IN celebration of the National ICT Month, the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) is rolling out activities that promote and strengthen the competitiveness of the Philippine ICT industry.

The activities include the announcement of a new partnership that will improve operations and enhance the quality of solutions developed in the Microsoft Open Source Interoperability Lab.

The CICT partnered with We are I.T. Philippines Inc. (WIT) to enable the interoperability lab with satellite-based Inter-net connectivity.

WIT is a provider of turnkey satellite communications services to organizations in Asia and the Pacific.

“Technology users have various connectivity needs and having access to critical solutions and services goes a long way into improving the performance of an individual or group,” said Jose Maddatu, president and chief executive officer of WIT.

“Through this partnership, we are providing the Microsoft Open Source Interoperability Lab with satellite-based connection, which means that users of the lab will have access to a bigger bandwidth. Developers will have access to huge amounts of data and information faster that help them work more efficiently,” said Maddatu.

“We are looking forward to seeing the development of interoperable systems with these engagements. The interoperability lab encourages IT professionals to be creative, imaginative and to push the boundaries of technology,” said ICT Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua.

“The CICT is working closely with companies, like Microsoft, in implementing projects that stimulate the local software industry and create more opportunities for Filipino developers and companies. We share a commitment to building the Philippine ICT industry and making sure that we remain aggressive and competent,” said Roxas-Chua.

After announcing a series of broad-reaching changes that increase the openness of its products and drive greater interoperabi-lity and choice, Microsoft is following through on its commitment to deliver interoperability solutions with a series of local initiatives that spur local industry growth.

These initiatives support four interoperability principles outlined by Microsoft: ensuring open connections; promoting data portability; enhancing support for industry standards; and fostering more open engagement with customers and the industry, including open source communities.

“Guided by these business strategies, we have provided IT professionals working with different technologies an opportunity to innovate further and deliver value to their customers,” said Lorenzo Madrid, world wide director for the Government Interoperability Initiative of Microsoft Corp. “These principles are also applied locally as we work with partners and organizations across different regions.”

Madrid said interoperability is not just about standards. Microsoft is adopting an approach which has a significant economic impact and enables companies and technology end-users to experience cost-savings.

“We believe that these efforts greatly benefit IT industries and local economies, particularly during these times. For example, interoperability affects GDP (gross domestic product) growth. Having interoperable e-government systems bring other benefits such as better data quality, increased agility to expedite bureaucratic processes and improved government image as perceived by its citizens,” he said.

Last year, Microsoft in collaboration with CICT and the National Computer Center (NCC), introduced the Microsoft Open Source Interoperability Lab, which offers open source developers the opportunity to test the performance of their solutions on the Microsoft platform. Located at the NCC grounds, the facility is also the first of its kind in Asia.

Following the establishment of the open source lab, Microsoft also embarked on a key partnership with a leading open source proponent in the Philippines, Exist Global for the creation of tools that enable developers to use .NET languages in a Java project management tool.

These interoperability initiatives stemmed from the challenges faced by businesses and customers looking for ways to make their existing systems work well with past and present technologies.

“By giving Filipino developers access to tools and support, we hope to enable them to design innovative solutions that address the needs of a wider market,” Madrid said.

“In today’s uncertain economic climate, we see the opportunity to strengthen and continue our interoperability efforts.

Software companies and developers need to come up with relevant applications that capture the attention of the market to remain competitive.”

BEING inspired and being able to inspire were among the traits shared by the six local entrepreneurs who were honored during the 14th Annual Grand Chamber Awards Tuesday night.

The top award—Entrepreneur of the Year—was handed to Profood International Corp. president Justin Uy who was described during the awards night as a “self-made business icon.”

When he was 12, Uy started selling cigarettes to vendors on consignment. Shortly after, he he ventured into shell craft and later opened an egg and poultry business.

He enabled Profoods to achieve further growth amid economic and financial difficulties, and positioned the company as leading producer and exporter of processed fruit products.

“I am here partly because of my brother and sisters.

I think my greatest success is to get 11 of us to work together.

That is something I am very proud of,” said Uy who received the award from Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, Rep. Raul del Mar (Cebu City south) and Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president Samuel Chioson.

In a separate video message, Uy said the secret of being a successful entrepreneur is hard work. “There is no replacement for it,” he added.

The other awardees—Hyundai Cebu president Edward Onglatco as the Young Entrepreneur of the Year; San Remigio Beach Club president Antonio Ynoc as the Countryside Entrepreneur of the Year; CNT Lechon proprietors Norman and Catherine Quijada as Small Business Entrepreneurs of the Year; 33 point 3 Exports Inc. president Jenifer Cruz as the Socially Responsible Entrepreneur of the Year; and Royal Oaks International School president as the Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year—shared his views about the importance of hard work and perseverance.

The CCCI picked its awardees based on social responsibility, personal integrity, their businesses’ strategic direction, entrepreneurial spirit and the financial performance of their companies.

The Grand Chamber Awards, which was culmination of the Cebu Business Month 2009 of the CCCI, also included four special citations.

The Cebu Investment Promotions Center (CIPC) received a special citation for promoting Cebu to foreign direct investors.

According CCCI, CIPC is the “driver of investment opportunities in Cebu, the provider of business research and data...(and) the developer and trendsetter of economic thrust and direction.”

Cebu Mitsumi, Inc. got a special citation for employment generation and for being the top employer in Cebu. The electronic parts manufacturer had 8,393 workers as of March and contributes at least P40 million a month to the local economy.

