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Down Under Promotions supports ICC Bluehawks and BPBL
CEBU CITY, Philippines —The Sydney-bound Immaculada Concepcion College (ICC) Bluehawks senior men’s basketball team has earned the support of Down Under Promotions Sports and Events in their preparation for the Australian Chinese Basketball Association (ACBA). To recall, the ICC Bluehawks will represent the Philippines in the upcoming ACBA, which kicks off tomorrow. Besides the Philippines,.....»»
AS Watson supports gender equity with commitment to empowerment principles by UN Women
This International Women's Day, AS Watson proudly announces that it’s the first health and beauty retailer to be a signatory of the Women's Empowerment Principles......»»
Pia, Saab, Maxene sama-sama sa 15th death anniversary ni Francis Magalona
BILANG pagpupugay sa ika-15th death anniversary ni Francis Magalona, nagsama-sama ang mga mahal niya sa buhay – ang kanyang misis na si Pia Arroyo-Magalona, pati na rin ang dalawang anak niyang babae na sina Maxene at Saab. Sa pamamagitan ng Instagram Stories, ibinandera ni Maxene ang ilang moments ng naging intimate gathering sa Loyola Memorial.....»»
Dindo Arroyo tsinugi na sa Batang Quiapo; McCoy ‘pinapapatay’ na rin
KAYA pala nag-viral ang pakiusap ng netizens na “Save Severino” ay dahil tsinugi na ang naturang karakter sa seryeng “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” nitong Lunes. Si Severino ay ginagampanan ni Dindo Arroyo bilang trusted staff at kanang kamay ni Christopher de Leon as Ramon Montenego/Alberto Frias. Umabot din ng isang taon si Dindo sa programa at.....»»
SC upholds Philippines-Japan economic pact
The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement, a bilateral trade and investment deal entered into by the two countries during the Arroyo administration and ratified by the Senate in 2008......»»
Chinese presence at NGCP
The Chinese presence at NGCP can be blamed on former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who allowed it to happen. She was very close to China, trying a pivot to China away from the United States through Chinese supported infrastructure projects......»»
Who’s destabilizing who?
Allies of Speaker Martin Romualdez have been busy explaining why Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Davao Congressman Isidro Ungab were stripped of their deputy speaker positions......»»
House ousts Arroyo, Ungab as deputy speakers
House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe says Pampanga Representative Gloria Arroyo and Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab 'chose not to sign a pivotal House resolution sponsored by the entire leadership'.....»»
PCG’s problematic dualism
There is a world of difference between the roles of a civilian agency and those of a military command. No civilian agency or military command should be doing the role of the other, lest they overlap, conflict, or render redundant their authority. The role of the Philippine Coast Guard is a good subject for legislative review — whether it fulfills a purely civilian function or a purely military one. The fact that it’s an attached agency of the Department of Transportation as much as an attached service of the Department of National Defense “confers” upon it a dualism that may be at cross purposes. While the PCG can fit either role, it shouldn’t. For in so doing, the line between maritime law enforcement and national defense is blurred. One may be led to think that, perforce, the PCG is unadulteratedly a military organization as it used to be part of the Philippine Navy, a major branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Something explains this duality, but it may require assessment as to whether it must continue to have this dual character. In principle, any individual or unit that performs a task or mandate that essentially belongs solely to the military must forthwith be under a military commander or military organization. Who can even begin to fathom what it means when the Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard reports directly to the Transportation Secretary in the enforcement of maritime law, but also reports to the Defense Secretary if not the President in wartime? If one should take a cursory look at those who served as commandants of the PCG since its founding in 1967 under different presidents, one would find, viz.: 1) During Rodrigo Duterte’s term, only three served for over a year, while four served for less than a year, and one for only 18 days; 2) Under Benigno Aquino, four barely completed a year, one just a year, and one more than two years; 3) Under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, three served for barely a year, two served over two years or so; 4) Under Joseph Estrada, one served for two years; 5) In Fidel Ramos’ time, five served for less than a year, one for 32 days, and one for almost three years; 6) Under Corazon Aquino, two served for two years, one for three years, and two for a week or so; 7) Under Ferdinand Marcos Sr., four served for over a year, three served for 3, 4, 5 years, respectively. This tells us that commandants, as presidential appointees, must be the personal choices of the presidents they serve. With a change of the occupant in Malacañang, a change in the leadership of the PCG also takes place, good or bad. It’s said that the PCG’s “transformation into a non-military organization” and its “civilian character” allowed it “to receive offers of vessels, equipment, technology, services, cooperation and other needed assistance from other countries,” that otherwise would not have been feasible were it a military agency. President Fidel Ramos signed Executive Order 475 on 30 March 1998 to separate the PCG from the Philippine Navy, and Executive Order 477 to transfer it from the DND to the DoTC, a month thereafter. Thus, even FM Jr. has been heard saying, “Our friends from other countries will help strengthen the PCG’s capabilities.” Today, the President envisions the PCG as a “central actor” insofar as West Philippine Sea matters are concerned; thus, he ordered several 40-foot long patrol vessels to be built in Cebu to improve the PCG’s capabilities in maritime territorial disputes. In the face of China’s unprecedented coast guard expansion — the largest in the world — “civilianizing” the PCG makes little sense. It’s a Catch-22 on how to “reinvent” the PCG. Military strategists had miserably failed. The post PCG’s problematic dualism appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PCO corrects blunder
The Presidential Communications Office, or PCO, on Saturday, retracted a false claim that it had been four decades “since the last time a sitting President of the Philippines” visited Saudi Arabia. “Forty years since former President Ferdinand E. Marcos (Sr.) visited Saudi Arabia, the last time a sitting President of the Philippines traveled to the country, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited the Filipino community in Riyadh to personally express his gratitude for their significant contributions,” part of the PCO’s deleted Facebook claimed. A few hours later, Malacañang issued an erratum in a new Facebook post. “In a previous version of this caption, we erroneously stated that President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.’s visit to Saudi Arabia in 1982 was the last visit by a sitting Philippine president,” PCO said in another post. “We wish to clarify that both President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and President Rodrigo Duterte in [sic] also visited Saudi Arabia in 2009 and 2017 respectively.” Noticeable was the misplaced “in” in the erratum of the PCO, an office tasked with combating fake news on matters about the government, particularly the Office of the President. The post PCO corrects blunder appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ang aga? Sara Duterte, Arroyo visit Iglesia ni Cristo leader Manalo
The courtesy calls come at a time when cracks are beginning to show in the Uniteam of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.....»»
