Sunday, July 17, 2005

Protesters face charges for bringing kids to rally

By Jhunnex Napallacan Inquirer News Service

CEBU CITY-Leaders and members of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) who brought with them their children during the anti-Arroyo rally face charges for violating the anti-child abuse law.

Cebu City Councilor Gerardo Carillo, chair of the committee on social services, asked the Cebu City Commission for the Welfare of Children and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to investigate the group for possible violation of Republic Act 7610.

"These people have to assume responsibility... It's high time... these people stop using children to advance their... cause. They may have a valid cause, but using children for this cause is another story and that should not be tolerated," Carillo said.

Lolie Borlasa, secretariat of Bayan Muna Cebu, confirmed Saturday that at least 10 children joined their parents during the rally.

Borlasa said a 6-month-old girl and her 3-year-old brother were among those who suffered a tear gas attack by policemen

Lawmaker questions impact of ATM linkup

Rep. Joseph Santiago has challenged the banking industry and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on the much-publicized interconnection of the country’s three largest bank automated teller machine (ATM) networks.

"We welcome the interconnection of the ATM networks since it will provide consumers universal access. But apart from this, what will the linkup really mean to the ATM user? Will it translate to reduced transaction charges? Or will it mean even more (interconnection) charges?" Santiago said.

"What is foremost in the mind of the ordinary consumers is lower ATM charges. Consumers are entitled to know how the interconnection will affect their pockets. This is the bottom line," Santiago pointed out.

Last week, Megalink Inc., Bancnet Inc. and Expressnet Inc. forged a three-way interconnection agreement.

The linkup would give the country’s 16.4 million ATM cardholders total access to 6,000 machines nationwide.

A recent study showed that banks charge ATM fees ranging from P7 to P10.80 per transaction once a depositor uses a machine not owned by his or her own bank. Some banks even charge at least P2 for each ATM withdrawal made by their own clients.

The ATM charges are on top of monthly service fees of P55 to P300 imposed by banks on accounts with minimum average daily balances that fall below a required amount ranging from P500 to P3,000.

Santiago described prevailing ATM fees as "burdensome and excessive."

"Consumers not only want lower ATM charges, but also absolute transparency from banks insofar as the fees are concerned," Santiago said.

"Instead of a simple interconnection of their facilities, the BSP should compel the three networks to consolidate their operations through a merger so that the cost-savings realized will immediately translate to lower ATM charges," Santiago added.

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Olongapo City Ordinances/Resolutions for Children Welfare

Olongapo City Ordinances/Resolutions for Children Welfare

Declaring Olongapo City as Child Friendly City

Resolution No. 17, series of 1996

Instructing City General Hospital Administrator to extend free medical services street children

City Memorandum, 1998

A resolution authorizing the Hon. City Mayor Katherine H. Gordon to enter into MOA between the City Govenrment of Olongapo and the DILG pertaining to the construction of Social Development Center at Mulawin, Old Cabalan, to be funded by the DILG amount to P2.3 Million with 25% counterpart by the City

City Ordinance No. 103 series of 1997

Requiring the 17 barangays to identify and reserve for ecological projects purposes at leat 10% of tehir respective land areas belonging to the public domain

City Ordinance No. 21, series of 1996

Pledging commitment and support to the implementation of the convention on the Rights of the Child

Resolution No. 42 series of 1990

Repealing Ordinance No. 88 series of 1975 re: Prohibiting proprietors, owners, operators, or managers of billiar halls to allow minors to stay, loiter or play in billiard halls without the presence of their parents, guardians during weekdays and school hours and providing penalties thereof

City Ordinance No. 12, series of 1999

Further amending Ordinance No.7, series of 1980 as amended (re: curfew on by minors) by adding new section thereto and/or deleting from or revising certain provisions in these said ordinance

City Ordinance No. 44, series of 1998

Banning th sale of certain types of toy gunds in Olongapo City for other purposes

City Ordinance No. 43, series of 1997

Appropriating the sum of P165,000.00 as counterpart fund of the city for the care and subsistence allowance of the committed workers of the DSWD center

City Ordinance No. 43, series of 1996

Amending Section 3 of Ordinance No. 46 series of 1995 re: prohibition on the consumption of and or selling and serving of alcoholic beverages and intoxicating liquors to person below 18 years od age in saloons, bars, etc.

City Ordinance No. 50 series of 1995

Prohibiting a person below 18 years of age to drink alcoholic beverages and intoxicating liquorsm in any saloon, bar, inn, café, restaurant and similar establishments or in any public place and for other purposes

City Ordinance No. 46, series of 1995

Amending certain sections of ordinance No. 7 series of 1980 re: curfew hours on minors

City Ordinance No. 22, series of 1995

Organizing the City Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC)

Executive Oder No. 22, series of 1998

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Senate deletes witness' claim against Gordon kin from record

THE SENATE has decided to strike off its record a statement by a self-confessed "jueteng bagman" linking Senator Richard Gordon’s nephew to illegal gambling.

Gordon said the decision to delete Richard Garcia's claim that Jimmy Gordon Lorenzana, Gordon's nephew, was one of the operators of "Easy Two" violated a Senate rule requiring witnesses to testify only on matters of "actual knowledge."

Garcia's allegation that Lorenzana will head "Easy Two" when it starts operations on Wednesday is something that has not happened, Gordon said. "Easy Two" is said to be a variation of "jueteng."

Garcia made the allegation earlier on Tuesday at the resumption of the Senate inquiry on "jueteng."

But Gordon reacted immediately to Garcia's disclosure and asked Senator Manuel Villar, a co-chairman in the hearing, to control the conduct of the inquiry because “innocent persons” were being mentioned.

Gordon then invoked the Salonga rule, which confines hearings to closed doors if names were going to be mentioned.

Gordon's protest prompted the senators to hold an executive session to discuss the matter.

Quoting Senator Lito Lapid, Gordon also said “Easy Two” is a legal form of gambling.

Garcia apologized before the Senate committee for implicating Gordon's nephew.

Garcia also testified in the same hearing that "Easy Two" was operating in Cavite province and Lipa City in Batangas province.

He also said "jueteng" operations have resumed in Bondoc Peninsula and Lucena City in Quezon province, in San Jose town in Batangas, and in the third and fourth districts of Laguna province, in San Pablo City, and in the towns of Siniloan, Bai, Sta. Cruz, and Alaminos.