A special citation for exemplary commitment to Cebu was given to Lexmark Research and Development Corp. for bringing its research and development operations to Cebu.

The company was also lauded for having “greatly contributed (and for being a) catalyst (in propelling) Cebu’s information and technology toward global competitiveness.”

British Armour Manufacturing International Inc. also received a special citation for exemplary contribution to innovation and technology. The company has more than 30 years of expertise in armoring and providing protection to guarantee ballistic safety with high quality design.

Grand Chamber Awards 2009 chair Alice Woolbright Fernandez said in a statement that the award’s goal was to provide “more than our usual dose of inspiration in today’s crucial and fragile economy.”

CEBUANO retailers foresee an increase in consumer spending in the last quarter of this year, a trend that is expected to
continue until 2010.

“The holiday season during the fourth quarter will fuel consumption,” Bernie Liu, national president of the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA), said during the PRA third regional conference yesterday.

The third quarter, however, is expected to be slow with the onset of the rainy season. Liu said that for this year, a flat performance can be considered growth.

Liu also said that consumer spending will be sustained until 2010 because of the elections.

But he added that the expected increase in consumer spending in the latter part of this year could not be considered as a
full recovery from the effects of the global economic crisis.

“To go back to double digit growth next year, like in 2007, will be a tall order for the retailers,” he said.

Not the same

The year 2007 was considered as a banner year by retailers following the industry’s average growth rate of 20 percent.

“(The year) 2010 will not be the same as 2007, but it will be better than the industry’s performance in 2008 and 2009,” he said.

Liu said that while it would take some time for the whole industry to recover, industry stakeholders believe the Philippines would be able to recover faster than other countries.

“Remember, the Philippines recovered (more) quickly from the Asian financial crisis in the mid-90s than its neighbors.

It is expected that next year, our country will be among those that will quickly rebound from the world crisis,” said Asteria
Caberte, Department of Trade and Industry director for Central Visayas.

She said the local retail industry also benefited from the booming tourism in Cebu.

PRA Cebu chairman Jay Aldeguer said that because the travel industry stimulated domestic travel, retailers gained from the influx of local tourists.

“All indicators show that the Philippines is not as hurt (as other countries),” he said.

SM malls nationwide are also expected to post “low double-digit growth” at the end of the year, said SM Prime Holdings Inc. vice president for marketing Marissa Fernan.

She attributes the growth to developments in the business process outsourcing industry, as well as the increasing remittances of overseas Filipinos.

Although some overseas Filipino workers (OFW) had lost their jobs, Fernan said these OFWs were able to turn their separation pay into investments when they purchase houses and lots, among others.

“In SM malls, we have a lot of real estate companies doing exhibits and they are all doing very well. We noticed that our home and house ware related affiliates are doing well also,” she said.

BARANGAY Gusa, under the leadership of its Chairman Enrico D. Salcedo, once again earned its mark as one of the multi-awarded barangays in Cagayan de Oro City.

Barangay Gusa bagged second runner-up in the Highly Urbanized Cities category in the 2008 Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Award (LTIA).

This is a glorious feat for the lupong tagapamayapa of Barangay Gusa as it was the first time the local government unit (LGU) joined the LTIA and was then immediately an awardee by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Chairman Salcedo, together with its lupon members, lupon secretary, and other barangay officials and functionaries, will be joined by City Mayor Constantino G. Jaraula and DILG-Northern Mindanao Regional Director Loreto T. Bhagwani in receiving the award at Rizal Hall, Malacañang on July 30, 2009.

Also joining to give support to the group during the awarding ceremonies are DILG City Director Emil T. Rana and Nahum Colocar, LTIA Project Officer of DILG.

Director Bhagwani is very proud of this achievement accorded to barangay Gusa.

He wished that the lupons will continually do its utmost best to become effective local arbiters in barangay mediation and help preserve peace and order in their communities.

LTIA is an awards program by the Department that aims to grant incentives to the lupons or pangkat members who adequately demonstrate its abilities to judiciously and expeditiously resolve cases amicably referred to the group.

ORGANIZERS launched on Tuesday a jingle contest wherein the winning entry will serve as the official jingle of Cagayan de Oro City.

The Cagayan de Oro Jingle Contest is a project of the City Tourism Board chaired by Josie Aliñabon, in partnership with SM City Cagayan de Oro, Promote CdeO Foundation led by president Ruben Vegafria, the City Government of Cagayan de Oro through the City Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office headed by Imma Rae D. Gatuslao, and the City Council Committee on Tourism chaired by City Councilor Alden Bacal.

The jingle contest is open to all amateur and professional songwriters, regardless of nationality or origin. The entry must encapsulate the heart, brand, personality, and identity of Cagayan de Oro City. The winning entry will serve as the city's official jingle, which will be performed and played during public shows, festivals, and wherever the city is represented.

Lyrics of the jingle may be in English or Bisaya or both and must be shorter, at most one minute only. All entries must be original compositions and must not infringe on any copyright of any other rights of any party. Criteria of the contest are as follows: composition 25 percent, melody 25 percent; lyrics 25 percent, and originality 25 percent.

First prize winner will bring home a cash prize of P30,000 while second and third prize winners will receive P20,000 and P10,000, respectively. Consolation prizes will also be given to the top 10 qualifiers.

All entries submitted to the City Tourism Board shall become their property. Entrants shall agree that should their song be selected as the winning jingle, this shall be used for promotional advertising and publicity purposes of the city and further permit the City Tourism Board to use their song without additional compensation.

