Manila Standard Today - Sunday (January 6, 2013) Issue

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW
BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKw w
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Missed your copy of Manila Standard Today? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circ@mstandardtoday.com
By Sara Susanne Fabunan
and Francisco Tuyay

M
ALACAANG
on Saturday
downplayed calls
for President
Benigno Aquino III to set
an example by giving up
his gun collection following
two shooting incidents that
killed a 7-year old student in
Caloocan City and nine others
in Kawit, Cavite.
VICTORY IS IN THE CARDS
Princess Grace Mendoza of Antipolo City is
also the 2012 Thailand International Open
junior champion. She and other members
of the Philippine team have the potential to
win a world championship.
ITALIAN
VILLAGE
IN BATAAN
An Italian-
themed
village is rising
in Bataan
province.
LENOVOS MAGIC
Fold Lenovos IdeaPad Yoga over and it
becomes a touchscreen tablet
SPORTS B4 BUSINESS
TECH
A8 A4
Next page
Next page
Next page
Sunday
MST
The Sunday Edition of ManilaStandardTODAY
Vol. I No. 28 12 Pages, 2 Section
P18.00 SUNDAY, January 6, 2013
PALACE SKIRTS GUN ISSUE
A Moro womans dare for nal peace
7M seen ocking to Black Nazarene procession
Lawmakers stunned,
push harsher penalty
Tells police
to speed up
response time
By Ronald O. Reyes
HIDAYA Ibrahim Macarandas
childhood consists of running
with one slipper on her foot in a
pebbled road with all the burst-
ing of gunre and the wailing of
women, men and children around
her. The color of red shocked her
early senses as blood dripped ev-
erywhere every time war broke
out in her native land, Lanao del
Sur, in Mindanao.
Now at 20 and currently hav-
ing her practicum at an obscure
village of Kalunganan, Piagapo,
Lanao del Sur, Hidaya has also
witnessed how oftentimes pov-
erty drained her spirit despite
being an eager community de-
velopment student at Mindanao
State University Main Campus.
Aside from having no elec-
tricity in the area and telecommu-
nication networks, lack of liveli-
hood opportunity also abounds
said Hidaya, prompting her to
take an initiative of seeking sup-
port from any organization who
might wish to bring help to the
residents there.
Yet to her the backwardness of the
community and other areas in Mind-
anao has also its roots in its decades-
old armed clashes between the gov-
ernment and rebel groups.
In her eyes, the economic, po-
litical and social deprivations in
Mindanao have its traces on its
on-going insurgency, clan-feuds,
ethnic-religious conict.
For everyone who had the
same experience like me or per-
haps worst than mine, we would
never appreciate the kindness that
war will bring. Perhaps war for
others means another opportunity,
Miraculous icon. Actor Michael De Mesa plays a devotee of the Black
Nazarene during a shooting staged outside the Quiapo Church on Thursday
as Church ofcials prepare for the Jan. 9 festivities. DANNY PATA
Hidaya Macarandas: A new name for Muslim Filipinos
Misuaris mobsters. Members of the Moro National Liberation Front, who signed a 1996 peace agreement with the Philippine government, display their
high-powered weapons during a rally in Jolo on Jan. 3, 2013. In their statement, they said the rally is a national consultation on the tripartite review of the
1996 peace agreement and in full support of its Chair Nur Misuari in their quest for peace in the south. The Aquino administration has signed a peace accord
last year with another Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Libertation Front. AP
By Vito Barcelo
THE Catholic Church expects to see at
least seven million devotees ocking to
the procession of the Black Nazarene in
Quiapo on January 9, 2013.
At least 3,000 cops will be deployed
during the event, which coincides with
the feast of Quiapo district, the National
Police said.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Car-
dinal Tagle will celebrate an early mass
at the Quirino Grandstand. The Trasla-
cion of the miraculous icon from Quiri-
no Grandstand to Quiapo Church will
start at 7:30 a.m. until it reaches the
Church.
The procession which usually lasts up
to 15 hours, borne in a carriage pulled by
male devotees.
Last years Traslacion stretched to 22
hours the rst in history because the
wheels of the carriage broke down and
stalled the procession for several hours.
Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio, rector
of the Minor Basilica of the Black Naz-
arene, said coordination between the lo-
cal Church and local government agen-
cies of Manila has been mapped out to
assure an orderly and safe celebration
on January 9.
Before the January 9 celebration, a
procession of Black Nazarene replicas
from Quiapo Church will take place on
January 7 at 2 p.m. while the pahalik,
mass and an overnight vigil will be held
on January 8 from 1 p.m. onwards at the
Quirino Grandstand, organizers said.
On January 9, hourly masses will also
be celebrated at the Quiapo Church from
3 a.m. until 12:00 noon and again from 3
p.m. until 9 in the evening.
Fr. Ricardo Valencia Jr., head of Church
committee on operations said they have
made precautions to prevent the breaking
down of the tires of the Andas or car-
riage used to bear the image of the Black
Nazarene. Next page
A policeman reacts during the Kawit carnage.
In Metro Manila, cops boast two-minute
response time.
By Maricel V. Cruz
LAWMAKERS on Saturday con-
demned the shooting rampage in
Cavite, with one of them stressing
that indiscriminate ring of guns
should be considered as a heinous
crime that is non-bailable when
somebody gets killed by the act.
House Deputy Minority Lead-
er Milagros Magsaysay along
with Orlando Fua of Siquijor,and
Rodolfo Albano of Isabela con-
demned the incident perpetrated
by drug crazed gunman, identi-
ed as Ronald Bae, who shot 7
people, including a woman and a
child, and injured 11 others.
It is unfathomable that such
an incident would happen here
in the Philippines, because I have
always believed that our culture,
which is so deeply ingrained in us
since we were children, has taught
us the value and sanctity of life,
Magsaysay said.
In a radio interview, presidential deputy
spokesman Abigail Valte said that the more
pressing concern was to urge the police to
quicken their response time during emer-
gency cases.
Instead of criticizing the president on a per-
sonal level, his critics should engage him on
policy issues, she said.
Other developments:
Accomplice in Kawit carnage faces
multiple murder charges.
Campaign against loose rearms
stepped up.
On Friday, Rep. Orlando Fua of Siquijor
said that as a gun enthusiast, the president
should set an example to be the rst one to
make the move on an intensied campaign
against the indiscriminate use of rearms.
Dante Jimenez, president of the Volunteers
Against Crime and Corruption, also chal-
lenged Mr. Aquino to review the policies on
gun ownership and gun control.
Jimenez said that imposing a total gun ban
is the only way to prevent casualties from in-
discriminate ring during the holidays.
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
JANUARY 6, 2013 SUNDAY
A2
Sunday
NEWS
ManilaStandardTODAY
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Bising may
enter PAR
on Sunday
MALACAANG has appointed
Tom Villarin as undersecre-
tary for political affairs, a move
Mindanao peace groups said
would augur well for the Bang-
samoro framework agreement
between the Philippine govern-
ment and the Moro Islamic Lib-
eration Front.
He is from Mindanao and has
long been part of network of peace
advocates, said Maryann Arna-
do, chairperson of the Mindanao
Peace Caucus.
Toms long track record in
development work in Mindanao
suits him for a very challenging
job, Fr. Eliseo Jun Mercado, a
Cotabato-based priest said.
Malacaang recently signed
EO 78 last December 2012 es-
tablishing the Transition Com-
mission for the Bangsamoro po-
litical entity for Congress to act
on the proposed comprehensive
law by 2015.
Villarin, who hails from Davao
city, served as executive direc-
tor of a local NGO doing peace
advocacy, sustainable agricul-
ture, and participatory govern-
ance work. He recently nished
his Masters in Development
Management degree at the Asian
Institute of Management.
We in the Autonomous Re-
gion in Muslim Mindanao are
proud to see him in Malaca-
nang, said Samira Gutoc, as-
semblywoman for Lanao del Sur
in the Regional Assembly.
Villarin worked with the Re-
form ARMM Now coalition that
pushed for the postponement of
the ARMM elections and later,
the installation of ofcers in-
charge under Governor Mujiv S.
Hataman. Vito Barcelo
Recycling. Faculty staff and students of Diliman Preparatory School practice recycling. Photo shows a hallway sun breaker and plants holder
and decorations using recycled plastic containers. CONTRIBUTED BY REVOLI CORTEZ
Davao exec suits up for political role
A Moro...
salvation, or duty but for me, it
means losing and terror.
1To be honest, I respect
everyone who sees war in a
positive way, maybe because it
means freedom, liberation and
unity or maybe it means bravery
and integrity but if you will ask
me when I was 7 and 11, war
means nightmare.
Already forward-looking and
socially-conscious, Hidaya has
also realized how war took the
goodness in man and brings out
evil in human.
I believe that every man has
his own war to ght and win
but that doesnt mean a river of
blood needs to ow, or an in-
nocence of a child will be tor-
tured or a family will be shat-
tered. Perhaps, war means raw,
an unprocessed, untreated and
unrened product of peace. I
dont know how to explain but
maybe Im wrong. I am after all,
a young Moro lady.
Hidaya said that as shes
growing up into a matured wom-
an, already mindful of the future
in Mindanao and in herself, her
wish is to nally have a new tag
name that is not of the word
terrorist, uneducated or barbaric
but of something that means,
God loving people, a peace im-
plementer and a dreamer.
And today if theres some-
thing I am wishing for, is to end
war in Mindanao, to live in har-
mony whether you are a Moro, a
Christian and a Lumad, she said.
I know its very idealistic
of me of wanting everything
in properyet I knew that ev-
eryone wants change, a better
place.
This not only for my family,
my friends or my community
but for my own future family as
well, she added.
Hidaya is positive the new
Bangsamoro peace framework
signed by the Philippine gov-
ernment and the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front on October last
year will eventually take shape
soon.
President Benigno Aquino III
has already created a Transition
Comission that will handle on
the human development, pover-
ty alleviation, power and wealth
sharing in the new Bangsamoro
region, which replaced the Au-
tonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao.
According to The Internal
Displacement Monitoring Cen-
tre (IDMC), a leading global
organization monitoring inter-
nal displacement worldwide
founded by Norwegian Refugee
Council, it says that as of early
November 2012, the Protection
Cluster in Mindanao estimated
that 11,378 people remained
displaced in Mindanao due to
conict and natural disasters
(excluding those still displaced
by tropical storm Sendong).
The majority, or around
7,000 people, is displaced due
to armed conict, crime and
violence or clan feuds. In total,
it is estimated that over 272,000
people have been displaced in
Mindanao since January 2012.
Nearly two-thirds of these dis-
placements have been conict-
related. Three-quarters of these
conict-related displacements
have taken place in the ARMM
where a total of 124,000 people
have been displaced mainly
due to armed conict and clan
feuds.
Aside from being torn with
decades-old internal conict,
some Southern parts in Mindan-
ao region become the hotbed of
the notorious Jemaah Islamiyah,
the most dreaded terrorist cell
of Al-Qaeda operating in South-
east Asia.
Lawmakers...
To hear that somebody
would randomly kill people,
aided by an accomplice is
shocking and saddening, she
said.
Fua, a noted lawyer, said that
Congress should consider his
proposal imposing a penalty
of life imprisonment for indis-
criminate ring of guns if such
an act claims lives of innocent
civilians.
He said that the Cavite inci-
dent and the death of seven-
year old Stephanie Nicole Ella
who was killed by a celebra-
tory gunre on New Years
Eve were cases which justi-
ed that the penalty against
indiscriminate ring should
be raised.
I believe that there should
be stiffer penalties against in-
discriminate ring of arms,
Fua told the Manila Standar d.
It (should be considered) a hei-
nous crime when it kills some-
body, he said.
But if there was no casualty,
stiffer penalties should be im-
posed against suspect(s).
Under the Revised Penal
Code, penalties for indiscrimi-
nate ring range from nes
and an imprisonment of six
months to one day up to six
years, and that the offense is
bailable.
But for Albano, the penalty
of life imprisonment may be
too harsh, noting that indis-
criminate ring was not in-
tended to kill.
What we need is a policy
to control individuals from r-
ing their guns during the Holi-
days, Albano said in a sepa-
rate interview.
Magsaysay agreed that strict-
er penalties for irresponsible
gun use and illegal possession
of rearms.
The penalties of imprison-
ment for several months are not
serving as a deterrent for those
who indiscriminately re their
guns, Magsaysay said.
They treat it as a sport. They
re their weapons without re-
gard to the danger they pose
to their communities and chal-
lenge the police to weed them
out, she said. In the case of
Bae, he was not even hiding.
He was shooting people point
blank as if they were targets. Its
time we do something about it
before this becomes a trend.
7M...
There will be no media cover-
age inside the Church except for
a limited number of cameramen
(one per network) that will be
allowed at the choir loft of the
Church, organizers said.
Only those who have media
accreditation IDs from the orga-
nizers can have access to media
platforms and areas for coverage.
The procession route of rep-
licas of the Black Nazarene
will be from Plaza Miranda, it
will turn left to Quezon Blvd.,
right to Recto Avenue, left
to Loyola St., right to Bili-
bid Viejo through Puyat St.,
left to Guzman St. (Mendoza
St.), right to Hidalgo St., left
to Barbosa St., right to Globo
de Oro St., right to Palanca
St., and right to Villalobos St.,
through Plaza Miranda.
While the Traslacion 2013
procession of the Black Naza-
rene will be from Quirino Grand-
stand left to Katigbak Drive
through Padre Burgos St., left
to Taft Avenue through McAr-
thur Bridge, right to Palanca St.
through under Quezon Bridge,
left to Quezon Blvd., right to
Arlegui St., right to Fraternal
St., right to Vergara St., left to
Duque de Alba St., left to Cas-
tillejos St., left to Farnecio
St., right to Arlegui St., left to
Nepomuceno St., left to Aguila
St., right to Carcer St., right to
Hidalgo St. through Plaza del
Carmen, left to Bilibid Viejo
through Puyat St., left to Guz-
man St., right to Hidalgo St., left
to Barbosa St., right to Globo
de Oro St. through under Que-
zon Bridge, right to Palanca St.,
right to Villalobos St. through
Plaza Miranda and ingress to
Quiapo Church.
Affected areas will be the
stretch of Roxas Blvd./Bonifa-
cio Drive from Anda Circle to
T.M. Kalaw north and south-
bound lane, southbound of Que-
zon Blvd. from Recto to Palanca
(subway-Isetan Recto), stretch
of Lerma to P. Campa to Quezon
Blvd., Taft Ave./Finance (West-
bound lane), Lagusnilad/P. Bur-
gos (Westbound lane), P. Burgos/
Taft Avenue (Freedom Triangle-
Northbound lane), Villegas/N.A
Lopez, and 25th Street/Bonifacio
Drive (southbound).
Some roads affected by the pro-
cession will be closed to trafc.
On January 8 from 8 a.m., Katig-
bak Drive and South Drive will be
closed to trafc; at 4 a.m. on Janu-
ary 9, southbound lane of Quezon
Blvd. (Quiapo), from Andalucia/
Fugoso to Plaza Miranda and
Espana/P. Campa/Lerma shall be
closed to trafc for public utility
vehicles only and at 5 a.m. total
closure for all types of vehicles
shall be implemented.
The state weather bureau
said in its 5 p.m. bulletin that
the LPA was 1,000 km east of
Mindanao as of 2 p.m. and was
embedded in the Inter-tropical
Convergence Zone.
Weathermen sid it was still
too far to directly affect any part
of the country, but it may bring
rain within the next 24 hours.
The Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical
Services Administration also said
that while the ITCZ is affecting
Mindanao, the northeast monsoon
is affecting northern Luzon.
Eastern Visayas and Mind-
anao will have cloudy skies with
light to moderate rain showers
and thunderstorms, the weather
bureau said.
Cagayan Valley will experi-
ence cloudy skies with light
rain, while Metro Manila and the
rest of the country will be partly
cloudy with brief rain showers
or thunderstorms, it added.
Meanwhile, the National Dis-
aster Risk Reduction and Man-
agement Council said a Palawan
resident died as Tropical Storm
Auring exited the Philippine
area of responsibility on Friday.
The NDRMMC identied the
fatality as Pedro Francisco, 35,
of Barangay Iraan in Rizal town,
who was died after being hit by
an uprooted coconut tree.
