Manila Standard Today Sunday (December 16, 2012) Issue

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N
EWTOWN,
Conn.A man
killed his mother
at their home and then
opened re Friday inside
an elementary school,
massacring 26 people,
including 20 children,
as youngsters cowered
in fear to the sound of
gunshots reverberating
through the building and
screams echoing over the
intercom.
SPORTS B4 BUSINESS ARTS & LIFE
A6
Next page
B1
Next page
SOPHIES
CHOICE
Sophie Uy
wants to rule
the world,
one business
endeavor at a
time.
ANTHONY
MACRI
Asean Basketball
League CEO says
the edgling
regional
basketball league
will nally have
its breakout year
in 2013.
TROPICAL
FRUIT WINE
MAKER.
Elbert Pigtain
turns exotic
tropical fruits
into wines that
found a market
overseas.
Sunday
MST
The Sunday Edition of ManilaStandardTODAY
Vol. I No. 25 12 Pages, 2 Section
P18.00 SUNDAY, December 16, 2012
DEADLY
DECEMBER
Referendum on RH
unnecessarysolons
Terror suspect slain
TALL AND LOVELY. Miss
Philippines 2012 Janine Tugonon,
competes during the Swimsuit
Competition of the 2012 Miss
Universe Presentation Show on
Thursday, Dec. 13, in Las Vegas.
The 89 Miss Universe Contestants
will compete for the Diamond
Nexus Crown on December 19.
AP
Next page
Next page
Gunman was
a mental case
The 20-year-
old killer, carry-
ing at least two
handguns, com-
mitted suicide at
the school, bring-
ing the death toll
to 28, authorities
said.
The rampage,
coming less than
two weeks be-
fore Christmas,
was the nations
second-deadliest
school shooting,
exceeded only by
the Virginia Tech massacre that
claimed 33 lives in 2007.
Our hearts are broken to-
day, a tearful President Barack
Obama, struggling to main-
tain his composure, said at the
White House. He called for
meaningful action to pre-
vent such shootings, saying,
As a country, we have been
through this too many times.
NEWTOWN, Connecti-
cutThe man authorities
say killed 27 people in Con-
necticut was a reserved and
intelligent 20-year-old who
suffered from a mental dis-
ability, police and people who
knew him said.
Adam Lanza committed the
second-worst mass shooting
in U.S. history, killing 20 chil-
dren, six adults and himself af-
ter he walked into Sandy Hook
Elementary School in New-
town and opened re, accord-
ing to two law-enforcement
ofcials briefed on the matter.
His mother, Nancy, was found
dead at their home, according
to the ofcers, who asked for
anonymity because the investi-
gation is continuing.
By Maricel V. Cruz
ADVOCATES of the Repro-
ductive Health (RH) bill on
Saturday rejected a proposal
for a referendum on the mea-
sure to allow the Filipino peo-
ple to decide on whether it was
necessary or not.
House Assistant Majority
Leader Sherwin Tugna of Citi-
zens Battle against Corruption
party-list, Ifugao Rep. Teddy
Brawner Baguilat, Zambales
Rep. Jun Omar Ebdane and
DIWA party-list Rep. Emmeline
Aglipay said that a referendum
was no longer needed since ma-
jority of legislators have already
spoken for the bill.
But those who opposed the
measure believed that RH bill
itself was not necessary because
they said that it only duplicates
the intent that has already been
provided for under the Magna
Carta for Women and Children.
The lawmakers expressed their
sentiment in response to the idea
By Florante Solmerin
and Francisco Tuyay
A SUSPECTED Malaysian ter-
rorist who belonged to the Je-
maah Islamiyah terror group was
killed on Friday by the police in
front of a hotel in Davao City af-
ter he allegedly threatened to det-
onate a bomb hidden in his black
knapsack, the police chief Senior
Supt. Ronald dela Rosa said.
The suspected terrorist,
Mohd Noor Fikrie Bin Abud
Kahar, was shot dead by police
late Friday following a scufe
inside a hotel where he and
his Filipino wife had checked
in, de la Rosa said. His wife,
Annabelle Nieva Lee, was ar-
rested by the police.
As the couple was checking out,
the man tried to grab a backpack
that the woman was holding
(TOP) A woman reacts to news
about her sister, a teacher, following
a shooting at the Sandy Hook
Elementary School in Newtown,
Connecticut where authorities say a
gunman identied as Adam Lanza
(inset) opened re, killing 27 people,
including 20 children and himself on
Dec. 14. (Bottom) A woman walks
away from school with her children.
More stories and photos on A8
President Aquino said: Togeth-
er with the entire Filipino people,
we stand beside you with bowed
heads, yet in deep admiration
over the manner in which the
American people have reached
out to comfort the aficted, and
to search for answers that will
give meaning and hope to this
grim event.
At least seven Filipino fami-
lies reside in Newtown, but no
one among them was hurt or
enrolled in Sandy Hook, the De-
partment of Foreign Affairs said.
Sara Fabunan
20 kids, 8 adults killed
in Connecticut massacre
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
DECEMBER 16, 2012 SUNDAY
A2
Sunday
NEWS
ManilaStandardTODAY
Crackdown on jueteng sought
The suspected bomber lies dead (top) while SWAT operatives inspect the scene of the crime and his
backpack. Police photo
Gunman...
The shooting brought chaos and worldwide attention to the town
of 28,000 about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northeast of New York
City. Students recounted cowering in the corners of the school of
700, while parents told of rushing to discover whether their children
were among the dead. Ofcials have yet to announce a motive.
As a country, we have been through this too many times, Presi-
dent Barack Obama said in a news conference, struggling to hold
back tears. Our hearts are broken today.
It was the worst U.S. massacre since the 2007 rampage at Vir-
ginia Tech University, and the latest in a deadly year. Just three days
ago, three died after a gunman opened re inside a mall in suburban
Portland, Oregon. In August, a shooter took the lives of six people
at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, before being killed by a
police ofcer. In July, a masked gunman opened re at a midnight
movie in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 and injuring 58.
Yesterday, it was Newtowns turn.
Shortly after 9:30 a.m., police received a call from the school,
where students from kindergarten through fourth grade attend, Lieu-
tenant Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police said in a news
brieng. The shooting took place in two rooms, he said.
The killer wore combat gear, CNN reported.
C.J. Hoekenga, a Sandy Hook fourth-grader, was in music class
watching The Nutcracker when he heard bangs, heavy breath-
ing and then shots. His teacher told them to get into a closet, the
youngster said.
At rst I thought it was practice, C.J. said. Then we realized it wasnt.
He and classmates said prayers until a police ofcer arrived. They
then exited single-le and ran to a nearby re station, he said.
Im relieved that most of the children got out and the man behind
this is dead, C.J. said.
Ten-year-old Elise Beier, also a fourth-grader, said she could hear
the gunre and shouting over the public address system, which re-
mained on throughout the incident.
Many killings took place in a kindergarten class, the Hartford
Courant reported.
Automatic telephone calls alerted parents. Janet Ziperstein, 39,
raced to the school to nd her fourth- and second-grader unharmed.
It was an eerie, odd, cold chaos, she said. The bodies will remain where
they fell until they are identied, Vance said. Parents havent been allowed
into the school to see their children, he said. Bloomberg
Deadly...
Police shed no light on the
motive for the attack. The gun-
man, Adam Lanza, was believed
to suffer from a personality dis-
order and lived with his mother,
said a law enforcement ofcial
who was briefed on the investi-
gation but was not authorized to
discuss it.
Panicked parents looking for
their children raced to Sandy
Hook Elementary in Newtown,
a prosperous New England com-
munity of about 27,000 people
60 miles northeast of New York
City. Police told youngsters at
the kindergarten-through-fourth-
grade school to close their eyes
as they were led from the build-
ing so that they wouldnt see the
blood and broken glass.
Schoolchildrensome crying,
others looking frightenedwere
escorted through a parking lot
in a line, hands on each others
shoulders.
Law enforcement ofcials
speaking on condition of ano-
nymity said Lanza shot his moth-
er, Nancy Lanza, then drove to
the school in her car with at least
three guns, including a high-
powered rie that he apparently
left in the back of the vehicle, and
shot up two classrooms around
9:30 a.m.
A custodian ran through the
halls, warning of a gunman on
the loose, and someone switched
on the intercom, alerting people
in the building to the attack
and perhaps saving many lives
by letting them hear the hyste-
ria going on in the school ofce,
a teacher said. Teachers locked
their doors and ordered children
to huddle in a corner or hide in
closets as shots echoed through
the building.
Authorities gave no details on
exactly how the attack unfold-
ed, but police radio trafc indi-
cated the shooting lasted only
a few minutes. State police Lt.
Paul Vance said ofcers arrived
instantaneously, immediately
entered the school, searched it
completely and found Lanza
dead.
In addition to the 20 chil-
dren, six adults were killed
at the school; the principal
was believed to be among the
dead. A woman who worked at
Sandy Hook Elementary was
wounded.
A law enforcement ofcial
speaking on condition of ano-
nymity said investigators be-
lieve Lanza attended the school
several years ago but appeared
to have no recent connection to
the place.
At least one parent said Lanzas
mother was a substitute teacher
there. But her name did not ap-
pear on a staff list. And the law
enforcement ofcial said inves-
tigators were unable to establish
any connection so far between
her and the school.
Lanzas older brother, 24-year-
old Ryan, of Hoboken, N.J., was
being questioned, but a law en-
forcement ofcial said he was
not believed to have had a role
in the rampage. Investigators
were searching his computers
and phone records, but he told
law enforcement he had not been
in touch with his brother since
about 2010.
The ofcials spoke on the con-
dition of anonymity because they
were not authorized to discuss
the unfolding investigation.
At one point, a law enforce-
ment ofcial mistakenly identi-
ed the gunman as Ryan Lanza.
Brett Wilshe, a friend of Ryan
Lanzas, said Lanza told him
the gunman may have had his
identication. Ryan Lanza ap-
parently posted Facebook page
updates Friday afternoon that
read, It wasnt me and I was
at work.
Robert Licata said his 6-year-
old son was in class when the
gunman burst in and shot the
teacher. Thats when my son
grabbed a bunch of his friends
and ran out the door, he said.
He was very brave. He waited
for his friends.
He said the shooter didnt utter
a word.
Stephen Delgiadice said his
8-year-old daughter heard two
big bangs. Teachers told her to
get in a corner, he said. Its
alarming, especially in New-
town, Connecticut, which we al-
ways thought was the safest place
in America, he said. His daugh-
ter was uninjured.
Theodore Varga was in a
meeting with other fourth-grade
teachers when he heard the
gunre. He said someone had
turned on the intercom so that
you could hear people in the
ofce. You could hear the hys-
teria that was going on. I think
whoever did that saved a lot of
people. Everyone in the school
was listening to the terror that
was transpiring.
Also, a custodian ran around,
warning people there was some-
one with a gun, Varga said.
He said, Guys! Get down!
Hide! Varga said. So he was
actually a hero. The teacher said
he did not know if the custodian
survived.
Mergim Bajraliu, 17, said he
heard the gunshots echo from
his home and ran to check on his
9-year-old sister at the school.
He said his sister, who was unin-
jured, heard a scream come over
the intercom. He said teachers
were shaking and crying as they
came out of the building.
Everyone was just trauma-
tized, he said.
On Friday night, hundreds
of people packed a Newtown
church and stood outside in a
vigil for the victims. People held
hands, lit candles and sang Si-
lent Night at St. Rose of Lima
church. Anthony Bloss, whose
three daughters survived the
shootings, said they are doing
better than he is. Im numb. Im
completely numb, he said at the
vigil. AP
Terror...
containing a homemade bomb.
Ofcers, meanwhile, tried to
seize the man, who broke free
and threatened to detonate the
device.
You want the bomb? You
want the bomb? Shoot me!
Shoot me! I will explode the
bomb, de la Rosa quoted the
man as saying. This prompted
ofcers and people in the hotel
lobby to scamper out for safety,
the police chief said.
The man and his wife then
ran into the street, where they
hugged each other as the man
raised a cellphone, threatening
to use it to trigger the bomb, de
la Rosa said.
The man grabbed the back-
pack from his wife and ran to-
ward a park full of Friday night
revelers, leaving the woman,
who was taken into custody by
police, he said.
Guards locked the parks
gate, and the man, still rais-
ing his hand that held the cell-
phone, ran into a packed res-
taurant, where a sniper shot
him twice in the chest. The
man did not immediately fall,
so other ofcers red at him
and killed him, de la Rosa said.
The bomb was fashioned
from a 60 mm mortar shell
that was subsequently de-
fused by SWATs ordnance
team, he said.
The suspect was trained by
Umar Patek, a terror leader who
gured in the Jakarta attack
on Christmas eve 2000 where
19 people were killed, and the
October 2002 Bali attacks that
had 202 people dead. Patek last
Novermber was sentenced by an
Indonesian court to 20 years in
prison.
Police said intelligence reports
indicated terrorists planned to
explode a bomb in Davao, a a
port city and a commercial hub
on Mindanao.
PH-US
ties reach
new level
By Sara D. Fabunan
United States Assistant Sec-
retary of State Kurt Camp-
bell said on Saturday that the
decades-old bilateral relations
between Washington and Ma-
nila have reached a new level.
Campbell said Washington
and Manila had agreed to focus
its ties through partnerships for
economic growth, reform, sci-
ence, trade and investments.
