VOLUME 3NUMBER 98MONDAYSEPTEMBER 7, 2009

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BY JOEY AGUILAR

ANGELES CITY – Citing aUnited Nations-backedreport conducted by the

International Displacement Moni-toring Centre of the NorwegianRefugee Council, a high rankingofficial of the Supreme Court (SC)revealed that “the biggest internaldisplacement of people for the year2008 was here in the Philippines.”

Displaced people in RPhighest in the world

Angeles City RTC Executive Judge Maria Angelica T. Paras-Quiambao (left) and Mayor FrancisNepomuceno lead the ribbon-cutting rites during the inauguration of the Inter Arma CaritasPhoto Exhibition and Information Caravan and International Humanitarian Law and Justice at theCity Hall on Friday. Also in photo are Supreme Court Administrator Jose P. Perez (keynote speaker)and ICRC Manila Communication Delegate Anastasia Isyuk. PHOTO BY JOEY AGUILAR

ANGELES CITY- The ar-my’s 702nd infantry brigadecommemorated recentlyits 21st anniversary with anassertion that it is on trackin crushing the New Peo-ple’s Army (NPA) in theprovinces of Aurora andNueva Ecija.

Col. Felicito Trinidad

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Army IB on trackin weeding out NPA

Jr., commander of the702nd IB, noted that sincelast June, his troopershave seized 15 assortedhigh powered arms fromNPA rebels operating in thetwo provinces. These armswere displayed during thebrigade’s anniversary cel-

BY JOEY PAVIA

ANGELES CITY – “Where are the incomes and howmuch was earned in the recent activities of the tour-ism office?”

This was raised by Pinoy Gumising Ka Move-ment (PGKM) Chairman Ruperto “Perto” Cruz as heassailed anew Pie Angeles Flores, head of AngelesCity Tourism Office (ACTO).

Cruz was referring to the “Tigtigan, Terakan KengDalan,” a Mardi-Gras type festivity involving showbands and other performances held yearly in Octo-ber in Barangay Balibago.

“The annual fest will be held again soon and they

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City tourism officequizzed on ‘Tigtigan,

Terakan’ incomeBY DING CERVANTES

CITY OF SAN FERNAN-DO - A lawyer of Gov. Ed-die Panlilio has asked theCommission on Elections(Comelec) to shed light onwhy it never acted on apetition filed in 2007 seek-ing to disqualify former pro-vincial board member LiliaPineda from the guberna-torial polls.

The petition has mys- PAGE 6 PLEASE

Amid ‘haste’ in recount, lawyer unearths‘missing’ disqualification case vs. Pineda

teriously vanished, saidlawyer Ernesto Franciscoin a text message to Pun-to.

This, even as Fran-cisco lamented the appar-ent “indecent haste” withwhich the Comelec is do-ing the recount of guber-natorial votes cast in the2007 polls as petitioned byPineda.

Last Wednesday, Pan-lilio, who won over Pineda

by 1,147 votes, petitionedthe Comelec to freeze therecount for three weeks toenable him to raise fundsneeded to pay his revisorsin the recount which thepolls body refers to as “re-vision”. On the same day,the Comelec junked hispetition.

“Motions being filed byGov. Panlilio are being de-nied on the same day that

Pineda

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BY JOEY PAVIA

MABALACAT, Pampanga– “Stay away from drugs.Be sports-minded.”

Thus said Mayor Mari-no “Boking” Morales as hegave cash prizes to themajor winners in the re-cently concluded 9-ballbilliard tournament inBarangay Dau here.

“I will continue support-ing all kinds of sports to winthe difficult battle againstdrugs,” said Morales.

The open tournament

Boking awards 9-balltourney winners

named after the mayordrew more than 50 ama-teur and professional play-ers based in this town.

No less than “The Ma-gician” Efren “Bata” Reyesearlier graced the openingof the Mayor Marino “Bok-ing” Morales Cup at thewarehouse of the Dau Pla-za.

“I also want to recog-nize the effort of Bata Reyesin promoting billiards in ourtown,” said Morales.

Benny Romero of Daubagged the over-all cham-

pionship winning P10,000.He defeated EugeneSarmiento, who receivedP5,000, in the finals.

The other winners are:Eric Medina, P3,000 (3rd

place); and Joel Maniago,P2,000 (4th place).

Tournament DirectorLucky Bergorio accompa-nied the top winners at theoffice of Morales in Xevera-Mabalacat North on Thurs-day.

Morales also gaveP500 each to the top eightwinners in the tournament.

WINNERS ALL. Mayor Morales (right) congratulates Romero after handingover his P10,000 cash prize. With them are Sarmiento, Medina, Maniagoand Bergorio. PHOTO BY JOEY PAVIA

BY ANSELMO ROQUE

PALAYAN CITY – Seven Novo Eci-janos were honored here during the“Nueva Ecija Day” celebration by theprovincial government for their outstand-ing achievements in their respectivefields of endeavor.

Honored in ceremonies held at theprovincial convention center hereWednesday were national artist for lit-erature Lazaro Francisco (posthu-mous), businesswoman Letty Uy, ra-dio broadcaster Joe Taruc, TV hostWillie Revillame, chief of the Bureau ofJail Management and Penology OscarCalderon, Bishop Oscar Solis of LosAngeles, California, and businessmanOscar Violago.

Gov. Aurelio Umali and Rep. Czari-na Umali (3rd district, Nueva Ecija)handed the plaque of recognition to thehonorees and or their representatives.

Businesswoman Uy is the owner ofa bakeshop-restaurant-stores whichhas now several branches. She is alsoestablished the first homegrown mall,the NE Mall.

Seven outstandingEcijanos honored

Taruc of DZRH is from Gapan City.Revillame, host of a famous noontimeTV show, is originally from Cabanatu-an City.

Calderon, former PNP director-gen-eral is from Aliaga, Nueva Ecija whilebusinessman Violago is from San JoseCity.

Bishop Solis is from San Jose City.He went to the USA after a stint as apriest in the Diocese of Cabanatuan andhe was ordained bishop in California.

Francisco, the formost Tagalog nov-elist, was a native of Orani, Bataan whotransferred to Nueva Ecija when he was16 years old. He wrote and published12 novels in which his being a “vision-ary and social critic were clearly dis-cerned”.

Senate President Juan Ponce En-rile and House Speaker ProsperoNograles who were the guests of honorand speaker during the program bothpromised budget allocations for theprovince’s additional farm-to-marketroads, irrigation projects, and dairying.

