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Vol. I No. 5 12 Pages, 1 Section P18.00 SUNDAY, July 29, 2012

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EXTRAVAGANZA
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Olympic Games get off to spectacular start
to music from Pink Floyd. And with a sing-a-long of Hey Jude, Beatle Paul McCartney closed a show that ran 45 minutes beyond its scheduled three hours. Organizers said the cauldron would be moved Sunday night to the corner of the stadium where a giant bell tolled during the show. Boyle turned the stadium into a giant juke box, with a nonstop rock and pop homage to cool Britannia that ensured the show never caught its breath. The high-adrenaline soundtrack veered from classical to irreverent. Boyle daringly included the Sex Pistols Pretty Vacant and a snippet of its version of God Save the Queen an anti-establishment punk anthem once banned by the BBC. The encyclopedic review of modern British music continued with a 1918 Broadway standard adopted by the West Ham football team, the Rolling Stones (I Cant Get No) Satisfaction and Bohemian Rhapsody, by still another Queen, and other tracks too numerous to mention, but not to dance to. The evening started with ghter jets streaming red, white and blue smoke and roaring over the stadium, packed with a buzzing crowd of 60,000 people, at 8:12 p.m. or 20:12 in the 24-hour time observed by Britons. Boyle, one of Britains most successful lmmakers, who directed Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting, had a ball with his favored medium, mixing lmed passages with live action in the stadium to hypnotic effect, with 15,000 volunteers taking part in the show. Actor Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean provided laughs, shown dreaming that he was appearing in Chariots of Fire, the inspiring story of a Scotsman and an Englishman at the 1924 Next page Paris Games.

ROCK AND ROLL

ONDON The queen and James Bond gave the London Olympics a royal entrance like no other in an opening ceremony that rolled to the rock of the Beatles, the Stones and The Who.

And the creative genius of Danny Boyle spliced it all together. Brilliant. Cheeky, too. The highlight of the Oscar-winning directors $42 million show was pure movie magic, using trickery to make it seem that Britains beloved 86-yearold Queen Elizabeth II had parachuted into the stadium with the nations most famous spy. A short lm showed Daniel Craig as 007 driving to Buckingham Palace in a black London cab and, pursued by the royal corgis, meeting the queen, who played herself. Good evening, Mr. Bond, she said. They were shown ying in a helicopter over London landmarks and a waving statue of Winston Churchillthe queen in a salmon-colored dress, Bond dashing as ever in a black tuxedobefore leaping into the inky night over Olympic Park. At the same moment, real skydivers appeared as the stadium throbbed to the James Bond theme. And moments after that, the monarch appeared in person, accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip. Organizers said it was thought to be the rst time she has acted on lm. The queen made herself more accessible than ever before, Boyle said. In the stadium, Elizabeth stood solemnly while a childrens choir serenaded her with God Save the Queen, and members of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force raised the Union Jack. Boyle sprang another giant surprise and picked seven teenage athletes for the supreme honor of igniting the Olympic cauldron. Together, they touched aming torches to trumpetlike tubes that spread into a ring of re. The ames rose and joined elegantly together to form the cauldron. Fireworks erupted over the stadium

The 11-man Philippine delegation takes centerstage for a eeting moment. Below, from left: Olympic torchbearer, parade of nations, London cab on Olympic lane, and Sir Paul McCartney. AP

Lean delegation begins quest for Olympic glory

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan
MALACAANG on Saturday gave its full support to the 11 Filipino athletes who are competing in the 2012 London Summer Olympics. We wholeheartedly support you in your quest for Olympic glory, we are all hoping that you will come up with a good performance, Deputy Presidential Abigail Valte said in an interview over dzRB (Radyo ng Bayan). The country had sent a lean delegation to London, its smallest in
Next page

An Italian job for Filipino boxer in Round 1

By Joe Antonio
LONDONAlthough light-yweight Mark Barriga was singing Ill Do My Crying In The Rain as he emerged from his room, he remains a picture of one whos certainly not going to let Team Philippines cry when he climbs the ring next week in the 30th Olympic Games. In his initial appearance in the biggest sports stage of all, the 19-year-old Barriga will fight Manuel Cappai, a young Italian champion who moves and fights like defending champion and top seed Zou Shiming of China. But denitely hes not as good as the Chinese ring wonder in the eyes of the coach Roel Velasco. The 19-year-old Barriga, a native from Panabo City, Davao del Norte, has gone from the ends of the earth ghting in big and small tournaments in the course of his search for an Olympic slot, but hasnt met Cappai in any of these. But he got a glimpse of the Italian for the rst time during the general weigh-in ahead of the draw on Friday afternoon. Nothing much is known about Cappai, except that he won the bronze medal in the European Olympic qualifying event, losing to Bulgarian and eventual champion Aleksander Aleksandrov in the semifinals on points. If Barriga gets past Cappai, the going gets tougher in the second round as he faces the winner of the bout between Kazakstans Birzhan Zhakypov and Jeremy Beccu. If he gets lucky and makes it to the quarternals, hell go up against either Shiming or Cuban Sosbany Veitia Soto, another rated boxer in the upper half of the draw in Next page the 26-man division.

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Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Manila Branch 37 CIVIL CASE NO. 12-127107 PHILIPPINE TRUST COMPANY, (also known as Philtrust Bank), Petitioner, -versusLEONILA S. MACKAY and ESTATE OF SPOUSES PABLO S. SARMIENTO, SR. and EUFROCINA M. SARMIENTO, Respondents. x-------------------------------------------x TO: Leonila S. Mackay Estate of Spouses Pablo S. Sarmiento, Sr. and Eufrocina M. Sarmiento GREETINGS: You are hereby required within sixty (60) days from publication of this Summons to file with this Court and serve on the Plaintiff your Answer to the Complaint, copy of which is published herewith. You are reminded of the provision of the IBPOCA Memorandum on Policy Guidelines dated March 12, 2002 to observe restraint in filing a Motion to Dismiss and instead allege the grounds thereof as defenses in the Answer. If you fail to answer within the time fixed, the Plaintiff will take judgment by default and may be granted the relief applied for In the Complaint. WITNESS my hand under the seal of the Court, this 25th day of June, 2012. (Sgd.) ATTY. JENNIFER C. BUENDIA Clerk of Court By: (Sgd.) ATTY. GUYLA A. VISTA Branch Clerk of Court SUMMONS (by publication) SO ORDERED. Manila, Philippines, December 12, 2002. A certified true copy of the aforesaid Decision of RTC-Branch 34 is hereto attached as Annex C and is made an integral part hereof. 7. Petitioner filed a Partial Motion for Reconsideration of the aforesaid Decision but the same was denied by the RTC-Branch 34 in its Order dated April 13, 2004. A certified true copy of the said Order is hereto attached as Annex D and is made an integral part hereof. 8. As no appeal was interposed by Respondent Mackay nor by her parents, Petitioner filed on June 10, 2005 a Motion for Execution of the Decision dated December 11, 2002, alleging that the said Decision became final pursuant to Section 1 of Rule 39 of the Rules of Court. A certified true copy of Petitioners Motion for Execution dated June 09, 2005 is hereto attached as Annex E and is made an integral part hereof. 9. The RTC-Branch 34 granted Petitioners Motion for Execution. Thus, in its Order dated July 08, 2005, RTC-Branch 34 directed the issuance of a writ of execution for the satisfaction of the judgment. A Writ of Execution was then issued by the Branch Clerk of Court of the RTC Branch 34. A certified true copy of the Order dated July 08, 2005 is hereto attached as Annex F and a copy of the Writ of Execution is hereto attached as Annex G, and are both made integral parts hereof. 10. The decision of the RTC-Branch 34 was partially executed when the Sheriff of RTC-Branch 34 levied a condominium unit embraced in Condominium Certificate of Title No. PT-25590 of the Registry of Deeds for the City of Pasig in the name of Respondent Mackay. The levy on the condominium u n i t was annotated on its title as Entry No. PT-4121/PT-25590. Copies of the Notice of Levy dated March 08, 2006 and the aforesaid Condominium Certificate of Title No. PT-25590 are hereto attached as Annexes H, and I, and are made integral parts hereof. 11. At that time, Petitioner was not able to find any property belonging to Spouses Pablo S. Sarmiento, Sr. and Eufrocina M. Sarmiento which may be levied for the satisfaction of their joint and several judgment debt. On the other hand, the condominium unit of Respondent Mackay that was levied by the Petitioner is yet to be subjected for auction sale. It appears, however, that the value of the said condominium unit is not sufficient to answer for the judgment debt of Respondent Mackay which is in the principal amount of PHP10,000,000.00. As indicated in the tax declaration of the levied condominium unit, the market value thereof amounts only to PHP1,122,240.00. Moreover, the levied condominium unit had been encumbered by Respondent Mackay to BPI Savings Bank for a loan of PHP1,800,000.00. Photocopy of Tax Declaration No. E001-09961 which cover the levied condominium unit is hereto attached as Annex J . 12. In view of the fact that the Decision dated December 11, 2002 was only partially executed, there is a necessity for the further execution of the said Decision in order to fully satisfy the judgment debt of Respondent Mackay. 13. The Decision dated December 11, 2001, however, can no longer be executed by motion as five (5) years had already elapsed from the time of its finality. As such, Petitioner institutes the present action for revival of judgment pursuant to Section 6 of Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, the provision of which reads as follows: SECTION 6. Execution by motion or by independent action. - A final and executory judgment or order may be executed on motion within five (5) years from the date of its entry. After the lapse of such time, and before it is barred by the stature of limitations, a judgment may be enforced by action. The revived judgment may also be enforced by motion within five (5) years from the date of its entry and thereafter by action before it is barred by the statute of limitations. 14. Petitioner institutes the instant case for revival of judgment within the ten-year prescriptive period provided in the aforequoted Section 6 of Rule 39 of the Rules of Court. WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is most respectfully prayed of this Honorable Court that judgment be rendered in favor of the Petitioner, REVIVING the Decision dated December 11, 2002 rendered by the Regional Trial Court, Branch 34, Manila in Civil Case No. 01-101520. Other reliefs, just and equitable, in the premises are equally prayed. City of Manila. December 21, 2011. (Sgd.) JANE D. LAPLANA-SUAREZ Counsel for the Plaintiff Philtrust Bank Philtrust Bank Building United Nations Ave. corner San Marcelino St., Manila IBP No. 809369, 01.10.11, Manila IV PTR No. 9284346, 01.11.11, Manila Roll No. 43111 MCLE Compliance No. III-0008740, 02-22-10 Tel. No. 5249061, loc. 149 and 148 (Sgd.) ARABELLA R. SALVADOR-SAMSON Collaborating Counsel (same address & tel. nos.) IBP No. 802944, 12.16.09, Manila IV (until 2011) PTR No. 9284348, 01.11.11, Manila Roll No. 49150 MCLE Compliance No. III-0017200, 06-09-2010 (Sgd.) ANALIZA D. SANCHEZ Collaborating Counsel (same address) IBP No. 809370, 01.10.11, Manila IV PTR No. 9284349, 1.11.11, Manila Roll No. 55510 MCLE Compliance No. III-0011460, 04-06-10 VERIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION AGAINST FORUM SHOPPING _________________________ I , Atty. Martin B. Isidro, Filipino, of legal age, after being duly sworn in accordance with law, depose and state that: 1. I am the Senior Vice President of the Philippine Trust Company, also known as Philtrust Bank, Plaintiff in the above-entitled case; 2. As such officer, I am duly authorized and empowered to bring and defend suits for and in behalf of the company as evidenced by the Secretarys Certificate hereto attached as Annex A; 3. I have caused the preparation of the foregoing petition and attest that the contents thereof are true and correct based on the authentic records of the Bank; 4. I further certify that plaintiff has not commenced any other action or filed any other claim involving the same issues in any court, tribunal or quasijudicial agency, and to the best of my knowledge, no such other action is pending therein. If I should hereafter learn that a similar action or claim has been filed or is pending, I shall report that fact within five (5) days from knowledge thereof to this Honorable Court. (Sgd.) Atty. Martin B. Isidro Affiant SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this DEC 21, 2011 affiant exhibiting to me his TIN 105548-472.

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SUNDAY JULY 29, 2012

An Italian...
Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines executive director Picson acknowledged the toughness of Barrigas group, but was quick to point out that the Filipino ghter will be up to the task given the kind of hard work made and the dedication shown as he takes a crack at the ultimate prize in his sport. Barriga is coming ff a victory in the prestigious Sydney Jackson Memorial tournament in Tashkent, Uzbekistan a few months ago. That victory somehow gave Barriga the boost and the good feeling that he can take on everyone since he outpointed no less than the veteran Ayrapetyan in the nals, 12-9, to win the division for the second straight year. The last boxer to deliver in the Olympics was Mansueto nyok Velasco, who won the silver medal in the same division in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, duplicating the feat of Anthony Villanueva in the 1960 Tokyo Games. Meanwhile, archers Mark Javier and Rachelle Cabral fared poorly in the ranking round on Friday and found themselves battling superior opponents in the head-tohead, round- of- 32 action scheduled on Monday at the Lords Cricket ground. The 31-year-old Cabal, one of three two-time Olympian in the 11-member PH squad, nished 55th in a starting eld of 64 and drew rated Brady Ellison of the United States as rival with 649 points in the 70-meter, 72-arrow competitions. Also a big letdown was Cabral, an Olympic rookie who wound up 48th in the 64-woman cast with a 627 total. She will meet Russian Ksenia Perova, a big gun in the sport who landed ninth with 659 points. Bad game, said Korean coach Chung Jaeyun. Javier could not do anything right as he made only seven bulleyes and 22 10s in a round that saw him hit 326 points in the rst half and 323 in the second. Cabral did 318 in the rst half but struggled in the second, scoring only 309 in a round marked only by four bullseyes and 17 10s.

