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==2,300 public schools in CL now have veggie plots==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R03&article=2661375177476
*Wednesday, July 31, 2013
: By  Marie Joy Simpao
CLARK FREEPORT, July 31 (PIA) -- Exactly 2,352 out of the 3,590-targeted public schools in the region has already been engaged in the Gulayan sa Paaralan (vegetable in schools).
The project headed by Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Education, aims to promote self-food production activities and values appreciation of agriculture as a life support system among children.
A total garden area of 123,000 square meters have already been planted with different vegetables said Benjamin Baltazar of the DA.
In addition, 241, 000 kilos (kl) of various vegetables have been harvested from these.
“Based on our timetable, we are going to target and engage the rest of the 3,590 public schools not yet covered by the implementation of the program by year 2016,” Baltazar added.
The produce from this gardening program is given as part of the supplemental feeding program of the students throughout the region.
It is part of DA’s High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) strategy in promoting nutrition and fighting against poverty and hunger.
As such, Gulayan sa Paaralan also aims to address problems on malnutrition by teaching the students the values and benefits of eating healthy food.
Under this, children are also taught to grow vegetables in their own backyards in order to sustain farming and the practice of eating healthy foods. (CLJD/MJLS-PIA 3)
==Pampanga congressman files 5 priority bills==
*Source: http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/news/regions/17153-pampanga-congressman-files-5-priority-bills
*Tuesday, July 30, 2013
: By Ashley Manabat / Correspondent
CLARK FREEPORT—Neophyte congressman Joseller “Yeng” Guiao (First District, Pampanga) has barely warmed his seat in the House of Representatives but already, he has filed five “priority” bills.
Guiao announced the filing of his priority bills during the Balitaan forum of the Capampangan In Media Inc. at the Bale Balita here on Friday.
He said two of the bills were intended for the enhancement of this free port—the conversion of Clark Development Corp. (CDC) into an authority and the conversion of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) also into an authority. He said the two bills were already assigned to concerned committees in the House.
He said it is imperative to convert both CDC and CIAC into authorities to shield the two agencies from political maneuverings and to set the course of their development without fear of reprisal from “the powers that be.”
Guiao, the former vice governor of Pampanga, said he also filed a bill that will mark a commemorative holiday of the Mount Pinatubo eruption or Pinatubo Day. This will preferably be set on June 15 each year, he said.
A bill was also filed by Guiao enjoining the flying of the Philippine Flag at half-mast in school in the event of the death of a teacher of the school where they teach.
He said he filed a bill prohibiting the parading of suspects in news conferences to avoid trial by publicity.
“There are a lot of cases where the suspect or suspects turned up to be the wrong guys but their reputations were already besmirched because they were presented as suspects in a [news] conference,” he said.
Guiao said he is also working for the strict implementation of the 1-percent Internal Revenue Allotment) allocated for senior citizens (SCs) which is divided into 0.5 percent for SCs and 0.5 percent for persons with disabilities (PWDs). Guiao said most of the time, local government units fail to allocate the funds to senior citizens and PWDs because there is no penalty under the law.
==Pampanga congressman files 5 priority bills==
*Source: http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/news/regions/17153-pampanga-congressman-files-5-priority-bills
*Tuesday, July 30, 2013
: By Ashley Manabat / Correspondent
CLARK FREEPORT—Neophyte congressman Joseller “Yeng” Guiao (First District, Pampanga) has barely warmed his seat in the House of Representatives but already, he has filed five “priority” bills.
Guiao announced the filing of his priority bills during the Balitaan forum of the Capampangan In Media Inc. at the Bale Balita here on Friday.
He said two of the bills were intended for the enhancement of this free port—the conversion of Clark Development Corp. (CDC) into an authority and the conversion of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) also into an authority. He said the two bills were already assigned to concerned committees in the House.
He said it is imperative to convert both CDC and CIAC into authorities to shield the two agencies from political maneuverings and to set the course of their development without fear of reprisal from “the powers that be.”
Guiao, the former vice governor of Pampanga, said he also filed a bill that will mark a commemorative holiday of the Mount Pinatubo eruption or Pinatubo Day. This will preferably be set on June 15 each year, he said.
A bill was also filed by Guiao enjoining the flying of the Philippine Flag at half-mast in school in the event of the death of a teacher of the school where they teach.
He said he filed a bill prohibiting the parading of suspects in news conferences to avoid trial by publicity.
“There are a lot of cases where the suspect or suspects turned up to be the wrong guys but their reputations were already besmirched because they were presented as suspects in a [news] conference,” he said.
Guiao said he is also working for the strict implementation of the 1-percent Internal Revenue Allotment) allocated for senior citizens (SCs) which is divided into 0.5 percent for SCs and 0.5 percent for persons with disabilities (PWDs). Guiao said most of the time, local government units fail to allocate the funds to senior citizens and PWDs because there is no penalty under the law.
==495 members of Clark-based Golf and Country Club Union benefit from DOLE WIN-AP Program==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R03&article=561375000155
*Monday, July 29th, 2013
: By Carlo Lorenzo J. Datu
CLARK FREEPORT, July 29 (PIA) -- A total of 495 members of the Association of Clark Mimosa Employees (ACME) recently benefitted from the P300,000 worth of livelihood assistance given by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) under its Workers Income Augmentation Program (WIN-AP).
Present during the conferment of the grant were DOLE Pampanga Provincial Director Arlene Tolentino, DOLE Regional Technical Support and Services Division for Employment and Welfare chief Nely Punzalan, Mimosa Golf and Montevista Villas Management Acting General Manager Teresito Tioyuyco, and Mimosa ACME Union President Reynaldo Geron.
“ACME is a duly recognized labor organization since May 21, 2008. Initially, the group sold rice to their members through a salary deduction scheme and eventually decided to venture into a business due to its viability, thus, the launching of the DOLE-assisted Mimosa ACME Rice Trading Project,” explained Tolentino.
WIN-AP assists worker’s unions in the private sector in engaging business to augment their family income.
Tolentino added that, “WIN-AP not only benefits the union members financially through dividend-sharing but it likewise provides employment to their relatives and easy affordable payment schemes in the form of salary deduction.” (WLB/CLJD-PIA 3)
==DILG R3 facilitates Local Shelter Planning for Nueva Ecija LGUs==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1751374837890
*Sunday, July 28, 2013
: By pia.gov.ph
ANGELES CITY, July 28 -- To assist local governments in crafting their local shelter plans, DILG Region III, in partnership with the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Committee (HUDCC), facilitated the conduct of Seminar-Workshop on the Development of Local Shelter Plan (LSP) for the LGUs of Nueva Ecija on July 16-19 here.
In her welcome remarks, Dir Florida M. Dijan emphasized the importance of Local Shelter Planning as one of the flagship projects of the national government that focuses on people’s welfare.
She also expressed optimism on the successful relocation of all Informal Settler Families (ISFs) all over the country through the formulation of the LGU’s LSP.
One of the highlights of the activity was the sharing of best practices by SP Member Amos Rivera of Angeles City. She discussed the city’s creation of the LUPAHO and their projects for the Informal Settlers Families. A sitevisit on theTB Pavilion Relocation site at Barangay SapangLibutad, Angeles City was also conducted.
Participants were different department heads from Cabanatuan City, Gapan City, Palayan City, Science City of Munoz, San Jose City and the Municipality of Cabiao, all of Nueva Ecija. (DILG)
==Angeles City to intensify creek rehab program==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=548251
*Friday, July 26, 2013
: By  (PNA)
LAM/ZST/FEM/PS
ANGELES CITY, Pampanga, July 26 (PNA) -- The city government will intensify its creek rehabilitation program through a more comprehensive and action-centered approach.
Francis Pangilinan, city environment and natural resources officer, said the rehabilitation project, particularly in Sapang Balen creek here, is a continuing effort to input measures that will minimize, if not totally eradicate, solid and liquid waste pollution in the creek.
“To maintain all what we have started, we are piloting an all-inclusive approach of which this rehabilitation project is all about,” Pangilinan said.
He said the program will center on the sustained and coordinated projects and activities wherein communities along the Sapang Balen creek are expected to participate in the series of clean-up drives.
