Manila Standard Today - August 12, 2012 Issue

Vol. I No.
7 12 Pages, 1 Section
P18.00 SUNDAY, August 12, 2012
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naked for a Mens Health calendar
Moro rebels strike again
as govt, MILF end talks
Next page
WORSENING
FLOOD
VICTIMS
WOES
China willing to abide by code
A6
RUNOFF
By Sara D. Fabunan and AP
CHINAS top diplomat on Saturday said Bei-
jing was willing to ease the tension over the
handling of territorial disputes in the South
China Sea and work within the framework
of the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties.
In a joint conference with his Indone-
sian counterpart Marty Natalegawa on
Friday, Chinas Foreign Minister Yang
Jeichi also hinted that Beijing would even
tually agree on a legally-binding Code of
Conduct on the basis of consensus.
China is willing to work with Indonesia
and other ASEAN members to fully and ef-
fectively implement the Declaration of Con-
duct of Parties in the South China Sea, build
mutual trust, promote cooperation, maintain
peace and stability in the South China Sea
and work, in accordance with the principles
and spirits of the Declaration of Conduct of
Parties and on the basis of consensus, toward
the eventual adoption of a Code of Conduct.
Yang began his three-nation visit with a
two-day stopover in Jakarta, in response to
Natelagawas effort to mediate between his
fellow ASEAN members and Beijing.
After his visit to Indonesia, Yang will travel
to Malaysia and Beijing to cap his ASEAN
Storm brews over Luzon;
P1-b damage questioned
By Florante Solmerin and Orlan Mauricio
O
VER a thousand state
workers have fanned out to
clean up Metro Manila and
several provinces of debris
and mud but the threat of dam water
ooding back the coastal areas in
nearby Bulacan, Pampanga and Nueva
Ecija is compounding the misery of
victims, ofcials say.
While the southweast monsoon continued to bring
heavy rains over several provinces, a low pressure area
off Central Luzon might intensify into a storm and enter
Philippine territory, a Pag-ASA advisory said. At least two
more typhoons were expected to hit the Philippines this
month, Pag-ASA said.
At Angat Dam, a source of potable water
in Metro Manila, water breached the spilling
level on Saturday while oods continued to
cascade down from Nueva Ecija and Pam-
panga, posing a double whammy for Bu-
lacan and its coastal areas.
The death toll reached 66 while
2.6 million people were displaced,
the National Disaster Risk Reduc-
tion and Management Council said.
Damage was placed at over a bil-
lion pesos (P1.09 billion in crop losses
and P138 million in infrastructure) but
that estimate was being questioned by
the Agriculture department.
We have to take the data with a
grain of salt, said Undersecretary for
Field Operations Joel Rudinas react-
ing to a Central Luzon eld report
sent to disaster coordinating agency
Executive Director Benito Ramos.
The data from the eld ofces were localized, ac-
quired from local government units and unreliable so these
would have to be reviewed by the Bureau of Agricultural
By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan
THE Philippine government and the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front will
resume peace talks in late August
after the 30th round of formal ex-
ploratory talks ended on Friday.
Both sides have yet to come
up with a concrete agreement that
would end terrorism and rebel-
lion in Mindanao while a renegade
group led by commander Ameril
Umbrakato renewed its attack,this
time hitting a SAF outpost in Datu
Unsay town. A government trooper
was killed in the Saturday attack.
Government panel chairman
Marivic Leonen and MILF peace
panel head Mohagher Iqbal said
that the panels have made progress
in the discussions on a framework
agreement but failed to reach a con-
sensus.
Although detailed consensus is
not indicated, during the meeting,
the Technical Working Groups on
Wealth-Sharing and Power-Shar-
ing have reached small concrete
accord.
In this round of talks, the parties
organized their respective Techni-
cal Working Groups (TWGs) on
Power-Sharing and Wealth-Sharing.
Both TWGs discussed and reached
consensus on some issues on power
sharing and revenue generation and
wealth sharing arrangements, Le-
onen and Iqbal said.
When the negotiations would con-
tinue later this month, both parties
would focus on issues on power and
wealth sharing on the proposed new
political entity that would replace
the existing Muslim autonomous re-
gion in Mindanao which comprises
Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Twai, Maguin-
danao and Lanao, including the cit-
ies of Lamitan and Marawi.
Apart from power sharing and
Faith, hope and
charity. (Top) An
old woman clings
to a statue of the
Christ Nazarene.
(Clockwise) People
try to cope despite
the oods, while
young children and
their parents wait
for their share of
relief goods. AP,
ORLAN MAURICIO
AND DANNY PATA
AUGUST 12, 2012 SUNDAY
A2
Sunday
NEWS
ManilaStandardTODAY
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
That water may not be safe to drink
To make sure bottled water is
t for human consumption, the
House of Representatives has
approved a bill regulating the
sale of bottled water to protect
the consumers from trade mal-
practices and from using sub-
standard or hazardous products.
House Bill 6388, or the
proposed Safe Bottled Water Act
of 2012 authored by Cagayan
de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez
and 44 other lawmakers requires
the Department of Health to es-
tablish and enforce clear and
un-coded uniform source label-
Volunteers prepare goods for distribution to the flood victims at a Naia warehouse.
At left, one of the 2,000 families displaced by the floods in Malabon City holds on to a reminder authored
by Senator Loren Legarda on disaster preparedness. SONNY ESPIRITU, EY ACASIO
Back...
Statistics, Rudinas said.
The damage report showed
that crops losses amounted
to P847. 32 million in Pam-
panga, P204.5 million in Bu-
lacan, and Zambales, O43.6
million. At least P138 million
worth of roads and bridges
as well as 8,000 houses were
destroyed by the week-long
rain.
The Metro Manila Devel-
opment Authority deployed
500 street sweepers equipped
with hoses and brooms,
backed by re trucks and
heavy equipment to do the
clean-up job.
In Bulacan, oods began
to subside but the Angat Dam
breached 214.32 meters, or in
excess of two meters beyond
the spilling level, thus threat-
ening residents.
Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-
Alvarado deployed additional
rescue teams to the towns of
Calumpit and Hagonoy.
Meycauayan City Mayor
Joan Alarilla and vice mayor
Jojo Manzano went on a 24-
hour shift to distribute relief
to affected residents in the
city which was submerged,
some areas neck-deep by
oods.
China...
diplomatic blitz, but has
curiously left out Manila
and Hanoi in his itinerary.
The Philippines and
Vietnam had clashed with
China over ownership of
some of the islands in
the South China Sea and
Beijings plan to partner
with foreign companies
on oil exploration
projects in the disputed
islands.
Im assured very
much that our diplomacy
is very much on track,
Natalegawa said. We still
have the Declaration on
Conduct to implement and
the Code of Conduct to
work toward.
The DOC was created to
discourage aggressive acts
that might spark clashes,
but it has not been fully
implemented.
The ASEAN has already
come up with a draft for the
legally-binding COC and
is just waiting for Beijing
to agree on a date for
discussion.
The discussion will be led
by Cambodia, which chairs
this years ASEAN.
We are ready to present
it. Were just waiting when
China is ready to discuss
this with the ASEAN, said
Philippine Foreign Affairs
spokesman Raul Hernandez
on Friday.
Hernandez said that the
draft of the multilateral
code of conduct, which
the ASEAN members
failed to approve during
the 45th ASEAN Foreign
Ministerial Meeting in
Phnom Penh last month,
was created within the
framework of the DOC.
Yang said that his visit
to ASEAN countries aims
to promote a more in-
depth strategic partnership
between China and the
10-member ASEAN and
to enhance cooperation on
international and regional
affairs.
The drafting of Code
of Conduct and the
implementation of the
DOC was contained in the
six-point-principle that
the ASEAN had signed
recently after it failed to
issue a joint communiqu
at the close of its
ministerial conference.
It was Natalegawa
who played a key
role in convincing his
counterparts in the region
to agree on the six-point
principle.
Hernandez, however, said
that the Philippines is still
exploring the possibility
of bringing the dispute
before the United Nation
Convention on the Law of
the Sea or Unclos.
By Maricel V. Cruz

WATER, water everywhere,but is it
safe to drink? It depends on where it
comes from.
ing of all bottled water products.
The requirement includes the
original source of the water, type
of water, type of treatment, the
date of bottling, the address of
the bottler, and provide numeri-
cal specication of sodium con-
tent, according to the bill.
The bills authors em-
phasized the need for the state
to craft a comprehensive policy
framework to regulate the activi-
ties of the mineral, carbonated
and other bottled water business-
es including suppliers, distribu-
tors and sellers.
The measure noted that
the consumption of bottled wa-
ter has increased markedly in
recent years, with thousands of
households currently consuming
bottled water as the source of
drinking water.
It said the consumers
are paying premium prices for
bottled water based on the as-
sumption that it is of superior
quality to their tap water.
Unfortunately, bottled water
sold in the country is left unregu-
lated, as there exists a possibility
that the bottled water sold in the
market is not of superior quality
as claimed, HB 6338 read.
Under the bill, the DOH
shall dene mineral water, spring
water, naturally carbonated,
naturally sparkling, well water,
natural well water, artesian wa-
ter, natural artesian water, puri-
ed water, distilled water, drink-
ing water and all other variants
of bottled water existing in the
market, and require that the de-
nition for the appropriate product
be placed on the bottle.
The DOH has to for-
mulate the National Primary
Drinking Water Regulations con-
cerning source protection, moni-
toring, reporting and inspection,
recall regulations, prohibition of
dual use of bottled water equip-
ment and for its bottling, packag-
ing and storage study, according
to the bill.
It also prescribes that
the Secretary of Health with
the assistance of the Director of
the Food and Drugs Administra-
tion is empowered to establish
quality standards and denitions
for mineral water and carbonated
water, among others.
Joint communique. Government chief peace negotiator Marvic Leonen (left) and MILF panel chairman
Mohagher Iqbal exchange copies of the joint statement they issued on Saturday while Malaysian facilitator Tengku
Dato Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed looks on.
and Florante S. Solmerin
THE New Peoples Army com-
mand in Rizal province announced
a temporary ceasefire with Philip-
pine authorities to be able to as-
sist victims of the recent flooding
caused by non-stop heavy rain.
The Rizal-based Narciso An-
tazo Aramil Command said the
move was in compliance with the
directive from the Communist
Party of the Philippines leader-
ship and the National Democratic
Front. It added that the truce will
take effect starting at midnight of
Aug. 11 Saturday) and will end at
midnight of Aug. 17 (Friday).
The Manila Standard Today
tried to get a reaction from the
military, but military spokesman
Col. Arnolfo Marcelo Burgos
Jr. could not be reached for
comment.
The full force of NAAC-NPA-
Rical has temporarily suspended
its offensive against the Armed
Forces of Philippines and the Phil-
ippine National Police in Rizal
for one week in order to mobilize
relief operation to the victims and
families affected by the flood-
ing, the NAAC said through its
spokesman Macario Liwanag.
Liwanag added that during the
week-long ceasefire, military and
police forces will be allowed to
enter and leave territories of the
peoples democratic govern-
ment to visit their families or as-
sist flood victims.
They are free to enter and leave
territories without the fear of pos-
sible offensive actions against
them, the rebel group said.
They, however, said that the
NPA will remain in defensive
mode against possible attacks by
government forces.
The rebels alleged that in pre-
vious years, the military and the
police used disasters as an oppor-
tunity to enter their territories to
spy or conduct offensives.
If forces from the PNP-AFP-
CAFGU launch attacks against
our unit and territories, we will
be ready to fight to defend our-
selves, the Rizal NPA added.
They also appealed to young of-
ficers and ordinary soldiers and
policemen to disobey orders
from their superiors to conduct
military operations at a time when
the NPA is helping people affect-
ed by the floods.
The group said instead of
launching military operations,
government forces should in-
stead visit their loved ones and
help them recover from the ca-
lamity.
We are also accepting any do-
nations in cash or in kind to those
who want to help the victims of
floodings in Rizal.
NPA-Rizal declares 7-day truce
Moro...
wealth sharing, peace negotiators are ex-
pected to tackle issues on transition mecha-
nism and territories which would form part
of the proposed expanded Muslim autono-
mous region.
Meanwhile, both Leonen and Iqbal con-
demned the attacks by the Bangsam-
oro Islamic Freedom Fighters of the
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement.
While talks in Kula Lumpur, Malaysia are
ongoing, rebels last week simultaneously
attacked Philippine Army units in seven
towns in Maguindanao and North Cotabato.
President Benigno Aquino III assured
that the attacks would not derail the ongo-
ing peace process.
Leonen and Iqbal also added that they de-
nounced the aggressions by groups who
will do everything to derail the peace pro-
cess.
In respect to Ramdan, the panels and their
TWGs held morning sessions only on Aug.
7, 8, 9 and took a break on Friday the 10th
and resumed on Saturday.
Manwhile, National Police chief Direc-
tor-General Nicanor Bartolome on Sat-
urday deployed the Special Action Force
to augment military forces who are after
Moro rebels belonging to the splinter group
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement
led by Umbrakato.
Bartolome did not say where the special
troops would be deployed but he said the
SAF deployment was being done with the
coordination of the Armed Forces 6th In-
fantry Division led by Maj. Gen. Rey Ardo.
Bartolome said the deployment followed
a fresh attack at around 2 a.m. Saturday by
the rebels against a SAF outpost killing one
of its members in Barangay Maitumig in
Datu Unsay town.
Ardo identied the fatality as Police Of-
cer 1 Randy Dumaguing.
He said the rebels quickly withdrew be-
fore reinforcements arrived.
With Dumauings death, the number of
the slain troopers reached 9 since the BIFF
mounted simultaneous attacks on August 5
against military outposts and installations
in Maguindanao. Two of the four soldiers
who were killed were also mutilated by the
rebels.
The sporadic reghts in the province
has displaced 5,000 families.
The military has regained control of the
Maguindanao-General Santos Highway
that was earlier controlled by the rebels.
INDONESIA is easily the countrys
closest ally in the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations and both
Manila and Jakarta have agreed to
reinvigorate their 63-year-old ties
by establishing a joint commission
for bilateral cooperation, according
to Indonesian Ambassador Yohanes
Kristiarto Soeryo Legowo.
