Dutch prosecutors to present new evidence vs Joma
The Dutch Public Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday was set to present new evidence against Jose Maria Sison in a Dutch court hearing that may reportedly lead to the re-arrest of the founding chair of the Communist Party of the Philippines, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau correspondent Loui Galicia reported.
The Dutch prosecutor’s office has continued its investigation of Sison’s alleged involvement in the murders of erstwhile allies Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara in the Philippines and was given until June to present new evidence.
Sison has however appealed the continued investigation of the Dutch prosecution office and a hearing of a Dutch court was set at 10 a.m. (5 p.m. Manila).
The Dutch prosecutors have reportedly asked for three hours to present its new evidence which comes as a big surprise since the hearing was set to supposedly hear Sison’s appeal.
The Dutch court’s hearing is being held in closed session.
Luis Jalandoni, National Democratic Front chief negotiator in peace talks with the Philippine government, said that the Dutch prosecutors may seek for the immediate re-arrest of Sison.
A protest was launched by Sison’s friends and sympathizers outside the Palace of Justice in The Hague.
Charges not dropped
Dutch Public Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Wim de Bruin in a telephone interview last November told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau that they are not dropping the charges against Sison and that the CPP founder remains a suspect.
"No, you have to separate the criminal investigation by the police from the investigation by the examining judge in The Hague. So the judge decided to finish the investigation but the police investigation will be continued and that means that Mr. Sison is still a suspect," de Bruin explained.
Sison, who is also the chief political consultant of the NDF was arrested and detained in the Scheveningen detention center in The Hague on August 28 for alleged involvement in the murders of Kintanar Tabara in the Philippines. He was later released pending the pre-trial investigation.
De Bruin had said that the prosecutor would still pursue the charges against Sison and affirmed then that they are going to continue the investigation in so far as they know they have sufficient evidence.
De Bruin said that Sison’s defense lawyer cannot file a motion to drop the charges.
Case not closed
Sison’s lawyer Michiel Pestman also confirmed then that the case is not closed yet.
"The case is not closed. It’s the prosecutor, the only person who can decide to close the case apart from the court. She can decide to drop the case which I expect she will do because everyone says that all the judges involved basically say that there’s no hope in hell that she’ll ever get a conviction," said Sison’s lawyer.
Pestman said that even if the pre-trial investigation was closed by the investigating judge, in Holland, the prosecutor can do its own investigation and does not rely solely on the investigating judge.
"They can do their own investigation, the police can do it," Pestman said.
Sison had repeatedly denied the allegations of the Dutch prosecutors.
With reports from ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
SOURCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=118872
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Pinoy singer stars with Sharon Stone, Kim Cattrall at Life Ball in Austria
Pinoy singer stars with Sharon Stone, Kim Cattrall at Life Ball in Austria
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Singer Vincent Bueno became the first Pinoy to share the limelight with big-name celebrities such as Sharon Stone, Kim Cattrall, Elton John and Linda Evangelista at the Life Ball event in Austria.
The pure-blooded Filipino’s music career is fast spinning to the top since winning in the "Musical! Die Show" of Austrian national broadcaster ORF last January.
Not only did Bueno walk the red carpet at Life Ball as one of the 4,000 guests which included big-name stars, he also opened Europe’s biggest AIDS charity event on May 17th.
Amid thundering applause from around 45,000 spectators in front of the prestigious, historical and famous City Hall of Vienna called the Rathausplatz, Bueno opened the show singing "Vienna Calling", a song popularized by the very first Austrian rocker Falco.
Donning an all-silver space cowboy costume, Bueno gyrated and did his trademark backflips to the delight of the attendees who came from all over the world and paid 200 euros (13,500 pesos) to support the charity event.
Even the lensmen had a good time taking shots of the energetic Bueno.
Throughout the night, nobody could be prouder for the young Bueno than his uncle, King, who was also the first Filipino to be given full accreditation for the event.
The older Bueno gained unlimited access and was free to shoot footage of all events from the rehearsals to the red carpet, backstage, the dressing room and the parties.
In some of his footage, King even asked some international celebrities to shout "Hello! The Filipino Channel" and "Mabuhay Philippines."
Life Ball is on its 16th year since Gary Keszler organized the very flamboyant, colorful and extravagant event strictly for gays but which has now become a major society event in Europe.
This year’s theme was "Landing on Planet Life Ball", and thus majority of the guests dressed as aliens in elaborate costumes.
The organizers aimed to top the 1.2 million euros it raised last year, with half of the proceeds going to projects in Austria and the rest going to international projects, with the help of the American Foundation for AIDS Research (Amfar).
Stone delivered a speech against AIDS as chairperson of Amfar’s Campaign for AIDS Research, while Sex and The City star Cattrall presented the "Crystal of Hope" which is endowed with 100,000 euros donated by Swarovski to Care Austria, for its HIV/AIDS project in Kenya.
This year, luxury lingerie label Agent Provocateur hosted Life Ball as part of the yearly trend of different fashion designers hosting the big event.
SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=118853
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Singer Vincent Bueno became the first Pinoy to share the limelight with big-name celebrities such as Sharon Stone, Kim Cattrall, Elton John and Linda Evangelista at the Life Ball event in Austria.
