MikeLigalig.com

DTI partners with PCW, WomenBizPH for the hosting of ASEAN Women's Business Conference

The Department of Trade and Industry led by Undersecretary for Industry Promotion Group and current Chair for ASEAN 2017 Committee on Business and Investment Promotion (CBIP) Nora K. Terrado (seated; 2nd from left) signed a tripartite partnership with Philippine Commission on Women represented by its Executive Director, Emmeline L. Verzosa (seated; 1st from right) and Women’s Business Council Philippines, Inc. (WomeBizPH) represented by its Chairperson and current Chair of ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN) Pacita U. Juan (seated; 1st from left) to organize the ASEAN Women's Business Conference which is one of the 50th Anniversary Commemoration Events of ASEAN in 2017 supported by CBIP. The signing was held at the DTI International Building in Makati City on 1 February 2017. Through this partnership, an AWEN Steering Committee is formed to oversee all activities related to ASEAN Women and to organize the ASEAN Women’s Business Conference, a five-day conference that aims to provide an avenue for strategic dialogues between ASEAN, the private sector, and dialogue partners in advancing the women's economic empowerment agenda. It is specifically expected to showcase how women are crucial partners in trade, leadership, and entrepreneurship, among others, supporting the goal set by the ASEAN Economic Community. Anchoring the ASEAN 2017 theme, “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World”, the AWEN Business Conference 2017 scheduled in August will be highlighting the theme, ASEAN Women: Leading Change. This will be supported by the three sub-themes: Women's Economic Contribution to ASEAN; Women in Trade and Inclusive Business; and Women and Human Capital Development.

Also in photo (standing; from L to R): Ms. Gerardine Millares of DTI ASEAN Women Secretariat, Ms. Luzviminda A. Villanueva of PCW, Ms. Ma. Aurora "Boots" Geotina-Garcia of WomenBiz.PH, Ms. Chiqui Escareal-Go of WomenBiz.PH, and Director Lydia R. Guevarra of DTI-RGMS / ASEAN Women Secretariat. (END)

INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS: FREE “TAX KOMIKS” IN NEGOSYO CENTERS SOON. The first Tagalog comic text released as a guide on time-efficient business registration and tax filing will be available for free in Negosyo Centers soon. Tax advocate and Center for Strategic Reforms (CSR) Founding President Mon Abrea (left) and Bank of the Philippine Islands Foundation Executive Director Faye Corcuera (right) met recently (30 January) with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez (center) for the ceremonial turnover of Tax Komiks: ‘VAT Ganun? Bakit Ako May Tax?’, a material that aims to empower the public and aspiring entrepreneurs by providing reader-friendly guidelines and information on time-efficient business registration and responsible tax payment. The partnership is in line with DTI’s thrust towards entrepreneurship education, highlighting the active role of entrepreneurs as nation-builders. The trade chief has always emphasized the relevance of pursuing an entrepreneurial nation as key towards economic prosperity of every Filipino. (END)

Life's Seasons

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

The beauty in the way God designed the four seasons is that, though each one is distinct, they all work together to bring life and growth. Spring is a period of freshness and new life. Summer sees growth and productivity. Autumn is a time for harvesting the rewards of past labors. Winter is the season of dormancy and closure. Each season has its own unique beauty and makes a significant contribution to life.

Just as God planned seasons in nature, He planned seasons in life as well. Life has its springtime, when we begin new things and look excitedly toward the future. Summer comes and we work diligently in the heat of the day at all that God has assigned to us. With autumn comes the fruition of things begun at an earlier time in our lives. Winter brings an end to a particular period in our lives. Sometimes winter brings hardship, but we remain hopeful, for another spring is just around the corner!

In God’s perfect design for our lives, He has planned for times of fruitfulness and activity. He will also build in times of quiet and rest. There will be times when He asks us to remain faithful doing the same work day after day. But there will also be periods of excitement and new beginnings. By God’s grace, we will enjoy seasons of harvesting the fruit of our faithfulness. By God’s grace we will also overcome the cold winters of heartache and grief, for without winter there would be no spring. Just as it is with the seasons of nature, these seasons in our lives work together to bring about God’s perfect will for each one of us.    Henry and Richard Blackaby

Power, Not Fear

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

The only fear that God encourages in a Christian’s life is the fear of God (2 Cor. 5:10-11; Heb. 10:31). Fear of people does not come from God. The problem is that many Christians fear people more than they fear God. Their fear hinders them from pleasing God because they waste their efforts appeasing other people.

Timothy was a young man, timid by nature, and probably not strong physically (1 Tim. 5:23).  He knew of Paul’s frequent trials and persecutions. He knew that he, too, might suffer those same persecutions. Paul reminded his young colleague that fear of others does not come from God.

Fear causes us to stop and question what God has clearly told us to do. Perhaps we were confident in our obedience until persecution came; now we doubt whether we heard God correctly. Most fear is fear of the unknown. We do not know what lies ahead of us, so we become apprehensive. Our imaginations can magnify problems until they seem insurmountable. We need a sound mind to see things in proper perspective. That is why God gave us His Holy Spirit, to enable us to see things as God sees them.

Fear is no excuse to disobey God. There is no reason to live in fear when you have the mighty presence of the Holy Spirit within you. Fear will enslave you, but Christ has come to set you free. Ask God to free you from any fear you are experiencing and to open your eyes. As He reveals the reality of your situation, He will enable you to continue in obedience.    Henry and Richard Blackaby

Senator Cayetano: Philippines is not about hatred or violence

“Come to the Philippines and please look at us from a different perspective.”

This was the message of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano to the delegates of the National Prayer Breakfast being held in the United States, consisting of leaders from different religious and business groups across the globe.

“We invite you to come to the Philippines and see for yourselves that the Philippines is not about hatred and violence as being shown in the international media."

He encouraged the foreign leaders to come and visit the country to discover for themselves the natural beauty of the country, and get to know Filipinos who are loving, kind and hospitable. 

Cayetano also took the opportunity to discuss to the international community his insights on the Philippine war on drugs.

“The war on drugs is not a war to kill criminals,” Cayetano clarified. 

He explained that the anti-drug campaign is not a war against life but a war to fight for the lives of all Filipinos.

Cayetano noted that the Philippine government and even President Duterte have acknowledged that there are law enforcers who abuse their power, but he added that this should not be a reason to stop the entire drug campaign in general.

He said, “President Duterte is being potrayed in the international community as a 'violent' man. But a 'violent' man does not want peace for anyone."

He added that, in contrast, "Our President is doing everything to make the peace talks successful, achieve lasting peace, and win the war against illegal drugs,” the Senator added. 

Cayetano compared the rogue cops in the law enforcement agencies like the PNP to the corrupt personnel in tax agencies.

“When tax collecting agencies become rigged with corruption, we did not tell them to stop collecting taxes, but we cleansed the agencies,” he said.

Cayetano explained that there may be weaknesses in the systems and opportunities for corruption and abuse but the important thing is that the cleansing is on-going. 

Finally, he urged the participants in the National Prayer Breakfast to pray for the Filipino leaders to gain wisdom and fear of the Lord as the Philippines continues to address the problem of illegal drugs.

The Living Word

And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" Luke 24:32

Jesus joins those who are earnestly seeking Him. Two men walked along the road to Emmaus discussing the confusing events that had just occurred in Jerusalem. They thought they had understood the happenings of their day, but the death of Jesus had left them disoriented to God and His activity in their world. They had hoped that Jesus was the Messiah, but His death had left them perplexed and discouraged. They needed answers.

As Jesus was speaking, their hearts burned within them! As they listened to Jesus relate the Scriptures tGod reads the heart and knows the honest pursuit of His will by His children. Jesus drew near to these men, walked with them, and opened their minds to what the Scriptures said about Him and about the events of their day. o what they were experiencing, they knew in their hearts that they were hearing God’s truth. Their doubts vanished, excitement overcame them, and they raced back to share the truth with their friends!

If you become bewildered by circumstances in your life, Jesus can reorient you to Himself through the Scriptures just as He did for these two men. From your human perspective, the situation may be confusing and discouraging. It takes the presence of Christ to open your eyes to the truth of the Scriptures. Have your circumstances confused you? You need Jesus to give you His perspective. Once you’ve heard from Him, you’ll be like these two men, excited to join God in what He is doing around you and eager to include others in the experience.       Henry and Richard Blackaby

Senator Cayetano calls out Rappler over personal attacks

"Why resort to name calling?"

“Bakit kailangan mag personalan, use ad hominem, resort to name calling?”

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano had this to say in response to Rappler’s recent Facebook post, which portrayed him, social media blogger Mocha Uson, and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre as “dogs” of the administration.

In a Facebook post shared by the Senator on Monday (January 30), he questioned Rappler’s motive in publishing the meme in the first place.

“This meme speaks a thousand words about Rappler, the person who authored it and your editors… First of all, why the meme? Have you done that for past politicians (especially those you like and favor),” Cayetano said in his post.

“… [T]he biggest question is why such a meme existed in your office? Is Rappler doubling as a social media propaganda machine? Didn't Rappler publish an article on weaponizing the internet,” he added.

The senator decried the online news organization’s apparent lack of objectivity when it comes to depicting allies and supporters of the Duterte administration.

“Does supporting and believing in the Duterte administration make us dogs/tuta? Does anything in my 24 years of service [in] government point to that? Haven't I stood up even at the risk of my life, when the country needed me to stand up and lend my voice,” he said.

He further pointed out that although the original post was deleted a few minutes after it was published, Rappler did not issue any proper apology to Uson and Aguirre. 

“If a Cabinet Member, Senator, or Congressman depicted you as dogs and twisted the good value of loyalty to the appearance of being a ‘tuta,’ the media will be in an uproar. Media organizations will demand ethics cases, boycotts, and maybe resignations,” he said.

“Yet you posted a simple apology not even directed to Sec. Aguirre nor to Mocha (never mind me, I'm used to being a whipping boy anyway).”

Cayetano maintained that despite being a target of negative coverage in the past, he remains committed to protecting the freedom of the press and promoting the principles of transparency and accountability in government.

“I have always respected your media organization and reporters even when I disagreed with them, and yes, even when untrue or nasty things were written about me. That's because I believe in the freedom of the press, the value of information and transparency and in the basic human value of respect,” he said.

“I assume you are apologizing for your actions not just for getting caught… So since it’s (Chinese) New Year and since the BIBLE says forgive 7 times 77, I forgive you,” he ended.

Do Not Prove Disobedient

Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Acts 26:19

God does everything for a reason. God met Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road for a purpose (Acts 9:1-9). Saul had planned to persecute Christians, but his encounter with Christ changed him forever. God did more in that encounter than save Saul from his sin. God began to reveal His will for Paul’s life. God’s assignment for Paul was clear: “He is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:15-16). God’s plan for Paul, revealed through a vision, involved both testifying before kings and suffering persecution. Paul was to enjoy the thrill of performing miracles, preaching to large crowds, and starting churches. But Paul was also to be stoned, shipwrecked, whipped, mocked, conspired against, and imprisoned (2 Cor. 11:23-28). Would we accept this part of his assignment as readily as the first? We never hear of Paul complaining about his commission from God. He never asked that he be given a role like Peter’s, or James’s, or John’s (Gal. 2:9-10). It was enough for Paul that he be given any task in the kingdom of God. As he neared the end of his ministry, Paul could boldly state Agrippa, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” Oh, to have Paul’s tenacity and devotion to the Father’s will! What joy there is not only to begin well in our Christian faith, but also to end faithfully! It is God’s desire that each of us could say at the end of our lives, “I was not disobedient.” Henry and Richard Blackaby

Palace welcomes decline of crime victims

MANILA, Jan. 31 (PNA) -- A Malacañan official on Tuesday welcomed the recent Social Weather Station (SWS) survey showing a decline in the number of Filipinos who fell victims to crimes.


