Major developments for June 4
Balita News Group
Metro Manila braces for school opening
MANILA -- Metro Manila will be confronted with the challenge of managing
the onrush of some 1.5 million out of the estimated 21 million elementary,
high school and college students nationwide who are expected to troop back
to school on Monday, June 4. Private and government resources will once more
be strained to their limits as they attempt to service and accommodate the
ever-increasing number of young Filipinos who troop to schools and
universities every school opening day. The ever-increasing challenge is
mirrored in a statement by Department of Education, Culture and Sports
Secretary Raul Roco, who said that this school year, there is a projected
1.54 percent increase in enrolment in both public and private schools at the
elementary and high school levels. "In public schools this year, there is a
projected 2.5 million Grade One pupils and 1.4 million first year
high school students. The increase in the number of high school entrants of
151,000 is almost twice the increase last year because of the lowering of
the school age entry in 1995," Roco said.
Power to run Visayas economy sought
CEBU CITY - The Cebu business community is asking the government to give
each region in the country the power to decide its own economic fate. This
was one of the recommendations made by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (CCCI) Thursday to enhance the economic performance of the regions.
During the Region 7 briefing on Philippine business and economic prospects
at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel, CCCI president Sabino Dapat told top
government executives that one of the concerns of businessmen in the region
was the delay in business processes due to the centralization of business
management in Metro Manila. "Approval of foreign businesses, its
registration with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), BOI (Board
of Investments) or PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority) and many other
business matters are centralized in Manila. Even the setting up of a
bonded warehouse takes a long time because approval has to be done in
Manila," he said. Region 7 or Central Visayas comprises the provinces of
Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
Solon backs BIR revamp
MANILA -- Rep. Ernesto Herrera (Lakas) has chided a number of district
officers of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for resisting
newly-appointed Commissioner Rene Banez`s campaign to rid the agency of
corrupt agents and improve collections. "Commissioner Banez has been on the
job for only four months. He deserves a chance to succeed in his drive to
purge the BIR of scalawags," Herrera, former chair of the Senate finance
committee, said. At least 13 revenue district officers, mostly in Metro
Manila, put out paid print advertisements Sunday and claimed that they have
lost confidence in Banez. They urged Malacanang to have Banez replaced as
BIR chief. Herrera, however, cautioned the Palace against kowtowing to the
disgruntled district officers. "Malacanang should support Mr. Banez all the
way. He seems to be doing a good job. The fact that some district officers want
him out merely shows that he is making a dent in his purge," Herrera, also
former chair of the Senate ways and means committee, said.
GMA confident of Senate nod on Power Bill
MANILA - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today expressed confidence the
Senate would endorse the bicameral conference committee report on the
Omnibus Power Bill Monday, virtually assuring the passage into law of the
bill restructuring the state-controlled National Power Corp. "We are looking
forward to a ratification in the Senate on Monday," the President said. Once
passed by the Senate, the bill only needs the signature of the President to
become a law. The President noted the cooperation of the outgoing Congress.
"Normally you would have congressmen and senators no longer attending
session but they had a very good quorum," she said. "And this is the old
Congress where I don't even have a majority," she added.
Rescued hostage thanks GMA tells Abu Sayyaf to yield and free all hostages
MANILA - A property developer personally thanked President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo last night for his rescue as he called on the leaders of
the Abu Sayyaf bandit gang to release the rest of the hostages and
surrender. "I am very fortunate to have been among the first to be rescued
by the Armed Forces of the Philipines," said Reghis Romero II in a statement
he read at the doorsteps of the President's family residence in Forbes Park,
Makati City. Romero told the Abu Sayyaf leaders to surrender or face
"crushing annihilation that the AFP and the PNP, under President
Macapagal-Arroyo's leadership, are eminently capable of." Romero also
credited his freedom and that of his three fellow hostages to the
"full-scale campaign launched by President Arroyo against the Abu Sayyaf and
her policy to deny ransom to the terrorists."
GMA asks for U.S. assistance in ICT sector modernization of AFP
MANILA - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has asked the United States to
assist the government in its effort to maximize its competitive advantage in
the information and communication technology (ICT) sector as well as in the
modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The President
made this statement during a dinner meeting with visiting U.S. Sen. Richard
Lugar (R-Indiana) at her family residence in Forbes Park, Makati City. In
their meeting, the President apprised Lugar on various efforts of the new
administration, specifically the socio-economic reforms being instituted
under her leadership. Senator Lugar, for his part, congratulated the
President for bringing in new hope for the Filipinos, and for her vital role
in sustaining the democratic relations between Manila and Washington.