The pure-blooded Filipino’s music career is fast spinning to the top since winning in the "Musical! Die Show" of Austrian national broadcaster ORF last January.
Not only did Bueno walk the red carpet at Life Ball as one of the 4,000 guests which included big-name stars, he also opened Europe’s biggest AIDS charity event on May 17th.
Amid thundering applause from around 45,000 spectators in front of the prestigious, historical and famous City Hall of Vienna called the Rathausplatz, Bueno opened the show singing "Vienna Calling", a song popularized by the very first Austrian rocker Falco.
Donning an all-silver space cowboy costume, Bueno gyrated and did his trademark backflips to the delight of the attendees who came from all over the world and paid 200 euros (13,500 pesos) to support the charity event.
Even the lensmen had a good time taking shots of the energetic Bueno.
Throughout the night, nobody could be prouder for the young Bueno than his uncle, King, who was also the first Filipino to be given full accreditation for the event.
The older Bueno gained unlimited access and was free to shoot footage of all events from the rehearsals to the red carpet, backstage, the dressing room and the parties.
In some of his footage, King even asked some international celebrities to shout "Hello! The Filipino Channel" and "Mabuhay Philippines."
Life Ball is on its 16th year since Gary Keszler organized the very flamboyant, colorful and extravagant event strictly for gays but which has now become a major society event in Europe.
This year’s theme was "Landing on Planet Life Ball", and thus majority of the guests dressed as aliens in elaborate costumes.
The organizers aimed to top the 1.2 million euros it raised last year, with half of the proceeds going to projects in Austria and the rest going to international projects, with the help of the American Foundation for AIDS Research (Amfar).
Stone delivered a speech against AIDS as chairperson of Amfar’s Campaign for AIDS Research, while Sex and The City star Cattrall presented the "Crystal of Hope" which is endowed with 100,000 euros donated by Swarovski to Care Austria, for its HIV/AIDS project in Kenya.
This year, luxury lingerie label Agent Provocateur hosted Life Ball as part of the yearly trend of different fashion designers hosting the big event.
SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=118853
Monday, May 19, 2008
Three Pinoy filmmakers win grant from Rotterdam’s Hubert Bals Fund
Three Pinoy filmmakers win grant from Rotterdam’s Hubert Bals Fund
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Three Filipino filmmakers are recipients of this year's International Film Festival Rotterdam's (IFFR) Hubert Bals Fund Spring grant.
The IFFR, in an email to ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau, said the Hubert Bals Fund announced the winners of its grant: 27 film projects for a total amount of 385,000 euros (25.6 million pesos).
Included in the 27 winning film projects from seventeen countries are the works of Lav Diaz, Roxlee and Adolfo Alix Jr. Since 2006, the HBF has been supporting low-budget digital film projects and the grants in this category are meant to cover a large part of a digital feature film, the IFFR's statement said.
Diaz receives support for the digital production of his film "The Great Desaparecido."
A regular at the Rotterdam film festival, Diaz has already screened his films since 2005, which include Evolution of a Filipino Family (2005), Jesus the Revolutionary (2006), Heremias (2006 and 2007), When the Rain Ended (2007) and Death in the Land of Encantos (2008).
Called a "maestro" by the IFFR, Diaz is the master of the full-length film, in fact a very long film.
He was a member of the 2007 jury for the selection of the winners of the Tiger Awards, which is the highlight of the yearly film festival.
Roque Federizon Lee or most popularly known as Roxlee, will receive a grant for the post production of his film "Green Rocking Chair."
Lee is also not a stranger to the IFFR having screened his early works Lizard, Live Rock, Ghost of Rocker Jeans and Romeo Must Rock at the festival in 2005.
Alix Jr. will receive funding for the script development of his film "Kalayaan."
He was a first timer at this year's film festival which was held from Jan. 24 to Feb. 4, when his film "Tambolista" was screened.
The Hubert Bals Fund is designed to bring remarkable or urgent feature films and feature-length creative documentaries by innovative and talented filmmakers from developing countries closer to completion.
It provides grants that often turn out to play a crucial role in enabling these filmmakers to realize their projects.
Winning a grant from the HBF is a big achievement in itself as the competition is very stiff. In order to be selected, filmmakers from southern or developing countries can enter their projects twice a year and hundreds of applications are received in each of the selection rounds.
Since the Fund started in 1988, close to 600 projects from independent filmmakers in Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America have received support. Approximately 80% of these projects have been realized or are currently in production. Every year, the IFFR screens completed films supported by the Fund.
It is supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dutch non-governmental development organizations Hivos and NCDO, the DOEN Foundation and Dutch public broadcasting network NPS.
The HBF supports training initiatives for filmmakers in Ethiopia, Philippines, Costa Rica and Uganda. In Armenia and the Philippines, the fund participates in co-production meetings and awards are granted to the most promising film projects.