He said that previously, US-
Philippines relations were fo-
cused on defense and security
and hardly tackled cooperation
on the economic front.
Weve done a lot behind the
scenes, with the remarkable
support from the Department
of Defense, the number of ef-
forts with respect to Mindanao,
and other elements on the se-
curity side, Campbell said in
a recent press brieng.
But at the highest level, we
have not worked closely in re-
cent years during the period of
1950s 60s or 1970s. We want
to enhance our high level en-
gagement but we want to do it
in a different way than we did
in the past, he said.
This may mean that the U.S.
Government would focus more on
the economy rather than enhanc-
ing further Manilas defense ca-
pabilities, despite the fact that the
Philippines is currently embroiled
in an ongoing dispute with China
over claims in the waters and is-
lands of the West Philippine Sea
(South China Sea).
Defense Undersecretary Pio
Lorenzo Batino said that while
Washington appeared to have
shifted its focus to economy
and trade, the United States re-
mained committed in building a
minimum credible defense for
the countrys armed forces.
He said that Washington has
committed to provide Manila
with a combination of troops,
equipment and military train-
ing and exercises.
B0atino, however, said Wash-
ingtons plan to strengthen Ma-
nilas defense capability was a
key component in the imple-
mentatiioin of the 1951 Mutual
Defense Treaty and the Visiting
Forces Agreement, as he ex-
plained that there was really no
new agreement when it comes to
security and defense.
Foreign Affairs outgoing
Undersecretary on policy Er-
linda Basilio, meanwhile, said
that Washington had been
pushing for new agreements on
economic growth, particularly
for the Millennium Challenge
Corporation through bilateral
agreements on science and
technology cooperation, trade
and investments.
Solons...
broached by Albay Rep. Al Fran-
cis Bichara, an administration ally,
that the public should be the ones
to decide on the fate of the hotly-
contested measure.
A total of 220 out of 285 law-
makers cast their vote during the
second reading of House Bill
4244, which resulted in 113 af-
rmative votes, 104 negatives
and three abstentions.
Bichara, in explaining his neg-
ative vote on the bill, said that
the people, particularly those
in far-ung areas and that those
that do not have access to media,
would not know the discussions
on the RH bill.
Bichara, who chairs the House
committee on foreign affairs,
said the public deserves to know
well fully what the RH bill was
all about and how it will benet
them.
The people need to know
what we are debating here in the
plenary. We need a referendum
to allow them to decide on the
bills merits, said Bichara.
But Tugna said that the legis-
lators themselves should serve
as channels for their respective
constituents to understand what
the RH bill was all about.
I believe there is no need
for a referendum. The votes of
both Houses of Congress are
sufcient. It already complies
with the requirement of the law,
Tugna told the Manila Standard.
Opposition stalwart and Zam-
bales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay,
an anti-RH advocate, maintained
that there was no need to pass
the RH bill because most of its
provisions are already embodied
in Sec. 17 and 19 Magna Carta
for women law.
It states there that the gov-
ernment should provide women
access to the following: prena-
tal and postnatal care; informa-
tion regarding all types of fam-
ily planning methods; access
to family planning methods as
long as they are ethically and
medically safe; sex education;
obstetric and gynecological care
regarding pregnancy complica-
tions and the prevention of AIDS
(acquired immunodeciency
syndrome), HIV (Human immu-
nodeciency virus) , STD (sexu-
ally transmitted disease), and the
like; and spouses have the right
to decide to space their children,
etc., Magsaysay said.
Magsaysay said that the im-
plementing rules and regula-
tions of the Magna Carta, which
was passed in 2009, directs the
Commission on Women under
the Ofce of the President to
oversee that the provisions are
implemented by the concerned
government agencies such as the
departments of Health, Interior
and Local Government, Human
Rights, Education, Commission
on Higher Education, Social
Welfare and Labor.
Baguilat, chair of the House
committee on national cultural
communities, thumbed down the
proposal for a referendum.
A pro-RH lawmaker, Baguilat
said that a number of surveys
which showed that majority of
the Filipino people want a na-
tional reproductive health policy
through a bill were enough proof
that HB 4244 is acceptable.
Baguilat cited the recent Pulse
Asia survey, conducted from
Oct. 20 to 29, which showed that
69 percent of Filipinos support-
ed the RH measure.
The survey results, he said
found that 80 percent of Filipi-
nos were aware of the measure.
Ebdane, for his part, sees
nothing wrong to the proposal
for as long as there are no ex-
ternal forces which may pres-
sure the public and and inuence
their thinking or decision for or
against the measure.
A referendum is okay only if
could circulate without antago-
nist around, Ebdane.
Aglipay shared a similar view,
saying that Bicharas idea is nei-
ther required nor necessary.
The Abono party-list threw its
support to the efforts of the De-
parment of Interior and Local
Government to eradicate jueteng
operations in Pangasinan, but
said the campaign against the
illegal numbers game should be
carried out nationwide and in-
clude illegal jai alai operations.
Abono chairman Rosendo So
said jai alai has been used as
a jueteng front. He also chal-
lenged Bugallon Mayor Rodrigo
Ordonia to name the jai alai op-
erators who gave him as much as
P10 million each month.
Ordonia earlier accused Pan-
gasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr.
of receiving payoffs from jueteng
operations and of having
amassed as much as P900 million
from the illegal game. Espino de-
nied the mayors claim, adding
that it was politically motivated.
Roxas deployed police escorts
to protect Orduna and barangay
chairman Ferdinand Alimagno of
Poblacion, Candelaria, Quezon.
Their decision to come out and
disclose what they know about
jueteng had put their lives and the
lives of their families in danger,
Roxas said even as he stressed the
use of the authority of his ofce in
accordance with the law.
We support Secretary Rox-
as in his efforts to crack down
against jueteng, but we also ap-
peal to him to dismantle the ille-
gal jai-alai betting operations in
the country. We also call on the
Aquino administration through
the DILG and the Philippine Na-
tional Police to enforce its anti-
gambling campaign also in other
areas where illegal numbers
games are operating, So said.
When jueteng had been neu-
tralized in Pangasinan two years
ago, jai-alai online betting op-
erations had been allowed to op-
erate in six towns of Pangasinan
through the auspices of Mayor
Ordonia, who was then head of
the League of Mayors, So noted.
PNP records showed that at
least 1,666 cases of illegal gam-
bling have already been led
since January this year.
Presidential spokesman Edwin
Lacierda earlier said the govern-
ment aims to provide gainful
employment for those who were
previously involved in jueteng
through a new measure that
would also allow the government
to capture the revenues currently
being generated through the ille-
gal numbers game.
By Rey Requejo and Francisco Tuyay

PARTY-LIST group Abono called for
a renewed crackdown on jueteng a day
after local ofcials charged the Pangasinan
governor with having a hand in the illegal
game while Interior and Local Government
Secretary Manuel Roxas II assigned police
security to the whistle blowers.
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Sunday
NEWS
ManilaStandardTODAY
A3
PH refuses to sign UN Internet treaty
AFP declares ceasefire
Enrile
defends
RH bill
position
IN BRIEF
Lawmen hold fund-raising concert for typhoon victims
Christmas in Tabaco. A young boy from Tabaco City in Albay inspects pedicabs that were lighted and used as part of Christmas
decor at a city square. DANNY PATA
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates
Envoys from nearly 90 nations have
signed the rst new United Nations
telecommunications treaty since the
Internet age, but the US and other nations,
including the Philippines, refused to
join after claiming it endorses greater
government control over cyberspace.
The head of the UN telecoms
group Hamadoun Toure disputed
US assertions and said the accord
will help expand online services to
poorer nations and add more voices
to shape the direction of modern
communications technology.
The negotiations essentially pitted the
Wests desire to preserve the unregulated
nature of the Net against developing
countries yearning for better Web access
and strong-arm states, such as Iran and
China, that closely lter cyberspace.
The nal break late Thursday was
not over specic regulations in the UN
groups rst telecoms review since
before the Internet was a global force.
Instead, it came down to an ideological
split over the nature of the Internet and
who is responsible for its growth and
governance.
More than 20 countries joined the
US on Friday in refusing to sign the
protocols by the U.N.s International
Telecommunications Union, claiming
it opens the door to greater government
controls of the Net and could be used
by authoritarian states to justify further
crackdowns on cyberspace.
Aside from the US, other countries
that refused to sign the treaty were the
United Kingdom, Canada, the European
Union, Peru, the Philippines, Malawi,
Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, India and
others, according to IT news website
Ars Technica.
Rival countries including Iran,
China and African states insist the
governments should have a greater
sway over Internet affairs and seek
to break a perceived Western grip on
information technology. They also
favor greater international help to bring
reliable online links to the worlds least
developed regions.
The ITU which dates to the age of
the telegraph in the mid-19th century
has no technical powers to change how
the Internet operates or force countries
to follow its nonbinding accords, which
also dealt with issues such as mobile
phone roaming rates and international
emergency numbers.
But the US and its backers worry
that the new treaty could alter the tone
of debates on the Internet. Instead of
viewing it as a freeform network, they
claim, it could increasingly been seen
as a commodity that needs clear lines of
oversight.
A free and open Internet with
limited restrictions has been critical to
its development into one of the greatest
tools for empowering people to connect
and share information globally, said
U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, who represents
part of Silicon Valley, in a statement
from Washington.
But there are countries and groups
who wish to exert greater control over
the Internet in order to restrict or censor
it for political or cultural reasons, she
added. We need to stand rm against
those kinds of threats if we want the
Internet to continue as a vibrant engine
for innovation, human rights, cultural
and economic growth.
In a testament to the contentious
atmosphere at the Dubai negotiations,
the pages of reservations and comments
by various countries were far longer
than the treaty itself. AP
By Florante S. Solmerin
THE Armed Force of the Philip-
pines unilaterally declared on
Saturday a ceasere with com-
munist guerillas that will last
from Dec. 16 to Jan. 2, according
to military chief Gen. Jessie Del-
losa.
Dellosa said the unilateral declaration was made
to demonstrate the AFPs commitment, sincerity
and resolve for peace despite the conicts with the
insurgent group.
Hours after the militarys announcement, the
Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples
Army also separately declared a cease-re in Mindanao
to allow unhampered relief and rehabilitation in
provinces ravaged by super-typhoon Pablo.
The communists said the cease-re was to take effect
from Dec. 5 through Jan. 3, but they did not explain
the late announcement and gave no word on whether
they will also observe a nationwide cease-re.
Military spokesman Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr.
said the suspension of military operations will include
deliberate offensive operations against the NPA but will
maintain activities supporting the governments peace,
development and humanitarian assistance programs.
Specically, the AFP will maintain its security
patrols aimed at protecting civilian communities,
government and private establishments, and military
camps and detachments; route security and checkpoint
operations for protection of civilian movements and
preemption of rearms proliferation; Bayanihan
Teams conduct of peace and development activities;
and other civil military operations, Burgos said.
But the military will continue its proactive defense
countermeasures to prevent attacks that communist
insurgents mounted despite a mutually-declared
ceasere.
Last year, Burgos said the NPA took advantage of
a similar 18-day truce and attacked a community-
organizing peace and development team resulting in
the death of ve enlisted personnel.
We hope that the past transgressions and violations
committed by the rebels that stained the holidays with
violence will not happen again this year. We know fully
well the importance of ceaseres in the quest for peace
as proven by the successful signing of the Bangsamoro
Peace Framework Agreement, Dellosa said.
As a nation that nurtures its free and democratic
institutions, the AFP takes its time to recognize and
acknowledge the collective and seless efforts of its
soldiers that were instrumental in maintaining peace
and security in our communities, he added.
Our adherence to the SOMO is but a small part of
our commitment to achieving that lifetime of peace,
security, and development our people deserve,
Dellosa said.
PH lifts Israel ban
THE Philippines has lifted a ban on the
deployment of Filipino workers to Israel
and Gaza in the wake of a truce between
Israeli and Hamas forces.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said
Saturday newly hired workers may now be
sent for employment in Jerusalem and in
southern and central Israel cities and towns
after the Department of Foreign Affairs
the previous day lowered its security alert
for these areas. The ban was imposed last
month.
About 40,000 Filipinos work in Israel,
mostly as caregivers. The Israel embassy
says it welcomes the governments decision
with Ambassador Menashe Bar-On saying
Israel is a preferred overseas destination
for Filipinos because of the high pay, social
security and medical benets.
1 hurt at airport mishap
A 60-YEAR-OLD woman who was on
her way to a vacation in Hong Kong was
hurt after a piece of the aluminium ceiling
at a food kiosk inside the airport fell and
hit her on the head.
Physician Ma. Angelica Corpuz of
Manila International Airport Authority
identied the passenger as Nieves Jacinto
Favis who was rushed to Saint Lukes
Medical Center in Taguig City around
8:45 a.m. on Saturday.
Favis was buying something from the
Goldilocks outlet at Terminal 2 while she
was waiting for her 10 a.m. ight to Hong
Kong when part of the ceiling collapse and
accidentally hit her head. Eric B. Apolonio
St. Thrse relics arrive
RELICS of Saint Thrse of Lisieux
arrived in the country on Saturday aboard
Etihad Airlines ight for a four-month tour
that will include more than 48 Catholic
archdioceses and dioceses across the
country.
