Welcome
to Santa Rosa Magazine
the open e-magazine of
Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines no registration, no
payment, no password, no sign-in required
This magazine is dedicated to St. Rose and
extending the love that she gave to her world.
Through spreading her love, our modern
troubled world can be helped to receive
healing,
because genuine pure love like hers is the
most powerful healing agent in the universe.
CONGRATULATIONS TO SANTA ROSA'S DREAM TEAM OF MAYOR ARLENE AND VICE MAYOR ARNEL ON RE-ELECTION
BY LANDSLIDE MAJORITIES IN 2013
NOBODY CAN DISPUTE THAT THE CITY OF STA. ROSA HAS ACHIEVED UNIQUE GLOBAL SUCCESS IN EVERY ASPECT OF DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH SURPASSING ALL PHILIPPINE ACHIEVEMENTS OUTSIDE MANILA.
This is due mainly to the blessing of our remarkably gifted City Mayor Arlene Arcillas (above left), strongly supported by her talented and continuously loyal City Vice Mayor Arnel Gomez (above right).
Just look at the photos below to see for yourselves how well they work together and why this dream team leadership with our dedicated hardworking dream team councilors have made Malacanang and the whole nation sit up and take notice of what's happening in Santa Rosa City Laguna.
It's not an imaginary pipe dream. It's a reality team that has achieved more in reality than any pipe dream ever could in imagination. Study the photos below and ask yourselves why in God's holy name anyone would want to shatter this sweet dream that successfully benefits us all and go backwards to the ungodly nightmare of conflict and corruption and killing that previously made the City of Sta. Rosa Laguna infamous instead of famous? Why change something that's so demonstrably the best? The best for all Rosenians, and already recognized nationally as the best in the entire country!
The fathers of our City Mayor and City Vice Mayor were both murdered for political reasons, and instead of giving up at that time, when Sta. Rosa Laguna had one of the worst reputations in the country for political killings, Arlene Arcillas and Arnel Gomez bravely continued their dedication to public service.
As the elections approached, voters focused carefully on the candidates and to assess what they had done for the people of Sta. Rosa in the past. Not what their campaigns declared what they would do, but their track records. What had they ever done for us and our city?
It's important that voters consider what really matters to all Rosenians as well as to themselves as individuals, especially voters with young children whose future is at stake. Of all the candidates campaigning for election, which ones could we trust long-term and which ones would ditch the electorate as soon as they were elected? It was essential to look at their known characters and history.
For example, Manuel Alipon made his fortune as Kapitan of Barangay Balibago. How? By tricking his barangay voters into believing that he would represent their interests, when in fact he represented only his own interests exemplified by a corrupt contract with Nissin, whereby he permitted a multi-hectare industrial complex right in the very center of an otherwise strictly urban (commercial and residential) area.
His corruption contributed enormously to the abominable time-wasting traffic congestion and unhealthy air pollution of Balibago Complex. One of his rewards from this contract was that his trucking company, Man-Ali Enterprises, has since been used to distribute Nissin's products.
SRM does not blame Nissin, because this company was unaware of Alipon's corrupt trickery and had no knowledge of Man-Ali's nefarious activities such as illegal transportation of protected species, unlawful logging, banned drugs and unlicensed weapons. Nor of Alipon's illegally armed gang of thugs (aka private army) who were used by him to rip off and rob foreign investors in Santa Rosa City, nor of his tax evasions.
Santa Rosa City Vice Mayor Arnel Gomez, pictured above center officiating at SM's
fabulous Christmas Season launch has
transformed the shambles, immoralities and
corruptions left behind when gangster
Manuel Alipon was voted out in 2010. The
public office of City Vice Mayor deserved
far better than the adulterer and armed
robber Alipon, whose criminalities are
notorious throughout Laguna, Cavite and
Batangas provinces. Voters did the right
thing, and they elected the right man for
the job.
President
Benigno Aquino was elected by a landslide
majority in 2010 to clean up our national
culture of corrupt officials like Alipon in
every city and municipality. And more
specifically, our City Vice Mayor Arnel DC Gomez was elected to
rid our local public office of Alipon's previous
vice mayoral corruptions. Vice Mayor Gomez has
proved himself to be the opposite to Alipon that
we all wanted. Gomez is younger and more active,
and he is completely honest. He and his
beautiful wife are positive assets to our city's
future development and prosperity.
Our highly
accomplished and highly honored City Mayor Arlene B. Arcillas, along with City
Vice Mayor Gomez and our dedicated and efficient
City Councilors form a Dream Team which is the envy of all the Philippines. It's why Sta. Rosa
Laguna is so successful. It's why it attracts so
much national and foreign media attention. It's
why it attracts so much national and foreign
business investment. It's why our social,
medical, educational, housing and environmental
conditions are improving so dramatically.
SRM wants Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines to
be a beacon of Philippine growth, not
a rat-infested sewer saturated with
the evil of adulterous, immoral,
fraudulent, thieving, criminally
corrupt degenerate gangster Manuel
Alipon and his gang of unlawfully
armed relatives, cronies and
employees. They plan to create an
Ampatuan-style Cotabato of the North
and to destroy the Eton-style Makati
of the South. The methods they use
exemplify why the corrupt want the
poor and uneducated to remain forever
poor and uneducated. Alipon will
typically use public money to persuade
the poor that every public project is
paid for out of his own pocket, and
that he personally pays for every
supply of food and other necessities
after natural disasters. He will then
give them a few pesos each to vote for
him, and send his gang to threaten or
bribe election officials into
tampering with results wherever he
thinks his opponents have a majority.
He is far worse than a natural
disaster, because his methods are
always to suppress the poor and keep
them at starvation level in dire
poverty so that he can manipulate and
control them while stealing the public
funds allocated to help them. Balibago
would have improved in every way
beyond recognition if Manuel Alipon
had never been involved in barangay
politics to syphon off its funds for
himself. Manuel Manoy Alipon, Santa Rosa City's
Public Enemy #1, was rejected by the voters in 2013 as predicted and trailed a long way behind in last place. NOW is the opportunity for our local
People Power to eradicate every
remaining vestige of reprobate Alipon's destructive corruption
forever. He is a despicable Balibago
gangster who thinks he's an
emperor, and surrounds himself with
thugs unlawfully armed with illegal
guns, but even his private army failed to get him back into City Hall. Later this year we must make sure he and his cronies fail to seize power again at the lower levels of local government. VOTE FOR HIS OPPONENTS in Barangay, SK and Purok 2013 elections to make certain that Manuel 'Manoy' Gonzales Alipon NEVER achieves his evil ambitions in Sta. Rosa City Laguna.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This updated feature by Angel Tugado is published by SRM without reservation. Although SRM has no direct dealings with Manuel Alipon, since our first online publication in 2007 - when we discovered after supporting him that in fact he was the opposite of the image he presented to us and to the public - we received so many authenticated stories of his adulteries, immoralities, corruptions and criminalities that we cancelled several later features that would have boosted his chances for re-election. SRM does not support corruption such as that of Manuel Manoy Alipon, and it never will. - Sarina Fernandez, Editor, Santa Rosa Magazine, Laguna, Philippines.
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GLOBAL POP LEGEND TOM JONES SAYS HE IS "THRILLED TO BITS" TO HAVE FILIPINO SINGER IN HIS TEAM ON THE VOICE UK 2013
WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW"? Joseph Apostol Turn up the
volume to hear what Tom Jones raved about. After Will.i.am used Filipino learned from his Black Eyed Peas co-star Apl.de.ap, Tom praised Joseph Apostol's vocal range, passion and originality, adding to plaudits for Joseph that: "I know Filipinos are great singers because I've been there and heard them." How many times have you heard or sung yourself: 'Delilah', 'The Green Green Grass Of Home', 'It's Not Unusual'
and other famous Tom Jones hits on local videoke? Such praise from a global pop legend, whose Las Vegas shows often outsold Elvis Presley's, is not to be sneezed at. Joseph Apostol's voice is something special.
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SUMMER WILL END ALL TOO SOON
SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
DRY OFF AFTER THE RAINY SEASON AND SWING INTO SUMMER AT ENCHANTED KINGDOM!
Every year there's more to attract, interest and thrill your whole family, and 2013 is no exception.
Santa Rosa Laguna is very lucky to have a world class theme park right on its doorstep. It would be crazy not to make the most of it, and especially so if you can take advantage of EK's frequent great-value promos.
Check out the Enchanted Kingdom website for full details, and have yourselves a fantastic fun-filled summer!
-
Ma. Luigi Angelica Arellano and Samantha Lopez
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WILL THE NEXT MISS UNIVERSE BE FROM LAGUNA?
Not quite from Santa Rosa but a very close neighbor from Los Banos!
Binibining Pilipinas Results 2013 (L to R) 1st Runner Up: Pia Wurtzbach, Miss Bb. Pilipinas - Tourism: Joanna Cindy Miranda,
Miss Universe Philippines: Ariella Arida, Miss Bb. Pilipinas - International: Bea Rose Santiago,
Miss Bb. Pilipinas - Supranational: Mutya Johanna Datul.
THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. WITH OUR CANDIDATES IN THE TOP 5 OF THE GLOBAL CONTEST FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS, GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THAT #1 TITLE SPOT, FILIPINA BEAUTIES ARE ON A RUN. The 24 year old UP Chemistry graduate from Laguna's Los Banos, Ariella Arida, is this year's candidate and the hopes of every red blooded Filipina and Filipino are resting on her beautiful shoulders.
SRM is proud to mention here that the annual Binibining Pilipinas Beauty Pageant, which Ariella Arida has won, is a project of Binibining Pilipinas Charities. This is a non-stock, non-profit organization founded by its chair, Stella Marquez Araneta.
Its mission is to spread peace and love across the nation, and its pageant is basically a fund raising event to support projects that benefit orphans, indigent families and other less fortunate members of Philippine society.
To find out more please visit the official Binibining Pilipinas Charities website.
- Sarina Fernandez (Photo courtesy of Binibining Pilipinas Charities)
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The Arangkada Philippines Forum: Realize the Potential! took place last month at the Rizal Ballroom, Makati Shangri La Hotel.
Scroll down this page to see this topnotch
event's great program of essential themes and
eminent speakers crucial to our global
investors and then find out more by visiting the Arangkada Philippines Forum website.
Above: American Idol's Fil-Am star Jessica Sanchez
sings "Ikaw" to tumultuous applause in her
fabulous sellout Valentine's Day concert at
Manila's Smart Araneta Coliseum. (Video
courtesy of YouTube.)
Also, visit
the welcome new website of Manila
Concert Scene to see the video of PSY's
"Gangnam Style" live performance at the Mall Of
Asia on February 16. His wildcard viral
phenomenon has broken every world record in pop
music, and will PSY be able to maintain this
level of global success with a series of
equally phenomenal follow-up hits? Only time will
tell....
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A DIFFERENT KIND OF BMW THAT WORKS ON EVERY MAKE OF CAR!
GQWEST INC., THE COMPANY BEHIND AQUABEST, highlighted another of its innovative new franchise concepts at MIAS (Manila International Auto Show). A different kind of BMW - Best Mobile Wazzers - is the country's first car wash delivery service.
The concept allows people to have their car washed anytime anywhere with just a single phone call. Compared to regular carwashes, Best Mobile Wazzers promises its clients added convenience since the client can dictate the time and place of the car wash. Since the service travels from customer to customer doing one carwash at a time, the clients save time by avoiding queues and going about their regular activities without interruption.
Best Mobile Wazzers is just one of the six concepts included in the GQWEST's EntrepRises package that offers consumers up to five different services that can be availed with a phone call. The package bundles water delivery, laundry, housekeeping, alteration, and carwash into one store so you can avail these services from a single provider.
- Jey-an O. Oroceo (Graphic courtesy of GQWEST)
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2013
IS ELECTION YEAR FOR SANTA ROSA LAGUNA, SO
MAKE SURE YOU ARE AWARE AND PREPARED,
BECAUSE THERE WILL BE CANDIDATES WITH SECRET
AGENDAS
GANGSTER
MANUEL ALIPON IS DOOMED TO LOSE YET AGAIN
AND COME LAST, WASTING THE DONATIONS OF
MISGUIDED SUPPORTERS, MONEY THAT HE HAS
ALREADY SYPHONED OFF SECRETLY INTO HIS
PERSONAL BANK ACCOUNTS....
THE BIGGEST THREAT
TO THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY IS GANGSTER MANUEL
ALIPON AND HIS PRIVATE ARMY OF CRONIES AND
PAID FOLLOWERS CARRYING UNLAWFUL UNLICENSED
LOOSE WEAPONS.
The reprobate Manuel Alipon
is a freak to vanity. He believes that cosmetic
surgery and faked photo imagery will combine to
disguise the evil corruption that he truly
represents. His ego is bloated like a balloon
with nothing but stale air inside it. He's
mentally unstable. He has now ripped off other
people to fund his election bid, but he is up
against incumbent Vice Mayor Arnel Gomez and
former VM Joey Catindig, so he is doomed to come
last. Manuel 'Manoy' Gonzales Alipon, the Balibago
bum who thinks he's an emperor, will lose
yet again and all his misled backers will lose
their money.
Sta. Rosa
City's electorate knows Alipon too well. The
honest people of Santa
Rosa Philippines are fully cognizant of
the fact that he was booted out in 2010 because
his adulteries, immoralities, frauds, robberies,
grafts, extortions, and other evil, godless,
corrupt activities were offensive to every voter
and disastrous for our city's prosperity. Since
Manuel Gonzales Alipon's humiliating and fully
deserved expulsion from public office, the
successes of Sta. Rosa have positively soared to
record levels as a result.
Santa
Rosa City Vice Mayor Arnel Gomez,
pictured above center officiating at SM's
fabulous Christmas Season launch has
transformed the shambles, immoralities and
corruptions left behind when gangster
Manuel Alipon was voted out in 2010. The
public office of City Vice Mayor deserved
far better than the adulterer and armed
robber Alipon, whose criminalities are
notorious throughout Laguna, Cavite and
Batangas provinces. Voters did the right
thing, and they elected the right man for
the job.
President
Benigno Aquino was elected by a landslide
majority in 2010 to clean up our national
culture of corrupt officials like Alipon in
every city and municipality. And more
specifically, our City
Vice Mayor Arnel DC Gomez was elected to
rid our local public office of Alipon's previous
vice mayoral corruptions. Vice Mayor Gomez has
proved himself to be the opposite to Alipon that
we all wanted. Gomez is younger and more active,
and he is completely honest. He and his
beautiful wife are positive assets to our city's
future development and prosperity.
Our highly
accomplished and highly honored City
Mayor Arlene B. Arcillas, along with City
Vice Mayor Gomez and our dedicated and efficient
City
Councilors form a Dream Team which is the
envy of all the Philippines. It's why Sta. Rosa
Laguna is so successful. It's why it attracts so
much national and foreign media attention. It's
why it attracts so much national and foreign
business investment. It's why our social,
medical, educational, housing and environmental
conditions are improving so dramatically.
SRM wants Santa Rosa City Laguna
Philippines to be a leading light in
Philippine growth, not a rat-infested sewer
saturated with the evil of adulterous, immoral,
fraudulent, thieving, criminally corrupt
degenerate gangster Manuel Alipon and his gang
of unlawfully armed relatives, cronies and
employees. They plan to create an Ampatuan-style Cotabato of the North and to
destroy the Eton-style Makati of the South. NOW
is the opportunity for People Power in 2013 to
reinforce the 2010 elections and eradicate
every remaining vestige of reprobate Manuel
Alipon's destructive corruption forever. He is
the despicable Balibago gangster bum who
thinks he's an emperor, and surrounds himself
with thugs unlawfully armed with illegal guns.
Alipon is Santa Rosa City's Public Enemy #1.
VOTE for his opponents in City, Barangay, SK
and Purok 2013 elections to make permanently
sure that Manuel Manoy Gonzales Alipon NEVER
achieves his evil ambitions in Santa Rosa City
Laguna Philippines.
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WILD,
WACKY, WITTY AND WONDERFUL!
WHAT A WAY TO WAKE US UP!
Above (left to
right): Edu Manzano, Paolo Bediones, Cheryl
Cosim, Joseph Holandes Ubalde, Chiqui Roa
Puno, Patricia May Sanchez, Christine Babao,
Analie Martinez, Grace Lee, and Shalala. GMC's Sta. Rosa
segment was a "Makata Adventure", one
of the series in which presenter Makata
Tawanan visits interesting places to meet
local people, find out about local
attractions and events, and sample local
delicacies. Naturally he started with the
sexy ladies who won the street dance
competition. Who wouldn't? But there was
...(More)
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Courtesy of Hyundai, play
this exciting interactive game The
Chaser and win great prizes!
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Been to Nuvali lately? Open air movies are
free and take place at intervals during the
year, so if you missed the Romantic Valentines' show
watch out for similar future events. (Read more.)
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YOUR
CHILD CAN BE THE NEW STAR AT SANTA ROSA'S
ENCHANTED KINGDOM
Make YOUR little STARS
shine bright at Enchanted Kingdom!
THE FIRST AND ONLY
PHILIPPINE WORLD-CLASS THEME PARK, ENCHANTED
KINGDOM, IS IN SANTA ROSA CITY LAGUNA.
Here you will find
thrilling rides, top entertainments, exciting
activities, delicious eateries and much more
besides to give you and all your wonderful
family a truly great day out.
Every year
Enchanted Kingdom looks for talented kids
who exude positive values, energy and pleasing
personality! Part of your kids' childhood is the
momentous glory of discovering their special
talent. At an early age, it is significant for
them as individuals to discover their passion,
maximize their potentials and build a strong
foundation of confidence, so that they'll have
an early realization that it's possible for them
to do whatever they want in life. With Enchanted
Kingdom's EKids Talent Search, kids are
encouraged to reach their full potential with
the special abilities they have learned at a
young age.