Watching movies in malls keeps GMA in touch with common people
MANILA - Aside from playing golf, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is also
fond of the most common Filipino recreation -- watching movies in malls. The
President told Koyo Kobayashi, Reuters deputy Manila bureau chief, in an
interview that she goes to moviehouses because "it's good to be in touch
with the common people." Although moviehouses are public places, Mrs.
Macapagal-Arroyo said she feels safe as security men "sweep" the place way
ahead of her arrival. "And so when I arrive -- of course, usually
moviehouses are in a mall -- so, when I enter the mall, I just walk in, and
the people are happy to see me," she said.
C. Luzon to observe World Environment Month
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO - Government offices and industrial firms in Central
Luzon will spearhead the observance of World Environment Month starting on
June 5 with a caravan, tree planting activities and environment slogan
contests. Lead agency in the observance is the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR). DENR Regional Executive Director Gregorio Nisperos
said activities on June 5 will include a caravan of local government units,
industrial firms and various national government agencies based in Central
Luzon, mass tree planting along national highways and public parks in the
region and slogan poster contests. Nisperos said some 90,000 seedlings of
narra, mahogany and mango trees will be made available by the Department of
Agriculture (DA) for the mass tree planting activities. The participants in
the caravan will exhibit their respective environment
slogan posters which will be judged for prizes by a group of government and
private environmentalists and civic leaders.
SLR zaps Pops 95-86
MANILA -- Cellar-dweller Sta. Lucia Realty stopped All Filipino Conference
third placer Pop Cola Panthers, 95-86, for an auspicious start tonight in
the PBA Commissioner's Cup at the Araneta Coliseum. The Realtors was fired
up by the scintillating performance of Paolo Mendoza who logged 17 points to
become the Commissioner's Cup first most outstanding player of the night.
What's more, the Realtors were able to get back their quality import, Ansu
Sesay who inspired them no end, although the locals fared very well than the
Pop Cola Panthers. Sesay was outscored by Jason Sasser, a former member of
the US's delegation to the World Championship in 1977, but what is important
is the Realtors were able to get themselves above water and capture their
first win for a morale-boosting quest.
Pray for safety of hostages and success of AFP PNP men pursuing bandits GMA
asks nation
MANILA - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today urged the nation to pray
for the safety of the remaining hostages who are still in the hands of the
Abu Sayyaf bandits in Mindanao. The President made this appeal as she
personally went to the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City to greet the five
newly-rescued hostages and 10 wounded soldiers who arrived on board a C-130
military plane from Basilan. "This is a happy moment, the return of more
rescued hostages, for it also reunited the Recio family," the President
said. In her message, the President also asked the citizenry to seek divine
intervention and support for all the members of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) who are currently
pursuing the bandits. "Let us salute and thank our courageous soldiers and
policemen who are doing their jobs to ensure that peace reign in our
country," the President said in her statement.
'Texters' flash messages of support for GMA power bill okay
MANILA - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's appeal to the public to text
their support for the Power Reform Bill has generated tremendous response.
The President received hundred of one-liners and kilometric messages largely
in support of the bill. Some of the messages ask her to address specific
concerns such as the conduct of the last elections and the need to generate
more jobs while others simply wished her well, saying they were praying for
her. One sender asked the President "can u be my textmate?
St Francis Doves scrape past Chinese Taipei in AUBC
MANILA -- St. Francis of Asisi withstood a late charge by Chinese Taipei
University Sports Foundation to pull off a scrambling 79-78 victory today at
the start of the 2nd Asian University Basketball Championship at the Rizal
Memorial Coliseum. The Doves, who are the reigning National Students
champions shot down a final offensive play from the visitors when Yancy de
Ocampo intercepted an inbound pass as the buzzer sounded to grab the early
lead in this weeklong cagefest. In the second game, Beijing Shougong used
its excellent shooting to demolish Far Eastern U, 90-79, and share the lead
with St. Francis. The Doves, who lost prolific scorer, Ranidel Ocampo in the
final four minutes, found themselves in trouble when Chinese Taipei
threatened to within 77-79 on Wu Chang-Chien's triple and Au Yang ching
Chen's twinner with 1:02 left.
Norkis group vows to support RP economy
CEBU CITY - The Mandaue City-based Norkis Group of Companies, a
manufacturing and distributing firm, has vowed to support the Philippine
economy and help place it on the road to full economic recovery. A
40-year-old pioneer firm, Norkis has been a pioneer in the development of an
affordable vehicle for the Filipino people. It has been so successful in
this venture that it was able to produce and market over a million Yamaha
motorcycles of the Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. of Japan. Started by the couple
Norberto and Britta Quisumbing with a team of only 5, the company eventually
grew to 5,000 strong with its head office in Mandaue City and in Compostela,
Cebu.
