Gloc-9 feat. Rico Blanco "Magda" Song Preview

The first time I heard the song.. I'm definitely sure this will pickup the charts. Waiting eagerly to release their music video of the song.

Usually Sex Trade happens to any country.. but the most affected countries are the 3rd world countries. The standard of living the Philippines.. milllions of Filipinos are still under poverty.. they will do anything for a living just to survive.

Bottom line is that we have to strengthen our Godly family values.. from the parents down to their kids.

Be a help to someone today. Make it everyday. :)


Some statistics about the Sex Trade in the Philippines from Wikipedia.

A 1997 report put the number of child victims of prostitution at 75,000 in the Philippines.,^[10] with other estimates saying as many as 100,000.^[11]

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef)an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 children in the Philippines are involved in prostitution rings. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) about 100,000 children are involved in prostitution.^[12] is a high incidence of child prostitution in tourist areas. An undetermined number of children are forced into exploitative labor operations.^[13]

The Philippines is the fourth country with the most number of prostituted children,^[14] and authorities have identified an increase in child molesters travelling to the Philippines.^[15]

There are estimated to be 375,000 women and girls in the sex trade in the Philippines, mostly between the ages of 15 and 20, though some are as young as 11.^[16]

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies state that there are more than 1.5 million street children in the Philippines and many end up in prostitution and drug trafficking in places such as Manila and Angeles City.^[17]

Government and NGO estimates on the number of women trafficked range from 300,000 to 400,000 and the number of children trafficked range from 60,000 to 100,000.^[18] According to the US government reports, the number of child victims in the Philippines range from 20,000 to 100,000, with foreign tourists, particularly other Asians, as perpetrators.^[18]

An estimated 60,000 to 100,000 children in the Philippines are involved in prostitution rings, according to Minette Rimando, a spokeswoman for the U.N.'S International Labour Organization's Manila office.^[19] Based on the statistics provided by the Visayan Forum Foundation, most victims are between 12 to 22 years old.^[20]

The Philippines is ranked under Tier 2 Watch List in the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report of the United States (US) State Department due to the Philippine government’s alleged failure to show evidence of progress in convicting trafficking offenders, particularly those responsible for labor trafficking.^[21]


Youtube video is owned by UniversalRecPH.

Pork Barrel or PDAF Percentage in National Budget

Just came across with a very helpful info graphic that shows how much money Philippines have in 2013.

I firmly believe that Philippines as a country is not a poor country rather it is poor because part of the budget doesn't go to where it belongs. Most politicians are corrupt and greedy for money.

Money is not the root of all evil.. but loving money more than anything else is the root of all evil. I am just wondering.. will my tax go to the services for the people or it goes straight to the politician's pocket? 

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InfoGraphic is owned by EF Legara, its not mine. :D

The PDAF is only 1% of the total Budget ng Bayan. 

NAIA Terminal 1 Taxi Drivers: Crocs and Sharks

Last October 6, 2013, Sunday night (no heavy traffic). I queued for the yellow Airport Taxi in NAIA Terminal 1. I was given a dispatch slip by the Dispatcher.. and at the same time telling me.. "Sir baka pwedeng makahingi sa inyo kahit pang kape lang po.. naglalambing lang sa inyo sir."  I just ignored the Dispatcher and went in to the yellow taxi. But in my mind "Garapalan na talaga ngayon ang paghihingi ng mga ito.. Ganun na ba kababa yung kinikita nila para gawin nila ito?" It seems that they are beggars on uniform, not good for tourists or visitors.. even to Filipino passengers.

As I went in to the taxi, the taxi driver asked me.. "Saan po kayo sir?" Me: "Sa Muntinlupa."

Taxi driver"Sir fixed rate na po doon kasi out of Metro Manila na yun."
Me: "I metro mo kasi airport metered taxi ito di ba." (Muntinlupa is still within Metro Manila. I don't have any idea where they got the idea that Muntinlupa is out of Metro Manila.)

Taxi driver: "Lugi po kami nyan kasi kapag ganyan fixed rate na talaga. Kawawa naman kaming mga driver, kawawa naman po pamilya namin."
Me: (This is the same dramatic story over and over again with taxi drivers. They are looking for sympathy and in the back of their minds all people with huge bags have tons of money in their pockets and are willing to pay them whatever price the taxi driver wants.) "Palagi naman po akong sumasakay dyan sa airport metered taxi, nagmmetro naman ang sila palagi."

