February 2005
Para sa Kalikasan...
Para Sa Kinabukasan.
Sali na sa “Takbo
Para sa Kalikasan
2005” para sa
rehabilitation ng La
Mesa Dam
Watershed na
gaganapin sa
Pebrero 20.
Tumawag sa
415-5674 para sa
karagdarang
impormasyon.
Pagbubukas ng North
Luzon Expressway (NLE)
page 2
10tipid
tips
for
Valentine’s
Day
ALLIANCE partners of the Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc.’s (KCFI) Television Education for the Advancement of Muslim (TEAM)
Mindanao project in Datu Paglas, Maguindanao (from left) KCFI Utilization Manager Gerry dela Zerna, President Rina Lopez-Bautista,
USAID Rosario Calderon, KCFI USAID Chief of Education Thomas J. Kral, US Embassy Counselor for Political Affairs in the Philippines
Scott Bellard, Beyond Cable Chief Consultant Euan Fannel, and TEAM MINDANAO project manager Doris Nuval.
page 11
A new ‘war’ erupts
in Mindanao
ABS-CBN’s
Sagip Kapamilya
for Infanta, Quezon
page 2
ISANG grupo na binubuo ng non-government organizations, local at national
government agencies at pribadong
kumpanya ang naghahanda ng mga kabataan sa Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) para sumabak
sa isang digmaan na napipintong sumiklab sa nasabing rehiyon-ang digmaan laban sa kamangmangan.
Inilunsad kamakailan sa Datu Paglas,
Maguindanao ng Knowledge Channel
Foundation Inc. (KCFI) sa tulong ng
ilang alliance partners ang Knowledge
Channel ang unang curriculum-based
TV channel sa bansa.
Ayon kay KCFI president and executive director Rina Lopez Bautista,
hangad ng KCFI at mga alliance partner
nito na mabigyan ng world-class education ang mga mag-aaral sa ARMM, kung
kaya't nagkaroon ng isang Memorandum
of Agreement sa pagitan ng KCFI, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at iba pa para mabigyan ng Knowledge Channel ang mga
mag-aaral sa nasabing rehiyon.
"The people behind KCFI are relentless
in the pursuit of their vision of the Philippines as a community of educated, empowered and responsible citizens through the
medium they, we know as television," sabi
ni Ms. Bautista nang ginanap ang MOA
signing. "But, since it takes a lot of resources to bring Knowledge Channel to all
40,000 public schools around the country
and we cannot do it alone, we looked for
like-minded organizations to partner with."
Kabilang din sa grupong binansagang
Team Mindanao o TV Education for the
Advancement of Muslim Mindanao ang
Alliance of Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable
Energy (AMORE), Synergeia Foundation
Inc., Notre Dame Foundation Inc., ang Datu
Paglas community at Sultan Cable Inc.
Turn to page 6
2
LOPEZLINK February 2005
Pagbubukas ng NLE, magandang balita para sa lahat
ANG pagbubukas sa bagong
North Luzon Expressway (NLE)
ng Manila North Tollways Corp.
(MNTC) ngayong Pebrero ay magandang balita para sa lahat ng involved sa proyektong ginugulan
ng mahigit pitong taon ng Lopez
Group.
Magandang balita rin ito para
sa libo-ibong vehicle owners na
bumabaybay sa kahabaan ng
NLE araw-araw. Bagama't tataas
ang toll fees, tiyak pa ring panalo
ang lahat ng motorista dahil sa
maganda at makinis na kalye at sa
mahusay at propesyonal na serbisyong ibibigay ng Tollways
Management Corporation
(TMC), ang operator ng bagong
NLE.
Ayon sa pag-aaral ng University of the Philippines Planning and
Development Research Foundation, Inc. o UP Planades, makatitipid ng malaki ang mga gumagamit ng bagong NLE dahil
ang pagbilis ng biyahe ay mangangahulugan ng pagbaba ng vehicle operating cost o gastos sa
gasolina, brake fluid, wear and
tear at mga bahagi ng sasakyang
madaling masira kung pangit ang
daan tulad ng shock absorbers at
gulong.
Ang mga motoristang maglalakbay sa kabuuang 80 kilometro
mula Balintawak hanggang Sta.
Ines, Pampanga ay makatitipid ng
vehicle operating costs na P1.19
bawat kilometro o P95.20 kung
Class I (kotse, jeep, pickup truck,
van), P8.04 bawat kilometro o
P643.20 kung Class 2 (two-axle
truck, bus, van) at P5.75 bawat
kilometro o P460.00 kung Class 3
(tatlo o higit pang axles) ang
kanilang sasakyan. Talagang
malaking sulit ang mararanasan
ng mga motoristang dumadaan sa
bagong NLE.
Magandang balita rin ito para
sa project lenders na makasisigurong maipatutupad ang mga napagkasunduang milestones para
sa pag-usad ng proyekto at ng ating bansa. Inaasahang malaki ang
magiging kontribusyon ng
bagong NLE sa tuluyang pag-unlad ng Central at Northern Luzon
na makatutulong naman sa pagsulong ng ekonomiya ng Pilipinas.
At natural, magandang balita
rin ito para sa major MNTC
shareholders na Benpres Hold-
EC Tag Promo para
sa mga Empleyado
ng Lopez Group
SA Pebrero ng taon 2005, ang Manila North Tollways Corporation
(MNTC) na ang mamamahala ng
North Luzon Expressway (NLE)
mula sa dating tagapangasiwa, ang
Philippine National Construction
Corporation o PNCC. Sisimulan na
ang paggamit ng "modernized" expressway, kabilang na ang Electronic Toll Collection System. Ito ang
pinakabagong cashless toll payment
system para sa mga kotse at minivans sa pamamagitan ng transponder
unit o "EC Tag".
Ang EC Tag ay nagkakahalagang
PhP2,200. Ikinalulugod na
ipagkaloob ng MNTC sa mga empleyado ng Lopez Group ang EC Tag
sa halagang PhP950 na lamang.
Liban dito maari pang makakuha ng
10% rebate sa monthly top-up values. Ito ay isang pansamantalang
promo kaya inienganyo ng MNTC
ang mga empleyadong madalas dumaan sa NLE na mag-subscribe na
sa EC Tag.
Ang mga application forms para
sa EC Tag ay makukuha sa HR Department. Maaari lamang makipagugnayan sa tanggapan ng HR
para sa dagdag impormayon ukol sa
EC Tag at introductory price offer.
ings Corp. at First Philippine
Holdings Corp. na nagmamay-ari
dito sa pamamagitan ng First
Philippine Infrastructure Development Corp. o FPIDC.
Matatandaang pinondohan ng
US$117.5 milyon na equity at
US$253.5 milyon na loans ang
rehabilitasyon at pagmomodernisa ng bagong NLE.
Ang pagsisimula ng commercial operations ng bagong NLE
ay nangangahulugang magkakaroon din ng higit na interes ang
mga prospective investors hindi
lamang sa MNTC, kundi sa iba na
ring infrastructure projects sa
Pilipinas.
Ang iba pang shareholders ng
MNTC ay ang Philippine National Construction Corporation, Egis
Projects S.A. ng France, at
Leighton Asia Limited ng Australia.
Ang debt component ng nasabing proyekto ay nakuha mula sa
iba't ibang malalaking multilateral
at export agencies tulad ng International Finance Corporation,
Asian Development Bank, Multilateral Investment Guarantee
Agency, Compagnie Francaise D'
Assurance Pour Le Commerce
Exterieur, Export Finance and Insurance Cooperation at iba pang
international commercial banks.
Cheaper Towing Service at the New North Luzon Expressway
MOTORISTS in the North Luzon
Expressway (NLE) will enjoy better
and cheaper towing service fee from
25% to 40% less once the Manila
North Tollways Corporation (MNTC)
takes over its operation. MNTC and
the Tollways Management Corporation (TMC), operator of the new
NLE, have partnered with the Automobile Association of the Philippines
(AAP) for the towing, recovery and
emergency roadside services along
the newly-upgraded expressway.
The partnership was realized after TMC and AAP signed a memorandum of agreement last month.
Signatories to the MOA were TMC
President Anthony Mabasa and
AAP President Antonio Mapa, with
MNTC President Jose De Jesus and
AAP Director Jose Armando Duque
as witnesses.
"There are two main reasons why
the AAP-the country's national car
club-is perfect for the job," Mabasa
said during the MOA signing. "It's a
non-profit organization and its chief
advocacy is road safety."
The 74-year old AAP - with its
seven light and heavy towing vehicles and two roving pickups - will
boost the TMC's vision of a serviceoriented tollway system in the NLE,
Mabasa added.
He said it will complement TMC in
ensuring the safety, comfort and convenience of NLE motorists and assure
smooth flow of traffic along the NLE.
Shown at the MOA signing are from left: Jose "Ping" De Jesus, MNTC
President; Anthony Mabasa, TMC President; Antonio Mapa, AAP
President; and Jose Armando Eduque, AAP Director. Standing at the back
is TMC's Nathaniel Fernandez.
CHEERS! TMC President Anthony Mabasa and AAP President Jose
Armado Eduque are joined by MNTC, TMC and AAP officials in the toast
after the MOA signing.
The TMC and AAP will assure a
20-minute response time and efficient, reasonably priced mechanical/electrical and towing services
along the NLE. AAP will also provide fix-before-tow services for
stalled vehicles.
The AAP is the national automobile club in the Philippines. It is an institution in the local motoring industry, having assisted Filipino motorists
nationwide for more than seven
decades now. While "first and foremost a motoring advocacy group" at
the forefront of assisting government
and interest groups and educating the
public on road safety, traffic regulations, environmental issues, and the
like, the AAP is also known for providing round the clock "ERS" (emergency roadside service), specifically
flat battery service, flat tire change,
breakdown assistance, and tow truck
or flat bed towing service.
The AAP's membership base of
more than 60,000 also enjoys perks
such as vehicle security assistance,
motor vehicle registration assistance and 24-hour emergency medical services.
LOPEZLINK February 2005
3
Tamang bilang ng empleyado:
Tinutulan, tinanggap sa Beyond Cable
NOONG panahon ng Kapaskuhan, ilang
mga rank and file employees ng Philippine
Home Cable Holdings, Inc. (HomeCable)
ang nag-strike dahil umano sa pagbalewala
ng HomeCable sa kanilang outstanding
CBA o Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Dahil sa paglipat ng assets ng HomeCable sa Central CATV, Inc. (CCATV), alinsunod sa Debt Restructuring Agreement
(DRA) na inaprubahan ng mga creditors,
nagpasya ang HomeCable na pawalan ang
lahat ng mga empleyado nito. Ang HomeCable at CCATV ay parehong nasasailalim
ng Beyond Cable.
Sinabi ng unyon na may bisa pa rin ang
CBA dahil hindi naman daw magsasara
ang HomeCable kundi magkakaroon ito ng
pag-aari sa CCATV. Gayunpaman, pagpasok ng bagong taon, natapos din ang strike
at tinanggap na ng lahat ng HomeCable
employees ang kanilang huling sahod at
mga benepisyo.
