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VOLUME III • NO. 172
FEBRUARY 25, 2015
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WEDNESDAY
Edpam, Duterte sign
sisterhood city pact
By Charlene A. Cayabyab
SC affirms
dismissal of
kabalen cadet
from PMA
ANGELES CITY
— The local chief executive here recently
signed a memorandum of agreement
(MOA) with the City
of D a v a o , w h i c h
establishes a sisterhood city pact that
will nurture and encourage cooperation
between the two local governments and
their constituencies.
By Marna Dagumboy
-del Rosario
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Supreme Court,
in a decision, upheld the dismissal of Cadet Aldrin Jeff
Cudia from the Philippine
Military Academy (PMA)
for violation of the school’s
Honor Code.
The High Court, in an
en banc decision penned by
SC Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, said the PMA’s
Honor Code “has to be respected”.
The Honor Code binds
the cadets to the following
principle: “We, the cadets,
sisterhood city... pagE 7
ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG. Pasig City District Rep. Roman Romula and wife Shalani SoledadRomulo join Gov. Lilia Pineda and other provincial employees during the Capitol flag raising rites on Monday.
-- JUN JASO
sc affirms... pagE 7
Fire guts 2-storey
residence in Mexico
By Dencio Pacheco
MEXICO, PAMPANGA – With barely a couple of weeks before the
start of the observance of
Fire Prevention Month, a
fire gutted a 2-storey residence recently along the
Jose Abad Santos Avenue,
Barangay Sto. Domingo,
this town.
Investigation
disclosed that one of the
residents of the burned
residence plugged a television set into an electrical outlet. A few seconds
later, the said appliance
suddenly exploded and
was believed to have
caused the conflagration.
Some employees of
the nearby Pampanga I
Electric Cooperative, Inc.
(PELCO I) office, who
saw the thick smoke, responded to the scene.
It so happened that
the said electric cooperative has its own fire brigade, equipped with a fire
engine that is ready to respond to any fire-related
incident within its coverage areas.
Members of the PELfire in mexico... pagE 7
REMEMBERING EDSA. Angeles City Mayor Edgardo D.
Pamintuan raises his fists together with Chief-of-Staff Alexander
S. Cauguiran as ‘Bayan Ko’ was being sung during the city’s commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the EDSA revolution yesterday at the MarQuee Mall Activity Center. --AC-CIO PHOTO
2NEWS
Headline Gitnang Luzon • FEBRUARY 25, 2015
Vice mayor, ‘no-show’ at EdPam’s 66th bday
By Marna Dagumboy-del Rosario
ANGELES CITY - City Vice
Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting was a
no-show during the 66th birthday
celebration of Mayor Ed Pamintuan
held at the city hall here.
Vega-Cabigting’s absence was
noticeable as city councilors, village
chairmen in this city along with city
hall employees were all there to attend Pamintuan’s birthday.
During the event, Metro Manila
Development Authority chairman
Francis Tolentino, Governor Lilia
Pineda, businessman Rodolfo Pineda, Mabalacat City Mayor Marino
Morales, Arayat Mayor Bon Alejandrino also attended the event.
Vega-Cabigting is reportedly
SM City Clark
conducts fire,
quake seminar
eyeing the mayoralty seat. She is
about to finish her third term as
vice mayor of this city. Pamintuan,
on the other hand, is seeking for a
re-election.•
‘Kapitolyo sa
Barangay’ aims
to serve more
Bulakenyos
MALOLOS
CITY,
BULACAN - The provincial
government is continuously
bringing its services closer to
Bulakenyos through its project
- Kapitolyo Sa Barangay (KSB).
The KSB is a twice-a-week
personal visit of the provincial
officials and personnel to the 21
municipalities and three cities
of the province.
Governor Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado said that through KSB,
the provincial government can
immediately provide solutions
to the needs and concerns of
the Bulakenyos.
“We know the services as
well as the assistance that the
Bulakenyos need, thus we continuously bringing down the
Kapitolyo Sa Barangay. We will
keep on coming back to the barangays to address their needs
and give priority to those areas
that need more help,” Alvarado
said.
The KSB has already visited
552 barangays since the project
ANGELES CITY - The annual fire
and earthquake seminar was held
last Monday at SM City Clark, attended by agency personnel, tenants and
employees to intensify awareness in
times of disaster.
SF03 Crisconde Lalic, Chief Operations Officer of Bureau of Fire Angeles City, was the resource speaker
of the said activity.
The seminar is a preparation to
the actual fire and earthquake drill
which will be held in March to test
and evaluate the preparedness, logistics and capability of the mall and the
personnel in handling disaster situations.•
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.
Edmundo Antenor, staff of the Provincial
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Office-Bulacan Rescue, rappels from the
second storey of the Capitol Building as part
of the two-day High Angle Rescue Training
conducted by the Provincial Government of
Bulacan to five different rescue teams in the
province recently. Also in the photo is Adrian
Veloso, instructor in Logistics of Rescue 8
Trading. --BULACAN PPAO PHOTO
KAPITOLYO... Page 7
Teenager drowns
in Dinalupihan River
By Mhike R. Cigaral
DINALUPIHAN, BATAAN – A teenager was
found dead by the local rescue team in Tabon
River, Barangay Tucop of this town the other day.
In a report from Bataan Provincial Police Office, the victim was identified as Mark Joseph
Guevarra, 17, of Barangay Roxas, also of this municipality.
The police report stated that the victim along
with his siblings, aged 10 and 12, were swimming
along the said river on Sunday afternoon.
At about 8 p.m. Mark was reported missing by
TEENAGER DROWNS... Page 7
Republic of the Philippines
Local Civil Registry Office
Province: PAMPANGA
City/Municipality: ARAYAT
NOTICE OF PUBLICATION
In compliance with the publication requirement and
pursuant to OCRG Memorandum Circular No. 2013-1
Guidelines in the Implementation of the Administrative Order No. 1 Series of 2012 (IRR on R.A. 10172).
Notice is hereby served to the public that JAYCEE
TORRES BALANUN has filed with this office,
a petition for correction of entry in the sex from
“FEMALE” to “MALE” in the certificate of live birth
of JAYCEE TORRES BALANUN born on APRIL 15,
1990 at Arayat, Pampanga and whose parents are
MAR BALANUN and JOSEPHINE TORRES.
Any person adversely affected by said petition may file
his written opposition with this Office not later than two
weeks upon publication.
(Sgd) GRETA P. DE ALA
Municipal Civil Registrar
HEADLINE Gitnang Luzon: February 18 & 25, 2015
FULL BLAST. PENRO Raul Mamac (seated, C), pose with officials and personnel of
DENR Bataan during a recent event. They are now implementing programs that include
National Greening Program, Handog Titulo, and Manila Bay Rehabilitation Project, among
others. --BUTCH GUNIO
Republic of the Philippines
Office of the Municipal Registrar
Province of Pampanga
Municipality of Sta. Rita
NOTICE OF PUBLICATION
In compliance with Section 7 of R.A. No. 10172, a
notice is hereby served to the public that
ROBBIE S. ENRILE has filed with this office a petition
for correction of clerical error / typographical error particularly in his GENDER from “FEMALE” to “MALE” in
the Certificate of Live Birth of ROBBIE S. ENRILE born
on 17 OCTOBER 1985 at San Isidro, Sta. Rita, Pampanga, and whose parents are VALERIANO MARTIR
ENRILE and LOURDES ENRIQUEZ SARMIENTO.
