MikeLigalig.com

Join UNWIRE.HK as a Reporter / Anchor (Hong Kong)
UNWIRE.HK is looking to hire a Reporter / Anchor to be responsible for its editorial and on-camera work. Preference will be given to those who have a passion for technology and a strong knowledge of social media and Adobe Premiere.

Asian Private Banker seeks Copy Editor (Hong Kong)
Asian Private Banker is looking for an energetic, experienced and passionate Copy Editor to join its team in Hong Kong. You will work on Asian Private Banker's daily online content, print publications and consult for other editorial-related projects. Apply for the Copy Editor role via LinkedIn.

Five Reporter roles at hunan.ifeng.com (Hunan)
hunan.ifeng.com is looking for individuals to fill the following roles:

Political Reporter
The Political Reporter will be responsible for planning and writing features. The ability to cover in-depth political news is preferred.

Reporter, Books
Tasks will include writing book reviews; conducting interviews with authors; covering news and writing features on litterateurs; planning and curating cultural features.

Reporter, Profile
You will be planning and writing features on profile stories.

Finance Reporter
The Finance Reporter will report and write financial news, and manage content for its finance channel.

Video Journalist
The ideal Video Journalist should be skilled in shooting and editing news photos and videos. Previous experience in live reporting will be advantageous.

To apply, please send your CV and two work examples to 369743901@qq.com

Join Lanxiong Sports (Beijing / Shanghai)
Lanxiong Sports is looking to hire the following positions:

Editor-in-Chief
The Editor-in-Chief is mainly responsible for managing large, exclusive and serial features. You will also plan, report and write stories while coordinating reporters to develop feature stories. The ideal candidate should have at least three years of work experience in a major news media. A good business sense and judgement, and understanding of the nature and pattern of the sports industry development are required. A sound knowledge of business, finance and the internet is a plus.

Senior Reporter
The Senior Reporter will follow and capture sports industry news. The successful candidate should have at least a year of experience working for a major news media or have received editorial training before. A good understanding or passion for a certain sport will be an advantage. A good business sense and judgement is also needed.

Intern Reporter
The Intern Reporter will work independently or support other journalists in writing news stories, and handle daily copies. An educational background in business and knowledge of a foreign language are preferable. Those who can work for three to six months will be considered.

If interested, please contact them via hr@lanxiongsports.com and state clearly the position you are applying for in the email.

Questex Media seeks Freelance Writers and Video Producers (Asia)
Questex Media is looking for Freelance Writers and Video Producers. Successful applicants should have previous technology journalism experience. Candidates need to have on the ground experience conducting interviews in Bahasa and Thai, as well as English. Please send through your CV, previous project samples and expected rates to Regional Content and Strategy Director Allan Tan at atan@questexasia.com

Openings at Edipresse Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
Home Journal and Hong Kong Tatler have the following vacancies:

Editor - Home Journal
The Editor of Home Journal is in charge of overseeing the production of the monthly print magazine, annual supplements and the brand's digital and social media platforms. As well as writing, editing, commissioning, proofing and other daily managerial tasks, the Editor will set the creative vision for the brand, develop digital output, grow the online audience and spearhead brand-building and revenue-generating projects.

Associate Editor - Home Journal
Edipresse Asia is looking for a tenacious and talented young editor to work on interior design and home decorating magazine Home Journal. Reporting to the Editor, the successful candidate will generate ideas and write stories for print and digital, interview designers, source photos, help oversee home shoots and work with the design team to create beautiful layouts.

Assistant Social Editor - Hong Kong Tatler
Reporting to the Senior Social Editor of Hong Kong Tatler, the successful candidate should possess a strong ability to recall faces and names. He / She will be required to attend social functions frequently during the peak social season and responsible for establishing and maintaining positive ongoing relations with members of Hong Kong's high society. The Assistant Social Editor will also assist on VIP guest management at Hong Kong Tatler events.

Chinese Translator - Home Journal
The Chinese Translator will translate all articles for Home Journal (print and digital), plus supplements, from English to Chinese. The successful candidate will proof read, edit and make revisions to layouts and proofs to ensure they are of a standard suitable for publication. The Translator will also conduct Chinese-only interviews if necessary.

SALAMINAGWAY. 39
Lindog ni Don Pagusara
Bisaya Agosto 6, 2014

Ang Adonis nga Mipatay sa Baboy
Lindog ni Don Pagusara
Bisaya Agosto 6, 2014

KON pamilyar ka sa mitolohiyang Griyego, nakaalinggat gyod ka kang Adonis—kadtong batan-ong gikaibgan ug gihigugma ni Venus, ang diyosa sa gugma ug katahoman, tungod sa iyang talagsaong kaguwapo? Sa estorya sa mitolohiya, kini si Adonis napatay og baboy ihalas nga butakal! Kaluoy!

Dunay mitumaw nga Adonis sa pamalak nga Sugboanon. Gikahimut-an ni siya sa sirkulo sa mga magbabalak nga Sugboanon tungod sa iyang mga lalang nga 

naghambin og talagsaong karinyo! Wala ni siya mapatay og baboy ihalas, hinunoa  nagpalupad ni siyag talagsaong berso nga gitangag sa baboy ngadto sa iyang ihawan. Hahaha!

Bitaw, kini si Adonis G. Durado dili mahimong hitaligam-an sa pagpanganinaw nato sa pamalak nga Sugboanon ning atong kontemporaryong panahon. Bisdak gyod ni kaayong tawhana!  O, niay sampol sa iyang gama nga gitaytolag Dunay Pako ang Baboy —

          Dunay pako ang baboy;
          Wa lang ta kabantay.
          Ingog wa ta kamatikod
          Sa tiil sa bakasi,
          O sungay sa manok,
          O ikog sa tawo.

          Dunay pako ang baboy;
          Ug katingad-an dili--
          Ingog may bukton
          Ang punoan sa kahoy,
          May mata ang buwan,
          May simod ang takuri.
             
          Dunay pako ang baboy.
          Tagolilong lang ugaling--
          Maong din-a mahisgotan.
          Di ba may pako ang libak?
          May pako ang takna?
          May pako ang hunahuna?

          Dunay pako ang baboy
          Ingog wa ta mahibulong
          Nganong taas kinig simod,
          Ang atngal napulog unom,
          Ang iwik layog padulngan
          Inigkapakapa sa ihawan.

Nahikatawa  ka, kay miinsistir ang persona nga duna lagi pako ang baboy. Sa akong pangagpas, nahikatawa ka kay mihunong tingali kag basa human sa unang linya ug sa imong paghitukikig katawa, nahanduraw nimo ang baboy sa imong tangkal nga gitugkag mga pako, no? Basin ganig midalikyat pa kag lili sa inyong baboy didto sa likod sa kosina ninyo ug gisuhid nimog duna ba gyod tinuoy pako?

Perog milili ka sa mga gihang tali sa mga linya, manihag-sihag baya ang gipasumbingay sa balak nga morag binuang-bu**** lang ni Adonis, di ba? Kay gipalupad man god niya ang dugang pang mga larawan nga dili makit-an, kay tagolilong kuno! Dili mamatikdan. Dili mahisgotan, ug  katingad-an dili. Sa pagkatinuod, daghang butang sa atong palibot— ang uban naa ra sa atong atubangan ubos sa atong simod— nga naghambin og mga pako. Gilista na sa persona: libak, takna, hunahuna. Oo, kusog kaayo ni sila manglugpad.

Ang ubang butang – aw, tanang butang gyod, way pili!— duna poy ilang gihambin nga dugang sa ilang kinaiyahan. Apan dili makit-an. Motungha lang sila kon ipasumbingay o himoong tanghaga sa magbabalak! So, ikaw! Kon hilig ka magtagik og balak o bisan unsang literaryong gambalay sa pulong, mahimo nimong pakapinag ekstrang parte ang usa ka butang – parte nga dili makit-an kay tagolilong. Sa mubong pagkasulti— gipasumbingay, gihimong elemento sa metapora o gidrowingan og larawan nga inimbento kay gisugyot sa panginahanglan sa imong gilalang nga literatura.

Alleluia! Himayaon ta ang Bisdak nga magbabalak nga maantigo kaayo sa pag-imbento og mga kahibudngang eksperyensiya diha sa iyang obra. Sama niining lain pang sugid sa panimpalad – sige, kuyogan ta!

mubo nga kinabuhi
ang mubo nga kinabuhi
kay taas nga biyahe
kon mosum-ok sa kabugangan
imbes nga mobaktas sa da'n;
ang moubog sa sapa
ug magpaanod sa sulog
imbes nga motabok sa tulay;
ang mosimang sa dapit
nga wap-a mataaki,
imbes nga mobalik og subay
sa susamang abtanan.
kay ilalom sa gibarogan
nianang gadalag sungkod,
kontentong gatikungkong
kalaberang hilis og sapatos.

Hehehe. Guwatsinanggo ni si Adonis. Pero, wala ka, kay lawom – lawom ang kamatuorang gibatbat. Dili guwatsinanggo ang tukmang paghulagway sa katakos ni Adonis, kondi pilosopo! Yes, Sir, philosopher kini si Adonis!  Ug postmodernista!

Pilosopong postmodernista! Asa ka?

Morag yano lang kaayo ang pamulong ning pilosopo sa Sugboanong pamalak.  Apan gihulagway niya ang paradoja sa kinabuhi dinha sa mga laang sa pulong nga kaugalingon gyod niyang imbento. Kana maoy gawi sa tinuod nga magmumugnag alampat. So, dili kahibudngan nga kapungtan siya ug sa samang higayon kahimut-an. Kay tulukibon ang hagtos sa mga kuldas sa iyang dila.

Ang mubong kinabuhi kuno taas nga biyahe. Usa kini ka laktod nga proklamasyon sa kamatuoran. Apan kamatuorang naa nagpuyo sa panlantawng pilosopikanhon, dili sa ordinaryong konsiderasyon sa kasarangang pangisip. Busa, paradoja— uska matang sa baligho.

Taas ba ang giabot sa imong dili ginhapong mga panimpalad?   Sama pananglit sa pagtikad og mga kamahinungdanon sa kinabuhing literaryo?  May kahadlok ka ba sa pagsuong sa wala maandi o di kasagarang agianan? Kon dili ka abenturero kay magpaanod lang ka sa sulog ug hadlok ka magpalahi sa uban... ah,  dili taas ang biyahe nimo. Taas imong kinabuhi, dili mubo— maihap sa gidugayon sa mga tuig ang imong kinabuhi. Sukwahi niini, mubo ra ang kinabuhi nga gihalad sa talagsaong mga panimpalad hinungdan nga hilis ang sapatos. Apan hinunoa, nahimong taas iyang biyahe ug gisabulakan sa mga kadaogan ug kalamposan nga naangkon.

Sa sunod gula, ihikyad nato ang uban pang mga lakra nga napatik sa wanang sa uniberso sa kalag ning pilosopong postmodernista.—

Gooruf.com recruiting Journalists (Hong Kong)

Blue Financial Communication (BFC), an Italian Publisher with titles including Forbes Italia and websites such as Bluerating.com and Gooruf.com, has expanded its activities to Hong Kong setting up an office in Central. The main target of the company is to develop the Asian version of Gooruf.com, a vertical portal and social network in finance. Mid-career Financial Journalists and recent graduates with financial reporting experience - who are ready to work in a startup environment and look to cover financial news across Asia -  are welcome to apply for full-time or freelance opportunities. Very fluent written English is mandatory and Hong Kong citizenship is required for the full-time position.

Please send the CV with links to articles already published to Federico at morgantini@gooruf.com

Meet Startup@TW seeks English Journalist (Taipei)
BusinessNext Media Group's online platform Meet Startup@TW is recruiting an English Journalist with print or online news experience to join the team. Applicants should be interested in technology, startups and innovation, and have excellent command of English and the ability to communicate in and write basic Chinese. Candidates who are currently based or considering to live in Taiwan are preferred. Send your CV and work samples to Feliciana Hsu at feliciana@bnext.com.tw

Experienced China Science Reporter (Hong Kong)
Reporting on news about science and research in China, the reporter will actively seek out stories through contacts, scientific papers and press releases both in China and abroad, strive to win exclusive interviews and conduct investigative research where necessary. Degree holder in Journalism or a science-based discipline, with at least three years of relevant working experience is required. Applicants should have good knowledge of science and the latest scientific trends and developments both in China and overseas. The role will require travelling to mainland China.

China Society Reporter (Hong Kong)
The role will require sourcing, pitching and writing articles that give international audiences insight into Chinese society, culture and life in China. The successful candidate will work with multimedia, video and photo teams to source and create engaging digital content for a global readership. The job is open to degree holders in Journalism or a related discipline, reporting experience preferred.

Multimedia Producer - Strategy and Special Reports (Hong Kong)
The SCMP is seeking a Multimedia Producer to work on a new publication that focuses on digital storytelling through social media platforms. The ideal candidate has a solid journalism background, a love for visuals (videos, graphics, gifs), and a desire to experiment with new visual formats. This is a position for degree holders in Journalism or related disciplines with minimum two years of relevant experience. Applicants with experience editing videos and/or creating motion graphics and have strong interest in food, culture, travel, nuanced / underreported stories and communities are preferred.

Social Media Manager (New York)
Based in the US, the Social Media Manager will manage SCMP's digital image, tone and brand on all social networks, specifically focusing on US audiences. He / She will help define and execute a strong social media strategy to grow SCMP's reach and engagement for both established and new products. Candidates should have minimum five years' newsroom experience with demonstrated knowledge of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social platforms.

Experienced Digital Copy Editors (Hong Kong)
The successful candidate will be responsible for editing, fact checking, rewriting and improving copy with care and sensitivity, and ensuring copy is free from errors. He / She will need to craft top quality Search Engine Optimised and print headlines, sub-heads and picture and graphics captions. Minimum four years of experience in a real-time online news operation, wire service or a newspaper is essential.

Full-Time Editor
The Editor's responsibilities will include both line and copy editing for stories on economic, financial and company news on deadline, and doing a variety of other activities, such as promoting stories on social media and editing and producing short pieces for the Caixin Flash of breaking financial news. Applicants should have at least five years working experience as an Editor, with strong command of the AP Stylebook and total fluency in English. To apply, send your CV, as well as links to stories you have edited and samples of headlines to hiring@caixin.com

Entry-level General News Reporter
The Reporter's time will be split in two parts. He / She will work with the General News Chief to write stories on a daily basis, and will also work with the Op-Ed Editor to translate commentaries from Chinese to English. Preferred candidate will have one to two years of experience working at an English-language domestic or foreign news outlet, but recent graduates with interning experience at major news outlets can also be considered. Good knowledge of China's political and social systems, including the latest developments in the legal, environmental, healthcare and education systems is required. Submit your resume and writing samples to hiring@caixin.com to apply for the role. 

REP. CIRIACO "ACOY" S. CALALANG
KABAYAN Party-list
Member, Good Government & Public Accountability, Tourism,
Bases Conversion, Public Order & Safety, and 12 other committees
Mobile: 0917-729-2437

TAX LAWYER-SOLON URGES SHIFT FROM FISCAL INCENTIVES

Rep. Calalang says Vietnam and Indonesia are better at attracting foreign investments

I congratulate the economic team of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on the record-level foreign direct investments of $10 billion for the whole year of 2017. May this historic achievement spur all the economic agencies to triple their efforts.

We have a lot of catching up to do. We need to do attract foreign direct investments in new and varied ways.

Compared to some of our neighbors in Southeast Asia, the Philippines' $10 billion in FDIs is but a fraction of their FDIs. For example in 2017, Vietnam had $35.88 billion while Indonesia attracted $32 billion. (https://goo.gl/Z6YQ8D and https://goo.gl/289Xvu )

New studies and analyses have shown that the old ways of enticing FDIs using fiscal incentives or tax breaks are no longer effective and even detrimental to the national economy.

The perennial complaints of prospective foreign investors and investors who withdraw their investments are: red tape, workers' productivity,  personal security of their expatriates, political stability, peace and order, and inconsistency of economic policies with every change of president and local government executives.

On red tape, Congress worked on this issue by passing its bills on ease of doing business. I hope the executive department implements well.

On workers' productivity, I believe foreign investors are willing to pay high wages but they expect high productivity in return, which is what is happening in the BPO sector. The BPO sector is vibrant in our country because employees are well-motivated in the work. The problem with some workers in other sectors is that as soon as they become regular employees, they become lazy and less productive. This does happen and I have seen it happen in government agencies and in some private businesses.

Street crimes are concerns of foreign investors because the personal security of their employees is on the line, while white collar crimes at work are risks to business operations.

The quintuplets of political stability, peace and order, graft, and corruption remain issues in areas where communist rebels, separatists, bandits, and private armies operate, and where corrupt and incompetent officials are elected or appointed to office.

Lastly, foreign investors want to invest long-term but their investment plans and operate are upset when government policies shift whenever a new president, governor, or mayor is elected.

These are the problems that prevent us from attracting foreign investments at the levels of Vietnam, Indonesia, and other neighbors in Southeast Asia.

Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez and his team at the DOF have the highly difficult task of rationalizing the fiscal incentives government gives to businesses.

I am open to their receiving soon their briefing on how our country's labyrinth of fiscal incentives can be much less complicated and make the Philippine economy more attractive to foreign investments for the right non-fiscal reasons.  (END)

REFERENCES:
https://think-asia.org/bitstream/handle/11540/7480/pidsdps1726.pdf?sequence=1
http://www.oecd.org/mena/competitiveness/38758855.pdf
https://itep.org/tax-incentives-costly-for-states-drag-on-the-nation/
https://www.theigc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Tuomi-2012-Working-Paper.pdf
http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/98-078_5de6b935-51b9-42c9-a741-ce36da60073d.pdf
https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/28387/economics-wp168.pdf
http://unctad.org/en/Docs/iteipcmisc3_en.pdf

    Loyalty Unto Death
    March 16, 2018

    Average reading time is about 4 and a half minutes
    An Amazing Fact: Thomas Becket was the Archbishop of Canterbury under the reign of King Henry II, and the two men didn't get along. Under orders supposedly from the king, several knights assassinated Becket in 1170. According to an eyewitness account, Becket was struck three times before declaring, "For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death."

    Unfortunately, the history of the Christian church is saturated with the blood of martyrs. Christians were persecuted for as long as the church existed, first by the Jews, then the Romans, and eventually even from within the church itself during the Dark Ages. Though these deaths are tragic, the martyrs' last words often reveal an unwavering faith in the God they served, for whom they ultimately gave their lives.

    Whether we face death from violence or disease, we should stand firm in the knowledge that Christ remembers us and will raise us from the dead when He returns to Earth. Even before the days of Jesus, the patriarch Job demonstrated this type of faith by declaring boldly, "Though [God] slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him" (Job 13:15). Job had this faith even before the cross; how much more should we have this kind of faith looking back on the cross!

    The Bible promises a time of tribulation before Jesus returns, and living during this time will not be easy. But even if God calls us to die for our faith, we have hope. God promises to remember every time a person sheds another's blood. (See Genesis 9:6.) He also promises justice for His fallen children and everlasting life as a reward for remaining true to Him.

    KEY BIBLE TEXTS
    And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12:11

Why Moms Thrive at Human Nature

Marking National Women's Month with more family-friendly initiatives

"Minsan, katawan mo na talaga yung bumibigay eh (sometimes, your body just gives up)," recounts Rheavie Galvero-Ablazo, an assistant store manager at Human Nature's flagship store in Quezon City. Before joining Human Nature, she used to work 16 to 24 hour shifts at a factory manufacturing seatbelts.

After becoming pregnant with her first child, it became increasingly hard for her find employment. "How could I get a new factory job with a newborn at home? I didn't know how we'd survive." Ablazo's story isn't unique. A new study from the US-based National Bureau of Economic Research* reveals that the gender wage gap goes beyond being female -- it's a penalty for becoming a mother.

Researchers found that the highest-paying jobs required fixed schedules and rewarded longer hours. This has made it harder for mothers, who tended to take on more childcare and household responsibilities, to earn as much as their male colleagues. Data from Denmark, a country known for one of the highest female labor participation rates in the world, was used in the study.

Creating a workplace that lets mothers thrive is part of Human Nature's efforts to change the way business is done in the Philippines.

"Women have so much to contribute and being a mother gives them perspectives and experiences that are so valuable in creating more humane and sustainable companies," states Human Nature Co-Founder and President Anna Meloto-Wilk.

The company takes pride in its continued pursuit of family-friendly policies.

All employees are covered by an organization-wide Sundays off policy and shorter work days. Employees enjoy to 7.5 to 7 hours and flexible hours when applicable, instead of the conventional 8 or 9 hour work days. In addition, the company's manufacturing plant in Canlubang, Laguna is slowly eliminating the need for graveyard shifts.

Plant Manager Mildred Baril shares that all of their efforts at the company's Carmelray campus is about becoming a benchmark in manufacturing processes and labor practices.

"We are giving former contractual, agency-hired workers hope that the manufacturing industry is not synonymous with endo and low pay. Hope that manufacturing can one day be equivalent to security of tenure, good salary and humane treatment for all employees."

Closing the gender gap also means enabling men to share the load.

While there is a government-mandated paternal leave of 7 days, the company provides 14 days of paternal leave for fathers up to one month after the birth. Last year, the company rolled out additional compensation for every child born. Creating more child-friendly spaces at its offices is also in the works.

Ablazo, an assistant store manager, shares that shortened work days means stronger relationships and opportunities for self-care. She adds that being less stressed when she brings her children to school has had a positive impact on family dynamics.

Women at the helm

The 2016 Human Capital Outlook for the ASEAN briefing given by the World Economic Forum cited that the labor force participation gender gap in the Philippines is at 35 percent. In contrast, Human Nature's equal opportunity practices have led to more women to join its ranks. Almost half of its manufacturing plant labor force are women and a majority of its departments are led by women.

Social enterprise brands led by women and employing women have also found a home in Human Nature's 34 branches across the Philippines. The handmade purses from Mori Notes, for example, are made by mother crafters in Quezon City who work from their homes. Mori Notes enables them to earn dignified wages while they watch over their children.

Mitzi Uy-Chan, founder of Mori Notes, relates how Human Nature's freely shared expertise has helped her social enterprise multiply the income of its workers.

"Initially, some mothers were just doing rags at home earning 100 pesos a day. Others didn't have work because they had to tend to their children at home. Through Mori Notes they are able to earn at least 450 pesos a day," she shares. Mori Notes makes journals, wallets, and other crafts in partnership with women in a poor barangays in Apolonio Samson, Quezon City and in Bulacan. "Their help provide continuous work for the mothers especially during the company's first couple of years, when it had very few clients."

Beverage brand Bayani Brew and food brands First Harvest, Uncle Frank's and Tintan's Pastries also have a predominantly female workforce. Each adheres to Human Nature's dignified wage policies also have homegrown enrichment programs for employees.

Dignified work for all

By intentionally hiring people from marginalized sectors, Gandang Kalikasan is able to provide dignified work, fair living wages, and opportunities to those who need it most.

Currently, 58 percent of employees come from the low-skilled working poor from communities in surrounding areas in Quezon City and Laguna where its main operations are based. GKI's minimum living wage for its rank and file workers ranges from over 60 percent to as high as twice the minimum legal wage.

The 490-strong company continues to enforce a strict no firing policy for all regular employees, maintains a firm anti-endo stance, and gives all regularized employees full benefits.  A variety of interventions are put in place for the bottom-of-the-pyramid (BoP) employees' holistic well-being covering transformation (both tangible and non-tangible) in terms of their family life, work life and community life with the end goal of getting them and their families rise out of poverty.

Through a combination of different policies and programs never before invested in workers, Gandang Kalikasan envisions itself to be the most caring employer in the Philippines.

Enjoying full tenure, benefits, and shorter hours has been life changing for Human Resources Officer Michelle Lucido. She recounted that the long hours at her previous job affected her relationship with her child. "She didn't want to spend time with me because I was always busy," she shares. "Plus, my then contractual status crushed any dreams my family had of owning a home. This is the first time I experienced being a regular employee and now, I get to spend more time with my daughter!"

About Human Nature

Human Nature is the Philippines' largest brand of genuinely natural, affordable personal care, cosmetics and home care products. Founded in 2008 by Dylan Wilk, Anna Meloto-Wilk, and Camille Meloto, Human Nature's products are 100% made in the Philippines and 100% free from harmful chemicals. Operated by social enterprise Gandang Kalikasan Inc. (GKI), Human Nature is driven by the core philosophies of being PRO-PHILIPPINES, PRO-POOR and PRO-ENVIRONMENT. In 2012, Human Nature was recognized by the World Economic Forum's Schwab Foundation as a Champion for Social Entrepreneurship.  To learn more about Human Nature and its advocacies, log on to www.humanheartnature.com.

