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By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan

Police have ruled out terrorism as the motive behind the package-bomb explosion in Taguig City on Wednesday morning that killed a businesswoman.

Director Nicanor Bartolome, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, on Thursday said probers were eyeing other motives, including family feud in the incident.

Bartolome said investigators were pursuing leads that a family feud might have been the motive in the gift-wrapped explosion that killed 31-year Yvonne Chua inside her house in Taguig city.

Bartolome said the leads included the death threats sent to Chua’s mobile phone days before the incident.

“Itong biktima ay may natatanggap na palang pagbabanta sa kanyang cellular phone noong mga nakaraang araw at pinapalagay nya na misunderstanding sa pamilya (The victim recently receives death threats thru her cellular phone but she thinks it’s a family misunderstanding),” Bartolome said.

He also said that the woman, who initially brought the gift package to the Chua’s house in Paranaque before it was taken to Taguig, told the security guard she was from the household of the victim’s relative.

“Yung initial statements na nakuha natin sinasabi na yung package ay galing sa isang miyembro din ng pamilya so tinitingnan natin ito (Those initial statement that we got was that the package came from a member of the family, so that’s other angle that we were trying to see),” the NCRPO chief said.

Oakwood mutiny leader Capt. Nicanor Faeldon has asked AFP chief Gen. Ricardo David to release him from detention at the Marine headquarters to the custody of a superior officer.

Faeldon made the request through his lawyer, Trixie Angeles, shortly after he posted P200,000 for the coup d etat and rebellion cases he faced before Makati City courts.

Vice President Jejomar Binay provided the amount.

Shortly after posting bail, Angeles proceeded to Camp Aguinaldo where she submitted the request of Faeldon to be released to the custody of Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban, the commander of the AFP's Western Command.

Faeldon surrendered to Sabban last July after going into hiding for a couple of years. Faeldon escaped after taking part in the November 2007 siege of the Manila Peninsula Hotel.

Angeles said David promised to act on the request of Faeldon. However, Angeles said that for purposes of documentation, David awaited a recommendation from the Judge Advocate General’s Office, whose head is Brig. Gen. Gilberto Roa.

Middle and upper class Filipino families are consuming more National Food Authority (NFA) rice than the poor households, according to the National Statistics Office.

The NSO said there were 1.07 million Filipino households under the upper 70 percent of the Philippine population consumed NFA rice in 2006.

These middle and upper class Filipino families consumed an average of 273 kilogram (kg) per year.

The families under the ninth and 10th decile are consuming 254kg per year and 265 kg per year, respectively.

The NSO data was based on the 2006 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES).

On the other hand, the average annual consumption of NFA rice for bottom 30 percent Filipino households was only 237 kg.

A total of 1.11 million Filipino households consumed NFA rice in 2006.

The consumption of NFA rice was noted to be higher among families in the third income decile at 285 kg a year on the average and fourth income decile, 297 kg a year on the average than among families belonging to other income groups.

The NSO, on the other hand, said the average consumption by about 2.2 million families for NFA rice was 255 kilogram (kg) per family per year or 4.9 kg a week.

Earlier, the National Food Authority had implemented a P2 price hike in NFA rice to P27 per kg from P25 kg.

The government move to increase the price of NFA rice is to ensure the viability of the NFA and continue its mandate of supporting farmers to produce enough for self-sufficiency.

The NSO added that ordinary rice was consumed by about 15 million families at an average of 463 kg per family per year or 8.9 kg a week.

Classified as ordinary rice are regular commercial varieties like C-4, Intan, Macan and IR-8.

For special rice, the average consumption by about 4.1 million families consuming it was 329 kg per family annually, or 6.3 kg a week.

Special rice includes well-milled commercial varieties of rice like Wag-wag (1st class), Milagrosa, Sinandomeng, Dinorado, 7Tonner and other fancy varieties.

Meanwhile, a family belonging to the bottom 30 percent income group consumed 390 kg of ordinary rice in a year or a 7.5 kg weekly, on the average.

This consumption is lower compared to the average consumption of a family in the upper 70 percent income group which was estimated at 494 kg a year or 9.5 kg a week.

The average annual consumption of special rice and NFA rice by families in the bottom 30 percent income group was almost the same (238 kg per family and 237 per family, respectively).

For families in the upper 70 percent income group, the annual average consumed was higher for special rice (343 kg per family) than NFA rice (273 kg per family).

For the rice consumption by income decile, the average consumption of ordinary rice ranged from 287 kg a year or 5.5 kg a week for the first income decile to 500 kg a year or 9.6 kg a week for the seventh income decile.

The consumption of ordinary rice by families in the eight to the 10th decile income groups was somewhat lower compared to families in seventh income decile, with an average annual consumption of 494 kg per family per year for the eighth income decile, 498 kg for the ninth income decile and 492 kg for the 10th income decile. - pna

By Lee Youkyung

SEOUL, Dec. 29 (PNA/Yonhap) -- South Korea's Hynix Semiconductor Inc., the world's No. 2 maker of computer memory chips, said Wednesday that it has developed a new memory chip based on 30-nanometer technology, a milestone likely to help the company weather the downturn in the global semiconductor market.

Hynix developed the world's first 4-gigabyte DDR3 dynamic random access memory (DRAM) using the 30-nanometer technology, the company said in a statement.

The new device targets high-end markets for servers and personal computers by providing a faster speed and about a 70 percent increase in productivity from models using 40-nanometer technology, it said.

The company will start production of other DRAM devices using 30-nanometer technology with a smaller memory capacity during the first quarter of next year, the company added. The manufacturing of the latest product will follow in the coming months.

The move suggests that Hynix is in a transition to more advanced 30- to 40-nanometer technology from its previous 40- to 50-nanometer technology, experts said. With advanced technologies, chipmakers can drastically cut production costs and pocket higher profits.

"Companies in Taiwan and Japan are still focusing on 50- to 60-nanometer technology, but Hynix is moving towards 30- to 40-nanometer," said Kim Seong-in, head of technology sector research at Kiwoom Securities Co. "The gap in cost competitiveness will become wider."

The move will also help the Korean chipmaker to battle the recent downturn in the semiconductor industry with reduced production costs, Kim added.

Lower-than-expected global demand for personal computers has battered memory chip prices in the fourth quarter. A spot price of the benchmark 2-gigabyte DDR3 DRAM plunged 54 percent in December from three months ago, according to Kim Young-jun, an analyst at LIG Investment & Securities Co. (PNA/Yonhap)

thanks anna for the tip. maybe the connection is faster if you order inside the cafe.

The Department of Energy said Wednesday the recent oil price hike of P1 per liter for gasoline and P0.75 per liter for diesel and kerosene reflect the higher prices at the world market.

Shell raised prices 12:01 a.m. December 29 followed by Chevron Philippines (Caltex) and Total Philippines at 6 a.m. Other oil firms have not raised prices as of press time.

The oil firms said the recent oil price hike reflects the higher prices in the international market.

Energy Undersecretary Jay Layug said the increase in domestic pump prices "were driven by price increases in international market due to cold weather in North America prompting higher oil consumption and high demand for diesel in Asia."

He said the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries has not yet announced if it will increase production.

"With finite supply, increase in demand creating pressure in oil prices," Layug said.

DOE said in its monitoring report last December 21 that the price of diesel slightly broke the $ 100 a barrel level.

It said this was due to the the strong demand for heating fuels in the US northeast region, Europe and other freezing areas around the globe.

It said analysts polled by Dow Jones expect the energy markets to continue to tighten through 2011 as economic recovery gains momentum.

"This will help strengthen the recovering demand and is a key reason why we see crude oil prices heading towards $ 100 dollars a barrel next year," it said.

Oil firms also raised the price of unleaded gasoline and diesel by P1.25 per liter last December 14 to reflect the higher prices in the world market during the first week of the month.

They now reflect movements in oil prices on a weekly basis. (PNA)

2010: A bumper year for Cebu
By Eddie O. Barrita

Cebu might have ended the year with lesser bang, with fewer firecracker blast injuries reported during the Christmas revelries, but 2010 turned out to be a bumper year for this central Philippine island province.

A boom in business changed Cebu’s skyline with mushrooming skyscrapers soaring high towards the sky. At the Asiatown IT Park in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City alone, at least eight high-rise condominiums and buildings for the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector are undergoing construction.

The BPO sector in Cebu now employs some 65,000 workers, with a combined monthly payroll of P1.5 billion. Cebu is now ranked as an emerged BPO destination in Asia. Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he wants more Cebuanos to be employed in the BPO industry and is offering ten lots at the 300-hectare South Road Properties (SRP) for similar businesses.

The SRP, built on a multi-billion yen-denominated loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), was intended to employ at least 100,000 workers. Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) has bought 10.5 hectares of land at the SRP and has a joint venture with the Cebu City Government to develop another 40 hectares at the SRP. FLI has announced plans to pour in some P25 billion in investments at the SRP.

Shopping mall giant Shoe-Mart also bought a 30-hectare lot at the SRP where it intends to build the biggest mall in the Visayas and Mindanao area. The BPO sector and the tourism industry continued to be the main drivers for Cebu’s resurging economy in 2010, trade and tourism industry leaders said.

Foreign and domestic tourist arrivals to Cebu slightly rose from 1.2 million in 2009 to 1.3 million in 2010. In 2010, Cebu stood out as the country’s shipbuilding capital after it launched a 100,000-gross ton ship, the biggest and the 140th ship built at the Tsuneishi Cebu Heavy Industries (TCHI) shipyard at the West Cebu Industrial Park in Balamban town in Cebu’s western seaboard.

TCHI, a joint venture of Tsuneishi Heavy Industries of Japan and the Cebu-based Aboitiz group of companies, employs some 8,000 workers with a combined monthly payroll of P1.2 billion.

But health authorities have to contend with the recurring problem of the mosquito-borne dengue fever and the outbreak of diarrhea in Danao City in the north and typhoid fever in Alegria town in southern Cebu towards the end of the year.

The Department of Health (DOH) 7 has listed Cebu City with the most number of cases in Central Visayas, with 3,244 and 15 deaths.

At least 300 people were hospitalized in Danao City for treatment of diarrhea which was later traced to contaminated water source. The outbreak was controlled after local officials and health authorities installed chlorinators at the water source.

Some 150 people in Alegria town were also hospitalized in nearby hospitals for typhoid fever. Health officials said the outbreak has been controlled.

Health authorities, however, noted a decrease in the number of firecracker-related injuries in Cebu this year at only 13 cases compared to 18 cases reported in 2009.

Police said it was generally quiet all over Cebu during Christmas. Lesser bang for a bumper year for Cebu. (PNA Feature) DCT/EB

Meantime, Ikeda completed a three-peat in the ladies side of the event, carding a 75, to dominate the field with a 222 aggregate and beating Korean Kim Hui Mang by five strokes to annex her first crown in the season.

In boxing, if there’s anyone who could be Manny Pacquiao’s heir apparent, it should be Nonito “The Filipino Flash" Donaire Jr., who stopped Mexico’s Manuel Vargas in the third round to retain his World Boxing Association Interim super flyweight title in the main fight of the “Pinoy Power Three boxing card at the Las Vegas Hilton in February.

Donaire delivered a left uppercut to cut down the smaller Vargas at one minute and 33 seconds of the third round to improve his record to 23-1, including 15 knockouts,

Meantime, welterweight Mark Jason Melligen and featherweight Bernabe Concepcion also fashioned out explosive victories as the Philippines completed a 3-2 win over the Latino fighters.

The 85th season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football competition saw a double celebration for college of St. Benilde teams.

St. Benilde wrested its first NCAA men’s football title in 12 years, while its junior side, the La Salle Greenhills, retained the juniors crown for the 11th straight year.

After back-to-back runner-rup finishes, the Blazers ended the eight-year reign of San Beda College with a 1-0 win, courtesy of John Dalaota’s winning goal in the eight minute of the game.

In the juniors side, La Salle Greenhills defeated the San Beda Red Cubs, 3-0, to complete an 11-game domination of the league.

Grandmaster Wesley So made history by bagging the top junior award for the second straight year in the 2010 Aeroflot Open Chess championships in Moscow, Russia.

So agreed to a final-round draw with GM Eduardo Iturrizaga of Venezuela after 10 moves of the queen’s gambit to finish for a share of seventh to 19th places with 5.5 points on three wins and five draws and only one loss in the prestigious nine-round tournament.

Overall, So finished in 11th place after tiebreak -â€" a big improvement from his 2009 performance where he finished only in tie for 19th to 36th places.

The draw in the last round was also more than enough for the 16-year-old Filipino champion to bag the coveted top junior trophy, upstaging GMs Sanan Sjugirov of Russia, Eltaj Safarli of Azerbaijan and Saleh Salem of United Arab Emirates.

Going back to golf, Elmer Salvador outdueled Jay Bayron and Ferdie Aunzo in a final day shootout among Davaoeno shotmakers, closing out with a gutsy one-under 71 to capture the ICTSIi classic crown by two strokes at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Batangas.

Salvador, who fired a 67 to catch Bayron and Aunzo at the helm after 36 holes, rode on two clutch pars at the front and a birdie from long range on the 17th then watched his rivals crack under pressure to essay the victory on an eight-under 208 aggregate.

Bayron finished with a 73 for a 210 for the runner-up honors, Jun Bernis settled for solo third at 211, while Aunzo dropped to joint fourth at 212 with Orlan Sumcad.

The Philippine Patriots asserted basketball supremacy in the southeast Asian region after bagging the 1st ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) championship with a 3-0 sweep at the Britama Arena in Jakarta.

The Patriots ended the best-of-five finals series against Indonesia’s Satria Muda Britama, 75-67, with Best Import awardee Jason Dixon leading the team with 28 points and 12 rebounds, while Gabe Freeman added 17 points and 19 rebounds.