Topacio: ‘President Arroyo has done no wrongdoing during her term’
The camp of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo deemed "baseless" the graft and malversation raps filed against the former president before the Ombudsman last week, accusing her of abuse of discretion over the disbursement of P38.807 billion in Malamapya funds during her presidency. Arroyo's legal counsel, Ferdinand Topacio, said that while they have yet to receive the copy of the complaint-- and learned about it through the news-- they have no doubt that the accusations will be disproven. "Suffice it to state that based on newspaper reports, the complainant admits that the funds concerned were used for public purposes," the lawyer said. "In accordance with settled legal principles, Pres. Arroyo has done no wrongdoing during her term, and we are confident that these charges will be proven false, in the same manner, that other accusations made before them have been shown to be baseless," he said. Topacio was referring to a 34-page complaint filed by National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms or NASECORE president Petronilo "Pete" Ilagan and Boses ng Konsyumer Alliance Inc. president Rogelio Reyes, suing Arroyo of 96 counts each of graft and malversation. The complainants cited irregularities in the utilization of Malampaya funds during Arroyo's incumbency, specifically the realigning of the revenues to finance government projects for which the funds were not intended. Arroyo was the Philippine president from 2001 to 2010. Ilagan and Reyes accused Arroyo of taking advantage of her post in allowing the use of P38.807 billion of Malampaya funds for purposes other than the avowed intention of Presidential Decree 910 and as highlighted by a 2017 special audit on the fund by the Commission on Audit. PD 910, signed in 1976, mandates that the profits from Malampaya remitted to the government should be used to finance energy resource development and exploration activities. However, it also stipulates that Malampaya earnings can also be used for "other purposes as directed by the President," which the complainants argued was abused by Arroyo. "Respondent Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo whimsically took the opportunity of the said law's inadequacy and deliberately twisted the interpretation of the said provision to mean that she, as President, had the discretion to use the Malampaya Fund for whatever purpose she deemed fit," the complainants said. Ilagan and Reyes heavily emphasized Arroyo's command to direct the Malampaya funds to agricultural and irrigation programs, disaster rehabilitation, transport projects, national security activities, and cash assistance to the transport sector under the Pantawid Pasada Program, which they claimed was entirely unrelated to energy development. "In short, the Malampaya fund became a discretionary fund of the Office of the President, and disbursements therefrom became subject of whims and caprice of the respondent without regard to the purpose and policy of Presidential Decree No. 910," the complainants said of Arroyo. In the meantime, Topacio expressed their intention to defer it to the justice system and thereafter present a counterargument against the charges in due time. Arroyo and three of her Cabinet secretaries were previously sued for plunder by the National Bureau of Investigation before the Ombudsman for purportedly stealing a P900-million Malampaya fund intended for the impoverished back-to-back typhoon victims in 2009. She was cleared of the charges in 2016 following then-Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales' verdict that the NBI "failed to prove" that they colluded in the illegal diversion of Malampaya fund. The post Topacio: ‘President Arroyo has done no wrongdoing during her term’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Graft, malversation raps filed vs GMA over Malampaya Fund
Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is facing graft and malversation charges before the Office of the Ombudsman, for allegedly abusing her discretion by realigning the Malampaya Fund to bankroll government projects outside the funds’ intended use......»»