As of Saturday morning, the
NDRRMC said several roads
and bridges across the country
were closed and became im-
passable due to ooding.
Among these are the Malatgao
road section in Bataraza, Pala-
wan; the Kalikan, Pinan Bridge
in Region 9; and the Katipunan
National Highway, and the bridg-
es of Mia Sans Dicayo, Piao and
Tangian in Region 11.
Power outages were also re-
ported in Puerto Princesa City,
and the towns of Aborlan,
Brookes Point and Quezon in
Palawan. Several houses in Riz-
al town were also destroyed by a
whirlwind, it added.
The NDRRMC added a ash
ood prompted the evacuation
of 100 families, or 500 people,
in Quezon, Bukidnon to a local
basketball court.
Tropical Storm Auring was
the rst cyclone to enter the
Philippine area of responsibility
this year.
A NEW low-pressure area moved closer
to Mindanao on Saturday and weather-
men said it will be named Bising if it
intensies into a cyclone.
Palace...
The president is an avid sports
shooter who is adept at using a
pistol, Glock and rie, and can
hit a target dead-center at 100
meters. Several clips in You Tube
show Mr. Aquinos marksman-
ship skills.
Perhaps, it is better if we could
talk about (the issue) at the level
of policy, and not the Presidents
personal life, said Valte, who
added that Mr. Aquinos fondness
for guns would not affect his de-
cision towards the proposal for a
total gun ban.
When it comes to the total gun
ban, that is something that has to
be discussed with the President,
she added.
The police, Valte added, should
also immediately address the pro-
liferation of loose rearms and the
presence of drug dealers and users
in the country, which she said re-
main as potential threats to society.
The death of Stephanie Ella,
who was hit by a stray bullet at
the height of the New Years rev-
elry, and nine others in Cavite, in-
cluding the shooter, Ronald Bae,
sparked a renewed debate on gun
control and total gun ban.
Police investigators also con-
rmed that Bae was high on drugs
when he carried out the rampage.
This should provide further
impetus for our ofcials of the
PNP (Philippine National Po-
lice) particularly in Region IV-
A, to further heighten their drive
against illegal drugs, Valte said.
Valte added that the PNP should
look into a report that the Cavite
police responded late to the inci-
dent, which happened at around
9:30 a.m. in Bgy. Tabon 1 in Kawit
Bae reportedly was killed after
trading shots with responding police-
men at around 11 a.m., or almost two
hours after the shooting spree.
According to reports, the sus-
pect entered several houses and
shot everyone inside including
children. The police later found
sachets containing suspected
drugs inside Baes house.
Witnesses also said Bae was
assisted by a certain John Paul
Lopez in the rampage.
Lopez reportedly helped Bae
reload his pistol. He surrendered
to the police late Friday.
According to Deputy Cavite
provincial police chief Dionicio
Borromeo, Lopez explained that
Bae had threatened to kill him if
he did not reload bullets into the
magazines of a .45-caliber pistol
used in the killing spree.
Borromeo, however, said Lo-
pez never tried to stop or talk Bae
out of the rampage, whose vic-
tims included a pregnant woman
and her young daughter.
The police are now preparing
to le charges against Lopez.
Additional reports from AP
said Bae had been on a drug and
alcohol binge with his friends
since Monday, drinking and tak-
ing methamphetamine.
Quoting Cavite Gov. Junvic
Revilla, the report said Bae left
the store where he and his friends
were drinking but later returned
with Lopez to his house in Kawit
and began the shooting spree in
the surrounding neighborhood.
Bae had left his Kawit neigh-
borhood about a year ago after
he lost an election for village
chairman. He returned Monday
because of a marital problem
with his wife, whom he had left
before New Year.
It was not immediately clear why
Bae went on the rampage. Police
investigator Arnulfo Lopez said
residents heard Bae threatening to
kill the caretaker if he did not reload
Baes pistol during the shooting.
He just shot at anyone he
saw, Remulla said. You could
see that these were really acts of
a madman.
Among the victims was a 7-year-
old girl who was shot inside her
home. The girls 2-year-old sister
and 4-year-old brother, who was
Baes godson, were wounded and
in critical condition. No details
were immediately available about
the other wounded.
The pregnant woman died af-
ter being shot in the stomach,
Remulla said. Her 6-month-old
fetus also died.
A television report said that the
woman made a frantic call for
help to her mother, Baby Alberto,
who heard screams and gunshots.
She said, Please, dont! Please
dont! Alberto quoted her daugh-
ter as pleading with the gunman.
She said she was found dead in the
bathroom hugging her 3-year-old
daughter, who also died.
Edwin Lacorte, an uncle of the
children who were shot, said he
could hear them screaming from
his home nearby.
I could not do anything, he
said. I heard the shots.
Lacorte said he later saw bul-
let-riddled cushions that the chil-
dren had apparently used to pro-
tect themselves during the attack.
Lacorte said that Bae soon ap-
proached his house but he ed with
his wife and their four children,
two grandchildren and three nieces.
Valte, meanwhile, said that
even before the two shooting in-
cidents, the Justice Department
has been working on updating the
Revised Penal Code which was
enacted in 1901.
When it comes to stricter pen-
alties (on gun control) thats a
question of legislation.
You have to remember that
the Revised Penal Code was en-
acted in 1901, so it really has to
be updated, which is why the
DOJ is working on updating the
Revised Penal Code and this is
not a secret. she added.
In the Philippines, anyone can ac-
quire a license to purchase or own
a gun as long as potential buyers
can show clearance from the police.
With AP
Sunday
NEWS
ManilaStandardTODAY
A3
IN BRIEF
GMA libel raps junked
THE Calapan City prosecutor dismissed a
complaint for libel led by physician Idol Bondoc
of the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital
against GMA News online editor-in-chief Howie
Severino and GMA News research head Florian
Balmes for insufciency of evidence.
Bondoc led the suit against Severino,
Balmes and his fellow physician Rosinico Fabon
September 5, 2011 after Fabor posted allegedly
defamatory remarks on the comments section of
a GMA News Online website article regarding
the Ombudsmans decision on a previous
administrative case involving Bondoc.
But Deputy City Prosecutor Gabriel C.
Alberto noted that the comments made by the
readers of GMA News Online were not edited
or subjected to prior approval before posting and
neither Severino nor Balmes had the power to
edit or approve comments on the website.
On the other hand, Alberto found probable
cause to charge Dr. Fabon with libel and
recommended the ling of the corresponding
information in court.
5 slay suspects nabbed
OPERATIVES of the Criminal Investigation
and Detection Group in Cavite arrested on
Friday ve suspects in the killing of 61-year-old
Japanese national Hideo Niikura last Dec. 29.
CIDG chief Director Samuel D. Pagdilao Jr.
identied the suspects as Merlinda Soria, alias
Melinda Niikura, Gabriel Soria, Mark Anthony
Soria, Gil Brown Ilag and the alleged gunman
Arnold Marcos.
Cavite CIDG head Chief Insp. Rey Magdaluyo
said the ve suspects were arrested Friday in
separate operations in Barangay Sto. Nino and
Poblacion, Dasmarinas City.
Seized from Marcos was a .45 caliber Caspian
pistol. Another .45 caliber handgun was also
conscated from Mark Anthony Soria after his
arrest.
Investigation disclosed that Merlinda Soria
ordered the killing of her husband over money
matters and alleged physical abuses.
Magdaluyo said it was Sorias son, Mark
Anthony and the latters close friend, Gil Brown,
who hired the gunman for P100,000.
Both Melinda and Ilag voluntarily executed
their extra judicial confession in the presence of
Atty. Chris Jason G. Quintanilla. PNA
Plastics stocks watched
STARTING this January, Makati City will
strictly monitor business establishments
compliance with the required gradual
reduction of plastic and Styrofoam inventories
in preparation for the full implementation of
the city ordinance banning said materials in
June.
Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin S. Binay said
he has ordered the Department of Environmental
Services to deploy monitoring teams to check
the plastics inventories of establishments, which
should be totally depleted before June 20, 2013,
when the total ban takes effect.
Binay said City Ordinance 2003-095 gives
food and retail establishments nine years to
dispose of all their stocks of plastics, Styrofoam
and the like, replacing these with environment-
friendly materials.
The nine-year grace period was supposed to
end last December 31, but the mayor issued an
Executive Order 007 S.2012 in May last year
extending the deadline for the total phaseout to
June 20, 2013.
For his part, DES chief Danilo Villas said
the Plastic Monitoring Task Force started
deploying teams to check on the inventories
of establishments and said the initial data
gathered will serve as the basis for subsequent
evaluations of their compliance to the disposal
order.
Villas said his ofce has prioritized the
deployment of monitoring teams this January,
with each team composed of at least ve members
representing the Makati Health Department
Sanitation Division, Business Permits Ofce,
Makati Action Center, Liga ng mga Barangay
and DES.
Data obtained from the city Business Permits
Ofce show a total of 1,674 food establishments
and 5,694 retail outlets in Makati. PNA
Firecracker ban gains support
Lawmakers:
We cant do
without pork
Harnessing folklore for development
Airport rotunda slammed
Health bus brings knowledge to indigents
Requiescat
in pace.
Manila
Archbishop
Luis Antonio
Cardinal Tagle
presides over
the requiem
mass for
deceased
Jesuit priest
James Reuters
who was
interred at
the Jesuit
cemetery in
Novaliches,
Quezon City
on Saturday.
MANNY
PALMERO
By Maricel V. Cruz
THE call for a total ban on
recrackers has snowballed with
several legislators vowing to
support proposals seeking a total
bn on the sale of recrackers all
year round to individuals and
restrict such sales to government
institutions and government-
accredited pyrotechnic show
organizers.
The latest legislator who vowed support for the
proposed ban was Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen
Sarmiento who lamented the unnecessary injuries,
damage to property and loss of innocent lives
during the Christmas holidays especially during
New Years Eve.
I dont think we will miss the meaning of
Christmas and the New Year without the deafening
sounds and health hazards posed by these life-
threatening recrackers, said Sarmiento, vice
chairman of the House committee on national
defense.
It may sound an impossible challenge, but it is
possible with discipline and political will on the
part of law enforcement agencies and the entire
leadership, Sarmiento stressed.
Sarmiento said that the only way to avoid
unnecessary injuries caused by recrackers is to
forbid ordinary citizens from getting access to
these harmful pyrotechnics.
Earlier, House leaders led by Speaker Feliciano
Belmonte backed President Benigno Aquino IIIs move
to consider proposals banning types of recracker.
There should be a total ban on recrackers to
avoid reworks-related deaths and injuries every
time we celebrate the New Year, Belmonte told
the MST Sunday.
Belmonte made the statement as President Aquino
underscored the need to review proposals to ban all
types of recrackers as well as to penalize revelers
who damage public property with their reworks.
If needed, Sarmiento said, there must be a
corresponding law imposing stiffer penalties on the
possession of recrackers as he expressed support
for the position of Philippine National Police chief
Director General Alan Purisima to reclassify certain
types of recrackers such as Goodbye Philippines
and Bin Laden as improvised explosive devices.
Several House members, Assistant Majority Leader
and Rep. Sherwin Tugna of party-list Cibac, Zambales
Rep. Jun Omar Ebdane and Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo
Antonino said there must be a regulation, if not a total
ban, on the sale and use of reworks.
But opposition congresswoman Zambales Rep.
Milagros Magsaysay said that the order of the
President only proved that the government had
been remiss in implementing existing laws and
regulations on the use of recrackers.
Daragang Magayon. File photo shows an Albay farmer watches Mayon Volcano fumes after it spewed lava and ash
during its last eruption in 2009
By Maricel V. Cruz
LAWMAKERS on Saturday thumbed
down the proposal of Akbayan Rep.
Arlene Bag-ao to abolish the pork
barrel system, saying that pork funds
are a necessity to make them more
relevant to their constituents.
Speaking on condition of anonymity,
an administration congressman said
the pork barrel system is absolutely
necessary because their constituents also
expect them to deliver roads, bridges and
other infrastructure projects in addion to
their main function of legislation.
This is a political horse trading,
political accommodations between
two agencies of governmentthat
is the executive and the legislative
which has been practice here and
abroad, even the United States, the
lawmaker told MST Sunday.
It is a concession, a balancing
political act between Malacaang and
Congress, he said, admitting that their
primary function is to legislate. But
in the course of political servicing, in
the course of representing districts,
(legislators) are supposed to deliver so-
called goods to their constituents.
And so the pork barrel system has
evolved where each legislator gets
annual allocation from the national
budget being worked on annually by
the House which has the sole power of
the purse, he added.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. was
more direct in his support of the pork
barrel system.
I am for (the pork barrel system)
as a means to ensure that every
district receives a minimum share of
government projects, Belmonte told
the MST Sunday.
HARNESSING arts, culture and romance for economic
development may sound novel to many Filipinos but if
Albays attempt proves successfull, it can have tremendous
implications and ramications on Philippine development as
a whole.
February 2013 takes on a new signicance and dimension
with the pre-Valentine presentation in ballet form of Daragang
Magayon, the legend of Mayon Volcano and Albay province
on February 8 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main
Theatre.
Daragang Magayon is produced by the Albay provincial
government as part of a revitalized tourism development
program that would offer guests an opportunity to take a
fresher look into Albays mesmerising mythical past, magic
and mystery.
Those familiar with the Daragang Magayon saga are up
for some pleasant surprises. They will nd many new things
in the rather worn out tale of love and sacrice in the ballet
presentation Daragang Magayon: An Istorya ni Mayon,
Choreographer Gerald Mercado of eDance created new
dance movements that are uniquely Filipino, both in technique
and aesthetics, and the use of ethnic Filipino instruments will
give the production an original aura.
The E-dances version of Daragang Magayon smoothly
elicits and provokes new expressions from out of the latent
emotions in both old and new complexes of the legend.
Film-maker Chuck Escasa and animator Benjie Marasigan
contribute their expertise to the project by infusing it with lm
and visual elements, especially the use of 2-dimensional lm
technology to ensure a vibrant, lively account of the lovers
affair in the mythical legend.
The stage project also brings together for the rst time three
contemporary Filipino artists who fuse their talents to produce
a refreshed rendition of the Magayon love story.
National Artist Virgilio Almario penned the libretto while
composer Ramon Pagayon Santos crafted the musical score.
Albay poet laureate Abdon Balde Jr. also introduced new
elements and enhanced old Bicol rituals including the ght
scenes between the just and mighty god Gugurang and the
evil Aswang.
By Eric B. Apolonio
AFTER the successful deployment of
the bus segregation scheme at EDSA,
the Metro Manila Development
Authority began to put up portable
roundabouts in the hope of minimizing
trafc accident at busy crossroads and
intersections in the metropolis.
But the rotundas, the brainchild of
MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino,
is beginning to get ak from motorists
because of the trafc jams it is
generating, particularly at the NAIA
Road in Paraaque City.
Complaints are mounting because
tourists and travelers going to or
coming from the two Ninoy Aquino
International Airport terminals are
often caught in a trafc jam, forcing
them to miss their ights.
The placement of the portable rotunda
had limited the movement of vehicles
turning left on the intersection causing
trafc slow down because of the limited
space caused by the rotunda.
On Friday, a truck driver identied as
Roberto Navarro ran down the rotunda
located at the NAIA Road and tried to ee
trafc enforcers at the area, but he was
quickly apprehended after a brief chase.
MMDA trafc enforcer Roberto
Gomito, who was manning the center
island trafc, was caught by surprise
after Navarros truck hit the rotunda.
When he proposed the installation of
the portable rotundas, Tolentino cited
American studies claiming improved
motoring safety.
The rotundas, ve meters in diameter,
are made of wood surrounded by ower
pots and were put up at the Edsa-Ayala
intersection in Makati City, the Ninoy
Aquino International Airport area in
Pasay City and Roxas Boulevard in
Paraaque City.
MARY Jane Ayah was one of hundreds
who trooped to the health center of
Barangay Payatas A in Quezon City
last month to learn family planning.