He said one Tito Ojeda was allegedly funding the "jueteng" operations in San Pablo, Laguna, Totoy Jaruta in Quezon, and Danny Jose alias "Taba" in Batangas.

Monday, July 11, 2005

U.K. Ambassador Peter Beckingham

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

Chikka bares new multimedia mobile mail messenger service

Chikka, a leading provider of enhance mobile messaging services has unveiled another pioneering technology in mobile messaging called multi-media mobile mail messenger (m5).


As a messaging application, m5 allows users to send and receive pictures on any mobile phone with multi-media messaging (MMS) capability.

m5 is not a phone model dependent and does not require special connections with a user’s mobile phone provider.

Mikey Garrovillo, director and product development manager at Chikka said that users can send an MMS from a PC to a phone. The recipient is charged R2.50 per MMS and R5.00 for a jpeg foto.

A user should first create an account by sending the keyword, AM and send to 382 of AddictmailSMART. The account will be active in less than five minutes.

You can also send a message from your mobile phone to the PC by composing a message and send to 382. A confirmation will be received on your mobile phone that a message was sent.

The message is sent in real time and received as an email in a few seconds.

From your PC, you can send a message to a mobile phone through m5.

A user can send a message from a PC to a mobile phone by creating a unique email address ­ mobilenumber@addictmobile.net. The user is allocated 50 MB of email space. This service has a spam control. A subscriber is asked first if he or she wishes to retrieve a message from the sender.

A subscriber may also opt to block someone from sending him emails through a "block" feature. While the messages have been deleted, they may still be viewed from the web.

The m5 service is targeted for people in the move particularly those have no access to email, said Garrovillo. Chikka’s partnership with Smart Communications on this service is not exclusive. It could tie up with other operators for the service in the future.

The strategy of Chikka is to provide a platform or technology such as m5, while the operator owns the brand. Last year, Chikka posted a significant growth in its business.

Chikka is a carrier-centric company and is working with telco partners worlwide by using SMS in bringing communities together and by addressing issues such as spamming, network congestion and privacy.

Since its launch of Chikka Messenger in 2001, the company has created various enhanced mobile messaging services to markets around the world.

Its services range from mobile auctions, matchmaking, personals and anonymous chat, interactive TV, mobile alerts, airtime transfer, mobile payments, content, corporate solutins such as mobile messaging system, newsletters and hotlines, and mobile media ads and promos.

Chikka has expanded its presence worldwide such as Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, China, and the United States

Sunday, July 10, 2005

ARCHIEVES OF NEWS

SUBIC BAY NEWS

July 10, 2005
28 kompanya sa SBMA nagsara na
Olongapo Kid Brings Home the Bacon
NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR CHA-CHA
Fake phonecards in Subic
Former FPJ Leader, Vice Gov Lacbain Joins Calls For Rule Of Law
PROCESS OF THE CONSTITUTION MUST BE FOLLOWED
Fil-Am Friendship Month
Aboitiz Group pays P101.6M for Transco’s Subic substation
FTA scores RTC decision exempting imported 'sin' products from excise tax
6,000 new jobs generated at Clark economic zone in one-year period

June 29, 2005
Taiwan firm investing P738M in Subic
Cop tagged in kidnapping of businesswoman collared
Child-safety project launched
Congratulations to our New National Leader for this year!!!
Sunken ship becomes prey to looting
Gordon Boosts Young Athletes
Zambales consumers want P55.9M power execs spent
4 major SEAG events in Subic
33 tons of used clothing, toys confiscated in Subic
Used truck: P300, 000, tax and duty: P500, 000

June 23, 2005
MAYOR BONG’S MASTERPLAN STRESSES LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM FOR OLONGAPENOS
CENTER FOR WOMEN AT CENTER FOR YOUTH:Inaabangan na ang pagbubukas!
UNFPA-FUNDED PROJECT:POPULATION & DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY SISIMULAN NA ANG IMPLEMENTASYON
2005 SUBIC BAY REUNION
On the death of Cardinal Sin:
CASH DONATION
SubicBay Satellite Photo
Subic Port Development Project Update
The Bay
Gordon rehabilitates Infanta Health Centers

June 16, 2005
Ten Outstanding Subic Bay Workers to be awarded on November 24
OFWs warned of BSP text scam
Taiwan firm eyes Subic for flat TV production
More than 2,000 Filipino workers sneak into Iraq despite ban
STRETCH-ERCISE
Mikey, Iggy urged to resign from House
107th Independence Day Celebration
WATER TARIFF ADJUSTMENT
Gordon, Pangilinan want Senate jueteng probe to end
Toxic Waste and a U.S. Base at Subic, Philippines

June 10, 2005
First Holdings to bid for 94-km Subic-Clark expressway project
Scouts committed to Volunteer in 2005 SEAG
"TurfWar" Dahilan ng balasahan sa Subic?
Subic has new Customs collector
CDC-Angeles City dispute over permits heats up anew
Bigger Clark airport planned
Governor recognizes achievements of Guam's Filipino community
Fund lack hampers SEAG preparations
Motor vehicle sales up 11% to 38,315 units in January-May
Subic, Clark next Asian tourism hub

June 7, 2005
Broad powers for SBMA, CDC eyed
GMA names 3 Monetary Board Members
Clark exec seeks speedy resolution of Aetas’ claims for ancestral domain
ZAMBALES VICE GOV FIGHTS POVERTY THRU SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
News Bits
Multinational’s plant in Subic to generate 1,000 jobs
Veteran tourism exec movesfrom Cebu to Subic-Clark area
Governor threatens to shoot vice governor in Zambales
Imported cars and smuggling
Poro Point Development

May 30, 2005
The fate of Kate
SERYOSONG KAMPANYA LABAN SA KRIMINALIDAD
POEA announces job openings for Macau, HK Disneyland
Subic firms to help public-school system
GORDON WOWS VOLUNTEERS IN SINGAPORE
NBI, police nab American, Canadian for cybersex den
You’ll keep incentives, ecozone investors told
John Hay developer billed P72 million in unpaid duties
BCDA commits P30 M for Olongapo flood control
Workers displaced by tax imposed on second-hand vehicles