Each entry must have the following: completed entry form, three (3) copies of song lyrics written legibly or typewritten on the official entry sheet and each entry requires two (2) separate CDs with recorded song labeled with composer's entry number and title of song written in black marker. The singers and accompanists that will perform the jingle should not exceed six persons.

The screening of entries will be on August 1, 2009, and the qualifiers will be presented on August 7 at 4 p.m. at the Atrium in SM Cagayan de Oro. The final competition will be held on August 17.

Entry forms are now available in the City Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office at the ground floor, City Tourism Hall, City Hall, the City Tourism Showhouse in Divisoria, and SM City Cagayan de Oro. Deadline for submission of entries will be on July 31, 2009.

CITIZENS Charter (CC), as an official document, a service standard, or a pledge that gives information on the services provided by the government to its citizens, is now actively being implemented by more local government units (LGUs) in Northern Mindanao.

Several local government units in the region are gearing up implementation of the Citizen's Charter by way of submitting their crafted charters to the Department of the Interior and Local Government Region (DILG) and to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) in Northern Mindanao, respectively.

LGUs with approved charters are Valencia City and Malitbog of Bukidnon.

Meanwhile, LGUs in Bukidnon that have submitted their drafts on these charters are Cabanglasan, Manolo Fortich, Impasugong, Dangcagan, Kitaotao, Lantapan, Quezon, Talakag, Maramag, Sumilao, Damulog, Pangantucan, San Fernando, Don Carlos, and Kibawe. On the other hand, the municipalities of Libona, Baungon, Kalilangan, and Malaybalay are in their drafting stage.

The Citizen's Charter is defined in the implementing rules of RA 9485, otherwise known as the "Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007" that requires all government offices including LGUs to formulate CC by June 2009. Said charter is a document that contains relevant information on the frontline services and goods provided by LGUs to its citizens and serves as the standard of their delivery of these services and goods to the public. The charter will guide citizens on how to quickly avail of these frontline government services at the community level.

Inclusion in the said draft submitted by these LGUs are their resolutions involving the making of charter, the vision and mission of the government office or agency, identification of the frontline services offered, and the recipients of such services, the step-by-step procedure to obtain a particular service, the officer or employee responsible for each step, and the maximum time to conclude the process, fees, and others.

These drafts, once reviewed by CSC, are expected to be referred back to the LGU for its actual implementation. Their respective charters are to be posted in billboards in conspicuous places in the community and in offices for the public's reference.

DILG-Northern Mindanao Regional Director Loreto T. Bhagwani sees these charters as very imperative in the effective performance of the LGUs and the national agencies as well. These charters shall also be essential in helping fight corruption and graft practices in the local government units and in the NGAs.

DILG is actively implementing this national program with the CSC and the Office of the Ombudsman. In the region, DILG had implemented Project Cure (Comprehensive and Unified Response to Eliminate) Red Tape to enhance the delivery of basic services to the people through the elimination of red tape practices.

Under this project, briefings on Citizen's Charter were made through provincial rollouts that started in Misamis Oriental and Camiguin last March 26-27, 2009 with around 160 participants. This activity continued in Bukidnon last April 2-4, 2009, Lanao del Norte on April 15-16, 2009, and Misamis Occidental on April 22-23, 2009 respectively.

FAMILIES who are on the brink of being evicted from their dwellings in Cagayan de Oro said they'd rather go homeless than accept the P1 per lot project of the City Government.

"Dili mi gusto sa Piso-Piso kay wala kana nakahatag og kabulahanan ug kasigurohan sa mga beneficiaries (We are not keen on that ‘Piso-Piso’ program because it does not give security to the beneficiaries)," said Rudy Ramoso, head of the urban poor group whose members are facing demolition on their houses near the Agora market area.

"Piso-Piso" was a land resettlement program under the Emano administration, which distributes land to irregular settlers for P1.

The program, however, was declared "disadvantageous" by state auditors because City Hall had to borrow money from the banks to fund the program and get nothing in return.

Ramoso, chairman of the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap in Region 10 (Kadamay-10), counted at least 3,000 households or 5,000 families that he said would be affected by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's order declaring the area an industrial-commercial site.

The affected areas are the sitios of Little Bohol, San Lazaro, Lapaz Extension, and neighboring places near the Agora Integrated Bus Terminal (IBT) -- all within Barangay Lapasan.

Ramoso said the area has recently been declared as part of the Macabalan Port extension.

He said the settlers -- some of whom have been living in the area for 20 years -- are at the mercy of the landowners who were favored by the Supreme Court in a decision on July 23, 2008.

Urban poor groups, Ramoso said, already learned their lesson when one of the resettlement areas under "Piso-Piso" was taken back by the owner because City Hall failed to pay the remaining amount for the land. He also noted that "Piso-Piso" beneficiaries neither have land titles for their lots nor do they possess any valid legal instrument showing their ownership of the land.

City Hall, instead, can help the landless families by exploring alternatives for the families to stay in their present dwellings permanently.

Ramoso said they want to see Mayor Constantino Jaraula to discuss their problem.

Emano, now a vice mayor, has pending graft charges in connection with the "Piso-Piso" program. Several councilors under his party were also named in the complaint, filed by Atty. Ed Tamondong way back in 2003.

No other "Piso-Piso" project has so far been initiated under the Jaraula administration.

COTABATO CITY -- A statement branding internally displaced persons (IDPs) or evacuees as "enemy reserve forces" drew sharp reactions from the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Wednesday.

Professor Datu Michael Mastura called the statement made by 6th Infantry Division, Philippine Army spokesman Colonel Jonathan Ponce as "irresponsible."

