Philippine Daily Inquirer articles from October 2009

Philippine Daily Inquirer archives from October 2009

Central, Southern Luzon brace for Santi.
October 31, 2009... CABANATUAN CITYWATER RELEASE FROM the Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija was increased from 180 cubic meters per second (cms) to 230 cms starting at 10 a.m. Friday in preparation for the heavy rains that Typhoon Santi was expected to bring to...

Angping bares soft spot, forgives Amit.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Marc Anthony Reyes SOUTHEAST ASIAN GAMES BACK-TO-back billiards champion Rubilen Amit was readily forgiven for her ill-advised decision to join a recent rally against Philippine Sports Commission chair Harry Angping. The...

Ateneo, SSC nail Shakeys quarters slots.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Cedelf P. Tupas DEFENDING CHAMPION SAN SEBAS-tian and Ateneo-OraCare clinched quarterfinal berths after pulling off straight sets victories yesterday in the Shakeys V-League Season 6 second conference at the FilOil-Flying V Arena in...

Shouldnt the PBA also use exorcism?
October 31, 2009... Byline: Recah Trinidad THAT WAS A GREAT TRIPLE FROM downtown the House committee on games and amusements scored after it offered to help the PBA following that third successive assault by a professional player on a ringside viewer. The big...

Bayron buries big birdie, bags ICTSI golf crown.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Musong R. Castillo ANTIPOLOJAY BAYRON DRAINED a birdie on the 17th hole yesterday to win the Forest Hills leg of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour by one stroke over Marvin Dumandan here. The former amateur hotshot finished with a...

Social protection.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Edilberto C. de Jesus EACH OF THE COUNTRYS 90 MILLION FILI-pinos, according to a recent media item, now shares a debt burden of almost P47,000. This was the estimate based on the level of the national debt as of May 2009. Government...

Chiz: Presidency or nothing.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Gil C. Cabacungan Jr. and TJ Burgonio ITS THE PRESIDENCY OR nothing for Sen. Francis Escudero. Escudero, who made the improbable decision to bolt the Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC), said he was running for the highest post,...

Heaven-sent.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Eugenia Duran Apostol IN 1975, DURING THE MARCOS REGIME AND martial law, I put up Mr. & Ms. It was an entertainment and lifestyle magazine, non-political and totally unconcerned with politics. That was until 1981 when Marcos said...

Court bars Coast Guard from automatic suspension of boat trips in Guimaras.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Nestor P. Burgos Jr.Inquirer Visayas ILOILO CITYTHE GUIMARAS Regional Trial Court has barred the Coast Guard from automatically suspending operations of small ferryboats plying to and from the island-province during storm signal No....

Red Cubs still team to beat next year.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Cedelf P. Tupas THE SUCCESSOR OF RETIRING SAN Beda high school coach Ato Badolato will inherit a formidable lineup, which seems poised for another successful title run in the NCAA next season. With Finals MVP Baser Amer still...

Last rites.
October 31, 2009... ARE THE PRESIDENTS MEN STARTING TO GET cold feet about standing for election? It would seem so as some Cabinet members who had previously expressed interest in seeking elective office have announced they would rather stay put in their offices....

Last days.
October 31, 2009... IF AND WHEN SOME CABINET MEMBERS DECIDE to pursue or resume their political careers, President Macapagal-Arroyo cannot go wrong if she appoints career service executives as their replacements. Former Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Ralph...

Golf champ Vinice passes away.
October 31, 2009... VINICE GODIO ESTACION, THE only back-to-back winner of the Inquirers National Tournament of Champions golf tournament, died Thursday. She would have been 42 next month. A certified teaching pro by the United States Golf Teachers...

If you run, quit, UP prof dares GMA.
October 31, 2009... Byline: TJ Burgonio and Nikko Dizon RESIGN IF YOURE RUNNING for public office. To level the playing field, President Macapagal-Arroyo should resign from the presidency and hand over power once she files her certificate of candidacy (CoC)...

Kabataan Party seeks extension of voters registration.
October 31, 2009... THE YOUTH GROUP KABATAAN PARTY-LIST yesterday questioned before the Supreme Court the resolution of the Commission on Elections setting today as the deadline for registration for the May 2010 elections. Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymond...

Measuring progress: lets all be serious.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Mahar Mangahas BUSAN, SOUTH KOREATHIS WEEKS MAMmoth World Forum on Statistics, Knowledge, Policywith 1,924 participants, the largest convention ever held here, said the mayorwas a high-powered effort by the Organization for Economic...

