Punto!PANANAW NG MALAYANG PILIPINO!

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LuzonCentralP 8.00

Volume 8 Number 27Thu - SaT

ocTober 23 - 25, 2014

Page 10 PleaSe

by DiNg cerVaNTeS

CLARK FREEPORT - Had presidential uncle Jose “Peping” Cojuangco lobbied

for the appointment of presidential cousin Emigdio “Dino” Tanjuatco as head of Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) so as to give way to a P500-million sports complex project here?

KAMAG-ANAK INC. AT CLARK?

Hand of PNoy’s uncle seen in movements within CIAC

by boNg Z. lacSoN

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Mater Dolorosa in Filipiniana. Crucified Christ in excruciat-ing pain. Two life-size imag-es that will share center stage with Pope Francis in his visit to the country early next year.

No, make that three – with an altar crucifix that shall be in all the Masses the pontiff will celebrate. All in the pro-cess of being crafted by fore-most sculptor Willy Layug of Betis, Guagua, Pampanga.

Premier Kapampangan sculptor crafts images for Pope Francis’ visit

A Presidential Merit Awardee for Ecclesiastical Art, Layug has been asked by the archdioceses of Manila and Palo, Leyte to sculpt im-ages of the Virgin Mary and the Crucified Christ specifi-cally for the papal visit. At no cost to the Church.

“Gratis et amore,” said La-yug. “The blessings from the Almighty that shall pour upon our land with the coming of His Holiness is much, much more than any material re-

Page 10 PleaSe

by aShley maNabaT

ANGELES CITY – He’s barely a month in office but the Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) and other stakeholders in the Clark International

Clark stakeholders growing impatient

with new CIAC prexyAirport (CIA) are growing impatient over the appar-ent silence and lack of activity of newly-appoint-ed Clark International Air-port Corp. (CIAC) Presi-dent-CEO Atty. Emigdio

Page 10 PleaSe

ANGELES CITY – The business communi-ty along the Friendship Road here as well as residents of Barangay Anunas are up in arms against the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as

Class suit mulled vs. DPWH, contractor

well as the contractor of the road project in their area.

Ruperto Cruz, chair-man of the Pinoy Gu-mising Ka Movement (PGKM), said yesterday that Filipino and Kore-

Page 9 PleaSe

Artist Willy Layug presents clay model of the Crucified Christ at his studio. Photos by bong Lacson

Mater Dolorosa in wood.

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by DiNg cerVaNTeS

CLARK FREEPORT - A specialty restaurant costing P7.6 million will soon be up in this freeport to cater to a growing number of foreign and do-mestic tourists arriving via the Clark International Airport here.

Clark Development Corp. (CDC)

P7.6-M ‘crazy’ investment to rise along Clark main roadVice President for Business Develop-ment Mariz Mandocdoc said the state firm has signed an agreement with DC Raanan Corp. (DCRC) for the restau-rant to be called Crazy Pete’s.

“Raanan means ‘new beginning’ in Greek,” Mandocdoc explained, not-ing that DCRC is a family corporation whose members are “seasoned and

experienced in the food and restaurant business in the Philippines and the US.”

The restaurant will occupy 636 square meters along the main Rox-as highway here. “It will serve differ-ent types of cuisines, from burgers to steaks, and will use brick oven to cook them,” Mandocdoc also said.

CDC Assistant Vice President

Evageline Tejada said the area allo-cated for Crazy Pete’s is within the CDC’s new zoning map delineating a strip for “restaurant operators cater-ing to high-end clientele, casual din-ing or bistro, and family dining.”

Tejada said DCRC’s incorporators include US and nearby Angeles City restaurant business folk.

NEW MEDICAL EQUIPMENT. Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan (3rd L) receives P5-M worth of medical equipment from Eredito P, Feliciano (2nd L), CEO of CALFURN Mfg. Philippines, Inc. The equipment, consisting of a blood bank refrigerator, oven, ultrasound and various medical carts will be used by the Ospital ning Angeles. Joining them are (from L-R) Kag. Mario Operana, John Maniago, CALFURN’s VP for Management Services, Councilor Jericho Aguas and ONA Director, Dr. Antonio Dizon. Photo courtesy of angeLes-cIo

by armaND m. galaNg

PALAYAN CITY – The pro-vincial government of Nueva Ecija is eyeing the rationing of rice and other basic needs to thousands of farming fami-lies who will be affected by the feared onslaught of El Nino phenomenon during the dry cropping season that starts in November.

Gov. Aurelio Umali who spearheaded the first wa-ter summit at the Nueva Eci-ja Convention Center here on Wednesday expressed ap-prehension that some peo-ple who would lose livelihood for a cropping season “maybe forced to commit crimes such as theft or robbery.”

Umali said the government would coordinate with the De-partment of Agriculture on a scheme to help farmers even as the National Irrigation Ad-ministration (NIA) reported that some 12,558 hectares of ricefield under its service area are in danger of El Nino.

Reynaldo Puno, operations manager of the Upper Pam-panga River Integrated Irriga-tion Systems which runs the Pantabangan Dam, said the affected areas are located in four cities and 23 municipali-ties of the province.

Among the places threat-ened by the climate abnormal-ity are portions of the cities of Cabanatuan, Gapan, Munoz and San Jose as well as some villages in Aliaga, Cabiao. Na-tividad, Guimba, Jaen, Llane-ra, Licab, Lupao, Quezon, San Leonardo, San Antonio, San Isidro, San Leonardo, Sto. Do-mingo, Talavera, Talugtog and Zaragoza.

Umali urged the local chief

Gov’t mulls rationing prime goods to farming families

threatened by El Niñoexecutives and various stake-holders to come up with a blue-print to help mitigate the effects of El Niño. “We need to find solutions that’s why we con-vened this summit,” he said.

He maintained that plan-ning is necessitated by the fact that El Nino poses a threat not only to the province’s agricul-tural production but also to the Aquino administration’s food sufficiency goal.

The governor said he has earmarked a certain portion of his confidential funds to help improve the flow of water in the Peñaranda River Irrigation System (Penris) in southern Nueva Ecija and cushion the impact of prolonged drought.

The province would be able to cope with the prolonged dry spell if the water level at the Pantabangan Dam would be maintained at 210 meters, he said, citing NIA reports. “Be-low that level, only 30 percent of the 119,224.97 hectares serviced by UPRIIS might be irrigated.

NIA Administrator Floren-cio Padernal Jr., who graced the summit, said the agency has already laid out a strategy against El Niño with the acti-vation of a committee. “We’re prepared to deal with El Niño,” he said.

The summit is expected to pave the way for the creation of an inter-agency group that will look for other alternative sources of irrigation water to lessen the province’s depen-dence on the Pantabangan Dam.

Puno said the agency will also maximize the use of Pen-ris, the Tayabo Dam and oth-er upstream water sources to augment supply.

Ni JohNNy r. reblaNDo

OLONGAPO CITY- Kalaboso ang sinapit ng isang purok lider matapos itong mahulihan ng di lisensyadong baril ng mga tau-han ng Police Station 1 ng Olongapo City PNP.

Kinilala ng pulisya ang suspek na si Antonio Farrales, 62, residente ng 23rd St., Barangay East Tapinac.

Sa imbestigasyon ng pulisya, pinaalis ng suspek ang side-walk vendor na si Elizabeth Belandez, 58, kasabay ng pagpa-pakita nito ng baril na nakasukbit sa kanyang baywang upang takutin ang vendor.

Dahil dito nagsumbong si Belandez sa pulisya at nakuha sa pagiingat ng suspek ang isang .22 revolver na walang lisensya at Permit to Carry Firearm Outside Residence (PTCFOR).

Ang suspek ay detinido sa PoliceStation 1 at ipinagharap na sa kasong paglabag sa RA 8294 o Illegal Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.

Purok lider huli sa baril

ANGELES CITY --- AT least 250 Kapampangan women recently completed their en-trepreneurship training under Coca-Cola’s Sari-sari Store Access to Training and Re-sources (STAR) program.