Nagkaroon din ng reorganization ang
CCATV noong isang taon at 74 na empleyado ang nahiwalay sa serbisyo nang
matagpuang ang kanilang mga gawain ay
hindi na kailangan o kalabisan lamang.
Nag-strike din ang ilan sa mga nahiwalay na CCATV rank and file employees
dahil inisip nila na nawalan sila ng trabaho
dahil sa pagpasok ng ilang HomeCable
employees sa CCATV.
Inalok ng CCATV ng trabaho ang ibang
mga manggagawa ng HomeCable na
makatutulong sa operasyon ng surviving cable operating company. Gayunpaman, 115
katao ang hindi inalok ng CCATV o kaya'y
hindi tinanggap ang alok ng CCATV.
Ang kaso ng striking CCATV employees ay isinangguni na sa National Conciliation and Mediation Board ng Department
of Labor and Employment.
Sa simula ng 2004, ang bilang ng pinagsamang workforce ng CCATV at HomeCable ay 1,250. Ng matapos ang taon, 240
empleyado or 19% ng mga manggagawa
ang lumisan sa pamamagitan ng early retirement o kaya nama'y redundancy.
Magmula noong Enero 2002, unti-unti
nang binabawasan ng CCATV at ng HomeCable ang kani-kanyang workforce sa pamamagitan ng early retirement programs.
Meralco to start P2.276
billion-Phase 4 refund
THE Manila Electric Company today
said that it has received an order from the
Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)
regarding its Phase 4A refund implementation.
Meralco said Phase IVA which has a
gross refund amount (GRA) of P2.276
billion covers a total of 103,425 small
commercial and industrial customers,
government hospitals and metered streetlights (GHMS) customers with contracted demand of less than 40 kW. Also included are flat streetlight customers.
In a statement released to media, Meralco Sr. Asst. Vice President and Refund
Management Task Force Head Leo Mabale said that the order states that the refund will be credited to future billings
over a specified period of 18 months
starting January 2005. The order also directed Meralco to submit the details of its
Phase 4B refund proposal and provide
the commission with a refund implementation status.
"Although we recognize and adhere to
ERC's order, we need to inform the commission on the difficulties of starting the
implementation this month. We received
the order only on January 6 and we cannot implement it midway in the billing
cycle (January billing cycle). In addition,
the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has
notified us that it intends to tax the refund
of customers under Phase 4 and to designate Meralco as its withholding agent. We
hope to clarify with the BIR and ERC all
of these matters including the tax rules
and mechanics at the soonest possible
time so we can hopefully implement the
refund by February at the earliest.
Mabale added that at the end of December 2004, Meralco completed the
processing of refunds for active and terminated residential / general service
(R/GS) customers. This covers 5.1 million customers, representing 98% of customers entitled to a refund. The amount
processed for refund stands at P11.6 billion or 38% of the total refundable
amount.(Maite Bueno)
Noong panahon na iyon, umabot sa 1,520
ang bilang ng mga empleyado. Sa ngayon,
may 522 katao o 34% ng pinagsamang
workforce ang nahiwalay sa serbisyo.
Ayon kay Charlie Leonor, vice-president for human resource organization development ng Beyond Cable, naaayon sa
napagkasunduang CBA ang mga early retirement at redundancy programs na ipinatupad ng CCATV at HomeCable.
"Both CCATV and Home Cable fulfilled what is provided under the CBAs of
their respective unions. Separated employees were paid 1.5 months pay per year of
service including cash equivalents of benefit packages such as 100% cash conver-
sion of unused vacation and sick leaves.
These separation packages are actually
more than what is provided for under existing labor laws," paglalahad ni Leonor.
Wala naman daw ipinapataw na nararapat na bilang ng mga empleyado ang DRA
subalit mayroong international standard
ang cable TV industry na nagsasabi kung
ilan ang tamang bilang ng mga manggagawa ayon na rin sa dami ng mga cable subscribers at sa kabuuang laki ng network.
"This international standard is something CCATV would take into consideration in determining the right size of the
company," sabi ni Leonor.
(Carla P. Sison)
4
LOPEZLINK February 2005
National Digital Transmission Network Mga bagong regalo mula sa Affordacall
Phase I Expansion Project, inilunsad na
MAY bago na namang regalo mula sa Affordacall! Maaari
ANG proyektong National Digital Transmission Network (NDTN) Phase I Expansion ay
pinasinayaan noong Enero 21, upang iangat
ang network sa mas mataas na antas ng kalidad at masolusyunan ang tumataas na demand sa high speed, high bandwidth transmission of voice, data, video at Internet connection sa buong bansa, lalo na sa bahagi ng
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) na naging pangunahing sangkap sa
paglago ng ekonomiya.
Ang pagpapasinaya ay nagkaroon ng isang
handaan sa Hotel Intercontinental sa Makati
na dinaluhan nina Senador Ramon Magsaysay
Jr., Congressman Simeon Kintanar, Chairman
Virgilio Pena ng Commission on the ICT, at ng
mga top executives ng NDTN.
Ang NDTN ay nagsimula noong 1999 bilang pangalawang private-owned fiber optic
transmission facility ng bansa na nagku-konekta sa mga pangunahing rehiyon ng Pilipinas upang magkaroon ng mabilis na transmission ng
mga long distance services, cellular traffic,
high speed data, video, Internet, broadcast signals at iba pang communication services.
Ang network ay mayroong pitong miyembro ng consortium na binubuo ng mga
malalaking telecommunication companies sa
bansa na pinangungunahan ng BayanTel bilang majority owner, kasama ang Digitel,
Eastern Telecom, Extelcom, Globe, PT&T at
Smart. Ang mga ito ay pinamumunuan ng
Telecommunications Infrastructure Corporation of the Philippines o TelicPhil.
Kapag nakumpleto ang NDTN Expansion
One Project, mapapalaki nito ang kasalukuyang 2.5 Gb/sec na network sa 10 Gb/sec,
na nangangahulugan ng halos 120,000 na linya
ng magkakasabay na voice and data transmission o dagdag na kapasidad ng bandwidth ng
higit na apat na beses na mas malaki kaysa sa
unang naibibigay na serbisyo ng NDTN.
Samakatuwid, ang proyektong NDTN Expansion One ay magiging simula ng mas
maayos at abot-kayang mga serbisyo. Kung
ikukumpara ang halaga ng pagmimintina ng
isang 64Kb/s na service mula Manila hanggang
Cebu limang taon na ang nakakaraan, pareho
lamang ang magiging halaga nito sa pagmimintina ng isang 2 Mb/s na service o tatlumpung
beses na higit kaysa sa dating circuit capacity.
Sa pagkakaroon ng dagdag sa kapasidad
sa mababang halaga, ang mga taong naninirahan sa labas ng Metro Manila ay maaari
ring magkaroon ng mabilis na access na talagang abot-kaya. Ang NDTN Expansion ay
makakatulong sa data traffic sa pagitan ng
Manila at Cebu at maging sa Lucena-Tigbauan, Dumaguete-Cebu, Manila-Lucena, at
Dumaguete-Cagayan De Oro.
Ang pinahabang network ay makakatulong din sa paggamit ng potensyal ng bansa
na magkaroon ng 6 hanggang 10 milyong tra-
baho sa mga tech-intensive na sektor gaya ng
business process outsourcing (BPO) para sa
mga bansang Japan, U.S. at Europa.
Ang sektor ng edukasyon ay inaasahan
ding makikinabang sa pagpapalawig ng
NDTN. Dahil sa pagkakaayos ng mga kinakailangang imprastraktura, ang mga estudyante sa mga malalayong lugar ay
magkakaroon na ng tsansa na makagamit ng
Internet at magiging malawak ang kabatiran
nila sa Information Technology.
Ayon sa presidente ng Telciphil na si Henry Galingan, noong taong 2003, ang
paggamit ng NDTN traffic ay lumampas ng
halos 66% base sa orihinal na circuit capacities ng mga co-owners ng NDTN.
"Who could have known that just 5 years after installing our priginal 2.5 G system, it would
already have become almost fully loaded? It
only shows that the NDTN served its purpose
to the hilt in delivering telecommunication services nationwide but now is the time to upgrade
it to meet current and future demands.'
Ang ECI Telecom Ltd. ang napiling maging
project partner na magsasagawa ng expansion
dahil na din kilala ito sa pagpapataas ng kalidad
ng mga networks sa mas mababang halaga ng
gastos para sa kanilang mga parokyano.
Ayon sa presidente ng ECI Telecom Philippines na si Eli Abecassis, "The revolution in
telecommunications is a global one. We are
committed to doing our part in bringing the
Philippines up to speed on emerging technologies such as broadband and wireless applications in the most cost-effective possible way.
This also involves handling the unprecedented
growth in demand for bandwidth by introducing high capacity technology for transmitting
data, voice and video on a single network."
Ang proyekto na nagkakahalaga ng $6 milyon o humigit kumulang na P336 milyon, ay
gumamit ng XDM converged optical solution
ng ECI na nagpapalawak ng kasalukuyang
2.5G network capacity hanggang 10 G. Ang
low-order granularity at converged DWDM o
dense wavelength division multiplexing at
SDH o synchronous digital hierarchy ng
XDM ay mayroon ding pakinabang sa
proyekto at isa sa mga pangunahing dahilan
kung bakit ang ECI ang napili.
Sa kabuuan, ang publiko ang makikinabang sa pagpapalawak ng NDTN network na
kung saan mapapataas nito ang kalidad at
kahusayan ng telecommunications sa bansa.
Sa patuloy na pagsisikap ng NDTN consortium at TelicPhil upang mapaganda pang lalo
ang paghahatid ng mga serbisyong pang
telekomunikasyon, dapat asahan ng mga consumer ang pagkakaroon ng mas magandang
serbisyo sa mababang halaga na magbibigay
daan para sa pagkakaroon ng malinaw na
koneksyon sa pagitan ng ating bansa at iba
pang lugar sa mundo.
mo nang magamit ang Affordacall, ang pay-phone at prepaid phone card ng Bayantel, hindi lamang para pantawag
long distance kundi upang makakuha ng mga regalo galing sa Burger King at Dove.
Mula Enero hanggang Marso 31, 2005, maaari mong
ipalit ang mga Dove at Burger King Affordacall cards
para sa mga libreng treats.
Para sa mayhawak ng P100 Affordacall Burger King
card, siya ay may pagkakataong makakuha ng alinman sa
mga sumusunod: - sundae saver, regular fries, regular
onion rings at coffee - sa kahit na anong Burger King outlet sa Metro Manila. Dalawang treats naman ang pwedeng
makuha ng mga mayroong P300 Affordacall card.
Sa mga mayroong Affordacall Dove card, maaari silang
magkaroon ng gift set galing sa Dove na naglalaman ng Dove
facial wash sachet at Dove Deo stick, samantalang dalawang
gift sets naman ang makukuha ng mga mayhawak ng P300
Affordacall Dove card. Ang mga gift set ay makukuha sa
mga BayanTel Bayan Centers sa kalakhang Maynila.