Pampanga auxiliary bishop Pablo Virgilio David, founder of the early “Sagip Sapang Balen” movement, said the participation of residents alongside the creek is vital for the success of the program.
Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, for his part, challenged the city’s village chiefs especially those barangays traversing the Sapang Balen Creek, to remain keen in monitoring their respective clusters.
“This is a more intensified approach for our environmental program. It is about time to encourage each Angeleño to actively do their part towards the regeneration of Sapang Balen,” Pamintuan said.
The City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) reported 14.32 tons of wastes along the 10.89 kilometer stretch of the creek were collected through the conduct of 14 Sapang Balen clean-up drives.
==Mall to host Bridal Fair==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R03&article=551371374896
*Thursday, July 25, 2013
: By Joelyn G. Baluyut
ANGELES CITY, Pampanga, July 25 (PIA) -- A mall here will host this week a three-day bridal fair which seeks to solidify Pampanga as an excellent wedding destination north of Metro Manila.
Dubbed “Wedding Destination: Pampanga Year 5, the fair will be held at SM Clark from July 26 to 28 at the mall’s event centre.
“The event is a one-stop shop in the wedding industry wherein up to 70 Central Luzon-based wedding suppliers will have booths including event coordinators, stylists, gown designers, videographers, cake makers, and travel agents for the honeymoon,” said Department of Tourism Regional Director Ronnie Tiotuico.
“Admission is free. I call on those who have plans not to miss this fair as it showcases Central Luzon’s best that would make your wedding day a truly memorable one,” Tiotuico added.
The event is organized by Events and Concepts by Voltaire Zalamea and supported by Clarkisit.com, Wedding Essentials Magazine, Weddings @ Work, JCI Angeles City Culiat, Manila North Tollways Corporation, North Luzon Expressway, Angeles City Tourism Office and PUNTO! Central Luzon. (CLJD/JGB-PIA3)
==Kabalen nurse killed in US==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2013/07/24/kabalen-nurse-killed-us-294173
*Wednesday, July 24, 2013
: By  Ian Ocampo Flora
ANGELES CITY – A Kapampangan nurse was found dead on Saturday afternoon (Sunday, Philippine time) near the Stonebridge Crossing Apartments in Cordova, Tennessee, USA by Memphis police, according to reports.
Erano Santos, 33, sustained a gunshot wound that caused his death, reports added.
Santos, a former Clinical Instructor at the Holy Angel University's College of Nursing, migrated to the US in May last year.
He was from Lourdes Sur East in this city. The victim's Facebook page also lists the Philippine International Hospital as among his previous employers. 
Memphis police, in a report, said they are searching for the vehicle taken from the scene in Cordova on Saturday afternoon. Reports said that witnesses told investigators that Santos was seen fighting with an unknown suspect before he was shot and his vehicle was taken. The vehicle was identified as silver 2013 Honda Civic 4-door with TN license plate G5237P.
Christopher Pineda, a friend of the victim, said they are now “in contact with his family in San Diego and the Philippines to help facilitate the transfer of his body back home." 
Pineda added in a Facebook post that they are asking for donations to facilitate the transfer of Santos's remains. 
The victim's former students and friends in Pampanga are calling for justice and quick resolution of the case. People interviewed by Sun.Star Pampanga described Santos as a "good teacher and friend."
Ralph Karlwin Gaspar told Sun.Star Pampanga that they were shocked by the news of the death of their former mentor, adding that posts on social networking sites were put up by friends and students of Santos to call attention to his death and mobilize calls for justice and support.
"We remember him as one of the dynamic and bubbly clinical instructors we've ever met. To his family, we will join you in prayers," Gaspar said.
The Memphis police are still investigating the murder incident for possible leads. 
Chris Garcia, a friend of the victim for almost eight years, said Santos, who already lost his parents, lived with his aunt in Angeles City before moving to Ohio as a nurse and later moved into Tennessee.
Santos was a graduate of Angeles University Foundation's College of Nursing.
==DILG lauds Angeles City exec's early submission of ‘social contract’==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=547000
*Tuesday, July 23, 2013
: By (PNA)
JBP/ZST/RKM/PS
ANGELES CITY, Pampanga, July 23 (PNA) -- City mayor Edgardo Pamintuan received Monday an award from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) regional office for his prompt submission and presentation of a social contract with his constituents.
DILG Angeles City director Remedios Rodriguez said Pamintuan is the first local chief executive in Central Luzon to submit his social contract.
“The creation and submission of a social contract was the output or end result of an orientation on local governance held from June 17 to 19 for newly elected chief executives in Region III,” Rodriguez said.
Pamintuan, however, has already revealed his new contract which is the “Contract with the Angeleños” for years 2013 through 2016 during the inauguration and oath taking of all city officials held July 1.
“We started drafting contracts for our constituents during my candidacy for mayoralty way back in 2010. Since we have accomplished that contract in our last term, we felt the need to create a new contract for this current term in order to expand on the programs and services the Angeleños need,” the mayor said.
The new contract includes an additional 38 components, adding to the previous 39, and tackles services ranging from education, healthcare, environment, economic stability, tourism, traffic management, socialized housing and barangay affairs.
Pamintuan also said three special concerns which are also part of the new contract which will aim to establish programs and projects for the city’s lesbian/gay/bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, the youth sector, and for children in conflict with the law.
“This is another award which has, frankly, caught us by surprise. We are simply delivering the basic services for our constituents, and I am glad that the DILG recognizes such,” he added.
==Dual training to boost employment rate in CL==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=2661374206670
*Monday, July 22, 2013
: By  Marie Joy Simpao
For the past three years, the Aquino administration has been very emphatic to strengthen technical and vocational courses in Central Luzon. This effort was coursed through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) through the implementation of its Dual Training System (DTS).
“DTS, is an enterprise-based training modality, which combines both theoretical and practical learning. In this kind of program, students undergo training both in the school and in the workplace,” said Tesda Central Luzon Regional Director Teodoro Gatchalian.
Recently, of the 76,320 enrollees in Central Luzon, 66,938 or 87.71 percent graduated June.
Furthermore, of those graduates, 26.72 percent or 17, 885 were absorbed in companies where they trained. Companies other than their training venue, on the other hand, employed other graduates.
This program does not only strengthen technical and vocational skills but also answers unemployment in the region. Furthermore, it embodies the social contract of the President with the Filipino people wherein "education (is) the central strategy for investing in our people, reducing poverty and building national competitiveness.”
Currently, there are 144 DTS programs in the region: 40 in Bulacan; 36 in Pampanga; 21 in Bataan; 19 in Tarlac; 18 in Zambales; nine in Nueva Ecija and one in Aurora. Also, there are 44 technical-vocational institutions (TVIs) and 90 companies implementing DTS in Central Luzon.
Last year, Tesda Secretary Joel Villanueva inked a memorandum of agreement with heads of Clark Development Corporation, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, and Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan for the implementation of such among their locators.
Gatchalian said employment rate under the DTS had been increasing since 2010. He also said skilled workers are more employable and have higher chances of being hired especially in companies where they trained.
Meanwhile, Albert Herrera, a Tesda graduate, agrees on the advantage of the program saying that through this, he was able to acquire the required knowledge and skills needed to run his own computer shop.
Another benefit of DTS is that it is a mutual support system. It does not only help students become skilled and employed, it also helps the agriculture, industry and business sectors by giving them tax incentives when they participate in the program. (CLJD/MJLS-PIA 3)
==PNoy kin: Luisita raffle timed for SONA==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2013/07/21/pnoy-kin-luisita-raffle-timed-sona-293710
*Sunday, July 21, 2013
: By (Jun Sula)
CLARK FREEPORT -- President Benigno Aquino III's uncle and Former Tarlac Congressman, Jose "Peping" Cojuangco, Jr., on Friday said the raffling off of nearly 5,000 hectares of Hacienda Luisita land was rushed before the president will deliver his fourth State-of-the-Nation Address today, Monday.
"The Sona has become the reason for the land distribution, not the improvement of the lives of the Hacienda farm workers and their beneficiaries," Cojuangco told that media during a breakfast forum with members of the Capampangan in Media Inc. (Cami) in Clark.
Cami is a group of Kapampangan veteran editors and journalists from Manila and Pampanga who hold the forum every Friday at the Bale Balita in Clark.
Cojuangco, elder brother of the former President Corazon C. Aquino, said it (raffle) was political in nature because of the timing of the decision.
He also said that they will insist the government will pay the Cojuangcos for expropriating the estate with a just price.
"It (the government) cannot pay us at acquisition price because that is absurd and it's unfair," he said.
Over and above the politics and financial factors involving the issue, Cojuangco also expressed worries about the future of some 6,200 workers of the hacienda who started receiving their shares of land in a raffle conducted by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) last Thursday in Barangay Cutcut in the vast sugar estate.
"How can they survive on one-sixteenth of a hectare of land that they will receive?" Cojuangco asked.
The land distribution, he said, will not benefit the people in the long term.
Cojuangco said the land distribution will only break up land into uneconomic parcels that, along with the varying characteristics of the land itself, may not be as productive and profitable for the beneficiaries.
"Some of it is clay, some sandy and some either get flooded or get no irrigation while some is fertile or barren and nobody knows which one a worker will receive," he said.
Cojuango warned that these situations could lead to hunger and, eventually, to social unrest and unstable distribution of the land's wealth and its eventual produce.
He said about 96 percent of the Luisita workers favored the stock option over land distribution but were pressured by militant groups into accepting the latter scheme.
Cojuangco said they decided to offer the workers the stock option upon the request of his late father, Jose Sr., to take care of the welfare of the farmers of Hacienda Luisita.
"Hacienda Luisita workers were better off then because they were given free benefits and hospitalization apart from being the highest paid farm workers compared to their counterparts outside the estate," he said. (Jun Sula)
==Emirates Airlines flies to Clark starting Oct 1==
*Source: http://www.interaksyon.com/business/66792/emirates-airlines-flies-to-clark-starting-oct-1
*Saturday, July 20, 2013
: By  Darwin G. Amojelar, InterAksyon.com
MANILA - Emirates Airlines on Friday said it is optimistic about the Philippine market as it plans to mount flights from Clark on October 1.
In a statement, Emirates said the Clark route will create a new channel to connect millions of Filipinos living around the world.
Clark will become the airline’s second destination after Manila.
Nearly 680,000 Filipinos live in the United Arab Emirates alone, according to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas.
Another 342,000 Filipinos reside in Qatar and 186,000 in Kuwait. At least 1.5 million Filipinos live in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“When you see these figures showing the full extent of the Filipino diaspora, it’s clear how important a new route to the Philippines becomes,” said Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Emirates senior vice president in commercial operations, Gulf Middle East & Iran.
“For more than 20 years, Emirates has carried millions of passengers on the Dubai-Manila route and I am sure with the number of Filipinos on the move around the world, Clark will be equally successful,” he added.
Manila was one of Emirates’ first few routes in Southeast Asia, starting a service in 1990, only five years after the airline was established.
Demand has been such that Manila has become a triple daily service, boosting tourism and trade between the Philippines, Dubai and beyond.
Over the 23 years, Emirates has carried a total of 5.3 million passengers on the Dubai-Manila sector.
Emirates will offer introductory fares from Dubai to Clark International Airport starting at P30,691.
“I think it is very significant that Emirates is finally flying into another destination in the Philippines because it will open a whole vista of opportunities for both our countries,” said Philippine Ambassador Grace Relucio Princesa.
“First of all, it will help Filipinos all over the world – they’re passing through the Dubai hub and riding one of the largest airlines in the world, Emirates, to fly nearer their communities of origin, like in Pampanga, where Clark International Airport is. It will also mean access to Subic Freeport and Bataan, which will also open tourism and investment opportunities for both countries.”
The new Clark service will be operated by a two-class Boeing 777-300ER.
With a second gateway into the Philippines, Emirates SkyCargo will also be able to provide more than 160 tons of additional cargo hold capacity each way per week.
==Pamintuan forms economic enterprises committee==http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2013/07/19/pamintuan-forms-economic-enterprises-committee-293400http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R03&article=561374069476
*Friday, July 19, 2013
: By  Reynaldo G. Navales
ANGELES CITY -- Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan issued an executive order creating the Angeles City Economic Enterprises Committee which will manage the operations of the city’s current enterprise units.
According to the mayor, the creation of this committee will strengthen the revenue generating capability of the city.
“The mandate of this newly formed committee is to promote the viability, efficiency and productivity of our city public enterprises, towards the reduction of public subsidies to these enterprises, such as the public markets, slaughterhouse, city hospital, among others,” he said.
Pamintuan added, in the long term, the committee will expand on the capabilities of the present enterprises, as well as explore other opportunities which will give additional revenues to the city.
The city enterprises include the San Nicolas Public Market, Pampang Public Market, the City’s Abattoir or Slaughterhouse, and the City College of Angeles.
The committee will also look into the possibility of making the Ospital ning Angeles as an economic enterprise.
The executive order stated other possible enterprises that Angeleños can expect to see in the future, which include a central transport terminal, a street parking program and a public cemetery.
The local government subsidizes the operation and administrative requirements of the said establishments.
The executive order and committee will work on minimizing the subsidy starting 2014 and expect that the said enterprises should be totally self-sufficient within the next two years.
“The bottom line is that we should not burden our city and our people any further from unnecessarily shouldering the costs of running these enterprises. Every asset of government should now be put to productive use,” Pamintuan explained.
==Angeles City holds LGPMS utilization conference==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R03&article=561374069476
*Thursday, July 18th, 2013
: By  Carlo Lorenzo J. Datu
ANGELES CITY, July 18 (PIA) -- The City government of Angeles recently held a utilization conference on Local Governance Performance Management System (LGPMS) in an effort to improve its delivery of service to the people.
The undertaking, which is pursuant to Regional Memorandum Circular No. 2013-10 dated May 15, 2013 of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), was participated in by Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, Vice Mayor Vicky Vega Cabigting, members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, Barangay Chairmen, Barangay Kagawads, city department heads, LGPMS team, and non-government organizations.
“LGPMS is an online self-assessment management and development tool that enables provincial, city and municipal governments to determine their capabilities and limitations in the delivery of basic services,” DILG Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Division chief Lerrie Hernandez explained.
Administrative Governance covers local legislation; development planning; revenue generation; resource allocation and utilization; customer service-civil application; and human resource management and development while Social Governance encompasses health services; support to education services; support to housing and basic utilities; and peace, security and disaster risk management.
Hernandez added, “economic governance consists of support to agriculture sector; support to fishery services; and entrepreneurship, business and industry promotion and Environmental Governance is composed of forest ecosystem management, freshwater ecosystem management, coast marine ecosystem management, and urban ecosystem management.”
Moreover, Valuing Fundamentals of Good Governance involves participation, transparency, and financial accountability. (WLB/CLJD-PIA 3)
==Guv meets with execs for Capitol assistance==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2013/07/17/guv-meets-execs-capitol-assistance-292911
*Wednesday, July 17, 2013
: By  sunstar.com.ph
CLARK FREEPORT – Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda convened on Tuesday all 505 barangay officials including municipal mayors in an inter-agency meeting to look for ways and means on how the Provincial Government could help on problems besetting their respective towns and villages.
During the meeting, they have tackled various issues on disaster preparedness, public works, agriculture, crop insurance, health, Philhealth insurance, education, incoming barangay elections, solid waste, among others.
Governor Pineda said the inter-agency meeting held at Mimosa Convention Center, was also aimed at updating the newly elected local leaders on the status of the programs and activities of all concerned agencies and their role in disaster preparedness.
The governor said the barangay officials should submit their accomplishments, future plans and program of works so that the Provincial Government could determine where they could intervene.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC), together with the National Telecommunication Commissions, presented the communication plan of the province to be used in information dissemination and early warning system that may be employed during disaster.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported the completed and ongoing flood mitigation projects in the province particularly the rehabilitation of San Fernando- Sto. Tomas- Minalin Tail Dike which has affected the said towns and city last year during the height of Habagat.
The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) reported the solid waste management plan of the province and the expected role of the LGUs and the barangay officials.
Malcom Garma, school superintendent of Department of Education (DepEd) Pampanga, said classrooms would only be utilized as pick-up points for eventual transfer to municipal evacuation centers.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) gave complete updates on the incoming barangay elections which would be held on the last week of October.
Arsenia Torres, manager of Philhealth Pampanga branch, explained the additional services of the agency under the National Insurance Law of 2013.
Mirvie Apostol Fabia, provincial director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), presented their assessment on the performance of the barangay officials and the Provincial Police Office with regard to the reported the peace and order status of the province wherein crime volume decreased by 3 percent compare to the previous year.
==Emirates’ second Philippines gateway helps link millions of Filipinos Globally==
*Source: http://www.albawaba.com/business/pr/emirates-philippines-507185
*Tuesday, July 16, 2013
: By  Press Release
The count down to the launch of Emirates’ new destination in the Philippines is well underway with just 10 weeks to go until the first flight.
Clark International, in Angeles, 80 kilometres north of Manila, will become the airline’s second destination in the south east Asian archipelago after Manila.
The Clark route, effective 1st October, will create a new channel to connect millions of Filipinos living around the world - the Middle East being one of the most popular overseas regions.
Nearly 680,000 Filipinos live in the UAE alone, according to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. Introductory fares from Dubai to Clark International start at AED 2,605.
A further 342,000 Filipinos reside in Qatar and 186,000 are based in Kuwait.
But the biggest Filipino population in the Middle East, by far, is in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Commission reports that over 1.5 million Filipinos are living in the Kingdom.
“When you see these figures showing the full extent of the Filipino diaspora, it’s clear how important a new route to the Philippines becomes,” said Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Gulf Middle East & Iran. “ Over more than 20 years, Emirates has carried millions of passengers on the Dubai-Manila route and I am sure with the number of Filipinos on the move around the world, Clark will be equally successful.”
Manila was one of Emirates’ early routes in south east Asia, starting a service there back in 1990 – just five years after Emirates was established.
Demand has been such that Manila has become a triple daily service, boosting tourism and trade between the Philippines, Dubai and beyond. Over the 23 years, Emirates has carried a total of 5.3 million passengers on the Dubai-Manila sector.
“I think it is very significant that Emirates is finally flying into another destination in the Philippines because it will open a whole vista of opportunities for both our countries, said H.E. Grace Relucio Princesa, the Philippines’ Ambassador to the UAE. “First of all, it will help Filipinos all over the world – they’re passing through the Dubai hub and riding one of the largest airlines in the world, Emirates, to fly nearer their communities of origin, like in Pampanga, where Clark International Airport is. It will also mean access to Subic Freeport area and the Bataan area, which will also open tourism and investment opportunities for both countries.”
The new Clark service will be operated by a two-class Boeing 777-300ER. EK 338 will depart Dubai at 0400hrs and arrive at Clark International Airport at 1640hrs. The return flight, EK339 will depart at 1835hrs and arrive at Dubai International Airport at 2305hrs.
Customers can flick between over 1400 channels of in-flight entertainment on the world-renowned ice system, while enjoying gourmet-chef prepared food in all classes, served by highly trained, multi-national cabin crew. 
Generous luggage allowances give passengers in Economy Class 30kg, Business Class travellers can check-in 40kg and First Class customers 50kg.
First and Business Class passengers can also benefit from a complimentary chauffeur drive service to and from Dubai International, priority check-in and exclusive lounge access.
With a second gateway into the Philippines, Emirates SkyCargo will be able to provide more than 160 tonnes of additional cargo hold capacity each way per week.
It is estimated that 10 million Filipinos live outside the Philippines – about 10% of the country’s home population. The largest number of overseas Filipinos, 3.4 million, reside in the United States.
Other significant Filipino populations in the Middle East can be found in Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and Oman, according to the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration.
==BCDA allocates 33.8B worth of investments in Central Luzon==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=2431373791018
*Monday, July 15th, 2013
: By  Rosa Bianca Pamintuan
CLARK FREEPORT, July 15 (PIA) -- Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has allotted P33.8 billion worth of investments in Central Luzon that resulted into its transformation as among the country’s prime regions.
At the weekly “Balitaan sa Bale Balita” of the Capampangan in Media Inc. at Clark Freeport, BCDA president and chief executive officer Arnel Paciano Casanova disclosed that P30.68 billion of the funding was used in the construction of the 94-kilometer Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway which connects the biggest free ports of the archipelago and provides seamless travel to famed tourist spots.
“BCDA also infused P1.28 billion to Clark Development Corporation (CDC) and P1.53 billion for its 230kv transmission project. Another P1.25 billion was invested in Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) while some P342.2 million were used to fund the construction of vital roads in Bataan, Pampanga, and Tarlac,” Casanova bared.
Casanova announced that his agency’s latest project in Central Luzon is the creation of a new urban area half the size of Metro Manila- the 35,000-hectare Clark Green City which is situated at Clark Special Economic Zone.
“Clark Green City will be environmentally sustainable, socially inclusive, economically competitive, culturally relevant, and technologically integrated,” Casanova disclosed.
Once completed, it is expected to generate billions in investments and thousands of jobs.
“BCDA, together with its subsidiaries, CDC and CIAC, is committed to actively pursue the development of Central Luzon. The development of this region is not merely a local or regional concern, it is a matter of national interest,” Casanova said. (CLJD/RBRP-PIA 3)
==Village council to open job fair for residents==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2013/07/14/village-council-open-job-fair-residents-292406
*Sunday, July 14, 2013
: By  Ian Ocampo Flora
ANGELES CITY — The Pandan Barangay Council will be hosting a “Fiesta 2013 Job Fair”  at the Barangay Hall in San Ignacio, Barangay Pandan here on July 30 at 8:00 am, with at least 10 companies participating in the event.
Barangay kagawad Arlon Lacson told Sun.Star Pampanga that the event aims to provide job opportunities to residents of the barangay.  He added that the move is in response to the need of providing job opportunities in the barangay level in order to reduce unemployment.
Lacson said they are urging companies to bring their employee sourcing in the barangays and urged further sectoral support for initiatives on job fairs in the barangay level.
“We recognize the need to address employment needs in the barangay.  We believe that empowerment of the urban folk begins with having a stable job,” Lacson said.
The job fair will begin from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is made possible through the Public Employment Services Office. Jjob applicants are advised to bring resume and other job employment-related documents.
==PAF’s transfer to Subic eyed==
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/07/13/964897/pafs-transfer-subic-eyed
*Saturday, July 13th, 2013
: By  Ding Cervantes
CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga , Philippines  - The government plans to transfer the Philippine Air Force (PAF) base here to Cubi Point in Subic in 2016 to open the 360-hectare military installation to more private investors.
Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) president Arnel Casanova bared this yesterday during a meeting with members of the Capampangans in Media, Inc.
An estimated 146 hectares of the free-port are currently under lease to investors.
The PAF facility is home to the 600th Air Base Wing under an annually renewable agreement between the BCDA and the Department of National Defense (DND).
Six other PAF units that comprise two thirds of the country’s entire air force are also based in Clark.
Some 2,400 hectares of land here are being managed by the BCDA’s implementing arm Clark Development Corp. (CDC).
Another 2,200 hectares comprise the aviation complex under the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC).
The air base is occupying an area being administered by the CDC and the CIAC.
Clark Field was a former United States air force base until 1991 when the Philippines-US bases agreement was revoked and the Americans left.
The US withdrawal paved the way for the government to declare the area as an economic zone, although 360 hectares were reserved for the PAF base.
The PAF area has features all left behind by the Americans, including spacious housing units, a hotel, a small golf course, an Olympic sized swimming pool, an officers club building, among other facilities that could otherwise be ideal for tourism projects.
“The BCDA is eyeing the transfer of the Philippine Air Force from Clark to enable us to have more land for leasing. We plan to implement this during the term of President Aquino,” Casanova said.
At the same time, Casanova said the BCDA has remained open to bidders for the development of a master plan for a Clark Green City covering some 36,000 hectares of lands in the so-called Sacobia area north of the free-port. The site used to be military reservation for the US military base.
When completed, it will make Clark a beautiful, highly integrated, high-tech, green community just like Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City that could be compared to Silicon Valley in California, Casanova said.
Casanova also noted that the BCDA has already invested P33.8 billion in Central Luzon to create opportunities for investment and employment in the region.
Of the P33.8 billion, P30.68 billion was used in the construction of the 94-kilometer Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) that was dubbed the most modern tollway connecting the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and the Clark Freeport.
“BCDA, together with its subsidiaries, CDC and CIAC, is committed to actively pursue the development of Central Luzon. The development of Central Luzon is not merely a local or regional concern, it is a matter of national interest,” Casanova stressed.
==PAF unit in Clark to move to Subic to free up land==
*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/443653/paf-unit-in-clark-to-move-to-subic-to-free-up-land
*Friday, July 12th, 2013
: By  Amy R. Remo
MANILA, Philippines—The Bases Conversion and Development Authority is set to free up more land that can be leased to or redeveloped by potential investors at the Clark Freeport in Pampanga and is having a Philippine Air Force unit currently based there moved to  Subic.
The transfer of Clark’s Air Force City to Subic is expected to open up at least 360 hectares of prime land inside the Clark Freeport, said the Clark Development Corp., a member of the BCDA group.
The Air Force City was allocated to the 600th Air Base Wing under an earlier agreement between the BCDA and the Department of National Defense.
BCDA president and CEO Arnel Paciano D. Casanova was quoted in a press statement as saying that this move signified the BCDA’s intent to further develop the world-class Clark Freeport, by way of assuring investors of the availability of more land area.
In relation to this, the BCDA began in March last year the competitive bidding process for the master planning of some 36,000 hectares of the Clark Special Economic Zone. When completed, the ecozone is expected to position Clark as the investment destination in Southeast Asia.
To date, the BCDA has already invested P33.8 billion in Central Luzon to create opportunities for investment and employment in Region 3.
Casanova claimed in the statement that the BCDA had dramatically improved the investment landscape in Central Luzon by providing the much needed funds for the development of the Clark Freeport and its adjacent communities.
Of the P33.8 billion, P30.68 billion was used for the construction of the 94-kilometer Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) which connects  the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and the Clark Freeport.
The BCDA also infused P1.28 billion in the Clark Development Corp.  and another P1.53 billion for its 230-kilovolt transmission project.
BCDA’s newest project in Central Luzon is the 35,000-hectare Clark Green City, which will be launched in 2014.
Located at the Clark Special Economic Zone, the “Clark Green City will be environmentally sustainable, socially inclusive, economically competitive, culturally relevant, and technologically integrated” and “will generate billions in investments and generate thousands of jobs.”
==Labor strike looms==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2013/07/11/labor-strike-looms-291879
*Thursday, July 11, 2013
: By  Reynaldo G. Navales
CLARK FREEPORT -- A labor strike here looms after a workers’ organization here terminated talks with the management of Clark Development Corporation (CDC) at the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole).
The Association of Clark Supervisory Personnel (ACSP) said the CDC management has violated several provisions in the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed by both parties.
Since the CDC management is planning to elevate the case to the Supreme Court, the ACSP said it is terminating talks with the former.
CBA is guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution but CDC management continues to defy labor rights, stressing the provision of Republic Act 10149 (the government-owned and controlled corporate act) and Executive order No. 7 which compels them not to implement CBA, the ACSP said.
The Court of Appeals, in its recent decision, stated that Republic Act No. 10149 or also known as the GOCC Governance Act of 2011 has no repealing clause on the Labor laws and Corporation Code of the Philippines.
ACSP lawyer Arnel Dollendo told Dole’s lead conciliator Jay Javines that workers are tired of hearing the oft-repeated stand of the CDC management on the CBA issue.
The CDC management failed to secure a temporary restraining order from the appellate court.
Dolendo said ASCP has postponed its labor strike, hoping that the management, after it fails to secure TRO against the decision of the Accredited Voluntary Arbitrator (AVA) favoring the union, would give in to union’s request.
“We decided not to reset the hearing; the notice of strike filed at the NCMB will continue and we will just inform Dole of our plan to stage a protest action against the CDC management,” ACSP president Victor Barbieto said.
The ACSP filed a notice of strike last March and this prompted DoLE, through the NCMB, to mediate with the CDC workers and management.
The CA has junked the motion for reconsideration of CDC, which is asking for a restraining order on the court’s decision to implement bargaining rights of the workers “for lack of merit.”
The CA’s 15th Division chaired by Associate Justice Celia LIbrea-Lealogo reaffirms the decision of the AVA to immediately implement the CBA signed by both CDC management and the supervisory union last year.
The CDC management filed its opposition on the ‘writ of alias’ issued by AVA Froilan Bacungan, requiring CDC to partially pay workers’ back pay for six months (January to June of this year).”
“We find no reason why CDC (management) would oppose even the Alias Writ’ which AVA Bacungan issued recently,” Barbieto said.
==DOTC seeks add'l P1.3-B for Clark airport upgrade==
*Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/07/10/13/dotc-seeks-addl-p13-b-clark-airport-upgrade
*Wednesday, July 10, 2013
:By Ding Cervantes, The Philippine Star
CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga -- The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has recommended to Pres. Aquino the allocation of P1.3 billion for the upgrade of the Clark International Airport (CIA) here amid assurances the airport would be converted into one of the country’s premiere gateway.
In an exclusive interview, Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president and chief executive officer Victor Jose Luciano said the funding proposal is now pending in Malacañang after it was endorsed by Transportation Sec. Joseph Emilio Abaya.
Luciano said the P1.3 billion is on top of the P1 billion approved loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) which he described as “standby funds” for the further development of the CIA.
Luciano cited the fund allocations for the Clark airport is “clear indication that we are not playing second fiddle (to NAIA).” He admitted plans of the government, however, to eventually close the already congested NAIA as soon as it has reached “saturation point”, and opt for yet another international airport “probably south of Manila.”
But Luciano also debunked reports that Sangley Point, also a former US military facility in Cavite, is being considered in lieu of Clark as alternative premiere international airport amid congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila.
“The plan is just to use Sangley only for general aviation involving small aircraft and that is why the Air Force’s strike force there is being moved to Lumbia in Cagayan de Oro,” he said.
Central Luzon leaders have been batting for the full conversion of Clark into a premiere international airport since 1994, when then Pres. Ramos signed Executive Order 192 declaring the former US Air Force base as the “future site of the country’s premiere international gateway.” The CIA boasts of 2,400 hectares of land and two parallel runways, each measuring 3.2 kilometers long.
Third district Rep. Oscar Rodriguez also vowed to help speed up the full development of Clark as NAIA’s “twin” premiere international airport.
“Yes, I can champion the cause, but I need your help,” he said, amid lobbying from the local consortium All-Asia Resources and Reclamation Corp. (ARRC) with Solar Group as the lead local partner and having German firms also as partners, to develop Sangley Point into a premiere international gateway.
The proponents of Sangley have been citing the so-called “Cavite: Vision 2020,” contained in Executive Order 629 issued 2007, mandating the conversion of Sangley into an international airport and seaport.
==39th Nutrition Month in Angeles City kicks off==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=542475
*Tuesday, July 9, 2013
: By  (PNA)
HBC/ZST/RKM/PS
ANGELES CITY, Pampanga, July 9 (PNA) -- The city government kicked off Monday the celebration of the 39th Nutrition Month with a food fair where backyard vegetables and other nutritious food items are being sold at the city hall lobby here.
“With urban gardening, we can be self- sufficient with our supply of daily food and nutrition needs. Thus, we can eliminate chances of malnutrition and hunger,” Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting said.
With the theme “Gutom at Malnutrisyon, Sama-sama Nating Wakasan,” this year’s celebration focuses on the advocacies to eradicate undernourishment among Filipino families through attainable means.
Victoria Manez, officer-in-charge of the National Nutrition Council-Region 3 said that one out of five families experience malnutrition in the country (as per the Social Weather Station Survey report) proving that the dilemma is of everybody’s concern.
City nutrition action officer Arnel Calaguas said that activities catering on nutrition awareness and mother-child nourishment are lined up for this year’s observance.
Aside from the two-day food fair, information drive through a “Pabasa sa Nutrisyon” is slated on July 15 at barangay Salapungan.
Also, high school students here are set to showcase their interpretation of the celebration’s theme through a poster-making contest on July 19 at MarQuee Mall.
The celebration will culminate on Aug 2 with a Nutri-Jingle competition.
City mayor Edgardo Pamintuan elaborated on the initiatives that the city government has been doing all-year round for the benefit of the young Angeleños.
“The children are the most susceptible when talking about malnutrition. That is why our administration supports proper nourishment and healthy environment for our people,” Pamintuan said.
As per the latest study of the City Nutrition Office, a three percent malnourishment rate was recorded in this city among 0-5 preschoolers in 2012 which is way below the 17% national rate.
Results are attributed via conducting the year-round Operation Timbang and feeding programs.
Moreover, as Pamintuan and Vega-Cabigting sign the new Contract with the Angeleños, the city can be sure of an abundant and healthy place to live in.
“The intensification of our urban greening and backyard vegetation program as well as the establishment of ’ecoparks’ in the whole of Angeles are next to be prioritized,” Pamintuan added.
==Lawmaker: 'Implement programs in 100 days==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2013/07/08/lawmaker-implement-programs-100-days-291391
*Monday, July 8, 2013
: By  Jovi T. De Leon
CLARK FREEPORT – 1st District Representative Joseller "Yeng" Guiao challenged and gave a marching order to his district staff and other working groups over the weekend to implement his programs in 100 days, July 1 included.
Guiao emphasized that the programs, ranging from education to livelihood with strong focus on "constituent empowerment," must be implemented and felt by the people of the 1st District of Pampanga within the honeymoon period of 100 days, starting from July 1 which is the first working day of the 16th Congress.
"The most important in our programs is that they must be felt by our constituents. They must be empowered so they can also be part of our efforts in the delivery of social services and fulfilling what we promised during the campaign," Guiao told the core working group.
In education, he said, the group will divide the educational assistance fund into political and merit-based beneficiaries: "We will work on sending our students to either UP, PSAU or even PUP so they can get quality education and in the future help the district and their families."
For jobs placement, the task is to create a database of the unemployed and job seekers which could then be presented to locators at the Clark Freeport. This would be complemented by training programs in coordination with Tesda. "This way, we help CDC president Art Tugade hit the target of 100,000 workforce at Clark, with 30,000 more geting jobs here by 2015,” he said.
Guiao also said putting-up a gasoline station for transport sectors once they reconsolidate: "This gas station would be run by transport operators or their respective TODA."
The lawmaker also noted of an abundance of medical facilities and doctors willing to help in pursuing the health programs and projects.
The programs are on top of the two house bills -- the conversion of CDC and CIAC into authorities -- which are up for proposal at the House of Representatives plenary.
"Let us remember that we have minimal resources and very little time. We must get our acts towards that one direction going in 100 days or less," said Guiao.
==PH Little Leaguers sweep regionals, advance to WS==
*Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/07/07/13/ph-little-leaguers-sweep-regionals-advance-ws
*Sunday, July 7, 2013
: By  Olmin Leyba, The Philippine Star
CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Philippines – Host Philippines completed a clean sweep of the softball competitions in 2013 Asia Pacific and Middle East Tournament as Filipino Big League, Senior League and Junior League softbelles crowned themselves regional champs and slammed their way into the World Series yesterday at the Clark Parade Grounds here.
Big League representative Manila South, the 2012 world titlist, overpowered Guam in five innings, 13-1, to handily rule the APME’s 16-18 hostilities and grab its expected berth in the World Series slated Aug. 4-10 in Sussex County, Delaware.
Phl’s Senior Leaguers from Sta. Cruz, Laguna booked a ticket to the World Series in the same venue just a few hours after, edging stubborn rival Guam in a pulsating encounter that went the distance, 4-3.
Iloilo Province’s Junior League clouters followed suit via a 19-8 drubbing of Guam in six innings as the country validated its status as the softball power in the region. They made it a perfect four-out-of-four for Phl softball following the triumph and World Series-qualification of Iloilo Province in the centerpiece Little League division three days back.
The hosts will try to add a fifth team to the worlds today when unbeaten ILLAM guns for the APME Senior League Baseball diadem against CNMI.
Heavily-favored Phl-Manila South imposed its will against Guam at bat, peppering Guam’s Saij Duenas and Alexis Aguero with 15 hits.
Gelyn Lamata sparked the offensive as she delivered five RBIs on a three-for-four batting clip, spiking her efforts with a grand slam in the fourth that ripped the game apart, 11-1. On defense, starter Hazel Anque gave up only two hits and a run in a three-inning stint while closer Baby Jane Raro shut out Guam the rest of the way.
“This is what we’ve really been preparing for and targeting from the start. We want to return to the US to defend our (world) title, especially this year when the tournament (Big League Softball World Series) relocates to Delaware (from its old venue in Kalamazoo),” said Phl coach Ana Santiago of Manila, while hugging her “lucky charm,” a dog named “Slick.”
“At this point, we’re okay offensively and defensively but we still need to improve going into the World Series, especially against the Americans,” added Santiago, who will bring a practically new team to the worlds with only Raro, Krisna Paguican and Queeny Sababo back from last year’s triumphant crew.
Guam was actually in the game in the first inning as it scored a run off two hits to be threatened at 1-2.
“I was confident of the girls although sometimes they had the tendency to relax like what happened in the first inning. I just had to wake them up and then it’s smooth going from there,” said Santiago.
In response, her wards blasted three runs in the second to restore order, 5-1, then exploded with six runs as ignited by Lamata in the fourth to widen the gap.
Phl’s Laguna Senior Leaguers,meanwhile, had to gut it out against their Guam rivals.
“The girls really wanted to win and get the crown,” said Phl mentor Lorena Bernardino, whose team gave Laguna its first World Series berth since 2007. “We weren’t able to go to the World Series that time because of visa problems but we’re optimistic we’ll get to compete this time around.”
Locked in a scoreless tie, the Pinays came through with error-aided runs from Genella Cruz, Sachiel Marie Amores, Mary Rose Maristela and Rose Alinsod to open a 4-0 tear in the third.
==ILLAM pounds NZ, gains Sr League final==
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/sports/2013/07/06/962244/illam-pounds-nz-gains-sr-league-final
*Saturday, July 6th, 2013
: By Olmin Leyba
CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Philippines  – Host Philippines bombarded New Zealand with three home runs to pull off a 6-1 semifinal triumph over the 2012 Senior League Baseball regional champions and stay on course for the division’s now-vacant title in Asia-Pacific and Middle East Tournament yesterday at Clark Parade Grounds here.
Represented by ILLAM, the Pinoy Senior Leaguers pounced on the four-baggers of Boo Barandian, Dan Laurel and Miguel Habana to take the fight out of the Kiwis and book a trip to Sunday’s championship game.
Standing between Phl and a ticket to the Senior League Baseball World Series is CNMI, which advanced via a 3-0 verdict over Hong Kong in the other semis encounter.
“I think the boys are ready. We’re familiar with CNMI having been playing them in Asia-Pacific regularly. The boys are in good spirits and we have a very deep pitching bullpen, we won’t run out of pitchers. I hope we can sustain this kind of performance on Sunday,” said Phl team manager Arsenic Laurel of ILLAM.
Like the ILLAM batters, Phl representatives in the three remaining softball divisions – Big League (Manila South), Senior League (Sta. Cruz, Laguna), and Junior League (Iloilo Province) – moved one victory away from World Series berths after making shortwork of their respective Indonesian foes for 3-0 cards.
Reigning Filipina Big League world titlists Manila South ran away with 18-0 regulation shutout while Seniors representative Sta. Cruz, Laguna cruised to a 10-0 abbreviated romp and Juniors bet Iloilo Province stormed to a 22-0 quickwork of the Indons.
The four are looking to add to Phl’s World Series-bound roster after the Pinoy Little League Softball crew, Iloilo Province, booked the first ticket with its conquest of the APME 11-12 bracket.
After sweeping their three assignments in Pool A of the elims, the Phl Senior Baseball bets brought their hot bats against the former AsPac champs and tagged the visitor’s hurlers with 10 hits. 
Barandiaran started scoring by blasting a homer that sent Habana in for a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Rafael Esguerra’s RBI double followed by a passed ball that gave Ponz Balagtas a free pass to homeplate doubled Phl’s margin two innings later before New Zealand got on the scoreboard with a run in the fifth. The Pinoys are not done, though, as Laurel blasted it over the left field fence for a solo round-tripper, a feat duplicated by Habana just two batters later.
“Our hitting was the key,” said Laurel. “After scouting their style in the elims, we worked on our slow breaking balls and it worked as proven by the three home runs.”
Unbeaten Manila South led another rousing day for the Phl softbelles.
Queeny Sabobo (three-for-four, six RBIs), Gelyn Lamata (three-for-four, four RBIs) and Mary Louisse Garde (three-for-four, two RBIs) led a searing batting for the Manileñas, who came through with 17 hits in all against the Indons’ hurlers. Baby Jane Raro, Garde and Hazel Anque, for their part, combined for a no-hitter.
The Manileñas shoot for a sweep of the regionals and a return trip to the worlds against Guam today.
“One more step and then we’re there (World Series) again. I hope we can defend the title. But not to look past Guam, we’re taking it one step at a time,” said Phl coach Ana Santiago.
The Asia-Pacific and Middle East Tournament is sponsored by Clark Development Corp., Philippine Sports Commission and KFC.
==ILLAM routs China, eyes Sr League finals==
*Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/07/05/13/illam-routs-china-eyes-sr-league-finals
*Friday, July 5th, 2013
: By  Olmin Leyba, The Philippine Star
CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Philippines – Host Philippines turned to the International Little League Association of Manila (ILLAM) to remain in the hunt in baseball as the Filipino Senior League representative swept Pool A action and secured the No. 1 slot going to the semifinals of the Asia Pacific and Middle East Tournament.
ILLAM wielded its hot bats and crushed China in regulation, 16-4, to finish the elims with an immaculate 3-0 slate halfway through the regional meet being held at the 22-hectare Clark Parade Grounds.
The Pinoy batters will shoot for a finals berth today when they take on the No. 2 team in Pool B, New Zealand (2-1) in crossover semis. Pool B topnotcher Saipan (3-0) and Pool A runner-up Hong Kong (1-2) will dispute the other ticket to the championship game.
“We like our chances against New Zealand because we have the advantage in pitching. Unlike the other teams, we have 11 pitchers in our roster, plus the boys are well-prepared,” said ILLAM coach Larry Icban, whose wards are in the best position among PH squads to go deeper in the baseball competitions.
Tanauan City, representing the country in Junior League and Little League, both chalked up victories yesterday but their chances of advancing are quite slim.
The Phl Junior League bets improved to 2-2 after ripping India in a conceded game, 7-0. So one-sided was the match that Tanauan’s batting order all reached home thrice, forcing the Indians to wave the white flag after one completed inning. They stood at fourth in JLB behind Chinese-Taipei (3-0 at presstime), Saipan and Hong Kong (both with 3-2) in the race for the two berths to the championship round.
The Tanauaños’ counterparts in the majors also picked up a second win in four starts. Gaining from the triple of Marty Rañada that sent Reden Tapia to the plate in the sixth frame, the Phl Little Leaguers edged Singapore, 3-2, but remained in the lower half of six-team Pool A, where only two teams will proceed to the crossover semis.
Phl Big League representative Muntinlupa suffered a 3-5 setback at the hands of Guam to drop to 1-3 in the division dominated by Chinese-Taipei (3-0 at presstime).
ILLAM’s rousing triumph over China capped a fiery run in the elims that saw them stamp their class on Thailand (13-5) and Hong Kong (4-2).
“There were some jitters and nervousness in the first two games but by this time, they have fully adjusted,” said Icban.
The Pinoy Senior Leaguers lay the foundation for the rout by exploding with nine runs off five hits against starter Wan Guo Liang in the first frame. They tagged Wan and his relievers, Deng Hua, Yang Xin, and Zhang Vu with 11 hits in all, with ILLAM pitcher Diego Lozano blasting a grandslam homerun in the second that put the home side out of reach, 15-2.
Diego Lozano, on the other end, teamed up with Boo Barandian and Nacho Lozano in pitching a two-hitter against the Chinese, who wound up third with 1-2.
“The boys’ hitting was tremendous in this game,” said Icban.
Meanwhile, after a one-day break, reigning Big League Softball world champion Manila South gets back to the field targeting its third straight win today against Indonesia. Also resuming their bids are unbeaten teams Sta. Cruz, Laguna (Senior League Softball), and Iloilo Province (Junior League Softball), which are also taking on Indonesia in their respective divisions.
The PH had already qualified a team to the World Series in Iloilo Province (majors), which copped the APME crown in the regionals sponsored by Clark Development Corp., Philippine Sports Commission and KFC.
==Morales mulls Mabalacat as Clark freeport extension==
*Source: http://www.headlinegl.com/morales-mulls-mabalacat-as-clark-freeport-extension/
*Thursday, July 4th, 2013
: By Charlene A. Cayabyab
MABALACAT CITY–Mayor Marino “Boking” Morales has submitted a proposal to Clark Development Corporation (CDC) to make this city an extension of the Clark Freeport Zone.
In an interview, Morales said he recently submitted a master development plan to CDC in line with his proposal.
In his proposal, Morales offered about 3,000 hectares from northeastern part of the city to serve as the freeport’s extension.
The city’s northeastern part consists of villages of Tabun, Bundagul, Paralayunan, Sta. Maria, Dapdap, Mamatitang, Atlu Bola, Cutud and part of Sta. Ines.
Morales said he came up with such proposal after realizing that the freeport’s land area is not enough to accommodate the growing number of investors there.
“We need to maximize this extension once it is approved. For that to happen, we should come up with a bypass road from the north,” Morales said.
The bypass road will be about 2.4 kilometers starting from the entrance of the Mabalacat City College and will end in Barangay Panday Pira.
“Once completed, the bypass road will allow us access to Clark, Tarlac and Subic,” Morales said.
While waiting for CDC’s decision about his proposal, Morales said the city has tied up with some locators inside the freeport in terms of job generation.
“We have an existing tie-up with LNT. They provide high-speed sewing machines while we provide the venue for training potential employees for their company,” Morales said.
He said there are at least 30 high-speed sewing machines used for training at the Marina Arcade in Barangay Dau.
Once his proposal is approved by the CDC, Morales eyes at least 1,000 additional jobs for Mabalaqueños.
==Manila belles start strong, rout Guam==
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/sports/2013/07/03/961001/manila-belles-start-strong-rout-guam
*Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013
: By Olmin Leyba
CLARK FREEPORT ZONE , Philippines – Manila, the reigning Big League Softball World Series titlist, displayed its mighty form as the softbelles carried the flag for host Philippines in the second day of action in the 2013 Little League Asia/Pacific and Middle East Tournament at the Clark Parade Grounds here.
Manila, unleashing the superb pitching of Hazel Anque and the hot batting of Angelie Ursabia and Queeny Sabobo, clobbered Guam in six innings, 14-0, yesterday to signal its readiness to take on all those coveting its softball 16-18 diadem.
The Manileñas’ winning ways spilled over to other fronts with Philippine Series Little League Softball holder Iloilo Province surviving a stubborn Indonesian rival, 10-6, to move a win away from the APME diadem and a trip to the World Series.
Sta. Cruz, Laguna (Senior League Softball) and Iloilo Province (Junior League Softball) also prevailed.
Iloilo’s Junior Leaguers blanked Guam, 11-0, while Laguna’s Senior Leaguers stamped their class on their counterparts from Guam, 7-0, to kick off their respective bids. In Big League Baseball, Philippine champ Muntinlupa edged Saipan, 4-2, to bounce back from its 4-8 defeat to Guam the other day.
Anque laid the foundation for Manila’s impenetrable defense, striking out all nine batters she faced in the first three innings. Relievers Baby Jane Raro and Mary Ann Antolihao did the mop-up operations and only allowed one Guam bet to reach base (error-aided).
In contrast, Manila swung at will against Saij Duenas and Alexis Aguero and tagged them with a 19 hits overall. Ursabia led the offensive with a four-of-five stint at bat, accounting for three RBIs and three runs. Sabobo, one of the holdovers from the world series-winning crew, went three-for-five and had four runs.
“So far so good. I like what they’re showing in both defense and offense,” said Manila coach Ana Santiago, vowing: “We will do everything to win here (APME) and defend the title.”
Handled by former Phl Blu Boy Rey Fuentes, Iloilo survived a near collapse before turning back Indonesia for the second straight game in their best-of-five dispute for the regional title. The Philippine champs easily won the first encounter the other day, 23-0.
“The girls somehow collapsed plus they (Indonesia) hit better. Fortunately, we got our bearings back in the last inning,” said Fuentes.
After taking a 6-0 lead, Iloilo surrendered six runs at the top of the fourth as starter Royvel Palma got hit twice. Kate Mabelin took over in the fifth and held down the Indons while on the other end, the Ilonggas scored a run in the bottom fourth and sent three more home in the fifth to secure the hard-earned triumph after two and a half hours.
“One more win and we’re off to the World Series. We’ll definitely go for it tomorrow (today). I’ll start with my No. 1 pitcher Royeve Palma to get things going,” said Fuentes.
Sta. Cruz, Laguna exploded with four runs off three hits in the second to pull away from Guam’s Senior League softbelles, at 5-0, then capped its dominance with a two-run homerun by Gennela Cruz in the sixth. Cruz also played relief to starter Gaesal Dilay in the last three innings as the duo’s efforts left Guam without a hit.
“The girls hit well and our combination of pitchers worked well,” said Sta. Cruz, Laguna coach Lorena Bernardino.
The APME tourney is sponsored by Clark Development Corp., Philippine Sports Commission and KFC.
==Aquino vows to beef up Philippines’ air power==
*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/436579/aquino-vows-to-beef-up-philippines-air-power
*Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013
: By Nikko Dizon, Tonette Orejas
CLARK FREEPORT—A brand-new Sokol helicopter and an SF-260TP jet flew together with newly repaired aircraft on Monday, displaying flight precision to celebrate the 66th anniversary of the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
It was the first time the event was held in this former US air base and it had nothing to do with the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China—but more because of congestion at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.
The decline in air power did not escape President Aquino, who vowed in his speech at the gathering to spend P75 billion to modernize the defense capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in five years.
“While we look back at the rich history of the Philippine Air Force, there is one thing that is noticeable: While we, in 1963, had the capability to help and send squadrons to other nations, why is it that in the last decades, it seemed that the wing of our Air Force had been clipped, and we rely only on old, rickety planes and equipment?” Aquino said.
Repeating a familiar theme of past neglect, the President slammed previous administrations that “ignored the well-being and interest of Filipino soldiers” while “intoxicated with power.”
Despite its problems, the PAF remained true to its basic principles of defending the rights and freedom of the nation and for coming to the aid of those affected by accidents, disasters, disease and poverty, according to the President.
New face
“This morning, in celebrating the 66th anniversary of the PAF, the government shows a new face and our soldiers display a new face to the world,” Aquino said, adding that in just three years, the PAF is “flying with a new strength toward a stable future.”
He said the P28-billion modernization expenditures for the AFP in the first 19 months of his term almost equaled the P33 billion that three previous administrations spent on the same program.
Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol, PAF spokesman, said P43 billion of the P75 billion set aside for the AFP modernization would go to the PAF and Philippine Navy upgrades.
Okol said Clark hosted the event for the first time because it offered air space that could accommodate aerobatic shows without disturbing the flight plans of commercial airlines, unlike Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.
The ceremonial flyby consisted of aircraft such as the F-27, the Sokol, MG-520, UH-1H, Huey II, C-130, F-28, Nomad-22 and D-211. The SF-260 Marchettis and T41-D trainer airplanes made the “66” formation.
Aquino thanked Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin for having the dedication and initiative to raise the capability and quality of the AFP, and Lt. Gen. Lauro Catalino de la Cruz, PAF commander, for his leadership.
Maintenance wing
Aside from supporting the peace process in Mindanao and responding to disasters, the PAF reported making 28,300 sorties, 1,500 ground operations and 4,700 civil-military operations in 2012.
Aquino praised the PAF for attaining 99.6 percent in financial obligation efficiency, per the rating by the Department of Budget and Management.
The President also congratulated the 410th Maintenance Wing based in Clark for making a first: the repair of a C-130 transport plane.
He thanked the PAF for surpassing limitations by succeeding in the rehabilitation of 17 M-35 trucks, one N-22 Nomad transport aircraft, one UH-1H utility helicopter, one LC-210 aircraft and an MG-520 helicopter.
Aquino expressed despair over the crashes that had claimed the lives of PAF pilots and said that the search and retrieval operations for two pilots, whose plane crashed in Palawan province a week ago, were continuing.
“Expect that before I finish my term, guarding our air space are new and modern aircraft like lead-in fighters, long-range patrol aircraft, close air support aircraft, light-lift fixed-wing aircraft, medium-lift aircraft, attack helicopters, combat utility helicopters, air defense radars and flight simulators,” the President said.
This is possible, he added, if the government acts to meet the requirements of a modern AFP and if the people renew their respect and confidence in Filipino soldiers.
He urged PAF troops to wholeheartedly fulfill their tasks and make citizens “feel unafraid and safe.”
In his speech, De la Cruz described the PAF’s task of securing the archipelago as “a huge challenge.”
But he said the PAF “cannot be shaken from this task to protect the natural resources and property of the country.”
==President Aquino vows to boost PHL defense by acquiring new aircraft==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=539747
*Monday, July 1, 2013
: By Zorayda S. Tecson
CLARK AIR BASE, Pampanga, July 1 (PNA) -- President Benigno Aquino III on Monday vowed to modernize the Philippine Air Force (PAF) through the acquisition of new and modern aircraft and equipment that would boost the country's defense and prevent the loss of lives among soldiers.
The President, in his speech during the PAF's 66th anniversary celebration at the Haribon Hangar, Air Force City here, has assured the PAF of new lead-in fighters, long-range patrol aircraft, close air support aircraft, attack helicopters, air defense radars, flight simulators and other modern equipment before his term ends.
This is part of the AFP modernization program wherein P75 billion will be allocated in the next five years.
President Aquino cited that it is important to modernize the PAF as this would improve the delivery of services to the nation and the people.
"Nananalig ako sa pagsasanib ng mga pagkilos ng pamahalaan upang gawing mas moderno ang inyong mga pangangailangan, at ang panibagong dangal at kumpiyansa ng taumbayan sa ating kasundaluhan, talagang magiging abot-langit ang serbisyong hatid ng Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas," he said.
The Chief Executive also lamented last week's plane crash in Palawan involving a military 0V-10 Bronco aircraft.
"Ang ganitong mga pangyayari nga mismo ang iniiwasan natin simula’t sapul pa. Kaya naman, nakatutok tayo sa modernisasyon ng ating pambansang tanggulan," he said.
He, however, assured the plane crash victims' families for the government's full support and assistance.
He said there is no doubt that the government is gradually entering into a new chapter in the history of the PAF.
He said the government is now responding to the needs of the military from the modern airplane up to their benefits such as housing unlike before that their welfare have been neglected.
In the light of the continuing efforts of the government to modernize the PAF, the President, however, is asking them to render utmost service to the nation and the people
Sa susunod na lumipad kayo, tanawin ninyo ang libu-libong islang bumubuo sa ating bansa. Isipin ninyo kung ilang Pilipino ang nakatingala, pinagmamasdan ang pagbagwis ninyo sa langit, at buong-pagmamalaki nilang nasasambit na "Salamat at nariyan ang Philippine Air Force. Walang maaaring sumindak o manggipit sa akin. Ligtas ako," he added. (PNA)
LAP/ZST/PS
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