May 25, 2005
New US envoy gets RP approval
SUBIC BAY FLIGHTS
Businessmen urge Arroyo to support SM Clark project
Oct 31, Nov 28 & Dec 26 non-working holidays
P22-B Subic-Clark-Tarlac tollway project hits new snag
Congress probe on import of brand-new vehicles sought
Rich S’poreans to invest in Subic
REP. DIAZ on 7-digit offer to Ana Leah: ‘Ano ka hilo?’
Taiwan mission explores Subic opportunities
Ana Leah chose honor over P1-M

May 18, 2005
More flights in Subic Int’l Airport seen
HALF-M00N BEACH DECLARED ECO-TOURISM SITE
Alumni.NET SMS Message
Singapore firms plan more investments in Subic freeport
NPA hits Zambales informer
Listing in local offices on today for ’07 elections
EDUKASYON PRAYORIDAD NG GAPO
WAIVER SA MASS LAND TITLING, PINABULAANAN
PAY PARKING FEES, IPATUTUPAD NA
Budget airline hikes flights to Clark Field

May 16, 2005
SENATOR WANTS GMA’S PROPOSED AMENDMENTS LAID DOWN FIRST BEFORE CHARTER CHANGE
Subic Freeport more than just a smugglers’ haven
Fil-Aussie woman gets justice 4 years late after expulsion blunder
Palace bid to ban import of RHD vehicles criticized
BCDA declares availability of P22-B fund for Subic-Clark-Tarlac tollway
RP operators act on mobile phone virus scare
Alumni.NET SMS Message
Cheap imports killing RP car industry Party-list solon seeks probe
Supreme Court invalidates tax-free privileges of Clark duty-free shops
Vice governors urge Bishop Cruz to name jueteng protectors

May 6, 2005
4 slightly used luxury cars seized at Subic Free Port
Subic firm is exporting 181 converted cars to Thailand
11th Subic Bay International Triathlon
Nene summons 24 to jueteng inquiry
GMA to inaugurate new Clark facilities
Subic power firm cuts losses due to pilferage
A mountain of used clothes seized in Subic
Conjoined twins undergo tests at PGH
PARA SA KAUNLARAN: OLONGAPO CITY MASTER PLAN
New Casino in Subic draws 300 foreign tourists, local players

May 4, 2005
CL police chief Albano relieved over 'jueteng'
Ricciardone ends stint
GMA asks Congress to ban used car imports
Alumni.NET SMS Message
Alumni.NET SMS Message
TRANSCO sells P29-million assets in Subic ecozone
Punongbayan dies in chopper crash
Task Force Subic seizes 4 sports cars worth at least P2 M
JUSTICE FOR THE FALLEN
Zambales police nab two RHB members

April 29, 2005
Pagtatalaga ng Simbahan ng Parokya ni San Columban
Official says ‘harassed’ Taiwan Traders pulling out Investments
Lapu-Lapu statue unveiled today
PINADALING PAGPAPATITULO: Tuloy-Tuloy Na!
GMA signs EO imposing additional P.5-M specific duty on used imported cars
Alumni.NET SMS Message
Contraband seized
Blasting alarms SBMA locator
KNIGHTSBRIDGE Chairman visited Olongapo
Calimlim acts vs P1-B Tax scam in Subic

April 21, 2005
Zambales exec made his own budget woes
P60M worth of smuggled phone cards seized
With zero budget, Zambales vice gov appeals for funds
New landing system in Subic
YMCA OFFICERS INDUCTED
Senator Opposes VAT On Domestic Airlines
BCL Regional Assembly
Used car importers oppose P500,000 specific tax
Palace imposes surcharge on imported used vehicles
CALLS FOR ‘SOBRIETY’ ON US DIPLOMAT’S REMARKS

April 14, 2005
SUMMER BEACH FESTIVAL GINANAP SA BARRETTO
BAGONG BUHAY NA MANGINGISDA, HUMARAP KAY MAYOR GORDON
TAX INFO DRIVE
New mammal discovered in Zambales
RP FISHERMEN RESCUE
ARAW NG KAGITINGAN
Winners at Bataan
IPU Drafting Committee Oks RP Proposal for Disaster Training & Reaction Hubs
IPU delegates
JOGGING INSPECTION

April 7, 2005
USS BLUE RIDGE
Ban on right-hand drive cars stays–BoC
Alumni.NET SMS Message
Airline launches daily Malaysia-Clark flights
Arroyo leads groundbreaking rites for subic-clark-tarlac expressway project
US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone and Sen. Richar...
Loboc Children’s Choir jams with the Pundaquit Virtuosi
Pope John Paul II
Alumni.NET SMS Message
GAWAD PARANGAL

April 1, 2005
OCAMPO'S HOLDS FIRST BRIDAL FAIR IN "SUBIK"
SUBIC HUNKS 2005 CANDIDATES
4-DAY WORK WEEK IS FAMILY-FRIENDLY
Monday, hottest day of the year
SUMMER VACATION 2005 ACTIONS
HOLY WEEK MOTORISTS ASSISTANCE
PRAY AND SACRIFICE FOR THE NATION
4-day week in govt from April to May
China to invest $300M in Subic glass factory
Gov't owes vets P24B
March 24, 2005
More international commercial flights at Clark
SM Clark Megamall welcomed
ALL-MALE SWIMWEAR COMPETITION AT WHITE ROCK ON APRIL 3-SUNDAY
VIEWING PHOTOS
New Legal Officer
GORDON SALUTES PACQUIAO
Robbery Suspects Arrested
Olongapo City Road Projects Inspected
CALLS FOR URGENT REVITALIZATION OF EDUCATION
GORDON TO DFA: LOBBY FOR FIL VETERANS

March 17, 2005
22 YOUNG MEN TO VIE FOR SUBIC CIRCLE OF HUNKS 2005
ATTUNE EDUCATION TO JOBS
SEA GAMES, ANOTHER `WOW’ EVENT
Ethics panel finds starlet’s case valid
Top business exec Ng is new CDC president
On Taguig Seige
JAPANESE INVESTORS KEEN ON PUTTING UP HEALTH AND MEDICAL TRAINING CENTERS IN SUBIC
Marchant Marine cadet dies after being punched thrice
Top Japanese firm keen on Subic medical center
Vice gov's league to GMA: Intervene in Zambales budget row

