Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines -
attracting investors from all over Asia and the world.
BUSINESS SOLUTION TOUTED BY PBSP TO END POVERTY
THE COUNTRY'S FIRST AND LARGEST CORPORATE-LED SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION is touting a new platform of collective effort among private sector, government, and other investors and stakeholders as an innovative business solution to eradicate poverty in the country.
The corporate-led Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) dubbed this strategy as "Platforms for Collective Engagements" or PlaCEs, with the aim of scaling up successful private-public partnership (PPP) models primarily in the areas of health, education, livelihood, and the environment.
Rafael C. Lopa, PBSP executive director, said a concrete translation of PlaCEs strategy was already demonstrated in the launch of the Bayanihang Pampaaralan (BP) campaign, a collaboration of PBSP, League of Corporate Foundations (LCF), Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), and other advocates of education reform in the country.
Lopa said this collective effort had set the goal of building 10,000 classrooms nationwide to help bridge the classroom backlog of over 66,000 classrooms of the Department of Education (DepEd).
"It is in these PlaCEs where we hope to mobilize strategic financing from our members and donor agencies that can pave the way to more dynamic and coordinated multi-stakeholders partnerships," Lopa said.
Given the positive response in the education-related PlaCE, the establishment of other PlaCEs is being pursued in the other PBSP focus areas of health, environment protection, and livelihood and jobs generation, Lopa added.
"Beyond our collective action strategy, we will keep on working closely with companies to take social development at the heart of their businesses by integrating core business solutions to development efforts, and providing policy and advocacy platforms for social change," Lopa stressed.
Moreover, he said the PlaCES strategy will underscore efforts to establish PPP models, specifically in the delivery of public services and the development of infrastructure that would spur social development and improve climate change adaptation.
On the recent commemoration of its 41st year, PBSP has further strengthened its efforts with the business sector in reaching out to the country's marginalized sectors.
"To truly effect collective impact, we saw the need to ensure that every program must have a common goal, cohesive strategy, and a uniform parameter that synchronizes all the efforts of the business sector and other development stakeholders. Certainly, the sum is greater than the parts," Lopa said.
- Joyce Franzly Racoma and Mitch Confesor
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Click on the above graphic to see the video of President Obama's 2012 State Of The Union Address on this page or click here to watch it on YouTube.
Support the stand of Wikipedia, US President Obama, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Boing Boing, Reddit, Flickr, Cheezburger network, and others against the draconian bid by computer-illiterate American lawmakers to destroy the international freedom of the internet. Voting on the offensive proposed bills has now been postponed pending further consultation, but to combat the continuous lobbying and bribing of congressmen and senators by lawless corporations we will need to maintain our global pressure. To find out more and to stay updated on this issue just click anywhere on the above graphic. See also Angel Tugado's comments on our Opinion page.
If you are an American citizen, even if you are traveling outside the country on business or vacation and even if you are currently living overseas, you can help immediately by signing Google's petition to the US Congress. Please note the great urgency. Time is of the essence, because voting starts January 24, 2012.
Join
IBM's search for the innovators and drivers of a better economy and a
better world at: facebook.com/midmarketibm.
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The final score of
Philippine Askals 1 and LA Galaxy 6 didn't reflect the closeness of this Friendly match. There were so many whisker-near misses from the Askals that would have produced a much closer result had they gone in. Our boys put on a good show and the game was still a win-win for Pinoys, because its global publicity was already a spectacular boost to Philippine football long before the kickoff and holders of the USA's 2011 Major League Soccer Cup and Championship were given a run for their money. The
star-studded Los Angeles team included David Beckham (second from right),
once a shy Londoner, whose soccer skills and work
ethic has helped teams to win national league titles
in England (Manchester United), Italy (AC Milan),
Spain (Real Madrid)
and now America (LA
Galaxy). Along the way he also married a Spice
Girl named Victoria Adams (Posh Spice), who now
runs her own very successful fashion
brand. Considering the LA Galaxy's advantage of massive financial backing and its strength in-depth of experienced multinational world-class players, we can be proud of the Philippine Askals who -- without such advantages -- are heroically raising the standard of football here.
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TAKE A TIP FROM THE EXPERT:
SUPER WATER MAN AQUABUZZ
AQUABUZZ (AQUABEST'S SUPER WATER MAN) IS FAMOUS FOR WISDOM, ACTION, AND HIS LOVE OF OUR PLANET AND ITS PEOPLE. "Water is one of the most versatile substances known to man with more than a hundred uses," he says. "Among other things we we drink it, cook with it, wash with it, play with it, create art with it, and use it to produce innumerable substances of benefit to people. In fact it is so vital to humans in its own right that everyone, without exception, needs it."
He continues: "However, Aquabest has managed not only to provide the best quality water it has also managed to improve on it by developing structured water."
"Using an advanced process known as Grander Technology from Austria (where the hills are alive with the sound of music because Austrians are so happy with their good health), the water molecules are restructured by Aquabest to produce structured water."
