VOLUME 6NUMBER 13FRI - SATJUNE 29 - 30, 2012

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BY DING CERVANTES

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -Agrarian Reform Sec.Virgilio de los Reyes has

vowed here to complete thedistribution of Hacienda Luisita toits farmworker beneficiaries bythis October or, at the latest, byApril next year.

Luisita lands distributedby April 2013, at most –DAR

PAGE 8 PLEASE

BY JOEY PAVIA

CITY OF SAN FERNAN-DO—At least 20 percentof the some 6,200 benefi-ciaries of Hacienda Luisi-ta in Tarlac province aredead, adding difficulty tothe distribution of the es-tate owned by the familyof President Aquino.

This was revealed by

20 percent ofHacienda Luisita

beneficiaries deadAgrarian Reform SecretaryVirgilio de los Reyes, whoattended the Agrarian Re-form Beneficiaries Recog-nition rites at the Depart-ment of Agrarian Reform(DAR) Central Luzon officehere on Wednesday.

The event was gracedby Pampanga Gov. LiliaPineda and city of San

PAGE 8 PLEASE

FARM FRESH. DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes (left) inspects fruits and vegetables sold atthe exhibit beside the Department of Agrarian Reform regional office in the City of San Fernando,Pampanga. With him are San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda andProvincial Board Members Fritzie David-Dizon, Trina Dizon and Monz Laus. PHOTO BY RIC GONZALES

CLARK FREEPORT - Jus-tice Secretary Leila deLima urged here yesterdaypotential witnesses in theMaguindanao massacre to“come out in the open” asa means for self-preserva-

DE LIMA URGES MASSACRE WITNESSES

PAGE 8 PLEASE

‘Come out in the open, be covered by WPP’tion, after another poten-tial witness was reportedto have been killed.

In an interview duringthe regional convention ofthe Integrated Bar of thePhilippines- Central Luzon

(IBP-CL), De Lima saidthe safety of potential wit-nesses would remain atrisk “unless we get andarrest the rest of the ac-cused still at large, espe-cially others (who are) prin-

cipally accused.”“I urge potential wit-

nesses to come out in theopen and be covered byour Witness ProtectionProgram,” she said.

CLARK FREEPORT - ThePhilippines will lift on July15 the fishing ban imposedlast May at the Panatag(Scarborough) shoal off thecoast of Zambales, half amonth earlier than the ban PAGE 8 PLEASE

PHL to lift fish ban at Scarborough July 15imposed by China.

In a telephone interviewwith Punto, Bureau ofFisheries and Aquatic Re-sources (BFAR) nationaldirector Asis Perez reiter-ated that the fishing ban

in the shoal had nothing todo with the territorialdispute with China in thearea.

China was the first toissue the fishing ban lastMay, followed

by the Philippines.Foreign Affairs Sec.

Albert del Rosario was,however, initially againstimposing the ban but saidPres. Aquino had decided

BY ARMAND M. GALANG

PALAYAN CITY - Residents of this city, which hous-es the provincial Capitol of Nueva Ecija, have ex-pressed opposition to the contracted establishmentof a landfill that will accommodate residual wasteshere and adjoining areas.

A group, headed by Edwin Pineda and TessOdulio, have asked Mayor Romeo Capinpin, to re-

Landfillopposed

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BY DINO BALABO

MALOLOS CITY—Water eleva-tion at the Angat Dam has re-mained low and nearing criticallevel despite rains brought bysuccessive typhoons that hitthe country.

This developed as the Pam-panga River Flood Forecastingand Warning Center (PRFFWC)advised Bulacan and Pampan-ga residents living in low-lyingareas to be on alert for possi-ble flooding as typhoon Dindois expected to bring more rains.

Records obtained by Puntofrom the Provincial Disaster RiskReduction Management Office(PDRRMO) showed that waterelevation at the Angat Damdropped to 186.51 metersabove sea level (masl) yester-day morning from 186.84 maslrecorded on Wednesday.

Despite rains, Angat water remains low, nears critical levelThe said water elevation is

just six meters above the 180masl critical level.

Liz Mungcal, head of theBulacan PDRRMO said ty-phoons Butchoy and Dindobrought minimal rainfall in theeastern part of the provincewere the dam is located.

She said that despite the lowwater elevation there is nothingto worry about as more rainsare expected in the comingdays.

“Typhoon season na, kayaanytime ay madadagdagan angtubig sa dam dahil madalas naang pag-ulan,” she said.

Located on the hills of Sier-ra Madre in Norzagaray town,Angat Dam supplies 97 percentof Metro Manila’s potable wa-ter requirement.

As this developed, thePRFFWC warned residents liv-

NI ARMAND M. GALANG

PALAYAN CITY - Patuloy na tu-mataas ang lebel ng pagma-malasakit ng mga Novo Ecijanosa pangangalaga ng kalikasan.

Pagmamalasakit sa kalikasan, patuloy na tumataasGanito ang pagtaya ni Rev.

Fr. Chito Beltran, tagapangasi-wa ng ecological and social con-cern ng Diocese of Cabanatuan,sa gitna ng pagdagsa ng mgaresidente ng lalawigan sa Sitio

Bacao, Barangay Doña Josefasa lungsod na ito, halos linggo-linggo, upang magtanim ng kat-utubong punongkahoy.

May 1,100 ektaryang lupainsa bulubunduking bahagi ng na-

banggit na sitio ang nakalaanpara sa reforestation project napinangangasiwaan ni Beltran,katuwang ang may 95 pamily-ang Aeta na inilipat sa lugar mulasa Barangay Sapang Bato, An-geles City nang pumutok angMount Pinatubo noong 1991.

“Maraming nakikiisa sa atingtrabaho dahil yun pong mgaLGU (local government units) ngSta. Rosa, Palayan City at sakapo ‘yung mga Catholic schoolsay tumutulong. Mga parishes aypumupunta po dito para mag-tanim ng puno,” ani Beltran.

Karaniwang 150 hanggang500 katao ang grupo-grupongnagtatanim sa reforestationproject kapag weekend, aniya.

“Pati po mga public schoolsay tumutulong,” dagdag niya.

Kaugnay nito, pinangunahanni Sta. Rosa Mayor JosefinoAngeles ang mga kawani ngmunisipyo sa pagtatanim ngpuno at pagdadala ng tig-2 ki-long bigas at mga sardinas ba-wat isa sa Sitio Bacao.

“Tungkulin namin ito, hindilamang bilang empleyado ngmunisipyo kundi bilangmamamayang dapat mangalagasa kalikasan, Siguro kahit hindinasa gobyerno o pribado, tungku-lin natin pare-pareho na pangal-agaan ang kalikasan,” pahayagni Ruben Esquejo, Jr., municipal

administrator ng Sta. Rosa.Ang mga bigas at pagkaing

dala nila ay ibabahagi sa mgapamilyang Aeta alinsunod sapinaiiral na patakarang food forwork, ayon kay Beltran. Sa na-turang sistema, bawat isangaraw ng pagtatanim ng puno,ang bawat Aeta ay pagkaka-looban ng apat na kilong bigas,dalawang lata ng sardinas at apatna pakete ng instant noodles.

Paliwanang ni Beltran, bukodsa malaking tulong ng mga kat-utubo sa pagbuhay ng kaguba-tan ay nagbibigay sa kanila ngdignidad ang paggawa para sakabuhayan.

Nagsimula ang reforestationprogram sa Sitio Bacao noong2010.

Bago tuluyang magtanim,ang mga kalahok ay binibigyanmuna ng mahahalagang impor-masyon sa tunay na kahalaga-han ng kagubatan.

“Ang katotohanan niyan,nalalaman naman ng mga taoang kahalagahan ng ating plan-eta na kinakailangang pangala-gaan. Ang sinisikap nating gawineh pag-alis dito ay maynadagdag o kaya mas lumalim‘yung pagtatalaga natin para sapagtataguyod ng kapakanan ngkalikasan at siyempre pa sakapakanan na rin ng tao,” saadni Beltran.

TRIKE PATROL. Gov. Lilia Pineda joins Fr. Marius Rique in the blessing of tricycleunits she gave to the Sto. Tomas government led by Mayor Lito Naguit.

PHOTO BY RIC GONZALES

ing on low lying areas and riverbanks in Bulacan and Pampan-ga to be on alert for possibleflood.

Based on PRFFWC forecastissued at 9 a.m. yesterday,they expect 40 to 60 millime-tres of rainfall in the next 24hours.

In the previous 24 hours be-fore the forecast, the PRFFWCrecorded a 30 millimetres of rain-fall from their rain gauge sta-tions.

Watercourses likely to beaffected by the possible rainfallare the tributaries of the RioChico River, the CandabaSwamp, the lower main of thePampanga River and the tribu-taries of the Angat River in Bu-lacan.

The PRFFWC also warnedresidents living in high-tide-af-fected areas.

BEYOND POLITICS. Prospective rivals for the city vice-mayorship Councilor JaySangil and Balibago Chief Tony Mamac are all smiles at the recent turnover by theformer of a tricycle for use in the latter’s peace and order drive. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

LUNGSOD NG MALOLOS—Tiniyak ng Department of Environ-ment and Natural Resources (DENR) na higit na paiigtingin angpagbabantay sa mga minahan at kabundukan.