March 13, 2005
GORDON CALLS FOR PROBE ON VETERANS’ BENEFITS
Olongapo has new PNP chief
Gordon chides Philsoc execs
Increasing of tariff on used cars not enough to curb importation
Zambales vice gov gets zero budget
Koreans wipe out RP Davis Cup bid
Medical Mission at Iram
GORDON COMMITTEE TACKLES BARANGAY ELECTIONS
New ‘Subik’ tourist destination is born
SOLGEN FUMBLED USED CAR IMPORTS CASE - GORDON

March 5, 2005
SELF-EMPLOYMENT FAIR
Freeport locator faces suspension
Housewife and two daugthers found dead in Subic
2005 Barangay Election, Malabo na
What happened to the P427 M fund?
Subic reporters spooked by `Red assassins'
SEC tosses back Legend Int’l Resort rehab issue to DOJ
Zambales vice gov launches antipoverty program
60th anniversary of liberation of Corregidor marked
Smuggled Formula 3 car, 14 other vehicles seized

March 2, 2005
Used-car importers, assemblers slam President’s tariff-hike plan
Australian firm offers to build $200-M Subic infra projects
New Cell Phone Law
SMS Messages
2,000 US, British retirees on QE2 tour Subic
Dept of Trade to appeal used auto ruling
Lina promises reforms at the customs bureau
OTHER ARTICLES IN BRIEF
QE2 at Subic port
Filipinos are among the world's happiest people -- Survey

February 24, 2005
Love Bonus for Olongapo gov't workers
Gordon proposes P1 tax on text for education
RP SAFE, GREAT TO VISIT - U.S. DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION
Movie starlet files sexual harassment complaint vs solon
Sales, jobs loss feared after CA ruling
Pampanga native pushed as CDC president
Court says President can't ban Subic car imports
'Love bonus' due next week
JOKE TIME :- )
Hot Babe heats up women’s rights issue

February 21, 2005
Subic, Olongapo residents clean up rivers
Mayor's Day
P10M smuggled spare parts seized in Subic
Subic Anti-smuggling team says P50M in goods seized
Fearless Pinoys at Subic
Rep. Diaz kinasuhan ng Viva hot babe sa DoJ
BIR taps Boy Scouts in tax drive
Death toll in Valentine's Day blasts rises to 11
Expressway toll hike protest
Janitor Fish to Clean our polluted river?

February 14, 2005
DELAYED PROJECT Subic-Clark road to start finally
SubicTel expands DSL network in Subic
Poison awards for river polluters to go nationwide
RIVER CLEAN-UP
NTC orders telco to stop charging for chikka.com
Noah's Ark
Japanese, Chinese mining firms eye ZAMBALES
Kung Hei Fat Choy
RIVER CLEAN-UP
Olongapo SP Passed 36 Projects Worth P27.4M

February 8, 2005
SMS TEXT TO NEWS WEBLOG
NO TRACES OF 'AGENT ORANGE' IN SUBIC
Olongapo Sanggunian Panlungsod ONLINE
28 RP-US WAR GAMES SET IN 2005
Subic tourism groups form umbrella organization
POST CLASSIFIED-ADS FOR FREE
Diaz denies sexual harassment charge
LAKAS WANTS BARANGAY POLLS RESET TO 2008
Calimlim dared to identify coddlers
Palace backs Calimlim

January 28, 2005
Palace confident Calimlim can back up smuggling allegations
NTC orders cable operators to close chat rooms
ONE PROVINCE ONE RATE HEARING
Former Mayor James L. Gordon's Birthday Celebrated
Southeast Asian Games in Subic
Telecom Board Sworn-in
James L. Gordon
Pista ng Sto. Nino
BCDA vows to assume tax, duties of Subic-Clark road
P125 daily-wage hike OK’d by House panel

January 15, 2005
RP to shoulder P2.3-B vat in Subic-Clark-Tarlac Road
Subic Bay News Reporters
Command Visit
CALIMLIM COMMENDED
CALIMLIM REFUSES P3M BRIBE
Integrating Forest Conservation with Local Governance
SBMA vowed to stop all forms of illegal importation
Jueteng anyone?
Traders sue SBMA
Task Force Subic intercepts P15-M jewelry shipment

January 6, 2005
Smuggled cargo misdeclared as computer parts
SUCCESSFULL JAMBOREE
President congratulated BIR Commissioner Parayno
P4-MILLION WORTH OF SMUGGLED LUXURY VEHICLES SEIZED
Korean firm lands in Subic watch list for smuggling
SBMA execs say Subic not garrison state
Subic Chamber Welcomes New SBMA Officials
Ex-general becoming most powerful man in Subic
P35-M MODERNIZATION OF BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION
SBMC Begins Suv Exports to Africa

December 20, 2004
Philippine anti-smuggling czar receives death threats
DX3UNA Pamaskong Handog
3 cops killed, 1 seriously hurt in Olongapo attack
Sale of Masinloc coal plant nets $56.1 million for gov't
GORDON LEADS INT'L REVIEW TEAM TO DISASTER AREAS
3 luxury vehicles worth some P4 M
Task Force Subic intercepts contraband cars
GMA hails seizure in Subic of container van carrying smuggled cars
SAVING A DYING RIVER

December 2, 2004
Olongapo pawnshop robbers charged
Volunteers Celebrates 12th Anniversary
Former GMA publicist bags Subic deal
Mass Land Titling Project in Olongapo City
Starting to dredge Subic Bay?
GMA gaves additional powers to Calimlim
Bishop Met NGOs
SUBIC BAY NEWS ARCHIEVE
Group says 3 rivers contaminated
Banicain Mini Library

October 28, 2004
GSP AWARDS
TRIATLON WORKSHOP HELD
Vice govs’ league supports embattled Zambales official
SCOUT-CITY OFFICIALS TURN-OVER
Magsaysay strips Zambales Vice Gov of legal powers
"O" Club Reunion
Lion Officers and New Members Inducted
SKILLS COMPETITION HELD
Ms Earth Candidates visited Subic Bay & Olongapo Officials
SBMA TURN-OVER CEREMONY