Legowo said the commission will
likely be put up by 23013 and will
continuously energize and invigorate
bilateral relations, through a broad-
ranging review and updating of
old agreements and the structured
implementation of programs in various
areas of cooperation.
We intend to revitalize all the
agreements that we have with the
Philippines. We would like to evaluate
all the agreements and [determine which
agreement] needs some more attention
on the implementation, Legowo said
in an interview.
Legowo, who is on his second tour
as envoy, said the JCBC was raised
during the ofcial visit of Indonesian
Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa
in December last year and aims to
strengthen linkages between the
governments of the Philippines and
Indonesia.
Now we are working very closely
with our colleague at the Department
of Foreign Affairs in ltrating that plan
of action. Hopefully that plan of action
could be signed sometime next year,
Legowo said.
Both the Philippines and Indonesia
formed an action plan on the full
implementation and review of their 63
years of friendship.
This plan of action will identify
concrete and specic activities and
policies for the different government
agencies to produce concrete benets
to our respective citizens, said
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del
Rosario.
Del Rosario said the agreements
that will be reviewed include the
1975 Revised Border Crossing
Agreement and the 1975 Border Patrol
Agreement, the Border
Trade Agreement,
1987 Agreement on
Forestry, and the
2011 memorandum of
understanding on coal,
gas and geothermal
energy development.
The commission
will also delve into
the implementation of
existing agreements
on trade, sheries and
maritime ties, technical
vocational training,
youth cooperation
on sports, labor
cooperation, migration
and key consular
matters, like mandatory
consular notication
and bilateral consular
consultation.
The Philippines and
Indonesia also agreed
to update and amend the
existing agreement on
tourism cooperation and
air service agreement.
The two countries
established there
bilateral and
diplomatic relations
in 1949 and a treat of
friendship was soon
signed in 1951.
Sunday
NEWS
ManilaStandardTODAY
A3
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
PH issues special Asean bills
Jakarta, Manila eye
revitalized relations
THE Bangko Sentral started to circulate on
Saturday 10 million special edition 50-peso bills
to promote greater awareness of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations which celebrated its 45th
anniversary last Aug. 8.
In four decades after its founding,
ASEAN has made remarkable progress
as a regional body. It has emerged as
a driving force in promoting dialogue
and cooperation in regional stability
and security, economic prosperity and
socio-cultural amity, Foreign Affairs
Secretary Albert del Rosario said at
a Friday reception similar to those
held in other ASEAN capitals since
Wednesday.
Del Rosario distributed souvenir
copies of the special edition currency
to the ambassadors and representatives
of ASEAN nations in the country and
said the reception kicked off different
activities throughout the country to
mark the regional blocks anniversary.
The activities included exhibits on
Water Festivities of Southeast Asia
and ASEAN Heritage Parks, the
celebration of ASEAN Week in schools
and universities in cooperation with the
Commission on Higher Education and the
ASEAN University Network, seminars by
universities and partner organizations, and
a lm showing by the Cultural Center of
the Philippines in October.
But while representatives of ASEAN
nations celebrated regional unity at the
foreign ofce, the event also underlined
the challenges facing the regional block
over the West Philippine Sea.
Cambodia, for example, was
represented by Second Secretary Tan
Cahndaravuth because former envoy
Hos Sereythonh was recalled by Phnom
Penh after he accused the Philippines
of playing dirty politics during the
Foreign Ministerial Meeting recently
held in Phnom Penh.
The ambassador apparently made
the remark after international criticism,
particularly from ASEAN nations, that
the ministerial meeting, which was
chaired by Cambodia, failed to issue a
joint communique for the rst time in its
history.
The impasse was only solved after
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty
Natalegawa embarked on a 36-hour
shuttle diplomacy to to Manila, Hanoi,
Phnom Penh and Singapore and forge a
consensus on the ongoing wrangling
over the West Philippine Sea.
But Del Rosario hoped that despite the
myriad challenges that have confronted
the group through the years, ASEAN will
maintain its central role in advancing
its members interests, particularly in
achieving its cherished ideals of peace,
freedom and social justice.
The ASEAN was established on Aug.
8, 1967 after the foreign ministers of
the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Singapore, and Thailand signed the
Bangkok Declaration in Thailand.
The ve foreign ministers Adam
Malik of Indonesia, Narciso Ramos
of the Philippines, Abdul Razak of
Malaysia, S. Rajaratnam of Singapore
and Thanat Khoman of Thailand are
considered the organisations Founding
Fathers.
Brunei Darussalam joined the bloc in
1984, followed by Vietnam (1995) Laos
and Myanmar (1997) and nally by
Cambodia (1999).
Man of the House an Azkal wanna-be
The Asean Way. Asean representatives gather to celebrate 45 years of unity. They are (from left) Brunei Ambassador Malai Hajah Halimah Malia Haji Yussof, Cambodia second secretary and consul Tan
Cahndaravuth, Laos Ambassador Malayvieng Sakonhninhom, Indonesia Ambassador Yohanes Kristiarto Legowo, Malaysia Charge d Affaires Zakaria Nasir, Myanmar Ambassador Aung Khin Soe, Philippine Foreign
Secretary Albert del Rosario, Singapore Ambassador Hirubalan V.P., Thailand Charge d Affaires Thanis Na Songklah, Vietnam Ambassador Nguyen Vu Tu and Assistant Secretary Teresita Barsana, Manilas director-
general for ASEAn.
By Maricel V. Cruz
THIS lawmaker would have been an
Askal.
If only we were a football loving,
soccer-crazed country then, I would
have been a professional football
player, said House Assistant Majority
Leader Sherwin Tugna.
If the Askals were already popular
at the time I was playing in the countrys
premier football league, I would have
been an Askal player for sure, said
the 35-year-old lawmaker representing
the party-list Citizens Battle Against
Corruption.
But Philippine footballs loss became
a gain for Philippine politics as the
energetic, idealistic and articulate
congressman is turning out to be one of
dynamic legal minds among the 284-
member House of Representatives.
Tugna warmly opened up to the
unparliamentary questions as he
waxed nostalgic over his love for sports,
particularly basketball and football.
When it comes to basketball, Pinoy
na Pinoy ako (I am Filipino through and
through), he proudly said, adding he is
just like more males in this basketball-
crazy country who revel in pick-up
games wherever they can nd them.
Even before puberty, Tugna was
already playing for University of Santo
Tomas in the Small Basketeers of the
Philippines and Milos Best.
By the time he was in high school, he
also developed a passion for football. In
high school at the UST, I concentrated
on football and became a member of
the UST high school football team... I
was very competitive and excelled in
the game. Modesty aside, I was a stand-
out football player in high school, I was
a striker, a consistent goal maker and
leader of the team, Tugna said.
Even in college, he became a member
of the UST varsity football team and
became a top striker in the University
Athletic Association of the Philippiness
football tournament.
It was at that time that he played semi-
professional football in the now defunct
Manila Premier Football League, the
predecessor of United Football League
(where the Azkals now play).
Even in law school, he continued his
athletic interests and became a member
of the Ateneo Law Basketball Team. We
played in a league together competing
against other law schools, he said.
Tugna was admitted to the Philippine
bar in 2007, the same year he became
a lawyer of Cibac. He also opened a
law ofce, Tugna Jala & Associates, in
2009.
Tugna was an associate lawyer for
Puyat Jacinto & Santos Law Ofces in
2008 and worked in the Angara, Abello,
Concepcion, Cruz, Regala (ACCRA)
law ofce in 2007, where he became a
basketball team member, along with his
fellow congressman Sonny Angara.
It is a very effective way to keep in
shape and to maintain whatever is left of
my athleticism.
In fact, we have a basketball team in
Congress. We play every Monday when
there is an opportunity and time to play,
although it is not as regular as we would
want it to be because of our individual
work load and commitments, he said.
But off the hardcourt, this sportsman-
legislators remains focused on his vision
of public service.
I view my current position as a
privilege and a great opportunity to craft
good laws that will reduce, if not totally
eliminate, graft and corruption and the
culture of impugnity in government and
our society, Tugna said.
Indeed, Pinoy footballs loss, is our
legislatures gain.
Now and then. Party-lisy Rep. Sherwin Tugnas dedication to his work at the House of Representatives stems from his training as
a collegiate football and basketball player (inset).
A4
Sunday
FOREIGN
ManilaStandardTODAY
Bo Xilais fate still uncertain
Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
QUEZON CI TY FI RST ENGI NEERI NG DI STRI CT
Sta. Catalina St,, Brgy, Holy Spirit Quezon City
Tel. Nos, 431-4597 * 931-1652 * 931-1568 * 431-4598 Fax No. 951-4696
(MST-Aug. 12, 2012)
I NVI TATI ON TO BI D
The Department of Public Works And Highways-Quezon City First
Engineering District through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites contractors
to apply for eligibility and, if found eligible, to bid for the following contract:
Name of Project Amount
1. Construction of Multi-Purpose Building, Brgy. Holy
Spirit, Q.C. P 5,999,871.86
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 submit a Letter of Intent (LOI)
together with their Class A Documents and must meet the following major
criteria: (a) prior registration with the DPWH, (b) Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino-
owned partnership, corporation, cooperative, or joint venture with PCAB license
applicable to the type and cost of this contract, (c) completion of a similar contract
costing at least 50% of ABC within a period of 10 years, and (d) Net Financial
Contracting Capacity at least equal to ABC or credit line commitment for at least
10% of ABC. The BAC will use nondiscretionary pass/fail criteria in the eligibility
check, preliminary examination of bids.
Unregistered contractors, however, shall submit their applications for
registration to the DPWH-POCW Central Offce before the deadline for the
receipt of LO. The DPWH-POCW Central Offce will only process Contractor's
applications for registration, with completes requirements, and issue the
Contractor's Certifcate of Registration (CRC). Registration Forms may be
downloaded at the DPWH website www.dpwh.gov.ph.
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown below.
1. Issuance of Bidding Documents August 3 to 22, 2012
2. Pre-Bid Conference August 10, 2012 @ 2:00 P.M.
3. Submission of LO's from
Prospective Bidders
Deadline: August 16, 2012 until 10:00 A.M.
4. Receipt of Bids August 22, 2012 until 10:00 A.M.
5. Opening of Bids August 22, 2012 @ 2.00 P.M.
Prospective bidders may download the 101 Forms from DPWH website:
www.dpwh.gov.ph (allowing the flling of Letter of ntent free of charge and prescribing
fxed costs of bidding documents as per D.O. No. 52 dated October 3,2011).
The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BD's) at DPWH
Quezon City First Engineering District Sta. Catalina St Brgy. Holy Spirit
Q.C, BAC Secretariat's ofce upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Ten
Thousand Pesos Only (P10.000.00). Prospective bidders may also download
the BD's, if available, from the DPWH website. Bidders that will download the BD's
from the DPWH website shall pay the said fees on or before the submission of
their bid 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 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 the
eligibility requirements. 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.
Interested contractors are also required to present the original copy of the
following documents for authentication and issuance of Bid Documents: a) PCAB
License; b) Contractor's Registration Certifcate (CRC); c) Certifcate Materials
Engineer Accreditation d) Authorizing Managing Offcer (AMO); e) Certifcate
of Safety Offcer Seminar from DOLE; f) Phil-GEPS Order Form (Document
Request List).
The Quezon City First Engineering District assumes no responsibility
whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in
the preparation of the bid.
The Quezon City First Engineering District reserves the right to accept or
reject any bid and to annul the bidding process and reject all Bids at any time prior
to contract award, without incurring any liability to the affected bidder or Bidders.
(Sgd.) MARILYN G. INGUILLO
Engineer III
(BAC-Chairman)
Noted:
(Sgd.) ROSELLER A. TOLENTINO
District Engineer
Department of Public Works and Highways
Zamboanga del Norte 2
nd
District Engineering Offce
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER
Labason, Zamboanga del Norte
August 12, 2012
(MST-Aug. 12, 2012)
The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Department of Public Works
and Highways, through the (FY 2011 Infrastructure Projects) invites contractors
to bid for the aforementioned projects:
1. a. Contract ID: No. 12JC00031
b. Contract Name: Repair/Rehab./Improvement of Concreting of
Liloy-Ipil Road Km. 1990+220-Km. 1991+020
(Intermittent Section)
c. Contract Location: Zamboanga del Norte
d. Scope of Work: Rehabi l i t at i on/ Repai r / I mpr ov ement
Concreting
e. Approved Budget for the Contract : P9,900,000.00
f. Contract Duration: (50) Calendar Days
Cost of Bid Docs.: P10,000.00
The BAC will conduct the procurement process in accordance with
the Revised IRR of R.A. 9184. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be
automatically rejected at the opening of bid.
To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI),
purchase bid documents and must meet the following major criteria: (a) prior
registration with DPWH, (b) Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership,
corporation, cooperative, or joint venture, (c) with PCAB license applicable to
the type and cost of this contract, (d) completion of a similar contract costing at
least 50% of ABC within a period of 10 years, and (e) Net Financial Contracting
Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment at least equal to 10%
of ABC. The BAC will use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the eligibility
check and preliminary examination of bids.
receipt of LO. The DPWH-POCW Central Offce will only process contractors
applications for registration with complete requirements and issue the
Contractor's Certifcate of Registration (CRC). Registration Forms may be
downloaded at the DPWH website www.dpwh.gov.ph.
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown
below:
Issuance of Bidding Documents August 13, 2012 - September 4, 2012
Deadline of Receipt of LOI from
Prospective Bidders
August 24, 2012
Pre Bid Conference August 24, 2012
Receipt of Bids September 4, 2012 10:00 A.M.
Opening of Bids September 4, 2012 2:00 P.M.
The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BD's) at
Department of Public Works and Highways, 2
nd
District Engineering Offce,
Labason Zamboanga del Norte, upon payment of a non-refundable fee.
Prospective bidders may also download the BD's from the DPWH website if
available. Prospective bidders that will download the BD's 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 BD's. Bids must accompanied by a bid security, in
the amount and acceptable form, as stated in Section 27.2 of the Revised IRR.
Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as
specifed in the BD's in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC
Chairman. The frst envelope shall contain the technical component of the bid,
which shall include a copy of the CRC. The second envelope shall contain
the fnancial component of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the Lowest
Calculated Responsive Bid as determined in the bid evaluation and post-
qualifcation.
The Department of Public Works and Highways, 2
nd
District Engineering
Offce, Labason, Zamboanga del Norte reserves the right to accept or reject
any bid, to annul the bidding process at anytime prior contract award, without
thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder/s.
Approved by:
(Sgd.) NAZARIO R. LAROGA
Engineer III
(BAC Chairman)
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER
Cebu 1st District Engineering Ofce
Regional Equipment Services Compound
V. Sotto Street, Cebu City
(MST-Aug. 7 & 12, 2012)
The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Department of Public
Works and Highways, Cebu 1
st
District Engineering Ofce, through its Bids
and Awards Committee (BAC), invites contractors to bid for the aforementioned
project:
Item No. 1
a. Contract ID : 12HD0046
b. Contract Name : Road Opening Farm-to-Market Road
c. Contract Location : Calambua to Sab-a, San Remegio, Cebu
d. Scope of Work : Road Opening
e. Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) : Php9,598,965.42
f. Contract Duration : 110 Calendar Days
g. Funding Source : Fund 101 (DA Project)
h. Bid Document Fee : Php10,000.00
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 submit a Letter of Intent (LOI)
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 with PCAB license applicable to the type and cost of this contract, (c)
completion of a similar contract costing at least 50% of ABC within a period of 10
years, and (d) Net Financial Contracting Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit
line commitment for at least 10% of ABC. The BAC will use non-discretionary
pass/fail criteria in the eligibility check and preliminary examination of bids.
receipt of LO. The DPWH-POCW Central Offce will only process contractor's
applications for registration, with complete requirements, and issue the
Contractor's Registration Certificate (CRC). Registration Forms may be
downloaded at the DPWH website www.dpwh.gov.ph
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown
below:
1. Issuance of Bidding Documents : August 06, 2012 to August 18, 2012
2. Pre-bid Conference : August 13, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.
3. Receipt of LO's from Prospective Bidders : August 14, 2012 to August 20, 2012
4. Receipt of Bids : August 27, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
5. Opening of Bids : August 27, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.
Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accompanied 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 the eligibility requirements. 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 evaluation and the post qualifcation.

The Department of Public Works and Highways Cebu I
st
District
Engineering Ofhce reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bid and to
annul the bidding process anytime before Contract award, without incurring any
liability the affected bidders.
Approved by:
(Sgd.) RICHEL A. VILLEGAS
BAC Chairman
NOTED:
(Sgd.) WILFREDO AV. ENCISO, CEO VI
District Engineer
The ofcial Xinhua News
Agency in a 3,400-word re-
port that was its most detailed ac-
counting of the scandal that has
shaken the countrys leadership
said Friday that Gu Kailai and
her co-defendant confessed to
intentional murder in the death
of her business associate Neil
Heywood last November.
It said evidence showed she
used cyanide to poison him in a
Chongqing hotel room but also
describes her as depressed and
fearful that Heywood would harm
her family factors that may
bring leniency in her sentence.
Gus arrest and the ouster of
her husband Bo Xilai, the Com-
munist Party boss of Chongqing
until March, sparked the biggest
political turbulence in China
since the putdown of the Tianan-
men Square protests in 1989. Her
tightly orchestrated trial was a
step toward resolving the scandal
before the partys once-a-decade
leadership transition this fall. The
E.T. special
effects man
dies at 86
CHINA SCANDAL
lengthy Xinhua report did not
mention Bo even once, apparent-
ly indicating that the party wants
to distance him from Heywoods
murder. It is still not known what
charges he could face.
Bo is in the hands of the partys
internal discipline and inspection
commission, which is expected
to issue a statement about his
infractions. That would open the
way for a court trial with charges
possibly including obstructing
police work and abuse of power.
Thus far, Bo has been accused
only of grievous but unspecied
rules violations.
The court in Hefei in east-
ern Chinas Anhui province that
heard his wifes seven-hour trial
on Thursday said a verdict against
Gu and the family aide accused
as an accomplice would be de-
livered later. Their trial was fol-
lowed Friday by the trial of four
senior Chongqing police ofcers
accused of helping Gu cover up
the crime.
Xinhua said Gu accepted all the
facts in the indictment and was
ready to accept her punishment,
saying: The tragedy which was
created by me was not only ex-
tended to Neil, but also to several
families.
Gu said Heywood wrote a let-
ter of self-introduction in about
2005 when her son Bo Guagua
was studying in Britain. They
then got involved in a land
project that never got off the
ground. According to Xinhua,
she said Heywood later got into
a dispute with her and her son
over payment and other issues
and she believed Heywood had
threatened the personal safety
of her son and decided to kill
Heywood.
It said that according to testi-
mony that prosecutors presented
in court, Gu said: To me, that
was more than a threat. It was
real action that was taking place.
I must ght to my death to stop
the craziness of Neil Heywood.
The report did not detail any
alleged threats or say why the
murder then took place seven
years later when Bo Guagua was
a graduate student at Harvard.
The court was presented with
emails between him and Hey-
wood showing how their dispute
escalated, Xinhua said, without
detailing the contents. AP
BEIJING An extraordinarily lengthy
report by state media on the trial of the wife
of a disgraced top Chinese politician claries
that she will be convicted and punished, but
leaves questions over the fate of her husband.
LONDON From the track to the ring
to the sandpit, this crop of Olympians
just cant stop the beat. The London
Games have brought an outpouring of
crazy, creative victory celebrations.
Kenyan steeplechase winner Eze-
kiel Kemboi celebrated his gold med-
al with a hip-swiveling, arm-shaking
peacock dance for 80,000 people in
the Olympic Stadium.
At the ExCel center, US boxing
champ Claressa Shields broke into a
combination jig-and-st-bump when
she took gold in one of the rst-ever
Olympic womens boxing contests.
Over at the beach volleyball venue,
American Misty May-Treanora for-
mer Dancing With the Stars con-
testantbroke into a funky jig in the
sand as she celebrated winning gold
with partner Kerri Walsh Jennings.
I just had to get out there and let it
out, May-Treanor said.
And the antics arent conned to land.
Australias Malcolm Page and Matthew
Belcher celebrated winning sailing gold
Friday by back-ipping off their 470
sailboat, which then capsized.
Tennis star Serena Williams celebrat-
ed Olympic gold with a Crip Walka
fancy-footwork dance that originated
with the Los Angeles street gang and
later spread around the world.
Her sister Venus, sitting in the
stands, looked delighted. Wimbledon,
the very proper home of the All-Eng-
land Lawn Tennis Association, had
never seen anything like it, and a few
commentators were not amused.
It was just me, the US medalist
said later. I love to dance.
Williams wasnt the only champ to
raise a few eyebrows. The gold-winning
US womens soccer team capped its vic-
tories with cartwheels, front ips and a
team rendition of the wormsome-
times even in the middle of a game.
I wouldnt like it if our team did that,
said New Zealand coach Tony Readings.
We try to work on scoring goals. We
havent got time to work on celebrations.
His team lost to the Americans 2-0.
German discus thrower Robert Hart-
ings response to winning gold was not
a dance so much as a force of nature.
The 280-pound behemoth roared, ripped
his shirt to shreds like the Incredible Hulk,
grabbed a German ag, ran a lap of the
track over the hurdles not too shabby,
either, for such a big guyand then tried
to wrench one of the burning torches from
the Olympic cauldron. AP
Olympic winners
celebrate in style
United States Kerri
Walsh Jennings,
left, and Misty May-
Treanor, celebrate after
defeating April Ross
and Jennifer Kessy in
a womens gold medal
beach volleyball match
at the 2012 Summer
Olympics in London. AP
MILAN Carlo Rambaldi, a spe-
cial effects master and three-time
Oscar winner known as the father of
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, died
Friday in southern Italy after a long
illness, Italian news media reported.
He was 86.
Rambaldi won visual effects Os-
cars for Steven Spielbergs 1982
blockbuster, Ridley Scotts lm
Alien in 1979, and John Guiller-
mins King Kong in 1976.
Carlo Rambaldi was E.T.s
Geppetto, said Spielberg, refer-
ring to the ctional character who
created Pinocchio. All of us who
marveled and wondered at his craft
and artistry are deeply saddened
by the news of his passing.
Rambaldi worked on more than
30 lms, but was best known for his
work on E.T., for which he created
three robots, two costumes worn
by actors in the scenes when E.T.
walked, and gloves for the hands.
Rambaldi, a wizard of a dis-
cipline known as mechatronics
which combines disciplines
including mechanical, electronic
and system design engineering
did not hide a disdain for comput-
erized effects.
Digital costs around eight times
as much as mechatronics, Ram-
baldi was quoted by the Rome daily
La Repubblica as having once said.
E.T. cost a million dollars and we
created it in three months. If we
wanted to do the same thing with
computers, it would take at least 200
people a minimum of ve months.
Rambaldi was born in 1925 in the
northern Italian region of Emilia-
Romagna and graduated from the
Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna in
1951. While he dreamed of becom-
ing an artist, he was drawn into the
world of cinema when he was asked
to create a dragon for a low-budget
science ction movie in 1956. AP
Rambaldi with E.T.
What we are capable of
EDITORIAL
The bad, the good,
and the ugly
A Song of Ice and Fire
Publ i shed Monday t o Sat urday by
Kamahalan Publishing Corporation at 3rd
Floor Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de
Roxas corner Perea Street, Legaspi Village,
Makati City. Telephone numbers 659-4830
(connecting all departments), 659-4826;
Manila
Standard
TODAY
MEMBER
Philippine Press Institute
The National Association
of Philippine Newspapers PPI
ONLINE
can be accessed at:
www.manilastandardtoday.com
MST
ROLANDO G. ESTABILLO Publisher
RAMONCHITO L. TOMELDAN Managing Editor
FRANCIS LAGNITON News Editor
ARMAN ARMERO Senior Deskman
EDITH D. ANGELES Advertising Manager
EDGAR M. VALMORIDA Circulation Manager
MARIEROSE ANG Graphic Design
LINO SANTOS Photo
OPINION ADELLE CHUA
ARTS & LIFE DINNA VASQUEZ
Staff JOBA BOTANA
GRACE CORTEZ
CARLA MORTEL-BARICAUA
TECH MARLON MAGTIRA
CHRISTIAN CARDIENTE
BUSINESS RODERICK DELA CRUZ
SPORTS REUEL VIDAL
659-4827 (Editorial), 659-4803, 659-
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(Subscription). P.O. Box 2933, Manila
Central Post Office, Manila. Website:
www.manilastandardtoday.com E-mail:
mst@manilastandardtoday.com
Sunday
MST
ROGELIO C. SALAZAR President & CEO
THE Guardians Jonathan Freedland
wrote, for the opening of the Olympics
two weeks ago:
Watching [the Olympic athletes]
will be hundreds of thousands and
hundreds of millions more via
television, drawn by that perennial
human compulsion to see what our
species is capable of at its best: to see
how strong, how fast, how beautiful
we can be.
The author was addressing the
British, who hosted the 2012 games.
His words however may well be
questions we Filipinos can ask
ourselves: What exactly is our place
in the world? How do we compare to
other countries and to the country we
used to be? What kind of nation are
we, anyway?
If medals are to be the gauge, it
is easy to dismiss the Philippines
as an also-ran. Our eleven-member
delegation to this years games was
not able to bring home any medals. It
has been a while, actually, since 1996
when Mansueto Velasco brought home
a silver for boxing.
We are at least lucky that our
ofcials are unlike their Chinese
counterparts who recognize nothing
but a gold medal so that athletes who
snag silvers and bronzes weep in
frustration and defeat. One bronze
would have probably been a good
consolation at a time when ood-
stricken Luzon needs a distraction
from its present woes.
Then again, we cannot say we
expected muchnot from our
athletes but from the government
itself which has failed to put in place
a comprehensive national sports
program insulated from the vagaries
of politics and ego wars.
In fact it is unfair to saddle the
athletes we send out with expectations
of victory when we give them no
opportunity to hone their potentials
to the level of their counterparts from
other countries.
Yet, if they put up a reasonable
ght, we claim the victory as the
Philippines.
There has also been no ample
attention given to mental training,
even though this has proven crucial
in setting up our athletes for long,
challenging and fullling sports
careers.
The United States and China,
incidentally two of the biggest
economies in the world, lead the medal
tally with 41 and 37 gold medals, 26
and 25 silvers, and 27 and 19 bronzes,
respectively. Alternative rankings
which factor in a countrys population
place New Zealand, Grenada and
Jamaica among the frontrunners. No
alternative ranking however would
however put the Philippines at the top
unless unrealized potential, which
is impossible to measure anyhow, is
made a benchmark.
The worlds athletes have the next
four years to prepare for the next
big event, this time in Brazil. Unless
we make changes to how we regard
sports in this countrya glamorized
hobby, a way out of poverty, a
venue for politicking, and a source
of national pride absent any real
investmentwe can expect similar
dismal results.
A5
Sunday
OPINION
ManilaStandardTODAY
THIS is a clich, but calamities and
disasters truly bring out the best, the
worst, and the hilarious in each one of us.
The last few days have been one
heck of an experience for most of us in
Metro Manila and Central Luzon. The
ooding was unprecedented; in some
areas it was worst than the one brought
by Ondoy. Areas that usually do not get
ooded were submerged while many
areas that automatically transform
into rivers at the slightest precipitation
did not get ooded. And just when
everyone thought the worst was over
on August 7, the oodwater came back
with a vengeance the following day.
As can be expected, everyone
looked for someone to blame as if the
worsening ood problem in Metro
Manila could be caused by only one
person or government agency. As
usual, the weather bureau became
everybodys whipping boyeven the
President could not help ogging one
hapless weatherman in public. We all
expect our weather scientists to be as
accurate, articulate, and good looking
as the weather forecasters in CNN.
