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BusinessWorld, Opinion, February 25, 2010

Trade Tripper — By Jemy Gatdula

Having nothing better to do last weekend, your Trade Tripper decided to play around the Net and see what some presidential candidates have in their respective platforms regarding international trade (and the economy in general). It was annoying actually in certain instances because of the ridiculous difficulty of finding some platforms. Considering that they’re selling themselves and their visions to the Filipino people, some aspirants weirdly prefer to keep their platforms secret. Either that or they just don’t have a plan at all.

Anyway, among the presidential candidates, Manny Villar seems to have the most detailed and well-thought-out plan. At http://www.eleksyon.co.cc/manny-villars-platform/, Villar identifies the nation’s main problem as “widespread poverty and social injustice.” This, I believe, is correct. Corruption isn’t really the fundamental problem and is better viewed as a symptom rather than the cause of the nation’s deterioration. Thus, the “main thrust” of his platform is “emancipating the people from poverty and injustice. Self-reliant and sustainable economic development program shall be pursued by implementing agrarian reform, increasing agricultural productivity and developing domestic industries. The problems of environmental destruction, climate change and recurring calamities shall be comprehensively addressed. High priority shall be given to education, health, housing and other basic social services.” No sensible person would have a beef with that.

Regarding international trade, Villar unfortunately in one instance dabbled in the language of cuckoos: “The policy of economic liberalization and blind adherence to ’globalization’ must be reviewed.” But that statement is tempered by a call for a “foreign policy based on respect for national sovereignty and ensuring mutual benefit,” which is really all we could reasonably ask for. He also calls for increased trade with ASEAN countries.

Villar does make a strong pitch for the manufacturing sector and, quite gratifyingly, calls for “a program to promote patriotic awareness among consumers to use and buy locally produced goods” and that “foreign investors are welcome to invest in the Philippines as long as the national patrimony and economy is protected and not compromised.”

Noynoy Aquino’s platform (http://www.noynoy.ph), on the other hand, is quite disappointing considering the “expertise” he’s supposed to have at his disposal. His “Social Contract with the Filipino People” seems like an archaic imitation of something Newt Gingrich cooked up almost two decades ago. Gingrich, however, gave something that Aquino does not: details. Nevertheless, Aquino’s “Contract” does have some heartwarming words: “An organized and widely shared rapid expansion of our economy through a government dedicated to honing and mobilizing our people’s skills and energies as well as the responsible harnessing of our natural resources.” And he plans to do this by making “changes first in ourselves — by doing the right things, by giving value to excellence and integrity and rejecting mediocrity and dishonesty, and by giving priority to others over ourselves.” And Aquino declares “making education the central strategy for investing in our people, reducing poverty and building national competitiveness.” Which is like a basketball coach saying that his plan is for his team to “shoot the ball and play defense.”

Joseph Estrada’s platform (http://www.eleksyon.co.cc/joseph-erap-estrada-platform/ and http://erap.ph/) is also bereft of details. It pushes for a “pro-poor platform,” and mentions “education, research,” “medical missions, render health care services,” “livelihood and self-help programs.” It sounds like the platform of a guy running for mayor instead of president.

But for platforms composed of sheer motherhood statements, nothing can beat the lawyers. Gilbert Teodoro (http://www.eleksyon.co.cc/gilbert-teodoros-platform/ and http://75.125.2.19/) wants to strengthen our educational system by developing “technical skills, mathematics, and English.” A recommendation sure to be popular is his plan to add “two years to the original six years of elementary.” He does promise a “loan system for the less fortunate.” Teodoro declares that “the country needs more innovative ideas to fuel the industry and the economy,” which should make us think again of the basketball coach analogy. Although in one speech, Teodoro did indicate his focus on the local rather than global: “While the rest of the world awaits the recovery of the global economy, the local economy must be strengthened.” And he proffers good government, infrastructure, education, and health as key to economic development.

Richard Gordon’s platform reads like the political manifesto that it calls itself to be (Manifesto for Change; http://www.eleksyon.co.cc/richard-dick-gordons-platform/ and http://www.dickgordon2010.com/go/). The problem is, it doesn’t really say anything in terms of concrete plans. While it commendably (albeit repeatedly) dwells on Gandhi’s oft-repeated theme (sometimes to ad nauseam levels) “be the change you want to see,” does he really expect to be elected president for saying something we already know?

A president has been likened to a ship captain: he must have a clear idea of the port he wants to reach and is capable of helming the ship to reach that port. The ability to inspire is nice. But in the end we need somebody who has a concrete idea of what needs to be done and (equality as important) can actually get things done.
Contact: jemygatdula@yahoo.com. Visit my blog at www.jemygatdula.blogspot.com

(Source:http://bworldonline.com/main/content.php?id=6824)

November 22, 2009

(CNN) — Efren Peñaflorida, who started a “pushcart classroom” in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership, has been named the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper revealed Peñaflorida’s selection at the conclusion of the third-annual “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

The gala event, taped before an audience of 3,000, premiered on Thanksgiving night on the global networks of CNN.

The broadcast honored the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009 and featured performances by Grammy Award-winning artist Carrie Underwood, R&B crooner Maxwell and British pop sensation Leona Lewis.