Organized by the Department of
Health National Center for Health
Promotion and the Quezon City Health
Department, residents were greeted
with a esta atmosphere featuring a
colorful bus where residents inspected
exhibits and video presentations on
health and maternal care,
Called Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan,
or Life Journey for Health, health
promotion campaign, the program is
a public-private partnership to deliver
critical health information and services,
including Philhealth memberships that
were processed at one side of the bus.
Using a colorful esta setting,
LBK features a bus customized with
consultation and examination clinics and
a health promotion arena of interactive
exhibit, health classes, storytelling
sessions, and entertainment shows.
The event is good because we
learned a lot about planning a family,
Ayah said in Filipino, after she
participated in various activities during
the health exhibit.
Dr. Ivanhoe Escartin, director of
the National Center for Health, was
overwhelmed by the attendance for
the LBK. We are surprised that so
many attended and are hungry for
information, Escartin said.
For Noel Paestre, who was
impressed with how an ordinary bus
was transformed into a clinic and a
health class, it was for the welfare
of his three children. I learned a lot
especially for my children, he said.
Hopefully you can apply in your
daily life the things you learned today,
said Quezon City health ofcer Annie
Inumerable.
Volunteers Kristine, Gerard and
Catherine underscored the importance
of giving the right information to
parents so they can take care of their
families and they lauded the attendees
who embraced the unique experience
of a health caravan while keeping
in mind the value of good health,
responsible parenthood, maternal and
child care.
As an information provider, we
need a lot of patience. I like the health
classes because they get in-depth
learning, Gerard said.
The Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan:
Kalusugan Pangkalahatan on
Wheels (LBK-KP) is a nationwide
comprehensive health promotion
caravan that aims to bring information
and education to families in remote
communities. It is an initiative of the
NCHP and Probe Media Foundation
Inc.
No-so-merry-go round. The controversial portable rotunda that is gaining
moootorists ire. ERIC APOLONIO
A4
Sunday
TECH
ManilaStandardTODAY
MARLON C. MAGTIRA, Section Editor
CHRISTIAN CARDIENTE, Asst. Editor
WINDOWS 8
email: tech@mst.ph
WINDOWS 8 is more than just the
most radical makeover in the quarter-
century history of Microsofts operating
system. Its also creating a new class of
mutant personal computers.
Nowhere is this clearer than in the laptop segment, where
the long-dominant clamshell design is yielding to new forms:
computers that bend, tilt and swivel, with touch screens that are
clearly inspired by, even if they dont directly compete with,
handheld tablets like Apples iPad.
With that in mind, Ive been trying several of these new
convertible-tablet hybrids. All are of the Ultrabook category:
They run on Intel chips, are thin and light as these things go, have
no DVD drives and use solid-state ash memory in place of a
traditional hard disk.
Of the rst wave, my favorite so far is Lenovos IdeaPad Yoga,
which as its name implies can be folded into all sorts of interesting
positions.
At rst glance, the Yoga, which starts at $999, looks like a fairly
standard clamshell, .67 inch (1.7 centimeters) thick and weighing
3.4 pounds (1.5 kilograms). Its solidly built, with hinges strong
enough to keep the 13.3-inch screen from opping aroundone
of my laptop pet peeves.
If you use the screen only in that position, though,
youre missing the whole point.
Touchscreen Tablet
Fold the Yoga over and it becomes a touchscreen tablet
too heavy to hold for long, but useful to watch a video or
take advantage of Windows 8s full-screen applications.
(The keyboard, which faces out, is automatically disabled
to avoid errant presses.)
You can also stand the screen up, using the inverted
keyboard as a base, or prop it up like a tent.
The major drawback, one that aficts its competitors
as well, is the minimal storage capacityor, more
specically, the amount of it claimed by Windows 8 system
les. Fewer than half the 128 gigabytes on my test machine
were available for my own applications, les and content.
The least expensive model with a more plausible 256 GB,
available in the U.S. only through Best Buy, is $1,400.
Eccentric Sony
Sony devices these days range in design from
straightforward to what-were-they-thinking eccentricity. The
Duo 11, which starts at $1,200, falls into the latter category.
At rest, the Duo is a tablet .71 of an inch thick. At
2.87 pounds, it is more manageable than the Yoga. But it
becomes considerably less satisfying when, after fumbling
around to gure out how to open it,
you lift and slide the 11.6-inch touch
screen to expose the keyboard.
The problem is the design, which
means that the propped-up screen
covers almost half the base. The
result is a cramped keyboard with
no place to rest your palms, nor
even a track pad. Instead, theres a
tiny round pointing device wedged
in between the G, H and B keys.
It makes for a thoroughly unpleasant
typing experience. While Sony (6758)
tries to mitigate the input problems by
including a stylus, theres no place on
the Duo 11 to store it.
In general, the Duo 11 is much
better for consuming content than
for producing it: The high-resolution
screen makes viewing high-denition
videos in tablet mode a pleasure.
But my test unit was plagued by a
balky accelerometer that sometimes
took an inordinate amount of time to
reorient the screen when I ipped it
from landscape to portrait.
Un-Flashy Toshiba
Over the years, Toshiba has developed a reputation for
solid, decidedly un-ashy, laptops. Windows 8 has given it the
opportunity to nally break out, and Toshiba has seized the
moment to deliver the Satellite U925t, a convertible starting at
$1,150 that issorrysolid and decidedly un-ashy.
At 3.4 pounds, the Satellite is actually a little lighter and has a
smaller footprint than the Yoga. But it feels bulkier, owing to its
slightly greater thickness and less elegant design.
Like the Sony, and unlike the Lenovo, the Toshiba (6502)s
screen is always exposed, meaning that you may want some sort
of sleeve or cover to protect it from dirt when not in use.
Also like the Sony, you slide the screen up to put the Satellite into
laptop mode. But at least you have an adequately sized keyboard,
a touchpad and a little extra space for your wrists. You also have a
larger screen -- 12.5 inchesthough its 1366-by-768-pixel display
lags behind both the Duo 11 and Yoga. And while long battery
life isnt an outstanding characteristic of this entire category, the
Satellite was marginally better than either of the others.
The coming months will see the arrival of scores of similar
Windows hybrids, most notably including a new, more powerful
version of Microsofts Surface. Whether these new devices can
stave off the PCs long, slow decline remains to be seen, but in
the meantime they are introducing some welcome novelty into the
market. Bloomberg
By Marlon C. Magtira
FOR 2013, the Philippine Software Industry Association
(PSIA) said it will intensify its efforts to promote locally
created software products in the global arena through its
Product Development Special Interest Group (PD/SIG).
By 2016, the PSIA said it aims to achieve global
recognition for at least 10 Filipino software products
and generate approximately $1 million in annual export
revenues.
The Philippine software industry will continue to
succeed based on two factors: delivering deep technical and
professional expertise in specic niches where we can be
the best global providers, and creating software intellectual
property that will allow Philippine-based companies to
achieve top of the food chain status within the global
software ecosystem, said Joey Gurango, president of
Gurango Software Corporation.
The group saw an increase in active membership last
year, with at least 50 new companies joining in.
Next year, we will continue our educational and
capability development programs from 2012, such as
quarterly workshops on various business-building topics
specic to software products, said Gurango.
Since the groups founding in August 2011, there
has been a nascent software products movement in the
Philippines, according to Gurango.
Still, a lot needs to be done in terms of evangelism,
capability development, and coaching areas which the
PD/SIG hopes to contribute its energies into, he said.
The PSIA said the PD/SIG supports its members through
the development of business plans and product pitching to
foreign venture capital.
Last December, the group selected its rst batch of companies
during a three-day event called LaunchPad. A second batch of
candidates will be selected by the end of 2013.
PSIA also collaborates with the Business Processing
Association of the Philippines (BPAP), Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) for product development and
intellectual property (IP) development efforts.
We will be showcasing the rst batch of software
products that PD/SIG will assist in becoming globally
successful. These efforts aim to encourage more software
product technopreneurship in the Philippines and,
consequently, more attract more members into PD/SIG,
said Gurango.
spawns new mutant notebooks
Local software
group all set
for global push
Ubuntu OS for smartphones announced
POPULAR open-source platform Ubuntu is gearing up to offer big
things in rather smaller screens promising a distinctive smartphone
interface that utilizes all four edges of the screen for a more immersive
experience.
We expect Ubuntu to be popular in the enterprise market,
enabling customers to provision a single secure device for all PC,
thin client and phone functions. Ubuntu is already the most widely
used Linux enterprise desktop, with customers in a wide range of
sectors focused on security, cost and manageability said Jane
Silber, CEO of Canonical. We also see an opportunity
in basic smartphones that are used for the
phone, SMS, web and email, where
Ubuntu outperforms thanks to
its native core apps and stylish
presentation.
Ubuntu is aimed at two
core mobile segments: the
high-end superphone,
and the entry-level basic
smartphone, helping
operators grow the use of
data amongst consumers
who typically use
only the phone and
messaging but who
might embrace the
use of web and
email on their
phone. Ubuntu
also appeals to
aspirational
prosumers who
want a fresh
experience with
faster, richer
performance on a
lower bill-of-materials device.
The handset interface for Ubuntu introduces distinctive new user
experiences to the mobile market, including:
Edge magic: thumb gestures from all four edges of the screen
enable users to find content and switch between apps faster than
other phones.
Deep content immersion controls appear only when the user
wants them.
A beautiful global search for apps, content and products
Voice and text commands in any application for faster access to
rich capabilities
Both native and web or HTML5 apps
Evolving personalized art on the welcome screen.
Ubuntu offers compelling customization options for partner apps,
content and services. Operators and OEMs can easily add their
own branded offerings. Canonicals personal cloud service, Ubuntu
One, provides storage and media services, file sharing and a secure
transaction service which enables partners to integrate their own
service offerings easily.
In bringing Ubuntu to the phone, Canonical is uniquely placed
with a single operating system for client, server and cloud, and
a unified family of interfaces for the phone, the PC and
the TV.
We are defining a new era of convergence
in technology, with one unified
operating system that underpins cloud
computing, data centers, PCs and
consumer electronics says Mark
Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu
and VP Products at Canonical.
Were shaping the future of
personal computing. Ubuntu
is proven on the desktop, and
uniquely positioned to be at
the heart of the next wave
of consumer electronics,
combining a beautiful
hand-held touch interface
with a full PC experience
when docked, added
Shuttleworth.
Stakeholders
welcomed the
announcement.
Almost all
modern phones
have a lot of open
source components;
it was only a matter of time
before someone created a pure open
source phone, without the strings attached. A true open source player
has the opportunity to be a signicant player in the emerging markets,
as well as with people already committed to open source. Its really
exciting to see Ubuntu entering into the phone market, said Peter
Winston, CEO at Integrated Computer Solutions, Inc. (ICS).
Ubuntu is a free, open-source platform for client, server and cloud
computing. Since its launch in 2004, it has become a natural choice
for users of all kinds. Over 20 million desktop PCs run the Ubuntu
OS today, and Canonical estimates that close to 10 percent of the
worlds new desktops and laptops will ship with Ubuntu in 2014.
A5
Sunday
TECH
ManilaStandardTODAY
email: tech@mst.ph
taken over the podium. Its an important maker of chips
that go into cellphones, but not a household name.
None of this seems to matter much to the industry
people who go to the show, which is set to be bigger
than ever, at least in terms of oor space.
Gary Shapiro the CEO of the organizing
Consumer Electronics Association, expects
attendance close to the 156,000 people who turned
out last year. Thats pretty much at capacity for Las
Vegas, which has about 150,000 hotel rooms. The show
doesnt welcome gawkers: the attendees are executives,
purchasing managers, engineers, marketers, journalists
and others with connections to the industry.
We dont want to be over 160,000, Shapiro said in
an interview. We do everything we can not to be too
crowded.
Nor do the shifting winds of the technology industry
seem to matter much to exhibitors. Though some big
names are scaling back or missing, there are many smaller
companies clamoring for booth space and a spot in the
limelight for a few days. For example, while Apple
doesnt have an ofcial presence at the show,
there will be 500 companies displaying Apple
accessories in the iLounge Pavilion.
Overall, the CEA sold a record 1.9 million
square feet of oor space (the equivalent of
33 football elds) for this years show. These
are some of the themes that will be in evidence
next week:
Sharper TVs
Ultra HDTVs have four times the resolution
of HDTVs. While this sounds extreme and
unnecessary, youve probably already been
exposed to projections at this resolution,
because its used in digital movie theaters.
Sony, LG, Westinghouse and others will
be at the show with huge at-panel TVs that
bring that experience home, if you have a spare
$20,000 or so.
While the sets are eye-catching, they
will likely be niche products for years to
come, if they ever catch on. They have
to be really big - more than 60 inches,
measured diagonally - to make the
extra resolution really count. Also, theres
no easy way to get movies in UHDTV resolution.
While theres going to be a lot of buzz around Ultra
HDTV, we really think whats going to be relevant to
consumers at the show is the continued evolution of 3D
TVs and Internet-connected TVs, said Kumu
Puri, senior executive with consulting rm
Accentures Electronics & High-Tech group.
Bigger phones
Unlike TVs, new phones are launched
throughout the year, so CES isnt much of a
bellwether for phone trends. But this year, reports point
to several super-sized smartphones, with screen bigger than
five inches diagonally, making their debut at the show. These
phones are so big they can be awkward to hold to the ear, but
Samsungs Galaxy Note series has shown that theres a market
for them. Wags call them phablets because theyre almost
tablet-sized.
Acrobatic PCs
Microsoft launched Windows 8 in October, in an attempt to
make the PC work more like a tablet. PC makers obliged, with
a slew of machines that blend the boundaries. They have touch
screens that twist, fold back or detach from the keyboard. None
of these seems to be a standout hit so far, but we can expect
more experiments to be revealed at the show.
All the PC manufacturers recognize that they have to do
things differently, Accentures Puri said.
Attentive computing
CES has been a showcase in recent years for technologies
that free users from keyboards, mice and buttons. Instead, they
rely on cameras and other sophisticated sensors to track the
user and interpret gestures and eye movements. Microsofts
motion-tracking add-on for the Xbox 360 console, the Kinect,
has introduced this type of technology to the living room.
Startups and big TV makers are now looking to take it further.
For example, Tobii Technology, a Swedish company, will be
at the show to demonstrate the worlds first gaze interaction
computer peripheral - basically a camera that
tracks where the user is looking on the screen,
potentially replacing the mouse.
PointGrab, an Israeli startup, will
be showing off software that
lets a regular laptop
webcam interpret hand
movements in the air
in front of it.
Assaf Gad, head
of marketing at
PointGrab, said that
CES is usually full
of hopeful companies
with speculative interaction
technologies, but this year, you
can actually see real devices. AP
JAPANESE tech icon Sony, in partnership
with Smart Communications, recently
introduced the first water- and dust-
resistant LTE smartphone, the Sony Xperia
V.
The Xperia V is one of the first LTE
smartphones to launch in the Philippines,
promising download speeds of up to
100 Mbps. As a PlayStation-certified
smartphone, the Xperia V also enhances
real-time mobile gaming.
The Xperia V is also the first water-and
dust-resistant LTE
smartphone to launch worldwide. Water
resistance has become a sought-after
feature in mobile phones, and Sony has
been at the forefront of this trend, said
Patrick Larraga, head of mobile business
of Sony Philippines.
The Xperia V is now the fourth water-
resistant handset from Sony, rated at IP55/
IP57 based on the international-standard IP
Rating Scale.
Smart is proud to offer a truly unique
LTE smartphone in the Philippines. With
help from our partners at Sony, we are one
step closer to bringing the power of next-
generation mobile Internet to even more
Filipinos, said Smart wireless consumer
division head Emmanuel C. Lorenzana.
The Xperia V features a 13-megapixel
fast capture HD camera with Exmor R for
mobile. This Sony technology allows users
to capture bright still images and video
even in low light conditions. With High
Dynamic Range, the camera can more
accurately capture scenes even against
harsh backlight. The Xperia V also supports
1080 full HD video recording for sharper
videos; an excellent viewing experience
is guaranteed on its 4.3-inch HD Reality
Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2.
As an NFC (near field communication)
device, the Xperia V lets users access music
and photos across other NFC-enabled
Sony devices. This one-touch wireless
connection works without having to pair
with another device., like streaming music
wirelessly to an NFC-enabled speaker.