Taxi driver: "Sige na nga." Then he started the meter.
During travelling I was able to ask his name.. Rafael was the name of the driver. I was amazed that the meter was already P600+ in Sucat. By the time we are in Muntinlupa in our house, the meter reading was P930.

I paid P930 and asked for the receipt, he only gave me the dispatch slip (I kept the dispatch slip). As I looked in the dispatch slip, it has different plate number compared to his vehicle and the price of P934.

I told him politely that usually it is P500 at most for metered taxi to Muntinlupa from the airport (I didn't raise my voice), probably he was bothered by his conscience that gave me P300 because he definitely knew that it was overcharged.


I asked for a receipt then he told me that the meter is not printing receipt meaning it is not functional.
What a day!! 

Just a tip when booking for an airport metered taxi.. Ask the driver first if the taxi meter can print receipt, then you will know if the meter is working or not.

Very seldom you can find an honest and dignified taxi driver in the airport. Most of them are crocs and sharks... same as in the government officials and politicos.


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Disclaimer: Picture above is from Internet, I do not own it.

Beef Steak - Well Done

This is the definition of Steak from Wikipedia...

A steak (from Old Norse steik, "roast") is generally a cut of beef sliced perpendicular to the muscle fibers, or of fish cut perpendicular to the spine. Meat steaks are usually grilled, pan-fried, or broiled, while fish steaks may also be baked.

Beefsteak
 The more tender cuts of beef, from the loin and rib, are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole. Less tender cuts from the chuck or round are cooked with moist heat or are mechanically tenderized (e.g. cube steak). Steak can be cooked to a level of very rare (bleu, a cold raw center), rare, medium rare, medium, medium well done, or well done. 

 To appreciate a Beef Steak that is cooked well done.. I'd rather see, feel, smell, and taste it first hand.. :) This is the Beef Steak from a hotel in Mauritius... thanks to my company for the sponsor.. Enjoy.. :)

They are my buddies that fits perfectly to my camera bag.

Food photography with the models.

With roasted veggies and potato.

Beautiful arrangement.. :)

Up close and personal.. :)

Spaghetti and Steak

I had the chance to dine for lunch in one of the restaurants in Cape Town, South Africa. We usually eat lunch in the hotel but it is Sunday, the hotel's restaurant is closed.

My colleague ordered spaghetti and mine is steak with steamed rice. :) I will not have a full meal if rice is missing.. he he he 

We ordered from the menu at it takes 20 minutes to cook our meal. You need to have a lot of patience to wait for the food.. otherwise you must take your lunch in KFC or McDonald's.

Finally the wait is over and our meal is served. Good and real food needs time to be cooked. :) Enjoy!!

The smell of the sauce is mouth watering.

Steak is served.

Steamed rice is not as good as Dinorado rice of the Philippines.

British Airways Serves Good Sandwiches

British Airways serves good sandwich even in short flights.

In Cebu Pacific.. they serve nothing and they sell something.. :) he he he. A bottle of water at P50.. a can of soft drinks for P50.. a sandwich cost P100. But you can bring your own meal.

Words of Wisdom
"When travelling with Cebu Pacific.. buy a Jollibee Regular Yum Hamburger = P32 and a bottle of water = P12. Total damage = P44. Cheaper than Cebu Pacific's bottled water" :D

Cathay Pacific Hot Meals

Hot Meals for long flights is a relief to hungry tummies. This is usually served for flights that is longer than 3 hours otherwise you will get only a sandwich.

Beef in curry sauce with mashed potatoes... not good for Asian who prefer to have steamed rice in every meal. :(
The thing that I enjoyed was the Häagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream.. first time.. he he he :)

Fish and bacon with omelet.. again this is more of an American or European breakfast. :(

I have to eat this meal even I don't like it.. It a matter of need and not of want. An advice for acidic person like me.. Don't drink orange juice on flights.. it will surely turn stomach to go wild and crazy to the rest room.

Lessons from Manny V. Pangilinan

Very good lessons to learn from a Manny V. Pangilinan.