Sa Affordacall, maari kang tumawag sa anumang cellphone at magbayad ng P6.50 lamang bawat minuto. $0.32
bawat minuto ang bayad sa international long distance
calls samantalang P4.00 bawat minuto naman sa mga
tawag sa probinsya.
Kaya bili na ng Affordacall ngayon at mag-enjoy sa
serbisyong walang kapantay at mga regalo galing sa Dove
at Burger King.
BayanTel, Tantra nagpasiklab sa G2
MULI na namang nagpasiklab ang
Bayan Telecommunications (BayanTel) sa nakaraang Games and Gadgets (G2) sa SM Megatrade Hall ng
SM Megamall kung saan ito ang pangunahing isponsor at ito rin ang nagbigay ng Internet connection para sa
mga exhibitors.
Ang G2 ay isa sa mga pinakamasayang trade fairs na tumulong sa
maraming multi-player online games
(MMOG) na naging isa sa mga paboritong libangan ng mga kabataan
ngayon. Ang pagdiriwang ay nagtampok sa mga pinakabagong online
games katulad ng Tantra, isang laro sa
internet na ipinapakilala ng ABSCBN Interactive at BayanTel.
Ang Tantra ay isa sa mga pinakakapana-panabik na laro sa internet na
nanggaling pa sa South Korea. Ang
larong ito ay mayroong mga graphics
at mga animation na wala sa ibang
mga online games sa ngayon.
Ayon kay BayanTel vice president
for product development Joevel
Rivera, "We were pleased to take part
in the G2 event as it enabled us to
showcase the reliability of our service
to support on-line gaming, especially
Tantra. With our wide array of products for Internet connection like Blast
and Loaded pre-paid Internet cards,
our post-paid dial up Sky Internet, and
broadband Internet through Sky DSL,
on-line gamers would get instant connection to their favorite game sites and
play with minimal, if no lag at all."
Sinamantala naman ng ABS-CBN
Interactive ang pagkakataon na iyon
sa G2 upang ipakita sa mga tao ang
Tantra, isa sa mga pinakaaabangang
MMOG na nakatakdang ilabas sa
buwan ng Pebrero.
Libu-libong mga bisita ang nagtungo sa mga booth ng Tantra at BayanTel upang makita sa kauna-unahang
pagkakataon ng mga manlalaro ang
pinakabagong MMOG kung saan sila
ay nagpalista rin para sa open beta session. Nagpalitan ng kanya-kanyang
mga kwento at nakipag-usap sa mga
kapwa nila manlalaro ang mga Tantra
gamers. Ipinakilala rin ang The Council of elders, isang grupo ng mga
beterano nang gamers. Isa pa sa mga
naging pangunahing tagpo sa G2 ay
ang Sky DSL at Sky Internet Ultimate
Fighting Championship kung saan
nagkaroon ng libreng Internet access
ang mga nagwagi.
Ang mga nabanggit na booth ang
pinakamaraming tao na bumisita na
nagtampok din sa mga tauhan ng
Tantra. Ang Tantra ay hango sa isang
istorya ng pag-ibig at paghihiganti sa
pagitan ng mga angkan ng mga diyos
at diyosa. Maaaring pumili ang mga
manlalaro ng mga karakter upang
magamit para malaro ito. Kakaibang
mga pagsubok na mayroong mga
makukulay at makatotohanang lugar
ang mararaanan.
Ayon sa ABS-CBN Interactive
Marketing Head na si Mitch Padua,
"We are pleased with the reception of
the gaming community to Tantra during the G2 event and we look forward
to making Tantra one of the, if not,
the best MMOG in the market. This is
also consistent with ABS-CBN Interactive's thrust to provide entertainment that is attuned with the lifestyle
of the youth."
West Zone water safe for drinking despite manganese presence
MAYNILAD Water Services Inc. assured
its customers in its West Zone concession
that the water in its network is safe to
drink despite the yellow discoloration of
the water and the appearance of manganese precipitates in several areas of the
concession during the first half of January this year.
According to Tita Mancera, chief of
Maynilad Water's Central Laboratory,
manganese is one of the elements naturally found in water or in soil, which makes
the water look yellow. Mancera said that
when manganese undergoes oxidation by
exposure to air or to chlorine, which is
used to disinfect raw water, it forms deposits which look like ground pepper.
Alerted by the growing number of
calls being received by Maynilad's Hotline 1626 last January 9 over the appearance of the water and the sandy-looking
precipitates, Maynilad activated its crisis
management team and fielded personnel
to monitor the water quality in the four
business areas of the concession.
Maynilad Water also began flushing
operations in several areas of the concession to remove the manganese deposits
from the distribution system.
Mancera said that the water remained
safe for drinking and for other uses, as the
water quality remained within the parameters of the Philippine National Standards
for Drinking Water, even with the man-
ganese phenomenon.
To demonstrate that the water remained
safe, Maynilad Water's Corporate Communications manager, Jesus Matubis Jr., went
live on ABS-CBN's TV Patrol on Wednesday, January 12, to drink water from a fire
hydrant at the corner of Pina and Santol
Sts., in Sta. Mesa, Manila, one of the points
from where water was being flushed.
Mancera said that the manganese phenomenon was the result of the high turbidity
or soil level of the raw water from Angat
Dam caused by the series of typhoons last
November and December 2004 which also
caused the manganese level of the water to
rise. The high turbidity level prompted
Maynilad Water to cut back production of its
La Mesa Treatment Plant One by 25 %, to
prevent the plant from being overwhelmed
by the water's soil content, and to increase the
chlorine dosage of the treatment process.
The turbidity problem was solved after
the National Power Corporation decided
to closed Auxiliary Turbines 4 and 5, from
where the raw water for Metro-Manila is
normally released. It was found out that
turbines 4 and 5 had become heavily silted. Instead, NPC began releasing water
through the spillway, thus tapping the water from the upper level of Angat Dam
which had normal turbidity level.
However, the manganese brought
about by the high turbidity level of the
raw water formed deposits in the water
distribution system, especially in deadend areas, and began oxidizing by January due to its interaction with chlorine in
the treated water.
To remove the manganese deposits in
the pipelines and restore the aesthetic quality of the water, Maynilad undertook flushing operations since Monday, January 10.
Within three days, reports about yellow
discoloration and the presence of precipitates tapered off, and, in less than a week,
the water's normal appearance returned.
Mancera said that manganese is not
harmful to one's health. Reference materials indicate manganese is one of the micro-elements needed by the body which
ensures good nutrition.(Jess Matubis)
Welcome back, Willie!
kanilang staff upang ipamigay ang kanilang
mga pangangailangan. Mga tao mula sa lahat
ng antas ng buhay ang maaaring makatanggap ng regalo. Kakatok, tatanungin ang pangangailangan at ibibigay.
Hindi lang yan. Sa show mismo, elimination round pa lang, maaari nang kumita ang
mga contestant. Pagkatapos ay mamimili sila
sa 10 bayong, kung saan pwede nilang makuha either one million or two million pesos.
Siyempre, hindi mawawala ang mga musical numbers at special guests.
Batid sa mukha ni Willie na gustung- gusto niyang tumulong at magbigay saya sa ating mga kababayan. Ayon sa kanya, isa itong
pagtulong sa kanyang kapwa Pilipino.
As for his promise to be good, he vows,
"'Pag nagkamali ako dito, ako na mismo ang
aalis sa industriya."
Alam niyang maraming mga mata at tainga ang magmamasid ngayon, dahil two strike
na siya, ika nga. Ngunit hindi ito mahalaga.
Ang mahalaga ay mapabuti ang isang bagay
o tao na minsan nang nadapa at bumangon.
Welcome back Willie!
PANGATLONG balik na ito ni Willie Revillame, at sa pagkakataong ito, nangangako
siyang magpapaka-behave na.
May bago na namang pa-kuwela ang
ABS-CBN ang Wowowee na iho-host ni
Willie sa tanghali. Back-to-back na sila ng ating paboritong Pilipinas, Game KNB?
Ayon kay Willie, show ito para sa masang
Pilipino na ang akala ay wala ng pag-asa.
Paraan aniya ito para mabigay ang kanilang
pangangailangan.
At kahit na dalawang beses na siyang
nagkamali, ipinapangako naman niyang
ibang Willie na ang haharap sa publiko. Pagbibigay-saya ang kanyang magiging pangunahing tungkulin.
Tuwing Lunes hanggang Sabado na po
siya mapapanood sa ABS-CBN, pagkatapos
ng Pilipinas, Game KNB?
Para daw ito sa mga kapuspalad nating
kababayan, yung mga walang trabaho. Willie
will be bringing back the ultimate, the phenomenal Pera o Bayong.
May portion din sa show na kakatok mismo sa bahay ng mga kababayan natin ang
Wish Upon A Star ni Mega
TUWING ika-6 ng Enero ay nagdiriwang si
Megastar Sharon Cuneta ng kanyang
kaarawan. At kaakibat ng okasyong ito ang
pagbibigay saya niya, hindi lamang sa kanyang
mga tagahanga, kundi sa lahat ng mga nangangailangan, sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay sa
kanila ng mga bagay na nais nilang makamit.
Nag-umpisa ang lahat sa The Sharon Cuneta Show na kung saan ay inanyayahang sumulat ang lahat ng mga may gustong matupad ang
kanilang mga simpleng kahilingan. At sa abot
ng makakaya ni Mega, ibibigay niya ang hiling
nang lahat ng kanyang mapagbibigyan.
At ngayong taon na ito, nagdiwang ng
kanyang ika-39 na kaarawan si Sharon. Sa tulong ng kanyang mga kaibigan, tatlumpu'tsiyam na kahilingan ang kanyang binigyang
katuparan. Simple lang na maituturing ang
mga hiniling ng ilan nating kababayan. Ang
iba ay humiling ng bubong at sahig para sa
kanilang tahanan; mga school supplies at laruan para sa mga bata sa bahay ampunan; bang-
ka, bigasan, at mini sari-sari store na pangkabuhayan; at pati na rin bagong bahay para sa
pamilyang nabiktima ng bagyo sa Quezon.
Ang lahat nang ito ay ibinigay ng taos-puso ni
Mega at ng mga taong malalapit sa kanya.
Noong ika-15 at 22 ng Enero napanood
ang birthday special ni Mega na kung saan ay
nakasama niya ang ilan sa mga nabigyangkatuparan ang kahilingan at mga kapwa niya
artista. Sinamahan din siya nina Piolo Pascual, Jericho Rosales, Bayani Agbayani at
Aga Muhlach bilang mga co-hosts.
Labis-labis ang kasiyahan sa mukha ng
mga nakatanggap ng regalo at maging si
Mega ay nasiyahan sa kanyang ginawang
kawang-gawa. Ito ang kanyang pamamaraan
upang magpasalamat sa lahat ng biyayang
kanyang natatanggap at kanyang alay sa mga
taong walang sawang sumusuporta at nagmamahal sa kanya. At dahil sa matagal
niyang pagkawala sa ere dahil sa kanyang
panganganak, inaantabayanan na ng publiko
ang kanyang nalalapit na pagbabalik upang
muli niyang mabigyan ng kasiyahan ang
kanyang mga tagahanga.