The winners of IFFR's Hubert Bals Fund Spring 2008 are:
Post production
Be Calm and Count to 7, Ramtin Lavafipour - Iran
The Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly, Edwin - Indonesia
Baksy, Guka Omarova - Kazakhstan
Green Rocking Chair, Roxlee - Philippines
Tony Manero, Pablo Larraín - Chile
Moon at the Bottom of the Well, Nguyen Vinh Son - Vietnam
Turistas, Alicia Scherson - Chile
Er Dong, Yang Jin – China
Pandora’s Box, Yesim Ustaoglu – Turkey
Script development
Our Grand Despair, Seyfi Teoman - Turkey
Girimunho, Helvécio Marins Jr. - Brazil
Once Upon a Time in China, Cui Zi’en - China
Jean Gentil, Laura Amelia Guzmán & Israel Cárdenas - Dominican Republic/Mexico
Kalayaan, Adolfo Alix Jr. - Philippines
Kosmos, Ihor Podolchak - Ukraine
Circumstance, Maryam Keshavarz - Iran
Sur la planche, Leila Kilani – Morocco
Tanta agua, Ana Guevara & Leticia Jorge - Uruguay
Los ultimos cristeros, Matias Meyer - Mexico
Digital production
The Great Desaparecido, Lav Diaz - Phillippines
Lucía, Niles Atallah - Chile
That Year When We Were Young ; Tao Peng - China
One Day When the Rain Falls ; Ifa Isfansyah - Indonesia
Woman On Fire Looks for Water ; Woo Ming Jin - Malaysia
Distribution and special projects
War, Love, God and Madness ; Mohamed Al-Daradji - Iraq
Directors Across Borders (DAB Forum), Yerevan - Armenia
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Three Filipino filmmakers are recipients of this year's International Film Festival Rotterdam's (IFFR) Hubert Bals Fund Spring grant.
The IFFR, in an email to ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau, said the Hubert Bals Fund announced the winners of its grant: 27 film projects for a total amount of 385,000 euros (25.6 million pesos).
Included in the 27 winning film projects from seventeen countries are the works of Lav Diaz, Roxlee and Adolfo Alix Jr. Since 2006, the HBF has been supporting low-budget digital film projects and the grants in this category are meant to cover a large part of a digital feature film, the IFFR's statement said.
Diaz receives support for the digital production of his film "The Great Desaparecido."
A regular at the Rotterdam film festival, Diaz has already screened his films since 2005, which include Evolution of a Filipino Family (2005), Jesus the Revolutionary (2006), Heremias (2006 and 2007), When the Rain Ended (2007) and Death in the Land of Encantos (2008).
Called a "maestro" by the IFFR, Diaz is the master of the full-length film, in fact a very long film.
He was a member of the 2007 jury for the selection of the winners of the Tiger Awards, which is the highlight of the yearly film festival.
Roque Federizon Lee or most popularly known as Roxlee, will receive a grant for the post production of his film "Green Rocking Chair."
Lee is also not a stranger to the IFFR having screened his early works Lizard, Live Rock, Ghost of Rocker Jeans and Romeo Must Rock at the festival in 2005.
Alix Jr. will receive funding for the script development of his film "Kalayaan."
He was a first timer at this year's film festival which was held from Jan. 24 to Feb. 4, when his film "Tambolista" was screened.
The Hubert Bals Fund is designed to bring remarkable or urgent feature films and feature-length creative documentaries by innovative and talented filmmakers from developing countries closer to completion.
It provides grants that often turn out to play a crucial role in enabling these filmmakers to realize their projects.
Winning a grant from the HBF is a big achievement in itself as the competition is very stiff. In order to be selected, filmmakers from southern or developing countries can enter their projects twice a year and hundreds of applications are received in each of the selection rounds.
Since the Fund started in 1988, close to 600 projects from independent filmmakers in Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America have received support. Approximately 80% of these projects have been realized or are currently in production. Every year, the IFFR screens completed films supported by the Fund.
It is supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dutch non-governmental development organizations Hivos and NCDO, the DOEN Foundation and Dutch public broadcasting network NPS.
The HBF supports training initiatives for filmmakers in Ethiopia, Philippines, Costa Rica and Uganda. In Armenia and the Philippines, the fund participates in co-production meetings and awards are granted to the most promising film projects.
The winners of IFFR's Hubert Bals Fund Spring 2008 are:
Post production
Be Calm and Count to 7, Ramtin Lavafipour - Iran
The Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly, Edwin - Indonesia
Baksy, Guka Omarova - Kazakhstan
Green Rocking Chair, Roxlee - Philippines
Tony Manero, Pablo Larraín - Chile
Moon at the Bottom of the Well, Nguyen Vinh Son - Vietnam
Turistas, Alicia Scherson - Chile
Er Dong, Yang Jin – China
Pandora’s Box, Yesim Ustaoglu – Turkey
Script development
Our Grand Despair, Seyfi Teoman - Turkey
Girimunho, Helvécio Marins Jr. - Brazil
Once Upon a Time in China, Cui Zi’en - China
Jean Gentil, Laura Amelia Guzmán & Israel Cárdenas - Dominican Republic/Mexico
Kalayaan, Adolfo Alix Jr. - Philippines
Kosmos, Ihor Podolchak - Ukraine
Circumstance, Maryam Keshavarz - Iran
Sur la planche, Leila Kilani – Morocco
Tanta agua, Ana Guevara & Leticia Jorge - Uruguay
Los ultimos cristeros, Matias Meyer - Mexico
Digital production
The Great Desaparecido, Lav Diaz - Phillippines
Lucía, Niles Atallah - Chile
That Year When We Were Young ; Tao Peng - China
One Day When the Rain Falls ; Ifa Isfansyah - Indonesia
Woman On Fire Looks for Water ; Woo Ming Jin - Malaysia
Distribution and special projects
War, Love, God and Madness ; Mohamed Al-Daradji - Iraq
Directors Across Borders (DAB Forum), Yerevan - Armenia
SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Solving the rice shortage the PASALI way
Solving the rice shortage the PASALI way
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
A group of seafarers in The Netherlands is urging the Philippine government to look at how they solved a rice shortage in a small town in Mindanao so that it can be duplicated to remedy the rice crisis in the Philippines, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau reported.