BARGE RAMOS: Exponent of modern Barong Tagalog
Barge Ramos was an Atenean who wanted to pursue a career in mass communication, for which he had ample academic preparation. An initial foray into media was an engagement at ABS-CBN with its studio located on Roxas Boulevard, a few strides away from the Ramos home in the old, genteel part of Pasay. Fate, however, took him to a different path. As a college student, he encouraged his female gangmates to have their dresses made in the shop of the then young and mod designer Christian Espiritu. “We would patronize him because we admired his approach to fashion. We would save our allowance to be able to go to him and order our outfits.” From patron-client relationship, Christian and Barge would become friends, and the designer who was very busy designing the ternos and gowns of then First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, asked Barge if he was interested in joining his atelier as an apprentice. Barge accepted the offer and never looked back. A few weeks ago, Barge and I had dinner at Malate’s famed original Spanish restaurant, Casa Armas, where he gamely acquiesced to my unscheduled “interview” as I had realized that the Linggo ng Kasuotang Pilipino was forthcoming. This week then, as we celebrate Philippine costume, I am sharing with you my conversation with the gentleman couturier who dedicated his professional designing life to the preservation and continuous elevation of the Barong Tagalog as our national gentleman’s attire. Our conversation follows: DAILY TRIBUNE (DT): Coming from your apprenticeship with Christian Espiritu, tell me about how you got started on your own. BARGE RAMOS (BR): It was actually my friends who prodded me to open my first shop on Leon Guinto St. in Malate, several blocks away from Christian Espiritu’s atelier. Friends supported me as they were my first clients, plus a wedding job all at once. Being young and hopeful, I tried doing a few ready-to-wear lines for SM Makati and Cinderella, while maintaining a made-to-order client base. [caption id="attachment_190034" align="aligncenter" width="719"] BARGE Ramos[/caption] DT: What were your early projects involving indigenous Filipino costume? BR: In 1981, my fellow designers and I formed the Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines (FDAP), and for the two gala shows that year, we focused on Philippine-inspired fashion. I designed Barong-inspired tunics for women, photo silkscreened with t’nalak patterns and real t’nalak hip belts tied with gold like obi belts. Our honorary chairperson Imee Marcos bought a few of my pieces. Chairman of the board Ernest Santiago called me the next day, saying, “Barge, you’ve arrived.” DT: It’s interesting that you forged a creative path different from the other young designers. BR: That’s how I chose the path in my career, by finding new and newer ways of re-inventing the Barong Tagalog. As Joey Espino would tell in later years, “That’s your DNA.” I even did some cotton Barong Tunics for women, with matching loose cotton pants, an all-white collection, followed by a pastel-colored collection for SM Makati. DT: But you did not only focus on your designing. You also led some industry projects. You have done many things that other designers have not tried or even attempted to try. BR: The ‘80s and the ‘90s were my very active years in fashion. I became the third president of the FDAP and created “Bodyshots Modeling Competition,” originally an all-male competition in two levels, amateur and professional divisions. It was a big hit and it continued for several years with the FDAP at the helm. In 2008 I wrote a coffee table book, Pinoy Dressing Weaving Culture into Fashion, which was a condensed version of the fashion column I wrote for a Malaya newspaper, Pinoy Dressing, which ran for about three to four years. Anvil, the sister company of National Bookstore, published the book, which won a “Gintong Aklat” Award for the publisher. DT: How does one recognize a barong Tagalog by Barge Ramos? BR: I don’t have a signature Barge Ramos barong design, as my aesthetics have evolved through the years. A few years ago, Christian Espiritu told me, “You’re a good designer but you’re a late bloomer.” I really didn’t understand what he meant since Christian was always opinionated on everything. Perhaps he liked my later designs, comparing me to this and that designer. DT: Does designing run in your family? BR: There were two other designers among the Ramoses. One was Danilo Franco, whose father was a first cousin of my Dad. The second one was the late Boying Eustaquio, whose mother was my father’s sibling. DT: What has been your forte? What do you love creating? BR: We’ve made ternos and Barong tunics for women. As I’ve mentioned earlier, I did a line of ready-to-wear cotton Barong tunics and pants for SM Boutique Square in the ‘80s. DT: Any celebrity and VIP clients you are proud of? BR: We did several shirt jacks for the late President Ferdinand Marcos during the ‘80s. Imee Marcos, then an assemblywoman, bought a few of our barong tunics and skirts. We’ve done several barongs for Manny Pangilinan and former President Joseph Estrada, and then, when she was vice president, Gloria Arroyo. But most of our clients are very private persons, many of them businessmen, balikbayans and doctors. DT: How would you describe the evolution of the Filipiniana attire? BR: Filipiniana has always been there, but people mostly associated it with the rich and powerful in society. Nowadays, Filipiniana has seeped down to all levels of society and younger people are getting the hang of it and have interpreted it to fit their sub-culture. I’ve also observed that Filipinos living abroad appreciate it more, probably to assert their identity more in the face of other nationalities. DT: Finally, what can you say about the bolder, more imaginative interpretations of Filipiniana? BR: Fashion always has its quirks and oddities. Designers tend to push the limits and boundaries of Filipiniana in the attempt of creating contemporary looks and trends. One doesn’t have to “like” them but simply look at them and appreciate the designer’s creativity that went into them. Style is a matter of taste. But good taste can sometimes be difficult to ingrain in young minds. The post BARGE RAMOS: Exponent of modern Barong Tagalog appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Maritime zones long defined under law — JPE