From January
to February each year, Enchanted Kingdom holds
a talent showcase for children ages 6 to
12 years old. With the event, kids are open to
show-off their talents in singing, dancing,
poetry, drama and any other extraordinary
talents for people to discover. The talent show
titled "EKids Talent Search Competition" aims to
promote talent and personality development of
kids and uphold positive values. As Enchanted
Kingdom is a family-oriented and wholesome theme
park, part of every event and project at the
park is to inculcate values and morals for
visitors to imbibe - especially for the young
ones.
The annual auditions
for the EKids Talent Search Competition are
held at the Makati Sales Office of Enchanted
Kingdom and at Enchanted Kingdom, Santa Rosa
City, Laguna, Philippines. Aside from the age
limit, qualifications include energetic and
pleasing personality. Kids may perform in solo,
duet, or as a group, but groups are limited to a
maximum number of 6 persons. Performances should
not exceed 5 minutes and contestants should
provide their own props and music. Winners are
given exciting and enchanting prizes plus the
opportunity to perform for Enchanted Kingdom.
For
inquiries and schedule of auditions, you may
call (0917) 3150916 or 8127291 and look for Ms.
Pat Sanchez. If you missed it this year, plan for 2014 now and
bring your kids' talents in the kingdom where magic
begins!
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SM Prime Holdings
President Hans T. Sy (3rd from left)
launches the 5th SM City in China. (More)
AT
CHRISTMAS TIME SANTA ROSA'S SM EMPLOYEES
BROUGHT HAPPINESS TO ORPHANS AND STREET KIDS
Employees of SM City
Santa Rosa Laguna busy packing goodies for
the kids.
THE LESS FORTUNATE
WERE NOT FORGOTTEN DURING SM'S CHRISTMAS
CELEBRATIONS. Administration staff, not
only those in Sta. Rosa Laguna but from all four
SM malls in South Luzon, namely SM Supercenter
Muntinlupa, SM City Santa Rosa, SM City Calamba
and SM City San Pablo, ushered in the Year of
the Water Snake by spreading love and sharing
their blessings via the Christmas gift giving
drive organized by their respective HR
Departments led by Regional Head Evangeline
King.
Visit our
special Christmas/New Year Page for photos from all four South
Luzon SM malls, as well as videos of 2012
seasonal events in Sta. Rosa City and also
including the famous New Year Fireworks Display
in London, and PSY's live Gangnam Style
featuring MC Hammer, introduced by Ryan Seacrest
and complete with 'sexy ladies' in New York
City's Times Square.
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TALKING OF GANGNAM STYLE AND
PHILIPPINE SEXY LADIES, WE JUST
COULD NOT RESIST THIS VIDEO OF
OUR OWN STA. ROSA SEXY LADY...
Video of City Mayor
Arlene Arcillas dancing Gangnam Style during
the celebration of Angat Kababaihan's 3rd
year Anniversary
(Courtesy of City Information Office, Santa
Rosa Laguna, and YouTube).
WHAT CAN I SAY?
THIS IS AN ASPECT OF OUR CITY MAYOR'S
PERSONALITY THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW.
Outside her universally
acknowledged dedication to Sta. Rosa City Laguna
, and her efficient handling of heavy 24/7
responsibilities of important public office,
already recognized by Malacanang's Presidential
Lingkod Bayan Award, Mayor
Arlene Arcillas here displays dancing
talents that took us by surprise because we'd
never seen them before!
It's evident
that she not only keeps abreast of pop trends,
but also genuinely enjoys joining her
electorate's enjoyment of them. Hey, how rare is
this in a politician at any level of government?
Plenty pretend to, but anyone can easily see how
phony most of them are.
Rosenians
can count their lucky stars that they have a
City Mayor in Arlene B Arcillas, a City Vice
Mayor in Arnel DC Gomez, and a team of fantastic
city counselors all running again in 2013.
They all
deserve to win, and we all deserve to benefit
from their devoted hard work, making every
resident of Sta. Rosa City a winner too.
-
Sarina Fernandez, Editor, Santa Rosa Magazine.
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SANTA
ROSA CITY'S DREAM TEAM TOGETHER FILE
CERTICATES OF CANDIDACY FOR 2013 ELECTIONS
Video courtesy of
City Information Office, Santa Rosa Laguna,
and YouTube.
ALL ROSENIANS CAN
REST ASSURED IN THE CERTAINTY
that Sta Rosa City's Dream
Team of favorite daughters and sons have
registered their candidacy for the local
elections next May.
The
incumbent 2010-winners, City
Mayor Arlene B. Arcillas, City Vice Mayor Arnel D.C. Gomez, and
Councilors: Dr. Luisito B. Algabre, Mythor C.
Cendana, Laudemer Carta, Ma. Theresa
Cecilia-Aala, Petronio C. Factoriza, Raymond
Ryan F. Carvajal, Antonia Tatlonghari-Laserna,
Eric T. Puzon, Paulino Y. Camaclang, Jr., and
Edward Fernandito S. Tiongco have all made their
candidacies for 2013 official.
In SRM's
opinion this entire Dream Team, led by its
Presidential award-winning City Mayor, has
proved to be honest, dedicated, hard-working and
deeply motivated by the public service of
managing and improving our city for the maximum
benefit of every resident.
We sincerely
believe that every member of this team deserves
to be re-elected for another term of office.
Their achievements since May 2010 speak for
themselves. Every vote counts, so give them
yours in May 2013 and let's see an even bigger
landslide win than last time.
-
Sarina Fernandez, Editor, Santa Rosa Magazine.
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CITY
MAYOR'S OFFICIAL FACEBOOK
PAGE IS A BIG HIT WITH ROSENIANS
OUR SANTA ROSA
CITY MAYOR NOW HAS AN OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE,
and already it has notched
up almost 6000 'likes'.
SRM urges
all Rosenians to visit it frequently and take
part in in any discussions and forums. It
demonstrates Mayor Arlene's honesty and openness
to communicate with residents, and confirms her
determination to keep local governance
transparent.
I was
delighted to see the above photo of Mayor Arlene
and Vice Mayor Arnel warmly welcoming Bro. Eddie Villanueva, founder of the Jesus Is Lord Church, on his recent visit to
Sta. Rosa. Also the photo below of our Mayor and
Vice Mayor celebrating the birthday of Joel Aala.
Whilst
making the most of the City Mayor's Facebook
page, don't neglect the city government's two
dedicated websites: Government
and Council,
and also its own separate Facebook page.
MUCH
MORE THAN A NEXT WAVE CITY,
STA. ROSA IS NOW READY TO BECOME
AN ICT CENTER OF EXCELLENCE
SANTA ROSA CITY
LAGUNA IS NOW VYING TO BE RECOGNIZED AS THE
NEXT ICT CENTER OF EXCELLENCE
after consistently
belonging to the top three "Next Wave City" for
the past years.
Activities
of the city distinguishing it from other cities
include the establishment of the Technology Business Incubator for start-up Business
Processing and Outsourcing (BPO) companies
interested to grow and expand later.
Other
activities are the conduct of the Science cum
ICT Expo in cooperation with the Philippine Science Foundation; the implementation of
the animation education and training for the
students of the Santa Rosa Science and Technology High School
assisted by the Animation Council of the Philippines and the Business Processing Association of the philippines;
the DepEd managed ICT learning facility, capability building courses; and the conduct of
the Laguna ICT Education Summit.
Similar to
the Philippine Economic Zone Authority-funded TBI in UP Diliman,
the Santa Rosa TBI to be located at Nuvali with
the support of Ayala Land,
PEZA, DOST-Information Communication and Technology Office and Technology
Resource Center (TRC).
The TBI will
also accommodate the BPO Centrum conceived by Business
Processing Association of the Philippines.
The Centrum is an interactive facility wherein
students and enthusiasts will have the chance to
find out more about the potential IT-BPO
careers, understand what skills are required,
how to acquire these skills at levels of
expertise required by the industry and how to
gain access to these opportunities.
The Centrum
will also serve as venue for budding ICT-related
entrepreneurs renting affordable spaces, venue
for ICT council meetings, job trainings, and
continuous ICT jobs fair.
The Science cum ICT
Expo at Robinson's Place (Robinsons Sta. Rosa Market), Sta. Rosa
City, was a joint undertaking of the City
of Santa Rosa, Department of Science and Technology Region IV-A, Department
of Education Division of Santa Rosa, Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority
- Laguna, and PUP Santa Rosa Extension.
The
objective of the activity was to showcase the
talents in science and ICT and at the same time
provide awareness of ICT-related career
opportunities to students. The expo will include
science and ICT exhibits, competitions and
forum. Target participants are students from
primary to tertiary level in the City
of Santa Rosa and neighboring cities and
municipalities.
As a
potential candidate for the Galing
Pook Award in 2013, an animation education
and training project will be launched by the Santa Rosa
Science and Technology High School
students.
The training
will enable students develop their skills and
knowledge for the animation industry as well as
to instill the values of entrepreneurship. A
DepEd-managed ICT Learning facility primarily
funded by the city government located in Central
2 with numerous desktop computers are available
for ICT trainings of public school students as
well as a venue for ICT-related programs of the
city.
The Laguna
ICT Education Summit was conceptualized in
collaboration with Laguna Industry Network for Knowledge, Innovation and
Technology headed by its President -
Antonio Del Carmen, board member of the NICCEP.
The activity
aims to gather all members of the academe in
Metro Laguna and discuss with them the
opportunities of the ICT sector. Among the
output of the summit will be a curriculum
matched with the needs of the industry,
increased tie-ups of schools with BPO companies,
and enhanced local support to the city's hosting
of the 5th NICP
Summit.
Solenad, the retail and restaurant zone at
Nuvali
is already a big attraction for visitors to
Sta. Rosa. (Photo courtesy of Ayalaland.)
ICT
Development is the key to inclusive growth in
the City of Santa Rosa. Inclusive growth means a
fast-paced, broad based pattern of sustainable
growth. Fast-paced growth will be attained
primarily through increase in productive
employment. In order to promote increased
employment, greater than ever investments
focused in providing work/employment
opportunities and labor skills development is
needed.
One of Mayor
Arlene B. Arcillas' pillars of development
is an increase in productive employment. The ICT
sector promises a bright future in employment
creation in the years to come.
With the
city's aggressive efforts in ICT promotion and
development spearheaded by the City
Planning and Development Office, robustly
supported by the dedicated leadership by the City
Mayor and Sangguniang Panglungsod members, the objective of
inclusive growth is within reach from the city's
development agenda.
-
Danilo C. Pablo, City Planning and Development Coordinator
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NOBODY
CAN ARGUE WITH LIFELONG SUCCESS, AND HENRY
SY GETS IT
RIGHT TIME AFTER TIME!
IN
GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES, HIS SM MALL SHOWS
BRING EXCITEMENT AND HAPPINESS INTO PEOPLE'S
LIVES, AND IF THIS CREATES MORE BUSINESS FOR
HIS MALLS IT'S DESERVED, BECAUSE WE WANT TO
BE EXCITED AND HAPPY!
FOLLOWING THE TWO
EPISODES OF "I LOVE PINAS" DEVOTED TO STA.
ROSA LAGUNA, GMA made it a glorious
triple whammy with the Kapuso Mall Show at Sta.
Rosa's SM City. Aljur Abrenica, Sam Pinto, Gabby
Eigenmann and Bianca King starred, with the
fabulously entertaining energized crowd-pulling
performances they're rightly famous for. And the
crowds were pulled from toddlers to grannies and
all ages in between. SM City mall was packed to
the rafters long before the show started, and
every single person there of whatever age still
felt elated, happy and in high spirits when the
show was over and they made their way home. SM
and GMA are to be congratulated for putting on
great shows like this around the country. They
wash away the cares and woes of everyday life
for a while, and give us renewed hope and faith
deep down that the good will always overcome the
bad, and that even if times are difficult they
will always get easier.
LIFELONG SUCCESS AT A YOUNGER STAGE AND IN A
DIFFERENT FIELD APPLIES ALSO TO OUR CITY
MAYOR
THE
ACHIEVEMENTS OF ARLENE ARCILLAS SINCE
BECOMING CITY MAYOR ARE AMAZING. AFTER THE
TRAUMA OF HER FATHER'S ASSASSINATION WHEN HE
WAS CITY MAYOR, ACCEPTING VOTERS' WISHES
THAT SHE CONTINUE HER FATHER'S GOOD WORKS IN
THE SAME PUBLIC OFFICE TOOK GREAT COURAGE.
AS CITY MAYOR HERSELF, ARLENE HAS DONE SO
MUCH FOR STA. ROSA THAT VOTERS' CONFIDENCE
IN HER HAS BEEN JUSTIFIED MANY TIMES OVER,
AND IN THE PROCESS SHE WAS AWARDED LAST YEAR
THE HIGHEST HONOR THAT OUR PRESIDENT CAN
GIVE IN RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC
SERVICE.
Santa Rosa City Mayor
Arlene Arcillas formally opened the Baraka
Festival with (L-R) Santa Rosa Tourism
Officer Nescy Esguerra, Santa Rosa Clean and
Green Head Ofie Arcillas, SM Regional
Marketing Mgr Armind Cajala, SM Assistant
Mall Manager Eve Verzola and Baraka
President Chit Lijauco.
CONCENTRATED SALES
FACILITIES OF SM CITY STA. ROSA WERE WELL
SUITED TO REVIVAL OF THE BARAKA FESTIVAL.
Baraka in colloquial terms
means "market" or "merkado" and as the term
implies, Santa Rosa City's Baraka is a market of
sorts featuring the best the city has to offer
in terms of delicacies and dry goods.
Rosenian par excellence, Baraka President
Chit Lijauco makes everyone equally welcome.
Founded in
2001 by culturally anchored Rosenians headed by
Philippine Tatler editor-in-chief Chit Lijauco,
the Baraka Festival was active for 5 straight
years but became dormant for the next 5 due to a
variety of circumstances. This year, the Baraka
Festival is being re-launched with a vengeance
in partnership with SM City Santa Rosa.
Celebrated
every month of April, the Baraka Festival at SM
featured various native delicacies of Santa Rosa
such as Matse, Sinukmane with Kilawing Puso ng
Saging, Crispy Okoy, Atole and a lot more.
Scented candles carved to look like fruits,
vegetables and even a lechon was one of the
favorite trade fair items displayed during the
festival.
Public response was overwhelming. Shoppers
can't get enough of Santa Rosa's delicacies.
Santa Rosa
City Mayor Arlene Arcillas was the guest of
honor during the festival launch together with
Santa Rosa Tourism Officer Nescy Esguerra,
Philippine Tatler editor-in-chief Chit Lijauco
and Santa Rosa Studies Center Chair Nonia
Tiongco. SRM congratulates them all for their
dedicated efforts to make this event the
enormous success that it undoubtedly was. (I
sincerely hope it will now resume its annual
schedule and go from strength to strength as
it deserves. New industrial and residential
developments are continuously welcomed to
guarantee future progress, but at the same
time we must never forget our roots in the
traditional culture of our parents and
ancestors. Their value is everlasting.)- Ed
Reports by Pamela Peters-Baun (Photos courtesy of SM
City Sta. Rosa)
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SANTA ROSA LAGUNA
IS FEATURED
TWICE ON GMA7'S I LOVE PINAS
Special Message
to readers of Santa Rosa Magazine from Carlo
Lorenzo
The Museo de Santa
Rosa's fascinating exhibits, photos and
reports give you an opportunity to reflect
on the city's remarkable history and
culture.
Visit Carlo Lorenzo's blogsite to find out more.
TWO EPISODES OF I LOVE PINAS FEATURED SANTA ROSA CITY LAGUNA:
1)
-----Bisitahin natin sa I
LOVE PINAS GMA News TV on Channel 11
(formerly QTV) ang Museo de Santa Rosa...
Puntahan natin ang Kwartel ng Sto Domingo at
silipin ang umano'y underground tunnel papuntang
Cavite... Gumawa tayo ng scented candles. Ilubog
ang mga itlog sa putik para maging itlog na
maalat. Magluto tayo ng ukoy na may bagoong! Episode 1:
Kwartel ng Santo Domingo - Museo De Santa Rosa -
GK Candles (Bgy. Tagapo, Sta Rosa, Laguna) -
Bok's Homemade Original Ice Cream (LM Subd.,
Market Area, Sta Rosa, Laguna) - D'Original
Nene's Special Ukoy - Nenet's Balut at Itlog na
Pula - El Cielito Inn - Southpick Resort.
Taking a boat ride
on the lake, feasting at a choice of
delicious restaurants, and feeding the
fish are some of the visitors' favorite
activities at Nuvali.
Visit Carlo Lorenzo's blogsite to find out more.
2)
-----Tara na para sa I
LOVE PINAS GMA News TV on Channel 11
(formerly QTV). Adventure packed trip sa Sta
Rosa Laguna! Experience the super fun rides
and new activities sa Enchanted Kingdom...
Pakainin naman natin sa Nuvali ang gutum na
gutom na isda, mag boat ride, puntahan ang
greens and patches para ma-experience ang
pag-ani ng fruits and vegetables at siyempre
pa mag foooood trip tayooooo! Episode 2:
Enchanted Kingdom - Nuvali (Wildlife and Bird
Sanctuary, Greens and Patches, Fish Feeding,
Taxi Boat Ride, Biking, Evoliving Center
Exhibit) - Pig Out - Domo Tomo - LZM
Restaurant - Chato's Canteen.
