Philippine Daily Inquirer articles from January 2009

Philippine Daily Inquirer archives from January 2009

Fishermen seek P32B govt subsidy.
January 31, 2009... LUCENA CITYWITH THE IMPACT OF THE global financial crunch continuing to wreak havoc on peoples lives, the militant fishers group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) yesterday asked the government to subsidize...

Angping to go after NSAs with unliquidated funds.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Marc Anthony Reyes INCOMING SPORTS COMMISSION chair Harry Angping yesterday penciled two items on top of his priority list: Go after national sports associations with unliquidated advances and draw up a plan to ensure a decent...

Aurora town mayor, aides nabbed in QC for possession of unlicensed firearms.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Nancy Carvajal A TOWN MAYOR, HIS DRIVER and two security escorts were arrested and detained at the Quezon City Police District yesterday after their vehicle was found loaded with high-powered firearms and handguns. Chief...

Govt blocks surgery of detained farmer.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Erika Sauler PEASANT LEADER Randall Echanis, who is facing charges of multiple murder, has questioned the prosecutions opposition to his petition to undergo a surgical operation at a hearing yesterday in the Manila Regional Trial...

2 brothers get life for killing their neighbor.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Julie M. Aurelio FOR HACKING TO DEATH THEIR LONG-time neighbor in 1993, a Quezon City court has sentenced two brothers to life imprisonment after ruling against the siblings denials that they were innocent. In his decision,...

Cheers, jeers for Boss Boy.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Joanna Los Banos, Inquirer Southern Luzon STO. DOMINGO, ALBAYThousands of angry depositors may revile the owner of the Legacy Group for defrauding them, but residents of this town have nothing but praises for Celso de los Angeles...

Photographs and memories.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Ven Paolo B. Valenzuela CAMERAS ARE FUN AND I APPLAUD WHOEVER INVENTED these little devices. To create something that captures a moment in time and allows people to re-live that memory forever (unless, of course, everybody...

Yuchengcos sued for syndicated estafa.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Doris C. Dumlao AN IRATE CLIENT OF TROUBLED PACIFIC Plans Inc. yesterday filed a complaint of syndicated estafa, a non-bailable offense, against the Yuchengcos and other directors and officers of the pre-need company which was...

Engage, empower, excel.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Eugenia Duran Apostol I WAS RIGHT ON TIME, BUT THE METROBANK Plaza auditorium was already full when I got there. Important people were everywhere. Metro Manila mayors, several police generals and bank officials mingled with the...

The long road to social reform.
January 31, 2009... [A] MAN WHOSE FATHER LESS THAN 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. With these words US President Barack Obama in his inaugural address invokedoh, so gentlythe long...

Politics of inclusion.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Belinda A. Aquino HONOLULUIM USUALLY NOT OVERwhelmed by events of the day, but the Obama inauguration was simply overwhelming if not mind-boggling. It was not just another political event soon to be forgotten. It was not simply...

Congress baselines bill excludes Kalayaan isles; Palawan up in arms.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Redempto Anda, Inquirer Southern Luzon PUERTO PRINCESA CITY Palawan officials are mounting a last-ditch effort to lobby Congress for the inclusion of the Kalayaan island group inside the baselines of the countrys territorial...

DSWD staffer cited for teaching skills to delinquents.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Nikko Dizon AN EMPLOYEE OF THE DEPARTment of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) who taught juvenile delinquents in Mindanao hair cutting and agricultural skills was among the top performers of the agency for the year awarded...

Eastern Samar execs accuse each other of corruption.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Gil Cabacungan THE CONGRESSMAN AND GOV-ernor of Eastern Samar traded accusations of corruption that is draining the coffers of one of the countrys poorest provinces. In a privileged speech on Wednesday night, Rep. Teodulo...

Whitewash.
January 31, 2009... IN THE LAUNDROMAT KNOWN AS CONGRESSIONAL investigations, influential individuals suspected of wrongdoing usually come up smelling like roses while their accusers end up stinking like filthy sewage water. The concurrent investigations being...

600 families flee as MILF turns village into outpost.
January 31, 2009... COTABATO CITYTHE CONtinued presence of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in the hinterlands of Alamada town in North Cotabato has already resulted in the evacuation of some 600 families, officials said Thursday. Alamada Mayor...

Fireworks firms permit suspended.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Tarra Quismundo and Maricar Sinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon DESPITE ITS SAFETY RECORD, THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has suspended the license of pyrotechnics manufacturer Starmaker after a huge explosion in its factory in...

