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==Angeles University Foundation grads bag 2nd, 7th place in PT licensure exam==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=734122
*Tuesday, February 10, 2015
: (PNA), FPV/ZST/MDDR/JSD
ANGELES CITY, Pampanga, Feb. 10 (PNA) -- Two graduates of Angeles University Foundation (AUF) bagged the second and seventh places in the February 2015 Physical Therapy (PT) licensure examination.
AUF president Dr. Joseph E.L. Angeles said the university registered the highest passing rate among PT schools in Northern and Central Luzon, according to the records of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
Jay Mar Bebita and Maria Katrina Mabansag, ranked second and seventh place, respectively, in the recent board exams, bringing to 26 the total topnotchers of the AUF College of Allied Medical Professions since 1990.
“We laud and take pride in this achievement of our graduates which confirms AUF’s reputation as the home of topnotchers," AUF College of Allied Medical Professions dean Dr. Estelita Cayabyab said.
The other new PTs are Earl Chester Bucad, Regine Cunana, Giovanni Cura, Jomel Angelo David, Cristian Jay De Villa, Peter Paul Dizon, Evelyn Enriquez, Jan Vincent Galang, Ives Reinaexher Hernandez, John Oliver Hernandez, Rachel Littawa, Santino Maliwat, Gilvert Gem Manalastas, Xyza Marie Martin, Jan Deen Mari Matulin, Mark Jasper Payad, Jerico Franz Roman, Mary Jane Samson, Tracy Serrano and Danica Yandan.
==Local hotels support Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2015==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=6&rid=733903
*Monday, February 9, 2015
:(PNA), RMA/ZST/RKM/PS
CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Pampanga, Feb. 9 (PNA) --Operators of hotels in Angeles City have expressed support to the staging of the 19th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF).
Roy del Rosario, manager of Oasis Hotel, said the annual event has given benefits to the entire Angeles City and the surrounding area, making it the city and the province’s signature event.
“It is like our own version of Cebu’s Sinulog, Ilo-ilo’s Ati-atihan and Quezon’s Pahiyas,” he said.
Del Rosario said the annual event played a crucial role in their businesses.
“I strongly supported the PIHABF for the past 18 years or so and this is simply because I believed in its potentials in helping our local economy grow,” he said.
Likewise, Clark Development Corp. (CDC) president and chief executive officer Arthur P. Tugade share the same advocacy with that of del Rosario.
Tugade appealed not to work in ‘exclusions and exclusivity’ amid challenges and some reported efforts by some groups to stop the event.
“Let us sit down together to make Pampanga (or even the entire country) the hot air balloon capital of the world,” he said.
He also welcomed those who would like to venture in a similar “ballooning” activity to equal if not exceed the international flavor, world class handling and deep fun generated by the hot air balloon fiesta.
The hot air balloon fiesta is an opportunity to share and exchange cultures and traditions with visiting pilots from all over the world.
They are given a taste of Filipino hospitality and the fiesta spirit.
The event organizers hope that aviators’ beautiful experience becomes the best advertising for Philippine tourism.
‘A Weekend of Everything that Flies’ is scheduled on Feb. 12-15 here in Clark Freeport Zone featuring the 2015 Aviator of the Year awards and other sports aviation events.
==APEC Philippines 2015 organizers host welcome dinner for APEC senior officials, delegates==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=1&rid=733608
*Sunday, February 8, 2015
:(PNA), SCS/PND/SSC
CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Angeles City, Feb. 8 (PNA) -- The APEC Philippines 2015 National Organizing Council, in cooperation with the Clark Development Corp., hosted Friday night a welcome dinner for senior officials and delegates attending the two-day Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) here.
In an interview, Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr., the director general of the APEC Philippines 2015 National Organizing Committee, said they want to showcase Central Luzon's culture as well as its potentials, which is why they organized the event.
They want to introduce to the APEC delegates what Pampanga has to offer culturally, like its delicacies, music and hospitality, he said.
"Ito ay para maka-relax naman sila halfway through the meeting. Nagsimula sila today and then they will wrap up the session tomorrow. But before this, a week and a half ago nagsimula na ang mga meetings, 35 meetings altogether," he said.
The dinner was held with giant Pampanga-made lanterns as background for the program. Pampanga is the lantern capital of the country, with provincial officials organizing annual lantern making contests participated by the province's different municipalities.
Lanterns made in Pampanga have become an iconic symbol of the province and these products are being sold locally and even abroad.