Any person adversely affected by said petition
may file his/her written opposition with this office
not later than MARCH 04, 2015.
(Sgd) ROSARIO G. SUNGA
Municipal Civil Registrar
HEADLINE Gitnang Luzon: February 18 & 25, 2015
Truck driver found dead in Samal town
By Mhike R. Cigaral
SAMAL, BATAAN
– The police here
found the body of a
truck driver inside
his truck parked in a
compound of a paper
mill located in Barangay Gugo of this town,
Sunday afternoon.
Samal police identified the victim as
Luciano Resureccion,
56, a Paranchillo Villa, Valenzuela City.
He is a delivery truck
driver of Bataan 2020
Paper Mill.
The victim’s helper
named Randy Joson,
32, reported the incident to the police after he failed to wake
Luciano for a scheduled delivery on Monday morning.
The Samal police
found no evidence of
foul play.
The victim’s cause
of death was reported as “Sudden Adult
Death Syndrome” or
sudden
unexpected
death of adolescents
and adults, often during sleep.
Medical
records
explained that sudden
unexplained
TRUCK DRIVER... Page 7
FEBRUARY 25, 2015 • Headline Gitnang Luzon
BUSINESS 3
DENR Bataan to accelerate info
campaign on Manila Bay rehab
PILAR, Bataan - The
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Bataan will be
accelerating
information
and education campaign
of the rehabilitation and
clean-up of the Manila Bay.
“The DENR Bataan is
the chair of the Technical Working Group of the
Manila Bay Rehabilitation
Project Bataan. For 2015,
we will accelerate the con-
duct of IEC for the rehabilitation and clean-up of
Manila Bay with the other
mandamus agencies,” said
Mila Ramirez, DENR Bataan officer and focal person
of Manila Bay Rehabilitation Project.
In the recent meeting of
the TWG held in the DENR
provincial office here, it was
agreed to bring the forums
on
MANILABAYanihan
Para Sa Kalikasan to all 12
towns of the province.
The forums will be attended by barangay officials, students, and concerned citizens.
Aside from DENR as
lead agency, other members of the TWG are Bataan
provincial
government,
DPWH, DA-BFAR, PIA,
and Bataan Peninsula State
University.
The MANILABAYanihan Para Sa Kalikasan was
hatched by the DENR and
concerned local government units around Manila
Bay aiming to rehabilitate
and revitalize the bay.
The
DENR
Bataan
through the leadership of
Penro Raul Mamac is in
full swing implementing its
programs that include National Greening Program,
Handog Titulo, and Manila
Bay Rehabilitation Project,
among others. •
EXPERIENcE fine dining at Peppers 21
INTO THE WILD. Anne
Curtis (L) gets ‘wild’ with SM
Accessories while Kathryn
Bernardo (R) gets fun and
fierce with earrings and chain
link rings.
--CONTRIBUTED PHOTOs
Anne, Kathryn
‘get into the wild’
with SM Accessories
PHLPost issues
Year of the Goat
souvenir sheets
MANILA – Welcoming the Chinese New Year, the Philippine
Postal Corporation (PHLPost) will
issue starting today the Year of the
Goat souvenir sheets.
“PHLPost celebrates the coming New Year in reverence to the
country’s Chinese heritage with
the issuance of these souvenir
sheets. We also have a large number of Filipino-Chinese philatelists or stamp-collectors who
have been waiting for the release
of this souvenir sheet,” Postmaster General Josie Dela Cruz said.
According to PHLPost, the
souvenir sheet has a 3D gold-embossed metallic foiling and has
three colors: silver, bronze, and
gold. The souvenir sheet features
images of PHLPost’s Chinese New
SOUVENIR SHEETS... Page 7
Widus to open Peppers 21
By Marna Dagumboy
-del Rosario
CLARK FREEPORT –
Widus Hotel and Casino,
Clark’s preferred onestop leisure destination,
delights its patrons once
again as it premieres the
world famous 21 day dryaged steak with the opening of Peppers 21.
“We aim to give only
the best luxury lifestyle
as we bring in world-class
fine dining experience
here at Widus with Peppers 21”, shared Alfred
Reyes, Widus general
manager.
Slated to open on
March, GM Reyes said
that the much-anticipated steakhouse is to set
the bar high among other
fine dining restaurants as
it offers sophisticated yet
approachable dining ambiance complemented by
the attentive and gracious
service.
GM Reyes also said
the Widus Executive
Chef Johnny Rodriguez
created a menu that will
per fectly
complement the restaurant,
featuring
world-class
steaks highlighted with
a blend of both classic favourites and rich
modern-day
flavors.
Using only high-quality fresh ingredients, Rodriguez together with his
culinary team carefully
craft the prime steaks in
dry-aging chillers where
select steaks are aged for
21 days.
“Although wet-aged
or regular prime cuts
of steak are good in flavor and texture, dryaged steaks, however, go
through a process where
its natural enzymes allow the meat to tenderize
while developing an intensified and concentrated flavor resulting to that
uniquely brown beefy
roasted taste,” Rodriguez
explained.
Old-world and new
world wine selections will
also be available which
Rodriguez described to
be a perfect pair with a
myriad of dishes.
The 60-seat restaurant
which is situated atop Widus’ Casino – overlooking
the lush green landscapes
of Clark, will also feature
modern
contemporary
design combined with
relaxed luxury with its elegant furnishing and interiors.
With its accentuated
and exquisite collection
of world-class wine, Peppers 21 will surely be the
new go-to place of both
steak lovers and wine enthusiasts.•
HAU inks new agreements
with foreign universities
SCAN THIS QR CODE
TO VISIT US!
ANGELES CITY Holy Angel University
recently signed an international
academic
agreement with two
other foreign universities, namely, Kansai
University (KU) of Osaka, Japan and Huachiew
Chalermprakiet University (HCU) of Thailand.
Through
an
ex-
change of signatures
on the Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU),
Acting University President Engr. Geromin T.
Nepomuceno, Jr. and
KU President Dr. Harushige Kusumi formalized the academic ties
between HAU and KU
recently.
KU is a 129-year old
institution founded as
Kansai Law School in
November 1886 and
was granted the title
‘Kansai University in
1905. It has 13 faculties,
12 graduate schools,
three professional graduate schools. Its student
body of about 30,000
is comprised of underHAU INKS... Page 7
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO - Whether you go
with African inspired clothing and accessories, tribal
style with ethnic influences, or military attire, the safari trend goes from the savannah to the city streets
this summer. That’s because this perennial favorite is
beach friendly, city slick, and works at any age.