Pinay in London. Police ofcers place their hats on Cynthia Sison, left, and Mercy Mesina, both of the Philippines at the Olympic Park ahead of the London Olympics opening ceremony. AP

Rock...
There was a high-speed yover of the Thames, the river that winds like a vein through London and was the gateway for the citys rise over the centuries as a great global hub of trade and industry. Headlong rushes of movie images took spectators on wondrous, heart-racing voyages through everything British: a cricket match, the London Tube and the roaring, abundant seas that buffet and protect this island nation. Opening the ceremony, children popped balloons with each number from 10 to 1, leading a countdown that climaxed with Bradley Wiggins, the newly crowned Tour de France champion. Wearing his yellow winners jersey, Wiggins rang a 23-ton Olympic Bell from the same London foundry that made Big Ben and Philadelphias Liberty Bell. Its thunderous chime was a nod to the British tradition of pealing bells to celebrate the end of war and the crowning of kings and queens, and now for the opening of a 17day festival of sports Londons record third as host. The show then shifted to a portrayal of idyllic rural Britaina place of meadows, farms, sport on village greens, picnics and Winnie-the-Pooh, A.A. Milnes bear who has delighted generations of British children tucked warmly in bed. But that green and pleasant land, to quote poet William Blake, then took a darker, grittier turn. The set was literally torn asunder, the hedgerows and farm fences carried away, as Boyle shifted to the industrial transformation that revolutionized Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries, the foundation for an empire that reshaped world history. Belching chimneys rose where only moments earlier sheep had trod. The Industrial Revolution also produced terrifying weapons, and Boyle built a moment of hush into his show to honor those killed in war. This is not specic to a country. This is across all countries, and the fallen from all countries are celebrated and remembered, he explained to reporters ahead of the ceremony. Because, obviously, one of the penalties

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Manila Branch 37 PHILIPPINE TRUST COMPANY, Plaintiff, -versusCIVIL CASE NO. 12-127107

LEONILA S. MACKAY, ET AL., Defendants. x-------------------------------------------x ORDER Acting on the Motion for Leave of Court to Effect Service of Summons by Publication filed by plaintiffs counsel on the ground that per Sheriffs Return of the summons issued by this Court, defendant Leonila S. Mackay has already left the country and that defendant-spouses Pablo S. Sarmiento Sr. and Eufrocina M. Sarmiento already died three (3) years ago, the same is GRANTED. WHEREFORE, let a copy of the petition and summons be published once in a newspaper of general circulation in the entire Philippines at the expense of the plaintiff. SO ORDERED. Given in open court. Manila, May 25, 2012. (Sgd.) VIRGILIO V. MACARAIG Presiding Judge

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGIOIN Branch , Manila PHILIPPINE TRUST COMPANY, (also known as PHILTRUST BANK), Petitioner, - versus Civil Case No. 12127107 For: Revival of Jugdment

LEONILA S. MACKAY and ESTATE OF SPOUSES PABLO S. SARMIENTO, SR. and EUFROCINA M. SARMIENTO Respondents. x--------------------------------------------------------x PETITION PETITIONER, by counsel, to this Honorable Court, most respectfully avers THAT: 1. Petitioner, PHILIPPINE TRUST COMPANY, also known as PHILTRUST BANK, is a domestic universal banking corporation duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at Philtrust Bank Building, United Nations Avenue 1, corner San Marcelino Street, Manila. It is represented in this action by its Senior Vice President and duly authorized representative, Atty. Martin B. Isidro, as shown by the Secretarys Certificate dated December 12, 2011, a copy of which is hereto attached as Annex A and is made an integral part hereof. 2. Respondent Leonila S. Mackay (Respondent Mackay for brevity) is of legal age, married, and with last known address at Unit 12 B & C Goldland Plaza, No. 8 Eisenhower Street, Greenhills, San Juan City, Metro Manila. 3. Respondent Estate of Spouses Pablo S. Sarmiento, Sr. and Eufrocina M. Sarmiento, are impleaded in lieu of Pablo S. Sarmiento, Sr. and Eufrocina M. Sarmiento, the parents of Respondent Mackay, who reportedly had died and whose last known address is at No. 121 Mother Ignacia Avenue, Quadrangle District, Quezon City. 4. On August 02, 2001, Petitioner filed a Complaint for sum of money against Respondent Mackay and her parents, Spouses Pablo S. Sarmiento, Sr. and Eufrocina M. Sarmiento, for the payment of their joint and several loan obligation. The complaint was based on the loan obtained by Respondent Mackay from the Petitioner and which loan was subject to the continuing joint and several guaranty of Spouses Pablo Sarmiento, Sr. and Eufrocina M. Sarmiento. A certified true copy of Petitioners Complaint dated July 25, 2001, is hereto attached as Annex B and is made an integral part hereof. 5. The case which is entitled Philippine Trust Company (also known as Philtrust Bank) vs. Leonila S. Mackay, Spouses Pablo S. Sarmiento, Sr. and Eufrocina M. Sarmiento, docketed as Civil Case No. 01-101520, was raffled to the RTC of Manila, Branch 34 (RTC-Branch 34 for brevity). 6. After trial, RTC-Branch 34 rendered its Decision dated December 11, 2002, in favor of the Petitioner, the dispositive portion of which reads: WHEREFORE, judgment is hereby rendered in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendants ordering: 1. T h e d e f e n d a n t s t o j o i n t l y a n d severally pay the plaintiff the sum of P10,000,000.00 with interest rate of 12% per annum and an additional 1% a month penalty charge as liquidated damages for the period from September 1996 to January 14, 1999 and the plaintiffs lending rate of interest thereafter or from January 15, 1999 until the obligation is fully paid. 2. The defendants to jointly and solidarily pay the costs of suit. 3. The claim for attorneys fees is hereby dismissed so with the counter claim for lack of merit.

of this incredible force of change that happened in a hundred years was the industrialization of war, and the fallen, he said. You know, millions fell. Olympic organizers separately rejected calls for a moment of silence for 11 Israeli athletes and coaches slain by Palestinian gunmen at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The parade of nations featured most of the roughly 10,500 athletes some planned to stay away to save their strength for competition marching behind the ags of the 204 nations taking part. Greece had the lead, as the spiritual home of the games, and Team Great Britain was last, as host. Prince William and his wife, Kate, joined in thunderous applause that greeted the British team, which marched to the David Bowie track Heroes. A helicopter showered the athletes and stadium with 7 billion tiny pieces of paper one for each person on Earth. Both Bahrain and Brunei featured female agbearers in what has been called the Olympics Year of the Woman. For the rst time at the games, each national delegation includes women, and a record 45 percent of the athletes are women. Three Saudi women marching behind the men in their delegation ashed victory signs with their ngers. This is a major boost for gender equality, said the International Olympic Committee president, Jacques Rogge. These are his last games as head of the IOC. He steps down in 2013 after completing the maximum two terms. Rogge honored the great, sports-loving country of Britain as the birthplace of modern sport, and he appealed to the thousands of athletes assembled before him for fair play. Character counts far more than medals. Reject doping. Respect your opponents. Remember that you are all role models. If you do that, you will inspire a generation, Rogge said. The queen then said: I declare open the games of London, celebrating the 30th Olympiad of the modern era. Last month, the nation put on a festive Diamond Jubileea small test run for the gamesto mark her 60 years on the throne, a reign that began shortly after Londons last Olympics, in 1948. AP

Lean...
recent years, led by swimmers Jessie King Lacuna and Jasmine Alkhaldi and Marestella Torres and Rene Herrera in athletics. The other members of the Philippine contingent are shooter Paul Brian Rosario, judoka Tomohiko Hoshina, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, BMX rider Daniel Caluag, archers Rachel Ann Cabral and Mark Javier and boxer Mark Anthony Barriga. Meanwhile, following the appeal of United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon to observe the tradition of Olympic Truce, British Foreign secretary Willam Hague assured that throughout these games their government will not stop its efforts to bring about an end to the conict in Syria. The Games are a time of celebration and hope, and the Olympic Truce itself is a source of optimism

and inspiration in a troubled world, Hague said in his message during the opening of the 2012 Olympics, which was posted in the British embassys ofcial website. The Olympic Truce itself dates back to the 8th Century BC, when it was used to enable spectators and participants to travel safely to and from the Games. Hague urged embassies and diplomats around the world to use the ideals of the Truce to promote peace and resolve global conicts. Hague said it has been Great Britains ambition to inspire and unite people in countries around the world. At the same time, he urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to call off the assault which started on Friday. He said that that Syria government must strive to embody the ideal of Olympic Truce and UN members must promote it at all levels in their societies, as well as internationally. On Friday, Syrian forces renewed

a 16-month-old conict following an attack on the northern city of Aleppo, Syrias most populous city. I also want to send a clear warning to the Syria regime as it masses its forces against the beleaguered city of Aleppo, he said. This utterly unacceptable escalation of the conict could lead to a devastating loss of civilian life and a humanitarian disaster. It will add to the misery being endured by the Syrian people, and plunge the country further into catastrophic civil war, he added. Hague called on all countries around the world, including all the Permanent Members of the Security Council, to join them in condemning these actions and to insist on a political process to end the violence in Syria. All those countries with inuence on the Syrian regime should bring it to bear now. No nation should stand silent while people in Aleppo are threatened with a potential massacre, he added. were authorized to sell the drug after an online consultation. Dr. James Wee said the prescriptiononly sildefanil drug or Viagra has helped more than 35 million men around the world improve their sex lives since it became available in 1998. He said majority of those who took Viagra achieved Grade 4 erections, regardless of their erection grade prior to treatment. He said counterfeit sildenal drug in the market may cause serious threat to health, as patients may experience unexpected side effects, allergic reactions and worsening of their medical condition which may lead to death. The counterfeit medicines are dangerous to ones health since manufacturing sites of these counterfeit medicines are not regulated or inspected by authorized agencies, said the Manila-based Pzer ofcial. Pzer has repeatedly called on the public to be more vigilant in the use of impotence drugs due to the proliferation of counterfeits.

FEATURES

Hard facts on sex

(Conclusion )
istration (BFAD). After sildefanil was discovered as a treatment for impotence, Pzer decided to commercialize the drug as Viagra. It was patented in 1996 and approved by the US food and Drug Administration as a cure for ED on March 27, 1998. Viagra thus became the rst oral treatment approved for the use of men with ED in the United States. Later that year, Viagra was openly sold in the country, and proved to be a huge success. From 1999 to 2011, it recorded sales of more than $1 billion capsules. Due to this, Pzer, the worlds largest research-based pharmaceutical rm, launched a full-edged marketing strategy to promote the use of Viagra (Sildenal) for ED. The internet was also used to promote Viagra. Numerous websites

Doc. No. 507; Book No. 103; Page No. III;

VIAGRA was originally formulated to treat hypertension, but it was later used for ED. When the Viagra tablet was undergoing study in the United Kingdom in the 1990s, some men came back for their dose because their sex life improved, Herbosa said. Because of this, the drug was developed and used as a remedy for ED. But he warned that using Viagra without a doctors prescription is risky, especially if a man is hypertensive or diabetic. He also cautioned against using Viagra if one has heart problems or heartrelated diseases because it can trigger a heart attack and could even be fatal. He added that Viagra and other potency drugs should be approved by the Bureau of Food and Drug Admin-

(MST-July 29, 2012)

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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Edited by FRANCIS LAGNITON mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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SUNDAY JULY 29, 2012

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Building a bridge over troubled waters

WASHINGTONChina has raised the stakes in a potential regional ashpoint with its new city on a remote island in the contested South China Sea and its plans for a military garrison there.
How might the United States respond? Criticize Beijing too strongly and the Obama administration will strain its relationship with the emerging superpower. Let it pass and undermine two years of intense diplomacy that has promoted the US standing among Southeast Asian nations that are intimidated by Chinas rise. A key plank of the administrations engagement in the Asia-Pacic since 2010 has been its declaration of a US national interest in peace and stability in the South China Sea, where China and ve of its neighbors most notably the Philippines and Vietnam have competing territorial claims. But tensions have only escalated. Chinas raising of the ag this week at Sansha municipality, on tiny Yongxing island, 350 kilometers from its southernmost province of Hainan, came as claimants jockey for inuence in the resource-rich region. China will not be able to project much military power from such a small outpost with a population of just 1,000 people and scarcely room for an airstrip but it has symbolic importance. Beijing says the municipality will administer hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of water where it wants to strengthen its control over disputed and potentially oil-rich islands. In Washington, lawmakers interested in Asia policy have been quick to respond. Republican Sen. John McCain called the move provocative, and reinforced worries that China would attempt to impose its territorial claims through intimidation and coercion. Democrat Sen. Jim Webb said Chinas attempt to assert control of disputed territories may be a violation of international law. While the State Department was careful in its commentary, it also criticized Chinas unilateral moves. President Barack Obama will not want to appear soft on China as he ghts for re-election against Republican Mitt Romney who has accused the incumbent of being weak on Beijing and has vowed to get tough, in particular, on Chinas trading practices. However, the United States walks a ne line in its diplomacy on the South China Sea, always stressing it does not take a position on the competing sovereignty claims. Dening it as a US national interest in 2010 helped galvanize Washingtons standing in the region, and revive its ties with treaty ally Manila and build a relationship with former enemy Hanoi. As part of its broader push or pivot toward Asia, the US elevated its engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and strongly supports the 10-nation blocs efforts to negotiate collectively with China on the issue and draft a code of conduct to help manage South China Sea disputes. Thats annoyed China, which claims virtually the entire South China Sea and its island groups, and would prefer to negotiate with the other claimants individually. Beijing also views US intervention on the issue as encouraging Vietnam and the Philippines to be more confrontational in asserting their own claims. The chance of such disputes spiraling into a major conict still appears slim, but the stakes could rise in the years ahead as competition intensies for the oil and gas resources in the South China Sea. China recently put out for tender exploration offshore blocks that overlap with areas already tendered by Vietnam, and Philippine drilling plans could also put it on collision course with China. The US strategy for managing and eventually resolving these disputes largely hangs on the efforts of ASEAN. But, for the rst time in its 45year history, ASEAN failed to issue a communique at an annual meeting of its 10 foreign ministers this month, when host Cambodia, viewed as proBeijing, rejected a proposal by the Philippines and Vietnam to mention their separate territorial disputes with China in the statement. In a damage-limitation exercise, ASEANs largest nation, Indonesia, brokered a compromise last week. But its one which will do little to assuage concerns of a rift within the grouping and a narrative that the Obama administration will be anxious to avoid: that the struggle over the South China Sea pits the strategic interests of the US against China. AP

New navy vessels. The Philippine Navy is planning to acquire

Maestrale-class (left) and Soldati-class (top) frigates to improve our defense posture, particularly in the Spratly group of islands where China has established a garrison, an act which is also being protested by Vietnam as explained by its Ambassador Nguyen Vu Tu (top photo). DANNY PATA

PH wants more frigates, missiles

THE country hopes to acquire in the next few years frigates armed with surface-to-air missiles, but the Department of National Defense declined to elaborate where the vessels would come from. Aside from this, our latest frigate will have heavier gun armament and other equipment that will make it very effective in patrolling and securing the countrys waters, said Defense spokesman Peter Paul Galvez, adding that the acqusition will be done on a government-to-government basis. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin had earlier said the military wants to acquire additional naval craft from Italy. We are not totally relying on the United States (for) our equipment acquisitions. We are also looking at the possibility of getting some of our equipment from Europe, specically from Italy, depending on our budget, he added. Gazmin, together with a team from the DNDs newlyformed Acquisition Defense System, went to Italy to sign a ve-year contract with that countrys Defense Ministry for the acquisition of ghter-bomber jets, a frigate, a destroyer and unmanned surveillance aircrafts, among others. Possible naval craft to be acquired from Italy by the Philippines are the Maestrale and Soldati class frigates from Italy. The Maestrale class is primarily designed for antisubmarine warfare, but the vessels are highly exible so they are also capable of anti-air and anti-surface operations. It has a displacement of 3,300 gross register tons and a speed of 33 knots. The ship is armed with anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, long range guns and automatic weapons, making it ideal to protect the countrys maritime borders against poachers, pirates and foreign aggressors. The Soldati class, on the other hand, is a multipurpose warship designed for anti-surface warfare with a displacement of 2,500 gross register tons and has a top speed of 35 knots. The ship has missile. torpedo and gun armament and is capable of carrying an anti-submarine helicopter.