During the STAR conven-tion at the Holy Angel Univer-sity (HAU) gymnasium last Monday, the graduates of STAR also received lanterns and merchandise from Co-ca-Cola.

According to Atty. Adel Ta-mano, Coca-Cola’s vice pres-ident for public affairs and communications, the wom-en-beneficiaries will be given access to business loan pack-age from the company. Each beneficiary can enroll to a min-imum P5,000-loan.

STAR is under the Co-ca-Cola Company’s 5by20 Program, a global initiative to

Coke’s STAR program benefits 250 Kapampangan women

empower five million women worldwide by the year 2020. It was launched and piloted by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TES-DA) and Coca Cola in 2011.

Tamano said that Co-ca-Cola Company is commit-ted to help address the most common barriers women face to succeed in the marketplace. The initiative offers women ac-cess to business skills training courses, financial services, and connections with peers or mentors—along with confi-dence that comes with build-ing a successful business.

Violata Manarang, 40 years old, a resident of Brgy. San Pedro II, Magalang is one of the beneficiaries of STAR.

A sari-sari store owner for 13 years, Manarang said she completed the three months training that included finan-

cial management, dealing with customers or customer rela-tions, inventory and store man-agement, minimizing expense and proper decision-making.

“Naging masaya po kami sa buong training. Naging isang way din po ito na matuto kami sa pagnenegosyo. Nag-papasalamat po kami sa Co-ca-Cola para sa opportunidad na ito na magagamit namin para saming negosyo,” Mana-rang said.

There are 5by20 programs launched in 12 countries: Bra-zil, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Haiti, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, South Af-rica, and Thailand. The STAR Program will run in the Philip-pines from 2012 to 2020, tar-geting 100,000 women sa-ri-sari store owners and oper-ators nationwide.

–Press Release

Atty. Adel A. Tamano, VP-Public Affairs of Coca Cola Phils. pose with beneficiaries, TESDA executives and other Coke officials. contrIbuted Photo

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by DiNg cerVaNTeS

CONCEPCION, Tarlac - This town will be the first in the country to have drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to monitor from the air lo-cal peace and order and threats from natural di-sasters.

“We will even beat the police in using drones,” Mayor Andres Lacson told visiting jour-nalist-members of the Capampangans in Me-dia, Inc. (CAMI) led by the Star’s Federico Pas-cual.

Lacson initiated early in his term the use of modern equipment, such as closed circuit televi-sion cameras (CCTV) installed along this town’s main roads as a measure against criminality.

More sophisticated drones are used by the US military in hitting Islamic States extremists in Syria. In other parts of the world, UAV’s are not being eyed for commercial purposes, although some sectors have expressed fears drones would invade privacies.

Only last Friday, a 12-year-old boy who was kidnapped in this town was rescued within 24 hours by the police in Samal, Bataan after prob-ers examined the videos recorded by the CCTV system installed here.

Lacson said at least two drones are being purchased by the local government, costing a total of about P250,000. At the town plaza, he showed CAMI members a replica of the AUV which flew over the area.

He said that the drones are equipped with cameras that relay images to a monitoring sys-tem in the town hall. Their batteries can last half an hour and that they were built to fly back to headquarters before their batteries drain.

“Local businessmen can buy cards that could link up with the UAV’s which would then fly to their establishments for monitoring,” he added.

Lacson said “the drones are important not only to track down criminals, but also to monitor approaching floods at the Parua and Loong riv-ers which affect some 200 hectares of agricul-tural lands.”

He said the drones would be operational by early next year, although he could not immedi-ately say where the UAV’s were made.

Concepcion town to use drones vs crimes, disasters

Mayor Andres Lacson shows members of CAMI a replica of one of two drones to be used in his town next year. Photo by dIng cervantes

Ni JohNNy r. reblaNDo

IBA, Zambales -- Matapos ang may siyam na taon ng pagtatago sa mga awtoridad, bumagsak sa kamay ng mga tauhan ng Zambales Criminal Investigation and Detection Team (ZCIDT) ang No. 10 Most Wanted Person sa lalawigan.

Ito ay nakilalang si Ariel de Guia,

No. 10 Most Wanted arestadoalyas “Ar-R”, 44, dating miyembro ng CAFGU ng Philippine Army at residente ng Poblacion, Sta. Cruz, Zambales.

Ang suspek ay dinakip sa kanyang hide out sa Barangay San Agustin, Iba, Zambales sa bisa ng warrant of arrest na ipinalabas ni Judge Clodualdo Monta ng RTC Branch 70 sa kasong frustrated

murder.Ayon sa ulat, taong 2005 nang

mabaril ng suspek ng isang tricycle driver sa tuhod makaraan ang main-itang pagtatalo.

Ang suspek ay detinido sa Zambales Provincial Jail at may kaukulang piyansang P200,000 para sa pansamantalang kalayaan nito.

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by aShley maNabaT

ANGELES CITY – It was a gathering of prominent busi-ness personalities, local tal-ents, the members of the cler-gy including Archbishop Emer-itus Paciano “Apu Ceto” An-iceto, the ArtiSta.Rita and the media for the launching of the musical on the life of Pope Francis at the Javier Building of the Holy Angel University here last Tuesday.

Led by visionary musical director and composer Andy Alviz, the group was made of prominent socio-civic person-alities among them Tess Laus, Abong Tayag, and Carmen McTavish and Fathers Deo Galang, Ted Valencia, Homer Policarpio, Vic Lusung, Jon Bartolome and Aries Mania-go.

“I Love Pope Francis: The Musical” is the latest artistic collaboration of Alviz and writ-er-lyricist Randy Del Rosario, the same partnership which gave birth to the culturally re-juvenating ArtiSta.Rita zarzu-elas and the highly-acclaimed musicals Ima, Beauty Parlor,

‘I Love Pope Francis: The Musical’ set next monthPerry the Musical, Ciniong and Tulauk: A Lenten Musical.

Based on the life of Pope Francis, the project itself is the first undertaking credited to Aniceto as Archbishop Emeri-tus, according to Alviz.

Pope Francis, the musi-cal is the maiden theatrical venture of Teatru Kapampan-gan which is composed of the ArtiSta.Rita, Kapampangan priests and lay artists head-ed by its president Fr. Deo Galang and spiritual advisers Bishop Ambo David and An-iceto.

The play’s executive pro-ducer is Laus; production managers are Cindy Lapid and Rhoda Mercado; and execu-tive directors Teresita Guan-zon, Butchie Lagman, Dr. Leleng Santiago, Rina Alar-con, Bondee Dinio, Corito Ta-yag, Vina Tayag, Doren Tayag, McTavish, Dr. Victoria Segun-do, Dr. Elen Mangahas, Frieda Dizon and Siobe Co.

Pope Francis, the musical has 24 original songs that tell his life from the point of view of a fictional Filipino youth min-istry. The musical begins with

the resignation of Pope Ben-edict XVI and flashes back to Jorge Mario’s holy calling up to his unexpected ascent to the papacy and his fictional visit to San Felipe, a parish that sym-bolizes the Philippines.

The musical shows the Su-

preme Pontiff not only as an unprecedented global figure of inspiration and humility but also as a subject of opposition and bashing.

The musical is co-present-ed by the HAU in cooperation with the San Miguel Corp. and

will have its initial run at the HAU Theater on November 29 and on December 12 and January 10, 2015 all starting at 7:30 pm.

The musical is timed for the coming visit of Pope Francis to the country in January.

Teatru Kapampangan artists sing the finale of Pope Francis The Musical during the presscon last Tuesday at the HAU. Photo by ashLey Manabat

by erNie eScoNDe

ABUCAY, Bataan- Vice-Pres-ident Jejomar Binay on Sat-urday night distributed wheel-chairs and medical equipment for senior citizens in this town.

The vice-president also in-augurated senior citizens’ cen-ters in the two villages where he gave two wheelchairs each, stethoscopes and other medi-cal kit.

Gov. Albert Garcia told the big crowd of the assistance of Binay and family to senior citi-zens and the less-fortunate in the country.