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce said the Senate should not bother enacting the maritime zones measure since the country’s territory has long been defined under the Baselines Law. Enrile was reacting to reports that the Senate is consolidating eight proposed measures seeking to define the maritime zones of the Philippines that the legislators said should strengthen the country’s claim in the West Philippine Sea, but which would merely duplicate a 2009 law. Senator Francis Tolentino, the Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones chairperson, had said that a new Philippine map, with its specified maritime zones, would be included in the proposed mandate. “We will be sending a copy of the measure to the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) Secretariat (and) the United Nations for their recognition as well. But again, the other countries supporting us would also support our claim based on our new Maritime Zone Law,” he said. The Baselines Law is already in the hands of international bodies. The proposed measure, Tolentino said, would also specify the sea lanes, air routes, and natural resources within the country’s exclusive economic zone. “Once crafted into law, this will be part of our argument that China should abide by UNCLOS because the progeny of UNCLOS is the Maritime Zone Law. So this will fortify our claim,” he said. The process, however, is redundant since “we already have the Baselines Law,” Enrile indicated on his weekly program Bayan ni Juan. “We applied the principle of archipelagic waters consisting of Amianan island in the north and Sibutu in the east, and you have a 12-mile limit from the baseline that is considered part of Philippine waters where Filipinos can fish,” he explained. So they don’t have to craft another law since the law already exists; it was enacted during the term of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, according to Enrile. He added that the nine-dash line of China did not cover those areas under the law since China respected it. Among the islands in the Baselines Law within the country’s territory are the Kalayaaan group of islands and Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal. The Baselines Law, or Republic Act 9522, enacted in 2009, was cited as the basis for seeking the intervention of the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague, which subsequently issued the ruling in July 2016 that favored the Philippines. Enrile, one of the law’s authors, said it intended to encourage further dialogue with China while asserting the country’s stake. A peaceful negotiation would be the only way for the Philippines to settle the West Philippine Sea issue with China under the landmark measure, particularly its claims over the Kalayaan island group and Scarborough Shoal. Enrile said the regime of islands the Baselines Law sought to protect was demarcated based on the provisions of UNCLOS. China protested the law’s enactment, but Enrile said a dialogue might iron out the kinks between both nations. “The only capability we have is through negotiations; we must use patience in negotiating with China,” he said. Status quo once existed The State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China, in a white paper it issued shortly after the arbitral ruling titled “China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea,” stated that a near stable situation existed in the disputed territory. The post Maritime zones long defined under law — JPE appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Nina Lim-Yuson — A lifetime of girl scouting
The president of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Nina Lim-Yuson, grew up in a family and home of Girl Scouts. Her grandmother, Pilar Hidalgo-Lim, was one of the co-founders of the GSP. “It was actually my Lola Pilar who suggested to Josefa Llanes Escoda, the GSP founder, to go to America to learn about girl scouting.” This tidbit of history, Nina shared in an online interview with the DAILY TRIBUNE. Pilar Hidalgo-Lim became GSP president, and so did Nina’s mother, Estefania Aldaba-Lim, who served as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Nina’s sister too, the eminent broadcast journalist, Cheche Lazaro, was a Girl Scout. Coming from a lineage of women achievers, Nina could not have chosen a different path. It was scouting that formally introduced the family to social responsibility, skills development and citizenship. Her brothers were also Boy Scouts. “I started when I was six years old and it was my Lola Pilar who inducted me as a Brownie. It used to be called Brownie because we were still using the American pattern,” she related. She belonged to Troop Number One, the first to be organized by the GSP national headquarters. In high school at the Jose Abad Santos Memorial School of the Philippine Women’s University, she became a junior and later a senior Girl Scout. College would briefly end her Girl Scouting as she focused on her studies. Along the way, she also danced with the Bayanihan Folk Dance Company. It was not unexpected that she would return to scouting, her first love, and her first extra-curricular activity. For the last 36 years, she has been active in various organizations and volunteer work. She founded the Museong Pambata. She is a recipient of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service and is active in its various social development efforts. What Nina brings to her post is the legacy of leadership that had been passed on to her through generations of women leaders in the family. “My Lola Pilar was my idol. She was such a nice person and I never knew her totally as a president. I knew her more as a loving lola from all the stories she related when we rode up to Baguio. “My mother, on the other hand, was the opposite. She was very career-minded. I learned naman from her a lot of things, like being thrifty and having a list of things to do. In terms of organization, she was like that. Because she was in government. And, you know, when we started Museo, while it was actually my concept, I learned a lot from her. She would call me up at 5 o’clock in the morning and she would rattle off what needed to be done, like ‘number one, number two and so on.’ That was her. And I’m glad that I worked with her for six years in Museo. She was the president and I was the executive director for six years. I took over in 2000 as president and chief executive officer. And then, I stepped down in 2017.” Girl Scouts who read and tell stories Nina was elected president of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines for the term 2021-2024 during its 2021 national convention. From day one, she shared, “My purpose was to reach out to the community-based troops because we have always been school-based. Many young women now have social problems so we need to reach out to the communities through our community-based troops.” Also on top of her priorities is literacy development, a cause that she addressed even in the Museo Pambata. She explained, “My advocacy has always been education. So, I was very concerned because the Asian Development Bank reported in 2022 that the World Bank found out that our Filipino children at ages 9 and 10 cannot read. So, I felt that because girl scouting is all over the country, with 96 local councils, the organization could serve as a vehicle for improving literacy in our country. “We started the Girl Scout Storyteller project because storytelling affects the heart first before the mind. When young people start with storytelling, they will love the stories and then the written word. They would then want to read. “We now have storytelling in economically challenged communities and we have partners. We sent out 2,500 books throughout the country with the help of our partner couriers.” Initially, she sought the help of her family foundation “to give a donation. I also sought the help of Ging Montinola, who is into literacy development. Together, we founded the literacy program. We are building this fund to cover the cost of buying children’s books. We will have a storytelling contest next year.” Raising funds for Camp Escoda Nina then shifted the conversation to another major endeavor that she is spearheading as GSP president — fundraising for the 27-hectare Camp Josefa Llanes Escoda in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, which was donated by the provincial government during the term of Governor Amado Aleta, the father of consul and civic leader Fortune Ledesma. “Palayan is beautiful because it has rolling hills, but it doesn’t have electrical and water facilities and roadworks. It doesn’t have a swimming pool, and it’s so hot in Nueva Ecija. It also does not have a conference hall. This is a big one-time fundraising project because it’s for the future of the girls who are going to the camp. Because as of now, if you go camping there, you have to walk up the hills to get your drinking water. You have to make buhos to take a bath.” She recalled, “In my time as a young Girl Scout, which was of another era, we had to walk in the dark to fetch water to fill up two drums. I was so scared because there were tuko in Los Baños. That taught me to be courageous. Camps really build up your lifetime skills and attitude. Camping is very integral in girl scouting and boy scouting. So, this camp will serve a purpose. It just needs various basic facilities to make it world-class and convenient with the proper amenities, but the girls will continue to learn all those survival techniques and appreciate nature right on the camp.” She praised architect Pippo Carunungan, “who is an environmental planner. He surveyed the site and drew up everything. It will be a beautiful camp, he said, because it’s a gift of nature.” First Lady as Chief Girl Scout Nina recently led the Girl Scouts in a fundraising ball attended by the “First Lady, Liza Araneta-Marcos, who is our Chief Girl Scout. It’s mandated in the GSP constitution that whoever is the female president of the country or the First Lady is the Chief Girl Scout. In the past, we had Imelda Marcos, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. All the first ladies were all Chief Girl Scouts. “Mrs. Liza Marcos spoke before us and she promised to help. She said, ‘We will make it the best campsite.’ Everyone was excited to see her and she obliged everyone who asked to have selfie with her. She is very friendly. She is really a Girl Scout.” Nina shared, “A generous couple is sponsoring the swimming pool at P6 million, while a gentleman entrepreneur is sponsoring the perimeter fence at P1.5 million. Many other businessmen and leaders have pledged to help build this dream GSP project. “We really need to raise about 50 million to have a very good camp. But when the First Lady heard about it, she said, ‘It has to be P250 million.’ But, really, when we have the funds, we can have deep toilets that have running water instead of tabo-tabo. Since we have a little Pampanga river that runs across the camp, we can build a bridge that crosses it and then the girls can have white-water rafting there in the Pampanga river. “Camp Escoda will be a very important and significant venue for our Girl Scouts to gather, bond, learn new skills and develop as morally upright citizens of the country and the world. It is especially so because camping is integral in any Girl Scout’s life. If you don’t have camping, it’s like half of your scouting life is missing. Every Girl Scout remembers that time of her youth. And being the national camp, it will welcome Girl Scouts representing the 96 councils from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao who will participate in various events and trainings.” Girl Scouts of all ages As GSP president, Nina travels to various parts of the country. “We have regional conferences aside from the meeting of the Central Board when regional heads and executives come to Manila. “I had just come from Baguio where I stayed for two-and-a-half days. I met our young Girl Scout representatives from ages 14 to 18. I enjoyed listening to them and exchanging ideas with them. I am so happy that we have a wealth of intelligent girls who want to serve the country. They are the ones who are going to take over. “It’s amazing that GSP is no longer limited to old people on the board. We finally have young ones on the board. Our Escoda committee is headed by Jade Delgado from Iloilo. Then we have Justine Bautista. She’s a psychometrician. She heads the Program Committee, which is a big committee because when we were in Baguio, we had 86 girls from all the councils throughout the country. Many of them are running for SK. “So, in my 70s now, which I don’t feel at all, I don’t take any medicines or something like that. Being with young people is what inspires me. Because at 15, 16 or 17, they already know that they have some kind of a mission.” Nina proudly shared that the venue of the Baguio conference, 'Ating