Aquino takes potshots at Kabayan

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan
PRESIDENT Aquino took potshots at ABS-CBNs TV Patrol news program during the shows 25th anniversary at the Manila Hotel on Friday evening and hit the shows main anchorman, former Vice President Noli de Castro for his skeptical remarks on news reports. The President did not directly name De Castro but he devoted his message to criticize Kabayan, the anchormans onair and election campaign monicker, for his negative remarks during their daily newscasts. I wish that whenever we say, and I quote, Magandang gabi, bayan [Good evening, nation], we sincerely want the nation to have a good everning, Aquino said. The President cited an October 2011 newscast when De Castro criticized the management of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after a broadcaster reported the increase in passenger arrivals at NAIA Terminal 3. It got me thinking: didnt the commentator hold the reins of government for six years? Lets say they only inherited the problem, but what they passed on to us was a much older problem. He was given six years to help x and public transport drivers which was followed by Kabayan asking the reporter what were the complaints of the drivers against the President. My reaction was, Where did that come from? Everyone agreed to solve the problem, and yet somebody else had another thing to complain about. There was an agreement, and yet somebody else wanted a ght, the President complained. If our condition improves, dont we emerge winners? And if we sink, arent we the losers? Why would do others want us to sink? he added De Castro did not comment on the President Aquino with former Vice President Noli Presidents tirade, but his daughter de Castro during friendlier days. Katherine, herself a former TV Patrol the problem hes complaining about. And reporter, posted some pained reactions now that were dealing with the problem. on her Twitter account. It hurts when we still hear comments like Dont hit on someone who invited to his that, Mr. Aquino said. homel. Isnt that non-sense? read one of Aquino also cited another instance when her posts which described the President as the program reported the National Bureau ungentlemanly. of Investigations successful rescue of a She posted several tweets, but later deleted kidnapped foreign child. The President them after her father and mother asked her not complained that Kabayan commented that to make an issue out of it. They told me to the supposed rescue was staged. stop. I am an obedient daughter, she said. The third example was a report on the We dont mind the criticism. It just wasnt successful dialogue between Transportation the proper venue. It was our 25th year party, and Communication Secretary Mar Roxas Katherine tweeted.

Budget chief hit over pork barrel

By Maricel V. Cruz
AN opposition congresswoman on Saturday slammed Budget Secretary Florencio Abads bullying tactic of trying harassing political enemies of the Aquino administration by not releasing their pork barrel funds. Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay said Abad was arrogant in saying that they have to consider political realities in releasing the priority development assistance funds of opposition lawmakers when those monies have already been appropriated by law. The people from districts under the jurisdiction of opposition lawmakers are taxpayers who have equal rights to government services as much as people under the leadership of administration allies, Magsaysay complained, adding that Abads reasoning smacks of power tripping and bullying. Magsaysay said that the PDAF her district was withheld for the past two years. Publicly stating that funds for vital projects that sustain our districts will be frozen due to political reasons is equivalent to depriving our citizens of services that they have paid for, said Magsaysay, who has not been receiving any notice of cash allocation for her district. Magsaysay also blasted Abad for his pronouncement that the projects would continue through the Department of Public Works and Highways. This is deplorable and unacceptable. That is already part of the infrastructure program of the national government and is not even connected to the PDAF, Magsaysay said. She said infrastructure accounts for only a small part of development initiatives in the districts and it is absurd to expect the taxpayers to be content with just this small crumb of government support when they are entitled to an entire pie. Not all the projects in the district involve infrastructure. People need more than infrastructure to uplift their lives. What about their need for a sustainable education program, a project for livelihood, health issues?

Rock stars. Members of the American heavy metal band Megadeth, (from left) Shawn Drover, Chris Broderick, David Ellefson and leader Dave Mustaine, answer questions from journalists during a press conference for their concert on Sunday at the World Trade Center. Megadeth rose to international fame in the 1980s and was a pioneer of the thrash metal sub-genre. SONNY ESPIRITU

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

1. P24,922,661.00, already inclusive of interests and penalties, as of January 16, 1998. The principal sum of such obligation shall, however, earn interest and carry penalty charges at the stipulated rates as tabulated elsewhere above in this judgment, from January 17, 1998 until such principal sum, interest and penalty have been paid and satisfied 2. the amount of P50,000.00 for and as attorneys fees The counterclaim of the defendants is DISMISSED for lack of merit. With costs against the defendants. SO ORDERED. Photocopy of the Decision dated September 10, 2001 is attached hereto as Annex C, and made an integral part hereof. 5. Defendants timely filed a Notice of Appeal before the Honorable Court of Appeals assailing the afore-quoted Decision. However, the said appeal was dismissed for their failure to file the appellants brief as per the Resolution dated July 11, 2002 issued by the Honorable Court of Appeals, Fifth Division. The said resolution has become final and executory and has been recorded in the Book of Entries of Judgments on August 2, 2002. Copies of the Resolution dated July 11, 2002 and Entry of Judgment are attached hereto as Annexes D and E, and made integral parts hereof. 6. With the finality of the dismissal of the appeal of the Defendants, the Decision dated September 10, 2001 has become final and executory on August 2, 2002. Thus, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Execution of the said Decision and the RTC-Manila, Branch 55 granted the same and issued the corresponding writ of execution. 7. Plaintiff exerted earnest efforts to satisfy Defendants judgment obligations, unfortunately, despite Plaintiffs diligent search, it failed to locate any leviable properties of the Defendants. Further, the notice of garnishment sent to various banks by Sheriff Eugene S. Soriaso to levy the deposits and other personal properties belonging to the Defendants and in possession of the said banks yielded negative results. Thus, the writ of execution was returned to the RTC-Manila, Branch 55 unsatisfied. Copy of the Sheriffs Return dated November 12, 2004 is attached hereto as Annex F, and made an integral part hereof. 8. Plaintiff has not relinquished its right to collect from the Defendants their judgment obligations under the Decision dated September 10, 2011 of the RTC-Manila, Branch 55 in Civil Case No. 00-96558, and is still resolute to implement the said Decision. 9. Under Section 6, Rule 39 of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure, a final and executory Decision may be revived by filing an action in Court. It provides: A final and executory judgment or order may be executed on motion within five (5) years from the date of its entry. After the lapse of such time, and before it is barred by the statute of limitations, a judgment may be enforced by action. The revived judgment may also be enforced by motion within five (5) years from the date of its entry and thereafter by action before it is barred by the statute of limitations. PRAYER WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed of this Honorable Court that the Decision dated September 10, 2001 of the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 55, in Civil Case No. 00-96558 be revived in accordance with Section 6, Rule 39 of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure. Other reliefs, just and equitable, are likewise prayed for. Manila, December 5, 2011. (Sgd.) JANE D. LAPLANA-SUAREZ Counsel for the Petitioner Philtrust Bank Building, United Nations Ave., cor. San Marcelino St., Manila Tel. No. 5249061. loc. 149 and 148 IBP No. 809369, 01-10-11, Manila 4 PTR NO. 9284346, 01-11-11, Manila Roll No. 43111 MCLE Compliance No. III-0008740, 02-22-10 (Sgd.) ARABELLA R. SALVADOR-SAMSON Collaborating Counsel (same address and contact number) IBP No. 802944, 12-16-09, Manila 4 PTR No.9284348, 01-01-11, Manila Roll No. 49150 MCLE Compliance No. III-0017200, 06-09-2010 (Sgd.) ANALIZA D. SANCHEZ Collaborating Counsel (same address and contact number) IBP No. 809370,01-10-11 Manila 4 PTR No.9284349, 01-11-11, Manila Roll No. 55510 MCLE Compliance No. III-0011460, 04-06-10 VERIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION AGAINST FORUM SHOPPING I, MARTIN B. ISIDRO, Filipino, of legal age, married, after having been duly sworn to in accordance with law, hereby depose and say, THAT: 1. I am a Senior Vice-President and authorized representative of Philippine Trust Company (also known as Philtrust Bank), Plaintiff in the abovecaptioned case; 2. I am authorized to file for and in behalf of the Plaintiff the instant petition; 3. I have caused the preparation of the foregoing petition and attest that the contents thereof are true and correct based on the authentic records of the Plaintiff; 3. I further certify that Plaintiff had not commenced any action or claim involving the same issues in any court, agency or tribunal and to the best of my knowledge no such action is pending thereat. If I should thereafter learn that the same or similar action or claim has been filed or is pending, I shall report the fact within five (5) days from knowledge thereof with this Honorable Court. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand in the City of Manila, this DEC 31, 2011 (Sgd.) MARTIN B. ISIDRO (Affiant) SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me this DEC 31, 2011 in the City of Manila; affiant exhibited his Tax Identification No. 105-548-472.
4. 3.

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Manila Branch 37 CIVIL CASE NO. 12-127108 PHILIPPINE TRUST COMPANY, (also known as Philtrust Bank), Plaintiff, -versusSUMMONS (by publication)

SPOUSES ROBERTO S. YSON, SR. AND DELY E. YSON, Defendants. x------------------------------------------x TO: Spouses Roberto S. Yson, Sr. and Dely E. Yson

GREETINGS: You are hereby required within sixty (60) days from publication of this Summons to file with this Court and serve on the Plaintiff your Answer to the Complaint, copy of which is published herewith. You are reminded of the provision of the IBP-OCA Memorandum on Policy Guidelines dated March 12, 2002 to observe restraint in filling a Motion to Dismiss and instead allege the grounds thereof as defenses in the Answer. If you fail to answer within the time fixed, the Plaintiff will take judgment by default and may be granted the relief applied for in the Complaint. WITNESS my hand under the seal of the Court, this 25th day of June, 2012. ATTY. JENNIFER BUENDIA Clerk of Court By: (Sgd.) ATTY. GUYLA A. VISTA Branch Clerk of Court Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Manila Branch 37 PHILIPPINE TRUST COMPANY, Plaintiff, -versusCIVIL CASE NO. 12-127108

Sunday UN arms treaty delayed again

ManilaStandardTODAY

FOREIGN

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

A4

SUNDAY JULY 29, 2012

UNITED NATIONSA UN treaty to regulate the multibillion-dollar global arms trade will have to wait after member states failed to an reach agreement, and some diplomats and supporters blamed the United States for the unraveling of the month-long negotiating conference.
Hopes had been raised that agreement could be reached on a revised treaty text that closed some major loopholes by Fridays deadline for action. But the US announced Friday morning that it needed more time to consider the proposed treatyand Russia and China then also asked for more time.

This was stunning cowardice by the Obama administration, which at the last minute did an about-face and scuttled progress toward a global arms treaty, just as it reached the nish line, said Suzanne Nossel, executive director of Amnesty International USA. Its a staggering abdication of leadership by the worlds largest exporter of conventional weapons to pull the plug on the talks just as they were nearing an historic breakthrough. A Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, also blamed the US, saying they derailed the process, adding that nothing will happen to revive negotiations until after the US presidential election in November. Chief US negotiator Thomas Countryman refused to talk to several dozen reporters when the meeting broke up. US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement Friday evening that the US supports a second round of negotiations next year. AP

SPS. ROBERTO S. YSON, ET AL., Defendants. x---------------------------------------------x ORDER Acting on the Motion for Leave of Court to Effect Service of Summons by Publication filed by plaintiff, through counsel, praying that the service of summons be effected through publication upon defendants Roberto S Yson Sr. and Dely E. Yson, on the ground that personal and substituted service cannot be availed of, the same is hereby GRANTED. WHEREFORE, let the summons, the complaint and this Order be served upon defendants through publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the entire Philippines at the expense of plaintiff. The Office of the Clerk of Court is directed to raffle the publication among the newspapers with circulation covering the entire Philippines pursuant to P.D. 1079. SO ORDERED. Manila, May 3,2012. (Sgd.) VIRGILIO V. MACARAIG Presiding Judge REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Regional Trial Court National Capital Judicial Region Manila, Branch 37 PHILIPPINE TRUST COMPANY (also known as Philtrust Bank), Plaintiff, -versusCivil Case No. 12127108 For: Revival of Judgment

Olympic spoiler. A cyclist is arrested after a protest outside the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics
Opening Ceremony on riday, July 27 in London. AP

Koreas mark 59 years of war armistice

TRAFFIC ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT PMO nd
2 Floor, FOCUS Building Motorpool Cmpd. 2nd St., Port Area, Manila

Department of Public Works and Highways

Republic of the Philippines

SPOUSES ROBERTO S. YSON, SR. AND DELY E. YSON, Defendants. x------------------------------------------------x PETITION PLAINTIFF, PHILIPPINE TRUST COMPANY (also known as Philtrust Bank), by counsel, unto this Honorable Court, respectfully alleges, THAT: 1. Plaintiff is a universal banking corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines with principal office address at Philtrust Bank Building, United Nations Avenue corner San Marcelino Street, Manila, where it may be served with notices and other court processes. Plaintiff is represented in this suit by its Senior Vice-President and duly authorized representative, Atty. Martin B. Isidro, as shown by the Secretarys Certificate dated December 12, 2011, copy of which is attached hereto as Annex A, and made an integral part hereof. 2. Defendants Spouses Roberto S. Yson, Sr. and Dely E. Yson are Filipinos, of legal age, with business address at No. 417-419 Evangelista Street, Quiapo, Manila, where they may be served with summons and other court processes. 2.a Defendants may also be served with summons and other court processes at the address of their counsel, Atty. Benjamin B. Vargas, at No.417 Cristobal Street, Sampaloc, Manila. Atty. Benjamin B. Vargas is a long time counsel of the Defendants and is the one handling their various cases against the Plaintiff. In fact, the said counsel was their counsel in Civil Case No. 00-96558, wherein the Decision dated September 10, 2001, which is the subject matter of the instant case, was rendered. 3. On February 24, 2000, Plaintiff filed a complaint for Sum of Money with Application for the Issuance of a Writ of Preliminary Attachment against the Defendants for the recovery of their deficiency obligations under the twenty-seven (27) promissory notes, numbered as follows: LDBDS# 003-5651/93, LD-BDS#003-5709/93, LD-BDS#003-5711/93, LD-BDS#003-5712/93, LD-BDS#003-5713/93, LD-BDS#003-5714/93, LD-BDS#003-5716/93, LD-BDS#003-5728/93, LD-BDS#003-5760/93, LD-BDS#003-5761/93, LD-BDS# 003-5829/93, LD-BDS#003-5865/93, LD-BDS#003-5920/93, LD-BDS#003-5984/93, LD-BD#003-6038/93, LD-BDS#003-6088/93, LD-BDS#003-6135/93, LD-BDS#003-6175/93, LD-BDS#003-6201/93, LD-BD#003-6202/93, LDBD# 003-6204/93, LD-BD#003-6272/93, LD-BD#003-6289/93, LD-BD#003-6298/93, LDBD#003-6320/93, LD-BD#003-6457/94 and LDBD#003-6513/94. The said case was docketed as Civil Case No. 00-96558 and was raffled to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Manila, Branch 55. Photocopy of the said Complaint is attached hereto as Annex B and made an integral part hereof. 4. On September 10, 2001, the RTC-Manila, Branch 55 rendered a Decision in favor of the Plaintiff, the dispositive portion of which reads as follows: WHEREFORE, premises considered, judgment is hereby rendered ordering the defendants to pay to the plaintiff the following sums:

INVITATION TO BID FOR ANNUAL OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC SIGNAL FACILITIES ALONG MNR AND OTHER TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES
1. The Department of Public Works and Highways, through the General Appropriation Act of 2011 intends to apply the sum of Php 14,840,230.26 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract Annual Operations and Maintenance of Traffic Signal Facilities along MNR and other Traffic Control Devices. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The Department of Public Works and Highways now invites bids for a) Provision of Annual Maintenance Services necessary to maintain in good working manner all traffic signal system facilities and associated equipment operated and/ or maintained by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) along Manila North Road (MNR) from Meycauayan, Bulacan to Gerona, Tarlac consisting of Forty-Six (46) signalized locations to be accepted into service as prescribed under Section V. Special Conditions of Contract; Provision of a Traffic Monitoring Center (TMC) and all the associated workstation equipment, user interfaces, LCD video wall system, including the wireless voice and data systems integration facilities, in accordance with the terms specified in Section VI. Schedule of Requirements and Section VII Technical Specifications; Provision of a Remote Camera Surveillance System including all associated field equipment and transmission system to provide connections to the TMC, in accordance with the terms specified in Section VI. Schedule of Requirements and Section VII Technical Specifications: Provision of specific spare parts and consumables as specified under Section VI. Schedule of Requirements and Section VII Technical Specifications; Conduct of specific traffic surveys needed for traffic signalization and updating of traffic signal timing; Delivery of the Goods and Services is required for one (1) year. Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138. Interested bidders may obtain further information from Department of Public Works and Highways and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders starting July 30, 2012 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Php 10,000.00. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. 5. The Department of Public Works and Highways will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on August 6, 2012 at 10:00 AM at the Office of the BAC Chairman, BAC for Goods, 2nd Floor, DPWH Building, Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before August 20, 2012 at 10:00 AM. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Bid opening shall be on August 20, 2012 at 10:00 AM at the Office of the BAC Chairman, BAC for Goods, 2nd Floor, DPWH Building, Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders representatives who choose to attend at the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted. Office of the Chairman, BAC for Goods c/o BAC for Goods Secretariat Ground Floor. DPWH Building Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila 7. The Department of Public Works and Highways reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. For further information, please refer to: REMEDIOS G. BELLEZA DPWH TEAM-PMO 2nd Floor, Focus Building, Motorpool Compound 2nd Street, Port Area, Manila Tel. No.: (02) 523 1920 Email: belleza.remedios@dpwh.gov.ph Tfax:No.:(02)521 8203 (Sgd.) ROY L. MANAO, CESO VI Assistant Secretary for Support Services

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Doc. No.508 Page No.103 Book No. III Series of 2011

(MST-July 29, 2012)

(MST-July 29, 2012)

PANMUNJOM, KoreaElderly North Korean veterans pledged loyalty to their 20-something leader in Pyongyang during Korean War armistice commemorations Friday that were being closely watched after Kim Jong Un reshufed the military and revealed hes married. Over the last two weeks, Kim has taken on the title of marshal and replaced his army chief once a key mentor. Both moves were seen as an effort to build loyalty among the million-man armed forces and solidify his credentials as commander. North Korea also revealed Wednesday that the stylish woman at Kims side in some public appearances this month is his wife. Images of her walking with Kim were choreographed to show the leader as modern, mature and down-to-earth, analysts said, and contrast sharply to his intensely private father, Kim Jong Il, who ruled for 17 years before his death in December. Kim Jong Un and his wife werent at Fridays event. Hundreds of aging veterans were shown on state television in a huge auditorium as Choe Ryong Hae, the militarys top political ofcer, stood beneath giant portraits of Kim Jong Il and North Korea founder Kim Il Sung and urged the crowd to follow the leadership of Marshal Kim Jong Un and win 100 out of 100 battles. North Korea later set off reworks. At another location earlier in the day, soldiers from a tank unit named after military ofcer Ryu Kyong Su, famous in North Korea for leading troops during the war, also staged ring drills. Ri Kyong Won, a 62-year-old generalgrade ofcer, told the Associated Press that his troops will not tolerate the United States or South Korea doing anything to denigrate the North Korean leadership. The commemorations are meant to kindle patriotism and loyalty in North Koreans, and especially the young, by showcasing veterans who fought for their country, said Kim Yeon-su of Korea National Defense University in Seoul. Separately, North Korea is lling vacancies left by the sudden dismissal of former army chief Ri Yong Ho. Pyongyangs ofcial Korean Central News Agency introduced the new military chief, Hyon Yong Chol, as Ris successor as a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers Party in a dispatch Friday. Hyon was promoted to vice marshal and chief of general staff after Ri was dismissed earlier this month. Kim Jong Un chairs the commission. While South Korea and the U.S.-led U.N. forces that fought in the Korean War call Friday the 59th anniversary of the armistice that ended the 1950-1953 conict, North Korea calls it a celebration of victory in the Fatherland Liberation War and veterans streamed into the capital. AP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Sunday
OPINION ManilaStandardTODAY
SUNDAY JULY 29, 2012

A5

Happy coincidences
ARE WE THERE YET?
A FRIEND insists that there are no coincidences in this world; that everything that happens is caused either by direct machinations of the powers-that-be or by a conuence of factors. How then do we explain the seeming synchronicity of Gloria Macapagal Arroyos release from hospital arrest last Wednesday with President Benigno Aquino IIIs State of the Nation Address just two days earlier? The resolution allowing the former President to post bail was reportedly signed by Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 112 Judge Jesus Mupas only on Tuesday, or exactly a day after the Sona. The case against Arroyo started to crumble as early as May 31 when the Commission on Elections failed to present two of its star witnessesNorie Unas and Russam Mabang. Unas did testify later on despite an alleged shoot-to-kill order against him, but his testimony was weakened by his admission that he agreed to testify against Arroyo because he was promised exemption from prosecution for the same offense. Two other witnesses also pointed to Unas as the real mastermind of the electoral fraud that happened in Maguindanao in 2007. Mabang had gone missing and sent word that he would no longer testify. Many legal experts have already expressed the opinion as early as last May that the evidence linking Arroyo to the electoral fraud case was very weak. So why did it take so long for the judge to decide on the petition for bail? Arroyo could have been allowed to post bail last May, or last month, or even next month. Why on the same week as the Sona? Was the release meant to highlight attention to the underlying theme of the Sona? The prevailing opinion was that Aquino could not continue heaping blame on the previous administration given the fact that he had been in power for sometime already. Doing so would also take away focus from the long list of accomplishments that he was trumpeting. Putting Arroyo back on the news after a long absence can be viewed then as a stroke of genius. The visual image was powerful. Granting Arroyo liberty illustrated that this administration was not as vindictive as some people painted it to be. But it also provided a visual

EDITORIAL

BONG C. AUSTERO

Was it synchronicity or a stroke of genius?

target for Aquinos supporters; it brought back the anger, the resentment and the vigilance. The message was: Lets not forget the person who should be made accountable for our problems. Releasing Arroyotemporarily, it must be noted; a new warrant of arrest for plunder is already in the worksprovided a face to Aquinos message of corruption and wrongdoing in public ofce. But this is the Philippines and opinions are always polarized. Thus there are those who saw Arroyos release from hospital arrest as a means to diffuse attention from the Sona. Quite a number of people have started picking on the statistics presented by the President and it appears that there were more than a few that were questionable. There were also a number of supposed accomplishments that were not really directly attributable to this administration. I have always maintained that the Sona is the Presidents spin of the state of things in this country. Its meant to be self-congratulatory. I was disturbed, however, by the patronizing tone directed at critics. It was as if Aquino and his people think they are honestly beyond reproach. Someone pointed out the lightning speed at which the militants were able to convene at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center to protest Arroyos release. Given how difcult it is to gather live bodies for mass actions in this day and age when people prefer to do their protests online, how are the militants able to assemble a group at a few minutes notice? Is there truth to the observation that militants shout slogans that suspiciously sound like government propaganda? The media footages showed a frail Arroyo walking out of the VMMC in the company of family members. Although Arroyos visage last week was a clear departure from the condent, feisty rebrand that people got used to while she was in power, she didnt look at all like the very sick person that her lawyers and spokespersons say she was. It would be difcult to convince many Filipinos that the Arroyo needs to stay in a hospital although it would seem a waste of government resources to transport her everyday from a regular detention facility to the VMMC for her daily therapy. I did, however, found a prayer that went viral in some social networking sites cruel and callous. The prayer basically asked that Arroyo die soon. No self-respecting Filipino, or human being for that matter, should nd wishing someone dead amusing or entertaining no matter how hated or reviled that person may be.

A criminal response
A LITTLE over a year ago, a man parked a van lled with homemade explosives into the heart of Oslo, Norway, right beside government buildings. Eight people died when the bomb exploded. The man then proceeded to an island where young people, future politicians were gathered and started shooting them, one by one, at close range. Another 66 died. The killer despises the Islamization of Europe and his own government leaders for allowing it. Last weekend, during the premier of a much-anticipated movie in Aurora, Colorado, USA, a man with orange hair opened re on theater goers, killing 12, injuring 58, scaring and scarring a community. The killers apartment had been laden with explosives for the police. His journal, mailed to a psychiatrist, contained details of the crime he had been plotting to commit. Here at home, a former journalist and tourism executive was gunned down as he spent time with family inside a gated community south of Manila. These are only three of the most publicized killings in recent memory. Millions more are not known of, or are not reported, but the facts are the same. People kill for a host of reasons. One may adhere to an ideology. Another may simply be deranged. Yet another intends to take possession of the victims material goods. Bear personal grudges. Act in complete randomness. Senseless death can happen anywhere and affect anyone. The public reacts in different ways. The Norwegians have accorded their suspect with much respect, even allowing him to air his ideological rants. The American president and even the actor who played the lead role in the movie condoled with victims and their families and condemned the killing. Other prisoners have reportedly threatened the suspects life, even as he has been acting crazy in prison: dressing up as Joker and spitting at the guards. And here, as usual, ofcials have been fumbling especially since it was revealed some of the suspects are wanted for another crimethe gang rape of a woman. Just days ago the president boasted that crime volume in the country has gone down in 2011. He neglected to say that the rst six months of 2012 painted an alarming picture. He also did not mention that the police have been having a difcult time locating at least three prominent fugitivesa military general, a congressman, a former governor, even a reportedly well-connected real estate developer. Pursuing the criminals is a joint effort of law enforcers and legal practitioners. Justice is never deemed served until suspects are arrested, charged, tried and sentenced. Alas, what we observe is not crime going down but criminals becoming bolder. There might be outbursts of grief and anger, but after this, nothing happens. And then we hear our President telling us that crime under his watch has gone down. In the face of ofcial ineptitude and willful denial, crimes of all kinds become ignominious. This deserves no less than a public outrage.

Guns are the hands of evil

theater in Aurora, Colorado where patrons were watching a midnight rstday showing of the much-awaited Dark Knight Arises. The 24-year-old Holmes purchased the guns legally from various gun stores, and ordered 6,000 rounds of ammunition legally from online sources. He had another Glock pistol inside his car when he was apprehended. It was also bought legally, just like he was buying candies from a liquor store. Weapons of war dont belong on the streets, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, an avid gun control advocate, said, adding that the country needs to have a sane debate about banning military-style assault weapons. Another leading gun control advocate, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, whose husband was killed and son injured in the 1993 Long Island Rail Road shooting, said theres one thing mass shooters have in common: a gun that can carry lots of ammunition. The gun advocates, of course, argued, as they have argued before, that people kill people, guns dont kill people. Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), for example, said we need to look at everything but was skeptical that more gun control is necessary. But Holmes did gain access to guns, legally said the police, because they were available to almost anybody who had the money to buy themassault weapons, shotguns, and ammunition. He even bought the 6,000 bullets online, for Gods sake, and nobody among the sellers even cared where he was going to use them. Because of the lax gun control laws or the absence of it in some states, many people who shouldnt own a gun in the rst placecriminals, gangsters, mentally and emotionally disturbed people are able to buy guns. California at least has a 10-day waiting period, during which time the police records of the buyers, if any, are checked. But even this has not deterred these people from owning guns. Hopefully, with the recent mass shootings, Congress and state legislatures will do something to legislate stricter gun control measures. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms, was introduced in 1791, when guns probably couldnt even kill a deer from a distance. Unfortunately, the Second Amendment has been upheld by the Supreme Court twice. Unless the US Constitution is amended, which is unlikely, all that lawmakers can do is institute stricter gun controls that would not run counter to that dreadful Second Amendment. Guns are the hands of evil. Their only purpose is to maim and kill. They were invented to kill people and animals alike; to kill people and take advantage of the victims material possessions and the victims surviving family, friends, or countrymen; to kill animals for pleasure and for food. Gun owners know that the cardinal rule in owning a gun is that one should know how to use it, and should be ready to use it, meaning ready to aim it where it will inict the most harm or certain death, and to pull the trigger. They say that if you own a gun, you should be ready to kill. Otherwise, you will be the one wholl get killed. And yet, guns are so readily available to anyone in the United States who has more than $50 in his pocket. Guns are sold everywhere, even in pawnshops and hardware stores. You can legally buy virtually any kind of weapons from these storesfrom the smallest handguns to the most powerful assault ries. If its only possible, I would want every single gun in this world thrown to the furnaces of steel plants and recycled to make bicycles or cars, or into anything that has a purpose other than maiming or killing a creature or human being. But thats dreaming too much. Thats a mirage. An illusion. So, whats the next best thing to do? Control gun ownership. But how is another questionperhaps the subject of another essay. Mr. Abelgas now lives in the United States. He is a former managing editor of Manila Standard.