Carlo said: "I love
the fireworks at EK. There are so many
things I enjoy in this theme park which
keeps me coming back again and again and
again."
Visit Carlo Lorenzo's blogsite to find out more.
I
LOVE PINAS Via GMA LIfe TV International: Hong Kong: 9:45 - 10:15PM
Saturday & 10:50 - 11:20AM Monday
(replay) Japan:
10:45 - 11:15PM Saturday & 11:50AM -
12:20PM Monday (replay) Guam/ Papua New Guinea / Australia:
11:45PM - 12:15AM Saturday & 12:50 -
1:20PM Monday (replay) New Zealand: 1:45 - 2:15AM Sunday
& 2:50 - 3:20PM Monday
(replay) Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia: 4:45 - 5:15PM
Saturday & 7:55 - 8:25PM Tuesday
(replay) Italy:
3:45 - 4:15PM Saturday & 6:55 - 7:25PM
Tuesday (replay) US
Pacific/ Canada (Vancouver): 7:50
- 8:20PM Sunday & 9:55 - 10:25 am
Tuesday (replay) US
Central/ Canada (Winnipeg): 9:50
- 10:20PM Sunday & 11:55AM - 12:25PM
Tuesday (replay) US
Eastern/ Canada (Toronto): 10:50
- 11:20PM Sunday & 12:55 - 1:25PM
Tuesday (replay) Hawaii:
4:50 - 5:20 pm Sunday & 6:55 - 7:25 am
Tuesday (replay)
(SRM Editor's
Note: Carlo brings humor,
energy and a feeling of excitement to his
presentations that make them fun to watch as
well as getting a lot of interesting
information, especially as his hands-on
approach gives you every little detail of
whatever he's focusing on. Following an
introductory chat with Tourism Officer
Narcisa Esguerra, who gave an enticing
overview of the numerous varied attractions
the city of Sta. Rosa has to offer, in
Episode 1 Carlo literally worked his way
round it. He studied its history at the
Museo De Santa Rosa, very nearly scalded
himself with hot wax while making a
star-shaped candle at GK Candles, went on to
make some Bok's Original Ice Cream and some
Nene's Special Ukoy, then prepared some
Nenet's Balut at Itlog na Pula-- but the
program shoot couldn't wait 15 days for
incubation! Even on home ground it's a
daunting experience for those not normally
in the public eye to face TV cameras and
microphones and know that millions will see
the resulting video. Carlo Lorenzo, like
Willie Revillame, has the rare gift of
creating a close rapport with non-media
people featured in his programs. He gives
them the needed confidence to feel at ease
and express themselves. Add to this the
clever direction, camerawork and editing--
from panning through valuable antiquities at
the Museo de Santa Rosa, luxurious rooms at
El Cielito Inn, and sporting activities at
Southpick Resort to stunning quick shots of
other local scenes. All in all, "I Love
Pinas" is a great production that entertains
as it informs. Carlo and his energized young
team had a wild time in Episode 2 at Enchanted Kingdom and Nuvali.
You and your club- or team-members, family,
friends or work colleagues may avail January
through September 16, 2013 a fantastic
bonding and money-saving special I Love
Pinas Promo Deal at Sta. Rosa's sporty
Southpick Resort. See below.)
Get a group of 12
friends together and grab this great half
price opportunity. Find out more.
Aquabest employees
and franchisees recently participated at
Haribon's tree planting activity at
Nuvali, Santa Rosa City, Laguna in support
of Haribon's Road to 2020 initiative.
Aquabest is a long time partner of Haribon
in promoting reforestation and
environmental awareness.
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THE
PHILIPPINE STOCK EXCHANGE FOUNDATION
DONATES TO TYPHOON PABLO VICTIMS THROUGH
PBSP
The Philippine
Stock Exchange (PSE) Foundation turned
over PhP 1M for the casualties of Typhoon
Pablo through Philippine Business for
Social Progress (PBSP). The amount
contributed will be utilized for a
rehabilitation program in Compostela
Valley. In Photo are (from left): PSE
Director & PSE Foundation Trustee
Alejandro T. Yu; PSE Foundation President,
Harry G. Liu; PBSP Executive Director
Rafael Lopa; PSE Foundation Chairman Hans
B. Sicat; PSE Foundation Trustee Trinidad
Y. Kalaw; PSE Foundation Trustee Edwin
Luy; and PSE Foundation Trustee Atty.
Erlaster C. Sotto.
PBSP
SUPPORTS ERNST AND YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF
THE YEAR PHILIPPINES 2013
(L-R):
Co-presenters sign a memorandum of
agreement to support Ernst and Young
Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines 2013:
Jerry Clavesillas, Director, Bureau of
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises,
Department of Trade and Industry; Dr. Ben
Paul Gutierrez, Dean, UP College of
Business Administration; Cirilo Noel,
President, SGV Foundation and Audit
Committee Chair, Philippine Business for
Social Progress; Hans Sicat, President and
CEO, Philippine Stock Exchange; Victoria
San Juan-Co, Manager, Corporate Affairs
and Relationship Management, Philippine
Business for Social Progress.
THE PHILIPPINE
BUSINESS FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS (PBSP)
has signed a memorandum
of agreement to support Ernst and Young
Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines 2013.
The
Entrepreneur Of The Year 2013 is managed by
the SGV Foundation, Inc. with this year's
theme, Breaking Barriers. The program was able
to recognize 141 outstanding men and women
entrepreneurs over the last 10 years.
The search
is open for all Filipino entrepreneurs who may
join the following award categories: Master
Entrepreneur, Small Business Entrepreneur,
Social Entrepreneur, and Woman Entrepreneur.
The
Entrepreneur of the Year will be chosen from
the award categories winners, and will
represent the country in the World
Entrepreneur Of The Year in Monte Carlo,
Monaco in June 2014. For nominations and other
information, contact Entrepreneur Of The Year
Secretariat at 891-0307 local 7766 or email
eoy.info@ph.ey.com.
CATHAY PACIFIC HELPS IMPROVE READING SKILLS OF STUDENTS
Cathay Pacific employee volunteers spend their weekend helping improve the
reading comprehension skills of public school students of the Kapt. Eddie
Reyes Palar Annex Elementary School in Taguig, Metro Manila. Aside from
employee volunteering, Cathay Pacific also donated supplemental reading
books, bags, and other school items for the kindergarten students. Cathay Pacific is strongly committed to corporate social responsibility as an active and enthusiastic member of the Philippine Business for Social Progress.
- Reports by Joyce Franzly Racoma (Photos courtesy of PBSP)
WHY PROTEST ABOUT
PHILIPPINE COLLEGE TUITION FEE HIKES, WHEN
YOU CAN GET BETTER COURSES ONLINE FOR FREE?
We don't say this
lightly, as in many ways our colleges do a
great job -
if you can afford them.
But if
you can't, then SRM's advice is:
never give up, just search online for free
courses in the subjects that interest you
most, then study them independently in regular
communication with students around the world
who are studying the same subject.
At first,
it may look hard to take this on yourself
without support, because you're on your own.
But look again, because you're not. Far from
being alone, you're in the company of many
more students than the total number that all
Philippine universities put together could
ever support.
The target
is at least a billion online students. Just
imagine a billion students, female and male,
black and white, from east and west, south and
north - whatever their nationality, race,
religion or social status - will be taking
free online courses alongside you.
The
experiences that you share will be
simultaneously competitive and cooperative.
Your deepest interests and talents will be
nurtured and expanded a long way beyond the
physical capacity of any single country's
traditional education system. You'll make
lifelong friends online from every corner of
the globe, and possibly meet some of them
later to form closer relationships and
possibly start new enterprises with. WARNING! You will
never again have any excuses by blaming
heredity from your ancestral DNA and genes,
pressure from your peers, lessons from your
parents and teachers, or hard knocks from
your relationships and work experiences, or
hikes in your college tuition and
accommodation fees when you have
insufficient income to fund them. As long as
corrupt politicians and corporations are
prevented from seizing control of the
internet, as they're currently attempting
to, the free global online reference and
educational resources such as Google,
Wikipedia,
edX, Khan
Academy and TED-Ed will
remain free to everyone everywhere, as will
the social and entrepreneurial resources
such as YouTube,
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram
and Flickr.
A free and open internet gives you, and the
rest of us, the opportunity to become wholly
responsible for every aspect of our own
lives. Without exception. No more excuses.
None. Of any kind. Ever.
So to quote again a
frequently quoted adage: "If you can't stand
the heat, get out of the kitchen!" The
metaphor simply means that not everyone is
ideally suited to a lifetime career in the
high pressure from customers and the high
temperature from cooking appliances in a busy
restaurant kitchen at the center of a densely
populated major world city. If you do thrive
on this type of challenge, it's fine. If you
don't, there are many other careers to
choose from that have lower built-in stress
levels. Your preferred environment might be
very different. Decide what it is, study for
it, focus on it, go for it, and it will be
yours. - Angel Tugado (Video
courtesy of MIT, Harvard and YouTube)
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SINCE 1988,
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY PHILIPPINES
has played an active role
in providing decent, durable and affordable
housing for low-income families. It started in
the Cagayan Valley Region in the north and in Metro Manila. Through a network of project
offices in rural and urban areas, the
organization has built and repaired tens of
thousands of homes, and has also assisted more
than 5,000 families displaced by typhoons,
fires and landslides. In addition, it has
completed over 300 classrooms. Visit the HFH Philippines website for more info.
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'CEREBRATION 2012' INTERNATIONAL CONTEST JUDGES AWARD
MANILA'S
ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
THIRD PLACE IN SINGAPORE FINAL
'Team
High Aimers' beats 721 other teams to
become 2nd runner up.
AFTER FOUR MONTHS
OF INTENSE COMPETITION and beating 723 other
teams, Team UdayKevinSune from London
Business School has emerged as the
champion of Cerebration 2012, one of the world's largest
student-organised business case competitions.
Organised
by Master of Business Administration (MBA)
students at the National University of
Singapore (NUS) Business School, the
competition also saw Team IBTIDA from the China Europe
International Business School (CEIBS)
and Team High Aimers from the Asian Institute
of Management - Manila finishing as
first and second runners-up respectively. Each
team consisted of up to three MBA students,
who were given the challenge to formulate
strategies in response to complex business
challenges faced by global companies.
The final
business case this year required the teams to
address the geopolitical and regulatory risks
affecting large integrated energy companies.
Team UdayKevinSune won the grand prize of
S$10,000 after impressing the judges with
their comprehensive risk analysis and
practicality of their proposed solutions for
the oil and gas sector.
"The thing
we learnt was the importance of teamwork.
Although we came in with different
competencies, we blended our strengths
together without ego battles," said Sune Norup
Christensen, a member of the winning team.
Added his teammate, Kevin Whitehead: "I was
impressed with the quality of participants in
the competition. It has been interesting to
see the other presentations and just how much
work they put in as well."
Now in its
eighth edition, the 2012 Grand Final was the
culmination of the largest Cerebration ever
organised by NUS MBA students. It attracted a
record of 724 registrations this year - a 38
per cent increase from 2011. Previous winners
include LBS (2011), the University of
Toronto's Rotman School of Management (2010),
Duke University's Fuqua School of Management
(2009) and INSEAD (2007).
There was
strong interest this year from business
schools in the United States, United Kingdom,
India, France, China, Canada and Singapore,
including more than 30 of the top 100
institutions in the Financial Times MBA
Rankings 2012. The Kenan-Flagler Business
School (University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill), Indian School of Business, and Columbia
Business School (Columbia University) were
some of the other institutions which took
part.
Six teams
flew to Singapore for the semi-finals on 1
November 2012, with three going on to the
Grand Final on 2 November 2012. "The idea
behind Cerebration is to gather the best minds
from business schools all around the world and
get them to work on the real-life and dynamic
business issues faced by our sponsors, and
develop innovative, yet practical solutions."
said Mr Jitendh Naidu, member of the
Cerebration organising team and NUS MBA
student.
"It's
clear that Cerebration 2012 has drawn a higher
calibre of participants than ever before,"
said Mr Howie Lau, Vice President, Marketing
and Communications, Asia Pacific & Latin
America, Lenovo. "As a case sponsor for
Cerebration for the past three years, we were
eager to evaluate high-quality business plans
from some of the brightest business school
students in the world. The winners have
demonstrated a sound understanding of a world
without borders, and their proposed solutions
acknowledge the importance of understanding
customers in order to provide them with what
they want and need to succeed. We look forward
to continuing our support of Cerebration in
the coming years."
Added Mr
Janardhanan Ramanujalu, Vice President, South
East Asia & India, SABIC: "The three
finalists, out of 724 teams, deserved to be in
the Grand Final. The business cases were built
on solid research on the relevant industries,
sound arguments, and analytical thinking. The
confidence and strength of the teams'
conviction for each of their cases really came
through. I also want to acknowledge the work
of the writers of the business cases."
"We are
proud of our MBA students for staging such a
well-organised event and putting Singapore on
the world map for business case competitions.
On behalf of NUS Business School, I would like
to congratulate all our winners and NUS MBA
students for a job well done," said Professor
Hum Sin Hoon, Deputy Dean, NUS Business
School.
Cerebration, a combination of the words 'cerebral' and
'celebration', provides an opportunity for MBA
students worldwide to make the leap from
classroom learning to engaging themselves with
some of the world's leading organisations.
More information can be found at bschool.nus.edu/cerebration/2012/.
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JOIN
GOOGLE'S GLOBAL ACTION TO
KEEP THE INTERNET FREE AND OPEN
WHEREVER YOU ARE
IN THE WORLD, YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING
THE GREATEST ASSET WE ALL HAVE TO CONNECT
AND COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER.
Once again the most
corrupt politicians of the world are
attempting to take control of the internet for
their own purposes of power and profit.
These
politicians don't believe in freedom of speech
or freedom to communicate. They don't want
anyone to post photos or videos on the
internet of scenes that politicians want to
prevent the public from seeing. Like, for
example, innocent women and children being
massacred by Assad's army in Syria.
The
internet is the greatest and most democratic
force for good that the world has ever
experienced, and it's available in every
country. It must be kept permanently free and
open to everyone.
Watch the
above video and join Google's Action. Santa Rosa Magazine has already
done so.
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AQUABEST SAVES LIVES
ONE SHIRT AT A TIME
FOR MOST PEOPLE
childhood represents some
of the happiest and best moments of their
lives but sometimes a cruel twist of fate
makes childhood a painful experience with a
possibly tragic ending.
This is
the prospect faced by the parents of Mark
Angelo Salazar a child born with pediatric
biliary atresia, a disease where the liver
could not produce bile to eliminate toxins
from the body. The disease ravaged young
Mark’s body wracking it with pain as
his belly swelled and he developed jaundice
along with a host of other complications.
Despite, the challenges they faced Mark remain
upbeat and lively despite the numerous
afflictions he faced. This gave his parents
the will to fight as they sought help for
their child.
Having
heard of Mark's plight, Aquabest
immediately set out to raise funds for his
treatment by selling "I Saved A Child's Life"
T-Shirts. The campaign was very successful and
helped raise the money needed for Mark's
treatment and his liver transplant in Taiwan
in January.
Thanks to
the support of numerous donors and those who
bought the shirts, Mark now faces a bright
future free from his current discomfort.
-
Jey-an O. Oroceo (Graphic courtesy of
Aquabest)
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Click the above graphic
for information about Businessmaker
Academy seminars in Pasig City.
Aware that
not many people can afford to spend 2 to 4
years of their lives in formal study,
Businessmaker Academy has
created practical, straightforward and
direct short-course business seminars. Since
2003 it has served over
20,000 satisfied clients, and its website www.businessmaker-academy.com
has details of latest schedules.
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PBSP
MARKS 42ND FOUNDING DAY
AND MEMBERS MEETING
Nine new member companies were
inducted at PBSP's Annual Foundation Day
and Members Meeting held at Dusit Thani
Hotel. L to R in photo: PBSP Executive
Director Rafael Lopa; Manila Water
Company, Inc. Group Director for Corporate
Strategic Affairs, Ferdinand Dela Cruz;
Watsons Personal Care Store (Phils.) Inc.
General Manager, Robert Sun; Baker and
McKenzie Global Services Manila Human
Resources Director, Martina Veronica
Garcia; Felta Multi-Media Inc. President
and CEO, Mylene Abiva; PBSP Chairman
Manuel V. Pangilinan; PBSP Membership and
External Relations Committee Chair Marixi
Prieto; Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance
Brokers Inc. AVP Corporate Risk Solutions,
Nick Canoza; The Generics Pharmacy
Franchising Corporation President,
Benjamin Liuson; Webdotcom Website
Development Philippines, Inc. Managing
Director, Jhermaine Fernandez; Erikagen
Inc. President, Teodoro Ferrer; and
Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr.
Dennis Uy. All the new members share
PBSP's vision to eradicate poverty through
Corporate Social Responsibility.
-
Report by Joyce Franzly Racoma and Ivy
Candelaria
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THE SHIFT NETWORK
empowers a growing global
movement of people to create an evolutionary
shift of consciousness that in turn leads to a
more enlightened society, one built on
principles of sustainability, peace, health,
and prosperity. Through its online Summits and
Courses it has already served more than
200,000 worldwide who are committed to
shifting our world's operating system. You are
invited to join them in events, programs, and
activities that help us evolve! The Shift
Network was founded and launched its first
event in February of 2010. You can view its
big-picture vision years here: 2013-2020.