CNN's former news leader
Maria Ressa back to ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation welcomes home a news authority, former lead investigative reporter in Asia of no less than
the esteemed Cable News Network (CNN).
With Ressa now a training consultant of
ABS-CBN's News and Current Affairs Division, the giant network aims to establish and
maintain international standards for reporting, technical services and operations. She is
now in charge of training and evaluating
ABS-CBN's news team.
Among the highlights of Ressa's career
was her appointment as CNN's Manila Bureau
Chief (1988) and CNN's Jakarta Bureau Chief
(1995), earning her the expertise in covering
all the top stories and historical events in the
region. Recent awards include the Asian Television Award in 1999 for Indonesia, the SAISNovartis International Journalism Award in
2000 for East Timor, the Ferris Professorship
of Journalism in 2001, the National Headliner
Award for Investigative Journalism and the
TOYM (Philippines) in 2002.
Ressa also received an Emmy nomination
for Terrorism: Al Qaeda in the category of
Outstanding Investigative Journalism in
2003 and a Judges' Citation from the US
Overseas Press Club last year for Best Documentary: Seeds of Terror. This Princeton
University alumna also received a Fulbright
Fellowship to attend graduate school at the
University of the Philippines.
Now that Ressa, who worked for ABSCBN about two decades ago, is back in the
Kapamilya Network, she takes on the challenge of propelling local broadcast journalism to even greater heights, in the service of
the Filipino. (John Bautista)
LOPEZLINK February 2005
5
Mga panghataw ng ABS-CBN
S I M ULA Pebrero 5,
m a p apanood
n a t uw i n g
Sabado, sa ganap na
ika-5:30 ng hapon
hanggang ika-6:30 ng
gabi ang isa mga bagong
programa ng ABS-CBN na
Stardance.
Ito ay isang paligsahan
na kung saan maghahanap
ang istasyon ng mga bagong magiging
dance idols, at ito rin ang kauna-unahang dance reality show sa telebisyon.
Libu-libo ang nagpakitang gilas sa auditions na ginanap ngunit sampu lamang ang mabibigyan ng pagkakataon upang makatuloy sa finals.
Ang naturang show ay hindi
lamang nakapokus sa sayawan. Tulad ng ibang reality
shows, ipapakita din ang mga
nangyayari, on and off camera, at pati na rin ang mga
paghihirap at pagtatagumpay ng mga kasali
upang magwagi ay itatampok din dito.
Ang Stardance ay katatampukan nina Marvin Agustin,
Archie Alemania, Bianca Gonzales at JC Cuadrado. Sila
ay tutulungan naman nina Douglas Nierras bilang Creative
Consultant at Lino Cayetano na siyang direktor ng show.
*****
Handa na ba kayong mapanood ang totohanang bakbakan, hindi lamang sa loob ng boxing arena kundi pati
na rin sa totoong buhay?
Ito ang inyong matutunghayan sa Kamao, ang kaunaunahang reality boxing show na magtatampok sa labingisang bagitong boksingero na sasailalim sa labing-isang
linggo ng pagsasanay sa ilalim ng Philippine boxing
champ na si Manny Pacquiao at iba pang trainers.
Mayroong mga pagsubok at mga boxing match upang
malaman kung sinong dalawang boxers ang matitira at magtutunggali para sa gantimpala na nagkakahalaga ng P500,000,
professional boxing license, at sariling bahay at lupa.
Masasaksihan din sa naturang palabas ang mga
kwento ng buhay ng mga boksingerong nagsisali, ang
kanilang mga saloobin at nararamdaman habang ginagawa ang nasabing show.
Sina Robin Padilla at Vina Morales ang hosts ng Kamao.
Ang labing-isang boksingero naman ay sina Regie Amarante, Dennis Tugbo, Joel Garcia, Frankie Escaner, Garry
Lastrilla, Jaypee Ignacio, Joel Rafols Jr., John Rey Emilia,
Jeanyce Baga, Dandy Areola at Luisito Sanggalang.
Kaya't abangan ang natatanging palabas na ito sa
telebisyon at alamin kung sino ang matitirang matibay!
Huwag palalampasin ang nalalapit nang pagsisimula ng
Kamao! Malapit na…
*****
Matutunghayan na sa ika-21 ng Pebrero ang
pinakabagong interactive show para sa kabataan, ang IBol TV. Ito ay mapapanood ng ala-1:00 hanggang alas2:00 ng madaling-araw.
Bagay na bagay ang palabas na ito sa mga taong
mahilig sa night life o di kaya nama'y sa mga taong may
insomnia. Bukod sa mararating mo ang mga patok na
gimik places, iba't-ibang tao pa ang maaari mong makilala dahil sa maaari kang makapag chat online o kaya
nama'y sa pamamagitan ng pagtext.
Pwede ka ring manood ng mga music videos ng inyong mga paboritong artista at mang-aawit habang
nakikipag chat o habang nagda-download ka ng MMS.
Mage-enjoy ka na, marami ka pang makikilala. Kaya
tambay na sa I-Bol TV, ang ultimate interactive show
para sa kabataang Pinoy!
Congratulations!
Jay Lopez’s wife recently gave birth to
twins named Joaquin Jose and Sofia
Carmela. Best wishes to the family!
6
LOPEZLINK February 2005
New war...
from page 1
Pagkatapos ng MOA signing, pormal na na iniabot ni USAID office of education chief Steve Kral, US Embassy counselor for political affairs in the Philippines Scott Bellard at ni
Ms. Bautista sa kinatawan ng mga beneficiary schools mula
sa Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur at Marawi City ang "gift of
knowledge."
Kabilang sa mga dumalo sa MOA signing sina Department of Education secretary of ARMM Hon. Leovigilda
Cinches, ARMM Regional Governor Farouk Hussein at si
Datu Paglas Mayor Abubakar "Totoy" Paglas.
Hangad ng Team Mindanao na mabigyan ng "world-class"
na edukasyon ang Pilipinong mag-aaral saang sulok man sila
ng bansa, antas ng edukasyon na magbabalik ng estudyanteng
Pinoy sa dating kinaluklukan nito-sa tuktok, bilang ang pinakamagaling, pinakamatalino at pinakamaliksi sa Asya. Sila ay
maglalaan ng pondong gagamitin sa cable at satellite access
para mabigyan ng Knowledge Channel ang mas marami pang
estudyante sa mga pampublikong paaralan sa Mindanao.
Karamihan sa tinatayang 40,000 public schools sa bansa
ay nasa Luzon at Visayas, kaya possible na ang mga eskwelahan at mag-aaral sa Mindanao ay hindi nakakatanggap ng
sapat na funding at suporta.
"This is an effort to lift the standards of education for Filipino students in public schools in order to give them a
stronger chance for a brighter and better future, and we are
honored to be part of the alliance of partners that will make
this possible," pahayag ni Ms. Bautista.
Ang telebisyon ang tinuturing na pangunahing tagapagdala
ng balita at impormasyon sa mga Pilipino, mayaman man at
mahirap, sa probinsiya man o sa lunsod. Dahil sa matinding
hatak ng telebisyon sa mga Pinoy, naisipan ng Team Mindanao
Alliance na gamitin ito bilang isang "educational tool" sa Mindanao, bagay na nagawa na ng Knowledge Channel at ng partners nito sa ibang bahagi ng bansa.
Sa loob ng anim na taon-mula 1999 ng unang nagsa-ere
ang Knowledge Channel hanggang sa mid-January 20051,802,758 estudyante sa elementarya at 712,826 naman sa
high school sa 57 na probinsiya ang nabiyayaan na ng
Knowledge Channel; 4,290 na guro at 7,051 na principal na
rin ang nabigyan ng kaukulang training para mas lalong mapabuti ang kanilang pagtuturo.
Naniniwala ang mga tao sa likod ng Team Mindanao na
ang de-kalidad na edukasyon ay makatutulong para iangat
ang antas ng buhay ng isang tao. Sa pamamagitan ng Knowledge Channel layunin ng Team Mindanao na mabigyan ng
"access to quality education" ang 50,597 na mag-aaral sa 70
paaralan sa ARMM.
"Team Mindanao is expected to provide better learning opportunities and conditions in ARMM," dagdag pa ni Ms. Bautista. "Its
goals echo the priorities set by USAID, particularly its focus on the
education sector, addressing the need for a strategic and innovative
intervention in Muslim Mindanao."
Nakita ng Team Mindanao ang positibong epekto ng
Knowledge Channel sa mga naunang beneficiaries sa ibang
bahagi ng bansa kaya naisipan nilang dalhin ito sa Mindanao.
Higit pa riyan, di hamak ang long-term effects ng educational
TV sa mga mag-aaral. Iniulat ng ilang dalubhasa sa edukasyon na napapabuti ng ETV ang thinking skills at performance
ng isang estudyante at tumataas ang attention level nito. Halimbawa, isang masteral thesis naman na nagsiyasat sa epekto
ng Knowledge Channel ang nagbalita na mayroong "significant difference" na 26.14 percent sa achievement ng high
school students na na-expose sa science program ng Knowledge Channel.
Ayon kay Ms. Bautista, sa unang taon ng Team Mindanao,
dadalhin nila ang Knowledge Channel sa Sultan Kudarat,
Parang at Datu Paglas sa Maguindanao, at sa Marawi City,
Malabanan, Balabagan at Kapatagan sa Lanao del Sur.
Sa pangalawang taon, magkakaroon na rin ng Knowledge
Channel sa Jolo, Parang at Patikul sa Sulu, at sa Bongao sa
Tawi-Tawi.
Sa pangatlo at huling taon ng Team Mindanao program,
ang Knowledge Channel ay dadalhin sa Lamitan at TipoTipo sa Basilan, at sa Pagalungan, Datu Piang at Datu Odin
Sinsuat sa Maguindanao.
1
2
3
4
5
1. Ahmed Paglas showing five-finger
cavendish bananas of La Frutera, a 1,000hectare banana plantation which opened in
1997 and is now exporting bananas under the
Chiquita brand throughout the world.
6
2. Awarding of Commemorative Plaques to
Datu Paglas Elementary Schools. Behind
from left are KCFI President Rina LopezBautista, US Embassy Counselor for Political Affairs in the Philippines
Scott Bellard, USAID Chief of Education Thomas J. Kral, USAID Rosario
Calderon and ARMM DepEd Secretary Leovegilda Cinches.
3. Public school representatives Rehana Samadalan of Datu Paglas National High School and Datu Fahad Sepi of Datu Paglas Central Elementary School switch on the Knowledge Channel during the launch.
4. DepEd Supt. Bai Alibai Benito Alindin leading the ARMM DepEd division heads in their pledge to support TEAM-Mindanao’s goals.
5. Alliance partner Euan Fannel of Beyond Cable who is responsible for
installation of satellite dishes in areas where cable service is not yet
available.
6. (Seated from center to right) Mayor Abubakar “Totoy” Paglas envoys
a break with Datu Paglas public school teachers and Domini Torrevillas,
ABS-CBN’s Cedie Vargas and Benpres Group PR Rosan Cruz.