"To get an idea of how Grander technology works picture this. Imagine your cells are doors with the water molecules as people trying to get inside. With ordinary water, these people are disorganized making entry slow laborious and inefficient. With structured water, picture these people lining up in neat lines causing entry to be faster and more efficient. This allows structured water to offer superior hydration by penetrating each cell to its core. Being more efficient than ordinary water in hydrating the body, structured water is perfect for athletes who are looking for quick hydration on the go."
According to Aquabest's mascot Aquabuzz, the super water man, structured water is more than just for drinking. It can not only do what normal water can, but can do it better. Also It can be used for other purposes. Among the many uses of Aquabest structured water are:
1) Food preparation: Due to its modified molecular structure, structured water brings out the full flavor of food and drinks by bringing out the subtle tastes and textures of food. The effects of structured water are particularly pronounced in food items that require good water quality like coffee and tea.
2) Grooming and personal care: Ordinary tap water often contains minerals and other residues that may affect your skin. Structured water on the other hand contains no impurities that can harm your skin. Also it penetrates deep down your pores to hydrate and maintain the youth of your skin.
3) Pet care: Your pets are very sensitive creatures can be adversely affected by poor water quality structured water will not only hydrate them it would also keep them healthy. This is particularly true for fishes that are highly dependent on water quality for their very survival.
4) Gardening: Plants are very sensitive with regards to water, more than just watering the plants the water used to water them is also very important. Structured water allows plants to better absorb nutrients into their system allowing them to thrive. Sprinkle structured water to your houseplants and watch them bloom.
Tips from AQUABUZZ, Aquabest's Super Water Man, are brought to you by Almira Antiporda. LIKE Aquabest on Facebook and visit the Aquabest website.
Aquabest's
4th Annual Tree Planting Activity in partnership with
Haribon
and WQAP took
place in Nuvali this October 15, 2011. (More...)
-
Almira Antiporda (Graphic courtesy of Aquabest)
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PUBLIC
PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
COMMENDED FOR ASSISTING THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
During
the turnover ceremony, Ma. Alicia Bonoan, NCR director for the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD),
expressed her gratitude to the project’s donors and implementers,
emphasizing the great help of PPP (public-private partnership)
programs in creating a better society for the marginalized ones.
WITH
SWEET AND GENUINE SMILES, the children of Elsie
Gaches Village welcomed their guests from The Hershey Company-ROHQ
and the Philippine
Business for Social Progress for the turnover of a unique
simulation room especially built for them.
Elsie
Gaches Village is the only government residential care facility in the
Philippines which houses more than 600 mentally-challenged individuals
aging from five to 65 years old.
Recently,
The Hershey
Company-ROHQ teamed up with United Way Worldwide
and PBSP to kick off the Life
Skills Enhancement Project for people with special needs.
This
long-term project is to benefit 100 upper and lower trainable clients
of EGV that will equip them with adaptive skills and behavior in the
mainstream life. This training will also enable them to effectively
deal with the demands of a standard routine.
The
simulation room is a specialized area where the trainees are assigned
to do functions that can boost their morale in doing possible tasks in
the workplace. It has complete tools used in the kitchen, dining and
living rooms, bathroom, bedroom, and garden.
Monisha
Raut, The Hershey Company HR business partner, is very optimistic with
the project which will run for almost three years. "It is our
responsibility to share our blessings," she added, referring to The
Hershey Company’s commitment to community and children welfare.
EGV
believes that mentally-challenged people still have abilities and
strength. Provided with the proper training and care, they can be less
dependent and become more productive. With the ongoing project, they
can experience real-life functions and eventually be reunited with
their families or even get a job.
For the
past five years, The Hershey Company-ROHQ has been supporting EGV
through employee volunteerism and gift-giving activities.
During the
turnover ceremony, Ma. Alicia Bonoan, NCR director for the Department of Social Welfare
and Development, expressed her gratitude to the project’s
donors and implementers, emphasizing the great help of PPP
(public-private partnership) programs in creating a better society for
the marginalized ones.
Moreover,
PBSP Executive Director Rafael Lopa asserted this promising project,
putting value to partnerships as a way to improve lives.
The Life
Skills Enhancement Training will have four batches covered by the
grant. Each batch will enroll 25 participants into a two-hour session
for three days a week in 6 months. It includes a classroom-type
exercise, laboratory, and on-the-job training.
The
existing module to be used will be enhanced by the EGV Rehabilitation
Team composed of social workers, psychologists, therapists, and staff.
There would be less use of writing and more on drawing, role play,
scenario building, and simulation exercises.
EGV was
established in 1964 with the assistance of UNICEF.
Aside from caring for people with mental retardation, the center also
attends to children with autism, Down Syndrome, and cerebral palsy.
One out of
100 babies born in the country is with mental retardation (PopCen
2007). This has become more alarming today due to poor access to basic
services and maternal healthcare.