Ponce had told reporters in a forum Tuesday evening that IDPs are essentially "enemy reserve forces," saying the military has recovered items with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) markings in MILF camps.

The ICRC and the WFP regularly distribute relief goods composed of rice, cooking oil, sugar, and other essential items to conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.

Ponce said IDP evacuation camps are mostly occupied only before scheduled relief distributions, and the ranks of IDPs thin out after, resulting in differing IDP figures by international aid donors.

Mastura said Ponce's statement is a revelation of the military's mind set vis-à-vis the Bangsamoro people.

"The Constitution mandates that the AFP serve as protectors of the people," Mastura said.

"If this is the way the AFP thinks, then the MILF is on the right track on secession," Mastura said.

Mastura said the statement was probably meant to cover the tracks of the military in communities affected by the fighting.

The truth of the matter, Mastura said, is that the sheer number of IDPs in conflict-affected areas of Mindanao can only be characterized as an ongoing humanitarian tragedy that calls for a humanitarian solution.

Amnesty International (AI) in October last year reported that there are about 610,000 people displaced from August to September in Mindanao. In its report, AI noted the shortage of supplies in evacuation centers and warned of a possible humanitarian crisis if plans were not put in place to provide for the needs of the local population amidst the possibility of an increase in fighting.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), in an update dated May 18, 2009, reported that the conflict between government forces and what the military calls rogue commanders of the MILF has affected 406 barangays, 51 municipalities, and three cities in 11 provinces of Northern Mindanao, Central Mindanao, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm).

The same report counts some 546 evacuation centers and the number of people affected at 703,949. Out of the more than 700,000 affected people, 62,510 families or 299,213 are living in the evacuation camps with the remaining opting to return to their homes or staying with relatives.

Conditions in the camps can be described as squalid at best and utterly deplorable at its very worst.

In one evacuation camp in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, 361 families live in an estimated 3,000 square meter lot at the back of a school complex. Rows of makeshift shelters made of sticks and bright orange tarpaulin stand leaning to each other, over ground sticky with muck and with pools of stagnant water.

The camp has no supply of potable water, and the only source of water used for washing dishes and for bathing is a shallow well at the camp's perimeter, in a field full of scattered human and animal waste.

The evacuees have been living in this state for over two months now, ever since they were forced to flee Barangays Ganta and Bacat of Datu Piang, Maguindanao by renewed hostilities between government forces and the MILF.

Fr. Eduardo "Pon Pon" Vasquez, Jr., OMI, based on records kept by the Notre Dame of Dulawan Clinic and Bahay Kalinga in Poblacion, Datu Piang, Maguindanao, reports that 16 children have already died since April 2009 alone. The leading causes of death,are diarrhea and typhoid fever, among a host of other diseases.

In a statement read during mass Sunday, June 25, Vasquez called on authorities and aid organizations to "improve the system of relief distribution for the IDPs."

"Most of all, we make a strong appeal to both the AFP and the MILF to stop the war and return to the negotiating table so that the IDPs can return to their homes," Vasquez told the 200 family-strong Catholic community of Sta. Teresita Parish of Datu Piang.

When asked for comment on the plight of IDPs, Rafael Seguis, chief negotiator of the government peace panel, said Wednesday that the government is aware of the plight of the IDPs in evacuation camps and is continuously looking for ways to solve the IDP problem.

"The long-term solution to this is the resumption of peace talks," Seguis said.

But Carolyn Arguillas of MindaNews writes that with only 12 months left in President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's term is there hope at all that her 2001 "all-out peace" vow will be realized before she steps down at noon of 30 June 2010?

PROSECUTORS have finally filed murder charges against two individuals in connection with the killing of a radioman in Oroquieta City early this year.

A panel of prosecutors handling the February 2009 murder of radioman Ernesto "Ka Ernie" Rollin charged Ruel Jumalon and a John Doe with murder, over four months after the journalist's death.

Regional State Prosecutor Jaime Umpa said the three-man panel of prosecutors filed the case last week, capping three months of investigation that initially hit a blank wall because no witness came forward to testify Rollin's pre-dawn killing last February 23.

Early on, probers had already listed Jumalon as suspect, but finding him proved to be an uphill battle for law enforcement agencies. Allegedly, Jumalon is a former member of the New People's Army (NPA) and a known hitman in Misamis Occidental.

The break came when the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested the suspect last May 24 on a separate charge.

Jumalon, a resident of Calamba town in Misamis Occidental, was nabbed hours after the killing of SPO1 Juanito Dominguez in Oroquieta City.

Prosecutor Umpa said Jumalon failed to submit his counter-affidavit despite being given ample time to answer the complaint. This, he said, even contributed to the delay in the filing of the case.

Fiscals Ma. Corazon B. Gaite Llanderal, Irene L. Alejado-Meso, and Ma. Aileen G. Aguaviva recommended no bail bond for the suspect.

Proof against Jumalon consists of at least two affidavits that identified him as the gunman. Prosecutors said more witnesses will be presented during the trial. The case had yet to be raffled among the regional trial courts in Cagayan de Oro.

One of the witnesses against Jumalon is Ligaya Barero, Rollin's common-law wife, who is now in Manila and placed under the government's Witness Protection Program.

CIDG and the regional office of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said they are still on the process of determining the identity of the other suspect.

The Philippines has been tagged by international media organizations such as the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists and the Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres as one of the most dangerous places for journalists.

According to local media watch groups, such as the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, around 100 journalists have been killed in the country since the restoration of democracy in 1986.