Peñaflorida, who will receive $100,000 to continue his work with the Dynamic Teen Company, was selected after seven weeks of online voting at CNN.com. More than 2.75 million votes were cast.

“Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry,” Peñaflorida said upon accepting the honor. “Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.

“So to each and every person inside this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers … you are the change that you dream, as I am the change that I dream, and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be.”

The top 10 CNN Heroes, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel from an initial pool of more than 9,000 viewer nominations, were each honored with a documentary tribute and introduced by a celebrity presenter. Each of the top 10 Heroes receives $25,000.

Wallis Annenberg, chairman of the board, president and CEO of the Annenberg Foundation and a member of the Blue Ribbon Panel that selected the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009, also pledged $10,000 to each of the top 10 Heroes’ nonprofit organizations.

“With the recognition they receive on our stage,” said Cooper, who hosted the tribute, “they’ll be able to help thousands and thousands of people. Through their efforts, lives will be changed and lives will be saved.”

Underwood performed an original orchestral arrangement of “Change” from her best-selling album, “Play On.”

Maxwell sang “Help Somebody” from his first album in eight years, ‘BLACKsummers’night.’

Lewis, a three-time Grammy nominee, performed “Happy,” from her second album, “Echo.”

All three performances echoed the spirit of the CNN Heroes campaign, which salutes everyday people whose extraordinary accomplishments are making a difference in their communities and beyond.

Presenters included Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Neil Patrick Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Randy Jackson, Greg Kinnear, George Lopez and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

“This record number of nominations is further evidence of the momentum CNN Heroes has built in just a few short years,” said Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide.

“Viewers have been engaged by these stories of inspiration and accomplishment beyond our expectations. It is truly an honor to be able to introduce the CNN Heroes to our global audience every year.”

Again this year, producer/director Joel Gallen served as executive producer of “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute.” Among his credits, Gallen produced telethon events supporting victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina, winning an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award for “America: A Tribute to Heroes.”

(Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/11/16/cnnheroes.tribute.show/index.html)

By Margaux Salcedo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

I USED to think there were no good restaurants in San Juan, Metro Manila. That all there was to this city were the franchised restaurants in Greenhills. Wrong.

There’s an inner street that has wonderful food finds for the food lover. Alex III conspicuously stands at the corner of Abad Santos and Wilson but the better treasures lie deeper into the avenue.

The first quaint find is Little Store on the Hill, which I presume every foodie knows about. It is literally a little store, reminiscent of old mini mart grocery stores but with the addition of a twelve- or so seater of a karinderya inside. You order cafeteria style. What is endearing about this place is that it is so Chinese-Filipino, mixing favorite canned fruits like lychee with Filipino candies like Chocnut, and offering black chicken soup with balut. (unhatched fertilized duck egg)

The black chicken soup with balut, as I just discovered, is amazing. First of all, I have never had balut in soup before. Balut with salt, yes; balut foie gras in frou frou restaurants, yes. But balut in a soup? Never. It was an interesting turn because the balut flavors were not as strong as if you just peeled the shell. Still, it was not the soup that enhanced the balut but the balut that enhanced the soup, as it should. Secondly, there is something about black chicken that gives an edge to chicken stock. From first sip, you will notice the difference. This is no ordinary broth.

The lumpia (spring roll) at Little Store on the Hill is also worth going to the hills for. It is presented in one generous serving. The difference between this and other lumpias that I have tried is that the filling is chopped so finely that it is almost grainy. The benefit of this style is that all the flavors of the filling are really melded together and because the ingredients are finely chopped, they add texture to what would otherwise be an ordinary lumpia.

Further down the hill is Ristra, a Mexican “fast food that offers slow food” which I had written about a few issues back. If you want some fajita that you don’t mind going to your hita (thigh), this is where you want to say “Ole.” Across is BarBQ which Mayor JV Ejercito testifies has very good (what else?) barbecue.

Right beside BarBQ is House of Lasagna, owned by a passionate chef named Erick Congmon. Erick offers a mean lasagna that is packed with beef (you may also opt to order a chicken lasagna). Its flavors are so strong that the fancy iced tea on the drink menu complements it well. Upon striking a conversation with regulars who happened to be in the restaurant as my friend and I dined, I learned that Erick’s family owns the well-loved Sunburst restaurant in Cebu City, which is why he also offers, alongside the lasagna, a Southern Fried Chicken that he’s very proud of, a recipe that he inherited from his grandfather who learned to cook fried chicken from Kentucky Fried in the US. I honestly found the chicken to be on the salty side but I will admit that I was taken in by the crispiness of its skin. House of Lasagna also offers cakes. The blueberry cheesecake is on the rubbery side but the sans rival with cashew nuts is an ideal dessert that hits just the right level of sweetness.

Down the curb is a newly opened Mann Hann, whose exteriors are very modern (and white) and whose interiors are very spacious (think of a very high ceiling). On every visit that I paid to Mann Hann (I totaled three before writing this), the place was full, testimony to the formula of reasonably good food at reasonably good prices. The menu is not exceptional, offering your usual beef with broccolli and yang chow fried rice. But it has its strengths. The Chinese beef tenderloin is so tender that it could easily be mistaken for pork. The Fookien fried rice is loaded with toppings that it could be a meal on its own. If you do decide to visit, do try to make sure that you still fit between the columns leading to the exit after your meal.