“We welcome the results of the Fourth Quarter 2016 Social Weather Station survey showing the people’s sentiment that there was a decline in crime victimization, specifically, the results indicated that families who said they were victimized and lost property to street robbery, burglary, or carnapping registered at 4.5 percent, surpassing the previous quarterly record of 5.5 percent in March and June 2016,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said at a press briefing.


Abella noted that the same survey also indicated that 52 percent of respondents agreed that the number of drug addicts in their respective communities has decreased compared to 56 percent in the previous quarter.


Relatedly, Abella also announced that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has conducted its pilot activity for the reintegration of the drug surrenderers in the community.


"Last January 27, the Department of Social Welfare and Development coordinated with the local government unit, LGU of Talisay, Batangas which led the conduct of 'Linis Bayan'," he said.


Linis Bayan is a community clean-up campaign aims to reintegrate rehabilitated drug users in the community by involving them in various activities, which would be beneficial to their neighborhood.


Abella said the DSWD plans to implement Linis Bayan in other cities and municipalities as part of the government's efforts to solve drug problem in the country.


Meanwhile, at the same press briefing, Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) Chairman Arsenio Balisacan discussed the primary role of his agency, which is to enforce and implement the provisions of Republic Act No. 10667, otherwise known as the Philippine Competition Act (PCA), in time for their first year anniversary.

Balisacan, who served as the Socio-Economic Planning Secretary and concurrently the director general of the National Economic and Development Authority during the previous administration, underscored the importance of his agency, a quasi-judicial body, in ensuring an efficient market and providing a level-playing field among businesses in the country.


“This is our task in the PCC, promoting fair competition in Philippine markets. When there are safeguards for market competition, economic growth is more rapid and sustainable, as the pressure of competition enhances efficiency and productivity growth in all businesses, industries or areas of the country," he said adding that his agency's mandate is relevant to the development agenda of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.


“Greater productivity of businesses means that Filipinos benefit through higher incomes from having more and better quality jobs. When businesses compete, consumers benefit further through lower prices, better quality of goods and services and more choices in markets,” he added.


He stressed that protecting market competition will boost the economy and it will make growth more poverty-reducing and inclusive.

Balisacan cited certain practices that consumers and businesses should be protected from in order to level the playing field such as cartels, price fixing and bid rigging.



As a new agency, Balisacan said he would try to inform and educate the public about the task of his commission in order for them to know more about the illegal practices of businesses that should be brought to their attention. (PNA)

New swindling modus operandi reported in Dumaguete

DUMAGUETE CITY, Jan. 26 (PNA) -- A new modus operandi for swindling was uncovered in Dumaguete City following the report of a pizza house owner who fell victim to the new scam.

Daphe Padriga Padilla cautioned establishments that cater to free deliveries, like pizza houses, burger houses and the like to be extra careful in receiving orders by phone.

She said these individuals are not after the product or the services being offered but cellphone loads, which is by the thousands of pesos.

Padilla said Neva’s pizza in Piapi, this city, received orders for 21 boxes of pizza from a caller who identified himself as a certain Dr. Rico Absin of Silliman University Medical Center (SUMC), who is a resident in that barangay.

The caller said at least five doctors are contributing for the payment to include a certain Dr. Arco of SUMC.

While on the way to SUMC to deliver the ordered pizza, Padilla was told by the caller to add soft drinks and paper plates which she didn’t mind because the order was worth more than PHP4,000.

The caller then ordered a cellphone load of PHP600 to be added to the payables in the name of Dr. Arco.

Since only PHP500 was loaded, the caller requested for another PHP500.

At the SUMC information center, Padilla wanted to connect to Dr. Arco’s clinic and that of Dr. Absin, only to be told by the secretary the number loaded with PHP1000 is not owned by Arco and that Dr. Rico Absin is out of town.

After knowing she was swindled, Padilla distributed the PHP4,000 worth of pizza to the construction workers outside the hospital, the SUMC information office and the to personnel at the police station while reporting the swindling incident. (PNA)
LAP/EB/JFP/JUANCHO GALLARDE/EDS

Sec. SALVADOR S. PANELO
Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel (OCPLC)
Office of the President
4/F New Executive Building, Malacañang Compound, J.P. Laurel St., San Miguel, Manila
TEL: 784-7478

Sec. ABDULLA MAMA-O
Office of the Presidential Adviser for OFWs
Lower Ground Floor, Mabini Building, Malacañang

Chicago is where I grew up. It's where I met my husband. It's where we started our family and where we began our journey to becoming your First Family, which has been the honor of our lifetimes.

And tomorrow, I'm going back to Chicago to watch Barack deliver his farewell address to you.

I hope you'll join me, because as Barack has said, these eight years have always been about you -- and what we could accomplish together.

And together, we've made so much progress. We passed a law that helped provide health care for people across this country. Our high school graduation rate is at a record high, and more young people are graduating from college than ever before. Our businesses created millions of jobs, and we lifted millions of Americans out of poverty. We expanded LGBT rights and watched as marriage equality became the law of the land.

We couldn't have done any of this without you. And in the coming weeks, I know Barack is excited to join you in taking on the most important role of all, the role of citizen.

Because it's citizens like you who decided to get involved and do your part to make the change we all believe in. It's citizens like you who refused to let cynicism or fear prevent you from fighting for progress. And it's citizens like you who will keep moving our country forward in the years ahead.

Time and again, you've shown that by working hard and choosing hope, people who love their country can change it.

So please join me in sharing this moment with Barack tomorrow night at 9:00pm ET as he takes a moment to thank you for everything you've done.

Thanks,

First Lady Michelle Obama

"I’m writing from Japan. Mr Obama’s visit to Hiroshima was my most impressive thing last year. I was translating into English the home page of a precision screw maker in Hiroshima early last year. In the history section, the following line appeared, '6 August 1945 Our factories were annihilated by the atomic bomb.'

"I was born right after the war and I vaguely remember as a small child that war debris was strewn in vacant lots, we were poorly dressed and food was not sufficient. I thought of the people who rose from the ashes to rebuild Japan. Sometime after I finished my translation, Mr. Obama came to Hiroshima. We have come a long way. A way to a better world. Thank you."

â€"Ichiro from Japan

“After the horrific massacre of the Emanuel 9 in Charleston, I was fortunate enough to be able to be present at the memorial service in Charleston where President Obama delivered the eulogy. At the time we most needed to hear a message of unity and hope, our President delivered one of the most powerful and moving speeches I have ever heard. I will never forget those moments of hope and grace delivered in one of our darkest hours in our state. Thank you so very much.”

â€"Lea from South Carolina

“My parents are both undocumented immigrants from south of the border who traveled to California where they raised me and I am deeply grateful for them. They came here to give me a better life then what they experienced. What you did these past eight years did give families like mine the opportunity to strive for the American dream. You taught me that change can come if we work hard to make it happen and not by waiting for anybody else to do it for me.”

â€"Marco from California

“The greatest moment of your eight years in office for me was the night that the Supreme Court affirmed all Americans’ right to marry the person they love. My partner and I, who are not yet married but will do so soon, came to the White House to see the rainbow lights projected onto the facade of the President’s House…Your advocacy and leadership on diversity and inclusiveness, respect for all people regardless of their innate characteristics, and you and Mrs. Obama directing that the White House be lighted thusly on that great day in LGBT history was overwhelming to us both.”

â€"Skip from DC

"Your stand on climate change inspired me to champion this position in the Forest Service and in my research, writings, and on-the-ground projects. Climate change is one of the most important challenges for the world and your support has been extremely important."

â€"Randy from Arizona

"My son, and now I, both have health care only because you had the vision and the strength to push it through. Iran doesn’t have nuclear weapons because you had the strength to push through an agreement. You overcame immense odds, bigotry both here and abroad, yet you prevailed."

â€"Mary from Virginia

“Shortly after President Obama was elected, I was traveling near the airport in Columbus, Ohio. Air Force One was there because the President was in the city, and at the gate was an African American father holding his young son on his shoulders. I heard him say, 'That’s the President’s jet, and one day, you can do just want President Obama has done. One day, you can be president!' It brought me to tears. Your time, your spirit, your work, your grace…will forever permeate this country, no matter which political party is in the White House. Thank you.”

â€"Rev. Susan from Ohio

Where Are You Looking?

Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following. . . .Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" John 21:20-21

The first thing you do after God speaks to you is critical. Jesus was telling Peter what type of ministry he would have and what type of death he would suffer (vv. 18-19). It was a sacred moment in Peter’s life, as his Lord pulled back the curtain to his future. His was not to be an easy life but a life ordained and blessed by his Lord and Master.

Rather than responding to what Jesus told him, Peter looked around at his fellow disciples. His glance fell upon John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. “But Lord, what about this man?” Peter asked. Peter had just been given the somber news of his future death. How natural to compare his assignment with that of the others! This is the great temptation of God’s servants: to compare our situation with that of others. Did God give my friend a larger house? Did God heal my friend’s loved one and not mine? Did God allow my friend to receive appreciation and praise for his work while I remain anonymous? Did God allow another Christian to remain close to her family while I am far removed from mine?

Jesus assigned Peter and John to walk two different paths, but both Peter and John have enriched our lives. Jesus knew how dangerous it is when a servant takes his eyes off the master to focus on a fellow servant. Where is your focus? Have you become more concerned with how God is treating someone else than you are with how He is relating to you?  Henry and Richard Blackaby

Cagayan De Oro to host ASEAN meeting in July

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Jan. 28 (PNA) â€" A run-up meeting of members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is scheduled in this port capital of Northern Mindanao in July this year.

In a post in the ASEAN website, the ASEAN council said that the meeting would be a run-up leading to the 50th anniversary of ASEAN celebrations to be held in November in Clark.

The special meeting of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council would be part of the country’s responsibility in hosting the ASEAN for the whole year of 2017.

The ASEAN council is focused on nurturing the human, cultural and natural resources for sustained development in a harmonious and people-oriented ASEAN.

The council said that the ASEAN meeting would promote a culture of tolerance, understanding and mutual respect for religions and interfaith dialogue.

Various arts, film festivals, and heritage programs would also form part of the meeting as an introduction to the various cultures of the ASEAN member-states, the council said.

Along the way, special attention would be focused on the 20 UNESCO-listed world cultural heritage sites, all found in Southeast Asia.

The council would also document more cultural sites for possible UNESCO enlistment in the future, especially sites of historical importance that remind the people’s achievements through the ages. (PNA)
RMA/CD/MARK FRANCISCO

Hupo Hupo

Millenium1 Solutions opens new call center in Sudbury, Ontario

Canadian outsourcing firm Millenium1 Solutions is expanding in Ontario with the opening of a new call center in Sudbury. Millenium1, which has an offshore facility in Manila, said the Sudbury contact center will offer 250 new jobs, with capacity for expansion to 350. In a press release, the BPO firm said its expansion in Sudbury is driven by the organic growth of its existing client base. A majority of new hires in Sudbury will be call center agents although there will be managers, support staff, human resources staff, and IT positions. The company will hire both English and English/French bilingual call center agents.

Leechiu teams up with CBRE Group

Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC) has teamed up with CBRE Group to corner more transactions in the real estate services sector in the Philippines. The partnership is expected to attract more investments across the information and business process management (IT-BPM), financial services, manufacturing and hospitality and leisure industries. Despite the partnership, the two will remain independent and separate organizations. LPC CEO David Leechiu said the alliance will enable LPC to further provide top services in the Philippines. Both LPC and CBRE Group have forecasted a rise in demand for office spaces in the country on the back of the continuous growth of the business process outsourcing industry.

