Philippine Daily Inquirer articles from December 2010

Philippine Daily Inquirer archives from December 2010

DBM: No more pork served on silver platter.
December 31, 2010... Byline: TJ Burgonio THIS TIME the pork wont be served on a silver platter. Beginning 2011, lawmakers are required to post details about their pork barrel in government websites to allow the public to keep tabs on how and where their money...

Fireworks capital trots out Bandila, Kapuso for New Year.
December 31, 2010... Byline: Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon BOCAUE, BulacanPeople fed up with the local television networks ratings battle can finally blow up a Bandila or a Kapuso to let off steam. Fans of reality shows can watch a Pinoy Big...

Gains are now being felt.
December 31, 2010... Byline: Norman Bordadora and Jerome Aning FEEL that light. Were not just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. In certain sectors, we can already feel the light, the warmth of the new beginning, President Aquino told reporters after...

Get ready for a wet New Year.
December 31, 2010... Byline: Kristine L. Alave BRACE for a rainy New Year. The weather bureau said the first quarter of 2011 will be wet as the Philippines starts to feel the brunt of the La Nina weather phenomenon. Already, the rainy season has arrived six...

No safe crackers for pets, people, environment.
December 31, 2010... Byline: Tessa R. Salazar and Jerome Aning THERE are no safe firecrackers for humans, animals and the environment. Three days before the country plunges into a night of loud, fiery and drunken revelry to usher in the new year, environment...

Venus showers major, major graces on ma, builds house for family.
December 31, 2010... Byline: Juan Escandor Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon BATO, Camarines SurVenus Raj, 4th runner-up in this years Miss Universe pageant, has showered her family with graces from her earnings, unloading a lot of weight from her mothers shoulders....

WHAT WENT BEFORE.
December 31, 2010... IN MAY 2008, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) accused the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) of refusing access to corporate documents despite GSISs holding four seats in the 11-member Meralco board. The then GSIS president Winston...

Witness ill; court junks bribery raps vs trader.
December 31, 2010... Byline: Nikko Dizon A MAKATI court has dismissed the bribery case against a businessman who allegedly tried to buy off a Court of Appeals justice on behalf of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) because of insufficient evidence as the main witness...

Mayor posts P180,000 bail to avoid arrest in rape case.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Robert Gonzaga, Inquirer Central Luzon OLONGAPO CITYA Zambales town mayor charged with child abuse for the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl posted bail a day after a judge here released a warrant for his arrest. Judge Richard...

Action speaks louder than words, Palace tells SC.
December 30, 2010... MALACANANG wants the Supreme Court to prove that it really wasnt singling out President Aquino and his administration when the high tribunal thumbed down as unconstitutional his creation of a truth commission that seeks to investigate graft...

Another ambulance crash: 3 die.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon SAN LEONARDO, Nueva Ecija Three people died when the motorcycles they were riding slammed into a government-owned ambulance on the opposite lane as they tried to overtake a car on Maharlika...

Baguio bishop says Church stands fast vs gambling.
December 30, 2010... BAGUIO CITYThe Catholic Church, which has led a campaign against all forms of gambling in Baguio City for nearly a decade, has started gathering evidence to prove that the police were being harassed by gambling operators. Baguio Bishop...

Bangkal folk to greet 2011 with songs.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Tina G. Santos DESPITE THE firecracker ban imposed by the city government, residents of Barangay Bangkal in Makati City will still celebrate and welcome the New Year with a bang. Several residents are planning to rent videoke...

Twin treats: Pacquiao in the raw, Circus at its best.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Recah Trinidad ARE YOU really sure you know Manny Pacquiao inside and out, up and down, left and right? In a country that worships and swears by Pacquiao 365 days a year, it goes without saying that thankful citizens have lapped up...

Bishops: Spend money on food, not on crackers.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Jocelyn R. Uy INSTEAD of laying out elaborate pyrotechnics in the New Year, Filipinos should be spending their money on more useful things like food and education, according to Church leaders. And they were also urged to indulge in...

Calapans new public market rises from ashes of 2008.
December 30, 2010... CITY OF CALApanAn escalator and an elevator. Ordinary contraptions in Metro Manila malls. Not in a public market in this Oriental Mindoro capital. Shoppers amusingly recall riding an escalator going up in another establishment. They had to...

Case of Willie vs ABS-CBN gets new judge.
December 30, 2010... THE WILLIE Revillame case against his former employer ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. has been raffled to another judge and will be heard by another court when hearing continues after the holidays. The case, which involved a P11-million suit...