UPGRADES MAKE PHILIPPINES EVEN MORE
ATTRACTIVE TO FOREIGN INVESTORS
FOLLOWING MOODY'S CREDIT RATING
UPGRADE FOR THE PHILIPPINES ON JUNE 15, Moody's
Investors Service next day raised the foreign currency deposit rating
of the country's seven biggest banks.
The seven
comprise two government banks: Land Bank of the Philippines and
Development Bank of the Philippines, together with five owned by big
conglomerates: Banco de Oro Unibank, Bank of the Philippine Islands
(BPI), Metrobank Group, Philippine National Bank and Rizal Commercial
Banking Corp. Moody's also stated that two others, Allied Banking Corp
and United Coconut Planters Bank, were unaffected as none of their
ratings are constrained by the deposit or debt ceilings of the
Philippines.
Moody's is
an essential component of the global capital markets, providing credit
ratings, research, tools and analysis that contribute to transparent
and integrated financial markets. Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO) is
the parent company of Moody's Investors Service, which provides credit
ratings and research covering debt instruments and securities, and
Moody's Analytics, which offers leading-edge software, advisory
services and research for credit analysis, economic research and
financial risk management. The Corporation, which reported revenue of
$2 billion in 2010, employs approximately 4,500 people worldwide and
maintains a presence in 26 countries. Further information is available
at www.moodys.com.
Philippine
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the upgrades reflect President
Aquino's efforts to fight corruption and put fiscal reforms in place,
and also help the Philippines become a more favorable destination for
foreign investments.
Further Good News For Filipinos
Also in
June 2011 the International
Labour Organization passed a new treaty giving protection to
the 53 million domestic workers all over the world, many thousands of
whom are Philippine OFWs, giving them equal conditions to other workers
and equal support if they are personally abused or their
internationally agreed working conditions are not met. According to
government statistics, currently some 9 million Filipinos work overseas
and their monthly remittances from every corner of the globe form the
foundation of our country's strong and stable economy.
The same
week, it was announced by Cebu
Pacific's President and CEO Lance Gokongwei that the
Philippines' most successful airline had just placed the "biggest
aircraft order ever made by a Philippine carrier". Deliveries of 30
Airbus A321neos and 7 Airbus A320s will start in 2015, augmenting the
18 A320s already on order for delivery starting this year, and the
company has an option for 10 more A321neos which can carry more people
and fly further than the A320s. Mr. Gokongwei said: "The A320 Family
has played a key role in enabling us to build an efficient, profitable,
value-based business. The 220-seater A321neo will be a game changer for
Cebu Pacific. We will be able to serve cities in Australia, India and
northern Japan."
The A321neo
is the largest model in the A320neo series, incorporating new engines
and large wing tip devices called sharklets. The advances will deliver
fuel savings of 15 percent and additional range capability of over 500
nautical miles (950 kilometers), or the ability to carry two tonnes
more payload at a given range. For the environment, the fuel savings
translate into some 3,600 tonnes less CO2 per aircraft per year. In
addition, the aircraft will provide a double-digit reduction in NOx
emissions and reduced engine noise.
The aircraft livery of Cebu Pacific will
achieve
recognition farther afield than southeast Asia
Airbus is itself an
inspiring success story that began in 1967 when government ministers
from Britain, France and Germany met in London to launch a European
consortium for development of the A300 and compete with the Americans
who then held more than 80 per cent of the world market. Today it's a
large, complex, high-tech operation based at Toulouse, France, and it
now consistently captures about half of all commercial airliner orders.
John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer for Airbus Customers,
said: "We are pleased that Cebu Pacific has reaffirmed its commitment
to the A320 Family and is now set to add the A321neo to its fleet. With
the A321neo, the airline will be able to fly more people further at
significantly lower cost per seat than any other competing aircraft,
and with less impact on the environment."
The fast
growing domestic and international network of Cebu Pacific already
covers 33 domestic and 16 international destinations, including Osaka,
Seoul (Incheon), Singapore, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai, Jakarta, Kuala
Lumpur, Brunei, and Taipei. "I expect Cebu Pacific to fly at least 12
million people in 2011, up from 10.5 million in 2010," Mr. Gokongwei
added. "We aim for domestic passenger numbers to grow 10-15 percent a
year, with 25 percent annual growth for the international division."
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"Let us end the culture of negativism; let us uplift our fellow
Filipinos at every opportunity. Why are there people who enjoy finding
fault in our country, who find it so hard - as though it were a sin -
to say something nice? Can we even remember the last time we praised a
fellow Filipino?"
"Let us stop pulling our fellow man down. Let us put an end to our crab
mentality. Let us make the effort to recognize the good that is being
done."
"If you see something right, do not think twice - praise it. If you see
a policeman directing traffic, coatless beneath the rain - go to him
and say, "Thank you.""
"If you fall sick, and you see your nurse caring for you, when she
could easily be treating foreigners for a higher salary - say, "Thank
you.""