Nograles wowed the audience bysinging the song “The Wonder of You”.

ANGELES CITY – “Helpthe farmers and you en-sure the supply of afford-able food .”

Thus said First DistrictRep. Carmelo “Tarzan”Lazatin as he and MayorMarino “Boking” Moralesare expected to lead to-day’s distribution of shal-low tube wells at the mu-nicipal hall of Xevera-Ma-balacat North.

Lazatin disclosed thatsome P4 million was usedto fund the project benefit-ting farmers and residentsin this city, Magalang and

Tarzan, Boking to distributeP4-M irrigation pumps today

Mabalacat.Lazatin sought the as-

sistance of Morales andthe National Irrigation Ad-ministration (NIA) to en-sure the success of theproject. Shallow tube wellsare also known as irriga-tion pumps.

Morales lauded Laza-tin for his “tireless effort”in helping people sustaingrowth and development inhis district.

“A leader worth emulat-ing is Tarzan Lazatin. Hereally makes things hap-pen ,” said Morales.

Carmelo “Super Pogi”Lazatin, son of the solon,said he will assist his fa-ther in the distribution ofirrigation pumps in front ofthe town hall starting at8:00 a.m.

He added that the firstbatch of recipients num-bering to 20 will get theirirrigation pumps.

Association of Baran-gay Councils (ABC) Pres-idents Jeng Yumul of Ma-balacat and RodolfoGonzales of Magalang willalso grace the occasion.

–Joey Pavia

BY ARMAND M. GALANG

CABANATUAN CITY - Industryand local government officialswere upbeat of the prospects ofhaving Nueva Ecija-made prod-ucts, mostly created by village-based entrepreneurs, penetrat-ing both national and interna-tional markets even as keyplayers of the One Town OneProduct (OTOP) program wereawarded Friday.

Department of Trade and In-dustry director for Nueva Eci-ja, Brigida Pili, said that whilemost of Nueva Ecija productshave gained wide recognitionfrom consumers in severalparts of the Philippines, theyintend to penetrate the world

Wider market eyed for Ecija productsmarket.

“We seek registration,” shesaid, stressing the effort of lo-cal producers to further enhancethe marketability of their pro-duce.

Except for the widely popu-larized footwear of Gapan City,Nueva Ecija OTOPs includeagri-based industries such asdairy products, rice and rice by-products like wine, citrus, meatproducts, onions and garlic,among others.

Kababaihang Masigla ngNueva Ecija (KMNE) which isbased in the tiny town of Que-zon bagged the award for Out-standing OTOP SME (SmallMedium Enterprise) Partner forthe year.

KMNE started in 2000 with30 members “to generate em-ployment opportunities throughthe work operations on fruits andvegetables processing.”

Pili said the KMNE “hassince become known as a foodprocessor making the bestquality sweet tomatoes, sweettamarind, karamuy, guava jelly,and many more.”

A continuous cooperationwith the DTI, Pili added, madeits product line improved andexpanded. With its base sever-al kilometers northwest of Ca-banatuan City, KMNE managedto penetrate big supermarketssuch as NE Supermarket andpasalubong stores here, andabout 10 outlets in Metro Ma-

nila, including Promdi Deli, SMKultura, Serendra and Robin-son’s Supermarket.

Headed by Vilma Joson, ithas now 80 employers and in-directly benefits some 100 peo-ple through extension works,the DTI said.

The Department of AgrarianReform (DAR) North Nueva Eci-ja, meanwhile, earned recogni-tion for its active role in upgrad-ing the livelihood of farmers andtheir families within its area ofjurisdiction by providing both fi-nancial ang technical supportunder its Comprehensive Agrar-ian reform Program (CARP),according to the DTI.

The agency, it said, provid-ed training for cooperative mem-

bers in dairy production. DAR-North Nueva Ecija was namedMost Supportive OTOP PartnerAgency.

The municipal government ofBongabon, under Mayor Ame-lia Gamilla, was dubbed MostSupportive OTOP LGU (LocalGovernment Unit) for activelypushing for the improvement ofonion industry, which started in1935, in the town.

It engaged in various activi-ties to protect the industry, ac-cording to the DTI.

Dr. Anthony Umali, who rep-resented Gov. Aurelio Umali,said the provincial governmentwill be supporting OTOP pro-gram all the way to improve thelives of its people.

NI ROMMEL RAMOS

HAGONOY, Bulacan—Umani ng pagbatikos sapamilya ng nalunod na bi-nata sa Labangan Chan-nel ng bayang ito ang Res-cue 566 ng Bulacan dahilsa mabagal na responde.

Ang nalunod ay nakila-lang si Conrado Villanue-va, 23 anyos, binata, resi-dente ng Barangay Sto.Rosario bayang ito atisang tricycle driver. Hin-di pa nakukuha angbangkay ng biktima ha-bang sinusulat ang bali-tang ito nitong Biyernes.

Batay sa ulat, medyolasing ang biktima nangmagtungo sa bahay ngkanyang nobya sa Baran-gay San Pedro ng bayangito noong Huwebes nggabi at sa di malamangdahilan ay nagpunta ito saibabaw ng tulay sa man-

Katawan ng nalunod di pa nakukuhaRescue 566 binatikos

made na Labangan Chan-nel.

Ayon sa mga saksi,nahiga sa gabay ng tulayang biktima at di nagtagalay biglang nahulog ban-dang alas 7:30 ng gabi.

“Humingi pa siya ngsaklolo habang lumu-lubog-lumilitaw pero hindinamin nasagip dahil samalalim at malakas angagos ng tubig,” ani isangsaksi

Sinabi naman ng inang biktima na si Angie Vil-lanueva na tumawag silasa Rescue 566 ng Bula-can ngunit hindi agadrumesponde ang mga ito.

“Ipagpabukas na dawang paghahanap sa kap-atid ko sabi nung taga-Rescue 566,” ani VirgilioVillanueva, kapatid ng bik-tima.

Ipinaliwanag naman niLiz Mungcal, hepe ng pro-

vincial disaster manage-ment office na namamaha-la sa ipinagmamalakingRescue 566 ng Bulacan nainilunsad noong Agosto 15na unawain ng mga taoang assesment ng ka-nilang grupo.

“Base sa survey saarea ng team namin, de-likadong lumusong angdivers, walang malakingspotlight, malakas angagos at halos isangkawayan ang lalim ngilog,” ani Mungcal.