Marathon for Pasig kicks off on Nov. 8.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Sunshine Lichauco de Leon, Contributor MIXING ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY and topnotch competition, the Pasig Marathon A Run for Pasig River takes off Nov. 8 with a race that begins and ends at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. Gina...

Mayor asked to use police power to solve water row.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Erika Sauler RESIDENTS OF BF HOMES IN Las Pinas City have asked Mayor Vergel Aguilar to use his police powers to facilitate the entry of water concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. in their area. In a letter to Aguilar,...

Police body defends Fort Bonifacio-Megaworld deal.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Erika Sauler THE NATIONAL POLICE COM- mission (Napolcom) yesterday defended an agreement to develop its 7.1-hectare Fort Bonifacio property in Taguig City, and denied that the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) was not told about...

Antilitterbug drive in Navotas City.
October 31, 2009... NAVOTAS Mayor Toby Tiangco has directed various city government departments to double their efforts in preparation for the smooth, solemn, orderly and trouble-free commemoration of this years All Souls/Saints Day on Nov. 1-2. Tiangco issued the...

Metrobank ATMs online on long weekend.
October 31, 2009... METROPOLITAN Bank and Trust Company (Metrobank) announced that its automated teller machines (ATMs) will remain online to serve the public during the coming long weekend. When our customers are remembering their departed loved ones, we want to...

Skyway implements Oplan Kaluluwa.
October 31, 2009... TO MINIMIZE travel inconvenience expected to arise as a result of the observance of All Saints Day and All Souls Day when the public makes its way to cemeteries, memorial parks and the provinces, Skyway O&M Corporation (SOMCO), the operator...

2 blasts rock QC, Pasig.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Julie M. Aurelio, DJ Yap and Marlon Ramos AN IMPROVISED DEVICE WENT OFF PAST MID- night yesterday outside a Quezon City condominium, almost at the same time that a pillbox exploded in Pasig Citys Ortigas business district. No one was...

MILF readies team to rescue Sinnott.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Ryan Rosauro, Inquirer Mindanao PAGADIAN CITYTHE MORO ISLAMIC Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday said its rescue plan on kidnapped Irish priest Father Michael Sinnott was being revised after the Zamboanga del Sur crisis management...

How NBI tracked down Alvin Flores.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Jeannette I. Andrade IT WAS AN OPERAtion by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that neutralized one of the most elusive criminals in the country, whom they claimed was a former waiter with no military nor police background. ...

Only 1 of 5 expired gun licenses renewed in North Cotabato.
October 31, 2009... KIDAPAWAN CITYONLY 21.4 percent of the more than 1,700 expired gun licenses in North Cotabato had been renewed by their holders as the governments gun amnesty program was ending, a ranking police official said. Supt. Leo Ajero, deputy chief...

The party to defeat in Negros Occidental.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Carla P. Gomez, Bacolod City A FORMIDABLE PARTY FOUNDED BY BUSINESS TYcoon Eduardo Cojuangco and Mayor Alfredo Maranon of Sagay City has dominated elections in Negros Occidental in the past three elections, and unless seriously...

PDEA employee files harassment complaint vs boss.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Julie M. Aurelio A PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEment Agency employee has filed a complaint in the Quezon City Prosecutors Office against her superior who allegedly violated the code of ethical conduct for a public official. In her...

Pinay killed in Kabul blast was breadwinner.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Inquirer Visayas ILOILO CITYFROM STRIFE-torn Afghanistan, Jossie Garbo-Esto called her family in New Washington town in Aklan on Tuesday, excited over her application for a higher position with the United Nations...

Police wanted gang leader alive.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Marlon Ramos AUTHORITIES COULD HAVE UNCOVERED the furtive and meticulous operations of a notorious robbery gang said to be behind several audacious heists in Metro Manila if its purported leader was captured alive, Philippine National...

Prayers for dead dont come in plastic.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Ma. Ceres P. Doyo OFFERING PRAYERS IS THE best way to honor the dead. It costs nothing, it doesnt come in plastic and one can always reuse or recycle prayers. The EcoWaste Coalition, an environmental watchdog, and Caloocan Bishop...

Remembering the dead, caring for the living.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Randy David ONCE WE REACH A CERTAIN AGE, WE FIND ourselves going to more funerals than weddings or baptisms. There we meet friends and acquaintances we have not seen in a while. After exchanging notes about family and the state of the...

RP Patriots host Brunei Barracudas today.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Jasmine W. Payo NEW RECRUITS NONOY BACLAO and Elmer Espiritu may be up for another tough defensive task when the Philippine Patriots clash with the visiting Brunei Barracudas in the Asean Basketball League today. Patriots coach...