"Before you leave school for home, approach your teacher who chose to
invest in your future - say, "Thank you.""
"If you chance upon your local leader on a road that was once riddled
with holes, but is now smooth and sturdy - go to him and say, "Thank
you, for the change you have brought.""
Thank
you PNoy for winning against robber politicians and giving our nation
back to its lawful owners: the Filipino people.
"Do
you want the corrupt held accountable? So do I. Do you want to see the
end of wang-wang, both on the streets and in the sense of entitlement
that has led to the abuse that we have lived with for so long? So do I.
Do you want to give everyone a fair chance to improve their lot in
life? So do I."
"I
say to those who would lead us astray: if you will further disadvantage
the poor, do not even think about it. If all you would do is to fill
your own pockets, do not even think about it. If it is not for the
benefit of the Filipino people, do not even think about it."
"If
we ignore the crimes of the past, they will continue to haunt us. And
if we do not hold people accountable, then they will do it again and
again."
"To
those of you who would turn back the tide of reform: you will not
succeed."
ENGLAND
IS THE HOME
OF MODERN FOOTBALL (AKA SOCCER), AND BRITISH AMBASSADOR
STEPHEN LILLIE, speaking
from the Embassy
of the United Kingdom in Manila, gives a strong thumbs up to
doing business in the Philippines. To avoid confusion, England is part
of Great Britain which is part of the United Kingdom which is part of
the European Union.
Therefore
with reference to the 2011
Royal Wedding, Prince William and Princess Catherine are now
second in line to be King and Queen of the United Kingdom - but not of
the European Union, although millions of Europeans have publicly
expressed the opinion that 'Will & Kate' also belong to them,
as Will's ancestors came to Britain from from Germany and they have
branches all over Europe.
Stephen
Lillie does not discuss this issue and states that the Philippine
population of 92 million makes us the 3rd English-speaking country of
the world. He goes on to praise the international success of Philippine
call-centers, whose clients include British blue-chip
companies such as Shell,
HKBC,
and the Financial
Times.
He says
that our battle against corruption is being won, and the presence of
more than 200 major British companies here signifies clearly that now
is an excellent time for British and other European companies to invest
in the Philippines.
Enthusiastic
about the developing popularity of Filipino football and the inspiring
progress of the Philippine
Askals, most Englishmen everywhere look forward to seeing
them qualify for the 2014
World Cup in Brazil, and they also hope that before then
Filipino sports fans will join them in visiting the 2012 Olympics in
London.
Welcome
to Santa
Rosa Magazine - the accessible
open e-magazine of Santa Rosa City, Laguna, Philippines. No payment, no registration, no
login required.
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Forget the negative attitudes of stick-in-the-mud critics and do a Google search to see the creativity of Filipinos who have posted on the internet their own versions of 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 deserves congratulations!
(See Angel Tugado's comments on our Opinion page.
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BROTHER INTERNATIONAL RALLIES FOR SAVE THE MARIKINA WATERSHED PROJECT
BROTHER INTERNATIONAL HAS TEAMED UP WITH THE PHILIPPINE BUSINESS FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS TO REFOREST THE DENUDED MARIKINA WATERSHED.
A total of 625 Cupang, Macopa and Dungon seedlings were planted in Barangay Calawis, Antipolo City with the help of 36 employee volunteers through the 'Adopt a Hectare' tree planting activity.
Brother International has been supporting the Save the Marikina Watershed project for the last two years, covering a total of two hectares.
Apart from
their tree planting initiatives, Brother International
through PBSP also provided livelihood assistance
to barangay Calawis. Their financial aid was
able to provide planting materials for ginger
and ubeng kinampay propagation.
These crops will be supplied to two SME's (Small and Medium
Enterprise) namely Delfa's and Moondish.
The livelihood initiatives of PBSP are focused on
building community/corporate partnerships wherein
PBSP matches the demand of the market to what
the community can produce.
Other companies who support the Save the Marikina Watershed through tree planting activities are All Transport Network, and Cathay Pacific.
The Save the Marikina Watershed Program is a post-Ondoy rehabilitation program spearheaded by the Philippine Disaster Recovery Program for the rehabilitation of the Marikina Watershed which aims to contribute to the reforestation of 9,520 hectares of the 28,000 hectares of the watershed within five to 10 years.
PBSP, the country's largest corporate-led social development foundation, operates nationwide with projects in education, health, sustainable livelihood and enterprise development, the environment and disaster rehabilitation. With more than 240 member companies, PBSP promotes business sector involvement in the fight against poverty. -
Joyce Franzly Racoma
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BEWARE!!!
BEWARE!!! BEWARE!!!
THE "FUN TOUR" PROMOS
OF CEBU PACIFIC AIR
CEBU PACIFIC'S ONLINE CHEAP FLIGHT
PROMOS ARE GENERALLY FINE BUT IF YOU BOOK A "FUN TOUR" PACKAGE TO
INCLUDE A HOTEL STAY, YOUR TRIP CAN BECOME A NIGHTMARE.