SPi CRM expands Wisconsin contact center

Customer relationship outsourcing firm SPi CRM has completed the expansion of its contact center in Madison, Wisconsin. The expansion will enable the company, which has employees across the US, Australia, Nicaragua, and the Philippines, to add 200 new jobs in Wisconsin, bringing the total headcount to 350. The facility is SPi CRM's first call center in the United States, said Maulik Parekh, the company's president and CEO. The Madison team performs inbound sales, utilizing voice and chat, for a US-based satellite provider. SPi CRM serves clients in diversified industries, including media, telecommunications, travel and hospitality, financial services, retail, and e-commerce.

TCS, Infosys to hire more engineers in the US

Bracing themselves for the expected stringent visa norms to be unveiled by the new American administration, outsourcing giants Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services said they will hire more engineers from campuses in the United States. US Senator Jeff Sessions earlier said the administration of Donald Trump will push for legislative reform to curb what he termed as abuse of H-1Bn visas for foreign workers. The policy could greatly affect the USD150bn Indian outsourcing industry, which has mostly relied on hiring large numbers of engineering graduates in India for overseas assignments. UB Pravin Rao, chief operating officer at Infosys, has confirmed that the company is now looking at hiring from more colleges in the US.

Global general and administrative outsourcing market forecast to grow 3.5%

The global general and administrative outsourcing (GAO) market is forecast to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 3.5% during the period 2016-2020. According to a Technavio study, the companies' need to adopt best practices, new technologies, or transform business models will force them to look for new strategies, including outsourcing F&A-based services. The digital transformation in the BFSI, healthcare, telecom, and manufacturing sectors requires efficient planning processes to manage G&A costs, with organizations facing difficulties resort to outsourcing their general and administrative functions.

6 outsourcing, tech firms rank high in Temkin Group list

Six tech vendors and IT outsourcing firms - HPE outsourcing, Google, IBM SPSS, IBM software, IBM outsourcing, and Dell outsourcing - were ranked at the top of the annual Product and Relationship Satisfaction of IT Clients released by Temkin Group. The annual list ranks 62 technology vendors based on feedback from 800 IT decision makers within large North American organizations. HPE outsourcing ranked at the top of the list with a 76% satisfaction rate. At the bottom of the ratings were Trend Micro, Infosys, SunGard, Pitney Bowes, and Cognizant, which all earned average satisfaction levels below 50%. Temkin Group is widely recognized as a leading customer experience research and consulting firm.

Aegis recognized for providing equal opportunities to PwDs

Global outsourcing firm Aegis Limited has been conferred with the NCPEDP-Mindtree Helen Keller Award for creating diverse and equal opportunities for people with disabilities (PwDs). The company was also recognized by the Vijay Merchant Memorial Award 2016 for increasingly promoting the participation of PwDs and integrating them into the workforce. Aegis Global CEO Sandip Sen said the recognition underlines the efforts of the company's employees to create a transformational change in society. Over 2% of Aegis' workforce is comprised of people with disabilities, according to Javed Abidi, honorary director of NCPEDP. Aegis has operations in 46 locations across 9 countries, including the Philippines, with more than 40,000 employees.

BLS International expands global footprint

BLS International Services, one of the fastest growing global outsourcing companies, has increased its global footprint after signing a contract in Spain. BLS, the second largest company in the world that manages administrative tasks of processing visa applications in various countries, recently bagged a contract from Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Under the deal, BLS will open nearly 150 Spanish Visa Application centers in 45 countries to support the Spanish Embassies & Consulates of Spain. The five-year contract is worth EUR175m (USD187m). This year, BLS International aims to expand its foreign mission category through bagging global contracts, particularly from Thailand and Canada via competitive processes. BLS also operates a center in the Philippines.

KMC Solutions expands in the US

KMC Solutions, a Metro Manila-headquartered provider of end-to-end offshore solutions, has recently launched its US operations through KMC Solutions USA (KMCS). KMCS now offers solution for the next generation of offshoring to US enterprises desiring to establish their own dedicated staff and operations in the Philippines. KMCS will be headed by business process outsourcing veterans John Chess and Philip Traylor. Chess is the founder and former CEO of specialty healthcare services firm Medicall while Traylor is former Vice President of Healthcare for Cognizant. KMC Solutions Managing Director Michael McCullough said the company has assembled a team that is unrivaled in the industry.

Stefanini seeks to grow 25% in North America, Asia Pacific

Brazil-headquartered outsourcing firm Stefanini is investing more in Asia Pacific and North America to achieve its goal of growing 25% in the two regions by 2020. Stefanini's US headquarters in the Detroit area is set for completion in H1 of 2017. The company has been present in the US for almost 15 years. It also plans physical changes in various offices in Asia Pacific, which Stefanini said is strategic for the company's global growth. According to Marco Stefanini, global CEO, IT service providers such as Stefanini have an even greater challenge - to promote business transformation. He stressed that Stefanini brings together the latest in cognitive intelligence, loyalty platforms, robotics, and BPO, among other solutions, to assist customers in the digital transformation.

WNS posts higher fiscal Q3 profit

Business process management (BPM) services provider WNS Limited (WNS) announced results of its fiscal 2017 third quarter ended 31 December 2016, showing a profit of USD18m. According to figures released by WNS, revenue in the third quarter was USD145.4m, representing a 0.7% increase versus Q3 of last year and a 2.9% decrease from the previous quarter. Profit in the fiscal Q3 was USD18.0m, as compared to USD15.7m in Q3 of last year and USD12.6m in the previous quarter. During the reported quarter, WNS added seven new clients, expanded six existing relationships and increased global headcount to 32,184 across 42 delivery centers worldwide, including the Philippines.

C3 to expand outside Manila, double workforce in 2 years

Business process outsourcing (BPO) firm Customer Contact Channels (C3), is spending up to USD10m to set up facilities outside of Metro Manila, with the target of opening two new facilities in two years. The Florida-headquartered firm also seeks to double the number of its employees in the country in the next five years. Sudhir Agarwal, C3 Global chief executive officer, said the firm wants to expand its operations to two locations outside of the urban capital. So far, they have narrowed down their options to three locations, including Davao. Agarwal said C3 eyes to invest USD5m to USD10m to establish the two new facilities, in addition to its office in Taguig City. Aside from investing in the new facilities, C3 targets to expand in the Philippine market through acquisitions, the executive said.

Rapid IT-BPO growth to further boost employment growth

Information and analytics firm IHS Markit predicts a rapid employment growth in the IT-BPO sector this year as the sector is expected to continue its rapid growth. Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist at IHS Markit, said the rapid growth in the IT-BPO industry will continue to boost exports of IT-related services and catalyze the development of office parks in major cities. Biswas projected a moderation in Q4 economic growth to 6.5% to bring the end-2016 average to 6.8%. Nine of 10 financial institutions that participated in an Inquirer survey expected a lower Q4 GDP expansion than the better-than-expected 7.1% growth posted in Q3.

BPO firms urged to focus on what they do best - IBPAP

IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) vice chairman Lito Tayag called on the business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in the Philippines to focus on what they do best despite the new policies of US President Donald Trump. Trump's "Buy American. Hire American" rule might have an effect on the local BPO sector but Tayag said the industry will continue to thrive. despite the looming challenge if it can improve its skills competence. Tayag, who is also director of Accenture Philippines, said one way of fighting the inclusive American rule is to leverage on people. According to Emmanuel Leyco, economist professor at the Asian Institute of Management, the country's BPO sector may suffer an economic headwind from Trump's agenda in bringing back jobs to America.

Cyber park to propel Cagayan Valley's economy

Cagayan Valley's economy is predicted to further expand with the establishment of a cyber park at the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA). CEZA public relations head Marie Joyce Cayme-Calimag said the ecozone is going to be one of the top 10 best in the world with the establishment of the cyber park that will attract business process outsourcing (BPO) companies. She said Cagayan Valley has the facilities and manpower resources that can accommodate small and medium BPO firms, especially now that the ecozone has IT-BPM facilities. The ecozone's telecommunications network also boasts one of the best in Asia in terms of latency and capacity, Calimag added.

Sun Life says global uncertainties to affect BPO sector

Sun Life of Canada (Philippines) president and CEO Rizalina G. Mantaring admits that global uncertainties might have a negative impact on the Philippines' business process outsourcing (BPO) sector. However, she stressed that the Philippines is still advantageous for US investments. Mantaring said the country's English language ability, the service mindset, and the cost are not something that US investors can easily replace. Mantaring made the pronouncement as she revealed Sun Life's growth estimate of 6.8% - 7% for the Philippines this year. The growth will be driven by the government's plans for aggressive infrastructure spending, she said.

Global technical support market to grow 6.53%

A report released by Technavio predicts the global technical support outsourcing market to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 6.53% during the period 2016-2020. The report noted that IT companies are now increasingly shifting their focus from a cost reduction approach to customer-centric services, further increasing the need to outsource their technical support functions. The report also identified Hudson Software, Inforonics Global Services, Qcom Outsourcing, and Wipro as key vendors in the global technical support outsourcing market.

Automation triggers 'release' of 9,000 Infosys employees in 2016

Infosys has recently released approximately 9,0000 employees due to the automation of lower-end jobs last year. This was revealed by Krishnamurthy Shankar, the company's human resources head, who also added that the employees have not been dismissed but were moved to more advanced projects. Infosys is planning to release 2,000 people in every quarter and train them in special courses that will help them in their new assignments, Shankar said. With automation set to increase in intensity, Shankar said the number of people that Infosys hires is expected to come down over time. Infosys added 5,700 people in the first nine months of this fiscal, compared to about 17,000 in the same period last year.

Timex moving Arkansas call center to the Philippines

Timex Group is shutting down its distribution center in North Little Rock, Arkansas by the end of this year, with plans to move its call center operations to its facility in the Philippines. Timex's North Little Rock location handles the distribution, customer-call center and repair and service operations for the US and Canada markets. The call center will move to the Philippines while the rest of the operations will move to a third-party company in Indianapolis. Timex opened its first Arkansas manufacturing plant in Little Rock in 1945.

No more tax holiday for Metro Manila IT-BPM firms by 2020

IT-BPM companies located in Metro Manila will no longer enjoy income tax holidays (ITH) by 2020, according to Trade and Industry Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo. The provision is included in the proposed 2017-2019 Investment Priorities Plan (IPP). However, for IT-BPM firms that will locate outside of Metro Manila they will continue to enjoy ITH to encourage dispersal of investments and create employment opportunities in the provinces. The IPP is a list of government preferred economic activities that are entitled to a package of tax and fiscal incentives. The IT-BPM sector has its own blueprint, which has targeted to increase the ratio of BPOs within and outside of Metro Manila to 50:50 from the existing 70:30. The industry, however, may be forced to scrap the target as the Board of Investment wants more workers outside of Metro Manila.

How can we trust them again?

More than 40 deaths from Yellow Fever confirmed in Brazil

MEXICO CITY, Jan. 28 (PNA/Sputnik) -- Brazil’s Health Ministry has confirmed more than 40 cases of human death from yellow fever in the past weeks.

Out of 107 reported deaths from yellow fever, 42 were confirmed on Friday, the ministry said, as cited by Telesur TV. In total, 87 people have been confirmed to have yellow fever, out of 555 suspected cases.

As of Thursday, there were 72 confirmed cases of yellow fever and 40 confirmed deaths.

The yellow fever outbreak started in Brazil weeks ago in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, later spreading to other areas.

Yellow fever is a viral disease spread by infected mosquitoes. Infection can be prevented through vaccination. (PNA/Sputnik)

President Duterte to MNLF, MILF: Do not provide sanctuary to terrorists
By Noel Y. Punzalan

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao, Jan. 27 (PNA) -- President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has urged both the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) not to provide sanctuary to perceived terrorists to keep the peace in Mindanao.

The President made the call in this camp Friday following a closed door meeting with military officials assigned at various parts of the island-region.

