Tap P3.6 B travel tax collection to build restrooms so tourists won't 'self pee' anywhere - Recto

MANILA-Government was told to earmark part of its P3.6 billion annual travel tax collection for the building of roadside rest rooms so that local and foreign tourists bound for the “sun, sea, sand, shopping” destinations will not “self pee” anywhere.

Sen. Ralph Recto made the recommendation to Tourism officials Thursday during the Senate hearing on the proposed 2015 budget of the Department of Tourism (DoT).

Recto said that in many feedback surveys, the absence of clean toilets has been listed as a major complaint by travelers.

“When a tourist comes out of the plane, the first destination he goes to is the restroom.  So if we believe in the power of first impression, then we should make restrooms presentable,” Recto told Tourism officials led by DoT secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr.  

Recto said government should tap travel tax payments made by departing passengers, in building more restrooms “possibly under a joint venture scheme with local governments, state colleges, civic groups, tourism associations.”

As to source of funds, Recto said “government collects about P5 million in travel tax a day. Just a day’s collection can already build several comfort rooms.” 

One “priority area” where these should be built, Recto said, is along national highways.

“If you travel the whole length of the Pan Philippine Highway from Aparri to General Santos or to Zamboanga, eh mabibilang mo lang sa daliri mo ang restrooms owned and maintained by the government,” Recto said.

“The public toilet per kilometer ratio is one of the lowest in the world,” he said. “The last report I read is that there’s about 1 for every 1,000 kilometers.”

With the Philippines targeting 8.2 million foreign visitors and 51.7 million domestic tourists next year – which has been declared as Visit Philippines Year –  “then all the more that we should build more restrooms which can cater to more tourists,” Recto said.

While commercial facilities like restaurants and gas stations have toilets, Recto said the ideal situation is that one can have access to a toilet “without having to buy a burger.” 

“Maraming mga lugar na walang gas station o fastfood. So ano gagawin ng isang turista? Eh di malamang  ‘self pee’ na lang  kahit saan,” Recto said.

To address the lack of “roadside comfort facilities,” Recto urged the DoT of studying the possibility of offering equity to local governments, state schools, civic groups in building and maintaining “comfort stations that can have other functions as well.”

“Pwedeng maging pasalubong center o kaya isang lugar na pwedeng kunan ng tourist brochures. Pwedeng tayuan ng convenience store. State colleges, which have the land, can use one as a practicum area for their HRM or hotel restaurant management students,” he said.

He said these facilities can be self-sustaining and income generating. “You know some malls make money out of pay-per-use toilets.”

Recto, who is the Senate President Pro-Tempore, chairs the Finance subcommittee which hears the budget of the DoT and its allied agencies.

For next year, the DoT and its three attached agencies have a proposed budget of P3.8 billion.

Operating budgets of five DoT corporations will total P5.7 billion, but these are off-budget items not included in the General Appropriations Act.

One of the DoT affiliated corporations is the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) which is responsible for collecting the travel tax.

Under a Marcos-era law, the latter is imposed on departing airline passengers at the following rates:  P1,620 for an economy class passenger, P800 for certain types of travelers,  and P300 for dependents of  Overseas Filipino Workers.

Not all travel collections are retained by TIEZA as 40 percent is remitted to the Commission on Higher Education.  After mandated shares of other agencies are deducted, it is left with half of the collections, which it uses for its operations and to finance tourism projects.

The government will also be spending P16.3 billion to build or repair roads to tourist destinations and P10.2 billion to improve seaports and airports. The budgets for the two are, however, lodged in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) respectively.

Recto said DPWH should study the feasibility of including the construction of restrooms on public lots along the major roads they will build.

PNP, PDEA RAID SHABU WAREHOUSE, ARREST 4 CHINESE NATIONALS

CAMP OLIVAS, CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA- On September 12, 2014 at around 11:30 in the morning, joint elements of RAIDSOTF3, PDEA National Office, PDEA Region 3 and Intelligence Operations Section, RID3  conducted simultaneous search warrant operations in a warehouse at Greenville Subdivision, Brgy San Jose and Brgy Sindalan, all in City of San Fernando, Pampanga  which resulted in the apprehension of Jason LEE, 28 years old, Willy YAP, 26 years old,  Near Tan, 26  years old  and Ying Ying Huang @ Sophia, all native of Xiamen, China.

 

Recovered inside the warehouse were the following: more or less 725kgs shabu; 250kgs ephedrine still undetermined value and 29 sacks of undetermined substance to be examined at the PDEA laboratory. Also recovered were one (I) Montero; one (1) close van truck; one (1)  Toyota Fortuner; and, one  (1) old look Toyota Corolla.

 

Arrested persons and seized items are presently under the custody of PDEA National Office for proper disposition.

 

 

            PCSUPT PETRASANTA lauded the operating troops for a job well done and further stated that PNP PRO3 is continuously conducting pro-active operations and invigorates its efforts to wipe out all forms of illegal drugs in order to achieve its quest for a drug free Central Luzon.

San Jose City is Ecija’s crime capital --PNP report

SAN JOSE CITY – This northern Nueva Ecija city has emerged as Nueva Ecija’s crime capital, posting 561 crime incidents in the first eight months of the year, accounting for roughly 10 percent of the total crime volume in the province.

          Crime incidents in the city were more than the combined crime volume in Talavera and Guimba of 460.

The city emerged no. 1 with the most number of robberies (44), thefts (176), carnapping (38), homicide (14) and physical injuries (267). It was second to Cabanatuan in terms of rape incidents with 15.

          Cabanatuan recorded the most number of murders with 17 followed by Aliaga with 17 and Gapan City and Talavera with eight each.

The city was second only to San Jose in homicide cases with 11 followed by Talavera with nine.               

            Records from the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office showed that the province – involving five cities and 27 municipalities – recorded 5,652 crime incidents over the period of which 2,429 or 43 percent were solved and 4,250 (75%) were cleared.

          Senior Superintendent Crizaldo Nieves, provincial police director,  said a case is considered cleared when the suspect has been identified while it is deemed solved when a case has been filed in court.

          Of the 5,652 crime incidents, 2,916 were index and 2,736 non-index crimes. Index  crimes refer to crimes against persons such as murder, homicide, physical injuries, rape among others. Non-index crimes include those against  property such as robbery, theft, cattle rustling and carnapping.

          Of the index crimes, 2,013 (69%) were cleared while 1,158 (39%) were solved. For non-index crimes, 2,237 (81%) were cleared while 1,271 (46%) were solved.

          The province posted an average monthly crime rate of 30.35 per population of 2,068,962.

          Of the crimes, 130 were murder cases, 113 homicide, 1,520 were physical injuries, 120 rape, 279 robberies, 584 thefts, 165 carnapping and five cattle-rustling incidents. – Manny Galvez

Disaster Vulnerability of Women, a Pressing Concern—Legarda Tells Tokyo Forum on Women

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda will raise the issue of vulnerability of women to disasters at the World Assembly for Women convened by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, Japan.

Legarda, UN Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for Asia-Pacific, is the only Philippine participant in the high level conference and will deliver the opening statement for a sub-group discussion on “A Society where Self-Determination of Women is Assured” on Saturday (September 13).

In sharing the Philippine experience in promoting women empowerment and closing the gender gap, Legarda will highlight the disaster vulnerability of women and encourage participants of the conference to turn such vulnerability into opportunities to get involved in disaster resilience and climate adaptation efforts.

“Nations are gaining progress in promoting gender equality and women’s rights, but challenges will never go away and in most communities, there are continuing barriers to women empowerment. The vulnerability of women to disasters is among the challenges that must be addressed with urgency,” she stressed.

Legarda said that as disaster risks abound amid the fast changing environment, disasters affect yearly about 200 million people all over the world, half of them women or girls.

When Typhoon Haiyan lashed Central Philippines last year, more than 3.5 million women and girls were affected. Of this number, 250,000 were pregnant and 169,000 were breastfeeding, which means they have distinct nutritional needs that make it tougher for them to cope with disasters. Moreover, their displacement from their homes put them at greater risk of sexual violence and of falling prey to human traffickers.

Legarda said it is important to make gender-sensitive and risk-sensitive development policies, plans and programs, and women must be empowered to be part of the overall strategy on disaster risk reduction and management.

“To empower women is to reduce their vulnerability to disasters. Women at the grassroots are already embracing disaster risk reduction as their cause and have been effectively at the frontline of disaster prevention and climate adaptation efforts. Their efforts to keep their families safe and make their communities resilient contribute to building a safer Earth,” she added

“Women have a wealth of capacities that need to be harnessed. We need to tap these vital resources to achieve sustainable development, reduce disaster risks and promote resilience in our communities,” Legarda concluded.

Legarda Represents Phl at World Assembly for Women in Tokyo

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda will share the Philippine experience in fighting for women’s rights and closing the gender gap as she represents the country in the World Assembly for Women in Tokyo, Japan from September 12-14, 2014.

The Conference will open on Friday (September 12) with statements from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, International Monetary Fund Chairman Christine Lagarde, and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and a dialogue with the First Lady of Japan, Akie Abe, and former First Lady of UK, Cherie Blair.

Legarda, champion of women’s rights and author of various related laws in the Philippines, is the only Filipino who will participate in the high level international symposium. At the Great Round Table on Saturday (September 13), she will deliver the opening statement for a sub-group discussion on “A Society where Self-Determination of Women is Assured.”

In his invitation message, Prime Minister Abe said that the symposium intends to “identify the challenges for women to shine and work together to generate and disseminate new ideas, which will help enlarge shining societies in Asia and the rest of the world.”

Legarda said, “It is a privilege to represent the Philippines in this assembly on women empowerment. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is known for advocating women’s rights. We support him in creating a ‘society where women shine’ and we are more than willing to share our country’s good practices and challenges with Japan and other nations to help improve the lives and secure the rights of women around the world.“

The Senator will share the Philippines’ achievements and challenges in promoting women empowerment, especially in the area of disaster risk reduction and management.

She stressed that the vulnerability of women to disasters is another challenge to women empowerment that must be addressed with urgency.

Legarda sponsored the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, which provides for a gender-responsive and proactive response in lessening the impacts of disasters and climate change.

The Philippines has a multitude of laws for the protection of women and Legarda authored and sponsored many of these including the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act, Magna Carta of Women, Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, and the Domestic Workers Act.

The World Economic Forum ranked the Philippines 5th in its 2013 global survey of countries successful in closing the gender gap. In South and Southeast Asia, the Philippines was number one in 2013—an achievement recognized at the Women in Parliaments Global Forum Annual Summit in Brussels, Belgium where Legarda also represented the Philippines and received the award on behalf of the country.

Busan gears up for world-class hosting of ASEAN-ROK commemorative summit

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The renowned port city of Busan, which is the world’s 9^th most popular international meeting city located in the Republic of Korea, is all set to provide a world-class hosting of the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Republic of Korea (ROK) commemorative summit in December.

 

The summit, touted as a milestone marking the 25th Anniversary of the ASEAN-ROK Dialogue Relations, shall gather about 3,500 delegates including top leaders of 10 ASEAN member-countries, cabinet secretaries, entrepreneurs and media practitioners, according to Director Park Junwoo of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit 2014 support team.

 

It will be held at the 46,458 square meter Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (Bexco) onDecember 11-12, 2014.

 

A landmark of Busan, Bexco is a top-notch exhibition and convention hub which has successfully held many major international events, including the 55,000-strong International Lion’s Convention in 2012. It has transformed Busan into a meetings, incentive, convention and exhibition (MICE) center.

 

Park, who spoke before some 30 media practitioners from ASEAN countries in the recent ASEAN-ROK media exchange program in South Korea, said various renovation works are currently being done at Bexco to ensure that venues for the top-level summit measure up with world-class standards. Renovations, which started in August, are targeted to be finished by November, in time for the commemorative summit.

 

Venue improvements include setting up decoration to present Korean modern style, and using economic and environmentally-friendly materials for walls and lights to create warm and friendly atmosphere.

 

Organizers also gear up for citizen effort to create welcoming atmosphere by forming group mindset between citizens, in the areas of environment protection, traffic etiquette and volunteer activities.

 

Park also mentioned that they are instituting safety, protocol and transportation support to ensure smooth operation of the meeting.

 

Main events during the commemorative summit would include summit meeting, bilateral meeting, CEO summit, cultural events, among many others.

 

This year’s ASEAN-ROK commemorative summit bears the theme “Building Trust, Bringing Happiness,” which Park said expresses stronger partnership of trust and friendship between ASEAN and ROK.

 

The partnership, he added, is now looking forward to another fruitful twenty five years in which the two sides go beyond bilateral dimensions and cooperate more closely to address regional and global issues of common interest.

 

The event in December will be the second ASEAN-ROK commemorative summit. The first was done in 2009 in the then celebration of the 20 years of dialogue partnership between ASEAN and ROK.

 

ASEAN member-countries include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (William L. Beltran)

Building Resilience is an Attitude, Says Legarda at ADB Conference

MANILA-Amid the risks posed by climate change and extreme weather events, Senator Loren Legarda today said that a change in mindset is inevitable to be able to look at the opportunities in the face of threats.

“Building resilience is an attitude,” said Legarda at the Innovation and Learning in a Changing Asia Conference organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Legarda, UN Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for Asia-Pacific, is a panelist for the session Natural Hazards and Climate Change. Her co-panelists are Mohan Munasinghe, Founding Chairman of the Munasinghe Institute for Development, Colombo and recipient of Nobel Peace Prize 2007 as Vice Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; Brahma Chellaney, Professor of Strategic Studies, Center for Policy Research Dharm Marg, Chanankyapuri, New Delhi; and Fr. Jose Ramon T. Villarin, President of Ateneo De Manila University.

“Citizens of the Asia-Pacific region are more likely to be affected by natural hazards than citizens of other regions. We have been warned of the risks posed by climate change to poverty alleviation, food security and economic growth. Faced with these difficulties, it is a must that development policies should be towards sustainable and resilient growth. We must find innovative solutions to existing problems,” said Legarda.

The Senator explained that policies should mainstream disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in development plans, programs and budgets at the national and local levels.

Moreover, people can venture into developing climate change adaptation expertise or in other related areas, because a study done by Environmental Business International, Inc. estimates that, in the next seven years, the annual market for “climate adaptation services” will grow by 12 to 20 percent per year, becoming a $700-million annual market in the United States and $2 billion globally.

She added that disaster risk reduction should be viewed as an investment and not as additional expense. For instance, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has calculated that if the government of Pakistan invests on DRR now, it is projected to achieve approximately 25 percent more economic growth for the year 2042.

“We must promote the scaling up of existing government programs to rectify the social and economic structures that breed disaster risk and trap the poor in the vicious cycle of risk and poverty. Meanwhile, the private sector is encouraged to put disaster resilience at the core of their business strategies and to promote green policies,” she stressed.

“We must reduce the vulnerability and exposure of our people and our economy to the impact of natural hazards. The road towards this goal may be tough, but with the attitude of resilience and a strong resolve, we will be able to weather the many challenges of the fast changing environment,” Legarda concluded.***

Please find attached Opening Statement of Senator Loren Legarda delivered today, September 10, 2014, at the ADB Conference "Innovation and Learning in a Changing Asia," held at the ADB Headquarters, Manila, Philippines.

Gov't to spend P92.3 B for new teachers, classrooms, books, labs

MANILA-Government will be spending P92.3 billion next year to hire more teachers, build classrooms, close logistical gaps and meet the growing needs of 25 million public school students.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto described the proposed outlay as “unprecedented” both in money involved and expected outcomes.

Noting that the Department of Education’s budget will almost double to P309.4 billion next year from P174 billion in 2010, Recto said “mere simple addition was not the math used in computing it.”

“Numbers don’t lie. The government is investing more money in education,” he said.

For next year, government will be creating 39,066 teacher positions, which will cost P9.35 billion in initial salaries.

If hired, it will raise the number of authorized DepEd positions, including those of non-teaching employees, to 709,000, Recto explained.

“Also in the 2015 national budget is a funding request for P52.88 billion for the construction of 31,728 classrooms, repair of 9,500 classrooms, purchase of 1.3 million chairs, building of 13,586 toilets and water facilities, and 455 technical-vocational laboratories,” Recto said.

Government will also be buying 70 million textbooks and other instructional materials at a cost of P3.46 billion.

It will also outfit 24,208 classrooms with computers and IT equipment. “These e-classrooms, some of which will be WiFi-able, will have a total price tag of P8.53 billion,” Recto said.

To boost science and technology education, some 7,733 science and math laboratory equipment packages worth P4 billion will be procured.

Recto had earlier bewailed that 36,328 elementary schools “do not have a decent science lab.”

Other expenditures, he said, are in the form of direct assistance to students or for the training of teachers. “It will not just be about portals and mortar but helping people to achieve their potentials.”

Under this category is the P8.4 billion earmarked for one million Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) scholars.

The GASTPE program  involves the buying of seats in private schools to accommodate the spillover of enrollees from congested public schools.

As to teacher training, P2.05 billion will be set aside for the “retooling program” for 160,000 teachers to prepare them for the K to 12 curriculum.

Recto said public schools “will not only be nourishing the mind but the body as well” as it will enroll 630,000 undernourished kids in a feeding program for which P1.37 billion will be appropriated.

“Ito yung programang hindi ka lang magpapasok ng karunungan sa isip kundi pagkain rin sa katawan,” Recto said.

To bolster school participation rate, DepEd will also be reaching out to one million out-of-school youth under the “Abot-AlamProgram”, which will include alternative learning schemes and adult classes, all of which will cost P1.97 billion.

On a problem bugging many schools – the lack of land to build classrooms on -P200 million will also be appropriated for the purchase of school lots, Recto revealed.

Recto said education spending of the government “is a combination of catching up with existing backlogs and frontloading for future needs.”

According to Recto, the government’s K to 12 program requires huge investments and the budget is amortizing in advance what needs to be bought. 

“Previous budgets were downpayments. The 2015 budget is a continuation of the installment plan,” said the senator.     

While DepEd’s budget is officially pegged at P309.4 billion in the National Expenditure Program, the Department of Budget and Management claims that when other education-related expenditures lodged in other departments or parked in Special Purpose Funds are transferred or spent, they could boost DepEd’s budget to P365 billion.

Senate praises bravery of Filipino peacekeepers

The Senate today adopted a resolution commending the Filipino peacekeepers stationed at the Golan Heights for exhibiting bravery and resolve during a tense standoff against Syrian rebels.

Senate Resolutions 876, taking in consideration Senate Resolutions 877, 881 and 899, introduced by Senators Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, Teofisto “TG” Guingona III and Antonio “Sonny Trillanes IV lauded the “extraordinary valor” shown by the Filipino peacekeepers.”

According to the resolutions, the Filipino peacekeepers, together with the United Nations peacekeeping force, have been stationed in Golan Heights since 1974 to monitor a ceasefire between Israel and Syria.

Of the 331-strong Filipino contingent serving as part of the United Nations Disengagement Force in the Golan Heights, 75 were encamped at the region’s Positions 68 and 69.    

On August 28, 2014, Syrian rebels surrounded the two encampments and demanded that the Filipino peacekeepers surrender their firearms. Filipino peacekeepers refused, resulting in a standoff.

On August 30, 2014, 40 Filipino soldiers valiantly held their ground as around 100 rebels attacked Position 68 while 35 Filipino peacekeepers from Position 69 managed to leave their encampment with Irish peacekeepers securing their escape route. At midnight of the same day, the 40 Filipino soldiers from Position 68 also managed to flee, walking 2.3 kilometers to safety, as the rebels slept.

“Our Filipino peacekeepers exhibited extraordinary valor above and beyond their call of duty, demonstrating once again that Filipinos are among the bravest peacekeepers in the world,” Guingona said.

“Our soldiers’ brave front only proves that Filipinos will not back down from any challenge that we face,” said Senator Bam Aquino, who dubbed the Filipino peacekeepers as the new “action heroes of the world” for their bravery and resolve during a standoff with Syrian rebels in Golan Heights.(Yvonne Almiranez)

Senate passes bills to upgrade forestry law, metallurgical engineering law

The Senate today approved two bills on third and final reading seeking to upgrade the Forestry Profession Law and the Metallurgical Engineering Law to international standards.

            Sen. Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, author and sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2055 or the Forestry Profession Act 2014, said the measure seeks to repeal Republic Act No. 6239 and enact a more comprehensive law that will regulate the practice of forestry in the Philippines. The bill was also co-authored by Sen. Cynthia Villar.

            “The pressing concern of climate change has been aggravated by human-induced environmental destruction as well as by natural calamities. This necessitates a major reorientation of the Forestry profession which has remained unchanged since it was signed into law by former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1971,” Trillanes said.

            He said the bill seeks to remove a provision in the previous law that allows the registration of forestry practitioners even “without examination” and to define the scope of work of the forestry profession.

            “The measure is meant to enhance the standards of the forestry profession and to create a professional regulatory board. The bill also provides for a foreign reciprocity clause, continuing professional education and designation of an accredited integrated professional organization,” he said.

            Trillanes noted the shortage of foresters in the Philippines, which has 30 million hectares of land. While the ideal ratio is one forester to 5,000 hectares, Trillanes said the country has only 8,000 foresters. He said the passage of the measure into law would encourage students to enroll in the forestry and make it their career.

            “Forestry is already a dwindling profession and hardly a child would manifest the desire to become a forester someday. One of the objectives of the bill is to set the standards so that more courses in forestry would be offered in different universities across the country,” Trillanes said.

           

Also approved on third and final reading was Senate Bill No. 2103 or the Metallurgical Engineering Act of 2014.

Trillanes said the measure seeks to replace the existing Metallurgical Engineering Law created under Presidential Decree No. 1536 to make it more attuned to the recent developments in the field of technological advancements.

Like the Forestry profession, Trillanes said, SBN 2103 seeks to create a professional regulatory board which will supervise the practice of metallurgical engineering, including the conduct of examination for the prospective metallurgical engineers.

Trillanes said the bill also seeks to redefine the scope of practice of metallurgical engineering, providing for a clear delineation of functions against its allied professions such as mining engineering and geology.

“To mainstream metallurgical engineering practice in the country, there is a need to provide a stable and updated framework which will ensure for the country a capable and competitive stream of metallurgical engineer professionals. The country’s professionals must keep pace with the changing environment and this bill will help them do that,” Trillanes said.  (Pilar S. Macrohon)

Legarda Lauds Winning Curator, Thanks Participants in Open Call for PHL Participation in Venice Biennale 2015

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today lauded Dr. Patrick Flores, whose curatorial proposal was selected by a six-member board of jurors, including three international jurors, for the Philippine pavilion at the 56^th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale 2015, after a 50-year hiatus from the international contemporary art scene.

“I am happy for Dr. Flores for having been chosen as the curator for our national pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale 2015. His proposal exhibited intellectual rigor and depth and immense creativity. It was actually a tough choice to make because there were many other good proposals. The selection process was a democratic, inclusive process with no less than highly respected and credible people in the international contemporary art world as part of the panel of jurors,” said Legarda, who initiated the country’s return to the prestigious event.

Flores’ proposal titled, Tie A String Around the World, revolves around Manuel Conde’s 1950 film Genghis Khan, co-written and designed by Carlos Francisco, screened at the Museum of Modern Art and at the Venice Film Festival in 1952. Conde and Francisco are both National Artists.

The newly restored film Genghis Khan will be exhibited at the Pavilion and will be positioned in conversation with the contemporary art projects of intermedia artist Jose Tence Ruiz and filmmaker Mariano Montelibano III. The Pavilion seeks to initiate discussion on the history of the sea and its relationship with the current world, claims to patrimony, and the struggle of nation-states over vast and intensely contested nature. It locates the Philippines in the world through its deep ties to ancient cultures, its precocious modern art, and the critical responses of contemporary art to present predicaments. Through the work of artists across generations, this history is told as a history of art and a history of the world.

As she congratulated Flores, Legarda also thanked the other Filipino curators and artists who submitted their proposals.

“We thank all our curators and artists who joined the open call. Though their works were not chosen, we are grateful to them because they joined us in this undertaking and they allowed us to better appreciate Philippine contemporary art. Even our international jurors were very much impressed with the quality of most of the 16 submissions,” she said.

The esteemed panel of jurors, noted names in the field of modern and contemporary art and culture, was composed of Mami Kataoka, Chief Curator, Mori Art Museum in Tokyo; Paul Pfeiffer, New York-based multi-media artist; Renaud Proch, Executive Director, Independent Curators International; Cid Reyes, respected critic, artist, and writer; Felipe M. de Leon, Jr., Chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA); and Senator Legarda, principal advocate and visionary behind the Philippine participation at the Venice Biennale.

The panel deliberated on sixteen (16) proposals for two days from September 4 to 5, 2014, at the NCCA Boardroom in Intramuros, Manila.

“The open call and the deliberation of the panel were important processes not only with regard to our participation at the Venice Biennale 2015, but also for the Philippine contemporary art. I am happy because I can see that this will be a great start to enriching our craft and bringing our Filipino curators and artists to the global contemporary art scene,” Legarda concluded.

NOTORIOUS DRUG PUSHERS ARRESTED BY POLICE

CAMP OLIVAS, CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA- On its aggressive campaign to eradicate the proliferation of illegal drugs and loose firearms in the region, Police Regional Office 3 scored anew as Guimba’s notorious drug pushers have been arrested by elements of Guimba Municipal Police Station through the implementation of search warrant in the dawn of September 7, 2014.

            Police operatives armed with Search Warrants issued by Hon. Ramon D Palumar, Executive Judge of Regional Trial Court Branch 32, Guimba, Nueva Ecija proceeded at Brgy Sta Veronica, Guimba, Nueva Ecija and arrested the following persons: Ramir CANDELARIA y Bravo; Ferdinand GUEVARRA y Eugenio; and, Jeffrey BERNAL y Nilo, all residents of said place.

           Confiscated from suspects’ possession were the following: twenty two (22) pcs of heat sealed plastic sachets containing suspected shabu including one (1) big plastic containing suspected shabu, all weighing fifteen grams with an estimated value of One hundred Five Thousand Pesos (Php 105,000.00); cash money amounting to Fifty Seven Thousand Four Hundred Eighty Pesos (Php 57, 480.00); one (1) cal. 45 with (two) 2 magazines and twenty five (25) live ammunition; one (1) air gun and different drug paraphernalia; and, one (1) CCTV camera.

            Arrested suspects were brought to Guimba Police Station while appropriate charges are being readied against them.  

             PCSUPT PETRASANTA said that PNP PRO3 is continuously conducting pro-active operations and invigorates its efforts to wipe out all forms of illegal drugs in order to achieve its quest for a drug free Central Luzon.