BY VIRTUE of his international standing and his having topped the recent 1st Antonio Ivan S. Aguirre open individual chess tournament, US Master Rodrigo Atotubo is considered as the tournament top seed in the forthcoming 1st George S. Aguirre/Atty. Eugenio Villasor Villanueva Jr. Memorial open individual chess tournament.

The tournament is slated on September 6 to 27, 2009, at the lobby of the Top’s Millennium Plaza Bowling Lanes, 10th/Hilado Sts., Capitol Shopping Center, Bacolod City.

The activity, organized by the Game Royale Aficionados of Negros Inc. headed by Dr. Alfonso Teorima, is a seven-round-Swiss System (1-hour-20-moves + 1-hour-to-finish-the-game) event that is open to both male and female chess players from Negros island, as well as guest players from neighboring provinces who must know how to record chess games either through the Descriptive English Notation (P-K4 – P-QB4 or Algebraic Notation (e4 – c5) and must be able to bring their own tournament size chess sets and chess clocks.

Entry fee per participant is P200 which must be settled upon registration. Registration deadline is on September 4, 2009, 6 p.m.

Prizes awaiting the top finishers are: for the champion, P5,000 plus a 42-inch, four-legged “King” trophy; for the 1st runner-up, P4,000 plus a 36-inch, four-legged “Queen” trophy; for the 2nd runner-up, P3,000 plus a 30-inch, four-legged “Rook” trophy; for the 3rd runner-up, P2,000 plus a 27-inch, four-legged “Bishop” trophy; for the 4th runner-up, P1,000 plus a 24-inch, four-legged “Knight” trophy; while the 6th to 20th placed finishers will each receive eureka chess sets with chess mats and bags.

On top of the major prizes, the top three scorers in the female category will receive P700, P500 and P300, respectively, plus gold, silver and bronze chess medals; while the top 3 finishers in the kiddies division will likewise get P500, P300 and P200, respectively plus gold, silver and bronze chess medals.

For more information, interested participants may contact tournament director and chief arbiter Dodz Felisilda through telephone number (034) 707-0421 or mobile numbers 0919-658-1254 and 0917-607-8373.

NEGRENSE boxers in the national training pool of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap) are likely candidates for berths in the RP team who will be tapped for training abroad.

This was revealed to Sun.Star Bacolod in a text message Wednesday by national team coach and former Olympian and Asian Games gold medalist Elias Recaido Jr. of Bacolod City.

“It is possible that (Joan) Tipon, (Gerson) Nietes and Mark John Melligen will be named as part of the national team who will be sent for training in China, Cuba or the US in preparation for future international competitions like the Laos Southeast Asian Games in December this year, the Asian Games and the 2012 London Olympics,” Recaido said.

Abap announced the other day that it plans to send selected boxers for training in three different countries in the hope that said training would benefit the Filipino boxers when they vie in two major international tournaments in the final quarter of the year.

Abap executive secretary Ed Picson was quoted as saying the training is in preparation for the coming World Boxing Championships and the 25th SEAGames in Laos.

As per recommendation of the Abap coaching staff that includes the two Cuban coaches -- Juan Enriquez Steyners Tissert and Badoberto Rojas Scott -- the RP boxers are again bound for possible 30-day training in Cuba.

But Abap is also thinking of accepting a proposal by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to send the nationals to China, which is slowly emerging as a force to reckon with in boxing as proven by its gold medal wins in the 2008 Beijing Olympics courtesy of light flyweight Shiming Zou and light heavyweight Xiaoping Zhang.

Recaido said he agrees that a training in Cuba “would be the best but it could be quite costly for the country.”

Tipon of Barangay Banago, Bacolod City, Nietes of Barangay Granada, Bacolod City and Mark John Rey Melligen of Barangay Pahanocoy, Bacolod City are three of five Negrense standouts who are now in the Abap national pool.

The others are Ian Clark Bautista of Himamaylan City and Albert Pabila of Barangay Handumanan, Bacolod City.

RP WELTERWEIGHT champion Mark Jason Melligen of Barangay Pahanocoy, Bacolod City is slated to face his biggest test so far in his young pro boxing career when he takes on 26-year-old, 5’11” Mexican Michael Rosales at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 15.

Cebu-based Negrense international boxing promoter Antonio ‘Bidoy’ Aldeguer conceded that the former Negros Amateur Boxing Association (Naba) standout was moving up a notch in taking on Rosales (23-3, 21 KOs), who stands four inches taller than the 5’7” Negrense (15-1, 11 Kos).

The fight is an undercard of the World Boxing Association (WBA) flyweight interim title fight between International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Nonito Donaire and Panama’s Rafael Concepcion, who had a 10-round victory over world-rated AJ ‘Bazooka’ Banal in a WBA interim title fight.

Aldeguer admitted that it will be a tough fight against the Mexican since “Rosales is elongated and his KO record clearly demonstrates his punching power, while his three defeats were at the hands of top-class, undefeated opponents.”

Rosales lost via a seventh round TKO to Mike Alvarado (20-0 13 Kos) on May 9, 2008 in what was described as the latter’s toughest fight so far.

Melligen, a 2005 Southeast Asian Games silver medalist, is currently in town on vacation and is scheduled to fly back to the US next week.

KAMIKAZEE will perform in a free concert sponsored by SuperFerry at the Sagay public market this Saturday, July 4, at 7 p.m.

Once again, Tuesday Vargas will host the variety show called the Biyaheng Bayan caravan concert, which will also raffle off roundtrip tickets to Manila.