“We are facing a more dangerous enemy, I am referring to the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), but I am more worried with (suspiciousâ€"looking) Islamic scholars wandering around here (nowadays),” the President said as he addressed men of this camp, which is the headquarters of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID).

He assured the 6ID men that he is with them all the way in the fight against the enemies of the state.

“We are facing a serious problem so let us not wait,” he said.

President Duterte said he recognizes the fact that the Moro people were the first settlers of Mindanao but urged Muslim brothers to just talk peace and make necessary adjustments.

“It is because if we would not covert Mindanao into a federal state, walang katapusan ito (there won't be an end to this),” he stressed.

Mr. Duterte noted that if the economy of Mindanao, wh suffers from being the breadbasket of the country as brought about by threats of terrorism, then the problem should be faced head-on.

“I still want peace. I want to talk, but if extremism persists, wala na ako magagawa (I cannot do anything), he said.

The Chief Executive then added, "Nakikiusap po ako sa (I appeal to) MILF at (and) MNLF not to provide sanctuary to these terrorists kasi hinahanap namin sila dahil may atraso sila (we are hunting them because they have committed crimes).”

The President then warned the two Moro fronts against welcoming members of the Maute terror group into their camps as he would be forced to order the military to enter their encampments.

“I have so much to give but wag nyo akong pigain because I do not own the government. I am guided by the will of the majority in the government,” he said.

While here, the President also awarded 12 soldiers wounded in a day-long gun battle with armed men in the interiors of Ampatuan town on Thursday, particularly in Barangays Salman and Saniag, in search for Ampatuan Mayor Rasul Sangki.

Sangki is included in Malacañang's list of politicians allegedly involved in trafficking of the illegal drug methamphetamine hydrochloride or "shabu."

The soldiers bestowed by the President with wounded personnel awards were Ssgts. Manuel Asania and Arvin Esperanza; Sgts. Elmer Pelle and Leonardo Remulta; Cpl. Raffy Matingkal; Pfc. Jerusel Castaneda; and Pvts. Alden Cahoy, Eldie Mallorca, Erwin Mistoso, Harold John Dionisio, Cresaldy Coronado and Vincent John Gregorio.

Apart from terrorism, the Duterte administration is also committed to clearing the country of illegal drugs. (PNA)

Mga mamamahayag, pinuri ang DOJ approval ng
Presidential Task Force on media killings guidelines
 
Masiglang tinanggap ng mga mamamahayag, lalo na ang mga lider ng Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc. (PAPI), ang pag-apruba kamakailan ni Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre sa “Implementing Guidelines” ng Administrative Order No. 1 (AO1) ng Malakanyang na lumikha ng Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS).
 
Ang AO 1 ang unang Administrative Order na nilagdaan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte matapos siyang umupo bilang pangulo ng bansa. Ang order ay bilang tugon sa mga ulat at puna ng pandaigdigang mga ahensiya, kasama ang United Nations at Human Rights Watch World na isa ang Pilipinas sa mga pinakadelikadong bansa sa mundo para sa mga mamamahayag na basta na lang pinapatay o nawawala at halos wala sa mga may kagagawan ng pamamaslang ang napaparusahan.
 
Ang mandato ng PTFOMS ay tiyakin ang kaligtasan ng mga mamamahayag at tugisin at maparusahan ang mga pumapaslang sa kanila. Pinamumunuan ito ni Justice Secretary Aguirre bilang chairman at PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar bilang co-chairman. Mga kagawad naman ang mga Kalihim ng DILG at DND, Solicitor General, AFP Chief of Staff, PNP Director General, NBI Director at ang Executive Director ng Presidential Human Rights Committee.
 
Ang Secretariat naman nito ay pinamumunuan ni Undersecretary/Executive Director Joel Egco, dating pangulo ng National Press Club, at chief of reporters ng Manila Times, na taga Gapan City Nueva Ecija.
 
Ang mga pinuno ng PAPI, National Press Club, National Union of Journalists in the Philippines, Philippines Press Institute at Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas, na observers at resource persons ng PTFOMS, ay aktibong kasali sa pagbalangkas ng Implementing Guidelines nito.
 
Sa pamamagitan ng PTFOMS Secretariat, regular at patuloy na minu-monitor at ina-update ang imbentaryo ng mga kaso ng pamamaslang sa mga mamamahayag na may limang kategorya: “unsolved cases, cases under investigation, cases under preliminary investigation, cases on trial, and cases under appeal.”
 
Masiglang tinanggap at pinuri ni PAPI president Nelson Santos, dating pangulong Luis Arriola at Juan Dayan at executive vice president Johnny Nunez ang pagtibay ni Justice Secretary Aguirre sa panukalang  PTFOMS implementing guidelines at sinabi nilang masidhing umaasa ang mga Pinoy sa makatotohanang pagpapakilos ng PTFOMS at ng mga kasanggang grupo nito sa lahat g antas upang seryusong matugunan ang patuloy na pamamaslang sa mga mamamahayag na ginagampanan lamang ang kinilang tungkulin upang ibalita at wastong maunawaan ng publiko ang mga kaganapan at pangyayari na sadyang kailangan sa isang malayang lipunan.
 
Binigyan nila ng diin ang paninindigan ng UNESCO na “ang kaligtasan ng mga mamamahayag at pagtugis sa mga pumapaslang sa kanila ay sadyang kailangan mapangalagaan at mapanatili ang pangunahing karapatan ng mga mamayan sa karapatan sa pagpahayag ng kanilang saloobin at akmang pagkilos ng ginagarantiyahan ng Artikulo 19 ng Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
 
Ang Pilipinas ay isa sa mga lumagda sa mahahalagang pandaigdigang kasunduan, kasama ang “International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” at “Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,” na kumikilala sa likas na karapatan ng tao sa kanyang buhay; na walang sinuman ang dapat agawan ng buhay, abusuhin at pagmalupitan; na lahat ay may karapatan sa malayang pagpapahayag ng kanilang opinyon at makatwirang nais gawin.”

Journalists hail DOJ approval of guidelines for Presidential task force on media killings
 
Media players, particularly from the ranks of the Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc. (PAPI), have hailed the recent approval by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre of the Implementing Guidelines for Malacanang’s Administrative Order No. 1 (AO1) creating the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS).
 
Signed and issued by President Rodrigo Duterte immediately after he assumed office, the order was in response to a Human Rights Watch World Report that the Philippines remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists, and that extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances remain a serious problem and rarely result in successful prosecution and punishment of perpetrators.
 
PTFOMS is specifically tasked to “monitor and ensure the speedy resolution of extra judicial killings, enforced or involuntary disappearances, torture and other grave violence of the rights to life, liberty and security of media workers.” The task force is chaired by the chaired by Justice Secretary Aguirre and co-chaired by PCOO Sec. Martin Andanar, Its members include the DILG and DND secretaries, Solicitor General, AFP Chief of Staff, PNP Director General, NBI Director and the Executive Director of the Presidential Human Rights Committee.
 
Its working Secretariat is headed by Undersecretary/Executive Director Joel Egco, former president of the National Press Club, and chief of reporters of the Manila Times who hails from Gapan City in Nueva Ecija.
 
Media leaders from PAPI, National Press Club, National Union of Journalists in the Philippines, Philippines Press Institute and Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas, who sit as PTFOMS observers and resource persons, actively participated in the formulation of the task force’s implementing guidelines.
 
Through its Secretariat, PTFOMS regularly monitors and updates its inventory of media killing incidents under five categories â€" unsolved cases, cases under investigation, cases under preliminary investigation, cases on trial, and cases under appeal.
 
PAPI incumbent president Nelson Santos, former presidents Luis Arriola and Juan Dayan and former executive vice president Johnny Nunez warmly lauded the approval by Justice Secretary Aguirre of the PTFOMS implementing guidelines and said Filipinos in general eagerly await the eventual mobilization of the PTFOMS and its operating units at all levels to seriously address the continuing violence against working journalists who are merely doing their jobs to help develop a well informed citizenry.   
 
They stress the position of UNESCO that “the safety of journalists and the prosecution and punishment of those who kill members of the media are essential to preserve the fundamental right to freedom of expression, guaranteed by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
 
The Philippines is a signatory to various treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which recognize every person’s inherent right to life: that no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of life, that no one shall be subjected to torture, or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and that everyone shall have the right to freedoms of opinion and expression.

Boris Spassky was born January 30, 1937, Leningrad [now St. Petersburg], Russia, U.S.S.R.


Photograph:Chess masters Boris Spassky (left) and Bobby Fischer shaking hands at the beginning of their first …


    * Chess masters Boris Spassky (left) and Bobby Fischer shaking hands at the beginning of their first …

Soviet chess master who was world champion from 1969 to 1972.

When Spassky was evacuated from Leningrad during World War II to a children's home in Kirov province, he learned to play chess. In 1953, while still in his teens, he gained the rank of international master. In 1955 he won the world junior championship, and in that same year he won the title of international grandmaster. In the following years, however, while occupied with his journalism studies at Leningrad University, Spassky was overshadowed by the rise of the young chess genius Mikhail Tal from Riga, Latvia.

In 1966, still having little international reputation, Spassky first challenged Tigran Petrosyan for the world title, but he was not successful at taking the title until three years later. Spassky's style was characterized by an adaptability rarely matched in the history of chess. His victory over Petrosyan was narrow (121/2â€"101/2), however, and his subsequent tournament results were unremarkable.

In 1972 Spassky lost the world title to Bobby Fischer of the United States. Twenty years later the two men faced each other in a controversial rematch that took place in Yugoslavia, a country that was then subject to United Nations sanctions on trade. Fischer, who had not played publicly since 1975, again defeated Spassky, whose ranking had slipped to 99th in the world, in the privately organized tournament, and each collected a share of the $5 million purse.

The Basic Savings Accounts is the most affordable interest earning savings account offered by the Bank, with an initial deposit requirement of only P100 and a required balance of only P500 to earn interest. This account is evidenced by a debit card.

Product Features
Initial Deposit   P 100.00
Maintaining Deposit   P 100.00
Interest Earning Balance   P 500.00
Interest Rate   0.125% p.a
Documentation   Electronic Statement
Evidenced by a Debit Card   
Fund Access   Over-The-Counter
Philippine ATMs and Visa Plus ATMs    worldwide
EastWest Online
Visa-accredited merchants worldwide
Visa-accepting online merchants globally
Over-the-counter Transaction Fees
(Withdrawal, Fund Transfer)   P 100.00

source: East West Bank Website

Duterte's micro-financing fund now in Tacloban.

As part of Administration’s commitment to provide affordable micro-financing program for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), President Rodrigo Duterte (middle right), along with the Department of Trade and Industry Secretary (DTI) Ramon Lopez (middle left), Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Secretary Jun Evasco (Leftmost), and Mayor Cristine Gonzales Romualdez led the ceremonial launching of the Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso (P3) on January 25 in Tacloban. As part of DTI’s strategic efforts to boost MSME development in the countryside, the P3 program brought together seven approved conduits, namely CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions, the Omaganhan Farmers Agrarian Reform Cooperative, Libercon Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC), Sapari MPC, Zaragosa Agrarian Reform Cooperative, Lanang MPC and Taytay sa Kauswagan, Inc., which will provide loans to various micro-enterprises.  “We are continuously improving the access to our financial support system for the MSMEs to continue our vision of creating an inclusive industry growth”, said DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez.  (END)

Radio broadcaster posts bail on 2 libel cases filed by Misamis Oriental solon

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Jan. 27 (PNA) -- A radio broadcaster has posted bail on the libel cases filed against him by a lawmaker, the police said Friday.

The regional trial court earlier ordered the arrest of Jonas Bustamante, a broadcaster here against whom two libel cases were filed by Rep. Pedro Unabia of the First District of Misamis Oriental.

Bustamante surrendered to Police Supt. Surki Sereñas, the police regional spokesperson, in Camp Alagar. He then posted a bail bond of PHP 20,000 for the twin libel cases to gain temporary liberty.