"The Shift Network has
boldly stepped into global prominence as one
of the most creative and visionary activators
of global transformation. In every sphere of
its work it convenes practical visionaries
engaged in birthing a new planetary
civilization. It works on a scale that is
breathtaking as it enrolls people across the
world to participate in evolutionary change
and masterful peacemaking. Finally, an
organization that provides the spiritual,
intellectual and skill-building tools for
humanity's next adventure in applied
consciousness!" - James O'Dea,
world-renowned peacebuilder, former director
of Amnesty International, DC.
"The Shift
Network has my vote as the number one
organization most likely to change our world.
Their level of consciousness and integrity
match their vision - of an expanded network of
awakened people caring deeply about our world
and each other, working for the things that
matter most: justice, sustainability, peace,
and wellness. They draw together the best
thinkers of our time as social architects of
the future. And that draws in participants who
are ready to learn and take action." - Anodea Judith, author of the bestseller
'Wheels of Life'. -
Stephen Dinan
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HOW
OPEN DATA IS CHANGING INTERNATIONAL AID
"Making sure that development and aid money
actually goes to the people who most need
it."
ACCORDING TO
SANJAY PRADHAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD
BANK INSTITUTE, the biggest challenge of
developing the Third World is: "abject poverty
surrounded by corruption".
We can see
this for ourselves only too clearly in the
Philippines, but we are not alone. So, how do
countries learn? And in a state with a history
of corruption, failure and debt, how can its
leaders -- both public and private sector --
gain the ability to grow, build, govern?
This is
the big question addressed by the World Bank Institute, which teaches those
skills, focusing on the key force behind real
change and building teams and coalitions to
carry it through. Sanjay Pradhan joined the
WBI in 2008, and has worked since then to
refine its strategy into three interconnected
plans: Open Knowledge, Collaborative
Governance, and Innovative Solutions. He is an
advocate of transparency and openness as
development tools.
"For more
than 50 years, WBI has influenced half a
million public and private sector decision
makers around the world, many of whom have
become leaders and change agents in their
countries," he says.
In this TED
talk, Sanjay demonstrates how to make sure
that development and aid money actually goes
to the people who most need it. He lays out
guidelines to help relief efforts make the
most impact -- while curbing the corruption
that works against it -- by connecting the
players who are striving to change broken
systems with the data they need to get the job
done.
HIP
HIP HOORAY FOR THE
GOOD OL' US OF A
THE UNITED
STATES GOVERNMENT is suing named executives
of a Philippine NGO for misappropriation of
300 million pesos donated by US AID. At last
agencies of foreign aid are taking action
against the frauds perpetrated by corrupt
Philippine officials who pocket their funds
which were sent to help victims. I applaud
this action by the Americans and I hope it
will trigger similar actions by other
countries. This reinforces PNoy's campaign
against all the entrenched corruption that
makes officials rich whilst leaving millions
of Filipinos in distress.
The NGO in
question is the Visayan Forum Foundation Inc.,
and named executives include its president Ma.
Cecilia Flores-Oebanda. The organization is
accused of fraud on a massive scale involving
false receipts and fake contracts to justify
expenditures that never happened. Thousands of
falsified documents were discovered and seized
in a raid by the National Bureau of
Investigation.
As the
VFFI has received vast sums from both foreign
government and non-government donors, this
could be just the tip of the iceberg.
LONDON'S LIVELY FILIPINO COMMUNITY PROMOTE THEIR
HOMELAND AT
FAMOUS CULTURAL EVENTS
The Manila Times estimated that there were 200,000
Filipinos living in the UK in 2007. Five years
later, the number is considerably higher.
Those in London are actively promoting the
Philippines at every opportunity. Among them Roderick Enriquez, pictured above, designed the
colorful Philippine float that took part in
London's famous annual Lord
Mayor's Procession last November (before
the 'It's More Fun' motto was introduced).
This is one of the powerful reasons why more
British tourists visit the Philippines than
from any other European country, because they
are shown the wonderful attractions of our
nation by wonderful Filipinos living in the
UK.
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BORN: JUNE 19, 1861, AND UNJUSTLY
EXECUTED BY SPANISH OCCUPYING FORCES ON
DECEMBER 30, 1896.
CELEBRATE RIZAL'S
BIRTH EVERY YEAR by reading, or
re-reading, his predictions of how the
Philippines would develop a hundred years
after he wrote them for Spanish newspaper La Solidaridad in
Barcelona. Under the title "The Philippines A
Hundred Years Hence", you may now download the
complete collection in English as a PDF e-book
by clicking the above graphic. It's totally FREE
with no form to fill in so you don't need to
give your name, email address or any other
personal information if you don't want to.
Rizal's
astute writings contain many perceptive
insights into Filipino conditions of his time
and their relevance to Philippine history
during the first few decades after
independence from the USA in 1946.
The Philippine
Star published a brilliant article on
the subject by Boo Chanco to mark the 150th Anniversary of
Rizal's birth. He said: "Rizal in his writings
often revealed an uncanny ability to describe
Philippine society a hundred years hence".
For
instance, the Lopez Museum website points out
that in his historical essay, "Dentro de Cien
Años and Sobre La Indolencia de los
Filipinos", Rizal observed that as a colony of
Spain, "the Philippines is depopulated,
impoverished and retarded, astounded by the
metamorphosis with no confidence in her part,
still without faith in her present and without
any flattering hope in the future".
Spain may
be long gone as a colonizer, but it seems
things haven't changed much, (the Lopez
Museum official website seems to be offline
at the moment with some unexplained
difficulty, but it also has a Facebook
page. - Ed.) Read The Philippines A Hundred Years Hence by Jose
Rizal now. Nothing to pay. Nothing to
lose. Amazing insights to gain from our #1
Philippine Hero in the 152nd year after his
birth at Calamba Laguna on June 19, 1861.
It's our history. It's our heritage. It's
the heroic blood that runs in our veins.
It's the patriotic force that enabled People
Power to depose dictator Marcos. It embodies
the inspirational spirit, energy and
determination behind President Benigno
Aquino's robust and popular war against
Philippine corruption, which is destined to
bring about the greatest transformation of
Filipino life and culture in our nation's
history for the betterment of each and every
one of our people, not just the privileged
few.
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ENCHANTED KINGDOM LAUNCHES ENCHANTED EVENTS PLACE
IN SANTA ROSA CITY
Laguna's biggest for major corporate and social
functions, and top world-class shows.
The newly launched
"Enchanting Events Place" in Santa Rosa
City, Laguna, is the biggest covered
events venue south of Manila.
WHERE CAN MAGICAL
EVENTS BE CREATED? At Enchanted Kingdom,
the country's first and only world-class theme
park.
The
biggest events venue south of Manila has been
launched in Santa Rosa City. Named the
Enchanting Events Place, it features a
spectacular street level event space. With an
area of 1,125 sq meters, it's the largest
covered venue in Laguna.
Enchanted
Kingdom's new premier events venue boasts of a
total usable floor area of over 1,000 sqm with
a dance floor surface area of 600sqm and
lobby/foyer space of 200 sqm. An estimated
total theater seating of 2,000 seats and an
estimated total banquet seating of 1,000 seats
await guests and event planners looking for
their next events venue.
Another
feature of the Enchanting Events Place is a
secured parking area for at least 100
vehicles, and the magical experience is
enhanced with Enchanted Kingdom as the venue's
backdrop. Amenities include food and banquet
services, technical and production
requirements, in-house entertainment and
talents for corporate, personal milestones and
social functions.
This
contemporary venue is the perfect setting for
indoor corporate and social events. The
Enchanting Events Place is a unique and
versatile set-up that supports any event
planner's requirement for creative, customized
and affordable rental space that is flexible
for all event needs. For a personal touch, a
highly qualified team of in-house events
experts are on hand to conceptualize and mount
events specific to each client's preference.
Jose and Wally
starred in May.
LAST MONTH SAW
THE FIRST BIG SHOW AT THE NEW VENUE.
It was a hilarious
EKsperience on May 19 as the country's popular
comedic duo took the stage at the Enchanting
Events Place of Enchanted Kingdom, Sta. Rosa,
Laguna. Jose Manalo and Wally Bayola brought
laughter, fun and joy to the packed audience
when they entertained park guests with their
comical antics.
Whole
families of fans were delighted by this
one-of-a-kind EKsperience from Enchanted
Kingdom. Watch out for further premier
entertainment at Laguna's newest and biggest
events place, the Enchanting Events Place of
Enchanted Kingdom.
Tickets
for this show were available at P1,000 for
reserved seating and P500 for free seating.
Those who wanted to visit Enchanted Kingdom
during the day and watch the show at night
availed the combo ticket package. The special
combo ticket package included one ticket to
the Jose & Wally show and an Enchanted
Kingdom Regular Day Pass ticket valid the same
day only. Tickets for future shows will be
available at the Group Sales Office and Front
Gate of Enchanted Kingdom, Sta. Rosa and
Enchanted Kingdom's Makati Sales Office at
Aguirre St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.
Tickets will also be be available at all SM ticket outlets. For latest news and
further information, visit www.enchantedkingdom.ph.
Experience
the year-round magic of The Enchanting Events
Place whether wrapped up in the elegance of
social functions, or the progressive modernity
of corporate functions, or the cutting-edge
staging of world-class shows. The Enchanting
Events Place is where magical events are made.
For
reservations or inquiries, call the Enchanting
Events Place Business Development Group at
584-3535 loc 430 or 106, or 830-3535 local 35,
or you may email at busdev.eep@enchantedkingdom.ph.
Visit the Enchanted Kingdom website and experience the magic
of the many attractions the Park has to offer.
LAGUNA'S PRIDE
This
year's La Laguna Festival at Sta. Cruz was
a resounding success in every way.
Enchanted Kingdom,
one of Laguna's pride, participated in the
trade fair of the La Laguna Festival 2012
held at Sta. Cruz. Promos and
merchandise were offered to the visitors
of the festival. EK also hosted the
fireworks display during the Governor's
Night.
AS ONE OF LAGUNA'S PRIDE,
ENCHANTED KINGDOM
participated enthusiastically in the 2012 La
Laguna Festival held at Santa Cruz which was
brilliantly organized to provide every visitor
with enjoyment and inspiration. Sta. Rosa's
magical world-class theme park proudly
showcased its various offerings at the
successful festival and hosted the fireworks
display during Governor's Night.
The La
Laguna festival gives the 26 towns of Laguna
province a great opportunity to feature their
attractions and products. People from all over
the country visited booths that the festival
proudly displayed.
From food
items such as kesong puti, gatas ng kalabaw,
itlog na pula to the raw materials they have
transformed to products in world demand like
paper mache, jusi and pina cloth and other
export materials, the province has clearly
shown continuous growth through unity and
cooperation of the people in the region.
During the
2012 festival, Enchanted Kingdom took part in
the trade fair booth which was enjoyed by the
people of Laguna and nearby provinces.
Merchandise items and latest promos of the
Park were extended to all the visitors.
A true
pride of the province of Laguna, Enchanted
Kingdom commits itself to develop in terms of
first-class standards and guarantees to give
back and participate in the province which in
dynamic Santa Rosa City holds the cradle of
the first and only world-class theme park in
the Philippines.
As the
highlight of the festivities during the
Governor's Night, Enchanted Kingdom also
hosted the enchanting fireworks display which
delighted visitors and Lagueños during the
event. Truly, Enchanted Kingdom never fails to
give and extend the magic that only this
unique and magnicent theme park could offer.
- Reports by Anna
Periquet and Ma. Luigi Angelica Arellano
(Photos courtesy of Enchanted Kingdom)
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You can buy Enchanted
Kingdom tickets at all branches of Ticket
World and SM Tickets, as well as at the Park
Front Gate and at EK's Makati sales office. An
exciting time is guaranteed for all the
family, and even the most adrenalin-pumping
rides comply with all the latest international
safety standards. Filipino armed services,
expats, students, and foreign tourists are
currently offered special promos. Please be aware that tickets
purchased from any unauthorized individuals,
companies or groups are considered scalper
tickets, and they will not be honored at the
Park.
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NICOLE HYALA'S VISIONARY HARD
WORK IS REWARDED WITH
BUSINESS SUCCESS
After the hard work
and learning curve of startup, Nicole's
franchise is running well and showing good
profits. She now plans expansion.
PHILIPPINE
MORNING RADIO HAS BEEN DOMINATED FOR SEVERAL
YEARS BY THE DYNAMIC ON-AIR DUO OF CHRIS TSUPER AND NICOLE HYALA THROUGH THEIR SHOW "TAMBALANG BALAHURA AT BALASUBAS".
One of the key
attractions of the show that attracts millions
of loyal listeners is Nicole, or Emmylou Gaite
in real life, whose career in radio began as a
traffic reporter for Chris Tsuper's previous
radio show. Their style of banter became so
humorously engaging and popular with listeners
that they were given their own show on 90.7
Love Radio, the Philippines' Number One FM
radio station.
Since
then, "Tambalang Balahura at Balasubas" has become one of
the most popular radio programs ever, with the
uniquely exciting phrases they invent -- such
as "nakakalerkei" and "trulaloo at walang
halong eclavou" -- capturing the imaginations
of listeners.
However,
behind the bubbly and slightly "kalog"
personality she projects in radio broadcasts,
Nicole is actually a serious entrepreneur. She
says the decision to become an entrepreneur
came with the realization that showbiz fame
and fortune may fade, and that she needed to
prepare for this eventuality. She was
particularly affected by stories of big time
actors and actresses who ended up living in
poverty and squalor after squandering their
hard earned money without a backup plan for
their future.
Nicole
started several enterprises to create her own
backup plan, some of which closed down due to
her lack of business experience. Then in 2011,
she took another plunge by becoming an
endorser and franchisee of Aquaquest,
a water store franchise. The decision to do so
came naturally to her after observing the
ready market for water as a universally needed
commodity. The big added attraction was wider
market opportunities of a respected brand
offering an expanded product range of
purified, mineral, and alkaline water.
Her own
store opened in Mandaluyong
last year to rocky beginnings common to new
business startups, and after overcoming them
it is now firmly established and doing very
well. Nicole notes from her startup experience
that while purified water is the staple
product of her store, the mineral and alkaline
types of water are regularly required by
customers who have specific medical needs or
who want a special type of water as a health
supplement.
Another
factor in Nicole's decision was the ease of
acquiring this franchise due to financing
options offered by GQWEST,
the brand's Mother Company, where franchisees
can take advantage of the company's tie-ups
with institutions like BPI
Family Savings Bank to help secure a Ka-Negosyo loan package for their franchise. Most
important, she says, the company offered
comprehensive after-sales support and
efficiently followed it through, which to a
startup like hers made all the difference in
the world with an excellent store opening
package, local marketing and technical backup.
While
operating her own store, Nicole encountered
some problems due to the presence of other
competitors in the area. Most of these stores
were already there for years and have their
own steady following of customers. To solve
this she decided to leverage her celebrity
status and personally join the flyering
activities which she conducts on a regular
basis to maintain her store's market
visibility.
Learning
from her past failures, Nicole resolved to be
a hands-on business owner in future by taking
time off from her busy schedule to learn the
ropes of the business. Even though it's
running smoothly now, she still takes the time
to visit the store, personally take phone
calls, handle delivery assignments and get to
know customers so that she can better manage
the business. At the same time she learned to
delegate certain aspects of store operations
to competent and trustworthy staff who would
man the fort in her absence.
Once she
got her house in order, Nicole saw the store's
potential not just as a steady source of
income but also as a business with an
unlimited growth potential. In particular she
saw opportunities in the current condominium
building boom in Metro Manila.
Unlike most water stores who just marketed
their products in their immediate vicinity,
Nicole took the initiative to scout around new
condominiums in Makati
who need a steady and quality water supply.
Since
these buildings are so new the established
water stations still didn't have time to move
in and the residents were still looking for a
water supply. By moving in to fill the void
Nicole managed to be the preferred water
suppliers for these condos. In fact she
reveals that most of her clientele now come
from Makati
and that the volume is now so large she plans
to buy a bigger vehicle to handle deliveries.
On the
whole, Nicole says that franchising Aquaquest
is one of the best business decisions she made
and looks to possibly take out another
franchise in the near future. -
Jey-An O. Oroceo (Photo courtesy of
Aquaquest.)
A letter to the
foundation (The primary goal
of the Mayor Leon C. Arcillas Foundation is to
give the youth of the City of Santa Rosa
access to higher education in order to tap
and maximize their potentials.)
The Foundation now
goes even further and helps many others in
Santa Rosa. See more on its Official Website and Facebook.
SANTA ROSA MAGAZINE HITS THE TOP
SPOT AGAIN IN GOOGLE SEARCHES
IT'S HAPPENED
MANY TIMES IN THE PAST AND WILL HAPPEN MANY
TIMES IN THE FUTURE. During the past 5+ years
since the magazine of Santa Rosa City Laguna
first appeared online, it has several times
captured the top spot (excluding paid
positions like Google's TripAdvisor ad above)
of every major search engine on the internet.
Why? Because it's dedicated to supporting all
that's good in Sta. Rosa Laguna and to
opposing all that's bad. And we recognize that
as a rapidly growing city, its residents take
an interest in global issues and have opinions
on matters that affect them.
We don't
claim to own Google's or any other top search
position, which can change not only from day
to day but also during any day. What we do
claim with ample justification is that SRM is
the most accepted and respected of any Sta.
Rosa local media.
We
sincerely appreciate all the local support,
and the support of so many Filipino OFWs
around the world, that bring us this position.
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Santa
Rosa City Laguna - attracting investors from
all over Asia and the world
City Mayor Arlene Arcillas and
City Vice Mayor Arnel Gomez of Santa
Rosa Laguna bring humility and
integrity to public office as they
help to build houses for people
relocated after being made homeless
by natural disasters and for people
who cannot afford to buy homes for
their families
at high commercial prices.