Thanks to movies and television, we
are unable to distinguish scientists from
celebrities. I am going to spare everyone
the lecture about how the problems
in the weather bureau is systemic and
how it is irresponsible to expect rst
world forecasting systems from third
world facilities and embarrassingly low
salaries.
Although most of those exposed
to grave danger heeded advice and
evacuated to safer grounds at the rst
sign of peril, there were those who
insisted on staying put even when
the oodwater started rising. Some
did so to keep watch over whatever
little materials things they had; others
did so out of sheer fatalism. But the
more compelling reason was that most
people just do not see life in evacuation
centers as being any better than being
submerged in oods. Government
ofcials and media people ponticated
about how lives are more valuable than
material things. Its a lecture weve
heard many times before; a lecture that
is incomprehensible to people who
constantly live on the edge and face
dangers every day of their lives. There
are children in this country who think
getting wounded on the foot is better
than losing their only pair of slippers;
in their mind, their skin will heal but
getting another pair of slippers will be
more difcult.
We need to stop ponticating and
start providing alternatives. If we
want people to evacuate from danger
zones during calamities, we just need
to secure their properties and provide
better facilities at evacuation centers.
We need to explore the use of bigger
venues such as churches and private
gymnasiums so that people are not
cramped together like sardines. And
seriously, we need to provide more
portable latrines.
Weve also seen many examples of
courage and heroism in the last few
days. We saw footages of rescuers who
risked their lives in order to save others.
We saw how they made do with ropes
and oating devices just to bring people
to safety. Many volunteers offered
their services despite lack of sleep, rest,
and the intolerable conditions. There
remain many Filipinos within our midst
who are seless and who rise to the
occasion when needed.
We are however probably more
renowned for our uncanny ability to
be creative and to see humor even in
the most difcult situations. It was
just a matter of time before pictures,
anecdotes, and commentaries that made
light of the tragedies started to ood
social networking sites. Pictures of pets
tted with unusual oating devices and
of ooded streets with superimposed
photos of Olympic swimmers and
wakeboarders, of people who made
walking stilts out of monobloc chairs,
of condoms turned into shoe protector
devices, etc. What can I say; the
Filipino spirit is unsinkable.
Sadly, many opportunists among us
could not resist mining the dire situation
for political gains. Weve seen pictures
of relief goods bearing the name of
politicians, of relief operations where
names of politicians and their campaign
paraphernalia were blatantly displayed,
of politicians hijacking the sorties of
the President by shamelessly inserting
themselves into the frame and ashing
their pearly whites everytime a camera
was in sight. Because of the trapo-
like antics of these politicians, citizens
cannot be faulted for being cynical
about the supposed sincerity and level
of political will of government in
effecting the necessary social changes.
But by far the most infuriating was
the way some people tried to use the
disaster to prop up their opposition to
the reproductive health bill. The extent
to which some people use a calamity
and the suffering and misfortune of
untold numbersto fortify a political
stance is sickening. It smacks of
callous opportunism and extreme
narrow-mindedness. The ooding
affected everyoneboth pro- or anti-
RH bill, including children and the sick.
We can romanticize and intellectualize
our problems as management problems
but the irrefutable evidence will still be
staring us in the face. And if the anti-
RH bill took out their moral blinders,
they would have seen what everyone
else saw: Nature is already unable to
cope with the heavy demands of too
many people all scrambling to consume
what they can while it is there. We just
dont have the resources, period.
BONG C.
AUSTERO
ARE WE THERE YET?
A dog can smell a lie, you
know. Look around you, and
take a good whiff. Theyre
all liars hereand every one
better than you.
Sandor The Hound Clegane
THE political intrigue, backroom
deals, assassinations of persons and
character, high conspiracies, and
treason in George R.R. Martins
epic A Song of Ice and Fire series
may well be the workaday staple in
any modern-day government.
In Martins fantasy melting
pot is a heady stew made of a
long-dead mad kings paupered
heirs to the throne-in-hiding,
a drunken usurper of a king
and his scheming queen, and
a surfeit of heraldry, princes
and princesses, highborn and
lowborn bastards, lords and
knightsboth so- and the not-
so lordly nor knightly ones
from a chaos of dominant and
minor houses in the realm;
warrior maidens and maidens
in constant distress; schemers,
dreamers, and adventurers;
mercenaries and pirates;
warlocks, witches, and dragons;
eunuchs, gays, lesbians, and
pederasts; giants and a savvy
dwarf, magical children of the
forest and blue-eyed walking
dead; gods old and new,
false preachers and religious
fanatics; twisted stories of love
and vengeanceall connected
in the abstract to a high-stakes
game of power and inuence,
where misplaced honor can be
as fatal as My Way in a local
Karaoke.
George R.R. Martins ve books,
each one clocking at about 900
pages, of a planned seven-book
saga takes place in Westeros after
the fall of the in-bred Targaryen
dynasty (known for its dragons in
centuries past) that held together
its Seven Kingdoms.
Westeros is as colorful or drab as
the sigils or banners and mottos or
slogans that symbolize the houses
or families that rule its domains.
Among the major houses, the
Targaryens have the dragon and
Fire and Blood, the Baratheons
have the stag and Ours is the
Fury, the Starks have the direwolf
and Winter is Coming, the
Tullys have the trout and Family,
Duty, and Honor, the Lannisters
have the lion and Here Me Roar,
and the Greyjoys have kraken and
We Do Not Sow, respectively.
The minor houses, however, adopt
anything that strike their fancy and
often forgo the other niceties.
With the death of the Mad King
Aerys II at the hands of Kingsguard
member Jaime Lannister,
thereafter called Kingslayer,
Robert Baratheon, who has led a
rebellion along with Lords Eddard
Stark and Jon Arryn, takes the
Iron Throne in Kings Landing
and Jaimes twin sister Cersei for
his bride to cement an alliance to
ensure an end to hostilities.
The late Mad King rejected Cersei
in the past when his Hand Lord
Tywin Lannister proposed to match
her up with his heir Prince Rhaegar.
The Mad Kings pronouncement
to Tywins presumption, You are
my most able servant, Tywin, but a
man does not marry his heir to his
servants daughter, so infuriated the
Kings Hand that he resigns his post.
It will be a slight long remembered
as his houses unofcial mottoA
Lannister always pays his debts
that culminates in the assassination
of two apparent Targaryen heirs
and their presentation to Robert in
Lannister crimsons to declare their
loyalty.
As though to symbolize the
hazards of the nitty-gritty of
kingship, the dragonre-forged
Iron Throne, fashioned from the
swords of the previous Targaryen
realms vanquished rivals, is
known to cut those who sat upon it
the previous Mad King Aerys II
earned the moniker King Scab.
More renowned for martial
prowess than administrative
skills, King Robert I has become
fat, delinquent, given to drunken
carousals seventeen years after his
victory and ascent.
The unsavory details of running
the heavily-indebted realm have
been left to his so-called Small
Council. Lord Jon Arryn as the
Hand of the King, Pycelle as Grand
Maester, Petyr Baelish as Master
of Coin, the Baratheon brothers
Stannis and Renly as Master of Ships
and Master of Laws, respectively,
Varys as Master of Whispers, and
Ser Barristan Selmy as Knight
Commander of the Kingsguard
comprise King Roberts rst council.
Events unfold during King
Roberts visitaccompanied
by Queen Cersei, their children
(Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen),
Cerseis twin brother and
paramour Jaime the Kingslayer
and Tyrion the Imp, a dwarf with
mismatched eyes whose penchant
for whoremongering only equals
his great intelligence and cunning,
and assorted knights and retainers
such as Ser Illyn Payne and
Sandor Cleganewith his old
northern brother-in-arms Eddard
Stark (a.k.a. Ned), (wife Catelyn
Tully, sons Robb, Bran, Rickon,
daughters Sansa and Arya, bastard
Jon Snow and their direwolves
[wolves on banned substances, it
seems], and their erstwhile ward
Theon Greyjoy) in Winterfell.
A raven bears a message that the
Kings Hand Lord Jon Arryn died
under mysterious circumstances
and his cryptic last words: The
seed is strong. The plot thickens
as Jaime pushes Neds hardy
Bran off a ledge when the boy
accidentally stumbles upon the
twin Lannisters incestuous tryst.
Bran is crippled and lies in a
coma even as the ambivalent Ned
grudgingly accepts the Handship
from King Robert at his wifes
prodding to learn the truth of
Arryns death.
Continued next week
RAY
LAMPANO, JR.
plaintext
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Sunday Edited by REUEL VIDAL
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On straightaways he drives his
F1 monster of a machine so fast he
has to endure five times the force of
gravity pressing on his body while
his peripheral vision is obliterated
leaving him with a tunnel vision of
the world.
He has taken a break from that
by flying, with girlfriend Japanese
lingerie and fashion model Jessica
Michibata, halfway around the globe
to race in the 4th Cobra Ironman 70.3
Philippines in Cebu.
Button joined the full Ironman 70.3
triathlon race. This means he had to
run the full 70.3 miles distance of the
race. He swam 1.2 miles, negotiated
a 56-mile bike ride and completed a
13.1 mile run. Michibata was part of
a relay team and completed the 13.1
mile run.
The race started at the beach front
of the Mactan Shagri-La Resort &
Spa with the participants diving
in the crystal clear ocean. It was
followed by a windy bike ride with
hundreds of spectators lining the
route. It ended with what may have
been a torturous run when he had to
endure the hot and humid Philippine
weather.
Professional triathlon athlete Pete
Jacobs won his third consecutive
Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3
crown in the mens category. First
timer Caroline Steffen won her first
Cobra title in the womens edition.
Jacobs, who has competed in
all four stagings of the event, said
winning three times in the Philippines
is special and that he looks forward
to racing again and winning a
fourth time. This not good news to
another professional triathlon athlete
Cameron Brown who like Jacobs
has been to all four stagings of the
Philippines. Unlike Jacobs, Brown
has not yet won a single staging.
Like many other racers Button
began his career as a driver by karting
at the age of eight. He achieved
early success and progressed to
car racing in the British Formula
Ford Championship and the British
Formula Three Championship. He
first drove in Formula One with the
Williams team for the 2000 season.
The following year he switched to
Benetton, which in 2002 became
Renault. For the 2003 season
he moved to BAR. They were
subsequently renamed Honda for the
2006 season, during which Button
won his first Grand Prix in Hungary,
after 113 races.
Following the withdrawal of
Honda from the sport in December
Cayetano joined the recent 4th
Philippines to swim, bike and run
right alongside the best athletes the
sport had to offer. But other than
just competing she had other things
in her mind.
When I run in a race, I proudly
run on behalf of women. I run to
empower women. I run to raise
awareness that there is still a lot of
discrimination and injustice against
women in our country. I run because
I know this will be a better place
when womens voices are heard
as loudly as mens. Mostly, I run
because I know a little girl is always
watching from the sidelines; and
I hope to empower her, to inspire
her to be a woman of substance
and perhaps a woman who runs one
day, said Senator Cayetano.
According to her there are
really two kinds of women who
run: Women who put on running
shoes and run recreationaly or
competitively, and women who run
for public office. She is a woman
who runs, on both accounts.
She admits that she was a night
owl most of her adult life. But
everything changed after the death
of her son. She became a triathlete
because running consoled her when
she had to think of other things
especially during a race.
But like all my long races and
trials in life, I always tell myself, the
day will end whether I accomplish
my task or not. Do I want to look
back knowing I did it, or regretting
I did not? In this case, the question
I asked myself was more specific.
At the end of the day do I want to be
able to say, I AM AN IRONMAN?
Needless to say, I kept running and
competing, she said.
Cayetano said that women have
a lot of ground to cover. Studies
show that political positions
continue to be held mostly by men.
In 2007 in the Philippine local
government units, there were only
274 female mayors (17.19%) while
there were 1,320 male mayors
(82.81%)and 18 female governors
(21.95%) compared to 62 male
governors(78.05%).
Sadly, there are also women on the
run on the run from violence and
abuses. Last year, Melinda Ponce, a
respected runner and accomplished
ultra-Marathoner from Cebu was
brutally murdered by her husband
together with three of her kids.
Only one daughter survived.
Melinda came from a run and was
wearing her running clothes when
she was killed. Unknown to many,
she was a battered wife for many
years. Running was her escape.
Sadly, she was not able to run fast
enough or far enough from this
man, her very own husband who
would be her murderer.
Cases like this may be very rare
indeed. But Senator Cayetano says
that a single case is already one
too many. She says she will do
everything in her power, including
running marathons and going
through a torturous triathlon, to
help women become aware of their
plight and to empower themselves
to better their lot in life.
NATURAL born athletes compete and dominate early. A
prime example is nine-year-old Tara Borlain who wins
every race she joins.
At the recent 3rd Alaska Ironkids Triathlon, Tara moved
up from the 6-8 years old to the 9-10 years old but still won
her age category in the 3rd Alaska Ironkids Triathlon at the
Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa.
Tara, the youngest participant in her age category, timed
16 minutes, 48.9 seconds edging out sister Samantha who
timed 17:16.1. The sisters both had a better time than the
boys winner (Tan, 17:18.9) in their age group.
In the three years of the Ironkids competition, which
includes 16 races in all (Aquathlons, Marathons and
Duathlons), Tara won her 13th race while placing third
three times.
Its probably in her genes. Tara is the daughter of former
bodybuilding world champion Ringo Borlain.
Victoria Deldio of Olongapo City won the girls 13-14
years old while Mark Pile, of Quezon City, ruled the boys
13-14. Lauren Plaza, of Binan, Laguna, won the girls 11-
12 category while Yuan Chiongbian was victorious in the
boys 11-12 category.
Eric Almendral, of Ayala, Alabang, won the boys 6-8
years old while Syra Ruth Uy was victorious in the same
age category for girls. Juris Aaron Tan, of Quezon City,
won the boys 9-10 category.
Maia Isabel Yusay was second in the girls 13-14 years
old category with Yona Daniell Academia took third place.
Justin Chiongbian was seconds in the boys 13-14
category while Julius Constantino was third.
Sophie Vizcarra was second in the girls 11-12 category
while Veronica Deldio, of Olongapo City, took third place.
Brent Valelo was second in the boys 11-12 category
while Nathan Nala of Mabalacat Pampanga was third.