7. Alliance partner Rodrigo Cabrera, chief of Amore, which is responsible
for installing energy-generating solar panels in areas without electricity.
8. Former three-term mayor and TOYM recipient Datu Ibrahim “Toto”
Paglas who transformed his town from a war zone to a peaceful progressive community and major banana exporter employing ex-Muslim rebels.
Photos: MANDY NAVASERO
7
8
LOPEZLINK February 2005
1
1. KCFI President and Executive Director Rina LopezBautista gives an overview of the 3-year TEAM-Mindanao
program wherein Knowledge Channel will be made available in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Marawi City, Basilan,
Sulu and Tawi-Tawi as implemented in Beyond Cable.
2. Students of Datu Paglas Central Elementary School tune
in to Knowledge Channel.
3. Group photo during dinner hosted by Bai Norah Paglas
at her hilltop residence with media, Lopez group members
and members of La Frutera and Paglas Corporation.
4. Employees of La Frutera celebrate the Eid’l Adha, a
thanksgiving to Allah for the remarkable achievement of
those Muslims who have completed the Hajj to Mecca.
5. Col. Jalandoni together with Datu Toto Paglas explain
the peace and order situation in Maguindanao to KCFI
President Rina Lopez-Bautista.
6. US Embassy Scott Bellard with Datu Paglas DepEd ARMM education division heads.
7. Datu Paglas Central Elementary School students tune in
to Knowledge Channel
2
3
4
5
7
ARMM Profile
THE Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, or
ARMM, was created in August 1, 1989 by virtue of
Republic Act (RA) No. 6734. However, it was actually organized and inaugurated on November 6, 1990
at Cotobato City, the seat of the Regional Government.
The aim is to help solve the long-festering Muslim
problem and at the same time hasten the economic development of the Muslim areas. ARMM is composed
of the proinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu
and Tawi-Tawi.
On September 9, 1996, elections were held for the
ARMM officials. Prof. Nurallaji Misuari, the Chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF),
was elected as governor, with Guimid P. Matalam as
vice governor. They replaced Linding Pangandangan
and Nabil Tan as governor and vice governor, respectively. Also elected with them were 121 regional assemblymen.
After his election as ARMM governor, Misuari
has assumed the role of peace broker in Mindanao.
He promised to use "moral pressure" to convince
members of the Abu Sayaf group and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to lay down their
arms and assist the government in promoting peace
and development in Mindanao.
Datu Paglas is at present one of the more progressive towns of Maguindanao. Its transition from a war
zone to an economic zone makes an interesting study
in public administration. With the former mayor
Datu Ibrahim "Toto" Paglas III at the helm, a stable
peace and order brought in investments, particularly
the La Frutera Banana Plantation which provided
work to its constituents. Priority is given to the residents of Datu Paglas in the hiring of workers for the
plantation, 30 percent of whom are women.
KCh Update
As of January 2005:
• 1.8 M elementary students and 712.826
high school students are hooked up or a total of 2.5 M students in 1,400 schools
troughout 57 provinces nationwide.
• 15 elementary and 57 high schools were
given free satellite access.
• 1,086 elementary and 242 high schools
were given free cable access.
• 4,290 teachers and 7.051 principals have
been trained to ensure proper use of the
channel.
• Northernmost connection: Itbayat, Batanes
6
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• Southernmost connection: Bongao, TawiTawi
Let the wellness begin
8
LOPEZLINK February 2005
WELLNESS is on everyone’s agenda these days and
has become much more than a noun. It is a way of life
that emphasizes personal responsibility for making
the lifestyle choices and self-care decisions that will
improve the quality of our life.
It is also about approaching everyday affairs with
physical, emotional and mental positivity. It includes
both highly scientific and practical medicine--from the
latest research and most advanced tests to reliable home
remedies and common sense. One crucial tenet is that
preventing illness is even more important than treating it,
especially since many chronic diseases are incurable.
Wellness is an issue close to Chairman Oscar
Lopez's heart. Witnessing several unfortunate deaths
within the corporation, Chairman Lopez took it upon
himself to start a Wellness Program in First Holdings
in 1997.
The following is an excerpt of Chairman Oscar M.
Lopez's speech delivered at the Joint Meeting of the
Mancom and FPHC CEOs last January 11, 2005:
"Wellness is something close to my heart. I started
the program in First Holdings in 1997, though it was
formally launched in 1998. This concern was not a
purely academic and conceptual concern for me. The
deaths of 3 key Lopez Group executives prompted me
to move this issue from a purely personal activity to an
official corporate initiative. These three deceased executives were: Renato 'Tato' Diaz-RTD who died on
December 22, 1996 of a sudden heart attack while
playing tennis at the early age of 46. Second was Col.
Luis "Jojo" Mirasol, who collapsed on the 5th floor of
this building during a business meeting on December
19, 1998 of aortic aneurism at the age of 63. Third is
my brother Geny, who headed the Lopez Group until
his death from cancer on June 28, 1999 at the age of 70
years and 8 months.
"I consider the death of these three executives as a
waste of still untapped potential because all three could
have given so much more in the service of the Lopez
Group of Companies. My visit in the late 90s to a
Siemens wellness facility provided me with a concrete
reference for this undertaking on a corporate level. We
have the annual wellness seminar and also the regular
laboratory and physical fitness tests. We have made
some headway here. In his latest report, Dr. Bate mentioned improved results from our executives. Nevertheless, I am not yet satisfied; in fact, I am far from satisfied. I cannot overemphasize that one major foundation for the long-term growth and competitiveness of
our companies is a pool of healthy managers.
"For my part, I did two things this past year to promote the cause of good health of our executives. First,
we came up with an executive diary having health and
fitness discussions interspersed throughout the diary.
I assume that you have all gotten your respective
copies. This was not something original with me. I
got the idea from two different foreign health diaries.
However, I believe this is the first of its kind in the
Philippines. To make it more attractive, pictures of
paintings from the First Holdings collection are included in the diary. You can just imagine the efforts
we put in and the total cost of the undertaking. We
thank Cesar Gomez, his staff and group of doctors
and nutritionists who contributed to this great task.
Thus, I hope you will not keep this just as a souvenir
but really understand and apply the wellness guidelines contained therein.
"We have to walk the talk-literally at that! I would
now like to mention the Benpres building stairways. I
had it improved to motivate the employees within this
building and other people frequenting the building to
use this newly refurbished stairs as an additional form
of exercise. We placed carpets, had the wall painted in
hues of light green, put in electric fans, and we are still
looking at installing piped-in music and the Lopez Museum will plaster the walls with beautiful reproduction
of artworks, birds and flowers. The health note for the
Week 38 (Sept 12-18) of the executive diary states that
an hour of walking up the stairs for a 150-lb. person
results in 570 calories burned. Well, just adjust for the
minutes you spend in going up or down the stairs
throughout the day.
"A personal tip-I have been using the stairs for one
caption
year now. I stop at the third floor stairway to rest for
about 20-30 seconds before resuming my climb up to
the 6th floor. So, I don't expect you to reach your office breathless and exhausted, thereby disabling you
to from starting productive office work right away. If
you have not tried it yet, try it going down after this
meeting. It will be an easier initiation into what I callthe staircase to wellness."
"Finally, I want to talk to you briefly about an article
I read during the holidays which may interest all of
you. It was written by a Dr. Michael Roizen, whose
special field is preventive gerontology, or the science of
anti-ageing. The article is entitled, "Are you as young
as you can be?" written sometime in the year 2000.
"Roizen states that we used to think that genes determined how long a person would live and when
functional capabilities decline. That belief is now
proven wrong. The science of preventive gerontology
has moved beyond that mistaken belief. Scientific data in last 12 years indicate that more than 60-70% of
heart disease, stroke and arterial ageing is preventable; more than 80% of cancers are caused by the
environment (where you live and work, what you eat,
what your habits are, etc.) and 80% of accidental
deaths are also preventable.
"He said, if your grandfather died at age 63 of heart
disease, you don't have to die 63 calendar years after
you were born. You can turn back the clock, so to speak,
so that 63 calendar years after you are born, you could
be 43 years old in what Dr. Roizen calls your real age.
"Whatever our background, there is a two-part
question that interest all of us. How long will I live and
how healthy and vigorous will I be during my life. The
concept of real age unifies all health issues to determine exactly how they affect youth and vigor. Then,
through computer technology and statistical methodology, real age is able to interpret health risks as years of
life. Think of a woman who looks 45 but is really 60
years old. When we say someone seems young for her
age, we mean she has a mind and body as young and
vibrant as someone much younger.
"Real age measurement allows us to quantify the
difference between our calendar age and our physiologic age. The real age program shows how we can slow
the pace of ageing and even reverse it. The idea is to
feel more invigorated, energetic and healthy. The goal
is not only to live longer but also to live younger.
"This is about the young science of preventive
gerontology, a concept that can dramatically change
the way you think about and control your health.
"Age reduction planning can make the real age of
a 70-year old as much as 26 years younger. It sounds
too good to be true but that is what the data tells us.
We now know how to lower real age--the age at
which your body functions. One of these data points
for decreasing real age relates to smoking. If a 55
year-old male smokes two packs of cigarettes per day,
his real age is 8 years greater than that of someone
who has never smoked. The physiologic degradation
caused by smoking can be reversed if smoking is
stopped soon enough. Dr. Roizen claims that we age
because our arteries and immune system ages. If my
arteries are younger, I am more vigorous. Healthy leg
arteries are more important than calendar years in allowing me to run faster. If my brain and heart arteries
are younger, I will maintain the intellect and ability to
caption
do physical activity. If my skin capillaries are
younger, I have fewer wrinkles.
Here are some of Dr. Roizen's 70 steps to retard or
reverse ageing:
• Take mega doses of vitamins daily such as 1,200
mg of vitamin C, 400 int'l units of vitamin E and 800
micrograms of folic acid, and a B complex multivitamins. All these vitamins can make you 10 years
younger.
• For men older than 40 years and women older
than 50 years, he suggests taking one 325 mg. tablet of
aspirin daily after consultation with a doctor. Daily aspirin intake makes your real age 1.9 years younger.
One point to remember with aspirin, however, is that a
doctor must monitor the amount you take. I have been
taking an aspirin a day for perhaps 8 years now, but I
only take one 89 mg. tablet and not 325 mg. One danger of prolonged aspirin intake is so much thinning of
the blood that it could lead to hemorrhaging. This happened to my wife who had several bouts of nose bleeding which required minor hospital treatment.
• Monitor your health aggressively. Find a physician to help you manage any chronic diseases such as
diabetes, arthritis, asthma, liver and kidney and heart
diseases. Each year that the symptoms of these diseases are not treated, will add 2 years to your real age.
This is the whole point about our corporate wellness
program, to help you identify your health problems.
• Know your blood pressure and keep it at or lower
than 115/76. Keeping it at this level makes you 9 years
younger than maintaining blood pressure of 130/86 and
more than 25 years younger than one whose blood
pressure is 160/90 or greater. Blood pressure of 120/80
is considered normal but not ideal.