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The Arangkada
Philippines Forum: Realize the
Potential! takes place on February
26, 2013 at the Rizal Ballroom, Shangri
La Hotel, Makati. PROGRAM (as at January
31, 2013).
7:30-8:30 Registration
8:30-8:35 National Anthem
8:35-8:40 Welcome and Introduction by
Ian Porter, President of Australian-New
Zealand Chamber of Commerce and Managing
Director of Cardno.
8:40-8:50 Opening Remarks: Trends and
Key Reforms in Trade and Industry in the
Philippine Economy by Sec. Gregory L.
Domingo (invited), Department of Trade
and Industry Public Sector Co-Chairman,
and member of National Competitiveness
Council (NCC).
8:50-9:00 Message from US Ambassador and
Launch of USAID-AmCham Partnership, The
Arangkada Philippines Project: Ebb
Hinchliffe, Executive Director, American
Chamber of Commerce, Ambassador Harry K.
Thomas Jr., US Embassy, Gloria Steele,
Mission Director, US Agency for
International Development.
9:00-9:10 Purpose of Forum and
Explanation of Assessment, John D.
Forbes, Senior Advisor, American Chamber
of Commerce of the Philippines.
Part 1: Growing Too Slow
9:10-9:30 Key Reforms Needed to Grow
Twice as Fast, Former Finance Sec.
Roberto F. de Ocampo, OBE, Co-Vice
Chairman, Makati Business Club.
Part 2: Becoming More Competitive
9:30-10:00 Moving into the Top
Quartile, Guillermo M. Luz, Private
Sector Co-Chairman, National
Competitiveness Council.
Part 3: Big Winner Sectors
10:00-10:10 Introduction of Speaker,
Moderator, and Panelists, Michael
Raueber, President, European Chamber of
Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP),
President, Royal Cargo Combined
Logistics.
10:10-10:20 SPECIAL PRESENTATION
National Tourism Development Plan, Sec.
Ramon Jimenez Jr., Department of
Tourism.
10:20-10:50 Panel Discussion 1
Moderator: Coco Alcuaz, Business News
Head, ABS-CBN News Channel.
Agribusiness: Rolando Dy, Executive
Director, Center for Food and
Agribusiness, University of Asia and the
Pacific.
Manufacturing: Roberto Batungbacal,
President, Samahan sa Pilipinas ng mga
Industriyang Kimika (SPIK), Director,
Federation of Philippine Industries.
Mining: John Ridsdel, Chief Operating
Officer, TVI Resource Development Inc.
Tourism, Medical Travel, and Retirement:
Aileen Clemente, Public Relations
Officer, Philippine Travel Agencies
Association (PTAA).
10:50-11:00 Open Forum
11:00-11:10 Introduction of Speaker,
Moderator, and Panelists: Takashi
Ishigami, President, Japanese Chamber of
Commerce and Industry of the
Philippines, President, Marubeni
Philippines Corporation.
11:10-11:20 SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Public Sector Infrastructure Planning
Policies and Spending: Rolando G.
Tungpalan, Deputy Director General,
National Economic Development Authority.
11:20-11:50 Panel Discussion 2
Moderator: Maria Ressa, Chief Executive
Officer and Executive Editor, Rappler.
Policy (including Public-Private
Partnerships): Eduardo V. Francisco,
President, Banco de Oro Capital.
Transportation:
Airports/Seaports/Roads/Rail: Meneleo
Carlos, Chairman, Federation of
Philippine Industries, Private Sector
Co-Champion, Infrastructure Working
Group, National Competitiveness Council.
Power and Water: Ray Cunningham, First
Vice President for Business Development,
Aboitiz Power.
Telecommunications: Donald R. Felbaum,
Managing Director, OPTEL Ltd.
11:50-12:00 Open Forum
Start of Luncheon
Part 4: General Business Environment
12:00-12:10 Introduction of Guest Public
Sector Speaker: Edward Chang, President,
Korean Chamber of Commerce, President
and CEO, Asia Pacific Express
Corporation.
12:10-12:20 SPECIAL PRESENTATION
The President’s Social Contract:
Sec. Florencio Abad, Department of
Budget and Management.
12:20-12:50 Panel Discussion
Moderator: David Celdran, Senior Anchor
Reporter, ABS-CBN News Channel.
Business Costs: John D. Forbes, Senior
Advisor, American Chamber of Commerce of
the Philippines.
Governance: Heidi Mendoza, Commissioner
on Audit.
Judicial: Sherisa P. Nuesa, Head,
Judicial Reform Initiative.
Social Services: Jaime Galvez Tan,
President, Health Futures Foundation.
12:50-1:00 Open Forum
1:00-1:10 Awarding of the Arangkada
Philippines Lifetime Achievement Award.
1:10-1:20 Message of Joint Foreign
Chambers and Introduction of Keynote
Speakers: Rhicke Jennings, President,
American Chamber of Commerce, Managing
Director, FedEx Express Philippines and
Indonesia.
1:20-1:40 Keynote Speeches
House Speaker: Feliciano R. Belmonte Jr.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile
(invited)
1:40-1:50 Open Forum 1:50-2:00 Closing
Remarks: Julian Payne, President,
Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the
Philippines, Managing Director, SEAREP
Limited. END OF PROGRAM
2:00-2:30 Press Conference (for media
only) with Joint Foreign Chambers of the
Philippines.
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Bring your Valentine to the free
open-air romantic movies on February
16
at Nuvali's Football Field 1. Start
time is 4pm so come early to get a
good spot. Why not have lunch at
Solenad first and then roam around
Nuvali?
CAN
YOU ANSWER THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS? 1) How many couples got married at
the same time in the above multiple
wedding ceremony?
2) Where did the above multiple
wedding ceremony take place?
3) When did the above multiple wedding
ceremony take place, Chinese New
Year's Day 2013, Valentine's Day
2013?, or some other time?
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NOT
ONLY HUMANS COURT EACH OTHER AT THIS
TIME OF YEAR
The photo above taken by Octavio Aburto
in the Cabo Pulmo National Park, Mexico,
shows diver David Castro in front of a
school of fish. Photographer and
conservationist Aburto from California
spent years photographing the fish and
had been trying to capture this exact
shot for three years. Thousands of these
fish gather in the sea like this in a
kind of underwater courtship dance. So what do you think? Are they
romantic? Or sexy? Or what?
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INTERESTED
IN FENG SHUI, AROMATHERAPY, AND MORE?
Click on the graphic above and explore
this fascinating website...
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The above 'sexy
lady' is not from PSY's Gangnam Style
but from The
Love Store in Manila that
attracts an enthusiastic clientele.
Sex is not a forbidden word, and
genuine adult toys are lawful aids to
enjoying it. We hope the ultimate
result is to bring delightful
Philippine babies into the world who
help our country to become greater
with every new generation.
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IF
WE ALL DECIDE TO CHANGE THE WORLD
ALL WE NEED IS LOVE
MANY
SELF-PROCLAIMED GURUS OF THE MAYAN
CIVILIZATION categorically
stated that the world would end on
December 21, 2012 because the Mayans had
predicted it and ended their Calendar
then.
Now we can just
as categorically state that the world
didn't end on that date. Or
can we?
An alternative
Mayan interpretation is that the world as
we then knew it would
end in 2012, and a better world would
take its place.
This opens up a
totally different scenario, positive
rather than negative, creative rather
than destructive. And the only way for
us to prove or disprove this alternative
interpretation is not to wait and
observe another date (the Mayan Calendar
has ended) but either make it happen or
allow it not to happen.
It's up to us.
It's our own decision. All people of the
world are equally important, with the
collective power to save our planet and
improve life. Not greedily and selfishly
only for themselves, but for everyone
else as well.
Unlike George
Orwell's "1984" or Aldous Huxley's
"Brave New World", our new global model
needs to be collaborative and loving.
Sir Thomas More's "Utopia", published in
1516 (amazingly over 400 years before
Orwell and Huxley) was much closer to
the desired mark.
There's no
better advocate of a "love everyone
philosophy" than Bermuda's 89 year old
"Mr. Happy Man", Johnny Barnes. Watch
the above video, and I guarantee you
will feel happy too.
It would indeed
be wonderful for us all if the troubled
world of 2012 did end on December 21,
and now in 2013 is changing into a
peaceful new world in which everyone
thinks like Johnny.
- Angel Tugado, with
eternal thanks and blessings to Johnny
Barnes
(Vimeo
Video courtesy of Matt
Morris Films)
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Apl.de.ap
greeted by Ben Latham-Jones in
London on ariiving to support his
Apl.de.ap Foundation's global 'We
Can Be Anything' campaign.
WATCH THE
TOP 6 BLACK EYED PEAS VIDEOS
on our November
Video Page. It's our
more.than.willing response to all you
apl.de.ap fans who requested them. See
also the story on our Luzon
Visayas Mindanao Page. The world
famous rapper and record producer born
in Barangay Sapangbato, Angeles City,
Pampanga, never lets you down!
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SANTA
ROSA ENTERS ITS 221st YEAR WITH
UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITIES
Building
on 2011's successful achievements,
2012 was yet another year of
sustained excellence, honoring the
creativity and community spirit of
its people, and bringing us into
2013 with unprecedented prestige and
opportunities.
"FROM A CUB
TO A ROARING LION." This is how City Mayor Arlene B. Arcillas equated
the growth of the Santa Rosa from a
provincial municipality depending on
agriculture to a progressive city
bustling with industries and commercial
establishments that reflect its new
national and international appeal.
At
last year's event, Mayor Arlene declared
with the genuine passion of a family
member true to its historic generations
of dedication to Santa Rosa: "Today, we
are not only celebrating our 220th
Foundation Anniversary, but we are also
celebrating the spirit of our people,
the people who worked so hard for Santa
Rosa to become what it is now -- the
Lion City of the region,".
And
2012 was even better yet. Major
achievements included building on
landmark legislations such as City
Ordinance No. 1675-2011 otherwise known
as the City of Santa Rosa Revenue Code.
Through 2012 Santa Rosa City has
implemented the new schedule of rates of
taxes, fees and charges. This new
revenue code had not been amended nor
revised since 1992.
Another
milestone legislation was City Ordinance
No. 1720-2011 or the City
Environment Code. A first in
Laguna, it is a comprehensive
compilation of rules and regulations to
effectively manage the environment in
the City of Sta Rosa thereby helping
mitigate climate change and other
environmental problems. The Environment
Code provides for Land Resources
Management, Air Quality, Noise
Management and Energy Saving Practices,
Water Resources Management, Integrated
Waste Management, and Institutional
Mechanisms. Also included in the Code
are the provisions in the prohibition of
the use of plastics and styropor.
There
were also reforms in governance and
efficient delivery of basic services
supported and encouraged by the awards
received. "Truly this has been a year of
excellence," the Mayor said.
Her
own work has been recognized with the
highest honor that any government
official can achieve in performance of
her or his duty. Our City Mayor is
officially included in the list of
public servants who are "models of
honor, excellence and integrity in
public service". She received the Presidential
Lingkod Bayan Award at the Rizal Ceremonial Hall of Malacañan Palace.
Santa Rosa Laguna's winning team of City
councilors, led by Mayor Arlene B.
Arcillas
and Vice Mayor Arnel DC Gomez.
Another
recognition was conferred to the City
for its dedication and commitment
towards transparency and accountability
when it was awarded the Seal
of Good Housekeeping by the Department
of Interior and Local Government
last December 13, 2011. According to
govt. Interior
Secretary Jesse Robredo, who
handed the award to Mayor Arcillas very
late in the proceedings, Seal is for
achieving the first level in
transparency and accountability.
Only
recently, the City is among the five (5)
cities in the Philippines cited in the
top 100 destinations for information
technology and business process
outsourcing (IT-BPO) services in a
report by technology investment and
research firm Tholons. Santa Rosa ranked
(86th) after Metro Manila (4th), Cebu
City (9th) and Davao City (69th). Iloilo
City is ranked 92nd.
Mayor
Arcillas shared some priority projects
that the City will commence this year
including a planned convention cum
sports center that will promote the City
as a cultural, sports and recreation
area; the Aplaya
de Santa Rosa Waterfront Development
Project that is set for takeoff
once approved and endorsed by Regional
Development Council CALABARZON; a Flood
Control and Drainage Master Plan.
which includes hazard and vulnerability
assessment of Santa Rosa as major input
in updating the Comprehensive Land Use
Plan incorporating the disaster risk
reduction management; and the socialized
housing project for the city's informal
settlers.
"For
these, I am positive that the 220th year
and the coming years would be better for
the City," the Mayor said.
Laguna Governor
Jeorge "ER" Ejercito-Estregan
and his wife Maita
were very welcome
guests at Santa Rosa's Sikhayan
celebrations, sharing the honors
with Mayor Arlene
and Vice Mayor Arnel in presenting
competition winners with trophies
and prizes.
Every
year, the City celebrates its Sikhayan
Festival in conjunction with its
Founding Anniversary.
Sikhayan,
which stands for Pagsisikap sa
Kabuhayan, is an annual event
celebrating the Rosenians' spirit of
enterprise that has, through the
decades, fueled the city's economic
growth. The event was highlighted by the
annual street dance competition
participated in by eight (8) public
elementary schools. The winners are
Southville IV Elementary School (4th
place), Malitlit Elementary School (3rd
place), Dita Elementary School (2nd
place), Don Jose Elementary School (1st
place) and Sto. Domingo Elementary
School (Grand Winner).
Present
to witness the event were Governor
Jeorge "ER" Ejercito-Estregan with
wife Pagsanjan
Mayor Maita Ejercito, Vice
Governor Caesar Perez, Board Members
Emil Tiongco and Carlo Almoro, and
Provincial Administrator Atty. Leonardo
Ragaza Jr. Guest performers include Yeng
Constantino, Alden Richards, Sarah
Lahbati and Derrick Monasterio. (Information
and photos courtesy of Santa Rosa City
Government.)
Footnote: Santa Rosa
Magazine is independent. It isn't part
of the city government, and its
stakeholders and contributors have no
personal or business connections with
city officials, whether elected or
appointed.
SRM,
its stakeholders and contributors always
reserve their rights to agree or
disagree with past, present or future
administrations.
This
is the magazine's core value to the
Santa Rosa City electorate, which is
regarded and respected by SRM as an
informed and responsible electorate
comprised of intelligent individual
voters with equal rights.
At
election times, we do not support
incumbents if we feel their performances
in office did not live up to their past
election promises, nor do we support any
new candidates if we disagree with their
policies and we feel they will not bring
any improvements to our city.
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History
and culture of Santa Rosa City
Laguna Philippines were lovingly
revived with colorful displays and
entertainments in the "My City My
SM" event at SM City mall.
(Read
more:)
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HELP
GOVERNOR TO MAKE LAGUNA EVEN GREATER
Luguna
De Bay could be a beautiful
attraction as well as a haven for
nature and a rich source of food,
but it badly needs help.
WE APPLAUD
OUR PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR FOR HIS
EFFORTS TO MAKE LAGUNA GREAT.
He's
already doing great things to improve
housing, medical care and education for
the poor, and has launched high profile
campaigns and initiatives to clean up
pollution, nurture the environment, and
attract the wide range of investments
needed for future development and
growth.
Visit
the Laguna
Province official website for a
free Investor's Guide and details of the
Save Laguna Lake campaign. Also see the
story on our Opinion
Page.
- Sarina
Fernandez (Photos courtesy of Laguna
Provincial Government).
Governor
Jeorge "ER" Ejercito-Estregan also
received a Presidential Lingkod
Bayan Award for 2011, the first
provincial Governor ever to win this
prestigious official recognition of
excellence in public service, and
along with the award to Santa Rosa
City Mayor Arlene B Arcillas
making it an unprecedented double
for our province.
LAGUNA
GOVERNOR JEORGE "E.R." EJERCITO
ESTREGAN has set another
milestone for the Province of Laguna for
being the first Governor to be awarded
the Presidential
Lingkod Bayan Award during the
2011 Outstanding Public Officials and
Employees Awards Rites on November 9,
2011 at the Rizal
Ceremonial Hall, Malacañan Palace.
The
Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award is the
highest and most prestigious award given
by the President to public officials and
employees who have shown excellence in
their conduct of duties as public
servant leaders.
Civil Service Commission Chairman
Francisco T. Duque III (left), and
Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa,
Jr.(2nd from left) presented the award
to Governor
Ejercito-Estregan. Former
President Joseph Ejercito Estrada
(right) also graced the event as
honorary guest.
(Article
and Photo by Gerry Tomandao courtesy
of Laguna Provincial Government)
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PHILIPPINE SMEs WIN
GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REACH MAJOR
INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
Habi
Footwear and Pineapple Fiber
progress to the International Final
in Europe.
5th
BiD Challenge Philippines victors,
Habi Footwear and Pineapple Fiber
Production, were especially
recognized to compete in the international
BiD Marketplace in the
Netherlands this coming November.
BiD
(BUSINESS in DEVELOPMENT) CHALLENGE
is an
international business plan competition
promoting poverty reduction through
enterprise development. It started in
the Netherlands in 2004 and after three
years was adapted locally and launched
in partnership with Philippine
Business for Social Progress.
A
footwear retail promoting social
entrepreneurship by making fashionable
shoes from scrap cloths and rubber won
the top prize and the opportunity to
compete in the Netherlands in the 5th
PBSP Bid (Business in Development)
Challenge Philippines. Habi
Footwear, a start-up business
managed by the 22-year-old Albert Go,
made it a goal to do something
extraordinary for the country -- one
shoe at a time. By engaging its partner
community, Go and his colleagues were
able to provide a source of income for
the financially-challenged families of
their partner site by using their
hand-woven materials in making shoes.