Warren Ybanez was adjudged as the MVP of the inaugural season.

Patriots coach Louie Alas said it was defense that was crucial to his team’s triumph.

A deluge of victories in the team events affirmed the status of the national capital region as the winningest performers as the CHED (Commission on Higher Education) games came to a rousing close.

No awards were given to the overall champions, but bragging rights in the event belonged to the NCR sports juggernaut, which topped in chess, badminton, baseball, basketball, women’s softball and table tennis.

NCR was way on top of the medal standings with 162 golds, 42 silvers and 40 bronzes, with Region 6 a distant second (40-66-54) and Region 7 third (33-42-34).

Typifying NCR’s dominance was men’s and women’s basketball, with NCAA titlist San Sebastian and Lyceum of the Philippines University crushing their respective rivals to both complete their unbeaten run for the gold.

Rodel Mayol kept the WBC light-flyweight title after his fight against Omar Nino Romero of Guadalajara, Mexico was declared a technical draw.

After feeling out the first round, Mayol unleashed a barrage of powerful uppercuts on Romero in the second round that wobbled him.

Referee Vic Drakulich came in to stop the action when Romero unleashed a wicked left that hit squarely at the jaw of the momentarily defenseless Mayol who crashed to the canvas almost unconscious.

Ring officials, headed by WBC vice president Mauricio Sulaiman, deliberated the situation which resulted in a technical draw decision allowing Mayol to retain his title. Far Eastern University displayed composure and sheer determination to defeat University of Santo Tomas, 1-0, clinching the 72nd UAAP men’s football crown at the Ateneo grounds.

Despite the absence of its three suspended players Jason Cordova, Joshua Almenar and Romnick Jover, the Tamaraws showed fighting hearts to wrest their first title since 2008.

Dexter Jae Chio scored the lone marker of the game from outside the penalty area in the 76th minute -- four minutes after his teammate Mandie Boy Lunag was thrown out for violent foul.

The title was FEU’s third overall as Jake Hugo led the individual awardees by copping the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

In the distaff side, La Salle was crowned as the UAAP women’s football titlist, as it outclassed defending champion UST 1-0.

Rookie of the Year Adrianne Anianna Yniguez struck the lone marker of the game on the 56th minute. Meantime, national team member Samantha Nierras emerged as the MVP and the best midfielder of the season.

In the juniors side, the Ateneo Blue Eaglets were crowned as champions, winning over Far Eastern University.

Filipino teenage sensation, Jeson Patrombon, injured his right foot and lost to Japanese Rikutu Furuta, 6-2, 6-2 in the finals of the Grade One ITF juniors in Nagoya, Japan.

Playing with the controlled movements due to a foot injury suffered during practice, the 5th seeded Patrombon put up a big fight at the early going of the final match -- but suffered another misfortune, twisting his left ankle while running for the ball on the backhand side.

Tennis prodigy Jeson Patrombon made it to the top 50 of the world international tennis federation rankings.

The 17-year old tennis academy of the Philippines Foundation scholar leapfrogged from 76th to 48th with 415 points to become the highest Filipino junior netter in the ITF list. He went past Francis Casey Alcantara -- who dropped to 49th with 412 points.

Patrombon, who started the year at 250th, made the huge leap with semis stints in both singles and doubles in Grade One tournaments in Thailand and Malaysia plus singles finals and doubles semis appearances in Japan.

April was no month for fools as World Champion Lily Pecante and Rose Vasquez produced gold medal performances in 2010 World Masters bench press championships held in Orlando, Florida.

Pecante, whose competitors jumped weight classes to avoid her, was left unchallenged in her weight class.

Pecante went on to lift 130-kilograms to break her own 90-kg class Asian record by 2.5kg which she set in Palm Springs, California during the 2008 world masters powerlifting championships.

Vasquez, 2009 Asian Open bench press champion, ripped the Philippine record with a 102.5kg lift at 58kg in winning the gold in the 60kg class. Vasquez’ lift was only 2.5kg away from the Asian record.

Filipino Mark Jason Melligen scored a ten round unanimous decision win over Mexican Norberto Gonzales in the main event of top rank’s featured event “battle at the hard rock” at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Melligen started strong and pressed the action early against the tough and resilient Mexican Gonzalez.

The Filipino fighter was the aggressor for much of the fight and came away with a 100-90 win on all cards.

The unanimous decision win improved Melligen’s record to 18-2, with 13 knockouts while Gonzalez now stands at 18-2, with 12 k-os.

Lady golfing buddies Lovelynn Guioguio and Chihiro Ikeda pooled a pair of 70’s then nipped local bets Caroline Bon and Emily Perry in the countback to rule the New Zealand and women’s foursomes championship at the par-73 Napier Golf Club.

The Filipino duo combined for two three-under par cards to top the 36-hole tournament, which served as a prelude to the New Zealand women’s stroke play championship.

In athletics, the National Capital Region (NCR) reigned as overall champion of the Palarong Pambansa for the fifth straight year at the Tarlac Recreational Park by dominating the elementary division with 293 points, followed by Calabarzon with 184.67 points

The Big City bets capped its domination with a three-gold haul on the final day, clinching the softball, baseball and volleyball titles on the final day of action, to accumulate 347 total points.

Eastern Visayas finished second with 225.5 and Calabarzon was third.

Chihiro Ikeda battled back from four holes down with seven holes to play to force a playoff but bogeyed the second extra hole and lost to 15-year old New Zealand national champion Cecilia Cho in the final of the New Zealand match play championship in New Zealand.

Ikeda, who stunned a number of local bets, including top seed Caroline Bon in the second round, flubbed a par-saving eight-foot putt on the 38th hole after missing the green from an errant drive to yield the crown to the 15-year old reigning New Zealand national champion.

But it was a great comeback by the top ICTC-backed bet, who struggled all day on the layout’s sleek putting surface and fell behind by as many as four holes after the 29th as she lost her touch.

A Filipino boxing contingent demolished their opponents with knockout victories in “Philippines versus the rest of the World” boxing card in Dubai.

Knockout artist Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista, a former WBO Intercontinental and WBC Interim International Featherweight champion, sent Thailand’s Saichon Sotornpitak to the canvas in 1 minute, 59 seconds of the sixth round to improve his record to 28-2 with 21 wins within the distance.

Milan “Milenyo” Melindo likewise successfully defended his WBC Youth Intercontinental flyweight championship belt after scoring a fourth-round technical knockout against another Thai boxer, at Komrit twins gym.

Larry “Bon Jovi” Canillas also came out with an impressive knockout win, unleashing powerful right crosses and uppercuts that brought down Tanzania’s Fred Sayuni in the sixth round. Young golfer Marcel Puyat fired a two-under par 70 struggling from five strokes down to turn back David Lee, then pounced on Will Zalatoris’ late bogeys to capture the American Junior Golf Association Armour/ Hunter Mahan championship boys’ crown at the TPC Craig ranch course in McKinney, Texas.

The 17-year-old Puyat rammed in the three birdies in the final round to negate his lone bogey mishap on no. 11 for that 70 and a 54-hole total of 216.

This was Puyat’s first win on the American junior golf tour. (PNA Feature) DCT/LOR

Last January, the Philippines’ top player GM Wesley So increased his level of excellence, reaching an Elo rating of 2656 â€" a Philippine all-time high - based on the January ratings released by the World Chess Federation (FIDE).

With his strong showing in the 2009 World Chess Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk Russia, So earned 16 points to increase his Elo of 2640 from the November 2009 list.

His present Elo of 2656 is the highest-ever rating achieved by a Filipino player in history. It was enough to propel the 16-year-old So to No. 76 overall in the world in a tie with GM Boris Avrukh of Israel.

So, likewise, moved up to No. 6 among the world's top junior players, aside from improving to No. 8 overall in Asia. He also retained his No. 1 position in the world in the under-16 category.

More importantly, So's dramatic rise also enabled the Philippines to move up to 29th place among chess-playing nations in the world and up by five notches from 34th in the previous quarterly list.

The country’s lady cue artist Rubilen Amit placed in joint 10th along with Fu Xiao fang of China in the World Pool Billiard Association (WPBA) ratings.

Amit competed in two of the five WPBA-sanctioned tournaments last year to garner a total of 782 points - 88 points in the Taiwan Amway Cup and 640 points for winning the women’s world 10-ball crown in June 2009. Amit, likewise, won the 1st mixed doubles classic championship title with Efren “Bata” Reyes, but the event was not counted because it was not a WPBA-sanctioned tournament.

Meantime, in swimming, Bulacan’s pride Jessie King Lacuna clinched the boys’ 200-meter freestyle gold medal in the South Wales Australian swimming competition.

Lacuna registered a time of one minute and 52.51 seconds to dominate the 200-meter freestyle 16-year-old division. He also achieved the Youth Olympic Games qualifying time in the 100-meter freestyle event -- clocking 52.21 seconds, which is good for a bronze medal.

Lacuna also won his third medal -- a silver -- in the New South Wales age group swimming championships in Australia.

The 16-year-old Lacuna placed 2nd in the 100-meter butterfly, clocking 56.43 seconds.

As a tribute to sports pioneers, businessman-sportsman Rodolfo “Totoy” Tingzon, acknowledged as the father of youth baseball movement in the country and the whole of Asia, was inducted into the pony baseball/softball international Hall of Fame as part of the celebration of the worldwide organization’s 60th anniversary.

Tingzon is the first Filipino and one of only two Asians to be accorded the honor.

No less than Pony Baseball/Softball International president and CEO Abraham Key presided over the conferment ceremony on Tingzon, who was cited for introducing the Little League Baseball program in the Philippines in 1964 as well as founder of Pony Baseball/Softball Asia in 1975.

The former public school teacher also founded the Philippine Tot Baseball Association in the same year he organized the Little League Baseball-Philippines.

Tingzon is also acknowledged as the co-founder of the World Boys Baseball Federation in 1982 and was instrumental in laying the groundworks on the way Pony Tournaments are conducted in the Asian region.

In golf, Cyna Rodriguez was crowned as the 48th Philippine Pine Ladies Open amateur champion.

Rodriguez pounced on Chihiro Ikeda’s early struggle to overcome a 3-shot deficit and went on for a solid 5-under 67 and a 210 total of the three-day competition.

The 18-year old Rodriguez, who completed a runaway 7-shot victory over Lovelyn Guioguio, who had a 71 and 217, let out a big yell and raised her arms in triumph before a big gallery that included 5-time open and two-time LPGA winner Jennife Rosales.

Reigning national billiard champion Lee Vann Corteza defeated WPA 9-ball and 8-ball champion Ronato Alcano 9-4, in the finals to clinch the 2010 Villar Cup 10-ball title. On the road to the finals, Corteza brought down Japan-based Antonio Llining, 8-6, while Alcano defeated Warren Kiamco, 8-1.

Corteza went home P400,000 richer, while Alcano settled for the runner-up honors and a P150,000 cash prize.

In January, billiards’ Francisco “Django” Bustamante flashed his old deadly form in beating Dutch Nick Van Den Berg, 5-2, in the deciding match to give Team Asia the title at the Asia versus Europe 9-ball team challenge in Gadong, Brunei, Darussalam.

Bustamante, who had lost two of his three matches, broke and run-out in the fourth rack to level the count 2-all and never looked back as he won the last three racks.

Over-all Team Asia comprised of Bustamante and compatriot Efren “Bata”Reyes, Ko Pi-Yi and Lu Hui Chan of Taiwan and local bet Teo Chen Soon after having amassed a total 8-7 win against Team Europe of Van Den Berg and Niel Feijen of the Netherlands, Germany’s Ralf Souquet, Ruslan Chinahoy of Russia, Imran “Tthe Maharaja' majid” and Darren “Dynamite”Appleton of Great Britain, the 2008 world ten- ball ruler.

With the feat, Team Asia received the top prize of US$ 27,000, the runner-up a purse of US$ 13,000.

In the United Arab Emirates, Smart-Gilas capped an impressive showing in the 21st Dubai International tournament with a 107-98 win over Syria's Al Jalaa to capture the bronze medal before a horde of overseas Filipino workers at the Al Ahli Club.

Marnel Baracael tossed in 26 points while Mark Barroca unloaded 18 of his 21 points in the final period for Gilas, which converted 18 straight free throws in the closing minutes and scored 40 points in the fourth.

Jayvee Casio won the best guard award and C J C Giles of Al Riyadi was adjudged best center.

Filipino pool maestro Efren “Bata” Reyes avenged his Derby Bank Pool finals loss by dominating the Fatboy 10-ball challenge in Indiana, USA.

Reyes stamped his class by going through the entire event undefeated. Reyes took home US$ 6,500 by winning against Virginia state champion Brandon Shuff, 15-8. Shuff took US$ 3,250 for finishing second.

Reyes, dubbed as “The Magician” quickly jumped an early 6-0 lead against Shuff who managed to close the match at 13-5 count in the 18th racks. However, Reyes never looked back for a 15-8 victory in the race-to-15, single elimination format.

Meantime, in the Derby City Classic, one pocket-division, former World No. 1 Francisco “Django” Bustamante, finished third overall for US$ 2,500.

In the early part of 2010, Filipino pool legend “Bata” Reyes and Allison Fisher were named “Players of the Decade” by the United States Billiard Media Association (USBMA). The 55-year-old Reyes has won nearly US$ 1.7 million prize money in more than 20 major men’s professional pool titles during the decade starting with victory in the Camel Pro 8-ball championship in 2000.

Of his 22 major victories, the versatile Reyes won four one-pocket crowns, four 8-ball titles.

Dottie Ardina rolled in a tough birdie putt from 18 feet on the final hole to nip SEA Games gold medalist Fil-Japanese Ichihiro Ikeda by one point and capture her first southern ladies golf tournament crown on a closing 49-point output at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo.