GAB: Derby broke regulation.
January 31, 2009... THE RIVALRY BETWEEN THE WORLDS toughest cockfight derbies has come to a head. The Games and Amusement Board (GAB) yesterday ordered the organizers of the biannual World Slasher Invitational 8-Cock Derby, held recently at the Araneta...

Italian tourist found dead in hotel room.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Allison W. Lopez THE MAKATI POLICE IS PROBing the death of a 37-year-old Italian national who was found hanging inside his room in a Makati City hotel Thursday afternoon. Insp. Tomas Chu, chief of the homicide division, said...

Japan execs back forest therapy in Cordillera.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Delmar Carino, Inquirer Northern Luzon LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET Theres more reason to keep those trees in the forests aside from saving threatened animal life and watersheds. Residents of the Cordillera may be luckier since they...

Kiko on merger: Misplaced priorities.
January 31, 2009... SEN. FRANCIS KIKO Pangilinan said the Presidents ordered merger of Lakas and Kampi showed her administrations misplaced priorities. In a series of text messages, Pangilinan said Ms Arroyo was clearly engaged in politics when she pushed...

Lakas-Kampi union dim.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Leila B. Salaverria and TJ Burgonio DONT EXPECT AN EASY UNION between an irresistible force and an immovable object. Before the two ruling political parties can think of merging, as President Macapagal-Arroyo ordered on...

Luxurious roads always lead to anger.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Cyrain Cabuenas, Borongan, Eastern Samar WE SAY ENOUGH! NO more excuses. Repair and rehabilitate our roads now. So said a letter signed by over 1,000 people in Eastern Samar, disgusted by the worsening condition of highways...

Listening is communicating.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Mahar Mangahas YOU MUST HAVE HEARD THE STORY ABOUT the quarreling spouses, one of whom finally shouts, The reason you cant communicate is because you dont shut up! (I fail to remember which of the two spouses says this.) Full...

Marines sent to stop Basilan family feud.
January 31, 2009... ZAMBOANGA CITYCLASHES between two feuding families erupted in Basilan on Thursday afternoon, prompting the military to send in at least two battalions of Marines in a bid to stop the fighting, officials said yesterday. Brig. Gen. Rustico...

Jeepney slams into house, 10 hurt.
January 31, 2009... TEN JEEPNEY passengers including two senior citizens were hospitalized after the vehicle slammed into a house in Marikina City Thursday night. Police said the incident occurred at about 8:45 p.m. at the corner of 2nd and E. Mendoza Streets...

Makati fire safety compliance awards.
January 31, 2009... TO PROMOTE public safety and awareness, the Makati city government and the Makati Fire Safety Foundation (Mafsafi) will recognize corporations, buildings and fire brigades that comply with security standards. Mayor Jejomar Binay said the 2009...

2 more alleged salvaging victims found in Manila, QC.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Nancy C. Carvajal and Jeannette I. Andrade TWO MORE ALLEGED VICTIMS OF SUMMARY EXE- cution were found in Quezon City and Manila yesterday. One of the bodies was found inside the Capitol Green Subdivision in Tandang Sora,...

MVP says Star, BusinessWorld to share resources.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Daxim L. Lucas and Elizabeth Sanchez-Lacson SOON-TO-BE SISTER PUBLICAtions Philippine Star and BusinessWorld will share operational services and facilities and will venture aggressively into providing news content online,...

Nograles accuses ex-PDIC head of lying.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Gil C. Cabacungan and Daxim L. Lucas HOUSE SPEAKER PROSPERO Nograles yesterday accused former Philippine Deposit Insurance Co. president Ricardo Tan of lying and of trying to destroy his reputation. Hes not telling a correct...

Old cops never die, theyre just training as security for VIPs.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Tarra Quismundo SOME BECOME SECOND-IN-COMmand to the President. Others are given Cabinet positions. But the rest of Camp Crames graduates end up as bodyguards. Aiming to give gigs to cops past the age of duty, the Philippine...

The bailout state.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Randy David THE PERIOD OF INDUSTRIAL BOOM IN Europe gave rise to the welfare state. Its purpose was to extend social assistance to the many who were adversely affected by industrialization. Todays global financial crisis, in...

Spare RP cycling from political greed.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Recah Trinidad THERES A PICTURE OF CYCLIST Coryn Rivera, in sparkling red attire, splashed in cyclingnews.com (World Center of Cycling) thats sure to make every sports-loving Pinoy proud. Coryn, born of Filipino parents in...

Roxas LP bet for 2010 but senator plays coy.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Christine O. Avendano THE LIBERAL PARTY (LP) YESterday announced that Sen. Mar Roxas was its man for the 2010 presidential election. But Roxas, the party president, was noncommittal even after his colleagues endorsed him at a...

Shameful culture.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Solita Collas-Monsod GENERALLY, THE TERM CULTURE OF impunity and indifference is used to describe a situation where repeated human rights violations elicit very little public reaction or where the public outcry is totally ignored....

The Legacy: Broken hearts, lives, dreams.
January 31, 2009... (Last of four parts) HER ILLNESS MAY HAVE saved Myra Dizon from putting more money, and losing it, in the Legacy Group. Having just come out of a hospital confinement, Dizon was excited to personally deposit her P5,000 in her account...

Squads unveil import choices.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Musong R. Castillo GAME TOMORROW (Araneta Coliseum) 6 p.m.Alaska vs Talk N Text HALF OF THE 10-TEAM FIELD THAT ALREADY have reinforcements for the Philippine Cup opening Feb. 28 will be tapping a total of four returnees,...

Sultan to send more peace monitors.
January 31, 2009... Byline: TJ Burgonio VISITING BRUNEI SULTAN HAji Hassanal Bolkiah yesterday committed to send more peace monitors to southern Philippines after Malaysia agreed to facilitate anew informal talks with the separatist rebels. Bolkiah, who...

Suspect in illegal recruitment nabbed in entrapment ops.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Jeannette I. Andrade NATIONAL BUREAU OF INVES- tigation agents have arrested in an entrapment operation a man who allegedly duped 15 workers applying for jobs abroad of more than a million pesos. Alejandro Leveriza Jr., of...

Speaker Nograles in deep trouble.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Ramon Tulfo SPEAKER PROSPERO NOgrales is in a deep s-- among some of his colleagues in the House of Representatives. If Legacy Group rural banks does not return the money invested by a number of congressmen and women,...

UAAP: La Salle, State booters share top spot.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Cedelf P. Tupas UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES AND LA SALLE pulled off resounding wins Thursday, even as defending champion Far Eastern U continued to struggle in the UAAP mens football tournament at the Ateneo pitch. Nikko...

Vice gov told to explain meet with kidnappers.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Ed General and Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao JOLO, SULUVICE GOVERNOR Nur Anna Sahidulla came under fire after she managed to pinpoint the location of the three workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), who...

Hospital wards for senior citizens eyed.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Julie M. Aurelio A QUEZON CITY COUNCILOR is seeking to allocate a separate ward for senior citizens in all public hospitals in the city so that the elderly can avail themselves of specialized medical attention for their age. ...

You-or-me decider for Magnolia, Bacchus.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Jasmine W. Payo GAMES TODAY (Ynares Arena, Pasig) 2 p.m.Magnolia Purewater vs Bacchus MAGNOLIA COACH Koy Banal tries to keep his team on an even keel now that the Wizards are favored to claim the last PBL championship...

Broker takes contrary view, sees better year ahead.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Michelle V. Remo WHILE MOST FORECASTS point to a worsening economic climate this year, ATR Kim Eng Securities prefers to be optimistic, predicting that businesses in the Philippines will be better off in 2009 than the previous...

Govt may put streamlining plan on hold.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Ronnel W. Domingo MALACANANG MAY HAVE TO RECONSIDER ITS plan to streamline government agencies at a time when domestic and overseas jobs are under threat, according to Economic Planning Secretary Ralph G. Recto. Recto said...

A list in time.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Massie Santos Ballon SANTA CLAUS, SO THE SONG GOES, makes lists every year to determine who gets a present at Christmas. Some people make shopping lists prior to visiting the supermarket so they know what they need for the week....

Galoc operator remains optimistic.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Amy R. Remo AUSTRALIAS OTTO ENERGY LTD. yesterday said operations at the Galoc oil field in offshore northwest Palawan has produced more than 800,000 barrels of oil as of end-2008. Since it started production in October last...

More on indoor air quality.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Amado de Jesus FOR MANY WEEKS NOW, WE have been enjoying an unusually pleasant, cold season. When the pleasant cold spell is over, we will once again be thinking how to maintain healthy and comfortable room temperaturehopefully...

GSIS sells P313.9M in foreclosed houses.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Ronnel W. Domingo THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE Insurance System was able to sell last year P313.91 million worth of foreclosed houses and lots through its low-interest loan program. GSIS assets sold in 2008 include 344 units of...

House design competition generates huge interest.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Charles E. Buban WITH THE SUB-mission deadline less than a month away, the University of the Philippines College of Architecture is already swamped with entries for its competition that seeks how a beautiful and sustainable...

Lifan Cars bullish on RP auto market.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Amy R. Remo DESPITE THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC slowdown, Lifan Cars Philippines remains bullish on the local automotive market and expects to sell as many as 800 units of its midsize sedan this year. During the formal launching of...

Aggressive blood sugar lowering in diabetics?
January 31, 2009... Byline: Rafael Castillo, M.D. DIABETES IS NOW CONSIDERED A CARdiovascular disease by itself which requires aggressive treatment. A high blood sugar level is the hallmark of diabetes, so its logical to theorize thatknowing the detrimental...

Metro Pacific unit eyes joint venture with PNR.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Doris C. Dumlao THE METRO PACIFIC-LED TOLLway operator First Philippine Infrastructure Inc. is planning a multibillion-peso integrated rail and tollway joint venture project with the state-owned Philippine National Railways that...

Why not become a sports scientist, Pacquiao urged.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Tessa R. Salazar First in a series MANNY PAC-MAN PACQUIAO has been making all the right moves in the boxing ring. When the time comes he has to move out of it, what should be his next best move? Become a sports...

PDIC defends plan to get P14B from govt.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Michelle V. Remo THE PHILIPPINE DEPOSIT Insurance Corp. has defended its plan to borrow P14 billion from the central bank to service claims of depositors of failed rural banks under the Legacy Group. The plan, questioned in...

PLDT capex kept at P28B for 09.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Elizabeth Sanchez-Lacson HONG KONG-BASED FIRST PACIFic Co. and its Philippine crown jewel, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., will spend at least P38 billion over the next two years for projects in telecommunications,...

Suppliers to focus on eco-friendly materials for existing structures.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Tessa R. Salazar COMPANIES SUPPLYING materials to developers plan to focus on equipping materials for existing structures. They would also concentrate on eco-friendly materials for a sustainable environment, which, they say, in...

Student bazaar at Rockwell.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Bianca Consunji ORGANIC PRODUCTS and innovative food await visitors of the Assumption College San Lorenzo student bazaar, open today at the Rockwell Tent. The bazaar, dubbed Supremacy: Crowning ACs Finest, will carry...

Clear boxes for your shoe collection.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Bianca Consunji ITS EASY TO SEE WHY CARRIE was won over by the walk-in closet in the Sex and the City movie: it had a huge shoe cabinet. However, not all women are lucky enough to have a Mr. Big in their lives (or at least a...

Getting ready for the prom.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Bianca Consunji YOUTH IS DEFINITELY wasted on the young, a friend lamented recently. If I could do my prom all over again, I would go all out and not care about what people think I should wear or whom I should go out with. ...

Compelling commercialson YouTube.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Nino Mark M. Sablan, 2bU Correspondent COMMERCIALS, WHEN well thought ofarmed with a compelling concept and done with creative flairbecome more than just time fillers as we impatiently wait for our favorite TV show. Case in...

Dazed and confused (on Facebook).
January 31, 2009... Byline: Pam Pastor A LITTLE OVER A WEEK ago, I finally succumbed to the evils of Facebook. I bit the bullet, signed up and immediately learned one thingI do not like being poked. It was a week of reckless Internet living, of signing...

Bear naked.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Paolo R. Reyes ON A BALLOON-suspended table 25,000 feet above Bath, England, Bear Grylls is hosting a formal dinner party. Dressed to the nines in full naval regalia, he scarfs down a bottle of Mumm champagne and a three-course...

Watering hole for Harley fans.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Mon Guinto ANNUALLY, OUR HIGH school class makes it a point to get together to touch base and update each other on whats been happening to our respective lives. Being the geeks that we are, we usually end up having animated...

Glint of gold in Clint Eastwoods racist drama.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Nestor U. Torre GRAN TORINO MAY NOT have made it to the Oscars short list of finalists this year, but its still the best film weve seen this month. What we like most about it is its unexpected focus, not on the usual topics that...

Win or lose, heres what Kate, Meryl will feast on at Oscar ball.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Ruben V. Nepales LOS ANGELESITS A guessing game on whether it will be Meryl Streep or Kate Winslet who will win the Oscar Best Actress award on Feb. 22, but whats certain is what food the winner will devour with gusto. Last...

Rufa Mae starrer examines sex and the single girl.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Rito P. Asilo Status: Single D: Jose Javier Reyes S: Rufa Mae Quinto RUFA MAE QUINtos latest rib-tickler, Status: Single, is a pleasant surprise. After appearing in last years confoundingly inane Desperadas 2 and...

Cherry Pie shares outspoken views on acting.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Edmund L. Sicam CHERRY PIE PICACHE IS undoubtedly one of the countrys more competent actresses. So, Im a bit surprised when Pie tells me during a press con for ABS-CBNs latest teleserye, Tayong Dalawa, that she sometimes uses...

Comebacks, transformations enliven TV-film scene.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Nestor U. Torre FOR YEARS NOW, WEVE APPRECIATED the relatively undervalued performances and stellar charisma of Francine Prieto. A tall stunner, Francine has proven herself to be a standout in dramatic and comedic roles on TV and...

How Lena Horne survived racial discrimination.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Behn Cervantes AS A YOUNG BOY, I remember sitting up and asking, Who is she?, when I saw the beautiful ebony beauty named Lena Horne appear on the big screen. Her radiance stood out in the lavish, all-star musical biopic on...

Value of time.
January 31, 2009... Byline: R. Valencia and S. Bismark WHAT IS REALLY VALUABLE IN life? A good friend of ours narrates true incidents that should make us think seriously about our values: Once, there was a rich Chinese businessman who enjoyed wearing his...

Home health care, anyone?
January 31, 2009... Byline: Mandy Navasero A DOCTOR SHOULD BE JUST A phone call away, says Dr. Mary Jean Villa-Real Guno, who, along with her physician friends, has come up with a brilliant idea for Philippine medicine: Home Health Care (HHC). A...

Screen version of popular sci-fi novel underwhelms.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Noelani Torre THE INTERESTING PREMISE that stories can be brought to life, literally, by certain silver-tongued people is richly explored in Cornelia Funkes 2003 best-selling young adult novel, Inkheart. As with almost all...

Mixed gastronomic delights.
January 31, 2009... Byline: Sandy Daza THERES NOTHING MORE INtriguing than finding a menu containing all sorts of mixed cuisines. At Katre, youll find Mediterranean, French, Italian and Spanish dishes, but youll also encounter a curved ball dish that...

Alaska eyes 2-0 lead.
January 30, 2009... Byline: Musong R. Castillo GAME TODAY (Araneta Coliseum) 7 p.m.Alaska vs Talk N Text TALK N TEXT COACH CHOT REYES HAS his eyes fixed on just one Alaska Ace. (L.A. Tenorio) ate our point guards for breakfast, Reyes...

What lists can teach.
January 30, 2009... Byline: Ambeth R. Ocampo WHENEVER I ASK MY STUDENTS TO GO OVER historical records, I realize from the discussion that they often read themselves and their times into the material. This often makes for engaging, and sometimes outrageous,...

GMA issues EO to amend ARMM law on domain.
January 30, 2009... Byline: TJ Burgonio ITS NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN. After suffering a setback on a deal forged in secret talks in Malaysia last year for an expanded Bangsamoro homeland in a bid to end nearly four decades of a separatist insurgency,...

Bata-Django in WC of Pool.
January 30, 2009... BUDDIES EFREN BATA REYES AND FRAN-cisco Django Bustamante are likely to resume their partnership when the World Cup of Pool is held in the country on Sept. 1-6. Reyes and Bustamante won the events initial staging in 2006, but were beaten...

Brunei sultan here for 3-day state visit.
January 30, 2009... Byline: Jerome Aning BRUNEIS MONARCH, SULTAN AND YANG DI Pertuan Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah, arrived in Manila yesterday for a three-day state visit that would highlight the relations between his country and the Philippines....

Bus passenger shoots 1 of 6 robbers dead.
January 30, 2009... Byline: Miko Morelos A PASSENGER ON A BUS WHICH had just been held up by six men shot one of the robbers as they were getting off the vehicle in Pasay City yesterday. The gunman who has yet to be identified by authorities fled right...

Did you know.
January 30, 2009... CLUB Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan, was established in 1898 for the enrichment of Filipino culture and the development of nationalism among Filipinos. It honored Jose Rizals martyrdom two years after his execution, the first organization...

Red Cross, kidnappers open talks.
January 30, 2009... Byline: Kristine L. Alave THE INTERNATIONAL COMMIT-tee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had opened direct communication with the abductors of its three aid workers kidnapped in Jolo, Sulu, almost two weeks ago, the agency said Wednesday night....

What militarization? Were civilians now.
January 30, 2009... Byline: Nikko Dizon WHAT MILITARIZATION ARE they talking about? This was the answer of two retired chiefs of the military and the national police to critics of their appointment to key government posts and the alleged growing...