Sereñas said that Bustamante was subsequently turned-over to the court after undergoing the documentation process at the Medina Police Station in Misamis Oriental.

In his affidavit submitted to the RTC Branch 26 here, Rep. Unabia said that he was attacked “below the belt” in the radio program hosted by Bustamante.

Unabia did not elaborate, but said that Bustamante was the first radio broadcaster that he had filed a libel case against, which he would seriously pursue. (PNA)

Aurora cops' 'Padyak Kontra Illegal na Droga' to be launched on Saturday

BALER, Aurora, Jan. 27 (PNA) -- To intensify the campaign against illegal drugs, hundreds of bikers will join the “Padyak Kontra Illegal na Droga” bike for a cause of the Aurora Provincial Police Office (APPO) which will be held on Saturday morning.

Police Supt. Reynante Pitpitan, chief of Aurora Police Community Relations Branch (PCRB), said that they are expecting over 200 individuals from the 56th Infantry “Tatag” Battalion, Philippine Army, Philippine National Police (PNP), government offices, Aurora bikers and other stakeholders to join in the event.

The participants will bike 42 kilometers here in Central Aurora where the race will start 5 a.m. at the APPO, Camp Ravina, Barangay Sabang here going to the towns of San Luis, Maria Aurora, Dipaculao and will be back in this capital town of Aurora to APPO.

The activity that will be held through the efforts of Aurora Provincial Director Police Senior Supt. Randolph Y. Balonglong aims to seek public support and cooperation to maintain the province as drug-free.

Pitpitan said he is inviting everyone to join in the activity. He said the proceeds of the bike for a cause will be used for the drug campaign awareness, “Sumbong Bilis” project and additional support to the Bahay Pagbabago reformation center of APPO.

“We will give also incentives to the members of “Sumbong Bilis” who will give positive and timely information against illegal drugs,” Pitpitan added.

Dumaguete City eyes new scheme to cut traffic jam by 50 percent

DUMAGUETE CITY, Jan. 27 (PNA) -- After a series of consultations with several stakeholders, Dumaguete City Councilor Alan Gel Cordova will propose to Mayor Felipe Antonio B. Remollo a new traffic scheme for Dumaguete City that will reduce traffic jams by more than half.

Cordova, chairman of the committee on traffic and transportation, presented before the City Council the plan to revamp the entry and use of the city’s 32 major intersections to drastically reduce the conflict points from 685 to just 238, seen as a major factor to ease traffic congestion in the downtown area.

He defines a conflict point to be an area where the flow of a certain vehicle intrudes or invades the space that should have been taken by another vehicle, a media release from the City Public Information Office said Friday.

Cordova said that by lessening the number of conflict points, the traffic flow would be faster.

Cordova said formulating the new traffic scheme was guided by the general principle that narrow streets ought to be one-way while wide streets should be two-way and public street parking shall not be allowed in front of establishments with proper setbacks.

The most recent meeting of Cordova’s committee was attended by councilors Michael Bandal, Karissa Tolentino and Lilani Ramon along with officials of the Traffic Management Office Gilbert Ablong and Danilo Atillo, Engr. Edwin Quirit, Sr. Insp. Robelito Mariano of the Provincial Highway Patrol Team, Rosemarie Gonzales of the City Planning Office and representatives of the Department of Public Works and Highways led by Engr. Luz A. Vicoy.

Those consulted agreed that at least 14 streets will be declared one-way to all types of vehicles, Silliman Avenue, Rizal Boulevard, Perdices, Sta. Catalina, Colon and Sta. Rosa streets will be two-way.

Since the proposed new traffic scheme will be subject to experiment in the next three weeks, an ordinance is not yet necessary.

If the traffic situation markedly improves under the new scheme, it shall be adopted through a legislative action.

Proper signage and wide information dissemination drive will be undertaken prior to the dry run to amply prepare the motorists.

Modifying the traffic scheme is just one of the many strategies the administration of Mayor Remollo has taken to ease traffic congestion amid the fact that the city’s streets are being used by some 660,000 vehicles all types in one day. (PNA)

Kia Motors see earnings growth in 2016 on SUV sales

SEOUL, Jan. 26 (PNA/Xinhua) -- Kia Motors, South Korea's second-biggest automaker, posted earnings growth last year thanks to strong demand for new models and robust sports utility vehicle (SUV) sales, a regulatory filing showed on Thursday.

Operating profit rose 4.6 percent to 2.46 trillion won (USD2.13 billion) in 2016 on revenue of 52.71 trillion won, up 6.4 percent from a year earlier, compared with its parent company Hyundai Motor's operating profit that tumbled 18.3 percent.

Kia's car sales in the domestic market rose 1.2 percent last year thanks to demand for new models such as K7.

The No.2 carmaker's exports plunged 15.1 percent on labor strikes, but sales in cars produced in overseas plants increased 10.7 percent.

In the United States, Kia's auto sales gained 3.5 percent as demand for Sportage SUV model advanced as well as for K3 and Pride, while Sportage demand raised Kia's car sales in Europe by 13.1 percent last year.

During the October-December quarter, Kia's operating profit added 3.5 percent from a year earlier to 532.2 billion won. Revenue rose 1.0 percent to 12.91 trillion won, but net income tumbled 25.7 percent to 320 billion won. (PNA/Xinhua)

BDO completes Php 60-B stocks right offer
By Joann Santiago

MANILA, Jan. 26 (PNA) -- Sy-led Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. (BDO) on Thursday announced the completion of its Php 60-billion (USD 1.2 billion) stock right offering, which closed Jan. 24.

In a statement, the bank said the transaction was so far the largest for a Philippine company.

The offer was oversubscribed from both the domestic and international investors, it said without elaborating.

Listing of some 716,402,886 shares at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) is scheduled on Jan. 31, 2017 at an expected price of about Php 83.75 apiece.

Credit Suisse, UBS, and BDO Capital served as joint global coordinators and joined by Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and HSBC as joint bookrunners. BDO Capital served as issue manager and domestic underwriter.

BDO said the latest exercise strengthened the bank’s Common Equity Tier (CET) 1 capital “and supports the bank’s medium-term growth objectives amid the country’s favorable macroeconomic prospects.”

”Additionally, this provides a comfortable buffer over higher capital requirements with the imposition of the Domestic Systemically Important Bank (DSIB) surcharge,” it said.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), in July 2015, said it has identified DSIBs, which are described as "banks whose distress or disorderly failure would cause significant disruptions to the wider financial system and economy."

Because of their systemic importance these financial institutions are now required to maintain additional CET1 of between 150-250 basis points of their respective Risk-Weighted Assets starting 2017 and should be fully-compliant with the new capital requirement by 2019.(PNA)
RMA/JSV/EDS

CABLE TELEVISION IN BOHOL

     SERVICE AREA   OPERATOR   LOCATION OF HEADEND
   BOHOL PROVINCE       
1   Alburquerque
Bohol Community Cable TV System

2   Baclayon   Bohol Community Cable TV System   Tagbilaran City, Bohol
3   Calape   Real Speed Cable TV, Inc.   Calape, Bohol
4   Carmen   South Seas Vision Cable TV System (Ingemar P. Macarine)   
5   Cortes   Bohol Cable TV System, Inc.   Tagbilaran City, Bohol
6   Dauis
Bohol Community Cable TV System
Tagbilaran City, Bohol
7   Dimiao
Sto. Niño Cable TV System
Valencia, Bohol
8   Duero
San Miguel Cable TV System
Pob. Jagna, Bohol
9   Garcia Hernandez
San Miguel Cable TV System   Pob. Jagna, Bohol
10   Jagna
San Miguel Cable TV System   Pob. Jagna, Bohol
11   Loay
Allcyber Cable TV, Inc.
Loay, Bohol
12   Loboc
Allcyber Cable TV, Inc.
Loboc, Bohol
13   Loon
Real Speed Cable TV, Inc.
Loon, Bohol
14   Maribojoc
Niña Cable TV System
Pob Maribojoc, Bohol
15   Panglao
Zafra Cable TV Network
Panglao, Bohol
16   Tagbilaran
Bohol Community Cable TV System
Tagbilaran City, Bohol
17   Talibon
Mant Cable Television
Tubigon, Bohol
18   Trinidad
Real Speed Cable TV, Inc.

19   Tubigon
South Seas Vision Cable TV System (Ingemar P. Macarine)
Pob. Tubigon, Bohol
20   Valencia
Sto. Niño Cable TV System
Valencia, Bohol

NEWS RELEASE
BBM ASKS PET TO EXPEDITE ELECTION PROTEST

Pressing on his quest for truth, the camp of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. today asked the Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), to expedite his election protest by setting his case for preliminary conference.

“Today, former Senator Bongbong Marcos presses on in his quest for truth with the filing of this motion to set the case for preliminary conference,” lawyer Victor Rodriguez, spokesman of Marcos said in an interview shortly after the filing at the PET.

In a 4-page Ex-Parte Motion filed by lawyer George Erwin Garcia, Marcos said it is about time the PET issues the notice for preliminary conference since the last pleading joining the issues in his case had been filed and served as early as 9 September 2016.

Under Rule 29 of the 2010 Rules of the PET, the preliminary conference should have been set after the filing of the last pleading.

“Protestant (Marcos) ……respectfully moves to set the above-entitled case for preliminary conference pursuant to (2010 PET Rules), considering that the last pleading joining the issues in this election protest case had been filed and served as early as 9 September 2016,” the pleading stated.

He explained that the setting of the preliminary conference is important because it will set in motion the issues to be resolved, the list of witnesses and the evidence to be presented as well as the schedule of hearings and the revision of the ballots, in his protest.

“This is important because the preliminary conference will set into motion Sen. Marcos' election protest so it can finally move forward," he pointed out.

Rodriguez noted that Marcos’ motion is without prejudice to the resolution of the Tribunal on the resolution on the two incidents still to be resolved by the court.

He stated that there remain two major pending motions that require resolution by the PET. He said these are the Motion to Strike Out the Answer of former Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo for being filed out of time which was filed on 9 September 2016 and Marcos’ Manifestation with Motion to Admit Attached Verification filed on 20 September 2016.

“There remain two pending incidents which we are likewise awaiting resolution but more than these motions, we want the case to finally move forward so we can finally present our evidence of massive election fraud in the vice presidential race in the last elections,” Rodriguez said.

Praying with Tears

Daily Devotional for Thursday, January 26th, 2017

Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear. Heb 5:7

The life of Jesus provides the model for our prayer lives. God is seeking to mold us into the image of His Son (Col. 1:27-28). If we are to act like Christ, our prayer lives must be conformed to His. Many Christians are unwilling to pay the price that Jesus paid when it comes to interceding with God. Jesus’ prayers came with vehement cries and tears and, “because of His godly fear,” He was heard by the Father.

Why then, did the Father refuse His request? It was not due to any sin in Jesus’ life, nor was it because the Father did not love His Son. The Father said no, despite the unfathomable love He had for His Son, because He knew He could not spare His Son and save a world. Likewise, the Lord cannot always spare you and your family and complete His redemptive work in those around you.

Are you willing for God to deny your pleadings? Will you intercede with the Father so deeply and intimately that even in the midst of your tears you are able to say, “Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done?” The Father will always relate to you out of the context of His love for a lost world. Has God said no to one of your requests recently? Accept His answer. Have you been learning obedience through what you have been suffering (Heb. 5:? If you have, God may choose to make you a source of salvation to others even as He did with His Son.     Henry and Richard Blackaby

Are You Being Made Perfect?

Daily Devotional for Friday, January 27th, 2017

Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. Heb 5:8-9

There is a positive aspect to suffering. We all endure suffering to some degree, but the good news is that through it we can become like Jesus. Are you willing to pay whatever price is necessary in order to become like Christ? There are some things that God can build into your life only through suffering. Even Jesus, the sinless Son of God, was complete only after He had endured the suffering His Father had set before Him. Once He had suffered, He was the complete, mature, and perfect Savior through whom an entire world could find salvation.