Some friends of mine booked a 5 day 4 night "Fun
Tour" with Cebu Pacific and paid in full online 3 months in advance
including the 4 night stay at a hotel chosen from the recommended list
on the Cebu Pacific website.
Before
their trip, on searching for the hotel's website to print out a
location map, they discovered to their astonishment that the hotel had
closed down almost 2 weeks previously, yet no word of this had been
communicated to them by Cebu Pacific.
Then came
the serious problem with CP's online bookings: contacting anyone about
them is almost impossible. Their website gives no email address. Just
"Hotline" telephone numbers in Manila and Cebu that are permanently
busy.
My friends
spent nearly a whole day repeatedly dialling before at last getting
through. But these "Hotlines" are not to Cebu Pacific. They are to a
Call Center with the function of filtering, taking notes, and passing
queries to a supervisor who decides whether or not to pass them on to
Cebu Pacific. It's a slow, laborious, frustrating, inconvenient, costly
(you're paying for phone call) process.
In this
case my friends' message was considered serious enough to pass on, and
some hours later they received a call from Cebu Pacific saying they had
contacted the destination hotel which informed them it had only been
closed for a single day and there was no problem with it.
My friends
questioned this because it contradicted the notice on the hotel's own
official website, and were asked to hold while Cebu Pacific
double-checked. The caller, who gave no name or direct line for future
contact, returned to say the hotel had confirmed it was open and there
would be no problem. "Just go there." So they did.
"Fun
Tour" was Nightmare Trip for vacationers who booked Cebu Pacific online
promo.
Upon late
night arrival at the destination airport and clearance through
immigration and customs, they encountered another regular difficulty
with "Fun Tour" promos. No transportation to hotel is included. After
trying unsuccessfully to find a bus going in the right direction, they
were finally forced to take a taxi, which cost them as much as a night
at the hotel, which they reached at about 2am.
When they
got there, the door was open but the reception desk was unattended.
Calling out and knocking on the counter a few times eventually resulted
in the appearance of someone clearly irritated at being disturbed. She
looked at the reservation details on the Cebu Pacific e-ticket, brought
a man out from inside and told my friends to follow him.
The man,
whose manner was equally disinterested and offhand, made no attempt to
help carry their baggage and walked out of the hotel into the street,
where it had started to rain. Carrying their own baggage and struggling
to keep up, my friends followed him in the rain through narrow dimly
lit streets, then up some stairs, through an empty building, down the
stairs on the other side and further along another dark and wet street
to end up at a different hotel.
This hotel was part
of the same group of budget hotels, but it was not the one my friends
had chosen and did not provide the same room facilities. The hotel
receptionist was aggressively rude on being questioned about the one
they had booked, confirming that it had permanently closed and adding
that if my friends did not like this one they could get out and go
somewhere else.
They
pointed out that they had paid for 4 nights in advance, had already
lost half of the first night, and asked if they could get their money
back. The receptionist replied that they had paid the owner, not him,
and there would be no refund if they did not stay there. He then
demanded a substantial deposit for the room key, although no such
deposit was mentioned on the Cebu Pacific website.
The
Cebu Pacific e-ticket shows 4 nights' stay with checkout on Friday
September 30.
By then it
was too late and my friends were too tired to search for another hotel,
and without refund they did not have enough spare cash to pay another
hotel for the same 4 nights they had already paid Cebu Pacific for.
Reluctantly they paid the room key deposit and stayed there 4 nights.
On the
positive side, next morning their included American breakfast was fine,
and the hotel's eatery staff were efficient and friendly. When they
wandered out to walk around, they found that the location was in a
tourist area largely frequented by backpackers so there was plenty of
cheap local transportation for sightseeing and a pickup point nearby
for the airport shuttle bus.
However, my
friends' "Fun Tour" package vacation nightmare was by no means over.
The worst part was yet to come...
- Edu Garcia (Story of Cebu Pacific
customers' ongoing nightmare to be continued.) See also www.ThePhilippineWay.org
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Congratulations to Miss Universe 2011 above, Leila Lopes from Angola,
and to our own Shamcey Supsup, who was placed 3rd Runner Up,
one position higher than Venus Raj last year. Editorial photo courtesy of Miss
Universe Organization. (More...)
No need live in Manila to get
superfast internet. Now you can apply
online in Sta. Rosa.
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Globe continues to lead the way in
Sta. Rosa with its innovative customizable
broadband plans.
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Wedge
espadrilles with ribbon ankle straps.
BE
NAUTICAL AND NICE WITH
PARISIAN AT SM CITY
Make
waves on land or sea with wedgies and espadrilles, chunky platform
heels, and ballet flats. See Pamela Peters-Baun's selection of nautical
inspired shoes on our new dedicated special
SM Fashion page
Sand
blast wash-distressed skinny jeans worn with a white tank top.