KABAYAN PARTY-LIST
(Kabalikat ng Mamamayan)
Rep. Ron P. Salo - 09177292437
Rep. Ciriaco S. Calalang - 09202940156

KABAYAN PARTY-LIST FILES INTENT TO RUN IN 2019 ELECTIONS

KABAYAN Party-list has filed before the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) its Manifestation of Intent to Participate in the 2019 national elections.

The official filing was undertaken by KABAYAN Party-list Representatives Ron P. Salo and Ciriaco S. Calalang, together with Party Secretary General Joshua P. Sebastian and Spokesperson Angelica Jones, former 2-term provincial board member of Laguna.

Also with the KABAYAN delegation for the COMELEC filing were all its members of the Board of Trustees and supporters.

During the 2016 national elections, KABAYAN Party-list garnered two seats in the House of Representatives.  It has remained on track in the pursuit of its core advocacies of KAlusugan (health), paBAhay (housing), kabuhaYAN (livelihood), education and overseas Filipino workers (KABAYAN +2).

These core advocacies are realized through human rights-based legislation and direct extension of support and assistance to people and communities, especially those at the margins of society.

The Party-list's core leadership and membership represent a range of sectors in society, such as the people's and grassroots organizations, pastoral and civic groups, overseas workers, urban and rural poor, academe, and professionals.

Insofar as legislation is concerned, KABAYAN Party-list is behind the filing of responsive bills such as the Universal Health Care, Philippine Mental Health Law, Emergency Medical Services, creation of the Department of Housing, providing regular salaries to barangay officials, transforming the paradigm of basic education from 3Rs to 3Cs (or from employability to empowerment), increase of salaries of teachers, and the creation of the Department of Migration and Development, among others.

In the meantime, direct assistance has been given by KABAYAN Party-list to various groups in terms of educational and medical assistance, medical outreach, skills training, emergency employment and support for local infrastructure.  To date, KABAYAN Party-list has provided financial support to several thousands of students in several colleges and thousands of patients in various hospitals around the country.  Its medical outreach, including the distribution of wheelchairs, has also benefited numerous communities, families and individuals.

"KABAYAN Party-list remains focused in its vision of empowering every Filipino, and its mission of uplifting the lives of our people." Rep. Salo said.  "In pursuit of this noble task, we are well guided by and grounded on our faith in an Almighty God who never fails to be our greatest source of inspiration and strength," Rep. Salo stressed further. (END)

DOE AND DOST MOVE TO SECURE THE ENERGY FACILITIES: The DOE and DOST signed on 16 March 2018 a Memorandum of Agreement (MO A) to enhance the capacity of the energy sector in assessing the risk hazards of an impending earthquake that may have adverse impacts on energy facilities and services as well as people. The MOA entails training on the use of the Filipino-made Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS) software, which is a tool for preparing and responding to calamities and disasters. Sealing the deal with Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi is DOST Undersecretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. with DOE Senior Undersecretary Jesus Cristino P. Posadas and PHIVOLCS Associate Scientist Dr. Maria Leonila P. Bautista as witnesses.

(Taguig City). "Wag na tayong magpatumpik-tumpik pa," emphasized Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi during the signing of an agreement with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Friday (16 March) to use a Filipino-made software to enhance the capacity of all stakeholders in earthquake readiness.

This is a timely response to the magnitude 6.5-earthquake that hit Visayas last year, affecting electricity supply delivery in Leyte, Samar and Bohol. This incident revealed the vulnerability of the country's energy systems to earthquakes.

Cusi pointed out: "It is the mandate of the DOE to ensure that energy services will be available to everyone immediately after an emergency situation." This pronouncement supports President Rodrigo Duterte's directive to ensure disaster resilience.

"We need all available tools and technologies to enhance our resiliency planning and implementation," Cusi emphasized, citing the threat of a magnitude 7.2-earthquake and other calamities, which pose risks to operations in the energy sector.

The Memorandum of Agreement (M OA)  entitled "Capacity Enhancement of the Energy Sector on Hazard, Risk Assessment and Exposure Database Development Through the Use of the Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS) Software" was inked on 16 March at the DOE-Media Center in Taguig City by DOE Sec. Cusi and DOST Undersecretary Renato U. Solidum Jr., and witnessed by DOE Undersecretary Jesus Cristino P. Posadas and DOST- Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Associate Scientist Dr. Maria Leonila P. Bautista.

For the energy sector's capacity enhancement, the MOA outlines the development of database on hazard, risk assessment and exposure to earthquake through the use of the DOST-PHIVOLCS' REDAS software. It can be used as a tool for emergency preparedness, contingency planning and mainstreaming disaster risk reduction.

Under the MOA, the DOE and PHIVOLCS would undertake and pursue intensive REDAS training, endeavor knowledge and resources sharing to complement each other on the implementation of the program, among other assistance and cooperation needed for the attainment of the goals and objectives to prepare the energy sector on possible earthquake hazards.

REDAS will be helpful in providing quick and near-real-time simulated earthquake hazard information to disaster managers which will help them in assessing the distribution and extent of the impacts of a strong earthquake to their people and assets. The data generated could also provide information and insights for better resource management and asset resiliency.

REDAS can be used to compute ground-shaking, earthquake-induced landslides, liquefaction and even tsunamis. Other capabilities of the tool include earthquake sorting capability, generating seismicity maps, onscreen map digitization and building of database on earthquake hazard risks as well as wind hazards.

The partnership of the DOE and DOST-PHIVOLCS is also in line with the recently signed Department Circular No. ‎2018-01- 0001 or the "Adoption of Energy Resiliency in the Planning and Programming of the Energy Sector to Mitigate Potential Impacts of Disasters", also known as the Energy Resiliency Policy.

The Energy Resiliency Policy was issued as a foundation to make the Philippines an energy-resilient country. The policy also aims to unify the energy sector in mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in its plans, programs and activities.

The policy likewise seeks to institutionalize the strengthening of energy systems and facilities, and to enable the quick restoration and provision of an alternative power source that will alleviate consumer conditions during emergencies and disasters.

"Because of this partnership with PHIVOLCS, more collaborative efforts within the energy sector will result and in the end, it will make the country more competitive," Cusi concluded.

MVP confirms talks with Euro fund mgr
By Lawrence Agcaoili (The Philippine Star) | Updated January 17, 2013 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines - Dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is in exclusive talks with European private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for the acquisition of its 80-percent controlling stake in Illinois-based business process outsourcing (BPO) unit SPi Global Holdings Inc.

"Yes," PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan replied when asked if the company was in exclusive talks with the fund manager.

He pointed out that the company hopes to conclude talks with CVC Capital soon.

"In the next few weeks, there is no definitive date yes, but hopefully in the next few weeks," the PLDT chief added.

Last month, Pangilinan said PLDT was in the final stages of the purchase and the company hopes to conclude talks within January.

More than a dozen foreign firms in Asia have expressed their interest in acquiring PLDT's wholly-owned subsidiary when it announced last September that it was looking at divesting its interests in SPI Global.
Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

PLDT decided to divest 80 percent of its entire interest in SPi Global and retain 20 percent after the buyer committed to further expand and retain its presence here in the Philippines.

The company decided to divest its stake in the company due to its minimal contribution to the PLDT Group in terms of finances and operations.

SPi Global is a leading globally recognized, full-service BPO provider with 30 offices and facilities around the world. It has over 18,000 employees delivering a wide range of solutions in customer relationship management, content, and healthcare.

It offers a wide range of voice and non-voice BPO solutions as well as the broadest global delivery network with 30 locations spanning North America, the Netherlands, Australia, India, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Besides divestment, the PLDT group also considered other options such as an initial public offering or strategic partnership, to expand SPi Global's international footprint.

SPi's service revenues went up by 17 percent to P4.8 billion in the first half of the year. The company's knowledge process service revenues increased 18 percent while revenues from customer relationship management increased 15 percent.

Philippine Star News Archive
Emperador Distillers Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alliance Global Group Inc., has entered into an agreement with González Byass S.A., one the largest and oldest liquor and wine conglomerates in Spain, for the acquisition from the latter its subsidiary BODEGA SAN BRUNO S.A., a brandy company based in Jerez, Spain.

Emperador will acquire a 100 percent interest in BODEGA SAN BRUNO.  The acquisition will include the SAN BRUNO trademark, which has been registered since 1942.  It also comprises vineyards in Jerez, the brandy-producing region of Spain, as well as a sizable inventory of high-quality and well-matured brandy, now being stored and aged in sherry casks in the bodegas, or wineries, in Jerez.

Winston Co, the president of Emperador said, "We are very pleased with our acquisition of SAN BRUNO, which will enable us to own one of the world's best brandy stock-some of it quite rare and aged for more than 40 years in the bodegas.  This acquisition will also further strengthen our position as the world's No. 1 brandy company by volume and help boost our competitiveness as a global brandy producer."

Emperador sold more than 31 million cases of brandy in 2012.  It is now the largest liquor company in the Philippines.

source: Philippine Star
The Consunji Group has formed a new power company to strengthen its presence in the Philippine energy sector, which is currently dominated by some of the country's richest clans including the Aboitiz and Lopez families.

Consunji-owned Semirara Mining Corp., a publicly-listed coal producer, has incorporated Semirara Energy Utilities Inc. to provide alternative electricity service to remote and unviable areas, the company said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Specifically, Semirara Energy would provide power to three areas in Semirara, Tinogboc and Alegria in Caluya, Antique.

The three barangays are within the franchise area of the Antique Electric Cooperative Inc. (Anteco) but in April 2011, the cooperative said it was not possible to operate in these remote areas.

The Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 allows qualified third parties (QTPs) to provide alternative source of power to unviable and remote areas.

DMCI Holdings, the investment holding firm of the Consunji Group, is largely known for its construction business but in 2006, it formed DMCI Power Corp., its power generation company.
Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

In 2009, the Consunjis formed Sem-Calaca Power Corp., aimed primarily to acquire, expand and maintain power- generating plants, develop fuel for generation of electricity and also sell electricity.

Semirara Mining is the country's biggest coal producer.

In the January to September period last year, the company's consolidated net income declined nine percent to P4.71 billion from P5.2 billion a year before.

Of the amount, the company earned P3.21 billion from its coal business and P1.5 billion from its power generation segment, Sem-Calaca.

The company attributed the decline in earnings to the lower average selling price of both coal and energy during the period.

On Feb. 13, Semirara Mining reported that its large-scale coal mine in Antique collapsed and trapped at least five miners.

Philstar.com News source
The government is revisiting its list of businesses prohibited to foreign investors but notes that the revisions will not include lifting constitutional restrictions on foreign equity and foreign professionals.

The country's top economic managers headed by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, National Economic and Development Authority head Arsenio Balicasan and Department of Trade & Industry head Gregory Domingo have all agreed to review the Foreign Investment Negative List (FINL) to determine which areas may still be opened to foreigners.

Purisima, however, pointed out that only items on the list established by executive order or legislation would be reviewed.

"We will not be reviewing lifting economic restrictions in the constitution. That is currently off the table. Limiting the items on the FINL will allow the Philippines to be more connected to the global economy, which will result in more business and employment for Filipinos," Purisima said.

Purisima said they would seek inputs from key stakeholders – National Government agencies, Congress, business groups, and other industry leaders.

The review is part of efforts to attract more direct foreign investors as the country moves toward accelerated, sustained and inclusive economic growth.
Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

"The review of the FINL is an ongoing process. Once we finish consultations with stakeholders, we will present results to the President," Purisima said.

The FINL, which identifies the business activities that are reserved for Filipino nationals, was introduced as major reform in 1991. Although reissued every two years, the list barely made an impact in so far as boosting foreign investments into the Philippines is concerned. The next FINL is due in 2014.

Net FDI inflows remain very low in the Philippines compared to its neighboring large Asean economies which allow full foreign ownership.

According to the World Bank in its Investing Across Borders 2010 report, which measures how 87 economies facilitate market access and operations of foreign companies, the Philippines and Thailand have some of the strictest foreign equity rules and fall below the East Asia and Pacific Average as well as the high income OECD economies.

Domingo said the review is a crucial step to strengthen the country's trade negotiations strategy.

For his part, Balicasan underscored the need to maintain and enhance the competitiveness of key professions and industries to ensure that the country reaps the full benefits of economic integration in the ASEAN come 2015.

The Joint Foreign Chambers in the Philippines has long been pushing for the removal of some restrictions, particularly on the practice of all professions.

With the expected Asean integration, the Philippines, according to JFC, may be forced to lower barriers to cross-border investments in priority sectors and may have difficulty when it negotiates for advanced free trade agreements with the European Union and other countries.

JFC said the government must take advantage of the growing investor confidence in the country and make a serious effort to make the negative list less negative.

The organization is composed of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines, Korean Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, and Philippine Association of Multinational Regional Headquarters.

REP. CARLOS ROMAN UYBARRETA
1st Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy Party-list (1-CARE)
Vice Chair, Committee on Energy
Member, Appropriations, Constitutional Amendments, and 7 other Committees
Mobile: 0917-729-2437
Unahan ang Tag-ulan

ELECTRIC COOPS, TIWALANG ISUSULONG NG SENADO ANG ANTI-POWER LINE DISTURBANCE ACT BAGO PA MAG-TAG-ULAN

Naniniwala ang party-list representative ng mga electric cooperatives na pagtutuunan ng pansin ng Senado ang pagsasabatas ng House Bill 6276 (Anti-Power Line Disturbance Act) na naglalayong tugunan ang mga palagiang dahilan ng power blackout sa bansa tuwing panahon ng tag-ulan at mga bagyo.

"Umaasa akong makakapagpasa ang Senado ng bersyon nito ng HB 6276 bago pa mag-Hulyo para naman may panahon pa ang mga electric cooperatives at iba pang distribution and transmission utilities na alisin ang mga sagabal sa mga linya ng kuryente," panawagan ni Rep. Carlos Roman Uybarreta ng 1-CARE Party-list.

Pasado na sa third and final reading ng House of Representatives ang HB 6276 noon pang September 25, 2017 at ipinadala ito sa Senado noong September 27.

"Senator Win and I, together with Chair Lord Velasco had a meeting last Wednesday evening and among others we agreed to hasten the passage of certain legislation affecting the energy sector for the betterment of the general public, and one of those legislation is the Anti-Power Line Disturbance bill," sabi ni Uybarreta.

Si Senator Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian ang Senate Committee on Energy Chair; habang si Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco naman ang Chair ng House Committee on Energy.

Sabi ni Uybarreta, malaking bagay kung maaaprubahan ng Senado sa May 2018 ang Anti-Power Line Disturbance Act at maisasagawa agad ang bicameral conference committee upang umabot ang pagsasabatas nito bago pa manalasa ang mga bagyo ng Hulyo, Agosto, at Setyembre.

Dagdag pa ng 1-CARE Representative na, "daig kasi ng maagap ang masipag. Maiiwasan kasi ang mga brownout kung matatabas, maililipat, at maiaalis na ang mga sagabal sa mga linya ng kuryente habang wala pang mga bagyo."

"Delikado para mga crew ng electric coops na sumuong sa gitna ng bagyo. Maaari naman kasing maagapan ang problema bago pa man ito mangyari," paliwanag ni Uybarreta.

Nakapaloob sa HB 6276 ang mga probisyon na nagbibigay authorization sa pamahalaan at sa mga electric cooperatives na alisin ang mga sanga ng puno, gusali, bahay at iba pang istruktura na nasa ilalim, paligid, at tabi ng mga linya at poste ng kuryente dahil nagbabadya ito panganib at malamang maging sanhi ng pagkaputol ng daloy ng kuryente.

Sa Section 10 ng HB 6276, temporary restraining order (TRO) lamang mula sa Korte Suprema ang tanging makakapigil sa mga electric cooperatives at iba pang distribution & transmission utilities na para isakatuparan ang clearing operations sa ilalim at paligid ng mga linya ng kuryente.

Nakasaad din sa HB 6276 na kailangan hingin sa electric coop ang permiso nito bago maglabas ang lokal na pamahalaan ng building permit para sa pagtatayo ng anumang bahay, gusali, o istruktura sa ilalim o malapit sa mga linya ng kuryente. (WAKAS)

STORIES FROM SITIO UBOS
By Tagbilaran Tatler on Facebook.com

It has long been assumed by many that Sitio Ubos is the oldest district of Tagbilaran, that it was here that the town started and grew upward as more and more people started settling here.  After having studied the district, however, certain things about Sitio Ubos had come to my attention that could cast doubts on this belief.
 
For instance, if indeed, Sitio Ubos is the oldest part of Tagbilaran, why is the area dominated by only 4 families?  Can a town be owned only by four families?  As former Tagbilaran Mayor Honorio Grupo described Tagbilaran in 1916, there were only four families living there: the Oppus-Borjas, the Rochas, the Manigques and the Butalids.  The Rochas almost wholly owned the place and the positioning of their houses show their great economic clout in former times.
 
The very first Rocha house in the row was owned by Doña Carmen (Nyora Amen) Rocha which used to stand at the corner where the road from the upper town leading towards the old port area joined Franklin Street- the only decent road in the area.  It was a typical Bohol 'balay-nga tabla', i.e. woodboard and with nipa roofing.  The house is long gone now but a portion of this house is shown in a very old photograph of Sitio Ubos, taken around the turn of the 20th century. Long before the causeway bridge to Totolan, Dauis, was constructed around 1959, people from across the straight used to land right across from the house of Nyora Carmen, giving rise to that old Tagbilaran joke on the telegraphic speech of the Dauisanon: "Sakay mi'g bruto pro' dunggo Nyora Myen."( We take the dun-colored boat from Dauis and land in front of Señora Amen's house.) It was said that Doña Carmen was so rich she once made a pilgrimage to Rome.  We don't know for sure when the house disappeared.  Early in the previous century, it was still used as a school.

Another Rocha-owned house that has disappeared was the old house of Borbara Rocha who married Baldomero Gonzaga.  It used to stand directly across Doña Carmen's house where today stands the Visarra House, now turned into a bed-and-breakfast facility. During the war, the Rocha-Suarez family decided to transfer some of their furniture to this old house.  They had just transferred their antique sala set to this house when it mysteriously burned.  Behind the Rocha-Gonzaga house, there used to stand a bodega made of mamposteria.  The building used to extend further towards the end of the pier  ( the causeway bridge that now connects Tagbilaran to Dauis was finished only in the late 1950's).  This structure also belonged to the Rocha clan.  The remains of its masonry walls can still be found until now.

Next to Doña Carmen Rocha's house is the house of Don Fernando Gorraiz Rocha. He was once a schoolteacher in the Spanish school for boys.  Early in the 20th century, he served as governor of Bohol. He was married to a local lady of Spanish extraction, Dona Catalina Fortich.   Like the adjoining Rocha house, this residence of the Rocha couple was also made of woodboards and with nipa roofs and must have been built before the 1850's.  The groundfloor of this house once served as a bazaar, but it was the baking skills of the unmarried sisters of Don Fernando that attracted more people to the house.  These ladies, called Las Hermanas Rochas, once produced the best pastries in town, such as hojaldres, broas and kinatloan.  But it was the plebeian fare- the Dugmok(toasted left-over bread) – that used to be the favorite of untold number of kids in Tagbilaran.

Aside from stories about resident dwarves(cf June 11, 2014 post), the most poignant tale I heard about this house was of that beautiful woman who once lived here in the decades before the war.  It is said that she was a Clarin from Cebu, a close relative of the Rocha-Fortich family who had had a nervous breakdown. Their house had caught fire and to escape death she had to jump out the window.  They said she was sent to Tagbilaran both to recuperate as well as to hide her from social stigma.
 
Easily the most impressive house in sitio Ubos is the Antonio Rocha House.  It has tile roofs and has stone groundfloor skirting.  I remember when we were still kids we used to call it the House of the Roosters because there used to be a pair of ceramic roosters standing on both ends of the main roofs. The date 1831 is inscribed into a backwall, giving us an idea about the age of this grand structure. This was the house of the mestizo sangley Don Antonio Rocha who served for a long time as escribiente of the Tagbilaran parish. 

Time had not been good for this branch of the Tagbilaran Rocha.  By the 1970's its owners had to rent out some of the rooms of the house to students.  One of those students later became a colleague of mind and he told me of his experiences while staying at the house.  It seemed he had befriended the old lady who lived in the house and one time this old lady requested him to help her move around some of the things the family had kept at the stockroom under the house.  One of the objects he saw there was this huge wooden chest full of old coins.  We may never know what happened to this valuable cache.  What do know is that a member of the family sold the property to a Manila-based antique collector who shelled out some earnest money so as to gain foothold in the house, after which he began methodically stripping the house of valuable antiques before selling the house its present Swiss owner( I got the chance to visit the house while this was going on and I saw this painting showing the very Chinese-looking Antonio Rocha, placed against the wall and stripped of its frame).  My colleague who once boarded here also told me a hair-raising stories of supernatural encounters here.  One night while he was sleeping in his bed, he was rudely awakened when the bed was violently shaken.  Another time he was awakened in the middle of the night when both his feet were pulled down by invidible hands.  He sat up to see a dark shadow hovering at the foot of the bed.

Across the street from the Antonio Rocha House once stood another stone house owned by the Manigque family, also of Chinese extraction and who is said to have originated from Mindano.  Unfortunately the house burned down in the 1950's. 

At the other end of the block, another old house belonging to the Rocha family can still be found.  At present the property, which is truly in bad shape, is owned by a Chinese family in Tagbilaran. 
The other two old houses in Sitio Ubos used to be owned by the Butalid clan, another old Tagbilaran family of Chinese descent.  We have already written about the Butalid-Calceta (now Beldia) House in two previous posts.  We shall not be writing about this.

It is the other former Butalid House that we will talk about last.

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Lazada's Redmi 5A Flash Sale: Sold Out in  Less than 1 Hour!

Lazada's flash sale of the Xiaomi Redmi 5A was a success selling out the available stocks today in less than 1 hour! The Redmi 5A was such a hit with its flash sale price of only P4,390. Featuring a Snapdragon 425 64-bit quad-core processor, 16GB of ROM expandable to 128GB, a 2GB RAM and a 13MP rear and a 5MP front camera, the Redmi 5A is one of the most feature-packed smartphones below the 5000-peso range.

With another batch of shipment already on the way, Lazada has confirmed that the next date of the flash sale will be next week on Monday, March 19, at 1PM. Both the dark greyand the gold version will be available next week. To those who were not fast enough to get the Redmi 5A today, mark your calendars and set up those alarms for next week!

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REP. RON P. SALO
KABAYAN Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader

Member, Health, Overseas Workers Affairs, and 10 other Committees

OFWs' REMITTANCES IN 2017 IS $28 BILLION,

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS TOTAL IN 2017 IS $10 BILLION                 

With remittances of at least $28 billion, our OFWs contributed more in 2017 to the Philippine economy than did foreign direct investors, who poured in $10 billion.

RAPPLER https://goo.gl/Neuw7i

BUSINESS MIRROR https://goo.gl/Kq4Ebc

I just want to point out these hard facts to put into context, compare their relative impact, and remind our government's agencies to take better care of our OFWs while they also exert ample efforts to welcome foreign investments.

This is not an either-or proposition. Take care of both OFWs and foreign investors, but do a much better job with our OFWs.

Kitang-kita na mas malaki ang naiaambag ng OFWs sa ekonomiya ng ating bansa. Dahil sa kanilang pagsisikap, mas marami nang middle class families sa ating bansa.

Kumpara sa foreign investments na mabagal at matagal bago mag-generate ng jobs, ang OFW remittances ay direkta ang impact sa pamilyang Pilipino at kanilang barangay.

Heto ngayon ang ilang mga dapat gawin: Kailangan natin ng isang kumpleto, detalyado, at verified na listahan ng lahat ng Pilipinong nakakulong o may kaso sa ibang bansa, kabilang na ang mga nasa death row, at ang mga nawawalang OFWs (those unaaccounted for).

The DFA, DOLE, DOH, and DSWD should deploy social workers, psychiatrists, and lawyers to those countries where we have the most numbers of distressed OFWs.

These same agencies should also have social workers, psychiatrists, and lawyers who are part of the teams welcoming repatriated and returning OFWs from Kuwait and other countries.

Tiyakin dapat ng DOLE na detalyado, kumpleto, at verified ang OFW database. Nariyan dapat lahat ng documented OFWs, mga undocumented na nagpapalista na, at lahat ng Balik-OFW.