October 18, 2004
LATEST SUBIC BAY PANORAMIC PHOTO
SBMA TELECOM HEARING
World Scout Jamboree
SBMA TRAFFIC ADVISORY
LET'S ROCK
Olongapo City Fiesta 1st Canvassing
Who will be the FIESTA 2004 Miss Olongapo
SCOUTING MONTH LAUNCHED WITH A BLAST
WHERE are the big-time smugglers?
Subic RHD imports-- no legal leg to stand on

October 1, 2004
RHD vehicle imports: Car firms cry foul
Smuggling at free ports inflict gov't P78-B yearly loss
Subic-Clark Development discussed in NEDA-Cabinet group meet
Calimlim named to SBMA board
Licuanan named SBMA Chairman; Antonio, Administrator
ITS IN THE HEADLINE!
ITS OFFICIAL
Payumo bid farewell to SBMA
P30-M fake cigarettes destroyed at Subic
Protecting Your Mobile Phones

September 21, 2004
Tax illegal RHDs-Gordon
SBMA unveils text messaging service
Has Subic Bay become center of car smuggling?
Sore Eyes
New museum chronicles history of Subic
Mayor refuses to yield post
P240-M Subic island resort opens
Fil-Ams urged to give to Bayanihan Fund
OLONGAPO REPORT
Zambales board blocks Magsaysay revamp plan

September 12, 2004
8 gov’t cars illegally used
SBMA kicks off system to curb vehicle smuggling
Zambales Representative quits
VISIT OUR FIESTA PAGES
Search for World Class Pinoys Launched
10 outstanding workers at Subic Freeport named
What's in a SBMA board seat?
Tension grips SBMA over BIR closure order
AUGUST ENTRIES
Mama Amelia Celebrates 85th Birthday

September 4, 2004
TELECOMMUNICATIONS NEWS
GOVIC opposes position of provincial board
Olongapo Asserts its Shares at SBMA
Central Luzon flooding leaves 41 dead
Olongapo-Zambales has new Bishop
Solons ask GMA to extend Payumo's term at SBMA
HOW TO KEEP A WOMAN HAPPY
OKTOBERFEST SA GAPO
Subic Customs Under Fire
BIR issues warrants to 2 Subic firms over taxes

August 27, 2004
100 'Taba' Metro cops off to Subic
Subic road redesign favors Lopez group
Former City Mayor, Honorable Geronimo B. Lipumano peacefully joined his Creator
56 Solons for Payumo Retention
Subic Tax Collections up 7%
ZAMBALES EXECUTIVE FORUM
Former Philippine First Lady Passed Away
TXT MATE KILLER COLLARED
TEXT-MATE MURDERS IN BAY AREA
Row between school officials and Congresswoman Magsaysay erupted

August 17, 2004
Inky Reyes to visit SBMA tomorrow
UNIQUELY FILIPINO
City Dad to be nominated to SBMA Board
Olongapo Officials Hurt by Mitos’ tirade in Congress
Olongapo Pursues Modernization of its Power Distribution System
SBMA chief’s functions split
BCDA AGREES TO REBID MAJOR ROA PROJECT
GMA to put up soundstage in SUBIC
RP clears US ship of human-waste dumping allegation
Subic fines US ship for P.5m

August 8, 2004
US ship fined $10K for dumping human waste in Subic
Visiting ships stir Subic back to life
Latest in Subic Bay
Olongapo City, SBMA launch job fair
2,000 jobs offered by nine overseas employment agencies
The Mother of Olongapo
GMA: No limit to Subic
$215-M port devt project takes off
Subic Hot cars recovered in Laguna
Php240-M Subic island resort opens in the Philippines



April 17, 2004
The world’s sweetest mangoes are in Zambales
SBMA Abuse & mismanagement
Japanese to build $215-M Subic port
SBMA: One worried government agency, one worrisome official
BALIKATAN 2004
‘Cops coddled Subic bars’
DOC, TAGGED AS KIDNAP GANG CHIEF, 3 OTHERS KILLED
Rift over Port Project continues
Delay in Subic project may effect revenues—BCDA exec
Subic Bay port project comes in for criticism

September 19, 2003
U.S. TROOP ARRIVED FOR WAR GAMES
SEA LION BORN IN SUBIC
Dad changes tune on protests in Subic
HITECH SUBIC WASTE LANDFILL APPROVED
Subic Volunteers Day 10th Anniversary
US & PHIL GOVT SUED OVER CLARK/SUBIC
Bomb Disarmed at Subic Int'l Airport
Subic graft case may include Erap
Dolphin Dilemma
Subic prevents environment department from inspecting dolphin show
Controversial dolphin show
LUXURY VANS SPIRITED OUT OF SUBIC FREEPORT

Labor Code changes to boost call-center sector

CEBU CITY - To boost the country’s thriving business process outsourcing industry, a senior member of Congress has sought the immediate repeal of an old-fashioned Labor Code provision that bans the employment of women at night.

"The absolute legal prohibition against night work for women has become totally obsolete, irrelevant and inapplicable," Rep. Eduardo Gullas of Cebu said.

Gullas was referring to Article 130 of the Labor Code, which provides that: "No woman, regardless of age, shall be employed or permitted to work with or without compensation in any industrial undertaking between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following day, or in any commercial or nonindustrial undertaking, other than agricultural, between midnight and 6 a.m. the following day."

The exceptions to the prohibition include emergencies due to disasters and imminent dangers to public safety, essential health and welfare services and urgent work to be performed on machinery or equipment to avoid serious business loss.

The exceptions also include cases where female employees are immediate members of the family operating the establishment or, under certain cases, exempted by the secretary of labor in appropriate regulations.

"Simply put, the outright ban on night work for women has been rendered outmoded by the changing times," Gullas said.

At present, Gullas said local BPO service providers, including call centers that employ mostly women, cope with the prohibition through the tedious process of seeking an express exemption from the Department of Labor and Employment.

The local BPO industry generated $1.7 billion in sales in 2004, according to the Confederation of Philippine Exporters.

The Department of Trade and Industry and the Commission on Information and Communications Technology pro­ject local BPO contractors to fully employ over 800,000 Filipinos by 2010.

At present, the industry employs 134,000 Filipinos, mainly in call centers.