The relics, accompanied by Msgr. Don
Vito Pavilando, arrived from France via
Dubai and were welcomed at the airport
by Bishop Leopoldo S. Tumulak of the
Military Ordinariate of the Philippines,
Transportation and Communication
Undersecretary Eduardo Oban and former
Philippine Air Force commander Oscar
Ravena.
It is the third time the relics were
brought to Manila after 2000 and 2008.
They were brought to the Kalayaan Hall
in Villamor Airbase prior to a procession
to the St. Therese Shrine in Newport City
across NAIA Terminal 3. The relics will
also be brought to other churches until its
departure on April 15, 2013.
Eric B. Apolonio
CAGAYAN Rep. Juan Ponce Jack
Enrile Jr., on Saturday defended his
support for the controversial reproductive
health (RH) bill although he differed
from the view of his inuential father
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
I am my fathers son but not his
keeper, the younger Enrile said, adding
that he continued to admire his father for
sticking to his anti-RH position although
he himself supported the bill that passed
on second reading at the House of
Representatives on Wednesday.
(People) love my father for taking
a position. When he takes a position,
he really protects it. That is part of his
belief system. That is part of who he is.
And that is part also of being a leader,
said the congressman, who is seeking his
own seat in the Senate next year under
the United Nationalist Alliance.
The congressman said he follows
his fathers example in the sense that
he will also defend his own beliefs and
position on any issue and will accept the
consequences he would have to face.
One must be able to take the punches,
whatever the outcome might be, whether
it affects him or myself, he said.
The people will be the ones to judhe
me based on how they know me as Jack
Enrile. It doesnt mean that just because
I am the son Juan Ponce Enrile, I am
certain of winning a seat as a senator,
he added.
I will bring my case before the
Filipino people; I will go around during
the campaign period and let the people
decide whether I deserve a seat in the
Senate or not, he stressed.
He admitted that he was elated by the
results of surveys conducted by both the
Social Weather Station and Pulse Asia
showing he would be among those to
be elected in the Senate if the elections
were held today.
Jack is tied with San Juan City Rep.
JV Ejercito Estrada in fourth and fth
places in the November 23 to 29 survey
of Pulse Asia and at sixth place in the
November 29 to December 3 survey of
SWS.
I am both gratied and humbled by
the trust and condence being showed to
me by our people based on the survey
results. They showed that our people has
started to recognize me on my own merit
and not because I am the son of a famous
and well-respected statesman, he said.
By Macon Ramos-Araneta
WITH many parts of Mindanao still
reeling from the devastation wrought by
super typhoon Pablo, National Bureau of
Investigation director Caesar Nonnatus
Rojas and his men sang for a cause on
Friday night and raised funds for the
victims of the typhoon.
We have done many fund-raising
campaigns everytime theres a calamity,
but as far as I can remember, this is the
rst time we had a concert, said NBI
assistant director Ludgi De Lemos, who
been with the bureau for almost three
decades.
Dubbed as The Ofcers, The
Gentlemen and Their Music, Rojas
said the concert was meant not only to
generate funds for the typhoon victims,
but also as a fellowship to treat our
employees to the antics and human side
of their bosses in the NBI.
Even Justice Secretary Leila de Lima
joined in the fun and belted out two
songs, including Abbas worldwide hit
Dancing Queen.
We just pulled her to participate.
She was initially hesitant to sing, but
with enough prodding we were able to
persuade her to sing two songs, Rojas
said.
Head Agent Roland Argabioso,
chief of the bureaus Special Task
Force, said the concert was a project
of the Investigators Mutual Benet
Association Inc. in cooperation with
the Ofce of the Director. Tickets,
costing P1,500, were distributed to
the bureaus ofcers for sale to their
friends.
Clad in suits, the NBI singers opened
the concert with a rendition of the
Christmas song White Christmas and
it was soon followed by NBI ofcials
and employees.
Aside from Rojas, other ofcials who
joined the concert included Deputy
Director for Regional Operations
Services Virgilio Mendez, Deputy
Director Rafael Ragos, who was
recently assigned ofcer-in-charge of
the Bureau of Corrections; Head Agent
Palmer Mallari, chief of the Technical
Intelligence Division, Dante Bonoan of
the Anti-Trafcking Human Division,
Roxas chief of staff Dante Guiran,
Special Investigator Roland Sanchez
and Edwin Roxas of the National Capital
Region.
After the groups rendition of
Irving Berlin songs, Rojas belted
out Noynoy Zunigas hit songs
Kumusta Ka and Never Every
Say Goodbye as well as Wency
Cornejos Hanggang.
We just mustered the courage so we
can help and make our employees happy
this Christmas. We practiced White
Christmas for two days, the second time
on the date of the concert itself, said the
soft-spoken bureau chief.
Rojas admitted he felt nervous
that people would not even like our
performance which could be below
standard. But we proceeded with the
intention of helping.
For Deputy Director Mendez, singing
on stage is like facing a congressional
hearing. He was recently very much in
the headlines because his division is
investigating the multi-billion Aman
Futures scam which victimized almost
15,000 people in Mindanao.
He then dedicated his emotional
rendition of Marco Sisons My Love
Will See You Through to his wife
Vilma Garcia, whom he described as
my former girlfriend.
Guiran opted to choose a 70s hit song
Kiss Me Goodbye followed by Ragos
who sang One in a million you. Roxas
belted out the song Ulan and Bonoan,
Alone Again Naturally.
Sanchez, who was the director of the
NBI concert, proved to be a fantastic
singer when he rendered another
hit song of Cornejo, Ikaw lang ang
mamahalin.
Mallari said he selected Kuh Ledesmas
Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap because
ulap (cloud) symbolizes the storm
and mahawi is our countrys ability to
overcome adversity.
Amidst the difculties in government
service is decision, dedication and
commitment to stay on, stressed
Palmer.
Internet treaty. Delegates to the World Conference on International
Telecommunication in Dubai, United Arab Emirates listen to Hamdoun Toure,
secretary general of International Telecommunication Union (seen on screens)
shortly before debates on the treaty which several countries, including the
Philippines, refused to sign. AP
extrastory2000@gmail.com business@mst.ph
A4
Sunday
FEATURES
ManilaStandardTODAY
Edited by Roderick t. dela Cruz
By Julito G. Rada
RAPHAEL Juan, the president of utility
vehicle body builder Centro Manufacturing
Corp., grew up in a manufacturing
environment which nurtured his interest to
put up his own company.
Filipino firm builds
world-class trucks and vans
Having grown up in a manufacturing environment, I knew that
this would become my destiny and passion for life. I believe that
manufacturing is the backbone of an industrializing industry, Juan
tells Manila Standard.
He says manufacturing is the foundation of any strong and sustainable
industrial and economic growth. He strongly believes in Filipino talent
and technical skills.
Our engineers, technicians and workers are world-class and I
wanted to put up a company that would give our OFWs a viable reason
to stay in the country, he says.
Juan obtained a BS Marketing degree from De La Salle University
and a Masters degree in Entrepreneurship from the Asian Institute
of Management. By the time he established Centro, he was the
vice president for production operations of MD Juan Enterprises, a
manufacturer and exporter of replacement Jeep bodies and parts.
He put up Centro in 1996 in a small leased warehouse in Novaliches,
Quezon City.
We prepared for Centro by doing a feasibility study on the industry,
complete with a business environmental scan and competitive analysis.
We then formulated a business entry strategy, he says, adding that Centro
initially employed 10 workers and the initial investment was small.
He says during that time, there were only one or two dominant
players in the industry. The others were either backyard or not very
aggressive players. We felt that there was a lot of opportunity for a
newcomer who can do better what the market leaders were doing and
do other things they were not doing. That planted the seed for Centros
eventual entry into the industry, he says.
Juan says as passenger cars was the biggest segment of the truck
body building industry, Centro initially focused on the passenger van
body with an eye to becoming an O&M supplier for Isuzu.
This happened and Isuzu even helped us set up our plant and
production systems. After that, when we had our systems and people
in place, we went into customized bodies and later on, truck-mounted
equipment, Juan says.
Asian nancial crisis
Juan considers the Asian nancial
crisis in 1996 the biggest challenge that Centro
had to face during its rst years of operations.
In the years we were putting up Centro, the Asian crisis was
under waythis wasnt exactly the best time to start a business.
Car sales were down, interest rates were high, and government
liberalized the importation of used trucks, he says.
He says during those days, for start-up companies like Centro,
cash ow was always a problem.
There were a lot of times when we found it very difcult to
nance not only our operations but our projects as well. Our bank
credit lines were completely depleted. I had to turn to our suppliers
to help tide us over by extending payment terms. To this day, I
cannot overemphasize how our nancial partners remain integral
to the companys growth, he says.
But through hard work and his determination to really make it big
in the industry, Centro started to aim for expansion after a decade.
It took all of 10 years for us to be able to say that Centro
is no longer a struggling company and was ready for expanded
operations. From a small rented warehouse, we then expanded
to a rented one-hectare operation. We then purchased a 5,000-
square-meter plant in Maguyam, Cavite, that within three phases
in three years have grown to a 1.25-hectare operation, Juan says.
He says the Cavite expansion serves the needs of Centro customers
south of Manila. And just recently, Centro purchased a 2.5-hectare
property in Marilao, Bulacan that is currently under construction and
will start operations by the end of the rst quarter of 2013.
Our two existing plants have a combined rated capacity of about
450 units per month. From these two plants and soon, from a third plant
in Marilao, Bulacan, we are and will be fabricating parts and assembling
passenger vans, aluminum composite vans, utility vehicles, patrol
vehicles, palletized trucks, microbuses, ambulances, mobile libraries,
dump trucks, garbage compactors, dropsied bodies and the like. We will
also install truck-mounted equipment there, he says.
Foreign technology
Just like other manufacturers, Juan believes in
the importance of learning and adopting the
latest technology so as not to be left behind by
competitors.
We realized that in order for us to grow
our company, we needed to bring in
truck-mounted equipment and the
corresponding technology to expand
our product line, he says.
He says Centro worked to be the
authorized Philippine distributor and
service center for Cargotec/Hiab
Europes number one brand-----for cranes,
hooklifts, garbage compactors, Zeporo
taillifts, Watson & Chalin (USA) additional
dead axles for added truck capacity, soft
ride suspensions and the like.
He also worked passionately to
further develop Centros manufacturing
capability.
We were lucky enough to be
mentored by Japanese consultants
who helped us set up our production
line, implement programs like 5S, Kaizen,
TQM, lean manufacturing, and the like, he says.
Subsequently, we introduced a lot of world-class pioneering
initiatives in the truck body building industry such as the rst ISO
9001 certication in the industry, the rst higher-level ISO/TS 16949
certication in the industry, the rst after-sales product warranty given
and the rst after-sales service group formed, Juan says.
Currently, Centro is the only ISO/TS 16949-certied truck body
builder in the Philippines.
He says partnerships with foreign companies dont stop there. We
are working on more foreign business alliances, he says.
He says currently, Centro has two set of clients: the Original
Equipment Market that includes the nationwide dealerships of Isuzu,
Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Foton.
Another is the special projects for customized vehicles. This would
include government entities and companies belonging to the top 100
companies in the country.
He says compared to last year, Centros total sales for the rst nine months
of 2012 was better. It is in fact higher by about 27 percent, he says.
There is no peak in sales in terms of months of the year. The peak
would be the month or months when major local companies would decide
to reeet their commercial, delivery and service vehicles, he says.
CSR, roadmap, tourism
Juan says a business will not be complete without giving back to the
community where it is located.
We are very thankful for all the blessings given to us so we thought
of paying for it forward via meaningful CSR programs, he says.
Centro was accredited by Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority as a learning institute for world-class
knowledge in automotive welding, painting and metal working. It has
some 200 graduates who are now either small entrepreneurs themselves
or gainfully employed here and abroad.
Centro also partnered with Haribon Foundation and Hyundai
Asia Resources for an ecology van program to bring environmental
awareness closer to the kids through audio and video materials on
board a mobile truck library.
In all our various initiatives, we put most of our limited resources
in worthwhile investments in capacity buildup, manufacturing facilities
and of course, our number one asset, our people. I am still very much
inspired by the thought that someday, a Filipino company can possibly
compete globally in the truck body building industry. I want the world
to believe in Philippine-made products because my ultimate dream
is for Centro to be a world-class Filipino manufacturing
company, he says.
Aside from CSR, Juan says Centro could also
be of big help especially for the attainment of
the industry roadmap submitted to the
government which aimed for
increased car manufacturing and
e v e n t u a l l y exportation.
It being a well-thought of roadmap, I think it is achievable,
provided of course that the incentives provided for are actually
extended to the industry players. In our capacity, we can help in three
ways: rst by providing the truck bodies that the different industries
would need, whether standard or customized; second by providing
the truck-mounted equipment and accessories the various industries
need to make purchasing easier for them, and third, by ensuring that
we have the plant capacity, manpower, materials and technology to
satisfactorily meet the needs of our customers, Juan says.
He says that as the tourism industry is expected to continue growing, the
transport sector sees a parallel growth and must seize this opportunity.
We agree with this Campi assessment. We have even seen the DOT
report and their plans and indeed, one of their major objectives is to
improve connectivity by providing convenient transport for tourism
application, Juan says.
We can take advantage of this by developing a product that would
cater to the needs of tourists in terms of convenient passenger and
cargo space, he says.