The PASALI Foundation (Philippine Association of Sea-based Workers for Savings, Loans and Initiatives), which was founded in 1994 by seamen who wanted to secure their future, said the group has been successful in investments in rice farming and fishing in Sultan Kudarat province.
PASALI shared with ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau its success story in Palimbang town to serve as a model and inspiration to the government and their fellow seafarers.
The group said that while it has fairly been successful, it also suffered setbacks since its founding.
The worst was in 2001 when it had to close a booming remittance business because the 9/11 attacks resulted in a rigid policy and PASALI couldn’t meet stricter requirements that the Dutch government had imposed.
At the same time, PASALI's telephone card business had to close because the company that supplied the cards went bankrupt and ceased its operations in the Philippines.
Despite the setbacks, members believed that where there is bad luck, there is good luck, so they decided to shift their investments to the Philippines.
Back on their feetThe amount that was left from their funds was placed into a micro-credit facility. It has become the key to the prosperity that Palimbang now enjoys and which has also secured the future of their members.
"The investment was small. We helped a Muslim-Christian vendors’ group in Cotabato City put up a micro-credit facility. That was in 2001 when micro-credit wasn’t even being talked about," program manager Nonoy Ty said.
In the succeeding year, PASALI ventured into fishing and rice planting.
"At that time, there was already a rice shortage in Palimbang. But now there is an oversupply there. We definitely had something to do with that. We introduced sustainable agriculture and a system of rice intensification. Because of that, the place’s rice supply is always ample," Ty said.
Problem seen 10 years agoTy said that as early as 10 years ago they already noticed a problem in the politics of rice in the Philippines.
"We were talking about that 10 years ago and asked how come Vietnam was already investing in special machinery designed for rice production. We asked if we couldn’t do the same thing and that is what I reported to PASALI members, and I said in Palimbang as in other places, they were about 30 years behind," Ty said.
In fact, when he first went to Palimbang in 2001, Ty said he had already seen a rice shortage in the area, especially since it was just recovering from a war between the Muslims and Christians.
And Ty explained that the irony was that there was so much land to till yet there was no rice being planted in Palimbang.
Helping farmers help themselvesSo PASALI decided to invest in the region through micro-credit financing, helping farmers get credit to buy the resources to start tilling the lands and planting rice.
"When I went back to the Netherlands, I suggested to my friends that we invest half of our capital in rice, although not on an ordinary credit basis but on a micro credit one because the people there lacked money and machinery. In the rural areas they don’t even have pliers or a small screw driver so how much more for machinery? I saw lots of machinery just lying idle and going to rust Palimbang was far from the town proper and these could not be repaired," Ty recounted.
He said that at present, PASALI has around 1,000 hectares of rice fields and they are harvesting enough each season, making the citizens of Palimbang a contented and happy rice-eating group.
Investment in machineryTy criticized the Philippine government for failing in the rice race because the Philippines is behind other Asian countries such as Vietnam, China and India, in terms of employing machines to plant rice as against manual planting by Filipino farmers.
PASALI suggested that the government start investing in machinery that would help speed up the process of planting rice and its eventual harvest because as he has seen in other countries, it is the most efficient way to ensure a steady supply.
After all, machines are faster and stronger than men, it said.
From PASALI’s first-hand experience with farmers, the group also found out that so many third-generation farmers stopped becoming farmers because of the danger to their health caused by pesticides and herbicides.
"It’s been proven from the farmers we talked to. Their fingers are ruined or their lungs are affected so even if they do yield big harvests and have a large output, it’s not a long-term thing because their health is ruined. So the succeeding generations do not want the same lives and do not want to become farmers," PASALI project engineer Felix Pulmano said.
Peace initiativesPulmano explained that the consequence of this is that farmers sell their lands because they do not want to be exposed to these health hazards, contributing to the decline in rice plantations and therefore to the dwindling supply of rice.
PASALI also owes half of its success to the donations, which are in kind, coming from The Netherlands.
The group has received a lot of donated machineries and equipment and has already sent them to the Philippines.
PASALI reiterated its advice to the government to start thinking seriously about investing in technology because it will not only help the farmers but because there is also a spiritual side to it.
PASALI, meanwhile, has unwittingly also contributed to the government’s peace initiatives in Mindanao.