Ito ay sa pamamagitan ng makabagong teknolohiya tulad ngmga sensor at mga aerial drones na may camera.

Dahil dito, masusubaybayan ng DENR ang mga gawain saminahan maging ang bahagi ng kabundukan na pingsasagawaanng logging o pamumutol ng punong kahoy.

Ayon kay Ramon Paje, Kalihim ng DENR, nakipag-ugnayanna siya kay Mario Montejo, ang kalihim ng Department of Sci-ence and Technology (DOST).

“There must be a science in it,” ani Paje sa 10 pilingmamamahayag na kalahok sa Environmental Investigative Re-porting Fellowship na inorganisa ng International Women’s Me-dia Foundation (IWMF).

Si Paje ay nagsilbi bilang isa sa mga panauhing tagapagsal-ita sa nasabing pagsasanay na isinagawa sa Astoria Plaza saOrtigas sa Lungsod ng Pasig nitong Hunyo 20-23.

Nilinaw niya na ang paggamit ng makabagong teknolohiyasa pangangalaga sa kalikasan ay bahagi ng mga probisyon ngnakabimbing Executive Order hinggil sa pagmimina na habangsinusulat ang balitang ito ay naghihitay pang lagdaan ni Pangu-long Benigno Aquino.

“It will be a game-changer sa mining industry because it willraise the bar of standards with the use of state of the art tech-nology in all mining operations,” aniya.

Sa panayam ng mga mamamahayag, sinabi ni Paje angmga sensor na ilalagay sa mga minahan ay maaaring gastusanng mga kumpanyang nagmimina.

Ito ay may kakayahang matukoy ang antas ng mercury at cy-anide, na kapwa nakalalasong kemikal na gamit sa pagmimina.

Ipinaliwanag pa niya na ang mga impormasyong magmumu-la sa mga sensor ay maaaring mabasa at maanalisa nila sakanyang tanggapan.

“They call it telemetry and we can get real time results fromthe sensors, so kahit di namin puntahan, we will already havean idea,” aniya.

Bukod dito, sinabi ni Paje na gagamit din sila ng mga aerialdrones o maliliit na eroplanong may kamera na paliliparin sahimpapawid ng mga kabundukan at maging sa mga lugar nanapinsala ng kalamidad.

“It is cheaper and safer than sending personnel to miningand logging areas,” aniya, at nilinaw na ang mga aerial dronesay ginagamit na ng ilang ahensiya ng gobyerno ngayon.

Ipinagmalaki pa niya na mas malinaw ang mga kuhanglarawan ng mga aerial drones kumpara sa satellite, dahil masmababa ang lipad nito.

“Images taken by drones have resolution of one meter com-pared to satellites images which have 10 meters resolution,” aning kalihim. –Dino Balabo

Bagong teknolohiyagagamitin ng DENR sa

pagbabantay sa kalikasan

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CLARK FREEPORT – TheClark Freeport has againlanded on the pages ofForeign Direct Investment(fDi) Magazine as one ofthe top Global Free Zonesof the future for 2012/13.

In 2010, fDi Magazine,published by the presti-gious London-based TheFinancial Times BusinessGroup, has also citedClark and its potentials asa world-class economichaven.

Clark Development Cor-poration (CDC) Chairmanand Officer-In-Charge Edu-ardo Oban, Jr. said thisFreeport ranked numbereight in the magazine’s listof global Freeport zones inthe world. Dubai AirportFree Zone (Dafza) toppedthis year’s list followed byUAE-based Dubai Interna-tional Financial Centre insecond place and Shang-hai Waigaoqiao Free TradeZone in China for the thirdspot.

The other companies inthe top 10 list are Iskan-dar in Malaysia, DuBio-

tech in UAE, Tanger FreeZone in Morocco, Freeportof Ventspils in Latvia, Chit-tagong Export ProcessingZone in Bangladesh, andUAE-based Dubai MediaCity.

The Clark Freeport alsoranked third in fDi Maga-zine’s top five best airportzones in the world. Firston the list is Dubai AirportFree Zone followed byTanger Free Zone in Mo-rocco. The fourth spot wasawarded to MauritiusFreeport in Mauritius whiletied in fifth place are Sala-lah Free Zone in Oman andBahrain International Air-port in Bahrain.

The magazine said atleast 600 free zonesacross 120 countries wereinvited by fDi to completea survey requesting bothqualitative and quantitativedata regarding their freezones. The information col-lected was set under fivecategories: incentives, fa-cilities, cost-effectiveness,transportation and best FDIpromotion. –CDC-PRD

ON FDI MAGAZINE RANKING

Clark cited anew as‘Global Free Zones

of the Future’

NNNNNIIIII D D D D DINOINOINOINOINO B B B B BALABOALABOALABOALABOALABO

LUNGSOD NGMALO-LOS—Dapat magbitiw satungkulin ang direktor ngMines and GeosciencesBureau (MGB) na si LeoJasareno, ayon kay Gob.Joey Salceda ng lalawiganng Albay.

Kaugnay nito, ibinulgarni Salceda na hindi nakon-sulta ang mga pamaha-laang lokal sa inihandangexecutive order (EO) ngMalakanyang hinggil sapagmimina; samantalanginilarawan niya ang mgaordinansang laban sa pag-mimina na pinagtibay ng40 lalawigan bilang isanghalimbawa ng bagongpag-asa sa mga pamay-anan sa lalawigan.

Samantala, ipinahi-watig din ng gobernadorna ang nasa likod ng na-kabinbing EO sa Mala-kanyang ay isang grupong mayayamang elitista;at nilinaw na ang pagmim-ina ay isang negosyongpara sa mayayaman la-mang.

“He should resign be-cause he is supposed toregulate the industry andyet he leans towards pro-moting the interest of themining companies,” aniSalceda sa 10 pilingmamamahayag na kala-hok sa Environmental In-vestigative Reporting fel-lowship na inorganisa ngInternational Womem’sMedia Foundation (IWMF)at isinagawa sa AstoriaPlaza sa Ortigas sa Lung-

sod ng Pasig noong Hun-yo 20-23.

Nilinaw ng gobernadorna bilang pinuno ng MGBna nasa ilalim ng Depart-ment of Environment andNatural Resources(DENR), dapat ay isulongni Jasareno ang kapakan-an ng mamamayan sapamamagitan ng pagpap-atupad ng mga batas atiba pang regulasyon hing-gil sa pagmimina.

“He is so dismissiveand condescending toLGUs, dapat regulatorsiya at hindi promotor,” anipa ni Salceda na isangekonomista ngunit sa sim-ula pa lamang ay tutol nasa pagmimina.

Ipinaliwanag niya nakung mayroong dapatmamamagitan sa mganagbubungguang hanayng mga pamahalaanglokal at kumpanyang nag-mimina, ito ay walang ibakundi si Jasareno.

Hinggil sa nakabing-bing EO sa pagmimina,sinabi niya na hindi kinon-sulta ng Malakanyang angmga pamahalaang lokal.

“They should have con-sulted the local govern-ment units through theRegional DevelopmentCouncils (RDCs) or socialaction center and otheragencies that provide voiceto local communities,”sabi ng gobernador nakasapi ng Liberal Partypatungkol sa Malakan-yang.

Bilang isa sa mgatagapayo ni dating Pangu-

long Gloria Macapagal Ar-royo, hindi inilihim ni Sal-ceda ang harapang pagtu-tol sa pagmimina.

Iginiit niya na madalasnilang pagtalunan ni dat-ing Environment SecretaryMichael Defensor ang us-apin ng pagmimina.

Dahil naman sa pagpa-patiaby ng 40 lalawigan ngmga ordinansang tutol sapagmimina, nagbabala siSalceda sa posibilidad ngbanggaan sa pagitan ngmga pamahalaang lokal atng Malakanyang.

Ito ay dahil sa ang mgapamahalaang lokal angkumakatawan sa mgamamamayan sa pam-amagitan ng mga nasab-ing ordinansa, samanta-lang ang Malakanyang anglumalabas na ku-makatawan sa interes ngmga kumpanyang nag-mimina.

Sa panayam ng mgamamamahayag hinggil sanararamdamang di pagka-kaintindihan ng Malakan-yang at mga pamaha-laang lokal, simple angkanyang nasaging sagot.

Ito raw ay dahil sa im-pluwensiya ng mga “unen-lightened unelected elite”na nasa likod ng pagbuong EO.

Para sa gobernador,ang pagmimina ay hindipara sa mahirap, sa halipito ay negosyo ng may-ayaman.

Binigyang diin niya nahalos lahat ng lalawigangmay minahan ay nanana-tiling mahirap.