Ardina blew her overnight two-point lead as she lost her touch but came through with two clutch putts to overcome a two-point deficit in the last three holes, including a delicate three-foot putt for birdie on no. 16, and that title-clinching birdie on the 54th hole to clinch the overall championship.

Ikeda closed out with 50 points for a 151 as she settled for runner-up honors in the championship division of the 47th staging of the event. Anya Tanpinco had a 147 after a 46 for second while Daniella Uy also made a 46 for a 142. In chess, Rogelio Barcenilla became the country’s 12th Grandmaster.

The former Asian unior champion Barcenilla, top player of San Sebastian College and the country's no.4 rated player with an Elo FIDE rating of 2518 will join the country’s elite group of Grandmasters, including Asia’s first GM, Eugene Torre, Joey Antonio Jr., and Boy Wonder Wesley So.

Barcenilla achieved his first GM norm in 1993 in Jakarta, Indonesia, the second in 1998 in Subic and the third, in June 2000 in New York and the last in June 2009 at the Copper State International in Phoenix, Arizona.

Golfer Jhonnel Ababa clinched the www.express-dhl national golf men’s title as Ikeda copped the women’s crown of the tournament held at the Canlubang Golf Course in Laguna.

Ababa coasted to a three-stroke victory over ICTSI-Cangolf teammate Jerson Balasabas, who wound up with a 74 and took the runner-up honors at 291.

By Lily O Ramos

The Year of the Tiger was generally productive even as some pleasant surprises came to the fore despite the usual difficulties and struggles concomitant to the sports community as a whole.

What could be more wonderful than 32-year old Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao’s winning his eighth world boxing title -- the World Boxing Council (WBC) super welter diadem versus Mexico’s Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas to prove to all and sundry that he is the best pound-for-pound pug at present.

Pacman has certainly raised the level of world boxing to a lucrative art and entertainment as he keeps earning millions of dollars in terms of TV viewership and commercials in-and-out of the ring.

It does not matter that he is also a Congressman of Sarangani province; after all, he was already rich even before he threw his hat into the political arena.

The fact that he has been named by the Ring Magazine as the” best boxer of the decade” (2000s) is a tribute to his ringside savvy that is unequalled nowadays.

In its March 2010 issue, Pacquiao was listed on top ahead of Floyd Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins, Joe Calzaghe, Juan Manuel Marquez, Winky Wright, Shane Mosley, Marco Antonio Barrera, Rafael Marquez, and Israel Vazquez.

The Ring Magazines’ contributing editor, Eric Raskin, wrote that “As far as they are concerned, Manny Pacquiao is the only choice for number one.”

Raskin also noted that in the division rankings, Pacquiao rated no. 2 at super-bantamweight (122 lbs) and feather (126), first at super-feather (130), fourth at super-lightweight (140), and third at welter (147). Pacquiao was even voted “Fighter of the Year” thrice (2006, 2008 and 2009) by the ring and that was more than enough to name him as the recipient of the accolade.

Pacquiao’s biggest wins during the decade were those over Miguel Barrera (twice), Erik Morales (twice), Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

In football, the Philippine Azkals, coached by British Simon MCNenemy and peopled by fil-foreign booters, have caught the public’s fancy and earned accolades from doubting Thomases who have thought all along that football is a throw-away sport.

The Azkals marched into the semifinals of the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup for the first time in 14 years. On December 2, they signaled their readiness to play against the best in the Southeast Asian region when they forged a 1-1 draw with two-time champion Singapore with Chris Greatwich scoring the winning marker on the 90th minute. .

The Azkals displayed a splendid and high level performance by upsetting defending champion VietNam in front of its hometown fans in Hanoi last December 5.

Greatwich scored his second goal in the tournament by delivering the games’ first goal on the 38th and Phil Younghusband followed it up on the 79th.

The Azkals managed a scoreless draw with Myanmar last December 8 to formalize its entry into the semifinals -- which ignited grand celebration by the country’s football community.

Support from all sectors poured in for the Azkals with sports patron Manny V. Pangilinan leading the donors with a P1-million pledge, followed by Asia Brewery with P250,000. An anonymous football supporter also donated US$ 20,000 for the training of football players. However, the Cinderella magic fell short as the Azkals absorbed a 0-1 loss twice at the hands of the Indonesians in Jakarta last December 16 and 19.

Despite the semifinal loss, the Azkals’ performance will always be considered as a milestone in the history of Philippine football.

Also in December, WBA Interim super flyweight titlist Nonito Donaire Jr. earned his 24th straight victory and his ninth knockout in his past 11 fights with a fourth-round knockout over Ukrainian bantamweight Vladimir Sidorenko, who was knocked out for the first time in his career.

Nicknamed ‘The Filipino Flash’, Donaire rose to 25-1, with his 17th knockout against Sidorenko, who was beaten bloody yet continued to come forward into the vicious attack of Donaire.

With the victory, Donaire set himself up for a February 19 bout against WBO/WBC bantamweight king Mexico’s Fernando Montiel at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas. In the Guangzhou Asian Games, the Philippine Team, led by veterans Mikee Jaworski and Vittorio Marcos Barba captured third place in Zone 9 of the FEI world dressage challenge.

The Philippine Guangzhou Asiad contingent failed to surpass the four gold- six silver-nine bronze medal output in the 2006 Asiad version in Doha, Qatar as they returned home with a paltry three gold-three silver and nine bronze medals.

In the 2010 Asian PARA Games, the Philippines collected four silver and three bronze medals to finish 21st overall in the 2010 Asian PARA Games in Guangzhou, China.

The silver medalists were paralympian Adeline Dumapong and Achelle Guion in powerlifting, Josephine Medina in table tennis and Isidro Vildosola in athletics.

The bronze medals went to Anne Grace Abeto and Roger Tapia in athletics and Daniel Amaso Jr. in swimming. Five Asian Games-bound tracksters spearheaded the Philippines to a six-gold medal haul in the 87th Malaysian Track and Field Open.

They are Henry Dagmil in long jump, Rene Herrera in the 3-thousand meter steeplechase, Danilo Fresnido and Rosie Villarito in javelin throw, Arniel Ferrera in hammer throw and Sheena Atilano in the hurdles event.

Football was turbulent in November with Jose Mari Martinez being ousted as the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) at the Philsports Arena.

Of the 29 football association presidents, 25 voted in favor for the ouster of Martinez while two abstained and another two voted against it.

Mariano Araneta of the Iloilo Football Association -- chairman of the finance committee -â€" was voted as head for the unexpired term which runs until November next year. September morn was not so good on Philippine chess as -- Grandmaster Zhao Jun of China made history by becoming the first champion in the FIDE P President Florencio Campomanes Memorial Cup Chess Tournament as GM Wesley So emerged as the top Filipino player.

Last September, former world bowling champion Biboy Rivera and Apple Posadas won their national men’s and ladies titles to earn trip to the 2010 World Cup International Finals on October 15 to 24 in Toulon, France.

The 36-year-old Rivera blasted multi-titled Paulo Valdez, 243â€"235, 249-175 in the men’s final while Posadas whipped younger sister Lara, 188-157, 247-177, in the ladies’ finals.

In billiards, Lee Vann Corteza wrapped up a scintillating run in the Predator Sweet 16 Tournament by whipping American Rodney Morris, 8-5 at the Block, SM City, North Edsa, Quezon City.

Corteza mounted a searing rally from 0-4 down, rattling off seven racks in a row to get to the hill before Morris pulled one back for 7-5 count.

But Corteza was not to be denied and took the final rack to pocket the top prize of US$ 13,000 or about P570,000. Filipino cue master Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes beat compatriot Roberto Gomez to rule the 10th annual Predator International 10-ball Championships held in Quezon City.

Reyes came back from a 7-4 deficit to fashion out a 10-9 victory over Gomez in the race-to-10 finals to win the championship trophy and pocket the US$ 10,000 top prize.

In tennis, veterans Cecil Mamiit and Treat Huey salvaged the two reverse singles as the Philippines pulled off a dramatic 3-2 win over host South Korea in their Asia/Oceania Davis Cup Group 1 tie at the Chanwon Municipal tennis courts.

The 34- year old Mamiit rallied from two sets down to keep the Filipinos alive and then leveled the tie at 2-2 when Lim Yong-Kyu retired in the fourth set after twisting his ankle.

Huey delivered the clincher with a sizzling service game, firing 21 aces to down 17-year-old Jeong Suk-Young.

In athletics, steeplechaser Rene Herrera produced a gold medal while long jumper Henry Dagmil managed a silver medal finish, capping a fruitful showing in the 72nd Singapore Open Track and Field Championships.

Dagmil, who won the gold medal in his favorite event during the third leg of the Asian Grand Prix in Chennai, India last June 9, jumped his way to a second-best distance of 7.40 meters, 29 meters short of his best record he posted four months ago.

In volleyball, the Adamson Lady Falcons bucked an early challenge by San Sebastian and cruised in the final two sets to fashion out a 26-24, 25-17, 25-16 victory to capture the Shakey’s V-League Season 7 second conference crown at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Lady Falcons wrapped up the short but thrilling best-of-three series, 2-1.

Adamson became just the third team after UST with six and La Salle with three titles in the country’s premier women’s volley league.

On September 26, top junior netter Jeson Patrombon emerged as the boys’ singles champion of the China Junior 2 Tournament in Xiamen.

The 17-year-old top seed Patrombon prevailed over seventh-seed Nikola Milojevic of Serbia, 6-3, 6-1 to record his first singles victory of the year.

In football, Team Philippines defeated Norway, 4-3 to win the host Cup of the 2010 Homeless World in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Team Philippines finished the 2010 Homeless World Cup with eight consecutive wins â€" good enough for a 25th place finish overall.

The Pinoy booters suffered three losses in the tournament and two of them came from champion Brazil and runner-up Chile.

On September 30, Ateneo de Manila swept the 73rd UAAP men’s basketball championship to complete a rare grandslam by beating Far Eastern University, 65-62, in game two at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Blue Eagles bucked off a sluggish start to topple the higher seeded Tamaraws, and clinch their eighth overall league title.

Ryan Buenafe led Ateneo with 23 points, six rebounds and an assist and was adjudged as the Final’s MVP.

Meanwhile, the Adamson Lady Falcons clinched the women’s basketball crown, as they finished off the FEU Lady Tams game 2 of their own title series.

Last October, the Nokia under-18 Philippine team clobbered host Yemen, 97-48, to finish 5th place in the 21st FIBA Asia U-18 Championships in Sana’a for their highest finish in 15 years of the tournament.

The Filipinos also bettered their previous standing of seventh place in Tehran.

The Philippines’ campaign in the 39th World Chess Olympiad ended with a heart-breaking 1.5-2-5 decision loss to lower rated Estonia and landed 50th overall in the final standings -- failing to accomplish its target of making it to the top 20 in Russia.

That was four places lower than their 46th place finish during the 2008 Dresden Olympiad and six places lower than their 44th place finish in the 2006 Turin Olympiad.

The Filipinos’ best finish-ever in the Olympiad was eighth place during the 1988 Olympiad in Thessaloniki, Greece. The Filipinas finished 44th after the tiebreak.

In billiards, Ronato Alcano turned back compatriot Lee Vann Corteza, 11-7 in an-all Filipino finals to rule the 2010 Pattaya 9-ball Invitational pool competition in Thailand.

It was Alcano’s first major title this year since winning the 8-ball division of the Galveston Classic Billiards Extravaganza in Texas last year.

Alcano became the third player in pool history to become a double world champion after winning the world 8-ball in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates three years ago.

Ace jetski rider Paul del Rosario raised the Philippine flag high as he achieved another milestone by becoming the first Filipino world champion in the 2010 International Jet

Sports and Boating Association World Finals in Arizona. Del Rosario’s victory came as a surprise as he upstaged topnotch rivals with relative ease to capture the Premium Open Expert Runabout that’s usually dominated by Americans, Europeans, Brazilians and Thais.

In bowling, 2006 World Masters champion Biboy Rrivera lost to eventual men’s champion Michael Schmidt of Canada and failed to barge into the championship round of the AMF Bowling World Cup in Toulon, France.

The 36-year-old World Cup Rookie, who was swept by Schmidt in their best of three playoff series, 247-215 and 252-202, settled for third place overall finish in the men’s division.

At about the same time, Dottie Ardina birdied two of the last four holes to fire a one-under 71 and power the Philippines to a best-ever joint eighth finish in over four decades in the World Amateurs Golf Team championships topped by South Korea in Argentina.

Chihiro Ikeda also birdied the par-5 15th to card a 74 as team RP closed out with a decent one-over 145 for a one-under 575 total.

That was 29 strokes behind Korea’s amazing 30-under 546 but it proved enough to better the country’s previous best finish of ninth in 1968 in Australia.

The Philippines’ top junior triathlete Kim Mangrobang ruled the Muscat Asian Beach Games test race in Oman. The 18-year-old Mangrobang, a former silver medalist in the Asia Cup series, crossed the finish line â€"2 minutes and 19 seconds faster than her closest pursuers.

In the men’s side, Philip Jurola â€" another young recruit of the triathlon association of the Philippines â€" placed fifth overall, displaying a strong challenge against opponents from the Netherlands, Britain and Hong Kong.

By Zorayda S. Tecson

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PNA Feature) â€" Local officials in Central Luzon marked this year a considerable one amid some challenges and changes that the region dealt with in the past 12 months.

What made this year more remarkable for the people in Central Luzon was the choice of the Filipinos of another highest official in the land that came from the region â€" President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

Tarlac Governor Victor Yap earlier said that having a new President of the Philippines who hails from the province brings more pride and glory not only to Tarlaquenos but to the whole region as well.

Peace and Order

Another significant aspect that the public and private sectors in the region feel proud of is the generally peaceful and orderly situation in the region.