Santi quick but intense.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Alcuin Papa STORM SIGNAL NO. 3 WAS RAISED OVER METRO Manila and a number of provinces yesterday afternoon as Typhoon Santi neared the metropolis and Southern Luzon. At its current speed of 24 kilometers per hour, the typhoon was...

SC junks derivative suit among siblings.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Norman Bordadora THE SUPREME COURT DREW ATTENtion to the procedures required in the filing of derivative suits legal actions taken by shareholders to compel corporate causes of actionin intra-corporate disputes. In a decision...

Overpowering stench.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Solita Collas-Monsod AS ONE DELVES DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO Sandiganbayan Civil Case 005 against 28 individuals and 40 corporations (including the heirs of Ferdinand Marcos [FM] and Lucio Tan and his corporations), the stenchof...

Soldiers, cops, firemen, Coast Guard ready for Santi.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Jocelyn R. Uy TO ENSURE THAT HELP IS ACcessible to all Metro Manila residents when Typhoon Santi barrels through, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) yesterday delegated policemen, soldiers, firemen and the Coast Guard...

Tigers roar back to life, bring down Giants.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Musong R. Castillo COCA-COLA FINALLY SHOWED SIGNS OF life just before the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup took a break to pay respects to the dead. Playing solid as a team for a change, the Tigers overcame an early 15-point deficit to turn...

SC stops forfeiture cases vs Garcias.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Norman Bordadora THE SUPREME Court has stopped the Sandiganbayan from proceeding with the forfeiture cases the Office of the Ombudsman filed against the wife and children of retired general Carlos Garcia. In a 16-page decision, the...

Suspect in jewelry sale case files petition vs PASG.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Tina G. Santos A BRITISH NATIONAL WHO was earlier arrested and detained for allegedly smuggling jewelry and precious gems worth multi-millions asked the court yesterday to declare Executive Order 624 creating the Presidential...

Thousands stranded at key ports, bus terminals.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Julie M. Aurelio and Inquirer Southern Luzon EVEN WITH THE THREAT OF ANOTHER strong typhoon, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos thronged bus and ferry terminals yesterday heading to their home provinces to pay respects to dead...

Tuba artist goes to New Zealand.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Vicente Labro, Tacloban City HE COULD not ask for anything more after his works were recognized in his hometown and appreciated by artists abroad. But 67-year-old Leo Villaflor, a visual artist who is popularly known as Leytes tuba...

To foreigners, the country stinks.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Ramon Tulfo MALACANANG SAYS KAPAMPANgans are asking President Gloria to run for Congress next year. Oh, yeah? Are they really asking her to run, or shes asking them to clamor for her to run? Her shattered credibility makes...

UST leads Manila Unigames charge.
October 31, 2009... THERE WAS NO LETUP FOR MANILA-based schools on the final day of the 14th UniGames yesterday with University of Santo Tomas scoring a twin kill in volleyball at the Central Philippine University Gym in Iloilo City. The UST Tigresses handily...

Villar: What you see is what you get.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Michael Lim Ubac IF, AS SEN. MANUEL VILLAR SAYS, he considers every candidate as a threat, then Sen. Benigno Aquino III must be a very big threat indeed. At the Manila Overseas Press Clubs Presidential Series forum on Thursday...

Wandering spirits need our prayers.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Cathy C. Yamsuan URBAN LEGENDS TELL US THAT spirits warn the living, seek justice for untimely deaths, or send a specific message. And Fr. Joselino Joey Tuazon, parish priest of San Roque in Pasay City, says these wandering souls...

Graveyards.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Crystal Mary I. Mendoza THANK GOD FOR LONG WEEKENDS. IT HAD BEEN A while, and seeing my high school tropa made me realize how much I missed the old days. Although we enrolled in different universities, we managed to keep in touch,...

Letting go.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Fae Cheska Marie Esperas LETTING GO IS NEVER AN EASY TASK, ESPECIALLY WHEN it concerns a thing given to you by someone you love. Yet there is always a time when you have to draw things to a close, and when that point comes, its all a...

Halloween ensembles that dont spell spooky.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Dominique Marie Tiu, Contributor FOR HALLOWEEN LAST YEAR, my good friend Dada and I decided to go as Pete Doherty and Kate Moss, respectively. We figured it was pretty easy to pull off. Just stop bathing for three days, and voila,...

Korean pop? Get that look here.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Luis Carlo San Juan KOREAN POP HAS DEFINITEly made fans of a lot of Pinoy youth. But theres more to Korea than just listening to Nobody Nobody, just like Park Juns Korean salon is not your run-of-the-mill Korean salon. Located in...

3 reasons to bite some more into vampire lore.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Angela V. Ignacio, Contributor FOR SOME PEOPLE, ALL THAT tween hype surrounding New Moon is already becoming a pain in the neck. We say its time to move on to greener (or should we say, red-der) cinematic pastures. Check out these...

Turn your shout-outs into prizes.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Stefanie Cabal WE LOVE TO TWITTER and change our Facebook status every so often. So imagine if you can just post all you want and win prizes. Samsungs I Imagine campaign allows college students in Metro Manila to create a...

Teen fashion with an edge.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Fides C. Camino, Contributor DEFINE FASHION FOR teens, and youll most likely come up with the words attitude and self expression. SM took on these concepts and tweaked them for its Boys and Girls Teens Wear Collection, shown on day...

Turn into a fashion iconthis Halloween.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Rosanna Aranaz, Contributor HALLOWEEN IS NOT JUST the night when, according to the movie, Mean Girls, Girls can dress looking like total sluts and no other girls can say anything about it. Its the night you can dress like the...

12 young designers rule the runway.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Fides Camino, Contributor FUSE CONCEPT, EXPERIMENT WITH MATErials and add a youthful vibe. The result: the recent ready-to-wear Vision and Trends Spring/Summer collection at Philippine Fashion Week. Opening the show was Alodia...

Ghosts and ghouls in school.
October 31, 2009... IT WAS A NORMAL LATE AFternoon back in high school. My friends and I were waiting for our school service to pick us up. Dakuy, the driver, was later than usual, so the four of us decided to head to the elementary school playground to pass time....

A mothers legacy.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Mandy Navasero MANY PEOPLE WORK VERY HARD to make sure they have a pretty penny to leave their loved ones with when its their time to go. Virginia Baby Singson, who passed away on Oct. 12 at age 77, was no differentbut, her story is...

Spotlight on two Fil-Ams in This Is It.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Ruben V. Nepales LOS ANGELESAT THE premiere party for the fascinating documentary, This Is It, we bumped into Filipino-American Zaldy Goco, who is one of the costume designers of what would have been Michael Jacksons London concerts....

Televiewers find their collective voice.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Nestor U. Torre AT A RECENT MEDIA FORUM, we asked members of the audience to speak up and share their thoughts, opinions, feelings about the TV programs they were watching. We pointed out that one reason why some show biz people...

Ephron, Streep whip up delicious cinematic feast.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Nestor U. Torre WEVE ADMIRED NORA EPHRONS WORK for many years, ever since we first read her witty and sardonic essays as a youth. When she moved on to write film scripts and direct movies, we delighted in her cynical yet spirited view...

The yogi and the cobbler.
October 31, 2009... Byline: R. Valencia and S. Bismark AN INTELLIGENT PERSON UNDERstands that the Supreme Being can do anything. An ancient story illustrates this: One day, Narada Muni, a famous devotee of the Lord who possesses the power to travel anywhere at...

Delicious burger discovery.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Sandy Daza RECENTLY, WEVE BEEN SPENDing a lot of time in the vicinity of Araneta Coliseum in Cubao because of the UAAP games. Since those events were always jam-packed, it was best to park far away from the Big Domelike the Ali Mall...

New sitcom hits viewers where they live, breathe and laugh.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Nestor U. Torre WHENEVER WE TRAVEL OVERseas, we take advantage of the opportunity to watch new TV-film productions that have yet to be shown here. Earlier this month, our trip to Europe rewarded us with some preview peeks, which were...

Zsa Zsa, Charice, Sarah lead bountiful musical harvest.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Rito P. Asilo THE COUNTRYS STAR-MAKING talent mill continues to churn out new, as well as comebacking talents. Some choice cuts from this seasons bountiful musical harvest: Zsa Zsa Padilla has just released Unchanging Love, her...

BPI posts 38% jump in 9-month net profit.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Doris C. Dumlao BANK OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS (BPI) posted a 38-percent growth in January-to-September net profit to P7.3 billion from a year ago on a double-digit expansion in interest and non-interest earnings. For the...

BSP warns against price ceilings on oil.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Michelle V. Remo THE BANGKO SENTRAL NG PILIPINAS (BSP) HAS WARNED against the imposition of any form of price controls, saying such a move would have adverse consequences in the long run. The BSP was reacting to the move of...

Construction materials post drop in prices.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Ronnel W. Domingo WHOLESALE PRICES OF BUILDING materials in Metro Manila fell 3.5 percent year-on-year in September due to the contraction in the prices of steel and continuing decline of plywood, asphalt and fuel rates. Data from...

Just add water.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Isabel Berenguer Asuncion AS I WRITE THIS, TROPICAL Storm 23 or Santi as we will know him, is barreling through the Pacific ocean and heading for the Philippines. While many are tired of hearing and reading about typhoons and...

Disclosures.
October 31, 2009... SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC. HAS ANNOUNCED on Oct. 26 the appointment of Stephen C. Peacher as the companys executive vice president and chief investment officer, effective Oct. 13. *** REPUBLIC CEMENT CORP. ON OCT. 29 ELECTED Rolando Burgos as...

A crustaceans vision.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Massie Santos Ballon STICK-THIN AND GREEN, praying mantis have distinctively slender silhouettes. However, a peacock mantis shrimp, despite its name, is nothing of the kind. And despite its name, it isnt related to the mantis or...

Faster, efficient way of building houses.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Charles E. Buban ITS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT when Phinma Properties started using its fast and efficient building system called cast-in-place in 1988, it wasnt for the reason of utilizing a more sustainable building method. ...

Firm earmarks P7B to put up 18 mini hydropower plants.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Amy R. Remo CENTURY PEAK ENERGY CORP. PLANS TO invest P7 billion to put up 18 mini hydropower projects, which would have a combined capacity of about 75 megawatts (MW), a company official said. Vice president Alice Cheng said the...

Group stresses need for RP trade negotiator.
October 31, 2009... THE FEDERATION OF PHILIPPINE INDUStries is pushing for the passage of bills seeking to establish a Philippine Trade Representative Office (PTRO), to help ensure coherence in trade and development policies. In a statement yesterday, the group...

High-fiber diet can help prevent cancer, CVDs.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Tessa R. Salazar THE TYPICAL PINOY DIET, A NUMber of nutritionists have observed, lacks dietary fiber but is excessive in fat. This kind of diet increases the risk of bowel movement irregularities, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis and...

In perfect balance.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Marcos de Guzman Jr. IN THE PAST, BUILDING AND construction have always been seen as a male-dominated field, while art and family have been perceived as a womans forte. Today, we find it easier to accept the potentials and abilities...

Post-typhoon infectious disease aftermath.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Rafael Castillo AFTER SEVERAL typhoons have ravaged various parts of the country and left many of our countrymen devastated, another serious storm may hit them and its consequences may be more serious. This storm is the infectious...

Napocor hopes to raise P17B from bond sale to fund operations.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Amy R. Remo STATE-RUN NATIONAL POWER CORP. plans to soon tap the local and international debt market to raise as much as P17 billion to bankroll its operations. On the sidelines of the recent turnover ceremony at the Energy...

P100M for nuke plant upkeep sought.
October 31, 2009... A STATE FIRM IS SEEKING A BUDGET OF P100 million to maintain the mothballed 630-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) next year, according to a government official. According to the official the amount the National Power Corp. is seeking...

OceanaGold pushes RP gold project.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Riza T. Olchondra AUSTRALIAN MINER OCEANAGOLD Corp. is proceeding with a study concerning the Didipio gold-copper project in Nueva Vizcaya, according to the companys third-quarter report. The successful equity raising during the...

Petron seeks level tariff schemes.
October 31, 2009... FEARING AN UNEVEN PLAYING FIELD COME January, industry leader Petron Corp. is asking the government to exclude or suspend the inclusion of crude oil and petroleum products from the list of products to be slapped a zero tariff under the Asean...

Pfizer readies patent suit against drugstores.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Abigail L. Ho MULTINATIONAL DRUG FIRM PFIZer Inc. is ready to file charges against drugstores that will continue to sell the generic version of its Lipitor anticholesterol medicine, saying that the patent for this drug will not expire...

Remittances via informal channels dip.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Michelle V. Remo REMITTANCES SENT THROUGH informal channels continued to decline, amounting to only less than 4 percent of total money from abroad. According to Reynaldo David, president and chief executive officer of the...

Stem cell banking, anyone?
October 31, 2009... Byline: Charles E. Buban CAN A PERSONS UMBILICAL CORD the one that is clamped, cut and discarded at birthsave its owners life later? A Paranaque-based company called Ambica Biotechnologies believes so and for this reason, has advocated...

Firm surveys Palawan oil area.
October 31, 2009... Byline: Amy R. Remo AUSTRALIAN FIRM NIDO PETROleum Ltd. said it has started the Kawayan 3D seismic survey in Service Contract 63 in offshore northwest Palawan to identify potential drilling targets in the block. In a regulatory filing,...