By Val Abelgas
THE shooting rampage that killed 12 people and injured 58 others inside a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado last week has reignited a national debate over the United States gun control laws. The issue resurfaces after every mass shooting and consequently dies after just a few days, massacred each time by a powerful lobby from the ultra-conservatives and the National Rie Association. James Holmes, a brilliant, but apparently disturbed doctoral student, used an assault rie that had a 100-round magazine, a shotgun and a Glock pistol plus several hundred bullets in carrying out his macabre massacre inside a movie

MST Sunday
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Sunday
ManilaStandardTODAY

ARTS & LIFE

Edited by DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ

A6

SUNDAY

JULY 29, 2012

women
By Carla Mortel

CELEBRATING IN SCIENCE

MA. CECILIA Conaco and Aletta Yiguez are not just women with beauty and brains. Thanks to their curiosity and thirst for knowledge, they are making a difference in the world.
Conaco and Yiguez are part of the second batch of grant awardees of For Women In Science, a joint undertaking of LOral Philippines, the worldwide leader in cosmetics and Unesco, a specialized agency of the United Nations. Through these grants, Conaco and Yiguez will pursue their respective scientic researches that would make marine biology more relevant to Filipinos and move science forward among women. As a child, Conaco was an avid reader and her fascination over different life forms drove her to pursue a career in science. Upon the encouragement of her teachers, she pursued her dream to become a scientist and completed her doctorate in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Stony Brook University in New York. Science is fast-moving eld and in research, theres no typical day, says Conaco. Conaco was on her post-doctoral research at the Neuroscience Research Institute at the University of California when she thought of going back to the Philippines. The FWIS program gave the doctor the perfect opportunity time to restart her career in the Philippines. Conaco's research involves the collection of marine sponges that will undergo gene sequencing techniques. With the title Dynamic Gene Regulation in Marine Sponges, the study stands to reveal the gene expression of marine sponges in different stages of its life cycle, and their recorded responses to environmental changes. From this information, useful compounds may contribute to the development new drugs or the synthesis of nano materials may help develop new materials. Since adult sponges are immobile and lter water for food, these marine animals record environmental changes and this is an important resource in monitoring and conserving marine ecosystems, adds Conaco Curiously, Yiguez was afraid of the water when she was young. When she eventually outgrew her fear and started snorkeling, the diversity of the marine environment awed during her. This fascination prompted Yiguez to take up marine ecology as her major during undergraduate studies. She completed her doctorate in Marine Biology and Fisheries at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science in the University of Miami. Currently, she is an assistant professor at the Marine Science Institute at the University of the Philippines. Science fullls Yiguez's sense of adventure and excitement when most of her days were spent collecting specimens and sea water samples. It is an exciting eld, even for women, and there so much opportunities, she says. Researching on the changes in the phytoplankton types and the environmental conditions accompanying those types, Yiguez hopes her study would help in the development of computer models in the management and mitigation of harmful algal bloomsan example would be the red tide. Marine plants and planktons are at the base of the food web. When these organisms produce harmful algal blooms, there could be poisoning, fatalities and economic losses. This study can help validate and increase reliability of monitoring platforms that will eventually improve the existing bloom forecasting system, explains Yiguez.
Aletta Yiguez was afraid of the water when she was young. She has a doctorate in Marine Biology and Fisheries

Ma. Cecilia Conaco has a doctorate in Molecular and Cellular Biology

The research study, Enhancing Robustness of Plankton models and Monitoring systems by Understanding Fine-scale Biophysical processes, will place Yiguez in Bicol, specifically at Lamon Bay, a productive fisheries area, and Sorsogon Bay, a red tide area. In aid of their research, Conaco and Yiguez will receive P400,000 as national fellows of the FWIS. Launched in 2010, rst batch of FWIS Philippines national fellows included doctors Laura David and Maria Corazon De Ungria. On its second year in the country, FWIS and Unesco with the assistance of the Science and Technology Department, identied two Filipina scientists of no more than 35 years old, and supported their careers by giving them visibility and reward with a grant

for their proposed research. In 1998, LOreal Foundation together with Unesco created this ambitious program to promote research of women in science. In every continent, LOreal, UNESCO and the scientic community have built a worldwide network that encourages women fellows to pursue research in national and international levels. FWIS is one of the strongest programs LOreal has globally today, mainly because it values key components in our company DNA science and women. Through this program, we have been able to create a community of women who move science forward in the hopes of making the world a better place, shares Luc Olivier-Marquet, managing director of LOreal Philippines. Christian Cayaba, the Scientic and Technico Regulatory Affairs manager of LOreal Philippines, hopes that the program encourages young girls pursue their interest in science. We would like to see more women join the science community. We hope to inspire new models of women with focus, great level of patience, and attention to details, inherent traits found in women that science researches are in need of, says Cayaba. Cayaba also announced that for the next FWIS national fellows, applicants may submit research proposals related to the Life and Material sciences. Applicants should not be more than 45 years of age and must hold or currently pursue masteral or doctoral degrees in any eld of Life and Material science. Two fellowship grants worth P40,000 will be given to deserving women based on the criteria of an esteemed jury composed of representatives from LOreal Philippines, Unesco and the DOST. The deadline for submission is March 2013.

SURVEY:
Filipino women lead nancial literacy in emerging markets

PEOPLE in mature markets may prove to be better nancial planners overall but it is women in emerging markets who remain dominant when it comes to basic money management, according to MasterCard research. The MasterCard Worldwide Index of Financial Literacy is based on a survey conducted between April 24 and June 10 with 6904 respondents aged 18-64 in 14 Asia/Pacic1 countries. This is the third survey of Financial Literacy conducted since 2010. The survey polled consumers on three aspects of nancial literacy including their basic money management skills, investment knowledge and nancial planning to determine the level of basic money management skills in terms of budgeting, savings, and responsibility of credit usage. In terms of overall nancial literacy, Taiwan and New Zealand tied for rst place with a score of 73 index points each, with Taiwan jumping up from 5th rank in 2010. Following close behind with 71 index points each are Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore. Notably,
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The survey proves that Pinays are good nancial planners.

Hong Kong jumped up from 6th position when the survey was conducted in 2010. Thailand, rst in the region two years ago, fell 10 rankings to 11th in 2012 with 65 index points. Japan and India ranked at the bottom of the nancial literacy rankings with 60 index points each. New Zealanders (77 percent) fared the best when asked about basic money management skills such as day-to-day budgeting, keeping up with bills, credit commitments and setting money aside for big purchases, followed by Australia

in 2nd (75 percent) and Hong Kong (72 percent) moving up one spot from 4th in 2010 to third in 2012. Hong Kong (68 percent), Taiwan (67 percent) and China (65 percent) topped the investment component of the research. More respondents in these markets understood their bank statements and complex investment concepts such as diversication and ination. Women showed slightly better scores than men inAsia/Pacics emerging markets with Philippines leading the region with nancial literacy scores that were 9 percent better than mens, followed by Vietnam (6 percent) and Malaysia (5 percent). Koreans proved to have the regions most improved scores for nancial planning (83 percent) up 12 places from the 2010 survey. Survey respondents from Taiwan (83 percent) and Vietnam (82 percent) also saved more regularly and were better prepared than their regional counterparts when it came to retirement preparations and emergency savings. In mature markets, respondents over 30 years of age appeared to score higher in nancial literacy compared to their counterparts under the age of 30. This was especially seen in markets like New Zealand (76 percent vs. 65 percent), Australia (74 percent vs. 64 percent) and Taiwan (74 percent vs. 70 percent) where respondents over 30 years old were clearly leading the pack. Overall the MasterCard Worldwide Index of Financial Literacy paints a promising picture of nancial understanding across the region. Households in Asia/Pacic are clearly taking responsibility when it comes to day-to-day nancial planning, and its interesting to note that a growing proportion of women are taking the lead in nancial matters," said Georgette Tan, group head, Communications, Asia/Pacic, Middle East and Africa, MasterCard Worldwide.

The artist

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on Mysterious Diseases
words by Joba Botana images by TJ Davocol
ONE of the admired young artists in the local scene is Igan DBayan. You might have come across the name or read one of his articleseven if you havent gone to one of his exhibitsas he maintains a regular column called Artmageddon for one of the broadsheets. My opinion of DBayan before personally meeting him during an event was that he was a weird artist (what with all-black attire from head to foot complete with black eye-shadow and nail polish) who would rather seclude himself from the rest of the crowd. I was convinced otherwise when he was the rst to approach me and strike a conversation during an event. One of DBayans notable exhibits was Zobel-DBayan mounted November of last year at the Ayala Museum. The exhibit was a collaboration with another well-known artist Jaime

IGAN

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Sunday
ManilaStandardTODAY

ARTS & LIFE

SUNDAY

JULY 29, 2012

FEMINISM

A7

and realities
By Joba Botana

Integrity is something thats important to Nikki Luna

Nikki Luna says her pieces represent her inspirations

MANY works of artists are inuenced by their imaginations, dreams and the realities of life. Often, their works serve as voices depicting human emotions and frailties, societys ills and mundane and extra-ordinary events among many others.
Nikki Luna, one of the most talented local artists of her generation, describes her work as direct representations of her inspirations. I make something out of the simplest words and the gray areas we nd, she says. Luna, who has a degree in Fine Arts major in Painting from the University of the Philippines, nds inspirations from her memory and sentiments, and expresses these through nuanced art installations and paintings. Her works are usually geared toward femininity, politics and social activism. Luna has held various exhibitions that never gone far from these themes and many of her works championing women issues were sold in different parts of the world, most recently in Sothebys. How the journey begun As a kid, art was Lunas refugea shelter and the voice she needed when she couldnt express herself verbally. A very timid and shy kid she was, she would ll in her notebooks with drawings rather than notes from the days lesson at school. I found myself reading the letter A for Art and P for paintings, S for sculptures. (Then Id read) encyclopedia and world books. I was not only interested in art I was drawn to it. I loved paintings by Degas, Rembrandt, Mucha, Lutrec. At around 12, I ventured further on conceptual installations, she shares. Some of the world-renown artists whose works she admires include female artists Louies Bouergoius, Eva Hesse, Janine Antoni and Sally Mann. I also admire the works of the couple Jean Claude and Christo, the writer Simone de Beauvoir. The list can go on... For me, these artists have one thing in commonthey all value the meaning and content of their work more than the aesthetic attributes it gives to viewers, Luna adds. Important milestones In 2008, Luna was accepted at the Cooper Union Summer Residency, where she explored her take on female in transit. Throughout her journey as an artist, Luna has interpreted the repressive state of patriachy and the government as well as the woman and/in the third world. To her, different geographies, identities and realities have wounds that needed cleansing and healing. The Cooper Union was sort of a sacrice and gamble for the love of art. It was a turning point for me. I threw away all my hesitations and just did the kind of art I wanted to dosomething that I thought was very relevant. My works speak of issues on women, war and conicts in the society. I would spend my daysfrom 8 a.m. to

12 midnightat the Cooper Union studio, eating only cream cheese bagel and mud coffee while engrossed at making art. I would rather spend all my money on art materials. It was, indeed a sacrice. However, the experience, the knowledge I've learned from difcult curators, and lecturers as well as the exhibit were some of the best opportunities I ever had. New York really gives a different kind of energy. Its always important that her work has integrity. She doesnt care much about titles or being the best in the industry. As long as my work makes my audience reflect after they experience my piece, I am happy and satisfiedI call it a milestone. As long as my art contributes in shaping our society, I feel the success. (Success comes) when art can do more than just a presentation in a gallery...when it reaches out (to the rest of the world).

Some of the art installations by Luna

Overcoming challenges The road for Luna, hasnt always been smooth. There came a point when she had to stop making art for about two years.

I think some people go through some lost phase. I had that. I sort of lost my balance but Im glad I found my way back, realizing that I am more lucky than many people out there. They say yesterdays curse is tomorrows blessing, she says. Luna realized she could use art as a tool to help other people as well as herself get back on track. Thats why she founded the StART Project, a non-government organization focused on helping victims of war and Human Rights violations through art. The project allows the victims to use art as a way to cope and deal with their pains and sufferings. She works with Salinlahi and other NGOs focusing more on areas in Northern Mindanao such as Bukidnon, CDO and Sarangani. She has conducted art workshops for the children of Maguindanao Massacre victims as well as the Morong 43. Last year, Luna conducted art therapy workshop for women who were victims during the 11-year Civil War in Sierra Leone, Africa. She is soon to visit schools and indigenous communities in Mindanao to conduct art programs. For me, my work is not just about making art, its about touching and helping more people, she iterates. Luna is scheduled to have a show on Sept. 15 at Equator Art Gallery in Singapore. She will also represent the Philippines in the upcoming 5th International Art Beijing Biennale, which will feature chosen artists from 90 countries. Luna has an on-going show at the Lopez Museum. The exhibit portrays land issues in the Philippines including that of the Hacienda Luisita as well as feudal system, mining and indigenous people. She also has ongoing group show depicting the celebration of the Cadiz Constituiton at the Metropolitan Museum.