5 lessons the young can learn from Manny V. Pangilinan

By Mara Santillan Miano
Philippine Daily Inquirer

5:12 am | Friday, August 2nd, 2013

THE AUTHOR with MVP: “The youth now are definitely brighter than we were.”

The Internet generation is used to having a world at its fingertips, and though it may be more intelligent and more creative, it does tend to think everything comes easy.

Reinforcing the belief that everything comes easy are the Mark Zuckerbergs, Steve Chens and Ben Silbermanns of the world: Young millionaires who made big bucks—even if some people say “accidentally”—while in their 20s.
Though in this era it is possible to earn so much, and so fast, from creative ideas, one must not forget that what fueled such creations as Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest are hard work, patience and a whole lot of luck.
The rags-to-riches stories aren’t fairy tales; they are long, tedious narratives of ups and downs. But they are worth it, and numbers will prove it. According to the ranking system Bloomberg Billionaires Index, 75 percent of the world’s billionaires are self-made.
Manny V. Pangilinan, or MVP as he is called, is one of the most eminent, self-made businessmen in the country, and he’s quite proud of it. Although his backstory isn’t news anymore, this may need further emphasis: He grew up in a time when the Internet did not exist.
There was neither magic nor a high-tech, moneymaking Internet scheme in his life story. He strived through school, riding jeepneys and buses, moved out to work abroad, and struggled through entrepreneurial failures.
But his words, spoken calmly and carefully, are conceived unquestionably by a man of superior education and experience. The journey has made him wise.
MVP shares with the youth his most important life lessons, in the hope that while they are young, pliant, and not quite on the Forbes list yet, they might as well develop Forbes-material habits instead.
He says so himself: The Internet generation is smart. No matter how clever it may be, however, it is not as smart as it thinks it is, and clichéd as it sounds, that money does not grow on trees.
Hard work

PANGILINAN encourages the youth to set up their own businesses, find their niche, and work toward becoming their own boss.