The vice-president made old men and women mostly wearing Binay T-shirts laugh with his jokes as he enumerat-ed the various benefits the se-nior citizens in Makati City get.

Binay started his day with more than an hour of walk-ing-exercise at 7:30 in the morning in a multi-purpose center in Olongapo City and boodle fight in the city’s pub-lic market. He then motored to the Department of National Defense Arsenal in Lamao, Li-may, Bataan.

He acted as sponsor in the wedding of a son of Pilar May-or Alice Pizarrro and Metro Bataan Development Author-ity General Manager Charlie Pizarro.

After the wedding, he in-teracted with vendors at the modern Balanga City public market where he ate his lunch at 5 in the afternoon. Gov. Garcia, Balanga City Mayor Jose Enrique Garcia III, Orani Mayor Benjie Serrano, Orani Vice-Mayor Bong Galicia and some city officials joined him in the late lunch.

He then proceeded to Abu-cay and at past 7 p.m. went to Las Casa Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan.

Binay distributes wheelchairs, inaugurates

seniors’ centers

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by Joel P. maPileSPamPaNga Pio

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO --- The provincial govern-ment has already achieved 40 percent of its solid waste management target within the last four years

This was reported by the Provincial Government and Environment and Natural Resources Office in a meet-ing held at the Executive House of the Capitol yes-terday attended by the fo-cal persons and municipal/ city government and natu-ral resources officers (M/CGENRO).

However, Governor Lilia “Nanay” said she is not sat-isfied with the accomplish-ments presented as she pointed out that there are still more things and more projects and programs that should be implemented to fully manage the solid waste in the province.

She also expressed her appeal to the municipal solid waste management board to take all the necessary un-dertakings needed in mak-ing Pampanga the cleanest province to achieving zero waste management.

“The provincial, munic-ipal and city governments cannot do it alone, we need the active and full participa-tion of all stakeholders in our campaign for zero waste. Let us involved everybody, every entity as everyone is producing garbage every-day” the governor said.

Hence, he urged the M/CGENRO to invite all sec-tors such as vendors asso-ciation, homeowners asso-ciation, businessmen, reli-gious groups, private and government hospitals, pri-

Gov Pineda engages the municipal/city environment and natural resources officers in discussion of the waste problem in the province. With her is PGENRO Arthur Punsalan. Photo courtesy of Jun Jaso

Gov wants all sectors involved in waste management

vate schools, bankers, man-ufacturers, corporations – big and small to be part and members of the municipal/ city solid waste management board to effectively and com-prehensively implement the Republic Act 9003 or the sol-id waste management act of 2002.

The MENRO presented their compliance on the sol-id waste management which shows that most of them are now using material recovery facilities (MRF) for their solid waste collection and segrega-tion.

The governor said she is partly happy with Floridablan-ca, Lubao, Sta. Rita, Porac, Mabalacat, Guagua, Arayat, Apalit, Minalin, Sasmuan, Mexico and City of San Fer-nando who presented the flow of their waste disposal, proper composting and their compli-ance to RA 9003

“I am happy but not 100 percent as I am still see-ing garbage on the road. We must act together to achieve zero waste in Pampanga and I want that as a legacy,” she said.

With this, the governor vowed to continue its full sup-port to the municipalities and cities who are most compliant on solid waste management through the provision of addi-tional dump trucks, baler ma-chines, shredder and among other equipment needed for the operation and manage-ment.

Governor Pineda suggest-ed that there should be a clus-ter MRF in every town to save energy and gasoline in col-lecting the garbage.

The governor has also thanked the Holcim Philip-pines for collecting the hol-cimable materials from the

MRFs in the province.“Napakalaking tulong ng

Holcim dahil sa malaking kabawasan ang nahahakot niyong holcimables sa mga MRF natin. Asahan ninyo ang aming suporta sa tulong na ginagawa ninyo sa Pam-panga,” the governor said in the vernacular.

The governor said she will urged the mayors to en-ter into a memorandum of understanding with the Hol-cim and encourage them to make the MRFs more ac-cessible through construc-tion of concrete roads going to the solid waste facilities.

She also acknowledged the support of Metro Clark Sanitary Landfill on garbage disposal in the province.

However, she said that the Metro Clark should not only think of their income that could be gained from the collected and delivered garbage.

“They should also give utmost priority to what they could support to the local government units (LGUs) through lowering the amount of tipping and hauling fees they are asking from the LGUs,” the governor said.

She said that it is a win-win approach to the problem on solid waste.

“With the minimal fees, the LGUs could deliver gar-bage to Metro Clark regu-larly as scheduled and they could also comply with the solid waste management law and enjoy the clean and green environment in their respective towns,” she said.

An MRF is a place where garbage generated by the barangay is sorted out into recyclables, organic waste and non-recyclables or re-sidual waste.

by george hubierNa

CAMP MACABULOS, Tarlac City—“Nobody is above the law.”

That saying proved to be true after the alleged untouch-able brother-in-law of a town executive was arrested for possessing illegal guns, am-munitions and explosives in his residence at Barangay San Gavino, Victoria town Wednesday morning.

Tarlac Criminal Investiga-tion and Detection Group pro-vincial officer Chief Inspector Luis Ventura, Jr. said the sus-pect identified as Paquito Pa-guia, 46, single, of the place of incident, was arrested by virtue of the Search Warrant No. 114-14 issued by Judge Ramon D. Pamular of the Re-gional Trial Court Branch 32, Guimba, Nueva Ecija dated October 21, 2014.

Paguia is the brother-in-law of Victoria Mayor Candido Guiam III.

Ventura added that prior to the arrest, Paguia has been subjected to a weeklong sur-veillance before the operating team proceeded at the place to implement the search which yielded several kinds of fire-arms including a Colt .45 pis-tol with Serial Nos. 7790314 (slide) and 12152198 (low-er/frame) marking “GQC ”, a 12-gauge AKKAR shotgun

Mayor’s in-law collared for illegal guns, ammo

with serial number 8552805 marking “GQCI”, a 32mm pis-tol Deutsche Werke Erfut with SN 182463, two magazines for .32 and .45, eight pieces live ammunitions for .45, four pieces live ammo for shotgun, two plastic boxes containing 22 pieces of live ammo for .45 and 100 pices empty shells for .45, three magazines for M-16 rifle, one magazine for M-14 ri-fle, and a rifle grenade.

The operation was under-taken in a peaceful and or-derly manner in coordination with the Victoria police being witnessed by Barangay Chair-man Ramon Palomo, Baran-gay Councilors Emily Caluya and Elvira Bulatao and a me-dia personality.

The suspect is now de-tained at the CIDG detention cell facing charges for viola-tion of RA 10591.

The said accomplishment is in line with the CIDG Flag-ship project Oplan “SALIKOP” and Oplan “Paglalansag Ome-ga.”

CIDU3 Regional Officer Senior Supt. Ismael Fernan-dez lauded the operating team composed of SPO4 George Cruz, SPO2 Gerardo Manuel, SPO1 Edwin Pagsibigan, PO3 Cherry Vicente, PO1 Jyselle Chan, PO1 Sonny Clemente, PO1 Gilbert Dumpao and PO1 Mike Angelo Gabay for a job well done.

WATSONS, the flagship health and beauty retail brand of the A.S. Watson Group, has been selected as Asia’s No. 1 Phar-macy / Drugstore brand in the “Asia’s Top 1,000 Brands” survey 2014 by Campaign Asia-Pacific.

This is the sixth consec-utive year that Watsons has been named Asia’s No. 1 Pharmacy Retail Brand, prov-ing the brand’s leading posi-tion in Asia’s health and beau-ty market since 2009.

Watsons is Asia’s lead-ing health and beauty retailer, currently operating over 4,000 stores and more than 1,000 pharmacies in 12 Asian and European markets, including China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau), Singapore, Thailand, Malay-sia, the Philippines, Korea, In-donesia, Turkey and Ukraine. It continually sets the stan-dards in the health, wellness and beauty market, provid-ing personalized advice and counseling in health, beauty and personal care on top of its market-leading product range, making customers LOOK GOOD, FEEL GREAT every day.