Tahanan' on the South Drive was bought during the tenure of my Lola Pilar. We have four buildings there, including the houses of Senator and actor Rogelio de la Rosa and Carlos Valdes, the accountant. Lola Pilar, according to Carlos Valdes, twisted his arm to get a low price. I’m so thankful for all those who preceded me because they bought these places. It’s on South Drive which is so valuable. We even have a reserved forest behind us.” As she looks forward to the next camping and gets even busier raising funds for Camp Escoda, Nina feels elated that “every one of us in the Girl Scouts has been together in our various undertakings. The nice thing is we are now intergenerational because we try to bring in the old with experience, institutional memory and their wisdom born of their long life, and the young who are full of enthusiasm, energy and new ideas.” A star scout for a granddaughter While Nina does her part for the bright future of girl scouting in the country, her personal family too has not stopped contributing to the roster of members to this worldwide organization. Today, a granddaughter of hers, seven-year-old Rocio Yuson de Guzman, is a Star Scout. She is the daughter of Nina’s daughter, Nicky. No grandmother could have been prouder. Nina said, “Rufio loves being a star scout. When I arrived from the recent world conference in Cyprus, I came back with some badges and I gave some to Rufio who is very proud of the little badges that I got for her.” For sure, Nina will pass on not just the badges to Rufio. More importantly, she will give her granddaughter the once-in-one’s-childhood experience of being a Girl Scout and learning “the values that are identified in the Girl Scout Promise and Laws. I think that while there is so much to enjoy and learn, it is the inculcation of these values that would mold her into a well-rounded human being. As we all know, a Girl Scout’s honor is to be trusted. A Girl Scout is loyal, thrifty, courteous… and so on. It’s like a mantra -- the values that one lives by. “I have reached that point when it is not about success or what one accumulates in life, whether awards or accomplishments or material things. It is more about what I can share and scouting gives me that honor and privilege — to do my part in helping mold our young girls and making them aware even at an early age that they have a mission and worthy purpose in life. It is not just about being good and outstanding on your own but it is also about helping others to become better in what they’re doing and live better lives. “And I need not look far. As a grandmother, I dote on my Star Scout granddaughter, Rufio. There’s a world out there for her to discover and in which she has a role to play and use the skills and values she will learn from scouting.” The post Nina Lim-Yuson — A lifetime of girl scouting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
TOP GAN — JGFP’s dynamic chief steers jungolf to new heights
There’s a big room in Oliver Gan’s office building in Quezon City dedicated to the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines. It has two office staff, golf sets, boxes, trophies, shirts and two large white boards filled up with schedules and marginal notes. That particular afternoon, Gan was charting the interschool championships which is JGFP’s major event of the year. He was going through the logistics of the competitions as well as the events JGFP is staging leading up the interschool. Hectic day in the office for the 40-year-old Gan. Except that his real office was in the adjacent room where he runs the family business. “Running our family business and running the JGFP is easy for me. As long as there are no parents complaining,” Gan said jokingly. “But that is impossible. Between the two, it seems like running the family business is easier.” Yet despite that, Gan has been hands-on in JGFP. And for good reasons. One of them is the fact that Gan is himself a national jungolf champion. The other is because he has two daughters, Nicole and Stephanie, who happen to be two of the most promising jungolfers in the country. Gan said he’s playing golf at least once a week. But his downtime is not entirely for golf. “I used to play baseball and volleyball back in high school but concentrated on golf when my teammates outgrew me,” Gan said. Lately, his evenings are spent on the basketball court. “I used to play in the Xavier Alumni Basketball League,” said Gan, who acts as the team “owner,” being both the manager and playing coach of their batch. He is also chairman for sports in the alumni association of Xavier School. On the national level, Gan is former program officer of the Philippine Sports Institute for the National Capital Region and adviser for golf at the Games and Amusements Board. Clearly, his heart belongs to golf. And it shows in his work at JGFP. “We parents invest so much time and effort in our kids’ golf. We now know that our efforts are not wasted,” Gan said. “Before, golf was very exclusive. Not everyone can play it. Especially the children. Now our efforts to give golf a wider talent pool is gaining traction. Everyone is taking notice and is starting to cooperate.” That’s why JGFP is working on “giving it back to the kids, especially the under-privileged,” supporting several scholars. Through Gan’s initiatives, JGFP has been gaining the support of the private sector which is crucial in every grassroots program. JGFP, too, has reached Mindanao where there are a lot of untapped talents. And just recently, it announced that former Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo as JGFP’s “godfather.” “I think we are doing well. People know junior golf is in good hands. Businessmen are supporting the foundation. We are staging tournaments left and right. Golf courses offer to hold our events. We are getting invitations and accreditations from all over the world,” Gan said. But what Gan is counting as his biggest moment was when JGFP managed to span to Visayas and Mindanao which will soon have their own inter-school meets. “All the regional winners, we will pit them against each other in a truly national inter-school championships,” Gan said. “And from there we get the players to represent the country in international meets.” Such ambitious plans for JGFP. But nothing far-fetched with Gan at the helm. The post TOP GAN — JGFP’s dynamic chief steers jungolf to new heights appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bong Go shares Gibo’s stance against proposed MUP reform