1.  Be diligent.
Pangilinan stresses that there really are no shortcuts. He was a consistent honor student, and was on scholarship all his academic life, up until his MBA at Wharton School, Pennsylvania.
He looks back on his San Beda and Ateneo scholarships as his “lucky charms,” while his Wharton scholarship was from a Procter & Gamble national competition he won.
“I was a hard worker in school, I studied very hard. I guess I had to be studious because I wasn’t necessarily the brightest kid in class,” admits Pangilinan. “The only way to make up for that was to be diligent in studying. I was trained by that kind of work ethic. There is a tendency to be hands-on, a perfectionist and maybe insecure even, since one tends to get down to the details of the problems at hand.”
When you’re rich, are there rules on spending your money the right way?
Pangilinan, known to be low-key and unobtrusive, answers humbly, “Well, you have to earn it first.”
According to a similar survey he encountered, of the 100 richest people on earth, only 23 were inherited wealth; 77 were men and women of no pedigree, and not heirs to vast fortunes.
“The abiding lesson is that enduring long-term wealth, especially for self-made people, really comes from doing the right thing—no shortcuts, no corruption—and earning it the right way.”
When success is attained by hard work, one tends to see things long-term.
2. Value temperance.
One of the frequently reported habits of the rich is that they see money as the way to freedom and opportunity, not the source of all evil. But when one is rich, does one get to spend money the way one wants it?
Pangilinan pauses, thinks for a while, and replies, “Well, within reason.” But one can argue, “That’s my money.”
He shakes his head slightly, “But, you know, we don’t exist in a vacuum. We exist within a certain milieu. If you flaunt your wealth, some people will be upset, especially in the context of poverty.
“I’m not saying that the rich should give all their money to the poor,” he continues. “One just has to be sensitive about spending his money.”
“The traditional role of business is to provide goods and services for a profit. Businesses have to make money, because if they don’t, it’s not sustainable. But I believe there is a very significant social dimension to business, one driven by self-interest. If we assist the incomes and welfare of all the people, especially the poor who buy our products, they will be more capable of buying our products. The rising tide lifts all boats.”
Improve lives
3. Think inclusive.
People are told that the country’s current economic growth does not trickle down to the lower socioeconomic classes. When this is raised, he goes into another important lesson: inclusive growth. “It creates a cycle. We are here to improve lives, because improving lives helps our business.”
Pangilinan says economic development must encompass as many people as possible. He mentions two industries that have the greatest impact on employment: agriculture and tourism.
According to him, “rich getting richer, poor getting poorer” is a rather harsh way to look at the situation.
“The government has been doing well in increasing economic wealth these past three years. We have to start somewhere. If the economy has slow growth, it would be more difficult. Now that we appear to be on a high-growth track, the focus of the government has been on promoting inclusive growth.”
4. Be practical.
This is evident not only in Pangilinan’s life story, but also in the way he perceives complex economic issues, such as the great Filipino Exodus.
“It’s simply a reality in this country, and I take a rather liberal perspective on this matter,” he says. “I’ve seen OFWs up close, especially in Hong Kong, where I worked for 22 years. They have been one of the main engines of economic growth in this country for so many years, and the largest export and industry of our economy. You can take a negative view about it, saying we are running out of quality labor or exporting our people and destroying families, but I don’t think we should make judgments about it.”
It will always be a fact, according to Pangilinan, and this should be perceived as a good opportunity to promote economic growth.
“I’m not pushing our people away, but instead of criticizing the situation, it would be better to deal with the issue. Let’s train our people properly and upgrade their skills, so they can receive proper compensation abroad and help out their relatives back home.”
Reverse migration efforts have also been made, according to Pangilinan. The government and various institutions have been pushing OFW retirees in the healthcare industry to come back and work here, even for a few months, to share what they learned abroad and contribute to local healthcare.
Personal initiative
5. Be independent, then take risks.
He raises a common sociological inquiry: “Why have Filipinos excelled abroad but not here?”
Pangilinan believes that the extended family system in the Filipino culture tends to incubate a comfort zone: “The youth think that when they get sick, or lose their jobs, they can rely on their parents and relatives. This tends to stifle personal initiative.”
That was the reason  he left for HK in 1976. “There is nothing wrong with the warm cocoon of family. It feels good, it is comfortable,” he says. “But I wanted to be on my own, take the risk and see where my fortunes are.”
He was then 29.
It is a common notion that Filipino youth are traditionally inclined to become employees. There is nothing wrong with that, says Pangilinan, but he hopes that a number will grow to be like the innovative thinkers in the History Channel television series, “The Men Who Built America.”
“They should be enterprising and become risk-takers. They are young enough to make mistakes, and they will learn from them,” he says.
Pangilinan encourages the youth to set up their own businesses, find their niche, and work towards becoming their own boss.
This attitude will be a great engine for growth, not just for themselves, but also for their families and the economy.
“The youth now are definitely brighter than we were, and certainly more personal thinkers,” Pangilinan says. “I think the younger generation will be better. I saw a manifestation of that in the 2013 elections. A number of the officials from the Senate down to the local levels are quite young, which I think is a good trend. I hope to see a better set of public officials.”
Mara Santillan Miano is  associate editor of Inquirer’s luxury monthly, Red Magazine.

Read more: http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/117481/5-lessons-the-young-can-learn-from-mvp#ixzz2alpXbqft
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

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This article published from Inquirer.net.

Where Does PDAF Go?

This is a very good and informative article... follow the money trail and you will see the truth behind this politicos (Senatongs and Tongressmans). I hate Philippine politics!!

Senators’ PDAF floods
NCR, vote-rich provinces

by Malou Mangahas and Rowena F. Caronan

Thursday, July 19th, 2012

Third of Five Parts
IN THE last 23 months, a total of P5.78 billion of taxpayers’ money went to pork – or officially, the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) – to finance the pet projects across the nation of 21 senators of the republic. Two others, Panfilo M. Lacson and Joker P. Arroyo, have opted not to get any pork servings at all for years now.
Let’s do the math: The staggering figure means that from June 30, 2010, when Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III took his oath as President, to June 30 this year, each of the 21 senators with pork shares has secured P275 million for projects for his or her constituents, to his or her fancy. That also means that, thanks to pork, during the period, each of the 21 has had access to a slush fund of P11.9 million a month, or P398,000 a day.