The Xperia V also comes with Sonys
unique Battery Stamina Mode, a feature that
can increase standby time up to four times
more. Developed specifically to address
consumer demand for longer smartphone
battery life, this extended standby mode
works in the background by temporarily
disabling WiFi, data traffic, and apps when
the screen is on sleep mode.
Calls, messaging functions, and
notifications will still work. When the
screen is touched again, all functions go
back up.
Battery Stamina Mode is easy to
use and offers more savings than other
similar power saving apps today. There are
actually no comparable apps on Google
Play since they cannot change the Android
system. Battery Stamina Mode is achieved
via deeper integration into the Android
OS. This allows Xperia V users to enjoy
more hours on the fastest LTE connection
available, explained Larraga.
The Xperia V is available in black and
white colors.
First water-resistant LTE
phone makes local debut
Bigger phones.
This year, super-sized smartphones, with
screen bigger than ve inches diagonally,
will be launched to empower mobile
workers enhancing productivity on-the-go.
Juan Paolo Magtira
New acrobatic laptops. As Microsofts Windows 8
attempts to make the PC work more like a tablet, a slew of machines
that blend the boundaries with touch screens that twist, fold back or
detach from the keyboard. Juan Paolo Magtira
THINK your high-denition TV is hot
stuffas sharp as it gets? At the biggest
trade show in the Americas, which kicks
off next week in Las Vegas, TV makers
will be doing their best to convince you
that HDTVs are old hat, and should
make room for Ultra HDTV.
MST Techbytes
Smart to
expand postpaid
base this year
WIRELESS operator Smart Communications said it expects
the continued growth of its postpaid business traditionally
the bailiwick of rival rm Globe Telecom this year, citing
strong momentum in 2012 and the launch of enhanced
postpaid plans.
In the third quarter, Smarts postpaid business recorded
a 38-percent year-on-year increase in subscribers and a 15-
percent increase in average revenue per user (ARPU).
Melissa Limcaoco, head of marketing for Smart brands,
attributed the telcos strong postpaid performance to the
success of its Unli Postpaid Plan 599 and Netphone Plan
349.
Smarts new Unli Trinet Text 349, which comes with a free
Samsung Galaxy Pocket, lets users send unlimited texts to
any Smart, Talk N Text, or Sun Cellular number.
Meanwhile, the new Plan 599 allows unlimited texts to any
Smart, Talk N Text, or Sun Cellular number, and unlimited
calls to any Smart or Talk N Text number. It is bundled with
a free Samsung Nari.
We expect these offerings to fuel the continued growth
of our postpaid business. Unlike similarly priced plans that
allow unlimited texts only to subscribers of the same network,
our new Plan 349 and Plan 599 let subscribers communicate
with a far bigger community 68 million subscribers in all,
Limcaoco said.
Its the latest gambit from an industry struggling with a
shift in consumer spending from TVs, PCs and single-purpose
devices such as camcorders to small, portable do-it-all gadgets:
smartphones and tablets. The Consumer Electronics Association
estimates that device shipments to U.S. buyers fell 5 percent
in dollar terms last year excluding smartphones and tablets, but
rose 6 percent to $207 billion if you include those categories.
The trends suggest that the International CES (formerly the
Consumer Electronics Show) is losing its stature as a start-of-
the-year
showcase for the gadgets that consumers will buy over the
next 12 months. It started out as a venue for the TV and stereo
industries. Later, PCs joined the party.
But over the last few years, TVs and PCs have declined in
importance as portable gadgets have risen and CES hasnt kept
pace. Its not a major venue for phone and tablet launches, though
some new models will likely see the light of day there when the
show oor opens on Tuesday. The biggest trendsetter in mobile
gadgets industry, Apple Inc., stays away, as it shuns all events it
doesnt organize itself.
Apple rival Microsoft Corp. has also scaled back its patronage
of the show. For the rst time since 1999, Microsofts CEO
wont be delivering the kick-off keynote. Qualcomm Inc. has
Huge gadget
show gears up
in Vegas
By Didi Tang
BEIJINGIn a rare move, some Chinese
journalists are openly confronting a top cen-
sor after a southern newspaper known for its
edgy reporting was forced to change a New
Years editorial calling for political reform
into a tribute praising the Communist Party.
Sixty journalists from the Southern Week-
ly in Guangdong province issued a com-
plaint Thursday over the last-minute changes
that they said were made without the consent
of the editorial department.
Another group of 35 former reporters
from the newspaper went a step further Fri-
day, calling for the resignation of the pro-
vincial party propaganda chief Tuo Zhen
whom they held personally responsible for
the changeswhile arguing that strong and
credible news media are crucial for the coun-
try and even necessary for the ruling party.
If the media should lose credibility and
inuence, then how can the ruling party
make its voice heard or convince its peo-
ple? their letter said.
The party-run Global Times newspaper
hit back with a defense of the government
line, publishing an editorial saying the me-
dia cannot exist romantically outside the
countrys political reality. The spat has be-
come one of the hottest topics on Chinas
popular microblog site Sina Weibo.
Also apparently coming under pressure
from Chinese censors was the Beijing-
based pro-reform journal Yanhuang Chun-
qiu, whose website was no longer acces-
sible on the mainland Friday. The journal
regularly challenges censorship and re-
cently published a New Years message
advocating political reform.
Yang Jisheng, the journals deputy direc-
tor, said a Ministry of Industry and Informa-
tion Technology department instructed the
journal to shut down the website on Monday
without providing a reason. By Friday, jour-
nal staff found the site blocked in China.
Chinas media in recent years have become
increasingly freewheeling in some kinds of
coverage, including lurid reports on celebrities
and sports figures. Still, censorship of political
issues remains tightalthough government
officials typically claim there is no censorship
at alland the restrictions have drawn in-
creasingly vocal criticism from journalists and
members of the public.
Touching off the latest tussle was a New
Years message to be published in the South-
ern Weekly on Thursday. The newspapers
annual feature has become a popular and
inuential tradition because of its boldness.
For 2013, the theme was to be constitu-
tional rule. The original version called for
democracy, freedom and adherence to the
constitutiona reference to promises made
in the 1982-era constitution to allow such re-
forms as independent courts and the rule of
law. The countrys communist leaders have
been reluctant to fulll those pledges for fear
of eroding their monopoly on power.
The Chinese dream is the dream of
constitutional rule, the original version
read, according to copies of the text wide-
ly disseminated online and conrmed in a
telephone interview with its author, one of
the newspapers editors, Dai Zhiyong.
That later was watered down as part
of the newspapers usual vetting process
with upper-level managementa process
that is part self-censorship, part consulta-
tion with Communist Party censors. It was
watered down further, Southern Weekly
journalists say, without the knowledge of
front-line reporters and editors on the eve-
ning before it hit the newsstand.
The version that eventually was pub-
lished said the Chinese dream of renais-
sance was closer than ever before, thanks
to Chinas Communist leaders.
The journalists took issue not only with
the changes to that message but with revi-
sions of the headline and design. In par-
ticular, they said an additional message
apparently added by censors to the news-
papers front page contained a major error
about Chinese folk history. A reference to
a ood control campaign supposedly in-
troduced 4,000 years ago was erroneously
dated to about 2,000 years ago.
The phone for the partys provincial
propaganda ofce in Guangdong rang un-
answered Friday.
In their call for Tuos resignation, for-
mer Southern Weekly journalists said the
man has brought the darkest time in the
past three decades to the media industry in
Guangdong, one of the boldest in China.
Zhao Chu, an independent media ob-
server in Shanghai, said the intervention
was not isolated but had the sanction of
Beijing. The party remains keen on main-
taining its rule, and the Southern Weekly
a symbol of Chinas media idealsbe-
came a target as it tries to control public
discussions, Zhao said.
Zhan Jiang, a journalism professor at
Beijing Foreign Studies University, wrote
on his microblog that the apparent party
intervention runs contrary to Chinas claim
that there is no news censorship.
This clearly tells the international
community that China has broken its
word, he said.
When Chinese Foreign Ministry spokes-
woman Hua Chunying was asked about the
issue during a routine brieng Friday, she
said she was not aware of the specics of the
situation, but added, I want to point out that
theres no so-called news censorship in Chi-
na and the Chinese government protects the
freedom of news report and has given full
play to news media in terms of supervision.
David Bandurski, a researcher with the
Hong Kong-based China Media Project, said
the Chinese government normally controls the
media by guidance, and that censorship is not
conducted in the form of red ink but through
consultation among propaganda officials and
editors. Whats unusual in the Southern Weekly
case is that propaganda officials apparently by-
passed the editors, he said.
That kind of interference, without the
knowledge of the editors, is very serious
and worrisome, Bandurski said.
It is still too early to tell if the incident is iso-
lated or indicative, and the open letter by for-
mer Southern Weekly journalists is challenging
Beijing to show its stand, Bandurski said.
It says, put your cards on the table, tell
us where you really are about openness,
Bandurski said. AP
What outrage can do
EDITORIAL
Stray bullets
and sky lanterns
Journalists confront China censors over editorial
Publ i shed Monday t o Sat urday by
Kamahalan Publishing Corporation at 3rd
Floor Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de
Roxas corner Perea Street, Legaspi Village,
Makati City. Telephone numbers 659-4830
(connecting all departments), 659-4826;
Manila
Standard
TODAY
MEMBER
Philippine Press Institute
The National Association
of Philippine Newspapers PPI
ONLINE
can be accessed at:
www.manilastandardtoday.com
MST
ROLANDO G. ESTABILLO Publisher
RAMONCHITO L. TOMELDAN Managing Editor
FRANCIS LAGNITON News Editor
ARMAN ARMERO Senior Deskman
EDITH D. ANGELES Advertising Manager
EDGAR M. VALMORIDA Circulation Manager
MARIEROSE ANG Graphic Design
LINO SANTOS Photo
OPINION ADELLE CHUA
ARTS & LIFE DINNA VASQUEZ
Staff CARLA MORTEL-BARICAUA
GRACE CORTEZ
TECH MARLON MAGTIRA
CHRISTIAN CARDIENTE
BUSINESS RODERICK DELA CRUZ
SPORTS REUEL VIDAL
659-4827 (Editorial), 659-4803, 659-
4802 (Advertising), 527-5016 (Sales and
Distribution/Subscription) and 527-2057
(Credit and Collection). Fax numbers:
659-4804 (Advertising) and 527-6406
(Subscription). P.O. Box 2933, Manila
Central Post Office, Manila. Website:
www.manilastandardtoday.com E-mail:
mst@manilastandardtoday.com
Sunday
MST
ROGELIO C. SALAZAR President & CEO
mst.lettertotheditor@gmail.com
A6
Sunday
OPINION
ManilaStandardTODAY
STEPHANIE Nicole Ella was
barely seven years old. On New
Years Eve, she and her family
stepped out onto the street to
watch the neighbors reworks
displays. All she wanted was
to partake in the celebration to
welcome 2013. She collapsed
into the ground in the middle of
the revelry. A stray bullet had
hit her in the head. She slipped
into coma and after eight car-
diac arrests nally passed on
last Wednesday. A family lost
a beloved daughter just because
some showoff jerk out there
couldnt contain his or her itch
to re a gun into the air as if in-
discriminate ring was the most
normal thing in the world to do.
Stephanie wasnt the only
victim of stray bullets this year;
there were many others. She
wasnt the rst, either. This
senseless tragedy has been re-
curring like a very bad dream
for decades now. The number
of casualties has been reduced
over the years but this stupid
practice of ring guns into the
air to welcome a New Year
continues. There are still quite
a number of trigger-happy mo-
rons out there who still dont
get it: Bullets that are red into
the air arent like reworks that
simply explode while airborne
they come hurtling back into
earth. If these bullets plummet
back into the person that red
them into the air we wouldnt
be gnashing our teeth in anger
like we are doing now. Unfortu-
nately, stray bullets do not pick
targets. They just hit anyone on
their downward path.
I hope that the people who
red guns into the air on New
Years Eve are identied and
meted out corresponding harsh
punishments. Their guns should
be conscated and their licenses
revoked. If they are military
people, they should be kicked
out of the service. It doesnt
make sense to arm a person who
res indiscriminately. Its un-
thinkable to have trigger-happy
people in our armed forces.
The person who shot that bullet
that killed Stephanie should be
placed behind bars and made to
rot in jail. Its time to stop the
slaughter of innocent people in
the name of revelry.
Also on New Years Eve,
scores of families lost their
houses and valuable possessions
to res caused by sky lanterns.
Lighting up those paper lanterns
that oat in the sky has become
a trend today. I was aghast to
see so many pictures posted in
social networking sites showing
people proudly releasing those
seemingly innocuous objects
into the air. Its actually not a
new idea; I used to see one or
two being released into the sky
during the eve of the town esta
of my hometown in Leyte when
I was growing up. The differ-
ence is that quantity has become
part of the trend. People are not
content with releasing just one
or two, but hundreds of them!
Just one sky lantern is already a
real re hazardthink about the
kind of catastrophe a hundred
sky lanterns could create.
Sure, those lanterns look mag-
ical. I can understand the kind of
emotions the sight of a hundred
lighted lanterns hovering in the
sky on a moonlit night would
evoke on people celebrating a
milestone occasion. Thanks to
Chinese manufacturers, these
lanterns are easy to be had, they
can be bought from department
stores for about fty bucks each
and even come in many colors.
But as usual, our predilection
for overdoing things just cannot
be contained. I was at a wedding
reception recently where the wed-
ding organizers released what
looked like a hundred of these
lanterns into the evening sky in
addition to the reworks and the
balloons. I teased the newly mar-
ried couple about how their mar-
riage has been harmful to the en-
vironment. On New Years Eve,
sky lanterns were a common sight
in many public parks and even
in some residential areas. People
have latched on to the trend and
seemingly believing that the ad-
age the more the merrier ap-
plies in this case.
Common sense would tell
us that those lanterns were not
meant to be lighted and released
around highly populated areas
where they can easily create
res. There are ways to reduce
the risks, but given the fact that
we seem not acquainted with
the concept of moderation, its
probably best to just disallow or
at least discourage people from
lighting sky lanterns in popu-
lated areas. The risks just far
outweigh the ephemeral joy that
these re hazards bring.
If we come to think about
it, those who got hurt by re-
crackers only had themselves
to blame for their pain. Those
who lost family members and
whatever precious belongings
they had to stray bullets and sky
lanterns suffered because other
people did not consider the con-
sequences of their actions.
BONG C.
AUSTERO
ARE WE THERE YET?
A 23-year-old medical student from In-
dia died last weekend, days after she was
raped and tortured by six men aboard a bus
in the capital, New Delhi. Her body was
cremated amid demonstrations condemn-
ing the governments anemic response to
the crime and denouncing the cultural bias
against women in her country.
The student is not the rst victim of
gender-based violence in a seemingly
modern society where female fetuses
are aborted and where rape victims get
blamed, even punished, for their ordeal.
The outrage of citizens caught head-
lines all over the world and has prompt-
ed Indian authorities to scale back New
Year celebrations.
Such response was appropriatebut
clearly inadequate.
Here at home, what was supposd to
be a night of revelry turned into tragedy
as a stray bullet hit and later on killed
a seven-year-old girl in Caloocan. The
nation is outraged, as well, that an in-
nocent child had to pay with her life for
the irresponsible act of an unthinking
thrill seeker on New Years Eve.
Stephanie Nicole Ella is also not the
rst casualty of indiscriminate ring.
There will be many more if peoples at-
titude towards merrymaking to welcome
a new year does not change, and if those
who do have guns are not made to under-
stand that the responsibility that comes
with their possession.
The death of a child is always untimely
and tragic. That the child was just standing
on the street watching the festivities when
she was struck by the bullet fuels our out-
rage. In our minds, it could have been very
easily our child, or the child of someone
we know. What power do we have against
the morons who do not realize the risk of
what they are doing, or disregard its con-
sequences even if they knew?
Amid our shared indignation and outrage,
what can we expect to happen?
Right now, while the issue is ripe, there
is an outpouring of sympathy for the fam-
ily and resolve to hunt down the person
who red that fatal shot. Alongside these,
there must also be sustained effort to dis-
courage similar acts in the future. All be-
fore the issue is forgotten and we move
on to the next event that makes us angry.