RACES AFTER NEW PURSUIT
JENSON
BUTTON
JENSON Alexander
Lyons Button is known
as the McLaren Formula
One driver who was also
the 2009 Formula One
World Champion for
Brawn GP.
2008, he was left without a drive for
the 2009 season, until Ross Brawn led
a management buyout of the team in
February 2009, and Button suddenly
found himself driving a Mercedes-
engined car.
Button went on to win a record-
equaling six of the first seven races
of the 2009 season, securing the
World Drivers Championship at
the Brazilian Grand Prix. He led on
points all season. His success also
helped Brawn GP secure the World
Constructors Championship.
In 2010, button moved to McLaren,
partnering fellow British racer and
former World Champion Lewis
Hamilton. After finishing fifth for
the team in 2010, Button finished the
2011 season as runner-up.
Button and Michibata came a week
early for the Cobra Energy Drink
Ironman 70.3 Philippines race and
was able to take in the sights and
sounds of Cebu.
Most of their time were spent,
of course, biking around Cebu
specifically riding out from
Liloan, where they were billeted
to Catmon and later to other parts
of Cebu
Button was with friends
Raymund Paul and Tom Dudden.
They spent time with other
triathletes including Tommy
Vonach, Andrea Bes and Cebus
Noy Jopson.
And after long hard rides to quench
his thirst Jenson discovered local buko
juice which he often quaffed with relish.
The concoctioncoconut water with
condensed milkis a famous fare sold
on a sidewalk in Compostela.
We loved it. Its actually a good
recovery drink. I never tried drinking
coconut juice with milk. Maybe we
could import it in the UK, said Paul
in a published report. Paul is also a
triathlon coach in the United Kingdom.
His love for buko juice is not really
surprising because other than its
delicious taste it is a natural isotonic
beverage which is the best fluid to
take to replenish water lost through
sweating especially during hard
workouts.
Button also imbibed in Cebus local
color. He was pleasantly surprised
by a drum and bugle corps of kids
performing with aplomb. But like all
the other contestants Button was in
complete awe of the crowds which
lined the route after the organizers
made sure that 25,000 shouting,
cheering fans lined the bike routes to
cheer on the participants.
Button competed in the 30-34 age
group and actually timed well enough
to qualify him to the Ironman 70.3
World Championships to be held in
Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada.
A well-accepted doctrine in training
for excellence is the importance of
cross-training. That is, in order to keep
peak effort in training it is best to do
other things to keep practices refreshing,
interesting and thus effective.
Button may just be cross-training
to better prepare himself to the rigors
and demands of the F1 tracks. Because
he has the means Button has traveled
halfway around the globe, to Cebu in
the Philippines, to chase after his new
pursuit which is triathlon.
Senator runs
to empower other women
MANY run to stay t. Others run to win competitions. Senator Pia Cayetano
runs to empower and inspire women to push themselves and defy conventions.
She says she is inspired by women stories of triumph like that of Kathrine
Switzer, the rst woman to run the Boston marathon in 1967 but who had to
pass herself off as a man to do it.
Tara wins every race she joins
Everly Jana Macalalad was third in the girls 9-10 years old
category.
George Leather, of Makati, was second in the boys 9-10 years
while Luigi Crisostomo of Binan, Laguna was third.
Coco Leather was second in the girls 6-8 years old while
Yasmin Marga Priagula was third.
Umi Martin Abelarde was second in the boys 6-8 years
old while Riele Abel Te was third.
One hundred thirty nine participants joined this years
Alaskas Ironkids a big jump from last years 95 participants.
Parents, siblings, friends and other relatives all came to
Cebu to cheer on the budding athletes.
Alaska IronKids Philippines, which is open to kids 6 to 14
years old, is the local junior version of the international triathlon
series, Ironman. It features three sporting events: swimming,
biking and running.
The Alaska Ironkids aims to promote a well-balanced
lifestyle for kids of today, who often spend too much time
just staying indoors watching the TV, playing videogame
console games and surfing the Internet.
For the past three years Ironkids has also served as
the perfect venue for families to bond and for parents to
demonstrate to their kids that being healthy can also be fun.
For Tara Borlain these races also affords her a venue to unleash
her competitive spirit allowing her to win every race she joins.
British Formula One driver Jenson Button of McLaren, above, waves upon his arrival at the
Hungaroring race track near Budapest, Hungary before the Formula One Hungarian Grand
Prix. Counter clockwise: Button negotiates the streets of Cebu, Philippines atop a bike dur-
ing the 4th Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines; a more familiar sight, Button negotiates a turn
on his F1 vehicle; Buttons girlfriend fashion and lingerie model Jessica Michibata.
Senator Pia Cayetano (top photo) shows off her Kenneth Cobonpue-designed
IronmanPhilippines medal. (Bottom photo) The woman senator-athlete refreshes
herself with water while negotiating the Marcelo Fernan bridge atop her bike.
)Sisters Tara (left) and Sam relax in preparation for the Alaska
Ironkids Duathlon, of swim and run, in preparation for the full
Alaska Ironkids Triathlon.
The Borlain sisters Tara (left) and Sam show off their respective bikes
which they rode in the 3rd Alaska Ironkids Triathlon held in Cebu.
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A6
Sunday
SPORTS
ManilaStandardTODAY
A7
Sunday Edited by REUEL VIDAL
SPORTS
ManilaStandardTODAY
On straightaways he drives his
F1 monster of a machine so fast he
has to endure five times the force of
gravity pressing on his body while
his peripheral vision is obliterated
leaving him with a tunnel vision of
the world.
He has taken a break from that
by flying, with girlfriend Japanese
lingerie and fashion model Jessica
Michibata, halfway around the globe
to race in the 4th Cobra Ironman 70.3
Philippines in Cebu.
Button joined the full Ironman 70.3
triathlon race. This means he had to
run the full 70.3 miles distance of the
race. He swam 1.2 miles, negotiated
a 56-mile bike ride and completed a
13.1 mile run. Michibata was part of
a relay team and completed the 13.1
mile run.
The race started at the beach front
of the Mactan Shagri-La Resort &
Spa with the participants diving
in the crystal clear ocean. It was
followed by a windy bike ride with
hundreds of spectators lining the
route. It ended with what may have
been a torturous run when he had to
endure the hot and humid Philippine
weather.
Professional triathlon athlete Pete
Jacobs won his third consecutive
crown in the mens category. First
timer Caroline Steffen won her first
Cobra title in the womens edition.
Jacobs, who has competed in
all four stagings of the event, said
winning three times in the Philippines
is special and that he looks forward
to racing again and winning a
fourth time. This not good news to
another professional triathlon athlete
Cameron Brown who like Jacobs
has been to all four stagings of the
Philippines. Unlike Jacobs, Brown
has not yet won a single staging.
Like many other racers Button
began his career as a driver by karting
at the age of eight. He achieved
early success and progressed to
car racing in the British Formula
Ford Championship and the British
Formula Three Championship. He
first drove in Formula One with the
Williams team for the 2000 season.
The following year he switched to
Benetton, which in 2002 became
Renault. For the 2003 season
he moved to BAR. They were
subsequently renamed Honda for the
2006 season, during which Button
won his first Grand Prix in Hungary,
after 113 races.
Following the withdrawal of
Honda from the sport in December
Cayetano joined the recent 4th
Philippines to swim, bike and run
right alongside the best athletes the
sport had to offer. But other than
just competing she had other things
in her mind.
When I run in a race, I proudly
run on behalf of women. I run to
empower women. I run to raise
awareness that there is still a lot of
discrimination and injustice against
women in our country. I run because
I know this will be a better place
when womens voices are heard
as loudly as mens. Mostly, I run
because I know a little girl is always
watching from the sidelines; and
I hope to empower her, to inspire
her to be a woman of substance
and perhaps a woman who runs one
day, said Senator Cayetano.
According to her there are
really two kinds of women who
run: Women who put on running
shoes and run recreationaly or
competitively, and women who run
for public office. She is a woman
who runs, on both accounts.
She admits that she was a night
owl most of her adult life. But
everything changed after the death
of her son. She became a triathlete
because running consoled her when
she had to think of other things
especially during a race.
But like all my long races and
trials in life, I always tell myself, the
day will end whether I accomplish
my task or not. Do I want to look
back knowing I did it, or regretting
I did not? In this case, the question
I asked myself was more specific.
At the end of the day do I want to be
able to say, I AM AN IRONMAN?
Needless to say, I kept running and
competing, she said.
Cayetano said that women have
a lot of ground to cover. Studies
show that political positions
continue to be held mostly by men.
In 2007 in the Philippine local
government units, there were only
274 female mayors (17.19%) while
there were 1,320 male mayors
(82.81%)and 18 female governors
(21.95%) compared to 62 male
governors(78.05%).
Sadly, there are also women on the
run on the run from violence and
abuses. Last year, Melinda Ponce, a
respected runner and accomplished
ultra-Marathoner from Cebu was
brutally murdered by her husband
together with three of her kids.
Only one daughter survived.
Melinda came from a run and was
wearing her running clothes when
she was killed. Unknown to many,
she was a battered wife for many
years. Running was her escape.
Sadly, she was not able to run fast
enough or far enough from this
man, her very own husband who
would be her murderer.
Cases like this may be very rare
indeed. But Senator Cayetano says
that a single case is already one
too many. She says she will do
everything in her power, including
running marathons and going
through a torturous triathlon, to
help women become aware of their
plight and to empower themselves
to better their lot in life.
NATURAL born athletes compete and dominate early. A
prime example is nine-year-old Tara Borlain who wins
every race she joins.
At the recent 3rd Alaska Ironkids Triathlon, Tara moved
up from the 6-8 years old to the 9-10 years old but still won
her age category in the 3rd Alaska Ironkids Triathlon at the
Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa.
Tara, the youngest participant in her age category, timed
16 minutes, 48.9 seconds edging out sister Samantha who
timed 17:16.1. The sisters both had a better time than the
boys winner (Tan, 17:18.9) in their age group.
In the three years of the Ironkids competition, which
includes 16 races in all (Aquathlons, Marathons and
Duathlons), Tara won her 13th race while placing third
three times.
Its probably in her genes. Tara is the daughter of former
bodybuilding world champion Ringo Borlain.
Victoria Deldio of Olongapo City won the girls 13-14
years old while Mark Pile, of Quezon City, ruled the boys
13-14. Lauren Plaza, of Binan, Laguna, won the girls 11-
12 category while Yuan Chiongbian was victorious in the
boys 11-12 category.
Eric Almendral, of Ayala, Alabang, won the boys 6-8
years old while Syra Ruth Uy was victorious in the same
age category for girls. Juris Aaron Tan, of Quezon City,
won the boys 9-10 category.
Maia Isabel Yusay was second in the girls 13-14 years
old category with Yona Daniell Academia took third place.
Justin Chiongbian was seconds in the boys 13-14
category while Julius Constantino was third.
Sophie Vizcarra was second in the girls 11-12 category
while Veronica Deldio, of Olongapo City, took third place.
Brent Valelo was second in the boys 11-12 category
while Nathan Nala of Mabalacat Pampanga was third.
RACES AFTER NEW PURSUIT
JENSON
BUTTON
JENSON Alexander
Lyons Button is known
as the McLaren Formula
One driver who was also
the 2009 Formula One
World Champion for
Brawn GP.
2008, he was left without a drive for
the 2009 season, until Ross Brawn led
a management buyout of the team in
February 2009, and Button suddenly
found himself driving a Mercedes-
engined car.
Button went on to win a record-
equaling six of the first seven races
of the 2009 season, securing the
World Drivers Championship at
the Brazilian Grand Prix. He led on
points all season. His success also
helped Brawn GP secure the World
Constructors Championship.
In 2010, button moved to McLaren,
partnering fellow British racer and
former World Champion Lewis
Hamilton. After finishing fifth for
the team in 2010, Button finished the
2011 season as runner-up.
Button and Michibata came a week
early for the Cobra Energy Drink
Ironman 70.3 Philippines race and
was able to take in the sights and
sounds of Cebu.
Most of their time were spent,
of course, biking around Cebu
specifically riding out from
Liloan, where they were billeted
to Catmon and later to other parts
of Cebu
Button was with friends
Raymund Paul and Tom Dudden.
They spent time with other
triathletes including Tommy
Vonach, Andrea Bes and Cebus
Noy Jopson.
And after long hard rides to quench
his thirst Jenson discovered local buko
juice which he often quaffed with relish.
The concoctioncoconut water with
condensed milkis a famous fare sold
on a sidewalk in Compostela.
We loved it. Its actually a good
recovery drink. I never tried drinking
coconut juice with milk. Maybe we
could import it in the UK, said Paul
in a published report. Paul is also a
triathlon coach in the United Kingdom.
His love for buko juice is not really
surprising because other than its
delicious taste it is a natural isotonic
beverage which is the best fluid to
take to replenish water lost through
sweating especially during hard
workouts.
Button also imbibed in Cebus local
color. He was pleasantly surprised
by a drum and bugle corps of kids
performing with aplomb. But like all
the other contestants Button was in
complete awe of the crowds which
lined the route after the organizers
made sure that 25,000 shouting,
cheering fans lined the bike routes to
cheer on the participants.
Button competed in the 30-34 age
group and actually timed well enough
to qualify him to the Ironman 70.3
World Championships to be held in
Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada.
A well-accepted doctrine in training
for excellence is the importance of
cross-training. That is, in order to keep
peak effort in training it is best to do
other things to keep practices refreshing,
interesting and thus effective.
Button may just be cross-training
to better prepare himself to the rigors
and demands of the F1 tracks. Because
he has the means Button has traveled
halfway around the globe, to Cebu in
the Philippines, to chase after his new
pursuit which is triathlon.
Senator runs
to empower other women
MANY run to stay t. Others run to win competitions. Senator Pia Cayetano
runs to empower and inspire women to push themselves and defy conventions.
She says she is inspired by women stories of triumph like that of Kathrine
Switzer, the rst woman to run the Boston marathon in 1967 but who had to
pass herself off as a man to do it.
Tara wins every race she joins
Everly Jana Macalalad was third in the girls 9-10 years old
category.