Doon pa lamang sa abroad, dapat ilista na agad sa database ang bawat OFW na pauwi at na-deploy doon. Dito naman sa Pilipinas, kapag nakapasok na sa bansa mula sa abroad ang OFW, dapat i-record na din agad sa database. Alam dapat ng pamahalaan kung nasaaan sila sa lahat ng pagkakataon para sa mas mabilis na paghahatid ng serbisyo sa kanila. (END)

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REP. SALVADOR B. BELARO, JR.
1-Ang Edukasyon Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader

Member, Higher and Technical Education and 10 other committees

IRR OF FREE COLLEGE EDUCATION IN SUCs

TO BE PUBLISHED SOON

It is time for a full court press execution of the free college education law 

It is good that the UniFAST Board, headed by the CHED, is finally ready with the implementing rules and regulations of the free college education law and is preparing to publish it soon.

There is however the matter of accountability because UniFAST failed to comply with the UAQTEA deadline for publishing the IRR. That deadline was last October 2017. It is now March 2018, six months after the deadline.

Now I understand the CHED and UniFAST board have had rough months while Dr. Patricia Licuanan was CHED Chairperson, but the law did set a deadline and UniFAST failed to meet that deadline. People in the UniFAST Secretariat must be held accountable and liable.

Let me focus now on some implementation concerns.

Most SUCs still have June as the start of this academic year while some SUCs are shifting to August as school opening time.

UniFAST and CHED now have just two to five months to execute the IRR and all the mechanisms and procedures needed to make things happen they way they should.

It is now incumbent upon the CHED and UniFAST to make up for valuable lost time and do a full court press.

It might make things easier to make all the SUCs start their academic year in August. CHED chairs the governing boards of all SUCs and through that position, they can convince the SUCs to shift to August.

To avoid a repeat of what happened to the K to 12 Transition Program scholars, I want the UniFAST and CHED to have an online portal through which everyone, including Congress, can monitor the progress of the implementation of UAQTEA in real-time down to the regional office level of the CHED.

CHED and UniFAST should have learned by now from the mistakes in how the K to 12 Transition Program was done. They had better get it all right this time around because 900,000 SUC students will be affected if they bungle this.  (END)

 

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Republic Act No. 7642             December 28, 1992

AN ACT INCREASING THE PENALTIES FOR TAX EVASION, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE THE PERTINENT SECTIONS OF THE NATIONAL INTERNAL REVENUE CODE, AS AMENDED

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled::

Section 1. A new paragraph (c) is hereby added to Section 252 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, to read as follows:

"(c) The fines to be imposed for any violation of the provisions of this Code shall not be lower than the fines imposed herein or twice the amount of taxes, interests, and surcharges due from the taxpayer, whichever is higher."

Section 2. Section 253 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 253. Attempt to evade or defeat tax. - Any person who willfully attempts in any manner to evade or defeat any tax imposed under this Code or the payment thereof shall, in addition to other penalties provided by law, upon conviction thereof, be fined not less than Thirty thousand pesos but not more than One hundred thousand pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than two years but not more than four years."

Section 3. The second paragraph of Section 254 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"Any person who attempts to make it appear for any reason that he or another has in fact filed a return or statement, or actually files a return or statement and subsequently withdraws the same return or statement after securing the official receiving seal or stamp of receipt of an internal revenue office wherein the same was actually filed shall, upon conviction therefor, be fined not less than Ten thousand pesos but not more than Twenty thousand pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than three years."

Section 4. Section 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 255. Penal liability of corporations. - Any corporation, association, or general co-partnership liable for any of the acts or omissions penalized under this Code, in addition to the penalties imposed herein upon the responsible corporate officers, partners, or employees, shall, upon conviction for each act or omission, be fined not less than Fifty thousand pesos but not more than One hundred thousand pesos."

Section 5. Section 256 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 256. Penal liability for making false entries, records, or reports. - (a) Any independent certified public accountant engaged to examine and audit books of accounts of taxpayers under subparagraph (a) of Section 232 and any person under his direction who:

"(1) Willfully falsifies any report or statement bearing on any examination or audit, or renders a report, including exhibits, statements, schedules, or other forms of accountancy work which has not been verified by him personally or under his supervision or by a member of his firm or by a member of his staff in accordance with sound auditing practices; or

"(2) Certifies financial statements of a business enterprise containing an essential misstatement of facts or omission in respect of the transactions, taxable income, deduction, and exemption of his client; or

"(b) Any person who:

"(1) Not being an independent certified public accountant according to subparagraph (B) of Section 232, examines and audits books of accounts of taxpayers; or

"(2) Offers to sign and certify financial statements without audit; or

"(3) Offers any taxpayer the use of accounting bookkeeping records for internal revenue purposes not in conformity with the requirements prescribed in this Code or regulations promulgated thereunder; or

"(4) Knowingly makes any false entry or enters any false or fictitious name in the books of accounts or records mentioned in the preceding paragraph; or

"(5) Keeps two or more sets of such records or books of accounts; or

"(6) In any way commits an act or omission, in violation of the provisions of this section; or

"(7) Fails to keep the books of accounts or records mentioned in Section 232 in a native language, English, or Spanish, or to make a true and complete translation as required in Section 234 of this Code, or whose books of accounts or records kept in a native language, English, or Spanish, and found to be at material variance with books or records kept by him in another language, shall, upon conviction for each act or omission, be punished by a fine of not less than Thirty thousand pesos but not more than Fifty thousand pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than two years but not more than six years."

Section 6. Section 257 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 257. Unlawful pursuit of business. - Any person who carries on any business for which a private tax is imposed without paying the tax as required by law shall, upon conviction for each act or omission, be fined not less than Five thousand pesos but not more than Twenty thousand pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than six months but not more than two years: Provided, That, in the case of a person engaged in the business of distilling, rectifying, repacking, compounding, or manufacturing any article subject to excise tax, he shall, upon conviction for each act or omission, be fined not less than Thirty thousand pesos but not more than Fifty thousand pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than two years but not more than four years."

Section 7. Section 258 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 258. Illegal collection of foreign payments. - Any person who knowingly undertakes the collection of foreign payments as provided under Section 60 of this Code without having obtained a license therefor, or without complying with its implementing regulations, shall, upon conviction for each act or omission, be fined not less than Twenty thousand pesos but not more than Fifty thousand pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than two years."

Section 8. Section 262 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 262. Unlawful possession or removal of articles subject to excise tax without payment of the tax. - Any person who owns and/or is found in possession of imported articles subject to excise tax, the tax on which has not been paid in accordance with law, or any person who owns and/or is found in possession of imported tax-exempt articles other than those to whom they are legally issued shall be punished by:

"(1) A fine of not less than One thousand pesos but not more than Two thousand pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than sixty days but not more than one hundred days if the appraised value, to be determined in the manner prescribed in the Tariff and Customs Code, including duties and taxes, of the articles does not exceed One thousand pesos;

"(2) A fine of not less than Ten thousand pesos but not more than Twenty thousand pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than two years but not more than four years in the appraised value, to be determined in the manner prescribed in the Tariff and Customs Code, including duties and taxes, of the articles exceed One thousand pesos but does not exceed Fifty thousand pesos;

"(3) A fine of not less than Thirty thousand pesos but not more than Sixty thousand pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than four years but not more than six years if the appraised value, to be determined in the manner prescribed in the Tariff and Customs Code, including the duties and taxes, of the articles is more than Fifty thousand pesos but does not exceed One hundred fifty thousand pesos; or

"(4) A fine of not less than Fifty thousand pesos but not more than One hundred thousand pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than ten years but not more than twelve years if the appraised value, to be determined in the manner prescribed in the Tariff and Customs Code, including duties and taxes, of the articles exceed One hundred fifty thousand pesos.

"Any person who is found in possession of locally manufactured article subject to excise tax, the tax on which has not been paid in accordance with law, or any person who is found in possession of such articles which are exempt from excise tax other than those to whom the same is lawfully issued shall be punished with a fine of not less than ten times the amount of excise tax due on the articles found but less than Five hundred pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than two years but not more than four years.

"Any manufacturer, owner, or person in charge of any article subject to excise tax who removes or allows or causes the unlawful removal of any such articles from the place of production or bonded warehouse, upon which the articles subject to excise tax has not been paid at the time in manner required, and any person who knowingly aids or abets in the removal of such articles as aforesaid, or conceals the same after illegal removal shall, for the first offense, be punished with a fine of not less than ten times the amount of excise tax due on the articles but not less than one year. but not more than two years.

"The mere unexplained possession of articles subject to excise tax, the tax on which has not been paid in accordance with law, shall be punished under this section."

Section 9. Paragraph (a) Section 263 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"(a) Any person who, being required under Section 238 to issue receipts or sales or commercial invoices, fails or refuses to issue such receipts or invoices, issues receipts or invoices that do not truly reflect and/or contain all the information required to be shown therein or uses multiple or double receipts or invoices shall, upon conviction for each act or omission, be fined not less than One thousand pesos, but not more than Fifty thousand pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than two years but not more than four years."

Section 10. Section 264 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 264. Offenses relating to stamps. - Any person who commits any of the acts enumerated hereunder shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not less than Twenty thousand pesos but not more than Fifty thousand pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than four years but not more than eight years:

"(1) Makes, imports, sells, or uses, or possesses without express authority from the Commissioner any die for printing or making stamps, labels, tags, or playing cards;

"(2) Erases the cancellation marks of any stamp previously used or alters the written figures or letters or cancellation marks on internal revenue stamps;

"(3) Possesses false, counterfeit, restored, or altered stamps, labels, or tags or causes the commission of any such offense by another;

"(4) Sells or offers for sale any box or package containing articles subject to excise tax with false, spurious, or counterfeit stamps or labels or sells from any such fraudulent box, package, or container as aforesaid; or

"(5) Gives away or accepts from another or sells, buys, or uses containers on which the stamps are not completely destroyed."

Section 11. Section 265 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 265. Failure to obey summons. - Any person who, being duly summoned to appear to testify, or to appear and produce books of accounts, records, memoranda, or other papers, or to furnish information as required under the pertinent provisions of this Code, neglects to appear or to produce such books of accounts, records, memoranda, or other papers, or to furnish such information, shall, upon conviction, be fined not less than Five thousand pesos but not more than Ten thousand pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than two years."

Section 12. Section 268 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 268. Violations committed by government enforcement officers. - Every official, agent, or employee of the Bureau of Internal Revenue or any other agency of the Government charged with the enforcement of the provisions of this Code who is guilty of any of the offenses hereinbelow specified shall, upon conviction for each act or omission, be fined not less than Fifty thousand pesos but not more than One hundred thousand pesos and suffer imprisonment of not less than ten years but not more than fifteen years and shall likewise suffer an additional penalty of perpetual disqualification to hold public office, to vote, and to participate in any public election:

"(1) Those guilty of extortion or willful oppression through the use of his office;

"(2) Those who knowingly demand other or greater sums than are authorized by law or receive any fees, compensation, or reward, except as by law prescribed, for the performance of any duty;

"(3) Those who willfully neglect to give receipts, as by law required, for any sums collected in the performance of duty or who willfully neglect to perform any other duties enjoined by law;

"(4) Those who conspire or collude with another or others to defraud the revenues or otherwise violate the provisions of this Code;

"(5) Those who by neglect or design permit the violation of the law by any other person;

"(6) Those who make or sign any false entry or entities in any books, or make or sign any false certificate or return;

"(7) Those who allow or conspire or collude with another to allow the unauthorized retrieval, withdrawal, or recall of any return, statement, or declaration after the same has been officially received by the Bureau of Internal Revenue;

"( Those who, having knowledge or information of a violation of this Code or of any fraud committed on the revenues collectible by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, fail to report such knowledge or information to their superior officer or to report as otherwise required by law; and

"(9) Those who, without the authority of law, demand or accept or attempt to collect, directly or indirectly, as payment or otherwise any sum of money or other thing of value for the compromise, adjustment, or settlement of any charge or complaint for any violation or alleged violation of this Code."

Section 13. There is hereby created the Congressional Oversight Committee composed of the Chairmen of the Committees on Ways and Means of both Houses of Congress as Co-Chairman and three other members each from said committees. The Oversight Committee shall convene within two years after the approval of this Act to review its implementation and recommend amendments thereto.

Section 14. The Secretary of Finance shall, upon the recommendation of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

Section 15. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations, and other issuances inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

Section 16. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: December 28, 1992

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Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi today declared the Alegria Oil Field in Southern Cebu to have commercial quantities of natural gas and oil resources.

The pronouncement was made after the ceremonial signing of the Joint Declaration of Commerciality (JDC) between the DOE and the service contractor China International Mining Petroleum Company Limited (CIMP Co. Ltd.) on 14 March 2018 at the Hyatt Hotel-BGC in Taguig City. 

CIMP Co. Ltd. holds Petroleum Service Contract (SC) No.49, which covers the Alegria Oil Field.

Signing the declaration along with Cusi was CIMP Co. Ltd. Chair Lam Nam, while DOE Undersecretary Donato D. Marcos and CIMP Co. Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Eric Lai served as witnesses.

Exploration and drilling activities on the oil field by the service contractor started in 2009.

By 2016, the DOE and CIMP Co. Ltd. jointly established that the oil field contained commercial quantities of natural gas upon its discovery of oil accumulation in the adjacent hydrocarbon traps within the Alegria underground area.

The DOE and CIMP Co. Ltd. discovered an estimated 27.93 million barrels of oil (MMBO) with a possible production recovery of 3.35 MMBO or a conservative estimate of 12% of total oil in place/reserves.

For natural gas, about 9.42 billion cubic feet (bcf) reserves were found, with the recoverable resource estimated at 6.6 bcf or about 70% of total natural gas in place/reserves.

Based on the development plan crafted after the initial testing, the natural gas and oil production of the field may last until 2037.

The JDC outlined the roles and responsibilities of CIMP Co. Ltd., particularly its compliance with all conditions stated in the approved Plan of Development dated 19 December 2017.

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Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña of Department of Science and Technology (DOST) (middle) poses with the principal authors of the Balik Scientist Act-- Senator Paulo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV (left) for the Senate and Bohol second district representative  Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado (right) for the House of Representatives during the Bicameral Meeting held on 06 March 2018 at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City. During the hearing, conflicting provisions of the Senate and the House versions of the Act were reconciled.  Also in the photo are (standing, from left) Salvador B. Belaro Jr. of 1-ANG EDUKASYON Party List, Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay, Arlene B. Arcillas of the first district of Laguna,  Edward Vera Perez Maceda of the fourth district of Manila, Divina Grace C. Yu of the first district of Zamboanga del Sur, and John Marvin "Yul Servo" C. Nieto of the third district of Manila. (Text by Allan Mauro V. Marfal and photo by Henry A. de Leon, DOST-STII)

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Right: Ambassador Sung Kim (center) leads the ceremonial handover of rice to Undersecretary Emmanuel Leyco, Officer-in-Charge of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (second from left) and Assistant Secretary Kristoffer James Purisima, Spokesperson of Task Force Bangon Marawi (leftmost) during the ceremonial handover held in Taguig City.  Also present are Stephen Gluning, Country Director of the World Food Programme (second from right) and Clay Epperson, Deputy Mission Director of USAID/Philippines.

Left: Ambassador Kim and (L-R) Assistant Secretary Purisima, Undersecretary Leyco, World Food Programme Country Director Gluning, and Deputy Mission Director Epperson of USAID Philippines holding the rice.

Manila, March 14, 2018 — The U.S. government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), announced new assistance of Php100 million ($2 million) to boost food security in Marawi and surrounding areas.  USAID is partnering with the World Food Programme to provide 1.8 million kilograms of rice — enough to feed 45,000 people for four months — to families displaced by the conflict.

At the ceremonial handover of rice to Philippine government officials today, U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim said "The U.S. government continues to stand by the Filipino people as a friend, partner, and ally to support those affected by the Marawi conflict as they rebuild their lives."

The assistance, which will help ensure an adequate food supply for families affected by the Marawi conflict, brings the total U.S. government contribution to the Marawi humanitarian response to nearly Php1.2 billion ($22.9 million).

Ambassador Kim was joined by Undersecretary Emmanuel Leyco, Officer-in-Charge of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); Assistant Secretary Kristoffer James Purisima, Spokesperson of Task Force Bangon Marawi; and Mr. Stephen Gluning, Country Director of the World Food Programme.

The U.S. government, through USAID, has been a key partner with the Philippine government in the recovery, stabilization, and rehabilitation of Marawi City and surrounding areas.  USAID continues to work closely with the Philippine government and development partners to deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance and promote long-term stability in Marawi.

About USAID:

USAID is the lead U.S. government agency for international development and disaster assistance.  In the Philippines, USAID partners with the national government to build a more stable, prosperous, and well-governed nation.   For more information, visit http://www.usaid.gov/philippines or email infoph@usaid.gov.

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The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS) collaborated to enhance the capacity of the energy sector in terms of determining the areas of concern for earthquake incidents using their state-of-the-art software: Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS).

The REDAS is a tool for emergency preparedness, contingency planning and mainstreaming disaster risk reduction on the adverse effect of earthquake.

The use of REDAS will benefit the energy sector by having a near real-time simulated earthquake hazard information that can help assess the situation on the ground.

Through this MOA signing, the Energy Sector will pursue REDAS Training to support and strengthen disaster management capabilities of the energy sector.

The partnership of the DOE and DOST-PHIVOLCS is in line with the recently signed Department Circular No. 2018-01- 0001 or the "Adoption of Energy Resiliency in the Planning and Programming of the Energy Sector to Mitigate Potential Impacts of Disasters" also known as the Energy Resiliency Policy.

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6:1 ¶ Tapus niini si Jesus mitabok ngadto sa pikas nga daplin sa Lanaw sa Galilea, nga mao ang Lanaw sa Tiberiades.

6:2 Ug miapas kaniya ang usa ka dakung panon sa katawhan, kay nakita man ugod nila ang mga milagro nga iyang nahimo ngadto sa mga masakiton.

6:3 Ug si Jesus mitungas sa kabungturan, ug didto milingkod siya uban sa iyang mga tinun-an.

6:4 Ug karon ang Pasko, ang fiesta sa mga Judio, nagsingabut na.

6:5 Ug sa pagyahat niya sa iyang mga mata, ug sa pagkakita niya sa dakung panon sa katawhan nga nagpadulong kaniya, si Jesus miingon kang Felipe, "Asa man kita magpalit ug tinapay aron makakaon kini sila?"

6:6 Kini iyang gipamulong sa pagsulay kaniya, kay siya gayud nahibalo man kon unsay iyang buhaton.

6:7 Ug si Felipe mitubag kaniya, "Ang duha ka gatus ka denario dili pa igong ipalit ug tinapay aron ang matag-usa kanila makadawat ug diyutayng ikatimo."

6:8 Usa sa iyang mga tinun-an, si Andres nga igsoon ni Simon Pedro, miingon kang Jesus,

6:9 "Ania dinhiy usa ka batang lalaki nga may lima ka pan nga sebada ug duha ka isda, apan mag-unsa man kana alang niining hilabihan ka daghan?"

6:10 Ug si Jesus miingon, "Palingkora ang mga tawo." Ug didtoy daghang balili niadtong dapita, busa ang mga tawo nanglingkod nga may gidaghanon nga mga lima ka libo.

6:11 Ug unya gikuha ni Jesus ang mga tinapay, ug sa nakapasalamat na siya, iyang giapod-apod kini ngadto kanila nga nanaglingkod; maingon man usab ang isda, kutob sa ilang gusto.

6:12 Ug sa nangabusog na sila, siya miingon sa iyang mga tinun-an, "Hipusa ninyo ang mga tipik nga nanghibilin aron walay mausik."

6:13 Busa ilang gihipos kini, ug napulog-duha ka bukag ang napuno nila sa mga tipik gikan sa lima ka tinapay nga sebada, nga nahibilin tapus sa pagpangaon sa mga tawo.

6:14 Ug sa pagkakita nila sa milagro nga iyang gibuhat, ang mga tawo nanag-ingon, "Sa pagkatinuod kini siya mao gayud ang profeta nga moanhi sa kalibutan!"

6:15 ¶ Ug sa pagkamatikud ni Jesus nga sila moduol na sa pagsakmit kaniya aron sa paghimo kaniya nga hari, siya mipahilit pag-usab nga nag-inusara ngadto sa kabungturan.

6:16 Ug sa pagkasawomsom na, ang iyang mga tinun-an nanglugsong ngadto sa lanaw,

6:17 ug misakayg sakayan, ug mitabok sa lanaw ngadto sa Capernaum. Mangitngit na ug si Jesus wala pa mahiabut kanila.

6:18 Ug ang lanaw misugod na sa pagbalud tungod sa makusog nga hangin nga naghuros.

6:19 Ug sa nakagaud na silag mga lima o unom ka kilometro, nakita nila si Jesus nga naglakaw ibabaw sa tubig ug nagkahiduol sa sakayan. Ug sila nangalisang,

6:20 apan siya miingon kanila, "Ako kini; ayaw kamo kalisang."

6:21 Ug gikalipay nila ang pagdawat kaniya ngadto sa sakayan, ug dihadiha ang sakayan nahidunggo sa yuta nga ilang gipadulngan.

6:22 ¶ Ug sa pagkasunod nga adlaw ang panon sa katawhan nga nagpabilin sa pikas nga daplin sa lanaw nakamatngon nga usa ra man kabuok ang sakayan nga nahiadto didto, ug nga si Jesus wala man makasakay sa sakayan uban sa iyang mga tinun-an, hinonoa nga ang iyang mga tinun-an nanggikan nga silasila ra.

6:23 Apan didtoy mga bote gikan sa Tiberiades nga nahidunggo duol niadtong dapit diin nanagpangaon gani silag tinapay tapus makapasalamat ang Ginoo.

6:24 Ug sa pagkakita sa panon sa katawhan nga wala didto si Jesus, ni ang iyang mga tinun-an, sila misakay sa mga bote ug miadto sa Capernaum aron sa pagpangita kang Jesus.

6:25 Ug sa nakita na nila siya didto sa pikas nga daplin sa lanaw, sila miingon kaniya, "Rabi, kanus-a ka pa man mahiabut dinhi?"

6:26 Ug si Jesus mitubag kanila, "Sa pagkatinuod, sa pagkatinuod, magaingon ako kaninyo, nga kamo nangita kanako dili tungod kay nakakita kamo sa mga milagro, kondili tungod kay kamo nakakaon man ug nangabusog sa tinapay.

6:27 Ayaw ninyo paghagoi ang kalan-on nga mawagtang ra, kondili mao hinooy hagoi ninyo kanang kalan-on nga molungtad ngadto sa kinabuhing dayon nga igahatag kaninyo sa Anak sa Tawo; kay sa Dios nga Amahan gikapadayag siya nga tinuod."

6:28 ¶ Ug sila miingon kaniya, "Unsa may kinahanglan among buhaton aron sa pagbuhat sa ipabuhat sa Dios?"

6:29 Si Jesus mitubag kanila, "Ang ipabuhat sa Dios mao kini, nga kinahanglan mosalig kamo kaniya nga iyang gipadala."

6:30 Ug sila miingon kaniya, "Nan, unsa man ang imong nabuhat nga milagro, aron makita namo kini ug motoo kami kanimo? Unsa man ang imong ginabuhat?

6:31 Ang among mga ginikanan nanagpangaon sa mana didto sa kamingawan, sumala sa nahisulat, `Kanila gihatag niya ang tinapay gikan sa langit aron ilang pagakan-on.`"

6:32 Ug si Jesus miingon kanila, "Sa pagkatinuod, sa pagkatinuod, magaingon ako kaninyo, nga si Moises dili mao ang naghatag kaninyo niadtong tinapay nga gikan sa langit; ang akong Amahan mao ang nagahatag kaninyo sa tinuod nga tinapay nga gikan sa langit.

6:33 Kay ang tinapay sa Dios mao kadtong nanaug gikan sa langit, ug nagahatag ug kinabuhi ngadto sa kalibutan."

6:34 Ug sila miingon kaniya, "Ginoo, hatagi kami kanunay nianang tinapaya."

6:35 Ug si Jesus mitubag kanila, "Ako mao ang tinapay nga nagahatag ug kinabuhi; siya nga moari kanako dili gutomon, ug siya nga mosalig kanako dili gayud uhawon.

6:36 Apan giingon ko na kaninyo nga kamo nakakita na kanako, apan wala kamo mosalig.

6:37 Ang tanan nga gihatag kanako sa Amahan moari gayud kanako, ug siya nga moari kanako dili ko gayud igasalikway.