Kamikazee is composed of Jay Contreras (lead vocalist), Jomal Linao guitars/back-up vocals), Led Zeppelin Tuyay (guitars), Jason ‘Puto’ Astete (bass guitar) and Allan ‘Bords’ Burdeos (drums). They met in college, at the College of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Kamikazee released its first self-titled album in 2002. In 2006, it released its second album, Maharot, with the carrier hit single “Narda.”

Recently, Universal Records released Kamikazee’s third album “Long Time Noisy” featuring the launching single “Wala.” “Long Time Noisy” is the band’s follow-up of its double platinum breakthrough album “Maharot.”

Other notable cuts from the album are ‘Ikaw,’ ‘Hanggang Tingin,’ ‘Eschoos Me,’ ‘Hot Mami’ and ‘Meron Akong Ano.’

This free SuperFerry concert is the first of three free concerts scheduled this year. Kamikazee is also set to perform in Cebu on July 24 and Cagayan de Oro on September 12.

SuperFerry is joined this year by Enchanted Kingdom as co-presentor and Supercat as sponsor for the repeat of the successful year long Biyaheng Bayan caravan tour with ‘Piyestang Pamilya’ as its theme. The caravan not only offers fun, games and prizes but tickets priced as low as 588 for Manila to Visayas (vice versa) and 788 Manila to Mindanao (vice versa).

SuperFerry is the first carrier to accept ticket payments over the Internet using the ATM PIN.

SMART Communications Inc., together with the local chapters of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), will hold a series of blood donation activities across the nation this month.

The first leg will be held at the Gaisano City Mall in Bacolod City Thursday, in coordination with the Negros Press Club and the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R).

The rest of the blood donation activities will be scheduled in the cities of Iloilo, Dumaguete, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Pangasinan and Manila later this month.

Healthy and qualified blood donors are invited to donate blood.

Prospective blood donors should be 18-60 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds or 50 kilograms. They should have abstained from any alcoholic beverage 24 hours prior to blood donation. Their temperature, pulse rate and blood pressure must also register as normal during the screening process.

Donating blood benefits not just the recipient but also the blood donor. By donating blood, the production of new red blood cells is enhanced. Blood donation will help stimulate the generation of new blood cells. Donors also get a free health screening, since the blood pressure and pulse rate are checked.

Smart regularly conducts blood donation activities to support the efforts of the PNRC to ensure adequate blood supply in the country. The initiative is part of Kabalikat sa Kaligtasan, Smart's corporate social responsibility and community service program on disaster-preparedness and emergency-response.

In addition to conducting blood donation activities, Smart also works with the PNRC and other service-oriented organizations, like the National Disaster Coordinating Council, by providing emergency communications support during emergency and disaster situations.

TWELVE persons were arrested in Escalante City Wednesday morning for violating Republic Act (RA) 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.

Chief Inspector Santiago Rapiz, chief of the Escalante City Philippine National Police (PNP), said the 12 were caught illegally fishing near Jomabo Island Beach Resort by Bantay Dagat led by Police Officer 1 Rodel Betic.

The fishing boat labeled “Macmac,” owned by Paulina Bacalso, 60, a kagawad of Barangay Old Poblacion in the city, was manned by Vemilo Boc, 43, married, also a resident of said place.

His crews were identified as Mitche Boc, 20, single; Nelson Mandalupe, 22, married; Sandy Bacalso, 25, single; Romyboy Blanco, 25, married; John Rosales, 39, married; Elmo Delos Reyes, 38, married; Cezar Labuncag, 39, single, Ranilo Boc, 30, married, all of Barangay Old Poblacion in the city; Raymund Parisan, 20, single, Joemar Parisan, 20, single, both of Manapla, and Joelito Pama, 19, single of Talabahan, Cadiz City.

Recovered from their possession were 12 boxes of assorted fish.

They were temporarily detained at the Escalante City Police Station for booking and proper disposition.

The case was already referred to Environmental and Natural Resources Officer Voltaire Pontevedra for the filing of charges.

Senior Superintendent Manuel Felix commended the Escalante City Police and the Bantay Dagat for their laudable accomplishment. He said the Negros Occidental police are serious in implementing the law fairly and squarely.

Meanwhile, a 35-year-old resident of sitio Tinago in Barangay Cabagna-an, La Castellana, was apprehended by the local police Sunday afternoon at his residence by virtue of an arrest warrant for murder.

Maximo Dojinog was arrested after Judge Francisco Rodriguez of La Carlota City RTC issued a warrant of arrest for him in criminal case # 3276 dated June 16, 2008.

He is now detained at the La Castellana Police Station lockup cell.

In Manapla, joint elements of the Manapla and EB Magalona Police nabbed Rigor Bolinas, 30, and resident of Barangay 1-B, Manapla last Tuesday on the strength of an arrest warrant for the crime of theft issued by Judge Evelyn Gengos of MTCC EB Magalona-Manapla.

A P10,000 bail was recommended for his temporary liberty.

In Talisay City, Joshua Liguez, 19, single of Baganga, Davao Oriental, voluntarily surrendered to Mayor Eric Saratan and to the Talisay City PNP, led by Superintendent Thomas Joseph Martir.

Liguez is the fifth most wanted person in Baganga and has a standing warrant of arrest for the crime of robbery with homicide issued by Judge Virginia Tahano-ang of RTC Branch 7-Baganga in Davao Oriental dated June 26, 2009. No bail was recommended for his temporary freedom.

He is under the custody of the Talisay PNP and is set to be turned over to Baganga Police Station for disposition.