George Leather, of Makati, was second in the boys 9-10 years
while Luigi Crisostomo of Binan, Laguna was third.
Coco Leather was second in the girls 6-8 years old while
Yasmin Marga Priagula was third.
Umi Martin Abelarde was second in the boys 6-8 years
old while Riele Abel Te was third.
One hundred thirty nine participants joined this years
Alaskas Ironkids a big jump from last years 95 participants.
Parents, siblings, friends and other relatives all came to
Cebu to cheer on the budding athletes.
Alaska IronKids Philippines, which is open to kids 6 to 14
years old, is the local junior version of the international triathlon
series, Ironman. It features three sporting events: swimming,
biking and running.
The Alaska Ironkids aims to promote a well-balanced
lifestyle for kids of today, who often spend too much time
just staying indoors watching the TV, playing videogame
console games and surfing the Internet.
For the past three years Ironkids has also served as
the perfect venue for families to bond and for parents to
demonstrate to their kids that being healthy can also be fun.
For Tara Borlain these races also affords her a venue to unleash
her competitive spirit allowing her to win every race she joins.
British Formula One driver Jenson Button of McLaren, above, waves upon his arrival at the
Hungaroring race track near Budapest, Hungary before the Formula One Hungarian Grand
Prix. Counter clockwise: Button negotiates the streets of Cebu, Philippines atop a bike dur-
ing the 4th Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines; a more familiar sight, Button negotiates a turn
on his F1 vehicle; Buttons girlfriend fashion and lingerie model Jessica Michibata.
Senator Pia Cayetano (top photo) shows off her Kenneth Cobonpue-designed
IronmanPhilippines medal. (Bottom photo) The woman senator-athlete refreshes
herself with water while negotiating the Marcelo Fernan bridge atop her bike.
)Sisters Tara (left) and Sam relax in preparation for the Alaska
Ironkids Duathlon, of swim and run, in preparation for the full
Alaska Ironkids Triathlon.
The Borlain sisters Tara (left) and Sam show off their respective bikes
which they rode in the 3rd Alaska Ironkids Triathlon held in Cebu.
A8
Sunday
SPORTS
ManilaStandardTODAY
SINCE trackster David Nepo-
muceno debuted in the 1924
Olympic Games in Paris as the
Philippines lone representative,
our participation in this ultimate
sporting spectacle is still just that
mediocre.
The Cold War is over, ending de-
cades of a bitter arms race between
the United States and the Soviet
Union as well as the remarkable ri-
valries between their athletes.
But the opportunity for the Fil-
ipino Olympians to capture their
rst gold medal in the aftermath
of the wide open race following
the Soviet collapse has remained
an elusive dream.
Instead, it has opened up the
battle for the gilded metal to the
rest of the world, including our
once derided Southeast Asian
neighbors who took the cue to
claim their own gold medals in
the Olympiad.
After 12 appearances in the qua-
drennial event, all that the country
could boast of are a couple of silver
medals and a slew of bronze medals
won by gallant campaigners.
Boxer Anthony Villanueva,
then only 19 years old, won the
rst silver medal in the feather-
weight class of the boxing nals
in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics,
losing a split 3-2 decision against
Russian Stanislav Stepashkin.
Then came the diminutive
Manuel Onyok Velasco, who
bowed to Bulgarias Daniel
Petrov in the nals of the light-
yweight division to miss the
gold medal during the 1996 At-
lanta Games.
Swimmer Teolo Yldefonso
became the lone back-to-back
winner of the bronze medals in
swimming, the rst in the 1928
Amsterdam Games and the last in
the 1932 Los Angeles Olympiad.
High jumper Simeon Toribio
claimed the other bronze medal in
that same Olympics in the City of
Angels. Four years later in Berlin,
Miguel White took the bronze med-
al in the 400-meter low hurdles.
It was also in Berlin where
Jose Villanueva, father of Tokyo
silver medalist Anthony, settled
for the bronze medal despite los-
ing an earlier match in the ban-
tamweight class.
The simon pures proved to be
the most productive medal-ma-
chine of the Filipino Olympians.
After a 24-year medal-drought,
Leopoldo Serrantes grabbed the
bronze medal in the lightweight
category of the 1988 Seoul
Olympics.
Finally, another boxer,
the youthful Roel Velasco
deed the odds to settle
for the bronze medal in the
same weight category in
1992 in Barcelona after al-
most missing the cut in the selec-
tion process to the Games.
Again, except in boxing, there
seems to be no hope in sight for a
credible performance by Filipino
Olympians in the ongoing Lon-
don Olympics, the 30th edition
of the Games.
History and spectacle are be-
ing repeated in the Games as
China, the proud host of the
previous Games, exes anew its
prowess against the rest of the
world with surprising domina-
tion in various disciplines.
China, which awed the world
with a $300 million mega-pro-
duction of its opening ceremo-
nies in 2008 in Beijing, is cur-
rently leading the medal race in a
tting follow-up to its incredible
showing before the home crowd.
The Chinese trailed the United
States in terms of medal produc-
tion in Beijing with 100 medals
against the American tally of 110
medals. But China beat the US
in gold production, 51 versus 36.
This time around even host
England is not a force to be reck-
oned with in terms of gold medal
production. Neither are Russia,
France, Germany and Italy, once
the much-ballyhooed medal
leaders in the Olympiad.
England threw in a more re-
strained budget of $42 million
for its opening rites that featured
neither the pomp and pageantry
of Athens nor the majesty and
magnitude of Beijing.
Non-traditional rivalries have
overtaken the Games with US
swimmer Michael Phelps, owner of
the most number of Olympic gold
medals at 14, being challenged this
time by teammate Ryan Lochte.
The worlds fastest man, Jamai-
can Usain Bolt faces a tough op-
position from training partner Yo-
han Blake. Team USA of Lebron
James, Kevin Durant and Kobe
Bryant are up against the Gasol
brothers-led Spanish squad.
Where is the Philippines? What
of the 11-member PH delegation?
It is best not to utter a single word
to describe their early rush to the
exits after all the worn-out excuses
and subterfuges.
For sure, they were over-
whelmed by the jarring wonders
of London, its rich history, the
grand stadiums, the dizzying
technological advances and the
iconic landmarks which made
Britain great.
London overwhelms
Philippine Olympians
RAY ROQUERO
THE MORNING AFTER
Practitioners of the sport take
their calling very serious like
Rhowie Enriquez who is the Sec-
retary General of the Triton Drag-
on Boat Racing Team and Deputy
Deputy Treasurer of Philippine
Dragon Boat Federation.
I started paddling seriously in
February 2000 with Rowers Club
Philippines (RCP) and had raced
rst time in a local regatta with
only a month of training. And af-
ter three months of rigid training,
I then joined the team in its rst
international race in Malaysia
where we won Gold in the Wom-
ens 750m event, said Enriquez.
From then on she was hooked
and became a convert to the sport
of dragon boat rowing.
In 2009, we (the veteran
women paddlers) created a new
team to connote the strength,
unity and competitive spirit of
women dragon boat athletes,
and named it Triton Dragon Boat
Racing Team, said Enriquez.
The name was derived from
Greek Mythology. Triton was one
of the gods of the sea. He was the
messenger of the sea and as such
was the fastest god in the water.
The Triton team has accomplished
a lot in just three years and has
grown bigger with the formation
of its formidable mens crew.
In August 2011, Enriquez
joined the PDBF team in the 10th
IDBF World Championships in
Tampa, Florida, USA. The team
won ve Gold and two Silver in
the small boat events.
Ironically, their federation is
not even accredited as a National
Sports Association by the Philip-
pine Olympic Committee.
Dragon boat racing is an al-
most addictively attractive sport.
The boats are powered by up to
20 paddlers sitting in pairs on
benches. There is a sweep,
who stands at the back of the
boat, shouting instructions and
steering with a sweep oar, and
a drummer who sits at the front,
banging two sticks together to
rein in the timing of the paddlers.
Paddlers have to work in uni-
son. They cannot be caught gaz-
ing across the water at an attrac-
tive member of the opposite sex
on an adjacent boat or on the
JUST KEEPS ON PADDLING
DRAGON boat racingwith the
drummer on board and fearsome
decorations designed to scare away evil
water spiritswas originally a religious
practice. Today it is one of the world
fastest-growing sport and it is practiced
with almost religious devotion by many
like the members of the Triton Dragon
Boat team.
shore. The sweep instructs all
paddlers to keep their eyes in
front at all times.
Paddling is tougher than many
would think. A single burst to the
nish line will leave paddlers with
their arms and biceps burning with
fatigue and every joint and bone in
their body aching. But the experi-
ence, like other challenging sports
activity, demands repetition again
and again.
This attraction is present more
so in dragon boating which is often
called the ultimate team sport. It is
never about the individual paddler.
It is always about the whole team,
each and every paddler, working
together as a single unit.
The Triton Dragon Boat Team
has been extremely busy. This
past year alone they have joined
two local dragon boat races and
three international competitions
including the 8th Club Crew
World Championships in Victo-
ria Harbor, Hong-Kong.
They do have people who be-
lieve and support them in Ma-
rikina City, Thomas Reyes, Con-
gresswoman Ivy Arago, Beach
Hut Sunblock, Congresswoman
Emi Calixto-Rubiano, Senator
Ralph Recto, Kiongoi Granite
Corp, Ed Quitoriano and MAA
Gen Assurance.
Despite the many setbacks, the
demanding and often expensive
nature of the sport, the absence
of government support and rec-
ognition Enriquez and the crew
of the Triton Dragon Boat team
will just keep paddling and con-
tinue to win honors in the inter-
national arena and bring honor to
the country.
Triton dragon boat crew
Members of the Triton teams are visited by supporters and well-
wishers during the 8th IDBF Club Crew World Championships in
Hong Kong.
JORGE Nene Araneta refur-
bished and upgraded the faade
and more importantly the facili-
ties of the Smart Araneta Coli-
seum often referred to as The
Big Dome.
The launching of Grand
Atrium, known to the public as
simply the Green Gate under-
scored the differences.
While the SM Mall of Asia
Arena may showcase spanking,
new facilities the Smart Araneta
Coliseum is steeped in history
and tradition and has served,
since its inauguration on March
16, 1960.
There were over 30,000 peo-
ple packed into the coliseum
for the world junior lightweight
championship in which a hero of
our time, Gabriel Flash Elorde
scored a spectacular 7th round
knockout over American Har-
old Gomes to win the world title
which he held for seven-and-a-
half years.
For sheer electricity the
Thrilla in Manila between
Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier
on October 1, 1975 which red
the imagination of ght fans
around the world remains un-
Smart Araneta remains PH sports mecca
Miami Heat coach Eric Spoelstra leads the ribbon cutting ceremony for
the relaunch of the Smart Araneta Coliseum. With him are Chito Salud,
QC Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, and Jorge Nene Araneta
matched. Even to this day people
recall that memorable occasion
while the ght itself is consid-
ered the greatest heavyweight
battle of all-time.
The incredible eight-division
world champion, pound for
pound king and Fighter of the
Decade Manny Pacquiao made
the rst defense of his rst world
title, the World Boxing Council
yweight crown against the rst
Mexican he battered, Gabriel
Mira whom he dropped three
times in the fourth round to win
by a TKO on April 24, 1999.
But boxing isnt the only sport
that fans associate with the Smart
Araneta Coliseum. Basketball,
both the collegiate leagues and the
professional Philippine Basketball
Association have made the Big
Dome their home for years.
In fact, the PBA which was
inaugurated in April 1975 has
played thousands of games at the
venue, stirring passions dur-
ing the glory days of the famed
Crispa-Toyota rivalry and in
more recent years reverberat-
ing to the chants of fans of the
leagues most popular team ,
Gi-neb ra! Gi-neb-ra!
The attendance record for
basketball was set in the sev-
enth and nal game of the 2008
PBA Fiesta Conference between
Barangay Ginebra Kings and
the Air 21 Express which was
packed to the rafters with 23,892
paying patrons underscoring the
drawing power of Ginebra.
In an emotional moment that
touched the lives of the predomi-
nantly Catholic Filipino nation
Pope John Paul II celebrated
Mass at the Big Dome on Feb-
ruary 1981 and announced then
that This place will be called the
colosseo of papal audiences.
In many ways the Smart Ara-
neta Coliseum is a colosseo for
all audiences who share a com-
mon love and appreciation of
sports and entertainment. That
would surely please the man
whose vision gave substance
to it allJ. Amado Araneta.
Ronnie Nathanielsz
The Triton mens team give it their
all as they near the finish of the 200
meter Minor Final of the 8
th
IDBF
Club Crew World Championships in
Hong Kong.
By Christian Cardiente
THERE have been many experiments and studies
lately discussing the negative effects of abuse
and misuse of the internet and various forms of
communications gadgets. Cutting across cultures,
social levels and age groups, the ndings suggest
that too much attachment and time spent on
these things harm an individual and the society
in general.
Do you have two or more mobile phones, on
top of your PC, tablet, and a smartphone? Are you
online most of the time, spending hours on social
networks, video sharing sites, online games,
gambling, porn, etc.?
Do you have the urge to frequently check your
email or phones for messages and missed calls;
and feels compelled to instantly respond regardless
of the circumstances and the time? Do your kids
spend more time alone with their gadgets instead of
hanging out with their friends; and throw tantrums
when you ask them to do otherwise?
Now, why is it that some people keep their
gadgets on their bedside, much closer than their
spouse? Is it really necessary to be in front of
the PC after every waking hour and right before
calling it a day?
The fact is many people feel naked without
their handheld devices in tow. Behavioral
therapists point to declining interactions among
kids as one of the reasons why socialization
problems become suddenly prevalent.
Somethings terribly wrong with these scenarios,
and technology experts themselves warn of this
trend; even referring to it as an addiction or
disorder.
Just recently, a Facebook director from Silicon
Valley warned users to log off once in a while,
and put them down.
In an experiment last year, teens from ten
countries were banned from using phones, TV,
the internet and social networking sites for just
one day. The result was disturbing, as 79 percent
of the respondents exhibited adverse reactions
ranging from distress to confusion and isolation.