Friday's dinner also featured Pampanga's Aetas performing a ritual and welcome dance to bless the delegates.
In her welcome remarks, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Laura del Rosario, the SOM chair, introduced the ethnic minority, the Aetas, to APEC delegates.
This group of people just rely on nature, she said, noting that in the future, the country's planners must consider the welfare of these people as the Philippines moves towards modernization.
Although the Aetas were displaced when the Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, they have survived and thrived for 25 years, she said.
"This is really a blessing of nature. This shows how heavens protect its creatures," she said.
Del Rosario also highlighted Clark's potentials to investors attending the events here.
Clark is more than 10,000 hectares, according to her, and if it is connected to Subic the land area could go as high as 20,000 hectares.
All these areas combined would eclipse the land mass of other APEC economies like Singapore, Brunei, and Hong Kong, she said.
"This also shows that there's a lot of potentials in this area," she noted. "If we carve this out into a city it can easily house seven to eight million Filipinos."
What is interesting about Clark is that it is already developed, del Rosario said.
Clark has international schools, an off campus university, a college, a museum, an art gallery and an area for businesses, many hotels and golf courses, she said.
It also has amenities for leisure like resorts for swimming as well as a zip line, del Rosario said, adding Clark can be the city of the future.
==PHL initiatives garner support during APEC meetings in Clark==
*Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=1&rid=733480
*Saturday, February 7, 2015
:(PNA), RMA/PND/SSC
CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Angeles City, Feb. 7 (PNA) -- APEC senior officials, gathering in the First Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) here in Clark, have set the momentum for future discussions significant to each member economies, SOM Chair and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Laura del Rosario said on Saturday.
Del Rosario, who conducted a press briefing Saturday, said in a statement that through the meetings in Clark, the initiatives being pushed by the Philippines have garnered wide support from other APEC member economies.
Among these initiatives include the development of the APEC Trade Repository that is expected to contribute to transparency and trade facilitation.
"We have also set the stage for the development of an SME Action Plan to foster the participation of SMEs in regional and global markets," she said as senior officials wrapped up discussions on Saturday.
Also, APEC members agreed to push for the formulation of the APEC Services Cooperation Framework to build the competitiveness of the services sector and provide a common direction and coherence to the APEC's trade of services.
"We look to achieving all this and more by the end of our host year," del Rosario said.
The two-day meeting of senior officials has set the way forward for APEC-wide policy direction, integrating all the work being done in APEC's committees, working groups and other fora, she said.
The Philippines' host year revolves in the agenda of inclusive growth, she said. And this is tied up to four major priorities that the country has crafted: enhancing regional economic integration, fostering SME participation in regional and global markets, investing in human capital and building resilient communities.
Del Rosario also commended the aggressive involvement of the private sector in advancing APEC agenda through the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC).
In addition, key APEC initiatives such as the Bogor goals, the Leaders' Growth Strategy, and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific will be carried over this year during the country's hosting.
APEC officials will meet in August in Cebu for the Third Senior Officials' Meeting.
==Capitol hosts dinner for Apec delegates==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2015/02/06/capitol-hosts-dinner-apec-delegates-390579
*Friday, February 6, 2015
:By Angelique Tuazon (Pampanga PIO)
CLARK FREEPORT -- The Provincial Government of Pampanga headed by Governor Lilia Pineda and Vice Governor Dennis Pineda hosted a banquet for the delegates of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) at Oxford Hotel on Thursday.
Delegates from various parts of the world particularly Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam are at Clark for the First Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM1).
During the welcome dinner, the host province showcased its well-known giant lanterns, locally known as parul. The towering Kapampangan Christmas symbols, with an average diameter of 15 to 20 feet and built with about seven kilometers of electric wires and 10,000 light bulbs, were met with admiration from foreign delegates witnessing the display for the first time.
The foreign delegates as well as guests from the local governments of Central Luzon provinces also showed appreciation for the host province’s note-worthy hospitality as embodied by the Pampanga Capitol’s chiefs of offices and employees.
In her address, Governor Pineda stressed the importance of cooperation among the member countries in paving the way for long-term prosperity.
“I am optimistic that we can determine ways to harness and maximize the vast resources and favorable business environment not only of the Philippines but of all Apec member countries,” the governor said.
==Celebrate a weekend of fun-flying, love and excitement at Widus==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2015/02/05/celebrate-weekend-fun-flying-love-and-excitement-widus-390439
*Thursday, February 5, 2015
:(PR)
CLARK FREEPORT -- Widus Leisure Inc., proprietor of Widus Hotel and Casino, celebrates the 19th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival (PIHABF) with special promos and gastronomic offers exclusively slated for the “weekend of everything that flies”.