In the Philippines, Watsons has a joint venture with the SM Group, and presently has more than 370 stores around the country.

Having Watsons stores all around the country, shows its full support to the Filipino fam-ilies by bringing affordable and quality health into Filipino

Watsons named Asia’s No. 1 pharmacy-drugstore brand

homes. It recognizes the Fili-pino families as a large group to benefit from affordable med-icines and supplements.

Watsons, the number one pharmacy retail brand in Asia, gives families more options for high quality but affordable generic medicines with the re-cent launch of its own gener-ics line, the Watsons Gener-ics. Watsons Generics line was first launched in Asia in the Philippines.

“With the launch of Wat-sons Generics, we aim to help families by giving them more healthcare options and the ability to purchase affordable, high-quality medicines. This will not just give them access to quality healthcare products, they will also be able to focus their finances on other import-ant matters,” says Mr. Danilo Chiong, Health Business Unit Director of Watsons.

Watsons Generics offers up to 80% savings vs. the lead-ings brands, with the same ef-fect and quality.

The Watsons Generics line includes maintenance medi-cines for diabetes, hyperten-sion and cholesterol, antibi-otics to fight off the common bacteria, dietary supplements for skin enhancement, an-ti-ageing and over-all well-ness, basic vitamins, oral an-algesics, and other over the counter medicines. This is just the first phase, and Watsons aims to continuously launch generic medicines to provide wider healthcare solution.

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by malou DuNgog

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The Subic Bay Metropol-itan Authority (SBMA) is planning to host a consulta-tion meeting with firms engaged in shipping and oth-er port-related businesses to discuss measures on ensuring efficient traffic flow of container trucks in the Freeport and avoiding congestion.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said with the expected arrival of ships that will unload container vans, it is very important that the Port of Subic does not get congested or it will defeat the purpose of pro-moting Subic as an alternative port to Manila.

To avoid the problem, Garcia said the SBMA will host a “Traffic Summit” with operators and drivers of cargo-hauling companies, truckers’ groups, con-cerned units from the Bureau of Customs, and the Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. (SBITCI), which operates Subic’s New Container Terminal 1 and 2.

“We’ve been informed that within the next two weeks or so, there will be ships that will be coming to unload and use Subic as an extension port,” Garcia said during a recent SBMA management committee meeting here.

Garcia added that because of this development, Subic’s container port intake is expected to grow from 38,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last year to 70,000 TEUs this year.

While the increase in volume would mean a sig-nificant increase in Subic port revenues, Garcia em-phasized the importance of the Subic Port not to get congested just like what happened to Batangas af-ter just one month of serving as an extension port to Manila.

He said that the Batangas problem had led Toyota (Philippines) to unload its shipment in Subic because its ship could not berth in Batangas. However, the firm had to drive its cargo containers all the way to Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

“I don’t want the same thing to happen to Subic, so we need to be very efficient with the inflow and outflow of containers,” Garcia said.

Garcia also stressed that Subic has to be pre-pared for more cargo traffic because of reports that it was not only the Port of Manila that is congested, but also some major Asian ports like Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

“This is going to have a ripple effect,” Garcia said.The SBMA official also revealed that another

shipping company, the NYK, is seriously thinking of

SBMA to consult stakeholders on growing port traffic

establishing a Subic-Singapore route.He also added that there were reports about a

planned Shanghai-Subic route, which will open Chi-na on a more direct basis, instead of passing through Khaoshiung, Taiwan.

“Subic is really lucky because we are the only port on the Western seaboard of the Philippines that has the capacity at this point in time. Manila is congest-ed. Batangas is congested. I hope we get congested soon, but that will be a happy problem,” Garcia said.

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LLL Trimedia Coordinators, Inc.Publisher

General ManagerEditor

Marketing ManagerLayout

Circulation

Atty. Gener C. EndonaCaesar “Bong” LacsonJoanna Niña V. CorderoDondie B. VenturaJojo Manalo/Lacson Macapagal

EDGAR V. MOVIDOFounder

Business & Editorial office at Unit B Essel Commercial Center,McArthur Highway, Telabastagan, City of San Fernando

Tel. No. (45) 625•0244 Cel. No. 0917•481•1416puntogitnangluzon@yahoo.com or marketing@punto.com.ph

http://www.punto.com.ph

Punto! Central Luzon is a proud member ofThe Philippine Press Institute

E d i t o r i a lacaesar.blogspot.com

Zona Libre Bong Z. Lacson

Opinion

TODAy IN PhILIPPINE hIsTORySource: www.kahimyang.info

TODAY IS one month short of five years since

the Ampatuan Massacre. The worst single, wholesale

slaughter of media workers – 32, of the 58 victims – in all the world, in all of history.Four years and 11 months after, still NO JUSTICE.

Disgrace to the uniform, threat to our freedoms

THE NATIONAL Union of Journalists of the Philippines wishes to voice its opposition to the pending confirmation of Army Col. Medardo Geslani to brigadier general.

To promote Geslani would be to reward him for his role in wilfully failing to prevent one of the most heinous crimes in Philippine history – the Nov. 23, 2009 Ampatuan massacre, which saw 58 persons mercilessly slaughtered, 32 of them our colleagues.

It is a fact that, before the convoy of now Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu set out on its ill-fated journey to Shariff Aguak to file his certificate of candidacy, Geslani and his former commanding officer, then Major General Alfredo Cayton, were among those whose help had been sought to provide security because of the very serious threats of violence that had already been floating about days before. These requests were ignored.

It is also on record that, in the immediate aftermath of the carnage, Geslani and Cayton claimed that they had no inkling that anything was amiss. This could be nothing but a brazen lie since it is also on record that, at least three days before the massacre, the provincial police of Maguindanao, whose leadership was clearly in collusion with those who ordered and carried out the mass murder, had set up checkpoints on the highway through which the convoy was expected to pass. Surely, the vaunted intelligence network that the military never fails to boast of would have known of this.

It is also a fact that an Army intelligence unit that had actually witnessed the convoy being stopped and then taken to the killing grounds in Sitio Masalay had been reporting back to Geslani’s headquarters as events developed.

It is clear from all these that there is no way he can claim ignorance and that the only conclusion that can be drawn is that he, too, had a degree of involvement in the Ampatuan massacre.

Sadly but not surprisingly, a military investigation cleared Geslani and Cayton and, in fact, Cayton was later promoted to lieutenant general and has since retired.

Confirming Geslani’s promotion would add another injustice to the long string of injustices

visited on the victims of the Ampatuan massacre and their families.

We would also like to point out that, only around two months before the massacre, a convoy of 50 journalists covering the mass evacuations caused by the fighting in Maguindanao at the time were summarily detained at a military outpost in the province. When the journalists asked why they were being prevented from traveling freely and performing their duties, the soldiers told them they were ordered by their commander, who happened to be Geslani, to stop specifically the media.

Officers such as Geslani are not only a disgrace to the service and their uniform but are clearly a threat to our freedoms.

RENDERED MOOT and academic was the 22 October 2014 statement of the NUJP signed by its chair, Rowena C. Paraan, for that very day Geslani’s promotion, along those of 89 other military officers, was approved by the Commission on Appointments.

Coming as it is on the eve of the 59th month of the Ampatuan Massacre, Geslani’s promotion is yet another addition to the growing injurious insult to the massacre victims and their families – the long, loong time it has taken for justice to be still unserved, the granting of bail to hundreds of the accused, and above all, the indifference and insensitivity, the amorality and apathy of the Aquino administration toward the killing of journalists in the country.

Or have you not read BS Aquino III sneering: “Did they die because they were investigative journalists? Were they exercising their profession in a responsible manner, living up to journalistic ethics? Or did they perish because of other reasons?”

Still wonder why the culture of impunity in this country has not only persisted but even flourished in the BS regime?

And this BS has still the gall to tell media to “fulfil its obligation of protecting the truth”!