Jasareno, promotor ng pagmimina, dapat mag-resign

THINK GREEN

Cebu Pacific Ad

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Zona LibreBong Z. Lacson

E d i t o r i a l

acaesar.blogspot.com

Business & Editorial office at Unit B Essel Commercial Center,McArthur Highway, Telabastagan, City of San Fernando

Tel. No. (45) 636•6327 Cel. No. 0917•481•1416puntogitnangluzon@yahoo.com or marketing@punto.com.ph

http://www.punto.com.phPunto! Central Luzon is a proud member ofThe Philippine Press Institute

LLL Trimedia CoordinatorsPublisher

EDGAR V. MOVIDOFounder

General ManagerEditor

Editorial ConsultantMarketing ManagerAdvertising Officer

LayoutCirculation

Atty. Gener C. EndonaJoey R. AguilarCaesar “Bong” LacsonJoanna Niña V. CorderoKarl Jason S. ManalotoDondie B. VenturaJojo Manalo/Lacson Macapagal

Plant, don’t cutIN CELEBRATION of Arbor Day, a total of 1,126trees – seedling or saplings, we supposed – wereplanted in 17 barangays in the City of SanFernando.

Hurrah! Hurrah!“It is also necessary to conduct simultaneous

tree planting activities in the city to compensatefor the loss of natural resources, avoid flash floodsand to rejuvenate our environment. We must all doour share, we must take our part.” So was MayorOscar S. Rodriguez praise released as saying bythe city government’s public affairs and mediaproduction unit.

Great talk there, Mayor. But then…It is also necessary that the trees, er, seedling

or saplings, planted be taken care of – wateredregularly, cleared of weeds, protected from animals,especially the human kind – to assure their survival,to promote their growth.

We remember, not too long ago, the citygovernment and its cohorts in the clearing ofMacArthur Highway – the Department of PublicWorks and Highways, the Department of theEnvironment and Natural Resources, and thePampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry– engaged in mass-tree planting activity called“Luntian sa Kalunsuran” or some such tag on theouter laterals of the national highway. This, theysaid, was some sort of compensation for the treesto be cut. As though planting were a license tocutting.

But for a handful fronting the DPWH offices,none of those planted survived.

Sheer waste to plant, just to let what was planteddie. Plain stupidity to plant, so one may cut.

So, if we may take some inspiration from thewords of the world class mayor: “to compensatefor the loss of natural resources, avoid flash floodsand to rejuvenate our environment” it is necessarythat the cutting of trees – along MacArthur Highway,most especially – be stopped, the stockpiling ofgarbage ceased, and the clearing of the city’scanals, esteros, and rivers be systematized.

In short, doing the environment good is oneholistic act.

Hand jobPONTIUS PILATE reborn in Oscar S. Rodriguez, three-term mayorof the City of San Fernando and top honcho of the ruling LiberalParty in his domain, if not in the whole of Pampanga.

“Oca washes hands of Edsa-Ato tandem” screamed our frontpage story of June 27, on the mayor’s denial of any hand in thereported choice of Councilor Renato “Ato” Agustin as running mateof Vice Mayor Edwin Santiago in 2013.

Okay, positively put, and straight from Rodriguez: “Kung totooman iyon, prerogative ni Edsa iyon as mayoralty candidate (If thatis true, (the choice) is Santiago’s prerogative)…Di ako nakialamsa pagpili. Kung nakapili na nga ng vice mayor. (I didn’t have anyhand in the choice, if indeed a choice has been made).”

Instead of tying Santiago’s hands by virtue of his being partychief, Rodriguez gave him free rein. No Pilate-like ablution therebut absolute absolution from any wrongdoing, aye, from even aminor shortcoming, on the part of Rodriguez.

The mayor’s statements even highlighted – in the lexicon of thetechno times, put into HD – his long-cultured persona as liberalrespecter, indeed, as the very paladin of free choice, whichgerminated in his student activist days, matured in his human-rights lawyering years, and has not stopped blooming since.

So Punto! got the Edsa-Ato story out ofcontext and mangled its metaphors?

Not so fast now for mea culpa and splash inthe next front page some apologetic errata.

From the perspective of political party principlesand praxis, Rodriguez is not quite right, if notaltogether wrong, in giving – even in only allowing– Santiago the prerogative to choose Agustin, oranyone else for that matter, as his running-mate.

Choice is not a prerogative, not even a privilege,of the standard bearer.

Choice is the right, the responsibility, even theduty, of the party in assembly. That is how partypolitics works. For one so vocal about hisadherence to party principles, it is shocking howRodriguez easily missed, or how he mostcavalierly dismissed this.

And then, Agustin is not even deemed asthrough-thick-and-thin party man, having won hiscouncil seat either in opposition to the Rodriguez-Santiago line-up or as independent candidate.

Again, that comprises violation of partyprinciples of rewarding loyalty to, and upholdingthe equity of the party member. So, is there notrue-blue Oca-Edsa loyalist that can fill the bill ofvice mayor for 2013?

Alas, why do I keep harping on principleshere? It was not so long ago – for me to forget –that I wrote of principled politics as an oxymoron,aye, a contradiction in terms mutually exclusiveand diametrically opposed.

For in politics, “no one acts on principlesor reasons from them.”

To further appropriate the words of the Frenchwriter Leroy Beaullieu in the 1890s yet, politiciansare “…the vilest and the narrowest of sycophantsand courtiers that humanity has ever known; theirsole end basely to flatter and develop all popularprejudices, which, for the rest, they but vaguelyshare, never having consecrated one minute oftheir lives to reflection and observation.”

That, premised on the generalization arisingfrom the fixity of our intellectual habits that deemsthe recurring characteristic trait of a segment of

one species as representative of that species, ifnot of the whole genus. In the case at issue, thepolitical animal.

So what’s the difference between a Filipinopolitician and dalag? One is a voracious filth-feeding bottom dweller. The other is a fish. Somejoke!

Exigency and expediency, utility and interests– self-serving, vested interests – are thefundamental matters – I could not dare writeprinciples here and desecrate the word – whencepolitics breeds. No joke!

So it is most manifest anew with theemergence of the Edsa-Ato tandem.

As shocked, but not necessarily awed, “asthe next person in the City of San Fernando” wasvice-mayor in-waiting Councilor Jimmy Lazatin

“All my three terms in office, I have been ateam player supporting the Oca-Edsa team. Tothis day, that’s about eight years now. We havefought together in election after election side byside, with our principles intact, winning over andover as a team,” lamented Lazatin, long publiclyhailed by Rodriguez himself as “next vice mayor.”

How could they junk him now like they doresidual garbage to their Lara dumpsite?

“While I can speculate all I want about thepolitics that came to play to arrive at this tandem,I feel that the best way for anyone to get realanswers is from the original Oca-Edsatandem. They are in the best position to answerthe questions.” Lazatin makes one romanticistlost in contemporary times. His Old World valueof loyalty and sense of integrity misappreciating,misapprehending, plainly missing the realities ofpolitics, at its most exigent, at its most expedient.

Subscribing to higher – not necessarily nobler,indeed, may even be ignoble – interests, theEdsa-Ato tandem subsumed, nay, subjugated allthe express – not necessarily applied – partyprinciples of loyalty, integrity, honesty, and fairplay.

To win, at any cost. Whatever it takes. To thepoint of shaking hands with the devil himself.

ON THIS DAY in 1995, the Amer-ican space shuttle Atlantisdocks with the Russian spacestation Mir to form the largestman-made satellite ever to orbitthe Earth.

This historic moment of co-operation between former rivalspace programs was also the100th human space mission inAmerican history. At the time,Daniel Goldin, chief of the Na-tional Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration (NASA), called itthe beginning of "a new era offriendship and cooperation" be-tween the U.S. and Russia. Withmillions of viewers watching on

U.S. space shuttle dockswith Russian space station

TODAY IN HISTORY

television, Atlantis blasted offfrom NASA's Kennedy SpaceCenter in eastern Florida on June27, 1995.

Just after 6 a.m. on June 29,Atlantis and its seven crewmembers approached Mir asboth crafts orbited the Earthsome 245 miles above CentralAsia, near the Russian-Mongo-lian border. When they spottedthe shuttle, the three cosmo-nauts on Mir broadcast Russianfolk songs to Atlantis to wel-come them. Over the next twohours, the shuttle's command-er, Robert "Hoot" Gibson expert-ly maneuvered his craft towards

the space station. To make thedocking, Gibson had to steer the100-ton shuttle to within threeinches of Mir at a closing rate ofno more than one foot every 10seconds.

The docking went perfectlyand was completed at 8 a.m.,just two seconds off the target-ed arrival time and using 200pounds less fuel than had beenanticipated. Combined, Atlantisand the 123-ton Mir formed thelargest spacecraft ever in orbit.It was only the second timeships from two countries hadlinked up in space.

Source: www.history.com

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Napag-uusapanlangNi Felix M. Garcia

Ang pulis, sa matang batang paslit

MINSAN, nagkasabay magsimba sa Quiapoang isang pulis at isang batang ngongo;Dasal nitong bata ay “Loyd pahini ponan peya” aniya habang nakatungo.

“Itan naan pito paya makabiyinan tinelat” aniya, “niyan ta payengki”;Dinig nitong pulis ang kanyang sinabi,at naintindian ang hiling ng pobre.

Nagdalang habag sa tinuran ng bataitong pulis, kaya’t sa laki ng awaay sa bulsa nito dumukot ng kusang pera upang ang bata ay bigyan nga.

Subalit otsenta pesos na lang palaang pera ng pulis sa kanyang pitaka,kaya ito lang ang naiabot niyasa batang ni hindi yata niya kilala.