Good management team
Juan says when Centro was just starting, he saw to it that he was
there in every aspect of the business.
I was the hands-on type. But now that it has grown, I have hired
very good managers to whom I delegate most of the tasks, he says.
I manage by objectives. At the beginning of the year, I give corporate
directives, then the managers set and commit to certain targets, complete
with strategic plans and actions plans for the next 12 months. I then make
sure through Monthly Performance Reviews that these departmental
targets are met by the managers and their staff, he says.
Juan says passion is what fuels Centro to success.
We know what we want, we focus on them and are passionate at
achieving them. We dont give up, and we help each other. We invest
in people [our number one asset], equipment and plants, he says.
He says his philosophy in life also helped him nd success.
Find your passion, focus on it and achieve it. Mine is in
manufacturingin operations, systems and processes. Be prepared to be
in it for the long haul. Things dont just happen overnight. Continuously
strive for excellence. The learning should never stop, he says.
And how he unwinds after a tiring day or week at work?
I am into golf, usually on weekends. It helps me unwind after a
long and hard week at the ofce and at the plant. I also do a little
running and gym workout, he says.
Citations, outlook
Juans perseverance and success did not escape the eyes of award-
giving bodies.
We are proud of the fact that as of today, Centro is the rst and so
far the only ISO/TS 16949-certied truck body builder in the country.
[But] the most cherished ones would be the latest: my being chosen as
a nalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 Awards
and then winning the special award for Business Excellence.
He says ve or 10 years from now, he sees Centro as one of the major
and dominant players not only in the truck body building business but
in the truck-mounted equipment business as well.
By then, we would have about four plants strategically located to be able
to better serve the sales and after-sales needs of our customers nationwide.
They will all have both stamping and assembling capabilities, he says.
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
A5
Sunday
FEATURES
ManilaStandardTODAY
By Marlon Magtira
PHILIPPINE
Transmarine Carriers
Inc. vice chairman and
chief executive Gerardo
Borromeo was elected
as the new president
of InterManager, an
international ship
management trade
association of 91
shipping companies
running about 5,000
vessels and some
250,000 crew members.
Borromeo is the rst Filipino to be
elected unopposed for the top post
and will serve a two-year term. He
succeeded Alastair Evitt, the managing
director of UK-based Meridian Marine
Management.
With this development, InterManager
has joined the ranks of shipping industry
organizations that recognize Asias
growing maritime inuence and have
looked east for leaders.
The decision follows other high-
prole appointments of Asian executives
with Japanese Koji Sekimizu leading the
International Maritime Organization since
January and Masamichi Morooka taking
over as chairman of the International
Chamber of Shipping since May.
Borromeo says in an interview with
Manila Standard he brings the value
of his Asian roots to InterManager. I
am honored to be the rst Filipino to be
appointed InterManager president, given
that Asia now supplies more than half of
the worlds seafarers and nearly half of the
world eet is under Asian control. I will
be able to interact with Asia more closely
but at the same time I will be expected to
retain a global focus, Borromeo says.
He says PTC, one of the largest crew
shipping group
global
president of
Filipino
elected
shipping, but also about pushing the
management capability on board ships,
Borromeo says.
Borromeo says one of his main
priorities will be the development
of young maritime professionals.
InterManager must lay the groundwork
for the future. And a key part of that is
being able to attract people to a career
not just at sea but in shipping. You can
build a ship in a year, but it takes 10 years
to build a cadet into a master. We need
to balance out the cyclicality between
building ships and having capable people
to manage them, Borromeo says.
He says given the economic climate
with about 90 percent of global trade being
undertaken in the shipping industry, it will
be challenging to push the development
of global maritime professionals, as he
prefers to call seafarers.
Borromeo says more than 6,000 new
vessels in the shipping industry will be
moving world trade in the next three years.
This will bring new opportunities for
Filipino global maritime professionals who
are widely known for their service-oriented
traits, loyalty, exibility, uency in English
language and commitment to serve.
Times are difcult. Its all a question
of how we maximize the return on
investment in assets and people. We all
need to think long term and ship managers
must work with owners to allocate
resources properly. InterManager will
continue to engage with all the necessary
stakeholders to ensure the safe operation
of ships, Borromeo says.
Borromeos appointment was
formalized during the associations
annual general meeting where four new
vice presidents were also elected to
focus on specic areas of InterManager
business. They are Albertini of Marn
Management (Monaco), treasurer; Peter
Curtis of Seaspan Ship Management
(Canada), secretariat; Wim Van Noortvijk
of ISSA, membership; and Ian MacLean
of Hill Dickinson, general counsel.
Borromeo has been responsible for
the development and implementation of
the PTC Groups strategic initiatives and
business development activities engaged
in crew management, education and
training; medical diagnostics; chartering
and logistics; agency and freight
forwarding; real estate development; and
international professional placement.
Borromeo also serves as vice chairman
of the International Chamber of Shipping,
member of the board of trustees for the
Filipino Shipowners Association and a
private sector representative on the board
of the Maritime Industry Authority.
Borromeo earned his bachelor and
Masters degrees from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, USA.
management companies in the country,
deploys more than 33,000 seafarers
annually.
Borromeo believes his crewing
experience was another key factor
in his appointment. The human
element is a key driver. We are at an
interesting crossroads between ship
management and crew management.
Ship management is not just about safe
Ronald and Maritess Capellan, who
got married in 2001, put up Capellans
Deli Food Products in Caloocan City
as a leisurely pursuit with just P2,000
in capital in 2008.
At rst we produced sweets like
pulvoron and chocolate products.
We used to supply sweet goods to
Chocolate Lover Inc., Ronald says.
Proceeds from sales of sweets
were used to grow the business
into distribution of wild honey
from Palawan. Thats the way it
progressed, Ronald says.
The husband-and-wife
tandem diversied into honey
distribution soon after a food exhibition
that they attended in 2008 showcased
cultured honey.
We started to place orders for honey
in November 2008, says Ronald. But
our rst supplier cannot sustain the
volume we needed. So we continued
to look for other sources.
Ronald says the Trade Department
helped them source wild honey from
Palawan. The DTI [Department of
Trade and Industry] hooked us with
wild honey gatherers in Palawan. Pure
wild honey was our rst major
product, he says.
The United Tribes of
Palawan, which is also a recipient
of DTI assistance, is the exclusive
source of wild honey for Capellans
Deli. The couple market the products
under the brand Bee Blesssings.
No less than the National Center
of Excellence for Bee Research and
Development of the University of
the Philippines Los Baos in Laguna
recognized the excellent products of
United Tribes of Palawan.
A site trip to the hinterlands of
Palawan convinced the Capellan couple
to pursue wild honey distribution both
as a hobby and a business.
Each with full-time employment
in Makati City, Ronald and Maritess
dedicate their weekends to their plant
site in Caloocan City. One of the
agencies that help the couple promote
their products is the Agriculture
Departments Agribusiness
Development Center.
Bee Blessings, Capellans Deli
honey brand, has been on display
at the ADC export showroom since
2009.
Capellans Deli is also a regular
participant in local food fairs sponsored
by the Agriculture Department, and
Ronald recognizes the unrelenting
support the agency is giving upstart
businesses like Capellans.
Since then, the showroom has been our
major display outlet, giving the company
a substantial marketing mileage. The DA
has encouraged us to participate in major
marketing events in the country. These
enabled us to extensively promote our
product and meet potential big buyers,
Ronald says.
He says it is also the DA-ADC
that helped them improve product
packaging and labeling.
Bee Blessings honey has outgrown its
rst plastic bottle packaging and is now
bottled in glass jars with catchy labels.
I noticed that sales started to pick
up when we shifted from using plastic
to glass jars, Ronald admits. We
use generic bottles to make it cost-
efcient.
The couple takes advantage of two
extrastory2000@gmail.com Sunday
BUSINESS
ManilaStandardTODAY
A6
By Othel V. Campos
A MUTUAL love for sweet indulgence led a couple
to a wild honey distribution venture that panned out
after years of hard work and dedication.
Couple enjoys
sweet indulgence
in honey business
selling points for wild honey: its rarity
and its health benets. A natural food,
wild honey is said to enhance beauty
and youthfulness in as much as it also
promotes a healthy body.
Daily ingestion of wild honey also
increases ones stamina, boosts the
immune system, helps keep tabs on
weight and is said to improve sexual
performance. It is also said to be a
natural aphrodisiac.
Ronald says while various wild honey
products sprouted like mushroom in
supermarkets, loyal customers still
look for the Bee Blessings brand.
He describes Bee Blesssings as wild
honey in its purest formunltered,
unpasteurized and unheated that
renders the product as a richer source
of nutrition compared to pasteurized
honey.
All of its natural enzymes as well as
its wide range of vitamins and minerals
remained intact and are very potent
possessing many health benets. It is
an excellent anti-oxidant, he says.
The company sells an average of 60
bottles of Bee Blessings per month due
to the limited supply of wild honey.
However, the couple plans to expand
into producing honey-based beverages
within the next few months.
There are plans to experiment on
honey wine production and natural
juices with honey as sweetener. These
are still in the development stage but we
are hoping to break into the market with
new products next year, says Ronald.
ELINO Lamberto Pigtain discovered
that he can make world-class wines
from Philippine tropical fruits. That
discovery in 2003 gave birth to a new
industry that is now trying to make it
big in the export market.
I started my business out of passion
because there is no real data to back up
tropical fruit wine business. It took me
three years to perfect the research before
I started commercial production,
says Pigtain, who established his own
winery in San Mateo, Rizal.
Aside from the long research
involved, Pigtain says he had to
deal with nancing issues before
capturing the interest of a niche
market. The challenge was funding
basically because making wine is not
an overnight thing. It takes time, or
about six months at the least before
you can sell, he says.
Pigtain says he was attracted to the
wine-making business because of
the art of it. This passion, coupled
with his business acumen, gave birth
to Tropical Fruit Winery Corp. His
cooking skills and talent for product development
also contributed to the business.
Im a good cook and I can easily architect a
good product, he says. Ive always dreamed to
be a businessman and set up a business with social
and environmental relevance and something that
will enrich lives of the people.
Pigtain, now the owner and chief executive of
Tropical Fruit Winery, produces wines in different
fruit avors. I have ve avors: mango, bignay
(currant fruit), duhat (plum), guyabano (soursop)
and passion fruit, but I did studies for other fruits
as well, he says.
These tropical fruit wines are said to be healthy and
good for the body. Tropical Fruit Winery produces
wines under the now famous Mijiah and Piel brands,
which are sold in local supermarkets as well as
international outlets. Pigtain established Oriental
Synergies Export Corp. to sell the products abroad.
With the help of the Science Department, Pigtain
developed his tropical fruit wines into world-class
products patronized even by Hollywood celebrities.
One of his bestsellers is the sparkling bignay wine, a
full-bodied red wine with 12-percent alcohol content.
It is said that actor George Clooney gave Tom
Cruise bottles of Mijiah fruit wines as a gift during
the latters wedding to Katie Holmes.
Tropical Fruit Winery, which employs a regular
staff of six, also provides livelihood opportunities
to farmers who cultivate native fruit trees. We
source our fruits from different areas. Weve set up
buying stations and some of our suppliers are our
cultural minorities, says Pigtain. He loves going
to Tanay, Rizal where he and his son bathe in the
river and mingle with the Dumagat tribe.
Pigtain says Mijiah wines are made from organic
fruits that are cultivated without the use of chemical
fertilizers or pesticides.
Despite his initial success, he admits that it
remains a challenge to compete with imported
wines and change the perception of people who
still prefer traditional wines made from grapes.
It is a challenge as we are competing with
imported wines and it is really difcult to break old
traditions, he says.
Pigtain says his goal is to penetrate the mainstream
wine market. We have the best fruits and slowly
fruit wines are gaining grounds in the international
market, he says. Mijiah wines are sold in Macau,
Italy and the US.
Mijiah Tropical Fruit Wines became a global
sensation, when Pigtain received international
awards that were later posted on the Internet. The
export market found me through the international
awards that I received. I was posted in the Internet
and that is how they found me. The Internet is a
very powerful tool, he says.
Mijiah Duhat Wine was rewarded with a 76.7-
percent rating, a fairly good rating for a new
product, during the 11th Concors Mondial de
Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium in 2004. Mijiah
Mango Wine was served during the Gucci fashion
show in Florence, Italy in the same year.
In 2005, the Trade Department chose Mijiah
Duhat Wine as the
Philippine entry in the
Asia-Pacic Economic
Cooperation traditional
wine and liquor contest in
Jeju, Korea. The product
won the second place in
the special wine category.
Mijiah Tropical Fruit
Wines also served as the
Philippines ofcial entry
in the National Food Week
or World Foods contest in
Utrecht, the Netherlands. It
was chosen as one of the 15
best products of the world.
Pigtain also won awards
from international shows
such as the AICHI Expo in
Japan and the Asean Food
and Exchange Exhibit.
Pigtain, who is the
chairman of the wine
cluster group that promotes
Philippine tropical fruit
wines, is optimistic about
the future of the young
industry. I see it growing
huge. We are working to
go mainstream, he says.
He says agriculture
offers great opportunities for the country, but
the government and the people must learn how
to tap its potential to the fullest. We need to
unite and harness the potential of agriculture to
develop more export products. We need to create
agriculture-based industries for industrial and retail
requirements, he says.