Senator Christopher "Bong" Go expressed his alignment with Defense Secretary Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro Jr.‘s stance against the proposed military pension reform particularly on the issue of imposing mandatory contributions and removing the automatic indexation for military pensioners. "It was also reported that Secretary Teodoro does not agree with the proposed mandatory contributions and the removal of the automatic indexation of our military personnel," Go stated during the Commission on Appointments committee hearing on Wednesday, 13 September. "Hindi rin po ako sang-ayon dito sa mandatory contributions at pagbago sa automatic indexation," he stressed. Go then elaborated on his stance, emphasizing that there are alternative ways to address financial needs without affecting the pensions of current retirees and those still in active service. “Bagama’t naintindihan po natin ang sitwasyon ng ating mga finance managers at tumataas na budgetary needs ng gobyerno at sa posibleng paglobo ng kakailanganin na pondo po para sa pension, naniniwala ako na may ibang paraan upang matugunan ito nang hindi maapektuhan ang pension ng ating kasalukuyang mga retirees at mga nasa active service," he added. He further suggested some of these alternative methods, "Katulad ng pag-improve sa pagkolekta ng buwis o pag-eliminate po ng corruption sa gobyerno.” Go also took the opportunity to remind his colleagues of the efforts made during the term of former president Rodrigo Duterte to increase the salaries of military and uniformed personnel. "Huwag nating kalimutan na noong panahon ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, nagsikap tayo na mapataas ang sweldo ng ating uniformed personnel," Go began. He then elaborated on the collective efforts made to achieve this salary increase. "Nagpursige din tayo upang maisakatuparan ito noong hindi pa po ako senador at naniniwala po ako na marami pong sumuporta dito sa last Congress," he continued. Go also expressed his concerns about the potential impact of mandatory contributions on the increased salaries. "Naniniwala rin po ako na hindi natin dapat bawiin sa pamamagitan ng contributions ang matagal na nilang inasam na pagtaas ng sahod,” he said. The senator further emphasized the need to consider the long-term impact of the proposed pension reform on the lives of current military personnel. “Huwag naman po sanang bigay-bawi. Tandaan natin na marami sa ating kasundaluhan ay mayroon ng plano sa kanilang mga matatanggap kapag magreretire. Nakaplano na yan, naka-loan, may babayaran na yan at pamilya...nakalaan na yan para sa kanilang mga anak,” he said. “Kung iisipin natin, yung ikakaltas po sa kanila ay halos katumbas ng isang sakong bigas at napakahalaga po nito, lalung-lalo na po sa mga ordinaryong sundalo. Maliit na bagay lamang ito na para sa ating mga sundalo dahil sa sakripisyo po na inalay nila para mapanatili ang ating seguridad,” he added. Go has consistently emphasized the need for fiscal stability while ensuring the welfare of military and uniformed personnel. He has previously suggested that any pension reform should not adversely affect pensioners and those still in active service. “Buhay ang isinasakripisyo nila para mapanatili ang seguridad ng bansa. Iba po ang sakripisyo nila dahil buhay po ang nakataya dito. Kahit isang boto lang ako dito, palagi kong ipaglalaban kung ano pong makakabuti sa mga nagseserbisyo sa bayan,” assured the senator before. On the same day, Go expressed his full support for Teodoro's ad interim appointment as Secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND). "As we discuss the welfare of our uniformed personnel, it's crucial that we have a competent and reliable individual leading the DND. I fully support the ad interim appointment of Secretary Gibo Teodoro for this role," Go declared. He praised Teodoro's previous performance as DND secretary under the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, stating, “Sec. Gibo Teodoro Jr. is a man of competence and integrity. Ito po ay napatunayan na nung una siyang manungkulan bilang Kalihim po ng Department of National Defense noong panahon ni pangulong Arroyo." He also mentioned that Teodoro's primary objectives during his previous term were focused on modernizing the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and DND personnel, upholding human rights, and taking a proactive approach to disaster risk management. The senator also took the opportunity to discuss his own advocacy for disaster preparedness. "Like Secretary Gibo, I share the same advocacy in strengthening our country’s disaster preparedness and response, which is why I filed for the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience (DND).” Earlier, Go filed Senate Bill No. 188, which aims to establish the DDR to centralize efforts, streamline coordination, and ensure a more swift and effective response to emergencies. “This proposed department will be headed by a cabinet secretary. Napapanahon na po. Sana magkaroon tayo ng isang timon na nakatutok po,” he added. The creation of the said department, if enacted into law, shall concentrate on three key result areas, namely: disaster risk reduction, disaster preparedness and response, and recovery and building forward better. Towards the end of his speech, Go extended his trust and confidence in Teodoro. "Mr. Secretary, you have my full trust and confidence. Ako po ay naniniwala that under your watch, mas lalo pa ninyong mapapalakas ang ating defense department at mga programang nakapaloob dito," he concluded. The post Bong Go shares Gibo’s stance against proposed MUP reform appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Teodoro pushes for protection of Phl sovereignty, sovereign rights over EEZ