Fighting
poverty through a profitable and
sustainable way is BiD's strategy to
encourage more entrepreneurs to look at
social responsibility as an integral
part of business success.
PBSP
believes that small, medium, and
microenterprises should have a venue
where potential investments may be
acquired for the expansion and growth of
social enterprise.
Like
Habi Footwear, Pineapple
Fiber Production of Batas MPC by
Sheilah Vergara will also represent the
Philippines in the BiD
Challenge International Marketplace
this coming November where they will
showcase their business ideas together
with the other entries across the globe.
Vergara's SME produces fiber from
leftover pineapple leaves, thereby
helping the unemployed women and youth
in Silang, Cavite.
The
top 10 BiD winners are awarded a grant
of PhP 100,000 each by Citibank.
They are: Habi Footwear: Shoes That Care
by Albert Go; Pineapple Fiber Production
of Batas MPC by Sheilah Vergara
(Accenture Skills to Succeed Awardee);
Donnabelle Coconut Sugar and Syrup by
Benjamin Lao; Batangueno's Best Prime
Ground Roasted Coffee with Pandan
Extract by Rosauro Luntayao; Haws Blend
Milking Profit from Carabao by Samantha
Marie Libunao; Deo's AquaVermiPonics by
Deogracias Magbal, Jr. (Shell Green
Enterprise Awardee); Best Chevon by Mary
Joy Quisaot; Production of Prio-Bio
Inoculums for Animals and Fish by
Nemesio Diamante (FSSI Triple Bottom
line Awardee); Bamsnacks by Vina
Domingo-Roy (FSSI Triple Bottom line
Awardee); and T'nalak of the T'bolis by
Yasmin Gatal Yashimoto. -
Joyce Franzly Racoma and Grace Muncada
(Photo courtesy of PBSP)
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CONGRATULATIONS
TO JESSICA AND THANKS TO OFW VOTERS!
Jessica
Sanchez comes second in American
Idol
Photo
courtesy of American Idol: Phillip
Phillips, Jessica Sanchez and Ryan
Seacrest.
IT
WAS AN ENORMOUS ACHIEVEMENT FOR 16
YEAR OLD FILIPINO-MEXICAN-AMERICAN
JESSICA SANCHEZ to be voted into
second place (first runner up) from the
more than 100,000 contestants in American
Idol season 11. When the record
132 million votes were counted after its
Grand Finale, the winner was Phillip
Phillips from Georgia, USA.
But
Jessica did us proud, and the rave
reviews of her singing talents forecast
a great future in show business. Her
powerful voice belied her youth, which
made her a tad nervous in live
performances, and it was not until the
later stages of the contest that she
began to dress and move like a confident
young woman rather than the
inexperienced teenager that she
basically was.
Jessica's
success in American Idol will bring her
a recording contract, professional
coaching, professional management and
professional promotion. We look forward
to her singles, CDs, interviews and
guest appearances on TV, and live
concerts -- hopefully soon to perform in
Manila for her many thousands of
Philippine fans. Congratulations
Jessica! You're fantastic!
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THE LATEST BOOK FROM DAVID ICKE (author of several books including: "Infinite Love Is the Only Truth: Everything Else Is Illusion") represents more than 20 years of research that has uncovered astounding secrets and suppressed information.
Manipulation of the human race and perceived reality is given new levels of understanding and he calls for humanity to rise from its knees and take back the world from the sinister network that covertly controls us from cradle to grave.
Icke has moved the global cutting edge so many times since his incredible awakening in 1990. In this book he does it yet again, and then some.
He says there are higher levels of technology in existence that ordinary people are never told about, and he describes what he calls the Moon Matrix, a fake reality broadcast to the world from the Moon and decoded by the human body/mind in a similar way as portrayed in the Matrix movie trilogy but without the Hollywood violence and gloss.
The Moon Matrix, he says, has hacked into the human body's computer system and it is feeding us 24/7 a manipulated sense of self and the world.
David Icke is regarded as the most controversial speaker in the world today, and his talks around the globe attract sell-out crowds, including many thousands of all nationalities for an all-day event at Wembley Football Stadium which was packed to the rafters. You can see clips from it on YouTube. For more info about him visit his website.
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Click the poster
above to visit the Thrive Movement's
Facebook page, or click the graphic
below to see the mindblowing Thrive
movie on YouTube. It lasts 2 hours and
12 minutes, so you might want to watch
it in segments. For more info visit the
official
website.
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ALLEN
DIZON TALKS ABOUT MIGRANTE: A
FILIPINO DIASPORA
Find out
what Allen Dizon has to say about this
must-see movie in which he starred as
the husband of of Jodi Sta. Maria who
plays an OFW domestic helper raped by
her employer. It's a powerful movie
scripted by Maridol Rañoa-Bismark and
directed by Joel Lamangan, and it raises
many questions concerning why such
things are allowed to happen when as a
last resort Filipina mothers are forced
to leave their kids behind and work
unprotected and alone in menial jobs
overseas because it's the only way they
can take care of their families in the
Philippines.
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AIR
ASIA APPOINTS WOMAN CEO
Described
by her predecessor as "tough",
Aireen Omar has the financial
expertise
needed for the airline's controlled
expansion.
CONGRATULATIONS
TO AIREEN OMAR ON HER APPOINTMENT TO
CEO OF AIR ASIA MALAYSIAN OPERATIONS.
Formerly
the Head of Finance, she will keep a
tight rein on Southeast Asian operating
costs at the same time as expanding the
Kuala
Lumpur based budget airline's
markets in the region.
Tony
Fernandes, whom she replaces, will
oversee the group business with a main
focus on core operations. He is
well-known for his flamboyant style and
he thrives on world market downturns,
which he sees as major opportunities.
After being headhunted from the music
industry 10 years ago, he turned Air
Asia around from serious losses to
sustained profits. He said: "We are
always growing when things are tougher.
We are now the beneficiaries of a
slowdown. We are always growing when
there is a slowdown."
2015
will see implementation of the Southeast
Asian open-sky policy, which is great
news for Filipino travelers as it will
attract more budget airlines to give
them a bigger choice of flights and
destinations coupled with more
competitiveness of price and quality of
service. Already Air
Asia is increasing its flights
from Clark
Airport in Pampanga
to domestic and international
destinations at prices comparable to the
promos of Cebu Pacific but at much more
convenient times and with much better
customer after-sales support than Cebu
Pacific.
Aireen Omar (third from left) and
Group CEO Tony Fernandes (second
from left)
pictured with other top Air Asia
officials.
Also,
the operation established by Air
Asia in the Philippines is a
genuine subsidiary with responsible
staff employed by Air
Asia, unlike the outsourced
branches that Cebu Pacific has in other
countries, making it impossible for
Filipino travelers to get help when a
Cebu Pacific promo trip goes wrong, as
the disinterested staff of outsourced
companies simply say the problem's not
their responsibility and leave the
customers stranded. Fortunately the
smarter Filipino budget airlines such as
AirPhil
Express make good use of the
internet, providing accessible 24/7
after-sales support wherever their
customers may be. Air
Asia by contrast now has genuine
subsidiaries in Thailand
and Indonesia,
and will be opening its next one in Japan.
Further new competitors attracted by the
open air policy will, along with Air
Asia, produce a travel market
scenario in the Philippines where their
goal is to create happy and satisfied
repeat customers who are accorded the
importance they deserve and who make
recommendations by word of mouth to all
their friends, relatives and colleagues.
This is the way to guarantee
profitability and growth in a streetwise
budget market. -
Eduardo Garcia (Photos courtesy of Air
Asia.)
SRM Editor's comment: A recent survey
of major European corporations
produced the amazing fact that those
with women in senior management
achieved 26% higher profits than those
without women in senior management.
Philippine businesses please watch CNN's
'Leading Women' features on
cable and satellite TV and take note!
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DRAGONAIR
LOOKS TO TALENTED YOUTH FOR A
FABULOUS FUTURE
The
lucky 24 eager youngsters get ready
for takeoff as Dragonair launches
its seventh Aviation Certificate
Programme in Hong Kong.
THE
DRAGONAIR AVIATION CERTIFICATE
PROGRAMME is an educational
initiative co-organised by the Hong
Kong Air Cadet Corps and an
integral part of the Dragonair
Youth Aviation Academy.
Established in 2005, it offers local
youth a solid platform to explore the
world of aviation through training
sessions and facility visits hosted by
various Dragonair
departments and aviation-related
organisations. Each participant is
paired with a Dragonair
pilot who acts as a personal mentor.
Out
of the 24 participants in the 2012
programme, 12 are members of the Hong
Kong Air Cadet Corps while the remaining
12 were recruited from the general
public in Hong Kong. The programme was
opened up to the public for the first
time in 2011 and this year saw a 30%
increase in the number of applications.
Officiating
at the inaugural ceremony were Guest of
Honour Director-General of Civil
Aviation Norman Lo, Dragonair Chief
Executive Officer Patrick Yeung and Hong
Kong Air Cadet Corps Deputy Commanding
Officer, Training Wing Commander John
Siu. Guests from supporting
organisations, programme participants,
Dragonair pilot mentors and programme
alumni were also in attendance.
Director General of Civil Aviation
Norman Lo (centre, right), Dragonair
CEO Patrick Yeung (centre, left),
Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps Deputy
Commanding Officer, Training Wing
Commander John Siu (sixth from left)
and Dragonair General Manager
Operations Captain Peter Sanderson
(sixth from right) together with the
24 students participating in the
2012 Dragonair Aviation Certificate
Programme.
Speaking
at the inaugural ceremony, Mr Norman Lo
said that the aviation industry is
developing rapidly and young talents are
needed to sustain the
development."Moving on to its seventh
year, this programme has become stronger
and more versatile," he continued with
great enthusiasm. "I learnt that the
number of applications from the general
public increased significantly compared
with that in last year. I encourage
mentees to embrace diversity among
themselves and share their experience in
the programme so as to inspire their
friends and bring more talents into the
aviation industry."
Mr
Patrick Yeung said at the ceremony: "The
prospects for the development of
aviation in Hong Kong are very promising
and there will be strong demand for new
young talent. We are excited to see the
Dragonair Aviation Certificate Programme
bringing new blood into the industry,
and to date around 30% of our programme
alumni have already embarked on an
aviation-related career."
Support
from related organisations is one of the
key factors in the success of the
programme and three new partners -- Hong Kong Fire Services
Department, Hong
Kong Police Force and Dragonair's
inflight catering provider LSG
Lufthansa Service Hong Kong Limited
-- are all taking part for the first
time this year.
The
other aviation partners include Airport
Authority Hong Kong, Aviation
Security Company Limited, the Civil Aviation Department,
the Government
Flying Service, Hong Kong
Aircraft Engineering Company Ltd, Hong Kong Airport Services
Ltd, the Airport
Meteorological Office of the Hong
Kong Observatory, and TAG
Aviation Asia Limited. The
mentorship scheme is a core part of the
programme and Wing Commander John Siu
said: "The examples set by the pilot
mentors, including their high
professional achievements and their very
own unique personal experience, will
serve to influence and inspire our next
generation."
Mr
Yeung expressed his appreciation to all
the Dragonair pilot mentors for
contributing their precious time, and
thanked programme co-organiser the Hong
Kong Air Cadet Corps for sharing the
same passion as Dragonair in nurturing
Hong Kong's aviators of the future.
-
Report and photos courtesy of
Dragonair. More information on the
Dragonair Aviation Certificate
Programme and other activities in the
Dragonair Youth Aviation Academy is
available at www.dragonair.com/aviationacademy.
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VICTORIA
BECKHAM TALKS ON CREATIVE GREAT
BRITAIN AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Videos
of Victoria Beckham (above) and
Victoria's Secret (below) courtesy
of YouTube.
AS
REFLECTED IN SM's PARISIAN COLLECTION,
THE 17TH CENTURY ENGLISH SCHOOLBOY'S
REAL-LEATHER SATCHEL IS AN ICONIC
STYLE THAT'S STILL GLOBALLY POPULAR
FOR 21ST CENTURY FASHION ACCESSORIES.
This
practical functionality and creative
design, combined with top quality
materials and workmanship, have been the
backbone of British fashion for
centuries. Victoria
Beckham's phenomenal worldwide
success embraces this tradition and
expands on it with her unique
imagination and flair for modern
materials and colors which enhance
today's lifestyles. Enthusiastic fans
include several Hollywood A-List
celebrities.
Victoria
admits she's a very lucky lady with
homes in Los
Angeles, which she loves, New
York City, which she also loves, London, which she also
loves and Paris,
which she also loves. In the above video
she explains why she is is so proud to
be English
and why she decided to base her fashion
business in London.
Meanwhile,
husband David
Beckham sealed his contract with
top French soccer club and current
league leaders Paris
Saint-Germain (PSG), donating his
million Euros a week salary to charity.
He is one of the group of star players
who won three league titles in three
different countries, in his case with Manchester United
(England), Real
Madrid (Spain), and Los
Angeles Galaxy (USA).
Victoria
and David have 4 children - Brooklyn,
Romeo, Cruz, and Harper.
If
you're going to London - whether for
study, vacation or business - take
advantage of the London
Pass to visit some of the many
fantastic shopping, entertainment,
sightseeing and cultural attractions
of England's
world-famous historical capital
city.
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BILL
AND MELINDA GATES BACK THE
KHAN ACADEMY
online
tutorials make world-class math
education
free to anyone anywhere
PHILIPPINE
STUDENTS CURRENTLY REBELLING AGAINST
HIKES IN TUITION AND OTHER FEES
may take heart in the fact that rich and
powerful people in other countries are
doing a lot to assist them.
The
Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org)
is a a not-for-profit organization with
the mission of providing FREE
WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION TO ANYONE
ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD VIA THE INTERNET.
It started with
math and over 228 million lessons have
been delivered to-date. More than 3800
free online video tutorials cover
everything from basic addition to
advanced calculus, physics, chemistry
and biology.
Founder,
Salman Khan, holds an MBA from Harvard
Business School (www.hbs.edu),
an M.Eng and B.S. in electrical
engineering and computer science from
MIT (web.mit.edu),
and a B.S. in mathematics from MIT. Bill
Gates in the above video describes
what Salman Khan is doing as "the
start of a revolution".
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (www.gatesfoundation.org)
is now helping to fund Khan Academy's
expansion to embrace other subjects than
math, and to develop analytical software
that will be an enormous boon to
students and teachers alike.
The
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is
also helping to fund other empowering
educational work such as The Big History
Project (www.bighistoryproject.com),
which has already proved to be of
tremendous benefit to high school and
university students.
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WE'VE
A PLANETARY EMERGENCY THAT NEEDS A
MODERN GENERATION OF HEROES
"A
hero generation brought democracy to
the planet. Another hero generation
ended slavery. Another hero
generation brought women the right
to vote."
"We
now need a generation of heroes with
a generational mission to save our
planet. If we had just one week's
worth of what the USA spent on the
Iraq war, we would be well on the
way to doing this."
In the
above TED
video, Al Gore presents
evidence that the speed of climate
change is much faster than
previously predicted, and he warns
of the urgency to act NOW.
Once the US Vice
President, then star of "An Inconvenient
Truth", now Nobel Peace Prize winner,
Gore found a way to focus the world's
attention on climate change. In doing
so, he invented a new medium -- the
Keynote movie -- and reinvented himself.
Unlike
most people in public office, Gore
always intended to get things done and,
since leaving Washington in 2000, he's
still at it.
His
campaign for alerting the world to the
dangers of climate change is steadily
gaining momentum. His Oscar-winning "An
Inconvenient Truth" is the third
most successful video documentary ever
released at the box office. It is being
used by governments around the world to
inform the local public, and the UK
government even sent a copy of the film
to every high school in England, Wales
and Scotland.
Gore's
famed PowerPoint presentation, with its
meticulously researched content and
lucid style, has energized rapidly
increasing numbers of worldwide
activists -- both young and old.
Meanwhile,
Gore has transformed his image as a
communicator. The once 'wooden' style
has given way to a warmth and humor that
reveal the depth of his experience as a
soldier, congressman, senator, Vice
President, TV executive, teacher and
author.
Arguably,
he is better positioned today than ever
before to affect the future of our world
environment.
Along
with the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in
2007 he was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize "for efforts to build
up and disseminate greater knowledge
about man-made climate change, and to
lay the foundations for the measures
that are needed to counteract such
change".
Rolling
Stone magazine has commented: "The only
Vice President ever to mock his own
stiff image by imitating a wax-museum
figure, Gore turns out to be the best
professor that you never had --
easygoing, knowledgeable and funny."
To
find out how you can get involved, visit
The
Climate Project official website.
Al Gore has written an article published
in the June 22, 2011, issue of Rolling
Stone that you may read
online.
Also
read the report in USA
Today's online edition of June 22
confirming that "97
percent of scientific experts agree
that climate change is very likely
caused mainly by human activity" based on Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
USA
Today includes an excellent interactive graphic that explains clearly how
global warming occurs.
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Watch this YouTube animated video by Ericsson
Multimedia about life in 2015
and the networked society. (Read more....)
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There's no live theater in Sta. Rosa yet, but
the Insular Life Theater features
productions by the talented and
popular drama group Theater Down South at nearby Alabang.
SRM sincerely hopes that before long
there will be a thriving theater in
our city also.
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Do
you and/or your kids need to know
the nutritional values of different
foods and the
necessity of a healthy balanced
diet? Michelle Obama has launched...(Read more:)
COME HOME
TO QUEZON CITY'S NEWEST RESIDENTIAL
HAVEN - WEST WING TROPICS.
Just 5
minutes away from SM Novaliches and a
short hop to the best of Quezon City.
