar in Manila and then join our group in Zambales. But this is a fulfilling job,” Ramos said.

She stressed that teaching is its own reward.

“Masayang magturo sa mga bata at masayang makipaglaro sa kanila pagkatapos ng klase (Teaching the children and playing with them after class makes me happy).”

..the local tourism

DOT eyes 32.1 mil Filipino travelers, 3 mil new jobs by 2016

By Izah Morales, Yahoo! Southeast Asia |

The Inbox - 31 May 2011

Voltaire Domingo/NPPA Images

The Department of Tourism is optimistic that by 2016, there will be 32.1 million Filipino travelers, which is projected to generate 3 million new jobs in the tourism industry.

"Domestic tourism redistributes income to the countryside where there is higher incidence of poverty," said DOT secretary Alberto Lim, adding, "It is picking up not only because of low airfares but because the destinations are getting the interests of (younger travelers)."

In 2009, the National Statistics Office recorded 22.8 million Filipino travelers, with an average of two trips a year per person.  Out of the 22.8 million Filipinos, 7.8 million traveled for leisure trips and vacations.

The top destinations were Manila, Camarines Sur, Cebu, Davao City, Cagayan Valley, Baguio, Boracay, Zambales, Puerto Princesa, Bohol, Negros Oriental, Camiguin, and Ilocos Norte.

Early this year, the DOT launched the campaign, "Pilipinas, Tara Na!" to encourage Filipinos to explore the country.  Lim said that the campaign's focus areas were on culture, history, eco-tourism, nature and adventure.

In line with this, Smart Communications, DOT's partner in the campaign, identified destinations which attract the youth market such as Boracay, Baler, Batanes, Anawangin, Donsol, Camarines Sur, Mt. Pinatubo, Palawan, and Mt.Pulag.

Lim related that as part of the promotional campaign, Smart would provide information on the tourist destinations via short messaging service.