Weep. Better yet, damn.

ON OCTOBER 23, 1857, Juan Luna y Novicio, one of the first internationally-recognized Fil-ipino painters, was born from well-off parents in Badoc, Ilo-cos Norte.

Don Lorenzo Guerrero, the first painting tutor of Juan Luna, easily recognized the young man’s natural talent and persuaded his parents to send him to Spain for ad-vanced painting lessons. Luna left for Barcelona in 1877, to-gether with his elder brother Manuel, who was a violinist. While there, Luna widened his knowledge of the art and he was exposed to the immor-tal works of the Renaissance masters. One of his private teachers, Alejo Vera, a famous contemporary painter in Spain, took Luna to Rome to under-take certain commissions.

His artistic talents was es-tablished in 1878 with the opening of the first art expo-sition in Madrid, which was called the Exposicion Nacion-al de Bellas Artes. From then on, Luna became engrossed in painting and produced a col-

lection of paintings that he ex-hibited in the 1881 Exposition.

The famous masterpieces of Luna include the Spolarium, La Batalla de Lepanto (The Battle of Lepanto), El Pacto de Sangre (The Blood Compact), Don Miguel de Legazpi, which was burned during the war, Governor Ramon Blanco.

In 1885, Luna’s Odalisque made Luna officially accepted artist of the annual art exhibi-tion in Paris, the “Salon of Par-is”. Odalisque was part of the painting collection of Philip-pine national hero Jose Rizal.

On December 8, 1886, Luna married Maria de la Paz Pardo de Tavera, a sister of his friend Felix and Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, the couple traveled to Europe and settled in Paris. They had one son, whom they named Andres, and a daughter who died in infancy. Luna who was fond of painting his wife, frequently accused Paz of having an affair with a certain Monsieur Dussaq. On Sep-tember 23, 1892, the jealous Luna, killed his wife and moth-er-in-law and wounded his

brother-in-law, Felix. He was arrested and murder charges were filed against him. Luna was acquitted of charges on February 8, 1893, on grounds of temporary insanity; the “un-written law” at the time forgave men for killing unfaithful wives. Five days later, Luna went to Madrid with his brother, Anto-nio Luna, and his son, Andres.

Luna returned to Manila in time for the outbreak of the rev-olution against Spain. Unfortu-nately, on Sept. 16, 1896, he and his brother Antonio Luna were arrested by the Spanish authorities and accused of or-ganizing a revolution togeth-er with the Katipunan Secret Society. While in prison, Luna was still able to produce a work of art, “Ecce Homo.”

When he was pardoned by the Spanish monarchy on May 27, 1897 he immediately went to Europe. His sentiments for the Philippines and the Filipi-nos made him decide to travel back to the Philippines in De-cember 1899. However, he suf-fered a severe heart attack and died on December 7, 1899.

Juan Luna is born in Ilocos Norte

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Napag-uusapanLangFelix M. Garcia

Selective JusticeKUNG magsalita si Senador Trillanesakala mo’y ubod ng tino at linispero kung matamang suriin, kaparisdin siyang kawatan ng mga sumabit

Sa PDAF Scam na kinasasangkutanng ilang Senador at mga Congressmanna itinuturong nakipagsabuwatankay Janet Napoles na Reyna ng Scam

Na ngayon ay nasa piitan na sinaJuan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy, Bong Revilla;At siyempre pati na ang kanilang Reyna,(Aywan lang kung sino ang isusunod pa).

Dala na rin nitong sa dinami-daminitong nasasangkot sa isyung nasabiay ang di kasangga lang ng Presidenteang nakakulong na’t si Napoles pati.

Pero sa kakampi ng Administrasyon ay ni isa’y wala pang ikinukulong,kaya di malayong anino ni PNoyang ika nga ay posibleng kumakanlong?

Gaya halimbawa nitong si Trillanes,na asa nga natin ay ubod ng linis,pero sa kabila naman pala’y higitang pag-gawa rin ng di kanais-nais

Pilit nitong hinahanapan ng butassi Jejomar Binay para mailaglag,ngunit siya pala ay kahalintulad din ng mga sabit sa kanilang PADAF

Na tinututulang ‘isuko’ kumbaga,sa dahilang aniya’y kailangan talagana ma-‘re-align’ sa iba pang programang gobyerno, tulad ng sa pang-eskwela

at binabatikos ang ibang kampo riyansa aniya’y “overpriced” na pagkabili n’yanng anumang bagay, gaya ng sasakyan,pero siya man pala ay may gawang ganyan?

Eh, bakit nga hindi natin masasabiNa kawatan siya sa puntong nasabi,Kung ‘overpriced’ din ang umano’y biniliNitong ‘multi-cabs’ na ang presyo’y dumoble?

Na pinalabas niyang tatlong daang liboang presyo ng bawat isa, gayong itoay tig-isang daan anim-napung libolang ang bawat isa, ang tunay na presyo?

Di ko inaalis na posibleng siyaay sinisiraan lamang nitong iba,pero kung totoong malinis nga siyaaba’y harapin ang akusasyon nila.

At di sa batuhan na nga lang parating putik at ibang paninirang puriitong sa atin ay palaisipan pati,kaya maglubay na hangga’t maaari.

Pagkat sawa na nga itong taongbayansa pinag-gagawa n’yong kabulastuganat walang habas na pagbulsa sa yamannitong ating bansa sa galing n’yong taglay.

Kaya lang kung ganyang tila ay “selectivejustice” yata itong umiiral labissa kamay ni PNoy at kasanggang dikit,ang di kabagang lang ang tiyak mapipiit

Sa dina-dami nitong akusadosa ‘graft & corruption’ ng nasa gobyerno;Na basta kakampi ng ating Panguloay pihong ligtas sa anumang asunto.

Kung kaya marahil itong si Trillanesay kampante lang sa isyu ng ‘overpriced’nitong ‘multi-cabs’ na umano ay muntiknang dumoble ang presyo ng bawat unit!?

an businessmen as well as residents in the area are now contemplating of filing a class suit against the DPWH and RZ Roncal Construction Corp. (RZRCC) for allegedly de-laying the completion of the Friendship-Anunas Road.

Cruz said the businessmen are reeling over their business losses due to the ongoing road construction which is “taking too long.”

Residents of upscale sub-divisions along the Friend-ship road including Friend-ship Plaza subdivision, Sun-set Estates, Sunset Valley and Timog Park are also complain-ing of the seemingly slow and arduous road construction.

Cruz said the contractor (RZRCC) has promised to finish the road construction in front of the Grand Palazzo Royal in two weeks but two months had passed and the road is still unfinished.

“Being a project of the na-tional government, and specif-ically purposed for the APEC

Class suit mulled vs. DPWH...From Page 1 meeting, they have the funds

but why is it delayed?” Cruz asked.

“Pinitna ne, enaneman gagawan two months na. Ninung makinabang nung emu ing kontratista. (He divid-ed (the road) but did not work on it for two months now. Who is benefitting from this except the contractor),” said Cruz.

Cruz also decried the lack of warning signs in the con-struction area citing numerous accidents.

He also said the road is flooded during heavy rains and nothing is done to warn motorists of the dangers and as a result not a few vehicles have fallen into deep excava-tions and embankments.

The construction should be non-stop to finish it in time for the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) summit in January but it seems that the construction is being intention-ally delayed by the contractor, Cruz observed.

Roncal Construction should consider working during the night to expedite

the construction and serve to warn motorists passing in the area, he said. Obviously, there will be fewer disturbances if the road construction is done at night time like what they do in the US and other countries, he added.

Meanwhile, Cruz also scored the Pandan road con-struction which is the bane of businessmen in the area, mo-torists and residents who are greatly affected by the work.

Cruz also noted that the road widening in the Balibago district, the city’s business dis-trict, has remained unfinished and some sections like the portion in front of Didi’s restau-rant “is an accident waiting to happen” because of the deep embankment where only a yel-low plastic ribbon was placed as a warning sign.