Available from Surplus Shop at SM Sta. Rosa. See feature on our Premier Subdivisions page.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO LI NA
FIRST ASIAN TO WIN A GRAND
SLAM TENNIS TOURNAMENT
Li Na holds the coveted trophy after
winning the French Open Women's Final in Paris.
THE VERY POPULAR CHINESE TENNIS
PLAYER LI NA on Saturday June 5 defeated the reigning title
holder Italian Francesca Schiavone 6-4 7-6 to win the French
Open Women's Final at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris.
Although 29-year-old Li from Wuhan on the Yangzte river played superbly
to beat the Russian star Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals, the more
experienced Schiavone was expected to retain her title.
But the
strong-willed Li had other ideas and continued her winning streak with
a fantastic display of powerful tennis that the holder was unable to
match.
Earlier
this year Li had beaten the American former world and Olympic champion
Venus Williams to reach the 2011 Australian Open
Women's Final at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne to become the first
Asian to reach a Grand Slam Final. In Paris she went a step further and
became the first Asian to win one.
Only four Grand
Slams are held every year. As the world's top tournaments in
professional tennis they are the most sought-after titles, with the
fiercest competition and the highest prize money. The other two are Wimbledon
(London, June 20 - July 3) and the US
Open (New York, August 29 - September 11).
Li, a former
badminton player who rebelled against China's state-run sports system
by switching to tennis, was watched by 116 million Chinese on live TV
when she won in Paris. She lost in the third round at Wimbledon, the
home of tennis and the world's most prestigious championship, but has
high hopes for the US Open. Winning in New York would be a further
great boost to tennis in China.
Li Na's happy boisterous personality
makes her popular with tennis fans everywhere!
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CONGRATULATIONS TO KAMUI KOBAYASHI
THE FIRST ASIAN F1 DRIVER TO GAIN TOP 5 IN RACE!
24-year-old Kamui Kobayashi started his
race-driver career in karting and went on to F1.
TALENTED YOUNG JAPANESE RACE DRIVER
KAMUI KOBAYASHI shot rapidly from Japanese karting champion to
European Formula Renault champion before being signed up by Formula
One's Toyota team, and then by BMW-Sauber, which became Sauber-Ferrari
when BMW dropped out.
Kamui has
consistently raised the marker for Sauber-Ferrari, and on May 29
finished in 5th place on the daunting street track of the Monaco
Grand Prix, arguably the most difficult race in the F1 race
calendar every year, and achieving this from position 12 on the
starting grid. On June 12 he followed this up by racing to 7th place in
the Canadian
Grand Prix from position 13 on the starting grid.
Many F1 pundits are
predicting that Kamui will become the first Asian F1 World Champion if
he is signed up by one of the top F1 teams such as Red Bull, McLaren,
Ferrari, Renault or Mercedes. Find out more about the entire 2011 Grand
Prix season on the official Formula
1 website.
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KOREA'S PREVIOUS ASIAN FIRST
Y.E.YANG CONTINUES TO THRILL
THE GOLFING WORLD
Korean star Y.E. Yang is among the
leaders at the 2011 US Open Golf Championship.
IN 2009 YONG-EON YANG WAS THE FIRST
ASIAN TO WIN A GOLF MAJOR when he came from behind to beat Tiger Woods and
win the PGA Championship.
This month he made
the news again by taking an early lead on the first day of the 2011 US
Open, and he was finally placed third when the tournament finished on
Sunday June 19.
We send Yang our
congratulations for another great performance. He's a tough and
hardworking player who is totally unfazed by any of the big names in
world golf and the clamor of their fans. In fact he has been steadily
attracting more and more international fans himself.
Read more on the
official PGA US Open
Championship website.
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PHILIPPINE
BUSINESSES
UNITE FOR TYPHOON
RELIEF EFFORTS
PROVING
SHARED CORPORATE VALUES AT THE HEART OF THEIR BUSINESS
companies did their philanthropic part in contributing to
rehabilitation efforts and donating cash and relief goods primarily to
the recent flood victims in Central Luzon.
Year to
date, business groups fostering the essence of corporate citizenship
and social responsibility have been mobilizing resources and relief
efforts for victims of such devastating typhoons as Juan (Megi) in
October last year, to Juaning (Nock-Ten) early this year and Pedring
(Nesat) and Quiel (Nalgae) this October.
In relief
efforts the corporate-led Philippine
Business for Social Progress (PBSP) organized for victims
primarily in Calumpit, Bulacan, companies like Asalus
Corp. (Intellicare) and recently Monark Foundation
donated cash while Holcim
Philippines. Inc., M2.0 Communications
Inc., Associated
Broadcasting Company (TV5), AECOM
Phils., and recently Ayala
Southvale Village contributed in relief efforts. Citibank
Philippines and MEDICard
Philippines. Inc. both donated cash and gave out goods. Kraft
Foods Phils. Inc. gave 150 cases of cheddar cheese and CDO Foodsphere Inc.
contributed 50 cases of canned goods, while Oriental and Motolite
and Airlift
Asia Inc. provided two 10-wheeler trucks to transport these
items, which were distributed based on the international humanitarian
standard called the Sphere
relief package.
