Oldest Filipino bishop marks Golden Jubilee

SAN PABLO City, July 22, 2011―Bishop Pedro N. Bantigue, the first Bishop of San Pablo, will celebrate his fiftieth anniversary as a bishop come July 25, Feast of Saint James the Apostle.

The announcement was made by Msgr. Melchor A. Barcenas, the Vicar General of the Diocese of San Pablo, last July 18, during the monthly Clergy Assembly.

A celebration is scheduled on July 25 to commemorate the 50th Episcopal Anniversary of Bishop Bantigue and the 24th Episcopal Anniversary of San Pablo Bishop Leo M. Drona, who was also ordained bishop on the same date last 1987.

To mark the event, a solemn Mass is scheduled at 5:15 pm at the Cathedral of Saint Paul the First Hermit, San Pablo City, and will be followed by a simple dinner at the Bishop’s Residence. Bishops, priests, religious and laity are expected to grace the event.

Bishop Bantigue is currently the oldest living Filipino bishop, by age and by date of episcopal ordination. He was ordained bishop on 25 July 1961 by His Eminence Rufino Jiao Santos, the Cardinal-Archbishop of Manila, and was given the Titular See of Catula and appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Manila.

Upon the creation of the Diocese of San Pablo in the Philippine Islands, Bishop Bantigue was appointed its first bishop by Pope Paul VI.

Born in Hagonoy (Bulacan) on January 31, 1920, Bishop Bantigue proved to be a trusted priest in the Archdiocese of Manila. Shortly after his priestly ordination in 1945, he served as Private Secretary to three archbishops of Manila: Archbishop Michael J. O’Doherty, Archbishop Gabriel Reyes, and Cardinal-Archbishop Santos. As a young prelate, he participated in the third session (14 September to 21 November 1964) of the Second Vatican Council .

Upon becoming the first Bishop of San Pablo, Bishop Bantigue guided the newly erected diocese in its early years. One of his hallmark acts as its Bishop is the convocation of the First Diocesan Synod of San Pablo in 1994.

After twenty eight years of being the Pastor of the flock of San Pablo diocese, Bishop Bantigue retired at the age of seventy five years and four months. He was succeeded by Bishop Francisco C. San Diego.

At present, the Diocese of San Pablo has Bishop Leo M. Drona as its current shepherd.

July 25 is a double celebration in the Diocese of San Pablo, for it marks the celebration of two great jubilees: that of its first shepherd and its current Bishop. (Fr. David Reyes)

After giving money, TV host donates cars to bishops

MANILA, July 21, 2011— After donating cash yesterday, television host Willie Revillame is giving two new vehicles for the charity work of some Catholic dioceses.

Lawyer Romulo Macalintal said that Revillame is donating one Foton 15-seater van and one Foton pick-up car.

“Revillame is making the donation to show his deep concern for the needs of our bishops,” Macalintal said.

Yesterday, the television personality also donated P100,000 to a fund drive that will be used to buy utility vehicles for some dioceses.

The total donation has already reached P1.5 million as of July 21, nine days after the fund raising campaign was launched.

Macalintal and former Mayor Lito Atienza are leading the fundraising drive for the seven bishops who were maligned over the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) donations controversy.

Last week, the prelates, four from Mindanao and three Northern Luzon dioceses, returned the utility vehicles which they bought from PCSO donations in 2009.

The decision was made after the current PCSO administration told media that former President Gloria Arroyo distributed “luxury vehicles for personal use” of some bishops for political reasons.

The prelates, however, clarified that what they got were not luxury cars but utility vehicles for Church-operated missions. [CBCPNews]

Angara bats to create a world-class infra to boost Phl tourism industry

MANILA, July 21, 2011-To create world-class infrastructure that would boost tourism industry throughout the country, Senator Edgardo J. Angara bats the government and the private sector to work hand-in-hand in his goal for better development of the country in his keynote address at the 4th General Membership Meeting of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association.

Angara revealed that the Philippines ranked 94th out of 139 countries in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2011 on a global scale, and 18th of 26 in the Asia-Pacific regional index despite offering some of the best value-for-money tourist prices. 

“One of the reasons for this is the dismal state of infrastructure in the country and we belong to the bottom quartile of the index in most aspects of infrastructure,” Angara lamented, figuring in air transport, 112th; roads, 114th; and 131st in both port infrastructure and ground transport network.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara

“We may have the most breathtaking sights and gorgeous seascapes, but without the necessary infrastructure, tourists will not be able to get to them with ease, if at all,” Angara added.

World Bank study revealed that asserting that the poor quality of infrastructure curbs tourism by impeding mobility, allowing only limited choices of transport and raising vehicle operating cost per kilometer. Studies of the World Bank also show a positive correlation between the quality of airports and the number of foreign tourist arrivals.

Angara is taking steps to ensure that such quality infrastructure is built in the Philippines, beginning in his hometown province in Aurora. The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) is an emerging haven that exhibits the marriage of nature and modernization, adding that to encourage access to the area, while preserving the biodiversity, roads and  airport have been built.

APECO office, Casiguran, Aurora.

Earlier, four (4) Taiwanese companies signed up to locate in Aurora as they believe that APECO generates greater interest among international investors.

Angara is optimistic that this vision can become a reality in the near future, the first in the regions and to the nation at large.

It is being primed as the country’s premier Gateway to the Pacific due to its strategic location where its accessibility to Manila and to other logistic and investment hubs in Luzon via land, water and air that makes it ideal for business climate. (Jason de Asis)

Angara urged Phl geodetic engineers to lead remote sensing in agriculture

MANILA, July 21, 2011-“I urged the country’s geodetic engineers to take the lead in researching the utilization of remote sensing technology for our agriculture to get precise agricultural information,” Senator Edgardo J. Angara, chair of the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering (COMSTE) said, citing the research undertaken by COMSTE.

In the recent induction ceremonies of the Geodetic Engineers’ Development Foundation, Inc., Angara said that there are numerous advantages of utilizing remote sensing data to get exact information on agriculture, saying that remote sensing technology allows farmers to make the best decisions in managing their crops properly through satellite images of agricultural crops and other relevant data on agriculture.

“Our farmers and fisherfolks will be guided on appropriate land use and cropping intensity through the use of remote sensing where it will provide with detection and early warning mechanisms against pest, diseases and inclement weather, Angara said, adding that they will also be better equipped to deal with pollution, disasters and health hazards; thus, remote sensing will be instrumental in averting food crises and attaining food security in the country.

Angara added that remote sensing can also be utilized in establishing information systems that reduce the risks arising from disasters and build up society's resilience to natural catastrophes and climate change. “This forms part of what I call technology-based disaster management. I believe that over the long term, mitigation will prove to be more valuable than relief,” Angara furthered. 

“Geodetic engineering has wide applications in land surverying; point positioning, which includes triangulation with Global Position System (GPS) satellites; remote sensing technologies; and geographic information systems (GIS) where it also involves gathering physical data on the surface of the earth through the use of precision instruments, as well as the scientific and methodical processing of data into graphs, plans, maps, charts or documents,” Angara ended. (Jason de Asis)

‘Silent march’ vs RH bill set on SONA day

MANILA, July 21, 2011— A “massive” rally will be staged on Monday, in time for President Aquino’s State of the Nation Address, to oppose the passage of the proposed reproductive health (RH) bill.

Dubbed as the “State of the Soul of the Nation Address,” the gathering will also mark the 43rd anniversary of the Humanae Vitae that deals with the Church’s uncompromising stand on artificial birth control.

Organized by the Pro-Life Philippines Foundation, the rally will also bring together various religious leaders from Muslim and Christian Churches.

“It is in these momentous events that we deem it necessary to hold an activity that calls for the restoration of moral integrity in our country especially on issues that largely affect the family and the sanctity of human life,” said Eric Manalang, president of Pro-Life Philippines.

The rally will be started with a Mass to be presided by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo with healing priest Fr. Fernando Suarez inside the Santuario De San Jose Parish Church in Greenhills, San Juan at 9am.

After the liturgical celebration, a “silent march” to Club Filipino, also in Greenhills, will follow and culminate with a short program to be led by various heads of the inter-faith alliance at the Corazon Aquino Kalayaan Hall.

“A consolidated statement written by both religious and political leaders addressing the need to unite Filipinos in rekindling the deteriorating status of morality in governance will be read and will be conveyed to President Aquino himself during the activities,” Manalang said. [CBCPNews]

Hacienda Luisita’s ‘bungkalan’ garners support from city govt.

MANILA, July 21, 2011—Farmer-workers in the disputed Hacienda Luisista have found a new ally, as the Council of Tarlac City has unanimously approved City Resolution No. 293, supporting the move by the farm-worker beneficiaries to till the portion of the hacienda, now owned by the Yuchengco Group of Companies, under the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

The Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) said in a statement that the resolution was ratified and adopted by the City Council last July 14.

The Resolution urges the Supreme Court to revoke its earlier decision for a referendum regarding the fate of the hacienda, and to distribute the lands of the hacienda without any condition.

Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AMGL) vice chair Fidel Castro said, it was City Councilor Emily L. Facunla who personally delivered the copy of the resolution to AMBALA’s campout, inside the hacienda. Facunla, the sister of the late Abel Ladera, who was shot by unknown assassins, on March 3, 2005, was the first city official to visit the farmers’ campout in Barangay Balite, where the RCBC land is found.

“The farm-workers are very happy with the visit of councilor Facunla, especially when she expressed support of the bungkalan (tilling). She is the first government official, aside from the barangay officials, who visited the camp-out,” Castro said.

The bungkalan, which has started last June 15th, is a very historic event, since the portion of the land in the hacienda is converted into a communal farm, Castro said.

Castro explained that they opt to defy the High Tribunal’s decision to have a referendum, and even to face the legal consequences of their actions, as land conversion will impede the productivity of the hacienda as food-producing farm.

The RCBC aims to develop the land into an industrial park, covering more than 1/5 of the 500 hectare property, to house different Japanese companies.

Today, the farm-workers in the hacienda will march to the streets of Tarlac City to protest the non-distribution of the land. Expected to join them are more than 1,000 farmers from different parts of Region 3.

Meanwhile, the farm-workers and their supporters will file, before the Supreme Court, a motion for reconsideration against the proposed referendum, and then later will join the interfaith rally, organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines [CBCP]-Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace (ECSA-JP) and the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan. (Noel Sales Barcelona)

Four (4) Nueva Ecija robbers killed in shoot-out

SANTO DOMINGO, Nueva Ecija, July 20, 2011-Senior Superintendent Roberto L. Aliggayu, provincial police director reported that four suspected robbers believed to be members of a dreaded robbery-holdup gang who were responsible for a string of incidents in northern province were slain in a shoot-out with Nueva Ecija cops shortly after the suspects held-up a Baliwag Transit bus bound for Manila at dawn here today.

“The robbers who were killed in action (KIA) were Daryl Germino, Jeric Ace Dela Cruz, Raymund Dela Cruz and Mandy Villa, all of barangay Maliolio, Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija,” Aliggayu said, explaining that the four belonged to Petinez group who were responsible in the series of robbery-hold-up incidents in the towns of Talavera and Guimba, Muñoz Science City and San Jose City.

He said that around four in the morning, the Sto. Domingo police led by Chief Inspector Eric De Venancio conducted hot pursuit operations against the suspects shortly after they robbed a Manila-bound Baliwag Transit bus with license plate CBS-472.

The four suspects flagged down the bus in barangay Malasin, San Jose City and at gunpoint announced the heist and thereby divesting the passengers’ cash money, mobile phones, jewelries, and other valuable belongings of the victims then fled aboard with two motorcycles.

Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija Police Station.

Authorities conducted hot pursuit operation where the lawmen gave chase after the fleeing suspects were spotted driving along barangay Burgos here.

“The suspects were told to stop by the police but instead they fired at our police that brought to instantaneous firefight which resulted to the death of the culprits,” Aliggayu said.

Cops recovered from the scene of the crime caliber 45 pistol with magazine, two caliber 38 revolvers, a hand grenade, bag containing the loot, several empty shells for caliber 45 and 38, crash helmet and two motorcycles. (Jason de Asis)

Audit own intel funds, P-Noy told

MANILA, July 20, 2011—The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) urged the Aquino government to properly, transparently and completely audit the intelligence funds, amounting to P1.46 billion (US$34.05 million), which Congress has approved last year.

Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya’s national chair, said the President should inform the public how the amount is used and being used, as the said fund is now hounded by controversy, in relation to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s “intelligence funds scam,” which the Philippine Senate is now investigating.

“Mr. Aquino is legally obliged and morally bound to make an objective and transparent reporting. He should let COA [Commission on Audit] and an independent audit group to conduct an external audit of the P 1.46 B presidential pork barrel packaged as presidential intelligence funds,” Hicap said.

For years, the President’s “pork” had been speculated as being used in corruption and in some activities that do not benefit the public.

Intelligence or special fund for the President represents a portion of the total funds allocated to the Office of the President. The Online Free Dictionary says the fund, supposedly, is “for intelligence activities when the use of other funds is not applicable or would either jeopardize or impede the mission of the intelligence unit.” However, this fund, according to some critics is not subject to auditing, thus, it is prone to misusage and corruption.

On the other hand, the intelligence fund is not the only “highly questionable” money allotted to different agencies and instrumentalities, under the Office of the President.

Independent think-tank IBON Foundation says, 15 percent of the approved funds for 2011 are “ambiguous” as their use is improperly or ambiguously identified.

“These funds, composed of big budget items for no properly identified purpose, run contrary to the administration’s declared thrust of transparency and accountability,” said IBON in a statement.

IBON has enumerated the “ambiguous funds” as follows: 1) the P66.91-billion un-programmed funds and P1-billion contingent fund subject to essentially presidential discretion; 2) the P29.29-billion fund for the greatly expanded Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program (4Ps) and National Household Targeting System, as the DSWD has yet to properly establish that it has the capacity to implement the huge increase in the program and budget; 3) P15-billion fund divided equally among three ambiguous “public-private partnership support funds” under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and the Department of Agriculture; 4) P2.34-billion fund to the military for “support to national development” which is even a matter more appropriately left to civilian departments; 5) P1.46 billion in intelligence funds, which is P403 million more than in Arroyo’s 2010 budget; 6) P1.19 billion for “major information and communication technology projects”, which is reminiscent of the failed NBN-ZTE deal; and 7) the P24.82 billion for the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), which increased from PhP10.9 billion in 2010.

IBON said the aforementioned items “should be completely justified with their purposes, programs and project specified.”

“There should also be a significant, if not full, audit and itemization of funds use in time for the budget season next year. These, the group said, are some steps towards greater transparency,” IBON further stated.

Meanwhile, IBON has advised the Congress to ‘clip’ the powers of the Chief Executive to withhold budget releases as the lump-sum funds are often used as “pork barrel” for the president.

“Doing this undermines their patronage character and will make them less prone to abuse,” IBON explained. (Noel Sales Barcelona)

Hospital demonstrates Camillian charity in songs, dances

MATI, Davao Oriental, July 20, 2011―St. Camillus Hospital in Madang, Mati City demonstrated the unique form of charity lived out by St. Camillus de Lellis through songs and dances in celebration of the 379th death anniversary/feast day of their patron saint and founder of the Camillian Order, now known as the Ministers of the Infirm (MI), last July 14.

Four departments of the hospital interpreted the life, conversion, calling, and relevance of St. Camillus to today’s world, particularly in the diocese of Mati. The General Services, Administrative, Nursing & Medical, and Community Based Health Care Program (CBHCP) sections colorfully created their own artistic versions of Camillian Spirituality through combined song, dance, video, drama, and lighting effects. Comical portions and audience cheers and laughter balanced the seriousness of the life of the soldier-gambler-turned priest-saint.

Prizes were awarded to all four departments that depicted the saint’s living charism of compassionate charity to the sick, after he himself had experienced deep pain and isolation as a wounded sick person, hankering for a caring, healing touch. Not finding priests who focused on the special needs of the sick and the dying, Camillus decided to be one and founded a community dedicated to the ministry of the infirm.

The MI community describes their spirituality as "Seeing Christ in the sick, Being Christ for the sick."

Fr. Angel V. Crisostomo, MI, hospital director, explained that the charism or spirituality of their founder was truly alive, not just in their own community, but among their associates and friends. He described their charism as “a new school of charity for the sick, open to everyone who attends with deep, sincere, heartfelt care for the sick anywhere, near or far, living out the compassion of Jesus for the sick, so that total well-being is given to the sick person.”

Fr. Crisostomo further announced that their congregation in Rome is currently preparing needed documents to be submitted to the Vatican for the purpose of recognizing St. Camillus as a Doctor of the Church because of his new school of charity specially directed to the sick. St. Camillus is well remembered for his words: “I wish I had a hundred arms to do more for the sick.”

Hospital staff and visitors had their chance to share their views on the Camillian spirituality during the Triduum Masses from July 11-13, 2011. In one sharing session, anesthesiologist Dra. Delia Mayol said “Medicines can kill germs, but to totally heal the person, you need love and compassion.”

"God goes straight through crooked lines,” Bishop Patricio H. Alo said of the Sinner-turned-Saint during the Eucharistic Celebration, adding that “St. Camillus teaches us service from the heart and to do good deeds without expecting something in return. Like other great evangelizers, his example was founded on the word of God, as we read in Matthew chapter 25: I was sick and you visited me…whatever you did to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.” (Sr. Marietta Alo, OND)

Willie Revillame gives 100k to buy new cars for bishops

MANILA, July 20, 2011— Television personality Willie Revillame has emerged as one of the generous philanthropists to a fund raising campaign for the purchase of vehicles for some Catholic dioceses.

Lawyer Romulo Macalintal said Revillame donated P100, 000 turning the total donations to P1.5 million as of Wednesday or eight days after they started the fund drive.

Macalintal and former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza are leading the fund raising drive in support of seven bishops who bought utility vehicles from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office donations in 2009.

The bishops, however, surrendered the vehicles to the government last week amid allegations that the vehicles were given to them by former President Gloria Arroyo for political allegiance.

Macalintal said they are looking at seeking donations from Catholic parishioners to raise P8.2 million, the amount that the prelates received from the state-run lottery.

On Saturday, he said, they will bring the fund raising campaign to Cebu City to gather more funds, despite some negative reactions by some Catholic priests.

Macalintal was referring to statements made by Fr. Robert Reyes and Fr. Edu Gariguez against former presidential son Rep. Mikey Arroyo who also donated P50, 000.

“I’m so sad and disheartened to read negative reactions by some Catholic priests on donations made by Cong. Mikey Arroyo and other people identified with former President Arroyo to the fund raising for our bishops,” he said.

“In my 27 years service in the ministry of the liturgy in the Catholic Church, I have been taught by our priests and the Bible not to be judgmental which obviously is expected of a priest,” said Macalintal.

Gariguez, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ National Secretariat for Social Action, yesterday said that prelates should refuse the financial aid partially funded by younger Arroyo.

“This is more embarrassing for the Catholic Church that there would be money coming from the Arroyos. This is why in this early stage, we are already saying that we are against it,” he said.

“If you will ask me, it would be better if I would ride a bicycle,” Gariguez added.

Reyes, an activist priest, also said that instead of accepting donation from Arroyo, they should look for other sources to meet their financial needs.

He added that church leaders should not choose convenience over propriety and morality because it would make them weak and vulnerable.

Others who donated were Sen. Vicente Sotto (P200,000), Sen. Francis Escudero (P100,000), Radyo Veritas (P100,000) and Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing (P100,000), former Senator Ernie Maceda (10,000), and Jojo Mitra, eldest son of former speaker and the late Ramon Mitra (50,000).

Senator Bong Revilla and his wife Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado also reportedly pledged to give P200,000. [CBCPNews]

NIA exec assures enough water supplies on P100 million water sports complex

PALAYAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, July 20, 2011-The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) administrator Antonio Nangel, Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems operations manager Reynaldo Puno and Governor Aurelio Umali guaranteed that the Aulo Dam will have adequate water amid concerns that the irrigation facilities might dry up and do not have enough water for the proposed P100-million water sports complex and theme park being eyed for the construction by the provincial government.     

“The dam has enough water to accommodate the water sports complex project,” they said, explaining that the province tourism project, which is meant to propel as the new tourist mecca, centers on the development of the Aulo Dam as the nerve center of water sports activities, similar to the CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC), which has emerged as  the country’s biggest tourist attraction because of its water sporting events.

The development of the P295-million, 27-meter high Aulo Dam, which irrigates 810 hectares, will be undertaken by the provincial government through a P100-million loan package in collaboration with the Department of National Defense (DND), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the NIA.

“The Aulo Dam is very much like CamSur except that what will be developed is a dam, unlike CamSur which developed a man-made lake, adding that the provincial government has hired CamSur Governor Luis Raymond “LRay” Villafuerte as consultant in developing the tourism park and sports complex,” Umali said.

Puno, whose UPRIIS operates the Pantabangan Dam and smaller dams like the Aulo Dam said that they have already devised a way to ensure that the dam will have enough water supply for the operations of the water sports complex.

“The NIA has decided to forego a third cropping so that water will be available at the dam’s reservoir year-round. We will no longer do a third cropping to make sure that water level remains normal,” Puno said.

“Nangel and I have agreed to heighten the spillway level by 1.5 meters and to hold dredging operations to increase its storage capacity. The NIA central office is allocating P20 to P25 million for the dredging of the dam’s reservoir,” Puno said.      

Puno added that he and Nangel were both assured by Umali of the availability of the P100-million funding for the project which will start construction in 2012.

Umali, Vice Governor Jose Gay Padiernos and other local officials in the province recently visited CamSur and were awed by its success story in tourism which propelled it into greater economic heights.

The CWC features a world-class six-hectare complex with a six-point cable ski system for cable skiing, wakeboarding, knee boarding, water skiing and wake skating. It is now widely known as the best cable park in Asia.

Across the road from the CWC is the Lago del Rey family entertainment and water sports facility where a giant man-made lake features water slides, an aqua obstacle course and boat-towed wakeboarding and skiing. Families can go swimming, kayaking, dragon boating, aqua wall climbing or play water volleyball and water polo.            

Tourists and water sports enthusiasts from around the world have flocked to seek out adventures in CamSur, which will host the 22^nd Philippine Advertising Congress in November. It has hosted several high-profile events, including the annual Summit Water CamSur Marathon and the Ultimate Wake Championship, two of the country’s most important sporting events which include athletes from as far as the United States, Europe, South Africa and from all over Asia.

Prior to the establishment of its water sports complex, CamSur was mired as the 39^th poorest province in the country but has since emerged as the 10^th richest province.

The CamSur local government is the only eco-tourism zone in the country endorsed by the Department of Trade and Industry’s special attached agency, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority nowadays. 

Umali said that it’s amazing how tourists now go gaga over CamSur. We have to learn from its experiences and take it from there to carve a niche for Nueva Ecija as an emerging tourist mecca.

“The Aulo Development Park will feature a zipline, zafari and zoo and offer activities for wakeboarding, motorbike, mountain trail and camp site,” Umali ended. (Jason de Asis)

Taiwanese big firms eye investments in Aurora ecozone

CASIGURAN, Aurora, July 19, 2011-Aurora Pacific Economic Zone (APECO) president and chief executive Robbie Mathay told newsmen that four major Taiwanese companies with diversified business interests are investing in agribusiness, mariculture and port construction here.

Mathay identified the Taiwanese big firms as the Chinabond International Co. Ltd, TP Color Corporation, Great Sun Optoelectronic and Philippine Kingford, Inc., saying that the firm representatives signed a Memorandum of Understanding with APECO officials last Monday.

Mr. Roberto K. Mathay, APECO President and CEO finalizes
the details of the agreement with Mr. Chen Chung-Lu, Chairman of TP Colors Corporation

The four firms affirmed in the recent signing rites their commitment to help develop Aurora ecozone into a leading global transhipment and investment hub in the Pacific region.  During the signing, Senator Edgardo J. Angara said that these taiwanese firm investments recognize the ecozone’s enormous potential for business expansion.

Angara and his son, Representative Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, authored Republic Act 9490 creating the APECO, saying that it spans 1,000 hectares of land in the town of Casiguran with a custom-designed seaport and airport that will drive economic activity in agro-industries, mariculture and ecotourism.

“The entry of the four (4) firms is a strong vote of confidence on APECO, adding that they are pioneering Public-Private Partnership (PPPs) in an ecozone that will engineer sustainable rural development across the country’s eastern side,” Angara said, noting that infrastructure development and investment inflow have always tilted to the western side of the country and that the ecozone provides a long-overdue opportunity for the provinces along the country’s eastern seaboard to benefit from development.

Mr. Roberto K. Mathay, APECO President and CEO; 

Mr. Norberto Ferreras of Aurora Grains Inc. 

and Dr. Eusebio Angara, President of Aurora State College of Technology 

with Mr. Jimmy MA , General Manager of China Bond International Inc.

 

“Even Northeast and Central Luzon will gain from positive spillover effects such as income and job creation and the Aurora Ecozone’s economic activities would also benefit the provinces of Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino,” Angara added.

Since the 1980’s, Chinabond has been in the mining industry but is now venturing into organic rice production in APECO which aims to improve the quality and yield of local rice varieties in the province. “They are also looking into further investments in hog raising, feed processing and hydroelectric power generation,” Angara furthered.

TP Color Corporation is in the mining industry which is set to expand into a port construction and operation. Its’ initial plan is to establish a port facility in APECO then later on venture into the aquaculture business.

Philippine Kingford is a company that specializes in tuna export, ship repair and freight forwarding where they choose APECO as the site for its expansion into milkfish and grouper production for which it will build its own facility inside the ecozone.

Mr. Roberto K. Mathay, APECO President and CEO (in orange) with

 (L-R) Department of Agriculture’s Consultant for Fisheries

Mr. Malcolm Sarmiento, Atty. Gau Pronove of Eco Market Solution, 

Mr. Jimmy Ma, General Manager of ChinaBond International;

 Mrs. Cheng Yeh-Hsin, General Manager of TP Colors Corporation;

 Mr. Chen Chung-Lu, Chairman of  TP Colors Corporation, 

Mr. Kuo –Kai Liao, Chairman of Great Sun Optoelectronics;

 Mr. Joseph Chiu, President of Philippine Kingford Inc. and

 Chairman of the Board, Taiwan Chamber of Commerce &

Industry in the Philippines, Inc.; Mr. Chi-Ming Chen,

General Manager of Great Sun Optoelectronics

Great Sun Optoelectronic is a highly diversified company engaged in construction, trading, manufacturing computer and TV monitors and providing medical services. It will invest in an aquaculture facility for milkfish and grouper breeding, as well as a coconut processing plant.

“These investors are capitalizing on the competitive advantages of the province in agriculture and mariculture-related industries,” Mathay said, explaining that they are aware that the province is among the few provinces in the country that is rich in natural resources.

“We are committed to harnessing these for development in sustainable ways for the benefit of the province,” he added, explaining that the Aurora ecozone is being primed as the country’s premier Gateway to the Pacific owing to its strategic location where its accessibility to Manila and to other logistic and investment hubs in Luzon via land, water and air makes it ideal for the inflow of commerce, trade and industry. (Jason de Asis)

Choose self-control, shun birth control – youth

MANILA, July 19, 2011―A student from the University of the Philippines, a school long regarded as among those going with the flow when it comes to support for the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, gave a hopeful picture of how much young people are capable of understanding.

John Juat, a member of the group UP Against the RH Bill, saw through the supposedly good intentions of the RH bill, citing the dangers that the P3 billion-a-year measure posed on the youth.

What’s wrong with birth control?

Focusing on taxpayer-funded distribution and procurement of birth control supplies, he said that “the youth are in danger of accepting the idea that it is responsible to use contraceptives, when it is clear that by using these, we go against the real design of sex which is for intimacy of the couple and openness to life.”

The bill also misleads young people into “believing that contraceptives are safe, when there are more than 60 documented side-effects of contraceptives. The youth are in danger of thinking that contraceptives will protect us from different STDs, when the only real solution is chastity and self-control,” pointed out the 21-year-old, who was among the students who took part in the July 1 silent protest against the RH bill in UP Diliman.

Confusing love with lust

Juat added that a birth control measure will make it even more difficult for the youth to recognize love and to differentiate it from lust.

“Contraceptives degrade the dignity of a person, making that person a mere object of pleasure and making sex selfish rather than self-giving. Contraceptives will make men predators rather than protectors of women, and women objects rather than persons,” he lamented.

The solutions to the country’s problem lie in proper allocation of funds and in strengthening our values, he said.

“We are a nation that is pro-life, pro-family, and pro-God. We must be strong in these values…and every law made should be for the common good. As a youth and as a concerned citizen who loves our country dearly, I know that the RH bill will only make our country’s problems worse.

“Let us not sacrifice morality for money. Let us instead work on reviving our Filipino values, protecting the family and valuing life,” Juat concluded.

Juat was one of the panelists at the press conference held by the Interfaith Pro-Life Coalition, which has issued a call for moral recovery and threw its support behind the government’s fight against all forms of corruption.

The group—composed of Catholics, Baptists, evangelical Christians and Muslims–is leading a “Congress of the Faithful” on July 25 to manifest the people’s perspective on the real state of the nation. (CBCP for Life)