Join the fashion pack of Anne Curtis and Kathryn
Bernardo as they get fab and fierce with SM Accessories’ Into the Wild Collection. These are jungle elegant accessories that interpret exotic materials with
a refined finish.
The key is not looking like you’re on a safari, but to
always add an element of surprise. Try mixing different animal prints for a worldly traveler look, add a pop
of color to classic khaki, add chunky tribal jewelry for
a feminine touch, and look for luxe leopard pieces and
metallics to dress up the look for night.
Get Into the Wild with SM Accessories. The collection is available at all SM Stores nationwide.•
Domestic sales of SMEs in
CL reach P1.247B in 2014
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The domestic sales
of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-assisted
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Central
Luzon reached P1.247 billion in 2014.
“This was an increase of around P70 million compared to 2013. From the figure, 90.22% was generated through market matching, 4.13% from Pasalubong Centers, and the remaining 5.65% from trade
fairs,” DTI OIC-Regional Director Judith Angeles
disclosed.
Among the interventions done by the agency include the SME Roving Academy, annual Likha ng
Central Luzon whose 2014 edition generated P28.06
million in sales, and provision of 59 Shared Service
Facilities (SSFs).
SME Roving Academy is a continuous breeding
ground for start-up enterprises and an institutionalized provision of business development services
to the identified enterprises which will make them
competitive in the domestic and export markets.
It is anchored on seven learning stages namely
Start-Up & Capability Building, Market Awareness,
Market Readiness, Export Readiness, Export Market
Entry, Export Sustainability, and Export Expansion.
The first four is handled by the academy while the
last three is available through Regional Interactive
Platform for Philippine Exporters (RIPPLES).
Moreover, SSF is a strategy adopted to achieve
the goal of the National Industry Cluster Capacity
Enhancement Project which is to set up common
production centers in order for SMEs in priority
industry clusters gain access to better technology
and more sophisticated equipment thereby increasing their competitiveness, consequently affecting their contribution to the national economy.
(CLJD-PIA 3)•
4 OPINION
Headline Gitnang Luzon • FEBRUARY 25, 2015
EDITORIAL
Shining moment
THE EDSA People Power
Revolution was a shining moment in Philippine history. Is
it still shining after 29 years?
What happened then was
a show of collective courage
among the Filipino people.
We are still capable of that,
given certain circumstances.
We can still stand as one,
against those who oppress
us.
The question is, can we still
go through with it?
We always believe that
change is good… that change
can make the nation and its
people become better. We became better after 1986, and
a few years after that. Now,
though, we are better off just
believing rather than be disappointed.
Let’s not use the idea of a
“people power” to frighten
those in office today. Refrain
from letting the idea float,
lest our public officials bite
back with force. The memory of that non-violent revolt should remain as it is: a
memory to be cherished and
preserved, and something to
be proud of.
There will be other challenges ahead, and there will
be very difficult struggles
along the way.
HEADLINE Gitnang Luzon is a Daily Regional Newspaper
General Manager: MARLO a. franco
Editor: RIA DE FIESTA
Layout Artist/Photographer: JP Manalang
Reporters: CHARLENE CAYABYAB
Marna dagumboy - Del rosario
Administrative Staff: sherylin l. rivera
Marketing Head: ELAINE MAPILES
Account Executive: caren m. garcia
monica bianca cabiling
Publisher: I.N.I. Newspaper
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.headlinegl.com
DISCLAIMER: Views expressed by columnists are their
own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of
HEADLINE Gitnang Luzon or its internet website: www.headlinegl.
com. The publisher does not knowingly publish false information
and may not be held liable for the views of its columnists exercising
their right to free expression.
All rights reserved. Subject to the conditions provided for by law, no
article or photograph published by HEADLINE GITNANG LUZON may
be reprinted or reproduced, in whole or in part, without its prior consent.
Office Address: 2nd Floor, U2 Building, MacArthur
Highway, Dolores, City of San Fernando, Pampanga, 2000
Tel. Nos. (045) 455.0781
Myths and Facts about Blood Donation
K
UNG Hei Fat Choi!
February 19, 2015, on a Chinese New Year and a day before
the birthday of our Governor, Lilia
“Baby” Pineda, marked the launch of
the first Blood Letting Activity of the
newly organized Local Blood Council of Pampanga, with yours truly as
the Chair of the Committee on Public
Education. In line with this position,
here is but an initial and fleeting response of the body to a needle prick
or as aptly described “para lang kagat ng lamok”
MYTH 2: The very young and
the very old cannot donate blood.
FACT: While the age group of individuals who can donate are those
from 18 to 60 years old, there is no
preventing the 16 and 17 years old
intended blood to be donated by
those underweight will have to be
computed and such unit maybe less
than 450 ml which amount is not
compatible with the computed blood
to anticoagulant ratio in every commercial blood bag used for blood in a
blood donation program.
MYTH 5: The health of a person
deteriorates after a donation
FACT: There is no cause
for worry as one’s health is
not compromised by a single
donation. On the average a
healthy individual can donate
every 3 months or 120 days
after the last whole donation,
this period corresponds to the
life span of a red cell and two
weeks after the last platelet
apheresis. In these cases, after
a donation one needs only
Dr. Remedios P.
to take a rest and drink lots of
Ocampo Ong, FPSP
fluid.
MYTH 6: I can contract
form donation as long as they se- an infection after a donation
cure their parents consent. Even the
FACT: Because of the strict asepyoung once - 60 years old and above sis and antisepsis observed during a
may donate as long as they meet the blood donation it is highly improbother criteria of a blood donor.
able that one will contract an infecMYTH 3: A 450 cc of blood do- tion from the process. On the connated can deplete my blood volume trary one’s blood is being screened
and could cause some symptoms like for the five more common transfugiddiness, vertigo and at the extreme sion transmitted infections- HIV 1
hypotension.
and 2, Hepatitis B and C, Malaria
FACT: On the average, a 70 Kg and Syphilis through DOH manindividual has a blood volume of dated ELISA testing methods. Also
approximately 5 liters ( 5000 cc) of a person is being initially screened
blood. On the average, a normal per- for his Blood type, hemoglobin and
son begins to be symptomatic from hematocrit levels. This is in line with
an acute blood loss after he loses ap- the purpose of blood donation – that
proximately 20% his blood volume. is to provide safe, adequate and susA 450 ml of blood drawn in a single tainable blood to patients without
donation is roughly 10% of our blood risk to the donor.
volume, hence a person may not exMYTH 7: A regular blood donaperience the above symptoms men- tion may lead to obesity
tioned.
FACT: Blood donation does not
MYTH 4: Only overweight peo- affect our body weight. However,
ple can donate
persons who would have donated
FACT: On the average, the re- tend to eat more and avoid exercise.
quired weight is at least 110lbs and Such gain in weight is not causally
above. While those below 110 lbs may related to the donation.