A senator’s lawful monthly income is only P45,000, or P540,000 a year, or P3.24 million for the six years he or she must serve in office. Again, thanks to pork, PDAF ramps up his or her access to an additional P1.2 billion of public funds in six years, or by nearly 370 times more.
The Senate’s P4.2-billion PDAF share this year is 47 percent or P1.35 billion more than its agency budget of only P2.85 billion for 2012.
Members of the House of Representatives are elected by district and party-list constituents and thus bother with hyper-local issues and needs. In contrast, senators are elected by all voters and command national constituencies. Most assuredly, therefore, senators may be expected to employ their pork to respond to the “priority development assistance” concerns of all Filipinos across the nation.
Vote-rich areas
But a PCIJ survey of 3,284 PDAF release records for the Senate from June 2010 to June 2012 shows that much like their colleagues in the lower chamber, most senators have used their pork to boost their reelection bids, funneled the bulk of it in provinces with the largest numbers of voters, chose local government units usually led by their relatives as conduits of their pork, and poured in big pork shares to cities or towns that are their political bailiwicks. Some of the poorest provinces got so little, while Metro Manila and some of the least poor but also vote-rich provinces got a lot more pork from the senators.
(By June 21, 2012, the PCIJ had sent separate letters to 14 senators, including Lacson and Arroyo, to inquire about details of their PDAF projects. Only five responded. One replied in writing, two called up the PCIJ office, and two others agreed to sit-down interviews.)
To be sure, when pork and politics mix, in a few cases, potential or apparent conflicts-of-interest situations may emerge.
One senator, Lito M. Lapid, has used big sums of pork to roll out medical missions across the nation. In his latest Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth, Lapid reported that his wife Marissa T. Lapid, owns a franchise of the Generics Pharmacy in his hometown of Porac in Pampanga.
Another senator, Edgardo M. Angara, has been supporting “educational and cultural activities” through the non-government READ Foundation. In recent years, the foundation has published four biographical and geographical books with Angara as either author or co-author.
Still a third senator, Manuel B. Villar, has used P64 million of his pork for “hard” projects to repair and build roads and portions of roads in Bacoor, Cavite, where his family’s real estate company, Camella Homes and Communities of the Vista Land & Landscapes, Inc. group is developing at least five real estate projects.
Additionally, Villar and two other senators, siblings Alan Peter and Pilar Juliana ‘Pia’ Cayetano have separately funneled huge portions of their pork money to local government units in their respective bailiwicks of Las Piñas City and Taguig City, where their relatives serve as mayors.

 Under the special provision on PDAF of the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2012, each senator is entitled to get P200 million in pork every year – P100 million for “hard” or infrastructure projects, and P100 million for “soft” projects like scholarship programs, and medical, livelihood, and financial assistance.
Because they are fewer but have bigger constituencies, the senators get nearly three times more pork than the P70 million allotted every year for each of the 284 House district and party-list representatives. Like the senators, too, Vice President Jejomar C. Binay has also requested and secured P200 million of his own annual pork share.
Interviewed by the PCIJ, Budget Secretary Florencio C. Abad says the Executive’s efforts to reform PDAF includes shortening the “menu” of projects that lawmakers may select to roll out using pork, so that these are aligned with President Aquino’s priority development areas: social protection, basic education, primary health, and employment. The menu came as well with an exhortation from the Budget department for lawmakers to assign priority to 4^th-class to 6^th-class municipalities as recipients of pork projects.
This list intends to “limit the discretion” of lawmakers in selecting pork projects, but it is always subject to “negotiation” because, says Abad, “naturally, they would want discretion in terms of types of projects and how they are implemented.”
But in the back-and-forth between the lawmakers, and the departments and LGUs assigned to serve as implementing agencies of PDAF projects, the unwritten rule is that the lawmaker may choose whatever projects to fund wherever in the country, and for whichever beneficiaries, his or her pork should go.
Follow, ignore menu
To be sure, some senators have heeded the President’s “menu” of priority projects to be funded with pork. For instance, Sen. Franklin Drilon, Aquino’s Liberal Party ally, has released one-third of his P224.6-million PDAF share in the last two years to finance the construction of school buildings, in collaboration with the Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce. The Chamber is reputed to be able to build schools at a smaller cost of  P325,000 per classroom, or just half the P675,000 to P750,000 standard cost for the same project of the Public Works department and its contractors.