Entry of Chinese-made motorbikes no threat to local motorcycle industry
CEBU CITY - The entry of Chinese motorbikes is no threat to the local
motorcycle industry. Such is the assurance made by Edwin L. Espina, Deputy
Managing Head of the Cebu Filipino Manufacturing Resource Corp., an
affiliate of the Mandaue City-based Norkis Group of Companies. According to
him, the Chinese-made motorcycles are having problems with quality,
durability, and unavailability of parts. He expects these motorcycles to
only cover 10 percent of the total motorcycle industry. The other 90 percent
will still be held by the Japanese branded motorcycles which Norkis has
marketed for the past 40 years under a Yamaha brand. Norkis, he said, has
been able to produce and market over a million Yamaha motorcycles of the
Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. of Japan.
Cebu-based firm now exporting Multi-cabs
CEBU CITY - A Cebu-based manufacturing firm is now exporting completely
knocked down (CKD) Multicab units to Cuba, according to Elberto E. Emphasis,
chief operating Officer of Porta Coeli Industrial Company. Porta Coeli, a
subsidiary of Norkis group of companies in Mandaue City, has received
purchase orders for the Multicabs to be sent to Cuba and later to Nicaragua
from Massimo Bonanno, the Italian president of the Finauto International.
According to Bonanno, the Multicabs which will be exported by Porta Coeli in
CKDs to Cub will be assembled by the state-owned Empiesa de Motores Taino.
Empiesa is one of the firms under Unecamoto Grupo de la Industria
Automotriz, a state-owned holding company which owns 27 factories and has an
annual turnover of US$160 million. Bonanno said the Multicab is attractive
to the Latin American market because it is easy to assemble and
costs less.
22 drew death sentences in May
MANILA - Twenty-two convicts, including a woman, drew death sentences in
May, raising the total number of death row to 1,768, Sen. Loren Legarda, an
official of the anti-crime Citizens` Drug watch Foundation, reported over
the weekend. Of the 22, Legarda said 14 were condemned for aggravated rape,
six for murder and one each for large-scale drug trafficking and kidnapping.
Among the convicts were a man who murdered a professor of the University of
the Philippines College of Law in Marikina City, and a passenger bus driver
who was caught with one kilo of shabu worth P2 million in Muntinlupa City.
The convicts also included six fathers who rape their daughters in various
parts of the country, a man who sexually assaulted his 6-year-old niece in
Caloocan City and a woman who kidnapped a 3-year-old girl in Manila.
Congress must OK automation absentee voting for 2004 polls
MANILA - Sen. Loren Legarda has stressed the need for the next Congress to
promptly endorse and provide funds for the automation of the electoral
process in time for the 2004 presidential elections. Legarda also cited the
need for lawmakers to finally approve the bill that would establish an
absentee voting mechanism for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). "These twin
electoral reforms must be put on top of the agenda of the next Congress,"
Legarda said. The senator said both computerized vote counting and the grant
of absentee voting rights to OFWs had been discussed extensively in previous
Congresses. "The problem is that previous administrations simply lacked the
political will to pursue and implement these reforms," she lamented. The
Commission on Elections (Comelec) would need at least P7 billion to
computerize the counting of votes nationwide.
Senate okays naturalization bill
MANILA - The senate committee on justice and human rights chaired by
Minority Leader Renato Cayetano Lakas) has endorsed for immediate floor
debate and approval a bill providing for the "administrative naturalization"
of some 50,000 Philippine-born individuals whose parents are not Filipino
citizens. Senate Bill 1178 would enable Philippine-born individuals born to
foreign parents to acquire Philippine citizenship without going through the
tedious and lengthy judicial process, according to Cayetano. Cayetano said
the measure would also enable the national government to collect billions of
pesos in naturalization processing fees that would help bridge the widening
budget deficit. The House of representatives earlier passed on third and
final reading a counterpart measure -- House Bill 12228 -- providing for
identical administrative naturalization. Under the senate andHouse bills,
qualified individuals must submit applications to a three-member Special
Committee on Naturalization.
Abu Sayyaf escapes dragnet
MANILA -- Using their hostages as human shields, Abu Sayyaf kidnappers
slipped past a military dragnet in Basilan, holding at bay soldiers as they
escaped towards the jungles with their undetermined captives in tow Saturday
night. The military coul