YOUR HEALTH... Page 7
donate, they are not encouraged. The
“Indeed, the initial endeavor of the Local
Blood Council has taken its wings soaring to a resounding success. Until then,
we hope to see those who would have
donated three months to this date and YOUR
to those who would not yet have decided HEALTH
to donate, the Challenge is now.”
as an Academician and a Pathologist
by Profession, allow me then to give
our readers insights on the various
myths which have to some extent
served as obstacles to one’s desire
to give blood through the blood donation program. With these myths,
what are the real issues – the facts
that correspondingly answer the issues. Knowing the myths and telling of the facts would strengthen our
objectives in the Council to provide
SAFE, ADEQUATE and SUSTAINABLE Blood supply to those who may
be in need of the same.
MYTH 1:
Blood Donation is
time consuming and is a painful process
FACT: By experience, the whole
process of the donation takes on the
average 30 minutes from the donor
interview, physical examination,
initial testing for hemoglobin (substance that gives our pinkish glow)
and hematocrit to the final stage of
actually bleeding the donor. I would
be telling a lie if I say the process is
not painful. The pain experienced
FEBRUARY 25, 2015 • Headline Gitnang Luzon
OPINION 5
Walang plastikan
M
INSAN sa aking paglilibot pagkalat ng mga plastic bags bilang
sa sentro ng lungsod ng mga basura
San Fernando, nakadama
Mapapansing ang mga plastic
ako ng kaunting gutom kung kaya’t bags na ginagamit na pambalot ay
nagtungo ako sa isang malapit na isa sa mga pangunahing dahilan ng
supermarket upang humanap at pagbabara ng mga kanal at estero
bumili ng kahit kaunting pantawid na nauuwi naman sa pagbaha ng
gutom man lamang.
mga kalsada.
Nang ako ay magbabayad na sa
Isa ring dahilan ang pagkalat
isang kahera, napansin ko na puro ng mga plastic na basura sa mga
supot na gawa sa papel
kalsada, lansangan at iba pa
ang ipinambabalot sa
kung kaya’t naglalayon ang
mga pagkain at mga
gamit na binabayaran
ng mga mamimili.
Dahil may dala
akong tinapay at nagyeyelong lata ng softdrinks,
sinubukan
kong humingi sa kahera ng supot na plastik ngunit ako ay sinabihan na hindi na raw
sila gumagamit ng gapamahalaang lungsod na
noong material bilang Ka Dencio Pacheco malinis ang mga nasabing
pambalot sa kanilang
lugar.
mga paninda.
Ang plastic ay hindi basta basta
Dagdag pa ng nasabing kahera natutunaw kung kaya’t ito ay masasna mahigpit na ipinapatupad daw ng abing may pinsalang dala sa ating
pamahalaang lungsod ang ordinan- kalikasan at nagdudulot din ng sakusa na nagbabawal sa paggamit ng na kapag panahon na ng tag-ulan.
plastic na supot ng mga iba’t-ibang Isa rin ang plastic sa mga basura na
establishments bilang pambalot pangit sa paningin kung titingnan.
sa mga pagkain, gamit o anumang
Ang mga plastic na basura ay
material na binibili mula sa kanila. walang duda na tinatawag na mga
Ang nasabing ordinansa na ipi- “eye sores” dahil sa kapangitan na
napatupad sa buong kalunsuran, dala lalo kapag ito ay nagkalat na sa
ay naglalayong mabawasan kung mga lugar-lugar.
hindi man tuluyang matigilan ang
Noong isang araw naman na
paggamit ng plastic bilang pamba- ako ay magawi sa isang kilalang
lot upang mabawasan ang pagba- mall sa nasabing lungsod, napansin
bara ng mga kanal at iba pang mga kong hindi na rin gumagamit ang
daluyan ng tubig pati na rin ang mga tindahan sa loob nito ng mga
plastic bilang pambalot sa kanilang
mga paninda.
Ng tinanong ko ang isang tindera sa isang tindahan, nagmungkahi na ito daw ay dahil sa isang
ordinansa na umiiral sa lungsod.
Naisip ko na tila pangkalahatan ang
pangpapatupad ng nasabing lokal
na batas na halatang sinusunod ito
ng marami.
Masasabing seryoso ang pamahalaang lungsod sa pagbabawal sa
“Masasabing seryoso ang pamahalaang lungsod sa pagbabawal sa paggamit ng plastic sa
mga establishments at maaaring seryoso din sa
paghuli sa mga hindi tatalima sa ordinansang
Walang nagbabawal sa paggamit ng plastic.”
Biro!
paggamit ng plastic sa mga estab-
U
lishments at maaaring seryoso din
sa paghuli sa mga hindi tatalima sa
ordinansang nagbabawal sa paggamit ng plastic.
Isa lang ang idinadalangin ng
marami lalo na ang mga taong maka-kalikasan: nawa’y hindi ito maging niñgas cogon lamang at maging tuluy-tuloy ang pagpapatupad
sa pagbabawal ng plastic sa buong
kalunsuran.
Sa aking mga naririnig, marami
ang humahanga sa pagpaptupad o
sa implementasyon ng ordinansa
ukol sa pagbabawal ng plastic sa
lungsod ng San Fernando. Umaasa
nga lang sila na ito ay hindi hanggang umpisa lang at mananatili
lang itong nasa papel lamang.•
Another People Power
NTIL now, the emotional
impact of the Mamasapano
incident is at a high. Issues
like who ordered the covert operation leading to the death of many
SAF members and a few civilians,
the lack of reinforcement of the
military which they frantically denied, the involvement of the suspended PNP Chief , the denial of
MNLF on their participation to the
lution? I doubt that. When Senator
Miriam Santiago revealed of a plan
to overthrow the Aquino administration during the Senate investigation on the Mamasapano massacre, I was flabbergasted. I said
to myself, “Not again, please.” We
already sacked two presidents in
our history, are
we going to do it
once more and
“Another people power is not a solution.
We should respect the sanctity and the
legitimacy of the people power revolution and not to use it as a tool to attain Now We
power and glory in a twisted manner.” Know!
ELLEZ J. DAVIO
clash and the latest, the recent controversial conversation between
the President and the families of
the Fallen 44 are still hot topics in
everyone’s discussion.
But are these controversies
enough to oust a president or to
call for another people power revo-
call for a revolution? Nada. Enough
is enough.
No leader is perfect. We all
know that Aquino has flaws in
terms of managing the republic and
he is being criticized publicly on
that. Being the leader of the land is
not an easy task. You are expected
to solve all the problems that besiege the land in an instant. So far,
Aquino is a better leader compared
to some presidents in the past. Our
economy is booming, we partially
eradicated the red tape transaction
in the government, and most of all,
we have seen how corrupt public
officials pay for their crimes.
But many of his detractors chose to ignore all of these
things. They would rather look
for technicalities in the government just to discredit the
present administration. They
want to destroy the credibility
of the government by attacking
it in times of vulnerability. They
want to manipulate the empathy of the public in order to
achieve their personal interests.