Christmas news story: P-Noy among the Mangyans.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Ma. Ceres P. Doyo SOMETHING GROUNDBREAKING and historic happened on Dec. 15. But there was no mention of it in the national media. No news stories, no photos, no TV coverage. But so what. For the community of Hanunuo, Gubatnon and...

Chiles envoy discovered PH natl hero in Heidelberg.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Jerry E. Esplanada JOSE RIZAL is a good role model not just for the Filipino youth but also to other young people all over the world, according to the Chilean envoy to the Philippines. And that includes the youth in my native...

COA questions govt firms investments in stocks, bonds.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Leila B. Salaverria THE COMMISSION on Audit (COA) is questioning the Home Guaranty Corp.s investments in the stock market, noting that the HGCs investments in stocks and bonds remarkably increased from P3 million in 2007 to over P734...

Curious Rizal was fascinated by the paranormal.
December 30, 2010... JOSE RIZALS intellectual prowess continues to be an interesting topic of discussion for Filipinos, both young and old alike. For a man gifted with indubitable polymath abilities, Rizal has been transformed into a hero of mythic proportions whom...

DENR vows to protect its men in danger areas.
December 30, 2010... THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is committed to thwarting illegal-logging activities and corruption despite the risks that come with it, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said. Paje said the Aquino administration had...

Despite his many tasks, Binay happy with budget.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Jerry E. Esplanada VICE PRESIDENT Jejomar Binay has other titles like housing czar and Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Concerns but he does not receive additional appropriations from the government for those...

Doctors affirm: Life begins at fertilization.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Cynthia D. Balana THE UMBRELLA organization of doctors in the country has reaffirmed its stand that life begins at fertilization, after one of its members had said otherwise at a hearing on the reproductive health bill in Congress. ...

Keep the day.
December 30, 2010... LAST YEAR, Congress came halfway to changing Rizal Day from Dec. 30, the date of the national heros execution, to June 19, the date of his birth. House Bill 5408, authored by Rep. Jaime Lopez and co-sponsored by six other members of the 14th...

Fire razes building owned by PAL union.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Miko Morelos FLAMES ENGULFED a two-story building owned by the embattled Philippine Airlines Employees Association (Palea) in Paranaque City yesterday morning, the city fire department said. The fire broke out past 7 a.m. inside...

9 fishermen lost in storm rescued.
December 30, 2010... THE PHILIPPINE Coast Guard (PCG) Tuesday said all the nine fishermen who were reported missing after being caught in a storm off Bolinao, Pangasinan, on Monday have been rescued. Citing reports reaching the agency, PCG commandant Adm....

Forget chestnuts, boil local peanuts instead.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Leila B. Salaverria FORGET chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Nilagang mani (boiled peanuts) are just as round and satisfying as their imported counterparts. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala yesterday urged Filipinos to...

Former Asian sprint queen Mercado rues being overlooked as coach.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Ronnie Nathanielsz ASIAS MULTITITLED sprint queen Lydia de Vega Mercado says she regrets the fact that she has not been tapped to help train Filipino athletes while her talent has been recognized and put to good use in a foreign...

Greatest love of Rizal, the romantic, dominated his passion for women.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Bryan Anthony C. Paraiso, National Historical Commission A REVIVED interest in Jose Rizal among teenage Filipinos can be credited to his ubiquitous image in T-shirts and advertisements that either sell merchandise or wishfully endorse...

Altered perspective.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Ching J. Chee Kee I NEVER imagined that High Blood would change my perspective on the inevitability of getting old. (High Blood is the Inquirer column where those who are in the sixtysomething age bracket are invited to share...

ILO says PH workers among worlds lowest paid.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Cynthia D. Balana THE INTERNATIONAL Labor Organization (ILO) said Philippine workers were among the most affected by the world economic crisis and expressed concern over the extremely high risk of low pay in the country. The ILOs...

Manila Police intensifies Iwas paputok campaign.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Jaymee T. Gamil THE MANILA Police District (MPD) has intensified their iwas paputok campaign, with wide-scale confiscations of illegal firecrackers being implemented across the city beginning this week. Yesterday, 200 boxes of...

Comelec junks bid to unseat Silay mayor.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Carla P. Gomez, Inquirer Visayas BACOLOD CITYThe Commission on Elections (Comelec) has upheld the decision of its First Division dismissing the petition to annul the proclamation of Jose Montelibano as the winning mayor of Silay City...

Lawmakers want ethnicity included in natl census.
December 30, 2010... Byline: TJ Burgonio INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (IP) occasionally land in the news for fighting incursions into their ancestral domain. However, the government does not have an accurate count of their numbers. Bayan Muna Representatives Teodoro...

Lessons from Rizals life not lost on Pinoy youth.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Desiree Caluza, Inquirer Northern Luzon BAGUIO CITYIf there is one thing that Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero, had contributed to the consciousness of the Filipino youth, his passion in fighting social ills in the country would...

Lim targets Ming-Victor tilt twin victories.
December 30, 2010... Byline: June Navarro CASSANDRA GRACE LIM lined herself up for a possible double celebration in the finals of the Ming Ramos-Victor National Open and Youth Badminton Championships. Lim of Escoses Training Camp tripped Samantha Ramos of...

METROBRIEFS.
December 30, 2010... HDO on Samsung executives lifted THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DOJ) has lifted the Hold Departure Order (HDO) on two Korean executives of Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp. (SEPCO) because they are not flight risks. Kyung Chull Park and Beom...

Gift-wrapped bomb kills housewife.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Miko Morelos and Alcuin Papa A WOMAN opening a holiday present was killed instantly when explosives ripped through its box Wednesday morning inside her Taguig city home, authorities said. Two others, including a seven-year-old child,...

Noynoy mulling Melo successor.
December 30, 2010... PRESIDENT AQUINO is pondering a shortlist containing the names of possible replacements for outgoing Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Jose Melo, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said yesterday. The names are now with the Office...

Must haves for safe New Year.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Jocelyn R. Uy EGG WHITES, iced water and ear plugs. These are not new firecracker brands but some of few vital things a household must have for emergencies that may arise amid the New Year merrymaking. In urging the public to...

DFA warns outposts overseas of threats.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Jerry E. Esplanada THE DEPARTMENT of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday reminded the countrys diplomatic missions abroad, as well as foreign embassies and consulates here, about possible (bomb) threats in the wake of the latest terror...

Smartmatic offers deal on PCOS machines.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Jerome Aning THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) contractor for the countrys first-ever automated national and local polls on May 10 is making a bargain offer to the Philippine government for the purchase of the precinct count...

Gov orders new Albay evacuation.
December 30, 2010... LEGAZPI CITYAlbay Gov. Joey Salceda on Wednesday ordered a new evacuation of at least 3,000 residents of towns in danger of lahar from Mayon Volcano amid relentless rains in the province. The evacuation was ordered just as residents started...

Overmatched PH boxer quits in 5.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Ronnie Nathanielsz ANOTHER FARCICAL boxing matchup managed to get staged without a peep from authorities, although this one managed to steer clear of a fatal result when overmatched Amor Tino of the Philippines quit at the end of the...

Stepping back.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Conrado de Quiros I DONT know why anyone would imagine that creating a din, or summoning bedlam, can drive demons away. It seems like an open invitation for them to come in and stay. Its a Chinese practice that has taken root in this...

In search of the real Betis.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Randy David I DONT mean the world-famous Spanish football club; I mean the little town in Pampanga made famous by its well-preserved church and its furniture makers. Today, Dec. 30, is when Betis celebrates its town fiesta. In the...

Real-life soap ends happily.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Delfin T. Mallari Jr., Lucena City CHARLIE CULLADO could have spent a lonely cold Christmas behind bars away from his wife and 2-month-old baby if not for Good Samaritans who helped him regain his freedom. Shortly before noon on...

Rizal Park holds first New Year countdown.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Jaymee T. Gamil THE HISTORIC Rizal Park in Manila City is getting an image upgrade for the New Year, to be kicked off with a public New Year Countdown Celebration scheduled tomorrow, Dec. 31. This is the first time well have a...

Cops score breakthrough in dental clinic rob cases.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Nancy Carvajal TWO MEN believed to be members of a gang robbing dental clinics have been arrested by Quezon City Police operatives, prompting authorities to consider this as a breakthrough in the solution of the robbery cases in Metro...

Smart Gilas eyes PBAs commitment for Olympic mission.
December 30, 2010... Byline: June Navarro THE SMART GILAS national team returned to practice on Tuesday, more than a month after the RP fives sixth-place finish in the Guangzhou Asian Games. And the brains behind the team know it will take a lot more for the...

Solons back NPA tax in peace talks.
December 30, 2010... Byline: TJ Burgonio and Michael Lim Ubac MUNTINLUPA Rep. Rodolfo Biazon yesterday backed the plan of government peace negotiators to raise the issue of revolutionary taxes in the talks with communist guerrillas. The chair of the House...

Azkals seek German shepherding.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Cedelf P. Tupas THE NATIONAL football team is seeking the guidance of the German Football Association (DFB) in an effort to strengthen the squad, which faces a busy year ahead. Team manager Dan Palami is flying to Frankfurt on Jan....

Storm aid: From coop to home in Laguna.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Maricar Cinco, Sta. Cruz, Laguna DAISY JOSE and her family had to live inside a chicken coop the size of a bedroom for seven months since Typhoon Pepeng washed out their house in the lakeshore village of Santisima Cruz in Sta. Cruz,...

Team owners pencil key meeting on coliseum, TV.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Ronnie Nathanielsz FOR THE first time in some three decades, the owners of the 10 PBA teams are scheduled to meet at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan, on Jan. 25 to discuss three major topics including the plan for the pro league...

Rizal, Bonifacio and the masa myth.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Rigoberto Tiglao JOSE RIZALS death anniversary today and Ceres Doyos reference in a recent column to a book titled The Masses are Messiah present a good opportunity to discuss the mythicizing in our country of the concept of the...

Truth body in limbo but graft cases keep coming.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Christian V. Esguerra THE COMPLAINTS just keep coming. Despite a Supreme Court ruling declaring the Philippine Truth Commission unconstitutional, the five-member body continues to get information on instances of graft and...

Govt negotiating from a position of weakness.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Ramon Tulfo THE GOVERNMENT wants the mining companies to stop paying revolutionary taxes to the communist New Peoples Army (NPA). Its easy for the government to tell mining companies not to give in to NPA demands because its high...

UFL promises bigger tournaments next year.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Cedelf P. Tupas THE UNITED Football League is hoping to ride on the success of the national team in the AFF Suzuki Cup, promising improved League and Cup tournaments next year. Majority of the members of the Azkals are plying their...

Villagers fear collapse of dam.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Gerald Gene R. Querubin, Mogpog, Marinduque ALTHOUGH ERRATic, the monsoon rains come heavy in Marinduque, and these have kept people of Barangay Malusak along the Mogpog River worried that disaster could be knocking on their doors. ...

Vizconde seeks reversal.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Marlon Ramos STOPPING short of calling for people power, supporters of Lauro Vizconde yesterday rallied behind the man they said had become the face of victims of injustice in the country. Public-interest lawyers, rights activists,...

WBO slates Nietes defense next year.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Ronnie Nathanielsz WBO MINIMUMWEIGHT champion Donnie Ahas Nietes will defend his world title early next year against mandatory challenger Raul Rayito Garcia of Mexico. ALA Promotions patron Tony Aldeguer said they had received a...

Take nothing for the journey.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Butch Sunga WE ARE all familiar with traditional pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Vatican City, Lourdes and Fatima, Santiago de Compostela and even Mecca in the case of Muslims. People nowadays make the journey in luxury coaches and live...

Aboitiz group completes sale of ATS to Nenaco.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Doris C. Dumlao THE CEBU-BASED Aboitiz clan has completed the sale of its 93.2-percent stake in transportation unit Aboitiz Transport System Corp. (ATS) to rival Negros Navigation Co. Inc. for P4.28 billion, creating a new local...

Bangko Sentral keeps key rates at record lows.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Michelle V. Remo THE BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas yesterday maintained its key policy rates at historic lows, saying there was no urgency at the moment to adjust the rates upward given a favorable near-term inflation outlook. In its...

BOC seizes hot steel.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Ronnel W. Domingo THE BUREAU of Customs seized eight container vans full of stainless steel from Taiwan worth P40 million, which the importer declared as cheap, ordinary steel coils in an attempt to pay lower duties. Under the law,...

BTr to issue debt paper worth P114B.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Ronnel W. Domingo THE BUREAU of the Treasury plans to issue P114 billion worth of bills and bonds in the first quarter of 2011, more than half the P75 billion scheduled the previous quarter. To be auctioned off in the quarter...

Coffee industry seeks more govt help.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Riza T. Olchondra THE PHILIPPINE Coffee Board Inc. (PCB) has renewed its call for continued support from the Department of Agriculture for its program to improve coffee production nationwide. Under the Pilipinas! Gising at Magkape...

DOE invites firms to invest in natural gas projects.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Amy R. Remo THE DEPARTMENT of Energy is seeking investors in six more crucial natural gas infrastructure projects that will require P12.8 billion in capital. The construction of these pipelines is expected to help develop the...

Napocor seeks restructuring of P4-B loan from LBP.
December 30, 2010... STATE-RUN NATIONAL Power Corp. has asked the Department of Finance for help in restructuring its P4-billion loan with the Land Bank of the Philippines. Napocor president Froilan A. Tampinco said he had indicated his interest in such an...

Nido abandons Tindalo.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Amy R. Remo AUSTRALIAN FIRM Nido Petroleum Ltd. is abandoning the Tindalo oil well off Palawan, saying the prospect is uneconomic due to increasing water-cuts and declining oil production rate. In a regulatory filing, Nido deputy...

Semiconductor exports seen to hit $30B.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Abigail L. Ho THE SEMICONDUCTOR and Electronics Industries of the Philippines Inc. expects electronics exports to hit more than $50 billion in five years. This year alone, industry officials said shipments could even exceed $30...

Share prices close up.
December 30, 2010... SHARE PRICES yesterday bounced back due to yearend window-dressing activities. The main-share Philippine Stock Exchange index added 35.32 points, or 0.85 percent, to close at 4,199.31. The upswing was led by the financial, mining/oil,...

SMPFC reclassifying common shares.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Doris C. Dumlao SAN MIGUEL Pure Foods Co. is set to reclassify about a fifth of its authorized capital stock from common to preferred shares. The sale of these hybrid instruments will enable the company to raise billions of pesos...

Suspension of PNOC-EC sale backed.
December 30, 2010... THE NEW head of PNOC Exploration Corp. has vowed to raise the companys revenue, as he pushes for the continued suspension of plans to sell either PNOC-ECs assets or its shares. Newly appointed PNOC-EC chair and CEO Gemiliano C. Lopez Jr. said...

A Spanish food festival like no other.
December 30, 2010... Byline: PJ Enriquez, Contributor FRIENDS AND clients of Fuego Hotel and Properties were treated to a gastronomic journey through the Spanish countryside by various distributors of wines, cheeses and tapas. Already on its 8th year, the...

Wine from family-owned Napa vineyard comes to Manila.
December 30, 2010... Byline: P.J. Enriquez THREE YEARS ago I found myself spending the holidays in San Francisco with my family. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt overlooking Union Square, and, more specifically, Macys and Tiffanys. Now that was a big mistake for my...

Chocolate bar with bacon.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Marge C. Enriquez, Contributor THE CHOCOLATIER who introduced gourmet chocolates with ube filling is bringing home the bacon. Raul Matias, founder of Machiavelli chocolates, has produced Alfies Bacon, the brands first chocolate bar...

Lets drinkand dance and singto that!
December 30, 2010... Byline: Micky Fenix CHEERS! MABUHAY! These words of greeting are unimaginative when compared with the paawitan of Quezon province, a song-and-dance folk greeting for a guest whos inevitably invited to try the local wine, lambanog. We...

Lawyers bakeshop has the best Spanish bread.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Reggie Aspiras A BAKESHOP with a lawyer at the helm bakes the best Spanish bread (soft bread, overstuffed with real butter filling), the tastiest spinach mushroom pies (currently my favorite snackstuffed with huge chunks of mushrooms)...

Philippine foreign debt up 4% in third quarter.
December 30, 2010... Byline: Michelle V. Remo THE COUNTRYS foreign debt grew in the third quarter as the government and private entities secured more loans abroad to fund their respective operations. The countrys dollar reserves likewise rose during the...

Joker accuses P-Noy of plagiarizing GMA budget.
December 29, 2010... Byline: Christian V. Esguerra IS THERE any difference really between President Aquinos first national budget and that of his predecessor? Sen. Joker Arroyo yesterday dismissed as plagiarized the P1.6-trillion budget signed by Mr. Aquino on...

Quezon power plant gets tax deadline.
December 29, 2010... LUCENA CITYThe Quezon provincial government and the municipality of Pagbilao have issued a final notice of delinquency to Team Energy (TE), operator of the 735-megawatt coal-fired thermal power plant, in their bid to collect P6.1-billion real...

Agustin: AFC victory spell could end.
December 29, 2010... Byline: Cedelf P. Tupas SAN MIGUEL Beers long title drought in the PBA All-Filipino Conference has given coach Ato Agustin more reason to efficiently map out Beermens path to the crown. For all their dominance, the Beermen have not won an...