Philippine Daily Inquirer articles from February 2011, page 24

Philippine Daily Inquirer archives from February 2011

DOLE stops retirements at PAL.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Philip C. Tubeza SAYING IT should not exacerbate the labor row at the countrys flag carrier, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has ordered the management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) to stop retiring senior flight...

Humanizing the Bible.
February 1, 2011... LAST WEEK the 2nd St. Paul National Bible Quiz was launched and opened to both Catholics and Protestants. Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, speaking at the launching, said: The Bible does not only teach the truth about religion,...

FVR: We were so busy fighting wars, quelling coups.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Alcuin Papa FORMER President Fidel Ramos yesterday said that during his time, the military and police faced so many conflicts that they had no time to fiddle with things like a going-away fund given to commanders. He said that when...

Smart Gilas back, braces for PBA campaign.
February 1, 2011... Byline: June Navarro SMART GILAS coach Rajko Toroman saw signs of improvement in Dubai two months after the national team failed to live up to expectations in the Guangzhou Asian Games. The Nationals not only improved on their third-place...

US to give full honors to Fil-Am killed in blast.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Alex Pal, Inquirer Visayas MARIA, SiquijorThe US military is giving full honors to a Filipino-American military police sergeant who was killed in a bomb attack by insurgents in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Jan. 12. The body of Sgt....

Govt OKs P1 hike for jeepney ride.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Paolo G. Montecillo AMID RISING fuel prices, the government has approved a P1 increase in the minimum jeepney fare, raising it to P8 in Metro Manila effective Feb. 2. A P1 provisional increase for provincial fares was also...

A step sidewards.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Juan L. Mercado THE DIFFERENCE between a hero and a coward is a step sidewards, we are told. State auditor Heidi Mendoza refused to shuffle sidewards. She led instead a Commission on Audit team that sifted through Armed Forces...

Low-pressure area to bring heavy rains, says Pagasa.
February 1, 2011... A LOW-PRESSURE area (LPA) sighted 280 kilometers east of Mindanao is expected to bring heavy rains to Visayas and Mindanao, the state-run Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Monday. ...

Boy killed as wall collapses.
February 1, 2011... Boy killed as wall collapses A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy died on Monday morning after an old wall of an abandoned school building in Quezon City gave way and collapsed on him. The boy was identified as Julius Villaflor, a Grade 1 student of Tandang...

Protection of minors pushed.
February 1, 2011... MANILA councilors are mulling the creation of a local council for the protection of children in keeping with Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006. Section 18 of the law requires local government units to have at...

CA throws out petition vs Meralco.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Marlon Ramos THE COURT of Appeals has thrown out a petition filed by residents of two barangays in the cities of Pasay and Makati for the dismantling of electrical transmission posts and high tension wires installed by Manila...

Mourners vow to nourish cause of Doc Gerry.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Redempto D. Anda, Inquirer Southern Luzon ABORLAN, PalawanA 21-gun salute and hundreds of white balloons set off Gerry Ortega to his next journey, the afterlife. Thousands of mourners joined the short funeral march from a...

Deconstructing Zubiri.
February 1, 2011... Byline: John Nery EITHER CONFLICTED or callously cynical. Or both. But whichever way we read Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiris letter of complaint against me (which I ran in this space last week in full and unedited), I think the reasonable reader can...

LTO chief denies anomaly.
February 1, 2011... LAND Transportation Office (LTO) chief Virginia Torres has denied involvement in the registration of stolen vehicles when she headed the agencys Tarlac office. In a statement, Torres dismissed the allegations as a demolition job by parties with...

Cops eye suspects in bus bombing.
February 1, 2011... POLICE are looking into the possible involvement of suspects arrested by police in Jolo, Sulu, last week in the Makati City bus bombing that killed five people, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said yesterday. Robredo told reporters...

2nd round of toll hikes at SLEx.
February 1, 2011... SAN PEDRO, LagunaAnother round of toll increases at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) will take effect today. This is the second hike this year after the Toll Regulatory Board approved a nearly 300-percent increase in toll rates last year....

Shell, retailers cut price of LPG.
February 1, 2011... PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp. and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) retailers have slashed the price of cooking gas effective today due to the decline in the international contract price of LPG. Shell said it was cutting the price of its Shellane...

Water rates going up in Metro.
February 1, 2011... WATER rates in Metro Manila are going up after the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) gave its concessionaires the go-ahead to implement the second tranche of a watered-down tariff adjustment schedule. We made sure the increase...

Bishops call for mass action against RH bill.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Jocelyn R. Uy and Gil Cabacungan SAYING that the dialogue with Malacanang on the reproductive health (RH) bill only revealed the huge disconnect between the two parties on the issue, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines...

Do farmers have to be poor?
February 1, 2011... Byline: Cielito F. Habito STATISTICS SAY that 70 percent of the poor in our country are in the rural areas, where agriculture and fisheries are the main sources of livelihood. But this is not because crops, livestock and fisheries are...