Were we not angry as well at illegal
loggers in the aftermath of the ooding
in Mindanao last year and the year before
that? The administration, in response, is-
sued an order banning new logging ac-
tivities. Of course, we never got to know
about how this order was implemented,
and whether it did result in less damage
during subsequent typhoons.
And did not Filipino netizens successful-
ly make their voices heard after Congress
enacted a law exposing bloggers and other
users of social media to liability when they
speak their mind? The Supreme Court is-
sued a restraining order on the impemen-
tation of said law; a nal decision on its
constitutionality is being awaited.
Outrage can indeed make us do many
things, but focus and commitment enable
us to see these initiatives through the end.
A7
Sunday
FOREIGN
ManilaStandardTODAY
IN BRIEF
Auschwitzs posts 1.43m visitors
Vietnam welcomes 1
st
Starbucks
HANOI, VietnamNghiem Ngoc Thuy has been
slinging coffees to thirsty Vietnamese for 20 years
in her colonial-style villa with peeling shutters, and
she and her customers arent too worried that the
imminent arrival of U.S. giant Starbucks will alter
their time-tested coffee traditions.
Starbucks announced Thursday that it will open its
rst cafe in Vietnam early next month in Ho Chi Minh
City as part of its strategy to expand across Asia, and
plans to add more shops throughout the country.
But compared with other Asian markets Starbucks
has recently entered, the Seattle-based company faces
a unique scenario in Vietnam, where French-inspired
coffee culture reigns supreme, two homegrown chains
have established presences and family-run sidewalk
cafes are as ubiquitous as noodle shops. AP
WARSAW, PolandThe Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial
site in southern Poland registered 1.43 million visitors last
year, a record number in its 65-year history as a place of
Holocaust remembrance, ofcials said Friday.
For several years now, the grounds of the former Nazi
death camp have registered record numbers of visitors.
In 2011, there were 1.4 million visitors from across the
world, triple the number of a decade before.
In a statement announcing the new gure, director Piotr
Cywinski said that in the last decade Auschwitz has be-
come a fundamental memorial for all of Europe. AP
UN asks C. African
rebels to end siege
Republic of the Philippines
Department of Public Works and Highways
Region I
La Union 2
nd
District Engineering Offce
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER
Natividad, Naguilian, La Union
(MST-Jan. 6, 2013)
Invitation to Bid for
CONTRACT NO. 12AF0133 (Republished)
CONSTRUCTION OF 3 STOREY 9 CL & 2 STOREY 4 CL SCHOOL BUILDING
NAGUILIAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, NAGUILIAN, LA UNION
1. The DPWH-LUSDEO, through the CY 2013 BEF FUND intends to apply
the sum of PHP 15,066,994.67 being the Approved Budget for the Contract
(ABC) to payments under the contract for 12AF0133. Bids received in
excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.
2. The DPWH-LUSDEO now invites bids for CONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOL
BUILDING. Completion of the Works is required 120 Calendar Days.
Bidders should have completed from the date of submission and receipt of
bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is
contained in the Bidding Documents, Particularly, in Section II. Instructions
to Bidders.
3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures
using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specifed in the Implementing
Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise
known as the Government Procurement Reform Act.
Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships or
organization with at least seventy fve percent (75%) interest or outstanding
capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.
4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from DPWH-LUSDEO and
inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00am
5:00pm starting January 4, 2013 to January 24, 2013.
5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested
Bidders from the address below and/or any DPWH Field Offces upon
payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of
PHP 25,000.00.
It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine
Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the
website of the Procuring Entity, provided that the bidders shall pay the
fee for the Bidding Documents not later that the submission of their bids.
6. The DPWH-LUSDEO will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on January 11, 2013
- 2:00pm at DPWH-LUSDEO, Natividad, Naguilian, La Union BAC Offce
which shall be open to all interested parties.
7. Bids and Letter of Intent (LOI) must be delivered to the address below on
or before January 24, 2013 10:00am at DPWH-LUSDEO, Natividad,
Naguilian, La Union BAC Offce. All bids must be accompanied by a
bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB
Clause 18.
Bids will be opened at 2:00pm on January 24, 2013 in the presence of the
bidders representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late
bids shall not be accepted.
8. The DPWH-LUSDEO reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul
the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award,
without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.
9. For further information, please refer to:
CECILIA L. AQUINO
BAC Secretariat
DPWH-LUSDEO
BRGY. NATIVIDAD, NAGUILIAN, LU
(072) 6091716

(SGD) VIRGILIO T. DACANAY
Asst. District Engineer
BAC Chairman
NOTI CE OF LOSS
Thi s i s t o not i f y
t he publ i c t hat
SHAHIN AHMED,
a B a n g l a d e s h
Citizen of legal age
and r esi dent of
Mahogany Village,
Looc , Cal amba
Ci ty, Laguna l ost
hi s Passport wi th
No. P0670454 as
per Doc. No. 371;
Page No. 76; Book
No. XXXIX; Series
o f 2 0 1 2 u n d e r
Notary Public Atty.
E mma n u e l E .
Murillo.
(MST-Jan. 6, 2013)
Cordillera Administrative Region
OFFICE OF THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR
Engineers Hill, Baguio City
BID BULLETIN No. 30
This Bid Bulletin No. 30 dated January 4, 2013 is issued to modify or amend items in
the Bid Documents. This shall form as an integral part of the Bid Documents.
POSTPONEMENT OF THE SCHEDULED SUBMISSION/OPENING OF
BIDS due to revision of plans:
Contract ID : 12PO0061
Contract Name : Bal l ay-Tabi o-Tonoman-Bul al acao Road
(Bulalacao Lake), Kabayan - Declared Strategic
Tourist Destination (DSTD), Sta 007+000 Sta
015+200
Contract Location : Ballay & Tawangan, Kabayan, Benguet
SUBMISSION/OPENING OF BIDS
From To
January 15, 2013 January 31, 2013
For guidance and information of all concerned.
(Sgd.) CONSTANTE R. SARMIENTO
Chief, Maintenance Division
BAC Chairman
(MST-Jan. 6, 2013)
For f as t ad r es ul t s ,
pl eas e c al l
659-48-30
l oc al 303
or
659-48-03
Obama may round out national security team next week
WASHINGTONPresi dent
Barack Obama may round out
his new national security lead-
ership team next week, with a
nomination for defense secretary
expected and a pick to lead the
CIA possible.
Former Republican Sen.
Chuck Hagel of Nebraska is the
front-runner for the top Pen-
tagon post. Acting CIA Direc-
tor Michael Morell and Obama
counterterrorism adviser John
Brennan are leading contenders
to head the spy agency.
White House aides said the
president has not made a nal
decision on either post and wont
until he returns from Hawaii,
where he is vacationing with his
family. Obama is due back in
Washington Sunday morning.
Obama nominated Sen. John
Kerry to replace Hillary Rodham
Clinton as secretary of state in
December, his rst step in lling
out his second term Cabinet and
national security team. Kerry,
as well as the nominees for the
Pentagon and CIA, must be con-
rmed by the Senate.
Hagel, the former senator from
Nebraska, is a contrarian Repub-
lican moderate and decorated
Vietnam combat veteran who is
likely to support a more rapid
withdrawal of US troops from
Afghanistan. If conrmed, Hagel
would give Obama a whiff of bi-
partisanship in his Cabinet.
Even before his nomination,
Hagels consideration for the top
Pentagon job raised concerns
among some of his former Senate
colleagues, who questioned his
pronouncements on Iraq, Israel
and the Middle East. Troubling for
some lawmakers are Hagels com-
ments and actions on Israel, in-
cluding his reference to the Jew-
ish lobby in the United States.
Hagel has also been criticized
for comments he made in 1998
about an openly gay nominee
for an ambassadorship. In an in-
terview with the Omaha World-
Herald in 1998, Hagel said he
believed that for a US ambassa-
dor, it is an inhibiting factor to
be gay and referred to James C.
Hormel as openly, aggressively
gay. He has since apologized for
those comments.
If nominated and conrmed,
Hagel would replace current De-
fense Secretary Leon Panetta.
Morell has served as the CIAs
acting director since early No-
vember, after David Petraeus re-
signed after admitting to an affair
with his biographer.
Brennan, Obamas top coun-
terterrorism adviser, worked at
the CIA for 25 years, including
a stint as station chief in Saudi
Arabia. He also served as chief of
staff to then CIA Director George
Tenet from 1999 to 2001, when
he was named the agencys depu-
ty executive director. AP
Rebels calling for President
Francois Bozize to step down
have seized 10 towns in a month,
but they halted their advance on
the capital Bangui on Dec. 29
pending negotiations.
The Security Council called
on all parties to seek a peaceful
solution and engage in nego-
tiations scheduled to be held in
Libreville, Gabon starting Jan.
8 without preconditions and in
good faith. It encouraged the
government, armed groups, the
political opposition and other
interested parties to use the talks
to negotiate a comprehensive
political solution.
Pakistans UN Ambassador
Masood Khan, the current coun-
cil president who read the press
statement, was asked whether
the talks would denitely take
place given uncertainty about
participation of all the rebels and
other groups.
Right now preparations are
being made and were hop-
ing the talks will take place
and all parties are being urged
in that direction, Khan said.
The talks are important to re-
duce tension and de-escalate
the situation and look towards
diplomatic solutions.
The Security Council said
the activities by the rebel coali-
tion known as Seleka gravely
undermine the countrys secu-
rity and stability, constitute a
threat to the civilian population,
and hinder the provision of hu-
manitarian assistance. It urged
all parties to allow humanitarian
workers and aid to reach civil-
ians affected by the offensive.
Seleka, which means alliance
in the local Sango language,
is made up of four separate
groups which have previously
fought one another. Bozize has
offered to form a government
of national unity but the rebels
have questioned his sincerity
and are demanding that he re-
linquish power. They also want
the government to respect previ-
ous peace accords providing for
the disarmament, demobiliza-
tion and reintegration of former
rebels into society.
The council expressed concern
about reports of arrests, deten-
tion, looting and the targeting of
ethnic minorities as well as the
recruitment and use of children
in the conict.
Council members urged all
parties to stop violence against
civilians and to respect human
rights and said those responsible
should be held accountable.
The UN childrens agency said
Friday said it has received cred-
ible reports that rebel groups and
pro-government militias are in-
creasingly recruiting and involv-
ing children in armed conict.
Souleymane Diabate, UNICEF
representative for Central Afri-
can Republic, said children who
have become separated from
their families amid the instability
are at the greatest risk. AP
NEW DELHIThe suffering of a uni-
versity student and her male friend who
were brutally attacked aboard a bus in In-
dias capital did not end after the woman
was gang-raped and both were savagely
beaten for 2 1/2 hours. Dumped naked on
a roadside, the pair encountered shocking
apathy as passersby offered only cursory
looks and police debated jurisdiction for
30 minutes before taking them to a hospi-
tal, where the man received no treatment
as he sat without clothes on the oor, the
friend recounted in a television interview.
The interview Friday marked the rst
time the man, who has not been named,
has spoken publicly about the Dec. 16 at-
tack in New Delhi.
The attack has outraged Indians and led
to calls for tougher rape laws and reforms
of a police culture that often blames rape
victims and refuses to le charges against
accused attackers. The nations top law
enforcement ofcial said the country
needs to crack down on crimes against
women with an iron hand.
The 23-year-old woman died last
weekend from massive internal injuries
suffered during the attack. Authorities
charged ve men with her murder and
rape and were holding a sixth suspect be-
lieved to be a juvenile. A hearing in the
case was scheduled for Saturday.
On the night of the attack, the woman
and her companion had just nished watch-
ing the movie Life of Pi at an upscale
mall and were looking for a ride home. An
autorickshaw driver declined to take them,
so they boarded the private bus with the six
assailants inside, the companion told the In-
dian TV station Zee News.
Authorities have not named the man
because of the sensitivity of the case.
Zee News also declined to give his name,
although it did show his face during the
interview. The man has a broken leg and
was sitting in a wheelchair during the in-
terview.
Indian law prohibits the disclosure
of the identity of victims in rape cases,
and police have opened an investigation
into the TV station for broadcasting the
interview, New Delhi police spokesman
Rajan Bhagat said Saturday. Violators of
the law can face up to two years in prison
and a ne.
The man went on to tell Zee News that after
the pair were on the bus for a while, the men
started harassing and attacking them.
I gave a tough ght to three of them.
I punched them hard. But then two oth-
ers hit me with an iron rod, he said. The
woman tried to call the police using her
mobile phone, but the men took it away
from her, he said. They then took her to
the rear seats of the bus and raped her.
The attack was so brutal I cant even
tell you ... even animals dont behave like
that, the man said.
Afterward, he overheard some of the at-
tackers saying the woman was dead, he said.
The men then dumped their bleeding
and naked bodies under an overpass. The
womans companion waved to passersby
on bikes, in autorickshaws and in cars for
help, but no one stopped. They slowed
down, looked at our naked bodies and
left, he said.
My friend was grievously injured
and bleeding profusely, he said. Cars,
autos and bikes slowed down and sped
away. I kept waving for help. The ones
who stopped stared at us, discussing what
could have happened. Nobody did any-
thing. AP
UNITED
NATIONS
The UN Secu-
rity Council urged
rebels in the Cen-
tral African Re-
public on Friday to
halt their military
offensive, with-
draw from cities
they have seized,
and take part in ne-
gotiations to nd a
political solution to
the impoverished
countrys long-
standing problems.
Kobe Bryant: Im on Twitter now
LOS ANGELESKobe Bryant is no longer a holdout.
Hes on Twitter.
With five wordsThe antisocial has become social
the Los Angeles Lakers guard sent the first tweet from his ac-
count Friday. More than 250,000 people followed his verified
account, @kobebryant, within four hours.
Bryant tiptoed into the Twitterverse last week when
he briey took over Nike basketballs account, when he
sent out things like a photo of him hanging out with his
daughter, an ice bath that he was dreading and even a
suit he was wearing to a particular game.
Bryant says those few days made him consider start-
ing his own account, saying he enjoyed connecting with
fans with no lters. AP
India gang-rape victims
friend recounts attack
Soldiers from the Republic of Congo, operating under a multinational central-african regional mandate,
arrive by airplane to boost existing forces, at an airport in Bangui, Central African Republic Monday, Dec.
31, 2012. Rebels in the Central African Republic rejected appeals for them to halt their advances and to
negotiate to form a coalition government. AP
Obama
extrastory2000@gmail.com Sunday
BUSINESS
ManilaStandardTODAY
SEPTEMBER 23, 2012 SUNDAY
A11
Sunday
Manila StandardTODAY
Business
A8
Fruits disappearing
on the dining table
LOCAL fruits are disappearing on the
dining table, as the attention of Filipino
consumers switches to meat and pro-
cessed food amid changing lifestyles and
rising incomes.
In fact, the National Statistical Coordination Board says
Filipinos have reduced their consumption of fruits and vegetable
while eating more meat over the past three decades.
Citing data from the National Nutrition Survey, NSCB secretary-
general Jose Ramon Albert says the per capita consumption of
meat and products increased by 152.1 percent, from 23 grams per
day in 1978 to 58 grams in 2008.
In particular, consumption of poultry products increased 257.1
percent from 7 grams per day to 25 grams. Per capita consumption
of eggs also increased from 8 grams to 14 grams.
On the other hand, consumption of fruits declined 48.1 percent
to 54 grams from 104 grams in the past 30 years while intake of
vegetables fell 24.1 percent to 110 grams from 145 grams.
Consumption of cereals, including rice, went down from 367
grams in 1978 to 361 grams in 2008, although rice consumption
slightly increased from 308 grams to 317 grams.
Fish consumption was slightly up from 102 grams to 110
grams.
Albert even goes to the extent of linking the increasing incidence
of the diseases of the heart to rising consumption of meat products.
It is, after all, reasonable to suspect that there is a nexus between
food consumption and diseases, he says.
Diseases of the heart have consistently been the leading
cause of death for the past 10 years in the Philippines, and
that the prevalence rate for heart diseases has been increasing.
In the early to late 80s, heart diseases ranked second (next to
pneumonia); but starting from 1990 to 2006, heart illnesses
have become the primary cause of death in the country, he
says.