Gayunpaman, hindi parin kumbinsido ang pami-lya ng biktima at nagpa-hayag ng pagkadismayasa Rescue 566.

Ang Rescue 566 ayisang emergency rescueteam na inilunsad ng kap-itolyo noong Agosto 15 atinihalintulad sa iginaga-lang na Rescue 911 ngAmerika.

BY MALOU DUNGOG

SUBIC, ZAMBALES —As part of the communi-ty outreach program ofthe Philippine NationalPolice, The RegionalMaritime Office-3(RMO3) held a feedingprogram that benefitedmore than 100 day carepupils in BarangayMatain, this townrecently.

Senior Supt. ThomasAbellar, RMO3 actingchief, led personnel ofthis office in the saidactivity is in line withthe 17th Children Monthcelebration with atheme: “Bright Child:Proteksyon ng Bata,Pananagutan ng Ban-sa.”

Assisted by Baran-gay Captain Mark Chua,the day care workersand interns from Colum-ban College NursingDepartment in OlongapoCity, the activity startedwith the preparation andcooking of nutritious“arrozcaldo” with“malunggay” leaves,serving the food andstorytelling.

PO2 Precile Corderogave a brief lecture withemphasis on the impor-tance of eating greenleafy vegetables like“malunggay” leaves tothe children.

P/SInspector NoelAsis said “this anopportunity for usUniformed PoliceOfficers, to engravehappiness in the heartof every child. Theirsmiles make personnelof this office boost theirduties and responsibili-ties as public servantsand savior and protec-tors of children wel-fare,” he added

In appreciation tothe RMO3 personnel,the children recited“Salamat Po, ThankYou Po, Ate, KuyaGusto Kong Mag-Pulis,”which definitely touchedthe hearts of the offic-ers.

Maritimegroup feedsdaycare kids

My sincere prayersfor the Iglesia Ni Cristocommunity as I sharein their grief over theloss of our beloved

Ka Erdy Manalo.Councilor Maricel Morales

Angeles City

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Zona LibreBong Z. Lacson

E d i t o r i a l O p i n i o nO p i n i o n

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EDGAR V. MOVIDOFounder

The Right of Reply Bill“…is incomplete, it’s

chaotic, it’s impossible toimplement and athrowback to the

authoritarian past…isunconstitutional because

it is a form of priorrestraint… is an indirect

form of censorship.”

SENATOR TED KENNEDY’Slife as the liberal lion from theUS Northeast proved to methat what seemed impossible,if not ironic, can actually bedone in American society:championing progressive caus-es to benefit the common manand the working class.

Having been born andraised in the Third World, I wasswamped, along with my gen-eration, with primetime newsabout protests against “US im-perialism” to the extent thatsuch political actions becamepermanent street fixtures no-body cared about them any-more.

But the constant bombard-ment in our brains of that im-age of America made us thinkthat being an “activist”, Philip-pine-style, in the US, is an oxy-moron. This thought also mademe question that can the landof the free and the home of thebrave be really a place whereall politicians are self-centeredright-winger conservative big-ots out to dominate the world?I mean, by God, consideringAmerica’s power and might,then we are indeed in deeps__t.

Fortunately, being exposedto different aspects of Ameri-can politics, and society ingenera,l as a union organizerand representative over theseyears rectified my generation’swrong impression. There couldreally be, after all, a SenatorEdward “Ted” Kennedy and afew like him (however, he wasprimus interpares, first among

Lessons from Kennedy

CommentaryBY CHANDLER RAMAS

equals, I would say) who aresincerely and genuinely fight-ing for what can be construedsolely as a leftist agenda: high-er minimum wages, immigra-tion rights, education, equalemployment opportunities, andof course, health care reform.

The issues he espousedmay perhaps be seen only asa “leftist liberal cause’ to crit-ics but beyond name labeling,these issues resonate with theunderprivileged and are amongthe most important debates intoday’s American society andthe country can not move for-ward without confronting themhead-on.

Ted Kennedy, like his broth-ers JFK and Bobby before him,gave Americans and the worldthe hope that some giants inUS politics still really careabout the small man on thestreet; that a few bigwigs in DCcan not sleep at night when 50million Americans, in the rich-est country in the world, arewithout health insurance; thatsome superstars in Capitol Hillthink about how unions can im-prove workers’ lives; that somein the moneyed elite of Ameri-can society are genuinely con-cerned about how minimumwages actually translate tofood on the table; that there area few good men l ike theKennedys who give a damnabout the welfare of the mass-es.

Tell me if that is not ironicespecially if Senator Ted couldhave chosen a life of leisure butinstead opted for public ser-

vice. Replicating this in Philip-pine society, except perhapswith the exception of Cory Aqui-no, will probably remain adream for decades.

I do not know Ted Kennedynor ever even saw him. All Iknew is that he was always atthe forefront of the people’sstruggles, especially healthcare reform that is also beingpushed strongly by our union,the Service Employees Interna-tional Union, the largest unionin the US so far. But learningabout his life indeed proved thatprogressive ideas and actionshave a place and can flourishin the land of the free and homeof the brave. That the marketof ideas would not have asmuch difficulty prospering inthe US as in the Philippineswhere people get shot if theirideology is different from theothers. Perhaps Joma and hiscommunist comrades and min-ions, including their front orga-nizations that pretend to bepeople’s groups, can take cuefrom Ted Kennedy’s life.

It is even an insult to com-pare the great Ted to the psy-cho in the Netherlands but ifonly to put a stop to the vio-lence Joma, et. Al espouses intheir quest for seizing and cap-turing political power (I have aflash for these communists: Itain’t happening), it is reallyhelpful to reflect on the fightsSenator Ted carried out. And hemade America and Americansand perhaps the world a lotbetter without Philippine-stylebloodshed.

Let’s TalkAbout itMinerva Zamora-Arceo

THE PHILIPPINES is dominantly a Christian country. Most of usbelieve on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the concept of goodand evil. Since birth we are exposed to Christian ways. We go tochurch, we pray our respective prayers, we revere traditions andcustoms, we feast for the saints, we observe Lent, we chare giftsduring Christmas and we always make a pact with God everyNew Year.

Each year is a new hope and a new life. Each year, we makethat vow to change and let go of our sins. This is the Christianway. We believe in heaven. We believe in the salvation of thesoul. We believe in hell and the judgment in the end of days.

We are no different from Buddhists or the Hindus becausethey too have a concept of good and evil, only that they don’t lookforward in a literal heaven. There is no hell as well. There is onlycleansing, meditation, karma and reincarnation. If you do goodkarma, you get good karma. If you do bad karma, in the end youwill finally reap the same.