6:38 Kay ako nanaug gikan sa langit, dili sa pagbuhat sa akong kaugalingong kabubut-on, kondili sa kabubut-on sa nagpadala kanako.

6:39 Ug ang kabubut-on sa nagpadala kanako mao kini, nga dili ako kawad-an bisag usa sa tanan nga iyang gikahatag kanako, hinonoa nga mabanhaw kini sa kaulahian nga adlaw.

6:40 Kay ang kabubut-on sa akong Amahan mao kini, nga ang matag-usa nga makakita sa Anak ug mosalig kaniya makabaton sa kinabuhing dayon, ug pagabanhawon ko siya sa kaulahian nga adlaw."

6:41 Ug siya gibagotbutan sa mga Judio tungod sa iyang pag-ingon, "Ako mao ang tinapay nga nanaug gikan sa langit."

6:42 Ug sila miingon, "Dili ba kini siya mao man si Jesus, ang kang Jose nga anak, kinsang amahan ug inahan atong nahibaloan? Naunsa ba nga nagaingon na man siya karon, `Ako nanaug gikan sa langit`?"

6:43 Ug si Jesus mitubag kanila, "Ayaw na kamo pagbagutbot ngadto sa usag usa.

6:44 Walay makahimo sa pag-ari kanako gawas lamang kon siya pagadanihon sa Amahan nga mao ang nagpadala kanako; ug pagabanhawon ko siya sa kaulahian nga adlaw.

6:45 Diha sa mga profeta nahisulat kini nga nagaingon, `Ug sa Dios pagatudloan silang tanan.` Ang tanan nga nakadungog ug nakakat-on gikan sa Amahan magaari kanako.

6:46 Dili sabton nga adunay nakakita sa Amahan gawas kaniya nga gikan sa Dios; kini siya nakakita sa Amahan.

6:47 Sa pagkatinuod, sa pagkatinuod, magaingon ako kaninyo, nga ang mosalig may kinabuhing dayon.

6:48 Ako mao ang tinapay nga nagahatag ug kinabuhi.

6:49 Ang inyong mga ginikanan nanagkaon sa mana didto sa kamingawan, ngani nangamatay sila.

6:50 Ania kining tinapay nga nanaug gikan sa langit, aron ang tawo makakaon niini ug dili mamatay.

6:51 Ako mao ang buhing tinapay nga nanaug gikan sa langit; bisan kinsa nga mokaon niining maong tinapay, siya mabuhi sa dayon; ug ang tinapay nga akong igahatag alang sa kinabuhi sa kalibutan mao ang akong unod."

6:52 Ug ang mga Judio naglalisay tali sa ilang kaugalingon, nga nanag-ingon "Unsaon man niining tawhana sa paghatag kanato sa iyang unod aron atong kan-on?"

6:53 Busa si Jesus miingon kanila, "Sa pagkatinuod, sa pagkatinuod, magaingon ako kaninyo, gawas kon mokaon kamo sa unod sa Anak sa Tawo ug moinom sa iyang dugo, wala kamoy kinabuhi diha kaninyo.

6:54 Siya nga mokaon sa akong unod ug moinom sa akong dugo may kinabuhi nga dayon, ug pagabanhawon ko siya sa kaulahian nga adlaw.

6:55 Kay ang akong unod tinuod nga kalan-on ug ang akong dugo tinuod nga ilimnon.

6:56 Siya nga mokaon sa akong unod ug moinom sa akong dugo magapuyo sa sulod nako, ug ako sa sulod niya.

6:57 Maingon nga ang buhing Amahan nagpadala kanako, ug ako nabuhi tungod sa Amahan, maingon man usab niana, siya nga mokaon kanako mabuhi tungod kanako.

6:58 Mao kini ang tinapay nga nanaug gikan sa langit, dili ingon niadtong gikaon sa inyong mga ginikanan, nga bisan pa niini nangamatay sila. Siya nga mokaon niining maong tinapay mabuhi sa dayon."

6:59 Kini iyang gisulti sulod sa sinagoga, sa pagpanudlo niya didto sa Capernaum.

6:60 ¶ Daghan sa iyang mga tinun-an, sa ilang pagkadungog niini, nanag-ingon, "Lisud kining sultiha; kinsa may makapatalinghug niini?"

6:61 Apan sa pagkahibalo ni Jesus sulod sa iyang kaugalingon nga ang iyang mga tinun-an nanagbagutbot mahitungod niini, siya miingon kanila, "Nakapaluya ba kini kaninyo?

6:62 Nan, maunsa man kaha diay kon inyo nang makita ang Anak sa Tawo nga magasaka ngadto sa dapit diin didto siya kaniadto?

6:63 Ang nagahatag ug kinabuhi mao ang espiritu; ang unod walay kapuslanan. Ang mga pulong nga akong gisulti kaninyo-kini espiritu ug kinabuhi.

6:64 Apan aduna kaninyoy wala managpanoo." Kay si Jesus nasayud man sukad sa sinugdan kinsa kadto sila nga wala mosalig, ug kinsa kadto siya nga maoy magbudhi kaniya.

6:65 Ug siya miingon, "Mao man gani nga giingnan ko kamo nga walay bisan kinsa nga makaari kanako gawas kon itugot kini kaniya sa Amahan."

6:66 Tapus niini daghan sa iyang mga tinun-an mitalikod ug wala na managpanglakaw uban kaniya.

6:67 Ug si Jesus nangutana sa Napulog-Duha, "Buot ba usab kamong mobiya kanako?"

6:68 Si Simon Pedro mitubag kaniya, "Ginoo, kang kinsa man kami moadto? Ikaw mao ang may mga pulong mahitungod sa kinabuhing dayon.

6:69 Ug kami nagatoo, ug among nasinati, nga ikaw mao ang Balaan sa Dios."

6:70 Si Jesus mitubag kanila, "Dili ba gipili ko man kamo, ang Napulog-Duha? Ngani ang usa kaninyo y*&^%."

6:71 Nagpasabut siya niini mahitungod sa kang Simon Iscariote nga anak nga si Judas; kay kini siya, usa sa Napulog-Duha, mao man ang magbudhi kaniya.

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Bicam committee passes Balik-Scientist Program
By JUNE S. BLANCO

THE Congress Bicameral Conference Committee has approved the Balik Scientist Act – the measure designed to attract Filipino scientists now working abroad to return home.

Bohol Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (2nd District) who chairs the House Committee on Science and Technology says the move aims to invite home scientists, engineers and innovators either for short term stays to lead researches and experiments, or to come home for good for the same purpose.

Aumentado expressed gratitude to Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino, his counterpart in the Senate, for pushing the same legislation "to bring back Filipino scientists, engineers, and technology entrepreneurs to work in various fields, including heath, food and agriculture, information and communications technology (ICT), and even alternative energy."

The act institutionalizes the program first established in 1975. Aumentado said his move came after observing that the program "has been a tremendous success in accelerating the flow of strategically important strategies that are vital to national development and progress.

The solon said among others, the scientist will be given free round trip or one way air fare from his country of origin, reimbursement of expenses for excess baggage allowance, tax-exempt daily allowance, exemption from the licensing permit from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), tax and duties exemption for donated equipment.

Those staying for good will also have relocation allowance, exemption from tax of his monthly allowance, housing arrangements.

MANILA-- China Foreign Ministry on Friday said China's loan to the Philippines has "no strings attached" and would never be in bracket with the two states' territorial dispute on the South China Sea.

This was in response to a Global Times column of a Chinese scholar, saying China loans are usually accompanied by repayment agreements, which use certain natural resources as collateral.

By convention, China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said parts of China's concessional loans do require the borrowers to use certain sovereign credit as collateral, which is an international practice.

But he stressed "China has never asked and will never ask relevant countries to use natural resources as collateral in loan agreements."

Geng also pointed out that the view of the relevant scholar "only represents himself, not the official stance of the Chinese government."

"In this vein, our assistance and support to the Philippines are provided with no strings attached," he added.

Geng said it is in their interest to properly resolve the South China Sea issue, but China "will not link" the sea row with bilateral economic and trade cooperation projects.

Since the turnaround of China-Philippines relations in 2016, Geng said China has been actively helping the Philippines develop its economy and improve people's livelihood.

"China stands ready to work with the Philippines to follow through on the consensus between the two leaderships and stay committed to properly resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, ensuring the sound and steady development of bilateral relations and jointly upholding regional peace and stability," he ended. (PNA)

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MANILA-- In celebration of the National Women's Month, the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong has opened an exhibit that features costumes made of upcycled materials by Elpidia Malicsi, a Filipino household service worker (HSW) based in Hong Kong.

The exhibit, titled "Sustainable Sunday Couture: Domestic Workers Upcycling Fashion," was organized in partnership with the University of Hong Kong (HKU).

Malicsi's works show the need for a more inclusive dialogue about sustainability – a dialogue that recognizes the connections between sustainability and labor rights, decent work and HSWs' creative contributions to Hong Kong culture, according to Consul General Antonio Morales.

The exhibit opened at the Consulate General's gallery on March 4 and runs until March 14. It showcases costumes made of everyday upcycled materials such as discarded garbage bags, coffee sachets and soda can tabs, all designed and created by Malicsi.

"Filipino workers should hone their talents and skills while employed here in Hong Kong so that upon their return to the Philippines, they can use these to achieve their financial and personal goals and aspirations for themselves and their families back home," Morales said in his remarks.

Aside from Morales , present during the opening rites were Dr. Michael Manio, Filipino HKU Professor and President/Founder of the Domestic Workers Empowerment Project (DWEP); Dr. Julie Ham, HKU Assistant Professor and exhibit project leader; Dr. Doris Lee, Co-Founder of Open Door, a local NGO whose aim is to improve the overall working and living situation of HSWs in Hong Kong; and HKU students who served as docents during the exhibit.

Mobile catwalks showcasing Malicsi's creations were also held on Feb. 25 in various areas in Hong Kong, including Chater Road and Causeway Bay to promote the exhibition.

The exhibit is being held under the auspices of Post's Gender and Development Program, and is funded by the HKU Knowledge Exchange Office. (PNA)

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BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Evelio Leonardia renewed his support to the anti-drug campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte as the city hosted Saturday the launch of "Rehabinasyon," a holistic approach in eliminating the country's drug problem that puts a premium on the rehabilitation of drug surrenderers.

"The City is happy that Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) and the Presidential Communications Operations Office have chosen our beloved city as venue for Rehabinasyon," Leonardia said in his keynote message during the launching rites held at the lobby of the Bacolod City Government Center.

The event was attended by about 350 representatives from various sectors, including barangay officials, students, social workers and policemen.

The mayor said that Bacolod has "warmly embraced and faithfully followed the policies, programs, projects and activities of the national government agencies fighting the war against drugs."

He added that the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) has been very active and enthusiastic in performing its roles and duties and aligned its composition, structures and thrust with that of the ICAD.

Leonardia also said that Bacolod has done much in suppressing the proliferation of illegal drugs, in persuading the drug users to voluntarily surrender, and in providing rehabilitation to those who have decided to reform their ways.

Still, the mayor acknowledged that there is still much to be done, and if the Bacoleños are better equipped, Bacolod will have a better chance to succeed in its strong and committed fight against drugs.

Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Ramon Cualoping III said Rehabinasyon tells the story of the war on drugs on a different perspective.

"What's being seen on TV, what's being heard, what's being read in the papers and online news is mostly about enforcement, but the actual things happening on the ground, there are lot of efforts from various agencies in terms of rehabilitation, reintegration, and in terms of advocacy. So, Rehabinasyon addresses that gap," he added.

He noted that Rehabinasyon, , a portmanteau of rehabilitation and nation, has three message buckets – #RealNumbers, #RealSolutions, and #RealStories.

Through RealNumbers, data and facts are given out "to debunk fake news, alternative truth" while RealSolutions emphasize the various government programs headed by different agencies, Cualoping said.

For RealStories, highlighted were the "horror and success stories" of those involved in illegal drugs and eventually rehabilitated.

Rehabinasyon is an all encompassing-program implemented by the ICAD composed of 41 government agencies and four clusters, focusing on enforcement, justice, advocacy, and rehabilitation and reintegration.

Also present during the launching rites were Assistant Secretary Aurora Ignacio, the focal person in the campaign against illegal drugs, Department of Interior and Local Government Director Leo Trovela,  Dangerous Drug Board Undersecretary Earl Saavedra, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director Elyvenson Plaza, and PDEA-6 Director Wardley Getalla. (PNA)

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The Philippine government welcomed the acceptance of US President Donald Trump to the invitation of Democratic People's Republic of Korea leader Kim Jong Un for a meeting this May on the issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

In a statement Friday night, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano regarded the upcoming meeting as "bold move" but noted it poses great result towards peaceful negotiation in the region.

"We join the rest of the international community in praying for a successful outcome of the meeting between the two leaders," he said.

"This is a bold and unprecedented move that we hope would lead to reduced tensions in the Asia-Pacific Region."

Cayetano said the government is also encouraged by developments related to the inter-Korean dialogue initiative arising from the recent high-level visit of a delegation from the Republic of Korea to Pyongyang last Monday and Tuesday.

"The Philippines hopes that this would lead to a tangible movement towards addressing the Korean Peninsula issue," he said as he reiterated the government's "readiness to play a constructive role" in contributing to peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

The government had been an advocate towards the peaceful resolution on tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

In 2017, Manila played host to North Korea's top diplomat at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF), the lone security summit where Pyongyang sends its foreign ministers to engage with counterparts from other nations. (PNA)

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U.S.-Philippine Cooperation Leads to the Rescue of Five Children and an Arrest for Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children

Manila, March 9, 2018 — The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines commends the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Anti-Human Trafficking Division, and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Women and Children Protection Center for the arrest of Philippine citizen Anselmo Ico Jr. and the rescue of five children in Bulacan, Philippines.

The coordinated international effort came to fruition thanks in part to the deep partnership between U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Manila office and their Philippine counterparts at NBI and PNP.  HSI briefed the case as part of a State Department International Law Enforcement and Narcotics Bureau funded trip to Portland, Maine.  On the trip, which familiarized senior NBI investigators with HSI operations, NBI investigators recognized the case.  Due to HSI's ongoing investigations and support, Philippine law enforcement agencies were able to collaborate and combine their respective investigations to apprehend the individual.

Anselmo Ico Jr. was arrested for violations of the Philippine Republic Act 10364 (RA 10364) Expanded Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012, in relation to Republic Act 10175, Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, Philippine Republic Act 9775 (RA 9775), Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009, and Philippine Republic Act 9208 (RA 9208) as amended by RA 10364, Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.

Public advisory from the National Telecommunications Commission and the Bureau of Fire Protection. Ngayong buwan ng Marso, ipinagdiriwang natin ang Fire Prevention Month na ang tema ay "Ligtas na Pilipinas ang Ating Hangad, Pag-iingat sa Sunog ay sa Sarili Ipatupad." Muli, ipinapaalala ng Bureau of Fire Protection na "Sa iyong KAPABAYAAN madalas nagmumula ang iyong KAPAHAMAKAN." In case of emergency, call 911. No public advisories? Text STOP to 26827 for free.

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Indigenous People Communities to Gain from Hosting Power Projects

(Taguig City). Indigenous people (IP) communities are now assured of getting tangible financial benefits from energy infrastructures and facilities that they host as mandated by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi signed a policy (DC2018-03-0005) to enforce compliance with Section 66 and Rule 29(A) of the EPIRA implementing rules and regulation that provide benefits to power infrastructure host communities.

The policy supports the DOE's mandate to ensure direct benefits to the people and communities, cities, municipalities and provinces up to the regional level that host an energy resource and or an energy-generating facility. This policy will strengthen the cooperation among the energy resource developers or power producers and the host local communities and will fast track the process of providing direct benefits to the Indigenous Cultural Communities and Indigenous Peoples.

Under EPIRA, host communities are entitled to receive from the

"one centavo per kilowatt-hour (PhP0.01/kilowatt-hour) of the total electricity sales" trust fund that is owned by the power generators and the recipient communities.

The money, under the policy, is allocated for development and livelihood fund (DLF), reforestation, watershed management, health and or environment enhancement fund (RWMHEEF) and electrification fund (EF).

"With this policy, we establish our commitment to boost the inclusion of our indigenous kababayans in the development power projects and the hosting the power generation facility," said Cusi.

"Primarily, this policy recognizes the rights of the Indigenous Cultural Communities and Indigenous Peoples in their ancestral domains and the other benefits that goes with it under the EPIRA and the Indigenous People's Rights Act," he added.

The policy covers all legitimate and bonafide Indigenous Cultural Communities and Indigenous Peoples that are duly recognized and accredited by the National Commission on Indigenous People, and issued with Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title that hosts the generating facilities and/or energy resources.

Under the policy, DLF and RWMHEEF are allocated as follows: (1) designated resettlement area (5%); (2) host barangay (20%); (3) host municipality (35%); (4) host province/s (30%); (5) host region/s (5%); and (6) host organized indigenous cultural communities and indigenous Peoples (5%) for non-highly urbanized cities.

On the other hand, the sharing of DLF and RWMHEEF for highly urbanized cities is as follow: (1) designated resettlement area (10%); (2) host barangay (30%); (3) host cities (55%) and (4) host organized ICCs/IPs (5%).

The DC2018-03-0005 was signed on 9 February 2018, and its effectivity will be 15 days from its date of publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Very helpful tips. Thanks, islander.

PLEDGE OF EMPOWERMENT: Girl Scouts from various cities in Greater Manila Area pledge their commitment as "Energy Cost Busters" by practicing energy efficiency and conservation measures in their day-to-day living. The oath-taking was part of the collaboration between the DOE and GSP Rizal Council Camp for the celebration of the 2018 National Women's Month last March 2 in Marikina City.

(Marikina City). The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) Rizal Council Camp celebrated the 2018 National Women's Month (NWM) through a joint consumer education campaign last March 2 at the Sto. Niño Baseball Field in Marikina City during the annual camping activity.

Consistent with the 2018 NWM's theme: "We Make Change Work for Women," two sub-camps from the GSP Rizal Council Camp took part in the DOE-Consumer Welfare and Promotion Office (CWPO)-led educational seminars - the ENEReady: A Career Talk on Breaking Gender Stereotypes in the Energy Workforce under the agency's Gender and Development (GAD) program; and the Energy Smart Kids or EnerKids.

Aligned with the DOE's E-Power Mo campaign, the ENEReady and EnerKids programs aims to promote gender balance and development in the energy sector and educate the younger generation on energy efficiency and conservation measures.

A total of 238 Grades 7-10 campers from Antipolo, Las Piñas, Malabon, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pateros, Rizal, San Juan and Taguig were given valuable insights by resource speakers from DOE-CWPO on the work of women engineers and geologists in the DOE whose careers they can aspire for in the future.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said, "As we salute and recognize the vital role of women in our lives, the energy family commits itself to the furtherance of women empowerment and upholding gender complementarities for a more progressive society."

The DOE Speakers engaged the GSP in a lively and very thorough discussion of practical household energy efficiency and conservation tips that they can apply in their daily lives.

The educational program was capped with the Pledge of Commitment, branding the students as "Energy Cost Busters" to apply their newly acquired learning on energy in their own homes.

Early this year, the DOE and the GSP made a pact through a Memorandum of Understanding to train 2.2 Million Girl Scouts on basic electricity concepts and wise and efficient utilization of energy as well as through hands-on experiments.

The Agreement also entailed the conduct of educational fora geared towards encouraging young girls to take up courses in science, technology and energy.

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REP. SALVADOR B. BELARO, JR.
1-Ang Edukasyon Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader
Member, Higher and Technical Education and 10 other committees

EDUCATION SOLON ASKS DBM, CHED, UP
TO ALLOT FUNDS FOR FIRE PREVENTION,
RENOVATION, BUILDING RESTORATION FOR UP DILIMAN

Noting that the budget preparation process for the 2019 national budget is underway at the DBM, CHED, and UP, and considering the fire that engulfed the shopping center in the UP Diliman campus, I ask the three agencies to include funds for fire prevention, renovation, and restoration of the ageing buildings of UP Diliman.

There have been seven  major fire incidents in the UP Diliman campus since 2008:

1. Narra Residence Hall (January 9, 2008)
2. AS Pavilion II (Chem Pav) (June 9, 2010)
3. CASAA Food Hall (June 13, 2015)
4. Alumni Center (June 30, 2015)
5. Faculty Center (Rizal Hall) (April 1, 2016)
6. Quezon Hall (August 16, 2016)
7. Shopping Center (March 8, 2018)

Clearly, the campus buildings there need urgent measures.

I ask the current UP leadership to make sure all the on-campus residence halls and dormitories have adequate fire prevention and response measures. 

For the restoration of buildings, a multi-year budget can be prepared and submitted to Congress.

It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, that I, as UP Alumnus, will support these budget allocations and will urge my colleagues in the House to also give their support at committee and plenary.  (END)

Note: Rep. Salvador "Bong" Belaro, Jr. earned his B.A. Political Science degree (cum laude) from the University of the Philippines Diliman from 1985 to 1989. He also earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from UP from 1990 to 1995.

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OFFICIAL PRESS STATEMENT
by iRekrut Manpower
through Roland Collado, iRekrut Managing Director

For the information of the news media and the general public, here are the facts, as known by iRekrut Manpower, on the case of OFW Jeanette Opido (https://youtu.be/torG7pkGcSk).

iRekrut Manpower submitted 12 detailed reports to POEA about OFW Jeanette Opido, summarized below. FRA stands for foreign recruitment agency (that is the counterpart of iRekrut in Kuwait) which is Teflah Mohsen Duhaiman Al Dhafeeri Manpower Office.

1st

7/14/17

When OPIDO was admitted to the hospital and underwent surgery

2nd

7/31/17

Visit and assistance of our FRA to OPIDO and continuous checking on her condition.  At the same time the coordination of our FRA w/ ATNU for her repatriation

3rd

8/31/17

Improvement on the condition of OPIDO; process of her travel documents

4th

9/26/17

Informing that OPIDO went out of the hospital with the assistance of an NGO in Fahaheel, Kuwait

5th

10/13/17

Worker confirmed that she is staying with a certain "GLAIZA GAMBOA"; we instructed OPIDO to proceed to POLO/Embassy but refused to follow as she still wants to work

6th

12/27/17

Reported that the worker already assisted by our FRA to apply for travel documents at the Phil. Embassy

7th

1/15/18

FRA brought OPIDO to the hospital for checkup for a fit to travel certificate; she was confined for 4 days; was discharged after some lab tests; NO PAYMENT WAS REQUIRED BY THE HOSPITAL

8th

2/19/18

In response to the social media postings, we submitted a full report to Atty. Basas from the start of the case up the present situation; and informing the worker was brought to hospital by our FRA/Embassy

9th

2/22/18

Update on the efforts of our FRA with POLO/Embassy and a relative of OPIDO in Kuwait

10th

2/23/18

Transfer of OPIDO to ICU

11th

2/26/18

Death of OPIDO; same report was forwarded to OWWA Admin Cacdac

12th

3/2/18

Update on the repatriation of the body of OPIDO; coordination with the family members

1.                             On the issue that FRA is the one who facilitated OPIDO's escape from the hospital this is not true.

There is no reason for our FRA to facilitate the alleged escape because generally, the cost of hospitalization for OFW in Kuwait is free. 

The FRA only needed the documents from the Direct Employer so that the OFW like OPIDO will be discharged at no cost. 

At that time FRA was already in touch with Opido's Direct Employer. To attest to that, similar to her 2nd 4-day confinement and when she was last admitted up to her death, NO PAYMENT WAS REQUIRED BY THE HOSPITAL.

All throughout Opido's confinement (1st, 2nd and 3rd) our FRA was with her as evidenced by the pictures attached in our several reports. 

If indeed our FRA facilitated the illegal act of unauthorized hospital discharge, they can be subjected to police investigation since they are the ones who endorsed Opido and frequently stayed with her in the hospital.

The Filipino secretaries of our FRA were regularly present in the hospital during the confinement as evidenced by the pictures we have submitted in our reports.

Furthermore, OPIDO herself confirmed that she was in the custody of a certain GLAIZA GAMBOA, who is not an employee of our FRA. Initial reports would indicate that an NGO facilitated Opido's escape from the hospital and thereafter, a certain GLAIZA GAMBOA, allowed her to stay in their accommodation. 

As soon as we are able to repatriate the remains of our worker, Opido, we will request through our FRA to coordinate with the local Kuwait authorities to investigate the alleged Filipino companions of OPIDO when she escaped from the hospital.