This was greatly attributed to the strong partnership among the police, the community, local government units (LGUs).

Chief Supt. Alan LM Purisima, Central Luzon police director, described the overall peace and order condition prevailing in the seven provinces that compose Central Luzon as conducive to development efforts.

Purisima said there was a decreased crime rate and that police and military accomplishments showed a successful campaign against communist insurgency.

He said the joint efforts of the police, military and the citizenry made the conduct of the May 10 automated elections and the synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls in Central Luzon the most peaceful one with a significant reduction of election-related violent incidents as compared in the previous years.

The successful operations against private armed groups and local terrorists coupled with the vigilance and active involvement of the local government units, the citizenry and members of the media contributed to the honest, orderly and peaceful elections (HOPE), he said.

The relentless campaign against the insurgency problem in the region also gained headway as four provinces in the region â€" Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Tarlac and Pampanga were declared as ”insurgency-free.”

Business and Economy

The economic performance in the region has likewise improved this year with the two freeports--Clark and Subic achieving great accomplishments.

Records showed that for the first time in its 17-year history, the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) posted at least $ 1.23 billion worth of exports in a span of 10 months.

Exports in Clark are expected to grow three times higher in the next 24 months as major semi-conductor companies reach their full operating capacity.

CDC president Benigno Ricafort also said that Clark’s P6.364-billion worth of investments comprises 19 percent of Central Luzon’s investment figure of P33.84 billion for 2009.

Ricafort said Clark is seen to have a huge share in Central Luzon’s investment with the completion of new projects in the electronic and semi-conductor, manufacturing and tourism sector by 2012 to 2013.

The Port of Subic, on the other hand, posted a whooping collection of P501 million last November, a P59-million excess over its target of P442 million.

The November collection brought the total tally for the last 11 months here to P4.52 billion â€" an all-time high in terms of actual cash haul in the Subic Bay Freeport, and already 5.33 percent more than the total cash collection of P4.29 billion recorded in 12 months last year.

Subic, along with Clark and Tacloban, registered the only positive record among the 17 ports in the country, with Subic as the best performer, the BOC said.

“At this point, without even reaching the P5-billion projected mark, the November figure is by far the highest since 1998,” Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator Armand Arreza earlier said.

Tourism

The arrival of foreign tourists through the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) at the Clark Freeport was not affected by the hostage-taking tragedy in Manila last August 23 that resulted in the killings of eight Hong Kong nationals.

Ronaldo Tiotuico, regional director of the Department of Tourism in Central Luzon said that despite the negative repercussions of the incident, DMIA “continues to draw loads of air passengers from South Korea, Singapore, Macau, Taipei, Bangkok, Malaysia and even Hong Kong.”

Tiotuico said the DMIA registers an average of 25,000 air passengers per month.

Labor and Employment

Almost 90,000 jobs across the region have been generated within a year.

Labor and Employment Regional Director Ernesto Bihis said around 89,343 job seekers have been placed in wage employment as of October.

Bihis said the jobs were generated through their strong partnership and linkages with the Public Employment and Service Offices (PESOs) of local government units.

Aside from job generation, he said, the DOLE-Region 3 has also bridged employment opportunities for the youth through its Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).

At least 6,791 indigent and deserving students in the region were able to secure summer jobs in time for their enrollment to pursue their college degrees, he said.

Bihis said the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) also took part in the employment-generation efforts by providing training and re-training to some 110,000 out-of-school youth and unemployed adult persons in various trades. (PNA Feature)

Yeah, Oceanjet is not customer-friendly. Also, beware of its corrupt porters in Cebu, not in Bohol. Porters in Bohol are good and honest.

Ever conscious of its mandate as the country's primary investigative agency under the Department of Justice, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) re-intensified its efforts against all forms of crimes and lawlessness and achieved remarkable results in 2010.

While it was not spared by criticisms arising from the acquittal by the Supreme Court of Hubert Webb and his co-accused in the 1991 Vizconde family massacre in Paranaque City, as well as the failure to arrest fugitive Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who was implicated in the November 2000 slay of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito, the NBI still managed to solve many significant cases ranging from murder, malversation of funds, fraud, anti-human trafficking, counterfeiting, and drugs, among others.

In January, operatives of the bureau arrested fugitive Jason Aguilar Ivler at his house in Blue Ridge in Quezon City after a shootout that led to the wounding of the murder suspect and two bureau law enforcers. Ivler was tagged for the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Renato Ebarle Jr., son of a ranking Malacanang official, over a minor traffic accident in Quezon City on Nov. 18, 2009.

The NBI also filed qualified theft charges against John Gilbert P. Caoayanan II, Arvin Jacinto and Michelle Lacson for allegedly pilfering insurance policies of their company -- Universal Insurance Transport Accident Agency Solutions Inc. -- amounting to P9 million.

In the anti-drug campaign, the bureau confiscated at least P1.5 million worth of high grade cocaine in Salcedo, Eastern Samar on Jan. 26. Such a seizure was apart from the multimillion pesos worth of illegal drugs recovered by elements of the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Samar.

The NBI crushed another drug syndicate with the arrest of Eliza Dimalanta and Guinean nationals Mazibane Phemelo Cassim, Marcel Bakayoko and Camara Ibrahima Sekou, all members of the West African drug syndicate operating in Pampanga. The syndicate recruited Filipinos to act as drug couriers or “mules” to smuggle illegal drugs in other countries.

An investment scam which had victimized a number of people of P27.5 million was uncovered and criminal charges were filed against 24 officers of the Graceland Estates & Country Club (GECCI), Graceland Properties & Development Inc. (GPDI) and Icon Development Corporation (IDC).

The bureau also raided several houses in Bantayan Islands, Cebu on April 24 for rampant illegal dynamite fishing and seized 75 kilos of ammonium nitrate and improvised dynamites and blast caps.

The NBI likewise probed complaints of illegal quarrying of limestone in Dansilohon, Cagayan de Oro City and seized five trucks and a backhoe used in extracting and hauling mineral deposits without permits. Charges of violation of Philippine Mining Act of 1995 were filed against its owners, Francisco Macapayag Jr. and George Baterna.

Another notable achievement was the arrest of Albert Mata, Freddie Saldana and Cipriano Cabujal Jr., who were tagged in the killing of a gangmate who double-crossed them in the daring Department of Education's P4.9-million payroll robbery.

The bureau also solved the robbery-slaying of Binondo Chinese trader Xintuo Weng in Manila, with the arrest of suspects Eduardo T. Lucero and Eusebio C. Pebria.

Another arrest was effected on Jose Magbitang, who claimed to have connection to facilitate U.S. visa issuance. Seized from him were tampered U.S. passports and visa and several rounds of live ammunition of various calibers during raids in Bulacan.

Madel Tumulac, Steve M. Tiffany and Jason Bruno of Urban International Trading that engaged in on-line pornographic dating were arrested in Marikina City.

A syndicate composed of Mary Ann Tadlas Fujiwara and four others were arrested in an entrapment in Manila on May 26. They claimed to be Commission on Elections (Comelec) employees who offered "sure victory" to Buhay party-list group in the May elections in exchange for P10 million.

The agency also arrested former Cebu City Sports Commission Chairman Jonathan Guardo for alleged malversation of funds in connection with the 2005 Southeast Asian Games.

The NBI also busted a syndicate selling fake currencies amounting to 153,456 U.S. dollars following the arrest of four persons headed by Orlando Tactaquin in Quezon City. The arrest of Harem Boratong Panda and Minerba Boratong Batugan, relatives of convicted shabu "tiangge" king Adi Imam Boratong, during a Pasig City raid was also effected by the bureau.

The bureau arrested Mohamadali Minandang Kano and Gabriel Abu Sandigan, members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Frontâ€"Special Operations Group during a shootout with NBI operatives in Sarangani Province. The suspects reportedly extorted money from trader Erlinda Amantillo who was engaged in gravel-and-sand business. They burned her building, heavy equipment and truck.

The NBI also secured the deportation to the Philippines from Thailand of Christen Inagaki, who killed a gangmate five years ago in Batangas and hid in that neighboring country.

Last Oct. 14, Rommel M. Anito and three other accused in the kidnapping for a P5-million ransom of Gurpreet Kaur Singh, an Indian national, were arrested during a rescue operation in Bulacan.

The NBI arrested a former Filipino-American staff of the U.S. Embassy in Korea, Dario Tomas, who duped a Korean national of 200,000 U.S. dollars in 2007 after convincing him to invest in a technical school for computer training in the Philippines. Tomas fled South Korea and hid in the Philippines where he was later arrested.

The arrest of Gamaliel de Guzman Ledda Jr., a convicted bank official who embezzled P7 million worth of fictitious loans and jumped bail, was made in Baguio City.

Ellerica Asaldo and eight employees of Enviroguard Technologies Corporation and Smoke in the City Emission Testing Center were also arrested during a raid where they were caught in the act of manipulating data in the emission testing of vehicles for registration. They face charges for violation of the Clear Air Act.

Rolando Fajardo, the country’s most wanted fugitive and a leader of a notorious kidnap-for-ransom gang who had a P1- million bounty, was arrested upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 last Nov. 1.

The arrest of Kelvin Barrenechea, who used stolen or fake credit cards that were reprogrammed to purchase items at a department store, was also made by the agency.

Iranian Leeyouvenhouk Baroutian, who owns a chain of restaurants, was arrested for trafficking dangerous drugs in Manila.

The drive against counterfeiting also played prominently in the bureau’s achievements with the seizure of fake Louis Vuitton products worth P92 million in Quiapo, Manila; P214 million worth of fake LV products in Tondo, Manila; P33 million worth of fake LV products in Pasay City; P80 million worth of fake LV products in Binondo; P10 million worth of fake Casio electronic and scientific calculators in Manila; P450 million worth of fake Rado and Omega wristwatches in Quiapo; P7.5 million worth of fake Jansport bags; P86 million worth of fake Rayban, and among others. (PNA Feature)

By C. Lloyd T. Caliwan

(PNA) -- A woman was killed after she opened an unexpected gift-wrapped bomb on Wednesday in her home in a subdivision in Taguig City.

Southern Police District (SPD) director Chief Superintendent Jose Arne de Los Santos identified the victim as Yvonne Chua, 31, a resident of Mahogany Place 3 Subdivision, Barangay Bambang, Taguig City.

Police said Chua died instantly when the bomb exploded on her face at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. The victim sustained wounds in the abdomen and legs.

Her husband, Vincent Chua, and their child were not hurt in the explosion.

De Los Santos said personnel from the Taguig Police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and the Explosives and Ordnance Division (EOD) immediately responded to the area upon receiving news of the incident.

He said they have yet to determine who sent the gift nor the motive of the incident. Investigation is still ongoing. - PNA

Another petition was filed on Wednesday before the Supreme Court (SC), seeking a stop in the implementation of the 290-percent increase in toll fees at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) starting January 2011.

In his 44-page supplemental petition, lawyer Ernesto Francisco said that the decision of the SC last October lifting the temporary restraining order (TRO) on the government's plan to increase the toll rates at the SLEX is not yet final and executory.

Francisco added that a motion for reconsideration can still be filed.

Earlier, the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) announced that it will implement starting Jan. 1 the new toll fee of P3.03 per kilometer at the SLEx from Alabang, Muntinlupa City to Calamba City, Laguna.

Francisco claimed that the increase in toll fees was approved without the necessary public consultation. This was contrary to the statement of the TRB that a public consultation was conducted on Dec. 10, 2010 at its conference room.

"Indeed, at the said 'public consultation/hearing,' only about twenty (20) persons attended, which already included the representatives and lawyers of certain tollway operators, including private respondent SLTC, representatives and lawyer of public respondent TRB and representatives of media," Francisco said.

Likewise, Francisco asked the SC to reconsider its earlier decision on the legality of the Supplemental Toll Operation Agreement (STOA) entered into between the TRB and the STLC.

He also urged the SC to declare as "unconstitutional" Sections 3(a) and (b) of Presidential Decree (PD) 1112 in relation to Section 4 of PD 1894 amending PD 1113 granting franchise to the Philippine National Construction Company (PNCC).

In its October 2010 ruling, the SC said that the TRB has the authority to allow a qualified person or entity to establish, maintain and operate a toll facility as well as to issue the necessary toll operating permit (TOC). (PNA)

By Lily O Ramos

The Philippines is expected to gain a big chunk of the 15 million Indian outbound tourists in 2011.

The Department of Tourism's optimism is a result of the agency's recent successful five-day sales mission to India with an overwhelming attendance of close to 400 Indian tour operators/travel agencies combined in New Delhi and Mumbai.

Tourism Assistant Secretary for International Tourism Promotions Benito C. Bengzon Jr., who led the high-level delegation from the Philippine travel trade with Philippine Airlines, said that the sales mission has proven to be an excellent platform to develop business ties with Indian tour agents.

“We are happy that the business-to-business meetings (B2B) were able to raise interest in the development of their own tour packages for the Aprilâ€"June Indian travel season,” he said.

With more than 50 percent increase on target arrivals for India, the DOT would like to see the inclusion of the Philippines in the 2011 tour offerings by the outbound Indian tours wholesalers and travel agencies.

The Philippines is vying for the market’s interest for shopping and entertainment. Manila is considerably known to this market for its large high-end shopping malls, entertainment centers and gaming facilities.

In a related development, much excitement within Indian travel trade was made about the launch of Philippine Airlines (PAL) Manila-New Delhi direct links in March next year which will address the major connectivity concern.

Existing indirect connections with long stopovers result in trips of between 14 to 30 hours. With the direct service, travel time will be shortened to just six-and-a half hours.

Another important issue discussed during the sales mission is the visa concern.

Philippine Embassy in New Delhi Minister and Consul General Maria Agnes Cervantes and Philippine Honorary Consul in Mumbai Retnasamy Swaminathan offered to support the Indian travel trade. (PNA)

Throughout history, Mary the mother of Jesus has been held in high esteem. And rightly so! She was singled out by God to deliver the long-awaited Messiah.