And surprisingly, our Muslim brothers are just like us. Theybelieve that Jesus Christ existed and respect his teachings onlythey have their own angel and prophet Mohammed or Muhammad.But like Christians, Muslims also believe that to do good is theonly way of life.

And amidst all of these beliefs and religions, we always findsomeone just next to us doing bad things or sinful things all thetime, doing social injustices over and over again without remorseand retribution.

Now I am thinking out loud. But who among us did not sin?Nobody. Although others, if they sinned, would seek the halls ofGod to pray for forgiveness and renew his pledge of cleansing.

But there are those who close their ears from criticisms andput themselves into the comfort of their fellow sinners. Often insidea legislative hall where they are given the best food paid by taxpayersand the best titles they use as badges to do more social injustices.

Who are they? Ironically, you find them inside the Churcheson the front row during Sundays with their family. They are theones with big and luxurious cars always parked on the best spotin the Church. They are the ones who violate traffic rules but getsway with it because their cars are red plate. And most of thetime, they are the ones who have power over the sovereignty.They make the laws of the land and violate them at the sametime.

At times they are the ones who approve unnecessary projectsthat only benefit their interests and increase their ill-gotten wealthin the banks. And most often than not, they are the ones whoassume office in government for two years with only a house anda small business, then comes out as multi-millionaire after histerm with two or three more businesses under his name.

And the funniest and interesting part of this rumination is thatthese sinners usually brag about their fortunes and properties,including their women whom they treat as one, and walks aroundthe city with several bodyguards while holding a black leatherhand bag that probably contains a gun or cash.

And at the end of the day, these sinners go to their newmansions or get-away houses, comfortably sit tight, holding abottle of drink and laughing with their compadres and finally sleepvery very well in their comfy beds at night.

Life is good to these sinners when thousands eat only twice aday and couple of hundreds share a P200 earning for a family ofsix each day.

I cannot imagine how these sinners would be judged in theend. The chilling truth is the unknown future.

I think they should know when it is time for them to stop.

On a different note, I wonder if the P813 million sports complexthe Sangguniang Panlungsod recently approved is a good projectfor the Angelenos? The money could have been used for thereconstruction and improvement of the Pampang Market so as toboost the cash-flow in the local economy, increase agriculturalproduction and strengthen the capability of local entrepreneursand traders to expand operations at the market.

But the councilors who approved the project most likely believethat the sports complex should be prioritized so our athletes canhave a venue for training. But in terms of return of investments forthe city, I doubt if the sports complex can easily earn us pesos inthe next five years as compared to what Pampang market canprovide.

What’s the take with the sports complex if it is not thatbeneficial to the whole community and would only serve a minoritysector? I don’t know. But the councilors are surely conscientiousenough to study the repercussions of their decision. They wouldknow that we will be paying the interest of the loan they willsecure from the banks. They would also know that the sportscomplex would need an accompanying sports program that wouldat least justify why we need a gigantic sports facility using P813million when we could not even pay our garbage fees of P50million from the Kalangitan landfill.

When it is time to stop

NO RESPITE from political talks, no matter which coffeeshop Ichose.

As I had it up there at La Nilad in SM City Pampanga Thursdaylast week, I sought refuge at Starbucks, SM City Clark during theweekend.

True to expectations, Ashley Manabat, editor of the defunctPampanga News and the mothballed Luzon Banner was there.Plus, but of course, the local media’s bon ami Mayor BokingMorales of Mabalacat.

Boking was reveling on the results of the latest surveycommissioned by the Mabalacat Business Group that put him atopat 54 percent, with perennial loser Anthony Dee at 23 percent andwannabe mayor Dr. Victor Tiglao at 8 percent.

“With Boking’s closest pursuer Dee said to be opting to run forvice mayor in Tiglao’s ticket, the Mabalacat mayorship is alreadydecided, nine months before the balloting. Even with their combinedresults, they are just too far behind my mayor. “ Ashley judged,with the finality of a Supreme Court decision.

Coffee toasts

First rule in war: Do not underestimate yourenemy. Tiglao may do a Dr. Catalino Domingo.Apung Cati dealt Boking his only loss – in 1992.

“No comparison absolutely between Tiglao andDomingo. The latter is known for doctoring for free;the former, the exact opposite of it.” Still anadamant Ashley.

“Yes, Tiglao has an image problem impactedupon him by their family-owned hospital in SanJoaquin. There is even a song appended to it.” Itwas Deng Pangilinan, Mabalacat’s doublevisionary himself, butting into the talks even beforehe grabbed a seat.

Really, what song?“Mona Lisa.”For Allah’s sake, how did that song get to be

associated with a hospital?“La..lalalala..laa…Many sick have been brought

to your doorstep…they just lie there…and theydie there…” Deng going down memory lane witha very good impression of Jukebox King VictorWood there. (In this age of i-pods – jukebox?– Ifeel so ancient.)

Corn, popping all over there with Deng’srendition.

So we give, Boking will not have a problem,how about his vice mayor, Dr. Pros Lagman?

“In a one-on-one face-off with Tiglao in the lastelections, Lagman won by a mile. How much morenow that the vice mayorship is a three-corneredfight?” It was Joey Pavia of Punto, a Mabalacatvoter, giving his thousand-peso worth to the talks.

Three-cornered? Who’s the third candidate?

“Konsehal Numero Uno Noel Castro.”The same guy who run for Barangay Dau

chairman and was avalanched with votes by AtlasMorales in 2008?

“No, that’s Jun Castro, the factotum of Gov. MarkLapid. He is running for councilor under Tiglao.”

Okay.“Castro and Dee will eat into each other’s

constituency. That will leave Lagman’s bulk intact.Besides, the vice mayorship of Mabalacatappears to have been titled to Lagman. He is justunbeatable there.” Joey, pushing all the more forthe quiet but very effective doctor there.

So no contest there too? Mabalacat looms tobe a boring proposition in 2010.

“Not totally. Things may perk up with the entryof a new face in the battle for the provincial board.”Deng now a bit excited.

I can only think of old faces: Senior BoardMember Cris Garbo and two-termer Tars Halili,then there’s long-retired Richard Gomez-lookalikeJohn Santos. Who’s the newcomer?

“Why, even more handsome than RichardGomez and Piolo Pacual combined: it’s SuperPogi!, who else”

Who?“Super Pogi, also known as Carmelo Lazatin,

Junior.”All agreed: Yeah, Super Pogi will provide a

stimulant to spike the elections not only inMabalacat but in Magalang as well.