"We did not know that what we were doing became part of the peace initiative. If the stomachs of the Muslim people were full and they didn’t go hungry and they had work, they had no time for war. And more so because the Christians were in the same situation," Pulmano said.
But most of all, the group is proud to have contributed to decreasing the "brain drain" in the Philippines by actually encouraging more and more seafarers to return or retire and invest in the country.
PASALI believes that there are more and more skilled and talented Pinoys out there who are working as seafarers and they want to encourage them and other migrants too, to follow their footsteps.
"We will be able to encourage other migrants, especially seamen who are highly skilled to do what we did in Mindanao. That is our challenge. I hope we are successful in this and later are able to serve not only farmers but also fishermen," Ty said.
"I have been a seaman for a long time so I know there are many Filipino seamen who are highly skilled, probably they number in the tens of thousands. We can turn whatever skills they learned to good purpose like improving our rice-farming technology. In India, Vietnam, China, they have machinery which they made themselves and all these have an impact on their rice production," Ty said.
SOURCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=115974
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
A group of seafarers in The Netherlands is urging the Philippine government to look at how they solved a rice shortage in a small town in Mindanao so that it can be duplicated to remedy the rice crisis in the Philippines, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau reported.
The PASALI Foundation (Philippine Association of Sea-based Workers for Savings, Loans and Initiatives), which was founded in 1994 by seamen who wanted to secure their future, said the group has been successful in investments in rice farming and fishing in Sultan Kudarat province.
PASALI shared with ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau its success story in Palimbang town to serve as a model and inspiration to the government and their fellow seafarers.
The group said that while it has fairly been successful, it also suffered setbacks since its founding.
The worst was in 2001 when it had to close a booming remittance business because the 9/11 attacks resulted in a rigid policy and PASALI couldn’t meet stricter requirements that the Dutch government had imposed.
At the same time, PASALI's telephone card business had to close because the company that supplied the cards went bankrupt and ceased its operations in the Philippines.
Despite the setbacks, members believed that where there is bad luck, there is good luck, so they decided to shift their investments to the Philippines.
Back on their feetThe amount that was left from their funds was placed into a micro-credit facility. It has become the key to the prosperity that Palimbang now enjoys and which has also secured the future of their members.
"The investment was small. We helped a Muslim-Christian vendors’ group in Cotabato City put up a micro-credit facility. That was in 2001 when micro-credit wasn’t even being talked about," program manager Nonoy Ty said.
In the succeeding year, PASALI ventured into fishing and rice planting.
"At that time, there was already a rice shortage in Palimbang. But now there is an oversupply there. We definitely had something to do with that. We introduced sustainable agriculture and a system of rice intensification. Because of that, the place’s rice supply is always ample," Ty said.
Problem seen 10 years agoTy said that as early as 10 years ago they already noticed a problem in the politics of rice in the Philippines.
"We were talking about that 10 years ago and asked how come Vietnam was already investing in special machinery designed for rice production. We asked if we couldn’t do the same thing and that is what I reported to PASALI members, and I said in Palimbang as in other places, they were about 30 years behind," Ty said.
In fact, when he first went to Palimbang in 2001, Ty said he had already seen a rice shortage in the area, especially since it was just recovering from a war between the Muslims and Christians.
And Ty explained that the irony was that there was so much land to till yet there was no rice being planted in Palimbang.
Helping farmers help themselvesSo PASALI decided to invest in the region through micro-credit financing, helping farmers get credit to buy the resources to start tilling the lands and planting rice.
"When I went back to the Netherlands, I suggested to my friends that we invest half of our capital in rice, although not on an ordinary credit basis but on a micro credit one because the people there lacked money and machinery. In the rural areas they don’t even have pliers or a small screw driver so how much more for machinery? I saw lots of machinery just lying idle and going to rust Palimbang was far from the town proper and these could not be repaired," Ty recounted.
He said that at present, PASALI has around 1,000 hectares of rice fields and they are harvesting enough each season, making the citizens of Palimbang a contented and happy rice-eating group.
Investment in machineryTy criticized the Philippine government for failing in the rice race because the Philippines is behind other Asian countries such as Vietnam, China and India, in terms of employing machines to plant rice as against manual planting by Filipino farmers.
PASALI suggested that the government start investing in machinery that would help speed up the process of planting rice and its eventual harvest because as he has seen in other countries, it is the most efficient way to ensure a steady supply.
After all, machines are faster and stronger than men, it said.
From PASALI’s first-hand experience with farmers, the group also found out that so many third-generation farmers stopped becoming farmers because of the danger to their health caused by pesticides and herbicides.
"It’s been proven from the farmers we talked to. Their fingers are ruined or their lungs are affected so even if they do yield big harvests and have a large output, it’s not a long-term thing because their health is ruined. So the succeeding generations do not want the same lives and do not want to become farmers," PASALI project engineer Felix Pulmano said.
Peace initiativesPulmano explained that the consequence of this is that farmers sell their lands because they do not want to be exposed to these health hazards, contributing to the decline in rice plantations and therefore to the dwindling supply of rice.
PASALI also owes half of its success to the donations, which are in kind, coming from The Netherlands.