But before we get lost in the significance of her life, let’s take a look at what it meant for her to surrender to the assignment. Living in a small backwater Galilean village where everyone knew everyone else’s business, she would have to live with the perceived shame of her premarital pregnancy. Explaining to her mother the visits of the angel and the Holy Spirit probably didn’t calm things down. To say nothing of the devastating interruption that her pregnancy would bring to her plans to marry Joseph. And while we are thinking about Joseph, what would she tell him? Would he believe her?

In light of these personal ramifications, her response to the angel who told her the news about her role as Jesus’ mother is amazing: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38 ESV). Her words remind us that a life of significance is most often preceded by a heart eager to surrender to God’s will regardless of the cost.

What significant experience does God have in store for you? It starts with surrender to Him.

By Philip Yancey, Our Daily Bread

Every so often I catch myself wondering about the whole grand scheme of faith. I stand in an airport, for example, watching important-looking people in business suits, briefcases clutched to their sides, as they pause at an espresso bar before scurrying off to another concourse. Do any of them ever think about God? I wonder.

Christians share an odd belief in parallel universes. One universe consists of glass and steel and wool clothes and leather briefcases and the smell of freshly ground coffee. The other consists of angels and spiritual forces and somewhere-out-there places called heaven and hell. We palpably inhabit the material world; it takes faith to consider oneself a citizen of the other, invisible world.

Christmas turns the tables and hints at the struggle involved when the Lord of both worlds descends to live by the rules of the one. In Bethlehem, the two worlds came together, realigned. What Jesus went on to accomplish on planet Earth made it possible for God someday to resolve all disharmonies in both worlds. No wonder a choir of angels broke out in spontaneous song, disturbing not only a few shepherds but the entire universe (Luke 2:13-14).

My son and his wife have a 120- pound American bulldog with a powerful body and fearsome face. Yet until we became friends, “Buddy” wasn’t sure he could trust me. As long as I was on my feet, he’d keep his distance and wouldn’t look me in the eye. Then one day I learned that if I’d get down on the ground, the mood of Buddy’s big-jowled face would change. Sensing I was no longer a threat, he’d playfully come running like a freight train, pounce on me with his big feet, and want me to scratch his muscular neck.

Maybe what Buddy needed from me is a glimmer of what our God gave us by coming down to our level and living among us in the person of Christ. From the day that our first parents sinned and hid from the presence of the Lord, our tendency has been to be afraid of coming to a high and holy God on His terms (John 3:20).

So, as Isaiah predicted, God showed how low He was willing to go to bring us to Himself. By adopting the form of a lowly servant, our Creator lived and died to disarm our wrongs. Even now He is coaxing us from the cover of our spiritual darkness (Isa. 42:7) to call us friends (John 15:15). How can we still be afraid to trust Him? - Our Daily Bread

If your physician called you and in a serious voice said, “Please come in as soon as you can. I have something to discuss with you,” you would know he has bad news! Your first response might be, “No, I don’t want to know.” But you go because it is only when you know the diagnosis that you can learn the cure.

God, our Great Physician, also has some bad newsâ€"about man’s spiritual condition. When against His expressed warning Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, God told Adam that all mankind would die spiritually and physically. That’s the bad news.

But He also gave the solution. He promised a Savior (Gen. 3:15). The apostle John tells us, “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). But how does that help? Jesus came that first Christmas to bring God’s grace, something that none of us deserve because like Adam we have all sinned. But Jesus also came to reverse what sin brought. He came to be the truth (John 14:6) that would bring us back to God. He came to “save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).

Listen to what the Great Physician has to say in the Bible about your spiritual condition. Then accept the cure He has providedâ€"the gift of salvation through Christ. - Our Daily Bread

I wouldn’t want to pick a fight with a sky full of angels, but I must admit that I’ve always wondered about the promise of peace the angelic host made to the shepherds in the fields outside Bethlehem. For the last 2,000 years, peace on our planet has been at best a rare commodity. Wars continue to ravage innocent lives, domestic violence is a growing calamity, divorce rates soar, churches split, and peace in our restless and wayward hearts seems to be an elusive dream.

Where is the promised peace? Actually, on reflection, we can see that Jesus brought all that is needed for peace in our world. He taught the principles of peace, calling for people to love their neighbors as they love themselves. And as He was leaving this planet, He promised, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). He told us to turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, forgive offenses, reject greed, tolerate each other’s weaknesses, live to serve and love one another as He has loved us.

It seems that in large part, peace is up to us. Paul verifies that in Romans 12:18, “As much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” This Christmas, let’s make peace our gift to the world in which we live as we reflect the Prince of Peace. - Our Daily Bread

The Christmas story, recorded in Matthew and Luke, has become so familiar that I wonder if we grasp the reality of what actually happened: An angel told a young virgin that she would conceive a child by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26-38). The angel then told her fiancé to marry her and name the baby Jesus, “for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Shepherds saw angels in the sky and were told of a Savior’s birth in Bethlehem (Luke 2:11). Wise men traveled hundreds of miles to worship the One who, they said, “has been born King of the Jews” (Matt. 2:2). Amazing!

Equally astonishing is that Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men did exactly as they had been told. Mary yielded herself to God; Joseph took her home as his wife; the shepherds went to Bethlehem to find the baby in a manger; and the wise men followed the star. With no idea of the outcome, they all took the next step by faith in the Lord. Amazing!

How is it with us this Christmas? Will we trust God and follow His leading even when we face uncertainty and overwhelming circumstances?

When you and I obey the Lord, the outcome is truly amazing! - Our Daily Bread

As my wife reviewed her day, she told me about an incident that took place with our granddaughter Eliana, who was visiting. Eliana had been playing with some toys, so when she wanted to go to another part of the house, Grandma told her, “Eliana, you need to put your toys away first.” Without missing a beat, Eliana replied, “I don’t have time.”

She was just 2 years old at the time, so she was definitely not running on a packed schedule!

I wonder sometimes if God might be a bit surprised with us when He hears our responses to His commands.

For instance, when Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden” (Matt. 11:28), and we say, “I can’t go on. I have too many troubles and problems,” I wonder what He thinks. When He says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10), and we say, “I can’t fit You into my schedule,” I wonder what He thinks. When He says, “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16), and we say, “But the world looks like so much fun,” I wonder what He thinks.

God has spoken. Obedience is the best way to honor Him for what He has done for us and to show Him how much we love Him. - Our Daily Bread

Did you hear about the church that didn’t have enough room for parking? Fortunately, it was located right next to a store that was closed on Sundays, so a church member asked the store owner if they could overflow into his parking lot. “No problem,” he said. “You can use it 51 weeks out of the year. On the 52nd week, though, it will be chained off.” The man was grateful, but asked curiously, “What happens that week?” The store owner smiled, “Nothing. I just want you to remember that it’s not your parking lot.”

It’s easy to take for granted all the material and spiritual blessings that God has given us. That’s why we need to stop and remember that Scripture says the true owner of all we possess is God: “All that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all” (1 Chron. 29:11). Even our bodies do not belong to us: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit . . . and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

As 1 Timothy 6:17 reminds us: “God . . . gives us richly all things to enjoy.” We are so abundantly blessed with good things! Let’s never take our Father for granted, but use wisely and gratefully all that He has given us. - Our Daily Bread

By Our Daily Bread

During the last week of December, newscasters often look back at the significant events of the past yearâ€"the triumphs and failures of prominent people, natural disasters, economic challenges, and the deaths of celebrities and leaders. The most surprising events usually receive top billing.

If you reviewed the past year of your life, what would appear on the list? Has an unexpected event caused you to question God or to more deeply experience His goodness?

Psalm 77 chronicles the lament of a person in distress who felt as if God no longer cared (vv.7-9). “Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore?” (v.. Yet, even in anguish, the psalmist said, “I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old” (v.11). The result was a renewal of trust and hope: “You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples” (v.14).

As you think back over this past year, why not write down the significant events in your life. Don’t be afraid to include your difficulties and disappointments, but remember to consider all the ways God has been with you.

During every difficulty, we can always find the faithfulness of God.

In the frenzied early days of the Internet, Web developers were making up their own rules. The result was confusion. Among the problems was that what looked good on one computer was unreadable on another. This caused developers to refer to the Internet as the wild, wild Web, an allusion to the days of the wild, wild West in the US when law and order were pretty much nonexistent. To bring order out of chaos, Web developers started calling for others to agree on common standards.

Their plea reminds us of why it was important for the Israelites to have laws to live by when they left Egypt (Deut. 4:1). Without them, there would be anarchy. With them, however, they would have a system that was so superior that it would demonstrate to other nations the greatness of their God (v..

Today, to bring order out of the chaos of our sinful, selfish world, believers submit to the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2), who Himself is the fulfillment of the law (Matt. 5:17). When we submit to the standard established by Christ and love others as God loves us, we will live in peace with one another and thus provide a witness to the world of how great God is.

President Benigno S. Aquino III will lead the nation in commemorating the 114th death anniversary of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, who was martyred on Dec. 30, 1896, precipitating the Philippine revolution against the Spanish colonial rule.

The President will raise the flag and offer wreath in ceremonies at the Rizal Park in Manila Thursday morning.

On hand to assist the President are Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Ricardo David, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Chairman Ambeth Ocampo.

Simultaneous flag-raising and wreath offering rites will also be held at Rizal monuments nationwide including his birthplace in Calamba, Laguna and in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte where he was exiled in July 1892.

This year’s observance will focus on the theme “Rizal: Haligi ng Bayan.” It will be highlighted by the unveiling of the logo of the 114th anniversary of Rizal’s martyrdom signaling the kick-off celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of the national hero.

Born on June 19, 1861, Rizal became one of the country’s leading reformists and inspiration of the revolution particularly through his writings and novels such as Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. His works are now being taught in public and private schools to educate students about the concept of nationalism.

Imprisoned in Fort Santiago and tried by a military court, Rizal was convicted of rebellion and shot at Bagumbayan (now Rizal Park) at around 7:03 a.m. of Dec. 30, 1896.

Two years after his execution, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo issued on Dec. 20, 1898 a decree designating Dec. 30 as the death anniversary of Rizal’s death and also a national day of mourning for other victims of the oppressive Spanish rule.

The directive emphasized that all national flags shall be hoisted at half-mast from 12 noon on December 29 and all offices of the government shall be closed the whole day on December 30 as a sign of mourning.

On Dec. 30, 1898, Filipinos celebrated Rizal Day for the first time and chose Club Filipino in Manila as venue. (PNA)

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda D. Baldoz on Wednesday reminded all employers in the country’s private sector that Saturday, 1 January 2011, is a regular holiday nationwide in observance of New Year’s Day.

Baldoz reiterated to employers the goal of President Benigno S. Aquino III, in his 22-point labor and employment agenda, to strengthen the welfare and protection of the country’s workforce.

Accordingly, the labor and employment chief emphasized that the lawful holiday pay rules must be applied on 1 January 2011, alongside core labor standards, for the benefit and protection of workers.

The regular holiday on 1 January is the first of 12 regular holidays for the entire 2011 pursuant to Republic Act No. 9849, said Baldoz.

She said that the pay rules to be observed are as follows:

a) If the holiday falls on an employee’s regular workday:

If 1 January 2011 is worked, the employee is entitled to 200 percent of his [or her] basic wage on the first eight ( hours and, for work in excess of the 8 hours, to an additional 30 percent of his or her hourly rate on the said day. But, if unworked, the employee is entitled to 100 percent of the regular daily rate, provided he or she was present, or was on leave with pay, on the workday immediately preceding the holiday.

b) If the day is the employee’s rest day:

If the day is worked, the employee is entitled, on the first eight ( hours, to 200 percent of his or her daily rate plus 30 percent and, for work in excess of 8 hours, plus 30 percent of his or her hourly rate on said day. But, if unworked, the employee is entitled to 100 percent of his or her regular daily rate, provided he or she was present, or was on leave with pay, on the workday immediately preceding the holiday.

c) Finally, in case the day immediately preceding the holiday is a non-work day in the establishment, or is the scheduled rest day of the employee, the employee shall not be deemed on leave of absence on that day, in which case he or she shall be entitled to the holiday pay. (PNA)

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz on Wednesday signed an administrative order adopting a code of conduct for all Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) officials and employees, effectively ending the year 2010 and her first six months in office with what she described as an “inward-looking strategy to promote transparency and excellent public service and to arm and position everyone in the DOLE in the battle against all forms of graft and corruption”.

“Today, on the eve of the commemoration of the 114th anniversary of the martyrdom of the national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, the DOLE joins the Filipino nation in a pledge to ensure good and efficient governance, in pursuit of President Benigno S. Aquino III in his 22-point labor and employment agenda, by adopting a code of conduct that will govern our way of life as public servants in the next six years and beyond,” Baldoz said shortly after she issued Administrative Order No. 476 in Intramuros, Manila.

Baldoz is the first labor and employment Secretary to issue a specific code of conduct for the DOLE which during the last six months had laid the groundwork for a series of reform measures in pursuit of the President’s labor and employment agenda.

As a code of conduct, A.O. No. 476 contains specific rules on fidelity to duty; conflict of interest; solicitation and acceptance of gifts; outside employment; nepotism; cronyism; confidentiality; post-employment; procurement of goods, consulting services, and infrastructure projects; reporting of malpractices, corruption, and other protected disclosures; penalties and sanctions; and incentives and rewards system.

The code is largely based on Republic Act No. 6713, otherwise known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, enacted during the term of the late President Corazon C. Aquino. R.A. 6713 sets the norms of conduct for all government officials and employees.