My favorite stop on Abad Santos, however, is still a pizza place. Right across Mann Hann is Sandy’s Pizza. Word has it that Sandy is the sister of Gabby Concepcion. I think she’s gorgeous. But any man who has tasted Sandy’s Pizza will fall in love with her not just for her beauty or personality but for the pizza. It’s that good. Their best-seller is the white cheese. But I especially love her experimental pizzas. Other experimental pizzas (like a bagnet pizza I tried a month ago) appear like they are trying too hard. But this girl knows her pizza. Take the Indian Chicken Curry pizza. You get a hint of curry and a hint of chicken while you are able to appreciate the pizza as a whole. Or the Filipino flavors. The tocino pizza is able to cunningly highlight the sweetness of the cured pork, while the saltiness of the tuyo (dried fish) is evident in the Garlic Tuyo in Olive Oil pizza. All flavors are present without them bastardizing the essence of our favorite junk food.

So the next time you want to go on a food trip, think Abad Santos in San Juan. The hills are alive! •

Little Store on the Hill. 2 J. Abad Santos Street, Little Baguio, San Juan. Tel. 721-9174 or 721-2359.

Ristras. J. Abad Santos cor. Lopez Jaena St., San Juan.

House of Lasagna. J. Abad Santos cor. V. Cruz St., Little Baguio, San Juan. Tel. 994-7284; 0917-9716149; 0927-2621653.

Mann Hann. 233 J. Abad Santos St., Little Baguio, San Juan. Tel. 726-3706; 725-8515.

Sandy’s Pizza. (Across Mann Hann). J. Abad Santos St., Little Baguio, San Juan Tel. 721-8329; 721-8334.

All cash basis only (as of the moment; a lot are new restaurants). On average, around P300 per head. All wheelchair- accessible.

Source: http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/sim/sim/view/20090802-218329/The-Hills-are-Alive-with-Good-Food

By JOSIE NATORI Published: June 13, 2009 - The New York Times

I was born in the Philippines, where there’s a strong entrepreneurial spirit that is about more than just money. You just go into business and help yourself. That could mean running a jitney or selling fruit on the street.

My father founded a construction company, and my grandmother had many businesses, including a pharmacy. Even when I was a small child, she made it clear that I was expected to make something of my career.

I studied piano seriously throughout my childhood and adolescence. But by the time I came to the United States to attend Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y., I knew I wanted to go into business. After taking every single economics class at Manhattanville, I enrolled in extra courses at Fordham.

Two weeks after graduation, I started a job in corporate finance at Bache & Company. I spent six months on a transaction for Levitz Furniture. Then, because I was from Manila, I was recruited to help open the branch office there. At 21, I became the sole broker and assistant manager of that office, hiring and training more than 20 people.

For the next two years, I sold equities, traded commodities and did arbitrage. Manila has a 12-hour time difference from New York, so I would be at my desk and on the phone at 2 in the morning. I wore miniskirts to work, which horrified my father. Perhaps unlike a lot of young women, I never felt the need to turn myself into a man and wear pinstripes to be successful.

But I realized I wasn’t a trader at heart. You need a stomach of steel to lose money and not take it personally. I saw clients’ losses and became an emotional wreck. So when the Philippine business environment became tougher for American firms and the office closed down, I went back to New York and got a job in investment banking at Merrill Lynch, covering public utilities.

After six years at Merrill I had become the first woman V.P. in corporate finance, but I was really bored. I wanted to be like my grandmother and have my own company. In retrospect, there was a creative side of me that needed fulfilling, too.

With my husband, Ken, who was very happy at Smith Barney, I began looking at hundreds of ideas of businesses to start or buy: scuba rental, children’s toys, carwashes. I would work at Merrill all week, then on Saturday stand on a street corner next to a carwash in the Bronx, counting the cars and calculating the cash flows.

Amid all this research, I thought, “I have to do something connected to the Philippines.” Friends in Manila shipped over sample products for sale: woven baskets, reproduction furniture. One day I got a suitcase of embroidered blouses. After a lot of networking, cold calls and meetings, I met a lingerie buyer from Bloomingdale’s. As soon as she saw the blouses, she asked if I would sell them as nightshirts. That was the beginning of Natori as a company.

In 1977, the lingerie industry was small and ready for something new. I left Merrill, put together a 20-piece collection and showed it in my living room. Saks gave us our first order, along with a large ad in The New York Times. Suddenly our problem was figuring out how to meet all the demand. I had racks of clothes all over the apartment, and a Telex machine next to my son’s crib, pounding out messages all night from suppliers in the Philippines. My son slept well and, like me, he got early exposure to the world of business.

Today, Natori sleepwear and lingerie are sold in 25 countries and we’ve started ready-to-wear and home collections, too. While I’m grateful to be in business after 32 years, I don’t consider us a success. Building a company is like composing a piece of music. You can’t keep playing the same notes all the time; you have to constantly be improvising something new.

As told to Daisy Wademan Dowling.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/jobs/14boss.html?_r=1

By Bayani San Diego Jr.

Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—In a stunning dark horse triumph, Filipino filmmaker Brillante “Dante” Mendoza won the Best Director prize for “Kinatay” at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival on Sunday (Monday morning in Manila).

“I feel like I’m floating,” Mendoza told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an exclusive phone interview from France, minutes after his win in the world’s most prestigious film festival. “I’m so happy.”

Mendoza bested past Oscar and Cannes winners, like Taiwan’s Ang Lee, Spain’s Pedro Almodovar, New Zealand’s Jane Campion, Denmark’s Lars von Trier, and the United States’ Quentin Tarantino.

As the first Filipino to win the Best Director prize in Cannes, he joins the list of revered filmmakers who have won the coveted prize, including Martin Scorsese, Ingmar Bergman, Francois Truffaut, Luis Buñuel, Robert Bresson, Costa Gavras, Bernard Tavernier, Werner Herzog, Robert Altman, Joel Coen and Gus Van Sant.

Calling from backstage at the Palais’ Salle Lumiere, where the awards ceremony was held, Mendoza told the Inquirer that winning the Best Director prize was “vindication” after his film was pummeled by critics—just like “Serbis,” his Main Competition entry in Cannes last year.

“Kinatay,” which means massacre, is a gritty look at the slow butchering of a prostitute with blunt kitchen knives.

“Serbis,” is about a family who lives in and operates a run-down porn theater with long close-ups of festering boils and overflowing toilets.

Real stories

Both films background the Philippines’ poor, with “Kinatay” chronicling a day in the life of a young police officer that begins with his wedding and closes with his involvement in the rape, murder and hacking into pieces of a prostitute.

“This is not just entertainment, these kinds of stories are real,” Mendoza said.

He said he felt validated standing by his aesthetic choices. “It feels good. The sting of all the negative reviews is lessened because, in the end, the director’s message was heard.”

Mendoza’s Cannes triumph is all the more significant because it came only two days after National Artist Lino Brocka’s 18th death anniversary on May 22.

Historic triumph

Filipino filmmaker Mel Chionglo told the Inquirer: “It’s a first for Philippine movies. Dante has triumphed where even the great Lino Brocka had failed to win a prize. Now, Dante has really flung open the doors for Filipino films internationally.”

Chionglo added that his colleagues in the Directors’ Guild of the Philippines Inc., of which Mendoza is also a board member, are “mighty proud of this historic triumph.”

Raymond Red’s film “Anino” won the Palme D’Or for Short Film in 2000, but it’s the first time for the country to win in the Cannes’ Main Competition. “It’s the first major award from one of the top three festivals in the world: Cannes, Berlin and Venice,” Chionglo said Monday.

Brocka, the first Filipino to be exhibited and to compete in Cannes in the 1970s, never won in the festival, but is largely credited for paving the way for today’s generation of Filipino filmmakers, he related.

Brocka must be cheering

Richard and Mary Corliss of Time magazine called Mendoza “the forlorn hope of Philippine cinema.”

Mendoza’s triumph was regarded as a surprise because this year’s competition was touted by Variety as the “biggest heavyweight auteur smackdown in recent years.”

Although it was called “divisive and controversial,” it was generally commended for its technical competence by Cannes critics.

In an interview with the Inquirer Monday, talent manager and Brocka friend Ed Instrella said: “Seeing Brillante’s name among the world’s best in competition is a great honor in itself. Brocka must be cheering him loudly up where he is now. Surely, Brillante must be doing something good.”

Tarantino defends

Tarantino himself, whose entry “Inglourious Basterds” was also panned by critics, singled out “Kinatay” as “extraordinary.”

He told Metro, a French newspaper: “I’d gladly defend ‘Kinatay’ … it reminded me of Brian de Palma.”

Filipino actress Mercedes Cabral, who was in the cast of two award-winning films (“Kinatay” and “Thirst”) in this year’s Cannes, told the Inquirer Monday: “I’m so proud to have worked with Direk Dante.”

Collective gasp, boos

It was reported that the announcement of Mendoza’s win as best director was met with a collective gasp, followed by boos.

(According to the New York Times, the announcement of the Jury Prize winners, British Andrea Arnold’s “Fish Tank” and Korean Park Chan-Wook’s “Thirst,” was also greeted by hisses.)

In a press conference attended by jury members, a reporter asked jurors to comment on the audience’s reaction.

The nine-member Cannes jury headed by French actress Isabelle Huppert defended Mendoza, as well as their other choices.

Powerful

Juror Nuri Bilge Ceylan, a filmmaker from Turkey, told the press: “It’s the most powerful film in the selection. It’s one of the most original … It created [its own] style for the subject matter.”

Juror Hanif Kureishi, a screenwriter from United Kingdom, conceded at the press conference: “It’s not a date movie. I wouldn’t suggest that you bring your lover to watch it. It’s not a film I would see again. But good art is sometimes hard.”

In justifying their picks, jury president Huppert said: “We found ourselves being attracted to the same films … movies that deserve to get the world’s attention.”

Mendoza related: “Isabelle Huppert told me that, from start to finish, she couldn’t take her eyes off my film.”

Asian films

Mendoza’s triumph comes in a year that marked a strong showing of Asian films in particular, and of “violent, dark” themes in general.

Mendoza said his message was simple: “It’s a dangerous world out there. We can no longer afford to feel safe and complacent. That’s why I didn’t want to make the audience feel detached while watching my film. I wanted to take them on a journey that will immerse them … as witnesses to a brutal murder.”

Mendoza shared two wishes: That his own countrymen would “appreciate” his kind of movies and that the Philippine government would beef up its support of local independent movies.

“I am aware that indie films are not commercial entertainment,” he said. “But I also hope Filipinos won’t focus on the negative and will emphasize the positive instead.”

No. 1 critic

Mendoza admitted that the road to Cannes was “long and arduous.”

“It’s sad,” he owned up. “Sometimes I feel I’m all alone in this struggle. Sometimes I don’t feel welcome back home. I hope our countrymen will embrace my films, too.”

Mendoza said that he was sharing his award to all the Filipino filmmakers who had come before and would come after him.

In his acceptance speech, he shared his victory with his producer Didier Costet, his “committed staff and crew” and his lead actor Coco Martin.

Mendoza also dedicated his award to 12-year-old daughter Angelica, his No. 1 critic.

“She was with me when I did the final sound mixing in Paris,” he recalled. “But she had to go back to the Philippines for summer camp.”

The truth is not pretty

The Philippine government should “recognize artists’ efforts to bring honor to the country,” Mendoza said. “It’s hard when you’re on your own in a foreign land. We need all the encouragement and support we could get.”

He added that the government shouldn’t limit itself to the promotion of films that “showcase tourism—beautiful beaches and the countryside.”

“Let’s not live in the 1970s. Our films should tackle present-day realities,” Mendoza said.

It may not paint a pretty picture, he said, but it’s the truth. With reports from Ruben V. Nepales, Agence France-Presse and Associated Press

Source: http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20090526-207158/Mendoza-is-best-director-at-Cannes

by Carlo F. Florendo

An Inside Scoop Why the 2010 Elections Will Fail

Are you from the software, electronics, or IT industry? If so, check out the companies that bid for the election automation software and hardware and you’d realize we’ve never heard of them nor had done business with them before.  We’re all in for a great surprise for it seems that some companies bidding for the automation are not software companies but rather appear to be fly-by-night groups and consortiums that were only formed yesterday.  This seems reminiscent of what had happened in 2004 to the 1.2 billion-peso worth of Mega Pacific counting machines that will never be used.  We taxpayers are still paying millions for the warehousing of these counting machines that will never be used.

It is very sad to note that the COMELEC had rejected the open-system proposed and programmed by computer and software experts from the the leading Computer Science research department in the Philippines, the Department of Computer Science at UP Diliman.  If the hush hush around the Sunken Garden is true, the automation process being rushed right now by the COMELEC is one big joke since it’s all part of a grand plan for a failure of election.

The open-system proposed and developed by the UP experts is a system that will not cost the government 11.3 billion pesos.  The software will be given by the system developers from UP for free.  It had been programmed for free.  This is where the problem lies.  This is probably one reason for the alleged COMELEC debunking of the computer system.  If it’s free, then there would be no kickbacks.  If there would be no kickbacks, no one will be interested in looking at this automation system.

The open-system system developed by the UP experts automates the counting, and not the voting process.  This distinction is subtle but very important.  Let the people vote in the old fashioned way so as not to confuse lolo and lola.  However, when the counting begins, that’s when the story turns into a different chapter.  That’s when state-of-the-art counting and tallying takes place and that is what the open-system does and that is precisely what we need.

The automation of the actual voting procedure at the precinct level is the part that does not need to be automated.  Let lolo and lola vote in the same manner they have done for years.  Allow me to explain why this is so.  At the precinct level, the possibility of cheating during canvassing would be very difficult to carry out.  The reason for this is that, while the teachers are tallying the votes, there are watchers from all parties and watchdogs from the neutral groups, all looking at the ballots, its entries, and the corresponding tally on the blackboards at the public school classrooms.  At the precinct level, it is very hard to cheat.

Thus, the automation should be done after the manual tallying at the precinct level.  To explain this computer system in the most understandable manner, allow us to describe the system in non-technical terms.  In its simplest case, the open-system programmed by the UP Computer Science experts is a networked computer system.  Each machine of the network has one single operation that could be operated with only one single button once the inputs are entered.  This button is the “ADD” button.   The “ADD” button adds up the individual tallies that are input into the system.  On each higher level of the tally, only the “ADD” button can be operated.  Thus, the results would propagate to the final counting machines without alteration of the results in each level.  This is the crucial part of the counting and this is where cheating takes place with the manual system.  In the manual system, it is easy to pad a single zero to any number in the certificate of canvass.  Pad three zeroes and we have grown the votes to a thousand without having to bribe all the poll watchers and canvassers at the precinct level.

The open-system that had been designed, proposed, and programmed by the UP experts has this single-operation feature as its strength.  The networking of computers enables the quick addition from the other computers at the different locations.  The results would then propagate to the other computers in the network, with only the “ADD” button being pressed  until the results would reach the central servers.  There are added security features to the “ADD” button which can be easily programmed later on if Congress would want to scrutinize the counting machines’ security.

The current networking infrastructure we have from Smart, Globe, and Sun is more than enough for the speedy counting.  The results would be published real-time in the Internet so  everyone will know the results real-time, every step of the way, anywhere in the world.  In that way, the entire nation becomes the watchdog from their computers.  Then, all the results from each precinct or district will be available real-time online so anyone could verify the computers’ addition with a calculator or pen and paper.

With the open-system designed by the UP computer scientists, the inputs to the system will only be done ONCE. Once an input is entered, it cannot be changed in any way.  Whether the inputs would be done on the district level or municipal level or in the precinct level does not matter.  The number of computers or counting machines could be customized and the only constraint is the number of computers the COMELEC would be willing to deploy.  The UP computer scientists’
estimate of the total automation cost is just 4 billion including everything else such as the cost for communications and training.

Election automation is possible with this open-system programmed by the UP experts and the earmarked 11.3 billion for the automation would be more than enough for the automation system.

With the hi-tech software system that UP developed for the COMELEC, the COMELEC need not rack its brains in coming up with  solutions to automation.  The solution had already been programmed by the experts.

To the politicians who pretend to know that they can hack the system, I bet that  the UP experts could accept the challenge.  Hire anyone who can hack a simple system that can only “ADD” votes.  Test the system and make it fail.  I can vouch for the UP experts since they have no other interest or gain in having programmed this system except to assure a “cheatless” election in 2010.

I wonder why it was said that the COMELEC refused this expert system.  The only reason perhaps is that it does not want automation.  If there is no automation, then this goes against the automation law enacted by Congress.  If this goes against the law enacted by Congress, then the manual election is unconstitutional.  If the manual election is unconstitutional, then there is a failure of election.  If there is a failure of election, then martial law is declared and an interim government appointed. This will be the state of the nation in 2010.

Carlo Florendo
Senior Software Engineer
Astra Philippines, Inc. (astra.ph)
Astra Group of Companies, Tokyo, Japan (astra.co.jp)

By Scott Gilfoid: I really hate to gloat but I think I told the Ricky Hatton fans that he would be knocked out, and as usual, I was right. I knew he was going to lose but I didn’t think he was going to get beaten so easily by Manny Pacquiao.I guess I overestimated Hatton’s talents a little. Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) made easy work of the British bulldog, knocking him down three times in the fight - twice in the 1st and a final time in the 2nd - before the fight was stopped after Hatton was knocked cold by a big left hook from Pacquiao in the final seconds of the 2nd round.

Hatton couldn’t get up, and just laid there out cold on the canvas while a medical team was rushed into give him assistance. Referee Kenny Bayless officially stopped the bout at 2:59 of the 2nd.

After the fight, Hatton’s trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. suggested that Hatton should retire from boxing, and I have to agree with him. However, it isn’t that Hatton has lost a step or anything over the years, but rather when Hatton finally fought a good opponent, his mediocre skills were exposed.

The problem with Hatton is that he hasn’t been facing the best fighters in the light welterweight division for many years and when he finally did have to face a good fighter for a change, the logical conclusion was that he would get knocked out.

Believe me, if Hatton had faced Junior Witter, Timothy Bradley, Kendall Holt, Victor Ortiz, Ricardo Torres, Marcos Maidana, Nate Campbell or Joan Guzman, he would have been knocked out long ago. I think Hatton should probably retire, though, because if he continues fighting, he won’t face the good light welterweights and will likely continue to pick and choose fighters that he feels that he beat.

Forget about him fighting any of those guys. If anything, we’ll see him against the softest opposition available and then probably against some big named opponent that will rip him a new backside like Pacquiao did. It isn’t that Hatton is shot, it’s that this is what happens when a fighter takes a big step up against more talented opponents. It would have likely happened many times already if Hatton had fought better fighters, but oh well.

Gone is Hatton’s chance at a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez, because I can’t see either of those fighters wanting to waste their precious time fighting Hatton after this knockout loss. If Hatton wants to rebuild his credibility, there’s only one way to do it and that’s by fighting the top light welterweights in the division, and I’m not talking about Paulie Malignaggi either.

Hatton looked like he had forgotten absolutely everything that Mayweather Sr. had taught him. There was little head movement, no jab, little technical skills by him and just his usual bum rushing style. It was frankly hilarious to watch him. Hatton was fighting the same way that he had always fought against his mostly soft opposition.

Of course, it wasn’t going to work against a good fighter like Pacquiao. Mayweather Jr. exposed Hatton, as did Juan Lazcano, but you could see that Hatton’s ability was very crude and one-dimensional dating back to even his fight against a shot Kostya Tszyu in 2005.

In the 1st round, Hatton mostly tried to mug Pacquiao the same way that he did to Tszyu, attempting to clinch and wrestle him. Pacquiao, however, was much too clever and nailed Hatton repeatedly with left hands and right hooks as Hatton would lunge in to grab him.

When Hatton would try to punch from the outside, he’d miss much of the time due to his poor hand speed and the fact that he was telegraphing his shots. Near the end of the round, Pacquiao nailed Hatton with a right hook as Hatton was attempting to land a wild left hook of his own, dropping Hatton to the canvas at :56 of the round.

Hatton landed face first into the canvas. He got up, took a standing eight and continued to try and mug Pacquiao. However, as Hatton was trying to grab Pacquiao, he was hit with a two hard left hands and dropped in the corner with only seven seconds to go in the round. Luckily for Hatton, by the time he got to his feet, the time in the round ran out and he was allowed to escape intact.

In between rounds, Hatton looked hurt and totally out of it, like he was in out space. It was funny, because I knew he was going to get stretched as soon as the action started again. Boy, was I right.

In the 2nd round, Hatton continued to fight without using a jab or head movement, just plowing ahead in his old style and trying to take Pacquiao’s head off with wild rights and lefts. Hatton missed more often than not, and was countered by big right hooks and left hands from Pacquiao. Hatton was warned for using one of his old weapons, the trusty rabbit punch while in close.

Following that, Hatton landed a couple of shots, but was getting riddled to pieces by the sharpshooting from Pacquiao. Seconds later, Pacquiao tagged Hatton with a big left hand with seven seconds to go in the round, sending Hatton down for the third and final time in the fight.

Hatton was out cold even before he hit the canvas, and after he landed hard on his back, with his head bouncing off the canvas, Hatton just laid there with eyes partially open, not moving. The fight was then stopped and a medical team rushed into to assist Hatton. It must have taken at least a minute or more for Hatton to awaken, but he looked fine after he came out of it.

Like I said, Hatton probably needs to retire from the sport. I think he should continue if he were serious about wanting to fight the best in the light welterweight division, but that’s not going to happen, so I’d like to see him retire rather than to see him carry on and continue fighting opponents like Lazcano, and Malignaggi.

Souce: http://www.boxingnews24.com/2009/05/pacquiao-destroys-hatton-mayweather-sr-wants-ricky-to-retire-news/

Filipino comicbook artist, Whilce Portacio

A few weeks before the Nov 4 elections, one of the more dramatic Public Service Announcements (PSA) shown in the media to urge people to vote had the theme, “Use Your Power.” The commercial showed an outstanding Filipino comic artist at work and said, “If you had the power to inspire and to make a difference, would you use it or would you waste it and strip it away? On Nov 4, use your power and vote.” The producers couldn’t have chosen a better and more deserving artist born with a great talent than Whilce Portacio.

Not many Filipinos know that their kababayan, Whilce Portacio, is the genius comic artist behind such superheroes as Batman, Superman and the X-Men. Though his achievements show that Whilce has truly used his great talent to inspire and make a difference, what is even more inspiring is the man’s resiliency and determination to use his talents, in spite of almost insurmountable odds.

Born in Sangley Point, Cavite City, Philippines, Portacio later moved to San Diego with his family. He started out as an inker at Marvel Comics in 1985. Later he was given assignments as a penciller as well. Whilce became noted for his work on such popular Marvel Comic titles as The Punisher, X-Factor, and the Uncanny X-Men. Whilce used distinctive & original framing style together with his penciling style and when he was assigned to do the X-men, he then created the mutants Bishop & Fitzroy. He was also the one that gave Gambit’s new look that made him popular.

In 1992, Whilce left Marvel and co-founded Image Comics with six other high-profile artists. He had to withdraw from Image, however, due to his sister’s illness. Portacio eventually published his own title, Wetworks, in 1994.

Other notable series that Portacio has worked on include Stone and Marvel’s controversial Heroes Reborn storyline within Iron Man.

In August, 2000, Portacio fell into a diabetic coma as a result of a failing pancreas. He woke up a week later, thirty pounds lighter, and unable to walk, stand or even draw. In a blog, Whilce described in detail what he had to go through.

“I went into a coma and was admitted to Sharps Hospital in San Diego with a blood sugar of 1600bs. I made the record books with that sugar level, and the way (my) body fluids want to leave (my) body at that point. I guess that’s why I woke up having lost thirty pounds in that one week. What I looked like in Intensive care…they told me I looked like I had been floating in the river for ten days.”

Amazingly, Whilce woke up from coma after a week. He went thru dialysis three times, stopped breathing once and could hardly do anything for six months.

He explained, “You can’t understand what my mind went thru that one day before August of 2000 I could draw with the ease that a lifetime of art training had given me and then in one day to wake up after losing one week in my life and all of a sudden thirty pounds lighter, not being able to walk, in fact barely being able to stand, but most important, not being able to draw anymore. My mind could see what I wanted to draw but my hand couldn’t accomplish it. It was six months before I could pick up a pencil again and draw SOMETHING, anything. It was a year later before I could draw somewhat like I use to. My biggest problem was not being able to “see” with my eye whether things like eyes and ears were aligned or even the same size. Sometimes I couldn’t even see if what I had drawn was any good at all.”

Like the superheroes that he drew, Whilce fought his health battle. Only six months later he was able to pick up a pencil and draw, but it wasn’t easy.

“From 2002 to 2004, I thought I had it back,” said Portacio. “But, as you could see by the uneven quality of some of my work then, like Storm Watch, I was still being affected by my diabetes.”

But it’s hard to keep a good fighter down. The resilient comic genius just kept going and going. He described the restorative period from 2004-2006, as “joyous ones for me because my condition was under control most of the time and I was able to draw six issues of Wetworks and four issues of Batman with the style and quality very reminiscent of my old style.”

In 2006, Portacio returned to his artistic duties at Wildstorm on Wetworks vol. 2, which was being written by Mike Carey. The new Wetworks series was short-lived though, lasting only 15 issues. He also began art duties on the new monthly DC Comics series Batman Confidential.

The comic artist has also been going places, being invited to teach and speak during conferences such as when he was the guest speaker at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2007.

Recently, Portacio was told by his doctor that his pancreas are failing. But, his attitude, as revealed in his blogs, show why this man is a winner. “This isn’t the end-all. There are many, many other diabetics worst off than I. For that, I thank GOD. I’ve got many, many, many years of productive art ahead of me. It’s just a matter of adjusting my life style to fit my condition,” he said.

It certainly looks like Portacio has been able to adjust his lifestyle to fit his condition. Two months ago, Spawn #185 came out with Portacio providing the images.

Portacio feels very optimistic about the future. “Thankfully I can still draw. I am feeling great especially because now and for the last two years I can draw anything I want to…again,” he said. Speaking about his comic heroes, Whilce says, “Wait till you see what I have in store for our guys and gals in gold. I’ve got so much planned for them. I am thrilled by the response so far to the storyline and can’t wait till you see what’s to come.”

Yes, Whilce keep ‘em coming!

( www.asianjournal.com )

( Published on December 6, 2008 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A14)

International singing sensation Charice Pempengco is scheduled to perform at an afterparty of the prestigious Oscar Awards 2009 night in Hollywood.

She has also been recognized as one of the “shining stars of 2009? alongside George Clooney, Robert Pattinson and Kate Winslet by Liz Smith in Fox News’ Lips & Ears.

Charice will be staying for a while in Los Angeles to record her debut album, with Foster, a well-known star-maker, as producer.

Source: http://www.mukamo.com/charice-pempengco-oscars-2009-afterparty/

Saturday, 25 October 2008 12:11 Billy Dela Cruz/AJPress

379

Monessa Catuncan

UNITED States Air Force F-16 fighter pilot Monessa Catuncan doesn’t just maneuver an aircraft whenever she’s on air—she also carries the Philippine flag and the pride of the country it represents and the people in it.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon or most commonly known as the “Viper” is a state-of-the-art fighter aircraft. It has been a high-performance weapon system for the US and allied nations for it has been used in numerous air-to-air combats. This specific aircraft has exceeded all the potential threat fighter aircrafts. Its feature as an offense-defense weapon is very precise that it can perform  on any weather condition. This kind of plane is a complicated device meant to be handled by highly qualified pilots. The F-16 or the Viper has played vital roles in most of America’s wars with the most recent being in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. An F-16 fighter plane is what Monessa Catuncan navigates.

But before Monessa even set foot to the elite US Air Force, this humble Pinay, like almost everybody else earned her way to success.

The twenty-six-year-old Monessa is the youngest daughter of Ramons and Teody Catuncan of Mesquite, Texas.  She graduated in 2000 as a Valedictorian in a class of 693 in Mesquite High School.  She was then accepted to the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado Springs, that same year. While at USAFA, Monessa, aside from pursuing her desired career as part of the US Air Force, served as a Squadron Commander, a Division-1 tennis player, a Glider Instructor Pilot, and a member of the Glider Acrobatic Team, among other essential positions.  In 2004, Monessa graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Astronautical Engineering from the USAFA.

Like all of her colleagues, Monessa went through an Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) before becoming a fighter pilot. However, she didn’t just pass her UPT – she excelled in it.

She then started her pilot career flying a T-6 Texan at the Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia. This aircraft is the basic trainer for every Air Force aspiring pilots. After this training, students will then choose whether to fly fighter/bomber aircrafts or cargo/refueling aircrafts. Most of the time, only top students in the class are given the option to fly fighter/bomber aircrafts.

Monessa proved herself, and finished the course as one of the top student-pilots in her class. She was then chosen to fly either a fighter or a bomber aircraft. After her course at Moody Air Force, she went to Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas and Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls to fly the T-38.   In her training there, Monessa learned the basics of formation flying, offensive and defensive fighter maneuvering, and surface attack bombing techniques. Monessa went through intense studying and was put in a variety of stressful situations in order to pass this training.

From flying T- 38, she had an option of choosing from different aircrafts like the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15C Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, B-1B Lancer, A-10 Warthog, B-52 Stratofortress, and F/A-22 Raptor, and  T-6 or T-38 are also options. After her T-38 course, Monessa requested to fly an F-16 Falcon, and she got what she wanted.

Monessa went through with her training to hone her skill at maneuvering fighter jets at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona where she learned how to control and apply tactics of the F-16 Fighter Falcon, or Viper.   Monessa finished her course at Luke Air Force Base with flying colors and was part of the “Lucky number 13” graduate from class 2007.   She was the only woman in her group, not to mention the only Filipino to pass the much-coveted pilot course.

Monessa, who just recently pinned on Captain, is now assigned to 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base in Salt Lake City, Utah. She and her squadron just recently came back from Iraq where they served and supported the Army Troops on the ground through a variety of close air support missions.

The US Air Force is an elite organization and to a pilot, an F-16 fighter plane is a prized possession.   Monessa, through her perseverance and hard work, has earned not only the fly the F-16, but also the pride and honor of defending the United States, as well as making the Filipinos proud. (www.asianjournal.com)

(Published October 25, 2008 p.A11 LAWKND)

Source link: http://www.asianjournal.com/galing-pinoy/59-galing-pinoy/379-monessa-catuncan-a-filipina-takes-flight.html