In BPO, foreign-based firms, in order to reduce operating costs, turn over many of their back-office work to contractors in offshore destinations such as the Philippines and India.

Most of the foreign firms that resort to outsourcing have to routinely deal with millions of subscribers or customers in their home countries, such as telecommunications and satellite-cable TV service providers, banks, credit-card lenders and insurers.

Since they have to deal with clients in various time zones, local call centers have to operate in up to three shifts 24 hours a day

They teach more than English in call centers

By Erwin Lemuel Oliva INQ7.net

AMERICANS in general love small talk. Asians do not, but when they do engage in conversation, they "go deep." Filipinos are generally not upfront (They say “yes” when they mean “no”), and often are pushovers or not too assertive.

The scenarios mentioned above are not exactly lessons in Asian culture but observations made by Maria Louisa Ros, Convergys director for global communication and culture training. Convergys is one of the biggest call center operations in the Philippines, employing 5,600 Filipinos.

A former English teacher in Ateneo High School, Ros was quick to debunk misconceptions about the industry, revealing that call center agents are not just taught English as part of its intensive training but also the nuances of the culture of customers they deal with.

“Turnovers are a general problem in any industry. But I think the reason why people quit is that they cannot handle the job. They usually get culture-shocked. This is why we train them to handle situations. They’re not merely telephone operators. It’s a stressful job and only the best may be able to handle it,” Ros said, adding that the main job of a call center agent is to actually respond to a customer problem in a short period of time.

Filipino agents at Convergys deal with customers from the United States, the United Kingdom, and recently Australia. They have to understand the “context of their customers,” which includes the cultural nuances, idiom and pronunciation, among others. They are also taught how to deal with irate customers, she said.

“It is not really a no-brainer job,” Ros added, reacting to perceptions that call centers offer dead-end jobs.

Having taught English and eventually worked as a consultant for the World Health Organization, Ros said that Convergys teaches call center agents different ways to control conversations, how to listen actively, and even spot a customer’s feelings by merely listening to the tone of their voice.

Unlike regular conversations where non-verbal cues aid in the understanding of what a person is really trying to convey, call center agents are trained to detect customer’s feelings from the tone of their voices alone.

“We teach them to detect sarcasm. But this takes experience. Filipinos usually speak in singsong. Americans talk in a rising-falling tone. Indians usually talk in rising tone. All these you have to understand, while you think of a solution to a problem, making small talk, and typing. So we’re really developing out-doers and out-thinkers,” Ros said.

Convergys call center agents undergo three-week basic training involving language accuracy (grammar, neutralization of accent), comprehension, reasoning, and customer support. Technical training follows for two to ten weeks.

Ros trained in Convergys India after she was hired as senior manager of the communications and culture training of Convergys Philippines. After refining the communications and culture training of the local subsidiary, she was promoted to director for global communication and culture training.

She now leads a 200-strong team of trainers, communication coaches, and managers across 14 sites in India and the Philippines after less than a year in the job. She was also put in charge of the implementation of the refined training program she developed in all call center operations of Convergys.

28 kompanya sa SBMA nagsara na

Ang Pilipino STAR Ngayon 07/10/2005

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Kabaligtaran ang isinusulong ni Pangulong Arroyo na makapagbigay ng trabaho sa mga naghihikahos na mamamayan dahil libong manggagawa ang tuluyang nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa pagsasara ng mga kumpanya dito sa ginawang pagpigil ni Anti-Smuggling Task Force (ASTF) chief ret. Lt. Gen. Jose Calimlim na mag-isyu ng import permit. Aabot sa 10,000 manggagawa mula sa 28-kumpanyang nakabase sa Subic Bay Freeport na may kinalaman sa negosyong importasyon ng sasakyan ang nawalan ng trabaho na karamihan ay pawang mekaniko, painter at electrician.

Ang pagsasara ng ilang kumpanya ay bumaba rin ang koleksyon ng Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority at maging ang Bureau of Customs (BoC) dahil sa walang nagbabayad ng karagdagang buwis na magmumula sa mga importers ng mga sasakyan ng P50-milyon kada buwan. Sa kabila nito, patuloy pa rin ang talamak na smuggling ng mga kontrabando na ipinupuslit sa gate ng Tipo kung saan ilang tauhan ng Law Enforcement Dept. at SWAT ng SBMA ang kasapakat. (Ulat ni Jeff Tombado)
This blogger believes in the number of companies that closed shop BUT does not believe that up to 10,000 workers lost their jobs. At the most, it would be less than 2,000 but these workers does not necessarily lost their jobs because they remain on their jobs - subcontracting projects. Its just that they now have less contracts. By the way, yesterday I saw Lito Soriano walking by Sta Rita Road, I stopped-by to give him a ride, he told me that the van they bought from Subic Auctioneers have a sub-standard steering mechanism after it was converted from right-hand drive to left-hand drive. He and his family were lucky that they were not in a hi-speed road when the steering mechanism failed, otherwise, it would have been a tragic accident.

Prepaid cards seen to boost access to national e-library

To create greater awareness of the national e-library project, the country’s largest online resource located at www.elib.gov.ph, its proponents will soon be issuing prepaid cards to allow individual users to download contents.


Access to the online database is currently limited to partner institutions and selected members although some materials, tagged as "free," can be downloaded and used by anyone as provided by the fair use doctrine.

The National Library of the Philippines (NLP), the project’s lead implementing agency, said the prepaid cards will be available on R100, R300, R500, and R1,000 denominations.

"Users are authenticated via the IP Address or with a valid login and password. Going directly to the database’s URL without passing the portal’s authentication will be denied access," the agency said.

The NLP did not say, however, when and how the prepaid cards will be made available to the public. Instead, it advised interested users to check the site for updated details.

Launched in April, the R166-million Web portal has a collection of more than 800,000 bibliographic records consisting of more than 25 million pages of local and international materials, 29,000 full text journals, and 15,000 theses and dissertations.

It is a joint undertaking of the Department of Agriculture, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Science and Technology, the NLP, and the University of the Philippines.

Funded through the egovernment fund of the Information Technology and ECommerce Council, now the Commission on Information and Communications Technology, the e-library aims to provide the information needs of all sectors of society in a convenient, affordable, and efficient way of delivery.