The group has received a lot of donated machineries and equipment and has already sent them to the Philippines.
PASALI reiterated its advice to the government to start thinking seriously about investing in technology because it will not only help the farmers but because there is also a spiritual side to it.
PASALI, meanwhile, has unwittingly also contributed to the government’s peace initiatives in Mindanao.
"We did not know that what we were doing became part of the peace initiative. If the stomachs of the Muslim people were full and they didn’t go hungry and they had work, they had no time for war. And more so because the Christians were in the same situation," Pulmano said.
But most of all, the group is proud to have contributed to decreasing the "brain drain" in the Philippines by actually encouraging more and more seafarers to return or retire and invest in the country.
PASALI believes that there are more and more skilled and talented Pinoys out there who are working as seafarers and they want to encourage them and other migrants too, to follow their footsteps.
"We will be able to encourage other migrants, especially seamen who are highly skilled to do what we did in Mindanao. That is our challenge. I hope we are successful in this and later are able to serve not only farmers but also fishermen," Ty said.
"I have been a seaman for a long time so I know there are many Filipino seamen who are highly skilled, probably they number in the tens of thousands. We can turn whatever skills they learned to good purpose like improving our rice-farming technology. In India, Vietnam, China, they have machinery which they made themselves and all these have an impact on their rice production," Ty said.
SOURCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=115974
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Bueno’s first single debuts in Europe on April 18
Bueno’s first single debuts in Europe on April 18
By LOUI GALICIAABS-CBN
Europe News Bureau
After winning in the "Musical!Die Show" of Austrian national broadcaster ORF last January, Vincent Bueno’s music career is certainly headed for the top.
In fact, Bueno makes his long-awaited debut in the European market when his first single entitled "Sex Appeal" hits Europe’s record stores on April 18, reported ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
Bueno is the pure-blooded Pinoy who captured the world with his winning performances at the Musical and has been dubbed as the "new crush of 2008."
After his victory, the 21-year-old took only a much-needed three-day respite and then proceeded to fulfill a very busy schedule which included theater engagements, tours and recording Sex Appeal.
The maxi CD offers three different interpretations by Bueno of the song "Sex Appeal," namely Vintage Mix, Dance Appeal and Swing Appeal.
Produced in Austria by HitSquad Records and recorded at MG Sound studio which are both Austrian outfits, "Sex Appeal" will be sold mainly in big stores such as Saturn, MediaMarkt, Libro and Cosmos.
"I would already like to thank everyone in advance for the support and trust in me. My advice is for anyone to do everything that you like to do and do it with your heart," Bueno told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau after he successfully recorded "Sex Appeal."
Bueno says the track reminds him of the funky energy of musicians that just love to jam around.
"When Steve Coss, the producer of the song and I worked on that track, we were able to find a way to pimp that commercial song into different styles and flows that`s why I enjoy this song so much," Bueno told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
"As the title says, it is a very sexy high-energy sound. The song is about a girl that just blows my mind and I try to explain in different ways how good she looks like," Bueno said.
"There are three versions: a retro version, an electro dance version, & a jazz swing version which is my first love," Bueno added.
Sample of the song and videos can be seen at www.digitalpinoy.org, the website that has intensively campaigned and solicited support for Bueno both from his entry at the Musical and even after his victory.
"I have been behind the scenes of Vinz’s recording and other activities. I'm a member of his "management team," responsible for the site and video," Bueno’s uncle King told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
King was instrumental in giving his nephew the maximum exposure through the power of the Internet, mainly via the DigitalPinoy website which he maintains.
Next week, Bueno will hold an autograph session with Libro where an autograph-signing and photo session will take place. A lucky fan may also get a "Dinner with Vincent" prize.
Apart from touring record stores promoting his first single, Bueno’s agenda is already hectic because of the planned summer launch of his first CD album which will include some of his original compositions.
On June 20, Bueno together with his band "Convince," will perform live at the "Asia Kiss" benefit concert in Vienna.
The gala show is expected to gather the largest Asian communities in Austria, proceeds of which will go to CFC FFL Restoration Village in the Philippines.
Bueno will also be a special guest at the annual "Starnacht am Wörthersee " or The Night of The Stars on Lake Worth on July 12.
Staged for the seventh time this year, the legendary open-air show will feature national and international artists performing in a grand music show on the famous Lake Worth.
SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=115243
By LOUI GALICIAABS-CBN
Europe News Bureau
After winning in the "Musical!Die Show" of Austrian national broadcaster ORF last January, Vincent Bueno’s music career is certainly headed for the top.
In fact, Bueno makes his long-awaited debut in the European market when his first single entitled "Sex Appeal" hits Europe’s record stores on April 18, reported ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
Bueno is the pure-blooded Pinoy who captured the world with his winning performances at the Musical and has been dubbed as the "new crush of 2008."
After his victory, the 21-year-old took only a much-needed three-day respite and then proceeded to fulfill a very busy schedule which included theater engagements, tours and recording Sex Appeal.
The maxi CD offers three different interpretations by Bueno of the song "Sex Appeal," namely Vintage Mix, Dance Appeal and Swing Appeal.