Onemig shines in karting.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Steve Silva, Contributor ACTOR-TURNED-SPORTSMAN Onemig Bondoc swept two races to emerge SQ racing champion in the KF2-KF3 Series at the Clark International Speedway in Angeles City recently. Bondoc, who hit stardom via the hit TV...

Oprah tells Charice: Dont fall in love, yet.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Pocholo Concepcion, Entertainment WHATEVER Oprah Winfrey says, Charice Pempengco follows. The last time we talked, she told me not to fall in love or have a boyfriend yet, the 18-year-old Filipino international pop star said,...

Patriots far from best ABL form.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Jasmine W. Payo THE WINNING resolve shown by the AirAsia Philippine Patriots in the semifinals of the AirAsia Asean Basketball League may be the best yet this season. But coach Louie Alas has two long weeks to make sure that the...

DOLE: Permit of condo contractors may be revoked.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Philip C. Tubeza THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has found numerous workplace safety and labor violations at the Eton Residences in Greenbelt, Makati City, where 10 construction workers died last week after the gondola...

PFF head to decide on P80-M offer.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Cedelf P. Tupas THE PHILIPPINE Football Federation is seriously considering the P80-million, long-term sponsorship deal proposed by Smart Communications and has authorized its president Mariano Nonong Araneta to decide on the deal. ...

PKF ousts Go as head, seeks POC approval.
February 1, 2011... Byline: June Navarro KARATEDO Officials yesterday urged the Philippine Olympic Committee to recognize their decision to remove Go Teng Kok as president of the Philippine Karatedo Federation. PKF secretary general Raymund Lee Reyes said Go...

Breaking the silence.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Conrado de Quiros TWO HORRIFIC crimes occurred over the last couple of weeks on the tail of the gruesome slayings of three car sellers. The first was the murder of Gerry Ortega, a crusading environmentalist and journalist of Palawan....

Rabusa says another AFP boss got P160-M pabaon.
February 1, 2011... Byline: TJ Burgonio SOME P160 million pabaon (send-off money) was allotted to then Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Diomedio Villanueva when he retired in May 2002, whistle-blower George Rabusa said yesterday. The former...

Reyes hits back, sues Rabusa, Estrada.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Leila B. Salaverria and Cynthia D. Balana EMBATTLED former defense chief Angelo Reyes yesterday filed graft charges against Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and former military budget officer George Rabusa, and said Estradas attempt to link him...

On the road to passage.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Rina Jimenez-David BREAKING NEWS: The controversial Reproductive Health Bill, in its consolidated version, has been approved by the House committee on population and family relations, by a vote of 14 to 4. This means that the bill...

Sagada name abused, misused to sell products, say natives.
February 1, 2011... BAGUIO CITYWith the popularity of Sagada in Mt. Province rising, some unscrupulous traders have started cashing in on the tourist towns name to sell their products, local officials said. Sagadas name is now being misused and abused by some...

E. Samar cop nabbed for cocaine.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Joey A. Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas TACLOBAN CITYA police officer and his companion was arrested by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Friday for possession of a brick of cocaine believed to be part of a huge drug cache...

PSA elevates Bata Reyes, Campo to Hall of Fame.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Cedelf P. Tupas THEY MAY have made an impact in different sports, but Efren Bata Reyes and the late Florencio Campomanes will be given the same prestigious distinction when the Philippine Sportswriters Association stages the annual...

State of calamity declared in Navotas barangay.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Kristine Felisse Mangunay A STATE of calamity has been declared in a barangay in Navotas City where a fire which raged for over three hours killed 12 people six of them children and left dozens of families homeless. In an interview...

Sugar exec warns of artificial sweeteners in food, beverage.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Carla P. Gomez, Inquirer Visayas BACOLOD CITYA sugar industry leader has warned that some food and beverage manufacturers might be using artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes, which are harmful to the health. Enrique Rojas,...

Palace informed of terror plot.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Ramon Tulfo MONTHS BEFORE the bombing of a bus at Edsa, military and police intelligence warned of a plan by terrorists to wreak havoc in Metro Manila. But Malacanang did not heed the warning. The basis of the advisories of the...

24 years.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Deana Shem Ibarra I TURNED 24 last Jan. 22. On the same day that I was celebrating my birthday, farmers and militants remembered the 13 sons and daughters who lost their lives in the bloody massacre in Mendiola 23 years ago. They were...

Asian banks assigned stable outlook.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Michelle V. Remo FITCH RATINGS has assigned a stable outlook on the banking sector of Asia-Pacific economies, including the Philippines, after considering factors like sufficient capitalization, encouraging income performance, and...

BIR collections up 9.6% in 2010.
February 1, 2011... THE BUREAU of Internal Revenue collected P822.39 billion in 2010, higher by 9.6 percent from P750.29 billion in the previous year. Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim S. Henares said this was a significant recovery from the 3.6-percent...

Govt to strip NFA of key functions.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Ronnel W. Domingo BUDGET SECRETARY Florencio B. Abad said President Aquino has given the go-ahead for reforms in the National Food Authority to address fund leakage and a burgeoning debt by stripping the agency of its conflicting...

PH economy still mostly unfree, says think tank.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Ronnel W. Domingo ECONOMIC FREEDOM in the Philippines, as measured by a Washington DC-based think tanks yearly Economic Freedom Index, has worsened by 0.2 point to 56.2, ranking the country 115th out of 183 countries and territories....

BSP keeps close eye on rising inflation.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Michelle V. Remo INFLATION will remain within comfortable levels this year despite the faster-than-expected growth of the economy in the fourth quarter of 2010, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Inflation is targeted to...

Reduction of risk exposure.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Den Somera THE ESCALATING anti-government rioting in Egypt was blamed for the fall of the equity markets worldwide at the end of trading last week. On Wall Street last Friday, the instability in Egypt drove down the Dow Jones...

Maynilad expand pipe network in Cavite.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Riza T. Olchondra MAYNILAD WATER Services Inc. will expand its pipe network in Cavite in the first half of 2011. The P680-million project will benefit over 16,500 households and is expected to generate as much as 2,500 jobs,...

PLDT joins $430-M submarine cable project.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Paolo G. Montecillo PHILIPPINE LONG Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) has partnered with the regions biggest telecommunications firms for the construction of a $430-million submarine cable that will substantially increase Internet...

PSALM seeks coal supply for Naga power complex.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Amy R. Remo STATE-RUN Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. is bidding out contracts for the supply and delivery of coal worth P868 million for the 149-megawatt Naga power complex in Cebu. According to government...

PH pushes plan to put up strategic oil reserve.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Amy R. Remo THE DEPARTMENT of Energy has revived plans to put up a strategic oil reserve not only to help ensure the countrys oil security but to also shield the Philippines from price volatility in the world market. We need...

San Miguel sees cash flow rising to $2B.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Doris C. Dumlao SAN MIGUEL Corp. sees its group-wide cash flow rising by nearly three times this year to $2 billion, given the first full-year consolidation of its oil refining and power generation businesses. San Miguel president...

SPEX acquires 45% stake in SC 54B from Nido.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Amy R. Remo SHELL PHILIPPINES Exploration BV (SPEX) has formalized its acquisition of a 45-percent stake in Service Contract 54B covering an area in offshore Palawan, allowing the company to tap the Gindara block. In a regulatory...

Stocks down on Egypt crisis.
February 1, 2011... THE LOCAL stock market bled yesterday as global investors fretted about the brewing political instability in Egypt, which plays a key peace-keeping role in the Middle East. The main-share Philippine Stock Exchange index lost 88.87 points or...

Fruits, wellness and your waistline.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Cory Quirino BELIEVE IT or not but its trueAn apple a day really does keep the doctor away. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, people need about 20-35 grams of fiber a day. One apple provides 15-25 percent of your...

When does the soul enter the body?
February 1, 2011... Byline: Jaime Licauco THE HEADLINE of a front-page news item in the Inquirer on Dec. 8, 2010, caught my interest: Doctors, bishops agree: Life begins at fertilization. This conclusion was made during a consultative meeting between the...

Losing weight fast after childbirth? Your gallbladder could be in trouble.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Jemps Gallegos Yuvienco, Contributor I GAINED about 40 lbs while I was pregnant. I knew it would take about a year to lose it, and I wasnt in a rush. But surprisingly, I lost most of the weight quickly, and at about the 27-lb mark in...

Why Pia Cayetanos No. 1 accessory is her lunchbox.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Anne A. Jambora ANYONE CAN get osteoporosis-and that includes you, even if youre only 25. If youre 25 and above chances are your bones are already beginning to wear away. Neglecting to face this scientific fact of bone...

The sounds and scents of V-Day.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Dolly Anne Carvajal TO START off the Valentine Day countdown, I asked celebs what sound and scent remind them of their first love. Mine are watermelon and APO Hiking Societys Batang Bata Ka Pa. Happy Hearts (no Hurts) Day, tout le...

Tribal fun prevails at Muziklaban.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Pocholo Concepcion A MUZIKLABAN event is never boring. Its not just the bands that excite the senses; the audience, as well, unleashes kinetic energy that explodes in wild abandon. The recent Red Horse Beer Muziklaban Rock...

Overlooked tracks in new Gary V CD.
February 1, 2011... Byline: Manny Espinola, Contributor Gary Valenciano Replay; Universal Records Between Martin and Gary, the formers got the soul, but latters got the moves. Gary is best heard doing his safe and squeaky clean pop hits. And who needs soul...

Bro Wayne ready for radio again.
February 1, 2011... FORMER radio DJ Brother Wayne made a rare appearance recently as emcee of a reunion gig of mainstays of the old Quezon City jazz club Birds of the Same Feather and its successor Birdland. For those whose idea of popular DJs is limited to Mo...