If you become bitter over your hardships, you close some parts of your life from God. If you do this, you will never be complete. Some places in your soul can be reached only by suffering. The Spirit of God has important things to teach you, but you can only learn these lessons in the midst of your trials. King Saul was made king without ever enduring hardship, but he never developed the character or maturity to handle God’s assignment. David spent years in suffering and heartache. When he finally ascended the throne, he was a man after God’s own heart.

Don’t resent the suffering God allows in your life. Don’t make all your decisions and invest everything you have into avoiding hardship. God did not spare His own Son. How can we expect Him to spare us? Learn obedience even when it hurts!  Henry and Richard Blackaby

Cayetano to SAF families: justice will be served under Du30 admin

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano assured bereaved families of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) members killed during the January 2015 Mamasapano massacre that justice will be served under the new administration.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday (January 24) conducted a dialogue with families of the slain commandos, a day before the second-year anniversary of the gruesome encounter in Mindanao.

Cayetano was with Duterte to listen to the families who were invited by the President to the Palace. The senator issued a short message to pay tribute to the SAF members who died in the line of duty.

“In this anniversary, we will remember the heroes who gave their lives two years ago... It is a sad and glorious day… Ang tinanim ng inyong mga kamag-anak ay dugo para magkaroon ng hustisya at kapayapaan,” the senator said.

“Ang inyong mga kamag-anak… they had a big contribution to the Philippines that is about to come. A Philippines where lahat tayo ay Pilipino, lahat tayo ay nagmamahalan,” he added.

The senator further lamented that two years have passed since the bloodbath claimed the lives of the 44 SAF troopers, but up to now, justice continues to be elusive, and those responsible for the blotched operation have not been held accountable.

He also criticized the previous administration for failing to provide the assistance that was promised to the victims’ families.

“Ang isa pong kinasasama ng loob ng ating mga naulila ay parang OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) din. Sila ay tinatawag na bayani, yet hindi man lang sinigurado ang pag-deliver sa kanila ng mga pangako,” he stressed.

Cayetano, however, said he is confident that under Duterte’s leadership, the government would finally be able to seek justice for the policemen and to deliver the much-needed help that their families deserve.

“(This incident) produced a man, President Rodrigo Duterte, who understands both peace and war, who understands the barrel of the gun, but also understands how to put together people in peace… I am confident that in his administration… you (will) get justice,” he said.

“Ako po ay naniniwala, ang ipinaglaban po ng inyong pamilya, ‘yun din ang ipinaglalaban ng Presidente,” he added.

Cayetano also welcomed Duterte's plan to create an independent commission that would conduct further investigation on the issue, as well as to declare January 25 as a national memorial day to honor the memory of the SAF 44.

Cayetano: Independent probe on Mamasapano essential
The truth will prevent a repeat of another Mamasapano

"Let the independent commission get to the truth quietly and without politics."

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano stressed this as he welcomed the order of President Rodrigo’s Duterte creating an independent commission that will investigate the gruesome Mamasapano massacre that led to the deaths of 44 Special Action Force commandos.

“Together with President Duterte, I have witnessed how the families of SAF’s Gallant 44 have suffered,” said Cayetano. “For the past two years, justice continues to elude them and they have yet to receive the full assistance that was promised to them,” he added.

“Many have pledged not to forget and vowed to do everything for justice to be served. I am one of them,” the senator said.

The senator further said he is saddened by the disappointing reaction of some of his colleagues, belittling the presidential initiative, labeling it merely as a political diversionary tactic.

Senators Antonio Trillanes and Leila De Lima accused the administration of using the reopening of the investigation of the Mamasapano massacre as a way to divert attention from allegations of abuses.

“It is hypocritical on the part of Senators Trillanes and De Lima to oppose the reopening of the investigation, when they pretend to be the staunchest advocates of human rights and justice,” the senator lamented.

Cayetano noted how the two senators repeatedly accuse the administration of condoning human rights violations, but are now the first to turn a blind eye to the SAF families’ call for justice.

In his speech before the SAF families and the President in Malacañang, Cayetano said he believes President Duterte is the right person to get justice for SAF 44 but at the same time finding the right balance in pursuit of true and lasting peace.

He called on the public to continue supporting the administration’s efforts to resolve the case.

"While I remain confident in President Duterte’s commitment to deliver on this promise, I also urge the Filipino people to support the administration’s fight for justice,” said Cayetano.

"I continue to pray for the families of the gallant SAF44. Rest assured that change, justice, and compassion are real and within reach under the Duterte leadership,” he intoned.

Short DTB time, less radiation for hybrid angiography unit PCI


Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can be safely performed in a hybrid angiography unit without compromising door-to-balloon (DTB) time and with less radiation, according to a Singapore study presented at the ASEAN Federation of Cardiology Congress (AFCC) 2016.

Mean fluoroscopy time was remarkably similar between the hybrid angiography unit and the conventional angiography unit (17.66 vs 20.06 mins) as was X-ray time (p=0.43). The DTB time was 55 mins in the hybrid unit vs 52 mins in the conventional angiography unit. However, there was a significant difference in the X-ray skin dose between the two groups at 486.76 and 705.71 mGy, respectively. [AFCC 2016, abstract P17]

This means less radiation exposure to the patient, wrote researchers Neil Wilkinson and Paul JL Ong from the Department of Cardiology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, which could be due to a slight difference in the field of view between the two angiographic systems (16cm2 for hybrid vs 15cm2 for conventional). They sought to investigate if there is any dose difference between emergency interventional procedures performed in a hybrid vs a conventional angiography unit (21 cases each). Acquisition protocol for both systems were similarly calibrated. Fluoroscopy and DTB time were compared, as well as X-ray skin dose.

Interventional cardiologists move with precision to save patient lives. Emergency PCI should be carried out in the shortest DTB time. The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines recommend a door-to-balloon interval of no more than 90 minutes in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) requiring primary PCI.

The likelihood of developing atopic dermatitis and food sensitization may be low among children with habitual consumption of yogurt products in infancy, according to a recent study.

Habitual or daily consumption of yogurt in infancy lowered the odds of developing atopic dermatitis by 30 percent (based on the United Kingdom Working Party [UKWP] criteria: adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.70; 95 percent CI, 0.51 to 0.97; p=0.03) and the odds of being sensitized to food allergens by 47 percent (adjusted OR, 0.53; 0.31 to 0.93; p=0.03) at 5 years of age. [J Dermatol Sci 2017;doi:10.1016/j.jdermsci.2017.01.006]

No such associations were observed with regard to other allergic diseases.

A subanalysis of children with allergic parents showed similar results. Habitual yogurt consumption in infancy had a protective association with atopic dermatitis (based on the International Studies of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood [ISAAC] criteria: adjusted OR, 0.69; 0.48 to 0.99; p=0.046; UKWP criteria: adjusted OR, 0.69; 0.48 to 0.98; p=0.038) and with sensitization to foods (adjusted OR, 0.51; 0.27 to 0.96; p=0.038).

When yogurt intake was stratified according to frequencies (every day, sometimes, never), the protective effect on atopic dermatitis and food sensitization was observed in the sometimes and every day groups but not in the never group (p<0.05). This effect increased with increasing intake frequency (p<0.05 for trend).

The study population comprised 1,166 children (50.6 percent male). Based on data from parent-completed questionnaire, yogurt consumption frequency was ‘every day’ in 432 children, ‘sometimes’ in 617, and ‘never’ in 87.

Atopic dermatitis prevalence at 5 years was 30.8 percent based on the UKWP criteria and 22 percent based on the ISAAC criteria. In 975 children with data on specific IgE concentrations, 57.7 percent were sensitized to any one of the total 103 allergens, 56.7 percent to inhalant allergens and 8.8 percent to food allergens.

“Yogurt contains Lactobacillus species, and it is the most representative probiotic food. Probiotics are thought to be potentially useful not only for supplementation of certain microbes, but also for manipulation of intestinal microbial communities, immunomodulation and fortification of the intestinal barrier,” researchers said.

They noted that although the exact in vivo mechanism of action of probiotics in shaping the immune response was currently unknown, evidence showed that a mixture of different probiotic strains might be more effective in promoting an ecological barrier than a single strain.

“At least 10 to 15 different single-strain products of lactobacilli were used to make the yogurt products that are commercially available in our study area. [This further supports that] habitual consumption of readily available multiple-strain yogurt products could be a realistic approach for preventing atopic dermatitis even if the efficacy of each strain has not been assessed,” they said.

Additional translational studies are warranted to confirm the association between yogurt and allergic diseases, as well as the role of the microbiome as a mediator, they added.

The researchers cited several limitations to the study, including the lack of information regarding the amount of yogurt intake and the selection of the study population from particular urban areas.

High cured meat intake tied to worsening asthma symptoms

High dietary intake of cured meat was associated with worsening asthma symptoms over time, and this effect was slightly mediated by increase in body mass index (BMI), according to data from the EGEA* study.

“Cured meats are rich in nitrite, which may lead to nitrosative stress- and oxidative stress-related lung damage and asthma,” said the researchers.

After a mean follow-up period of 7 years, 20 percent of the participants reported that their asthma symptoms had worsened compared with baseline (change in asthma symptom score >0). Fifty-three percent of them reported no change in asthma symptoms, while 27 percent had improved symptoms. [Thorax 2016;doi:10.1136/thoraxjnl-2016-208375]

More participants reported worsening asthma symptoms over time with increasing weekly intake of cured meat, ie, 14, 20 and 22 percent for those who ate <1, 1â€"3.9 and ≥4 servings/week of cured meat, respectively (p for trend=0.04).

Participants with the highest weekly consumption of cured meat, ie, ≥4 servings/week, were 76 percent more likely to experience worsening asthma symptoms than those with the lowest intake of <1 serving/week (odds ratio [OR], 1.76, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.01â€"3.06).

The researchers also found that those with the highest intake were more likely to be male (p<0.001), younger (p<0.001), smokers (p=0.04), asthmatic (p=0.03), and to have a higher BMI (p=0.01). Nonetheless, the association between cured meat consumption and worsening asthma symptoms remained even after adjusting for sex, age, educational level, smoking history, and physical activity.

Testing the effects of BMI on asthma symptoms using marginal structural model revealed that BMI had indirect effects on asthma symptoms, mediating 14 percent of the total effects cured meat consumption had on asthma symptoms (OR, 1.07, 95 percent CI, 1.01â€"1.14).

“The indirect effect mediated through BMI accounted for only 14 percent of the total effect, supporting the hypothesis that the cured meat-asthma association is related to other mechanisms,” said the researchers.

The prospective longitudinal French study analysed 971 participants (mean age 43 years, 42 percent with asthma) who had completed self-administered questionnaires on food frequency and asthma symptoms. Asthma symptom score was based on five symptoms: breathless while wheezing, waking up with chest tightness, waking up due to shortness of breath, shortness of breath at rest and after exercise.

As other food groups/nutrients consumed as part of a complex meal may interact with each other, this may confound the findings, according to the researchers, who also acknowledged that the results may not be applicable to populations with very different diet habits.

In addition to the nitrite content, the researchers suggested that C-reactive protein, which has been associated with cured meat intake, might increase systemic inflammation leading to asthma.

*EGEA: Epidemiological Study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma

Startrek Collector's Item Toys and Replica

Rowell Mainit Ucat and Snake Princess in Medyo Maldito

TUBAGBOHOL.com can now be accessed with your smartphones via Tapatalk App both in Android and Apple OS.

Dumaluan Beach

TUBAGBOHOL.com can now be accessed with your smartphones via Tapatalk App both in Android and Apple OS.