RICE supplies have been readied for release third week of this month.

The distribution is intended for the sugar workers and their dependents who will be displaced in August when the off milling season or tiempos muertos starts.

At least 8,000 sacks of rice are ready for release, which Negros Occidental Governor Isidro Zayco said will benefit 83,924 sugar workers and their dependents of 387,608 from the province’s 446 barangays.

Zayco said a minimum of 20 sacks of rice will be distributed to the sugar workers in every locality.

The rice supplies will be distributed with the supervision of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). They will be released through the food-for-work program of the Provincial Government.

Zayco said that sugar planters and concerned local government units (LGUs) also vowed to extend assistance to their respective sugar workers.

Also included in the list of beneficiaries are labor union groups, Zayco said.

Meantime, Zayco said he is waiting for the commitment of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and the DSWD national office, which Secretary Esperanza Cabral is expected to give during her visit in Bacolod City on July 1.

NEGROS Occidental Provincial Board (PB) decided Wednesday to review Ordinance 007-2007, which bans the entry of genetically modified organism (GMO)-infected crops into the province.

This amid the arguments between pro and anti-GMOs composed of the planters’ association, livestock and hog raisers, environmentalists’ group, stakeholders and the PB members themselves who already admitted being divided on the issue.

The ordinance, fully implemented by the Provincial Government already for two years, bans the entry of GMOs, both non-living and living agri products into the province.

Vice Governor Emilio Yulo III opined it is an “executive” function for a moratorium to be realized while “legislative for the PB members to review the ordinance which the Board could not just solve overnight”.

Prior to Wednesday’s regular session, the PB members held a caucus at Bar 21 in Bacolod City where they decided to review the controversial ordinance, but Yulo said that moves to declare a moratorium was not discussed.

“The issue has reached a level of emotion which appeared to be creating divisions and that it is imperative for the Board to review the ordinance,” Yulo said.

He noted that because the ordinance is “standing and valid,” Governor Isidro Zayco is bound to implement it. “And it is an executive function for a moratorium to be declared.”

Yulo admitted that the hands of the PB members are tied over how they could take cognizant of, and what decision they could have, considering that heated arguments already surfaced to the extreme between the pro and anti-GMOs which until now remains a controversy.

He cited that when the public hearing on the ordinance was conducted, only the pro-GMOs attended, “with no opposition.”

Yulo hinted on the possibility that the ordinance will be amended or repealed if there is a strong and much valid reason to do so.

In their letter to Zayco, the VMC Farmers’ Cooperative Inc. and the Confederation of Sugar Producers’ Association Inc. appealed for the suspension in the implementation of the ordinance pending further in-depth study and evaluation on the effects of GMO on consumers.

“We reiterate our position that the ordinance be put in abeyance until an in-depth scientific study is done on the economic impact it will have on the province and the food security for the country,” the VMC-FCI told the governor.

Confed, on the other hand, said the sugar industry is still the lifeblood of the economy of Negros and remains its leading product.

“Negros, (being) a province powered by a mono crop system of agriculture (sugarcane), does not have a fallback industry to lean on when our primary and only industry will collapse,” it said.

The same sentiment is shared by the livestock and hog raisers, as well as grain retailers who cited a collapse in the industry with the continuous GMO ban.

When the ordinance was approved, the province also declared its bid to be the agriculturally-organic bowl of Asia.

$7-M GMO Laboratory

The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), meantime, presented to Zayco its project proposal worth P213.74 million to establish a GMO laboratory and capability building in the implementation of the ordinance, especially on GMO animals.

PVO head Renante Decena said the project will benefit the animal owners and general public through the identification and detection of GMO.

The project quotation was based from Assure Quality Laboratory (AQL) in Auckland, New Zealand which has three phases.

For phase 1, the amount of P210 million was pegged for the establishment of a GMO laboratory for food, meat, feeds and crops inclusive of building, laboratory equipment, supplies and materials.

Under phase 2, P325,140 will be spent for the traveling expenses of four personnel, P720,000 as training fees for four personnel for six months, and P1.51 million for board and lodging of four persons for six months.

The amount of P1.18 million will be used for the hiring of 16 inspectors in seaports and airport which is under phase 3.

Eileen Nolan, accounts service manager for AQL, in her communication to Rogie Anne Benares, medical technologist of PVO, said the setting up of said laboratory is “a very expensive investment and will cost $7 million.”

She said that each GMO tests is charged $180 with results available in three to five business days.

On the other hand, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist also proposed P16 million for a GMO laboratory to be set up. Zayco said only P4 million is readily available.

MAYOR Evelio Leonardia said that due to fever suffered by several students of St. John Institute (SJI), the president of the SJI’s Board of Trustees decided to suspend classes from Wednesday until Friday.

Leonardia clarified the suspension was not upon the request or influence of the Department of Health (DOH). “It was their (SJI) own judgment because the parents also want to play it safe for their children.”

The SJI president also agreed to suspend classes in the meantime that several students have fever to avoid a possible influenza A (H1N1) virus case scenario.

Leonardia hopes that by Monday, the situation would be okay and the school ready to resume classes. He said these actions are basically precautionary measures and not to cause alarm or panic.  

He noted that as per the observation of Fr. Noly Que of SJI, “the possible cause of the fever was because of the changing weather that we experienced today.”

City Health officer Dr. Salome Biñas said they monitored the number of children still having fever. He added they also got the contact numbers of concerned students to check on their conditions.