Malls, schools, hospitals are all within
easy reach. Swing to the rest of the
metro via Quirino and Mindanao Avenues
or make a quick exit to the NLEX via the
new Mindanao-NLEX access. Belton
Communities' newest offering features
well-designed modern homes - a perfect
balance of form and function you can
enjoy at West Wing Tropics. Come home to
light and airy living spaces nestled
within lush greeneries and inspiring
outdoors. For full details, visit the West Wing
Tropics website.
Local
girl Charice Pempengco from Cabuyao has
become a global superstar through her
own talent and hard work. Now she's
criticized by some for adopting a new
image. Why don't these critics want her
to grow up? We disagree with them, and
we like her new image. She's no longer a
child star but a fully fledged adult
star with her own personal style. SRM
loves her for herself, and we support
her right to express her own fashion
preferences. If it's OK for us to choose
clothes and hairstyles that we like,
then why on earth should Charice be
prevented from doing the same?
*********
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*********
Sta
Rosa's superstar City Mayor has been
recognized publicly by Malacanang
with the Presidential Lingkod Bayan
Award. This is the highest and most
prestigious Award given by the President
to public officials and employees who
have shown excellence in their conduct
of duties as public servant leaders.
*********
*********
*********
Following up on 2007's best-selling "I Am America
(And So Can You!)", the writing team
behind The Colbert Report delivers an
election-time parody that employs the
cocksure, egotistical voice of Stephen
Colbert to inform readers about how the
USA is "Americeptional" in a wide range
of subjects: like healthcare, Wall
Street, energy, and, of course,
elections.
Depending on
your political bent, you'll rank this
book anywhere from amusing to downright
hilarious. Jokes galore, and it even
comes with 3-D glasses.
Colbert was The
Daily Show's longest-running and most
diverse correspondent.
His personality,
insight and overall rightness could only
lead to The Colbert Report, a half-hour
nightly platform for him to give his
take on the issues of the day, and, more
importantly, to tell you why everyone
else's take is just plain wrong. The
show has been hugely successful.
In the history
of mankind there has never been a
greater country than America. You could
say we're the #1 nation at being the
best at greatness.
But perfect as
the USA is in every way, America is
broken. We can't exchange it because
we're 236 years past the 30-day return
window. Look around you - we don't make
anything anymore, we've mortgaged our
future to China, and our newly elected
Apologist-in-Chief goes on world tours
just to bow before foreign leaders.
Worse, the Los
Angeles Four Seasons Hotel doesn't have
a phone button for the Spa. You have to
dial an extension! Why and where did we
lose our way?!
It's high time
we restored America to the greatness it
never lost!
AMERICA AGAIN
will singlebookedly pull this country
back from the brink. It features
everything from chapters, to page
numbers, to fonts.
Topics covered
range from healthcare ("I shudder to
think where we'd be without the wide
variety of prescription drugs to treat
our maladies, such as think-shuddering")
to the economy ("Life is giving us
lemons, and we're shipping them to the
Chinese to make our lemon-flavored
leadonade") to food ("Feel free to deep
fry this book - it's a rich source of
fiber").
Colbert gives
America the dose of truth it needs to
get back on track. -
Chris Schluep
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*********
Matching
and hopefully even surpassing the record
number of K-Pop phenomenon PSY's video
views on YouTube will be the number of
people all over the world who will on
Valentine's Day 2013 demonstrate
publicly their solidarity with OBR's
global stand against violence to women.
Visit the One Billion Rising website to find out
more. Please do it NOW because violent
abuse, rape and victimization of all
women is against every religion and
every civilized society on our planet.
It needs to be stopped NOW and FOREVER.
When you and
your date are enjoying Valentine's Day,
please pause for just a brief moment to
pray for those in other countries, and
in your own, who can't do the same.
Filipinas are
not exempt. Abuse of women in the
Philippines is not given much publicity,
yet it exists. Abused women don't have
economic or political muscle to improve
their situation, just as they don't have
the physical muscle to fight off rapists
and other violent men.
It needs to be
publicly recognized in Philippine
culture that such men are cowards who
victimize the 'weaker sex' because they
are too weak themselves to behave like
civilized human beings.
It was the
so-called (only by men) 'weaker sex' who
endured 9 months of exhausting pregnancy
followed by painful childbirth who gave
life to these men in the first place.
In all the
millions or billions of years of our
planet's history, no man - however rich
or physically/politically/militarily
powerful - has ever had the strength to
endure this human life-giving
experience.
Women must not
be exploited by men merely because their
human qualities are different.
Their
differences were created by God as
complementary for God's purpose. Men
were created to be humans too, equal and
not superior to women.
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On
December 21, 2012 PSY's Gangnam Style
broke through the Billion Barrier of
YouTube views. No video of any kind has
ever achieved this phenomenal popularity
before.
Watch his
amazing 'horse dance' again on our December
Videos page, which has all of the
top seven most viewed videos in
YouTube's history.
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Philippine
national sweetheart Anne Curtis wins the
FAMAS
Best Leading Actress Award for her
role in Star Cinema's "No Other Woman".
Her natural exuberance and lack of
inhibition in ABS-CBN's TV midday hit Showtime
has made her a favorite with Filipinos
and we congratulate her for this great
success in movies too.
Congratulations
to De La Salle student from Dasmarinas
Cavite, Carl Crystle delos Reyes, who
represented Sta. Rosa in Miss Earth
Philippines and went on to win the Miss
South East Asia crown in Singapore. We
hope to see her succeed in many future
beauty pageants.
*********
*********
*********
Read the
inspirational book that Oprah Winfrey
said has influenced her life more than
any other.
*********
*********
*********
TAKE A LOOK AT OUR LATEST VIDEO PAGES.
For October we featured the boy band One
Direction that's now taking the
world by storm. For November we featured
the Black Eyed Peas with their Philippine
born rapper and record producer
apl.de.ap. December featured YouTube's top 7 most viewed videos its
history, headed by PSY.
January
2013 features four short videos on
subjects of supreme importance to future
life on Planet Earth. Make no mistake,
all our lives are now at risk due to
politicians' corrupt self interests and
their negligence in failing to recognize
what's at stake. And February 2013 offers a fascinating mixed
bag of 7 (yes, seven!) videos, including
2 from the Wall Street Journal, Celine
Dion singing in Beijing, Jessica Sanchez
at the Araneta in Manila, a Disney
trailer and 2 more. All short, and all
worth watching!
*********
*********
*********
GOOGLE FOR ENTREPRENEURS has now
been officially launched. It's described
as a microsite to help business startups
around the world. It provides tools and
guidance, and the initiative has already
established operational partnerships in
several countries of great value to
their local startup communities.
Watch Google's short introductory video
above (you can enlarge it to full screen
if you prefer) and visit the microsite
yourself to find out more.
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*********
In
January 2012, the reddit community along
with those from Google, Facebook,
Wikipedia and tens of millions of other
enlightened Americans defeated SOPA and
PIPA, two bills that threatened the
Internet, one of the healthiest parts of
the American economy. Now it's making
sure the US government understands just
how important the Open Internet is to
every American - at home and overseas,
both.
This October,
reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Erik
Martin (reddit GM), other reddit staff,
and some entrepreneurs took a bus
(literally half red, half blue) through
the Midwest to rally reddit and the
larger Open Internet community and
campaign for the Open Internet during
Presidential & Vice Presidential
debates.
Click above
graphic to read more about the tour on
reddit's blog page.
*********
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*********
ANOTHER BLOW TO CORRUPTION IN HIGH PLACES.
Below is a quote from the excellent
Philippine Inquirer newspaper:
"The Comelec is
reviewing the qualifications of
organizations seeking party-list seats
in the House of Representatives to
eliminate dubious groups organized by
politicians and wealthy, influential
people to advance their political
interests.
In a recent
interview with the Inquirer, Comelec
Chair Sixto Brillantes described the
party-list system as a 'joke'.
With
illegitimate groups infesting the
party-list system, multimillionaires sit
in the House as nominees of parties that
claim to represent poor sectors of
society. In reality, those sectors are
not members of the groups and do not
know the nominees."
Read the amazing
Philippine Inquirer report online. It shows
how devious and dishonest some of the
rich and powerful clans are in their
scandalous abuse of our democratic
electoral system behind the scenes.
Perpetrators should be jailed as public
enemies and traitors of our nation. - Angel Tugado
SEPTEMBER 26 every year since 2001 is
the European Day of Languages and if you are
interested in learning one, which would
it be? English? Italian? French?
Spanish? German? Dutch? Or one of many
others?
Although in
practical terms, English is far the most
globally understood second language
wherever you go, you may have a specific
reason for choosing another.
After all,
English is the official second national
language of the Philippines, and you may
already be proficient in it.
Also, looking to
the progressive rise of Asia, you may
wish to study Chinese or Hindi or
Japanese or Korean or Malay.
If you wish to
do business with Africa, you may prefer
to learn one of the many African
languages.
There's no limit
to what's available free online. All you
need to do is search for it with Google
or Yahoo.
*********
*********
*********
Victims of the Martial
Law imposed on Filipinos by dictator
Ferdinand Marcos protest that 40
years on they have not been
compensated for his injustices.
With Bongbong Marcos gleefully declaring
that his life was much better under
Martial Law, no doubt because his father
was murdering opponents and plundering
the public purse, read the enlightening
article by Pablo A.
Tariman for Vera Files, which was
posted on Yahoo News September 22, 2012. This
gives an accurate picture of what
Martial Law meant to journalists and
other Filipinos without freedom of
speech.
Vergel O. Santos wrote the biography of
Chino Roces, founder of the Manila Times
newspaper shut down because it opposed
dictator Marcos. It describes a man with
integrity and patriotism beyond
question, whose life's achievement was
vandalized by a self-appointed tyrant
devoid of either integrity or
patriotism. 'Chino' is available from Anvil Publishing.
Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, like Vergel O.
Santos and Pablo A. Tariman, used to
work for the Manila Times. She relates in her book how
Martial Law caused the "hyper-real
destruction" of her family. The
autobiographical 'Legends &
Adventures' can now be obtained from Amazon
in an e-book version for its Kindle
digital reader. - Angel Tugado
After
his successful State Visits to the UK
and USA was quickly back at work in the
Philippines. With regard to the
conviction of Renato Corona, he said:
"There were some
officials who blatantly violated the
law, and just as blatantly escaped
accountability.
The Constitution
that was meant to be the refuge of the
common citizen became a plaything in the
hands of those who wielded power with
impunity.
They acted as if
they held the blindfold of justice in
their hands, as if they were licenced to
amend, reduce, change, and distort our
Constitution."
"True democracy
for all Filipinos: this is the essence
of our Constitution; this is the
lifeblood of our free State.
Cognizant of the
mandate enshrined in our Constitution,
we will not allow it to be infected,
sullied or used by anyone who seeks only
to best his fellow men, or wallow in
power." Three cheers
for P'Noy!!! He's doing a positively
fantastic job for every Filipino
except the criminally corrupt
officials and politicians who can no
longer strangle and plunder our
beloved nation in the certainty of
getting away with it. They are the
ones who, with their bribed cronies,
negatively attempt to sabotage
Philippine progress.
*********
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City
Mayor Arlene Arcillas was delighted to
be guest of honor when Arnel Gomez and
his wife celebrated the Vice Mayor's
happy birthday at Sta Rosa City in June.
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*********
The
primary goal of the Mayor Leon C. Arcillas Foundation is to
give the youth of the City of Santa Rosa
access to higher education in order to
tap and maximize their potentials. One
of its projects this semester to help
towards achieving this goal was to
distribute free packs of school supplies
to the neediest students.
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The City
of Sta. Rosa government recently
acquired an 8,820 m2 residential lot in
Barangay Pulong Santa Cruz for the
relocation of informal settlers
occupying land opposite the Coca-Cola
Plant. This will give 158 families a
chance to own a home of their own. The
City Government, Toyota Motor
Philippines Foundation and Gawad Kalinga
signed a Memorandum of Agreement for
building the TOYOTA-CITY GOVERNMENT OF
SANTA ROSA-GK VILLAGE, and beneficiaries
will include families whose existing
homes are already situated at the
relocation site.
Congratulations to 90.7 Love Radio's Nicole Hyala on her award as the 2012
Yahoo! OMG! Female DJ Of The Year.
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*********
The
Spanish team rejoices in Ukraine after
beating Italy 4:0 to win the Euro 2012
title. Two of Spain's goals were scored
by club mates Fernando Torres and Juan
Mata of London's Chelsea Football Club
that won the Champions League and
sponsors the football academy run by the
Azkal stars Phil and James Younghusband
in Manila.
*********
*********
*********
In his latest book Breakout Nations: In Pursuit of the Next
Economic Miracles economist
Ruchir Sharma says:
"Now at long
last, the Philippines looks poised to
resume a period of strong growth. The
new president, Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino
III, probably has enough support, and
looks likely to generate just enough
reform momentum, to get the job done.
The Aquino name
is still virtually synonymous with the
promise of change."
"Aquino is
delegating power to competent
technocrats and seems to understand what
needs to be done to get the lights back
on.
It could be made
to happen, if the third Aquino can get
the people-power revolution right." Ruchir Sharma is head of
Emerging Market Equities and Global
Macro at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. He
generally spends one week per month in a
developing country somewhere in the
world. He is a former contributing
editor for Newsweek
and a regular contributor to Wall Street Journal and Economic Times.
Publishers' Synopsis 'The old
rule of forecasting was to make as
many forecasts as possible and
publicise the ones you got right. The
new rule is to forecast so far in the
future, no one will know you got it
wrong.'
Ruchir Sharma
does neither.
In 'Breakout
Nations' he shows why the economic
'mania' of the 21st century, with its
unshakeable faith in the power of
emerging markets - especially China - to
continue growing at the astoundingly
rapid and uniform pace of the last
decade, is wrong.
The next
economic success stories will not be
where we think they are.
In this
provocative new book, Sharma analyses
why the basic laws of economic gravity
(such as the law of large numbers, which
says that the richer you are the harder
it is to grow your wealth at a rapid
pace) are already pulling China, Russia,
Brazil and other vast emerging markets
back to earth.
To understand
which nations will thrive and which will
falter in a world reshaped by slower
growth, it is time to start looking at
the emerging markets as individual
cases. Sharma argues that we must
abandon our current obsession with
global macro trends and the fad for
all-embracing theories.
He offers
instead a more discerning, nuanced view,
identifying specific factors - economic,
political, social - which will make for
slow or fast growth.
Spending much of
his professional life travelling in
these countries as Head of Emerging
Markets at Morgan Stanley, Sharma is
uniquely placed to present a first-hand
insider's account of these new markets
and the changes they are undergoing.
As the years of
unbelievably swift growth draw to their
close, this book shows us how it is time
for both investors and economists to
halt their blind thrust towards an
impossible future. Fareed Zakaria commented: "Ruchir
Sharma has written a fascinating and
important book-- nothing less than a
new guide to the global economy.
Breakout Nations is the most
interesting book on the new economic
landscape that I have read in years."
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*********
*********
Fareed Zakaria is host of CNN program "Fareed
Zakaria's GPS", editor-at-large of Time
Magazine and is also author of New
York Times bestseller The Post American World, first
published in 2008 with a new revised and
updated version out in 2012 called like
computer software Release 2.0.
Amazon Synopsis of Release 2.0
Fareed Zakaria's
international bestseller "The
Post-American World" pointed to the
"rise of the rest" - the growth of
countries like China, India, Brazil, and
others - as the great story of our time,
the story that will undoubtedly shape
the future of global power.
Since its
publication, the trends he identified
have proceeded faster than anyone could
have anticipated.
The 2008
financial crisis turned the world upside
down, stalling the United States and
other advanced economies.
Meanwhile
emerging markets have surged ahead,
coupling their economic growth with
pride, nationalism, and a determination
to shape their own future.
In this new
edition, Zakaria makes sense of this
rapidly changing landscape. With his
customary lucidity, insight, and
imagination, he draws on lessons from
the two great power shifts of the past
500 years - the rise of the Western
world and the rise of the United States
- to tell us what we can expect from the
third shift, the "rise of the rest".
The great
challenge for Britain was economic
decline. The challenge for America now
is political decline, for as others have
grown in importance, the central role of
the United States, especially in the
ascendant emerging markets, has already
begun to shrink.
As Zakaria
eloquently argues, Washington needs to
begin a serious transformation of its
global strategy, moving from its
traditional role of dominating hegemon
to that of a more pragmatic, honest
broker. It must seek to share power,
create coalitions, build legitimacy, and
define the global agenda-- all
formidable tasks.
None of this
will be easy for the greatest power the
world has ever known-- the only power
that for so long has really mattered.
America stands
at a crossroads: In a new global era
where the United States no longer
dominates the worldwide economy,
orchestrates geopolitics, or overwhelms
cultures, can the nation continue to
thrive?
*********
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*********
TAKE
A LOOK AT OUR LATEST VIDEO PAGES.
For October we featured the boy band One
Direction that's now taking the
world by storm. For November we featured
the Black
Eyed Peas with their Philippine
born rapper and record producer
apl.de.ap. December featured YouTube's
top 7 most viewed videos its
history, headed by PSY.
January
2013 features four short videos on
subjects of supreme importance to future
life on Planet Earth. Make no mistake,
all our lives are now at risk due to
politicians' corrupt self interests and
their negligence in failing to recognize
what's at stake. And February
2013 offers a fascinating mixed
bag of 7 (yes, seven!) videos, including
2 from the Wall Street Journal, Celine
Dion singing in Beijing, Jessica Sanchez
at the Araneta in Manila, a Disney
trailer and 2 more. All short, and all
worth watching!