And all raised their espresso brews to SuperPogi.

WHILE READING my favoritedaily recently, I came across anews report that multi-awardedsinger-actress Barbra Streisanddonated US$5 million for re-search on women’s cardiac prob-lems, which kills half a million ofAmerican women every year.

“Women need to be educat-ed about female cardiovasculardisease, and the medical com-munity must be propelled towardchange,” explained the Broadwaysinger who catapulted to stardomwith her Oscar-winning 1968 per-formance in ‘Funny Girl,’ why shegave such huge amount.

If you were in her shoes,would you give such amount fora cause? Well, you don’t have tobe millionaire to give hugeamount. Just give what you canafford. As Nobel Peace Prize win-ner Mother Teresa said, “If youcan’t feed a hundred people, thenjust feed one.” Or as what an Arabproverb urges, “If you have much,give of your wealth; if you havelittle, give of your heart.”

“Some people give time,some money, some their skillsand connections, some literallygive their life’s blood. But every-one has something to give,” saysBarbara Bush. “You must give

Regarding HenryBY HENRYLITO D. TACIO

The act and art of givingsome time to your fellow men.Even if it’s a little thing, do some-thing for others - something forwhich you get no pay but the priv-ilege of doing it,” pointed out Al-bert Schweitzer.

Anne Frank, who wrote ‘TheDiary of Anne Frank,’ stated, “Noone has ever become poor by giv-ing.” To which British Prime Minis-ter Winston Churchill added, “Wemake a living by what we get, butwe make a life by what we give.”

“For it is in giving that we re-ceive,” reminded Saint Francis ofAssisi. German-born Americanphysicist Albert Einstein echoedthe same sentiment. “The value ofa man,” he wrote, “resides in whathe gives and not in what he is ca-pable of receiving.”

At one time, a rich man com-plained to his friend. “People don’tlike me,” he said. “They say I’m

selfish and stingy. And yet in mylast will and testament, I have do-nated all that I own to a charitableinstitution.”

Hearing his explanation, thefriend told him. “Well, maybe thestory of the cow and the pig has alesson for you. The pig came tothe cow and grumbled, ‘People al-ways talk about your friendliness.Well, it’s true: you give them milk.But they get much more from me.They get ham and bacon and lard,and they even cook my feet. Andyet – no one likes me. To all ofthem, I am just a pig. Why is that?’

“The cow thought it over a bitand then said, ‘Perhaps it’s be-cause I give while I am still alive.’”This reminds me of a line from aShaina Twain song, “It’s importantto give it all you have while you havethe chance.”

An open hand can receive but

a closed hand cannot. The phrasehas a Biblical ring, and a Biblicalwisdom that applies profoundly toeveryday human affairs. The manwho will not share himself with hisneighbors receives little friendshipin return. The tight parental grip thatholds children too closely, defeatsits own purpose in the end. It is noaccident, probably, that in manycountries the symbol of totalitari-anism is the one that you can’tshake hands with: a clenched fist.

“To be sower of seeds, a manmust open his hand,” said ArthurGordon. “He must do this, clearly,before he can reap. And the pro-cess doesn’t stop there. To pos-sess knowledge or wisdom, hemust open his mind. If he wants toreceive love, he must offer it – andto do this, he will need an openheart. A closed hand cannot receive– partly because it is shut, and

nothing can get in. But mostlybecause it has nothing to give.”

A very conscientious Christianlady looked back on her childhoodin a big city. She was from awealthy family and as she puts it,“The poor were our pets.” On Sun-day, it was the favorite charity ofthese superior Christians to makethe rounds of the cells at the po-lice station. The men in particulardid this. They visited the week-enddrunks, lectured them, forcedthem to take the pledge, and thenbailed them out of jail so they wouldbe back to work on Monday.

These do-gooders were smug-ly respectable, very visibly in a dif-ferent moral category from thoseto whom they gave. They had onlyone fault: they never gave them-selves. Lebanese-born Americanphilosophical essayist Kahlil Gib-ran once wrote: “You give but little

(COURTESY OF MABUHAY NEWS)

when you give of your possessions.It is when you give of yourself thatyou truly give.”

Dr. Karl Meninnger, the famouspsychiatrist, once gave a lectureon mental health and afterwardanswered questions from the au-dience. “What would you advise aperson to do,” asked one man, “ifthat person felt a nervous break-down coming on?”

Most people expected the doc-tor to reply, “Consult a psychia-trist.” To their astonishment, hereplied, “Lock up your house, goacross the highway, find someonein need, and do something to helpthat person.”

“Life is a gift, and it offers usthe privilege, opportunity, and re-sponsibility to give something backby becoming more,” Anthony Rob-bins said.

Each of us has the responsi-bility to give. We get the best outof others when we give the best ofourselves. American philanthropistJohn D. Rockefeller Jr. urged,“Think of giving not as a duty butas a privilege.” The Lord JesusChrist himself said, “It is moreblessed to give than to receive.”

For comments, write me athenrytacio@gmail.com

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TheGossip-millerby Cesar Pambid

KITA NAMIN ang saya sa set ng Show Me Da Manny last Tuesday night.Tila walang kapaguran ang mga artista sa sitcom kahit late night na natapos

ang taping. Nakita rin namin na mistulang brother-and- sister ang mga pangunahingbidang sina Marian Rivera at Manny Pacquiao off-camera kapag nagkukulitan.Madalas haplus-haplusin ni Manny ang ulo ni Marian at hinahawak-hawakan angbu-hok nito na kunwari naman ay ikinaiirita ni Marian.

Napapanood ang Show Me Da Manny every Sunday night pagkatapos ngMel And Joey sa GMA-7

FOR his grand directorial comeback, Carlo J. Caparas is proud to handleinternational boxing icon Manny Pacquiao in the film trilogy, “Pangarap KongJackpot.”