A separate study found that people deprived of
their gadgets experience withdrawal symptoms
Perfect
on-wall speakers
for thin TVs
Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III
I HAVE always been a
fan of compact, thin, yet
powerful speakers. Such
innovative design provides
audiophiles with more
space and blends well with
home furniture.
Power Trip Incorporated, the exclusive
distributor of the Polk Audio brand in the
country, recently introduced the Denitive
or Def Tech Audio. As one of the premier
audio equipment brands in the United
States, Manoj Budhrani of Power Trip is
condent that Def Tech will ll in the gap
for enthusiasts who demand better quality
audio systems that are reasonably priced.
We have a wide range of products that
meet the requirements of audio enthusiasts,
even those who just want better sounding
home entertainment speakers, said
Budhrani.
To better appreciate Power Trips audio
line up, Budhrani took us on a guided tour
of the audio shops high tech showroom
along Sheridan Street in Mandaluyong City.
A self-confessed audiophile, the audio-
video showroom was designed by Budhrani
himself. Inside were strategically placed wall
mounted speakers, receivers, tower speakers
and the various products of Denitive Audio.
All of these speakers are tuned to
maximize the audio effect for patrons. Its
our demonstration room where people can
experience the crisp, clear and powerful
sounds of Def Tech, he added.
Def Tech is a corporate monolith known
for going through great pains to develop,
engineer and design its speakers. It is not
unusual therefore for Denitive loyalists to
wait up and anticipate for a new product line
to become available. If it is an indication,
the successful unveiling of the Mythos XTR
50 On-Wall Speaker system by Power Trip
clearly signals the future of the brand.
Blown away
For starters, XTR 50s sleek design was
made possible by its aircraft grade extruded
aluminum casing; supported with stiff ribs
and channels to help keep the 27-by-6 by 1.5
inch deep cabinet rigid. The speakers come
with a slender wall bracket, but you may
also opt to directly mount the speakers on
the wall with a screw instead. This means
Are you a tech or gadget junkie?
Disconnect and take a break!
akin to drug addicts.
In his new book entitled iDisorder: Understanding
Our Obsession With Technology and Overcoming
its Hold on Us, author Dr. Larry Rosen suggests a
strong correlation between the rise in psychological
disorders and our increased dependence (and
obsession) with gadgets, social networks and the
internet.
Dr. Rosen claims that our use
of certain technologies result to
a variety of iDisorders, which
include symptoms of narcissistic
personality disorder, obsessive
compulsive disorder, attention
decit and deeply disturbed
schizoid thinking.
For example, while our
obsession with smartphones
leads to symptoms of Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder (OCD),
addiction to social networking
sites is a manifestation of
narcissistic personality disorder:
people inate their sense of self-
importance with little regard
for other peoples feelings. Dr.
Rosen argues that behind this
hyper-condence usually lies a
fragile self-esteem.
According to the book, gadget
addicts are more prone to exhibit the Attention
Decit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): not just to
young people who are into excessive game playing,
but even among normal adults whose dependence
on technology, the 24/7 availability of the internet,
and our constant use of devices makes us all behave
as if we have ADHD.
Perhaps the most evident and most worrisome
of Dr. Rosens ndings is his claim that excessive
computer use causes people (often teenagers) to
develop symptoms of schizoid personality disorders
making them socially withdrawn and unable to
relate to others.
Even though some research suggests internet
use helps bolster social connections, my research
shows the opposite: that media and technology
use is highly correlated with social withdrawal and
isolation, wrote Dr. Rosen.
We dont have to look farther,
actually. Youngsters skipping
classes to play online games
and in computer arcades had
always been a problem in our
local communities. There were
many other indications, like an
ongoing court battle on a child
custody where a friend acts as
counsel.
Apparently, several witnesses,
including the nanny of the child,
have testied on the mothers
perverse sense of priorities: she
would rather constantly spend
time on Facebook than attend to
the needs of her daughter.
Observe your relatives or
friends during reunions, and
more often than not, some would
be busy tinkering with their
gadgets over the dinner table.
These past years, recruitment
in campus organizations had been extra difcult. The
funny but logical reason I heard: These kids belong
to the iPod and Facebook generation. They either
have their earphones plugged to their ears to kill
time in between classes, or busy on their computers
maintaining a virtual relationship with their friends
back home or in the provinces. Who needs an org?
In extreme cases, gadget addiction is lethal.
Vehicular accidents caused by drivers or pedestrians
losing focus over mobile gadgets have become
increasingly common. I have even seen, in at least
two instances, motorcycle riders text or make a call
while on the road driving.
What can be done? Obviously, we cant rid of
technology. As Dr. Rosen has put it, the solution is
about balance and moderation.
Remember, technological advances are borne out
of our desire to make work easier and to enhance
our lives; and not to be burdened with more work
loads and lead to ruined relationships. They are
merely tools to make us more productive, to make
smart use of our time; so that well have more of it
for more essential things in life family, friends, and
taking care of oneself.
The following are practices and measures from
experts gathered around the net which may be
useful to you or concerned authorities in dealing
with gadget abuse or misuse.
Authorities may adopt a German labor
decree prohibiting employers from electronically
contacting their staff outside of working hours.
Switch off computers, log off from social
networks; note the effect that time online has on
your performance and relationships.
Many tech rms integrate breaks, breathing
exercises, or even meditation in their work
routines.
Turn off phones at night or put it elsewhere
other than bedroom.
Encourage children and teens to engage in real
sports or play other than online games.
Engage in real conversations; call often and
limit texting.
Observe online and ofine schedules.
Take tech breaks, take on a hobby, connect with
nature.
Have meals sans the gadgets around; skip TV or
computer before bedtime.
Implement house and vacation rules on gadgets;
establish no tech zone or time.
Get involved in social and other group
activities.
that the XTR 50 will only protrude the wall
by a mere 1.5 inches. Position it side by side
with your average at panel TV and youll
be amazed at how the XTR 50s slim design
could pack and deliver so much sound power
once you hoist it up and bolt it with your
audio-video system.
A closer look of the Mythos XTR 50 would
reveal an inward curvature from the left and
right sides of the speaker cabinet, bringing to
mind an aircraft wing.
As seen from the front, the curve reminds
you of a jet ghters wing. The inward
curve makes the speaker look as thin as
possible from nearly all angles in the room,
explained Budhrani. The aluminum cabinet
of the XTR is spray-painted with a gloss-
black nish reecting the XTR 50s ne
quality and engineering.
Already impressed with the XTR 50s
design and looks, Budhrani went on to
the real test by playing concert DVDs of
Michael Bubble and Brian McKnight, among
others. I am not a fan of Bubble, but the XTR
50s deep bass, mid trebles, and dynamic
audio made me appreciate him. In fact, I was
completely blown away. Budhrani popped
in select scenes from movies like Avatar,
Die Hard and Kung Fu Panda next, which
made us yearn for more; thanks to the truly
engaging surround sound.
The Mythos XTR 50s beauty, as they say,
is more than skin deep. Its a perfect package
of size, aesthetics, performance and price
relative to other on-wall speaker systems
currently available in the market. It sure is a
love at rst sight seeing the speaker up close,
but wait until it releases its powerful, crystal
clear sound, and you will nd the P34,950
price tag a remarkably good deal.
Manoj Budhrani
of Power Trip,
Philippine
distributor of
Mythos power
speakers,
showcases
the XTR-50.
Considered the
worlds rst
thinnest on-wall
speakers, the
Mythos XTR-50
can be mounted
horizontally or
vertically; or
placed in a stand.
A9 AUGUST 12, 2012 SUNDAY
Sunday
TECH
ManilaStandardTODAY
MARLON C. MAGTIRA, Section Editor
CHRISTIAN CARDIENTE, Asst. Editor
online.editor@manilastandardtoday.com
Sunday
BUSINESS
ManilaStandardTODAY
A10
LEO Lim Liu built his own business empire
from scraps, literally. Like most taipans in the
Philippines, he grew up poor, worked hard and
persevered to achieve success. Unlike Henry Sy
and Lucio Tan who developed their businesses in
Luzon, Liu started his in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Cebus taipan
builds conglomerate
from scraps
As the patriarch of the Cebu
conglomerate LH Paragon Group of
Companies, Liu made footprints in
the wood processing industry through
Mandaue Timber Co. or Matimco, the
largest timber firm in the Philippines
and Golden ABC Inc., which owns the
clothing brands Penshoppe, Oxygen,
Memo and Forme. The group also runs
the Chong Hua Hospital, a 660-bed
hospital in Cebu.
My father was the rst Filipino-Chinese
jeepney driver in Cagayan de Oro, says
Charlie Liu, who is now the president and
chief executive of Matimco. Bernie Liu,
another son of Lim Liu, runs the Golden
ABC fashion company.
Charlie Liu considers his father as his
inspiration. He says his father nished
only grade four in Cagayan de Oro City. As
a young boy, he was captured by Japanese
soldiers and was forced to climb coconut
trees to pick coconuts for the soldiers
during the war.
After the liberation, Liu worked as an
assistant mechanic for the Americans and
engaged in trading goods with them. He
did not achieve immediate success in his
initial foray as an entrepreneur. His soap
making business went bankrupt after six
months.
Charlie Liu says this failure didnt
deter his father to pursue his goal. While
pondering his next move, the elder Liu
received an invitation from an old friend
who was looking for a saw doctor. A
saw doctor is an expert engaged in the
sharpening of saw blades in a sawmill.
With just a banig [mat], GI boots,
shorts, shirt and a letter of recommendation,
my father went to Cebu to nd new job
opportunities. Thus, he started working in
the lumber company of his friend. Being
an astute observer, he noticed the company
was experiencing lot of wastage by not
recycling the scrap materials from wood,
says Charlie.
Eventually, he got an idea how to add
value into these scraps, says Charlie.
This led him to develop a solid business
plan for his future business.
Charlie says when his father decided to
go on his own, he made soft drinks and beer
cases from wood scraps. This became his
rst successful business in Cebu.
The Liu patriarch then put a sawmill
factory in Cagayan de Oro. Five years
later, Mandaue Timber Co. ventured into
subcontracting for major lumber exporters
while diversifying into kiln-dried wood
processing.
In 1974, the company was renamed
Matimco. It further expanded its reach by
setting up a wood processing company also
in Cagayan de Oro.
By 1984, Matimco developed a strong
presence in Luzon through the acquisition
of Kingsway Enterprises Corp., now
known as Matimco Quezon City branch.
In 1997, Matimco moved into its new well-
appointed ofce in Mandaue City, Cebu.
Today, Matimco Inc. and its afliate
companies run the largest wood processing
operations in the country, with over 300
employees producing more than 500
products. It has a network of over 2,000
dealers all over the country. It is the
only ISO-certied wood processing and
treatment company in the Philippines.
Charlie says his father trained him well.
He says he developed a strong attachment
to Matimco because he has been working
there since he was 16. Charlie worked
in Matimco as a messenger, collector and
factory helper.
After graduating from high school, he
continued to work with Matimco until
he nished his BS Management degree
at San Carlos University as a working
student.
In 1981, his father decided to give
Charlie the leadership to Matimco, after the
Liu patriarch suffered his rst stroke. At
the same time, his entry to the top post was
perfectly timed because his brother decided
to focus on managing Chong Hua Hospital,
one of the biggest non-stock and non-prot
hospitals in Cebu.
Charlie Liu says despite being a timber
company, Matimco actually aims for
environmental sustainability and conducts
a wood-centric program for its corporate
social responsibility advocacy.
Matimco has a 50-hectare project in
Naga, Cebu for the companys reforestation
program. It is the companys third project.
Charlie says when Matimco completes
the plantation, they will turn it over to
the community for their agro-forestry
livelihood program. By the time you
grow the old trees, the younger ones would
follow. In the meantime you can plant
other crops to complement it to make soil
fertile, he says.
In a way, our advocacy is not only the
commercialization of wood but also the
correct management of wood resources,
Liu says.
Liu explains that commercial logging
is not bad per se, as perceived by some
quarters. He says commercial loggers play
a key role in the life cycle of a tree. Their
role is to replace the mature trees because
they cannot absorb as much water as the
growing trees do.
He says younger trees are in a very good
position to replace the older ones. Smaller
crops, he adds, should be planted around
the areas to ensure the fertility of the soil
and additional income for the farmers.
Actually, we should be viewed in a
positive way. Timber could be a very good
resource against climate change and also
a good asset for livelihood, says Liu.
We have to be passionate in an educated
manner and the reason is to balance out that
perspective.
He says as the forest resources in the
Philippines are not abundant as before,
Matimco now imports its timber requirements
from New Zealand, China and Malaysia.
These countries provide us sufcient raw
materials for our products, he says.
Meanwhile, he says the government
should put up the necessary infrastructure
to encourage private sector to join
reforestation programs. No one would be
interested to go into the mountains just to
plant trees. There has to be some programs
to encourage them to work and manage the
system, he adds.
Charlie Liu, 48, says he is excited
to welcome the year 2014, because it
would mark not only his 50th birthday,
but also the golden year of Matimco.
Its a special celebration because many
businesses dont last that long. It was
started by my father, a simple man whos
my idol, says Charlie.
MVP at Thursday Club.
Business tycoon Manny
Pangilinan (seated, second from
right) is the special guest during
the 2nd founding anniversary
celebration of Thursday Club,
an organization of business
and sports editors and media
practitioners. With him during
the event at the Metropolitan
Club in Makati are Ramon Isberto,
head, public affairs, Smart
Communications Inc.; Melody
del Rosario, vice president for
media relations and corporate
communications, Metro Pacic
Investments; Meralco corporate
affairs chief Joe Zaldarriaga; and
Marikina Mayor Del de Guzman.
By Othel V. Campos
FILIPINO wine makers may bring a
novel yet brilliant wine concoction
made from the aromatic herb
oregano to Turin, for Italys annual
wine festival.
Bureau of Agricultural Research
director Nicomedes Eleazar says the
agency has been experimenting on
various herbs and tropical fruits to
develop exotic wines.
What used to be the countrys trusted
folk medicine has now evolved into a
ne wine with unique anti-oxidant, anti-
microbial and nutrient components, he
says.