It's like "made in the street of Recto."

TUBAGBOHOL.com can now be accessed with your smartphones via Tapatalk App both in Android and Apple OS.

Pres. Duterte promises to rid Philhealth of corruption

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, Jan. 19 (PNA) -- President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to reform the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to provide better healthcare for Filipinos.

In a speech during the 20th anniversary celebration of Premiere Medical Center (PMC) here on Wednesday, January 18, the President said PhilHealth is plagued by problems particularly corruption that needs to be fixed with urgency.

"Pero napag-usapan na lang naman ho natin itong profession ninyo, malaki ho ’yung problema ko sa gobyerno and this is not the first time that I have heard again complaints sa PhilHealth," the President said before a crowd of doctors and health officials.

He said he plans to summon medical associations, PhilHealth and Department of Health (DOH) officials to a meeting in Malacañan to craft policies aimed at reforming the health insurance agency.

"There has to be a corrective measure put in place now," he said.

Corruption must be eliminated, he said, asking the public to support government's anti-corruption drive. The people must also be assertive to fight abuses and misdeeds, he added.

At the same time, the President warned corrupt government officials and personnel to mend their ways.

"Kayong lahat nasa gobyerno, if you are dealing with the transacting public, the taxpayers, I have this to say: Now is not the time to do it," he said.

"Sabi ko sa kanila, you have had your heydays, your fun and glory but this time, at my time, paki lang po kasi…It’s only six years, a little bit of sacrifice," he added.

As proof of his anti-corruption drive, he said he fired two of his fraternity brothers involved in anomaly. Ninety two personnel at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) were also sacked, he said, adding he will not stop in eliminating corrupt personnel.vPresident Duterte also renewed his strong anti-illegal drugs stance, adding that after meeting the mayors at the Palace last week, he will meet the governors this week to also discuss the perils of illegal drugs. He promised to eliminate illegal drugs in the country during his term.

The President also talked about Mindanao rebellion and warned them against the threat of the Islamic State (ISIS) that has already affected the Middle East.

Aside from meeting officials of PMC here, the President also came face to face with cancer patients in the hospital's villa for patients and relatives.

Among those who welcomed the President were lawyer Danilo Yang, PMC chairman of the board; Dr. Sylvia Yang, PMC medical director; and Dr. Reynaldo Yang, PMC president. (PNA)

Belarus GDP fell by 2.6% in 2016

MINSK, Jan. 19 (PNA/Xinhua) -- Belarusian gross domestic product (GDP) declined by 2.6 percent in 2016, the National Statistics Committee of Belarus said on Wednesday.

The volume of industrial production decreased by 0.4 percent, while the volume of agricultural production increased by 3.4 percent.

Investments in fixed assets decreased by 17.9 percent in 2016 compared with 2015. Retail trade turnover decreased by 4.1 percent, and wholesale dropped by 10.4 percent.

In 2015 Belarus' GDP fell by 3.9 percent after 1.6 percent rising in 2014.

The IMF predicted a 3 percent decline in Belarus' GDP in 2016 and by 0.5 percent in 2017. (PNA/Xinhua)

DOH-Bicol says Catanduanes post-typhoon victim died of severe dehydration, not cholera
By Samuel M. Toledo

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 20 (PNA) -â€" Health authorities, who made followup investigations of the lone post-typhoon Nina fatality, had confirmed that the 36-year-old farmer of Barangay Sto. Nino in Virac, Catanduanes died of severe dehydration due to diarrhea, and not cholera as earlier reported in the media.

France Genorga, food and water-borne diseases program coordinator of the Department of Health (DOH) in Bicol, said they conducted a revalidation following persistent reports in the local and national media that the farmer died of cholera and that this disease was fast spreading out in the typhoon-hit villages of Catanduanes where Nina made its first landfall on Christmas Day.

Catanduanes Health Officer Dr. Hazel Palmes confirmed that the dead, whose name was withheld, had been diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis with severe dehydration.

She said a fecal sample of the victim showed he was infected by “Entamoeba Hystolica,” a kind of bacteria, after reportedly drinking water from Inagasan Falls, a few meters away from Barangay Sto. Nino in Virac town.

Quoting reports from a DOH-Bicol inspection team, Palmes said some 12 samples collected from the different water sources at the Virac District Jail and in two villages with diarrhea cases had tested positive for fecal contamination.

Water samples collected from some faucets of the Virac Water District, a barangay waterworks system, and shallow and deep wells were found with fecal coliforms above safe levels.

Meanwhile, Engineer Connie Ramirez, DOH-Bicol in-charge of refilling station inspection, said that the two refilling outlets found positive with e-coli, already turned negative of the bacteria in recent tests.

She said they subjected the water samples from these refilling stations to at least three tests that all turned negative already from the ecoli contamination.

“When water samples from these refilling stations turned positive from ecoli, their pipelines were still busted by Typhoon Nina. But in the succeeding three tests after the lines were already repaired, the samples were found negative already of e-coli contamination,” Ramirez said.

Catanduanes Governor Joseph Cua had earlier asked Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial to help them set up sources of safe and potable water in the typhoon-affected communities to prevent a possible diarrhea outbreak.

He asked for mobile filtration machines that could produce some 5,000 liters of potable water daily.

Diarrhea cases were reported to have hit Catanduanes as early as November last year. (PNA)
LAP/GVR/SMT/CBD

Some more things to think about:

If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several
times, does he become disoriented?

If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people
from Holland called Holes?

Why do we say something is out of whack? What's in whack?

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

Why do croutons come in airtight packages? It's just stale
bread to begin with.

Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a
person who drives race car not called a racist?

Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites?

Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?

Why isn't 11 pronounced "onety one"?

"I am " is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English
language.  Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?

If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't
it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians
denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree
surgeons debarked, and drycleaners depressed?

If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?

Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?

What hair color do they put on the drivers licenses of bald
men?

I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny
little spoons and forks so, I wondered, what do Chinese
mothers use? Toothpicks?

Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office?
What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't
they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the
mailmen could look for them while they delivered the mail?

If it's true that we are here to help others, then what
exactly are the others here for?

You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.

No one ever says, "It's only a game." when their team is
winning.

If a cow laughed, would milk come out her nose?

If olive oil comes from olives, where does baby oil come
from?

In Mars, Roving

Sanctified and Then Sent

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. John 17:17-18

God will always sanctify you before He sends you. The Father set aside the twelve disciples and made them holy by the Truth, His Son. As they related to Jesus, the Truth (John 14:6), the disciples were refined by that Truth and were prepared to be sent out to preach the gospel. Jesus challenged their ambitions (Luke 9:46-48), chastised their lack of faith (Matt. 17:19-20), refuted Satan’s influence (Matt. 16:23), and denounced their pride (Matt. 26:33-35). When Jesus had finished preparing them, the disciples were sent out in such power that their world was never the same again. Satan will try to convince you that your sin renders you useless to God. That is a lie from the author and father of lies. As soon as you sin, the Deceiver will whisper, “You failure! You are now of no use to God.” This can bring a deep sense of defeat and hopelessness to a Christian. Yet, there is no freedom that compares to a soul set free by God’s grace. When God’s people allow God’s truth to realign them to God’s will and God’s standard, then the power of God will be released through them the same way it was through the first disciples. The Truth will set you free. The Truth is: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9), and we are restored to usefulness to God.Henry and Richard Blackaby

Sa bata pa ko, mao na ni gitudlo ni Mama nako. Dili bas-on ang ulo dretso.

Robot at Work

Outreach program benefits thousands of poor residents in Davao Oriental

DAVAO CITY, Jan. 20 (PNA) -- The provincial government of Davao Oriental said the latest outreach program it facilitated in the town of Lupon benefited more than 3,000 poor residents in the area especially from Barangay Marayag.

“The provincial government of Davao Oriental is continuously pouring down aid and services to barangays, benefiting thousands of hapless poor constituents,” the information office said in a statement on Friday.

The latest outreach program, dubbed as Nagkakaisang Lingkod-Bayan (NLD) ng Davao Oriental Barangay Outreach Caravan was held last January 18, Wednesday.

In the same statement, Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang said the outreach program hopes to make the government’s presence felt by the people especially those living in far-flung areas by mobilizing government resources in order to bring services and goods directly to the communities.

“This is a commitment we share with the national government under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte whose main thrust is to provide services straight to the people,” Dayanghirang added.

A total of 23 provincial offices and national line agencies joined last Wednesday’s caravan, bringing with them various services ranging from medical checkups and dental services, distribution of food packs and school supplies, legal consultations, provision of seedlings, and conduct of lectures on various government programs, disaster preparedness and climate change.

Various projects were also turned over during the caravan, including the 54 housing units to families whose homes were destroyed at the height of Tropical Depression “Agaton” in 2014, which caused heavy floods that swept away houses in the said village.

The housing project was implemented through the Modified Shelter Assistance Program of the Provincial Government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

National government agencies also turned over various projects to the people of Barangay Marayag that include a concrete bridge that will benefit some 670 households; a Daycare Center from the DSWD; and a small impounding water system from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

In support to agriculture, the Provincial Agriculture Office also turned over 20,000 cacao seedlings, 100 bags of corn seeds and 200 packs of vegetable seeds while the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) also distributed 20,000 tilapia fingerlings to the residents for their inland fishponds.

Considered a suitable area for agriculture, Governor Dayanghirang vowed to pour down agricultural support to Barangay Marayag and other nearby villages to help augment the short supply of fruits and vegetables in markets in the City of Mati, and help boost the livelihoods of local farmers.

“Since the provincial government started the outreach program in December 2016, at least 8,000 residents have already been reached by the program, including those in the village of Marayag,” the information office added.

Gov. Dayanghirang also wanted to serve by the outreach program at least three barangays each month.

The target barangays belong to the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) communities with a marginalized population and physically and socio-economically separated from the mainstream society in Davao Oriental.

These areas are considered vulnerable to insurgencies.

“We live in the same province and whatever social unrest that erupts here would directly affect us all. What we can do now is to work together and support each other in order to achieve genuine and long-lasting peace that we have dreamed of for so long,” the governor said.

The Philippine Army also supported the series of outreach programs of the provincial government of Davao Oriental.

The army, the province said, served as one of the main partners in the implementation of the outreach caravan, as their forces will continue to serve as bridge to communicate the people’s needs to the government through the Peace and Development Outreach Program (PDOP).

Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, commanding officer of the army’s 28th Infantry Battalion, said they will continue to strengthen their partnership with the provincial government and other national agencies to deliver services to the people.

Zagala added that despite the enemy forces’ attempts to disrupt peace and recover their lost bases in the area, the military assured they will stand to protect the people and the peace that has been achieved so far. (PNA)

Royal Priests

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

If you are a Christian, you are a priest, chosen by God. As a member of the royal priesthood you have constant access to the King. If there is ever a need in your life, you don’t have to find an intermediary or enlist another priest in order to gain a hearing from the King. Your position as a royal priest allows you direct access. This privilege describes your position as a priest.

However, priests also have a function. It is the responsibility of a priest to work within a priesthood. Scripture does not promote the practice of individual priests, each with a separate ministry. Rather, priests function together (Lev. 9:1). An unbiblical sense of individualism can isolate you from functioning within God’s royal priesthood as He intended.

The priest represents God to the people, but he also takes the people’s concerns to God. Is there someone around you who desperately needs the intercession of one of God’s priests? Perhaps someone will only come to know God by seeing Him in your life. Our world hungers for an expression of Christ as He really is, living out His life through His people. It is dangerous to put our job above our calling by God. We are called to be priests first, and to hold a job second. When we get these out of order, everyone around us is denied access to the Father through us. God may have called you into a secular job as a vocation, but more importantly He has appointed you to be one of His royal priests.    Henry and Richard Blackaby

Discipleship Is Christ in You

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27

The heavenly Father’s plan from the beginning of time was to place His eternal Son in every believer. If you are a Christian, all the fullness of God dwells in you. Christ’s life becomes your life. When Christ lives in you, He brings every divine resource with Him. Every time you face a need, you meet it with the presence of the crucified, risen, and triumphant Lord of the universe inhabiting you. When God invites you to become involved in His work, He has already placed His Son in you so that He can carry out His assignment through your life.