Cristine Reyes okey lang na ma-linkkay Richard Gutierrez

WALANG PAKIALAM si Cristine Reyes kahit pa third choice lang siya sa

Marian Riverahinahaplus-haplosni Manny Pacquiao

pelikulang Patient X na co-produced at pinagbibidahan ni Richard Gutierrez.Gusto raw niya ang role kaya nu’ng tawagan siya ng manager na si Veronique del Rosario para

sabihing may gagawin siyang pelikula, hindi na siya nagdalawang-isip pa.”Wala namang problema kahit pa third or last choice ako. Ang importante, napunta sa akin ’yung role at

nagkaroon ako ng chance na makatrabaho si Richard kahit taga-ABS-CBN ako,” kuwento ni Cristine.Okey ba na ma-link siya kay Richard?“Sa akin, okey lang. Single ako. Siya, single ba?” tugon niya.“Kaya lang, ayoko pang ma-in love ulit, eh. Hindi pa ako handa. Gusto ko munang manatiling single para may time ako

sa sarili ko. Pero malay din natin, ’di ba? hirit pa niya.

Ogie and Regine bubuo ng baby next yearTAWA NANG TAWA si Ogie Alcasid, nang banggitin namin sa presscon ng upcoming movie niya with Michael V, Yaya &Angelina, The Spoiled Brat Movie, ang usap-usapan ng reporters na dahil gamay na gamay na niyang gumanap ng gay role,hindi kaya magising na lang siya isang umaga na isa na siyang berdaderong bakla?

Explanation ng mga hitad (well, the reporters), “constant practice makes perfect.”Inilahad tuloy ni Ogie kung paanong minsang nanood sila ng isang movie ni Regine (Velasquez, his one and only

love), na ang bida ay si Robert Downey, napatalak daw siya at nasambit na ‘ang guwapo naman ng lalaking ito!’Naramdaman niya raw na tinapik siya sa balikat ni Regine, sabay tanong: “Ano uli ang sinabi mo?”Tugon daw niya, “Sabi ko, guwapo talaga si Robert Downey.”Naku, ha,” sabi raw ni Regine, “huwag ka ngang magsasalita ng ganyan. Para kang bading.”Until now, ayon kay Ogie, he’s not at liberty to talk about any plan kung kelan ba talaga sila magpapakasal ni Regine.Actually, dito yata sa atin natatagalan ang annulment nila ng dating asawang si Michelle van Eimeren.In Michelle’s case, she’s officially divorced from Ogie as far as the law on marriage in Australia is concerned.Kaya, ’di nga ba at ikakasal na ito sa November sa kanyang Australian fiancé?Tiyak daw ang pagdalo nila ni Regine sa kasal ni Michelle at tulad ng napag-usapan, silang dalawa ang aawit sa

wedding.Tiyak din daw na magiging member ng wedding entourage ni Michelle ang dalawa nilang anak na sina Leila, 12, at

Sarah, nine.Eh, sila ni Regine, kelan nila balak na magkaroon ng sariling baby?“’Di ba, Regine made an announcement na titiyakin naming ‘makabuo’ next year? Well, that’s it.”

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SET TO BE the favorite gather-ing place in Central Luzon, Mar-Quee Mall boasts of a distinctarchitecture, people-orientedspaces highlighted by beautiful-ly sculptured landscapes thatare signatures of Ayala Malls.

Dave Blas, senior architectof the Ayala Land’s Innovationand Design Group, said Mar-Quee Mall’s design was special-ly conceptualized to providesomething contemporary andattuned to the culture of the peo-ple of Pampanga and CentralLuzon as well.

Blas said the mall wasplanned to encourage conver-gence, providing various oppor-tunities for family and friends togather, to shop, dine, relax, andbe entertained all together. Thisexplains the generous openspaces, the centrally locatedActivity Center, and the outdoor-facing restaurants that will beopened beyond the usual mallhours.

“The thinking behind it wasto come up with something con-temporary and familiar but withtouches of the new. The look andfeel is engaging and upscale butnot intimidating,” Blas said.

Blas added that a fairamount of effort was put intomaking the indoor and outdoor

P R E S S R E L E A S E

MarQuee Mall, a showcase of artistry and culture

spaces flow into each other.“I would like to think this

blending of indoor and outdooris a signature of Ayala Malls.Some examples of how this wasdone for Marquee Mall: pavingpatterns blending into the interi-or tile patterns from the exteriorarcade; row of restaurants look-ing out into the garden; door-ways pushed inward to allow alonger outdoor feel as you enterthe building,” he explained.

Blas said MarQuee Mall alsohas a landscaped drop-off andentry area from Francisco G.Nepo Ave. and a half-hectaregarden at the other side facingAngeles City Hall and the futureresidential development.

“This large garden is envi-sioned as a civic plaza, with ar-eas for activities, gathering andrelaxing, as well as quieter spac-es. A sculptural installation anda water feature highlight thislandscaped space,” he said.

The wave art installation is oneof the main features of the civicplaza. But Blas said it is not in-tended to be appreciated as a setpiece viewed from a distance.

“Rather, the artist expectspeople to become part of the art-work, where they can sit, play,and generally engage them-selves with the installation. In-

spiration is drawn from the ricefields of the central plains of Lu-zon, as well as an affinity withwater and its refreshing and re-laxing effect,” Blas said.

Blas added that the fountainin landscaped garden is madeof a simple series of jets thatwere programmed to create dif-ferent forms and movement pat-terns.

A first of its kind in CentralLuzon, MarQuee Mall offers anew experience to mall-goerswith its elegantly sculpturedlandscapes and eco-friendlyspaces in tune with contempo-rary architecture concepts.

According to Mark Sablan,MarQuee Mall’s general manag-

er, “The mall architecture artful-ly blends contemporary designwith its proud local vibe, its in-door-outdoor environment inter-twining gracefully into its ownupscale residential village andupbeat commercial district.”

It offers more than 300 popu-lar and specialty stores of localand affordable internationalbrands, fast food outlets, casu-al-dining restaurants, grills, caf-és and an amusement centerwith a mixture of the new trendsand concepts such as flagshipstores, food showcase fromknown restaurateurs and high-ly-pronounced zones for kids,teens, sports, IT, home and well-ness. It houses Metro Depart-

ment Store and Supermarket asits anchor merchant, four (4) dig-ital cinemas, an activity center,children’s playground, civic parkand transport terminal.

Marquee Mall is the retailcomponent of Marquee, a 53-hectare integrated community inCentral Luzon skillfully devel-oped by Ayala Land that alsoincludes MarQuee Place, a res-idential development located afew meters away from the mall.

Only an hour away from Ma-nila and strategically located afew minute drive away from theSubic Clark Tarlac Expressway(SCTEX), MarQuee Mall sitsright at Angeles Exit of the NorthLuzon Expressway (NLEX).

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In his speech, DeputyCourt Administrator andSC Spokesperson JoseMidas P. Marquez saidthat the number of the new-ly displaced people in thePhilippines in 2008 ex-ceeded even that inSudan, the country withthe most number of dis-placed people resultingfrom the adversaries in thewar-torn region of Dafur.