At pinagpatuloy ng nasabing pulisang taos sa puso nitong pakikinigsa banal na misa – at kanyang narinigmula sa labi mismo ng batang paslit

Ang pangungusap na: “Niot ko ta tutunodwag na pong ta pulit n’yo tana iabot;Kati binawatan niya nan bente petot,an hinhini ko na wan anded petot”.

Sa narinig, napa-antanda ang pulisat walang nagawa kundi ang umalis;Nakatulong na’t lahat sa batang paslit,pinaghinalaan pa siyang nangupit?

Dala palibhasa nitong karamihansa mga pulis ay sangkot kadalasansa kung anu-ano r’yang kabulastugan,kaya pati bata’y lubos nakagisnan

Ang ilang bagay na di dapat ikapitsa katauhan ng ating mga pulis;At kung saan pati na rin mababaitdamay palagi sa di kanais-nais

Na gawain ng ating ‘men in uniform’,na imbes sila nga ang tagapagtanggolng masa laban sa krimen – sila itongkadalasan sangkot d’yan sa pangongotong

At iba’t-iba pang katarantaduhan,na di dapat gawin bilang ‘public servant’;Pero kung alin ang otoridad bilangay sila ang salot sa ating lipunan.

Na pugad din naman ng nakararamingpulitikong walang ginawang magaling,Kundi magpasarap habang ang tungkulingdapat gampanan ay halos hindi pansin.

O sadyang likas na sa ating kulturaang ganito kaya nakamulatan na,pati nitong mga may murang isip pa,na basta’t pulis ay ganyan na kumbaga?

(At kung ano ang nakikita ng batana ginagawa riyan ng nakatatandaay siyang ginagaya – sa pag-aakalana ito ang wasto at talagang tama?)

RegardingHenry

Henrylito D. Tacio

Trees: to cutor not to cut

IN THE name of the development, should the trees be cut? “A fewhundred years ago, at least 95 percent of the Philippines wascovered by rain forest; only a few patches of open woodland andseasonal forest, mostly on Luzon, broke the expanse of moist,verdant land,” noted Dr. Lawrence R. Heaney, an American curatorwho holds honorary appointments at the Philippine NationalMuseum.

By the time the Spanish arrived in the Philippines in the 16thcentury, scattered coastal areas had been cleared for agricultureand villages. Three hundred years later, rainforest still coveredabout 70 percent of the country.

But during the Marcos regime, forests were cut wantonly. Onecritic wrote: “The government under Ferdinand Marcos had closeties to the major logging companies and had allowed the massivedeforestation of the forests to stimulate the Philippine economythough exports.”

Today, the Philippines is almost devoid of its forest cover.According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 25.7percent or about 7,665,000 hectares of the country’s total landarea of 30 million hectares is forested. Of this, 11.2 percent(861,000) hectares) is classified as primary forest.

Between 1990 and 2010, the Philippines lostan average of 54,750 hectares or 0.83 percentper year. “Most of the (Philippines’) once richforest are gone,” said the FAO publication,Sustainable Forest Management. “Forestrecovery, through natural and artificial means,never coped with the destruction rate.”

In February 2011, President Benigno C.Aquino III, signed Executive Order 23, whichdeclared a moratorium on “the cutting andharvesting of timber in all natural and residualforests” throughout the country.

According to the Department of Environmentand Natural Resources (DENR), the principalcause of the decimation of the country’s forestcover are logging (both legal and illegal), forestfires, natural calamities (like earthquake), as wellas conversion to agricultural lands, humansettlements and other land uses brought aboutby urbanization and increasing populationpressure.

Additional threats to Philippine forests comefrom mining operations – which also causepollution – collection of fuelwood (85 percent ofmeals in developing countries are cooked overwood or charcoal), and kaingin farming (slash-and-burn agriculture).

More often than not, deforestation is oftenequated with calamities like landslides and flashfloods. In the past 40 years, the country hasbeen swept by fatal and destructive floods, amongthem the great Central Luzon inundation of 1972,Ormoc (1991), Bicol (“Reming’’ 2006), MetroManila (“Ondoy’’ 2009) and Cagayan de Oro andIligan cities just before Christmas last year.

Philippine Daily Inquirer, in its editorial,deplored: “In just one decade, 2000 to 2010, 27floods and 17 landslides occurred, affecting about1.6 million people each year and destroying cropsand infrastructure worth tens of million pesos ayear. In all these floods and landslides,deforestation was a major factor. Baldmountains, depleted forests and barrenwatersheds caused rainwater to flow down andflood the plains.”

Deforestation brings too much water – in caseof constant rain. “Rain which falls over a bareslope acts differently,” Gifford Pinchot wrote in APrimer for Forestry. “It is not caught by thecrowns nor held by the floor, nor is its flow intothe streams hindered by the timber. The resultis that a great deal of water reaches the streamsin a short time, which is the reason why floodsoccur.”

The removal of forest cover make thePhilippines susceptible to various environmentalcatastrophes. “Most of these were not seen insuch intensity and magnitude before our time,”deplored Roy C. Alimoane, the director of theDavao-based Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center

Foundation, Inc. “The signs cry out forimmediate, nationwide attention.”

Alimoane cites erosion as an example.Although not considered a serious threat, soilerosion is an unseen scourge that can imperilfood production in the country. “Soil erosion isan enemy to any nation – far worse than anyoutside enemy into a country and conquering itbecause it is an enemy you cannot see vividly,”warned Harold R. Watson, an Americanagriculturist who received a Ramon MagsaysayAward in 1985 for peace and internationalunderstanding. “It’s a slow creeping enemy thatsoon possesses the land.”

Deforestation also threatens the country’swildlife resources. Joselito Atienza, formerDENR head, said 592 of the 1,137 species ofamphibians, birds and mammals found only inthe Philippines are considered “threatened orendangered.” Some 227 endemic species ofplants are “critically endangered.”

Deforestation has also altered the climaticcondition in the country. Ask Father JesusRamon Villarin, a Jesuit scientist, who localizedthe global climate issue by exploring rainfallpatterns in Mindanao in the last 50 years andthe impact on crop production and the supply offreshwater resources.

This was what Father Villarin, who used towork with the Manila Observatory, has found:Rainfall over the northern coast of Mindanao hasgenerally increased over the decades, with thenortheast section receiving most of the increase.But the southern regions are experiencingdecreasing rainfall, mostly in the south centralparts.

Ben Malayang III, president of Silliman StateUniversity, commented: “That the forest, thefoundations of our forests, or whatever forestsremain in the country, is not a matter of technicalforestry, but rather a symptom, or an indication,or a measure, of the failure of our political andsocial systems.”

The signs are now written on the wall! “TheAquino administration has to muster the politicalwill and undertake as soon as possible a massivereforestation program covering all the severelydeforested areas in the country,” the Inquirereditorial urged.

Deforestation is nothing new. In his bookCritias, Plato commented on the deforestationof Attica: “What now remains compared withwhat then existed is like the skeleton of a sickman, all fat and soft earth having wasted away,and only the bare framework of the land beingleft… There are some mountains which havenothing but food for bees, but they had treesnot very long ago, and the rafters from thosefelled there to roof the largest buildings are stillsound.”

You know you're getting old when you stoop to tieyour shoelaces and wonder what else you could dowhile you're down there. –George Burns

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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINESREGIONAL TRIAL COURTTHIRD JUDICIAL REGION

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO (P)

OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT& EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF

EF No. 69-12PUNTO CENTRAL LUZON

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE

Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135 as amended filedby ASIAN CATHAY FINANCE & LEASING CORPORATION, with itsoffice address at SUITE 1603 Federal Tower Condo, Dasmarinas St.,Binondo, Manila against MILDRED RAMOS VALDEZ, RAMIL S.VALDEZ, Rep. By: MILDRED RAMOS VALDEZ, with residence andpostal address at # Sampaloc Lake, Orani, Bataan to satisfy the mortgageindebtedness which as of April 2, 2012 amounts to EIGHT HUNDREDFORTY FIVE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY SEVEN PESOSONLY (Php 845, 187.00) excluding penalties, charges, attorney’s feesand expenses of foreclosure, the undersigned Clerk of Court and Ex-Officio Sheriff and/or her duly authorized Deputy Sheriff will sell at publicauction on July 10, 2012 at 10:00am or soon thereafter (from 9:00a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), at the main entrance of the RTC Bldg., City of SanFernando, Pampanga, to the highest bidder for CASH/or Manager’s Checkand in Philippine Currency, the following property/ies with all theimprovements thereon, to wit:

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 042-2011004599A PARCEL OF LAND (LOT 1, BLK. 14 OF THE CONS-

SUBD., PLAN, PCS-03-010865, BEING A PORTION OFCONS. LOTS 2, PCS-03-008501 & LOT 2248-A-9, PSD-03-074493, LRC. REC. NO.) SITUATED IN THE BO. OFDIVISORIA, MUN. OF MEXICO, PROV. OF PAMP.. xxxcontaining an area of TWO HUNDRED NINETY SIX (296)SQUARE METERS. x x x

“All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the abovestarted time and date.”

“In the event the public auction should not take place on the saiddate, it shall be held on July 17, 2012 without further notice.”

Prospective buyers may investigate for themselves the title hereinabove described and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

City of San Fernando, Pampanga, June 6, 2012.