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday stressed the need to upgrade efforts to protect the country’s sovereignty and its sovereign rights in the exclusive economic zone. Teodoro also mentioned the pressing need to back up the use of politics and diplomacy with a strategic defense posture. “The intensity of the need to focus on protecting our sovereignty and sovereign rights is paramount in the global race for resources and influence,” he said, during the deliberation of his ad interim appointment by the Committee on National Defense of the Commission on Appointments. Under his helm, Teodoro expressed the Department of National Defense’s desire to modernize the entire defense organization and leverage the country’s security partnerships in promoting the Philippines’ national interests. “There is a need for cognizance of sovereignty and sovereign rights. We need to principally use politics and diplomacy, backed up by a strong backbone of a strategic defense posture,” he said. Part of his policy direction he said was to put a premium on the DND Proper and its civilian bureaus “to better manage resources and services”—on top of the continuing modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. "We need managerial solutions to managerial problems, not military solutions to managerial problems,” Teodoro said. He also stressed the need to set up a Trust Fund when reforming the pension system of the military and uniformed personnel. Teodoro likewise assured that the men and women of the AFP are “cognizant of the consideration given by Congress for their welfare.” “Matagal na proseso po ito, dahil matagal din po namang nahinog ang sitwasyon na ito. Sa ngayon po kailangan nating balansehin ang morale and welfare ng ating kasundaluhan (This is a long process, because there was a long need to ripen the situation. For now, we need to balance the morale and welfare of our soldiers),” he said. President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. appointed Teodoro as DND chief on 5 June, after Carlito Galvez Jr.’s stint as the defense department’s officer-in-charge. Marcos administered Teodoro’s oath to the office on 6 June at the Malacañan Palace. Teodoro was the DND chief from 2007 to 2009 under the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He was the youngest to hold the position at the age of 43 at that time. Teodoro, a bar exam top-notcher in 1989, also assumed the role of Chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council during his tenure in the DND. The post Teodoro pushes for protection of Phl sovereignty, sovereign rights over EEZ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Teodoro gets CA nod
The Commission on Appointments on Wednesday approved the ad interim appointment of Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. as secretary of the Department of National Defense. Prior to his confirmation, the 12-member House contingent of the powerful CA spared Teodoro from questioning as a “courtesy” to the Defense chief who previously worked as Tarlac's 1st district representative. “The 12-member House of Representatives contingent will no longer ask questions regarding the nominee being a former member of Congress for three consecutive terms in the 11th, 12th, and 13th Congress,” said Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. LRay Villafuerte, the majority leader of the CA. Villafuerte added that the House contingent “has no doubt regarding the fitness and integrity of the nominee”. He appealed to their counterpart, the Senate to accord the same courtesy to Teodoro. From the 12-member Senate contingent, only Senator Risa Hontiveros asked questions to Teodoro. Hontiveros questioned Teodoro about his plans for the DND, now under his watch for the second time. He held the same position under the administration of then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at the age of 43, the youngest ever appointee to the agency. Responding to the lawmaker’s query, Teodoro admitted that there has been a “shift in the evolution” from his first stint in the DND. He noted that he is now focusing on “straddling the balance between maintaining internal security and with an emphasis definitely given what is happening to the outside environment.” “We are strengthening our defense posture. We are gradually enhancing the capabilities of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines),” he said. The Defense chief said he is also working on “leveraging” the country’s alliance with other nations to strengthen the country’s capability to protect itself from external threats. By doing so, he noted that he would try to introduce “management solutions to managerial problems, and not military solutions to managerial problems.” “That is the transformation that we are trying to make. We are also deeply restrategizing what we intend to do at least in the next five years in order not only to make the defense department more responsive to the outside and internal environments but also to make more efficient our use of resources, and to use information technology to the highest extent possible,” he added. Teodoro also underscored the importance of strengthening the country’s capability to respond to external strength and not just rely on diplomacy. “[T]he intensity of the need to focus on protecting our sovereignty, our sovereign rights, in the exclusive economic zone and other jurisdictions of the country become more paramount now, as the whole world is in a raise for resources,” he said. “We could not afford to be laidback here. We should be cognizant of it because we can and principally use diplomacy, however, if diplomacy is not backed up by a strong spinal cord, then we will just be stymied by a greater force,” he added. He made the remarks amid the increasing tension between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea. China claims the vast South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea. On 12 July 2016, the Philippines won its arbitral case against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration – a landmark decision that China continues to reject. Teodoro said the Defense Department wishes the concentrate on not only guarding the islands of the archipelago and its internal waters but also on securing “peaceful, unimpeded, and unobstructed exploitation, and exploration of our sovereign rights over the 200 nautical mile EEZ of the republic and in all areas of the Philippines, to secure our baselines.” Last June, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced Teodoro’s appointment as the new DND secretary, replacing Carlito Galvez Jr. who led the agency for five months. Aside from Teodoro, the CA also approved the promotion of 11 generals and senior officers of the AFP. Jose Jesus Luntok, Ramon Flores, Dennis Pacis, Nasser Lidasan, Benedict Balaba, Steve Crespillo, Arvin Lagamon, Ivan Papera, Lloyd Cabacuñgan, and Fernando Ventura secured CA’s approval for their rank of Brigadier General. Peter Jempsun de Guzman’s rank of Commodore was also approved. The post Teodoro gets CA nod appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»