Prudence somehow marks the choice of PDAF projects since June 2010 of even some non-LP senators.
Sen. Loren B. Legarda of the Nationalist People’s Coalition or NPC has allocated P143.7 million to roll out 264 school buildings in various municipalities.
Sen. Francis G. Escudero of NPC has spent P289 million of his PDAF to build 691 public markets nationwide.
Drilon tells the PCIJ that he has precisely focused his PDAF to assist the national programs on basic education and primary health, but adds that even he could do without pork. “I can win as a senator without a peso pork barrel because we senators can win an electoral contest based on the issues where we stand,” he says.
Indeed, senators, unlike congressmen, can get elected sans assist from pork, according to Abad. “They can do without the PDAF, unlike the members of the House wherein constituent service is a key function,” says the budget secretary. In fact, Abad adds, some congressmen “can forego even attending sessions but they can never be accused of neglecting or trying to meet their constituents’ needs.”
In contrast, Abad says, “’Yung mga senador, they’re more influenced by public opinion (and media).”  He says pork “is the least, this is not the thing that motivates them. You know, they can do without it… Take away that PDAF, they wouldn’t mind, eh. It’s not what determines their political fate.”
Politics rule, too
But Abad may have spoken too soon. By all indications, to many senators politics remains local and pork remains hinged on their respective bailiwicks and hometowns, as well as their favored LGUs and foundations.
Indeed, despite all admonitions of the Budget department for lawmakers to dedicate their pork to help alleviate poverty in the poorest towns and provinces, even most of the senators do not give a care.
For many senators, home is simply where the pork should go.
Former movie actor and re-electionist Senator Lito Lapid, for example, continues to think very local. While he has used more than half or P119 million of his PDAF since June 2010 to construct multi-purpose buildings, slope protection, canals and repair of roads and farm-to-market roads, the bulk of these have been in his hometown of Porac in Pampanga, where he had served as governor from 1995 to 2004.
Senator Ralph G. Recto of LP used up 87 percent or P173.9 million of his pork to finance, among other projects, “Ralph G. Recto-Type School Buildings” in his home province of Batangas, where wife and movie actress Vilma Santos is governor. Big amounts of Senator Recto’s PDAF also went to the concreting of roads and the repair of public markets in the province.
As a group, though, the 21 senators who collect pork funds have chosen to focus their projects in the vote-rich provinces of the country.
By the amounts of pork they received from the 21 senators since June 2010, the top 10 PDAF-favored provinces are Quezon, Albay, Pampanga, Batangas, Cavite, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Rizal, and Bataan. The so-called “Pangasinan-Lucena corridor” that straddles provinces of Luzon island is known to have the largest population of voters.
More for least poor
Yet even these provinces are no match to the 16 cities and one town of Metro Manila, which landed top of the list in terms of pork flows received from the senators.
As of the latest count of the Commission on Elections, the National Capital Region has 6,178,966 registered voters, or more than 12 percent of the 50,896,164 total registered voters as of August 10, 2011.
Save Albay and Nueva Ecija, the poverty incidence rate in Metro Manila and the other pork-favored provinces is actually way below the national poverty incidence rate of 26.5 percent of population, as of 2009.
In fact, these pork-favored provinces, among the least poor of the country’s 80 provinces, host fewer 4^th-class to 6^th-class municipalities – or big numbers of the poor – that the Budget department said should get priority in the use of pork.
Metro Manila's PDAF is artificially high on account of only three senators: siblings Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano, and Manny Villar. All three spent huge chunks of their pork on their bailiwicks in the NCR.
The 4^th District of Metro Manila – which includes the cities of Taguig, Las Piñas, Pasay, and Makati, and the municipality of Pateros – is the wealthiest area in the country with a poverty incidence of 1.6 percent. It is also the most endowed district in Metro Manila with nearly two-thirds or P422.11 million of the senators’ PDAF allocation. This amount excludes as yet the releases made to big hospitals in Metro Manila.
The cities of Taguig and Las Piñas posted the highest amounts of PDAF allocation, with P186.61 million and P157 million, respectively. The Cayetanos released nearly all the pork shares of their hometown Taguig City, except for a livelihood project worth P250,000 funded by Legarda.