ANGELITO B. DOMINGO SHERIFF IV

ATTY. JOSELEA Y. FLORIAClerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Sheriff

cc: ASIAN CATHAY FINANCE & LEASING CORPORATIONSUITE 1603 Federal Tower Condo, Dasmarinas St., Binondo, Manila

MILDRED RAMOS VALDEZ, RAMIL S. VALDEZ, Rep. By: MILDRED RAMOS VALDEZ# Sampaloc Lake, Orani, Bataan

PUNTO! Central Luzon: June 22, 29 & July 6, 2012

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINESREGIONAL TRIAL COURTTHIRD JUDICIAL REGION

OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL SHERIFFTARLAC CITY

FILE NO. 2451

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALEUpon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135/1508, as

amended, filed by RURAL BANK OF SAN JUAN, INC. with corporateoffice address at 3/F Banco San Juan Center, Guadalupe Mansion,2711 J.P. Rizal Ext., Cembo, Makati City, against LILIA PEREZ withpostal address at 174 Dela Paz, tarlac City to satisfy the mortgageindebtedness which as of February 28, 2012 amount/s to ONE MILLIONFOUR HUNDRED FORTY THOUSAND PESOS (P1,440,000), PESOS,Philippine currency, excluding interests, attorney’s fees and otherexpenses such as expenses of foreclosure, the undersigned or his dulyauthorized Deputy will SELL at public auction on July 24, 2012, at 10:00o’clock in the morning, or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of theTarlac Court Building, Regional Trial Court, TarlacCit, to the highestbidder, for CASH, Philippine Currency, the following described property/ies, together with all its existing improvements, to wit:

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 425959A parcel of land (Lot 20 Blk- 22 of the subdivision plan

Psd-25485, being a portion of Lot 3-A-5 Psd-22535 GLROCad. Rec. No. 1881), situated in the Bo.of San Miguel, Mun.ofTarlac , Prov. of Tarlac. Bounded on the NE., by Lot 50 of thesubdivision plan; on the SE., by Lot 21, Blk. 22 of thesubdivision plan; on the SW., by Road Lot 27 of the subdivisionplan and on the NW., by Lot 19, Blk-22, of the subdivisionplan. Beginning at a point marked “1” on plan x xxxxxcontaining an area of EIGHT HUNDRED (800) Square Meters,more or less.

Prospective bidders/buyers are hereby enjoined to investigatefor themselves the title/s and its encumbrances thereon, if any therebe.

In the event the public auction should not take place of the saiddate it shall be held on July 27, 2012, without further notices.

Tarlac City, June 4, 2012

ATTY. SHALANE GO-PALOMAR Provincial Sheriff

JULIUS G. GUIANG, SR. SHERIFF IV

COPY FURNISHED1. ATTY. PAULINO L. YUSI

RURAL BANK OF SAN JUAN, INC.3/F Banco San Juan Center,Bldg.. 27, Guadalupe Mansions,J.P. Rizal Ext., Cembo, Makati City

2. MS. LILIA PEREZ# 174 Dela Paz, Tarlac City

PUNTO! Central Luzon: June 29, July 6 & 13, 2012

consider the plan sayingthis would negate the de-velopments already estab-lished in the recent past,aside from the danger thelandfill poses to the healthof local residents.

In an open letter to Cap-inpin, the group cited hu-man health as the first rea-son of their opposition. “Ka-palit po nito ay buhay atkaligtasan ng mas maram-ing mamamayan dahil saiba’t ibang sakit na maaar-ing maidulot ng dumi sakapaligiran at matindingpolusyon sa hangin,” thepaper which was also sub-mitted to Fr. Jessie Salac,parish priest of the St. Ce-cilia Parish here stated.

The creation of thelandfill in Barangay Imel-da Valley here was subjectof the lease agreementbetween the city govern-ment, represented by Cap-inpin and the Quezon City-based waste-to-energycompany Ecosci led by itschairman Juanito Ho.

Under the agreement,the city government as thelessor will lease the facili-ty to the lessee (Ecosci)for a 25-year period renew-able for another 25 yearsat a cost of P700,000 peryear. However, this couldbe increased to P1 millionper year when the dailywaste disposal hasreached 73 trucks per dayfor 30 consecutive days.

The agreement alsostipulates that an expan-sion area of another 20hectares will be providedfor the landfill project.

Lawyer Norberto Coro-nel, city legal officer, said

Landfill opposedFROM PAGE 1 the project was “in com-

pliance” with the provisionsof Republic Act 9003. Be-sides generating taxes, hesaid, the landfill would alsohelp other local govern-ment units who have yetto establish their ownwaste disposal facilities.

Ecosci will start exca-vation in October. The firstphase cost some P30-mil-lion, documents showed.

“Take note that the fa-cility will accommodateonly residual wastes,” hesaid, saying no hazardousmaterials will be allowed.

But the residents saidthey don’t find the projectbringing any progress tothe community but will in-stead be counterproduc-tive.

Pineda said their groupcontinue to discuss every-thing about this stand.“We are still working on it,”he said.

Coronel said the land-fill project is necessary asthe city government al-ready shut down its opendumpsite in BarangayAtate. He admitted that thecity now has no availabledisposal facility followingthe closure of the Atatedumpsite.

Pineda’s group alsofears that the landfill wouldcater to Metro Manila gar-bage.

“Ang laksa-laksangbasura na kung saan ki-napapalooban ng maram-ing non-biodegradablewaste materials mula saindustriyalisadong Kamay-nilaan ay itatambak atitatapon sa ating lugar namaaring kumalat atmapunta sa mga ilog atkapaligiran,” they said.

BY ERNIE B. ESCONDE

BALANGA CITY The Phil-ippine Atmospheric, Geo-physical and AstronomicalService Administration(PAGASA) on Wednesdaylaunched in Bataan theTyphoon and Flood Aware-ness Week and super-vised a flood drill in a flood-prone area here.

Venus Valdemoro, PA-GASA information officer,said Pres. Benigno Aqui-no III issued a proclama-

PAGASA launches Typhoon and Flood Awareness Weektion designating the thirdweek of June as Typhoonand Flood AwarenessWeek for which Pagasa isthe lead agency.

“Pagasa is the leadagency to supervise activ-ities and we are here inBalanga for the flood drillconducted by the City Di-saster Risk ReductionManagement Council,”she said.

Valdemoro said theactivity in Balanga is thefirst drill supervised by

Pagasa since the Presi-dent issued the proclama-tion.

“Maganda ang drill naganito para alam naminang gagawin, alam kungsaan tatakbo pagdatingng saklolo,” said Nenengdel Mundo, one of the par-ticipants in the drill.

She said she carriedwith her a pillow, medicinekit, alcohol, flashlight, can-dle, cotton, cash money,water, watercontainer.”Pati marriage

contract dala ko para hin-di makatakbo asawa ko,”the woman said in jest.

The drill participantsare from Sitio Pio del Marin Barangay Cupang Prop-er in Balanga City. The si-tio is adjacent to a big riv-er. “Lampas tao naumaabot ng 18 feet,” delMundo said as to thedepth of the flood watersin their area.

A village watchmanbanged the improvised bellrepeatedly to advise resi-

dents to evacuate the areaupon receiving instructionfrom Cupang Proper baran-gay captain Norman Guilawho was at his commandpost in the barangay hall.

Guila said 67 familiesof more than 100 residingalong the river bank in Piodel Mar participated in theexercise. Old men, chil-dren and women com-posed the “evacuees” whowere guided by city mar-shalls, barangay tanodand kagawad, police and

CDDRMC officials to wait-ing vehicles on designat-ed three “pick up points”.

The “evacuees” werebrought to the evacuationcenter at the Cupang Ele-mentary School wherethey were given food andchecked for high bloodpressure and other ail-ments.

Balanga’s CDRRMCchief Engr. Dennis Marianoand Johnrey Amado withGuila and PAGASA peo-ple managed the activity.

ANGELES CITY – To fur-ther raise the city’s stan-dards for disaster pre-paredness and climatechange adaptation, villagechiefs together with theircouncil members con-vened in a four-day semi-nar at the Maharajah Ho-tel to analyze hazards,prepare plans, identifyneeds and have an over-all awareness for calami-ties.

The seminar-work-shop, dubbed “Enhancingthe Local Government Uniton Disaster Risk Reduc-tion & Management andClimate Change Adapta-tion”, was spearheaded bythe Department of Interiorand Local Government

AC villages to enhance disaster mitigation methods(DILG) with the support ofthe Office of Civil Defense(OCD).

According to MyrviApostol-Fabia, DILG Di-rector of Angeles City, themain concern of the work-shop is to capacitate thebarangays and its officialson how they are going torespond to certain disas-ters and calamities.

“Let us remember Ca-gayan de Oro and how itwas devastated from ty-phoon Sendong – weshould not wait for such tohappen in Angeles City,”Apostol-Fabia said.

Apostol-Fabia ex-plained that all these mea-sures are requirementswhich are to be used in the

city’s attempt to be award-ed of the DILG’s ‘Seal ofDisaster Preparedness.’

“The seminar alsochecks to see if the cityis ready to face calami-ties, mitigate disastersand prevent them in thenear future. Several as-pects like availability ofequipment, contingencyplanning, emergency re-sponse, search and res-cue and the formulation ofa disaster and risk reduc-

tion management plan isall covered,” she added.