There seems to be a pat-tern of delay, Cruz said. The contractor seems to be oblivi-ous to public safety, he added.

“Is the contractor untouch-able? Is there corruption here?” he asked.

–Ashley Manabat

by DiNg cerVaNTeS

CLARK FREEPORT - The coming All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 is ghost hunting season here.

This former US Air Force base has become a favorite of ghost hunters since the Amer-icans abandoned it in 1991. But there are actually more haunted sites here than what has been so far featured in lo-cal and international media.

“Ghost hunters have fre-quented the abandoned hos-pital that is really haunted, but there are also ghosts in other areas,” said half-Aeta Josie Gilbert, 35, who has spent her entire life so far within Clark and surrounding mountainous areas.

Gilbert, whose American surname is derived from an American couple who had adopted her late father, cit-ed the case of the Japanese ghost who plays accordion by a huge mango tree in Sitio Ka-lapi where she spent her child-hood.

Kalapi is a hilly area not far from the mothballed Philippine Expo theme park at the north-ern portion of this freeport.

“I was a child then when I myself would hear the accordi-on whenever I passed by that mango tree. The Japanese ghost is known to all who lived in Kalapi,” she said. The tree, she noted, has always yielded bad fruit.

Gilbert said that one of her cousins who now lives in Sitio Hadwan has kept a tape re-cording of the accordion music.

“It was my father who told me and my siblings that the ghost belonged to a Japanese who was fond of playing his accordion under the mango tree during the last world war,” she recalled. Her father Car-lito, who died only four years ago, used to be a jungle sur-vival and herbal medicine re-source person for US soldiers at Clark.

Japanese forces occupied

Half-Aeta Josie Gilbert points to the branch of a mango tree where the ghost of a Japanese soldier is frequently heard playing the accordion. Photo by dIng cervantes

Ghost hunting seasonlooms at Clark Freeport

Clark during the last world war. Clark was one of the most heavily bombed areas in the country as the Japanese forc-es invaded the Philippines. Thousands of both Japanese and American soldiers died here during the war.

Gilbert also cited a tunnel dug up by the Japanese in Sitio Hadwan, also in the pe-riphery of northern Clark, as among the most haunted.

She said that foreign ghost hunters are usually brought by Aeta guides to that tunnel where a “white lady” is not only felt but also seen gliding in the darkness. “Those who want to see ghosts will not be disap-

pointed there,” she added.A cellphone video of ghosts

loitering in a stockroom of an old building here has become one of the most visited videos on YouTube. The video can be found by searching “Clark ghosts.”

The video was taken by a group of employees whose terrified voices in Kapampan-gan could be heard as they witnessed several translus-cent ghosts moving around a stock room from the other side of a glass panel. The building where the video was taken was demolished three years ago to give way to a more modern structure.

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From Page 1

NOTICE OF ExTRAJuDICIAL SETTLEMENTNotice is hereby given that the heirs of AMANDA Y. FAbRIGAS who died

intestate on September 23, 2014 in Mabalacat City, Pampanga executed an Affidavit of Extrajudicial Settlement with Waiver of Rights of her estate, more particularly described as a parcel of land (Lot 28, Block 9 Psd-25565, Gutierrez-Morales Project) located at Mabalacat, Pampanga, before Notary Public Conrado T. Danan as per Doc No. 374, Page No. 76, Book No. LIX, Series of 2014.Punto! Central Luzon: October 17, 24 & 31, 2014

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINESREGIONAL TRIAL COURTTHIRD JUDICIAL REGION

BRANCH 59ANGELES CITY

IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF THE MINOR YSAID ALLAINE VERGARA-MARTINEZ

SP. PROC. CASE NO. 9183SPS. DELBERT B. PINGOL AND DAISY VERGARA-PINGOL,

Petitioners.x-----------------------------------------x

ORDERThe petitioners “Compliance” dated October 7, 2014 with attached

Certificate of Enrollment filed pursuant to the Order dated September 30, 2014 is hereby NOTED.

In the verified Petition for the Adoption of Minor Ysaid Allaine Vergara Martinez, the material allegations are as follows:

Petitioners-spouses Delbert B. Pingol and Daisy Vergara-Pingol are of legal age, Filipino citizens and residents of #187 Pisces St., Doña Adela Subd., Sta. Cruz, Porac, Pampanga; they were lawfully married on August 9, 2010 in Tarlac, Tarlac; petitioners desire to adopt the minor Ysaid Allaine Vergara Martinez, who was born on September 15, 2004 in Bulacan, Bulacan; and said minor is the legitimate daughter of petitioner-wife and her late husband Allan A. Martinez.

The minor sought to be adopted has been in the care and custody of the petitioners since the time they got married up to the present; petitioners, and particularly petitioner-husband, have developed love and emotional bond with the subject minor; and they have been providing the minor with moral, physical and material needs, and education. Petitioners possess all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications to adopt the subject minor as provided for by law on adoption. Petitioner-wife executed an Affidavit of Consent to this adoption while the minor Ysaid Allaine Vergara Martinez executed an Affidavit of Consent in favor of her adoption. Joshua Ezekiel R. Pingol, son of the petitioner-husband, executed an Affidavit of Consent for the adoption of the subject minor.

Petitioners and the subject minor are physically fit for adoption purposes. The petitioners-spouses are mentally fit to adopt; they are financially capable to support the minor sought to be adopted; they are earning lucrative income from their employment in Dubai, U.A.E.; they have savings in banks, motor vehicles and real properties; they have no derogatory records; and they are persons of good moral character. They have undergone Pre-Adoption counseling as well as the Home and Child Study interviews. This adoption will serve the best interest and well-being of the minor child sought to be adopted.

This court finds the Petition sufficient in form and substance and therefore sets it for hearing on March 26, 2015 at 9:00 in the morning, on which date and hour any person who may have an interest in or may be affected by the Petition is ordered to appear and signify his/her opposition thereto and show cause why it should not be granted.

Let this Order be published once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in “Punto Central Luzon”, a newspaper of general circulation in the province of Pampanga and Angeles City, which was selected by raffle under the supervision of the Executive Judge, at the expense of the petitioners.

Serve copies of this Order upon the Office of the Solicitor General; Office of the City Prosecutor of Angeles City; petitioners and their counsel; Department of Social Welfare and Development; National Statistics Office, Civil Registrar General; Local Civil Registrar of Bulacan, Bulacan; SWOII Alberto B. Abanes; and “Punto Central Luzon”.

SO ORDERED.Angeles City, Philippines, October 7, 2014.

MA. ANGELICA T. PARAS-QUIAMBAO Presiding Judge

Punto! Central Luzon: October 17, 24 & 31, 2014

Cojuangco, younger brother of the late Pres. Corazon “Cory” Aqui-no, was seen here over a week ago in an area near this freeport’s exit gate in Mabalacat City, reportedly to inspect a site for a huge sports complex.

A reliable source who asked not to be named for lack of au-thority to give out details on the matter said Co-juangco was with Phil-ippine Sports Commis-sion (PSC) Chair Rich-ard Garcia during the in-spection.

Business leaders in cities and towns around Clark were recently sur-prised by Pres. Aquino’s appointment of Tanjuat-co as replacement for long-time CIAC head Victor Jose Luciano this late in his administration.

Hand of PNoy’s uncle seen in movements within CIACTanjuatco is a second

cousin of the President on the maternal side of Cory Aquino.

Local leaders said they were perplexed by the unexpected change in CIAC leadership at this time in the Aquino government which ends in 2016. Saying they had no objection to this de-velopment, they also felt intrigued by the qualifi-cations of Tanjuatco who never had any back-ground in aviation.

Remollo“The sports com-

plex would be similar to the so-called Star sports center proposed by for-mer Clark Development Corp. (CDC) President Felipe Remollo who had wanted the site some-where near the Bam-ban River in the Saco-bia area which Peping did not want,” the source

said.He also said some

P500 million would ini-tially be available for the project, but he could not give further details on this.