Data actually show that the poorest areas in the country had the
lowest incidence of heart diseases. In 2009, 21 percent of deaths
in the Philippines were linked to heart diseases.
The ratio in Metro Manila was higher at 25.7 percent, compared
to Davao Regions 16.4 percent. Let us be more conscious of
what we eat, what we drink, and what we do. Let us opt to eat
healthy, and stay happy in 2013 and in the years to come, says
Albert.
Another government ofcial cites the need to increase fruit
consumption to help Filipino farmers.
Our country is blessed with many fruits that compare favorably
in taste, nutritional and health benets with those from other
countries, says Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala.
Our mango, for example, is one of the most highly-valued
fruits abroad. We also have pineapple, guava, lanzones, caimito,
chico, durian, rambutan, papaya, guyabano, and marang, among
others, he says.
We also have high-quality citrus fruits, like the seedless sweet
oranges produced in Nueva Vizcaya and pomelos in Davao,
Alcala says. Also, we have several varieties of melons and
watermelons that are available year-round.
He says most of Philippine tropical fruits are fresher and
contain phyto-chemicals and essential nutrients benecial to ones
health.
Thus, buying Pinoy fruits gives consumers more value for their
money, in addition to providing farmers, orchard owners and their
families more income, he says.
We should encourage and lead by example, and urge our young
people to love Pinoy fruits, Alcala says. We should also teach
them to appreciate indigenous fruits like kalumpit, yaniko and
sapinit, the so-called Pinoy wild raspberry.
He says the countrys indigenous fruits have great potential as
export products. Sapinit, for instance, is now being processed into
quality juice and jam to offset its short shelf life.
Alcala says consuming and promoting more Philippine fruits
will not only promote good health among the Filipino people,
but also help the farming sector, and further strengthen the
economy.
Patronizing our farmers produce will spur them to higher
productivity and protability, and boost our fruit exports as well
for the benet of our people and country, he says. RTD
STEEPED in a wealth of both
history and natural resources, the
Bataan peninsula reaches down
into the South China Sea from the
monumental Zambales Mountains,
and creates the beautiful Manila Bay to its
east.
Both agricultural and industrial, the
province is one of the fastest growing in
the country. At the heart of progressive,
yet charming, Bataan is its bustling capital
city, Balanga. It is here that Camella
the real estate brand with the widest
geographic reach in the countryhas
chosen to follow the success of Camella
Bataan with its second community in
the province. Camella Balanga, growing
exquisitely in Barangay Cupang, is
opening very soon.
Paying homage to that other exquisite
peninsula that ows out from southern
Europe into the intoxicating Mediterranean
Camella Balanga will echo the sun-
kissed villages of Italy with cozy homes
perched on landscaped roads that drift
into hidden miniature piazzas.
Mirroring the delightful Italian resort
towns, Camella is building more than
a residential village. It is creating a
sanctuary designed to keep the stresses of
life well beyond its gates. Within those
gates will be a haven of comforting homes
set amidst rejuvenating greenery, where
one can nourish and grow ones family
and ones dreams.
Camella is the subsidiary catering to
the mid-market segment of Vista Land,
the countrys premier homebuilder. In
a 2011 study by Colliers International
Research, Vista Land stood out as the
leader in Philippine residential real estate
development with a total of over 18,422 houses,
houses and lots and condominiums sold out in that
year.
Like its mother company, Camella understands that
it is the ultimate dream of every Filipino to have a
home of their own. Thus, it is their vision to build a
home for every Filipino.
Camella has long been a familiar household
name in the country. In over 37 years, it has built
an immense selection of high-quality homes and
exquisitely-themed communities and master planned
cities across our islandseach one carrying with
it Vista Lands expertise in space planning, carefully
thought out and sustainable architecture, and an
innate knack for selecting the most accessible and
attractive locationsalways conveniently close to
schools, business centers, transport hubs, and places
of worship, entertainment, and culture. To date,
the group has built more than 250,000 homes and
maintains a powerful presence in Mega Manila and
31 other key provincial destinations and 63 cities and
municipalities.
Reaching even higher to bring better housing
to Filipinos, Camella introduced Camella Condo
Homes or CCHa selection of low- and mid-
rise condominiums as beautifully and thoughtfully
designed and built as its house-and-lot developments.
Outside Mega Manila, Camella builds, manages and
markets its developments as well. Camella has been
building houses and communities in the provinces
for the affordable, middle and upper middle income
segments offering Lessandra, Camella and Jewels
Series homes, respectively.
The City of Balanga is named for the balaga the
Kapampangan word for the clay pots used for cooking
and fetching water. Called banga in Tagalog,
these were, and still are, produced beautifully and
in abundance in the area since before the coming
of the Spanish. Today, the equally residential and
agricultural city is so strategically nestled in Bataans
heart that is has become the provinces center for
trade, commerce, services, and education. Coupled
with successful agriculture and shing industries,
Balangacurrently one of the wealthiest towns in
Bataan has become a good place for businesses
and, with the facilities the blossoming province has to
offer and continues to improve, an ideal place to raise
a family. This is one reason for the success of Camella
Bataan in Barangay Tuyo, the companys rst venture
into the lovely peninsulas capital city.
Camella Balanga will be a stunning upgrade from the
rst community. Equipped with a keen understanding
of the Balangueos psyche what they want and
what they needthe 10-hectare communitys design
is inspired by Italys ocean-side resort towns, bringing
the exquisite Mediterranean charm to Bataan.
Camella Balanga will offer a selection of the more
popular home models from the Camella Series Marvela,
Carmela, Drina, and Elaisa as well as designer homes
from the Jewels seriesSapphire, Emerald and Ruby. Each
home is brilliantly space-planned to wedge itself into the
gracefully landscaped avenues, pathways and cul de sacs.
Here, windows open to golden sunlight and teasing winds,
and balconies gaze across gentle rooftops, whispering trees
and the communitys grand Clubhouse beckoning in the
distance.
Understanding every familys need for leisure,
exercise and letting off steam, the village comes with
playgrounds for the kids and kids-at-heart; parks for
walking, running and picnicking; and a basketball
court for a bit of feisty but friendly competition. The
clubhouse itself, inspired by the quiet villas that dot
the foothills of Capri, will offer a swimming pool,
function rooms and a main hall for the neighborhood
socials and occasional al fresco dining. A perimeter
wall will enclose the village in safety, there will also
be 24/7 roving security and a guarded main entrance to
guarantee every residents peace of mind.
Camella Balanga was master planned to
purposely take modern-day living a notch higher.
The group believes it owes its homeowners no
less.
The site for Camellas second Bataan community
was specially selected to be easy to get to and allow
its residents quick access to whatever place or service
they need to live comfortably and completely. Top bus
companies ply the Bataan-Manila, Bataan-Olongapo
and Bataan-Baguio routes and an array of mini buses
and tricycles traverse the inter-municipal road with
Balanga as the terminal point lling in the transport
gaps. Main transport terminals close to the property
gates make movement to, within and from the rest of
the city and province a breeze.
With Balanga standing as the educational center of
the province of Bataan, a number of the regions top
educational institutes are within easy driving distance
from the communitythe Bataan Peninsula State
University, Bataan Montessori School, Tomas Del
Rosario College, Bataan Infant Jesus School, AMA, STI,
and the Asia Pacic College of Advance Studies. In case
of a medical emergencyor everyday health issuesthe
Bataan General Hospital, Isaac Catalina Medical Clinic,
St Joseph Hospital, and the Bataan Doctors Hospital are
very close by.
Of course, leisure is denitely crucial to living a full
life. Galeria Victoria, Ocampos Mall and the Center
Plaza Mall stand ready to fulll the entertainment
needs of Camellas residents, and for the absolute
necessities, there are Robinsons Supermarket, Balanga
Public Market, Elizabeth Supermarket, and Vercons
Supermarketall a few easy minutes from the village
gates.
Beyond that, Balanga and its mother province
Bataan offer a wealth of destinations for the
adventure seeker, nature lover or history buff. The
glorious Mount Samat offers amazing panoramas and
wonderful trekking and climbing possibilities. There
is also the Pawikan sanctuarya collection of hidden
beaches where the provinces most famous visitors,
the massive sea turtles, come yearly to lay their eggs
in the warm tropical sand before sliding silently
back into the sea. The province is also known for its
amazing bird-watching sites, waterfalls, churches,
and the many memorial shrines and landmarks that
guarantee we will never forget the moments of horror
and courage during World War II.
It is in the midst of all this beauty, inspiration and
history, coupled with Balangas immense growth and
expansion that Camella selected to create its newest
community for Filipino families to grow, and bloom,
and live the life they wish for and truly deserve.
Italian-themed village rises in Bataan
Camella in Balanga, Bataan
Sunday
SUNDAY JANUARY 6, 2013
B1
ManilaStandardTODAY
ARTS & LIFE
A matter of
TASTE
FLOUR turns into glucose when you digest it, thus providing
your body with an instant source of energy. Flour is one of the
most important ingredients in cooking and baking.
It can be used to thicken sauces and to coat breaded pork and
chicken. It is used, of course, to bake breads and cakes.
Flour is one of the most often used thickening agents when
cooking foods such as sauces, gravies, soups, stews, and gumbos.
A roux and a beurre mani are among the most popular
methods for using our as a thickener. A roux is a our and fat
combination that is cooked before it is used as a thickener, and
beurre mani is a our and fat paste that is not cooked before
it is used. All-purpose our is most commonly used for a roux.
It has moderate levels of starch and protein, so the thickening
power is also moderate. The more starch content of the our,
the more thickening power.
Magnolia Fresh Chicken and Magnolia All Purpose Flour
joined forces to support carinderias in the widely successful
Carinderia Fiesta 2012 which was recently staged in a grand
Pahiyas theme at the World Trade Center.
It was raining Magnolia Fresh Chicken and Magnolia All
Purpose our at the display booths of the two brands in the
event.
Carinderia Fiesta is an advocacy program of San Miguel Pure
Foods led by Magnolia Fresh Chicken, made possible with the
unwavering support of the nest food brands in the country:
Ginebra San Miguel, Purefoods Hormel Group, Magnolia Inc.,
Magnolia Ice Cream, San Mig Coffee Super Mix, Condura and
The importance of flour in cooking
Dole Philippines. The super brands took the initiative to award the
best carinderia cooks in their own food cooking contest categories
with the help of Petron Gasul.
Winners in the category of best Magnolia Fresh Chicken and
Flour dish took home close to P25,000 worth of prizes. Maysil
Villamor of Ten Katsu received a brand new Condura Negosyo
refrigerator; Michelle Basa of DadsMoms Kitchen and Lourdes
Garrido of Pasay City East High School placed second and third
and received cash prizes.
With the best products at their disposal, carinderia owners are
equipped enough to elevate the level of standard of their carin-
derias Customers can be assured that their all-time favourite
fried chicken, pork and sh are nourished with Vitamin A and
iron. A warm healthy treat! It is also halal certied which means
the Muslim community can enjoy their soup, gravies or fried
veggies the Magnolia All Purpose Flour way.
Guest chef Sylvia Reynoso Gala shared one of her secret reci-
pes with the audience as she baked an original Filipino favorite,
puto using Magnolia All Purpose Flour with a dash of Purefoods
Star Corned Beef.
Carinderia kings and queens and their customers can be assured
of Magnolia All Purpose Flours quality and consistency. It is the
perfect partner in their carinderia business as it is used as breading
for chicken, pork, sh and vegetables. It can also be used to make
soups or thicken sauces and gravies. Dinna Chan Vasquez
Grilled angus ribeye steak
The restaurants interiors are shabby chic in terms of design sensibility.
Pizza with pesto, kesong puti and arugula
By Dinna Chan Vasquez
MOST of Jude Mancuyas childhood memories
are about food. He remembers being brought
to the Malabon market where his father would
haggle with a shmonger for a big lapu-lapu.
After that, his father would bring the sh home
and his mother would be in charge of cooking it.
He also recalls eating the best pan de coco (bread
with coconut) still warm from the oven.
The dessicated coconut was real
coconut and not the instant stuff they
use today, says Jude.
When Jude and his siblings were
little, his father would make it a habit
to take them everywhere to eat.
We would go to Antipolo where
the best pospas was and Jusmag
near the old ABS-CBN to eat steak.
Food was an adventure, shares Jude.
In the Lopez household, Judes fa-
ther did the marketing. His mother,
who passed away only recently, did
the cooking.
As a restaurateur, Jude doesnt
fashion himself as a chef but as a
cook.
I wouldnt say that Im the best
chef or cook in the world but I de-
nitely know what good food tastes
like. Marunong ako kumain, says
Jude, who co-owns the restaurant
known as The Frazzled Cook at 916
Luna Mencias St., Addition Hills,
Mandaluyong City.
Why frazzled?
Before he
and his part-
ners opened
The Frazzled
Cook, Jude
was already
quite well
known among
foodies be-
cause of Fat
Michaels, a
small restau-
rant in Bang-
kal, Makati City.
The new restaurant was called
The Frazzled Cook because the
process of opening it and coming
up with a decent menu took all of
two months. Finally, The Frazzled
Cook opened just three days before
Ondoy submerged many parts of
Metro Manila.
We visited the 150-square meter
restaurant recently after a couple of
years and we were pleasantly sur-
prised to see that everything was as
charming as it was before. The chairs
were still mismatched. Each table
was still different from the other. The
plates and cutlery, like most every-
thing in The Frazzled Cook, was still
also mismatched. The spoons with
Hello Kittys face imprinted on them
were still there. The chandeliers and
overhead lamps were as shabby chic
as ever. One of the chandeliers had
a couple of interlocking Cs as orna-
ments, giving a clue to Judes past as
a production designer and his strong
interest in fashion.
Food trip
We had the pizza with pesto, na-
tive white cheese and arugula as an
appetizer. At least, that is what Jude
called it. We pointed out that it was
a meal in itself, forgetting that this
was a man used to being around
food. The pizza crust was delight-
fully delicious and the native white
cheese gave the pizza the salty a-
vor it needed. The nutty arugula
was the topping in an already near-
perfect take on an Italian classic.
Now we know what Jude meant
when he said he knew how to eat
well. For the main course, we had
the rib eye seasoned in (aside from
salt and pepper) what we guessed
was turmeric with vegetables and
potatoes.
For dessert, Jude recommended
one of his favorites, the Strawberry
Shortcake which had a frozen straw-
berry on top. It was the perfect com-
fort food to end an excellent meal.
Oh, one shouldnt leave The Frazzled
Cook without trying the great coffee.
The special homemade iced tea (al-
ways served in a blue pitcher) is also
a bestseller and has a very interesting
avor although we nd it a bit too
sweet. If you love sweet drinks and
can afford the intake of extra calories
and sugar, try this!
Menu standouts
In my opinion, The Frazzled
Cooks strength
is really in its
meat dishes.
Somehow, you
know when
the restaurant
knows how to
treat meat well
to bring out its
avor, cook-
ing it so that it
isnt dry and not
smothering it in
heavy sauces and gravy.
The lengua with mushrooms, corn
and mashed potatoes is something
that we had on a previous visit and
it was very tender and delicious,
without the strong game-y avor that
turns people off with cuts like tongue
and tail.
Another bestseller is the Wagyu
Salpicao, which is perfect for those
who prefer their beef very avorful.
This is quite sinful and is avored
with soy sauce and garlic. Its served
with mashed potatoes but would
honestly taste better with garlic rice
(something which The Frazzled
Cook does quite well, too).
I regret not having the pancake
ala mode during the my last visit.
The restaurants take on the pan-
cake is quite unique. The texture
reminds you a bit of our native
rice cake or bibingka. Some people
think that it is made with rice our.
It is served with mantecado ice
cream and syrup. I would go to The
Frazzled Cook to eat only this and
have it with coffee.
I would describe The Frazzled
Cook as a great date place because
there is nothing intimidating or stand-
ofsh about it. But surprisingly, the
restaurants most loyal clients are
families and groups of friends who
nd comfort in the charming interi-
ors, unpretentious ambience and con-
sistently good food.
Vanille creme crepe cake
Grilled beef BBQ short
ribs with mashed
cauli ower.
Pretty ladies at the Magnolia All Purpose Flour booth.