According to MayorEdgardo Pamintuan, thecity has to further strength-en its efforts to combatdisasters that may occurin the future.

“The cooperation of allour barangay officials is animperative to make the cityand its citizens safe fromany untoward incidentsduring the occurrence ofheavy rains and strong ty-

phoons,” Pamintuan said.The mayor also ap-

pealed for the cooperationof the citizens of Angelesto be aware of how theycan ask for aid when ca-lamities would strike.

“The responsibilitydoes not lie solely on ourbarangay captains andcouncilmen, but to all An-geleños to stay vigilantand cooperative in times ofdisaster,” he added.

The mayor recalls howAngeleños were able toturn tragedy into triumphin the 1991 Mount Pinatu-bo eruption where his ad-ministration back then ral-lied the people to one unit-ed cause.

He hopes that thiscould be emulated todayfor climate change adap-tation and the preparationfor disasters and calami-ties that may come.

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BY JOEY PAVIA

STO. TOMAS, Pampanga —This small Pampanga townhogged the limelight earlier thisyear when its primary product –coffins – made it to the front pag-es of major newspapers in thecountry.

Upon the initiative of Gov. Lil-ia G. Pineda, and coordinationof Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayowho is also president of the Pam-panga Mayors League, MayorLito Naguit mobilized the cas-ket makers of his town to deliv-er hundreds of their produce toMindanao in the wake of thedeath and devastation wroughtby typhoon Sendong and itsconsequent massive floodings.

Sto. Tomas accounts forsome 70 percent of the totalcoffin production in the country,said Naguit.

Aside from coffins though,Sto. Tomas is also known for thepottery-making industry largelyconcentrated in Barangay Sto.Nino, also known as “Sapa.”

Naguit said that the 20 per-cent of their population rely onthe industry started “about 40 to50 years ago.” According to the2007 census, there are at least37,000 residents in the fourth-class municipality.

Paul Nicdao, who manageshis father-in-law’s pottery busi-ness, said they have at least 10workers in San Matias and Sto.Nino.

He added that their person-nel are paid from P250 to P350each daily. Their display store

STO. TOMAS’ POTTERY

Small town revives big productis at San Matias, while their pro-duction is at Sto. Nino.

Nicdao said the industry “isokey overall but sales are low atthis time of the year.”

“We have sales as high asP9,000 in one day. But for thelast three days, we have nosales at all. It’s really like thisat this time of the year,” saidNicdao in the dialect.

This was shared by the Bo-nus family, owner of the Jajarpottery, who added that “salesare indeed low in the last fewyears,” caused primarily by theincrease in the number of thesame businesses operating notjust in Sto. Tomas but othertowns in Pampanga.

The lahar flows spawned byMt. Pinatubo’s eruption in 1991affected Sto. Nino, forcing otherpottery makers to transfer theirproduction to Telapayong,Arayat.

A supervisor at Jajar knownbefore as Arabica, said the in-dustry “was at its peak in termsof profit 15 years ago.”

“The reason is that we wereonly few then,” he said, disclos-ing that there were less than 10major pottery businesses in the‘80s and ‘90s.

Naguit said there are at least50 pottery-making firms regis-tered with the municipal govern-ment. He added that “a few oth-ers are backyard operators.”

Naguit blamed “globalizationand massive production” in oth-er countries where labor cost is“very cheap” for the drop in profitamong his town’s pottery mak-

ers.But the two-term mayor said

his government had helped pro-mote the industry.

“We don’t give them hardtime getting permits. We helpthem promote their products aswell,” said Naguit, who also ven-

tured into the same industry afew years ago.

Naguit said a few firms basedin Sto. Tomas have exportedtheir products to other countriesfor the past several years. Theothers, he added, supply the lo-cal demand, including stores in

Pangasinan, Central Luzon andMetro Manila.

The pot makers usually gettheir supply of the materials fortheir products from from the claydug out fishponds in nearby Mi-nalin and other Pampangatowns.

The art of making pots. PHOTOS BY RIC

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NOTICE OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENTNotice is hereby given that the heirs of GAUDENCIO G.

VILLANUEVA, SR. who died intestate on April 7, 2012 in Angeles Cityexecuted an Extrajudicial Settlement of his estate more particularly describedas a parcels of land (Lot 16, Block 4 of the consolidation subdivision plan(LRC) Pcs-1603, being a portion of the consolidation of lots 838-A, 838-B,838-C, 838-D, 838-E, and 838-F, described on plan Psd-129214, LRC(GLRO) Cad. Record No. 124) situated in the Barrio of Pulung Bulu, City ofAngeles and covered by TCT No. 31908; (Lot 15, Block 4 of the consolidationsubdivision plan (LRC) Pcs-1603, being a portion of the consolidation oflots 838-A, 838-B, 838-C, 838-D, 838-E, and 838-F, described on plan Psd-29214, LRC (GLRO) Cad. Record No. 124) situated in the Barrio of PulungBulu, City of Angeles and covered by TCT No. 38541; (Lot 27, Block 37of the subdivision plan Psd-3066, being a portion of Lot 590 of the Cadastralmeasurement of Angeles, G.L.R.O. Cad. Record No. 124) situated in thebarrio of Lourdes, City of Angeles and covered by TCT No. 72275; and(Lot 26, Block 37 of the subdivision plan Psd-3066, being a portion of Lot590 of the Cadastral measurement of Angeles, G.L.R.O. Cad. Record No.124) situated in the barrio of Lourdes, City of Angeles and covered by TCTNo. 72276.

Punto! Central Luzon: June 29, July 6 & 13, 2012

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINESSUPREME COURT

REGIONAL TRIAL COURTTHIRD JUDICIAL REGIONCity of San Fernando (P)

Office of the Clerk of Court& Ex-Officio Sheriff

BALIKATAN HOUSING FINANCE, INC.,Mortgagee/Assignee,

E.J.F. No. 64-12-versus- REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE UNDER

ACT 3135 AS AMENDED BY ACT 4118SPS. MA. CORAZON F. MALIWATand NORLITO B. MALIWAT,Debtors/Mortgagors.

x————————————————————————xNOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE

Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135 as amended filedby BALIKATAN HOUSING FINANCE, INC., mortgagee/assignee, withits office address at 24th Floor, BPI Buendia Center, Sen. Gil PuyatAvenue, Makati City, against SPS. MA. CORAZON F. MALIWAT andNORLITO B. MALIWAT, debtors/mortgagors, with known addressesat: (1) San Nicolas 1, Magalang, Pampanga; (2) Lot 2, Masagana St.,DavsanSubd. III, Brgy. Calulut, City of San Fernando (P), to satisfy themortgage indebtedness which as of APRIL 12, 2010 amounts to THREEHUNDRED EIGHTY NINE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED and 00/100PESOS (Php 389,500.00) excluding of other interest, penalties andcharges, the undersigned Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Sheriff and/or herduly authorized Sheriff IV, FORTUNATO S. GAJES, will sell at publicauction on JULY 10, 2012 from 9:01 A.M. to 12:00 N.N. and from1:00P.M. to 3:59 P.M. at the main entrance of the Regional Trial CourtBuilding, City of San Fernando (P), to the highest bidder for CASH orMANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following propertywith all the improvements thereon, to wit:

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 318113-R“A parcel of land (Lot 2 of the cons. &subd. plan Pcs-03-

003210, being a portion of the consolidated of Lots 7-9, Blk. 15(LRC), Psd-29512, LRC. Rec. No. ), situated in the Bo. ofCalulut,Mun. of San Fdo., Prov. of Pamp. xxx Containing an areaof TWO HUNDRED (200) Square Meters. xxx “

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the abovestated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the saiddate, it shall be held on July 17, 2012, without further notice.

Prospective buyers may investigate for themselves the title hereinabove described and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

City of San Fernando, Pampanga, May 30, 2012.

ATTY. JOSELEA YRAOLA FLORIA FORTUNATO S. GAJES Clerk of Court VI Sheriff IV & Ex-Officio Sheriff RTC-OCC, CSF(P)

Cc:1. Balikatan Housing Finance, Inc. 2. Sps. Ma. Corazon & Norlito Maliwat3. Atty. Claribelle A. Ykutanen 4. Punto Central Luzon* c/o Balikatan Housing Finance, Inc.

PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON: June 22, 29 & July 6, 2012

The hacienda landswould be fully distributedwithin six to 12 monthsfrom the SupremeCourt final verdict on landdistribution last April,said De los Reyes duringa press conference at theDepartment of AgrarianReform (DAR) regional of-fice here.

De los Reyes alsosaid that the Aquino gov-ernment has no plans ofextending the lifespan ofhis department beyond 25years ending in 2014.

He said the Presidentmight just create a bodyto ensure a smooth tran-

FROM PAGE 1

Luisita lands distributed by April 2013, at most –DARsition period towards theabolition of his agency.

But De los Reyes ad-mitted difficulty in identify-ing who among the origi-nal 6,296 farmworker ben-eficiaries are still alive andqualified, as he noted thatabout 20 percent of thosein the list prepared in 1989have already passedaway.