2.                             On the issue of the worsening condition of OPIDO.

The NGO should likewise explain why they kept in their custody a medically-ill worker instead of bringing her immediately to the hospital or at least, at the Philippine Embassy. From the start, we have been asking OPIDO to report to Embassy but she refused to follow.  To reiterate, since her first confinement until her last hospitalization, it was our FRA who have been assisting OFW Opido which was properly documented (reports have been submitted to POEA and even to POLO/Embassy)

A few days after her last confinement, OPIDO posted the following on her FB:

"PLZ PO PARA KAALAMAN NG LAHAT AKO MISMO ANG AYAW N MALAMAN NG MGA KAIBIGAN AT KAMAG ANAK KO NANGYAYARI SAKIN AYAW KO NG MARAMING TANONG AT AYAW KO CLA MAG ALALALA PARA SAKIN. MASASAKIT N COMMENT N BINIBITAWAN NIO SA KUNG CNO ANG MAY GAWA BKIT AKO NAGKAGANITO NAGKASAKIT AKO HINDI NIA KO BINIGYAN NG SAKIT

SALAMAT NG MARAMI SA MALASAKIT NYO"

3.                             Cause of Death:

It is not true that Jeanette's illness and eventual death was due to lack of food.  

As stated on the July 14, 2017 letter of Roy Seneres, Jr of OFW Family Party List, it was stated that Opido was suffering from abdominal cancer.

From that information, our FRA traced the hospital whereabouts of our worker and assisted her. When she was ready for discharged, Jeanette escaped with the assistance of the NGO. Jeanette has been uncooperative with us and our FRA when we asked her that we will process her repatriation. 

It was only in December 2017 that she cooperated with us for the process of her repatriation.  She was confined for 4 days last January and was eventually discharged and was even given a fit to travel certificate. 

All of these was through the assistance of our FRA. While waiting for the process of her repatriation, Jeanette stayed with a certain Glaiza Gamboa. 

We were then surprised when a very sick Jeanette was circulated thru FB by an NGO.  On the same day that we saw the FB post, our FRA was able to get Jeanette and she was admitted at Amiri Hospital.  All throughout until her death, our FRA's secretary was with our worker. 

In the MOH Report of Death submitted to POEA, details of the cause of death of Jeanette stated – "Stop in the heart of Muscle and a Sharp drop session. Heart and Lung Anemia".

4.                             Issue of Multiple Employers.  Per our FRA, OFW Opido only had two employers until she ran away sometime April 2016. Instead of seeking shelter at our Embassy or asking assistance from our FRA, she worked illegally as part time cleaner. Even after her operation (1st confinement) she refused to be repatriated and instead insisted of working illegally.

Tentative Date of Arrival of the Remains of Jeanette is March 8, 2018.    The family has been informed. (END)

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REP. MICHAEL "MIKEE" L. ROMERO, Ph. D.
1-PACMAN Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader
Member, Aquaculture & Fisheries Resources, Public Information and

6 other Committees Twitter: @MikeeRomeroPhD

REP. MIKEE ROMERO SUPPORTS PRES. DUTERTE ON BORACAY STATE OF CALAMITY DECLARATION

I support the declaration of a state of calamity in Boracay. DENR has served notice on hundreds of establishments for various environmental protection and sanitation violations.

This is indicative of the magnitude of the problem at hand. While on the surface it would appear that it is business as usual for many Boracay establishments, the experts of the DENR and DOT know better.

It has taken no less than President Duterte himself to finally shock the Boracay local governments and the island's tourism into a reality check. Will we have to wait until hundreds of tourists get sick when they ingest contaminated waters of Boracay? The time for action, indeed, is now.

The state of calamity declaration will enable the DOT, LGUs, and DENR to tap national and local calamity funds.

This is also an opportunity to take some steps to assure the sustainability of Boracay as the country's premiere tourist destination.

The tourism industry and local governments in Boracay have long neglected sustainability concerns the DENR, environmentalists, and researchers have been raising for years now.

IMMEDIATE STEPS:

·            Scientific conduct of water testing with appropriate audit controls;

·            Identification of the specific coastal and inland areas of Boracay where water contamination is most hazardous to least problematic;

·            Cordoning off of the medium and high-risk areas while keeping open to tourists the low-risk and minimal risk areas;

·            Mobilization of barangays and residents for massive and regular coastal clean-up and inland waste segregation—using the work for pay scheme.

·            Formation and deployment of multisectoral task force, including volunteers from environment groups and local resident, working together in cooperation and common purpose; and

·            Immediate deployment of portable water purification systems to medium-risk and high risk areas.

MEDIUM-TERM MEASURES:

·            Approve sewerage infrastructure programs for the coastal towns and inland barangays of Boracay;

·            Capability-upgrading for LGUs and tourism establishments in Boracay on sanitation and sustainable development program implementation;

·            Audit and upgrading (if necessary) of Boracay health facilities for capability to respond to water-borne diseases;

·            Declare parts of Boracay as protected areas; and

·            Include in the 2019 budget the necessary provisions for Boracay's environmental and sustainable development.

LONG-TERM RESPONSE: 

·            Install/build the Boracay sewerage and sanitation system in segments or phases starting in late 2018/2019. Complete the system in two to three years; and

·            Build the needed support systems, including roads and transport facilities to improve Boracay as the country's premiere tourist destination.

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PAL Men's Regular Interclub
Sugar Barons gear up for Interclub sweep

BACOLOD – Canlubang is gearing up for another tough grind when the PAL Interclub Regular Men's Championship tees off tomorrow, with the Sugar Barons again playing the role of underdogs as the club guns for a sweep after conquering the Senior division on Sunday.

"We don't mind that at all," swing coach Boyet Zaragosa said in Filipino, just hours before overseeing his young charges sample tree-lined Marapara for the final time at high noon yesterday. "Being the underdogs actually takes some of the pressure off of us."

Cangolf has also gone back to developing young talents but will be spearheaded by the most seasoned man in the amateur ranks in Rupert Zaragosa, Boyet's talented son who has been the face of the Canlubang program for several years now.

What's different from this year and the last – when Manila Southwoods ran roughshod over the field – is that Rupert's back-up has had the past year to gain experience and develop the skill that it would take to return to the top of the hill.

"We have a great chance this year," the elder Zaragosa said. "But of course, Southwoods is still the overwhelming favorite. They are a true powerhouse."

Luis Castro and Jolo Magcalayo are being groomed to take over the younger Zaragosa when he turns pro, and the teeners will be put to the test in the next four days when they clash against the best amateurs in the land.

Like in the Seniors division, Marapara here will host the first and final rounds, with the field to tackle super-tight Binitin in Murcia town in the middle two.

"I think that is where the tournament will be decided," Boyet Zaragosa said. "You have to respect that course. It may be shorter, relatively, but the team that plays best there would most likely win this tournament."

Cangolf's Seniors held it together in the third round on Saturday last week and provided the decisive performance in their division to ultimately unseat fancied Luisita, which opted for a stronger team in the final day and paid dearly for it.

This year's Interclub's Platinum sponsors this year are RMN and Manila Times, while major sponsors are Mastercard, The Philippine Manila Standard, Rolls Royce, Bombardier, TV5, Primax, BusinessWorld, Crossover and Fox.

Other sponsors include Boeing, PAGCOR, Belmonte Hotel, Eton Properties and Asia Brewery, Inc.

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REP. BERNADETTE "BH" HERRERA-DY                         
Bagong Henerasyon Party-list
Chair, Committee on Women and Gender Equality

WOMEN'S MONTH

1,733 PINAYS, 224 PREGNANT MOMS GOT HIV HOUSE PANEL CHAIR ON WOMEN NOTES

Since 2011 when the Department of Health started counting the number of pregnant women found living with HIV-AIDS, 224 child-bearing mothers were found to have been infected with the dreaded disease, Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy noted in the latest available official government figures.

"From January 2012 to December 2017, mother-to-child transmission involved 38 women, while 1,733 females got HIV from having sex with a male. These are worrying figures," Herrera-Dy added, referring to the same DOH report as of December 2017.

Herrera-Dy is Chair of the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality.

To greatly reduce the spread of HIV among women, the Bagong Henerasyon Party-List congresswoman, asked the DOH and DSWD to deploy more health professionals to specific localities where the HIV-AIDS Registry data say interventions are urgently needed.

She said that with the Reproductive Health Law now fully-implementable, DOH and DSWD can work double time to attend to maternal health issues down to the barangay level.

"Single and married women must be armed with information and the various means of personal defense and treatments versus HIV.  1,733 HIV-infected females from 2012 to 2017 is still a significant number although the infection figures for the males is much higher," the lady House Assistant Majority Leader said.

Matthew 8:23-27

The men traveling with Jesus on a stormy Galilean night said something that ought to make us sit up and take notice: "What kind of a man is this ... ?" If we ask ourselves that same question, we will start to see the big picture of who Jesus Christ is instead of concentrating on the facets of His personality revealed by individual stories.

Imagine the wind—which had been funneled through a narrow gorge—pushing out over the Sea of Galilee, making the water turbulent. Jesus and His disciples were caught in just such a dangerous storm while making their way to Gadara. As waves crashed over the deck of the boat, the experienced seamen onboard were convinced that death was imminent.

But Jesus was sleeping. He was resting quietly during a storm so frightening that the Greek word used to describe it is seismos—from the same root that gives us the phrase "seismic activity" for earthquakes. What kind of man is this who can sleep while the boat heaves and pitches? The answer is that as the One who created the seas, Jesus knows how a storm brews and what energy causes a wave to stay in motion. That's the kind of man He is: a divine Being cloaked in humanity, who rebuked the winds and sea so they became perfectly calm.

Scripture indicates that both the air and the water were instantly stilled. Such is the power of Jesus, the Creator, and Lord of the universe. Taken together, all the Bible stories about Jesus reveal the "big picture" that He is the only man worthy of glory, honor, and praise (Revelation 5:12).

PUV DISCOUNTS: Energy Secretary G. Alfonso together with Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. President and CEO Cesar G. Romero signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the DOE and Shell on 1 March 2018 at the DOE Media Center giving fuel discounts to public utility vehicles as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs. The agreement, which is effective upon the date of MOA signing, includes PhP1.00 per liter discounts on liquid fuels in selected Shell stations across the country. This initiative aims to mitigate the impact of Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law on oil prices and to avert transport fare increases. Other participating oil companies are Petron Corp. and Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc.

(Taguig City). Good news for public utility vehicles and commuters.

The Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc., today signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to provide fuel discounts to public utility vehicles (PUVs).

"These corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs of the oil companies are aimed to mitigate the impact of Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law's impact on transportation fares," said Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi. 

The CSR programs will expand the oil companies' existing discount programs for PUJs, which includes the increase in the number of participating retail stations, higher discounts and inclusion of other PUVs.

The highlights of the agreements between DOE, Petron, Shell and Phoenix are the following:

a. At least PhP1.00 discounts per liter of liquid fuels to public utility vehicles (PUVs), which may include jeepneys and taxis

b. Oil companies to provide a designated lane for PUVs

c. Additional privileges and other promotional offers to be offered to the drivers of PUVs

"With these fuel discount and other CSR programs, we are hopeful that operators of jeepneys and buses will also help lessen the impact of TRAIN to consumers by not increasing the transport fares," Cusi underscored.

Sec. Cusi added that the wisdom of TRAIN Law is to raise funds to finance major infrastructure projects and relevant projects of the government to uplift the lives of the Filipino people and the next generations to come.

"Energy efficiency and these CSR schemes are being pursued by the DOE to maximize the benefit of having a higher take home pay for lower and middle class income taxpayers," Cusi concluded.

The MOA signing between the DOE and oil companies for fuel discounts on PUVs as part of their CSR was opened by DOE-Assistant Secretary Leonido J. Pulido III. The event was attended by the DOE Oil Industry Management Bureau, stakeholders from the oil industry and the members of the media.

Luisita defends title at 32nd PAL Seniors Interclub

BACOLOD – Luisita Golf Club wrapped up its practice rounds at Marapara yesterday, confident it can extend its domination when the 32nd Philippine Airlines Interclub golf team championships start today in two courses.

"We have a strong eight-man team and everyone's playing well," said Luisita non-playing captain Jeric Hechanova who has yet to pick the four players that will first see action at Marapara, considered the toughest of two courses.

"I would like to get their sentiments before we decide our lineup for tomorrow," Hechanova added.

Last year, the Tarlac-based squad took a huge 21-point lead over old rival Canlubang in the first round at the Apo Golf and Country Club in Davao and went on to win its 16th crown by 11 points.

Canlubang is bringing in Pem Rosal, a club champion based in the United States to replace the late Mike Preysler, but the addition is the least of Hechanova's worries.

"We're not concerned with Canlubang, we're not concerned with anyone else," Hechanova said. "What we are concerned about is ourselves."

With an intact lineup, Luisita remains the team to beat in the four-day event that will also be played at Binitin, a wind-swept course.

"Luisita is very strong, but we will be there fighting," said Canlubang veteran Rolly Viray, still mindful of Canlubang's poor opening round that cost them the title last year. "We certainly don't want a repeat of that."

Del Monte Golf Club is the only other team in the elite championship division.

The four-to-play, three-to-count event also features competition in four categories – Founders, Aviator, Sportswriters and Friendship.

Action in the second-tier Founders is expected to be tight among defending champion Orchard, host club Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club, Manila Golf Club and Cebu Country Club.

Also returning to defend their titles are Aviator's Alta Vista, Sportswriters' Iligan and Friendship's Lumbia Golf Club.

A total of 95 teams, including entries from the United States and the Middle East, are seeing action in the event that serves as a prelude to the 71st PAL Men's Regular Interclub championships next week.

The Interclub's Platinum sponsors this year are Primax Broadcasting, RMN and Fox, while major sponsors are BusinessWorld Publishing, Rolls Royce, TV5, Philippine Standard.

Other sponsors include Boeing, Under Armour, Eton Properties and Asia Brewery.February 28, 2018

REP. SALVADOR B. BELARO, JR.
1-Ang Edukasyon Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader
Member, Higher and Technical Education and 10 other committees

FILIPINOS' ENGLISH PROFICIENCY AS BEST FOOT FORWARD IS SUFFERING FROM ARTHRITIS

Concerned about test results showing Filipino college graduates' English proficiency declining while other countries are improving, 1-Ang Edukasyon Party-List Rep. Salvador Belaro, Jr recently delivered a privilege speech pushing for English as an official language of the country.

Comparing the results of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) across ASEAN, Hopkins International Partners found that Thai high school students are more proficient in English than Filipino college graduates.

Hopkins International Partners said Filipinos are ranked only third or fourth among the ASEAN countries in terms of English proficiency and that the Philippines' proficiency is on the decline while others are on the rise.

In the two-year study of Hopkins International Partners, Filipino university graduates average a score of only 630, a far cry from the 850 passable score required by business process outsourcing companies the world over. The study also noted that it is lower than the competency requirement for taxi drivers in the United Arab Emirates, and lower than that of the high school graduates of Thailand and Vietnam.

At the heart of the problem is the Department of Education's not giving English the proper emphasis it deserves in the instruction of our schoolchildren. Instead of allowing English to grow in conjunction with the teaching of Filipino, our national language, the resulting scenario was that the promotion of Filipino in our schools came at the expense of teaching English, when the ideal but also realizable scenario could be the mutual development of both English and Filipino as languages of instruction.

One practical twin solution to improve English proficiency in our schools is to require, with training and testing costs shouldered by the government, all public school teachers of English to be certified by the TESDA as English proficient.

The proficiency course would be in-service training for those who are already teaching. The incentive for undergoing the English proficiency training can be a two-step increase in salary plus service credits commensurate to the hours of training undergone. English teachers who would need to take the proficiency test again would undergo further intensive training (cost shouldered by the DepEd).

For those who are studying to become English teachers, the TESDA English proficiency training can be embedded into the baccalaureate program as one of the requirements for graduation.

By improving the English proficiency of our teachers, we strengthen the English competencies of our youth. It will help secure a better future for them. (END)

REFERENCES:
http://www.hopkins.ph/
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/644114/english-proficiency-of-pinoy-students-teachers-lagging-survey/story/
http://www.ets.org/toeic/successes

SOLONS CITE LANGUAGE COMPETENCIES AS KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

For Filipinos who are returning to schooling via alternative learning, adapting to their mother tongue is one effective way to reconnect them to the education system, according to Iligan City Representative Frederick Siao.  For those who have remained in school or are teaching upgrading of English proficiency is necessary, says 1-Ang Edukasyon Party-list Rep. Salvador Belaro Jr.

These two advocates of quality education put forth their positions on the relevance of language in education this weekend through separate official statements.

Rep. Siao commented on the decision of Education Secretary Leonor Briones to adjust the passing rate of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) accreditation and equivalency exams to 60 percent from 75 percent because of the tests given last November were more difficult for the out-of-school learners because of the use of English in the tests on Math and Science.

Siao lauded Sec. Briones for admitting the "unfairness" of the November exams. "The DepEd Secretary proved yet again her integrity and courage as an educator when she admitted, on behalf of the DepEd, that the test given last November was "impaired" in terms of fairness.

He asked Secretary Briones to direct the DepEd personnel under her to have the Math and Science tests in Filipino and Cebuano and other major mother tongues or languages of the Philippines, so that the examinees can understand the questions and respond accordingly.

Siao said the DepEd can enlist the technical support of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino and the Surian ng Wikang Filipino for this undertaking.

"If the DepEd needs a higher allocation for this specific purpose, I will support that budget request when the DepEd budget is heard in Congress at committee and in plenary, " Siao also said.

For his part, Rep. Belaro batted for English as an official language of the Philippines and the state-funded upgrading of English teachers' competencies in English with the TESDA English proficiency course and certification.

"In the two-year study of Hopkins International Partners, Filipino university graduates average a score of only 630, a far cry from the 850 passable score required by business process outsourcing companies the world over. The study also noted that it is lower than the competency requirement for taxi drivers in the United Arab Emirates, and lower than that of the high school graduates of Thailand and Vietnam," Belaro noted.

Comparing the results of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) across ASEAN, Hopkins International Partners found that Thai high school students are more proficient in English than Filipino college graduates.

"By improving the English proficiency of our teachers, we strengthen the English competencies of our youth. It will help secure a better future for them," Belaro said. (END)

Bonhomme Richard Arrives in Manila for a Port Call
Mass Communication Specialist3rd Class Cosmo Walrath, USS Bonhomme Richard Public Affairs

MANILA, Philippines–The amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), with embarked 3d Marine Division Marines, arrived in Manila, Philippines, for a scheduled port visit, Mar. 4.

More than 2,500 Sailorsand Marines aboard Bonhomme Richard are visiting Manila to enhance the strong ties between the Philippines and the U.S., and to experience the Philippine culture.

"The Sailors and Marines aboard Bonhomme Richardhave worked hard over the past few weeks conducting exercises and underway operations," said Capt. Larry McCullen, commanding officer of Bonhomme Richard. "Following exercise Cobra Gold, we've continued our shipboard training and patrol,and now we have the opportunity to experience liberty in Manila. I'm grateful for the chance to share the amazing culture of the Philippines with the crew during this port call."

While in Manila, Sailors and Marines will have the opportunity to participate inMorale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) tours, and a community relations project where service members will get the chance to help those affected by the eruption ofthe Mayon Volcano in the province of Albay.

Mayon Volcano, whichinitially erupted inJanuary, continues to be active and has displacedan estimated 90,000 people. Service members will pack food and other supplies for distribution to those affected by the volcano.

"We chose this COMREL because it responds to a current natural disaster thatis affecting thousands of Filipinos," said Lt. David Hammond, Bonhomme Richard's assistant commandchaplain. "Although we're unable to have personal interaction withthe evacuees, we know that our work will reach them. We're grateful for the invitation to playa small role in pitching in to help provide for others during a time ofneed."

Bonhomme Richard's port visit comes after the ship's participation in the multinational exercise Cobra Gold in the Kingdom of Thailand.

As the 37th iteration of the exercise, Cobra Gold focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Among participating nations were Indonesia, Japan, the Kingdom of Thailand, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and the United States.

Bonhomme Richard, part of Amphibious Squadron 11, is operating in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region as part of a regularly scheduled patrol and provides a rapid-response capability in the event of a regional contingency or natural disaster.-30-

For more information about Bonhomme Richard visit our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ussbhr.

For more news from Commander, Amphibious Force, U.S. 7th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/ctf76/.
For more info:
MCC Ryan Wilber                                         March4, 2018
DSN: 315-453-7691                              Release #2018-014
COM: 011-81-956-50-3416               USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6)                                                                                                                                                                                                                             wilberrg@lhd6.navy.mil

AL Seniors Interclub
Canlubang wins 10th PAL Seniors Interclub

BACOLOD CITY – Canlubang captured its 10th Philippine Airlines Seniors Interclub title in 12 years Sunday and offered it to a team member who passed away last December.

"This is for Mike," said Canlubang captain Luigi Yulo, referring to Miguel Preysler, a former national player based in Spain.

After a forgettable performance last year in Davao, Preysler vowed to return, but nine months following his return to Spain, he died of stomach cancer.

"We didn't know about his condition, but it was uncharacteristic of him to play badly," said Yulo, referring to the 37 points Presyler made in the first round at Mt. Apo.

Canlubang rode on Abe Rosal's 50 points to beat Luisita by eight points.

Rosal was even par through 16 holes before picking up on the 17th and settling for bogey on the 18th off the greenside bunkers.

The Sugar Barons also drew 46 from Zaldy Villa and the 44 from either Rolly Viray or Damasus Wong to return with 140 and 573 overall.

Seven points behind before the start of the round, Luisita failed to mount a rally and virtually threw in the towel as early as the 12th hole.

As the players walked to the tee mound of the 13th hole, Luisita skipper Jeric Hechanova walked over to Yulo to offer his hand in congratulation.

"Their young players are the ones who came through," said Hechanova, referring to Abe and Pem Rosal, Wong and Villa. "We will rise from this defeat and try to win it back next year."

Eddie Bagtas, who fired 52 points at Binitin in the second round, struggled with 44 points.

Benjie Sumulong was Luisita's top scorer with 50 followed by Rodel Mangulabnan with 45.

Del Monte outscored both Canlubang and Luisita in the final round with 148 points, but still settled for third with 549.

Yoyong Velez shot the day's best score of 52 to win the individual crown. Del Monte also collected a pair of 48s from Raul Minoza and Arnido Callo.

Since winning its first crown in 2006, Canlubang has lost only twice, a testament to its pool of talents and experienced coaching staff.

"We thought that Luisita made a poor decision sitting out Bagtas in the third round," said Yulo. "He should have played at Binitin."

The Interclub's Platinum sponsors this year are Primax Broadcasting, RMN and Fox, while major sponsors are BusinessWorld Publishing, Rolls Royce, TV5, Philippine Standard.

Other sponsors include Boeing, Under Armour, Eton Properties and Asia Brewery.

REP. FREDERICK W. SIAO
Lone District of Iligan City
Vice Chair, Committee on Tourism
Member, Appropriations, Economic Affairs, and 8 other committees                                                                   
Facebook: /congressmansiao Twitter: @freddiesiao 0917-719-0000                                                                   
                                                                                                   
DEPED ALS EQUIVALENCY TEST SHOULD ALSO BE IN CEBUANO, FILIPINO, SAYS REP. SIAO

DepEd officials failed the fairness test when they made the ALS equivalency exam much harder to pass

DepEd Alternative Learning System (ALS) learners who did not pass the accreditation and equivalency test given in November last year have been allowed to take the test again this March. To pass the test, they need to get a passing score of 60 percent.

I commend Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis-Briones for taking swift and decisive action on the injustice committed against learners who took the ALS accreditation and equivalency last November but failed to pass it because of, among others, the sudden use of English instead of Filipino in the tests on Math and Science.

Secretary Briones was right in lowering the passing rate from 75 percent to 60 percent because the test last November 2017 was more difficult than previous tests.

The DepEd Secretary proved yet again her integrity and courage as an educator when she admitted, on behalf of the DepEd, that the test given last November was "impaired" in terms of fairness.

However, I urge Secretary Briones to, at the very least, issue a written reprimand to the DepEd officials and personnel responsible for subjecting the ALS examinees to the injustice, not mere unfairness, of the test they took last year.

Those officials are supposed to be highly educated and highly trained, yet they failed to serve the public, the examinees in particular, with FAIRNESS.

I appeal to Secretary Briones to direct the DepEd personnel under her to have the Math and Science tests in Filipino, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Cebuano and other major mother tongues or languages of the Philippines, so that the examinees can understand the questions and respond accordingly.