• Eat 10 helpings of tomatoes a week
• Eat less than 10% of saturated or trans fat a day
(these are oil that are hardened by a process called hydrogenation). Most of the cookies or crackers you buy
off the shelves of groceries are hydrogenated and
therefore not good for you.
• Reduce your LDL or bad cholesterol to less than
120 mg/dl and increase your good cholesterol or HDL
to more than 55 mg/dl, and your total cholesterol to
175 or less. If you can do this, you are 16 years
younger than one with total cholesterol of 260 and
HDL 722. You can increase your HDL by quitting
smoking, losing weight by exercise and taking statin
drugs such as lipitor or socor.
• Eat 4 fruits a day, 5 servings of vegetables, fish at
least twice a week, red meat only once a week and
avoid high fat, high calorie food and snacks. Instead
of white rice and white bread, eat red unpolished rice
and whole wheat bread.
• Reduce your weight to what you weighed when
you were 18 years for women and 21 years for men.
This weight factor can increase or decrease your real
age by 6 years.
• Walk your dog, even if you don't have one. Exercise enough to have your resting heart rate below 66
beats/min.
• Burn 3520 kcal. with physical activity a week.
Do 60 minutes of stamina building activity/week and
30 of strength or bodybuilding and flexibility exercise
/week. This exercise regime can make your real age 8
years younger.
• Do not smoke or be near people who do. Smoking one pack of cigarette makes your real age 8 years
older.
• Practice a lot of safe sex. The more orgasms you
have, the younger you are. The average number of orgasms for American men, the good doctor says is 58
per year. Increase this to 158, and you are at least 8
years younger than your calendar age (and I assure
you, your wife will love you for it because it means
you have to make love to her practically every other
day). If you are, you deserve a medal for heroism beyond the call of duty.
• Develop a group of friends to call upon during
major life events, join in a social group, be it an exercise group, church groups or community improvement group. Management of your stress and major
life events by support network or other stress reduction mechanism reduce the effect of stress almost
completely. Learn how to laugh at yourself. It opens
lines of communication and reduces anxiety, tension
and stress.
• Live below your income level
• Identify your genetic risks and reduce them.
Dr. Roizen ends his article by saying that, an age
reduction planning program can make the real age of
a 70 year old as much as 26 younger. This message
seems to be directed at me since I am 74, so if I follow
this program religiously, I can look forward to reduce
my real age to 48.
Think about this--if all the Lopez Group executives can follow the Real Age program as envisioned
by Dr. Roizen and the retirement age for all executives were all computed by our HR Department in
terms of Real Age, we would all continue working for
this Group of Companies for the next 20 to 25
years.
Dr. Roizen says that the first 5 to 8 years of an age
reduction plan are relatively easy; after that, more effort is required. "But then if you are 70 years old isn't
a real age of 44-48 years worth it," asks Dr. Roizen. I
say amen to that. It is worth that effort, not only at 70,
but also at 60, and even at 50.
Tennis anyone?
LOPEZLINK February 2005
9
EXECUTIVE PROFILE
Miguel L. Lopez
We’re all part of the ‘mother ship’
GROWING up during martial law, Miguel L.
Lopez or Mike focused on getting an education,
finishing school, and trying to figure out what
kind of career he wanted. He initially thought of
becoming a lawyer but chose not pursue it after
earning his Business Administration degree.
His dad, Meralco chairman Manuel M. Lopez
(MML), is a stickler with regards to strong work
ethics. "He was strict in that sense. He'd insist
that I get part-time work whenever I was on vacation from schooling abroad, he wanted me to
get busy and learn the value of work."
Mike joined Meralco in 2001 and brought
with him a wealth of experience and insights
from over seven years of work in such companies as Nynex (later Bell Atlantic and now Verizon), BayanTel and Maynilad.
He learned significantly different things
from each job. At Nynex, he was exposed to
scanning business opportunities, joint ventures
and doing business overseas, especially in
emerging markets. In BayanTel, he learned
about the demands of a start-up organization
and was involved in policy-making, establishing procedures, call center and branch management and even hiring. In Maynilad, he took on
more general management responsibilities.
Mike is now head of marketing in Meralco
and just last year was appointed executive director of Meralco Millennium Foundation, Inc.
(MMFI). The marketing group under him is
credited with executing many of the initiatives
under the Corporate Image Committee led by
Meralco consultant Monico Jacob.
These include the “Sa Meralco, May Liwanag ang Buhay” ads that came out in print
and broadcast media last year, and the radio
commercial in which MML himself advised the
public of the Napocor rate increase, which
would not in any way benefit Meralco but
which Meralco, as the utility, is obliged to collect for Napocor.
“The objective is to protect and strengthen
the Meralco brand, make it more consumer-
Mike Lopez with cousins Roberta delos Reyes,
Cedie Vargas and Geni Psinakis. They, one from
each other branch of the Lopez family, attended
a FamCor (Family Corporations) workshop at
Harvard in 1999.
friendly. And this entails more customer-relationship building activities,” said Mike.
He adds that while the Corporate Image
Committee has gained some headway in improving the public's view of Meralco, there is a
need to sustain the gains and bring it to the next
level because of the very dynamic environment
in the power business.
As for MMFI and other public service efforts, Mike believes in social responsibility just
as much as his grandfather, Eugenio H. Lopez,
Sr., his father, and other members of the family
do. "The bottomline is not the be-all and endall. We have to give back to society and be
thankful for all the blessings we have received."
Mike is proud of the fact that MMFI is very
strong in employee volunteerism and environmental stewardship.
“We spend 'non office' hours on volunteer
work here in Meralco, and many of our processes, like the disposal of batteries or emission
testing for vehicles, revolve around what's good
for the environment.”
Mike believes it is essential for Meralco,
now 102 years old, to stay customer focused, in
order for it to survive and flourish in the next
hundred years. Although the company expects
some degree of migration to other service
providers, Meralco expects its brand name, reputation and service-oriented people to live up to
the challenge of making it the preferred utility
in a deregulated environment.
Mike acknowledges the importance of
Miguel “Mike” Lopez with wife Christina and
son Miguel Lopez, Jr.
knowing your roots and calls Meralco grandparent Benpres Holdings the 'mother ship'. He
asks Lopez Group employees to be united in
times of crisis.
“We all come from diverse backgrounds and
all of us seem to be going in different directions. But the common thread is that we are all
part of a larger organization, the mother company which is Benpres. We should realize that
all our contributions, all our work affect the
mother ship and so we should, to the best of our
abilities, work for the good of that mother
ship.”
LITTLE LIVES, BIG DEEDS
In God's embrace 24/7
ON August 30, 2004, during frozen section biopsy, a sample of tissue from my left breast was diagnosed as malignant. That meant the
cancer, identified later by the pathologist as Stage III C Invasive
Ductal Carcinoma, tended to spread to other parts of my body.
The surgeon, with consent I had given earlier, removed my entire left breast and the associated lymph nodes located in my
left armpit. Laboratory examination revealed that the cancer
had invaded 22 out of the 24 lymph nodes removed, as well
as part of the muscle supporting the left part of my chest.
My world just fell apart. How could I have cancer?
And the oft-repeated, "Why me?" I was 35 years old
and married, with children aged 9 and 5.
The medical oncologist recommended six cycles
of the strongest combination of chemotherapy
drugs at three week-intervals, radiotherapy of
25 to 35 days, and possibly, daily hormone
tablets for the next five years.
The physical challenge of cancer
treatment was one thing. The financial challenge was another.
My husband's jaw
dropped when we
heard the cost estimate for the
e n t i r e t r e a tment-over
half a million
pesos, even
more if you
include the diagnostic ex-
By Carla Paras-Sison
WITH husband Norman, son Gino and daugther
Dana
aminations to monitor treatment success or failure. I had
already reached the dreaded disease limit of our HMO
(health maintenance organization), which was just
enough to cover the cost of surgery.
A friend volunteered to build a website, www.ourownlittleway.org, to inform people who may want to help about
my condition. I was hesitant at first about asking people for
help. I've been quite independent for most of my adult life,
and I felt embarrassed at the prospect of begging.
But as my oncologist said, I may not be indigent at
the time I was diagnosed but I will soon be if I do not get
help in funding my treatment.
The story of many middle-income cancer patients
goes this way: the family sells the office-sponsored car,
the mortgaged house and any asset of value, the children
move from private to public school and drop out of all
extra-curricular activities, the family borrows from all
possible sources, and finally, the patient dies leaving the
family in debt.
It sure wasn't a pretty picture to me and I prayed for
humility to accept the help of whosoever would want to
help me. I soon found out that there were plenty.
People I knew from high school, from college, from
graduate school, from old and current workplaces, people I have not seen for years were calling, texting and
sending email. Some even staged events to raise funds
for me, and almost all reached into their own pockets to
give me a new lease on life.
I still don't know the answer to "Why me?" But the
overwhelming response to the plea for help in the website
(92+ donors) made me believe I still had a purpose in life.
While I search for what that purpose could be, I
thank my donors and friends through the website for all
the love they have given me. I pray daily for their safety
and success. And as I cope with the rigors of the recommended treatment, I commit them to the care of God
Almighty whose love embraces me through them 24/7.
NOTE: Carla Paras-Sison is senior manager for
corporate communications at Benpres Holdings. She
hopes to be well enough to resume her MBA studies in
June 2005. For updates on her medical treatment, visit
www.ourownlittleway.org or http://carla1.multiply.com
10
LOPEZLINK February 2005
THE monstrous typhoons did dampen the
Christmas festivities in Infanta, Quezon but
ABS-CBN Foundation SAGIP KAPAMILYA
brought hope through their Christmas
Caravan. Relief goods, medical aid and
supplies were distributed by the Foundation’s employees to more than 3,000
families. Tina Monzon-Palma, program director of Bantay Bata 163 lead the distribution of toys to 7,000 children. Fun-filled activities for children were also held.
ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya update
As of January 12, 2005
Total cash/ check donation in bank
P80,312,909.10
Pledges
P53.4 M
Total donated goods received
P45.4 M
Total of donated goods distributed
P40 M
Total of families served
75,798
Total areas visited
88
Total number of volunteers
4,210
Total number of donors (from
individual/ companies/ organizations
from all over the world)
9,500
Sagip Kapamilya: Saving the Filipino Family
THE year 2004 ended tragically as four
strong successive typhoons hit the country.
Typhoon Unding was the first to come on
November 13. Violeta came the next day
after Unding left the country on November
22, followed by Winnie on November 28
and Yoyong on November 30. All typhoons
lasted an average of five days each with the
period ending on December 3. According
to the final report of NDCC, the said typhoons unleashed floods and landslides that
left 1,062 people dead, 1,032 injured, 552
missing and a total of 3.6 million persons
affected. At least 39,000 houses were totally destroyed and 133,000 partially destroyed. Damage to public infrastructures
and private properties, agriculture and fisheries were pegged at P5.7 billion.