The Eye

Mother-in-Law

Zobel de Ayala. The exhibition featured Don Jaimes most recent photographs of grafti and other street art taken in Madrid while DBayan presented portraits of iconic characters and personalities in music, movies and literature like Marilyn Manson, Elephant Man, Worlds Ugliest Dog and Karl Marx. DBayan has an ongoing exhibit, which runs until Aug. 4 at The Pocket Universe Art Collective located at the second level of SaGuijo Caf+Bar. The exhibit, aptly called Mysterious Diseases features his most recent works, which according to him are his love letters to horror/sci-fi/survivalist movies depicting doom for the protagonists. He has created portraits inspired by films such as Dead Snow and Taxideremia, Bizarre and Rue Morgue magazines, as well as a really sick clinical atlas of dermatology by a Filipino doctor. Art, after all, is one strange experiment itself, he shares. It is a well-spring of despair. According to him, several of the portraits such as Jesus and Hitler as zombies, can be deemed a reaction on the supposed death of painting. Allow me to steal a line from Frank Zappa: painting is not dead; it just smells funny. (Mysterious Diseases is presented by The Pocket Universe Art Collective and supported by San Miguel Beer. For information, call +(0929) 842-4055 or The Crucible at 635-6061.) Here are some of Igan DBayans thoughts: On his journey as an artist I had my rst exhibit in 2006 at The Crucible Gallery in Megamall. (The exhibit) took an entire year of preparationpainting almost every day, experimenting with materials and watching how my artist-friends work. I always tell my friends that I began drawing Dracula at the age of ve, and that was the evil germ that started it all. My style has always been informed by Expressionism although in bastardized incarnations. (Right now) I am gearing towards a more
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Self portrait

rened style(which is) less guesswork (and) more deliberate. Thats what I say today, but tomorrow I might want to punk it up again. Thats whats cool about art (you can always change). On major inuences and inspirations A lot of artists would probably say its Francis Bacon or H.R. Giger. To tell you the truth, I am more heavily inuenced by literary titans like William Burroughs and Jorge Luis Borges, as well as horror movies such as Hellraiser, Dead Snow, Taxidermia, Drag Me To Hell, Evil Dead and In the Mouth of Madness among many others. I have a growing collection of Bizarre and Rue Morgue magazines. Last year, I got a book of dermatological horrors and it has been sitting inside my studio ever since. These collections are cool to browse through when I get a painters block. Important milestones I dont see myself as successful yet. I love the struggle of keeping a day job and scrapping together a few hours just to paint. What did Bright Eyes sing in Road to Joy? Failures always sounded better. And whenever I feel smugness creeping in, I always think of an incident during one of my exhibitions. A guy came into the gallery, looked at the paintings and said, Nagpipinta pala si Arnold Clavio. On losing the drive to paint and other challenges That usually happens after every exhibit (losing the drive to paint). Ive spent months eating and sleeping with paint, and then suddenly, when the paintings are on view in a gallery somewhere, I get the urge to take a breather for a couple of weeks. Or play X-box instead (of painting). Or hang out with friends and sing stupid anthems in karaoke joints. When playing Dead Space and singing Aerosmith songs become boring, I get the old brushes from the cabinet then paint the inexpressible. His advice to up-and-coming artists Whatever you do, dont try to be like me. No, seriously Let me steal a line from Samuel Beckett: The idea is to try, fail, try again, (and then) fail better. The awed artists are more interesting, (because) their works are always engaging. As for the successful ones who just keep on repeating themselves, their art makes me puke. And I say: Be in love with the process of paintingand not with the nished product that you, your gallery or your art dealer and their minions have to lug around the city in order to sell to collectors whod rather have a piece of surere auction-house/slaughterhouse top-seller. Once its not fun anymore, youre in deep shit as an artist.

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Sunday
ARTS & LIFE
ManilaStandardTODAY

Who is

SUNDAY JULY 29, 2012

A8

Indie forever

Josephine Pintor?
Photo by Ana Katrina Santos

ILOCOS Sur Gov. Luis Chavit Singson, who is usually reticent about his personal life, surprised TV watchers last Tuesday when he introduced his lady love Josephine Pintor on Kris Aquinos morning show Kris TV.
During the show, Singson even said the lovely Josephine, who is half-American, would probably be the last woman in his life. Oo, mukha naman. Wala na din akong hilig sa babae (That is so. I am not a womanizer.), said the governor. Singson and Pintor, 27, have been together for 13 years. Josephine said they fell in love when she was only 14 years old. Said Pintor to Singson: Just want to say thank you for taking care of us, for loving us and for being so very thoughtful to all of us. And we love you. Singson was all praises for Pintor who, he said, is very good to his kids from a previous relationship.

Coco Martin

IT IS no secret that Coco Martin started his career in showbusiness by acting in indie lms. During the gala night of his Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival entry Sta. Nia at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) on Tuesday night, Coco said he is happy to be back in the indie scene. But I was nervous coming here to the event. I havent been very active in indie, said Coco in Filipino. Coco promised that he would act in another indie lm soon. The actor is known as the Indie Prince of Philippine Movies. His body of work includes lead roles Masahista (2005), Tirador (2007), Serbis (2008), at Kinatay (2009)all directed by Brillante Dante Mendoza.

Dominic Roco calls his relationship with Maxene Magalona so last year

Anne Hathaway plans 2013 wedding

ACTRESS Anne Hathaway and anc Adam Schulman are reportedly planning to get married next year. Were getting married, probably sometime next year-ish. Not this year, its too big, with two lms coming out. I havent started planning yet. I was lming Les Mis when we decided to do it, and there was no way I could think about anything wedding-related with my head in the space it was in then. Ive been so busy since then, Ive not even decided what sort of ceremony I want, said Hathaway, who has been busy on the Dark Knight Rises and Les Miserables. Hathaway is 29. She and Schulman have been engaged for three years. Lesson learned.

I NEVER said that we had a relationship. We were close before, pero right now, I dont get to talk to her, he says, adding that their closeness lasted for seven months. If there is anything that Dominic learned from the experience, it is to be l e s s impulsive. Dont fall in love really fast, take your time. We all make mistakes. We must learn from our mistakes, said the young actor, who is in the Cinemalaya 2012 movie Ang Nawawala with his twin brother.

Aiza marks 28 years in showbusiness

AIZA Seguerra celebrates her silver milestone in showbiz with Bente Singko: Aiza Seguerra Anniversary Concert on Sept. 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, a production of Blackbird Music Creations, Thats Ntertainment Productions and line produced by MediaNation Inc. Gary Valenciano and Martin Nievera will join Aiza in her silver anniversary concert. Fellow Asap Sessionistas Juris, Richard Poon, Princess and Nyoy Volante, will also join Aiza for this big night. Gloc9, Bayang Barrios and Cooky Chua of Color It Red will complete the night with their own distinct brand of music. The ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra will provide the music under the guidance of accomplished conductor Gerard Salonga. Mike Villegas and Ria Osorio will be the musical directors. For ticket inquiries, call 234-2117.

Solenn turns 27
WHEN Solenn Heussaff turned 27 on July 20, she did not have a party. Instead, she had dinner with family members and close friends. Her birthday wish is to be uent in Tagalog. For two years since nag-start ako sa showbiz, akala ko magiging uent na ako, pero hindi pa rin. (Ive been in showbiz for two years. I thought I would be uent by this time but I was wrong.) Long way to go. But at least Im learning, said Solenn. One of the best birthday gifts she received is non-material: Solenn is very happy that Eat...Bulaga! is now in Indonesia. Actually, kung part ako o hindi part ng Eat Bulaga!, proud Filipino ako kasi ito ang rst Filipino show na may franchise abroad. So sana, after ng Indonesia, magkaroon din sa Thailand, sa Vietnam, and other countries pa. (Im very proud because this is the rst Filipino show to be franchise abroad. I hope the show will go to other countries like Thailand and Vietnam.), she said.

CDO-Foodsphere Inc. and the local government of Valenzuela City signed a new memorandum of agreement to support the fourth batch of a livelihood assistance program in the city. Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian and CDO-Foodsphere president Jerome D. Ong witnessed the launching of the fourth batch of the Gabay Hanapbuhay (Livelihood and Enterprise Development Program) in Barangay Bignay on July 7. The program, initiated by CDO-Foodsphere and its corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm Odyssey Foundation in partnership with Valenzuela City Government is designed to equip unemployed parents with the necessary skills to develop their own livelihood. It aims to support the parents of the beneciaries of Gabay Hanapbuhay supplemental feeding program, which was also initiated by CDOFoodsphere, by giving them skills training for small-capital livelihood and help them sustain the nutritional needs of their children in order to prevent recurrence of child malnutrition. Ong said the Gabay Buhay supplemental feeding program addresses child malnutrition while Gabay Hanapbuhay is a response to the problem of unemployment. Other ofcials who attended the launching of Batch 4 of the Gabay Hanapbuhay program are Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) District Director Elpidio Mamaril Jr., Barangay Bignay Chairman Mary Ann Victoriano, Valenzuela City Livelihood ofcerin-charge Lorie Natividad-Borja, and Valenzuela City Nutrition ofcer-incharge Dr. Bernadette Bordador. Gabay Hanapbuhay program

CDO beefs up livelihood program

From left to right : Dra. Bernadette Bordador, OIC, Valenzuela City Nutrition Ofce, Jerome D. Ong, President, CDO-Foodsphere, Inc., Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian; Elpidio Mamaril, District Director, TESDA-CAMANAVA, and Lorie Natividad-Borja. OIC, Valenzuela City Livelihood Development Ofce.

seeks to train 125 parents in Barangay Bignay comprising the fourth batch in the areas of fancy jewelry making; food processing (siomai and empanada making); soap, diswashing liquid and fabric conditioner making; water lily weaving/rug making; and candle making/perfume making. The rst three batches involved 350 parent-trainees. The rst batch had 152 beneciaries in Barangay Maysan, who took the training on August 15 to October 15, 2011. This was followed by a batch of 60 beneciaries in Barangay Bagbaguin, who completed the program from September 12 to October 12. The third batch, comprised of 138 beneciaries in Barangay Lingunan, took the training on February 6 to March 22, 2012. The addition of 125 parents in Barangay Bignay brings to 475 the total number of beneciaries under Gabay Buhays livelihood assistance

program to date. I thank the management and owners of CDO for making a great stride in helping the people of Valenzuela City. Valenzuela City values CDO, which started as a small enterprise in the city about 37 years ago. Because of its perseverance and determination, CDO grew and now provides nutrition and livelihood programs in the city, Mayor Gatchalian said. Ong said the livelihood program is designed to provide the beneciaries with the necessary skills that they can use to earn daily income. We hope that this program will be able to help more families, he said. He said both Gabay Buhay and Gabay Hanapbuhay are integral parts of CDO corporate social responsibility to help augment the income of the less privileged members of society and reduce the number of undernourished kids.

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CorporateSocial RESPONSIBILITY
THE League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) recently held the 11th Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Expo at SMX Convention Center last July 5-6. Themed Transforming the Business of Giving Back, the event focused on how businesses could help the society and contribute better to the countrys development through their CSR programs. For two days, the break out sessions adapted the challenge, systemize, respond, and sharpening the saw or CSRS. Challenge pertains to the social issues and corporate foundations that need to be addressed. Systemize are the steps on how to overcome the challenges; Respond are the actions to be done to execute the plan, while sharpening the saw is the improvement of the skills of the practitioners to make their CSR programs successful. On the rst day, the session discussed about how the companies could reach out to the poor communities and marginalized or persons with disabilities, the rapid climate change and what is the role and responsibilities of corporations and government agencies when a disaster hit the country, and the power of social media in effectively promoting an advocacy. On the second and the last day of the expo, the speakers talked about how to make money while doing good, and the partnerships among health organizations, corporations, and foundations in achieving the success of a CSR program that is focused on health. They also discussed how companies could make their employees participate to the companys advocacy. According to Augusto Carpio III, LCF chair and executive vice president of Aboitiz Foundation, the aim of the conference is to give back by coming up with excellent CSR programs that would benet the clients. Business now is not just about making prot, its about taking care of the community. And to do that, you need the heart of the entire organization, the entire corporation, to give way not only for the growth of the company, but also to help communities improve their conditions. he says. Speakers and panelists who

Manila Standard TODAY

SUNDAY JULY 29, 2012

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More relevant programs at CSR Expo

graced the sessions include Luis Miguel Aboitiz, senior vice president for Power Marketing and Trading, Aboitiz Power Corporation; James Donovan, president and chief executive, ADEC Group/F-I-RS-T Carbon Solutions Corporation; Renaud Meyer, country director, United Nations Development Programme; Lawrence Jeff Johnson, country director, International Labour Organization; Federico Puno, president and chief executive, TeaM Energy; Maria Ressa, chief executive and executive editor, Rappler.com; William Schultz, president and chief executive, Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines; Marites Vitug, president, Journalism for Nation Building Foundation; and Danilo Songco, president and chief executive, PinoyMe Foundation. President Benigno Aquino III opened the festivities with a keynote speech. Over 600 delegates consisting of CSR practitioners, executives, entrepreneurs, representatives from the government, academe, and civil society attended the twoday event.

Smart receives international recognition for green initiatives

LEADING wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. received two prestigious awards in 2011 for programs that support the preservation of the environment, one from the Asia Communication Awards and other from the World Communications Awards. The Asia Communications Awards bestowed upon Smart the Green Technology Award while the World Communications Awards gave the Philippine company the Green Award, both for its Alternative Power for Cell Sites program. This brings to ve Smarts awards for the said program which enforces the use of renewable energy to power cellsites in off-grid areas nationwide. In 2006, Smart installed the countrys rst wind-powered cell site on Malapascua, an island off northern Cebu. Smart has since successfully used wind and solar energy to power some 114 cell sites nationwide. This year, Smarts green cell sites, along with its other proenvironment initiatives under its corporate social responsibility program Kabalikat are once again nominated for the Green Mobile Award one of its four nominations at the 17th Global Mobile Awards of the GSM Association. We are proud and fullled that our environmental initiatives are being recognized as one of the worlds best practices when it comes to protecting the environment, said Darwin Flores, Smart Public Affairs senior manager for Community Partnerships. We are conscious about the impacts of the operations of todays industries and technologies to the planet, and we at Smart are doing our part and taking measures to manage and lessen our carbon footprint. Through Kabalikat, Smart is implementing its carbon reduction and carbon capture programs to address the environmental impact of its operations by managing and offsetting its carbon emissions. Two of its primary concerns are the increasing energy consumption especially in the advent of power-hungry solutions, and the adverse impact of solid waste from outdoor advertising and promotional materials. These two were addressed by Smarts proenvironment Kabalikat initiatives. Aside from its Alternative Power for Cell Sites program, Smart is nearing completion of its massive network modern-

One of Smarts wind-powered cell sites that provide network services in off-grid locations.

ization program which covers the conversion of thousands of its cell sites nationwide to the multi-technology Single Radio Access Network (RAN) system. The conversion to multi-technology single RAN requires the total replacement of base station equipment with smaller, costefcient structures that consume less power and subsequently reduce carbon emission. On the solid waste management aspect, Smart is the rst telco to test and use oxo-degradable materials to produce its store awnings, banners, buntings and more. The oxo-degradable materials are envisioned to replace the millions of plastic materials produced each year that are deployed to sari-sari stores and outlets across the country.

In developing new programs, we make sure rst that the program is relevant to the needs of time, that we partner with eective and output oriented institutions and we make sure that the program is sustainable. Balancing the CSR need of our benefactor TeaM Energy Corporation and the real need of the country in partnership with the government, we focus on programs in four areas, what we call the four Es:

Electrication

Environment

Education

Engagement

TeaM Energy is one of the largest independent power producers in the Philippines, born out of a partnership between Japanese firms Tokyo Electric Power Company and Marubeni Corporation. With over 2,000 megawatts (MW) of installed generating capacity, we operate two clean coal facilities; namely, the 735 MW Pagbilao Power Station in Quezon, and the 1,200 MW Sual Power Station in Pangasinan. In addition to these, we have a 20% share in the 1,200 MW natural gas-fired plant in Ilijan, Batangas. All these efforts are aimed at addressing the countrys energy needs towards sustainable economic growth and development. TeaM Energy goes beyond the business of providing electricity with the establishment of TeaM Energy Foundation, Inc. (TEFI) its corporate social responsibility arm. TEFI is an active partner in the countrys growth and development, committed to provide signicant impact in uplifting lives through relevant and sustainable programs for economic development, educational improvement, and environmental stewardship.