Produced in Austria by HitSquad Records and recorded at MG Sound studio which are both Austrian outfits, "Sex Appeal" will be sold mainly in big stores such as Saturn, MediaMarkt, Libro and Cosmos.
"I would already like to thank everyone in advance for the support and trust in me. My advice is for anyone to do everything that you like to do and do it with your heart," Bueno told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau after he successfully recorded "Sex Appeal."
Bueno says the track reminds him of the funky energy of musicians that just love to jam around.
"When Steve Coss, the producer of the song and I worked on that track, we were able to find a way to pimp that commercial song into different styles and flows that`s why I enjoy this song so much," Bueno told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
"As the title says, it is a very sexy high-energy sound. The song is about a girl that just blows my mind and I try to explain in different ways how good she looks like," Bueno said.
"There are three versions: a retro version, an electro dance version, & a jazz swing version which is my first love," Bueno added.
Sample of the song and videos can be seen at www.digitalpinoy.org, the website that has intensively campaigned and solicited support for Bueno both from his entry at the Musical and even after his victory.
"I have been behind the scenes of Vinz’s recording and other activities. I'm a member of his "management team," responsible for the site and video," Bueno’s uncle King told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
King was instrumental in giving his nephew the maximum exposure through the power of the Internet, mainly via the DigitalPinoy website which he maintains.
Next week, Bueno will hold an autograph session with Libro where an autograph-signing and photo session will take place. A lucky fan may also get a "Dinner with Vincent" prize.
Apart from touring record stores promoting his first single, Bueno’s agenda is already hectic because of the planned summer launch of his first CD album which will include some of his original compositions.
On June 20, Bueno together with his band "Convince," will perform live at the "Asia Kiss" benefit concert in Vienna.
The gala show is expected to gather the largest Asian communities in Austria, proceeds of which will go to CFC FFL Restoration Village in the Philippines.
Bueno will also be a special guest at the annual "Starnacht am Wörthersee " or The Night of The Stars on Lake Worth on July 12.
Staged for the seventh time this year, the legendary open-air show will feature national and international artists performing in a grand music show on the famous Lake Worth.
SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=115243
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Anti-Muslim film in The Hague doesn't affect Pinoys
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Filipinos residing in The Hague, Netherlands are not alarmed by the possible danger brought by the release of anti-Muslim film Fitna, reported ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
The controversial film made by Dutch politician Geert Wilders, which is against the Islamic religion, was finally released on March 27 via the LiveLeak website and has since spread on the Internet, mainly from clips posted on Youtube.
The film has already sparked negative reactions and has been condemned by Muslims even prior to its release so that the Dutch government intensified security for its embassies, consulates and even military installations.
In fact, the level of national terrorist threat in the Netherlands was raised from limited to substantial on March 6.
Substantial is the second to the highest of four levels of threat, with critical being the highest and minimal as the lowest.
The Hague, which is home to a lot of expatriates of all nations, appears to be a high-risk area being the legal capital of the world and host to many international organizations.
"Our lives could be endangered and our peacefulness as Filipinos would be affected in the sense that we are in the center of the turmoil. And since religion is also a way of life, an attack on the Muslim religion is an attack on the Muslim way of life," overseas Pinoy Leandro Bautista told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
Even if the reactions after the film was released were milder than expected, the national terrorist threat still remains at the same level today.
However, the Pinoys in The Hague do not yet perceive any looming imminent danger.
"I know that was the level of threat here in the Hague, all over in the Netherlands. But I have to put things in perspective. I grew up in the Philippines and we’ve had so many street demonstrations, bombings, threats of bombings or whatever. So I’m not really so alarmed about it but I do take precautions," overseas Pinoy Carmela Javier said.
Pinoy businessman Joey Gonzales also feels that there is a minimized threat to Dutch Pinoys.
"I don’t think there’s any threat because we Filipinos don’t even look Dutch. I guess the terrorist will not stop to ask you first if you’re Dutch," Gonzales said.
"For us, Filipinos, the threat is minimized. It’s more for the white Dutch instead of the Dutch passport holders who are foreigners. For us, especially for Filipinos, I really think there is no threat for us or even for me," Gonzales added.
But even if they don’t feel any fear at the moment, the Pinoys think that it is still too early to feel a sense of relief.
The Pinoys are wary that there may still be repercussions in the future from those who were gravely offended and angered by Fitna.
"I make sure that my kids are not alone on the streets at a certain time. I observe the curfew hours, not really curfew hours, but the hours I impose for my kids to be inside the house," Javier said of the measures she has taken.
Javier added "personally, I don’t necessarily hang out in places where such things could possibly evoke some strong emotions. There are areas like ghettos here in The Hague that could possibly be very sensitive around this time because of the presence of that film."
Bautista opts to be on the safe side but with full respect to cultural diversity and religion.
"I’ll try to stay in the middle. We have to respect each other’s religion. Not just our own religion, but the religions of other people," Bautista said.
SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=114140
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Filipinos residing in The Hague, Netherlands are not alarmed by the possible danger brought by the release of anti-Muslim film Fitna, reported ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
The controversial film made by Dutch politician Geert Wilders, which is against the Islamic religion, was finally released on March 27 via the LiveLeak website and has since spread on the Internet, mainly from clips posted on Youtube.