ABS-CBN Foundation Volunteers, always on alert for such disasters for the past
11 years, lost no time in coming to aid,
braving strong rains and wind, flood, and
rough impassable roads. The relief operation project, aptly called Sagip Kapamilya,
distributed relief goods, clothing and
medicine to hundreds of families who
were in dire need at that time. ABS-CBN
Channel 2, DZMM, ANC, RNG, TFC
joined forces for round-the-clock reporting
on the relief operations. A weeklong
telethon was aired at ANC to appeal to the
people who responded with so much generosity through fund donations both in
cash and kind. Through TFC, millions of
overseas Filipino viewers were able to
monitor relief operations and how the
Sagip Kapamilya Disaster Fund grew every hour and every day. More than a month
after the onslaught of the typhoons, donations are still coming in and rehabilitation
work particularly in Infanta, Quezon has
started through the Food for Work project.
Food for Work
ABS-CBN SAGIP KAPAMILYA is
presently helping in rebuilding the affected
lives of our kababayans in Infanta, Quezon.
Last January 3, it started the Food for Work
where locals are urged to lend a hand in rebuilding their communities and in return they
will be given relief goods. The people of Infanta, who were provided with tools by the
Foundation, are now busy cleaning the
schools so their children can go back to class.
A total of 2,294 relief packs will be distributed to the participating workers in Infanta, Real and General Nakar in Quezon.
Total Areas Visited
A total of 88 areas have been visited and
these include the provinces and cities of:
Quezon City; Marikina City; Taguig;
Cainta and Montalban, Rizal; Aurora; Bulacan; Cagayan Valley; Camarines Norte;
Camarines Sur; Catanduanes; Pampanga;
Isabela; Laguna; Masbate; Nueva Ecija;
Nueva Vizcaya; Quezon; Romblon; San
Vicente; and, Tuguegarao.
Public Response
ABS-CBN extends its full appreciation
to the public for being a significant part of
the Sagip Kapamilya relief operations.
With the overwhelming support and trust
the public has given ABS-CBN Foundation, P76, 847, 089.07 cash donations and
P20 million pledges were raised and about
P 50.1 M million worth of goods were received, serving 75,798 affected families as
of January 12, 2005.
4,210 volunteers composed of students,
employees from different corporations,
government and NGOs, have trooped to
the Sagip Kapamilya headquarters in Brgy.
Laging Handa, Quezon City since December 1 to help in the packing and distribution of goods. ABS-CBN Foundation also
acknowledges Buddha's Light Internation-
al Association Philippines, Khalsa Diwan
Filipino Indian Association, Inc., Grand
Family Association of the Philippines,
Inc., WG&A Superferry for extending
help for this worthy cause.
ABS-CBN is inspired by the openhandedness the public has shown in the face of
a devastating calamity, and it is honored to
have served as the link between the viewing public, the donors, and the victims. News Bulletin
• SAGIP KAPAMILYA sent a solicited
dump truck to Infanta last January 5,
2005 with 2 Seabees to help in road
clearing operations.
• Martin Nievera, the Philippine Concert
King, was able to raise $2,830 from his
two concerts in the Bay Area, USA.
The concerts were Martin's Holiday
Dinner Show held at the Grand Ballroom and Marriott Burlingame last December 17 and 19, 2004 respectively.
• People from Guam donated $12,985 to
A B S - C B N S A G I P K A PA M I LYA
through Mr. Emelio Uy.
Volunteers, please
Calling on all schools and different socio-civic organizations. The foundation
needs more group volunteers to do the
packing and distributing of relief goods.
Interested parties may contact AFI Volunteers at 411-0846/ 411-0387.
ABS-CBN SAGIP KAPAMILYA
contact persons and their
numbers:
Jocelyn Saw — 924-4101/ 415-2272
(trunklines) loc. # 3765
Alvin Nuñez — 411-0846
PR Department — 411-0850 to 51
AFI Volunteers Group — 416-0387/
411-0846
LOPEZLINK February 2005
10 tipid tips
for
Valentine's Day
By Norman Sison
So, Valentine's Day is here. Pero wala
kang pera? Below are some suggestions
for you and your sweetheart to spend a
great day of love without spending so
much in this time of fiscal crisis:
• Play badminton. Two hundred pesos
for one hour of playing time isn't that
bad. Good for the heart too, literally.
• Instead of giving imported chocolates
for a present, you can give a big box of
Chocnut - ang chocolate ng bayan.
Who doesn't love Chocnut, anyway?
It'll help the economy pa. Kahit isang
box pa iyan, mura pa rin.
• Take a stroll. Baywalk is a nice place. You
might want to avoid Rizal Park, unless you
want to get mugged. Greenbelt Park is an
alternative to Rizal. And if your neighborhood is not that bad, stay home and don't
bother to endure the expected traffic jams.
• Why not sing love songs to her or him?
That is, if you have some measure of
talent or - if not - the guts for it. And if
you don't have the talent, but be sure to
get enough practice. Huwag mong
takutin ang mga kapitbahay mo. At kapag may dumating na barangay tanod,
DON'T tell them I suggested it.
• If you don't have the voice but have
some writing talent, write a poem then.
As long as it sounds great even if it
breaks the rules of poetry, who cares?
• Now if you don't have the voice nor the
writing talent, why not do a striptease?
Just make sure the kids are at your
mother's. And if you want to live, don't
forget to close the windows. And
watch "The Full Monty" for tips.
• Watch a video with popcorn and
drinks. Need I say more?
• Have a Coke date at the corner store.
'Sakto pa sa budget. Wala pang traffic
na bubunuin.
• Candlelight dinner at home. Magkano
lang ba ang kandila? Kung gusto ninyo
yung scented candle pa. Please lang,
huwag yung Funeraria Paz scent. At
gamitin ninyo ang inyong magagandang pinggan at baso. Naks! Fine dining! Tipid pa sa Meralco bill. He! he!
He!
• Just stay late in bed and "cuddle." Get
the hint? Wink! Wink! Just make sure
you don't have to spend a lot nine
months afterwards. We want to economize, remember.
Dangwa: Pook ng bulaklak sa gitna ng siyudad
NALALAPIT na naman ang Araw ng mga Puso.
Tiyak na puputok na naman sa dami ng mga tao ang
mga mall, iba't-ibang pasyalan at pati na rin ang mga
resort at motel. Kanya-kanyang diskarte kung paano
ipagdiriwang ang natatanging araw na ito. Hindi
mawawala dito ang pagbibigay ng bulaklak sa ating
mga sinisinta at maging sa mga kaibigan natin.
Hindi lamang ang mga sikat na pasyalan o mall
ang dinadagsa tuwing Araw ng mga Puso. Pagpasok
pa lang ng buwan ng Pebrero ay marami nang nagtutungo sa Dangwa, isang lugar sa Maynila na kilala
sa pagkakaroon ng makukulay at naggagandahang
mga bulaklak.
Walang patid ang suplay ng mga bulaklak dito.
Halos lahat ng klase ng bulaklak, mapa lokal man o
imported, ay makikita rito. Patok na patok ang lugar
na ito lalo na kapag sasapit ang Araw ng mga Puso.
Dito kasi nagpupunta ang mga nais makamura sa
pagbili ng bulaklak para sa kanilang mga mahal sa
buhay. Kahit na nagtataas ang presyo nito kapag
buwan ng Pebrero at sa iba pang buwan na mayroong okasyon, mura pa rin itong maihahambing
kaysa sa presyo ng ibang flower shops. Ayon nga sa
mga tindera rito, sa kanila rin naman daw kumukuha
ang mga flower shops kaya mas nagiging mahal na
ang halaga ng mga bulaklak kung dito bibilhin.
Galing ang mga bulaklak sa mga probinsya ng
Benguet, Tagaytay, Batangas at Laguna. Ang mga
imported naman na bulaklak ay inangkat pa sa Thai-
land at Holland. Iba-iba ang mga presyo ng mga ito
pero hindi rin naman nagkakalayo. Ang mga anthuriums na galing sa Benguet ay inilalako sa halagang P50 hanggang P70 ang isang dosena. Ang
isang dosenang roses ay mabibili sa halagang P80
hanggang P100, depende sa kulay, ngunit kapag
Araw ng mga puso, ito ay nagkakahalaga na ng P150
hanggang P200. Ang Malaysian mums naman ay
nagkakahalaga ng P50 hanggang P80 ang isang bundle na umaabot sa P150 kapag Valentines Day. Ang
Gerbera Daisies ay ibinebenta ng P180 ang isang
dosena na nagiging P250 hanggang P280 kapag
peak season. Ang mga ganitong klase ng bulaklak ay
nagtatagal ng tatlo hanggang limang araw.
Ang mga bouquet ay nagkakahalaga ng P250
hanggang P300, depende sa laki at mga bulaklak na
ilalagay. Kapag ipapasadya mo naman ang ayos ng
bulaklak, ikaw ay magdadagdag ng P30-P50 para sa
flower arranger. Ang mga ganitong bouquet ay
umaabot ng halagang P350-500 pagsapit ng Pebrero.
Sa mga flower shops, ang mga bouquet at ibang flower arrangements ay nagkakahalaga ng P450-750.
Tradisyon na ngang maituturing ang pagbibigay
natin ng regalo sa ating mga minamahal, maging
simple man ito o pabuloso. Ang importante ay
naalala natin sila sa natatanging araw na ito at
malagyan ng ngiti ang kanilang mga labi. Kaya punta na sa Dangwa at bumili ng mga bulaklak na bukod
sa mura at sariwa, ay nagsisipaggandahan pa.
11
Buhay pag-ibig sa showbiz
NAGING bahagi na ng mga buhay natin ang
pagsubaybay sa mga personal na buhay, lalo
na kapag tungkol sa lovelife ng mga artista sa
showbiz. Hindi lumilipas ang isang araw na
wala tayong nababalitaan sa kung sinu-sino
ang mga bagong nali-link sa bawat isa. At
tuwing may bagong nali-link sa kanila, tiyak
na susunod na dito ang pagdi-deny at ang
walang kamatayang mga linya na “We're just
friends” at “We're more than friends but less
than lovers.” Aamin na lang sila kapag nagbreak na o kaya naman kapag nabuntis o nanganak na ang babae.
Ngunit mayroon namang taas noo ang pamamalita sa apat na sulok ng showbiz at sa
buong bansa na sila na nga o nagkakamabutihan
na sila. Ang iba, nadedevelop ang love sa isa'tisa dahil sa kanilang loveteam kaya kahit na
hindi sila umamin ay halata na sa kanilang mga
kilos ang nararamdaman nila para sa isa't-isa.
Narito ang mga kilalang showbiz couples
at loveteams na kabilang sa mga masasayang
partners na magdiriwang ng Valentine's Day:
DIETHER OCAMPO at
KRISTINE HERMOSA
Naging saksi tayo sa kung paanong lumago
ang pagtitinginan ng dalawang artistang ito na
nagsimula lamang sa set ng Sana'y Wala Nang
Wakas. Noong una, inakala ng lahat na para
lamang sa nasabing soap opera ang sweetness
nilang dalawa. Hanggang sa dumating nga ang
oras na buong
ningning nilang inamin na
mag-on na
sila. Naging
malakas ang
hatak ng kanilang loveteam.
