Angeles City News November 2014

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Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs. Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

Angeles City Catholic Church

Sacrifice of the faithfuls by crucifying themselves.

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion. But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened . Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions. Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE? Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace? WHY?? There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance: The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.

CDC employees up in arms Over COA order to reimburse P21.2-M of health benefits

• Source: http://punto.com.ph/News/Article/21676/Volume-8-No-35/Headlines/CDC-employees-up-in-arms-br-i-Over-COA-order-to-reimburse-P21-2-M-of-health-benefits-i
• Thursday, November 20, 2014 1:11 AM

By Ding Cervantes

CLARK FREEPORT-Employees of the state-owned Clark Development Corp. (CDC) have slated prayer vigils and protest actions starting this Friday after the Commission on Audit (COA) ordered 720 of them to return some P21.2 million of health insurance benefits they used mostly for hospitalization in 2013.

In a two-page “Notice of Disallowance” dated last Oct. 6 and addressed to CDC President- CEO Arthur Tugade, the COA based in this freeport disallowed “payment of other personnel benefits- health care for the year 2013 amounting to P21,285,464.76.”

The notice, signed by COA audit team leader Imelda Lacson and supervising auditor Danilo Lagason, had a 14- page attachment listing the names of the health insurance beneficiaries with corresponding amount they were told to reimburse, mostly in five figures.

COA resident auditors in this freeport are entitled by CDC to full housing benefits on top of significant allowances.

A CDC union official who asked not to be quoted pending the finalization of protest plans, said that apart from daily prayer vigils during noon time breaks, the CDC workers are considering holding a rally in Malacanang, as Pres. Aquino has the power to reverse the COA ruling.

Among those listed are former CDC Executive Vice President Philip Jose Panlilio who is being required to reimburse P178,833, Vice President Mariz Mandocdoc for P232,411, and even three other CDC employees who have already died.

The COA notice said that the health insurance payments were “ irregular as defined under COA Circular No. 2012-003 dated Oct. 29, 2012” as it cited COA resolutions which “clarified that even GOCC (government owned and controlled corporations) that were SSL (Salary Standardization Law)-exempt did not have complete fiscal autonomy to adopt compensation, allowances and benefits packages without need of seeking approve from the Office of the President, upon recommendation of the Secretary of the Budget and Management.”

The COA notice also said that while the Governance Commission for GOCC ruling that “the principle of non-diminution of benefits applies to compensation, allowance and benefits which have been validly granted in the first place’,” this could not be invoked by the CDC “to legalize the unauthorized grant of compensation items and benefits in the public sector.”

The COA also held CDC Vice President for finance Noel Mananquil and seven other present and past CDC officials as being liable for allowing the health benefits of the personnel. A top CDC workers union official said the COA notice was “most inhuman.”

“Many of those in the list involve persons with continuing illnesses. Many more have children to send to school and now have to contend with this government insensitivity in the midst of financial scandals involving the highest officials in Malacanang,” he lamented.

The union official also noted that the granting of the health benefits was consulted with the COA years ago. “Now, the heads of government financial agencies are trying to outdo each other in raising savings or funds to impress Malacanang at the expense of ordinary workers. This is most insensitive,” he added.

Clark airport execs receive threats

• Source: http://www.philstar.com/nation/2014/11/19/1393189/clark-airport-execs-receive-threats
• Wednesday, November 19, 2014 - 12:00am

By Ding Cervantes

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Philippines – A week after Clark International Airport Corp.’s chief engineer was shot dead in Sta. Ignacia town, Tarlac, top executives of the CIAC have allegedly received threats through text messages.

This developed as Chief Inspector Crisanto Paac, Sta. Ignacia police chief, said a task group probing the murder of Ruel Angeles is focusing on the possibility that the murder was job-related.

A ranking CIAC official, who asked not to be named, said a member of the CIAC bids and awards committee (BAC) received a text message that said: “One down, more to go.”

“Four others, including two women, also received similar text messages,” the source said.

Almost all of those who received the messages are members of the BAC, which is handling the bidding for the procurement of a P250-million instrument landing system (ILS).

Angeles was a member of the BAC. He was shot dead by one of two motorcycle-riding men while driving his wife Crusenia and their grandson to a school in Barangay Pada-Pada in Sta. Ignacia.

Nation ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The killing occurred amid reported issues involving the bidding of the ILS.

Paac said Angeles would be buried today and that he assigned six police officers to protect Angeles’ family.

CDC security team complete anti-terrorism training

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2014/11/18/cdc-security-team-complete-anti-terrorism-training-377217
• Tuesday, November 18, 2014

By Reynaldo G. Navales

CLARK FREEPORT -- Personnel of the Special Reaction Unit here recently completed rigid training on anti-terrorism as part of the Clark Development Corporation preparation for the Asia Pacific Economic Conference (Apec) meeting set in January next year.

The special security course is aimed to enhance capability and efficiency of Clark security personnel.

CDC president and Chief Executive Officer Arthur Tugade said CDC is involved in preparations to ensure the safety of the 1,500 delegates and thousands of other guests during the major event.

"The security aspect for the APEC is governed by the national organizing committee. But we are in close collaboration since we are the first responder here in case there is a serious incident," said Tugade.

Tugade said personnel from the traffic, fire, investigation and SRU, and blue guards are undergoing various training facilitated by the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Philippine Air Force and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

He said an exercise to respond to bomb explosion and fire was recently conducted at the Holiday Inn to ensure swift response in case of emergency.

The dry run was attended by representatives from the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks, Widus Hotel, hotel Stotsenberg and Oxford Hotel.

CDC's incident command system (ICS) was activated to ensure standard documentation protocol of all activities happening particularly during the summit, said Tugade.

The Public Safety Department said there are now 24 security agencies inside the Freeport to ensure they are able to meet general security requirements for Apec.

CDC mid-year report highlights environmental effort

• Source: http://www.centralluzondaily.net/cdc-mid-year-report-highlights-environmental-effort/
• Monday, November 17, 2014 9:14 am

By Jess Malabanan

CLARK FREEPORT – The Clark Development Corporation (CDC) mid-year report highlighted environment protection as among its concerns to maintain an eco-friendly Freeport zone.

In the report, it said that CDC held the 11th Annual Recyclables Collection Event (RCE) where the accredited waste collectors of hazardous materials spent more than P500,000 during the event recently held at the CDC parking area here.

CDC’s Environmental Permits Department (EPD), in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environment Management Bureau Region III (DENR-EMB-III), aims to promote proper waste management through recycling, the report said.

CDC also upholds awareness among various small and medium establishments and residents in Clark on proper hazardous waste management through treatment and disposal for common hazardous wastes like busted lamps, waste oil, used lead-acid batteries (ULAB), and empty ink cartridges and toners.

If not properly collected, the hazardous waste might contribute in the growing environment pollution. CDC said it is also concern on its environment as it maintains a sound and eco-friendly Freeport.

CDC’s EPD said the participants during the collection of hazardous wastes were Dolamatric Phils. Inc. (DPI), Inkline Trading, Oriental & Motolite Marketing Corporation (OMMC), Positive A Envirotech Specialist (PAES) and Semirecycling Co. Inc. (SCI).

The report stated that DPI spent some P186,972 from the 15,581 pieces of busted lamps collected from various locators and residents of the Freeport during the one-day event.

If not properly disposed, the small amount of mercury content of a broken fluorescent lamp could contaminate the environment as big as an entire Olympic-size swimming pool, the EPD report said.

The battery firm spent a total of P268,927 on the 982 pieces of used lead-acid batteries collected; Semirecycling firm paid P48,894 for the 5,016 kilograms of used paper, plastics, metals, and other E-wastes; PAES paid P10,500 for the collected 2,216 liters of used oil from various motor vehicles; and Inkline Trading spent P9,115 for the empty and used ink cartridges of computer printers during the one-day collection.

The event generated P524,408 in total sales and volume of wastes collected.

After 2-yr absence, rebels back in Aurora

• Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/650934/after-2-yr-absence-rebels-back-in-aurora
• Sunday, November 16th, 2014|5:50 AM

By Philippine Daily Inquirer

CLARK FREEPORT—Aurora province’s insurgency-free status, which the military had declared more than two years ago, was put to test after a clash erupted between government soldiers and communist rebels on Thursday.

The first clash between Army soldiers and the New People’s Army rebels that broke out since the government declared Aurora free from the influence of communist rebels happened in Barangay Galintuja in Maria Aurora town, a report from the military’s Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) based in Tarlac City said.

The Army unit under the 56th Infantry Battalion acted on information provided by residents, Nolcom said.

The group of 10 NPA rebels seen in Maria Aurora was trying to cross over to Rizal province, said Capt. Mark Anthony Ruelos, public information officer of the military’s 7th Infantry Division based in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija province.

The military and the NPA did not report any casualty from the 30-minute gunfight, which began at 6:30 a.m.

Lt. Gen. Felicito Virgilio Trinidad Jr., Nolcom commander, said Nolcom forces have been monitoring the activities of the rebels.

“As expected, as the Christmas season approaches, the NPA remnants are out to launch various illegal activities in order to extort from the people who are preparing for the holiday festivities,” Trinidad said in a statement. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon

PH is ‘more fun’ country

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2014/11/15/ph-more-fun-country-376655
• Saturday, November 15, 2014

By Reynaldo G. Navales

CLARK FREEPORT -- An official of the Tourism Promotion Board (TPB) said that Filipino should prove the national slogan that "It's More Fun in the Philippines."

During the launching of "Visit Philippines Year 2015" in Clark on Friday, TPB Chief Operations Officer Domingo Ramon Enerio said that the Filipino people should show the world that that the Philippines is a more fun destination compared to other Asian countries.

"Are we really fun? Talaga bang fun tayong destination? If so, let's make sure that all of our guests who come to the Philippines have as much fun as we do," Enerio said.

"Let's make sure that are streets are clean. Let's make sure that there is food on the table to serve to our guests. Let’s make sure there are hotels that are fit for them to stay in," he added.

The "It's More Fun in the Philippines" tourism campaign gained the support of the people, according to Enerio. "It's a campaign that we feel took off because of the support given by people."

The campaign became successful because the word fun is easy to carry because people who travel to have fun and Filipinos are fun-loving persons, according to him.

Aside from this, the campaign slogan is not something that needs to be manufactured, he added.

Enerio said foreigners, when they were asked how is your travel in the Philippines would say "It’s More Fun in the Philippines."

The slogan also challenges every Filipinos to "walk the talk," Enerio said.

The Visit Philippines Year 2015 aims to encourage nationwide participation and inspire some 10 million foreign tourists to discover and explore the country.

The Year 2015 proves to be an exciting year for the country, Enerio said.

He cited the Papal Visit in January, Madrid Fusion in Manila in April, MTV Music Evolution in May and the Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) Ministerial Meetings and Leaders’ Summit.

Enerio also mentioned some of the country’s famous festival including the Sinulog, Dinagyang and Ati-atihan.

These festivals open the door for visitors to discover the Philippines’ rich heritage of centuries-old baroque churches, historical museums and local arts and Filipino craftsmanship.

He however clarified that Visit Philippines is not meant to replace “It’s More Fun in the Philippines, which will be the major campaign for the Philippines.

“In 2015, we will use the Visit the Philippines campaign to refresh the ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ slogan so that we can also showcase not just people but also the events,” Enerio pointed out.

At the same time, the TPB executive also urged local government units and tourism stakeholders to register and promote their events through visitph2015.com, the official website for the new campaign.

VPY 2015 aims to have one major occasion every quarter that would attract both domestic and international tourists, according to Enerio.

“The Tourism Department sees this as a great opportunity for businesses and stakeholders to share with the world the unique experiences and adventures the Philippines can offer,” he said.

Clark firm to infuse $170M for 2015 expansion project

• Source: http://www.centralluzondaily.net/clark-firm-to-infuse-170m-for-2015-expansion-project/
• Friday, November 14, 2014 AT 9:14 AM

By Jess Malabanan

CLARK FREEPORT – A leading computer chips manufacturing company here will pour an additional $170 million on top of its total investment for its expansion project next year, key officials told reporters yesterday. Kyuho Han, head of finance and director of Phoenix Semiconductor Philippines Corp. (PSPC), said the project would be built in a three-hectare land within the compound leased by the company, a move that would provide job opportunities for Central Luzon residents specifically from Pampanga and Tarlac. “The expansion plan would double our production. We will be hiring additional 1,000 workers,” said Han, adding that, at present, the PSPC has 1,500 workers in both administrative and technical departments. The construction of the new factory, Han added, will start on the last quarter of 2015. Since its operation in 2011, PSPC has been hailed as one of the top exporters in the country with combined assets amounting to $189.19 million as of December 2013. PSPC Vice President and CFO Dongjoo Kim, meanwhile, said the company will start selling shares to the public with P3.15 per share as initial offering. He said the offered shares are about P1.22 billion. “The earned funds would be used for the PSPC expansion project,” pointed out Han. In a related development, BDO Capital and Investment President Eduardo V. Francisco presided over an investment forum yesterday and discussed the initial public offering (IPO) of PSPC. PSPC is a wholly owned subsidiary of its parent company, the STS Semiconductors, a spinoff of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. PSPC is Samsung’s main supplier of memory semiconductor which is the largest outsourced assemble and test place of its kind in the region. “We supply chips for Samsung servers, computers and tablets, to name a few,” added Han. Kim said PSPC is pursuing an IPO with the goal of keeping up with the current demand for its main semiconductor business as well as open a new facility geared towards the production of computer chips for high-end mobile phones. Part of the expansion, Kim added, is to reach out more clients other than Samsung as he cited the tremendous growth in consumer electronics.

Police release sketch of gunman in Clark airport engineer’s murder

• Source: http://www.philstar.com/nation/2014/11/13/1391040/police-release-sketch-gunman-clark-airport-engineers-murder
• Thursday, November 13, 2014 - 12:00am

By Ding Cervantes and Ric Sapnu

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Philippines – A special task group investigating the murder of the chief engineer of the Clark International Airport has released a sketch of the alleged gunman.

Tarlac police director Senior Superintendent Alex Sintin, head of Task Group Angeles, said the sketch was based on the description of witnesses in the killing of Ruel Angeles, 55, in Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac on Monday.

“The gunman and his accomplice who drove their getaway motorcycle did not wear masks. The gunman was wearing a baseball cap,” he said.

“We are checking the rogues’ gallery if the sketch has a match,” he added.

Angeles’ wife, Crosenia, who was wounded in the incident, is still confined at the Central Luzon Doctors Medical Hospital in Tarlac City. Their four-year-old grandson was unhurt.

Sintin said agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group went to Clark airport yesterday to start the investigation.

“I must admit some difficulty in this case,” he said.

Clark International Airport Corp. president and chief executive officer Emigdio Tanjuatco told The STAR he issued a memorandum ordering all CIAC personnel to cooperate with police investigators.

The killing occurred amid issues involving the bidding of the airport’s P250-million Instrument Landing System this month. Angeles was a member of the CIAC bids and awards committee.

CDC hits P2B income

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2014/11/12/cdc-hits-p2b-income-376136
• Wednesday, November 12, 2014

By Reynaldo G. Navales

CLARK FREEPORT -- The Clark Development Corporation (CDC) has gained a total income of P2 billion during the first half of 2014, officials here said.

Based on the figure, the state-owned corporation’s net income, which was pegged at P277 million, went higher by 25 percent compared to the same period last year.

The net income was recorded excluding P220 million cash dividends remittance to the National Government, release of the 2013 Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) and payment of the employees who availed of optional retirement.

The CDC income was attributed to the full recognition of leases after the grace period, lease escalations, and incremental revenue shares.

It is also attributed to the contribution of all CDC departments to include lease/transfer fees from Business Development; permit fees from Business Enhancement and Public Safety Department; collection of arrears by Legal Department and Special Project for Resort Operations; traffic violations citations by PSD; and reduction of personnel services cost by not filling up positions vacated by the early retirement of employees.

The report also stated that fund management improved through programming of cash and setting aside various deposits and placements to the CDC Infrastructure; CDC Non-Infrastructure Account; CDC Retirement Fund Account; and CD OPEX/Working Capital Account.

P1-M Cisco lab being built in Angeles college

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2014/11/10/p1-m-cisco-lab-being-built-angeles-college-375753
• Monday, November 10, 2014

(AC-CIO)

ANGELES CITY -- Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan announced that a P1-million CISCO laboratory is currently being built in the City College of Angeles (CCA) during the college’s Monday flag raising ceremony for the start of the second semester for this school year.

According to Pamintuan, he was recently in talks with local business tycoon Dennis Uy and CISCO Networking Academy Program Manager Julius Sangalang Macaspac in the establishment of the said laboratory. He said that Uy was willing to donate P1-million for the hardware, while Macaspac will work on providing the CISCO networking software.

“This marks another milestone for the City College, which is now in its third year, in bringing competitive quality education for the poor but deserving students of Angeles City,” said the mayor.

Jannet Redoban, Dean of the Institute of Computing Studies and Library Information Science, said that the laboratory will allow them to explore Cisco Networking Academy Program Delivery: Networking Academy which “delivers a comprehensive, 21st century learning experience to help students develop the foundational ICT skills needed to design, build, and manage networks, along with career skills such as problem solving, collaboration, and critical thinking.”

“Our students will complete hands-on learning activities and network simulations to develop practical skills that will help them fill a growing need for networking professionals around the world,” she added.

Excellence in Performing Arts

During the ceremony, the mayor also lauded the CCA’s performing arts groups for their active participation in the various events of the city.

“In just three years, we were able to develop skills and talents from the students of the City College as they are now consistently performing in various local events. I would especially like to extend my gratitude to them for their participation in the activities of the city’s 50th anniversary of the cityhood of Angeles,” Pamintuan expressed.

Last September, the CCA Dance Troupe also bagged the first place in the Mabacalat City College Tourism Skills Competition. A plaque of recognition was handed to the group by the mayor.

After the ceremonies, the mayor held a meeting with the college administration, headed by president Averell Laquindanum, where they discussed upcoming projects for the CCA, including peace and order measures, beautification and others.

CLARK FUN

• Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/luzon-newsbits-for-november-10-2014/
• Sunday, November 9, 2014

By Franco G. Regala

Clark Freeport, Pampanga — The state-owned Clark Development Corporation (CDC) said the celebration of the Clark Grand Festival this year will be packed with food, music and entertainment to amuse the expected 3,000 spectators. The CDC Tourism Promotions Office said the three-day event on December 5-7 seeks to enjoin the Clark community to hold simultaneous events, sales and promotions. “Besides the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, we also want to institutionalize an annual event that will bring in people from Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon,” said Noemi Garcia, TPO manager.

‘Sin City’ tag irks Pampanga folks

• Source: http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/11/08/-sin-city-tag-irks-pampanga-folks/
• Saturday, November 8, 2014 12:01 am

By Jess Malabanan

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga—International news tagging Angeles City as “Sin City” has hurt residents here and even communities abroad, says Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan amid a clamor to do something about an image problem.

An advocate who led in cleaning up the urban hub’s red-district image in the ‘90s, he blamed visiting foreigners for circulating photos of women in sexy outfits.

Raising a howl over a wire news report entitled “PH sin city was magnet for Briton charged in HK murders”, Pamintuan instead pointed to “abuses by foreigners themselves when they published in European magazines photos of our ladies in skimpy bikinis” that stigmatized the city.

“I guess we have to live with this kind of news till we finally decide to totally close all the clubs and bars in Balibago and Malabañas like what mayor [Alfredo] Lim did to Ermita in Manila more than two decades ago,” he said.

But Pamintuan admits that doing a Dirty Harry part 2 will do more harm than good in the local economy particularly the tourism sector.

In an informal forum, Marc Cain suggests transforming the place to an unobstrusive entertainment zone.

“As a compromise in consideration to surrounding two and three stars hotels and other dependent businesses, re-engineer this place along the side streets and not on the main road into an improved Asian version of Amsterdam’s ‘red-light district’ that will not make it cheap for the foreigners/tourists,” he said in his Facebook account.

Journalist Millete Caparas encouraged Pamintuan to revisit Fields Avenue even as she expressed disappointment on international press tagging Angeles City as “Sin City”, saying the story came “... at a time when we are becoming known for our restaurants’ culinary expertise” and more worthwhile attractions.

“If you can do that Mayor Ed, the people now and generations to come will forever be indebted to you,” she said.

Elmer Cato, senior executive of the Department of Foreign Affairs stationed in US, said “Angeles is nothing compared to Thailand and other destinations. What we need to do is to project the other side of the city” among other re-imaging strategies.

“There is more to Angeles than just Fields Avenue,” he said.

Brit charged in HK double slay frequented Angeles client

• Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/113993/brit-charged-in-hk-double-slay-frequented-angeles-client/
• Friday, November 7, 2014 1:56 am

(Agence France-Presse and Associated Press)

ANGELES CITY, Philippines—A wealthy British banker charged with grisly twin murders in Hong Kong was a regular in a red-light district here where he liked to flash his cash and was treated like a king.

The women in skimpy outfits working the short stretch of go-go and hostess bars of Angeles City remember Rurik Jutting fondly.

At the cramped Del Rio bar, workers said Jutting would swig bottles of a local low-calorie beer while handing out cash, buying everyone rounds of drinks and keeping an eye on one of the dancers, who would become his girlfriend.

Women would rush to the door when they saw Jutting arrive and lead him to his favorite spot, a moldy fake-leather couch that they covered with a pink blanket so he would not get rashes on his legs, said 26-year-old hostess Joy Reyes.

“He’s a big spender. Everyone would welcome him whenever he’s here. It also doesn’t hurt that he is handsome,” she said.

Jutting would pull out a folded wad of cash from his right pocket and would peel off notes from the bundle to give away, according to bartender Linda Laida, 43.

“It shows that he’s a banker. He knows how to count his money fast and knew exactly how much he was giving out,” Laida said.

Breakup

The women at the Del Rio said Jutting would spend up to P20,000 a night at the bar—the equivalent of an annual income for many people in the Philippines.

Jutting had been a regular there since January and soon began dating one of the hostesses who would later appear in photos with him on his Facebook page, according to her colleagues.

But the two apparently broke up in August after he was seen with a different woman on his arm, they said. That was the last time they saw him there.

The ex-girlfriend, who now works at another Angeles bar, did not return messages from Agence France-Presse seeking comment. A coworker said on Wednesday that she had not reported for work for four days.

2 Indonesian women murdered

Jutting, 29, was charged with murder this week in Hong Kong, where he worked as a securities trader for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, after police found two dead Indonesian women—29-year-old Seneng Mujiasih and 25-year-old Sumarti Ningsih—in his luxury apartment.

Ningsih had stab wounds to the buttock and neck, and Mujiasih was stuffed into a suitcase left on the balcony, also with cuts to her neck.

Police were alerted by Jutting himself and was waiting for them in his apartment when officers arrived.

Escape from poverty

Angeles City emerged as a red-light district decades ago when the United States had a major air base nearby.

The bars and love hotels remained after the base closed in 1991, continuing to lure women from the poorest Filipino families.

One of the workers at Del Rio, Len Alumarde, said she lost her job as a computer saleswoman when Super Typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) hit her hometown last year.

She moved to Angeles two months ago after being unable to find a job at home.

“I want to find a foreigner to help me support my family, or even just for friendship,” said the 24-year-old.

Alumarde said she earned up to P3,000 a night in tips from Koreans and Australians at the bar.

A drink for the women at the bar costs P250 and they receive P100 of that.

Managers of other bars said it was up to women to negotiate with their clients if they wanted to take them outside of the bar, with a night of sex costing around P1,000.

‘Paradise’

At nightfall, the Angeles bars light up and huge speakers blare out pop music while women try to entice customers into the bars.

In the lobby of a hotel where a hostess worker said Jutting once stayed, one clock displays Sydney time, another London time, while a third clock is set to Manila time and labeled “Paradise.”

“This is an entertainment place,” said 48-year-old Carol Bomedian, who has been running one bar for over a decade. “We have what they’re looking for.”

As Jutting waits in detention for his next Hong Kong court appearance on Monday, those who remember him in Angeles ponder what went wrong.

The women at Del Rio said Jutting was never a mean drunk and always entertaining when he took them out for dinner and a night of karaoke.

“He is not a sex maniac and he was always neatly dressed,” said 22-year-old dancer Jovelyn de los Santos.

“He wasn’t like other men who have only sex on their minds,” she added.

Different image

Jutting has a different reputation in Wan Chai, the red-light district in Hong Kong.

Allen Youngblood, an American jazz pianist who has lived in Hong Kong since 1992, called Jutting a bully who used his bulky body to push his way through crowds and drink from other’s glasses.

“He wanted to get two or three girls at the same time,” he said while sipping a vodka tonic. “He had a lot of money and used it on women. There are a lot of guys around here like that.”

On any given night, scores of foreign men and young, made-up Asian women fill the pubs on Lockhart Road, while outside on the sidewalk, hostesses in cocktail dresses swarm passing Western men, hoping to entice them into booming nightclubs.

That seedy scene long defined Hong Kong to outsiders, even as prostitution became more established in other neighborhoods, said John Carroll, a professor who specializes in the city’s history at University of Hong Kong.

Suzie Wong

“When they think of Wan Chai, for a lot of people, they think of Suzie Wong,” he said, referring to the fictional Hong Kong prostitute in a 1957 book about the city’s sex industry. “But there’s much more to Wan Chai.”

The neighborhood on Hong Kong island now includes middle-class apartment towers as well as blocks with some of the highest land prices in the world. Even the red-light district has been transforming, with luxury stores and shopping centers moving in and rents shooting up.

The rent for one storefront on Lockhart Road is about HK$80,000 a month, said Steve Sayell, a former British policeman who said he met Jutting several times.

Many of those moving in are highly paid professionals working in the city’s finance sector and eager to blow their paychecks in Wan Chai’s bars and nightclubs, Sayell said.

For them, spending hundreds of dollars on prostitutes and cocaine is just part of a normal night’s agenda, he said.

“They need a release,” Sayell said. “In the old days, you just drank a lot. Now a lot of people are resorting to recreational drugs.”

Extra income

For many of the Southeast Asian women working in Wan Chai, stints on the strip help bring in extra income on top of day jobs as maids and nannies, Sayell said.

One of the victims, Mujiasih, had overstayed a domestic worker visa, said Sam Aryadi, an official with the Indonesian Consulate in Hong Kong.

About half of the 319,325 migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong are Indonesian and nearly all are women, according to the human rights group Amnesty International.

Mira Septyawaniti, a 36-year-old Indonesian who first came to Hong Kong in 1999 as a domestic worker, said many of her friends were mourning the two victims.

She said she got to know Mujiasih in Wan Chai and like her had left her domestic worker job.

“A lot of people are talking about her now,” Septyawaniti said. “We all felt like she was one of us.”

‘So sad’

A Zambian prostitute, who only identified herself as Suzie, said she wouldn’t be put off by the murders even though she worked in some of the same bars Jutting drank in.

“It’s so sad,” she said. “Have you heard of something like that? But if they try to cut me, I’ll fight back. I’m a fighter.”

A Filipino bartender, who identified herself only as Lisa, insisted the murders wouldn’t stop the party in Wan Chai.

“Wan Chai will stay exactly the same,” she said. “People will come here looking for fun. They’ll meet all kinds of different people, and when they’re tired, they’ll go back safely to their homes.”

Clark airport exec seeks 3M passengers in 2015

• Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/649082/clark-airport-exec-seeks-3m-passengers-in-2015
• Thursday, November 6, 2014 8:30 AM

By Philippine Daily Inquirer

CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines—The Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) has stepped up its marketing program to serve 3 million passengers and attract more airlines to the Clark International Airport (CRK) in 2015.

Emigdio Tanjuatco III, CIAC president and chief executive officer, and cousin of President Benigno Aquino III, said in a forum here on Wednesday that the state of infrastructure of CRK shows that it is ready to be a leading international airport.

In 2013, 1.3 million passengers flew via CRK through eight airlines based here. The number of passengers, however, dropped when AirAsia Berhad and Emirates Airlines shifted operations to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), some 100 km from Clark.

Marketing efforts have been strengthened after a study showed that 1.5 million passengers from northern and central Luzon traveled via Naia because they were not aware of flights at CRK.

The inclusion of P1.2 billion in the 2015 national budget as initial funding for a bigger terminal showed that CRK is an important facility, CIAC officials said. The new terminal aims to accommodate eight million passengers, they said.

Marketing strategies include regular roadshows in the regions and stronger coordination with local governments. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon

NBI seizes imitation Cobonpue furniture

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2014/11/05/nbi-seizes-imitation-cobonpue-furniture-374878
• Wednesday, November 5, 2014

By Ferth Vandensteen Manaysay

ANGELES CITY -- A furniture store in Angeles City was raided by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Tuesday following reports that it has been selling imitations of furniture designs created by famous Filipino designer Kenneth Cobonque.

NBI agents seized several pieces of furniture from the Jasmin Furniture Store and its manufacturing facility. The NBI identified the manufacturer and supplier of the Cobonpue imitations as a certain Juan Tanhueco Jr.

A case for violation of the Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines has been filed against the suspect before the local prosecutor's office.

Based on the reports of the NBI, the suspect defended himself by saying that he had to follow the orders of his clients, who requested to create furniture pieces based on the works of Cobonpue.

The seized fake items from the said furniture store in Angeles City were 70 percent cheaper than the original creations of the famous designer.

The agency did not stop the operations of the manufacturing facility, saying that its sole objective was just to ascertain that the manufacturers will refrain from creating patented furniture pieces.

Meanwhile, the group of Cobonpue said, "The seized items bear substantial similarities to the furniture designer's works" but noted that "the difference between the seized furniture and the original ones lie on the quality."

Ann Edillion, legal counsel of Cobonpue, said the world-renowned Filipino designer is more disturbed with the illegal use of his designs to create substandard furniture than the revenue he purportedly has lost from the fake items. She added that her client wants to maintain his reputation of producing high-quality furniture designs.

Cobonpue further urged other artists and designers to fight for their intellectual properties.

The works of Cobonpue are not only popular in the Philippines as he was also able to design furniture pieces for Hollywood actor Brad Pitt and some members of royal families in Europe.

PH soldiers from Liberia to be quarantined on island, not Tarlac

• Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/648632/ph-soldiers-from-liberia-to-be-quarantined-on-island-not-tarlac
• Tuesday, November 4, 2014 10:40 PM

By Tonette Orejas

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga—Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang said Monday the 112 Filipino United Nations peacekeepers scheduled to be pulled out from Ebola-stricken Liberia will get a “well-deserved vacation in an island paradise” when they arrive in the country on Nov. 10 and 14.

This 21-day holiday developed after Catapang canceled on Monday a plan to quarantine them at the base of the Philippine Peacekeeping Operations Center (PKOC) in Capas town in Tarlac province.

“There is nothing to worry about. We are not continuing the plan. While Ebola is not airborne, we do not want to unnecessarily burden the people of Tarlac,”Catapang said when sought for comment on separate resolutions passed by the Tarlac provincial board and the province’s mayors opposing the plan.

He said the Armed Forces of the Philippines was still looking for an island where the soldiers could be isolated from the rest of the population while they are quarantined.

In opposing the use of Capas as a quarantine area, the provincial board and the mayors cited the safety of their constituents, Gov. Victor Yap told the Inquirer in a telephone interview on Monday.

The board and the mayors issued the resolutions a week before the peacekeepers are arrive in the Philippines. President Aquino had ordered their pullout from the West African country due to the outbreak of Ebola.

Aside from the PKOC, the military camp in Capas also hosts the Mechanized Infantry Division and the Training and Doctrine Command.

Told of the AFP decision, Yap said: “I am grateful that the national leadership has reconsidered setting up a quarantine system for Ebola here in Tarlac. I am sure they now have a more viable and secure area.”

The AFP, Yap said, has not presented any plan in the event one of the returning soldiers is proven to be ill with the Ebola virus. The provincial government has yet to begin a full-scale education campaign on Ebola.

“We’d like to know if it is going to be an AFP policy to be using Capas as quarantine site in future cases,” Yap said.

Rene Romero, head of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Northern Luzon, said the business sector in the provinces of Tarlac and Pampanga is alarmed about choice of Capas as quarantine area.

“It can give a big negative impact on business and tourism. We would like to appeal to the AFP to bring the… peacekeepers to another area where it is isolated and safe. We have 7,100 islands, perhaps they quarantine them in one of our islands with no or low population,” Romero said.

It was not known if the returning troops are entering the Philippines via the Clark International Airport in Pampanga on a chartered flight.

Capas Mayor Antonio Rodriguez confirmed he received an advice from the President about the use of Capas as a quarantine area. Tarlac is Mr. Aquino’s home province.

The World Health Organization said new Ebola infections have been slowing in Liberia but warned that the crisis was far from over.

According to WHO, the majority of the 4,922 deaths were in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Korean semiconductor giant gears up for expansion

• Source: http://business.inquirer.net/181373/korean-semiconductor-giant-gears-up-for-expansion
• Monday, November 3, 2014 1:48 PM

By Kenneth M. del Rosario

MANILA, Philippines — For every smart gadget, computer, flat-screen monitor, and television set, there’s a semiconductor that is essential to run these sophisticated electronic devices.

Because semiconductors are found inside the body of today’s most advanced devices (read: not visible), it’s easy to forget how essential they are to their performance. Unbeknownst to many, semiconductors serve as a conduit at its most basic form, a very small switchboard that allows the flow of electricity.

Such highly sophisticated and specialized production of these chips requires expertise that is hard to come by. This is where Phoenix Semiconductor Philippines Corp. (PSPC) comes in. The South Korean semiconductor giant has been at the forefront of semiconductor production, assembly and test (OSAT) since it began operations back in 2011.

With a manufacturing plant in Clark, Freeport Zone in Pampanga, PSPC has been producing memory semiconductor chips that have made their way into consumer goods such as laptops, and storage devices.

“Memory chips are quite stable and do not undergo constant change. They have a generally longer life cycle compared to non-memory chips,” said DJ Kim, the company’s chief finance officer.

PSPC is on the verge of going public soon. Plans of expansions are slated to commence on the second half of 2015.

While the existing plant in Clark manufactures memory semiconductors, the new section of the expansion will focus more memory chips found on high-end mobile devices. This move should open a whole new segment of clients for the company.

“It is our hope that given the optimistic demand for electronics, we can begin to reach out to more and more clients. We welcome the opportunity to grow in this (high-end mobile device) segment as it would make us a competitive player in the market,” Kim said.

Expansion to other segments should help the company sustain its impressive growth over the last year. The company’s revenue was up 14 percent to $109.85 million as of June 30, 2014 due to increase in production and sale of higher density products.

Net income for the first six months of the year increased 116 percent as compared to the same period a year ago due to higher sales and decrease in other non-operating expenses.

As of June 30, 2014, the company had total assets of $187.90 million. Of the total assets, $70.96 million are current assets that include cash and cash equivalents, trade, and other receivables. The company’s property, plant and equipment as of June 30, 2014 amounted to $107.75 million. advt

Devotees’ love for Angeles City Apu Church pay off

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2014/11/02/devotees-love-angeles-city-apu-church-pay-374384
• Sunday, November 2, 2014

By Joey Pavia

ANGELES CITY – “What belongs to the people must be returned to them.”

Thus said Most Rev. Pablo Virgilio “Ambo” David shortly after he and Most Rev. Florentino Lavarias, new Pampanga Archbishop, led a mass here during the 117th anniversary of the “Apung Mamacalulu” – or the Lord of the Mercy – on Friday afternoon.

David told businessman Reghis Romero II, an Apung Mamacalulu devotee, and Salapungan Barangay Captain Reynaldo Malig that the Roman Catholic church completed last August the P15 million payment for the property in Barangay Lourdes Sur where the Archiocesan Shrine of Christ our Lord of the Holy Sepulchre is located. He invited them for dinner at his residence at the Holy Rosary Parish here.

The church and its benefactors, including Romero, produced some P22 million for the purchase of the property reportedly mortgaged earlier to the Rural Bank of Mabalacat by its previous owners.

In 1985, former San Fernando Archbishop Oscar Cruz banned Masses at the Apung Mamacalulu because representatives of the Paras-Dayrit clan blocked efforts by the Roman Catholic Church to administer the chapel and hold sacraments.

“People say they will go to mass at Apu then. The truth is there was no mass but there were just there to pray. They really love their holy image of Christ,” said David.

In 2010, former Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto recognized the support of the Paras-Dayrit clan and lifted the ban, which lasted 25 years.

The devotees of Apung Mamacalulu built at the nearby old railway station a chapel where David and others priests held mass while the suspension was on. In 2010, the Philippine National Railways told David that they must remove the chapel because it will start the NorthRail project.

“People came to me and asked me to lead an effort to get the property where the church is. Then we found out that the lot was mortgaged,” said David. He added that the church initially gave P7 million to the bank.

David said it was not just Romero but many others helped the Church win the rights to own the some 5,000 square-meter property where the Apung Mamacalulu shrine-chapel sits.

Romero, who donated at least P4 million for the construction of the wall of the chapel, expressed elation over the “good news of Bishop David for the benefit of the Apung Mamacalulu devotees and the flock of the church.”

He and Malig joined the procession after the concelebrated mass.

Duty free malls in Clark

• Source: http://www.clarkphilippines.com/category/shopping/duty-free-malls-in-clark/
• Saturday, November 1, 2014

By clarkphilippines.com

Once upon a time, not so long ago, Clark was a shopping haven because of its duty-free status. The Philippines government promptly took away some of its duty-free status in the sin tax area – tobacco and liquor for example – weakening the competitiveness of the shopping malls a little.

Bureaucracy and red tape of the governing body CDC took steam out of the sails of duty-free malls and Clark lost a bit of its luster as a shopping haven in the north. Still Clark is frequently visited by tourists and residents in Subic, Angeles City and Manila for some shopping.