Another people power is
not a solution. We should respect
the sanctity and the legitimacy of
the people power revolution and
not to use it as a tool to attain power and glory in a twisted manner.
We have enough revolution in our
history, it’s time to move forward
and enjoy democracy at its best. •
LET US HELP YOU!
Want to broaden your business horizon?
CALL US: (045)455-0781 • EMAIL US: [email protected]
VISIT US: 2nd Floor ,U2 Bldg., MacArthur Hiway, Dolores, City of San Fernando (P)
Aut disce Aut discede
by Christopher Tamayo
W
E are living in a country that was fought for
and bled for by our forefathers. Freedom was
earned and won through blood and sweat
with the use of blades, guns and cannons and paid with
the blood of countless martyrs. It was a trophy passed
from generation to generation, and now that it is our
time, we are very fortunate that we don’t have to take
arms anymore because we would be fighting for freedom by fighting ignorance.
There are a lot of ways to win freedom, but in our
time the most useful way would be education. In a civilized modern society that we are living in and with the
globalized community in every aspect of our daily lives,
we as Filipinos must exercise freedom by enriching our
education system. We are not the ones who would benefit in investing our time, passion and resources in this
precious commodity, yet we have to because it would be
for the benefit of our beloved children and our grandchildren.
A country was never built by any military or economic force - it was driven and formed by educated
minds who know and who understand the benefit of
living in continuous harmony with every single person in the community. We would never be free without any consciousness of freedom and understanding
of the fundamentals of the humanity of each and every
person. We must manifest what we have to and what
we ought to, a non barbaric civilized being that was not
trained, but educated.
The most vital strand of the democratic state is the
education of its citizens. We are living in a democratic
state where the majority is the voice to be listened to.
Imagine a voice that was uneducated and barbaric
driving the country, where would it lead us? It would
turn this democratic country to a raging car towards
the dead end of the road. It may not be sufficient to have
education to fully develop this nation, yet it would also
never be sufficient for this nation, even having all the
gold in the world, yet lacking education. And so to keep
our freedom we should either learn or leave it.
•••
The author is ESHT-II of Bancal Pugad Integrated
School.•
Lukso ng Puso
by Eduardo C. Benitez, Jr. PhD
“A
yoko.” Ito ang katagang unang pumasok sa
aking isipan nang bumungad sa akin ang
ideya ng pagtuturo.
Kaiingayan. Mga papel. Kahit na ang alikabok
na nagmumula sa pisara’y aking kinaiinisan. Ngunit bakit nga ba ako nandito ngayon? Sa lugar sa
dati’y hindi kanais-nais para sa akin. Sa lugar kung
saan kay daming masasamang alalang nagpahina
sa akin.
Paaralan. Ito ang lugar na tila isang bangungot
kung ating alalalahanin. Sa pagpasok ko dito, parang kay daming nagmamatyag sa bawat hakbang
na aking tinatahak. Ngunit kailangan ko itong labanan dahil ang aking nakaraan sa lugar na ito’y hindi
na babalik. Dahil na rin sa aking pagiging… guro.
Hindi ko na yata maalala kung paano ako napunta dito. Ang tanging bumabalik na lamang sa aking
isipan ay ang mga pagpupursige na aking ginawa
dulot ng isang tao. Ang aking guro na si Mrs. Villanueva. Siya ang nagturo sa akin ng mga kagandahang asal, siya ang nagbigay sa akin ng pag-asa
noong ako’y malapit nang sumuko at siya din ang
nagpataas ng tingin ng mga tao matapos akong
maging matagumpay. Samantalang ngayon, ito naman ang aking mga obligasyon na aking paninindigan hanggang sa aking kamatayan.
Mayroon akong naging estudyante noon. Kung
ikukumpara sa aking kabataan, ibang-iba siya.
Mayroon syang kapansanan. Hindi itinuring na
anak ng kanyang mga magulang. Dahil doon, nawalan siya ng pag-asa na tumayo at pumanaw na rin
sa kanyang isipan ang salitang tagumpay. Nang
minsan kami’y nag-usap, “May pag-asa pa anak,”
aking nasabi sa kanya. Ang kanyang nakasimangot
na mukha’y napalitan ng matamis na ngiti sa nagpagaan sa aking loob. Pinaalala ko sa kanya na ang
kapansanan ay hindi hadlang sa pagkamit ng iyong
mga pangarap.
Mula noon naging masiyahin na siya at akin ring
TEACHER’S CORNER... Page 7
6
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New look ngayon
si Richard Yap
T
ILA nasabik ang mga
press kay Richard Yap.
He was asked a lot of
questions na buong ningning
niyang sinagot lahat. Yes, including a question about his
sex life. Matter-of-factly na
walang gatol niyang sinagot
ang tanong na aniya, dahil may
asawa naman siya, natural lang
na magkaroon siya ng plenty of
sex life.
Talbog, diba?
By the way, new look ngayon
si Richard Yap. As a matter of
fact, maraming press ang hindi
nakakilala sa kanya nang humarap sa kanyang post Chinese New Year presscon para
sa mga friends niya sa
press.
“Para maiba naman,“ aniya sa mga
press na hinarap niya.
Isa pa, he needs
daw his new look to
complement his new
leading lady’s look
na mas higit na bata
sa kanya.
“May serye akong
gagawin ngayon with
Judy Ann Santos. ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ ang
title.”
May gagawin din daw siyang
movie with Jodi Sta. Maria
kaya talagang he needs to poject a much younger image.
“Hindi ko alam kung magugustuhan nila ang new look
kong ito para sa serye. Just
the same, bahala sila sa bagay
na iyon. What I am sure of,
eh, ibang-iba ang role ko dito.
May kilig, may drama, comedy
at meron ding konting action.
Ang wala lang ay bold!”
Nagpasalamat din si Richard sa lahat ng tumulong para
maging top grosser ang Metro
Manila Filmfest entry niyang
“The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin.” Lahat yata ng projects na
kasama siya ay pawang naghihit sa takilya.
“Kaya nga, nagpapasalamat
ako sa inyo at sa lahat ng mga
sumusuporta sa akin. Kaya,
mayroon tayong celebration
kahit minsan lang isang taon.
I’d like to share with you my
blessings!”
Hindi lang masuwerte si Richard
sa kanyang career
kundi sa pamilya
din.
“I did not experience any problem
with them (wife
Melody and his
2 kids). Nandito
pa rin siya (sabay
turo kay Melody na
nakikipag-tsikahan sa isang table).
Hindi rin sila nagseselos kahit
kanino. They understand my
work at kung kasama ko sila,
at may nag-request na magpapicture sa akin, sila pa ang nagbo-volunteer na kumuha. Alam
naman kasi nila na ginagawa
ko ito para din sa kanila.”
Nag-iisa yata si Richard sa
mga actor na walang intriga.
Sakaling mayroon man, hindi
ito nagpo-prosper dahil mas
nananatili ang pagiging ideal
husband and father niya.