She said the DOLE’s code’s objectives are “to serve as an instrument of the DOLE mission, vision and goal, and live the core values; to set the guidelines and parameters for the 9,208 DOLE officials and employees to meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity in the performance of their duties; to serve as preventive measure to avert corrupt practices; to provide applicable administrative sanctions for any violation; and to establish effective mechanisms for excellent conduct and accountability and provide rewards and incentives.”

The code is also guided by the provisions of R.A. 9485 (Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007); R.A. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act); R.A. 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act); 1987 Administrative Code; Civil Service Rules and Regulations; Presidential Decree No. 749 (Granting Immunity from Prosecution to Givers of Bribes and Other Gifts to their Accomplices in Bribery and other Graft Cases against Public Officers); P.D. No. 46 (Making it Punishable for Public Officials and Employees to Receive, and for Private Persons to Give, Gifts on any Occasion, including Christmas); P.D. No. 6 (Amending Certain Rules on Discipline of Government Officials and Employees), and Title VII, Revised Penal Code (Crimes Committed by Public Officers).

But while R.A. No. 6713 is general in application, Baldoz said, the DOLE’s code of conduct is very specific.

“What sets it aside is that it has distinct and novel provisions which were product of exhaustive discussions and consultations with all concerned,” she said.

One of the code’s more distinct features are its provisions on “Encouraging Reporting of Malpractices, Corruption and Other Protected Disclosures” under Rule X, which specify conditions for whistleblowers and protected disclosure.

The provisions govern the use of disclosed information and provide the rights and protection, as well as incentives, for whistleblowers.

“Starting 2012, for example, we shall allocate an annual budget of one percent of our miscellaneous and other operating expenses for the payment of the benefits of protected whistleblowers under the code,” Baldoz said.

Under the rules, acts constituting graft and corruption can be disclosed by whistleblowers provided (a) these are made voluntarily in writing and under oath; (b) these are acts or conduct constituting graft and corruption; (c) these pertain to a matter not yet the subject of a complaint already filed with, or investigated by the Department, or by any other concerned office or pending before any court of justice or quasi-judicial body; (d) the whistleblower assists and/or participates in the acts or omissions which are the subject of the disclosure, provided he is the least guilty; (e) the whistleblower has personal knowledge of existing facts and information covered by the disclosure; and (f) the information can be supported by other material evidence.

The code also specifies that the agency-level Efficiency and Integrity Board (EIB), one of the DOLE’s newest reform initiatives and which is tripartite in constitution, shall evaluate the written disclosure in ten (10) working days, and the Board shall conduct an investigation which should be completed not more than forty-five (45) days reckoned from receipt of the complaint.

Baldoz said another distinct feature of the code is its provision on DOLE core values.

“This code outlines in writing the DOLE core values to which we are committed and which we are promoting as a way of life. These core values are duty above all, objectivity and integrity, loyalty, and excellence,” she said.

“Our duty is to uphold public interest over and above personal interest and to be responsive by extending prompt, courteous and adequate public service. On objectivity and integrity, we aim to remain true to the people, to not discriminate against anyone, to respect the rights of others by refraining from doing acts contrary to law, morals, and public safety and order, and to live simple lives,” the labor and employment chief explained.

“On loyalty, we are committed to democracy and political neutrality. We also aim to remain loyal and true to the Republic, the Constitution, and to the Filipino people by being obedient to all the laws, rules, regulations and other legal orders of duly-constituted authorities.”  - source: PNA

Where else in Tagbilaran can we get a free wi-fi Internet connection without being required to order food or drinks worth 200 pesos?

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter - Santa Sam Trailer

By Jeffrey C. Escaso

Dauis, an island town in Bohol, last week hosted the first National Youth Congress on Good Citizenship at the serene Mercedarian Retreat House. The three-day activity organized by the National Youth Commission (NYC) touched the lives of the youth sector.

The congress was participated by the youth and student leaders from different universities and colleges as well as out-of-school youth organizations all over the country. It was successfully done through the convenors, which included the NYC, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), EDSA People Power Commission and Good Citizenship Movement, on the theme “Promoting Values in Support of the Government’s Social Reform Agenda.”

It was aimed at creating an environment conducive to reform through the promotion among the youths the core Filipino values and the idealism enshrined in the preamble of the Philippine Constitution. From different places, ethnic cultures, economic classes, the youth and student leaders stood as one and united to contributing to good governance by their being good citizens alone.

Resource speakers taught them to practice and nurture great values. Commissioner Benjie Oliva, also the chairperson of the NYC’S national organizing committee, welcomed the participants with great pride and honor for Bohol. He is a Catigbianon.

Oliva said “this nation can be great again” if we undergo national transformation by practicing good citizenship and applying good governance. ‘’Youths are like a dynamite. If dynamite is in good hands it is constructive, but if it is in bad hands it is destructive,” quipped former DepEd-Bohol superintendent Dr. Cerina C. Bolos who delivered the keynote message on behalf of Gov. Edgar Chatto.

“The youths should have boundless energy and idealism to fulfill what Dr. Jose Rizal wished them to be---the fair hope of the fatherland. Take advantages of all things, the values and principles of life. Uphold all things which are positive and forget the negative things in life,” she added. Commissioner Teresita Baltazar of EDSA People Power Commission tackled essential points of good governance and good citizenship for national transformation while Ralf Morales, president and CEO of Team Pinoy, Inc., articulated “12 little things every Filipino youth can do to support our country.”

She said “good citizens are those who act according to the core values enshrined in the Preamble of the Philippine Constitution. Good governance is not enough; Let us work on being good citizens. Let us translate the good citizenship values derived from the Preamble of the Constitution into concrete actions in order to build our nation”.

Our nation is plagued by a maniad of social ills, corruption, criminality, gambling drugs, dirty politics and the like. The root cause of social ills is the loss of values. Therefore the only to root the social illness is to back our values and be a good citizen, she added.

Meanwhile, participants were really appreciated of the good governance of Bohol as the “Bohol Noon at Bohol Ngayon” presented by Engr. Ronelita Buñado, representative of the Provincial Planning and Development Council.

Moreover, Jun Cabangal shared their Bayawan City Experience of Values Based Governance while some insights of Filipino Act of Heroism tackled by Rex R. Villaveles, President, PYAP Talisay City. Sr. Sandra G. Clemente shared her thoughts in “Values in Action” (Empowering the Youth).

Both speakers said that even in our daily living, we can be a BAYANI. By simply following traffic rules, regulation of school and respecting oneself and others, even doing little good things to our fellowmen can contribute to our country in nation building.

Speakers do believe that there is still hope for our country. Let us not leave our future in the hands of our leaders alone.

The three-day activity ended with an educational tour with the help of the Provincial Government. Participants greatly enjoyed and appreciated the elegant beauty of Bohol, the hospitability of Boholanos which never forget as they continue to journey their path of life. Jeff/EDCom

The “burning” issue regarding the alleged high prices of fuel in Bohol, discussed in a forum Tuesday, revealed inside information as why prices keep rising.

Antonio Labios, Department of Energy (DOE) Director for its Visayas Field Office, came over in behalf of DOE Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, to personally hear from the participants their of points of view and reactions to certain issues, especially the allegations that oil prices in Bohol are significantly higher than those of other regions, and sometimes, even in Metro Manila; and that oil supplies from their mother units en route to depots are often delayed which spark up our oil prices.

The meeting was presided over by no less than Bohol Provincial Governor Edgar M. Chatto with representatives of prime oil players in the province like Petron, Shell and Caltex, whose mother stations get their supply from Pandacan; and even one from Total, who said that they import their oil supply from France through Singapore.

Labios said that there are two basic factors which affect the country’s oil prices; namely, the prices of oil products in the world market and the dollar-peso exchange rate.

However, he added the business environment in a particular area and the volume levels of supply and demand as additional factors in the changes of oil prices, the latter being the price determinant of the final fuel prices in the market called the Suggested Retail Price (SRP).

The BIG 3
Servando “Butch” Abaya of Caltex/Chevron informed Chatto and the rest of the group that the usual practice of the Big Three, that is, Caltex, Shell and Petron, is that it is their respective head offices that give them their respective SRPs and that they are also given the “guaranteed mark-up” by their mother units regardless of price fluctuations.

Adding to this, the Big Three are also in concurrence that they’re being given a so-called “price protection” in that old stocks may be withdrawn within 24 hours after a price roll back or else the price difference would become a dealer’s burden.

Local issues also popped up during the discussions on the alleged local feud of warring families engaged in cutthroat competition in Ubay town and smuggled oil products entering the province through our ports in Ubay and Loon which were pinpointed as possible causes of oil price discrepancies.

The issues on high oil prices, arrival delays and fuel smuggling “resurrect” every time there is an advice on oil price hike coming from Manila due to the simultaneous increase in prices of oil products in the world market which greatly affect the 60 branded oil companies currently operating in the province.

SMUGGLING
These smuggled oil produce manage to evade taxes and are being sold by “generic” local companies, of which eight are in Bohol, direct to the public at sometimes lower prices, which has caused damage to a number of vehicles because these products do not meet the Philippine National Standard of quality to be used as fuel for our various means of transportation as mandated by the DOE.

Aster Caberte, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Director for Region 7, suggested that as part of the body’s policy recommendations, talks at company level should be exhausted first to give oil players the chance to air their side regarding these boggling issues.

New oil players, representatives from the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), the Philippine Coastguard, municipal mayors of coastal towns allegedly used as entry points of smuggled fuel and others who are being affected by this dilemma and other key players would be invited to attend a meeting on January 14 of next year, most possibly with the Provincial Price Coordinating Council with Gov. Chatto sitting as Chair, to discuss price and quality issues of which all would be advised to be at level-playing fields so that all would be fair for everybody concerned and that baffling and intriguing issues would be settled.

Chatto is adamant on his stand that “the people should be given their due when it comes to service.” (jlv/EDCom)

By Nor Baizura Basri

As the number of people afflicted with diabetes is ever increasing, the search for healthy alternative sweeteners is on.

An alternative to the table sugar is needed to control the glucose in the daily diet and in the number of diabetics in Malaysia.

The Second National Health and Morbidity Survey estimated that there are 3.4 million Malaysians suffering from diabetes in 2010.

Stevia, a sub tropical herb from South America is among the latest alternative sweetener available. Stevia has negligible effect on blood glucose and therefore is used as sweeteners in diets to control carbohydrate.

It is also used as the alternative sweetener in the production of food and beverages and is increasingly gaining international recognition.

In Malaysia, its use is gaining wide acceptance especially following the recent rise in sugar prices.

USING STEVIA TO PRODUCE FOOD

A health drink manufacturer CT Lang Sdn Bhd now uses stevia as the alternative sweetener in its products.

Its manager Abdullah Mohamad noted that stevia has big potential as it could be grown easily and the leaves harvested within three months.

"Stevia can replace table sugar at a time where the government is encouraging the people to reduce sugar intake and is slowly doing away with the subsidy for the commodity," he told Bernama here recently.

In Japan 50 to 60 per cent of the sweeteners used are from stevia and it is used in many of its food products, he said.

Abdullah said the extract from the stevia leaves is between 300 and 400 times more sweeter compared with sugarcane extract.

ECONOMIC CROP FOR SMALL HOLDERS

Abdullah noted that if the nation could grow this crop, it not only would reduce the dependence on sweetener imports but also provide income for local smallholders.

In this respect, the company has been working with elected representatives to entice smallholders to plant stevia in small scale.

"The elected representatives can assist by providing fertiliser and seeds and the harvest can be sold to the company, that needs the stevia extract for its products," he said.

So far, farmers in Bagan Serai in Perak and Silam in Sabah have agreed to this idea and are expected to start cultivation shortly.

COMMERCIAL CULTIVATION

The stevia cultivation starts with the seed maturing process that takes a month. Within three months of planting the leaves are harvested and the sweet juice is extracted from the leaves and processed into sweetener.

Abdullah pointed out the planting process is straight forward and does not cost much and the impressive revenue cycle guarantees stevia's potential within and without the nation.

By introducing small planting modules to the smallholders, this will help to establish a commercial stevia planting network.

For a start RM40,000 is needed for planting stevia on an area about 0.4 to 0.8 hectares, said Abdullah.

With stevia, Malaysians have an alternative to table sugar and good economic potential as stevia trade is valued at RM5 billion annually.

Abdullah noted that many Malaysians were still ignorant of stevia's potential and its benefits.

However, it is hoped that the company's undertaking will help expose the plant's potential and emerge as one of the economic drivers for the nation's agricultural sector, he said. (PNA/Bernama)

The Grammy-nominated American soul singer Teena Marie has been found dead at her California home at the age of 54, her manager has said.

Teena Marie often worked with funk legend Rick James with hits such as Lovergirl and Fire and Desire.

Teena Marie, who was born Mary Christine Brockert and also used the moniker Lady T, was a rare white artist on the Motown label when she was signed in the late 1970s.

She won four Grammy nominations. - BBC

By Miko Morelos
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippinesâ€"A Filipino-American serving in the United States Navy jumped to his death Monday morning, a day after his arrest for drug possession at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2.

Superintendent Manuel Pintado, deputy chief of the Aviation Security Group, said Lt. Cmdr. Scintar B. Mejia, 35, died due to complications resulting from his fall.

The Navy officer, who had been taken to the Police Center for Aviation Security (PCAS) office at NAIA Terminal 1 following his arrest on Sunday night, jumped headfirst into a stairwell on the second floor of the building.

A day before his death, airport policemen accosted him at the airport pre-departure area after an X-ray check of his hand-carried bag showed a sachet that contained a white powdery substance, Pintado said.

Mejia, who held a US diplomatic passport, was then about to board a Philippine Airlines flight bound for Los Angeles.

When he was asked about the contents of the sachet, he went into hysterics and threw the item in question at the operator of the X-ray machine. He claimed that he was being framed, prompting the operator to call for police assistance.