The
standard Sphere relief pack that is good for five days for a family of
six is usually composed of eight to 10 kilos of rice, three cans of
sardines, a half kilo of mongo beans, a pint of cooking oil, a kilo of
sugar, a quarter kilo of iodized salt, a bar of soap, a half kilo of
dried fish, and one non-food item such as a water container, a cooking
pot, or a blanket.
Over 600
Sphere relief packs benefited 505 households in Brgy. Gugo, Calumpit
and members of the town’s Eco-Boys, a group of young men who got their
source of livelihood as garbage collectors and segregators who were
themselves typhoon and flood victims.
Some goods
are now scheduled for distribution in nearby Hagonoy, also in Bulacan,
while some cash donations are still set for collection. Cathay
Pacific Airways Ltd. and East
West Seed Company Inc. also pledged to give cash donations.
As of
Tuesday morning (11 October), the latest disaster risk reduction update
showed that at least 30 road and bridge sections primarily in the
regions of Cagayan Valley (II), Central Luzon (III), and the
Cordilleras (CAR) remain impassable, more than two weeks after Pedring
and Quiel hit the country.
Earlier on
Monday (10 October), the National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)
revealed that the death toll from both typhoons rose to 102, while
damage to property breached the P15-billion mark.
At least 84
people died after Pedring’s wrath, with 91 injured and 20 missing, and
affecting more than 650,000 families or at least 3 million people in
more than 3,500 villages in 312 towns and 42 cities within 35 provinces.
Meanwhile,
at least 18 died after Quiel’s onslaught, with 12 injured and seven
missing, and affecting more than 226,000 families or at least 1.11
million people in more than 1,700 villages in 138 towns and 10 cities
within 18 provinces.
Juan, Juaning, Pedring
With over 250 companies in its roster of membership, PBSP together with
its partners in the Corporate
Network for Disaster Response (CNDR) and the Philippine Disaster Recovery
Foundation (PDRF) have been channeling resources from the
private sector to provide immediate relief to the affected communities.
This
partnership was strengthened in the aftermath of disaster response
initiatives of PBSP member-companies involved in relief efforts two
years ago in the aftermath of typhoons Ondoy (Ketsana) and Pepeng
(Parma) from late September to early October 2009.
From late
July to early August 2011, almost all 250 households comprising of
about 1,000 individuals in barangay Alimsog in Santo Domingo, Albay
province in the typhoon-prone Bicol region benefitted with a total of
more than P180,000 worth of relief goods, out of the overall total of
more than 195,000 families or 980,000 people affected in 983 villages
out of 103 towns and 12 cities in 21 provinces.
The Alimsog
relief effort was primarily through funding and logistical support from
PBSP through its Luzon regional operations team, with counterpart
contribution from the local government in the form of transportation
expenses for the relief goods based Sphere standards.
Based on
its August 3 update, the NDRRMC noted that the death toll from Juaning
reached 67 from the Bicol region to Northern Cordillera, with at least
53 injured and 15 missing.
According
to the NDRRMC, the effect of Juaning’s wrath in late July this year
went up to almost P2.2 billion, of which almost P1.6 billion was on
infrastructure and almost P630 million to agriculture, totally
destroying more than 7,000 houses and damaging 9,900 others.
Immediately
after Juan struck on October 18 last year, PBSP allotted initial
assistance worth P500,000 covering relief goods and transportation
expenses to benefit at least 400 families covering the three isolated
and devastated coastal towns of Palanan, Divilacan, and Maconacon in
Isabela province.
By the last
day of October 2010, the NDRRMC revealed that the total damage from
Juan’s havoc already reached around P10 billion, while the Department of Agriculture (DA)
disclosed that the damage had even amounted to P11.53 billion.
The NDRRMC
noted Juan’s damage to include rice fields at P8 billion, high-value
commercial crops like fruits and vegetables at P660 million, and corn
at P412 million, plus infrastructure at P466.198 million. It said the
provinces that suffered huge losses had included Pangasinan for Region
I at P2.36 billion, Nueva Ecija for Region III at P1.59 billion, and
Isabela for Region II at P1.28 billion.
Meanwhile,
the DA said total croplands affected in 21 provinces of four Northern
and Central Luzon regions covered an area of almost 450,000 hectares,
with the worst losses or damages in Pangasinan at P2.40 billion,
Isabela at P2.09 billion, and Nueva Ecija at P1.59 billion.
The DA data
included damages to rice at P8.93 billion, corn at P367.96 million, and
fisheries at P212.50 million, primarily fishponds and fish cages. Also
damaged were high-value crops like vegetables, mango, and banana, all
at P660 million, together with livestock including carabao, swine,
goat, and cattle, as well as poultry like duck, chicken, turkey, and
geese, amounting to P10.62 million.