Flour is an important ingredient in cooking and baking.
ARTS & LIFE
ManilaStandardTODAY
ARTS & LIFE
ManilaStandardTODAY
SUNDAY
B2
JANUARY 6, 2013
Sunday
SELECTIONS from the Dwelling Archive/
Residue is a backtoback exhibit
featuring Charles Labelle and Christina
Quisumbing. The two artists explore
dwelling and habitation and how these
spaces provide us with residual memory.
Labelle has selected 89 drawings from
Cities of the Red Night executed directly
on the pages of copies of the Burroughs
novel. Thus, the text effectively becomes
a subtext for his narrative of living spaces.
Quisumbing explores this theme in another
way through the use of found objects,
building and construction materials, and
pencils. From these things, she builds a
narrative of living memory, fragile and
labyrinthine like its construction.
RUPAL Mahajans love for
creativity manifested itself
during an early age through
school projects and art and
craft competitions. To hone her
creative skills, Rupal took up an
Applied Arts course at Sophia
Polytechnic Mumbai, India.
Rupals tryst with creativity
continued as she worked with
reputed advertising agencies
from 2001-2009 on fulltime
and part time basis in India.
She took a professional break
to focus on her family when
she shifted to the Philippines.
In 2012, Rupal revived her old
love by taking up logo/T-shirt
designing/poster designing/
Painting and pottery. She has
successfully exhibited her
paintings in American Bazaar
(Philippines) and is poised for
her second ight in the creative
world with her upcoming
exhibition at Ricco Renzo.
Vimmi Khanna aspires to
broaden her horizon as an artist
by constantly experimenting
and trying to achieve new
effects by mixing mediums
not commonly used together.
Indulging in art gives Vimmi a
lot of inner peace and a unique
opportunity to bring out her
feelings and expressions to
the world. It encourages her
creativity and invigorates her
quest for something truer.
She is a traveler on an ever-
changing, unpredictable
journey. Her paintings portray
her intuitive insights into the
human mind and bring forth
a spontaneity to the subject
she has chosen to depict, be
it gurative, landscapes or
abstracts.
Manju Gagoomal has
taught Art to Kindergarten
students, primary and high
school students in the United
States and the Philippines. She
is currently teaching Indian
Folk Art and Design Concepts
and also serves as liaison
Ofcer for Museum Volunteers
of the Philippines and Ayala
Museum. Her international
background and upbringing
add fusion elements to her
work. She would describe
herself as a Healing Artist
as she incorporates healing
energies into her artwork and
she is also a Reiki Master.
She believes in the power of
transformation and the dignity
of the Human Spirit to achieve
a Higher potential.
Aptly titled, Artbeat (Art
that beats in our hearts) is a
collaboration of Rupal, Vimmi
and Manjus expression of
their passion. For Rupal, the
strokes come from her heart.
From butteries to market
scenes, the paintings not
only pulsate on the walls but
also with her life. While for
Vimmi, her paintings express
her soul with womanhood,
nature and companionship
the healers of her life. And
for Manju, her art is inspired
by soul searching, reflecting
the moods and feelings of
her move towards finding
the way.
Art Beat (Art that beats in
our hearts) is a three-woman
show and will be exhibited
at the Ricco Renzo Gallery
located at LRI Design Plaza,
210 N. Garcia Street, Bel-Air
II, Makati City.
IDEASPACE Foundation Inc.
(IdeaSpace) is making a nal
call for entries for its national
search for the top 10 science and
technology ideas in the country
for a chance to form their own
startup companies and receive
more than P5-million investment
funding. Deadline for submission
of entries is Jan. 7.
Interested applicants may
go to the IdeaSpace website
(ideaspace.ph) to register and
submit their entries. Up to ten
tech-based ideas will receive
funding and support worth P2
million for the rst phase and
up to P5 million funding during
or after six months into the
program.
IdeaSpace runs an incubator
and accelerator program to
support technology entrepreneurs
in the Philippines and for
the global market through
partnerships between the MVP
Group of companies and global
IT companies.
A non-prot foundation, it
is supported by the following
companies: First Pacic, Metro
Pacic Investments Corp.,
Metro Pacic Tollways Corp.,
MPIC hospital group, Philippine
Long Distance Telephone Co.,
Meralco, Smart Communications
Inc., Digitel, Sun Cellular,
SPI Global, ePLDT, Indofood,
Philex Mining, First Pacic
Leadership Academy, Maynilad,
MediaQuest and TV5.
The companies all contributed
half a billion pesos funding for
ve years for the foundation, the
largest private sector commitment
for technology entrepreneurship
in the country.
Aside from the initial seed
money of P500,000 per startup,
winners will receive mentorship
from executives from the group
companies, access to resources
including legal assistance and
advice, operational control,
free ofce spaces, housing
provisions for those from
outside Metro Manila and a
clear partner route to markets
served by any company in
the groupwhose range of
business translate to millions
of households, subscribers,
motorists and others.
Winners will be announced by
April 2013 and they will undergo
incubation for six months.
MVP Group offers
funding for startups
Art Beat: A collaboration of three artists
DWELLING
and
HABITATION
Labelles work takes inspiration
from the 1981 novel of American
writer William S. Burroughs, and
in a whimsical turn of fancy, he
uses gesso to white-out most of
the printed page leaving fragments
of text which effectively play
against or become thought-
provoking captions for his
drawings. Appropriately,
the Burroughs novel
much like LaBelles
own projectis part
travelogue, part detective story,
and part hallucinatory tale of erotic
encounters in which traditional
notions of place, time, identity
and reality are upended and
called into question (artists
statement, Charles Labelle,
2012).
A fascination with building
and also the ethnographic
work this entails makes
Quisumbing value
commonplace materials
like scaffolding, hacksaw
blades, pencils and
sandpaper and allow
her to shape memories
from these. As material
that holds/ becomes
a reservoir for her
experiences, these
things may suggest
impermanence, but
it also echoes the
minds labyrinth
and how memory
is imperfectly and
fragilely stored in
its recesses.
Labelle and
Qui s umbi ngs
works are docu-
ments that inter-
sect the skins they live in
with the geographic spaces
they inhabit. It reveals a
broader framework, one
that explores the relation-
ship between architecture
and the body, between
place and subjectivity
allowing both the urban
decay of the metropo-
lis and the hallucino-
genesis of the mind
to surface/ resurface
in their works that is
both text and inter-
text; both art and
living memory.
S e l e c t i o n s
from the Dwell-
ing Archive/
Residue by
C h a r l e s
Labelle and
Chr i s t i na
Qui s umb-
ing will un-
til Jan. 27
at Galleria
Duemila Inc.
(210 Loring
Street, Pasay
City).
Cultural Center of the Philippines (C LaBelle)
Church of Malate
(C LaBelle)
Sohotel (C LaBelle)
7 Eleven, Manila (C LaBelle)
Cuts, used hacksaw blades (C Quisumbing)
Bistay hardwood (C Quisumbing)
Deco Tower
(C Quisumbing)
Hold Up
(Stumper)
(C Quisumbing)
Spinters (C Quisumbing)
Robinson Mall (C LaBelle)
B3 JANUARY 6, 2013 SUNDAY
Sunday
TECH
ManilaStandardTODAY
MARLON C. MAGTIRA, Section Editor
CHRISTIAN CARDIENTE, Asst. Editor
email: tech@mst.ph
Google tricks you should be using
X-PLAY Online Inc, a subsidiary of IP e-Games, has partnered
with 2K Sports to launch the critically acclaimed NBA 2K13 in
the Phillipines.
Top gaming website IGN recently called NBA 2K13 possibly the
greatest sports game of all-time. This year, 2K Sports transcends
sports video games by joining forces with multi-platinum recording
Samsung unveils enhanced Chronos, new ultrabooks at CES 2013
KOREAN technology giant Samsung Electronics
Co., Ltd. (Samsung) recently announced two
additions to its Series 7 PC lineup: the enhanced
Series 7 Chronos, which delivers professional
performance in a thin and light form factor; and
the Series 7 Ultra, which takes Ultrabooks to
the next level with enriched computing power,
graphics and touch capability.
2012 was a denitive year for Samsungs
PC business we expanded our lineup, taking
advantage of the new form factors and
consumer demand. In 2013, we
will continue to focus on
innovation delivering
products that t into
customer lifestyles
while maintaining
Samsungs high-end design
and performance standards.
The new Series 7 Chronos
and Ultra products are just two
examples of what you can expect to
see from us throughout the year, said
David Song of Samsung.
New Series 7 Chronos Professional,
Powerful Performer
Delivering professional performance in a
thinner and lighter form factor, the new Series
7 Chronos provides enhanced processing
power for professional users and a new
software solution RAMaccelerator that
provides up to a 150 percent increase in
speed for browsing and running apps. Ten-
finger multi-touch capabilities enhance the
overall experience, allowing the user to
interact directly with the screen, as well as
the touchpad and keyboard.
With a full aluminum body, the new
Series 7 Chronos follows the design
DNA of its predecessor while packing a
powerful Intel quad-core processor with up
to 16GB of memory, up to 1TB of storage
and dedicated 2GB external graphics into
a slim chassis that measures just 20.9mm
(0.82 inches).
The Series 7 Chronos enables creation
of heavy content with increased efficiency
and productivity. Catering to the needs of
professionals, the new Series 7 Chronos
features a high resolution, Full HD display
(1920x1080), as well as rich sound with
JBL optimized speakers, enhanced graphics
to run hardcore tasks, and an extended
battery life of 11 hours. The laptop wakes
up in as little as two seconds and boots
in under twelve seconds, making it ready
at a moments notice to access virtually
anything the user needs for serious work.
Series 7 Ultra A New Ultrabook
Experience
As the first Ultra in the Series 7 family,
the Series 7 Ultra embodies superior
mobility and performance in an ultra-slim
and light, full aluminum body. Designed as
the ultimate Ultrabook for multimedia, the
Series 7 Ultra offers crisp visuals as well as
powerful sound features. Enjoy videos and
images on a Full HD display (1920x1080),
while JBL optimized speakers and AMD
graphics complete the experience.
The laptops display is brighter and wider
than previous models and features a 178-
degree viewing angle, making it great for
sharing multimedia with friends and family,
or work content with colleagues.
Up to eight hours of battery life keeps
users connected all day, while the latest
Intel Core i5 or i7 processors and up
to 256GB SSD of storage provide the
computing power required by even the most
demanding users.
IT IS true, time is money. That is why you should
grab every opportunity to save time, and make some
for other worthwhile endeavors. You could do this
virtually in all instances, whether youre ofine or
otherwise.
Computers and gadgets sometimes
take too much of your time. Instead
of being productivity tools, they carry
loads of distractions in the process.
While it depends, admittedly, on the
user, one can and should perform tasks
faster and more efciently. How?
Simple, through shortcuts and features
that you probably not bother yourself
knowing.
Well, it is never too late. Quit
wasting time and try these tricks that
are obviously not exclusive to power
users.
Find your stuff faster in Gmail
and Search. When youre looking
for something, you should be able to
nd what you need quickly and easily
without needing to think about where
it might be, whether its in your email
or out on the public web. When youre
in Gmail, as you begin to type into
the search box, youll instantly start
seeing relevant emails from Gmail as
well as results from elsewhere.
New compose and reply experience
in Gmail. Manage your email fast and
easy. How many times have you been
writing an email and had to reference
something in another message? Now
rather than saving as a draft opening
the old email and reopening your draft,
you can open a new chat-like window
to draft your messages making it easy
to reference other emails without ever
having to close your draft. And because
the compose window works the same
way as chats, you can write multiple
messages at once and minimize a
message to nish it later.
Drive keyboard shortcuts. Google
Drive is a great home for all your
stuff. When you spend a lot of time
in one place, its good to know youre
way around. There are a bunch of
Drive keyboard shortcuts that make
navigating in Drive much quicker.
Go to the gear icon on the upper right
general settings to see what you can do
and activate them.
Work ofine with Google Docs.
No internet? No big deal. You can now
create and edit Google documents
ofine, including formatting text and
adding comments. Any changes made
will be automatically synced when you
get back online. Just enable ofine
editing and make sure youre running
the latest versions of Chrome.
Insert les directly from Drive to
Gmail. Minimize the clicks needed
to send attachments by inserting
les to an email directly from Drive
in Gmail. You can insert les up to
10GB (40 times larger than what you
can send as a traditional attachment)
and like a smart assistant, Gmail will
also double-check that your recipients
all have access to any les youre
sending. Look for the Drive icon in the
new compose experience.
This also means people never have
to leave their email to insert a file,
they always attach the right version,
and it makes email a 100 percent
cloud experience. The cloud is melting
away the clicks needed to do things,
saving everyone time and removing
the many pitfalls of attachments.
How many times have you forgotten
to attach a file, or attached the wrong
version, or sent the wrong attachment
entirely?
Do more on-the-go with Google
Drive on iOS and Android. Updates
to the Drive app for iOS and Android
mean you can now create & edit Google
documents and spreadsheets while on
the go, as well as searching for les,
adding document collaborators and
viewing les both on and ofine.
Manage folders more easily in
Drive. If youre using Chrome, you can
drag and drop entire folders from your
desktop to Drive on the web. Once in
Drive if you select les in your Drive
list, in addition to adding them to an
existing folder, you can also add them
directly to a new folder.
Cebu 3
rd
District Engineering Offce
Brgy. Ibo, Toledo City, Cebu
(MST-Jan. 6, 2013)
The Cebu 3
rd
District Engineering Offce through its Bids and Awards
Committee (BAC), invites contractors to apply to bid for the following contract(s):

Contract ID : 12HF0119
A) Contract Name : Construction of Flood Control at Alimango Bridge,
Cantabaco, Toledo City, Cebu
B)Contract Location : Brgy. Cantabaco, Toledo City, Cebu
C) Brief Description : Const. of Flood Control Structure (Grouted
Riprap, L=808m) with Structure Excavation and
Embankment Works.
D) Approved Budget
For the Contract (ABC) : Php 18,422,240.00
E) Contact Duration : 150 Calendar Days
F) Bid Documents : Php 25,000.00
Procurement will be conducted through open competitive bidding
procedures in accordance with R.A. 9184 and its Revised Implementing Rules
and Regulations.
The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) will conduct this public bidding in
accordance with R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations Part A.
To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI),
purchase bid documents and must meet the following major criteria: (a) prior
registration with DPWH, (b) Filipino Citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership,
corporation, cooperative, or joint venture, (c) with PCAB license applicable to
the type and cost of this contract, (d) completion of a similar contract costing at
least 50% of ABC within a period of 10 years, and (e) Net Financial Contracting
Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment at least equal to 10%
of ABC. The BAC will use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the eligibility
check and preliminary examination of bids.
Unregistered contractors, however, shall submit their applications for
registration to the DPWH-POCW Central Offce before the deadline for the
receipt of LO. The DPWH-POCW Central Offce will only process contractors'
applications for registration with complete requirements and issue the
Contractor's Certifcate of Registration (CRC). Registration Forms may be
downloaded at the DPWH website www.dpwh.gov.ph.
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown
below:
1. Issuance of Bidding Documents Dec. 27, 2012-Jan. 21, 2013- 4:00 PM
2. Pre-Bid Conference January 11, 2013 2:00 P.M.
3. Deadline of Receipt of LOI from
Prospective Bidders
January 04-11, 2013- 12: 00 Noon
4. Receipt of Bids Deadline: January 23, 2013
10:00 A.M.-12:00 Noon
5. Opening of Bids January 23, 2013, 2:00 P.M.
The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BD's) at Cebu 3
rd

District Engineering Offce, Brgy. Ibo, Toledo City, Cebu .Prospective bidders
may also download the BDs from the DPWH web site, if available. Prospective
bidders that will download the BDs from the DPWH website shall pay the said fees
on or before the submission of their bids Documents. Bids must accompanied
by a bid security, in the amount and acceptable form, as stated in Section 27.2
of the Revised IRR.
Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as specifed
in the BD's in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC Chairman. The
frst envelope shall contain the technical component of the bid, which shall include
a copy of the CRC. The second envelope shall contain the fnancial component
of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid
as determined in the bid evaluation and post-qualifcation.