A check of the sachet, which was conducted by a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency agent assigned to the airport, confirmed that it contained cocaine.

Mejia was subsequently taken to the PCAS office for questioning.

On Monday morning, Mejia told his guards that he wanted to go to the toilet. When they went there and found it occupied, the Fil-Am insisted on going outside the building to relieve himself.

As he and his guards were walking toward the exit, Mejia, who was in handcuffs, ran off and jumped into a stairwell. He fell headfirst from a height of at least 10 feet.

Authorities rushed him to San Juan de Dios Medical Center but he died at around 6:45 a.m.

Police said the US Embassy had been informed of Mejia’s death.

BBC: Blizzards have swept north along the eastern coast of the US, forcing the cancellation of more than 2,000 flights and disrupting rail and road traffic.

The winter storm closed New York airports, stranding thousands of people in a busy post-Christmas travel period.

The New York area was in the bull's eye of the storm, receiving up to 46cm (18in) of snow on Sunday.

Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia declared emergencies.

The southern states of Georgia and South Carolina had their first white Christmas in more than a century.

But Washington DC appeared likely to escape the blizzard, with a small amount of snowfall expected.

The National Weather Service said the monster snow storm was the result of a low pressure system which is currently intensifying south-east of New York's Long Island.

It said a full-blown blizzard - meaning winds of at least 35mph (55km/h) along with snow and low visibility - was pummelling eastern New Jersey, New York City and western Long Island.

Blizzard warnings remained in effect for coasts of the northern mid-Atlantic states. Officials in eastern Canada said they were also bracing for the storm. - BBC

Source: BBC

Former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been found guilty of embezzlement at his politically charged second trial in Moscow.

The judge said Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev were guilty of stealing from their firm Yukos and laundering the proceeds.

Khodorkovsky is already serving an eight-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion from his 2005 trial.

His lawyers say the verdict was the result of official pressure.

Khodorkovsky, 47, was due to be released next year, but the new convictions could see him jailed for much longer.

The two defendants were led into court in handcuffs by armed guards.

In the sealed glass dock Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man. waved at his parents, the small courtroom packed with journalists and cameras.

Several hundred demonstrators could be heard outside the courtroom, chanting "Freedom!" and "Put Putin [the Russian prime minister] in jail!" - BBC

Opinion: Who is the Best Bol-anon Tennis Player?

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It's fun to end 2010 with great deals for you, grab P888 ‘Go Lite’ fares for our Manila-Beijing flights, or as low as P1,499 to Brunei, or avail of P1,999 seats to Jakarta for travel starting February 1 to April 30, 2011!

Get our 'Go Lite' special offer of P999 from Manila to Zamboanga for travel starting January 5 to February 28, 2011.

You can expect that Cebu Pacific (CEB) will continue to offer the lowest fares in 2011 as we take delivery of more brand-new Airbus aircraft to service existing and new destinations. 2010 has been a very good year for CEB and we want to share this with you so that you can enjoy exploring new places and visit families and friends this coming Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day.

Is a Jollibee Meal Affordable to Poor Filipinos?

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 3571

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT THE CUTTING, DESTROYING OR INJURING OF PLANTED OR GROWING TREES, FLOWERING PLANTS AND SHRUBS OR PLANTS OF SCENIC VALUE ALONG PUBLIC ROADS, IN PLAZAS, PARKS, SCHOOL PREMISES OR IN ANY OTHER PUBLIC GROUND.
     
    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives
    of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

    SECTION 1. In order to promote and conserve the beauty of objects of scenic and ornamental value along public places and help preserve cool,fresh and healthful climate, it is the policy of the
    Government to cherish, protect and conserve planted or growing trees, flowering plants and shrubs or plants of ornamental value along public roads, in plazas, parks, school premises or in any public ground.

    SEC. 2. For the purpose of carrying out effectively the provisions of this Act, the Director of Parks and Wildlife shall have the power to create a committee in each and every municipality in the Philippines and shall appoint any civic conscious and well-travelled citizen as chairman, and the municipal
    mayor, the municipal treasurer, the supervising school teacher, and the municipal health officer, as ex-officio members thereof. The Director of Parks and Wildlife shall also have the power to issue and promulgate rules and regulations as may be necessary in carrying out the provisions of this Act.

    The Chairman shall receive compensation of one peso per annum to be paid out of the funds of the city or municipality concerned, and the members shall not receive extra compensation. The committee shall have the power to implement the rules and regulations issued by the Director of Parks and Wildlife under the provisions of this Act.

    The committee shall coordinate with the Director of Parks and Wildlife in the beautification of their respective locality and shall under its supervision, require school children on Arbor Day to plant trees and flowering plants of useful and scenic value in places provided for in the preceding paragraph.

    SEC. 3. No cutting, destroying, or injuring of planted or growing trees, flowering plants and shrubs or plants of scenic value along public roads, in plazas parks, school premises or in any other public ground shall be permitted save when the cutting, destroying, or injuring of same is necessary for public safety, or such pruning of same is necessary to enhance its beauty and only upon the recommendation of the committee mentioned in the preceding section, and upon the approval of the Director of Parks and Wildlife. The cutting, destroying, or pruning shall be under the supervision of
    the committee.

    SEC. 4. Any person who shall cut, destroy or injure trees, flowering plants and shrubs or plants of scenic value mentioned in the preceding sections of this Act, shall be punished by prison correctional in its minimum period to prison mayor in its minimum period.

    SEC. 5. All laws, Acts, parts of Acts, executive orders, and administrative orders or regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed.

    SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

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Hugh Hefner, the 84-year-old founder of Playboy magazine, has announced that he is to be married for the third time.

In a message to his Twitter followers on Christmas Day, Hefner said he had given his 24-year-old girlfriend, model Crystal Harris, a ring.

"Yes, the ring I gave Crystal is an engagement ring," he clarified in a later tweet.

Hefner set up Playboy magazine in 1953, and Harris featured in it as Playmate of the Month in December 2009.

The soft-porn magnate and libertarian has been married twice before - to Mildred Williams in 1949, and Kimberley Conrad in 1989.

Over the decades he has admitted affairs with dozens of Playmates.

But last April Hefner and Harris reportedly "became exclusive".

"When I gave Crystal the ring, she burst into tears," Hefner told Twitter followers.

"This is the happiest Christmas weekend in memory." - BBC

By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News
Proton climbs into the pre-dawn sky The Proton rocket climbs into the pre-dawn sky

The second European satellite dedicated to delivering broadband internet connections has launched.

The six-tonne Ka-Sat lifted off atop a Proton rocket from Baikonur in Kazakhstan at 0351 local time on Monday (2151 GMT on Sunday).

The flight was expected to last nine hours and 12 minutes.

The Eutelsat-operated spacecraft will concentrate its services on the estimated tens of millions of European homes in so-called "not-spots".

These are places where consumers cannot get a decent terrestrial connection.

The spacecraft follows the Hylas-1 platform into orbit. This satellite, operated by Avanti Communications of London, was launched just last month.

Ka-Sat, however, is considerably bigger, and has a notional capacity to serve up to two million households compared with Hylas's 300,000. - BBC

By Edith Regalado
The Philippine Star

DAVAO CITY, Philippines - An ongoing audit showed that former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. amassed more than P2 billion from provincial coffers for the period covering 2008 to 2009 alone.

Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu said the audit does not include the previous years since 2001 when the elder Ampatuan started serving as governor of the province.

“Initial results of the audit showed that the Ampatuans got more than P2 billion from the supposed money or the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of the province for the said period,” Mangudadatu said.

He said the amount the Ampatuans could have amassed through the nine years they were in power in Maguindanao and the years that the family patriarch and other members of his family were with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), could be many times bigger than the P2 billion the audit team found in the records of the province.

Mangudadatu stressed that the audit is being undertaken by a team composed of representatives from the national office of the Commission on Audit as well as from its local office.

And to ensure the safety of the audit team members, Mangudadatu said a team from an Army battalion assigned in the area has been designated to secure them while going through the process.

A representative from the provincial engineering department has also participated in the audit procedure to shed light on what projects were supposed to have been implemented but were never done at all in Maguindanao.

“Hopefully, we will be able to release the results of the ongoing audit early next month when the entire process would have been completed,” Mangudadatu said.

Mangudadatu said that he is working on changing the working attitude of local officials in Maguindanao.

“We should all be open to audit anytime. Our constituents have the right to know where their money is going,” the governor said.

Nobody dared to audit the Ampatuans before because anybody assigned to go over their books would either be killed or were threatened.

Mangudadatu said the results of the audit would be used for the filing of charges against the Ampatuans who were known to have built several mansions in various places in the country.

“The Ampatuans have no known businesses and how come they were able to build those mansions? How come they were able to buy all those expensive cars? So, when we will be able to get the results of the audit, it will pave the way for the charges that will be filed against them,” the governor said.

Ampatuan and his sons, Andal Jr. and Rizaldy were among those suspected to be behind the Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre that also claimed the lives of Mangudadatu’s wife, two sisters, two lawyers and 30 journalists.

The governor said that should the provincial government succeed in getting the mansions and other properties of the Ampatuans, especially those in Davao City and Metro Manila, these would be turned into a business venture, the proceeds of which shall be used to fund education projects in Maguindanao and other programs.

THE DIGITAL STORY OF NATIVITY - ( or Christmas 2.0 )
Happy Digital Christmas

Hollywood actors Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds have filed for divorce in Los Angeles citing irreconcilable differences, court records show.

The pair list their separation date as 14 December - the day they announced their break-up.

They said at the time they had started their relationship "with love and it is with love and kindness we leave it".

Lost in Translation star Johansson, 26, and The Proposal actor Reynolds, 34, were married in September 2008.

They said in their statement of 14 December they had made the decision to end the marriage "after long and careful consideration on both our parts".

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A swathe of the US eastern seaboard is being engulfed in a winter storm dumping heavy snow as it sweeps north.

Hundreds of domestic and international flights have been cancelled and severe weather warnings are in place from Georgia to Vermont as temperatures continue to plummet.

Blizzards dropping up to 1ft (31cm) of snow are hitting New York and parts of New England.

South Carolina had its first Christmas snow since records began in 1887.

Transport officials in Washington DC deployed 200 salting lorries, snow ploughs and other equipment. However, by Sunday afternoon the city seemed to have missed the worst of the storm.

Up to 20in of snow were expected in some areas, including Philadelphia.

Blizzard warnings were in effect for Rhode Island and most of eastern Massachusetts including Boston. Forecasters were predicting more than 1ft of snow from midday on Sunday onwards.

The National Weather Service said the monster storm was the result of a low pressure system off North Carolina's coast which was moving north-east and intensifying.

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You can get a free wi-fi access at Bo's Cafe in Tagbilaran City, Bohol (in front of Plaza Rizal)
Minimum order of 200 pesos. If less than 200 pesos, no free wi-fi.

Customers who showed an interest in hard drives and digital storage might like to know the Seagate Expansion 640 GB USB 2.0 portable external hard drive is the featured Deal of the Day at Amazon.com. This offer is valid today only, December 26, 2010, and while supplies last.

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By Leonardo V. Micua

URDANETA CITY - The sanitary landfill being built by the city government in Barangay Catablan here is set to be finally completed by the second week of February, next year.

This, after the project suffered a snag in its construction due to the inclement weather during the early periods of the year and the onslaught of typhoon “Juan” in the month of October

City Administrator Ronald San Juan admitted that they recently talked to the contractor who said that the opening of the project, costing P220 million, might be moved to the second week of February, which means it can be inaugurated on Valentine’s Day.

He noted that this was the second postponement of the completion of the project. It was first targeted for completion in October and the second by the end of December.

Confident that the contractor can beat the new deadline, Mayor Amadeo Perez VI and his father, former Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr., now chairman of the Manila Economic Cooperation Office (MECO) in Taiwan, are now coordinating with Malacanang to have President Benigno S. Aquino III inaugurate the project.

The sanitary landfill, a landmark project of the Urdaneta City government, was started during the administration of the elder Perez, which was continued by his son, Mayor Amadeo Perez IV.

Before he bowed out of office last year, former Mayor Perez said the sanitary landfill adopted the most sophisticated technology available to prevent seepage of leachate into the soil from where it will mix with ground water.

This, he added, disputed the earlier fear that the sanitary landfill will pollute the water of the Sinocalan River.

The project is being constructed on a 12-hectare flat land bought by the city government from beneficiaries of the Agrarian Reform Program, sliced off from the property of the late Speaker Eugenio Perez Sr. in Barangay Catablan.

Financed from the P220-million loan by the city from the Land Bank of the Philippines, the project is in compliance with Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act which mandates local government units to put up their own sanitary landfill to replace their existing open dumpsites that had been banned since 2009.

The project will replace the adjacent existing six-hectare open dumpsite of the city which is now being slowly closed and set to be planted with vegetables and fruit-bearing trees, and being reserved as an extension of the sanitary landfill after 10 years.

San Juan said that the city government will allow other LGUs to dump their garbage to the sanitary landfill for a fee. The revenues to be generated will help the city amortize its loan with LBP, but he clarified that this will all depend on the decision of the city council.

He said tagged as priorities to use the sanitary landfill are the towns of Pozorrubio and Sta. Barbara although the town of Mapandan and the cities of Baguio and Dagupan also expressed their interest to use the project for their garbage.

Philippine Red Cross (PRC) said Saturday its Emergency Response Unit (ERU) responded to a bombing incident in Jolo, Sulu by bringing the victims to a hospital.

PRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang, through PRC Power Text, relayed to PRC National Headquarters the bomb blast at Asturias Church, PC Compound, Jolo, Sulu around 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

Immediately, the PRC Sulu Chapter provided patient conduction and ambulance service to the victims.

Based on Pang’s message, the fretful event left a total of 9 casualties â€" mostly suffering from injuries on the lower extremities due to debris implosion.