Oregano is a traditional herbal
medicine used by many Filipinos to
relieve cough. It is also used to cure
respiratory and abdominal problems like
indigestion.
The Agriculture Departments wine
and spirit cluster provides the boost
to introduce and market the countrys
fruit and exotic wines to overseas
destinations.
Turin is an Italian industrial-cultural
city known for its royal palaces, auto
factories, and famous wines such as
Barolo and Barbaresco. The oregano
wine will go as part of the showcase,
according to Estela Tao, a cluster
member.
The oregano wine was developed by
the Quezon Agricultural Experimental
Station of the Agriculture Department in
Region 4 through a funding from BAR.
It was rst exhibited at a trade fair in
Thailand in May 2012.
Together with other oregano product
lines, oregano wine has already reached
foreign markets, as souvenirs brought by
Filipino workers in the United States,
Canada and the Middle East.
Eleazar says oregano wine is not only
good for the heart but is also benetting
Research director promotes oregano wine
people with ailments such as asthma,
low immune system, prostate problems,
poor blood circulation, insomnia and
urinary tract infection.
The BAR provided more than P4
million for the development of several
oregano products as part of a bigger
programthe Indigenous Plants for
Health and Wellness.
We hardly had an R&D [research
and development] program for
phytochemical and anti-oxidant
products in the past. That is despite our
being blessed with so much and diverse
ora. Our indigenous plant program
will develop the countrys capability to
produce health and wellness products
like how Koreans marketed ginseng
tea, says Eleazar.
The IPHW program also aims to
raise the export of Philippine herbs and
spices, he says.
The countrys total export of spices
reached a peak of only $400,000 in a
year over the period 2000-2006. Eleazar
says there is a need to lessen import of
spices which reached to $2.2 million in
2009 by developing the local industry.
Among the IPHW crops are moringga,
saluyot, ulasiman bato, pili and cashew
nuts, yerba buena, native onions and
garlics, sesame, citronella and tanglad
(lemongrass).
The oregano program yielded other
value-added products such as juice, tea,
vinegar, and anti-bacterial soap.
A BAR study in 2008 shows that
an initial capital of P1 million for an
oregano processing facility which
generates all the products can give a 30-
percent return on investment.
This can produce 1,358 bottles of
375 milliliter (ml) wine, 547 bottles of
750 ml vinegar, 1,358 bottles of 375 ml
juice, and 4,400 boxes of tea at 14 bags
per box.
The wine is sold at P295 per bottle;
the juice, P245 per bottle; vinegar, P80
per bottle; and tea, P150 per box.
The BAR and QAES are further
developing oregano into other potential
pharmaceutical products such as cough
syrup, cold rubs and cream.
Other possible cosmetic products
are toothpaste, shampoo, facial, foot
and body scrubs. It can be developed
as an industrial product like organic
biofertilizer and biopesticide. Other
food products from it are candies, jam
and condiments.
Oregano has emmenagogue effect
or the ability to aid in menstruation.
It has antiseptic, anti-viral, anti-
parasitic, anti-oxidant, carminative
(relieves flatulence), diaphoretic
(increases sweating) properties. It
cures dyspepsia (kabag), chronic
and dry coughs, bronchitis, removes
phlegm, alleviates rheumatism and
chronic fatigue.
Charlie Liu
extrastory2000@gmail.com
Sunday
ARTS & LIFE
ManilaStandardTODAY
A11
Here are some tips:
1. During the rainy season, put to-
gether an emergency kit for every family
member. The kit should contain a change
of clothes, ip ops, crackers, a ash-
light, batteries, small bar of soap, tissue
or toilet paper and a hand towel. This is so
that you already have something in case
you need to evacuate due to rising ood
waters. These items should be in a small
plastic pouch and should be kept in your
houses second oor, if you have one.
2. Aside from food and water, you
should also have a rst aid kit. Contents
of the rst aid kit should include a dis-
infectant, cotton balls, plaster, band aid
and medication for pain, diarrhea and fe-
ver. Food should be easy to prepare and
eat. Dont bring canned goods or instant
noodles because in case you are stuck
for days, preparing these would be too
complicated. Crackers would be ideal
and so would trail mix (you need all the
energy you can get). Please make sure to
replace the food every few weeks.
3. Chamber pots may seem so old-
fashioned and disgusting but if you are
stuck on the second oor for 24 hours,
they will seem heaven-sent.
4. Turn off power in your house at the
main source. Most homes have a power
panel using circuit breaker overload pro-
tection. Circuit breakers are controlled
with a lever that places it in the On
or Off position. To turn the power off
to this panel containing the main break-
er, turn the lever to the Off position.
This will now disconnect all power feed-
ing the panel and the branch circuits.
5. After the ood has subsided, be
careful when using an electric appli-
ance. Never turn on wet electric appli-
ances, because they may cause an elec-
tric shock, overheat or cause a re.
6. Tune into your local radio station
on a battery radio.
7. Here are some things to remember
(source: http://www.environment-agen-
cy.gov.uk)
Six inches of fast owing water
can knock you over.
Two feet of water will oat your
car.
Flooding can cause manhole cov-
ers to come off, leaving hidden
dangers.
Dont walk or drive through ood
water.
Dont let children play in ood
water.
Dont walk on sea defences or riv-
erbanks.
When water levels are high be
aware that bridges may be danger-
ous to walk or drive over.
Culverts are dangerous when
ooded.
Look out for other hazards such as
fallen power lines and trees.
Wash your hands thoroughly if
you touch oodwater as it may be
contaminated.
survive
flood
How to
a
By Dinna Chan Vasquez
IF YOU live in Cainta, Antipolo or San Juan, what
has happened in the past week is nothing new to
you. You are probably a seasoned veteran when it
comes to ooding. My friend, who was traumatized
by what happened during Ondoy when she and the
rest of her household were trapped on the second
oor for three days, has a stash of food and water
in the masters bedroom. My mom, who had
leptospirosis long before we all knew what it is,
would never wade through a ood if she can help
it. A neighbors daughter, who goes to UST, has
her rainy day shoesnormally Crocs or Melissa
footwearso that her feet would not be soaked in
wet leather all day long if it rains. But what should
you do if you are a ood newbie?
Understanding
PAGASAs
color-coded
warning system
PAGASA has changed a color
associated with its rainfall
warning system.
Green, originally used to
signify a second-level alert (15-
30mm rainfall observed in one
hour and expected to continue
in the next three hours), has
been changed to orange. This,
according to Science and Tech-
nology Secretary Mario Mon-
tejo, is because people associ-
ate green with go, or safety.
The warnings are now as
follows:
YELLOW: 7.5-15 millime-
ters (heavy) rain observed in
one hour and expected to con-
tinue in the next two or three
hours
ORANGE: 15-30 millime-
ters (intense) rain observed in
hours
RED: More than 30 millime-
ters (torrential) rain observed in
hours
The rainfall warning levels
are now YELLOW, ORANGE,
RED; the colors associated
with awareness, preparedness
and emergency, PAGASA said
on its Web site.
The advised responses for
each color warning will depend
on the area, Montejo said. Evac-
uation may be necessary even if
a red warning has not yet been
issued, if the area oods easily.
Noahs Ark: Learning from Sendong
By Elaine Ruzul R. Alanguilan
IT WAS a scene straight out of a disaster story on
TV, with people leaving their homes for evacuation
centers and with pre-packed emergency kits con-
taining, among other things, food and water. Ex-
cept this was just a drill, a preparation for a disaster
that could happen again.
Almost a year after Sendong devastated North-
ern Mindanao, the Corporate Network for Disaster
Response (CNDR), with the support of Smart Com-
munications Inc., spearheaded a ood warning
and evacuation drill in Barangay Macasandig,
Cagayan de Oro City.
Macasandig is the host community for the
Noahs Ark Project of CNDR. It aims to build
disaster-resilient communities with zero casual-
ties through a series of trainings, workshops and
development of a Contingency Plan. The Baran-
gay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Coun-
cil (BDRRMC) of Macasandig led the drill.
Some 200 families from high-risk sitios
such as Lower Tambo, Lower St. Ignatius,
Biasong and Tibasak were mobilized to par-
ticipate in the drill.
This ood drill is an initiative aligned with
our philosophy of never letting a disaster go to waste.
Sendong was a disaster that was dearly paid for by the
community, it would all be for nothing if people dont
learn from it, said Ramon Isberto, head of Smarts
Public Affairs and CNDR chairman.
In supporting this initiative, Smart encourages
the shift from the usual practice of people needing
to be rescued during disasters.
We follow the trail of disasters. Communities
hit by disasters tend to be more receptive to do new
things to mitigate the problem, said Isberto.
Under Noahs Ark, local leaders and their con-
stituents are trained to be prepared and implement
pre-emptive measures before a disaster hits the
community.
During the drill, the BDRRMC followed a sce-
nario and implemented their contingency plan in
monitoring water level, issuing alerts, and evacuat-
ing the affected communities.
Dr. Cedric Daep, head of the Albay Provincial
Safety and Emergency Management Ofcer and
consultant of CNDR, guided the BDRRCM during
the drill, while Barangay Chairman Aaron Neri,
Sr. led the Macasandig BDRRMC.
The warning task unit monitored the water level
while the communication task unit relayed the infor-
mation to the community. The evacuees were then
picked-up at designated points and were then taken
to pre-identied evacuation centers. They were given
water, food, and relief packs until they were given or-
ders to decamp and head back to their homes.
The drill was a success. Everyone was recep-
tive and dedicated to what they were doing. There
was full support from the community because they
felt the need. If communities follow the procedures
to the letter, we could attain zero casualties at the
community level, said Daep.
The Macasandig ood drill was successful
since there is full participation of all members of
BDRRMC from the community risk assessment to
the actual drill, held for ve months. There was
also an active multi-sectoral partnership among
CNDR, Smart, Xavier University, Macasandig
Elementary School, and the parishes, said Hilda
Tabar-Cleofe, executive director of the CNDR.
It was the rst time we were able to mobilize
1,000 individuals in an actual drill. It was very
comprehensive that even the teachers that were
manning the evacuation centers were trained for
camp management system, said Cleofe.
CNDR and Smart have already conducted a simi-
lar ood warning and evacuation drill in Barangay
Tumana, Marikina City. Noahs Ark is also being
implemented in other high-risk communities such
as Barangay Bayanan, Muntinlupa City; Barangay
Guitinang Bayan 1, San Mateo Rizal; Barangay
Banago, Bacolod City; and Barangay Tubod, Iligan
City. The project has also been expanded in Baran-
gay Nangka, Marikina City and Barangay Candau-
Ay, Dumaguete City.
A woman cuddles her daughter as she rides
an improvised raft to a higher ground to
avoid the oods in Pasig City. AP
A boy uses a plastic toy as a oater as he wades along a ooded road in Marikina. AP
Residents of Barangay Macasandig board the trucks.
A12
Sunday
ARTS & LIFE
ManilaStandardTODAY
Tor y Nyhaug
Canadian cyclist Tor y Nyhaug s ranked 5
th
in the world in BMX
cycling. His road to London was a bit rocky as his spleen was ruptured
and he had to spend time in intensive care. The story is that Nyhaug
made a decision between keeping the spleen and letting it heal naturally
over six months or having it removed and going to the Olympics.
OLYMPIC
eye candy
(part 2)
By Joba Botana
THE television coverage of the London Games gives those of us
who are not able to go there a chance to catch up on the days events.
Okay, Solar Sports also allows a glimpse and more of the best-looking
athletes on the planet. Heres the second part of our list
Thirty-year old Russian pole vaulter Yelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva is a two-time Olympic gold
medalist, a ve-time World Champion and the current world record holder in the event. She is known as
the greatest female pole-vaulter of all time. She has a Bachelors and Masters Degree after graduating
from the Volgograd State Academy of Physical Culture. She is completing her post-graduate studies there
and also studying at the Donetsk National Technical University. The daughter of a plumber and a shop
assistant, Isinbayeva is proud of her humble beginnings.
Yelena Isinbayeva
Chr istian David Sprenger
For Australian breaststroke spe-
cialist Chr istian David Sprenger ,
swimming runs in the family. His
cousin Nicholas Sprenger repre-
sented Australia in the 2004 and
2008 Olympics.
Stefano Tempesti
Thirty-three year old
Stefano Tempesti is the
goalkeeper of Italys famous
and very good-looking na-
tional water polo team.
Bar tosz Kurek
Polish Bar tosz Ku-
rek is a Polish volley-
ball player. His father,
Adam Kurek, was also
a volleyball player. The
30-year-old Bartosz has
been called breathtak-
ingly beautiful.
Viktor ia Aleksandrovna Komova
Russian artistic gymnast Viktor ia
Aleksandrovna Komova is only 17.
Her parents were both gymnasts and
she says gymnastics is her life. She
also has her eye on the 2016 Rio de
Janeiro Olympics.
Francesca
Piccinini
Melanie Adams
Australian beauty Melanie Adams, a
pole vaulter, was supposed to compete for
the 2008 Beijing Olympics but missed her
chance due to a broken foot. Adams is only
21 years old and aside from winning an
Olympics medal, she also wants to bag the
Miss Universe title.
Italian volleyball player Fr ancesca
Piccinini has represented Italy four times
at the Summer Olympics. She was a
member of the Womens National Team
that won the gold medal at the 2002
Wor ld Championship in Ger many. In
2004, she appeared naked in a Mens
Health. Piccinini is always a crowd
favor ite.
Hans Van Alphen
Belgian decathlete Hans Van Al-
phen competed in the 2008 Beijing
Olympics, but did not nish all the
events due to an injury.
Matt Ander son
Twenty-ve year old Matthew John
Ander son is an American professional
volleyball player who is already a seasoned
competitor.
Camille Lacour t
French backstroke swimmmer Camille Lacour t is a native of Nar-
bonne, France, which is near the Mediterranean Sea.
Ellen Hoog
Ellen Hoog, 26, is a Dutch eld
hockey player of the rst ladies team
of Amsterdam, was born in Bloe-
mendaal. The team is said to be the
games best-looking squad. Hoog, a
striker, once posed for FHM Holland.

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