His statement that thehacienda lands would bedistributed within six to 12months at most virtuallygave the DAR up to Octo-ber this year or April nextyear at the latest to fullycomply with the SupremeCourt’s mandate.

Leaders of the Alyan-

sa ng ManggagawangBukid sa Asyenda Luisita(Ambala), which has pre-pared the original list ofbeneficiaries in 1989, andits mother organizationAlyansa ng mga Magbu-bukid ng Gitnang Luson(AMGL) have accused theDAR of conspiring with theCojuangco family in alleg-edly sabotaging land dis-tribution in the hacienda.

The hacienda wasbought by the Cojuangcofamily in 1957 with a loanfrom the Government Ser-vice Insurance Systemunder the condition thatthe estate would be distrib-uted to the farmworkersafter 10 years or in 1967,

but this did not happen. OnNov. 22 last year, the Su-preme Court ordered thehacienda lands distributedunder the ComprehensiveAgrarian Reform Law andthis was affirmed by thehigh court last April.

AMGL chairman Jo-seph Canlas said, ”thepresident’s family has con-tinued its effort to sabo-tage the land distributionthat the Supreme Courtdecided on its November22, 2011 and April 24, 2012landmark decisions thatfavored the distribution ofhacienda lands to thefarmers.”

Canlas accused thePresident’s family of alleg-

edly coming out with theirown list of 10,000 land re-form beneficiaries in thehacienda and submittingthis to the DAR for consid-eration.

De los Reyes did notcomment on this duringyesterday’s press confer-ence.

“The Cojuangco-Aqui-no family has been disrupt-ing the distribution of Ha-cienda Luisita lands to the6,296 farmworker-benefi-ciaries. It is apparent thatAquino has instructed theagrarian reform depart-ment to delay the imple-mentation of the SupremeCourt’s verdict,” he said.

“DAR has been makingitself busy with nonsenseand wasting much pre-cious time. It already has

the list of the 6,296 bene-ficiaries but it has beengiving room to the motionof the president’s familywhich is clearly a delay-ing tactic,” Ambala chair-person Rodel Mesa said.

He noted that “sofar, DAR has only imple-mented an informationdrive about the SupremeCourt decision.

“The DAR is thus sow-ing false hopes amongthose who are not qualifiedand this is infusing disuni-ty,” he said.

Canlas said that Am-bala has been “organizingand educating farmworkerson collective farming in-stead of individual, small-scale farming that couldturn out to be more cost-ly.”

Fernando Mayor OscarRodriguez.

De los Reyes saidDAR field personnel haveheld talks with at least8,400 applicants to deter-mine the “real” beneficia-ries and members of thefamilies of deceased farm-ers at the some 4,300-hectare estate primarilyused as a sugar planta-tion.

He denied reports thatthe DAR is “slow” in thedistribution of Luisitalands.

“We are in no hurry.What’s important is thatwe will not make a mis-

FROM PAGE 1

20 percent of Hacienda Luisita...take in the distribution oflands,” said de losReyes.

He disclosed that hisoffice is targeting the com-pletion of the distributionof lands when PresidentAquino delivers his Stateof the Nation Address in2013.

DAR Central LuzonRegional Director TeofiloInocencio disclosed thatthe department aims to fin-ish the list of beneficiariesby September of this year.He added that, “we are inthe process of making thelist and do not have a par-tial list yet.”

De los Reyes saidDAR field personnel will

hold a second round oftalks with all the applicantsto verify their claims, in-cluding those who intro-duced themselves asmembers of the families ofthe deceased beneficia-ries.

De los Reyes said, “it’seasy” to distribute lands inTarlac as long as the De-partment of Budget andManagement (DBM) re-leases the needed funds.What is difficult, he add-ed, is the identification ofthe right beneficiaries.

De los Reyes admittedthat the verification of own-ers and distribution of theland measuring 2,900hectares out of the total

area of the Hacienda Lu-isita “is difficult.”

“That’s the secondpart,” he added.

In November last yearthe Supreme Court or-dered the Hacienda Luisi-ta Inc. (HLI) to distribute4,915.75 hectares of thesugar estate to 6,296 reg-istered farmer-beneficia-ries under the Comprehen-sive Agrarian Reform Lawthat was passed morethan two decades ago un-der the late PresidentCorazon Aquino, motherof the incumbent Presi-dent.

The Court later reaf-firmed its decision “with fi-nality.”

Earlier, the Maguindan-ao police said that one Ali-jol Ampatuan, was shotdead in Shariff Aguak lastFebruary. Alijol was report-edly the seventh amongwitnesses and potentialwitness to have beenkilled since the massacre.

De Lima noted that Ali-jol was cited earlier byanother slain witness, Es-mael Enog, during the lat-ter’s court testimony lastyear. Enog admitted driv-ing gunmen to the sitewhere 57 persons were

FROM PAGE 1

‘Come out in the open...’massacred in Maguindan-ao on Nov. 23, 2009 withthen Maguindanao Gov.Andal Ampatuan Sr. asamong the major sus-pects.

De Lima cited specifi-cally threats from “thosechildren, siblings or unclesof the Ampatuans,” notingthat “a few more Ampatu-ans (named as massacresuspects) are still atlarge.”

“Unless they havebeen arrested, they willcontinue to do that (pindown potential prosecu-tion witnesses),” she said.

She noted that Alijolwas “among the potentialwitnesses who have notconfirmed willingness totestify because of fear fortheir safety.”

“We can’t compel themif they do not want to becovered by the WitnessProtection Program (of theDepartment of Justice),”she noted.

De Lima expressedfears for the safety of thepotential witnesses. “Thelatest victim (Alijol) wasmerely mentioned byEnog in his testimony andhe was killed,” she noted.

The victim already tes-tified in court last year thatsuspects in the Maguin-danao massacre, includ-ing some members of theAmpatuan clan who haveremained at large seem tobe out to kill others in theranks whom they fearcould be prosecution wit-ness.

De Lima admitted de-lays in the Maguindanaomassacre case, but not-ed that “we see direction.”She said, however, that thekillings of witnesses havecaused some alarm on thecase. –Ding Cervantes

to also issue such banpurportedly for purposes ofconservation of fishery re-sources and allow time toreplenish fish stock.

Records from BFARshowed that such a banhave been imposed by thegovernment in the West-ern Philippine seas since1999, normally from May16 to Aug. 1.

But Perez said BFARwill lift the ban and allowFilipino fishermen to fish atthe Scarborough shoal byJuly 15.

Earlier, China’s Xinhuanews agency said that theChinese ban in northernparts of the South ChinaSea, including the watersaround Scarboroughshoal, would last two-and-a-half months, beginning

FROM PAGE 1

PHL to lift fish ban at Scarborough...last May 16. This meansthat the Chinese banwould be lifted by the endof July, or half a month af-ter the Philippine ban hasbeen removed.

Perez stressed thatthe ban was merely a con-servation measure, as hewarned against the occur-rence of another fishkillthat hit Bolinao, Pangasi-nan last May whereinabout 70 tons of banguswere killed due to the dropof oxygen level in localwaters.

He admitted, however,that conservational fishbans in 13 other parts ofthe country were lifted wayback last February andthat the Scarboroughshoal area is now the onlyone still with fishing ban ineffect.

Meanwhile, the Philip-

pine Coast Guard hasconfirmed that as of yes-terday, no vessel of anykind was within the Scar-borough shoal lagoon inthe Western PhilippineSea.

This, even as ZambalesVice Gov. Ramon Lacbainurged Zambales fisherfolkto steer away from thecontroversial shoal beingclaimed by both China andthe Philippines.

“I am personally urgingour fisherfolk to avoid fish-ing within the area so asnot to ignite the territorialcontroversy,” Lacbain toldPunto, despite BFAR’s in-sistence that the ban in thearea had nothing to do withterritorial concerns.

Coast Guard Lt. Com-mander Armand Balilo saidin a telephone interviewthat the no vessel could be

found as of yesterday noonin the Scarborough shoal.

China was reported tohave pulled more than 20fishing boats out of the la-goon of ScarboroughShoal.

Lacbain noted that lastyear, even before therecent territorial disputebetween China and thePhilippines over Scarbor-ough erupted, the munici-pal council members ofMasinloc passed a reso-lution affirming that theshoal, referred to as Bajode Masinloc, was part oftheir town.

“I suppose the resolu-tion was passed becausethe shoal is also near Ca-bangan and Palauig, al-though the towns neverreally had any territorialdispute,” he said.

–Ding Cervantes

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TheGossip-millerby Cesar Pambid

NOTICE OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENTNotice is hereby given that the heirs of HECTOR LISING REGALA

who died intestate on September 17, 2009 in San Fernando Hospital,Dolores, City of San Fernando executed an Extrajudicial Settlement of hisestate more particularly described as a parcels of land to wit:

TCT No. Lot No. Blk. No. Location701412-R 25 33 San Jose, San Fernando, Pampanga698467-R 26 1 Del Pilar, San Fernando, Pampanga509102-R 22 1 Del Pilar, San Fernando, Pampanga509101-R 21 1 Del Pilar, San Fernando, Pampanga509100-R 20 1 Del Pilar, San Fernando, Pampanga509099-R 19 1 Del Pilar, San Fernando, Pampanga598121-R 12 15 Maimpis, San Fernando, Pampanga598120-R 14 15 Maimpis, San Fernando, Pampanga367862-R 8 8 Sindalan, San Fernando, Pampanga367861-R 7 8 Sindalan, San Fernando, Pampanga367859-R 6 8 Sindalan, San Fernando, Pampanga367860-R 5 8 Sindalan, San Fernando, Pampanga697273-R 12 9 Dolores, San Fernando, Pampanga697271-R 14 9 Dolores, San Fernando, Pampanga311355-R 2 15 Juliana, San Fernando, Pampanga

The said decedent also left the following aacounts with MetropolitanBank & Trust Company – Sindalan, San Fernando, Pampanga Branch:

Nature of Account Account NumberPeso Time Deposit 1466-019583Current Account P123,498.89

Punto! Central Luzon: June 29, July 6 & 13, 2012

Apology ni Cristine Reyesdi tinanggap ni Ara Mina?

Bagama’t nagbigay na ng public apology si Cristine Reyes kay Ara Mina, tila hindi pa rin ito matanggap ng huli.Matatandaang si Ara mismo ang nag-request kay Cristine na mag-public apology kung talagang sincere ito sa hangad na magkaayos

sila.Ito ay kaugnay ng demanda ni Ara ng libel sa younger sister dahil sa mga text message nito sa kanya na hina-harass siya at nilalait

ang pagkatao niya.Matatandaan pa ring ang pag-aaway ng magkapatid ay may kinalaman sa pera kung saan ay sinisingil ni Cristine ang ate niya sa

ipinang-down niya sa isang property na binili nila para sa ina.Pagkatapos masampahan ng demanda ay nagpahayag si Cristine ng intensyon na magkasundo sila ng ate niya pero ang request

nga ni Ara ay mag-public apology muna ang kapatid.Last Sunday ay ginawa na ni Cristine ang public apology sa The Buzz.“I’m sorry and I would like to apologize if ever I offended you, sumama ang loob mo sa akin. I tried my best na pumunta sa iyo, alam

mo iyan, ate. Sinabi ko pa iyan sa ’yo na kung gusto mo, luluhod ako sa harapan mo.“Sana lumambot na ang puso mo sa akin para maayos na itong gulo, para tahimik

na, para sa ikakatahimik ng pamilya natin,” pahayag ni Cristine sa ere.Wala pang official reaction si Ara tungkol dito at nag-post lang siya sa kanyang

Twitter account ng isang quotation.“A stiff apology is a second insult... The injured party does not want to be

compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed bec he

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINESREGIONAL TRIAL COURTTHIRD JUDICIAL REGION

BRANCH 55MACABEBE, PAMPANGA

IN RE: PETITION FOR THE CORRECTIONOF ENTRY IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVEBIRTH OF KENNETH V. GARCIA,

KENNETH V. GARCIA,Petitioner, SPECIAL PROCEEDINGS

-versus- NO. 12-0776(M)

THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF MACABEBE,PAMPANGA AND THE CIVIL REGISTRARGENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINES,

Respondents.x————————————————————————x

ORDEROn May 23, 2012, petitioner Kenneth V. Garcia filed the verified

petition, of even date, praying that respondents Local Civil Registrar ofMacabebe, Pampanga, and the Civil Registrar General, NationalStatistics Office, Quezon City, be ordered to correct the entry under“Sex of Child” from “Male” to “Female” appearing on her Certificate ofLive Birth on file in said offices.

Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, this courthereby (a) sets this case for hearing on the petition on August 24, 2012at 11:00 in the morning at the Session Hall of the Regional TrialCourt, Branch 55, Macabebe, Pampanga; (b) orders the petitioner (i)to cause the publication of this Order once a week for three (3) consecutiveweeks in an accredited newspaper of general circulation in the provinceof Pampanga at her own expense; (ii) to serve within twenty-four (24)hours from receipt of this Order, copies of the petition and its annexes tothe Office of the Solicitor General of the Philippines, the Office of theProvincial Prosecutor of Pampanga, the Local Civil Registrar of Macabebe,Pampanga, and the Civil Registrar General of the Philippines; and (iii) toshow proof of said service to this court on said date and time of hearing;(c) orders all persons interested in the petition to appear before this courton said date and time of hearing and to show cause, if any, why thepetition should not be granted; (d) orders this court’s OIC – Branch Clerkof Court to furnish copies of this Order to the petitioner, her counsel, theOffice of the Solicitor General, the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor ofPampanga; the Local Civil Registrar of Macabebe, Pampanga, the CivilRegistrar General of the Philippines; and the Office of the Clerk of Court,Regional Trial Court, Macabebe, Pampanga; and (e) directs the Officeof the Solicitor General to enter its appearance in this proceedings withintwenty-four (24) hours from receipt of this Order.

SO ORDERED.Macabebe, Pampanga, May 24, 2012

MA. JOSEPHINE M. ROSARIO-MERCADO Judge

PUNTO! Central Luzon: June 29, July 6 & 13, 2012

has been hurt. — G.K. Chesterton,” tweet ni Ara.Obviously, ang pinatutungkulan dito ni Ara ay

ang kapatid na si Cristine.Ni-retweet din ni Ara ang ilang post ng

kanyang mga follower sa kanya pero hindinaman malinaw kung ganito rin angnararamdaman niya.

“RT @lavender_22185: RT@bubblyluchz: I can’t feel, sense & see thesincerity of Cristine Reyes whileapologizing in #TheBuzz ? However, hopeit’ll heal your wounds @realAraMina,”retweet ni Ara.

Well, sa nakikita namin, mukhangkailangan talagang patunayan ni Cristinena sincere siya sa pakikipagbati sakanyang ate at palagay namin,kailangan din niya itong ipakita saaksyon at hindi sa salita lang.

At this point in time kasi, maymakikita kang kaunting motibo sa parteni Cristine. Marami siyempre ang nag-iisip (at siguro pati na rin si Ara) na kayasiya nag-a-apologize ay para iurong angkaso sa kanya at hindi para makipag-ayos talaga.

Mas maganda pa kung sinabi na langni Cristine na haharapin niya ang kaso kung ’yon ang gusto ng kanyang kapatidat tatanggapin niya ang parusa kungsakali, mapatunayan lang na nagsisisisiya.

For us, that would be a perfect exampleof a sincere apology.

Ara Mina

Cristine Reyes

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BY DING CERVANTES

CLARK FREEPORT,Pampanga- The Judicialand Bar Council (JBC) hasslated July 30 for its sub-mission to Pres. Aquinothe screened list of threenominees to the post ofSupreme Court chief jus-tice.

In an interview hereduring the regional conven-tion of the Integrated Barof the Philippines-CentralLuzon (IBP-CL), Sen.Francis Escudero, chair ofthe Senate committee onjustice and human rightsand JBC member, said theJuly 30 schedule wouldenable the President tohave one month to decideon whom to pick from theJBC’s final list of threenominees.

Escudero said that asof last Monday, the num-ber of nominees and ap-plicants numbered 63.Only two of them appliedfor the chief justice posi-tion, but Escudero couldnot recall who they were.The deadline for nomina-tions and applications ison July 2.

Escudero, who earlierjunked his nomination tothe Supreme Court, citeda provision of the law man-dating that the position befilled up within 90 days af-

ter it was left vacant. “This90 day period will lapse onAug. 27,” he noted.

“We (in the JBC) willsift through them (list ofnominees and applicants),publish the names ofthose qualified for publicopinion, recommendationor opposition then they willpass through the processof interviews and submis-sion of requirements, in-cluding the waiver (of bankaccount deposits) that Iwant,” he said.

Escudero then ex-plained that after theseprocedure, the JBC woulddeliberate on the threenominees to be recom-mended to the President.“There will be no morethan three nominees fromwhom the President willappoint the next chief jus-tice,” he added.

This, even as JusticeSec. Leila de Lima said inan interview in the sameconvention here yesterdaythat she has remained “ina dilemma” on whether toaccept her nomination tothe chief justice post, al-though she thanked theIBP of Zambales for thenomination.

She said the Presidentadvised her to consider the“interest of the country” inher decision, but she not-ed that

“I can’t decide yet. Itneed to decide at the lat-est on Monday since that’sthe deadline. I am hesitant,I am reluctant, I am reallyin a quandary,” she said.

De Lima expressed“doubts whether I will fit inthat kind of institution.”

“It’s a collegial body. Ofcourse I am a member ofthe cabinet which is alsoa collegial body but theconcerns of the cabinet aredifferent from the concernsand challenges of the ju-diciary, especially the Su-preme Court,” she added.

For his part, Escuderosaid he declined the nom-ination “out of delicadeza”since he was part of theSenate court that oustedformer Chief JusticeRenato Corona.

Meanwhile, IBP nation-al president Roan Libariossaid during an interview atthe convention that the IBP,which is represented in theJBC, said his group is bat-ting for a chief justice with“leadership capabilities.”

“He must also besomeone with some levelof acceptability amongmembers of the judiciary.We will look into the inter-view performances (of thenominees and applicants)and hear them explain theirproposals for judicial re-forms,” Libarios also said.

Final 3 for CJ postsubmitted July 30