True to his marketing strategy, his advice for
the Filipino consumers is to drink wine and live
longer.
Tropical Fruit Winery is participating in the
International Food Exhibition at SMX Convention
Center in Pasay City on May 16 to 19, 2013. IFEX,
the countrys biggest export-oriented food event,
recognizes the immense potential of the Philippine
food industry to sell locally and make it big
internationally. For more information visit www.
ifexphilippines.com. RTD
Entrepreneur makes world-class wines from PH tropical fruits
By Malcolm Ritter
NEW YORKTo millions of people,
the Christmas tree is a cheerful sight.
To scientists who decipher the DNA
codes of plants and animals, its a
monster.
Were talking about the conifer, the
term for cone-bearing trees like the
spruce, r, pine, cypress and cedar.
Apart from their holiday popularity, they
play big roles in the lumber industry and
in healthy forest ecosystems.
Scientists would love to identify the
billions of building blocks that make
up the DNA of a conifer. Thats called
sequencing its genome. Such analysis is
a standard tool of biology, and doing it
for conifers could reveal genetic secrets
useful for basic science, breeding and
forest management.
But the conifer genome is dauntingly
huge.
In recent months, however, scientic
teams in the United States and Canada
have released preliminary, patchy de-
scriptions of conifer genomes. A Swed-
ish team plans to follow suit soon in its
quest for the Norway spruce.
The world changed for conifer genet-
ics, said David Neale of the University
of California, Davis. Its entering the
modern era.
What happened? Credit the same
technological advances that have some
doctors predicting that someday, peo-
ple will have their genomes sequenced
routinely as part of medical care. The
technology for that has gotten faster and
much cheaper.
Until just a few years ago, the idea
of sequencing even a single conifer ge-
nome seemed impossible, said John
MacKay of the University of Laval in
Quebec City, who co-directs a multi-in-
stitution Canadian project thats tackling
the white spruce.
How big is a conifer genome? Con-
sider the towering Christmas tree at
Rockefeller Center in New York City.
Its a Norway spruce, so its genome is
six times bigger than that of anybody
skating below it. Other conifer genomes
are even larger.
Nobody expects a perfect, nished
conifer genome anytime soon. MacKay
and others say that reaching that goal
would probably require further advances
in technology. But even partial versions
can help tree breeders and basic scien-
tists, researchers say.
For breeders, genomes can really
help you speed up the process and sim-
ply do a better job of selecting trees, if
you understand the genetic architecture
of the traits you want to breed for,
MacKay said.
The prospect of climate change brings
another dimension. As forest managers
select trees to plant after a re or tree
harvesting, genetic information might
help them pick varieties that can adapt
to climate trends in coming decades,
Neale said.
Its all about giving them a tree that
will be healthy into the future, he said.
To sequence a genome, scientists start
by chopping DNA into small bits and let
their machines sequence each bit. Thats
the part that has become much faster and
cheaper in recent years. But then comes
the task of re-assembling these bits back
into the long DNA chains found in trees.
And that is a huge challenge with coni-
fers, because their DNA chains contain
many repeated sequences that make the
assembly a lot harder.
As a result, conifers present these
large regions I think we will never be
able to piece together with current tech-
nologies, said Par Ingvarsson of Umea
University in Sweden, who is leading
the Norway spruce project.
Will scientists develop new technolo-
gies to overcome that problem?
You should never say never in this
game, Ingvarsson said.
This year, Neales group presented
partial results for the genome sequence
of loblolly pine, based on DNA extract-
ed from a single pine nut. It includes
about a million disconnected chunks of
DNA, and altogether it covers well over
half the trees genome.
Neale gures it will take his team until
2016 to complete genomes of the loblol-
ly, Douglas r and sugar pine. The proj-
ect is nanced by the US Department of
Agriculture.
Mackays group recently released its
early results on DNA taken from a single
white spruce.
As for the Swedish project on Norway
spruce, Ingvarsson said its results will be
made public early next year. The 2 mil-
lion DNA pieces have captured most of
the estimated 35,000 to 40,000 genes in
the tree, even if researchers dont know
just where those genes go in the overall
genome sequence, he said.
People have about 23,000 genes,
not much different from a conifer. The
trees genome is so much bigger be-
cause it also contains an abundance of
non-gene DNA with no obvious func-
tion, Ingvarsson said.
He said his chief reason for tackling
conifer genomes was to ll a conspic-
uous vacancy in the list of sequenced
plants.
It was like the one missing piece, he
said. We just need this nal piece to say
something about how all the plant king-
dom has evolved over the last billion
years or so. AP
In a better place
EDITORIAL
No surprises
The DNA of the Christmas tree
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Kamahalan Publishing Corporation at 3rd
Floor Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de
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Manila
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TODAY
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OPINION ADELLE CHUA
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A7
Sunday
OPINION
ManilaStandardTODAY
THERE were no surprises unrav-
eled last Wednesday when the
House of Representatives nally
scheduled voting on the reproduc-
tive health bill. Everything that
came to pass was as expected which
validated what I have been saying
in this space for many months now
there was not much point in con-
tinuing the deliberations because
everyone had already made up his
or her mind a long time ago.
No one changed his or her mind
or delivered a stun-
ning surprise that
made for a com-
pelling vigil of the
nominal voting.
Of course a hand-
ful of legislators
tried to wiggle out
by saying that their
concerns and res-
ervations about the
bill had already
been addressed by the amendments
that have been allowed, thus their
vote for its passage. But everyone
knows the RH bill was never about
the small things. It has always been
about the rights of women, the rights
of Filipino families, and the rights of
children. It has always been about
health, education, information, and
ultimately, better life and living con-
ditions. It was about life and lib-
erty. Everything else was static and
smoke and mirrors.
The Catholic organizations pret-
ty much summed this up in their
full-page ads a couple of weeks
ago when they said that no amend-
ment or revision would change
their minds because what they
were objecting to was the very es-
sence of the bill.
As expected, the bishopsor at
least those who have been known to
threaten re-and-brimstone against
anyone who would support the bill
marched to Congress and made their
presence felt at the session hall while
legislators took to the microphone
to explain their votes. The presence
of the bishops at the gallery cast an
ominous spell in the air. It was like
being in grade school all over again
when authoritarian school adminis-
trators perched on their high chairs
over the student body. The bishops
have never been coy about threaten-
ing legislators that they would cam-
paign against anyone who would
vote for the bill in the coming elec-
tions and they reiterated this warning
last Wednesday nightquietly but
clearly. The same warning has been
repeated by many others; I expect to
see many red faces in June after the
elections when their predictions do
not come to pass.
The governments presence
was less palpable in the sense
that we did not see Liberal
Party stalwarts Local Govern-
ments Secretary Mar Roxas and
Budget Secretary Butch Abad in
the session hall. But if media
reports were to be believed, the
two powerful cabinet secretar-
ies (Roxas was the Presidents
running mate while Abad holds
the purse and dispenses the leg-
islators pork barrel) were in the
fringes of the session hall moni-
toring the voting proceedings.
I think the bishops presence at
Congress was not a good sign,
but neither was the presence of
the Presidents emissaries.
As expected, it was a close call.
And it looks like it will even be a
closer call on Monday when the
bill goes up on third and nal read-
ing. Supporters of
the bill are praying
for the successful
passage of the bill
in its last stages of
approval even as
those in the know
insist that it is a
foregone conclu-
sionotherwise,
the senators over
at the Reclama-
tion Area would have given up the
heated debate and everyone would
have already stopped talking about
bicameral proceedings.
Just as expected, the bishops
have refused to throw in the towel
and have repeatedly stressed that
its not over yet. They have vowed
to ght to the very endperhaps
even make a last ditch effort to stop
the President from signing the bill
into law when the time comes. No
one is surprised at this gambit.
I wasnt surprised that Congress
was able to conduct itself in a very
sober, professional, and dignied
way last Wednesday. While it is
true that there really are people in
Congress that have no business be-
ing there (and some are not even
there at all most of the time), some
of the best minds in this country
can still be found along the halls of
that chamber. I concede that some
of the gibberish produced last
Wednesday was incomprehensible,
but then again, the essence of de-
mocracy is respect for diversity of
opinions.
Still, credit must be given to
the House leadership (particu-
larly Deputy Speaker Erin Tanada
who cut a solitary picture of grim
determination and earnestness at
the podium), for not allowing the
proceedings to degenerate into a
brawl. Weve watched too many
television footages of legislators
in other countries slugging it out
physically.
Congress should just have cut to
the chase and spared everyone the
agony of the last two years watch-
ing legislators in their worst form.
Hopefully our senators will take
heed and do the samejust get ev-
eryone to vote on it. Its time to put
a closure to the issue. Its time to
focus on the many other things that
deserve our attention.
BONG C.
AUSTERO
ARE WE THERE YET?
THERE is widespread belief that
the Maya civilization, which
thrived in what is now known as
central America, predicted that
the world would end on Decem-
ber 21, 2012, a mere ve days
from now.
Numerous experts have said this
is an exaggeration, or at least a mis-
taken interpretation. Nonetheless,
the date has stuck perhaps because
a doomsday scenario makes for in-
teresting conversationand some
revenue for Hollywood, besides.
Even popular culture has capi-
talized on 12/21. A feature on the
National Geographic Channel,
for instance, enumerates 10 ways
the world could end. The options
range from a one-in-ten-million
chance of a collapsing star expos-
ing humankind to deadly rays,
an asteroid of a comet hitting the
earths surface, a super-volcano
erupting, technologically superior
hostile aliens taking over or a pan-
demic wiping out global citizens
by the billions.
Other scenarios, because they are
to some degree already upon us, are
more troubling. Think for example
about the effects of climate change,
the frequency and intensity of re-
cent earthquakes, and the threats of
a nuclear showdown between and
among states.
The end comes in packets, too.
For instance, for the victims of
typhoon Pablo that ravaged the
southern Philippines two weeks
ago, the loss of their loved ones and
the destruction of their homes and
livelihood make for a fate worse
than death.
For the farmers, shermen and
indigenous peoples of Casiguran,
Aurora threatened with the estab-
lishment of an economic zone on
the land they believed was their
own, the end might come in the
form of an overhaul of their way
of life without their free, prior in-
formed consent.
For the parents of those Con-
necticut school children killed by a
deranged gunman, death comes as
they grieve for those young lives,
snuffed out senselessly and de-
prived of a future.
For victims of crimes and oth-
er forms of injustice that have
not been resolved, death comes
every night as they go to sleep
with no progress whatsoever in
their fight.
Notwithstanding the hype and
drama surrounding doomsday sce-
narios, we do not need cataclys-
mic events to jolt us into reecting
upon how we live. Everyday ex-
periences, rsthand and vicarious,
should remind us that everything is
eeting, that we should do some-
thing and amount to something in
our limited time on earth. Never
mind what happened before it, or
what would come afterif any-
thing would.
Next week, on Dec. 22, we
should all aim to be in a better
place. Physically we may remain
right where we are. In our minds,
though, we should hope to be freer,
more sober, more purposeful.
The RH bill
has never been
about the small
things.
Sunday
ManilaStandardTODAY
Foreign
A8
IN BRIEF
JOHANNESBURGAnti-apartheid
icon Nelson Mandela remains hospi-
talized for an eighth day for a lung
infection.
The 94-year-old political leader was
admitted to a hospital near South Af-
ricas capital, Pretoria, on Dec. 8 for
tests. Government ofcials later said
Mandela was suffering from a recur-
rent lung infection, an afiction he
had in 2011 as well.
Government ofcials have offered
contradictory information about where
Mandela is in recent days. On Saturday,
the South African National Editors Fo-
rum issued a statement criticizing the
government for offering misleading
statements about the former presidents
whereabouts.
Mandela is revered for being a leader
of the struggle against racist white rule
in South Africa. He served one ve-year
term as president before retiring from
public life. AP
Mandela hospitalization
stretches into eighth day
NEW YORKThe piano used for
the song As Times Goes By in the
classic 1942 lm Casablanca has
fetched more than $600,000 at auction.
The 58-key upright was sold to an
unidentied buyer for $602,500 at So-
thebys New York on Friday.
Its pre-sale estimate was up to $1.2
million.
It was offered by a Japanese collector
on the lms 70th anniversary.
The collector purchased the movie
prop at a Sothebys auction in 1988 for
$154,000.
Humphrey Bogart played Rick Blaine
in the Oscar-winning World War II love
story, opposite Ingrid Bergmans charac-
ter, Ilsa Lund.
In a famous ashback scene, Rick and
Ilsa lean on the piano at a Paris bistro. Sam,
played by Dooley Wilson, plays and sings.
They toast as Rick says: Heres look-
ing at you, kid. AP
Casablanca piano sells in
NY for more than $600K
NEW YORKA rare archive of let-
ters and drawings by Peanuts creator
Charles Schulz did not nd a buyer at a
New York City auction.
Sothebys had estimated that the let-
ters would sell for $250,000 to $350,000
at Fridays sale.
The cartoonist wrote the affectionate
letters to a young woman in 1970-1971.
The 44 letters included 22 original
drawings of some of the comic strips
characters, including Charlie Brown,
Snoopy and Lucy.
Sothebys called it the most signi-
cant collection of correspondence and
drawings by Schulz to come to auction.