This has significant implications for your Christian life. Discipleship is more than acquiring head knowledge and memorizing Scripture verses. It is learning to give Jesus Christ total access to your life so He will live His life through you. Your greatest difficulty will be believing that your relationship with Christ is at the heart of your Christian life. When others watch you face a crisis, do they see the risen Lord responding? Does your family see the difference Christ makes when you face a need? What difference does the presence of Jesus Christ make in your life?

God wants to reveal Himself to those around you by working mightily through you. He wants your family to see Christ in you each day. God wants to express His love through your life. There is a great difference between “living the Christian life” and allowing Christ to live His life through you.Henry and Richard Blackaby

Here's the 2016 Election Results in Tubigon, Bohol Councilor Kagawad Race

I am in favor of the return of death penalty in the Philippines.

Rethink Staffing targets small firms

Iloilo-based outsourcing firm Rethink Staffing is targeting small and medium-sized businesses for its sustainable outsourcing services. In a press statement, Rethink Staffing said it wants to build a long-term partnership that is collaborative and mutually beneficial with clients. This goal of Rethink Staffing was announced during the unveiling of the company's new tagline, "Rethinking Global Collaboration" to the public. The new tagline, which will be used in all of its marketing campaigns, refers to the Rethink Staffing's outsourcing partnership with clients turning into a global collaboration.

Bain buys BPO firm MSX International

MSX International, a provider of technology-based business process outsourcing services to the automotive industry, has been acquired by private equity firm Bain Capital for an undisclosed amount. Headquartered in Detroit, MSXI employs more than 6,000 experts in more than 80 countries around the world. Bain has extensive experience of growing global automotive firms and global BPO companies such as Genpact. Ivano Sessa, a managing director of Bain Capital Private Equity, said Bain will complement MSXI's top tier management team with its experience of growing global businesses. MSXI president and CEO Fred Minturn said Bain's support will enable the company to focus even more on innovation.

Accenture launches fintech accelerator in Dubai

Global technology outsourcing firm Accenture has teamed up with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) to launch a new accelerator program in Dubai. The new initiative, called FinTech Hive, will focus on providing mentorship to start-ups and entrepreneurs. Seven to 10 start-ups were expected to be inducted into the program in the first year, although specific funding amounts were not disclosed. The program will identify the main problems facing the industry, following which start-ups will be invited to pitch their products and services. The new initiative comes even as Dubai is pushing to support technology start-ups and partnerships through its (USD270m) Future Accelerators program.

TCN expands footprint in Asia's cloud-based call center market

Cloud-based call center technology provider TCN Inc has further expanded in Asia through an exclusive reseller partnership with Japan-based ICXnet Corporation. The expansion comes as TCN continues to experience steady growth in the Asia Pacific region. According to Terrel Bird, CEO and co-founder of TCN, the demand for cloud-based contact center solutions has been steadily increasing worldwide. He added that TCN's Asia-Pacific operations have been growing for the past four years, particularly in the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand. The cloud-based contact center market is estimated to grow from USD5.43bn in 2016 to USD15.67bn by 2021, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.6%, according to a research report by Markets and Markets.

BPO firm Support Zebra joins JobStart program in CDO

Business process outsourcing (BPO) firm Support Zebra has pledged to absorb graduates of the JobStart Philippines program in Cagayan de Oro City. The program trains selected jobstarters with life skills to prepare them for work and life. They are later given technical training and then send them to internship with partner establishments in the city. Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Cagayan de Oro City manager Kathleen Kate Sorilla said the training will start on 16 January and will end on June. Seven companies, including Support Zebra, have pledged to accommodate the trainees once they graduate from the program. Last year, 46 out of 100 jobstarters have graduated.

WNS acquires Denali Sourcing Services

Business process management (BPM) services provider WNS (Holdings) has entered into an agreement to acquire Denali Sourcing Services (Denali), a provider of strategic procurement BPM solutions. WNS announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Denali for USD40m cash plus adjustments for cash and working capital. The acquisition is expected to contribute approximately USD3m in revenue for WNS in the fiscal year ending 31 March 2017. WNS CEO Keshav Murugesh said the acquisition of Denali adds a strategic procurement capability to the existing Finance and Accounting solutions of WNS. Denali delivers high-end global sourcing and procurement services to some of the world’s leading brands in the High-Tech, Retail/CPG, Banking and Financial Services, Utilities, and Healthcare verticals.

Aegis named among CM BPO service providers by Market Guide

Global outsourcing and technology services firm Aegis Limited has been included as one of the Customer Management Business Process Outsourcing (CM BPO) service providers by Gartner as a thought leader in building omnichannel capabilities, with significant investments in its business models, center of excellence and SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud) enabled BPM solutions. The Gartner report, dubbed Market Guide for Key CM BPO Services Providers in a Digital-Driven Market, reviews highly competitive providers. Aegis Global CEO Sandip Sen said the company has been able to leverage its people, processes, technology capabilities, and customer experience-led positioning to enhance its growth and business value across the global CM BPO landscape.

Intelenet helps airline address processing costs with iCAN

Third-party business process outsourcing and contact center provider Intelenet Global Services has recently launched its iCAN tool, which helps reduce airline payment processing costs. In a statement, Intelenet Global said iCan improves the customer experience during flight cancellations and delays. Through iCAN, airlines can automatically assess the type, impact and duration of each flight disruption, reducing processing time by 50%. Intelenet acknowledges that a large expense for many airlines is the processing of claims to passengers impacted by disruptions. Intelenet, backed by The Blackstone Group, has global delivery centers in the USA, the Philippines, UK, India, and Poland.

Miratech names Hanif Younus Europe executive director

Global IT services and outsourcing firm Miratech announced the appointment of Hanif Younus as its executive director in Europe. In statement, Miratech said Younus will lead the company's growth initiative throughout the region and will manage operations from its London office. Before joining Miratech, Younus was director at Citibank. He has a background in financial services, operations and technology. Miratech, headquartered in Stockholm and Washington, has R&D centers in Poland, the Philippines, Slovakia, Spain and Ukraine. Younus is part of Miratech's 2017 global expansion program.

Accenture acquires product design firm Altitude

To further expand its internet of things (IoT) capabilities, global outsourcing firm Accenture has acquired product design firm Altitude. The acquisition allows Accenture to bring the IoT to customers. In a statement, Accenture said the addition of Altitude strengthens its position as a partner for companies looking to seize the opportunities in the new connected world. Accenture said the acquisition will combine Altitudes’ innovation, design and engineering expertise with Accenture’s artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and IoT consulting, technology and digital capabilities.

Omega Healthcare seeks to raise headcount by 3,000

Healthcare outsourcing services provider Omega Healthcare Management Services has announced plans to increase its headcount by 3,000 in the next two years. Omega, a Chennai-based firm that operates centres in India and the Philippines with 11,000 people, provides medical billing, coding and revenue cycle management services to clients in the US. Gopi Natarajan, co-founder and CEO of Omega Healthcare, said the company is aiming at the US healthcare industry even as it already serves over 100 clients in that market. The company posted a 35% CAGR in 2016 and aims to maintain the growth rate during the current financial year.

Lloyds Bank to outsource data centers to IBM

UK's financial giant Lloyds Banking Group is reportedly negotiating to outsource management of its data centers to IBM Global Business Services. Sources, however, said there is no certainty an agreement will be reached although the talks have started months ago. Under the deal, IBM would pay for the data center assets, transfer them to its balance sheet, and then charge Lloyds for the ongoing management. Lloyds, whose main data centers are in Copley, Pudsey, Peterborough and Corby, is going through a drastic makeover: it closed 200 branches over a 36-month period and made 640 technical staff and back office function people redundant as part of a wider cut of 9,000 jobs. IBM operates facilities around the world, including the Philippines.

Neoris to open new offices in the US

Global IT consultancy and outsourcing firm Neoris is opening two offices in the US - in Charlotte, North Carolina and Dallas, Texas - to meet growing business demand in the US market. The Florida-headquartered firm said the new offices are fully aligned with the growing demand for digital Innovation services and solutions to help companies cut unnecessary costs. Martin Mendez, CEO of Neoris, said the company's US market base is growing rapidly and Neoris is investing in expanding its footprint nationwide. Global and US headquarters will remain in Miami, Mendez said. Neoris has operations in the US, Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, including the Philippines. The company specialises in nearshore outsourcing, SAP services and digital transformation.

Iloilo IT group seeks to double workforce target this year

Officials of the Iloilo Federation of Information Technology said they intend to double their employment target this year. In 2016, the federation noted 21,000 individuals employed in the business process outsourcing (BPO) and IT industry. This year, the federation seeks to double the number. The goal will not be very hard considering that Iloilo is still expecting to reap the spillover of projects this year from last year as these projects are near completion. Lea Victoria Lara, executive director of the Iloilo Business Club, said priority industries like BPO, real property and tourism are consistently the drivers of the city's economy this year.

Valor Global seals white-label call center deal

Call center solutions and IT managed services firm Valor Global has closed a deal to provide white-labeled call center services for a consumer finance organization. Valor did not name the organization, but said the contract is multi-year and also calls for Valor to improve customer Net Promoter Score (NPS). NPS is a management tool that can be used to gauge the loyalty of a firm's customer relationships. Valor EVP Tom DePoy said the company is committed to leveraging years of experience to propel customers toward their goals of improved performance and customer experience through cost-effective solutions, resulting in improved margins. Valor, founded in 2004, employs nearly 900 people throughout North America, Costa Rica, the Philippines and Germany.

Globe to install 400,000 broadband lines this year

To provide more local clients with ultra-fast Internet services, Globe Telecom is installing as many as 400,000 broadband lines in the country this year. With millions of Filipinos engaged in home-based outsourcing work, Globe's plan will further improve the lives of many people because it will expand home broadband services. Eventually, the telecom giant wants to be able to provide its ultra-fast Internet service to as many as two million households in over 20,000 barangays by the year 2020. They have planned to invest as much as USD2bn for this project with the hopes of redefining Filipinos' home broadband experience.

Canon to discuss Robotic Process Automation in webcast this month

IT business process outsourcing and management services firm Canon Business Process Services Inc (Canon) has scheduled a webcast that will discuss the topic on robotic process automation (RPA). The webcast, scheduled for 18 January, will dwell on the topic "Robotic Process Automation in 2017: Realize the Process Improvement and Savings Potential". In a press statement, Canon said organizations will continue to look for ways to reduce costs and errors associated with business processes. RFA, it added, offers the potential to help meet these and other challenges. Among the subtopics that will be discussed are how organizations can determine if RFA is right for their business; how to identify the processes that can be improved by RPA and its potential and benefits. Named a Global Outsourcing 100 Leader in 2016 by IAOP for the tenth year, Canon Business Process Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon USA Inc.

TCS reports USD1bn Q3 net profit

Strong digital demand buoyed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)'s net profit for Q3 ending 31 December to USD1bn. TCS, India's largest IT service provider, announced year-on-year revenue growth of 5.8% to USD4.38bn during the reported period. Operating income was USD1.14bn and quarterly net profit reached USD1bn. Digital revenues stood at 16.8%, up 30% year-on-year. The company also announced the appointment of Rajesh Gopinathan to the role of CEO and managing director of TCS, effective 21 February. He takes over from N Chandrasekaran, who has been appointed chairman of Tata Sons. Gopinathan said TCS has shown great discipline and control at all levels to deliver another credible quarter. TCS also operates centers in the Philippines.