For its
part, the NDRRMC said Juan had destroyed roads and facilities like
those for irrigation at P1.18 billion, farm-to-market roads and
irrigation projects at P90.1 million, and infrastructure for fishery,
livestock, and agricultural facilities at P54.4 million, plus more than
30,000 homes, while partially damaging at least 118,000 other houses.
Juan also
left in its wake at least 31 dead, 42 injured, and four missing,
affecting almost 428,000 families or more than 2 million people in six
regions including Metro Manila or the National Capital Region (NCR).
Within days
of the devastating Ondoy flooding in 2009, PBSP allocated P5 million
from its funds for relief operations and raised an additional P7
million in cash and kind from corporate donors. By the last quarter of
2009, PBSP was able to mobilize nearly P13 million for rehabilitation
projects.
With
much of Calumpit still under water, the food relief was a godsend to
families who
had suffered and lost so much in the typhoons.
PBSP
GIVES 5-DAY
FOOD FOR 600 FAMILIES
IN CALUMPIT
THE
CORPORATE LED PHILIPPINE BUSINESS FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS (PBSP)
recently handed over food for the 600 families of Barangay Gugo in
Calumpit, Bulacan. More than a week after typhoons Pedring and Quiel
hit Central Luzon, many parts of Bulacan were still underwater.
The food
relief package consists of 10 kilos of rice, assorted canned goods,
instant noodles, cooking oil, soap, and 5 liters of drinking water.
This pack follows the SPHERE standard for a 5-day food relief
assistance.
With the
support of Motolite and Airlift Asia, Inc., PBSP was able to reach the
marooned communities in need of support. Most of the PBSP member
companies donated cash utilized for the purchase of the relief goods.
-
reports by Joyce Franzly Racoma (Photo courtesy of PBSP.)
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LAST MONTH'S BIG 3
VIDEOS
(Courtesy of TED here are three
mind-expanding illustrated talks.
(See our Home Page for
this month's Big 3.)
CAN
WOMEN CHANGE THE CULTURES THAT OPPRESS THEM? You bet they can! Kavita Ramdas
is president and CEO of the Global Fund for Women, a publicly supported
grantmaking foundation that advances human rights by investing in
women-led organizations worldwide. She tells horrific stories of how
women are still badly treated in some parts of the world simply because
they are women, but is heartened to discover that so many are devising
their own methods to overcome oppression. She recalls one of them in
this way: "A Filipina activist once said to me, 'How do you cook a rice
cake? With heat from the bottom and heat from the top.'"
CAN
CORRUPT OFFICIALS BE BEATEN AT THEIR OWN GAME? You bet they can! Indian social entrepreneur Shaffi
Mather founded an emergency ambulance service in Mumbai
and Kerala with a sliding scale payment system that has revolutionized
medical transport there, and co-founded The Education Initiative which
is involved in e-learning and in creating schools across India. In
addition, Mather is a lawyer focusing on litigation in public interest
-- battling for transparency in governance and use of public funds,
human rights, civil rights and primacy of constitution. He's now
expanding a company whereby people who can't get something done without
paying a big bribe can for a small fee get someone else to negotiate
for them. It works because bribes and the officials demanding them are
supposed to be secret not public, so it's effectively reducing
corruption wherever it operates. We need public spirited social
entrepreneurs like this in the Philippines.
CAN
LEARNING ENGLISH CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND YOUR WORLD? You bet it can! American inventor and entrepreneur
Jay Walker calls
it the latest world mania. To illustrate it he shows video clips of
Chinese students learning English, and he quotes the amazing facts that
by law Chinese kids must start learning English in the third grade, and
that China will this year become the world's largest English-speaking
country. He concludes: "So is English mania good or bad? Is English a
tsunami, washing away other languages? Not likely. English is the
world's second language. Your native language is your life. But with
English you can become part of a wider conversation. A global
conversation about global problems. Like climate change or poverty. Or
hunger or disease. The world has other universal languages. Mathematics
is the language of science. Music is the language of emotions. And now
English is becoming the language of problem solving. Not because
America is pushing it. But because the world is pulling it. So English
mania is a turning point. Like the harnessing of electricity in our
cities, or the fall of the Berlin Wall, English represents hope for a
better future. A future where the world has a common language to solve
its common problems."
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Watch
this amazing animated talk by Sir Ken Robinson
from RSA Animate. He argues that students with restless minds and
bodies should be cultivated for their energy and curiosity instead of
being ignored or even stigmatized as they are now. "We are educating
people out of their creativity," Robinson says. He challenges the
rigidly narrow way that we're educating our children, and he urges a
radical rethink of our school systems to cultivate creativity and
acknowledge multiple types of intelligence.
See
our Home Page to find out
how the new "I Am Involved" SM Eco Bag
helps to conserve Philippine forests