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Sunday
ManilaStandardTODAY

TECH

Edited by MARLON C. MAGTIRA

online.editor@manilastandardtoday.com

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SUNDAY

JULY 29, 2012

IBM PH CHIEF:

The best is yet to come

By Marlon C. Magtira & Melvin G. Calimag

LIKE most Filipinos who have been out of the Philippines for
a long time, IBM Philippines president and country general manager Mariels Almeda-Winhoffer did not quite expect the radical transformation that has happened in the country during the years she was gone.
Almeda-Winhoffer, the rst female to hold the highest post at IBM Philippines, says the local landscape has changed tremendously since 1995 when she last visited the Philippines. At that time, the country was still reeling from the twin devastations brought about by the 1990 earthquake and the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo the following year. The series of coup detats in the years prior also pushed investors out of the country, creating economic stagnation. Its much better now. Everything is so different. Theres more energy and optimism, said AlmedaWinhoffer. Born and raised in Manila, she started her career in IBM 26 years ago. Her most recent posting was client advocacy executive for IBM Corp., where she reported directly to the chairman and provided support for global client engagements. She completed her primary and secondary education at Assumption College, before moving to the United States earning a double degree in Finance and Computer Science, cum laude, from Fordham University. Her stint in the US started in the 1980s when, after taking up basic schooling in the Philippines, she enrolled at the Jesuit-run Fordham University in New York to study nance and computer science. By the time she graduated in 1985 she had already spent internship work at IBM a move she long planned since she was already eyeing to become part of the tech giant. When I was still a student and I was walking in New York, I saw an IBM logo. I said to myself Someday Im going to work for that company, she reminisces. So when IBM offered me a job after my internship, I readily accepted it. Along the way, she married American Ernest Winhoffer and gave birth to four children: Nicole, Ernest Jr, Michael, and Mark. She has never worked for any other company except for IBM, sticking with Big Blue even during the time when the company teetered on the brink of collapse in the early 1990s. But, as the company recovered and pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in the history of business, Almeda-Winhoffer also started her climb of the corporate ladder. She occupied top executive posts within IBM that allowed her to work with the companys decisionmakers. In fact, prior to being named chief of IBM Philippines, she reported directly to the chairman and provided support for global client engagements. It was through these global roles that she saw rsthand the emerging importance of the Philippines as a global ICT hub for IBM and the whole tech industry. So, when the offer came to relocate to the Philippines, there was almost no second-thoughts on her part. My life was already settled in the US since my mom and my family were already there. But, when they looked around and asked me perhaps it helped that I was also a Filipina if I was willing to take up the job, I said yes, she recalls. In the case of IBM, our Philippine ofce is the only subsidiary in the region which has a sales division, an innovation lab, and global delivery center, she points out. We have a huge potential for growth. Going home on the same year that the company is celebrating its Diamond Anniversary in the country also gives an added signicance for Almeda-

Winhoffer. Interestingly, IBM Corporation also marked its centennial last year with the appointment of its rst woman CEO and president, Virginia Rometty. Aside from the hardware and software products that IBM has provided to local businesses and institutions over the last 75 years, AlmedaWinhoffer says she also takes pride in the companys investment in global delivery centers and R&D labs in the country. Weve also helped to enhance the talent management pool in the country through our Corporate Service Corps, she shares. While a new era has descended on IBM Philippines with a woman now calling the shots, AlmedaWinhoffer stresses that she intends to build on the contributions made by her predecessors. Almeda-Winhoffer is aware of the caliber of executives that the local subsidiary has produced over the years. Apart from the long line of IBMers who went on to lead other top IT rms, some became inuential policy makers such as former Commission of Information and Communications Technology (CICT) chairs Virgilio Ver Pena and Ramon Sales, and current ICTO deputy executive director Alejandro Buds Melchor III. My plan is to operationalize the vision of IBM and align it with agenda with the government, she says. This way, we can help make Philippine business become global. She notes that the company, which encountered some issues with government-owned pension rm GSIS during the previous administration, has a

smooth relationship with the Aquino government. She points to the recent deal signed in Malacanang in which IBM and the Department of Science and Technology will collaborate to put up a R&D facility dedicated in creating IT solutions for the public sector. A top recruit, Deln Jay Sabido IX, will be in charge of the initiative. Sabido, a former professor at the UP College of Engineering and a PhD graduate of Stanford University, once headed the National Computer Center and the Advanced Science and Technology Institute of the DOST. So, we are really in a position to push the envelope, Almeda-Winhoffer enthuses. Were just beginning. The best is yet to come.

The Philippines is in a very unique position to capitalize on the technological revolution sweeping the world. Mariels AlmedaWinhoffer

Big Screen TV or a Projector: Which is ideal for you?

By Christian Cardiente
WHETHER you are actively scouting for a new LCD TV, or considering another upgrade to a Smart LED TV and you are bent on buying a 50-inch or larger screen size, I strongly recommend that you read the following rst before you head out to your favorite appliance store. Screen Size There are several factors that you should consider before nally deciding on the screen size of your high denition (HD) TV. Two of them are room size (for viewing distance), and content. There are suggestions that closer viewing distance is better than further; while others argue that you can watch at a distance youre most comfortable with to maximize your viewing experience. Manufacturers typically suggest that the ideal viewing distance should be between 1.5 to 2.5 times your diagonal TV screen size. That means if you have a 60-inch HDTV, you should be watching from 7.5 ft. to 12.5 ft. If you have a limited space and cant move further back, then consider buying a smaller TV instead. How about the content? HDTVs are optimized to display high resolution inputs such as 720p or 1080p movies (I will discuss this separately soon, or you may do your own research). If you are not yet familiar with these terms, then most probably you are not enjoying the full potential of your device. Unless you are subscribed to HD cable channels or heavily into console games, you are not getting that crisp, realistic, ultra clear picture quality that your HDTV is designed to display. In these cases, bigger is not necessarily better. Big Screen TV or Projector? So space is not a problem, you probably have a PS3, an HD media player and a nice collection of HD movies; that 90-inch Smart LED TV sure looks cool in your living room! I say not quite, unless you have loads of money to burn. Admittedly, I am biased against these huge, pricey movie machines; and I prefer a projector hooked to a 5.1 channel audio system instead. But Im not going to spoil your desires. All I am asking is you read on, and reconsider. Pros and Cons: LED TV LED TVs are stylish and blend well with your interiors. Aestheticswise, an LED TV is perfect. They are far brighter than most projectors, and would be ne to watch in either a dark or well-lit room. They are simple to mount and operate and do not typically require a separate audio system. Have I mentioned that 70-, 80-, and 90-inch LED TVs are expensive? A year or two from now, they will become relatively cheaper. But they literally cost an arm and a leg if you purchase one now, with some models costing as much as a decent used car. While money is not an issue to some, I seriously doubt if you get the same value for money if you spend the same amount to other alternatives. Pros and Cons: Projector For a lot less, you can have impressive picture quality from a projector whose screen size could be adjusted virtually to your hearts content (projecting up to 10 feet image size is never a problem). Most projectors are small and can be easily mounted overhead or hidden when not in use. Obviously, most people prefer watching TV on their at screens over projectors on a daily basis. Aside from claims that projectors require more elaborate connection (multiple audio/video cables), the main downside of projectors is that picture quality deteriorates with increased ambient light they are only ideal for night time viewing. This is not entirely true though, as most projectors with high native contrast ratios and high lumens rating are capable of producing better picture quality even outdoors. They are costlier than other projector counterparts, but denitely a lot cheaper compared to LED TVs. Some would argue that maintaining projectors are cumbersome (and costly), as lamps are needed to be replaced every so often, depending on frequency of use. Typically, projector lamps would last for 4000 6000 hours, while LCD or LED TVs would last at least ten times longer. Conversely, LED TVs are perceived to be more fragile than projectors. Some projector users would also complain of annoying noise when in use. Bottom line I have a 32-inch LCD TV and a projector at home, and Im completely happy with the two. I watch on the LCD during ordinary days, and switch to a projector to watch HD movies and for a more cinematic experience. Unless those big LED TVs slash their prices by half, I will probably delay any plans to upgrade by at least another year. Price is a huge factor, and it may not be in your case. Nonetheless, having a projector instead of a 60- or 80-inch LED might prove to be a better alternative in terms of overall viewing experience.

MST Techbytes
MMDA launches rst cellphone lm fest in PH
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) ofcially launched on Thursday, July 26, the countrys rst-ever Cine-Phone Film Festival. Serving as a prelude to the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) scheduled every December, the competition seeks to widen the scope of the annual event by encouraging independent and young lmmakers to participate via their phone-made short lms. The contest is open to all high school and college students duly endorsed by their respective schools/universities. Entries must be three to ve minutes long, totally lmed through the use of mobile phone cameras, and must be in sync with this years theme Restoring Road Courtesy Among Motorists and Pedestrians. Sixty entries will be selected, 20 each from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, which ten entries per category (high school and college). Six regional winners will be chosen and awarded P25,000 each during the MMFFs Gabi ng Parangal set on December 27. Apart from this, winners will receive free post-production packages, digital cameras, broadband kits, high-end smart phones, and apprenticeship under film director Paul Soriano. According to MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino, there will also be a university caravan next month to further promote the Cine-Phone and Student Short Film Competition. A team led by Soriano, who heads the New Wave section of this years MMFF, will go around several school campuses such as Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Intramuros and University of the Philippines-Diliman to encourage promising student artists to show their craft through the competition specically designed for them. I am optimistic that the Cine-Phone competition will produce potential award-winning directors and will add to the success of this years MMFF, Tolentino said.

Epson PH supports SMEs with SAP

To help promote photography and support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Epson Philippines Corporation (EPC) recently sponsored the SAP Digital Photography Competition. With the theme Technology Innovation & SME Entrepreneurship, the photo contest served as a sub-activity at the SAP SME Summit held at the EDSA Shangri-La hotel. The Small and Medium Enterprises sector is a valued segment for Epson. We have printers and projectors with high precision digital imaging technologies specically targeted for these SMEs, Epson Philippines general manager Donna V. Ferro told Manila Standard Today | Gadgets, . These products provide reliable, efcient, and environmentally friendly low-cost solutions for their printing or projection needs, Ferro said.

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Sunday
BUSINESS ManilaStandardTODAY
SUNDAY JULY 29, 2012

A11

Dennis Ang Uy

Filipino oil executive is Kazakhstans consul

KAZAKHSTAN, the largest landlocked country
in the world, has a 38-year-old Filipino petroleum executive representing its nation in the Philippines.
Dennis Ang Uy of Davao City, the young entrepreneur who challenged the so-called Big Three oil companies, is the honorary consul of Kazakhstan. Uy was chosen over other candidates for his remarkable record of starting and leading his businesses to prot and growth. As the founder, president and chief executive of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc., he pioneered the resurgence of petroleum retailing in the country, using entrepreneurial-based systems, practices and culture. Our company was built for the future of the downstream petroleum industry, he says. In November 2011, Kazakhstan Ambassador Beibut Atamkulov who is based in Kuala Lumpur where he represents four Southeast Asian countries Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and the Philippineshanded the appointment papers of Uy as the new honorary consul to the Philippines. Honorary consul As honorary consul, Uy heads Kazakhstans consulate with full staff based in Bonifacio Global City. Kazakhstan apparently took notice of Uys success as a businessman which helped change the downstream oil industry in the Philippines, despite all the controversies thrown his way. Uy was just 28 years old when he established Davao Oil Terminal Services Corp. in 2002. The company was renamed Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc. in 2006. Its operations include trading rened petroleum products, lubricants and other chemical products and operating oil depots and storage facilities. In just ve years, he transformed the business from a small provincial distributor into the fastest-growing and leading independent oil company in the Philippines. Phoenix Petroleum rose to become the 84th largest corporation in 2007, the same year it was listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange. By 2010, it was the 84th largest company. The Bureau of Customs recognized Phoenix Petroleum as the Top 7 importer in 2011. The company booked total sales of P26.5 billion that year, up by 85 percent from 2010. Out of those revenues, the company realized a healthy prot of P510.5 million, also up by 19 percent from a year ago. Net income in the rst quarter of 2012 hit P190.6 million, as revenues surged 35 percent to P8.3 billion. As of July 2012, the company had more than 250 retail stations nationwide. Before the Oil Deregulation Law was enacted in 1998, the three oil giants Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and Chevron Philippines Inc. (Caltex)dominated the local oil distribution with 96-percent share of the market. Now, independent oil companies such as Phoenix Petroleum are fast eating into the share of the Big 3, whose control of the market is now down to 75 percent. Biggest accomplishment I consider as my biggest accomplishment yet the listing of our company in the Philippine Stock Exchange in 2007, and growing Phoenix Petroleum to become the leading independent oil company in the Philippines in just ve years, says Uy. Business expansion is so robust that the companys board of directors recently approved the acquisition of Chelsea Shipping Corp. to take care of its logistical requirements. Uy says the growth of the Phoenix Petroleum also created livelihood opportunities for hundreds of people. I am proud of not just the growth in our business size but in our extended family. Our team has grown close to 400 people, and I feel fullled to create employment and job satisfaction for them, he says. Uy, the eldest of four children, was born in Davao City in September 1973. He completed his primary and secondary education at Stella Maris Academy of Davao City and graduated with degree in Business Management from De La Salle University in Manila. With all the success coming his way, Uy established Phoenix Philippines Foundation Inc., which is actively engaged in programs on education, health, environment and outreach. Among its projects are Adopt-a-School, Pawikan Conservation Program, book donations,