The film has already sparked negative reactions and has been condemned by Muslims even prior to its release so that the Dutch government intensified security for its embassies, consulates and even military installations.
In fact, the level of national terrorist threat in the Netherlands was raised from limited to substantial on March 6.
Substantial is the second to the highest of four levels of threat, with critical being the highest and minimal as the lowest.
The Hague, which is home to a lot of expatriates of all nations, appears to be a high-risk area being the legal capital of the world and host to many international organizations.
"Our lives could be endangered and our peacefulness as Filipinos would be affected in the sense that we are in the center of the turmoil. And since religion is also a way of life, an attack on the Muslim religion is an attack on the Muslim way of life," overseas Pinoy Leandro Bautista told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
Even if the reactions after the film was released were milder than expected, the national terrorist threat still remains at the same level today.
However, the Pinoys in The Hague do not yet perceive any looming imminent danger.
"I know that was the level of threat here in the Hague, all over in the Netherlands. But I have to put things in perspective. I grew up in the Philippines and we’ve had so many street demonstrations, bombings, threats of bombings or whatever. So I’m not really so alarmed about it but I do take precautions," overseas Pinoy Carmela Javier said.
Pinoy businessman Joey Gonzales also feels that there is a minimized threat to Dutch Pinoys.
"I don’t think there’s any threat because we Filipinos don’t even look Dutch. I guess the terrorist will not stop to ask you first if you’re Dutch," Gonzales said.
"For us, Filipinos, the threat is minimized. It’s more for the white Dutch instead of the Dutch passport holders who are foreigners. For us, especially for Filipinos, I really think there is no threat for us or even for me," Gonzales added.
But even if they don’t feel any fear at the moment, the Pinoys think that it is still too early to feel a sense of relief.
The Pinoys are wary that there may still be repercussions in the future from those who were gravely offended and angered by Fitna.
"I make sure that my kids are not alone on the streets at a certain time. I observe the curfew hours, not really curfew hours, but the hours I impose for my kids to be inside the house," Javier said of the measures she has taken.
Javier added "personally, I don’t necessarily hang out in places where such things could possibly evoke some strong emotions. There are areas like ghettos here in The Hague that could possibly be very sensitive around this time because of the presence of that film."
Bautista opts to be on the safe side but with full respect to cultural diversity and religion.
"I’ll try to stay in the middle. We have to respect each other’s religion. Not just our own religion, but the religions of other people," Bautista said.
SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=114140
Dutch Pinoys pay tribute to 'Kumpare ng Bayan'
By LOUI GALICIA
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Tayo’y magshalala lala kahit na all the evening
Oohhh shalala para sa ating magiting...
UFDA, March 2008
For his 50th birthday, Pinoys in Europe gave Boy Balmaceda a surprise gift he will never forget, - a grand and extravagant birthday celebration to mark his entry to a new phase in his life.
Balmaceda was shocked when he entered the Fokker Dance & Party Centrum in Hoofdorp, the town where he has been residing since the 1980s.
He was surprised to see a lot of friends, mostly from Holland and others from Belgium and Germany where he maintains a very big circle of acquaintances.
Balmaceda dropped by the party place to meet his colleagues from KLM Airways where he is a staff member, not knowing that he will be the star of a bigger event.
"I was surprised so I could not know what to feel. I was stunned when I got here," Balmaceda said in Pilipino.
Good, kind and friendly
Balmaceda is considered a "kumpare" of a lot of Pinoys in The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany because of his stark camaraderie and wit as a leader.
"Boy really knows how to get along with people, he’s good, kind and knows how to make friends. This is supposed to be a secret birthday party. Imagine if this is an open birthday party, we’d have thousands of people," an impressed Ambassador Romeo Arguelles told the crowd during a tribute to Balmaceda.
In his more than two decades in Holland, starting as a seaman who fell in love and married a Pinay nurse in Hoofdorp, Balmaceda has since helped a lot of Filipinos in distress.
"Pareng Boy is really very valuable to the community because he has helped so many people. We have known him since the early 1980s and have never known him to do harm to his fellowman. If you need him for community efforts, he is there. If you need him for sports related activities, he is there. Even for cooking related events he is there. Name the event, he is there," long-time friend Jun Ortega said.
Measure of love and importance
As sports chairman of the United Filipino-Dutch Association, he has helped bolster the group’s cooperation and friendship with the Philippine Embassy in the Netherlands and Filipino community groups in Europe over the years.
"I cam here to show him that we are all one united in pushing for his happiness," Jimmy Conde, chairman of Isang Lahi Antwerp Antwerp, Belgium said.
"That is one measure of the value of Boy and Elma and their family. Even if this is just a surprise party, it’s surprising that they were able to attract this many people. That is also a measure of how much they are loved by the Filipino community here," Philippine Embassy Minister Counsellor Eduardo Aro said.
Countless Pinoys volunteered to help in a bayanihan that put together a deluge of food, drinks and fun in honor of a great man who is close to their hearts.
Indeed, the measure of the importance of what one gives is what one gets.
SOURCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/
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