“Wala naman kasi akong ginagawa na magko-cause ng selos, kahit insecurity sa kanila.
Mas marami kaming blessings
na natatanggap,” aniya.
Maraming artistang hinahanggan ang movie press. Pero,
nag-iisa lang yata si Richard
na totoong napapamahal sa
kanila.
At damang-dama ito naming lahat nang hapong iyon.•
CLTV 36 Star Mills concert, tagumpay
N
AGING matagumpay
ang ginanap na concert ng mga talent ng
Star Mill: Central Luzon TV
noong February 19 na ginanap
sa Bren Z. Guiao Convention
Center.
Tampok sa Star Mill: the
Concert ang Star Mill Season 2
Grand Champion at Heartthrob
ng Pampanga na si JD Simon
at ang mga runner-up na sina
Barbie Manalo, Louie Anne
Culala at Lemuel Lansangan.
Namangha rin ang mga KaRehiyon sa pagtatanghal ng
ibang finalist na sina Rica David, Dale Sese, Renzo Nicolau
at Paul John Carlos, kasama
ang mga Star Mill Season 1
AS of February 23, 2015
finalists na sina Eliza Arnaiz,
Andy Pangan, Awit Garcia at
Jeneal Mariano. May special
guests pa tulad ng boy band na
Men2Be at ang Body Shocks
Dancers.
Dalawang breses ginanap
amng show. Alas dos ng hapon
at pangalawa naman ay alas
siyete ng gabi. In both shows,
talaga namang nagpakitanggilas ang mga peformers.
Tinilian ng mga kababaihan
ang my giling moves ng mga
guwapong sina JD Simon at
Lemuel Lansangsan. Puwede
bang isalang sa mainstream
ang dalawang ito na posibleng
kumabog sa marami nating
hunk singers sa ngayon.
Personal kung nagustuhan
ang suot na Little Mermaid
costume ni Rica David na puwede na ring maging kaliga
ng mga Tween stars ni Kuya
Germs sa Walang Tulugan.
Pero
siyempre,
walang
hindi hahanga sa mga performances ng mga divas na sina
Barbie Manalo, Eliza Arnaiz,
Louie Ann Culala at Jeneal
Mariano.
Breath of fresh air naman
ang peg ni Awit Garcia everytime she comes up onstage.
We would like to commend
the organizers of this concert
particularly Ms. Sonia Soto
ang Billy San Juanl
Mabuhay po kayo!•
Nasa Cloud 9
sina Ritz Azul,
Sophie Albert
P
AREHONG nasa cloud nine ngayon ang dalawang Kapatid stars na sina Ritz A zul at Sophie
A lbert dahil pareho silang nominated sa kategor yang New Movie Actress of the Year ng 31st Star
Awards for Movies.
Parehong first movie
assignment ng dalawa
ang kani-kanilang pelikulang ginawa. Si Ritz ay
bidang babae sa Separados at si Sophie naman
sa pinag-usapang youthoriented movie sa 2014
Cinemalaya Film Festival, ang #Y.
Si Ritz ay kinakitaan
agad ng ser yosong pagganap bilang babaing
ikakasal sa Separados.
Samantalang si Sophie
ay may off beat role agad
sa #Y na kinailangan niyang gumawa agad ng
bed at kissing scenes sa
first movie niya opposite
Elmo Magalona.
Dahil sa performance
ni Ritz sa Separados,
nagkaroon agad siya ng
dalawang alok na indie
films. Parehong tinanggap naman ni Ritz ito.
Natapos na niya ang isa,
samantalang ang isa pa
ay sisimulan pa lang.
Ani Ritz: “Enjoy ako
sa paggawa ng pelikula,
kasi nakikita mo agad
ang
development
ng
characters mo. Nakakachallenge. Salamat sa
mga nakapansin sa akin.”
Si Sophie naman, dahil nakita ang kakayahan niya sa acting, binigyan
agad siya ng solo performance sa isang episode ng
Wattpad Presents ng T V5 na mapapanood Monday
to Friday at 9 p.m.
Ver y liberal na si Sophie sa pagtanggap ng projects ngayon. Sa #Y, nagawa niya ang bedscenes
dahil trabaho lang lahat ito sa kanya. Wala naman
itong problema sa boy friend niyang si Vin Abrenica.
By the way, nominado rin sina Sofia Andres,
Coleen Garcia, Athena Bautista, Coleen Borgonia at
Loren Burgos sa parehong klategor ya.
Ang Gabi ng Parangal ay gaganapin sa ika-8 ng
Marso, 2015, 6pm, sa The Theater of Solaire Hotel
Resort and Casino, Paranaque City.
Ngayong taong ito, ipagkakaloob ang Nora Aunor
Lifetime Achievement Award kay Celia Rodriguez,
samantalang tatanggapin naman ni direk Mar yo J.
delos Reyes ang Ulirang A lagad ng Pelikula sa Likod
ng Kamera Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ang 31st PMPC Star Awards for Movies ay blocktime production ng Airtime Marketing, Inc., sa pamumuno ng producer nitong si Tess Celestino-Howard,
in cooperation w ith the Philippine Movie Press
Club (PMPC) under the leadership of Mr. Joe Barrameda, current President and Over-A ll Chairman.•
FEBRUARY 25, 2015 • Headline Gitnang Luzon
sisterhood city... from Page 1
The MoA was signed by Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo
Duterte, with Angeles University
Foundation Chancellor Dr. Emmanuel Angeles, together with
selected stakeholders and AUF
student and faculty members as
witnesses.
According to Pamintuan, this
is a concerted effort between two
local government units who wish
to go beyond what is expected of
them in terms of good governance.
“Government sans boundaries – this is the goal that Mayor
Duterte and I have in mind upon
entering this agreement. Both our
passions to better serve the peo-
YOUR HEALTH... from Page 4
ple’s welfare will tremendously
benefit both Angeles and Davao,”
the mayor said, who added that
the agreement includes the mutual
support and opportunities that
will equally benefit the two cities.
“With Davao City’s reputation as
one of the safest cities in the Philippines, we could learn a thing or two
from their local government in improving our peace and order efforts
here in Angeles,” Pamintuan added.
The agreement aims to promote
and foster strong ties, mutual understanding, friendship and goodwill through practical exchanges
in science and technology, culture
and arts, tourism, planning and
urban development, commerce,
trade and industry, youth development, education and sports, environmental protection, agriculture,
public health and social services.
Mayor Duterte was in Angeles
City to deliver a lecture on federalism to students, faculty members
and officers of AUF. The two lawyer-mayors were batch mates while
they were taking up law studies in
San Beda College.
Angeles City has also forged
sister-city agreements with the
cities of San Fernando, Pampanga;
Cagayan de Oro, Cebu and Valenzuela in the Philippines and with
foreign cities which include Koror,
Palau; Seo District, Daegu, South
Korea and Las Vegas, Nevada. •
sc affirms... from Page 1
do not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate among us those
who do so.”