Hanggang sa
ngayon nga ay
wala pa ring
kupas ang kanilang samahan. Sa katunayan, nakagawa pa sila ng isang pelikula na kung saan ay
naging hit din sa panlasa ng masa. Kailan naman kaya nila sasagutin ang mga espekulasyon kung totoong sila'y ikinasal na? At kung
sakaling seryoso na sila sa pag-iisang dibdib,
wala na rin kayang wakas ang kanilang pagmamahalan?
RAYMART SANTIAGO at
CLAUDINE BARETTO
Katulad ng ibang mga showbiz couples,
naging maingay din ang pag-amin nina Raymart at Claudine na silang dalawa na nga. Naging masaya ang mga tagahanga ni Claudine
dahil sa wakas
ay nakahanap
na muli siya
ng lalaking tunay na magmamahal sa
kanya. Hindi
nga maitatago
ni Claudine
ang kasiyahan
niya simula
nang maging
sila na ni Raymart. Bukod sa palaging maganda
ang kanyang aura sa TV, ay nadagdagan din
ang kanyang mga endorsements at ngayon nga
ay makikita na sa kahabaan ng mga pangunahing lansangan ang kanyang mga billboards.
Tunay ngang walang paglagyan ang kaligayan
nina Raymart at Claudine sa sunud-sunod na
biyayang dumarating sa kanilang buhay. Kaya't
ang lahat, tagahanga man nila o hindi, ay naghihintay kung kailan magaganap ang pinakahihintay nilang kasalan.
GEOFF EIGENMANN at
HEART EVANGELISTA
Noong una, marami ang nag-akala na hindi
papatok ang tambalan nina Geoff at Heart.
Baguhan pa lamang kasi si Geoff noon at
nasanay naman ang mga tao na si John Pratts
ang laging katambal ni Heart. Pero pinatunayan nila na
may chemistry
sila at maibibigay din nila ang
"kilig" na hinahanap ng mga
tao sa isang
loveteam. Lalo
pa nilang napatunayan ang lakas
ng kanilang
loveteam dahil sa
pagkakaroon ng
mataas na rating
ng kanilang teleserye na Hiram.
Unti-unti na ring dumarami ang kanilang fans
na walang mintis sa pagsubaybay sa kanilang
mga projects, maging sa TV man o pelikula. At
habang paganda nang paganda ang nagiging
takbo ng istorya ng Hiram, paganda din nang
paganda ang nagiging samahan ng dalawa, on
and off camera.
JOHN LLYOD CRUZ at
BEA ALONZO
Malayo na nga ang narating ng tambalan
ng dalawang bagets na ito. Wala ring nagakala na magtatagumpay ang kanilang
loveteam noong ipakilala ito sa “Kay Tagal
Kitang Hinintay.” Pero ngayon, sila na ang
pinakamainit
na tambalan sa
telebisyon at
pinilakangtabing. Ngunit
nabibitin ang
kanilang fans
dahil hanggang
ngayon, hindi
pa rin daw
lumalampas sa
l e b e l n g
pagkakaibigan
ang dalawa.
Pareho silang
walang karelasyon kaya
madalas, sinasabing ito na nga daw ang
tamang oras para ligawan ni John Lloyd si
Bea. Hanggang saan naman kaya aabot ang
pagkakaibigan ng dalawa? Maghintay rin kaya
tayo ng matagal bago mangyari ang hinihintay
na panliligaw ni John Lloyd kay Bea?
DOLPHY at ZSA-ZSA PADILLA
Matapos ang matagal na panahong paghihintay, mukhang nalalapit na din ang pagiisang dibdib nilang dalawa. Ang annulment na
nga ni Zsa Zsa sa kanyang unang asawa
marahil ang pinakamagandang regalong
natanggap
niya noong
nakaraang
bagong taon.
At ngayon
ngang nalalapit na ang
Araw ng
mga Puso,
umaasa, hindi lamang
ang kanilang
mga anak at
kaibigan, kundi pati na rin ang kanilang mga
tagahanga, na matuloy na ang kanilang kasal.
Ilang unos na rin naman ang kanilang nalampasan na magkasama at ngayon nga'y nais na
nila itong gawing ligal sa mata ng Diyos at
kapwa - tao. Isa rin ito sa mga much-awaited
events ng showbiz na tiyak na pagpipiyestahan
ng showbiz personalities at media people.
Tunay ngang makapangyarihan ang pagibig. Wala itong pinipiling edad, kasarian, oras
at maging estado sa buhay. Ang mahalaga ay
maging masaya ang dalawa, hindi lamang
tuwing Araw ng mga Puso, kundi maging sa
pang araw-araw nilang pamumuhay.
12
LOPEZLINK February 2005
EUGENIO LOPEZ FOUNDATION, INC.
Start planning for summer
Summer workshops @ the Lopez Museum (April - May)
adults in the afternoon starting April 11: Comic
Book Writing (April 11-15) with University of
the Philippines Professor Emil Flores, Basic
Printmaking Workshop (May 2 -6) with top
printmaker Ambie Abano, and Photography
(May 9-13) with RJ Fernandez. Fees for each
workshop varies. Discounted price is offered to
those who will enroll in all workshops. Slots
limited. Enrollment until April 3.
5-Day Arts and Crafts Workshops for Children
The Lopez Memorial Museum follows the
advice of Museo Pambata president Nina LimYuson who wrote, "Children learn best when a
whole range of creative activities are offered to
them". The five-day Arts and Crafts morning
workshops (from 10 am to 12 noon) are offered
to children aged 8 - 11 years old. Award-winning children's writer Carla Pacis will kick off
the workshop series by facilitating a Creative
Writing program (April 4-8) where children
will be encouraged to tell their own stories and
to hone their writing skills. Succeeding workshops are with renowed visual artist Freddie
Aquilizan on Basic Drawing (April 11-15),
Philippine Art Educators' Association member
Alma Quinto on Creative Paper Cut-outs and
Sculpture (April 18-22 )and visual artist Aba
Dalena on Clay Sculpture (May 2 - 6).
The workshop will be for five (5) days from
April to May, with each session lasting two (2)
hours. Slots limited. Enrollment ongoing until
March 29, 2005. Fee of each workshop ranges
from Php2500 to Php5000 and already includes
materials. Discounted price is offered to those
who will enroll in all workshops.
5-day Creative Workshops for Teens and Adults
The Lopez Memorial Museum is offering a
series of creative art workshops for teens and
Book Crafts Workshop with Loreto Apilado
While technology may be the norm these days,
it has also made possible the appreciation of things
handmade. Loreto Apilado of the Cottage Industry
Technology Center will hold two workshops for
six (6) Saturdays at the Lopez Memorial Museum
starting May 7, 2005. The Book Arts Workshop is
every morning from 9 am to 12 noon where Apilado will teach participants to make books of different structures, sizes, colors and textures. The
Book Binding Workshop is every afternoon from
1-4 pm and will focus on modern binding techniques such as perfect, stab and lock-stitch binding
which will enable participants to make their own
journals, notebooks, and project reports. Workshop fee is Php 3000 and Php 3500 respectively,
inclusive of all materials. Limited slots.
The Lopez Memorial Museum is located at
the Ground Floor, Benpres Building, Exchange
Road, Pasig City. For reservations, call Fanny
at 631-2417 or email [email protected]
POWER PLANT MALL EVENTS
FEBRUARY
Feb. 1 to 13
MARCH
Feb. 5
Feb. 11 to 15
Feb. 25 to 27
March 27
Chinese New
Year Fair
Wushu
Exhibition
Valentine
Fair
Car of the
Year Display
Easter
Celebration
South Court
North Court
North Court
North Court
Mallwide
LopezLink is published by Benpres PR Group
4/F Benpres Bldg., Ortigas, Pasig City
Telefax: 633-3520
For feeback, please email:
[email protected]
About the Workshop Facilitators
Carla Pacis is an award-winning writer, having won the National Book Award and the PBBY Writer's Prize for her story "Mayroon
Akong Alagang Puno." She has also received
fellowships in writing workshops such as the
UP Writers Workshop, the National Writers
Workshop and the UNESCO/PBBY Workshop
on Writing for Children. She owns Young
Minds, a bookstore specializing in children's
books and educational toys, and is foundermember of Kwentista ng mga Tsikiting (KUTING), an organization of writers for children.
Freddie Aquilizan graduated from the Philippine Women's University with a degree in Fine
Arts. In 1998, Aquilizan was included in the "100
Years 100 Artist" of the Cultural Center of the
Philippines. and was a Country Representative in
the Philip Morris Asian Arts Awards in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia where he won first place. At the
1st Asian Art Triennial in Fukuoka Japan 1999, recipient of several grants and fellowships including
the Travel Grant Award (to the United Kingdom)
of the NCCA, as Lauriat of the UNESCO-ASHBERG Fellow in Paris France. His most recent international participation was the 7th Havana biennial in Havana, Cuba. Aquilizan is the Most Outstanding Visual Artist Award recipient for the year
2000 in the International Awards for the Arts.
Alma Quinto is a sculptor, painter, illustrator, designer, textile artist, installation and performance artist. She is a member of PAEA and
KASIBULAN and has facilitated workshops
for NGOS and other institutions. She has exhibited here and abroad.
Aba Lluch Dalena, visual artist, was the
youngest exhibiting sculptor in the country
when she exhibited 300 clay animal sculptures
entitled "Mga Hayop!" at the Sining Kamalig
when she was 6 years old. Since then she has
had several exhibitions and obtained her
Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines. Dalena has taught art
for children at the international School in
Manila and Brent International School (2000,
2001) and currently at the Maria Montessori.
Emil Flores is an Assistant Professor at the
Department of English and Comparative Literature in University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman where he teaches College English, American Literature, Anglo-American Science Fiction and Fantasy and Creative Writing (Fiction
and Comics). He received his M.A. in English
from Virginia Tech and is currently pursuing his
Ph. D. in Creative Writing in U.P. Diliman. He
has also adapted Philippine short stories into
comics form for the U.P Press.
Ambie Abano is one of the country's top
printmaker. She is a member of the Printmakers Association of the Philippines.
RJ Fernandez, began her career as a photographer's assistant in 1999 while studying BS
ComTech at the Ateneo de Manila University.
She has been doing freelance work and has been
exhibiting in various galleries in the Philippines.
Loreto Apilado is a trainor for the Cottage
Industry Technology Center (CITC) on basic
and advanced papermaking, bookbinding and
papercrafts. He was a member of the Canadian
Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild (20002003) and International Association od Hand
Paper Makers and Paper Artists (1997).
Metro Society's
2nd issue out now
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Margot's life away from politics. Read about
the next generation hacienderos - Anton &
Dawn Lagdameo and Vincent & Mia
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Regular sections of the include: The Social
Graces by Editor-in-Chief Lia Bernardo;
Entertaining with Style by Mia Borromeo;
Art and Culture by Ino Manalo and Bea
Zobel Jr.; plus more in Destinations ; Dining
Finds; and regular coverage of the latest
goings-on in Manila, Cebu and Davao.
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