Since its launch, the site has received the most inquiries for download (2355 views), advance search (2128 views), membership (1364 views), electronic databases (968 views), and newsletter subscription (899 views).

Apart from the local content provided by the five partner institutions, links to foreign electronic databases and journals are also available to users of the portal.

Inside the site are functional groupings of knowledge classification (used in assigning call numbers in libraries).

These categories are derived from existing call numbers of each material, except in electronic databases, Filipiniana papers, and theses and dissertations.

Each category is mapped to Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and Library of Congress Classification subclasses.

For some situations, some of these categories include subclasses that belong to other categories.

Convergence of television, Internet coming--from phone firm

WASHINGTON--A new push is being made to deliver television over an Internet platform, with the potential to transform the medium into a new technology that offers more competition and program choices.

The long-awaited "convergence" of television and the Internet is being pushed, interestingly, by the major regional US phone companies SBC Communications and Verizon, which plan to roll out their first systems later this year in the US market.

BellSouth, another major phone carrier, is also testing Internet protocol television (IPTV), and trials are underway in Britain, Switzerland and elsewhere.

Delivering television via Internet technology would give viewers access to virtually unlimited channels and programs, because instead of "pushing" video through a cable with limited capacity, the viewer would access servers that store the content.

IPTV would also make the TV set and computer interchangeable and allow consumers to schedule or record programs via other devices, such as mobile phones.

"While cable companies are constrained by the size of their pipe, we have virtually unlimited content potential," said SBC spokesman Larry Solomon.

That means a local high school lacrosse match or cricket game on the other side of the world might be available to viewers.

Using IPTV, viewers would have a much wider option of so-called "video on demand," which would allow consumers to watch programs or films at their convenience instead of at the time of broadcast.

"We think, because we'll have more programming choices, it would be of great appeal to people," said Solomon. "People have become accustomed to searching the Internet and watching streaming video. So if you want to watch movies or documentaries on the Civil War, you could do that. It would put more control in the hands of customers."

Globally, about 15 million households will have IPTV services by the end of 2007, up from the current level of 600,000 homes, according to a report from the consulting firm Research and Markets. Global revenues from the sector will exceed 7.5 billion dollars in 2007, it said.

SBC and Verizon plan to launch their first pilot program late this year in the regions where they are the dominant phone providers, with wider rollout expected in 2006. BellSouth has only announced it is testing the Microsoft IPTV platform.

SBC chief executive Edward Whitacre has said this could help transform his firm from a traditional phone company into a TV-oriented communications competitor. He said earlier this year he hopes to offer a package of video, Internet, voice and wireless for about 100 dollars a month, although no prices have been set.

Solomon said the service will be "competitive" with cable and added that "people are tired of annual rate increases from their cable company."

Verizon, meanwhile, is pitching its service as closer to the current type of cable TV offering, with additional capabilities, and also sees potential in a "bundle" of telecommunications services, giving customers a choice of phone, video and Internet.

"When we go to market, we'll be offering a digital broadband TV service, which will mean hundreds of channels and include video on demand," said Verizon spokeswoman Sharon Cohen-Hagar.

"In addition to the channels you would expect to see, there will be a lot of channels that speak to specific interests, perhaps for certain ethnic groups. Everyone will have video on demand, and it will be easy to navigate."

Yankee Group analyst Adi Kishore said phone companies are pushing for this because their traditional services like phone and Internet are now open to competition.

"They realize they are taking a beating on the broadband side and they need to make investment in video, because there are no other substantial growth opportunities," he said.

Kishore said the new technology may not mean growth in television but simply more competition between the cable and telecom firms.

"SBC is saying this is a different service, that it is not like cable," he said. "They have a rich, full-featured offering, but it is also more risky."

The telecom firms, however, face considerable regulatory hurdles, including the daunting task of getting approval in thousands of municipalities. But they are pressing for measures to get statewide or nationwide approval to deliver the service.

"If you have to go hamlet by hamlet, city by city, to negotiate hundreds or thousands of franchises, it clearly would take an inordinate amount of time and deny the benefits of competition and investment," said SBC's Dave Pacholczyk.

"We're optimistic that policymakers recognize that competition leads to benefits and more investment."

I did not vote for this Constitution but I swore to defend it

(TRANSCRIPT OF SENATOR RICHARD J. GORDON’S INTERVIEW WITH SENATE REPORTERS ON MOUNTING CALLS FOR GMA RESIGNATION, 2:00 PM, 8 JULY 2005, SENATE BLDG.)


Q:      Sir at the time when political parties who are allied with the administration are saying that they do not support the President anymore and some members of the Cabinet have resigned and are saying the same, what is your political assessment?

GORDON: People should ask themselves and look at the seriousness of these people who are doing this because there is a Constitution that they voted and campaigned for.  I did not vote for this Constitution but I swore to defend it. And the Constitution says, the President can resign, indeed, but she cannot be forcibly asked to resign. Second, if she resigns fine. We will support Vice President Noli de Castro and the process continues.  If she does not resign then they must have an impeachment process and whether it’s fraud or not, that is what you have otherwise you are going to have two presidents claiming that they were removed illegally. Meaning Joseph Estrada saying “I won by my 30 percent as most popularly elected and was not impeached. I did not resign, I was forced to resign”. You are now going to have another one like this.

When I look at the parties, I have to question their motivation. The Liberal Party was around GMA two weeks ago. They were also showing allegiance to her. Now they are saying no.  So to my mind, kailangang bantayan yan.

If you look at the process, I will not be able to sleep well if Noli de Castro is put there in office principally if it was done through force. Why? In the last two events that we have had, in EDSA 1 which was well motivated, there was a clear violation of the Constitution.  The canvassers walked out. The church, military, Cory and the people were the common denominators.  In the second EDSA, the church, Cory and the military again were there and again there was a clear violation. There was a very close person, identified with the former president who explained that he got money. Here now, there were tapped telephone conversations.  We said, inadmissible in law, nonetheless she owed up to the fact that she called the COMELEC. Gloriously inappropriate, guilty of impropriety but the Jury is not out on whether she committed a crime and she can only be tried and removed by way of impeachment. That is the process. If we do not remove her that way then we are unstable. We are not predictable and people will not like us. So, it does not matter to me who is the president. The important part to me is that he or she is legally in office. That is to me what matters and that the rule of law is clear to the whole world.
 