Cudia, who was supposed to graduate with honors in March 2014, was dismissed by the PMA Honor
Committee for lying about his reason for tardiness
in class. This act, the committee of cadets said, is in
violation of the Honor Code.
Cudia and his family protested the decision,
which they claimed was unfair.
The dismissed cadet’s family asked the Supreme
Court that Cudia be allowed to graduate, and that the
decision of the PMA Honor Committee be annulled.•
fire in mexico ... from Page 1
CO I Fire Brigade were the first to
arrive at the burning house, followed
by firemen from the municipalities
of Sta. Ana, San Luis, Mexico towns
and from the city fire station of San
Fernando.
In time, firemen who responded to the situation declared a fireout. •
among the services being rendered
through KSB include free medical
and dental services, feeding program for malnourished and day
care children, distribution of free
medicines, wheelchair, nebulizer,
free legal consultation, haircut and
massage services and distribution
of farm machineries and fishing
equipment.
Inocencio said that the next
communities that the KSB will
visit are Barangays Kalawitan
and Bubulong Munti in San Ildefonso town on February 25 and 27.
(PNA)•
kapitolyo... from Page 2
started in 2011, benefiting some
429,739 Bulakenyos.
In January alone, the KSB has
already served 8,735 Bulakenyos.
Catherine Inocencio, assistant department head for Special
Projects Division of the Provincial Administrator’s Office, said
teenager drowns... from Page 2
his father and sought the help of the local rescue team.
The victim was found dead the next day along the riverbank after a search and retrieval operation was done
with the help of the local police. Mark’s body was brought to a nearby funeral parlor.•
truck driver... from Page 2
death syndrome was first noted
in 1977 among Hmong refugees
in the United States. The disease was also noted in Singapore,
when a retrospective survey of re-
cords showed that 230 otherwise
healthy men died suddenly of unexplained causes between 1982
and 1990.
In the Philippines, where it
is referred to in the vernacular
as “bangungot”, affects 43 per
100,000 persons annually among
young Filipinos. Most of the victims are young males.•
souvenir sheets... from Page 3
Year Stamps, including the two designs of the Year of the
Goat stamps launched in November last year.
About 5,000 souvenir sheets were printed at P200
each and will be available in major postal offices nation-
wide, and at the Post Shop, Philately and Museum Division, Manila Central Post Office.
The souvenir sheets will also be available online via
https://www.phlpost.gov.ph/pinoyemall. •(PHLPOST)
hau inks... from Page 3
graduate, graduate and international students studying in four
campuses in Osaka.
Even before the formalization of
ties, KU and HAU have been conducting student collaborative and
interaction programs since 2012.
The MOU between HAU and HCU,
on the other hand, was concluded
by Engr. Nepomuceno, Jr. and HCU
President Dr. Prachak Poomvises,
also through an exchange of signatures. The agreement, which commenced on January 14, 2015, was
the culmination of discussions with
HCU administrators during their
visit to the University last year.
HCU is the largest Chinese university and one of the top private
universities in Thailand. It was
founded in 1941 as a nursing and
midwifery school by Poh Teck Tung
Foundation, itself the biggest Chinese charitable institution in that
country which began in 1910.
The signing of these two agreements brings to four the number of
international academic cooperation established by the University
this schoolyear, coming as they did
on the heels of the formalization
of relationships with Kkottongnae
University of Korea and the University of Western Sydney in July 2014
and August 2014, respectively.
The linkage between the University and its new foreign higher
education
institution-partners
aims to foster mutual cooperation
in teaching, curriculum development, training, and research.
Development
of
collaborative
programs with these foreign university partners is highly encouraged from among HAU officials,
deans, administrators, researchers, program chairpersons, faculty members, staff, and students
which may be coordinated through
the Office of International Affairs
(OIA).•
order and let business take care of
business,” Duterte told the Pampanga and Angeles City business leaders.
He said that when government
takes care of peace and order, it
brings about a climate ideal for investments because peace and security and political stability are the assurances which businessmen would
like to have before they pour in their
money.
“Freeing businessmen from stringent regulations imposed by nation-
al government agencies will also
lessen incidences of corruption and
extortion,” Duterte said.
Davao City is currently imposing a 72-hour processing time for all
business transactions with the city
government, especially the processing of business licenses and business
permits. The city is also known as
one of the very few local government
areas where businesses are not harassed and businessmen are advised
not to attempt to bribe city government employees.•
mayor duterte... from Page 8
seventh as most ideal working place
in the world.
According to the Davao City mayor, a Federal system of government
will free vibrant investment areas
from the stranglehold of stringent
regulations imposed by a highlycentralized government.
“When I was a young mayor of
Davao City almost 22 years ago, one
of Davao’s respected business leaders, Jesus V. Ayala, gave me an advice which I have kept in my mind
until today: ‘Take care of peace and
7
MYTH 8: A person who donated cannot resume
his physical activities nor engage in sports
FACT: A donation does not interfere with one’s
normal physical activities. However it is advisable to
avoid strenuous activities for the rest of the day after
a donation. It is also not advisable to be driving after
a donation.
MYTH 9: One can donate even if breastfeeding.
FACT: A person who is breastfeeding cannot
donate because the donation can interfere with the
levels of our body fluids which in turn can affect
milk production.
MYTH 10: If my blood has been tested negative
for the most common Transfusion Transmitted Infections specially HIV 1 and 2 , Hepatitis B and C
the blood can be safely transfused to the intended
recipient.
FACT: Testing the blood unit for the five most
common transfusion transmitted infections does
not guarantee 100% the safety of such unit. In fact,
the dictum that
“THE SAFEST TRANSFUSION IS NO TRANSFUSION AT ALL” must be upheld and the rationale
use of blood - emphasized. Moreover, studies have
shown that the window period (period when a person although having been infected does not serologically test positive during the early stage) is merely
shortened even by the most sophisticated serologic
tests, NAT or nucleic acid test included.
The list of myths maybe long and these misapprehensions have caused the decline in voluntary
blood donation. February 19, 2015 marks the initial
project of the Local Blood Council and we cannot
undermine the concerted efforts of the community,
the health sector and the provincial government
in the campaign for SAFE, ADEQUATE and SUSTAINABLE blood for the province of Pampanga. It
is hoped that the facts have been laid down and the
myths duly addressed. Indeed, the initial endeavor
of the Local Blood Council has taken its wings soaring to a resounding success. Until then, we hope to
see those who would have donated three months to
this date and to those who would not yet have decided to donate, the Challenge is now. GIVE BLOOD
-- SAVE LIVES. The LIFE YOU SAVE MAYBE YOUR
VERY OWN.
•••
The author is Chief Pathologist of the Sacred
Heart Medical Center and Section Head of the Angeles University Foundation Medical Center- Blood
Bank Center.•
TEACHER’S CORNER... from Page 4
nakita sa kanya ang aking pag-unlad at pag-ahon
sa dagat ng pagsubok.