He said that Cojuang-co wanted a site in the vicinity of the park near Clark’s exit to Mabalacat City and that some 100 hectares are being eyed for the sports project, al-though not necessarily contiguous.

Cojuangco is pres-ident of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) which is a private, non-governmental orga-nization composed of all National Sports Associa-tions (NSA) in the Philip-pines. The POC is recog-nized by the Internation-al Olympic Committee (IOC) as having the sole authority for represen-tation of the Philippines in the Olympic Games,

the Asian Games, the Southeast Asian Games and other multi-event competitions.

While the POC is fi-nancially independent and does not receive any subsidy from govern-ment, its member NSAs receive some finan-cial assistance from the government’s Philippine Sports Commission.

The POC supports its own activities with funds generated from sponsor-ships, licensing fees on the use of the Olympic marks, IOC subsidy and proceeds from special projects and donations.

While no official an-nouncement on the sports project has been made, militants are ex-pected to raise some questions on the par-ticipation of Peping Co-juangco and Tanjuatco, both presidential rela-tives, in it.

DandingEarlier, the partylist

group Anakpawis Partyl-ist lambasted the planned MRT 7 project initiated by yet another presidential uncle, business tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Co-juangco to link San Juan del Monte City in Bulacan to Metro Manila.

Anakpawis said the project would be a “of brazen plunder of pub-lic funds amounting to about P62.7-billion or $1.44-billion.”

It noted that the Presi-dent , as board chairman of the National Economic Dev’t Authority (NEDA) approved the project in November of 2013 and is now promoted by the Public-Private Partner-ship (PPP) Center.

The group said that the Universal LRT Corp. (ULC), MRT 7 project proponent, controlled by Danding Cojuang-co, through San Miguel Holdings Corp. (SMHC).

“The MRT 7 project

under the Build-Grad-ually-Transfer-Operate and Maintain (BGTOM) scheme is to be fund-ed by the Japan Bank of International Cooper-ation (JBIC), to be paid for 15 years, guaranteed by the Philippine gov’t. PPP projects, as stipu-lated in their contracts, guarantee gargantuan profits their private part-ners which in the case of MRT-7 are Aquino rela-tives, allies and election benefactors,” Anakpawis said.

The group also said the project would dis-place 40,000 residents of Pangarap Village in Caloocan City and thou-sands more in other parts of Caloocan and Quezon City.

The group called for other sectors to oppose the MRT 7 project and support the People’s Al-liance Against MRT 7, mainly composed of sec-tors from affected com-munities.

ward for my work.”While the particular

images were prescribed by Church officials, the interpretation is totally left to Layug’s creative genius.

The local color on the Mater Dolorosa goes beyond the Filipiniana dress and her Malay fea-tures. Teardrops, a sig-nature hallmark of the image, will be limited to three to represent the country’s main islands of Luzon, Visayas and Min-danao.

From local, the image goes international with the globe upon which the Virgin stands, tradition-ally covered with clouds, is now buffeted by waves – “representative of the storm surge that dev-astated Leyte, as well as the threat of glob-al warming and climate change,” said Layug.

The infusion of the Mother of Perpetual Help icon into Layug’s Mater Dolorosa interpretation comes in the young Je-sus cradled in her arm – “tightly holding her hand, one sandal slipping off his foot, looking down as though in fright of the tid-

al waves about to engulf the children of Leyte.”

The seven-foot image – inclusive of its base – will be installed at the Palo Metropolitan Cathe-dral for the papal Mass.

The Crucified Christ image will hew closely to historical records of actu-al crucifixions at the time of the Roman Empire.

“There will be ropes to support the body, the way it was done in those times, as studies show,” said Layug. The image will be five feet and nine inches in height.

A break from the tra-ditional representation of the Crucified Christ – with stretched bloodied legs and one foot nailed over the other – in La-yug’s interpretation is that one leg is bent at the knee and the feet nailed separately.

“Pain at its most ex-cruciating level is evoked there,” Layug said.

The Crucified Christ image will provide the backdrop in the pontifical Mass in Manila.

Both images of the Mater Dolorosa and the Crucified Chirst have al-ready been modelled in clay, with the former hav-ing already a finished

smaller version in wood and its full size already 50 percent sculpted.

To accompany Pope Francis in all his Masses in the country will be the altar crucifix Layug has yet to model in clay.

“I am thinking of that instant right after the Lord uttered ‘It is con-summated’ as my repre-sentation of the image,” said Layug.

The crucifix will not be taller than two feet in-cluding base, he added.

Kapampangan prideHaving been chosen

by the Church to craft the religious images ex-clusive to the papal vis-it is “first and foremost a blessing, and second, a celebration of Kapam-pangan artistry and inge-nuity.”

“It’s not all about me, the sculptor. My name may not even merit a line in the news accounts. It is all about our deep faith as a people, as Kapam-pangans and our art and culture,” said Layug.

He furthered: “It will go a long way too in in-spiring our young artists and artisans, particularly here in Betis, to take to their mallets and chisels

with more vigor and en-thusiasm to revive our art and livelihood and take it to even greater heights of glory as well as productivity.”

Once the town’s most thriving enterprise, woodcarving – a heri-tage industry passed on from generation to gen-eration – has contract-ed with local folk seeking other “easier and more financially rewarding” means of livelihood.

Layug’s advocacy of the preservation and promotion of the wood-carving industry, dubbed at its height as “Betis Ba-roque” gained national and international atten-tion with masterpieces like the restored Matam-oros on the pediment of the Intramuros Gate, the baldacchino of the Sto. Domingo Church, and retablos of some of the country’s major cathe-drals and churches.

Layug’s opus has found a niche in Rome itself – the San Loren-zo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod altar at the Pontificio Collegio Filip-pino which sawali and bamboo designs high-light its unique Filipino character.

Premier Kapampangan sculptor...From Page 1

“Dino” Tanjuatco, Jr.PGKM Chair Ruper-

to Cruz said Tanjuatco is taking too long to an-nounce his plans for the Clark airport. “What’s his mission?” asked Cruz.

“What now? We need to know what direction we are headed? Nanung asahan tamu kaya? (What can we expect

Clark stakeholders growing impatient...From Page 1 from him?),” asked Cruz.

“We don’t want taxpay-ers money to be wast-ed,” he said.

“Will he be the messi-ah or just a much bally-hooed appointee coming in with unparalleled me-diocrity?” Cruz asked.

“If he remains on his seat at CIAC, he will only lay eggs,” Cruz said.

More than three weeks into his appoint-

ment as president and CEO Tanjuatco have yet to announce his plans for the CIA. Tanjuatco, a second cousin of Presi-dent Aquino, was nomi-nated as president and CEO during the CIAC board meeting in Maka-ti on September 30 and immediately assumed his new post.

“We have yet to hear anything from him (Tan-

juatco) considering the impact of Clark on the lives of the people here not only in Pampanga but also in the progress of Central Luzon and the country,” said Cruz.

“What’s going on? It’s been 23 years waiting for the airport to be fully developed and it seems it won’t be done in the administration of PNoy,” lamented Cruz.

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The GossipmillerCesar Pambid

Angelica Panganiban diring-diri sa kanyang katabaan

“MAPAPAHAMAK po ako, so hindi ko po siya puwedeng sagutin,” deklara ni Angelica Panganiban nang kunin ang kanyang reaksyon sa presscon ng pelikulang “Beauty In A Bottle” dahil sa pagkakadawit niya sa kasong ‘concubinage’ ni Derek Ramsay. Ang naturang reklamo ay isinampa ng dating asawa ng aktor na si Mary Christine Jolly.