The DepEd can enlist the technical support of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino and the Surian ng Wikang Filipino for this undertaking.

If the DepEd needs a higher allocation for this specific purpose, I will support that budget request when the DepEd budget is heard in Congress at committee and in plenary. (END)

BACKGROUNDER

(Excerpt from March 2, 2018 Statement of Secretary Briones)

Based on my evaluation, in consultation with all our relevant officers and personnel, the following are the contributory factors that made the current test more difficult than the previous ones, and impaired the fairness of the test:

1. The language used in test questions for Math and Science were changed from Filipino in the previous tests to English in the current test. The negative impact of this was very pronounced in the elementary level examination.

2. The time gap between the time of completion of ALS interventions and the current test was prolonged because of a number of postponements in test administration.

3. There was a change in the technical reference of, as well as significant increase in, the passing score for the test.

4. An initial comparison of the test questions show a higher degree of difficulty in the present test than the previous one.

5. There were shortcomings in adequately communicating the assessment changes to ALS implementers.

Given the above, I am announcing the change in the passing score from 75% correct answers (relative to total test questions) to 60% correct answers in the November 2017 A&E Test. This is to align the present test with previous standards, as well as to mitigate the unfairness to the examinees brought about by the circumstances mentioned. This same passing score shall be applied to the March 4 and 11, 2018 A&E Test.

A 60% passing score in examinations is generally acceptable.

The November 2017 A&E examinees who still did not make the new passing score shall be allowed to take the March 4 and 11, 2018 A&E Test as walk-in examinees, provided they accomplish the required registration documents at the site immediately prior to taking the exam.

PRESS RELEASE from DepEd Secretary Briones

DepEd Statement on the recent Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Test: Announcing the change in passing score from 75% to 60%

When I received the initial results of low passing rate of the November 2017 Alternative Learning System (ALS) Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Test compared to the previous year (from 38% to 16.5% for elementary and 57% to 15.6% for Junior High School), and feedback from ALS examinees and implementers, I immediately directed our Curriculum and Instruction bureaus to submit all pertinent data and information about the current and the previous tests. My intent was to ascertain the reasons for the drop in performance, and to evaluate whether there were factors that affected the fairness of the tests to learners.

Based on my evaluation, in consultation with all our relevant officers and personnel, the following are the contributory factors that made the current test more difficult than the previous ones, and impaired the fairness of the test:

1. The language used in test questions for Math and Science were changed from Filipino in the previous tests to English in the current test. The negative impact of this was very pronounced in the elementary level examination.

2. The time gap between the time of completion of ALS interventions and the current test was prolonged because of a number of postponements in test administration.

3. There was a change in the technical reference of, as well as significant increase in, the passing score for the test.

4. An initial comparison of the test questions show a higher degree of difficulty in the present test than the previous one.

5. There were shortcomings in adequately communicating the assessment changes to ALS implementers.

Given the above, I am announcing the change in the passing score from 75% correct answers (relative to total test questions) to 60% correct answers in the November 2017 A&E Test. This is to align the present test with previous standards, as well as to mitigate the unfairness to the examinees brought about by the circumstances mentioned. This same passing score shall be applied to the March 4 and 11, 2018 A&E Test.

A 60% passing score in examinations is generally acceptable.

The November 2017 A&E examinees who still did not make the new passing score shall be allowed to take the March 4 and 11, 2018 A&E Test as walk-in examinees, provided they accomplish the required registration documents at the site immediately prior to taking the exam.

I wish to emphasize that these measures are applicable only to the said tests. I am directing our officers and personnel concerned to undertake a thorough review of our A&E examination standards, including their alignment to existing learning resources and instruction delivery, and to consult external experts. In the meantime, the provision in DepEd Order No. 55, s. 2016 setting the passing score at 75% is suspended pending this review.

I reiterate my, and the present administration's commitment to intensify and expand the Alternative Learning System (ALS) programs in order to reach our out-of-school youth and adults who have failed to finish basic education and provide better opportunities for them. We will closely work with stakeholders, consult them, and strengthen partnerships to achieve this goal.

Day 4 Scores
CHAMPIONSHIP: Canlubang 573, Luisita 565, Del Monte 549

AVIATOR: Alta Vista 481, Villamor Airbase 473, Filam Hawaii 461, Iloilo 454, Sarangani 445, Davao City 442, Negros Occidental 442, Socal Redhawk  433, Team Coral Ocean Saipan 421, Club Intramuros 413, Lanang 410, Bay Area 407, Baguio Country Club 401, UP Tee Jots 397, Leyte 388, Travelers  381, PAR  2000 372, Bay City 371, Cotabato 366, MSU Marawi 364, Pinoy Vancouver  Team A 356, Guam Seniors 354, Honolulu 351, Brotherhood Sharp 233

SPORTSWRITER: Rancho Palos Verdes 454, Forest Hills 434, Veterans A 429, Bacolod 428, Melbourne Pinoy 422, Iligan 416, Taotaomona 416, Club Filipino de Cebu 412, Van City 412, Sienna Plantation 410, San Juanico 410, South Cotabato 408, SF Maharlika 403, Paoay 396, SF Crystal Springs 385, Seattle 365, Alameda Bago 2 360, Dirab 349, San Francisco East Bay 343, Fort Bonifacio 335, Vancouver Golf Assoc of BC 315, Pinoy Vancouver B 314, Par Breakers 311, SF Peninsula GA Intl 238

FOUNDERS:  Cebu Country Club 542, Negros Occidental A 528, Orchard 528, Alabang 524, Pueblo de Oro 515, Manila 514, Camp John Hay 508, Veterans B 503, Valley Golf 499, Eagle Ridge 493, Riviera Golf 492, Manila Southwoods 490, Wack Wack 487, Guinhalaran 478, Apo Golf 478, Zamboanga 443, Camp Evangelista 432, Team Metgut 406, PGA Qatar 357

FRIENDSHIP: South Bay LA 437, Club 1872 LA 430, Fil-Oz Sydney 409, Canphil 394, Philam Golf of Central Florida 386, Fil-am Fairfield 375, Eastridge 373, Mt Malindang 371, Mabuhay SFO 354, Guam Seals 349, Filam New Jersey 348, Richmond Range 342, PGA British Columbia 341, Filcansa 335, Lumbia 330, Winners Circle 326, Moffet Field 324, Bennett Valley 320, Guam Compadres 317, Tri-City 315, Fil-am SFO 302, West Covina 293, Skywest 263, Pittsburg Filam 241, SFO Alliance of Golfers 230

Discernment

Hebrews 5:12-14

We live in a fast-paced culture that demands instant results. For many people, waiting has become a lost art. But God's way of maturing us in our faith is different from how the world works. The character qualities He values take time to develop.

Discernment is one such trait. Far from being a ready-made skill, it is cultivated by saturating the heart and mind with Scripture. The transcendent Lord of the universe wants to share His thinking with us through His Word. What could be more important or valuable in life than having the capacity to know the mind of God?

Our lives are filled with situations that require discernment. Sometimes we can be so busy trying to determine God's will and direction for our next step that we fail to hear His voice. He is calling us to come and spend some quiet, unhurried time absorbing the truth of His Word and listening to Him.

After listening to the Lord, we can begin applying what we have learned. Only as we put His Word into practice in our lives will we have our "senses trained to discern good and evil" (Heb. 5:14). The Scriptures open our eyes to see all of our experiences from God's perspective so that we are able to make wise choices.

Our challenge for today and every day is to make it a priority to spend time with the Lord in His Word. We may have to reorganize our schedule or wake up earlier. But it's well worth the effort discernment, and wisdom await us if we put into practice the truths we absorb daily.

PAL Seniors Interclub
Division champs shine at Seniors Interclub

BACOLOD CITY – Cebu Country Club, Alta Vista, Rancho Palos Verdes and South Bay of Los Angeles topped their respective divisions at the close of the 32nd Philippine Airlines Senior Interclub golf team championships Sunday.

Roichi Horit and Nonoy Tirol each had 47 points and Kim Kwang Seok added 42 at Binitin as CCC captured the Founders division with 542 points.

Negros Occidental Team A and Orchard tied for second place with 528 points apiece.

Alabang and Pueblo de Oro completed the top five with 524 and 515, respectively.

In the Aviator class, Alta Vista drew 123 points from Ramon Sebastian (44), Razzy Razon (42) and Masahisa Kawakami (37) to win the Aviator bracket by eight points over Villamor.

The rest of the top five includes Fil Am Hawaii (461), Iloilo Golf and Country Club (454) and Sarangani Golf and Country Club (445).

Rancho Palos Verdes, on the other hand, was declared Sportswriters champion after posting 454, 20 points ahead of Forest Hills.

Scoring 103 points in the final round at Marapara were Lito Dublan 37, Abraham Dizon 33 and Deo Cura 33.

Veterans was third with 429, Bacolod Golf fourth with 428, and Iligan Golf and Taotaomona Guam which tied for fifth with 416 apiece.

The Friendship bracket was won by South Bay of LA which totalled 437, following a 104-point effort at Binitin. Scoring on the final day were Ronald Rojas 49, Rene Flores 41 and Nilo Liwag 28.

Club 1872 LA finished second with 430, Fil-Oz Sydney third with 409, Canphil Golf Association fourth with 394 and Phil Am Golf of Central Florida fifth with 386.

This year's Interclub's Platinum sponsors this year are RMN and Manila Times, while major sponsors are Mastercard, The Philippine Manila Standard, Rolls Royce, Bombardier, TV5, Primax, BusinessWorld, Crossover and Fox.

Other sponsors include Boeing, PAGCOR, Belmonte Hotel, Eton Properties and Asia Brewery, Inc.

Clockwise from top left: The newly-trained Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit (TCIU) poses at graduation with Chief Superintendent Eric Serafin Reyes of the Philippine National Police.  During the training, the Brunswick, Georgia Filipino-American community came together to welcome the 22 PNP officers with home cooked meals.  TCIU PNP officers practice using breaching tools to execute a search warrant.  TCIU PNP officers prepare to make entry to execute a search warrant on a mock suspect home.

Manila, March 5, 2018— U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) hosted 22 Philippine National Police (PNP) officers from the newly-formed Philippine Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit (TCIU) for an intensive three-week International Task Force Agent Training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Brunswick, Georgia, from January 16 to February 2.  While there, the local Filipino-American community came together to welcome the 22 police officers with home-cooked meals and fellowship.

At the training, HSI and FLETC instructors led rigorous sessions for the TCIU members on entry and defensive tactics, investigative techniques, interviews and interrogations, evidence collection, surveillance, and undercover operations.

TCIUs investigate crimes with a nexus to both the United States and the host country and are a partnership between HSI and local law enforcement.  The Philippines is the first Asian country to host a TCIU.

"TCIU Philippines will first focus on those who travel to the Philippines to exploit children," explained Ransom Avilla, the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines' HSI Attaché.  PNP Team Leader Major Jeorge Francis Rodrin added, "The TCIU officers came from different fields of expertise within the PNP and grew as one during this training.  Together, the TCIU will fight crime to give justice to victims of abuse."

Out of the 12 TCIUs worldwide, the Philippine TCIU is notable for its high proportion of female officers, with 13 women out of 22 members. 

REP. RON P. SALO
KABAYAN Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader
Member, Health, Overseas Workers Affairs, and 10 other Committees
KABAYAN SOLON PUSHES FOR NEW ORGAN DONATION LAW

House Bill 1414 seeks to protect living and deceased organ donors with stricter regulation and supervision

Everyday hundreds of Filipinos are becoming afflicted with end-stage organ failure, with organ transplant as the only chance of survival. The National Kidney and Transplant Institute, in its website, states that kidney diseases, especially end-stage renal diseases, are the seventh leading causes of death among Filipinos.

Organ transplantation, while universally accepted as a mode of medical treatment to prolong and improve the quality of lives of patients, is limited due to the expense and shortage of donors.

In an effort to encourage and regulate organ donation, the Philippines passed the Organ Donation Act in 1991, authorizing the donation of any or all part of human body after death. Nonetheless, organ donation has been surrounded by cultural, moral, and ethical issues and thus there continues to be a lack of donors in order to implement the said Act.

Some people have invariably resorted to other sources of graft, such as living donors. But these has also been plagued by issues of exploitation of the poor and human trafficking.

In 2008, the Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism was adopted by States-Parties, highlighting the need for all countries to develop laws and guidelines to govern organ donation and transplantation activities, and to have a transparent regulatory oversight system that ensures donor and recipient safety and the enforcement of standards and prohibitions on unethical practices.

It is imperative therefore that a law be passed seeking to protect, on the one hand, the lives of patients by developing a national system of promoting organ donation from both deceased donors and living donors, and on the other hand, protect living donors from exploitation, abuse, and human trafficking.

House bill 1414 seeks to strengthen the Organ Donation Act of 1991. It will also ensure the availability of organs and tissues for donation to patients who are in need, while providing stricter regulation and more careful supervision of the practice of organ donation.

HB 1414 supplements the Organ Donation Act of 1991, maintains many of its provisions, but significantly strengthens it by adding additional provisions.

The Philippine Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Program is created to provide the overall direction and system of implementation of organ donation and transplantation in the country, through the Philippine Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Board under the Department of Health (DOH).

The Philippine Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Board is mandated to develop and implement policies on organ donation and transplantation within the framework of Philippine laws and serve as the overall implementing body of the organ donation and transplantation program in the country.

HB 1414 creates the Philippine Network for Organ Sharing (PhilNOS) under the Philippine Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Board to perform the following functions:

1.    Oversee and facilitate donation and organ transplantation involving deceased and living donors in the country;
2.    Act as the central coordinating body to ensure that all organs from deceased and living donors are allocated according to established criteria; and
3.    Promote organ donation from a deceased or living donor

HB 1414 encourages the creation of Organ Recovery Organizations which shall be responsible for identifying, evaluating and obtaining organ donations from deceased donors from hospitals, including the preservation and transportation of such organs.

A National Transplant Ethics Committee under the DOH shall be established to formulate national ethical standards or guidelines on organ donation and transplantation for approval by the Philippine Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Board.

HB 1414 retains the provisions in the old law as to who may donate organs, who may be an organ receiver or done, the manner in which a donation is executed, manner of delivery to a specific legatee, and amendment or revocation of legacy, as well as the rights and duties of the parties after the death of the donor.

It also retains the provisions in the old law as to which who is authorized to remove and transplant organs.

HB 1414 mandates Organ Donor Cards with which a donor may also indicate the willingness to donate an organ, tissue, or part thereof either through a donor card or the government-issued identification (ID) cards and licenses.

HB 1414 establishes a procedure in the absence of a donation and a protocol for organ donations from a living person, as well as provision for assistance and protection.

It also strengthens the information drive mandated in the old law by incorporating it in the health subjects in our education system. (END)

Canlubang retakes lead by 7 points

BACOLOD CITY – Canlubang primed itself for a 10th championship after seizing a seven-point lead over defending champion Luisita Saturday in the 32nd Philippine Seniors Interclub golf team tournament.

No one broke 50 points on a day Binitin course turned out to be a tough customer, but the Sugar Barons salvaged 140 points behind the 48 of Dr. Pem Rosal.

Rosal, playing the Interclub for the first time after spending the last 30 years in the United States, did not make a single birdie, but managed to avoid the double bogeys that hurt most of the players.

With Abe Avena and Mari Hechanova adding 47 and 45, respectively, Canlubang posted 140 points that raised its total to 433 points.

Dave Hernandez, one of three Canlubang players who played Binitin twice, did not count with 44, his birdie-less round hurt by a pickup on the sixth hole.

After returning with 149 points Friday, Luisita slumped to 131 points, a score that raised doubts on its ability to defend its title.

Raffy Garcia, who had 50 points Friday, struggled with 45, Benjie Sumulong scored 44 and Chito Laureta rounded up scoring for Luisita with 42.

Edmund Yee, Luisita's top scorer at Marapara Thursday with 50, had a forgettable 39.

Del Monte, the third team in the championship division, had a total of 41 points after submitting 136. Scoring for the Mindanao-based squad were Ramon Velez 48, Antonio Arancon 44 and Erning Apas 44.

The three teams return to Marapara on Sunday for the final round with both Canlubang and Luisita exuding confidence.

"It is not a safe lead, but it's nice to carry that to Marapara," said Canlubang mainstay Rolly Viray.

Luisita captain Jeric Hechanova remains optimistic.

"No excuses. Our team played bad but fortunately, there's one more day to go. I feel we have a stronger lineup tomorrow," Hechanova said.

Eddie Bagtas will lead Luisita's final round cast. The others are Jingy Tuason, Rodel Mangulabnan and Benjie Sumulong.

They will be up against Abe Rosal, Damasus Wong, Rolly Viray and Zaldy Villa.

Meanwhile, Rancho Palos Verdes surged on top of the Sportswriters division after posting 123 points at Binitin for a three-day total of 351.

Overnight leader Veterans Golf Club now trails Rancho by 24 after struggling with just 97, allowing TaoTaomona Guam to inch to within four following a 105-point output.

Veterans has a three-day total of 327.

The Interclub's Platinum sponsors this year are Primax Broadcasting, RMN and Fox, while major sponsors are BusinessWorld Publishing, Rolls Royce, TV5, Philippine Standard.

Other sponsors include Boeing, Under Armour, Eton Properties and Asia Brewery.

USS Bremerton Visits Subic Bay during Indo-Pacific Deployment
By Ens. James Gloria, USS Bremerton Public Affairs

Subic Bay, March 1, 2018 — The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Bremerton (SSN 698) arrived at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone March 1 for a routine port visit during its deployment to the Indo-Pacific region.

The visit highlights the strong partnership between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines and gives the crew an opportunity to meet the local community living in the Subic area.  It also demonstrates the U.S. Navy's commitment to regional stability and maritime security in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

Bremerton's crew of 150 sailors regularly conducts a variety of missions to maintain proficiency in the latest submarine fleet capabilities.  Its stealth, mobility, endurance and firepower allow Bremerton to work independently or in conjunction with a carrier strike group.

"Bremerton's arrival into Subic Bay means a lot to both my crew and the U.S. submarine force," said Cmdr. Travis Zettel, commanding officer.  "This is Bremerton's ninth and final visit to Subic Bay in the ship's 37 year history.  My crew and I are looking forward to the opportunity to engage with the local community while simultaneously preparing the ship for the remainder of our deployment."

A number of the sailors aboard Bremerton have family from the Philippines and through this visit have the chance to better connect with their heritage.

"It really means a lot to me that I get the chance to visit a number of my family members again," said Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Christopher Gapasin, who lived in the Philippines for six years and has relatives in the area.

Measuring more than 300 feet long and weighing more than 6,000 tons when submerged, Bremerton is capable of supporting a multitude of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and mine warfare.

Bremerton, the oldest commissioned submarine in the U.S. Navy, is currently homeported in Pearl Harbor.  Later this year, Bremerton will move to its namesake city, Bremerton, Washington, where it will be decommissioned after nearly 40 years of naval service.

Philippine Association of Agencies to Kuwait (PHILAAK)

Contact Person/Reference: 0917 302 7005 Esmie Bartolome

PHILAAK ASKS DSWD, OTHER GOV'T AGENCIES TO EXTEND HELP TO DEMAFELIS' COMMUNITY IN SARA, ILOILO

During their visit to the home of Joanna Demafelis for her wake last Saturday, February 24, the representatives of the Philippine Association of Agencies Accredited to Kuwait noticed an old billboard of the Department of Social Welfare and Development located on the roadside just outside the fence of the Demafelis residence.

The DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS project was for a farm-to-market road connecting the rice farms of Sitio Antiqueno and Sito Bubog of Barangay Ferraris of the town of Sara, Iloilo to the national road. Project cost was about P486,000 and the project was done in September to October 2015.

PHILAAK felt there may be other priority needs which the DSWD and other government agencies can address in the Demafelis' neighborhood and town.

The Demafelis home has a water pump tapping groundwater. Water safety and sanitation can be looked into. Solar-powered street lights would be needed for the safety and security of Demafelis' community. A Negosyo Center and shared service facility for rice farmers and livestock growers in Sara are what the DTI could build and implement there. Perhaps the P3 program of the DTI Small Business Corporation can extend microloans to the Demafelis family and their neighbors.

Sara, Iloilo is a second-class municipality with a population of about 53 thousand according to the 2015 Census of the Philippine Statistics Authority. Sara is about 97 kilometers from Iloilo City. It is part of the 5th congressional district. The town has one district hospital with a 50-bed capacity. The provincial health office says undernutrition in Sara, Iloilo affects 8,196 residents. (END)

Philippine Association of
Agencies to Kuwait (PHILAAK)

Contact Person/Reference: 0917 302 7005 Esmie Bartolome

JOANNA DEMAFELIS INTERMENT SET FOR MARCH 3

Joanna Demafelis will be laid to rest on Saturday, March 3, the Philippine Association of Agencies Accredited to Kuwait (PHILAAK) learned when they visited her wake and met her bereaved family over the weekend.

PHILAAK Chairman Thelma Uanang and other PHILAAK representatives handed over to Eva Demafelis, mother of Joanna, their group's donation of P200,000 during their visit to the wake.

It so happened that Senator Win Gatchalian arrived at the wake minutes after and while the PHILAAK representatives were still there, so the group assured the senator from Valenzuela that they will keep attending the Senate hearings on the case of Joanna Demafelis and the plight of OFWs.

For his part, Senator Gatchalian said he will communicate again with the PHILAAK soon and see to it that they are invited again to the Senate hearings.

Meanwhile, the PHILAAK appreciate the concerns and suggestions of Senator Joel Villanueva, Senator Cynthia Villar, Senator Manny Pacquiao, and Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy and Rep. Salvador Belaro Jr.

PHILAAK said it agrees with the stance of Sen. Villanueva and Rep. Herrera-Dy that Kuwait be persuaded to be a signatory to and ratify several international conventions on the protection and welfare of migrant workers.

PHILAAK also welcomes the suggestion of Rep. Belaro that the PDOS be improved and be implemented by state universities and colleges so that PDOS effectiveness, accessibility, and cost will favor OFWs.

REP. MICHAEL "MIKEE" L. ROMERO, Ph. D.
1-PACMAN Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader
Member, Aquaculture & Fisheries Resources, Public Information and
6 other Committees Twitter: @MikeeRomeroPhD

RANKING SOLON PROPOSES RATIONAL APPROACH TO BORACAY SEWAGE PROBLEMS

The tourism industry and local governments in Boracay has long neglected sustainability concerns the DENR, environmentalists, and researchers have been raising for years now.

It has taken no less than President Duterte himself to finally shock them into a reality check. Will we have to wait until hundreds of tourists get sick when they ingest contaminated waters of Boracay? The time for action, indeed, is now.

As a legislator who cares for the future of Boracay, I urge the DENR, DILG and DoT to take actions which will involve these components:
IMMEDIATE
·            Scientific conduct of water testing with appropriate audit controls;
·            Identification of the specific coastal and inland areas of Boracay where water contamination is most hazardous to least problematic;
·            Cordoning off of the medium and high-risk areas while keeping open to tourists the low-risk and minimal risk areas;
·            Mobilization of barangays and residents for massive and regular coastal clean-up and inland waste segregation—using the work for pay scheme.
·            High-risk areas in Boracay be declared calamity zones to allow government to tap calamity funds to help residents whose employment/livelihood will be affected;
·            Formation and deployment of multisectoral task force, including volunteers from environment groups and local resident, working together in cooperation and common purpose;
·            Deployment of portable water purification systems to medium-risk and high risk areas;
MEDIUM-TERM
·            Approve sewerage infrastructure programs for the coastal towns and inland barangays of Boracay;
·            Capability-upgrading for LGUs and tourism establishments in Boracay on sanitation and sustainable development program implementation;
·            Audit and upgrading (if necessary) of Boracay health facilities for capability to respond to water-borne diseases;
·            Declare parts of Boracay as protected areas;
·            Include in the 2019 budget the necessary provisions for Boracay's environmental and sustainable development;

LONG-TERM
·            Install/build the Boracay sewerage and sanitation system in segments or phases starting in late 2018/2019. Complete the system in two to three years; and
·            Build the needed support systems, including roads and transport facilities to improve Boracay as the country's premiere tourist destination.

REP. HENRY C. ONG
2nd District of Leyte
Vice Chair, Committee on Banks & Financial Intermediaries
Member, Economic Affairs, Trade & Industry, and 9 other committees

BUSINESSMAN-SOLON SEEKS PERFORMANCE COMMITMENTS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW ANTI-RED TAPE MEASURE

By this time, the Department of Trade and Industry and other agencies involved in implementing the soon-to-be law on Ease of Doing Business should be laying down the systems, processes, and procedures eliminating red tape nationwide.