The victims were identified as Romy Reyes, Antoinette Quinones, Dr. Marian Lao, Rachelle Ann Carlos, Noel Engada, Emma Tan, Fr. Ricky Bacolcol, Joshua Quibang and Fr. Romeo Villanueva

PRC’s most recent report said the casualties were taken to Sulu Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) and Armed Forces of the Philippines Trauma Center for immediate medical treatment. (PNA)

A lady trader was freed without payment of ransom after spending almost two months in captivity in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf bandits in the island province of Basilan, a top police official announced Sunday.

Basilan police director Sr. Supt. Cristeto Rey Gonzalodo said the lady trader Rose Baranda, 59, was freed around 7:40 p.m. of Christmas Day.

Gonzalodo said Baranda was picked-up by Vice-Governor Alrasheed Sakkalahul, who chairs the Crisis Management Committee (CMC), in Sitio Limbo Kassah, Barangay Magkawa, Al-Barka municipality.

Gonzalodo said Baranda’s release came following the concerted efforts initiated by the Sakkalahul-led CMC backed by the Al-Barka Municipal CMC headed by Mayor Mohammad Kabukisan.

The Abu Sayyaf bandits led by Nurhasan Jamiri were forced to free Baranda also because of her deteriorating health condition, he said.

Baranda was kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf bandits last November 2 in the boundary of Ungkaya Pukan and Tipo-Tipo towns.

She was traveling from Lamitan municipality to Sumisip town when the Abu Sayyaf bandits led by Nurhassan Jamiri seized her.

Baranda ate porridge, the first meal after her release and has undergone medical examination and debriefing by the police and military in Basilan, Gonzalodo said.

In anticipation of the enactment of the P1.645-trillion Reform Budget of 2011 on Monday, the Aquino government has now started preparing for the execution of next year’s expenditure plan, Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad said on Sunday.

Sec. Abad said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has been holding budget execution coordination meetings with six Departments with key infrastructure projects or social protection programsâ€"Public Works, Transportation and Communication, Agriculture, Education, Health and Social Welfare and Developmentâ€"to draw up a budget execution strategy.

This will ensure that spending on these programs or projects are appropriately timed during the first half of the year.

“Maagang maipapasa ang 2011 Reform Budget, kaya naman dapat maaga rin namin itong mauumpisahan (the 2011 Reform Budget will be passed early, and it is just appropriate for us to implement this in a timely manner),” he added.

“The budget execution strategy, once approved by President Benigno Aquino lll, will set the premises, objectives, and key policies in the implementation of the 2011 GAA (General Appropriations Act).

It will allow us to frontload and accelerate spending on critical programs and projects that foster economic growth and improve the lives of the poor,” Abad explained.

Abad said the budget execution coordination meetings seek to flesh-out the work, as well as the monthly schedule of cash requirements of the six Departments.

PNA: The Department of Education (DepEd) set an early schedule of enrollment for school year 2011-2012 next month or on January as part of its intensified efforts to achieve the 2015 Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets.

The DepEd urged students and parents to take advantage of the pre-registration undertaking of the department and enroll before the May to June enrollment rush.

“One of the greatest challenges DepEd faces is convincing parents to bring their children to schools, to keep them there and finish basic education.

"Since Christmas break gives families a time to bond, we encourage our present students to convince their parents to enroll their younger siblings who are already of school age during the pre-registration period set by the department early next year,” the DepEd said in a statement.

The DepEd added that this move is among the efforts of the department to ensure that it remains on the right track in hitting the Millennium Development Goal (Goal) targets and the Education For All (EFA) commitment as the 2015 deadline comes closer.

The DepEd also noted the government’s EFA commitment includes the provision of a quality program for pre-school and early childhood care and development for children aged three to five.

Research studies show that the critical years in a child’s life are from birth to six years. At this stage, basic character, values, abilities, personality, skills, aptitude, attitudes, and knowledge are formed.

Further research shows that children who have a slow start are likely to experience problems right through childhood and into adolescence.

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Dec. 26 (PNA)--A bombing suspect was killed after he and three others bolted the detention cell of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-9 (CIDG-9) at Camp General Eduardo Batalla here at dawn Saturday.

Sr. Supt. Mario Rariza, Jr., CIDG-9 director, identified the slain bombing suspect as Solaiman Muin, who along with three others escaped from the detention cell at Camp Batalla along R.T. Lim Boulevard, this city.

Rariza said Muin was shot and killed when he resisted when cornered by pursuing lawmen inside Camp Batalla.

One of Muin's companion was recaptured while a manhunt operation was launched aimed to recapture the other two other escapees.

Rariza said Muin was suspected to be involved in the May 13, 2009 bomb attack on the convoy of Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan in the town of Patikul, Sulu.

Tan, together with his security escorts, close aides and some town officials, was leaving the provincial capitol grounds shortly after noon time of May 13, 2009 when a bomb placed on a parked motorcycle exploded.

Rariza said that initial investigation showed that the detainees escaped through the ceiling of the comfort room.

Rariza has ordered a thorough investigation why the two guards on duty failed to notice the escape until 5 a.m. of Christmas Day.

One of the guards is an organic CIDG-9 personnel while the other is a policemen from the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO).

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV seeks to remove the educational requirement for real estate sales agents.

The Real Estate Service Act requires agent to have at least two years of college to be accredited by the Professional Regulatory Board of Real Estate Service

Under the Trillanes bill, sales agents will simply need to undergo "relevant education" to qualify.

"By giving more persons access to employment opportunities, this bill aims to provide a fertile ground for employment generation to more qualified persons," said Trillanes. (Jonathan de Santos/Sunnex)

Aside from the spirit of sharing, Filipinos have another reason to celebrate this Yuletide season as President Benigno S. Aquino III is set to sign the P1.645-trillion national budget for the next fiscal year 2011.

In an interview over government-run radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Sunday, Presidential Deputy Spokesperson Abigail Valte said government projects that are in line for the coming year are already assured of their respective budget allotments after President Aquino’s signing of the national budget at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang on Monday.

Valte said it is the first time in over a decade that the budget will be signed before the start of the actual fiscal year.

“We are very happy that the national budget will be signed earlier than before. This will be very beneficial for our people. As early as January, funds will already be available for the projects in line next year,” Valte stressed.

“With the early signing of the budget, our infrastructure projects like repair of roads and bridges can be done in January when the weather is more conducive for construction,” she said.

According to Valte, the early signing of the budget shows the full trust and confidence of Congress on the leadership of the President and his administration.

She also said that as part of the President’s efforts to upgrade the government’s basic services to the people, he has allocated the necessary funding for key agencies that will directly implement developmental projects of government.

How Will You Meet 2011 New Year?

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Agence France Presse

India's launch of the world's cheapest car, the Nano, was expected to create a vast new market segment in the nation of 1.2 billion people, but reality has fallen short of expectations.

"We are at the gates â€" offering a new form of transportation to the people of India," said a proud Tata chairman Ratan Tata at the unveiling three years ago of the globally hyped vehicle.

Tata, who spearheaded the Nano's development as a way to get India's masses off two wheels and onto four, was likened by some to Henry Ford, who revolutionized the US car market with the Model T.

But the Nano's fortunes have gone into a tailspin with last month's sales of the snub-nosed "people's car" plunging 85 percent from a year earlier to an all-time low of 509 units, despite a rapidly expanding vehicle market.

While the five-seater Nano, which hit the roads with a price tag of 100,000 rupees ($2,500), has battled troubles such as fires in some of its cars and production delays, other small cars have boasted impressive sales figures.

By Angeline Valencia
Bohol Chronicle

Bloody Monday at the start of Christmas week drove off police focus but all on a blank wall with crimes from break of dawn 'til night.

The three stand-out incidents included the death of an employee of the municipal government of Tubigon from gunshot at 12:25 a.m., the shooting of the brother of a lifestyle editor in Mansasa District early morning, and the attempted rape, hold-up and stabbing of a 19-year-old female student of Holy Name University at 7:40 p.m..

The shooting incidents left the police groping for any lead, while the assault on a young woman reached the end of the city police already solved.   

A 19-year-old female student of HNU, took the secluded short-cut to a decor shop in purok 6 at Capitol Valley where she works part-time on Christmas vacation at 7:40 p.m. when a drunk man attacked her from behind and declared hold-up, then grabbed her in the neck, pushed her to the ground and stabbed her with a knife as he tried to rape her.

A passer-by, Rolando Remedios, heard a moan of mixed pain and call for help, but saw no one.

Upon sensing the presence of Remedios, the suspect-Jomar Bucio-hurriedly left, but caught the attention of Remedios.

Remedios glanced back upon noticing somebody running and saw the victim crying for help. So he chased the suspect and the purok tanods joined him.
          
The purok tanods then turned over Bucio to the police for investigation. It was learned that the 21-year-old suspect, single, is a native of sitio Sta. Cruz, barangay Canawa, Candijay, but is now residing at Capitol Valley.

Remedios brought the victim to Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital and reported the incident to the city police station at around 8:20 p.m. after she was given first-aid.

The victim sustained ten stab wounds and bruises in the arms and face. It is also believed that the suspect hit her in the head with a rock.

Morgia's mother, who was in their home in barangay Caluasan, municipality of San Miguel that time, came over at around 1 a.m. yesterday after she was informed of the incident.

The victim's family will be filing charges against the suspect soon.

On the other hand, the city police force has launched a discreet manhunt on motorcycle-riding armed men who shot the 29-year-old brother of a lifestyle editor and former publicist of a politician past 7 a.m. Monday at Mansasa District.

SPO4 David Niluag, chief of the city crime investigation section, said they are still consolidating the statements of witnesses to determine the exact identities of the suspects and the possible motive.

A city official hinted that an in-depth investigation on the incident might lead to a past issue involving the victim.

The victim, Manuel Fegeraldo de Erio, sustained gunshot wounds in left side portion of the ribs and right portion of the stomach.

The victim's father, Manuel, immediately rushed him to Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital where the medical team directed them to the operating room.

His vital signs stabilized by 1:30 p.m. but still had to remain at the operating room for the stitches on his wounds.

The victim is the younger brother of Manuel Ferdinand "D-Erst" de Erio, a lifestyle editor of a local paper here and a former publicist of a politician.

Witnesses said the victim was having a conversation with a friend, Randy Cimafranca, some 100 meters from their house when two men with their faces wrapped with cloth passed by on board a motorcycle, the back-rider of which fired at them thrice while mobile.

Cimafranca, D-Erst's classmate in elementary, was hit by shrapnel in the lower leg but no longer bothered to seek medical attention. He was waiting for the garbage truck while having small talk with the victim.

Cimafranca, 30, works at Villa Alzhun Tourist Inn and Restaurant.

Some witnesses said they heard three bursts of gunfire, others said they heard only two.

Responding policemen, led by PO2 Silvan Palacio of the city police, recovered two empty shells and one slug of .9mm.

D Erst said he leaves everything to the police, as he avoids wrongly implicating people, even as he is facing a libel case and has joined a group that pursues an investigation on a political personality.

Meanwhile, at 12:25 a.m. of the same day, another motorcycle-riding criminal shot dead a 43-year-old employee of the municipal government of Tubigon.

Spot report from Tubigon police station had it that the victim, Jose Edarbel Paraguya, was riding a motorcycle (Suzuki Raider model) driven by one Renante Lamanilao on their way home to barangay Ilijan Norte from the town's cockpit arena in barangay Cahayag.

While travelling on moderate speed along the national highway of barangay Guiwanon, in front of the residence of one Virgilio Claros, an unidentified man--travelling on a Honda Wave motorcycle at almost the same speed and to the same direction--shot Paraguya on the left cheek.

The bullet went through the lower right jaw, causing the Paraguya's instantaneous death.

The responding police team recovered an empty shell of .45 caliber from the crime scene.Tubigon police got Lamanilao's statement and continues to gather more information from people who knew Paraguya.(Angeline Valencia)

Christmas is a time when everybody wants his past forgotten and his present remembered. What I don't like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day.
-Phyllis Diller

Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with a melody that would last forever.
-Bess Streeter Aldrich

Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given--when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes.
-Joan Winmill Brown

Whatever else be lost among the years, Let us keep Christmas still a shining thing: Whatever doubts assail us, or what fears, Let us hold close one day, remembering Its poignant meaning for the hearts of men. Let us get back our childlike faith again.
-Grace Noll Crowell

It comes every year and will go on forever. And along with Christmas belong the keepsakes and the customs. Those humble, everyday things a mother clings to, and ponders, like Mary in the secret spaces of her heart.
-Marjorie Holmes

I do come home at Christmas. We all do, or we all should. We all come home, or ought to come home, for a short holiday - the longer, the better - from the great boarding school where we are forever working at our arithmetical slates, to take, and give a rest.
-Charles Dickens

The magi, as you know, were wise men - wonderfuly wise men who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents.
-O. Henry

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world - stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death - and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love? Then you can keep Christmas.
-Henry Van Dyke

Many banks have a new kind of Christmas club in operation. The new club helps you save money to pay for last year's gifts.
-Unknown

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.

-Agnes M. Pharo

Time was with most of us, when Christmas Day, encircling all our limited world like a magic ring, left nothing out for us to miss or seek; bound together all our home enjoyments, affections, and hopes; grouped everything and everyone round the Christmas fire, and make the little picture shining in our bright young eyes, complete.
-Charles Dickens

Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles.
-Unknown

Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.
-Mary Ellen Chase

Somehow, not only for Christmas, But all the long year through, The joy that you give to others, Is the joy that comes back to you. And the more you spend in blessing, The poor and lonely and sad, The more of your heart's possessing, Returns to you glad.
-John Greenleaf Whittier

Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first. The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world of the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years... Underneath all the bulging bundles is this beating Christmas heart.
-George Mathhew Adams