The Cebu 3
rd
District Engineering Offce reserves the right to accept or
reject any or all bid and to annul the bidding process anytime before Contract
award, without incurring any liability to the affected bidders.

(Sgd.) ANGELITO M. GUINTO
BAC Chairman

Noted:
(Sgd.) JAMES D. DELLOSA
District Engineer
INVITATION TO BID
Engineer's Hill, Baguio City
(MST-Jan. 6, 2013)
Re-Invitation to Bid
The Department of Public Works and Highways - Cordillera Administrative Region
(DPWH-CAR, through the General Appropriations Act intends to apply the amount of the
Approved Budget Cost to payments under the contract and now invites bids for the contract:
Contract ID No: 12PO0053
Contract Name: Road Upgradi ng (Gravel to paved) of Ibul ao
Julongan Road Declared Strategic Tourist
Destination (DSTD), Sta 000+000 Sta 013+100
(I.S.)
Contract Location: Kiangan, Ifugao
Fund: FY 2013: Regular Infrastructure Program
Approved Budget Cost : Php 131,878,751.00
Scope of work: PCCP, Stone Masonry, etc.
Contract Duration: 269 Calendar Days
Cost of Bidding Documents: Php 40,000.00
Bids received in excess of the Approved Budget Cost shall be automatically rejected
at bid opening.
Completion of the Works is required within the contract duration. Bidders should have
completed, within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract
similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Document
particularly, in Section II, Instruction to Bidders.
Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years from the date of submission and
receipt of bids, a single contract similar to the Project, equivalent to at least ffty percent
(50%) of the ABC.
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-
discretionary pass/fail criterion as specifed in the mplementing Rules and Regulations
(IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the Government Procurement
Reform Act.
Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or
organizations with at least seventy fve percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock
belonging to citizens of the Philippines.
Contractors/applicants who are interested in the DPWH civil works are required to
register prior to the set schedule of submission of bid while those already registered shall
keep their records current and updated. Contractor's eligibility to bid on the project will be
determined using the DPWH Contract Profle Eligibility Process (CPEP) and subject to
further post-qualifcation. nformation on registration can be obtained at DPWH website
www.dpwh.gov.ph.
Acomplete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the
address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the cost of Bidding Documents.
Interested bidders can also make payments for the purchase of the Bidding Documents at
any DPWH Field Offces.
It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government
Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided
that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of bids.
Letters of Intent and/or applications for eligibility and latest Class "A" documents are to
be accepted by the BAC together with the Bids and other relevant documents on or before
the deadline for submission of bids.
The Department of Public Works and Highways Cordillera Administrative Region will
hold a Pre-Bid Conference on January 11, 2013, 10:00 AM at Bids and Awards Committee
(BAC) Offce, 2
nd
Floor Department of Public Works and Highways Cordillera Administrative
Region - Regional Offce, Engineer's Hill, Baguio City, which shall be open only to all interested
parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.
Interested bidders may obtain further information from Department of Public Works
and Highways- Cordillera Administrative Region, Engineers Hill, Baguio City and inspect the
Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Bids must be delivered on January 24, 2013, not later than 10:00 a.m. at Bids and
Awards Committee (BAC) Offce, 2
nd
Floor Department of Public Works and Highways
Cordillera Administrative Region - Regional Offce, Engineer's Hill, Baguio City. All bids
must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount
stated in ITB Clause 18.1.
Bids will be opened in the presence of the owner or the bidders' authorized
representatives who choose to attend at the above. Late bids shall not be accepted.
The Department of Public Works and Highways Cordillera Administrative Region
reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject
all bids at any prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected
bidder or bidders.
For further information, please refer to:
(Sgd.) ATTY. MICHAEL S. VILLAFRANCA
Attorney IV
HEAD, BAC Secretariat
(074) 300-6050
BAC Chairman
Engineer's Hill, Baguio City
(MST-Jan. 6, 2013)
Re-Invitation to Bid
The Department of Public Works and Highways - Cordillera Administrative Region (DPWH-
CAR, through the General Appropriations Act intends to apply the amount of the Approved Budget
Cost to payments under the contracts and now invites bids for the contracts:
1. Contract ID No: 12PI0068
Contract Name: Installation/ Application/ Construction of Road Safety
Devices along Baguio Bontoc Road/ Mt. Province
Ilocos Sur Road with exceptions
Contract Location: Bauko & Tadian & Sabangan, Mt. Province
Fund: CY 2012
Approved Budget Cost: Php 9,899,970.00
Scope of work: Installation of guardrails, Informatory signs, etc.
Contract Duration: 80 calendar days
2. Contract ID No: 12PI0070
Contract Name: Instal l ati on/ Appl i cati on/ Constructi on of Road
Saf et y Devi ces al ong Bagui o Bont oc Road,
Mabaay Bontoc Section, K0356+000 to K0391+000,
with exceptions
Contract Location: Bauko & Sabangan & Bontoc, Mt. Province
Fund: CY 2012
Approved Budget Cost: Php 9,899,970.00
Scope of work: Installation of guardrails, Informatory signs, etc.
Contract Duration: 80 calendar days
Bids received in excess of the Approved Budget Cost shall be automatically rejected at bid
opening.
Completion of the Works is required within the contract duration. Bidders should have completed,
within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project.
The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Document particularly, in Section II,
Instruction to Bidders.
Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt
of bids, a single contract similar to the Project, equivalent to at least ffty percent (50%) of the ABC.
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary
pass/fail criterion as specifed in the mplementing Rules and Regulations (RR) of Republic Act
9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act.
Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with
at least seventy fve percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the
Philippines.
Contractors/applicants who are interested in the DPWH civil works are required to register prior
to the set schedule of submission of bid while those already registered shall keep their records current
and updated. Contractor's eligibility to bid on the project will be determined using the DPWH Contract
Profle Eligibility Process (CPEP) and subject to further post-qualifcation. nformation on registration
can be obtained at DPWH website www.dpwh.gov.ph.
Acomplete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address
below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the cost of Bidding Documents. Interested bidders
can also make payments for the purchase of the Bidding Documents at any DPWH Field Offces.
It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic
Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall
pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of bids.
Letters of Intent and/or applications for eligibility and latest Class "A" documents are to be
accepted by the BAC together with the Bids and other relevant documents on or before the deadline
for submission of bids.
The Department of Public Works and Highways Cordillera Administrative Region will hold a
Pre-Bid Conference on January 16, 2013, 10:00 AM at Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Offce,
2
nd
Floor Department of Public Works and Highways Cordillera Administrative Region - Regional
Offce, Engineer's Hill, Baguio City, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have
purchased the Bidding Documents.
Interested bidders may obtain further information from Department of Public Works and Highways-
Cordillera Administrative Region, Engineers Hill, Baguio City and inspect the Bidding Documents at
the address given below from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Bids must be delivered on January 28, 2013, not later than 10:00 a.m. at Bids and Awards
Committee (BAC) Office, 2
nd
Floor Department of Public Works and Highways Cordillera
Administrative Region - Regional Offce, Engineer's Hill, Baguio City. All bids must be accompanied
by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.1.
Bids will be opened in the presence of the owner or the bidders' authorized representatives who
choose to attend at the above. Late bids shall not be accepted.
The Department of Public Works and Highways Cordillera Administrative Region reserves
the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any prior
to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.
For further information, please refer to:
MICHAEL S. VILLAFRANCA
Attorney IV
HEAD, BAC Secretariat
(074) 300-6047
BAC Chairman
Manila StandardTODAY
Sports
Sunday
B4
Princess Grace Mendoza of Antipolo City is also the 2012 Thailand
International Open junior champion. She and other members of the
Philippine team have the potential to win a world championship.
THE skys the limit for a young
Philippine team which placed
third overall in the 21st World
Olympic Memory Champion-
ship in London recently. The
potential to win a world cham-
pionship for the country is there
and our young team members
are holding all the cards.
The team is composed of
11-year-old whiz kid Jamyla
Domingo Lambunao, Roberto
Racasa, Christopher Carandang,
Mark Anthony Castaneda, Erwin
Balines, Axelyancy Cowan Tab-
ernilla, Ian Roi Spencer Betiong,
Cristine Barao, Anne Bernadette
Bonita, 15-year-old Princess
Grace Mendoza, Blessie Mae
Ayalde, deputy chief of mission
and team captain Almario Marlon
Bernardino, Jr.
We hope this victory will unite
all the Filipino and support the
memory games, said Bernardi-
no. This proves once again that
the Filipino can be at par with the
worlds best memory athletes.
Powerhouse Germany took
home the gold medal while Swe-
den captured the silver medal.
The other top teams in order
of nal placing are India, USA,
China, United Kingdom, Hong
Kong, Poland, Norway, Indo-
nesia, Malaysia, Japan, Finland,
Denmark, Singapore, Turkey,
Australia, France, Netherlands,
Wales, and Ireland.
Filipino standout performers in-
clude Roberto Racasa of Marikina
City who got his rst Grandmas-
ter Norm after memorizing 10
decks of cards in Hour Cards.
Eleven-year-old whiz kid
Jamyla Domingo Lambunao
of Marikina City topped the
Hour Cards and Spoken Num-
bers event, settling second in
the 30-minute binary numbers,
ve-minute speed numbers and
the 15-minute random words
and landed at third place in the
15-minute names and faces and
ve-minute historic dates cat-
egory for two gold, three silver
and two bronze.
Princess Grace Mendoza of
Antipolo City is also the 2012
Thailand International Open jun-
ior champion.
Mark Anthony Castaneda
from Mandaluyong became rst
Filipino double Grandmaster of
Memory. The 24-year-old Rizal
Technological University Man-
daluyong, a BS ECE graduate
student memorized 193 numbers
in perfect arrangement to top the
Spoken Numbers event.
Each part of the competition
consists of remembering as much
as possiblenames, numbers and
cardsin a given time period.
One of the most impressive
feats in Memory Games is the
One Hour Playing Cards. Com-
petitors must remember as many
decks of playing cards as possible
within one hour. They are then
made to recall the cards in the cor-
rect order from start to nish. The
world record for this, set in 2010
by Ben Pridmore, is 1,456 cards
or 28 decks.
The Filipinos also paved the
way to develop the sport in the
country when nine new Filipino
arbiters were accredited by the
World Memory Sports Coun-
cil. These are Fernando Betiong,
Maximo Nicanor Sosmena, Karlo
Marco Galvan, Ronnie Gonzales,
Carol Barbra Cruz, Lovely Icao,
Elenita Mendoza, Josephine Ay-
alde and Almario Marlon Ber-
nardino Jr.
Bidding to host the 2013 World
Olympic Memory Champion-
ship are the Philippines, Rus-
In the highly-competitive Universi-
ties Athletic Association of the Philip-
pines the UE Fencers rewrote league
history books by winning every team
competition. UE grabbed the team titles
in the mens, womens, boys and girls
competition during UAAP Season 75
held at the Philsports Arena, Pasig City,
recently.
The UE Lady Warrior-fencers won their
seventh consecutive UAAP title in the
womens division. In the mens division,
the UE Red Warriors snapped a three-year
title drought by winning the team title
and grabbing their eighth championship
overall. The UE Junior Warriors scored
a Threepeat and grabbed their third con-
secutive team title. The UE Girl Warriors
successfully defended the fencing cham-
pionship in their division which they also
won last year.
In addition, the UE fencers won all the
divisions major individual awards. Mens
division Nathaniel M. Perez, Most Valu-
able Player (MVP) and Rookie of the
Year, for his four gold medals in individu-
al Epee and Foil, and team Foil and Epee.
Womens division Justine Gail D.
Tinio, MVP and Rookie of the Year, for
her three gold medals in individual Foil
and the team Epee and Foil.
Boys division Francois Nowell
Licono, MVP, for his three Gold med-
als in individual Foil and teams Foil
and Saber, and Samuel L. Tranquilan,
Rookie of the Year, for his Gold medal
in the team Foil.
Girls division Divine P. Romero,
MVP, for her ve gold medals in in-
dividual Epee and Foil, and the team
Epee, Foil and Saber, and Mickyle Rein
Bustos, Rookie of the Year, for her Gold
medal in the team Epee and Bronze in
individual Epee.
At the core of UEs success is the un-
agging support of the school admin-
Are
sia, Lithuania, Japan, China and
Mexico.
After placing third overall in
the past London competition the
young Philippine team has all the
cards to bring honor and prestige
to the country by winning a world
championship. RHV
PH Memory Team holds all the cards
By Reuel Vidal
WHILE the Philippines continues to pin its hopes
on amateur boxers to win that elusive rst ever Ol-
ympic Gold the University of the East has quietly put
together a long-term development program which
may yet lead to that long-hoped Olympic success.
on track to Olympic success?
UE FENCERS
istration but more importantly a long-
term development program. Three-time
Southeast Asia Games gold medalist in
foil coach Rolando Canlas, Jr. has insti-
tuted an honest-to-goodness grassroots
based recruitment and training program
for the school in a tie-up with the Que-
zon City local government unit.
According to the UE mentor the ideal
age to start the children in fencing is
eight years old. His rst batch of ath-
letes discovered in that grassroots pro-
gram in 2006 are now members of the
national team today. They are now 15
to 16 years old. According to Canlas he
recruited his rst batch of children later
than he wanted when they were already
11 years old. He subsequently recruited
children who were even younger.
He said his original objective was to in-
troduce fencing to the local community at
the barangay level. He wanted to educate
the public that fencing can be a sport for
the middle class and not just for the rich.
The program has been so successful
that coach Canlas believes that one of
his proteges, Nathaniel Perez, can qual-
ify to the Brazil Olympics and perhaps
even win a medal.
Nathaniel has a great attitude. He
is very serious in his work and listens
to his coaches. All he needs is regular
training exposure abroad. He also needs
to compete regularly in the highest com-
petitions in the sport like the World Cup
and the World Championships where he
can compete against the elite and the
worlds best in the sport, said Canlas.
The UE mentor said Perez has plenty
of time. He will be 20 years old during
the 2016 Brazil Olympics.
First he (Perez) should focus on quali-
fying for the coming Olympics. No fencer
in the history of fencing in the world has
ever won a medal at that young age. Fenc-
ers reach their peak as world or Olympic
chamions at 26 years old. It takes time to
produce Olympians let alone Olympic
gold medallists. Starting young is still
the best advantage. But it will take time
and experience to win that Olympic Gold.
Perhaps, in his (Perez) second Olympics
after Brazil he will have a better chance to
win that Olympic Gold medal.
Starting their athletes young has reaped
dividends for UE. To date, UE has accu-
mulated 20 fencing championship titles
for all the divisions in a span of 13 sea-
sons. It is the most number of 20 champi-
onship titles in UAAP Fencing.
We came fully prepared to compete
this year. This is a record-setting feat for
us, said Canlas.
The UE mentor however confesses
that the next step is now more difcult
than ever. Now he has to make sure that
his present batch of UE fencers compete
at the highest levels. This means that he
has to nd the funding to somehow send
them to competitions abroad.
Canlas could only remember his own
personal experience. He was dominant at
the local and SEA games jousts. Despite
his innate skill and talent, without regular
competitions abroad to Europe and the
United States, Canlas could only reach a
certain level of excellence and success.
He did not medal in the Asian Games nor
qualify to the long-hoped for Olympics.
It may be a stretch to say that UAAP
mens MVP Nathaniel Perez or one of the
UE fencers will win an Olympic medal in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016. A more re-
alistic goal will be perhaps for one of the
fencers to qualify to the Olympics in that
discipline for the rst time ever and then
build on that for the next Olympics.
But dont tell that to the UE fencers
who, like all athletes, dream only of win-
ning gold in their respective disciplines.
University of the Easts Clark De Guzman, left, duels against a fencer from the
University of Santo Tomas during the Mens Team Foil nals on the last day of
fencing competition of Season 75 of the UAAP at the Philsports Arena. (Inset)
The jubilant University of the East Warrior-Fencers, led by mens Rookie MVP
Nathaniel Perez (back row, 3rd from left) mug for the camera after winning
every team competition in the just concluded UAAP Fencing Tournament held
recently at the Philsports Arena.

Manila Standard Today - Sunday (January 6, 2013) Issue

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Copyright

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Manila Standard Today - Sunday (January 6, 2013) Issue

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen