Pinoy basketball team wins tourney in Amsterdam

by Loui Galicia, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Posted at 08/20/2011 3:30 PM | Updated as of 08/20/2011 4:11 PM

THE NETHERLANDS - Filipino-Americans bagged the first international basketball tournament held in Amsterdam.

Patience, hard work and dedication in basketball helped the AmPinoy team (American Pinoy) from Germany to snatch the championship trophy in the tournament organized by the United Filipino Dutch Association (UFDA).

“Ilang taon naming pinagpraktis, ibang labanan…pagdadrive sa ibang lugar sa lahat ng labanan. Mabuti sa wakas, kami na nanalo,” said player Crisanto Costes.

The American Pinoys, all working at the US Air Force's Ramstein Airbase, were weaker at the start of the round robin, having been knocked down by the younger Brussels All Stars players.

But the AmPinoys rebounded and beat 4 other teams to face the Brussels All Stars again in the finals.

This time, the AmPinoys proved strong and fierce, beating the Belgian Pinoys who landed second place.

"We are playing our game. They were just bigger and stronger than us,” Jassin Dulnoan from Brussels All Stars said.

The third place went to the Luxembourg Warriors.

The tournament was the very first international basketball tournament organized by UFDA with participants coming from Antwerp and Brussels in Belgium; Ramstein and Bonn in Germany; Luxembourg; and Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam in Holland.

UFDA even hired professional Dutch referees in its aim to hold an organized and clean tournament.

The referees were surprised and impressed at the basketball skills and quality of play of the Filipinos.

"The players are high [level]. They can basketball. It's no street basketball. It's like the competition in Holland," referee Beatrix Lee Ajam said.

The tournament ended well without any injury or fight and the UFDA only had to give credit to two young and energetic Pinoys Archer Escalona and JP Ramos, who organized the hugely successful event.


SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM


http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/08/20/11/pinoy-basketball-team-wins-tourney-amsterdam

Many Dutch opt to visit PH this summer

by Loui Galicia, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Posted at 08/11/2011 5:40 PM | Updated as of 08/11/2011 5:41 PM

THE NETHERLANDS - The Philippines is the favorite destination of a growing number of Dutch tourists this European summer.

But who can blame them.

Howling wind and strong rain since July defined this year’s summer in Europe, forcing many to go abroad for their holidays.

Here in The Netherlands, many Dutch seem to have developed a weak spot for the Philippines instead of neighboring Italy, Greece or Spain which are the more popular summer destinations in Europe.

In fact, the Philippine Embassy has already received more than 140 tourist visa applications in July alone.

The number doesn’t include those who did not have to apply for a visa anymore because their stay in the Philippines is less than 3 weeks.

The Philippines is the favorite of a Dutch teenager who has already spent 11 of his summer holidays there.

This year, he has convinced his best friend to come with him.

“I'm bringing my friend to the Philippines for the first time. I hope he enjoys,” Dan Engels said.

For a half-Pinoy, half-Dutch, it is more relaxing to spend the summer in the Philippines than in Europe because of the former’s tropical climate.

Severo Friso van der Kreeft prefers the slow and quiet atmosphere in the Philippines than the fast and noisy club-like ambiance in some European vacation spots.

However, van der Kreeft finds his acquiring a dual nationality a little bit complicated, which is why he prefers to apply for a tourist visa to go to the Philippines.

“I have a Filipino passport but maybe it's better to travel Dutch to go also back to Holland, otherwise I may have to apply for a visa to go back to Holland,” Van der Kreeft said.

One Dutch has already helped promote tourism in the Philippines by inviting his Dutch friends every year.

Jan Engels brought 16 of his Dutch friends to Marinduque last year. This year, he only managed to convince six.

But the Dutch still think that the Philippines is really not yet discovered as a tourist destination.

“It still has to be discovered. But that's also because of the infrastructure, the bad roads, the bad ships, that’s why I think tourists will not come,” Jan said.

When it comes to infrastructure, the Philippines is very much behind in Asia so that it has now become necessary to improve and upgrade to attract more tourists to come.


SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/08/11/11/many-dutch-opt-visit-ph-summer

British-Pinoy duo reaches finals of Dutch tennis tourney

by Loui Galicia, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Posted at 08/05/2011 7:23 PM | Updated as of 08/05/2011 7:23 PM

THE HAGUE -- A tennis tandem composed of a British and a Filipino reached the doubles finals of the recently concluded Thor de Bataaf Tennis Open in The Hague.

The duo, however, failed in their bid to win the title as they bowed to their Dutch opponents.

Despite the 6-3 6-3 scoreline, the Dutch champions said it was not an easy fight.

“I don’t find it was easy at all. It was pretty hard. They played very good,” Bas Schenk said.

“They were tough opponents so we played very good for us. Somehow we managed to break them in the first set,” added Jochem Wiersma.

For the only Filipino in the tournament of the Dutch-dominated tennis club, reaching the finals is already a big honor.

“They have the height advantage and we have to compensate for that one in terms of speed perhaps and because of their length and height they've got wider coverage at the net. It's like hitting through a wall when playing them, otherwise everything is equal,” Rommel Loveranes, a Pinoy expat said.

His British partner, also an expat, commended the Pinoy’s style in tennis.

“He is really fast, one of the quickest players I’ve played with across the net. Excellent volleys, excellent smash, excellent forehand, the only thing is only his backhand…but that's not exactly a weakness per se,” David Flaherty said.

The tandem of Loveranes and Flaherty has already moved on.

This time, they hope to make it to the finals and win the championship at the Mets Tennis Open.


SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/ofw/08/05/11/british-pinoy-duo-reaches-finals-dutch-tennis-tourney

Dutch eyes potato opportunities in PH

by Loui Galicia, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Posted at 08/04/2011 5:17 PM | Updated as of 08/04/2011 5:17 PM

THE NETHERLANDS - Many Dutch businessmen are starting to show an interest in agriculture in the Philippines.

This sudden interest marks the success of the Philippine Netherlands Business Council or PNBC’s working luncheon where it showcased the richness or potential wealth from agriculture in the Philippines.

Together with the Philippine Embassy and East West Seeds, EU Agricultural Attache Pit Laquian highlighted the investment opportunities in agriculture.

Laquian said agriculture is a highly productive business in the Philippines, particularly in potatoes.

According to Laquian, the Philippines imports potatoes 100% because of the high consumption of French fries and chips of Filipinos.

He said Pinoys have the capability to plant, sow and harvest the same volume of potatoes that the Philippines imports every month, but the only problem is lack of capital.
Laquian said that if there will be sufficient investment in the planting of potatoes, the Philippines can easily save around $200 million per year.

Many Dutch businessmen showed interest in the concept. Even the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture sent a representative to learn about agriculture in the Philippines.

"Now the Philippines as a tropical country has a very different agricultural business than the Netherlands. Nevertheless, we think the Dutch people could assist in developing agricultural business in the Philippines,” John Lintjer, PNBC chairman said.

In fact, a trade mission has now been set to go to the Philippines to check the agri-food and food processing there.

"We know from personal experience the Philippines from many years ago as an interesting country, a growing country. It became more stable in a political way, it's a growing economy and we have chosen the agro, agro-industrial sector,” Steven Mulder of NCH said.

Even some Pinoys who invested in real estate are now having second thoughts.

“Na-inspire lang ako na after ko narinig yung presentation... yung binili naming lupa sa Pampanga is to convert na lang to agriculture land," Pinay Olive van Dijck said.

Individuals interested in the trade mission to the Philippines may contact Vice Consul Cynthia Pelayo at the Philippine Embassy, multilateral@philembassy.nl.

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/08/04/11/dutch-eyes-potato-opportunities-ph