The widely anticipated aviation event, which annually draws huge crowds from families, group of friends to aviation fans, is making its return to Clark from February 12 to 15, guaranteeing this year to be bigger and better than previous staging.
Accessibly near the PIHABF site, Widus Hotel and Casino offers this year’s event attendees its signature luxury lifestyle experience like no other with its exceptional PIHABF promos.
Widus, which was recently ranked on Trip Advisor as the top hotel choice in Clark, offers special room accommodation packages starting at P10,000, inclusive of buffet breakfast, complimentary PIHABF tickets, event site transfer, packed snacks, and more.
Moreover, love is also truly in the air as The World Famous Platters performs live at the Widus Convention Center on February 13 at 8:00 pm. Ticket prices start at P2,000 and are available at SM City Clark, Pampanga and Tarlac.
For a romantic Valentine’s Day experience, delight at Salt, Widus’s all-day casual dining restaurant, with an indulgent buffet dinner for only P888 net per person.
Widely known as Clark’s one-stop leisure destination, Widus Hotel and Casino truly provides the perfect weekend-getaway experience with its wide range of amenities, affordable promos and high-quality service.
For more information, call Widus at (6345) 499-1000 or (632) 847-1430, or visit http://www.widus.com.
==Apec fast-tracks private, government projects==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2015/02/04/apec-fast-tracks-private-government-projects-390246
*Wednesday, February 4, 2015
:(Press Release)
CLARK FREEPORT – One of the biggest benefits brought by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) to the country is fast-tracking projects of both the government and private sectors including expansion plans of various locators here.
It can be recalled that Clark Development Corporation (CDC) president and chief executive officer Arthur Tugade said that legacy projects including the Clark Rotunda, Clark Museum, Clark 4D Theatre and Clark Integrated Command Center were to be implemented by 2015.
However, things changed when the National Organizing Committee of Apec finally decided to utilize Clark as a major venue for the Senior Officers Meeting. Tugade sat down with the CDC management committee and board of directors to request for an early implementation of the projects.
In an exclusive interview of Tugade in the program Clark in Action, he said “I would like to think that we are ready, but when we are saying we are ready, we should not be over confident, let me make it very clear, that the total responsibility of making APEC successful in Clark is not CDC’s alone or Clark alone.”
Meanwhile, Tugade clarified that the infrastructure projects and developments here in Clark is not solely intended for Apec. “Ito ho ay pang CDC at pang economic zone” (The projects are for CDC and economic zone).
He added that Clark locators along with the government share a common vision that Apec is good for the Philippines. “Ang ganda hong tignan, kasi nagkakapit-bisig, lahat nagkakapit-diwa lahat ng mga stockholders para matulungan ang gobyerno sa Apec 2015.”
The Apec Senior Officers’ Meeting started on January 26 and will end on February 7.
Tugade was especially grateful to CDC locators as they advanced the dates of their development plans including Fontana Leisure Parks’ construction of a convention center to increase the seating capacity from 500 seats to more than 1800 seats, upgrading of the clubhouse, golf course and acquisition of the state of the art facilities, construction of villas and rooms, and adding 1000 new workers for APEC needs; Oxford Hotel’s renovation of two floors and face lifting of the building arcade and dedicating the use of the floors for the APEC summit, landscaping of the area, commitment of a P1-billion investment in the next five years for the construction of a new hotel, casino and restaurant complex with one-stop commercial complex, and employment of 615 people; Widus’ P2-bilion for the construction of Tower 3 (300 bedroom capacity), investment in clubs, the putting up of a water theme park which will generate employment of 500 additional workers and assigning a tower plus 30 additional rooms solely for the Apec delegates.
The renovation of the Clark Parade Ground is in its final stages. Once completed, the 4.6-million project will have a rubberized overlay for the jogging path, renovated park bencher, a shower room for sports participants. The old lamp posts will be replaced and augmented by stadium lights for special sports and tourism events in the evenings.
==Angeles mayor announces 20 new positions at City College==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2015/02/03/angeles-mayor-announces-20-new-positions-city-college-389995
*Tuesday, February 3, 2015
:(AC-CIO)
ANGELES CITY -- Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan recently revealed 20 new positions that need to be filled in at the City College of Angeles (CCA).
Pamintuan said that with the rise of enrollment numbers in the said school, it is only right to hire more instructors and professors as a response to the rising demand.
"The opening of new positions in the CCA is in line with our continuous effort to enhance the quality of education in the city. As such, we are looking for passionate people to join the team and help us attain our goal," he said.
The college is looking for eight instructors, eleven assistant professors, one guidance coordinator and one librarian.
The City Government Personnel Selection Board, headed by the city mayor himself, will deliberate and recommend qualified applicants by mid-February.
Interested applicants may direct their queries to the City Human Resource and Management Office, 3rd floor, City Hall, Pulung Maragul or via telephone number (045) 892-0035.
Established in 2012, the City College of Angeles is an election promise fulfilled by the lawyer-mayor of this city, as stated in his "Contract with Angeleños" under the aspect of education. Currently, it offers alternative, market sensitive courses, which allows students to be hired immediately right after graduation.
==Customs exec: ‘Empowering SMEs key to inclusive growth’==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2015/02/02/customs-exec-empowering-smes-key-inclusive-growth-389844
*Monday, February 2, 2015
:By Ferth Vandensteen Manaysay
CLARK FREEPORT — "We can, and should, make the extra effort to ensure that small businesses are not excluded from the benefits of integration."
Thus said Customs Commissioner John Sevilla as he called on fellow customs officials from member-economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) to enhance regional economic integration by empowering small and medium enterprises towards the attainment of inclusive growth.
During the Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures (SCCP) meeting here, Sevilla noted that “As advocates of inclusive growth, we need to recognize that small and medium enterprises in many, if not all, of our countries face particular challenges in dealing with Customs procedures. That is why we need to adopt policies and procedures that are friendly to small and medium enterprises otherwise the increase in trade flows and the realization of the benefits of economic integration will not happen.”
Sevilla likewise cited the sub-committee’s Strategic Framework on Mutual Recognition, Mutual Assistance, and Mutual Sharing in Customs procedures as an important milestone in achieving the APEC objective of reducing trade transaction costs and making sure that supply chains flow efficiently.
"The framework gives us direction as it provides strong basis for our on-going work and initiatives in the following areas: implementation of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade Facilitation, establishment and strengthening the authorized economic operator programs, establishment and inter-operability of single window systems, and improvement of customs efficiency and risk controls through information technology," he added.
The commissioner also enumerated some of the reforms undertaken by the Philippine Customs such as the Integrated Enhanced Customs Processing System and the Philippine National Single Window Phase 2 Project to give traders comprehensive trade information to ensure informed and diligent compliance with customs practices and procedures.
SCCP is among the ongoing related technical meetings in Clark and Subic Freeports in line with the 1st Senior Officials Meeting (SOM1).
==Abuses in 16th century Pampanga tackled in lecture series==
*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2015/01/31/abuses-16th-century-pampanga-tackled-lecture-series-389496
*Sunday, February 1, 2015 (date Published)
:By Ian Ocampo Flora
ANGELES CITY -- The Katipunan da reng Talasaliksik at Talaturung Kapampangan (Katatagan) tackled in a lecture series the abuses committed against 16th century Kapampangans and how early Spanish missionaries tried to champion the rights of Kapampangans.
Katatagan hosted the Fourth Ambula Brown Bag Lecture on the topic "The Manila Synod of 1582 and the Corruption and Abuses in the 16th-Century Pampanga" which was delivered by Ian Christopher Alfonso of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines at the Angeles City Library recently.
"In his recent pastoral visit to the Philippines, Pope Francis shared his views against corruption and the inequality between the rich and the poor. More than four centuries ago, Bishop Domingo de Salazar, OP, the first bishop of Manila, also aired the same views, the only difference was he was battling the inequality between the natives and the Spaniards, particularly in Pampanga," Katatagan said in its Facebook page.
Katatagan added that in 1580, Pampanga province was governed by five governors (i.e. alcades mayor and a corregidor), supposedly administering justice over the encomiendas (special administrative units granted to the deserving soldiers to collect tributes) but they were tasked to strictly implement the repartimiento (dividing the natives for particular duties). Thousands of Kapampangan men underwent repartimientos and forcibly transferred to the gold mines in Ilocos, leaving their families starving and their farms untilled for many years.
"In response to the unmerciful repartimiento policy of the alcaldes mayor and the uncompassionate encomenderos, Bishop Salazar convened the religious fathers in 1582 to make a stand for the natives and for the Spanish king, the first Synod of Manila. Bishop Salazar and the early missionaries championed the rights of the natives and became heroes," Katatagan said.
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