They should also be crafting the implementing rules and regulations by now and not wait until the bill becomes law. The bicameral conference committee recently approved a reconciled bill which is due for ratification by both chambers of Congress.

We want the implementing agencies to present to Congress in March 2018 a clear and definitive timeline on how the different components of the Ease of Doing Business will fall into place this year and in the years ahead.

Which and how many of the country's 81 provinces, 145 cities, 1,489 towns, and 42,036 barangays will be complaint within this year of 2018, in 2019, and onwards?

We want SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) performance commitments by which Congress can hold the implementing agencies accountable.

Among the most crucial parts are those involving provincial, city, and municipal governments where competitiveness capacities and readiness are uneven. We want to know how the DTI and agencies are preparing the LGUs for their crucial roles.

Also of particular interest to us in Congress are the information technology systems. When will all the LGUs and concerned national agencies be online and operational for real-time transactions?

Congress has done its part in producing the law needed to very significantly cut out red tape in government. It is now the turn of the national agencies and LGUs to do their part in delivering on the promise of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on eliminating many of the long lines and making government processes take much less time and less signatures.  (END)

REFERENCES:

http://www.cmcindex.org.ph/pages/rankings/index.php
http://www.congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/third_17/HBT6579.pdf
http://www.dilg.gov.ph/PDF_File/factsfigures/dilg-facts-figures-201826_e4f75dd1a4.pdf
http://www.competitive.org.ph/stories/1394

Puerto Princesa, March 2, 2018 — United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission

Director Lawrence Hardy II visited Palawan this week to engage with development partners and reinforce the U.S. government's commitment to the province's sustainable growth.  To celebrate World Wildlife Day, Hardy kicked off his trip with a visit to the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, where he initiated the release of rescued animals, including a critically endangered forest turtle.

Puerto Princesa is a partner city in USAID's Cities Development Initiative (CDI), through which USAID cooperates with the local government and private sector to boost economic development while reinforcing environmental sustainability.  "USAID believes that responsible stewardship of our natural resources, including wildlife, is critical to pursuing a sustainable path toward development that enriches our environment instead of depleting it," explained Hardy, who visited numerous CDI projects while in Palawan.

At the closing ceremony of a USAID-supported Department of Environment and Natural Resources' (DENR) Wildlife and Forestry Law Enforcement Training, Hardy recognized the 100 forest rangers who recently completed the program, saying "I commend each one of you for your brave, frontline role in protecting the natural habitats of Palawan and countering wildlife poachers and traffickers."

Hardy later joined officials from the DENR and the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development to launch the country's first-ever population study of the Philippine pangolin, found only in Palawan.  Findings from the USAID-supported study, conducted in collaboration with local universities and Conservation International, will inform policy to protect this endangered species, which is the world's most trafficked mammal.

Demonstrating the interconnectedness of the environment and economic growth, Hardy led the opening of Nagkakaisang mga Tribu ng Palawan's USAID-supported livelihood center in Aborlan, where this coalition of indigenous peoples will sell products made from sustainably harvested resin and honey.

Meeting with Palawan tourism industry stakeholders, Hardy discussed progress on the city's 10-year Tourism Development Plan.  The plan, which USAID helped develop in 2017, lays out a sustainable tourism development strategy that is expected to increase revenue, jobs, and business opportunities, while protecting the province's natural resources.

Hardy also participated in the first Palawan Seaweed Industry Summit and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new seaweed products exhibition center.  USAID's support has helped the Philippines become one of the world's top exporters of seaweed, ultimately helping over 1,000 local seaweed farmers generate sustainable income.

Hardy, alongside Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) and Palawan government officials, also led the commissioning of Puerto Princesa's electric grid monitoring system.  Developed in partnership with the DOE, USAID, and U.S. Pacific Command, this pilot initiative will enable the Palawan Electric Cooperative to provide a more stable power supply to residents, businesses, and critical infrastructure.

USAID:
USAID is the lead U.S. government agency for international development and disaster assistance.  In the Philippines, USAID partners with the national government to build a more stable, prosperous, and well-governed nation.  For more information, visit http://www.usaid.gov/philippines or email infoph@usaid.gov.

REP. RON P. SALO
KABAYAN Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader

Member, Foreign Affairs, Overseas Workers Affairs, and 10 other Committees

HIV SPREADING FAST AMONG OFWs, SOLON NOTES

Aside from the fact that HIV-AIDS is spreading fast among the millennials and men having sex with men (MSM), there is also the worrisome and growing rate of HIV infections involving OFWs.

According to the latest data of the DOH, the number of recorded HIV cases among OFWs has risen from 92 in 2005 to 814 in 2017.

2017           814
2016           671
2015           680
2014           650
2013           508
2012           342
2011           271
2010           174
2009           164
2008           122
2007           106
2006           130
2005           92

Counting from January 1984 to December 2017, 11 percent (5,453 cases) of all the recorded 50,725 HIV cases involved OFWs.  The DOH said 70 percent of the 5,453 OFWs with HIV got infected through MSM transmission.

It is therefore of urgent priority that the new comprehensive HIV program of the national government must be rolled out as soon as possible.

The trigger for this is the signing of the new law replacing the old anti-HIV program. It is our hope the new measure will become law in the next few weeks.

As one of the principal authors of the proposed "Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act" (House Bill 6617), I ask all the concerned government agencies to undertake a parallel effort in preparing the implementing rules and regulations of the legislative measure in anticipation for its passage very soon. This will ensure that when the measure is signed into law, it will be immediately implemented.

The House of Representatives approved House Bill 6617 on December 4, 2017. The Senate version of the measure (Senate Bill 1390) is in the period of interpellation currently.

The war against HIV AIDS must be strong, community-based, and protect the most vulnerable sectors: millennial youths and young adults, the MSM, OFWs, and defenseless children.

EMPOWERING REMOTE AREAS: Feasibility studies conducted in Mindanao and Bohol using small renewable energy-based productive applications were presented by the DOE and EU-ASEP. The studies entail sustainable power access and local economic development in the chosen areas. In photo together with DOE Undersecretary Jesus Cristino Posadas (2nd from right) are (L-R) ASEP Expert Ces Rodriguez, Municipality of Malita Barangay Little Baguio Chair Ferdinand San, International Cooperation and Development EU Director General Stefano Manservisi, NEDA Director General Ernesto M. Pernia, Municipality of Don Marcelino Barangay Baluntaya Chair Amado Cano and Municipality of Getafe Barangay Banacon Chair Rodrigo Ismael.

(Taguig City). Three off-grid areas in Mindanao and Bohol were chosen as the pilot sites for the collaboration involving the Department of Energy (DOE), National Electrification Administration and the European Union-Access to Sustainable Energy Program (EU-ASEP).

The DOE and NEA on Friday (2 March) presented the program intended to put in place small renewable energy-based applications to spur economic development in host areas and the environs.

The DOE tapped the technical assistance of experts, through EU-ASEP, to expand the country's sustainable and renewable energy sources and utilization.

Representing Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, DOE Undersecretary Jesus Cristino Posadas said "there is a close correlation between energy, particularly electricity and social and economic development as being energy-poor is poverty-bound."

"Most of the poorest of the poor are located in remote and far-flung areas which are not connected to the main grids of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao –the so-called off-grid areas."

"Energizing these power-poor areas will enable economic and social activities to be started and be sustained there," added Posadas.

Off-grid areas being powered using diesel generators, the costliest power source, Posadas said decentralized mini-grids and solar home systems could revolutionize the energization in these areas.

EU-ASEP feasibility studies identified the common agricultural activities (i.e., corn shelling, flour grounding, rice hulling, winnowing, cassava and coconut grating, abaca stripping and fishing) in the areas where small-RE based productive applications can be utilized to improve production for economic growth.

The three pilot sites include Sitio New Mabuhay in Malita and Sitio Mahayag in Don Marcelino both located in Davao Occidental with proposed projects on modernized abaca and corn processing, respectively; while Barangay Banacon in Getafe, Bohol was proposed with an ice plant (with household micro-grinding) project.

The studies revealed that agricultural production in the above industries is way higher when using small RE-based productive applications, thus contributing more to the economic growth of the area.

EU-ASEP also identified the challenges in providing sustainable livelihood opportunities for households in remote off-grid communities, such as low income, micro scale, distance from markets, lack of local entrepreneurial capacity and sustainability problems, including technical and financial.

The feasibility studies were presented in the Experts Symposium on Renewable Energy-Based Productive Applications in Off-Grid Areas held at the Marquis Events Place in BGC, Taguig City.

The event was attended by partner national government agencies including NEDA, DOF and NEA,  international partners including EU-ASEP officials and partners, energy stakeholders including the Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative, Bohol II Electric Cooperative, various energy companies, members of the media, and the community leaders and representatives from the pilot areas, Davao Occidental and Bohol.

PAL Seniors Interclub
Luisita seizes lead

BACOLOD CITY – Eddie Bagtas and Rafael Garcia carried the day for defending champion Luisita which seized the lead halfway through the 32nd Philippine Airlines Senior Interclub golf team championships Friday.

Bagtas mixed three birdies with three bogeys and a double bogey to finish with 52 points as Luisita took a two-point lead over first round leader Canlubang at the windswept Binitin.

Garcia made 50 and Luis Laureta added 47 as Luisita totalled 149 for a two-day total of 295.

Canlubang, which opened with 150 points at Marapara, managed only 143 with none of the four players fielded by non-playing captain Tony Olives scoring 50 points or better.

Dave Hernandez was Canlubang's top scorer with 49 with Abe Avena and Rolly Viray contributing 48 and 46, respectively.

"We were fortunate to come out on top. The wind was blowing strong all day. The last two rounds would definitely be a grind," said Luisita skipper Jeric Hechanova.

The third round will again be played at Binitin before Luisita, Canlubang and Del Monte return to Marapara for the final round at Marapara.

"It will boil down to the last four holes at Marapara wherein the contest shifts to matchplay," Hechanova predicted.

The Founders division is also bound to go down the wire.

Cebu Country Club amassed 132 points at Marapara to take a five-point lead over Alabang Golf which returned with 129.

Defending champion Orchard was 10 points behind CCC after amassing 126. In fourth spot was Manila Golf at 261.

In the Aviator bracket, Villamor built a 21-point lead over Alta Vista after scoring 124 points at Binitin for 249 overall.

Alta Vista had 120 for 228 with Socal Redhawk taking third spot with 214 after a 114.

Veterans Golf Club retained the lead in the Sportswriters division after collecting 119 points at Binitin course for a two-round total of 230.

Two points adrift was Rancho Palos Verdes which tallied 120 points. Running third was Taotaomona Guam with 218 points.

In the Friendship class, South Bay of Los Angeles seized the lead with 228 after posting 117 at the Marapara course.

Club 1872 of LA took second with 217 with Fil-Oz Sydney in third place with 215.

The Interclub's Platinum sponsors this year are Primax Broadcasting, RMN and Fox, while major sponsors are BusinessWorld Publishing, Rolls Royce, TV5, Philippine Standard.

Other sponsors include Boeing, Under Armour, Eton Properties and Asia Brewery.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary and Counterterrorism Coordinator David J. Glawe's Visit to the Philippines

Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary and Counterterrorism Coordinator David J. Glawe met with Secretary of Justice Vitaliano Aguirre II.

Manila, March 2, 2018 — U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Under Secretary and Counterterrorism Coordinator David J. Glawe and Secretary of Justice Vitaliano Aguirre II met today to discuss the strong U.S.-Philippine partnership to combat threats from terrorism and transnational organized crime.  Their conversation reaffirmed our joint efforts to combat child exploitation, secure global aviation against terrorism threats, as well as identify and interdict criminals and contraband crossing our borders.

While in Manila, Under Secretary Glawe met with other key partners in the Government of the Philippines, including Officer-in-Charge of the Department of Interior and Local Government General Eduardo Año and leadership from the Anti-Terrorist Council, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the National Coastal Watch Center to identify ways to increase our collective security, facilitate secure trade and travel between the United States and the Philippines, and build on our successful cooperation as friends, partners, and allies.

Day 2 COMPLETE Scores

CHAMPIONSHIP: Luisita 295, Canlubang 293,Del Monte 265

AVIATOR: Villamor Airbase 249, Alta Vista 228, Filam Hawaii 221, Sarangani 219, Negros Occidental Team B 217, Socal Redhawk 214, Team Coral Ocean Point 213, Iloilo 211, Davao City 209, Leyte 206, Club Intramuros 204, Par 2000 200, Lanang 198, Honolulu 191, Bay Area 190, Baguio Country Club 183, MSU Marawi 178, Coatabato 175, Guam Seniors 174, UP Tee Jots 174, Pinoy Vancouver A 162, Brotherhood Sharp 143

FOUNDERS: Cebu Country Club 272, Alabang 267, Orchard 262, Manila 261, Camp John Hay 258, Negros Occidental 258, Veterans Golf Team B 258, Wack Wack 254, Eagleridge 247, Valley Golf 247, Apo Golf 244, Pueblo de Oro 243, Riviera Golf 242, Manila Southwoods 230, Guinhalaran 225, Camp Evangelista 216, Zamboanga 218, Team Metgut 214, PGA Qatar 186

SPORTSWRITER: Veterans Golf A 230, Rancho Palos Verdes 228, Taotaomona Guam 218, Van City 215, Bacolod 212, Forest Hills 210, Melborune Pinoy 209, Club Filipino 206, San Juanico 205, Paoay 198, Iligan 196, South Cotabato 196, SF Maharlika 195, SF Crystal Springs 188, Sienna Plantation 188, Alameda Bago 2, San Francisco East Bay 179, Fort Bonifacio 177, Dirab 171, Seattle Golf 171, Par Breakers 155, Vancouver Golf Assoc of BC 141, Pinoy Vancouver B 133, SF Peninsula GA Intl 120

FRIENDSHIP: South Bay LA 228, Club 1872 LA 217, Fil-Oz Sydney 215, Bay City 209, Canphil 197, Eastridge 193, Mt Malindang 179, Philam Golf of Central Florida 177, Travelers 175, Fil-am Fairfield 175, Winners Circle 172, Filcansa 171, Bennett Valley 171, Richmond Range 169, Guam Seals 168, PGA British Columbia 166, SFO Alliance of Golfers 163, Moffett Field 160, Guam Compadres 159, Mabuhay SFO 158, Lumbia 157, Tri-City 156, Filam New Jersey 154, West Covina 143, Fil-am SFO 142, Skywest 129, Pittsburg Filam 106

balskie, uso pud nang basnig sa lungsod sa akong mama didto sa San Pablo, Zamboanga del Sur.

pila diay mo kaigsuon, balskie? kamo ba tanan niapil sab pagpangisda?

More on marathon training at https://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/marathon-training.html

REP. SALVADOR B. BELARO, JR.
1-Ang Edukasyon Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader
Member, Higher and Technical Education, Foreign Affairs, and 9 other committees

Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar 'wag gawing negosyo
"REVITALIZED PDOS" DAPAT IPATUPAD NG STATE UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES UPANG MAGING MABISA AT ABOT-KAYA

[Licensed social workers dapat ipadala sa Kuwait para sumaklolo sa mga biktimang OFWs – Rep. Belaro]

Upang matugunan ang maraming bilang ng insidente ng karahasan at pang-aabuso sa mga OFW household service workers sa Kuwait, hinihiling natin sa OWWA na magtalaga at magpadala sa Kuwait ng mahuhusay at lisensiyadong social workers.

Magiging pangunahing misyon ng OWWA social workers doon ang agarang pag-agapay sa mga OFW na biktima ng kanilang mga employer.

Pabor ako sa ideya ni DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello, III na palitan ang kasalukuyan sistema ng Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) na ginagawang pinagkakakitaang negosyo lamang sa halip na makatulong sa mga idedeploy na OFWs.

Para maging makabuluhan at di lamang gawing negosyo ang PDOS, ipinapanukala kong dapat ang mga state universities and colleges ang humawak sa PDOS tutal maraming campus ang SUCs sa buong bansa at sila ay mga pampublikong paaralan na hindi maniningil ng mahal.

Pabor rin ako sa panukala ni Senator Manny Pacquiao na magkaroon ng manual o handbook na mababasa at magagamit ng mga OFW. Sana ang mga manual na iyan ay nasa wikang mauunawaan ng mga OFW.

Huwag sanang sa Ingles lamang o Filipino (batay sa Tagalog) nakasulat ang PDOS manual, kundi pati na rin sa mga pangunahing regional languages sa bansa gaya ng Cebuano, Bicol, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, at Kapampangan para maging mas mabisa ito. (END)

Transferring Technology from the University to the Market: DOST-MIMAROPA Spearheads Management of Technology/Commercialization Training for Researchers

By Athena Colline L. Verdey, Jury C. Tabarangao, Rhoda Lyn H. Ramos, Ma Josefina P. Abilay

To rev up technology transfer and promote adoption of emerging technologies to end-users, the Department of Science and Technology- MIMAROPA (DOST-MIMAROPA) in partnership with Hanyang University (HYU) of Seoul, South Korea launched the Management of Technology/ Commercialization (K-MOT) Training-Workshop for the researchers of the six State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in MIMAROPA region.

DOST-MIMAROPA initiated the collaboration with experts on innovation and technology management from Hanyang University to encourage researchers from the different SUCs to shift from their traditional role as producers of research to agents of technology transfer and commercialization. A total of 29 faculty-researchers from MIMAROPA SUCs and representatives from CHED and DOST-MIMAROPA participated in the four-day workshop which was held last January 8-11, 2018 in Palawan State University Hostel, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

In her opening remarks, DOST-MIMAROPA Regional Director Dr. Ma. Josefina P. Abilay emphasized how technology transfer has been viewed as engine of economic growth and stated the importance of pushing academic discoveries into the marketplace for the benefit of the society. "This training

-workshop is conducted to empower our researchers especially those coming from the state universities and colleges in MIMAROPA to step out of their comfort zones and not focus on R&D alone, but develop an entrepreneurial mindset which will link them to the industry... we will teach the SUCs how they can better package their technology and attract possible investors who may be willing to bankroll the technologies into the commercialization route. This way, researchers will be able to extend the fruits of R&D to all sectors of the society and contribute to the region's, or on a larger scale, the country's industrial and economic development". She also said that this training-workshop is just one of the myriad of opportunities and collaborations with the university geared towards the development of the R&D sector in the region.

The training-workshop aims to hone the entrepreneurial capacity and different skills set needed by researchers to create a viable commercialization strategy that will help them convince the market to embrace such emerging technologies for its potential to create and offer radically new products, improve services, and increase productivity and/or profit. Dr. Gyunghyun Choi, Dean of the Graduate School of Technology and Innovation Management of HYU and an expert in technology strategy led the workshop. He was joined by his colleagues and fellow professors– Dr. Jieun Kim, professional in technology design for innovation, including design measure, design thinking, and service design; Dr. Gyu Hyun Kwon, proficient in cognitive engineering and entrepreneurship; Dr. Jae Young Choi, an expert econometric modeling and empirical studies regarding IT Industry & R&D management; Dr. Daemyeong Cho, a specialist in technology valuation and transfer, market analysis for technology and technology commercialization; and Dr. Taehyun Jung, adept in innovation strategy, theory of technological innovation, intellectual property rights, and strategic management. Dr. Choi shared various strategies and methodologies in identifying and exploiting market opportunities for the SUCs' existing and new technologies.

Other topics covered were: basic concepts and processes on technology commercialization; leading practices and policy in tech commercialization; technology and market opportunities & ideation; developing technology business concept and business plan; technology marketing; and monetary value in the technology-based business.

The participants were also given the chance to share their R&D outputs to the Korean experts and accomplish a business model canvass of their respective technologies presented. HYU experts provided feedback to the participants to enhance the said business model canvass.

This training-workshop was materialized following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by and among Hanyang University, DOST-MIMAROPA, and the six MIMAROPA SUCs at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea last December 19, 2017.

(DOST-MIMAROPA, S&T Media Service)

REP. MICHAEL "MIKEE" L. ROMERO, Ph. D.
1-PACMAN Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader
Vice Chair, Committee on Youth & Sports Development                                                       
Twitter: @MikeeRomeroPhD
Rep. Mikee Romero to POC:

PUSH THROUGH WITH FEB 23 POC ELECTIONS OR FACE CONTEMPT OF COURT AND LIKELY IOC DISCIPLINARY ACTION

I add my voice to the clarion clamor for Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) elections to push through as scheduled on February 23 and for all aspirants for the post of POC President to run against the incumbent.

Shameless machinations to disqualify anew Association of Boxing Alliance in the Philippines (ABAP) president Ricky Vargas and others to prevent them from running against incumbent POC President Jose "Peping" Cojuangco, Jr. must be averted at all cost in the name of fair and free elections.

Cojuangco's 13-year reign must end tomorrow. He has been given many years and enough chances to uplift Philippine sports but failed miserably. Our International ranking is now at 6th-7th place in Southeast Asia behind Singapore, Vietnam and even Myanmar. The longest-serving POC president has put the country's sports program to its lowest ever records. It is time for a fresh start.

To the remaining holdouts on the side of the current consistently underperforming POC leadership, I ask you to stand down, step aside, or get out of our way. It is the honorable way. You are well aware that the International Olympic Committee is closely monitoring how the February 23 POC elections will be conducted.

I recommend to the POC and to every NSA to review their respective charters and by-laws, set term limits, and institutionalize succession programs to ensure the sustainability of Philippine sports. Term limits and succession programs are the antidote to dictatorship by one or by committee. (END)
Attachments area

James 3:9-18

In all our daily choices, we either "sow to the flesh" or "sow to the Spirit" (Gal. 6:. With our actions and thoughts, we plant seeds that affect what kind of person we're growing into and the level of impact our life will have for God.

The "flesh" is the part of us that wants to live and act independently of the Lord. As humans, all of us have to deal with the pull of this attitude; we don't lose it automatically when we're saved. However, the Holy Spirit frees us from slavery to the flesh. He begins to change us so we can turn from the deceptive lure of living for self and instead start to live according to the truth. The choices we make contribute to the process of transformation, and when they're in alignment with the Spirit's work, they plant good seeds that result in even more new growth.

When you're sowing to the Spirit, you are accepting God's truth into your mind and heart. Then you will begin to experience eternal life, which comes from truly knowing the Lord (John 17:3). The fruit of the Spirit grows naturally from these seeds of godly truth and influences every aspect of your life. When you feed your spirit with the things of God, you're going to become stronger, more Christlike, and more full of His life in your thoughts and actions.

Are you feeding your spirit and the wellspring of your life, or are you feeding the part of you that wants to act independently of God? Do your choices sow seeds that are building you up, making you different, and letting streams of living water flow from you to nourish others? (See John 7:37-39.)

Celebrate Panagbenga 2018 with Grab in Baguio!

#RideYourWayToFun this Panagbenga with Grab as exciting promos and rewards await Grabbers celebrating the country's flower festival at the City of Pines–Baguio!
Here's what we have in store for you:

P50 Off Your Ride to/from Main Festival Sites
Have more fun going around Panagbenga's festival sites by using promo code PANAGBENGA and get P50 off going to or from these locations:

    Baguio Athletic Bowl
    Melvin Jones Football Grounds
    Session Road

Free GrabTaho for 50 GrabRewards Points!
Make your Panagbenga experience complete with a sweet Strawberry GrabTaho. Enjoy this hot treat with just 50 GrabRewards points! Claim your FREE GrabTaho at Baguio Athletic Bowl (Feb 24) & Melvin Jones Football Grounds (Feb 25)

Free GrabCar rides from Feb 22-28!
Make every ride more fun with Grab this Panagbenga! Enjoy FREE GrabCar rides in Baguio from Feb 22-28. Ignore the fare! Your ride fare will automatically become 0 (zero) at the end of each trip.

Cool Grab Merchandise Up for Grabs
Redeem exclusive festival merchandise for as low as 50 points at our booth in Baguio Athletic Bowl (Feb 24) & Melvin Jones Football Grounds (Feb 25). For those who wouldn't be able to claim the items at our booth, you can still claim it at the Grab Baguio office at 117 Magsaysay Ave, Baguio City from Feb 26-March 2 (8am-6pm) and March 3 (8am-12nn).

P100 off treat for any Fruit Beer at Baguio Craft Brewery!
Make your Panagbenga more fruitful with the best tasting Fruit Beers at Baguio Craft Brewery! Get Php100 off any Fruit Beer with just 100 GrabRewards points! Valid in the Baguio branch only at 4 Ben Palispis Hwy, KM 4, Baguio,

Promo valid from February 23 - May 21, 2018 but validity to redeem (use the reward) at the outlet will be until June 21, 2018.