Uy with wife Cherylyn and two daughters tree-planting, coastal cleanups, bloodletting and outreach. The Phoenix for Education program won an Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Award in 2011, given by the regions leading entrepreneurship organization, Enterprise Asia in Singapore. His management skills transformed Phoenix Petroleum into a major industry player. My management style is rm, assertive, and decisive, but I make sure to get a buy in from our team. I listen to the team to get feedback and opinion. I then implement according to opportunities in the market, he says. My aim is to put everybody in the same culture as when we started: a culture of performance, hunger to achieve with much urgency, and steadfastness and creativity to execute our business plans efciently, he says. From the start, Uy had a strong vision for Phoenix. One thing that I knew from the beginning was that I would need to develop a management style that ts where the future of the downstream petroleum industry was going, he says. It is a management style that not only ts me, but allows our entire management team to exert a style that is most effective for them. Business leader In October 2011, CNBC Asia named Uy a nalist to the prestigious 10th Asia Business Leaders Award. Meanwhile, a poll by Hong Kong-based magazine Finance Asia ranked Phoenix Petroleum as the third best small cap company in the Philippines. BPI Family Savings Bank, for its part, cited Phoenix Petroleum as one of the recommended franchise brands in their Ka-Negosyo Best List. Uy actively takes parts in various business organizations. He is a member of the Young Presidents Organization, Management Association of the Philippines, American Chamber of Commerce- Davao City, and Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A typical day for Uy starts at 7:30 a.m. to check stock market movements and operational developments. Then Im off to the ofce or to a breakfast meeting. I try not to be too ad hoc about my work day. Meetings in the ofce are already set beforehand and my time is efciently allocated. When Im free, I answer e-mails and return telephone calls. I often continue to have meetings at dinner, he says. Family man Uy shuttles between Manila and Davao. When I go home, I check in with the family and deal with my e-mails, he says. He spends weekends with wife Cherylyn and daughters Chelsea Denise and Charlize Donatella. The oil executive is into sports and loves reading books and browsing Web sites. I read books and surf online for new ideas and opportunities. To unwind, I play golf and go to the gym, and travel with my family, he says. I am a rabid

basketball fan so I try to nd time to keep up with basketball news. Uy is optimistic about the future, both for the country and Phoenix Petroleum. I just want to be dynamic and to be ready for any opportunity that enables Phoenix Petroleum to create a big part of the future of the downstream petroleum industry in the Philippines, he says. He says that under the leadership of President Aquino and with the countrys solid economic fundamentals, we are very bullish on the growth prospects of the country and of our industry. Our company was built for the future of the downstream petroleum industry. Just as I believe that the Filipino can be faster, smarter and better than our competition, I believe that Phoenix can as well. We have to prove that every day, but we believe the future is one of unlimited opportunity for both, he says. Uy says in the near term, the company looks to roll out more retail stations and give the best customer experience. Phoenix Petroleum opened its 250th station in Salinas, Bacoor, Cavite on July 11. Phoenix expansion The company plans to open more Phoenix stations, particularly the big ones that provide clean and air-conditioned restrooms, service bay, ATM, money transfer, and retail shops like convenience stores and restaurants. In the longer term, we will continue the vertical integration of prot and value creating integrated businesses. Our vision is to be an indispensable partner in the lives of everyone we touch. And making Phoenix stations an essential part of the community is in line with this vision, says Uy. He notes that the companys growing commercial fuels business has accounts in vital industries from transportation to energy to construction. I see Phoenix Petroleum as a solid company with solid fundamentals, and the agility and ability to take advantage of opportunities for growth, he says. Like many Filipinos of my generation, I am very, very optimistic about the future. I am sure we will create more opportunities and not only make a difference in the industry where we are present, but help to lead a real economic boom in the country, says Uy. For him, his biggest accomplishment has been, and continues to be, building an organization that is uniquely prepared for the future of the downstream petroleum industry in the Philippines. At Phoenix, we have created a foundation of standards and processes of competence, integrity and sustainability; but we have never moved far away from the entrepreneurial qualities of speed, exibility, creativity and courage, he says. RTD

Binalot owner unwraps food on the street

Binalot Food Van

By Alena Mae S. Flores

ENTREPRENEUR Rommel Juan, founder and chief executive of homegrown Binalot Fiesta Foods Inc., is taking his ultimate Filipino fastfood venture to the next level, or more appropriately to the next street. Binalot, a trail-blazer in the fastfood industry, plans to sell its wrapped local meals onboard vans, a concept inspired by the movable food trucks in the US. Juan is introducing the Binalot Food Van as a new franchise model. He says

the concept will be good for agriculture and the environment. Support banana farmers while sustaining the environment for our kids, he says, in encouraging entrepreneurs to embrace his new franchise model. In 1996, Juan popularized the old Filipino tradition of wrapping meals with banana leaves, a method that retains the smell and avor of local favorites such as adobo, bistek, tapa, tocino, sisig, longganisa and salted egg with tomatoes, on top of rice. He describes Binalot Food Van as

a whole store unit and an eco-friendly mobile food solution. Basically, the Food Van is a Binalot store mounted on a trailer, he says. The cab chassis was built by Mitsubishi Corp.s dealer Peak Motors, with the modied body manufactured by local truck body builder Centro Manufacturing Corp. The Binalot Food Van will cater to people on the go, perfect for events and outdoor activities, he says. He says with Binalot Food Van, popular Pinoy classics such as adobo, bistek, tapa, tocino, sisig, longganisa [with salted eggs and tomato] can now be enjoyed wherever and whenever you want it. Juan also introduces Binalots new

Company Supervision Scheme which allows franchisees to manage a franchise by remote control. Under the scheme, Binalot will assign its own supervisor for the store and effectively manage the store for the franchisee. He says the two offerings will bring the banana wrapped classics closer to customers, a testament to Binalots commitment in lling that niche of an AllFilipino green quick-serve restaurant. After joining different franchise shows and expos, inquiries start arriving after a year since prospective franchisees screen and weigh their options so they spend more time evaluating. Contacts were established with deals and contracts eventually inked, Juan says. He says proven examples are Binalot

stores at California Garden Square in Mandaluyong City, Jupiter St. in Makati City, and Robinsons mall in Imus. Binalot has expanded mainly on the strength of franchising. We have a total of 38 stores, six of which are company-owned, the rest franchised to partners, Juan says. Juan invites prospective franchisees to join the Binalot business and help promote everything fun about being Filipino. Binalot will offer pre-approved sites for franchising with the Binalot Food Van, but areas may be bigger because of the mobility of the new store units. Binalot Food Van participated in the three-day Franchise Asia Philippines Expo 2012 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on July 27 to 29.

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Sunday
Manila StandardTODAY

Sports
JULY 29, 2012

A12

SUNDAY

FILIPINA makes waves

By Reuel Vidal

IN US FITNESS CIRCUIT
AMERICAN Idols Jessica Sanchez is not the only girl of Filipino descent earning fame and fortune in America. Certied trainer, bikini model and card-carrying member of the professional association of bodybuilders and physique athletes the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Gemmalyn Crosby is making waves in the US Fitness Circuit.

Early this year Gemmalyn won 1st place in the prestigious 2012 Arnold Classic Amateur International Bikini Championship. Later she became the overall winner of the 2012 NPC Atlantic USA Bikini Championships. Before that were numerous other victories in tness competitions but her breakthrough victory was at the Arnold Classic. Her victory at the Arnolds opened doors and career opportunities for her. She is now a professional athlete who has landed roles in local US action lm production movies, and in local US TV commercials. The 23-year-old Gemmalyn is from Villaramos, Manukan, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. She is the youngest of seven children of Teolo and Esterlina Bonghanoy. I was born in the southern countryside of the Philippines in a small mountain village. Life in these villages is very similar to what you may see in National Geographic photos with the traditional bamboo homes. We harvested our own food, traded and sold vegetables and other handmade objects to support the daily necessities of life in the countryside, she said. She moved to the US after marrying her American husband. She started working out in the gym to lose the weight she gained during her pregnancy of their rst child. I found myself eating more than usual, especially in my last month of pregnancy. Just before giving birth to

my son Arion, I weighed 165 lbs. and did not like the person I saw in the mirror. I was determined to get back in shape. With the support of my husband, I started going to the gym everyday doing cardio, weight training, boxing and kickboxing, she said. As her weight started to come off she became inspired by another tness competitor. She decided to put in the hard work and sacrice to get her body into the best shape possible. Last year in 2011 she became a regular competitor in the tness industry. Now, one year later, thanks to my family and coaches, I have achieved many of my goals and am now proud and honored to be a certied personal trainer and regional coach for Team Bombshell a sports management company based in Daytona, Florida, USA, she said. Despite her success Gemmalyn says she remains a Filipino at heart and will always nd the time to help others in need. She spends most of her time with family and friends, weight training, competing, kickboxing, modeling and acting. She is ready to help anyone interested to improve themselves or those interested to have her model, endorse products and establishments or make an appearance in an event. I am always looking to reach out and offer support to anyone who is looking to live a healthy lifestyle or plan on competing. I can be also contacted for guest posing, modeling, sponsorship opportunities, product

Gemmalyn Crosby displays the sensual beauty of a toned and sculpted female body. Her lean but sexy body is the result of a strict diet and hours of hard work in the gym.

endorsements, and appearances. Just control of their lives, pursue their dreams contact me at Gemmalyn.Crosby@gmail. and do what they want to do most of all. com, she said. Never give up and always be true to Her one advice to everyone is to take yourself. No matter how hard life may

get, you deserve the best. So follow your dreams no matter what others may say. Control your life and you can control your destiny, said Gemmalyn.

The Beast of Baste terrorizes NCAA

CALVIN The Beast Abueva is in his nal year with the San Sebastian College Stags and he wants to leave his mark. Playing like a man possessed Abueva has virtually terrorized the league and dominates every statistical category in the 88th season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) mens basketball tournament. Abueva is number one in rebounds with an average 17.6 boards per game, number one in assists with an average of 8.0, and number one in free throws made with 5.4. He is also fourth in scoring with 19.4 points per game, third in blocks with 1.6 and sixth in steals with 1.4. The six-foot-three Abueva is hoping to contribute big time to the championship quest of the Stags. Abueva wants San Sebastian to have another crown, after last tasting the championship in 2009, and making the nals against the San Beda Red Lions the last two years. Kailangang bumawi kami ngayon. Lahat ng teams ay dapat pinaghahandaan at hindi mo sila dapat maliitin, said Abueva who will be joining the Philippine Basketball Association rookie draft at the end of the season. Before then he wants to leave good memories, and win a second crown for the Stags after four years with the team. Gusto ko kasi, maganda ang exit ko bago ang draft sa PBA, said Abueva shortly after making his second career triple-double performance when they beat the Perpetual Help Altas, 80-65, last week. During the game, Abueva made 15 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and issued 11 assists. The Stags have been nals contenders the last three seasons. This season is no different, with the Recoletos cagers again tipped to make it back to the nals. Their coach, Topex Robinson, feels that reaching the championship is possible with the presence of the Big 3 in Abueva, Ronald Pascual and Ian Sangalang. The three played a big factor when the Stags reached the nals in 2009, 2010 and 2011, and clashed with the San Beda Red Lions for the crown. But the championship hopes of the Stags hinge mainly on Abueva who many observers liken to Paul Alvarez another athletic doeverything forward. Alvarez left good memories with the Stags in 1988. That year, the Stags became

the rst team in NCAA history to sweep the mens division. They won the rst and second round pennants to become eventual champions with a perfect 10-0 record. Point guard Eugene Quilban won his second of backto-back MVP awards that year. Alvarez, who was in his last NCAA season, was dominant with rim-rattling dunks and unstoppable penetrations which is comparable to Abuevas offensive game. Aggressive din siya sa bola, at ginagawa niya ang lahat ng dapat gawin, lalo na kapag para sa team, said Abueva of Alvarez.

But the comparisons stop there because unlike Quilban or Alvarez, Abueva also dominates at the defensive end. Will it be good enough to earn a Most Valuable Player award for Abueva and the second NCAA title for San Sebastian in four years? The other teams certainly hope not but if they want to win the NCAA title theyll have to deal with the relentless drive, leadership and unapologetic belligerence of the man who is better known with the aptly descriptive name of The Beast. Peter Atencio

Enfant Terrible
ATHLETICS chief Go Teng Kok, ambitious, brash and controversial, is probably the most loved and the most hated personality in sports. He is nice, maybe too nice, easy to like, maybe too easy to like, and easy to understand, maybe too easy to understand. GTK, as he is known like a big time politician, is debased and profaned in his mouth. But I sometimes relish in his bursts of irreverence, especially when he unveils the dark side of a well known sports leader as a cheap copy of a male mannequin displayed in a glass cage. I know of no time when GTK is not mired in a controversy. Thats because he is just too honest, too frank and too generous. He is the rst to deliver an encomium to an ally, and quick to write his obituary when they part ways. The life of Go Teng Kok is drama in itself. When Surigao del Norte Gov. Jose Sering left a big vacuum in the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa), GTK was borrowed from a minor basketball league to be installed as the new head of athletics. He was thought to be the tonic needed to revitalize the development program of the Patafa and keep intact the fanatical support of a rabid group of Fil-Chinese businessmen who considered the tough-talking GTK as a major, inuential player. He is misunderstood as stubborn, mean and aloof when in reality he is a gentleman. But at times, he can be bitter and obstinate, refusing to yield to reason. He is a complex and complicated persona, indeed. My life is an open book, he would brag to us every time the myths of his past are being retold and rehashed by his strident foes. I dont hide anything. I can face anybody, anytime, anywhere. I am not what they suspect me to be. Well, he is a compassionate man with a wry sense of humour. But his arrogance knows no bounds and in his brooding ferocity, he will denigrate everyone

THE MORNING AFTER

RAY ROQUERO

The athletic Calvin The Beast Abueva is virtually unstoppable in the open court with his rare combination of size, strength, speed and excellent ball-handling skill.

and everything. Cross him, and he will be endlessly vindictive, belligerent and restless. Thats Go Teng Kok, a xture in sports, a lean man in immaculate white Armani pants and long sleeves, Gucci shoes and Cartier eyeglasses. His Rolex gold watch is studded with diamonds and the only ugly mark is the scar left by a bullet wound on his face. In his company, there are more laughs than heartaches, indulging in some good-natured talks. Once, a staunch ally of Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Peping Cojuangco, he strode to the other corner of the ring to become the mortal enemy of the man. I am not too conversant with Peping Cojuangco except that he used to be an affable politician and beloved humanitarian. He used to be impeccably groomed also with a sharp mind and dignified position during his halcyon days in Congress. GTKs candor caused him more troubles. For bringing up cases against the Olympic ofcials before the courts, sports enfant terrible directly irted with disaster. Declared a persona non grata by his passing acquaintances, he was expelled from the POC. Who dares cross Go Teng Kok? I have my ambivalent feelings about him. There were times in the past when he would touch me with his warmth and caring. He is a friend through thick and thin, always loyal and dependable. When I resigned as PSC commissioner during the Ramos administration, GTK took me in the Patafa, a sports organization which to him is rst among equals whose fame and fortune should be duly protected by government. Of course, being my boss, he was always right and I gave him that carte blanche to run the affairs of athletics in his own air and style. Since then, we have travelled a long road together and I knew some of the personal storms which he has weathered. Now, even in the ebb of his life, Go Teng Kok will always remain a good-natured man who believes that track and eld, which stands godfather to all sports and carries the trademark of Greek civilization, is the rst and only creation of the gods at Mt. Olympus.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK