Navy awards 'Captain Bok' in Cebu Pacific mishap

 News
Jun 142013
 
Navy awards 'Captain Bok' in Cebu Pacific mishap

Navy ENS Marlon Bo receives medal for helping CebuPac passengers. Philippine Navy Capt. Jesulito Calimag, deputy commander of the Naval Reserve Command in Intramuros, Manila, pins a commendation medal on ENS Marlon Bo on Friday, June 14. Bo, a Navy reservist, helped calm down and assisted the stricken passengers of the Cebu Pacific plane that skidded off the Davao Int’l Airport runway on June 2. Danny Pata When Ensign Marlon Bo, a naval reserve officer, boarded Cebu Pacific’s Flight 5J-971 as a passenger on June 2, he didn’t know he’d emerge from it a hero. Bo was the “Captain Bok” referred to by the flight’s passengers who they said helped maintain calm after the plane skidded off the runway of the Davao International Airport on that day. “They thought I was the captain,” a visibly happy Bo told GMA News Online on Friday. “But I was actually wearing shorts and sandals that time.” For his deeds, the Philippine Navy awarded Bo with the Military Commendation Medal at the Navy Reserve Command Headquarters in Intramuros. Bo was mentioned in a personal account of one of the passengers, describing him as a “guiding voice” at the time of the incident, which paralyzed the operations of the Davao airport for almost two days. Captain Bok “It took the courage of one person, whom we only know as Captain Bok from the Philippine Navy, to stand up and calm everyone down. He knew what he was doing and he was in control even when the Read More …

Ateneo de Davao grad tops 901 Architect Licensure Exam passers

 News
Jun 142013
 
Ateneo de Davao grad tops 901 Architect Licensure Exam passers

A graduate from Ateneo de Davao University topped the list of 901 passers of the Architect Licensure Examination given early this month, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced Friday. Kenneth Yap Hubiera garnered 86.00 percentage points, followed by Dale Jon Cortez Esconde of the University of the Philippines-Diliman with 85.90. Tied at third place were Justin Santos Roque from Holy Angel University and Patrick Andrew Tanhuanco Yuchenkang from University of Santo Tomas, both with 85.00. [Click here for the complete list of passers.] The rest of the Top 10 were: 4. LINDON ACENA  FONTEJON – UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN PHILIPPINES-VIGAN (84.90)    ROGER MENDOZA  SARMIENTO III – POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MAIN-STA. MESA (84.90)    CLARISSA MAY MENDOZA  SEGURA – ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY (84.90) 5. PEDRO MIRANDA  SANTOS JR – UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN (84.70) 6. MISAEL RENZ COSTALES  GRANIL – TARLAC STATE UNIVERSITY  (TARLAC COLLEGE OF TECH.) (84.20)    JAHZEEL VELOSO  MAGDADARO – UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MINDANAO (84.20) 7. REBECCA ABODA  CANTALEJO – UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN (84.00)    CATHERINE MARIE TANCHICO  REYES – UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN (84.00) 8. ROBERT CRIS ZAMORA  BUNDANG – TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA (83.90)    VALERIE ANNE PATRICIA ADRIANO  CONSUNJI – UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN (83.90) 9. JANFOUR OLBOC  CUALES – UNIVERSITY OF SAN CARLOS (83.80) 10. MARK JOSEPH ANTISODA  BAGONGON – MINDANAO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY-CDO (83.60) The PRC said a total of 1,767 took the exam that was given last June 7 and 9 in Manila. It said registration for the issuance of Professional Read More …

Israel commends Filipino peacekeepers

 News
Jun 142013
 
Israel commends Filipino peacekeepers

By Frances MangosingINQUIRER.net 7:53 pm | Friday, June 14th, 2013 Israeli soldiers stand on top of a Merkava tank stationed in the Israeli annexed Golan Heights near the border with Syria on May 26, 2013. A former commander of UN peacekeeping troops in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights has warned that the entire force would be in jeopardy if Austria withdraws. Austria — which provides the largest number of troops to the UN Disengagement Force (UNDOF) on the Golan — has threatened to withdraw its troops over concerns for their safety if the EU lifts an embargo on supplying arms to the Syrian opposition. AFP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Israel on Friday expressed gratitude to the Filipino peacekeepers “for their courage” and determination to keep peace in the volatile Golan Heights. “The government of Israel, through its Embassy in Manila, sincerely thanks the brave men and women of the Philippine Army for their courage and adherence to the goals of peace and security,” the Israeli Embassy in Manila posted in its Facebook account. The embassy tagged the Filipino soldiers as “world class.” The 341 Filipino members of the United Nations Disengagement Force now comprise the biggest contingent in the Golan Heights after Austria began pulling out its 377 troops amid intense fighting between Syrian troops and rebels. “The continued contribution and deployment of the Filipino contingency is an asset to international society as we highly respect the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Force. The Filipino soldier is, indeed, world-class,” the Read More …

Hot money outflow in May largest since 1999

 Economy
Jun 142013
 
Hot money outflow in May largest since 1999

MANILA, Philippines – Foreign portfolio investments slumped the most last month since 1999 after investors shied away from emerging markets on indications US stimulus measures will be scaled down. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Friday that portfolio placements— usually placed in the bond and stock markets— reversed to a net outflow of $640.84 million in May, the first for the year. A net outflow indicates more investments left the country than entered. The May tally was also the highest monthly outflow based on available records from the BSP website that dated back to 1999.  For the first five months though, portfolio investments— also called hot money for the ease they enter and exit economies— remained on the positive territory at $1.577 billion, up 74.4 percent from last year’s $904.16 million. The BSP expects hot money net inflow to reach $3 billion this year, although that amount may be revised next week. “The announcement of a possible scaling down of quantitative easing (QE) in the United States” drove investors to withdraw funds from emerging markets such as the Philippines last month, the BSP said in a statement. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 As the United States economy showed signs of recovery, the US Federal Reserve has signaled last month that some of its members favor a “downward” adjustment to its QE, which involves the purchase of $85 billion worth of securities every month. The measure, instituted five years ago, was meant to flood the Read More …

Expense reports show no 'overspender' in May 13 polls

 News
Jun 142013
 
Expense reports show no 'overspender' in May 13 polls

(Updated 9:13 p.m.) None of the senatorial candidates in the recently concluded elections could be considered as an “overspender” as far as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is concerned, based on latest available data. According to poll chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr., an overspender is one who spends P156 million or more during the campaign period. The Comelec, under Resolution No. 9476, gives candidates the following expense limit — P10 per registered voter for presidential and vice presidential candidates, P3 per voter for candidates with political parties, and P5 per voter for independent candidates. The Comelec has yet to make a final audit report on the expense reports. But in general, “P156 million ang maximum. 52 (million voters)  times P3 (per voter),” Brillantes noted. Meanwhile, the maximum amount for independent candidates is P260 million. There were over 52 million registered voters nationwide in the recent polls. Based on available statements of contributions and expenditures of senatorial candidates filed with the Comelec, Cayagan Rep. Jack Enrile was the one who spent the largest in the May 13 elections. Enrile, an unsuccessful candidate, spent P150,401,072.09, followed by incoming senator Cynthia Villar with P133,979,127.25, and re-elected Senator Alan Peter Cayetano with P131,044,78. Senator-elect Nancy Binay, meanwhile, placed fourth at P128,695,057.1. According to Republic Act 7166, every candidate and treasurer of a political party shall be required to file an itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures within 30 days after Election Day. The deadline was on June 13, 5 p.m. Failure to submit SOCEs is Read More …

Foreign cargo ship runs aground off Biliran

 News
Jun 142013
 
Foreign cargo ship runs aground off Biliran

By Joey GabietaInquirer Visayas 4:43 pm | Friday, June 14th, 2013 wikipedia photo TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines—A foreign commercial vessel manned by Vietnamese and loaded with more than 1,600 pieces of lumber ran aground off  Maripipi Island in Biliran province Thursday night, officials said. The Japan-bound ship M/V Unicorn Logger, which had 18 crew members and was skippered by Nguyen Anh Tuan, ran aground at Sambawan Islet at around 7:10 p.m., Maripipi town local government operations head Ritchie Peñaflor said in a phone interview. The 5,691-ton Panamanian-registered ship was carrying lumber weighing a total of  836 metric tons, Peñaflor said. He identified the vessel’s operator as Wisdom Marine Lines based in Panama. The vessel departed from Sandakan, Malaysia, on June 11 at around 9 a.m. and was bound for Japan when it ran aground at the Sambawan Islet off the island town of Maripipi. The vessel hit about 270 square meters of coral reefs, Peñaflor said. “This is now our concern. The incident has resulted in the destruction of our coral reefs covering 270 square meters based on the initial assessment of our local fishery and agriculture office,” Peñaflor said. On top of this, they were also looking for possible oil leaks that might result from the incident, he added. So far, no oil was seen coming from the vessel. Peñaflor said the Maripipi local government was studying the possibility of seeking damages for the destruction of coral reefs from the owner of the vessel. The site of the grounding is Read More …

Chiz may be fined for late filing of expense report

 News
Jun 142013
 
Chiz may be fined for late filing of expense report

Senator-elect Chiz Escudero may be fined for submitting his statement of contributions and expenditures (SOCE) a day after the deadline, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Friday. “Those who are filing today, definitely late na ‘yan. So may administrative fine na ‘yun, palagay ko,” Brillantes said. Escudero filed his SOCE Friday morning, several hours after the Thursday 5 p.m. deadline set by the Comelec. GMA News Online tried contacting Escudero by phone for his comment, but he was not answering his phone. Senatorial candidates, however, who submitted their SOCEs past 5 p.m. Thursday will “most likely” be spared from paying the administrative fine, Brillantes said, citing the weather condition on that day. “I would recommend na wala munang (administrative fine)… Anyway hindi (rin) naman kami makaalis kagabi because of the rain. So okay na lang na mag-receive,” he said, citing the monsoon rains that caused flooding in parts of Metro Manila. As of posting time, only three senatorial candidates have yet to file their SOCEs, namely Risa Hontiveros, Marwil Llasos, and Rizalito David. Meanwhile, Brillantes clarified a GMA News Online report that Senator-elect JV Ejercito has yet to file his SOCE. According to the poll chief, Ejercito filed his SOCE by registered mail on Thursday. He said the poll body considers the mailing date as the time of filing. According to Republic Act 7166, every candidate and treasurer of a political party shall be required to file an itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures within 30 Read More …

Remaining PAGASA staff competent, Malacañang exec assures public

 General
Jun 142013
 
Remaining PAGASA staff competent, Malacañang exec assures public

Despite the “brain drain” facing PAGASA as senior staff are rumored to be on the way out to head for greener pastures, a Malacañang spokesperson assured the public on Friday that in addition to hiring new forecasters, the government can vouch for the quality of the weather agency’s personnel. “Alam ko may mga bago nga po tayong forecasters na hinire and confident naman po tayo doon sa mga kakayahan ‘nung mga forecasters natin,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said at a briefing. Valte also took note of the skills of existing forecasters, adding that they have been constantly at the front lines during emergency situations. We have always said that our forecasters can stand up to the test at nakikita naman po natin ‘yan kapag nagkakaroon ng kalamidad, nagkakaroon po tayo ng unos, nandiyan naman po lagi ‘yung mga PAGASA forecaster natin. They bear the brunt of the stress whenever there is any calamity that we go through,” Valte said. Still, Valte said she understood the desire of seasoned forecasters to set their sights on greener pastures. “I think, as a general rule, people will always want a better life for their families, and you can’t just trace that to one factor which is why kung bakit daw po umaalis ‘yung mga forecasters natin,” Valte said. Greener pastures An earlier report on GMA Network’s 24 Oras cited salaries seven times as much as the government can provide as one of the reasons why even the head of PAGASA is on Read More …

HDO to be issued vs companies, stores using fake software

 Economy
Jun 142013
 
HDO to be issued vs companies, stores using fake software

Photo shows Computer and hardware retail shops along Gilmore Avenue in Quezon City. KARL AGUILAR/URBAN ROAMER MANILA, Philippines – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Friday announced that Hold Departure Orders (HDO) will be issued against an owners of hardware retailers found to be hard loading branded computer units with pirated software. The NBI said that Cebu hardware shops Nutech, MSi and Across Technology were caught using illegal software in a raid last May, while four other computer establishments were caught in a crackdown in November 2012. Once found guilty for copyright infringement, the store operators may be issued HDOs, restraining them from overseas travel. “Hard-disk loading is a form of software piracy where resellers of computer hardware load unauthorized copies of software onto the machines they sell,” lawyer Dante Jacinto, chief of NBI’s Intellectual Property Rights arm, explained. Jacinto said that besides hold orders, copyright violators may also face business permit cancellation, revocation of US visas, tax investigations and tax evasion charges for selling and using fake software. The Pilipinas Anti-piracy Team (PAPT) also found the Cardinal Audio Center, PC Chain Superstore, PC Gadgets & Mobile Hub and Acenet Unlimited Business Computer Inc. to be installing pirated programs into Acer, Lenovo and Samsung laptops in a crackdown in Visayas. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Jacinto, meanwhile, discouraged businesses and computer users from installing pirated software into their desktop units as this is not only a crime, but can place the computer’s system at risk. Read More …

Consumer confidence hits record high

 Economy
Jun 142013
 
Consumer confidence hits record high

MANILA, Philippines – Consumer confidence hit a record high this quarter as the country’s strong economic growth is expected to translate to more investments, hiring and higher salaries, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Friday. According to the results of the Consumer Expectations Survey, the over-all confidence index (CI) climbed to -5.7 percent for the next quarter from -11.2 percent in the previous three months. The current CI— although still negative— is the highest since the BSP survey began in the first quarter of 2007, central bank Assistant Governor Ma. Cyd Tuaño-Amador told reporters in a briefing. A negative result in the index indicates the pessimists outnumbered the optimists “although the margin between the two declined to its lowest ever,” she said. Rosabel Guerrero, director of the BSP’s department of economic statistics, attributed the result to “better job opportunities, increased investment inflows that would support job creation and salary increases.” “Consumers also cited the country’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals and the investment grade credit rating by Fitch Ratings as factors that contributed to their more bullish outlook,” she told reporters. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The local economy expanded by 7.8 percent in the first three months of the year, surpassing market expectations to become Asia’s fastest growing economy. This was achieved against the backdrop of slow three percent inflation. Slow inflation and a “stable” foreign exchange rate give consumers more purchasing power to spend for goods and services, in addition to public savings. Based Read More …

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