Visit the catalogue and check your points now!

REP. RON P. SALO
KABAYAN Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader

Member, Foreign Affairs, Overseas Workers Affairs, and 10 other Committees

PRIVATE LAWYERS NA BIHASA SA KUWAITI JUDICIAL SYSTEM DAPAT I-HIRE PARA USIGIN ANG MGA KILLER NI JOANNA DEMAFELIS

Kaso 'wag lang basta ipaubaya sa Kuwaiti prosecutors – Rep. Salo

Nagpapasalamat tayo sa pamahalaan ng Lebanon at sa Interpol sa pagkadakip kay Nader Essam Assaf, ang lalaking employer at isa sa dalawang suspek sa karumal-dumal na pagpaslang sa kababayan nating si Joanna Demafelis.

Upang masigurong makakamit ng pamilya Demafelis ang katarungan, nananawagan ako sa Department of Foreign Affairs na kumuha ng serbisyo ng mga pribadong abogadong bihasa sa pasikut-sikot ng Kuwaiti judicial system na tutulong sa ating gobyernong maipanalo nang mabilis ang kaso laban sa mga akusado.

Maaaring gamitin ang assistance to nationals fund ng DFA at legal assistance fund ng OWWA para tustusan ito.

Tiwala akong tututukan ng DFA ang kaso at hindi lamang basta ipauubaya sa Kuwaiti prosecutors ang pagpursige sa kaso.

Bilang Kasapi ng House Committees on Overseas Workers Affairs at Foreign Affairs, nanawagan din ako sa embahada ng Pilipinas sa Kuwait na huwag hihinto sa pagbibigay ng updates sa atin dito sa Pilpinas hinggil sa bawat yugto ng kaso. Paraan ito para matutukan ng sambayanan ang kaso ni Demafelis.

Ang mabilis na prosecution laban sa mga killer ni Demafelis ay magsisilbing babala sa mga foreign employer para tratuhin nang makatao ang mga OFWs na naninilbihan sa kanilang bansa.

Ang pagkamit ng hustisya para kay Demafelis ay pagtataguyod sa dignidad ng bawat OFWs sa Middle East at sa bawat sulok ng mundo. (WAKAS) 

Youth Art Collab Wall Mural at the American Center Manila

Left: U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim helped put the finishing touches on the mural.  Right: The Doodle Art Enthusiasts (DAE) community teamed up with Kris Abrigo to bring the mural to life.  Ambassador Kim (center) and Counselor for Public Affairs Carolyn Glassman (right) with (from left to right): DAE muralist Daryl Andre Victoria, Franz Lawrence Rafols, King Jaed Miranda, Larrysa Latade, Patrice Palisoc, artist Kris Abrigo, DAE Creative Director Lei Melendres, and DAE muralist Gelo Morales.

Manila, February 23, 2018 — U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim joined Kris Abrigo and young artists from Doodle Art Enthusiasts (DAE) at the Youth Art Collab culminating event to put the finishing touches on a mural celebrating the longstanding U.S.-Philippine relationship at the American Center of the U.S. Embassy.

The Embassy launched the Youth Art Collab mural project in honor of Philippine National Arts Month, celebrated every February.  The young artists and the Embassy team collaborated on the design, which the artists painted in just one week.  At the culminating event, Ambassador Kim delivered remarks and awarded certificates of appreciation to the muralists.

As part of today's event, the artists shared the motivation behind the mural.  Kris Abrigo explained, "Creating a collaborative mural that celebrates diverse cultures and illustrates a rich connection between two allied countries is a great privilege and an awesome opportunity to spread messages of peace and unity."

DAE Creative Director Lei Melendres said, "We, as a community, uphold and inspire this generation with the belief that everyone can and should have a chance to be part of something big.  That's why we include our members in collaborative endeavors such as this, making them aware of how they can use their talents and skills to make a change."

The American Center was launched in 1945 as the Thomas Jefferson Library and in 1999 became the Thomas Jefferson Information Center.  The Center has since evolved into the dynamic public engagement space it is today.  The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy maintains a network of American Spaces in the Philippines including the American Center and 14 American Corners in key locations throughout the country.  American Corners are dedicated American resource centers and program spaces hosted within partner public and private universities.

The American Spaces in the Philippines are part of a global network of 650 American Spaces around the world that strive to provide innovative, multifunctional platforms for public engagement programs that introduce visitors to the people, history, culture, and policies of the United States.

For more information, visit the official American Spaces Philippines Facebook page: facebook.com/amspacesph or via email at americanspacesph@state.gov.

Manila U.S. Embassy Statement

Manila, February 23, 2018 — On February 22, Ambassador Sung Kim met with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to discuss the recently released Worldwide Threat Assessment Report published by the Director of National Intelligence.  Ambassador Kim explained the nature of the report – an annual assessment on conditions in each of the world's various regions based on widely available information.  Their discussion focused on the references to the Philippines in the report, including clarifying that the information about the Philippines had been previously reported by media sources.  Additionally, they discussed shared interests and possibilities for expanding our partnership.  The United States will continue to collaborate with the government of the Philippines.  The meeting ended with both Executive Secretary Medialdea and Ambassador Kim reaffirming the strength of the broad and deep bilateral relationship.

magpaabot mi sa matag anib ug yugto sa imong sugilanon, balskie, nga never-ending story.

REP. BERNADETTE "BH" HERRERA-DY                         
Bagong Henerasyon Party-list
Chair, Committee on Women and Gender Equality
Member, Foreign Affairs, Social Services, and 8 other committees
SUHESTIYON SA SENADO, DFA, DOLE:

HIMUKIN ANG KUWAIT NA MAGING SIGNATORY SA INTERNATIONAL LABOR CONVENTIONS

Kafala system, dapat nang ibasura – Rep. Herrera-Dy

Sana magawan ng paraan ng mga kapwa nating mambabatas sa Senado at ng mga opisyal ng Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) at Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) na ang Kuwait ay maging signatory o partido ng lahat ng international conventions na nagbibigay proteksyon sa migrant workers.

Bilang Committee on Women & Gender Equality Chair at Committee on Foreign Affairs Member sa Kamara, nananawagan akong ikampanya ng ating pamahalaan ang pagbasura sa "kafala" system na umiiral pa rin sa ilang bansa sa Middle East. Kapansin-pansin rin na mayroong ilang bansa na excluded ang domestic workers sa saklaw ng kanilang labor laws at social security coverage.

Kailangang ikampanya ng DFA sa mga bansang kasapi ng Gulf Cooperation Council ang karampatang proteksyon para sa mga household service workers.

Tinuran ni Senator Joel Villanueva sa Senate hearing nitong Pebrero 21 na hindi pa signatory ang Kuwait sa apat na mahahalagang international labor conventions. Nagpapasalamat kami kay Sen. Villanueva na binigyang-pansin niya ito.

Pinupuri rin natin ang kabutihang-loob ni Senator Manny Pacquiao sa pagsagot sa malaking utang ng pamilyang Demafelis kaugnay sa lupa.

Pabor tayo sa mungkahi ni Senator Cynthia Villar na mapondohan ang isang mabisang computerized database ng mga lahat na OFW sa buong mundo upang madaling malaman kung nasaan sila at ano ang estado ng kanilang pagtatrabaho roon.

Nagagalak tayo na magpapadala na ang DOLE ng isang team patungong Kuwait upang maplantsa na ang isang bagong Memorandum of Agreement. Maging matagumpay nawa ang kanilang misyon doon. (WAKAS)

REP. MICHAEL "MIKEE" L. ROMERO, Ph. D.
1-PACMAN Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader
Vice Chair, Committee on Youth & Sports Development                                                       
Twitter: @MikeeRomeroPhD

RENAISSANCE OF POC, PHL SPORTS BEGINS

I congratulate the new Philippine Olympic Committee President Ricky Vargas and POC Chairman Congressman Bambol Tolentino on their historic victory. The renaissance chapter of Philippine sports begins today.
                                     
Expectations are high and rightly so. The next SEA Games and various international championships are in the priority sports calendar. With the Palarong Pambansa and Philippine National Games just weeks away from now, the new POC and the current Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) must make their impact and presence felt.

I expect that with the new leadership relations between the PSC and POC will be much better.

The PSC, POC, and NSAs can anticipate that the House Committee on Youth and Sports Development would be exercising its oversight functions on the subsidies of the PSC for NSAs.

I ask my colleagues on the House Committee on Youth and Sports Development to expedite passage of the pending bills on sports academies and involving the Philippine Sports Commission.

I also take this opportunity to call upon our leading colleges and universities to work with the POC and PSC on the forging of a consortium that will establish the country's first and progressive Philippine Sports University.

The PSU can be a private-public partnership institution to serve as the apex of Filipino human resource development sports because we need a massive investment in masteral and doctoral studies on the sports sciences and arts.

Under the Philippine Sports University could be strategically-located sports academies, including the ones my colleagues in Congress are proposing, among them, the Southern Leyte Sports Academy sought by Representative Roger Mercado of Southern Leyte. (END)

91:1 ¶ Siya nga nagapuyo sa sulod sa dapit nga tinago sa Hataas Uyamut Magapahulay sa ilalum sa landong sa makagagahum.

91:2 Magaingon ako mahatungod kang Jehova: Siya mao ang akong dalangpanan ug kuta nako; Dios ko, nga kaniya misalig ako.

91:3 Kay siya magaluwas kanimo gikan sa lit-ag sa mangangayam, Ug gikan sa makamatay nga hampak.

91:4 Sa iyang mga dagang pagatabonan ikaw niya, Ug sa ilalum sa iyang mga pako, magapasilong ikaw: Ang iyang kamatuoran mao ang kalasag ug ang taming.

91:5 Dili ka mahadlok tungod sa kakugmat sa kagabhion, Ni sa udyong nga nagalupad sa adlaw;

91:6 Ni sa kamatay nga nagalakaw sa kangitngitan, Ni sa kamatay nga nagalaglag sa kaudtohon.

91:7 Mangapukan ang usa ka libo sa imong kiliran, Ug ang napulo ka libo sa imong toong kamot; Apan kanimo kini dili makaabut.

91:8 Ngani nga pinaagi lamang sa imong mga mata imong makita, Ug makita mo ang balus sa mga dautan.

91:9 ¶ Kay ikaw, Oh Jehova, mao ang akong dalangpanan! Ang Hataas Uyamut gihimo mo nga imong puloy-anan;

91:10 Dili moabut kanimo ang kadautan, Ni magapahaduol ang kamatay sa imong balong-balong.

91:11 Kay siya magasugo sa iyang mga manolonda sa pagtan-aw kanimo, Sa pagbantay kanimo sa tanan mong mga dalan.

91:12 Pagasapnayon ikaw nila sa ilang mga kamot, Aron nga ang imong mga tiil dili mahapangdol sa bato.

91:13 Ikaw magatunob sa ibabaw sa leon, ug sa sawa nga malala: Pagayatakan mo ang gagmay nga leon ug ang halas.

91:14 Tungod kay gipahaluna niya ang iyang gugma kanako, busa ako magaluwas kaniya: Ipahaluna ko siya sa itaas tungod kay naila niya ang akong ngalan.

91:15 Kanako magatawag siya, ug ako motubag kaniya; Ubanan ko siya diha sa kalisdanan: Akong luwason siya ug akong pagapasidunggan siya.

91:16 Akong pagatagbawon siya sa hataas nga kinabuhi, Ug akong ipakita kaniya ang akong kaluwasan.

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NIC2018 Boosting E-POWER MO: Speaking on behalf of Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi, DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella presented the DOE programs and policies during the 1st National Information Convention (NIC) on Feb. 19 in Davao City. Plenary Session 1 was aimed to make the public understand government programs and policies.

Around 1,800 information officers and participants attended the NIC 2018. The DOE joined the Presidential Communications Operations Office in co-presenting the convention, together with the Social Security System.

(Davao City). The Department of Energy (DOE) joins hands with the Presidential Communication Operations Office (PCOO) in ensuring responsible communication to boost "E-Power Mo" at the National Information Convention (NIC) on 19-21 February at the SMX Convention Center in SM Lanang, Davao City.

In the speech delivered by DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella, Energy Secretary Alfonso G.  Cusi emphasized that "an informed energy consumer is an empowered one."

According to Usec. Fuentebella, the DOE took the opportunity through the NIC to inform the public on the "E-Power Mo" concept for the country's quest to globally compete.

"The power of information can help consumers cut unnecessary costs while industry players are bound to compete more effectively," the DOE official said. 

Using the metaphor of a basketball game, Usec. Fuentebella outlined how energy users can play competitively following the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, the energy policies for an increased consumers' power of choice, diversity in energy resources, energy resiliency, energy efficiency and conservation, and energy smart consumers.

On addressing the impact of the TRAIN Law, the DOE initiated pro-active measures including advisories and timely monitoring that saved the public around P2.64 billion for liquid petroleum fuels (i.e., gasoline, diesel, kerosene) and P58.4 million for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

For increased consumer power of choice, the DOE together with the Energy Regulatory Commission will push for the full implementation of Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA). With RCOA in place, "Contestable Customers" or huge electricity users with at least one megawatt (1 MW) demand are now able to choose their power suppliers to reduce their costs.

Toward providing more choices, the RCOA implementation aims to include consumers with 0.75 MW demand (likened to a nine-storey building) then consumers of 0.5 MW, until reaching 0.10 MW (at least a 2-storey building). 

Another choice is the "Green Energy Option" which gives consumers the power to choose a sustainable and more environmental-friendly energy for their utilization.

Moreover, the DOE presented its program in diversifying the country's energy resources, highlighting its activities for the realization of a Liquefied Natural Gas terminal and the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear energy.

For energy resiliency, the DOE issued policy guidelines to ensure the energy sector's preparedness, quick response and rehabilitation mechanisms to address adverse impact of natural and human-induced disasters.

Lastly, Usec. Fuentebella shared the programs for energy efficiency and conservation including practical energy tips.

Around 1,800 information officers and participants from around the country attended the NIC.

The DOE co-presented the convention, together with the Philippine Social Security System.

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REP. MICHAEL "MIKEE" L. ROMERO, Ph. D.
1-PACMAN Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader                                                                            Twitter: @MikeeRomeroPhD

Context: Philippine Olympic Committee General Assembly today; POC Elections on Feb 23 

SAVE PHILIPPINE SPORTS, ELECT NEW LEADERS 

Change in POC leadership long overdue, economist-sportsman says 

The overhaul of the Philippine Olympic Committee leadership is long overdue. We need new direction, new energy, and renewed focus. 

Despite many years and many chances, the current leadership has failed the Filipino people, our International ranking is now at 6th-7th place in Southeast Asia behind Singapore, Vietnam and even Myanmar. The longest-serving POC president has put the country's sports program to its lowest ever records. It is time for a fresh start.

These are the facts about the POC performance. The current president, Jose "Peping" S. Cojuangco, Jr. has been in power since January 2005. That is 13 long years. When measuring performance, at bottom line are medals. Here are the relevant Philippine medal counts.
 
For all his 13 years in power, his POC has produced only 1 Olympic silver medal. At the Asian Games only 8 golds, 13 silvers, and 29 bronzes. At the SEA Games, the POC record under him has been from 113 golds in 2005 (with a hosting advantage) to a big plunge to 41 in 2007 and a mere 24 golds in 2017.

PATHETIC. The medals our athletes won are not pathetic. Those medals represent the best of the Filipino. Filipinos can win Olympic golds. Filipinos can do better than what the current pathetic POC president has done. His leadership and record is an insult to the blood, sweat, and tears our athletes, coaches, and their families have invested.

This record does not yet include a true and objective audit of all the millions of public funds from the Philippine Sports Commission which were poured into the NSAs and the POC from 2005 to 2017.

I demand a full special audit of all the funds the PSC gave to the POC and all the NSAs since 2005. 

If it is found that there is a systematic and orchestrated misuse, pilferage, and malversation of those funds, then the charge that fits all that is PLUNDER.

Recall that last September 2017, the PSC issued a resolution calling for the proper liquidation of funds and the return of some monies. The current PSC also asked the COA to conduct a fraud audit of the government's subsidies to the PSC, millions of which go the POC and NSAs.

Whatever the outcome of the POC Elections on February 23, I see a special opportunity for sports leaders, athletes, trainers, schools, local government units, and parents to come together for a new chapter in Philippine sports powered by and grounded on firm grassroots development programs, inclusive leagues, and much, much less political animosities than we have unfortunately had before.

One thing we need is a stronger private-public partnership and cooperativism never before seen in our country. We also need upgraded laws, much better funding mechanisms, and varied international cooperation modes. The unfortunate pegging of Philippine Sports Commission funding to the obsolete sweepstakes must certainly be corrected and new funding sources must be found. 

As our country's economy gets even stronger, so will the resources it can set aside for sports development. Diversification of Filipino interests in sports would be the natural consequence of economic affluence, particularly of the growing middle class, and the reduction of poverty in the rural areas. (END) 

REFERENCES:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/96897-philippines-medals-last-5-sea-games

https://kualalumpur2017.com.my/seagames-country.cshtml

http://www.ocasia.org/NOCs/NocCountries.aspx?7GT6tXlOW1Q

http://sports.inquirer.net/183945/28th-sea-games-singapore-2015-medal-tally

 

 

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Pagsubay
ni Omar Khalid

Samtang di pa kasubang ang kabugason, pukawon nato ang
Tanang walhong mananabtan sa Sento Otso.
Uban nila, panangtangan nato sa gapos ang
mga irong bu**** sa ilang pag-uwang unyang alas dose.
Ug pasagdi ang mga Insek nga manghimalad
unsang mananapa ang mipatakdol sa ilang taghoy.
Pabiyai una ang mga sugilanon ug yamyam
sa komedyanteng kosinero samtang wala pa
masunog ang kilay ni Shaay nga nagtayhop
sa anino sa gabii abay sa buak, kuaw niyang lantaka.
Samtang wa pa makapanug-ab
ang karbonatong tungol sa sunod
ting-ihaw og kuwaknit, ipalilong sa punerarya
ang tanang ngiyaw sa ambulansiya sa Bicol ug St. Bernard.
Samtang wa pa mahipos ang tanang ilhanan sa kagios,
sininaan nato ang tanang manikin sa Kamagayan
kay gipanghayblad na ang tanang lamok sa katunggan.
Samtang wa pay uha ang nahimugso nga dramaturgo,
ipa-FedEx sa tanang tubaan sa Lorega
ang kinadak-ang buaya sa Manila.
aron kalingawag sawsaw sa halang nga suka
ang tambok nilang empilya ug baga.
Sa di pa nato tungabon ang sanglitanan
sa sunod nga banagbanag,
panahon karong subayon nato kon diing lawra
manago ang tubig sa miaging tingpanggapnod sa hunasan.

Oo, samtang wala pa—

OMAR KHALID
Sento Otso, Medellin, Cebu

The election-interference indictment brought by Robert Mueller, the U.S. special counsel, underscores how thoroughly social-media companies like Facebook and Twitter were played by Russian propagandists.

And it's not clear if the companies have taken sufficient action to prevent something similar from happening again.

Thirteen Russians, including a businessman close to Vladimir Putin, were charged Friday in a plot to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election through social media propaganda. The indictment said the Russians' conspiracy aimed, in part, to help Republican Donald Trump and harm the prospects of his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

The alleged scheme was run by the Internet Research Agency, a troll farm based in St. Petersburg, Russia, which used bogus social media postings and advertisements fraudulently purchased in the name of Americans to try to influence the White House race.

"I created all these pictures and posts, and the Americans believed that it was written by their people," wrote one of the defendants, Irina Kaverzina, in an email to a family member obtained by investigators.

Tech companies have spent months pledging to fix their platforms ahead of the upcoming midterm elections this year, and reiterated those promises Friday. Twitter said in a Friday night statement it "committed to addressing, mitigating, and ultimately preventing any future attempts to interfere in elections and the democratic process, and to doing so in the most transparent way possible." Facebook thanked U.S. investigators for taking "aggressive action" and pointed out its own role in helping the investigation.

Researchers, however, noted that the companies' business incentives don't necessarily align with improved security and anti-hoaxing measures that might have frustrated Russian agents.

"I've never been convinced that these sites are motivated to fix a problem like this," said Notre Dame business professor Timothy Carone, who added that security controls make it harder for sites like Facebook to offer users new features and keep advertisers happy. "It's a really, really, really difficult problem."

The indictment confirms earlier findings from congressional investigations that Russian agents manipulated social media to promote social division by mimicking grassroots political activity. It also underscores that the problem wasn't just "bots" — i.e., automated social-media accounts — but human conspirators who fine-tuned propaganda and built online relationships with American activists.

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump has made a grim trip to a Florida community reeling from a deadly school shooting, meeting privately with victims and cheering the heroics of first responders.

But he extended few public words of consolation to those in deep mourning, nor did Trump address the debate over gun violence that has raged since a 19-year-old gunman killed 17 and injured 14 others.

Two days after the shooting, Trump visited Broward Health North Hospital Friday, where he saw two victims and praised the doctors and nurses for their "incredible" job. With his wife Melania, he also paid his respects to law enforcement officials in Fort Lauderdale, telling officers he hoped they were "getting the credit" they deserved.

"I was at the hospital with a lot of parents and they are really thankful for the job you've done," Trump said at the Broward County Sheriff's Office, where he was joined by Gov. Rick Scott, Sen. Marco Rubio and other Florida officials. He added that the young victims were in "really great shape" considering what they have been through.

Judges 7:1-8

The story of Gideon offers scriptural guidance for times when the odds are overwhelming and defeat seems imminent. No matter what your challenges are, the Lord is able to demonstrate His awesome power and deliver you.

God uses difficulty to build faith. Gideon was willing to believe God and go up against an army four times larger than his own. Trusting the Lord is a process that must be learned through experience. At times God takes the people He plans to use and places them in impossible situations—in that way, they discover He is faithful. We may prefer to acquire faith by reading a book, but the Lord knows the best classroom is a place of utter helplessness.

God may require us to do what seems unreasonable. The Israelites were already outnumbered, but the Lord instructed Gideon to reduce the army to a mere 300 men. That made the odds 450 to one! Although God's ways may seem illogical to us, His wisdom and power are far greater than ours, and His plan can be trusted.

God leads us to do that which brings Him glory. Gideon's army was so small that its men could in no way take credit for the victory. The Lord delights in demonstrating His awesome power and glory through our weakness and inadequacy.

Think of life's challenges as opportunities for the Lord to build your faith and prepare you for ministry. He uses those who are willing to obey Him even when the task seems illogical or impossible. And He takes pleasure in showing His faithfulness to those who trust in Him regardless of the situation.

born May 6, 1871, Munich, Ger.
died March 31, 1914, Meran, South Tirol, Austria-Hungary [now Merano, Italy]

German poet and humorist whose work ranged from the mystical and personally lyrical to nonsense verse.

Morgenstern had studied law at the universities of Breslau and Berlin when in 1893 he was diagnosed as having pulmonary tuberculosis, from which he ultimately died. He left school to travel and lived for a time in Norway, where he translated Henrik Ibsen's verse dramas with the collaboration of the author and also translated plays by such other Scandinavian playwrights as B.M. Bjørnson, Knut Hamsun, and August Strindberg. Morgenstern removed to Switzerland for his health, marrying Margarete Gosebruch there in 1908, and from 1910 lived in the South Tirol.

Morgenstern's serious poetry, written first under the influence of Friedrich Nietzsche, includes In Phantas Schloss (1895; "In Phanta's Palace"), in which cosmic, mythological, and philosophical concepts are playfully combined; Ich und die Welt (1898; "I and the World"); Ein Sommer (1900; "One Summer"), which was written in Norway and celebrates physical beauty; and Einkehr (1910; "Introspection") and Wir fanden einen Pfad (1914; "We Found a Path"), poems written under the influence of Buddhism and the anthroposophist Rudolf Steiner.

Morgenstern's international reputation came from his nonsense verse, in which he invented words, distorted meanings of common words by putting them into strange contexts, and dislocated sentence structure, but always with a rational, satiric point. Volumes of nonsense verse include Galgenlieder (1905; "Gallows Songs"); Palmström (1910), named for an absurd character; and three volumes published posthumously: Palma Kunkel (1916), Der Gingganz (1919), and Die Schallmühle (1928; "The Noise Mill"), all collected in Alle Galgenlieder (1932). - source: Britannica Encyclopedia

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