“An estimated 600,000Filipinos fled fighting be-tween the government anda breakaway faction of theMoro Islamic LiberationFront after the abortedsigning of the Memoran-dum of Agreement on theAncestral Domain thatsought to create a Bang-sa Moro homeland for the

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Displaced people in RP highest in the worldrebels,” the report said.

Marquez was one ofthe speakers of the photoexhibit and informationcaravan on InternationalHumanitarian Law spear-headed by the RegionalTrial Court (RTC) here andthe city government. Theevent was held Friday atthe City Hall.

“We are gathered in acollective effort to give sub-stance to a principle: re-spect for International Hu-manitarian Law and pro-tection of lives and dignityof those who are not or nolonger involved in an armedconflict,” said Marquez.

The principle, he said,is espoused jointly by thePhilippine Judiciary, theICRC [International Com-mittee of the Red Cross],and the PNRC [Philippine

National Red Cross].Marquez also said

that there is an immediateneed to take initiatives topromote the principles ofInternational HumanitarianLaw (IHL) in the Philip-pines.

Marquez said the mes-sage behind the report isclear: “there is no need tolook beyond our territorialboundaries so as to graspthe significance of IHL andbring its concept intogreater consciousness ofthe public.”

“Our launch today isbut a small austere stepin the big struggle to up-hold humanitarian law, akind of struggle that triesand tests the spirits ofmen. It cannot be wonovernight. But for as longas we do not lose sight of

our purpose, the only waywe can fail in this task isfor us to surrender todrudgery and cynicism,”he said.

ICRC Manila Commu-nication Delegate Anasta-sia Isyuk also disclosedthat more people continueto suffer due to lack offood, shelter, clothing andmedicines due to variousconflicts especially in Min-danao.

However, she said theICRC and the PNRC willalso continue to work andassist victims of wars andinternal violence.

For his part, SupremeCourt Administrator JoseP. Perez said that the IHLinformation and aware-ness campaign is a con-tinuing project of SupremeCourt Chief Justice Rey-

nato Puno. Some of hisprojects include the cre-ation of the mediation cen-ters and the “Justice on

ebration last Sept. 1 in itsheadquarters in Bong-abon, Nueva Ecija.

“As we heightened ourcampaign at the start ofsecond semester thisyear, we were fortunate tohave accomplished muchthis far. I am privileged totake off from what hasbeen accomplished by thepast leadership of the bri-gade, my immediate pre-decessor, Brig. Gen. Em-manuel Bautista,” Trinidadsaid.

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Army IB on track in weeding out NPAHe attributed the mili-

tary’s success in the anti-insurgency campaign part-ly to “the help extended bythe local government ex-ecutives, the cooperationof the people in the far-flung barangays whothemselves denounce theatrocities perpetrated bythe communist terrorists,and also to rebel returneeswho demonstrated sincer-ity in returning to the foldof the law by relaying es-sential information that ledto the successful conductof military operations”.

Maj. Gen. Ralph Villan-ueva, commander of thearmy’s 7th infantry divisionbased in Fort Magsaysayin Palayan City in NuevaEcija, urged the soldiersunder the 702nd IB “to con-tinue with the commend-able performance.”

“We will not stop untilwe deliver the final blow inorder to finally annihilatethe NPA bandits sowingterror in the countryside.Our people deserve thepeace that they longed for;we will be the catalyst tobring peace and develop-

ment in the countryside,”he said in a press releaseissued by the 702nd IB.

Villanueva also saidthat “while we continue torelentlessly pursue thosearmed rebels throughcombat operations, we arestill open for those whowant to choose the pathof peace and live normallife under the fold of thelaw. The government willwelcome them and reinte-grate them to mainstreamsociety through the SocialIntegration Program.”

–Ding Cervantes

have yet to properly ac-count for the earnings, andlosses if any, in the sameevent last year,” said Cruz.

Cruz vowed to sueFlores before the office ofthe Ombudsman if the re-port on the income“seemed not real.”

“They should properlyaccount for the income.Otherwise, they may beup in trouble,” said Cruz.

Cruz said that under

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City tourism office quizzed on ‘Tigtigan...’previous city administra-tions, a portion of the in-come had been given tocharitable institutions.

“I wonder where theygive the income this time,”added Cruz.

Cruz earlier expresseddisappoinment over thedecision of Flores to re-move anti-pollutionstreamers in front of theRoyal Golf and CountryClub (RGCC) in BarangayCutcut here. Cruz co-owns the RGCC.

Cruz said Floresshould also properly ac-count for the incomeearned by her officethrough the fees imposedon the streamers.

He said that a portionof the income had beengiven to the Angeles Elec-tric Company (AEC) aspayment for using theelectric poles of the privatefirm in placing the stream-ers.

He argued that theAEC should also share

their income to the lot own-ers where its electric polesare.

Cruz said the AEC isowned by the Nepo-muceno family who shareblood kinship with MayorFrancis “Blueboy” Nepo-muceno.

“Flores is again favor-ing her bosses at the ex-pense of the taxpayers,’said Cruz, referring to theremoval of his advocacystreamers ordered byFlores.

the said motions are filed.Yet, this very importantaction- a petition for dis-qualification on the groundof vote-buying no less –has not moved, much lesshas it been resolved todate, despite the lapse ofmore than two years sinceit was filed,” Franciscosaid in his petition.

“With all due respect,the undersigned counselcannot fathom why it ap-pears that no action hasbeen taken on the instantPetition for Disqualificationagainst defeated guberna-torial candidate Lilia Pine-da, on the one hand, whileher protest on the electionof Governor Eddie T. Pan-lilio is being fast-tracked,on the other,” Franciscoadded.

Punto tried to reachPineda, but a member ofher staff said she wouldrather not comment andinstead wait for the out-

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Amid ‘haste’ in recount, lawyer unearths...come of the recount.

Francisco recalled thaton May 11, 2007, formerPanlilio supporter AverellLaquindanum filed beforethe Comelec a petition todisqualify Pineda.

In his complaint,Laquindanum said Pinedaengaged in “vote-buyingby offering to give or giv-ing or promising money oranything of value in viola-tion of Article 261 (a) ofthe Omnibus ElectionCode as would warranther disqualification pursu-ant to Section 68 likewiseof the Omnibus ElectionCode.”