Schulz died in 2000 at age 77. AP
No bidder found for letters
by Peanuts creator
(Top photo) President Barack Obama holds back
tears as he speaks about the school shooting in
Newtown, Conn. on Friday in the brieng room of
the White House in Washington. At right, a man
hugs his young daughters as they attend a vigil
at Saint Rose of Lima church at Saint Rose of Lima
church, while bottom photo shows Chris Goman
of Bethesda Mid., as he holds his son Leo, 2, on
his shoulders and wife Fabiola Cordova during a
candlelight vigil in front of the White House. AP
The killings of 20 children and
seven adults, Obama said, created
an imperative to stem gun violence.
As a country, we have been
through this too many times, he
said at the White House, pausing
several times during his remarks to
collect himself as tears welled in his
eyes. And were going to have to
come together and take meaningful
action to prevent more tragedies like
this regardless of the politics.
Gun-control advocates im-
mediately challenged Obama to
match his words with legislation.
After a gunman killed 12 people
and wounded 58 others at an Au-
rora, Colorado, movie theater in
July the president vowed to seek
a national consensus on reducing
gun violence. Yet in an election
year, no proposals were made.
Calling for meaningful action
is not enough, New York Mayor
Michael Bloomberg, co-chairman
of Mayors Against Illegal Guns,
said in a statement yesterday. We
need immediate action. We have
heard all the rhetoric before.
There were at least seven mass
murders in the USkillings of at
least fourthat claimed at least
Stronger gun-control pushed
65 lives this year.
Democratic Representative
Carolyn McCarthy, whose hus-
band Dennis was among six Long
Island Railroad commuters killed
by a gunman in 1993, said in a
statement that these shootings are
becoming all too common.
McCarthy said she hoped
Obamas promise to take mean-
ingful action will stay true as we
continue down this road again.
Republicans, many of whom
rely on backing from the National
Rie Association, shied away from
talking about rearms regulation.
We need to nd out what hap-
pened and what drove this indi-
vidual to this place, Representa-
tive Cathy McMorris Rodgers,
the fourth-ranking House Repub-
lican, said yesterday in an inter-
view scheduled to air Dec. 16 on
CSPANs Newsmakers pro-
gram. We need to look at what
drives a crazy person to do these
kinds of actions and make sure
that we are enforcing the laws
that are currently on the books.
Freed from the burden of run-
ning for re-election, Obama no
longer has to worry about woo-
ing pro-gun voters in competitive
states or the political dollars of the
powerful gun lobby. Still, chal-
lenging the rights of U.S. gun own-
ers remains a difcult ght.
In the short term, we wont see
any new gun-control legislation,
said Robert Spitzer, an author of four
books on the subject, including The
Politics of Gun Control. Congress
is busy dealing with budget matters
and just not in a good position to
jump into an issue that they havent
addressed,he said.
After yesterdays shootings,
the president stepped into the
role of comforter-in-chief. As
the images from Sandy Hook
Elementary School in Newtown
were broadcast, Obama empa-
thized as a father of two girls.
Theres not a parent in Amer-
ica who doesnt feel the same
overwhelming grief that I do,
Obama said. Whether its an el-
ementary school in Newtown or
a shopping mall in Oregon or a
temple in Wisconsin or a movie
theater in Aurora or a street cor-
ner in Chicago, these neighbor-
hoods are our neighborhoods and
these children are our children.
Leaders of both parties yes-
terday put aside a contentious
debate over taxes and spending,
and the president canceled an
appearance next week in Maine
to push for a budget deal. House
Speaker John Boehner of Ohio
canceled the Republican weekly
address scheduled for today.
Obama ordered U.S. ags own
at half-staff at all federal build-
ings and U.S. facilities overseas.
The horror of this day seems
so unbearable, but we will lock
arms and unit as citizens, for that
is how Americans rise above un-
speakable evil, Boehner said in
a statement.
Since the 1994 assault-weapon
ban expired in 2004, Congress
hasnt enacted any major rearms
regulations other than a law aimed
at improving state reporting for
federal background checks.
The lack of new gun laws re-
ects the NRAs inuence, said
Sanford Levinson, a constitu-
tional law professor at University
of Texas in Austin.
The NRA has sufcient con-
trol over the Republican Party
and the Democratic Party is, for
good reason, scared stiff to go
out on a limb on this issue, Lev-
inson said. There is absolutely
no chance whatsoever of biparti-
san gun control legislation.
The gun lobbys political power
was illustrated during the 2012
presidential campaign when, after
mass shootings, neither Obama
nor his Republican opponent Mitt
Romney called for restrictions on
gun ownership. Bloomberg
BANGKOKImages of a tear-
ful President Barack Obama
speaking after a shooting ram-
page in Connecticut resonated
around the world, with many
outside the United States ex-
pressing hope Saturday that
Americas latest school massa-
cre would prompt the country to
strengthen gun control.
Shock and sympathy were the
initial reactions to the rampage
that left 28 people dead, includ-
ing 20 children at an elementary
school. Australian Prime Minis-
ter Julia Gillard described the at-
tack as a senseless and incom-
prehensible act of evil.
Like President Obama and
his fellow Americans, our
hearts too are broken, Gillard
said in a statement, referring to
the U.S. leaders emotional ex-
pression of condolence.
The gunman killed his mother
at their home before opening
re Friday inside the school in
Newtown, Connecticut, where
he killed 26 people, including 20
children, police said. The killer,
identied as 20-year-old Adam
Lanza, then committed suicide.
Australia confronted a similar
tragedy in 1996, when a man went
on a shooting spree in the south-
ern state of Tasmania, killing 35
people. The mass killing sparked
outrage across the country and led
the government to impose strict
new gun laws, including a ban on
semi-automatic ries.
Initial ofcial reaction at the
national level did not touch on
perceptions of the United States
as a violent society, or its gener-
ally lax gun laws. On social me-
dia sites such as Twitter and in
mainstream media outlets, how-
ever, there were plenty of com-
ments about the causes of such
incidents.
The attack quickly dominat-
ed public discussion in China,
rocketing to the top of topic lists
on social media and becoming
the top story on state televisions
main noon newscast.
China has seen several rampage
attacks at schools in recent years,
though the attackers there usually
use knives. The most recent attack
happened Friday, when a knife-
wielding man injured 22 children
and one adult outside a primary
school in central China.
Much of the discussion after the
Connecticut rampage centered on
the easy access to guns in Amer-
ica, unlike in China, where even
knives are sometimes banned
from sale. But with more than
100,000 Chinese studying in U.S.
schools, a sense of shared grief
came through. AP
VIENNAA senior U.N. ofcial an-
nounced progress Friday in long-stalled
efforts to resume a probe of suspicions
that Iran may have worked to develop
nuclear arms, saying the investigation
could be restarted by early next year.
Herman Nackaerts of the International
Atomic Energy Agency spoke of head-
way after returning from talks with Ira-
nian ofcials in Tehran, saying his team
was able to make progress and the
IAEA expects to start implementing
an agreement on the probe shortly after
new talks in Tehran on Jan. 16
He acknowledged that a key IAEA
requesta visit to a site linked to sus-
pected nuclear weapons research was
again denied. But he told reporters at
Vienna airport that he expected IAEA
experts to be allowed to go to Parchin,
a military base southeast of Tehran, and
follow up on suspicions it might have
been used as part of secret arms-related
experiments once the probe is resumed.
In Tehran, Irans state TV also report-
ed that there was no agreement on vis-
iting Parchin. But in comments to state
TV, Iranian envoy Ali Asghar Soltanieh
called the talks constructive, adding
that good progress was made. He also
said a new meeting was set for Jan. 16.
While Nackaerts comments gave
cause for some optimism, they were not
the rst instance of a senior IAEA of-
cial saying that the standoff was close to
resolution.
Returning from Tehran talks more
than ve months ago, IAEA chief Yukiya
Amano said the two sides had agreed on
an almost clean text, saying a break-
through deal would be signed soon.
Follow-up IAEA-Iran meetings did not
yield signicant results.
Iran says it does not want atomic arms
and has justied a nearly yearlong delay
in cooperating with the IAEAs probe by
saying that a framework regulating such
an investigation must be agreed on rst.
But as talks on such an agreement have
dragged on, agency ofcials have com-
plained that they may be nothing more
than a delaying tactic.
They are particularly concerned that
such delays can hurt their efforts to investi-
gate Parchin. The IAEA suspects that Iran
has conducted live tests of conventional
explosives there that could be used to det-
onate a nuclear charge and cited satellite
photos indicating a cleanup of the site, at
the sprawling military base.
Iran denies it is sanitizing the site, but
Amano has warned that his agencys
chances of a meaningful investigation
there are diminishing.
Nackaerts offered no details on the sub-
stance of his talks. But diplomats familiar
with the negotiations have said previously
that the agreement was stalled because the
IAEA wanted repeated access to sites, of-
cials or documents of interest. Instead, Te-
hran demanded that once such access was
granted, the person, document or site be
off limits to the IAEA for repeated visits,
questioning of viewing.
Amanos announcement of a nearly
done deal in May came just days before
the two sides met in Baghdad for a new
round of negotiations meant to defuse
tensions over Irans nuclear program
before leaving the negotiating table with
little progress made.
This time, Nackaerts also spoke of move-
ment on the probe as Iran and six world
powers again prepare to meet, although
they still have not said where and when.
The six nations hope the talks will result
in an agreement by the Islamic Republic
to stop enriching uranium to a higher level
that could be turned relatively quickly into
the ssile core of nuclear arms. AP
PRESIDENT Barack Obamas emo-
tional call for meaningful action after
yesterdays shooting at a Connecticut
elementary school may signal hes pre-
pared to push for stronger gun-control
laws, a politically fraught issue he shied
away from during his rst term.
World
reacts
with shock,
sympathy
UN body resumes probe of Irans nuclear program
CONNECTICUT SHOOTING AFTERMATH
Herman Nackaerts, Deputy Director
General and Head of the Department of
Safeguards of the International Atomic
Energy Agency, talks to media after his
arrival from Iran at Viennas Schwechat
airport, Austria, on Friday. Nackaerts
heads a team which investigates Irans
alleged nuclear program. AP
Sunday
SUNDAY DECEMBER 16, 2012
B1
SO PHIES
In a world where every other
person is a blogger, Sophie is the
real thing. She has been blogging
since 2006 via Beautynomics.
com after the realization that since
her family members and friends
would always ask her for skin care
and makeup advice, perhaps other
women could also learn some-
thing from her.
"I thought, if there were people
around me who had so much ques-
tions, then for sure, there would
be people outside my circle who
would have so much questions
and help about that topic, also. So
I started a blog and started giving
advice there, recommendations,
product reviews, and there are
also chronicles of my skin care ad-
ventures on how I battled acne and
having really oily skin," shares the
29-year-old Sophie, who gradu-
ated from De La Salle University
with a degree in BS Applied Eco-
nomics.
When her sister Sarabeth was
a junior in high school, Sophie
embarked on a "beauty project" to
make it unforgettable (she also did
this for another sister, Suzanne).
Preparations included making
sure that Sarabeth's skin and hair
were in "good condition" for the
big day. Of course, Sophie did her
baby sister's makeup for the occa-
sion. She even bought Sarabeth's
shoes in Singapore. The result was
simply stunning.
Even in the "beauty circuit,"
which includes beauty editors and
brand managers, Sophie is consid-
ered an authority. She was one of
the rst Filipino bloggers to be ac-
knowledged by MAC.
Keen business sense
But Sophie isn't just about beau-
ty blogging. She is also known
to be good in business and is, in
fact, the woman behind the very
successful beautyandminerals.
com, which offers, among others,
makeup products and Sophie's
own Charm brushes.
She is probably the one of the
rst beauty bloggers to have par-
layed her online popularity to a
legitimate business enterprise (an-
other one is Sophie's good friend
Sol Villamayor, who is the wom-
an behind Digital Traincase).
Oh, aside from these, Sophie
has a day job. She helps her father
run the family's printing business.
As an online personality, Sophie
believes that one of her biggest
achievements is inspiring others
in so many ways.
By Dinna Chan Vasquez
SOPHIE UY is the girl any mother hopes her son would
bring home and introduce to her as the one for him. Shes
attractive, bubbly, charming, intelligent and family-oriented
(shes one of seven siblings). More than that, what mother
wouldnt want a daughter in law who understands beauty
more than the average woman?
C H O I C E
"When I think of what my
biggest achievements are, it
must be inspiring peo-
ple to feel good about
themselves and not be
ashamed for wanting
to look good or tak-
ing extra steps to look
good."
New project
These days, Sophie
is busy with her new
project, which is called
S a mp l e r o o m. p h ,
which aims to build
an online beauty base
where you can sample the
best products, post reviews,
and read the thoughts of
other beauty acionados. If
you are familiar with Makeup
Alley, Sampleroom.ph is simi-
lar to that.
On the first day that the Web
site opened, it crashed due to
the number of women (1,500
trying to register at the same
time. Sophie's partners in this
endeavor are her friends Di-
ana Ong, Katherine Sy and
Nathalie de Jesus.
"It took us a year to nish Sample
Room as we had endless dinners
and coffee meetings to dene 'the
perfect beauty Web site,'" she says.
We wanted Sample Room
to be a win-win situation for
brands and consumers. For
brands, in the sense that their
products will have an avenue
wherein they are reviewed in a
local setting, keeping reviews
consistent with our climate, and
the Filipina skin, and for con-
sumers, in getting to try before
they buy, so as not to risk their
cash in something that they are
unsure of if the product would
work or not. Sample Room was
a joint effort from the four of us.
I understand social media, on-
line marketing campaigns, and
am a forum lurker, Katherine
would be really strict, imposing
deadlines, and is a sales Won-
derwoman; Diana would be re-
ally creative, thinking out of the
box and having a vision; and
Nathalie would have that Mar-
tha Stewart touchjust look at
how our Web site turned out!,"
adds Sophie.
Bucket list
Although she seems to be the
girl who has everything, Sophie
is looking at the future with plans
and even more lofty goals.
She wants her own brand of
cosmetics and skin care (to import
or, even better, come up with her
own) and a beauty boutique. So-
phie also hopes to expand Charm
Makeup Brushes globally. She
also wishes that Sample Room
would become the go-to Web site
when it comes to anything related
to beauty.
For herself, Sophie would like
to travel around the world. She
names Iceland, Cuba, Turkey,
Bhutan and Nepal as the countries
on her bucket list.
"I love traveling. It refreshes
my soul," she shares.
Here's another thing that would
endear Sophie to her future moth-
er-in-law: she recently launched
a limited-edition set of travel br-
ishes called "Sonia" to honor her
own mom who was very support-
ive of all her business endeavors.
The Charm Travel Pro SONIA
Makeup Brushes come in super
luxe golden ferrules and black
handles and are encased in an ani-
mal print container.
ManilaStandardTODAY
ARTS & LIFE
She says traveling refreshes her soul
The Sample Room partners: Sophie, Diana Ong, Katherine Sy and
Nathalie de Jesus
She pets a koala at Maru Park in Melbourne
The Sample Room Web site
Sophie Uy at a ranch in Melbourne
ARTS & LIFE
ManilaStandardTODAY
ARTS & LIFE
ManilaStandardTODAY
SUNDAY
B2
Thank God for experts who have
made it their lifes work to help in stu-
dents with special needs to become self-
sufficient.
A Childs DREAM Foundation, Ba-
guio Citys first pediatric therapy center
for children with special needs, was born
out of the vision of Dr. Francis Xavier
Dimalanta, a developmental and behav-
ioral pediatrician. In this case, DREAM
stands for Developmental Rehabilitative
Early Assessment and Management.
We offer free medical and physical
therapy, occupational therapy, speech and
language, special education assessments
and home programs, says education spe-
cialist Anne Marie Dimalanta.
Our mission is to empower each child
with early intervention and dedicated ho-
listic care to live a productive life, ex-
plains executive director Mita Angela Di-
malanta.
Francis, Anne Marie and Mitas
brother and the centers founder, is a
man who with a heart of gold. He also
wears many hats and is an active con-
sultant of the Institute of Pediatrics
& Child Health at St. Lukes Medical
Center Global City; Section Chief,
Developmental & Behavioral Pediat-
rics, Executive Secretary,Consultant,
Weight Management Center. Francis
was was head for External Affairs &
Human Development of St. Lukes
Medical Centers Pediatrics Depart-
ment and Program Director of Total
Family Care, a St. Lukes Medical Cen-
ter commitment to empower families to
lead healthy and happy lives through a
holistic educational approach that cov-
ers pregnancy, parenting, and preven-
tive care for the entire development
spectrum of the childfrom newborn,
toddler, pre-school, school age, to ad-
olescence.
Francis is a fellow of both the Phil-
ippine Pediatric Society and the Phil-
ippine Society for Developmental and
DECEMBER 16, 2012
Sunday
The
came
true
that
DREAM
By Dinna Chan Vasquez
I
n a perfect world, every child will have the opportunity to go
to a school that will allow him or her to reach his or her full
potential. But sadly, and I know this from experience, that is
not the case. If you are a child with special needs, the simple
task of nding a school for you to attend can be daunting for your
family. Some schools will not even consider an interview with
a child with special needs, even if the student is already in the
mainstream educational system in another country.
Behavioral Pediatrics. A medical gradu-
ate of the UERMMMC, Pediatrics Resi-
dency at St. Lukes Medical Center, he
took his Fellowship Training at the Uni-
versity of the Philippines Philippine
General Hospital. His international train-
ing in Developmental Pediatrics covers
programs at Harvard Medical School
(Childrens Hospital Boston), Cornell
University and Yeshiva University, with
short stints at Yale, Johns Hopkins and
Brown Universities.
In his pursuit and vision of reaching out
to more children with special needs, Fran-
cis is also the medical director and mem-
ber of the Board of Trustees of the Philip-
pine Cerebral Palsy Inc., Stepping Stone
Learning Center, Cerecare Foundation and
a Childs DREAM Foundation.

Family enter pr ise
A Childs DREAM is a fam-
ily enterprise of sorts. Anne
Marie says raising funds is
a bit of a challenge but the
center gets by.
We raise funds mostly from family,
friends and some projects like sale of paint-
ings by special children, organic market, run
for a cause, etc, she shares.
The center, which was founded in 2003,
has 60 patients at the moment with ages
ranging from six months old to 42 years old.
It also employs we have three full time oc-
cupational therapists, a special education
consultant, a physical therapist and two
speech and language pathologists.
Patients come from as far as Cebu and
Romblon. Usually, they come from Pampan-
ga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Nueva
Vizcaya, La Union, Ilocos and the Cordille-
ras - Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga Apayao, Mt.
Province and Abra, says Anne Marie.
There are also patients from other conti-
nents and countries like Japan, Singapore,
Korea, Thailand, Indonesia; Saudi Ara-
bia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New
Zealand; Italy, United Kingdom, France,
Germany, Norway, Poland, Finland, Swit-
zerland; United States of America, Canada
andLibya.
According to Anne Marie, they hope to
eventually have the nancial capability to
build a special education
school and cater to
an older population
as children become
adults. Other goals
of A Childs
DREAM are
to expand
its pro-
fessional
services
to regularly
include al-
ternative therapies, interventions like mu-
sic therapy, art therapy, dance therapy and
sports therapy; become more nancially
fortied; be able to serve the rising popu-
lation of differently abled individuals and
their families; and regularly hold outreach
programs to educate schools, heath centers
and barangays.
At the moment, the family runs the cen-
ter. When the center grows bigger, we do
hope to be able to nd the people who will
continue the legacy of Dr. Francis Dimal-
anta, says Anne Marie.
The Centers playroom
Dr. Francis Dimalanta and the children in the center
Mustaine spreading
some Christmas joy
with Teacher Edwin
Smartphones as gifts
will please recipients
B3 DECEMBER 16, 2012 SUNDAY
Sunday
TECH
ManilaStandardTODAY
MARLON C. MAGTIRA, Section Editor
CHRISTIAN CARDIENTE, Asst. Editor
email: tech@mst.ph
GIFT-GIVING makes the season more
fun and what better way to treat yourself
or loved ones than nally having that
stunning, best performing smartphone.
Whether its for you, your kid brother,
your special someone, or your super mom
theres an array of smartphones out there
to choose from.
Remember, more than the price, it makes sense to take some time and
consider the key features of the device. The key is matching the gadget
with the end user in mind. It would be unnecessary spending a months
paycheck on a trendy and powerful device when the end user would
be equally happy with a probably cheaper, less smart model. Gifting
someone conveys a message, and it would mean they are special if you
are able to communicate that you truly know them; that you give them
something that they need and want, a gadget that ts their lifestyle.
Gift wrap any of these newest smartphones and youll surely re
up their digital desires. Not sure what they like? Let this roster of
smart selections guide you.
Simple navigation for star ter s
Youd probably want your kid to upgrade to a trendier device yet
mindful of the price and doesnt want to overwhelm him or her with
a ton of features to get used to. Chances are, your kid would probably
not need most of them anyway.
Make it easy for your kid to connect and plug into fun. HTC Desire
C is great as a rst smartphone. It runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream
Sandwich) with HTC Sense 4, which makes calling, messaging,
shooting and sharing effortless and seamless. It features Beats Audio
technology for easy access to all his music libraries, favorite audio
apps and Internet radio simultaneously from one convenient location.
With an eye-catching design done in durable metal frame, hyper-
viewing angle display and a 5MP camera, it also packs a powerful
battery and offers access to thousands of apps and gamesavailable
through Google Playso your kid will always be connected and
entertained whether in school, home or on the move.
Another ideal smartphone for beginners and youngsters is the
Sony Xper ia Tipo, an affordable Android Ice Cream Sandwich
handset that features a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 3.2-megapixel cam,
Bluetooth, WiFi, HSPA basically all the basic goodies you nd in
a smartphone.
The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini likewise suits this group.
Samsung S IIIs little brother, the Galaxy S III Mini runs on Android
4.1 Jelly Bean and boasts of a 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED
display, a dual-core 1GHz processor, a 5MP rear camera with auto-
focus and ash, plus NFC capability.
For multitasker s and the creative types
For those who demand more from their phones, the Samsung
Galaxy Note II is certainly up to task. The phablet sports a 5.5-
inch HD super AMOLED display that promises a perfect viewing
experience on-the-go; while maintaining a slim body to t just
right in your hand. Users can do multiple tasks on the same screen
at the same time without screen transitions, and features a stylus for
additional input and control options.
Another smart mobile choice for your multitasking mom, the
HTC Desire V will enable her to easily manage her professional
and personal life and share the moments that shape them. Thats
because HTC Desire V has dual SIM capability thats perfect for
busy users who need to keep track of their work and personal lives
on a single mobile companion. With a brilliant 4-inch WVGA screen
that is easy on the eyes, a neat, smart design and a sure grip nish on
a durable metal frame, this beauty also comes with Beats Audio for
rich authentic sounds.
For adventurer s and outdoor lover s
For your audiophile and photo buff brother, the HTC One X boasts
of clear graphics, remarkable picture quality, and fast applications
thanks to the powerful quad-core processor. With Beats Audio and
long battery life, HTC One X features a polycarbonate unibody that
has the ruggedness of metal but is super lightweight. It comes with
ImageSense Technology, a new suite of camera and imaging features
for better user experience. Take photos in just 0.7 seconds, autofocus
in 0.2 seconds. It can snap multiple images using the continuous
shooting mode, record the action as lm and simultaneously take
hi-res still shots, even in low light, no light or bright backlight. It
also has a 4.7-inch HD screen with 3D glass protected with Corning
Gorilla Glass, and NVIDIA Tegra 3 Mobile Processor.
You might opt for another rugged handset like the newly unveiled
Sony Xper ia V. The water-resistant model features a 13-megapixel
fast capture HD camera with Exmor R for mobile, allowing 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, promising
an excellent viewing experience via its 4.3-inch HD Reality Display
with Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2.
Xperia V also comes with Sonys unique Battery STAMINA Mode,
boosting standby time up to 4 times more. This extended standby
mode works intelligently in the background by temporarily disabling
WiFi, data trafc and apps when the screen is on sleep mode. Calls,
messaging functions and notications will still work. When the screen
is touched again, all functions go back up.
For power user s
More is moreand thats exactly whats perfect for your top executive
dad. Running the HTC Sense 4+ on Android Jelly Bean, the HTC One
X+ takes everything to a new level with increased performance, longer
battery life and expanded internal storage at 64GBthe most offered by
any smartphone today. Featuring a 1.7GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra
3 AP37 processor, HTC One X+ enables lightning-fast web browsing,
uid gaming and graphic rendering, and speedy downloads. Aside from
having Image Sense, it features the newly launched Self-Portrait mode
on the front camera which applies subtle enhancements to skin and eyes.
Sightseeing Mode allows you to take photos even when the phone is
locked as one touch of the power button bypasses the lock screen. Other
new additions are the HTC Get Started, HTC Connect and HTC Media
Link HD that makes everything easier and better than ever before.
The big ones wont be complete without this years darling, the
highly popular Samsung Galaxy S III. With maximized processing
power and seamless performance, the Galaxy S III is truly a joy to
hold and behold. Its minimal and organic design is reected in its
smooth and non-linear lines. Its human-centric nature provides an
ergonomic and comfortable experience with enhanced usability. Its
comfortable grip, gentle curves and platinum organic form deliver a
natural look and feel.
And of course, there is the iPhone 5the thinnest and lightest
iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a new 4-inch Retina
display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for faster performance and
wireless technology designed to deliver better battery life. iPhone 5
comes with iOS 6, dubbed by Apple as the worlds most advanced
mobile operating system with over 200 new features including
Shared Photo Streams, Facebook integration, all-new Maps app and
Passbook organization. tech.mst.ph

Republic of the Philippines
Department of Public Works and Highways
Caraga, Region XIII
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER
Agusan del Norte Engineering District
Butuan City
INVITATION TO BID
The DPWH DISTRICT ENGINEERING OFFICE, J. Rosales Avenue, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte,
through its Bids and Awards Committe (BAC), invited contractors to apply to bid for the following
contract (s):
Contract ID: 12NA0048
Contract Name (cluster) Const. of Dalao-an E/S, Buenavista, Const. of Bagang E/S,
Buenavista, Const. of Labong E/S Buenavista, Const. of Sangay
NHS-Guinabsan NHS Annex Buenavista, Const. of San Roque E/S,
Buenavista, Const. of Matabao E/S, Buenavista, Const. of Buenavista
East CES, Buenavista Const. of Agong-ong Integrated School
Buenavista,
Contract Location: Agusan del Norte
Approved Budget for
the Contract (ABC): Php P12,531,420.00
Contract Duration: 120 calendar days
Contract Name (cluster) Const. of Carmen National H/S, Carmen, Const. Of Quimjot
E/S Carmen, Const. of Cahayagan ISS, 3 CL 5X9 /Carmen, Const. of
Nasipit NHS, Const. of Mimbahandi E/S, Const. of Nasipit National
Vocational School, Nasipit
Approved Budget for
the Contract (ABC): Php P11,206,800.00
Contract Duration: 120 calendar days
Contract Name: (cluster) Const. of Balangbalang Integrated SS, RTR, Const. of Dahican
E/S, Magallanes, Const. of New Townsite , P/S Magallanes, Const. of
La Union E/S, Cabadbaran, Const. of Jagupit National High School,
Santiago, Const. of Monte de Oro Primary School, Santiago Const.
of San Pablo E/S, Jabonga.