*********
*********
*********
Habitat
For Humanity always welcomes volunteers
from within the Philippines or from
other countries.
Some 40% of the
Philippines' 80 million people live
below the poverty line, with an
estimated 4.2 million families in need
of decent shelter.
Clustered shacks
dominate Manila; families live crowded
together under bridges, or dangerously
close to railway tracks. Urban slum
dwellings are pieced together from scrap
wood and rusty metal sheets, while
families in rural areas construct huts
made from bamboo and palm leaves.
These homes
offer neither protection from pollution
nor access to clean water and
sanitation, and are threatened by annual
floods from typhoons and tropical
storms.
Interested
parties may contact HFH Philippines
Volunteer Programs Manager, Ms. Imee T.
Pagdanganan be email at
info@habitat.org.ph
During
your build project you will build
simple, decent houses in partnership
with local Filipino people. You will
experience traditional Filipino warmth
and hospitality, and will contribute to
one family's dream of a home.
Teams assist
local volunteers and home partners with
a variety of unskilled tasks such as
mixing and passing cement, carrying and
laying blocks, digging and landscaping.
No prior construction experience is
necessary.
Since 1996 HFH
Philippines has hosted about 200
volunteer teams, including youth teams
from Japan, Korea and New Zealand; JET
(Japan Exchange Teaching) teams from
Japan; corporate teams from the
Netherlands and adult teams from
Northern Ireland and the U.S.A.
The Philippines
has trained and qualified affiliate
hosts nationwide that best fit each
teams' interest and convenience.
Edwina
Payapag and her husband Zaldy are two of
the people who were guided by attending
a Habitat
for Humanity financial education
workshop held in Pateros town, Metro
Manila.
Workshops are
intrinsic to the three-year partnership
between HFH and Citi
Foundation for helping those who
live in disaster-prone areas to make
home improvements with their own savings
and Habitat's building technical
assistance. A similar Citi-Habitat
Microsavings Program is run in
Thailand and Vietnam.
After the
training, Edwina needed only 200 pesos
to open a savings account with First
Macro Bank in Pateros and aims to
save 20,000 pesos over 12 months to
repair her flood-prone and
termite-infested home.
Edwina
commented: "The training was an
eye-opener for me. There is hope. Even
with a small amount of savings, I can
improve my house. It will be just a
matter of time."
Collective
support for the Cebu Hillylands
reforestation program is growing. Some
1500 employees from 35 Philippine-based
companies set aside their paperwork and
took off their suits for a while to be
garbed as eco-volunteers in the 20th run
of the massive Cebu Hillylands
Reforestation Caravan.
This joint
effort to mobilize the various employee
volunteers in a single cause to save the
Tabunan forest was spearheaded by the
non-profit Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP)
in partnership with the Visayan
Electric Company (Veco), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR), and KEEP Foundation.
PBSP is a
corporate-led foundation that advances
its platform for collective engagements
for businesses to get involved in
national agendas for the environment,
livelihood, education, and health.
The
reforestation caravan's theme, "We don't
just plant trees, we let them grow,"
focuses on how well the trees have grown
despite the many issues of climate
change and illegal logging.
This year, PBSP
aims to plant 15,000 native and endemic
tree seedlings on a series of tree
planting activities set to run for 18
Saturdays starting June 23 up to October
20 in Sitio Cantipla 2, Barangay
Tabunan, Cebu City.
The forest has
been undergoing this systematic
rejuvenation since 1991 when the project
started. "It is the first project by
PBSP to involve not only the business
sector but also volunteers," said Reggie
Barrientos, PBSP corporate affairs
associate in the Visayas.
During tree
planting sessions, the employee
volunteers will apply the technology of
vermicomposting, strip
brushing, ring weeding, and
replanting of damaged trees. The planted
trees are regularly maintained by the
communities surrounding Cebu Hillylands.
The Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL) is
metro Cebu's web of life, "It provides
water to thousands of residents and is
home for Cebu's endemic species," said
Eileen Mangubat, chairperson of PBSP
Visayas Hillyland Development Committee.
The
28,000-hectare area that PBSP is
reforesting includes the watershed for Metro Cebu. The
forested uplands that comprise the
watersheds are important to cities as
these supply sustainable water and
regulate flooding. These forests are
already heavily degraded and have been
depleted in the past when the city was
overdeveloped as the main Asian trade
port. PBSP claims to reverse the natural
loss by conserving, protecting, and
rehabilitating the Cebu Hillylands.
The
reforestation caravan also ensures
biodiversity in its forests by
protecting species such as the Cebu
Black Shama, Cebu
cinnamon tree, and the Cebu
Flower Pecker which is one of the
top ten most endangered species in the
world.
In the duration
of PBSP's reforestation effort, the
Biodiversity Conservation Foundation
reported that most of these species have
reappeared. "This shows how successful
the reforestation program has been,"
explained Lisa Paguntalan of the Philippine
Biodiversity Conservation Foundation,
Inc. (PBCFI).
Part of the
caravan is a storytelling session for
children on how to plant and take care
of trees. There were also "green
clinics" that provided volunteers with
mini-lectures, a pop quiz on environment
by PBCFI, and a session on wildlife
photography and bird watching by Godfrey
Jakosalem. - Report by
Joyce Franzly Racoma and Grace Muncada
*********
*********
*********
Ignore
the negative attitudes of
stick-in-the-mud critics and do a Google
search yourself to see the creativity of
Filipinos who have posted on the
internet their own humorous images to
illustrate DOT's inspiring new tourism
slogan. Who cares what the Swiss did in
1951? They didn't invent the English
language and they didn't coin the "it's
more fun" phrase. Positive-thinking
Filipinos like the new slogan and are
having lots of fun proving the truth in
it. DOT merits and deserves our
enthusiastic congratulations! (See
Angel Tugado's caustic comments on
SRM's Opinion
page.)
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Congratulations
to Iglesia ni Cristo on breaking 3
Guinness world records during its
medical-dental mission at an informal
settlers (often described as squatters)
community in Parola, Tondo.
New world
records were made for the biggest dental
health check (4,128 people) in one day,
the most blood pressure readings (8,026)
taken in 8 hours, and the highest number
of blood glucose level tests (5,217) in
8 hours.
Tarik Vara, the
official adjudicator for Guinness world
records, said: "This was a truly
extraordinary event. I have truly not
seen anything like this, not just as a
representative of Guinness world
records, but in my life. I've never seen
an organization so dedicated to helping
other people free of charge all day from
10 past 10 in the morning to 10 past 9
at night. I would like to say that I was
extremely pleased and moved, and I'm
just completely humbled by the fact that
you gave your services today. The
standards were incredibly high. All of
you ensured that you were following the
Guinness world record guidelines which I
was adamant you had to. So, thank you
for listening to me. You are now,
officially amazing!"
There was more
to it than breaking records.
Aid-for-humanity is a regular activity
of the church, based on biblical
teachings to love and care for others,
and this event involved no less than 200
doctors, 600 paramedics and several
hundred nurses and volunteers.
Ultrasound,
x-ray, 2D-echo and laboratory services
were provided and minor surgeries were
performed - all free of charge.
Wheelchairs were gifted to the most
needy, and 50,000 relief bags were
handed out containing canned goods,
noodles and rice.
Tarik Vara was
absolutely right. It was a truly
magnificent achievement.
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When
were in the UK for the Olympics last
year, a London newspaper reported that
British researchers were trying to find
out what makes cows happy because
happiness made them more productive.
While on
the subjects of 2013 Oscars and James
Bond, at this year's ceremony the iconic
annual Hollywood celebration of the past
year's movies paid special tribute to
the longest ever and most successful
ever movie franchise of 007, dating back
to the year 1962 when Sean Connery
created an iconic screen character that
to this day is one of Hollywood's top
attractions.
According to Wikipedia "The James Bond
film series is a British series of spy
films based on the fictional character
of MI6 James Bond 007, who originally
appeared in a series of books by Ian
Fleming.
It is one of the longest
continually-running film series in
history, having been in on-going
production from 1962 to the present.
In that time it has produced 23 films,
usually produced at Pinewood Studios.
The series has grossed over US$6 billion
to date, making it the 2nd highest ever
grossing film series (behind Harry
Potter), or the single most successful
if adjusted for inflation."
The latest 007, Daniel Craig, is in
keeping with our times. Fitter and
tougher, he is no longer privileged by
an old-school-network like previous
Bonds. He is one of a global breed of
new fiercely independent fighters like
Manny Pacquiao.
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Back
home in the Philippines, according to
recent reports we are 8 years behind our
target to halve poverty by 2015. Hardly
surprising, considering the corruption
of Gloria Arroyo's regime. The
unstoppable People-Power backed
improvements of PNoy Aquino need more
than 2 years to get our country back on
track, but it really is happening. All
the economic indicators confirm it. Our
present annual growth rate, combined
with relatively low inflation and
increasing foreign investment, are
raising the status of the Philippines in
the world. These are real facts, not
mere hopes, and they create
opportunities, developments, and new
jobs. Bit by bit, the poverty levels are
now at last going down.
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Here at
SRM we find it hard to contain our
optimism. Since the defeat of
corruption, which was destroying our
souls, followed by the rise and rise of
People Power that rescued and
rejuvenated our souls, we're now very
confident in our country's future. We
didn't expect any overnight miracles.
Social and cultural change are complex
to say the least, and the key to them
both is political change. This, we all
know, can't ever be made easily or
lightly. Amazingly the fact of the
matter is it's happening by itself like
evolution. Philippine politicians are
actually developing social conscience,
which by any standards - local, regional
or national, really is a miracle.
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Gregory
Poling, research associate of the
Southeast Asia Program at Washington
based think-tank Center for Strategic
and International Studies, said the
Philippines and nations of Southeast
Asia enabled to press lawful claims can
"present a united front to China in
arguing one crucial point: The only
acceptable basis for maritime claims in
the South China Sea must be
international law, especially UNCLOS
(United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea). Were the ASEAN claimants to
present an agreed-upon framework for
establishing what is and is not
disputed, the burden would rest with
Beijing to clarify the basis for its own
claims. At that point, Beijing would
have limited options." This confirms the
opinions of many people who believe
China's aggressive stance is nothing but
bluster intended to intimidate. It has
no historical foundation and no legal
substance behind it, and despite China's
current rapid economic growth it remains
decades behind the military might of the
USA. If China will start a third World
War over an unlawful claim to the whole
South China Sea, this will be a disaster
for itself from which it might never
recover. It's such a crazy claim in the
first place that one can only wonder
what exactly the Chinese government is
really thinking. How would the world
react if France suddenly claimed
ownership of the entire Mediterranean,
or if Iran claimed the Persian Gulf, or
if Canada claimed the North Atlantic, or
if India claimed the Indian Ocean, or if
the USA claimed the entire Pacific Ocean
was part of California? Territorial
limits around the coast of each country
are agreed internationally, and the open
seas are not owned by any country. The
ASEAN countries need a leader who is
strong enough to stand up to China,
which must not be allowed to bully its
neighbors merely because it has a bigger
population. At the same time, Chinese
people need to stand up to the bullying
that their own government directs
towards them. History always repeats
itself, and what happened to the
dictatorial USSR could easily happen
also to a dictatorial China. -
Angel Tugado (see Opinion page
for more)
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OFWs
around the world are more affected
directly by the global financial crisis
than Filipinos living at home. Weak
economies abroad mean less job
opportunities, and sometimes wage cuts,
employee layoffs or company
bankruptcies. At the same time the
strength of the peso means their
remittances are worth less to their
families after conversion from foreign
currencies. As if this wasn't enough,
OFWs can often have many different
problems to contend with. "Migrante: The
Filipino Diaspora" is a movie about some
of the worst. Based on a story by
Maridol Rañoa-Bismark and directed by
Joel Lamangan, it stars Jodi Sta. Maria
and Allen Dizon. If you have relatives
or friends working overseas or if you
are an OFW yourself you must not miss
it. Even if you have no connections with
OFWs, watch it anyway because it will
open your eyes to what Filipinos and
especially Filipinas sometime have to go
through to help their families back home
in the Philippines.
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A
feature in the Veterinary Record journal
by Craig Sharp of Brunel University
reminds us that animals would win many
of the Olympic gold medals if they were
allowed to compete. For instance the
fastest human sprinter runs at half the
speed of a racehorse or greyhound, and
only one third the speed of a cheetah.
An Aussie kangaroo would win the long
jump, a South African gazelle would win
the high jump (although there's a fish
that leaps even higher out of the sea)
and an Arabian camel would win the
marathon. An Indian elephant would
easily beat any human weightlifter, and
all the swimming medals would be won by
fish. Sharp concludes that our best
quality compared to animals is
versatility, as there is no animal that
could combine all the different skills
and abilities that are needed for events
like the decathlon or to cope with
complex rules and strategies of team
games like soccer or basketball. The
whispered team tactics
or more graphic communications of beach
volleyball teams are outside the realm
of wild animals, not to mention the
players' popular glamorous bikini-clad
sex-appeal.
Unless all the spectators were the same
species of animal as the players, in
which case a separate beach volleyball
olympics would need to be organized for
every type of animal. Unfortunately for
them, animals are not usually very good
at organizing big international sports
events. I, for one, am happy to let wild
animals play in the jungle while I grab
a 6-pack of San Mig Lite and ogle the
2012 Olympics beach volleyball on cable
TV. Wow, look at that.. er, what a
great.. er, oh yes, yes, fantastic
volley!!! - Angel Tugado (pics courtesy of
London Olympics 2012)
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Still
about the London Olympics 2012 but going
off at a tangent, just take a look at
Will and Kate enjoying themselves. As
far
as I'm aware, no high ranking members of
the royal family have ever been
permitted to show their real affections
for each other in public before.
Generations of paparazzi
have spent their lives trying to get
photos like these of each successive
generation of the royal family. It's so
refreshing to see the future King and
Queen so uninhibitedly having a good
time and so clearly in love. I think
it's wonderful for the United Kingdom
and wonderful for the world. When we are
so deluged with global crises, we really
do need international celebrity role
models to lead by example and show us
that lives of humanity, integrity and
collective purpose are not fairy tales
but attainable reality. It's something
the UK can be proud of and the rest of
the world can share. We can all be part
of the fresh creation of a better world. - Angel Tugado (pics courtesy of
London Olympics 2012)
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A recent
Social Weather Stations survey showed
that the Philippine public regards its
judiciary as inherently corrupt.
Perceived
corruption is that: 1) Judges and
Justices ask for bribes, 2) Litigants
pay bribes, and 3) Lawyers advise
clients that bribes win cases.
The Integrated
Bar of the Philippines National
President Atty. Roan Libarios said in a
press statement: "Corruption breeds
contempt of the judicial process. With
the new and refreshing spirit of
transparency sweeping the JBC, the
search process, as aired live on media,
has drawn public attention to the
pressing problems that beset our justice
system."
He considered
that the twin evils of corruption and
court docket congestion rendered the
Philippine justice system inefficient,
unreliable and unjust, which in
combination are root causes of low
public trust and confidence in the
judiciary.
Atty. Libarios
went on to say the next Chief Justice
must "be able inspire and lead the
judiciary, steer its course from the
backwaters of clogged dockets and
corruption into the high seas of
judicial efficiency, integrity,
independence and excellence."
SRM applauds the
IBP President's directives, and we'd
like to see similar principles applied
in every field and at every level of
public service.
Efficiency,
integrity, transparency and excellence
in all public service would transform
the Philippines into a nation truly to
be reckoned with in the world.
It's not a pipe
dream. The national will is already
there, and we can all play our lawful
democratic parts at every election by
using our votes wisely to clean up our
country and make it happen.
Graft and
corruption, along with their resultant
injustices of poverty, malnutrition and
inadequate education can only exist in a
culture that permits them to. All we
need to do is stop turning a blind eye
to it all and decide that it's time for
us to take action. Our votes are
powerful weapons.
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Following the two July episodes of "I Love Pinas"
devoted to Santa Rosa Laguna, GMA made
it a glorious triple whammy with the
Kapuso Mall Show on August 5 at Sta.
Rosa's SM City. Aljur Abrenica, Sam
Pinto, Gabby Eigenmann and Bianca King
starred, with the fabulous energized
crowd-pulling performances they're
rightly famous for. And the crowds were
pulled from toddlers to grannies and all
ages in between. SM City mall was packed
to the rafters long before the show
started, and every single person there
of whatever age still felt elated, happy
and in high spirits when the show was
over and they made their way home. SM
and GMA are to be congratulated for
putting on great shows like this around
the country. They wash away the cares
and woes of everyday life for a while,
and give us renewed hope and faith deep
down that the good will always overcome
the bad, and that even if times are
difficult they will always get easier.
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TAKE A LOOK AT OUR LATEST VIDEO PAGES.
For October we featured the boy band One
Direction that's now taking the
world by storm. For November we featured
the Black Eyed Peas with their Philippine
born rapper and record producer
apl.de.ap. December featured YouTube's top 7 most viewed videos its
history, headed by PSY.
January
2013 features four short videos on
subjects of supreme importance to future
life on Planet Earth. Make no mistake,
all our lives are now at risk due to
politicians' corrupt self interests and
their negligence in failing to recognize
what's at stake. And February 2013 offers a fascinating mixed
bag of 7 (yes, seven!) videos, including
2 from the Wall Street Journal, Celine
Dion singing in Beijing, Jessica Sanchez
at the Araneta in Manila, a Disney
trailer and 2 more. All short, and all
worth watching!
santa
rosa magazine
Santa
Rosa Magazine
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President Aquino (above center) actively
promotes the Philippines in
London....
....then gives a joint Press Conference
with President Obama in
Washington.