Laquindanum then pe-titioned the Comelec to“order the disqualificationof respondent from runningfor the position of Gover-nor of Pampanga.”

Provincial Comelecsupervisor Temmie Lambi-no confirmed he receivedthe complaint “a long timeago” and that he forward-ed it to the Clerk of the

Commission for resolutionby the Comelec centraloffice.

“Pineda did not win, soordinarily the Comelecwould formally dismiss thecase as moot and aca-demic,” he said.

But Lambino admittedthat he has never receivedany copy of any resolutionfrom higher Comelec offi-cials on the case. “Region-al and provincial offices ofthe Comelec are supposedto be furnished copies ofresolutions on cases intheir areas. I have neverreceived any in the caseof the one filed by Laquin-danum,” he added.

Francisco said thatlast Aug. 27, he also in-quired of the Comelec’slaw department about thecase filed by Laquin-danum, but no one couldtell him what had hap-pened to the petition afterit was transmitted to thepolls body en banc.

“Worse, the records of

the instant Petition couldnot be found at the timethe undersigned counselmade his verification andhe did not get any clearexplanation as to whathappened to the said Pe-tition, except that he wasadvised to file a motion forearly resolution,” Fran-cisco’s petition said.

Francisco noted that“had the instant Petitionbeen resolved earlier andrespondent Lilia Pinedawas ordered disqualified,her protest against Gov.Panlilio would have beenrendered moot and aca-demic.”

The petition asked theComelec to “clarify and/orexplain to the parties andtheir respective counselsand more importantly, tothe people of Pampanga,what happened to the in-stant Petition and whataction has been made bythe Honorable Commis-sion with respect to thesame.”

Wheels” that aims tomake justice accessibleto the disadvantaged sec-tor of the society.

VULNERABILITY. Most of the photos in the exhibitand information caravan show how childrenbecome victims of war. PHOTO BY JOEY AGUILAR

MarQuee Mall, the first Ayala Mall inCentral Luzon opens on September23, 2009.

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BY JOHNNY REBLANDO

IBA, Zambales — Coincidingwith his 71st birthday, GovernorAmor D. Deloso, signed Thurs-day a $50-billion investmentagreement earmarked for priori-ty projects in tourism, real es-tate development, infrastructure,agricultural research, indige-nous power supply and mineralenhancements in the province.

The Memorandum of Agree-ment was signed between theprovincial government and SwissGlobal Connect USA in partner-ship with AIPAC PhilippinesManagement Corp. in accor-dance with the build, operate andtransfer (BOT) or the build, op-erate and own (BOO) programsof the national and provincialgovernments, and was wit-nessed by various political lead-ers, heads of agencies, guestsand well-wishers.

Swiss Global Connect USAand AIPAC Philippines Manage-ment Corp. are listed as a reg-istered corporations duly autho-rized by the Securities and Ex-change Commission (SEC) andrepresented by President/CEOMs. Rubina Zahid.

Its main company, the SwissGlobal Connect USA Inc, is apartnership of Russian, Japa-nese and American business-men and is listed as a corpora-tion in the State of California,USA.

Based on their unsolicitedproposal which was unanimously

Zambales signs $50-B investment pactwith US-Russian-Japanese partners

approved by the Zambales pro-vincial board in July, an initial$50-billion will be earmarked overa 10-year period to fund the prov-ince’s development projects intourism that include San Salva-dor Island, Masinloc ResortComplex, Mt. Tapulao, PalauigTourism Complex, and Zam-bales Fantasy Island in Subic;

Infrastructure developmentincluding the toll by-pass ex-pressway linking Tarlac and Zam-bales and incorporating it withthe North Luzon Expressway(NLEx) and the Subic-Clark-Tar-lac Expressway (SCTEx); andthe upgrading and rehabilitationof the Iba airstrip into a domes-tic airport;

A 620-hectare real estatedevelopment in the town of Sub-ic transforming the area into afinancial district, educational andlearning center, with executivehousing, parks, hotels, conven-tion center and state of the arthospital;

A state-of-the-art agricultur-al research center in a possibletie-up with the Ramon Magsay-say Memorial State University(RMMSU) for research and de-velopment, equipped with mod-ern laboratory equipments andmachines that is envisioned tousher increased productivity con-sistent with the poverty allevia-tion programs of the province;allocation of at least 64-hectareshoreline area for the construc-tion of a facility converting mag-nesium energy into alternative

power supply;Mineral exploration consis-

tent with full compliance of envi-ronmental policies; and thedredging of Macolcol, Malomaand Bucao rivers to prevent flashflooding in nearby communities.

In her speech shortly afterthe MOA signing, Ms. Zahid saidthat their company has really setits eyes on Zambales becauseof its natural beauty and topog-raphy.

“We certainly see that theseproposed projects will substan-tially enhance the image, notonly of Zambales but of the en-tire Philippines amidst the glo-bal economic meltdown,” Zahidexpressed.

Zahid added that the invest-ment will generate substantialdirect investment through “for-eign investment multiplier effect,”contributing to the GNP andGDP and infusing critically need-ed cash-flow to spur countrysidedevelopment and employmentgeneration.

Gov. Deloso, for his part, saidthat his administration is com-mitted to support all the neces-sary assistance the investorsneeded for the success of theproject.

“I would like to thank SwissGlobal Connect USA and AIPACPhilippines Management Corpfor seeing the positive featuresof this province and for believingin the Zambales 2020 vision.”

“We will walk through thisdevelopment with you and give

you all the support you will needfrom my administration,” theGovernor exclaimed.

Deloso also said that Presi-dent Gloria Macapagal Arroyodeserves praises too because hebelieves that the multi-billion in-vestment is an off shoot of thePresident’s state visits to vari-ous nations.

“She carries the develop-ment portfolios of all the provinc-es with her whenever she goesout of the country, as what I haveexperienced when she invited

me to go with her to Korea,”Governor Deloso explained.

“It is a great honor to meetall of you people from Russiaand Japan especially MadamRubina, for the fulfillment ofdreams and plans for theprogress of my province to havemore employment for my peo-ple, and so with this benefit I alsothank Madam Gloria MacapagalArroyo for the investment prioritygiven to my province in her re-cent state visit to the US,” thegovernor said.

Rubina Zahid, President of Swiss Global Connect USA andAIPAC Phils. Management Corporation and ZambalesGovernor Amor D. Deloso signed a Memorandum ofAgreement of US$ 50-Billion investment project at theProvincial Capitol in Iba, Zambales.

PHOTO BY JOHNNY R. REBLANDO