The opposition will say the system is fraud. They will say “how can you expect these congressmen and senators to move because they are the majority”. But that is the system that we chose, that they voted for, that they campaigned for. The majority are the same people that were elected by the people. So who else are you going to trust if the opposition keep questioning it every time it doesn’t suite them?


Q. Even former President Cory Aquino is now asking for resignation?

GORDON: That is my point. If Cory is asking for resignation, what was she doing telling everybody to follow the constitutional process in a Constitution that was drafted by a Commission that she had called for? What is she doing talking to Susan Roces saying “relax lang, mayroon tayong Constitution” and now she is going to turn her back against that Constitution?  When that happens, will Noli be able to sleep at night knowing the he can be intimidated by political forces around this country who dictate who is going to be president not by legal processes but by political processes? That is dangerous.

Right now we are hearing a lot of political noise. It is called “continues-un-channeled-partisan-political-hysteria”. We must learn to sift from that noise. Look at the intention of everyone.  All of the sudden, you see former presidential candidates coming out. You can see former presidents coming out even suggesting that the Constitution be changed so that in 2006 we can all be parliamentarians as all people can be a prime minister. You have to look at this. The people of this country must learn to analyze. In this particular instance...we are the people in a labor case. We are the employer and our employee was caught stealing. “Ang sabi natin oh nagnakaw ka pero ang sabi niya hindi ako nagnakaw. Tinanggal ko siya ngayon at pagkatanggal niya ang sinabi niya ay unfair labor practice dahil hindi mo tinapos ang proseso. Dapat pumunta tayo doon sa labor arbiter para malaman natin kung ano ang tunay.  Kailangang tapusin natin para sa ganoon kapag natapos natin ang proseso alam natin nakasara ang libro hindi iyung nakabitin tayo tulad ngayon”. Si Erap noong una ang sabi niya “Ayaw ko nang mag-presidente”. Tapos nang lumabas ang survey na naman ang sabi niya  “Uy magpi-presedinte ako. Ako ang tunay na presidente”.  Ang nangyayari talaga sa ating bayan kung tutuusin, we have learned to have a history of not following the process. Aguinaldo and Bonifacio, you cannot determine kung sino ang hero. The Collaborators, we have never really judged the collaborators during World War II. We never even have given justice to Wenceslao Vinzons and Jose Abad Santos for their supreme sacrifice under the Japanese. And we cannot do justice to Aquino and Marcos or the coup plotters of ‘87 and ‘89, to Estrada and now another one here.
 

So when is it going to end?  It ends where it begins. It begins, therefore, with the Constitution. A piece of paper that is supposed to be the glue that puts us all together. The rules on which we govern ourselves.  If we violate that, if we do not let the process come into play then nobody will respect this country. We will not respect ourselves. We cannot do that. We cannot say fraud yan. Hindi pwede because ako pinatay ang tatay ko ng mga taong pinalabas sa bilangguan. Hindi lamang isang beses siyang pinagtangkaan. Tatlong beses pa. Kung ang proseso ay masama at talagang masama ang proseso sapagkat matapos ma-convict yung mga maliliit na tao na pumatay sa tatay ko ay hindi naman na-convict  yung mastermind kahit sinabi ng Supreme Court na hulihin ang mastermind kahit sinabi pa nila ang pangalan ay hindi hinuli. Worse na-commute pa ni Marcos and sentence nila.  So sa susunod, nang pinatay ang pamangkin ko ng houseboy ng kapatid kon noong Mayor na ako “Wag na nating sundin ang batas, hindi naman maayos ang prosesong iyan eh. Barilin na lang natin anyway pinatay naman niya talaga yung pamangkin ko na 9-year old. Patayin na lang natin”. Ganoon ba ang gusto natin?

Sa Amerika, Si Michael Jackson, alam ng lahat na pedophile talaga. Bakit noong matapos ang proseso ay tapos na. Tulad ni OJ Simpson. Si Gore at si Bush, nanalo si Gore sa popular vote pero natalo sa electoral vote. Noong sinabi ng Korte Suprema na panalo si Bush, tinanggap ang proseso. Dito walang katapusan ang proseso sapagkat walang pumapayag maatalo sapagkat dinaya palagi kaya kailangan tapusin natin at magpakulong tayo ng mga mandaraya at tiyak matatapos ang proseso.

ON VICE-PRESIDENT DE CASTRO:

We cannot strengthen our country if we do not put the Constitution to a test. Habang hindi natin nagagawa iyon ay walang mangyayari sa ating bayan. Hindi makakatulog si Vice President Noli.  I will support Noli kung magresign si Gloria. Eventually kung ma-impeach si Gloria I will support Noli. Segurado at walang problema yan. Pero may duda ang suporta kapag ganoon ang mangyayari na isasantabi ang proseso sapagkat yung ginawa kay Gloria ay gagawin din sa kanya.
 
How can Noli sleep at night knowing that certain sectors of the church and certain sectors of the military go together and remove him by intimidating him or by starting something like from the opposition, like in the previous cases and then gathering up the forces. No trial. Resign ka. Baba ka.


Q. Sir, si Senate President Franklin Drilon nakapag-usap ba kayo?

GORDON: Tinawagan  ko siya.  We call each other. We are friends. We can be civilized.


Q. Are you against sa move ng Liberal Party which he heads calling for resignation?

GORDON: Ang ayaw ko lang bakit tayo parang balingbing. Hindi ba two weeks ago sabi nila they are supporting the President. It was very well published and on television.  Yung mga leaders natin, dati ang position proseso, ngayon all of the sudden baligtad. Bakit na-prove na bang guilty?


Q. Sir kaya pa bang i-retain ni PGMA  ang sitwasyon ito?

GORDON: Hindi si GMA ang problema. Ang sinasabi kong problema natin dito, please understand me very clearly, I am railing not against  personalities, not really against Senate President Drilon. I am railing against the system that we have put ourselves in. Against the culture of political opportunism. Against putting our fate on the winds of political partisan hysteria.


Q. Sir, what is your advise to the President?

GORDON: Do what her conscience tells her to do. If she wants to resign, resign. If she doesn’t want to resign and she says she is not guilty, the system allows her to face up to the impeachment proceedings.

END.