She noted that last Friday, 53 students had fever, down by 36 last Monday and only seven students who still have fever as of Wednesday.

She said they also continue to monitor possible community transmission of H1N1 in the city, saying the 35 thermometers that would be placed in several barangay health centers will be arriving next week.

Biñas added that the information campaign measures of the city against the spread of the H1N1 are all in place. She said the barangays also cooperated on the awareness drive against said virus.

Lectures were also done on several hotels and schools in Bacolod.

FIVE Bacolod City government officials filed a libel complaint Tuesday against a broadcaster for alleging that a group known as “Voltes 5” was engaged in an alleged “live sex” in one of the motels in the city.

Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson and Councilors Greg Gasataya, Homer Bais, Dindo Ramos and Al Victor Espino sworn in a complaint-affidavit before City Prosecutor Armando Abanado that “it is a fact in Bacolod that the five of us, who are known political supporters of Mayor Evelio Leonardia…are known in the local circles as Voltes 5.”

“On June 26, 2009, at about 5:45 in the afternoon, we got a call from a supporter that a certain Franklin Villanueva, anchorman of a block-timer radio program of Radio Mindanao Network…was lambasting city officials of Bacolod for having engaged in an alleged ‘live sex’ in one of the motels in the city and he is mentioning the group known as ‘Voltes 5’ as being a part of it,” the two-page complaint added.

The city officials also said in their complaint that Villanueva kept lambasting the “Voltes 5” and “libelously referring to the group as having engaged in the live sex…and by calling us immoral.”

They quoted Villanueva as saying: “Live sex in Bacolod City involving a girl and the city councilors of Bacolod in one of the motels in the city. The girl was having sex with one of the city councilors while the other councilors and top official of the city were watching. The other councilor wanted to join but was refused by the girl. The city officials? They are members of Voltes 5…”

The officials said Villanueva, without any proof, put them “in a very humiliating, demeaning, ego-shattering, degrading and family-wrecking situation.” They added that they suffered sleepless nights, mental anguish, emotional anxiety and “the wrath of our family which, if quantified in monetary consideration, the same should not be less than P1,000,000 each.”

Secretary to the Mayor and City Legal Office-OIC Vicente Petierre III, counsel for the complainants, said they would also file a formal complaint before the Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) and want the radio station to take an action on this issue because it is a block-time program.

Mayor Leonardia, for his part, said the allegation “is a clear demolition job on his group. It’s unfortunate and very bad for the city; I believe that these councilors will never do such a thing.”

Villanueva, meanwhile, questioned as to what capacity Petierre is acting: as officer of the city of Bacolod or as a private practitioner of the complainants.

He said if Petierre is a private practitioner and a lawyer of the complainants, “it will require him an authority from the Civil Service Commission to privately practice as a lawyer; if not, there is already a question of interest because this is not the concern of the city mayor but of the city councilors.”

He said that based on the radio interview of Petierre earlier, Petierre is the one who is malicious for calling him “Franklin Puentevella,” claiming that Puentevella is not his surname.

On the filing of the libel complaint against him, Villanueva said “it’s just normal as a media practitioner.”

He said he never mentioned the names of the city councilors, claiming that he respects the city officials.

REPRESENTATIVE Lorna Silverio, a restaurateur herself, is passionate about the kitchen, cooking, and dining.

She tells us what and where she loves to eat when in Bulacan.

Hers and her husband Ricardo Silverio’s pigeon farm produces the best marinated pigeon, a must-try.

Tata Carding (as I call him) searched for the pigeon master and brought him to Manila from China, thus the authentic taste and flavor. (For pigeon orders, call 819-3862).
Lorna’s guide:

“I do not usually go out to eat when in Bulacan as I am happy eating home-cooked food. But when I have unannounced guests, I usually bring them to La Familia Restaurant (tel. 044-7662037, 09178581748) along DRT Highway in Baliwag. The restaurant is owned by Normita Alejo who has retired from teaching.”

‘Okoy’

My favorite dishes at La Familia are:

“Okoy” is pumpkin or squash fritters with shrimps. It has a crunchy crust and yet is soft in the middle. It is slightly sweet and tangy and good with vinegar.

“Dinuguan” sa usbong ng sampalok is to-die-for. Like your common “dinuguan,” it is cooked by stewing pork in pork blood but by using young tamarind leaves to give it a sour taste, instead of using vinegar. Tamarind trees shed their old leaves only once a year. “Dinuguan sa usbong” is really a rare treat.

Oxtail “kare-kare” is also one of my favorites, with “bagoong” (shrimp paste) prepared from scratch. Shrimp suitable for bagoong is fermented and sautéed. It is slightly sweet.

Edison’s Lugawan

Another eating merienda (snack) place is Edison’s Lugawan (0908-9181630), run by husband and wife Edison and Osie Igaya. The place is simple; no tables, only counters, no frills but their LTB (lugaw, tokwa, baboy) is really good.

There are only three items it offers—LTB, crispy pata, and sisig. They are all good, with their own concoction of vinegar dipping sauce. My favorite is LTB.

At home in San Rafael, Bulacan, when I tire of eating meat, I ask our cook to prepare sardines, sautéed with lots of thin strips of ginger with usbong ng sampalok or alibangbang leaves, whichever is available. Alibangbang trees are found in the mountains of Bulacan.

Another favorite is “tinapang isda” (smoked fish), deboned and sautéed in garlic, onion and tomatoes with ampalaya leaves.

I love also our own lagat na hito. The catfish is fried first, then sautéed in garlic, onion, tomatoes, lots of ginger and alagao leaves.