Approved Budget for
the Contract (ABC) Php 14,277,780.00
Contract Duration: 120 Calendar Days
Procurement will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures in accordance with R.A.
9184 and its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations.
To bid for this contract, a contractor must 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 scheduled date of bidding. The DPWH-POCW-Central Offce will only
process contractors applications for registration with complete requirements and issue the Contractors
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. Receipt of LOI from Prospective Bidders From December 26, 2012 10:00 a.m.
2. Issuance of Bid-Documents December 10, 2012 to January 2, 2013
3.Pre-Bid Conference December 21, 2012 at 10:00 A.M.
4. Receipt of Bids January 2, 2013 at 9:00 to 10:00 A.M.
5. Opening of Bids January 2, 2013 at 10:15 A.M.
The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BDs) at DPWH DISTRICT ENGINEERING
OFFICE, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, upon payment of a non-refundable fee of (P10,000.00).
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.
THe Pre-bid Conference shall be open only to interested parties who have purchased the BDs. Bids must
accompanied by a bid security, in the amount and acceptable form, as stated in Section 27.2 of the 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 the post-qualifcation
The DPWH DISTRICT ENGINEERING OFFICE, J. P. Rosales Avenue, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte
reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process anytime prior contract award,
without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder/s.
Approved by:

(Sgd.) CLARO S. COMILING
BAC Chairman
Chief MQC Section

DPWH INFRA-07-Standard Advertisement-Revised IRR
(MST-DEC. 16, 2012)
(MST-DEC. 16, 2012)
Republic of the Philippines
Department of Public Works and Highways
Offce of the District Engineer
Capiz 1
st
Engineering District
Roxas City
INVITATION TO BID
(MST-Dec. 10 & 16, 2012)
The Capiz 1
st
Engineering District through its Bids and Awards Committee
(BAC), invites contractors to apply to bid for the following contract(s):
1. Contract ID : 12GD0015
Contract Name : Const r uct i on/ Wi deni ng/ Upgr adi ng/
Rehabilitation of Access Roads to Declared
Tourism Destinations Road from National
Highway to Balisong Hills
Location : Pilar, Capiz,
Brief Description : Concreting of 2 kilometers with PCCP, Road
thickness=0.30m,
Approved Budget for the Contract : Php 38,600,500.00
Source of Fund
Duration : 150 Calendar Days
Procurement will be conducted through open competitive bidding
procedures in accordance with R.A. 9184 and its Revised Implementing
Rules and Regulations.
To bid for this contract, a contractor must, purchase bid documents and
must meet the following major criteria: (a) prior registration with DPWH, (b)
Filipino citizen of 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 25% of
ABC within a period of 5 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 nondiscretionary 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 Bids. 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:
BAC Activities Schedule
1 Issuance of Bidding Documents December 10 to 27, 2012
2 Pre-Bid Conference December 18,2012, @ 9:00 a.m.
3 Deadline of Downloading of Plans and Bid
Documents
December 21,2012 @ 3:00 p.m.
4 Receipt of Bids and Deadline of LOI December 27,2012 @ 9:00 a.m.
5 Opening of Bids December 27, 2012 @ 2:00 p.m.
The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BDs) at Capiz 1st
Engineering District, Km. I, Roxas City, upon payment of a non-refundable
fee of P 20,000.00 for Bidding Documents per project. Prospective
bidders may also download the BDs from the DPWH website, 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 be 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 BDs 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 the copy of e CRC. The second envelope shall contain the
fnancial component of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the Lowest
Calculated Response Bid as determined in the bid evaluation and post
qualifcation.
Capiz 1st Engineering District reserves the right to accept or reject any or
all bid Contract Award without incurring any liability to the affected bidders.
(Sgd.) ETHEL B. MORALES
OIC-Asst. District Engineer
BAC-Chairman
Noted:
(Sgd.) SANNY BOY O. OROPEL, CESE
District Engineer
By Anjanette Abad
MARIA Claire Adorna ruled the
recent University Athletic As-
sociation swimming competition
bringing home ve gold med-
als. Her dominance continued
the winning tradition of female
swimmers from the University of
the Philippines.
Born July 13, 1993, to Juanita
and Raul Adorna, the preco-
cious second child has given
her famility lots of reasons to
be proud of her.
She was seven years old then
when she started to swim under
the guidance of her swimming
trainer, coach Anghel Lasturla.
Her rst stint in the Palarong
Pambansa in 2006 when the tall
13-year-old girl earned her rst
national gold medal.
Thats how young I started
with coach Anghel. She taught
me to learn the many strokes.
She entered me in a national
competition as early as I could
enter and Im so happy to have
won a gold medal right from the
start , said the 19-year-old lass
from Marikina City.
Aside from participating and
winning medals in the Palarong
Pambansa Claire has also had a
colorful stint in Universities Ath-
letics Associations of the Philip-
pines (UAAP). Shes a very pop-
ular competitor with fans turning
out in droves to see her swim.
Claire is competing for the
University of the Philippines
(Diliman) and is taking up Euro-
pean Language as her course in
college.
Its a very exciting subject of
course. Its very educational. Im
so happy to learn the exciting lan-
guages of the different countries
in the world. Im very satised
with the course I pursued in col-
lege. This is actually my fourth
year. The fth year is actually op-
tional, said the 5 6 girl from
the Fighting Maroons squad.
Despite having a very tight
schedules for swimming and
school, C0laire also nds time
to chill out with friends once in
a while. During her free time,
Claire always has coffee with
friends and boyfriend.
Yes, she is unavailable for
any suitors because she already
has someone special for her. I
do have a boyfriend. In fact we
are on our third year and we are
happy with each other. He is a tri-
athlete from Mapua, said Claire.
Right now, Claire is eyeing a
slot in RP swimming team that
will compete in the Southeast
Asian Games (SEAG) in the
near future. If she joins the team
then she will have to sacrice
the time to join regular daily
practices. Shes taking a little
more time to decide because
she still has another year for the
UAAP.
All know is that I still have to
give pride for my school because
I still have another year with
them. After this I need to contin-
ue training for the RP team, said
the dusky girl from UP.
Claire with siblings Kaye and
Rich are very proud of their par-
ents Juanita and Raul for giving
them a good life. That is why
she is also giving her family
structured routine so that they
could present to her ceremonies
and make them proud every-
time she competes.
Sometimes I feel the pressure.
But then I try to remember that
what I do is for the family, for my
friends, for my country. I become
more aggressive in the game
proper. My family has helped me
tremendously but the one man
who has helped me the most is
my coach Anghel, she said.
UPs Adorna stamps class
in UAAP swim competition
Maria Claire Adorna dominated the recent University
Athletic Association swimming competition by winning
five gold medals.
Manila StandardTODAY
Sports
Sunday
B4
But the Asean Basketball League has
not quite captured the interest of the pub-
lic and in the Philippines, even in just
basketball viewership, it remains a poor
fourth behind the PBA, the collegiate
leagues and the National Basketball As-
sociation.
The sport is not as popular in other
Southeast Asian countries where the pub-
lics interest is riveted in other team sports
notably football and baseball.
All that is about to change in 2013
according to Asean Basketball League
CEO Anthony Macri who is hopeful
that the ABL nally breaks out and
becomes a household name not only in
the Philippines and but in other Asean
countries as well.
The biggest change is that the San
Miguel Beermen nally elds a team
with marquee players led by former PBA
superstars Eric Menk and Asi Taulava as
well as the newest Fil-foreign sensation
in Chris Banchero.
The countrys representative to the
ABL the Philippine Patriots may have
won the leagues inaugural champion-
ship but the team hardly registers among
basketball fans and could hardly com-
pete for attention against the glamour
teams of the PBA like Barangay Ginebra
San Miguel or San Mig Coffee. It al-
ways seemed like the ABL was the mi-
nor league of the PBA with players who
could not crack a PBA lineup winding up
with ABL teams.
This year will be different with the San
Miguel Beermen nally elding a strong
team with basketball stars led by former
PBA Most Valuable Players Menk and
Taulava who will help change that image
for the better
In addition, Asias biggest sports con-
tent provider will expand ABLs pres-
ence across Asia. ESPN STAR Sports
(ESS) teams up with the ABL with a
regular weekly show on basketball: ABL
By Reuel Vidal
BASKETBALL remains the most popular
sport in the Philippines with near fanatical
following for both the Philippine Basketball
Association and the collegiate league games
of the University Athletic Association of
the Philippines and the National Collegiate
Athletic Association.
Friday Basketball on ESS networks.
We see primetime Friday night basket-
ball as a powerful tool to further popular-
ize the ABL. Were very impressed with
the leagues willingness to help us jointly
grow the sport, said ESPN STAR Sports
Managing Director Peter Hutton.
ABL CEO Anthony Macri said he also
wants a greater ABL presence on the Inter-
net to make viewership an interactive expe-
rience between the league and the fans.
I would like to put every game on live
web stream this coming season. We want to
make sure the fans can be engaged through-
out the region whether their teams are home
or not. A criticism from the past season is the
games might play great at home but when
the teams get on the road their fans wouldnt
know whats going on with them because
not all ABL games are televised in the home
country. We made that a priority and a com-
mitment. We will have every game on web
stream, said Macri.
Other than the live broadcast on television
on ESPN and STAR Sports, the matches
will be available across multiple platforms
including online (ESPN Player) and mobile
(Mobile ESPN). ESPN STAR Sports said it
will also work with the ABL on its broadcast
coverage with enhanced on-air graphics for
a superior fan experience.
It is encouraging to have a dedicated
and renowned partner in ESPN STAR
Sports who shares our ambition to el-
evate regional basketball across South-
east Asia. Fans who have followed the
evolution of the sport on ESPN STAR
Sports will have many more great mo-
ments to catch in the coming seasons
with their top-class coverage and com-
mitment to take the sport to greater
heights, said Macri.
Basketball fans will also be treated to
more basketball shows and more compre-
hensive programming on ESPN STAR
Sports in the coming season. This in-
cludes the weekly show ABL Crossover
which is a magazine style program which
features entertaining off-court segments
with a lifestyle bent as well as game high-
lights, news and interviews with ABL per-
sonalities from the different teams across
the region.
The ABL will also receive more news
coverage on SportsCenter, Score Tonight
and on the 24-hour sports news channel,
ESPNEWS thus keeping basketball fans
updated and sated with the latest news,
views and results of the games.
ESPN STAR Sports promises to work
closely with the ABL to build upon its
promotional efforts through ESS on-air
networks and digital media assets. These
include the regional ESPNSTAR.COM as
well as dedicated sites ESPNSTAR.MY
and ESPNSTAR.ID in Malaysia and Indo-
nesia respectively. The partnership will also
include campaigns in social media that will
reach out to basketball fans across Asia.
Both Sutton and Macri say the ABL has
grown from strength to strength since its
rst year to become a highly-anticipated
entertainment event in the sports calendar
today. Stadium attendances have risen
substantially across the region and there is
increasing buzz on the social media plat-
forms. Both Macri and Sutton see the tie-
up as a perfect partnership between ESPN
STAR Sports and the ABL to increase the
leagues prole in the region and make the
games more accessible to fans.
The ABL launches its fourth season on
January 11, 2013 with a rematch between
last years nalist San Miguel and even-
tual champion Indonesia Warriors.
With a powerhouse San Miguel Beer
team competing in one of ABLs biggest
markets in the Philippines and an expand-
ed NBA-type coverage across multiple
platforms, will the league nally explode
into public consciousness and displace or
at least compete for the interest of sports
fans in Southeast Asia? Only time and the
ckle public can tell.
MACRI
predicts banner year for
REGIONAL
BASKETBALL LEAGUE
The Philippines nally has a heavyweight team representing it in the ABL in the San Miguel
Beermen who will be bannered by marquee superstars Eric Menk and Asi Taulava.
2012 Asean Basketball League champion Indonesia Warriors show off the hardware
they won in the past years ABL wars. The Asean Basketball League has shown keen
competitive balance and parity among the participating teams with a new cham-
pion being crowned in each of its three years of existence.
Asean Basket-
ball League CEO
Anthony Macri
says the edgling
regional basket-
ball league will
nally have its
breakout year in
2013. The ABL
CEO has put the
league in multiple
platforms includ-
ing ESPN Sports
on cable TV and
live coverage of
all of its games on
the internet.

Manila Standard Today Sunday (December 16, 2012) Issue

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