Anyway,ginagampanan ni Angelica sa “Beauty in a Bottle” ang role ng isang aktres na tumaba at binabatikos siya dahil dito.Bagamat malaki na ang ipinayat ng aktres nang makita namin siya sa taping ng ‘Banana Split: Extra Scoop,” nagamit pala niya sa naturang pelikula ang katabaan

niya dati.Hindi ba siya na-offend na ibinenta sa istorya ng pelikula ang mabigat niyang timbang?Nagbiro siya na nagpataba siya para sa role at wala siyang ka-effort-effort na ginampanan ito. Mas naging hamon sa kanya kung paano ang magpapayat.“Kasi, ‘yun ako, eh. Ako ‘to, e. Choice ko ‘to. I mean, ngayon gusto kong kumain, mag-enjoy, ayokong mag-makeup, eto ang gusto ko.Katawan ko ‘to. So, kung hindi mo ‘to trip, kung hindi mo gusto, eh ano naman? Hindi rin naman kita gusto. Ha! Ha! Ha! So pantay lang, ‘di ba? It’s a tie,” deklara

niya na kung saan ay binibigyan daw niya ng pagkakataon ‘yung iba na i-bash siya.“So, kapag nag-ayos ako, teh, sobra ko namang ganda. Parang next to God na ‘yung kagandahan. So medyo binibigyan ko lang ‘yung iba na medyo i-bash ako.

So, ‘yun ang ginagawa ko, nagpapakumbaba lang ako. Pinapakita ko lang na God is fair. Kaya minsan, hindi talaga ako nag-aayos, nagde-dress down ako. Kasi, ‘pag tinodo ko day, inggit kayong lahat.”

Aminado rin si Angelica na minsan nasasaktan siya at may impact ‘pag pinupuna ang katabaan niya. Nagpasalamat pa nga siya na may pelikulang “Beauty In A Bottle” dahil nalulusutan niya ‘yung katabaan niya.

Actually, nandiri rin siya sa katabaan niya nang makita niya ang sarili niya kaya nagpapayat din siya.“Nu’ng nakita ko naman ‘yung sarili ko, nandiri na ako. ‘Ay shit, ang taba!’ Ha! Ha! Ha!Napamura ka talaga na, ‘Ano ‘yan?? Anong nangyari??!’ Ganu’n!,” sambit

pa niya.Kasama pa niya sa “Beauty In A Bottle” sina Angeline Quinto, Assunta De Rossi , Tom Rodriguez,Ellen Adarna at Empress . Handog ito ng Quantum Films at

Skylight Films. Showing na sa October 29. Ito ay sa direksyon ni Antoinette Jadaone.

Si Kris Aquino na???Pinay ang gustong mapangasawa ni Daniel Matsunaga

NABIBIGYAN ng malisya ang friendship nina Kris Aquino at Daniel Matsunaga. Madalas nga ay sinasama ni Kris si Daniel sa mga out of town coverage ng KrisTV. Mabait daw si Kris sa kanya simula mag-guest siya sa naturang programa.

“Talagang I’ll never forget. I will never forget such a great opportunity na binigay niya sa akin and I’m very thankful to Kris, you know. I have all the respect to Kris and the entire family, you know, I’m really, really thankful,” deklara ni Daniel na bagong commercial model ng San Marino Tuna Flakes.

Pero ang sabi ng hunk actor, Si God na raw ang bahala kung kailan darating ang tamang babae sa kanya. Likas na mabait si Daniel dahil wala rin siyang bitterness sa ex-girlfriend na si Heart Evangelista. Kung bibigyan daw siya ng imbitasyon, dadalo siya sa kasal nito with Senator Chiz Escudero.

Open din si Daniel na sana ay Pilipina ang mapangasawa niya. Iba raw kasi ang ugali ng ng Pinay. Maka-pamilya, mabait, maganda, maka-Diyos, malambing at matalino. Nanatili pa rin ang pusong Pinoy ni Daniel.

Dahil sa angking kakisigan at kaguwapuhan, maraming Pinay ang nagpapatansya kay Daniel dahil sa TVC niya sa San Marino Tuna Flakes. Makikita kasi si Daniel sa iba’t ibang extreme outdoor activities. Hilig daw niya ang ganitong sports activities kaya na-enjoy niya na gawin ang ganitong commercial.

Malaking factor kay Daniel na kinuha siyang endorser dahil sa ipinakita niyang kabaitan sa loob ng PBB house na kahit hindi siya Pilipino, naging isang mabuting example sa mga Pinoy.

“Yung totong Daniel kasi, 119 days sa loob ng bahay. There’s no way you can face such a thing. Talagang you’re living there. Sometimes you don’t even get to pansin the camera kasi parang sanay na sa camera. Every corner, may camera, every corner, may mirror. Talagang hindi namin alam kung may camera sa loob or wala or which will be shown in public. And when I left PBB house, the more I realize how I should value my time. My time for family and how I should value my friends,” bulalas pa niya.

Rodolfo Jackson hinahanap

ang nawawalang ama at mga kapatid

MARAMI nang ipon si Rodolfo Jackson sa kanyang paninirahan sa California. Biruin mo nga naman, 1992 pa nang mag-migrate siya sa America, antimano nakapagtrabaho naman siya. Kaya di naman biro na meron na rin naman siyang ipon at puwede nang mamahinga pag-uwi niya sa Pilipinas.

Sa kasalukuyan , Rudy Jackson is working as a nursing assistant in a veteran hospital in California. Bagamat medyo mahirap ang trabaho, napagtiyagaan niya ito dahil nga nagpilit siyang makaipon ng malaking halaga. Marami pa kasing balak si Rudy na kung tutuusin, di pa niya natutupad.

Nung nasa Pilipinas daw siya, polynanna attitude ang pinaandar niya. Dahil nga puwedeng sabihing maganda naman ang buhay showbiz niya noon, in managing several bars in Metro Manila, nakakahawak din naman siya ng malaking pera. “Pero walang kinapuntahan, lagi pa ring kulang, ewan siguro dahil di naman talaga ako masaya sa ginawa ko noon. Kahit sabihin pang nakasalamuha ko ang maraming artista, parang feeeling ko marami ang kulang sa pagkatao ko,” sersyosong pagkukuwento pa ni Rudy.

Kaya nga raw nang maging asawa niya ang isang nurse na nagdala sa kanya sa California, isang aral ang natutunan niya. “Minsan lang dumating ang pagkakataon kaya kailangang samantalahin ko na,” sabi pa nito.

Did you know noong isang taon, nakauwi na siya sa Pilipinas to celebrate his birtrhday. Inimbita niya lahat ang mga kaibigan niya from the past at isang reunion sa isang engrandeng restaurant ginanap ang lahat. Dahil nga may ipon naman Rudy he can afford a grand vacation pero still nababawan siya at hindi masaya. Sa isang birthday daw niya now in his senior year, balak din nitong magbakasyon but this time meron siyang pangarap na gawin.

Hahanapin daw niya ang nawawalang ama at mga kapatid na noon pa niya inaasam na makilala.

Malungkot si Rudy in sharing his life story sa amin. Sa pamamagitan ng Skype, inalala ni Rudy ang kanyang namapaya nang ina na mag-isang nagtaguyod sa kanya. Wala na raw siyang nakagisnang ama at tanging sa kuwento na lang ng ina ang tungkol sa nakaraan niya. Anak daw siya ng isang taxi driver who drove his own fleet ng Dacanay Taxi. Taga- Tondo raw ang ama nito sa pag-uwi niya lulubusin ang paghanap sa nawawala niyang mga kamag-anak. “Hindi ko alam kung patay o buhay pa siya, but he is now around 80 years old na kung sakali. I would still have to ask my aunts kung ano ang tunay na pangalan niya, the latest I heard may mga kapatid daw ako sa kanya who are living in Ilocandia. My mom’s maiden name is Zenaida Ocampo, at aling Zeny ang tawag sa kanya. If by chance may makabasa nito na Dacanay ang apeliyido, baka sila na ang mga nawawala kong kapatid. Sana po, makipag-communicate sila sa akin through Facebook, Rodolfo Jackson po ang profile ko,” pakiusap pa ni Rudy.

Puwedeng sabihing makulay na personalidad si Rudy pero para sa kanya tila may nawawala pang kulay ang malaking bahagi ng kanyang buhay, Tulungan po nating maipinta nang tuluyan ang mapusyao na kulay ng kanyang buhay. Angelica Panganiban

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