Kaingayan. Mga papel. Kahit na ang alikabok
na nagmumula sa pisara’y akin nang tinanggap ng
buong puso dahil ako ay isang guro na makapagbabago ng sanlibutan.
Kalikasan. Hayaan ninyo rin akong ibahagi
na inyo ang isang tula kung saan napapaloob ang
aking damdamin ukol sa ating tungkulin bilang
mamamayan ng mundong ating ginagalawan.
Kasagutan sa aking Kahilingan
Bakit ba tayo lamang?
Ang binigyan ng Diyos na tamang isipan
Biniyayaan ng kakayahan
Na mga halaman at hayop ay di magagawa.
Sino nga ba tayo?
Ano ang halaga natin sa mundong ito?
Ginawa ng Maykapal ang kalikasan
Ngunit tayo din lamang ang dulot ng mga kasiraan.
Mga puno’y pinuputol
Mga dagat ay pinasasabugan
Kahit na ang iba ay tutol
Walang magawa dahil ang iba’y may kapangyarihan.
Pera na nga lang ba ang umiiral?
Wala man lang ba tayong magagawa
Upang iligtas ang Inang Kalikasan
At maibalik ang dati nitong sigla.
Kung ating iisipin
Tayo’y ginawa upang alagaan ito
Kaya’t atin nang baguhin
Ang sirang dulot din natin sa mundo.
Kung atin isipin
Tayo’y ginawa upang alagaan ito
Kaya’t atin nang baguhin
Ang sirang dulot din natin sa mundo.
•••
The author is Teacher III of the San Fernando Elementary School.•
business news
VOLUME III • NO. 172 • FEBRUARY 25, 2015 • WEDNESDAY
Caragan Festival wows
thousands of tourists
By Charlene A. Cayabyab
MABALACAT CITY -- Tens
of thousands of individuals
trooped to the grandest festival in Central Luzon as Caragan Festival in this city wowed
crowd with elaborate costumes, head dresses and performances.
With 53 participating tribes
from the junior (elementary)
and main (high school/college)
division, Caragan marked another record of most watched
and most attended festive event
in the region, and probably in
the country.
The parade and street dance
filled about three kilometers of
the MacArthur Highway from
Poblacion to Xevera in Tabun
which highlighted the Aeta
ancestry of this town that was
founded in 1712.
Also reported to be a record
was the simultaneous mass
dance of 53 participating tribes
which converged at Xevera after the three-hour parade. The
dance was documented in aerial photo and video shots.
The festival is in honor of
chieftain Caragan, an Aeta who
is said to have founded the town
named after Balacat trees which
dominantly filled the place.
The parade also featured
winners of Miss Mabalacat City
and Haring Caragan pageants
with guest celebrity Rodjun
Cruz of GMA 7.
The most awaited part is the
announcement and awarding
of certificates and plaques of
recognition as Marcos Village
Elementary School (Tribung
MALIG) and Mabalacat National High School (Tribung
NACIONAL) hailed grand winners. Judges include renowned
artists like dance guru Douglas Nierras with Powerdance
dancers Marimar Obita, Er-
ick Juanerio, Frolan Dabalus
and Julius Quitalig, hairstylist
James Cooper, National Commission for Culture and Arts
(NCCA) Director for Cultural
Education Program Joseph
Cristobal, songwriter-arranger
Atodel Rosario, theatre visual
and writer Armado Sta. Ana,
tourism planning and development consultant Nilo Agustin,
Cultural Center of the Philippines Department Manager for
Cultural Exchange Carmencita
“Chinggay” Bernardo, artistic
director Gener Caringal,
The judges hailed the staging
of Caragan, citing its importance
not only to arts but in preservation of this city’s rich heritage.
“What you have brought
to the people of Mabalacat
through this festival is not
only entertainment and pleasure but a connection to a culture most young people tend
to forget. Their participation
in the parade brings back to
them a first-hand experience
of the hardship that brought
about the culture that is as rich
as they have in Mabalacat. An
enriching experience that only
participationcan bring. Viva
Caragan, Viva Mabalacat!,”
said Nierras. •
PCSO, Philhealth
ink landmark pact
SISTERHOOD CITY PACT. Angeles Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan (R) and Davao Mayor Rudy Duterte (C) sign a memorandum of agreement establishing the sisterhood city cooperation between the two local governments. The MOA signing
was witnessed by Dr. Emmanuel Y. Angeles after Duterte’s talk on federalism yesterday at the Angeles University Foundation.
--AC-CIO PHOTO
Mayor Duterte addresses
locators, investors in Clark
by Rudy Abular
CLARK FREEPORT – The
boosting of regional economic
zones in the country particularly
Clark and Subic Freeport Zones
will be fully realized by shifting
from a highly centralized form of
government to a Federal Parliamentary system.
Addressing a group of investors and locators here, Davao
City Mayor Rody Duterte said a
Federal system of government
in the Philippines will allow regional growth areas like Clark
and Subic to chart their own economic fate and destiny.
Duterte visited Clark Tuesday
as part of his “Listening Tour” in
advocating a shift from a Unitary Presidential form of government to a Federal Parliamentary.
He said the “under-utilization” of the Clark International
Airport and the Subic and Batan-
gas free-ports are lost opportunities resulting from governance
which is highly dependent on the
goodwill of the central government.
Duterte was known as one of
the most business-friendly local
executives who steered Davao
City from a basket-case in peace
and order and investments to
become the fourth safest city in
the world to live in and ranked
mayor duterte...Page 7
MANILA - In line with their
missions to provide “universal
health care for all Filipinos,” a
key policy of President Benigno Aquino III, the Philippine
Charity Sweepstakes Office
(PCSO) and Philippine Health
Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) inked an agreement
that will greatly benefit people
in need of financial assistance
for medical concerns.
The signing, which took
place during PhilHealth’s
20th anniversary program
last Feb. 12, is part of government agencies’ efforts towards
synergy by cooperating with
each other in appropriate and
significant ways to help the
public gain easier, faster, and
more convenient access to
government services.
The signatories were Philippine Charity Sweepstakes
Office Vice-Chairman and
General Manager lawyer Jose
Ferdinand M. Rojas II and
PhilHealth President and
CEO Alexander A. Padilla.
The agreement between
the two agencies is for PCSO
to provide a space for an offsite PhilHealth office, a “PhilHealth Help Desk.”
PhilHealth will give trained
PCSO personnel read-only access to its Institutional Health
Care Provider (IHCP) electronic portal. This will allow
the authorized PCSO employees to check if the person applying for financial assistance
for medical- and health-related concerns is a PhilHealth
member or a member’s qualified dependent.
This will greatly facilitate
the processing of requests
for financial assistance under
the PCSO’s flagship Individual Medical Assistance Program (IMAP), which provides
around P16 million a day to
qualified beneficiaries nationwide.
The service will soon be
available at PCSO’s extension
office at the Lung Center of
the Philippines, Quezon City,
where the agency’s Charity
Assistance and Medical Services departments are located.•