Spouse, son, sibling
Alan Peter’s wife Lani is the mayor of Taguig City. Alan Peter was also Taguig-Pateros representative from June 1998 to June 2007. He was replaced by Lani who held the seat from June 2007 to June 2010.
Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano released huge portions of their pork allocation to build and repair school buildings and health centers in Taguig City. These include the P10-million buildings at Sen. Rene ‘Compañero’ L. Cayetano Memorial Science and Technology High and Taguig City University, and P3-million to P5-million structures in six other schools. Alan Peter released P10 million of his PDAF for the construction of a health center, while Pia allocated a total of P49.43 million for the purchase of medical equipment at Taguig-Pateros District Hospital and various health centers.
Pia Cayetano also allocated a total of P18.5 million to Pateros, a municipality that has a legislative history closely wedded to Taguig. In addition, a total of P10 million of her pork went to Barangay Fort Bonifacio, where another brother, TV director Lino Cayetano, serves as barangay chairman. While informal settlers are surely to be found in that barangay, it is now more known for posh enclaves whose property owners include the recently sacked Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato C. Corona.
Housing projects
Las Piñas, meanwhile, has benefited from the pork of Senator Manny Villar who chairs the NP and ran for president in May 2010. Villar’s wife Cynthia had served as the lone representative of Las Piñas City since 2001, while brother-in-law Vergel Aguilar is now city mayor.
Since June 2010, Senator Villar has allotted about half or P157 million of his PDAF to his home city.  This is even as his son Mark A. Villar, representative of Las Piñas City in the House today, has also set aside for Las Piñas City part of the P85 million of his own pork funds during the period.
About P64 million of Senator Villar’s PDAF for “hard” projects involved the repair of the Bacoor section of the Daang Hari Road and construction of roads in Molino and Dasmariñas in Bacoor, Cavite, where the Villars have developed real estate projects through the family-controlled Vista Land & Landscapes, Inc.
Daang Hari crosses Las Piñas City and Bacoor, Cavite. Building a road there will in truth ease pedestrian and vehicular access to Vista Land’s rising subdivision projects in the area, notably Cerritos Terraces, Cerrito Heights, Lessandra Heights, Cerritos, and Springville.
According to the website of Camella Homes and Communities, a company of the Vista Land group, most of the Villars’ real estate businesses are located south of Manila – Las Piñas City, Daang Hari, and Bacoor and Imus in Cavite.
Next most wealthy
Then there’s the 2^nd District of Metro Manila, which includes the cities of Quezon, San Juan, Pasig, Marikina, and Mandaluyong. It is the next wealthiest area in the country with a poverty incidence of only 2.4 percent. But it was also the next most pork-endowed district, receiving P203.2 million of the senators’ PDAF allocation.
In the district, Quezon City has the largest share with P119.5 million, the bulk of which came from the PDAF of Senators Francis N. Pangilinan, Edgardo J. Angara, Vicente C. Sotto III, and Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
Pangilinan and Sotto, both Metro Manila residents, allocated P31 million and P23 million, respectively.  Pangilinan set aside some of his PDAF for the purchase of medicines in upper middle-class Barangay Loyola Heights in Quezon City, where he once served as councilor.  Sotto as well released some of his PDAF for the purchase of medicines in Barangay Mariana and an ambulance in Barangay Marilag, where his son Giancarlo Jose serves as councilor.
By comparison, Metro Manila’s poorest 1^st and 3^rd Districts, which include the cities of Manila, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela, received only P37.09 million from the senators’ PDAF.
Less for poorest
The poorest provinces of the country, by the latest reports of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), also obtained hardly any slivers of pork from the senators. And it would seem like one reason is they are also among the provinces with the thinnest population of voters.

The numbers are clear proof: The poorest provinces got the smallest amounts of PDAF from all the 21 senators combined from June 2010 to June 2012.
Four of the poorest provinces obtained less than P5 million in pork money from the Senate. Only P1.13 million was allocated to Agusan del Sur, P3.5 million to Maguindanao, P4 million to Misamis Occidental, and P4.8 million to Masbate.
Some other poor provinces obtained bigger pork amounts of P10 million to P45 million, but their PDAF releases per capita (PDAF divided by population) remains lower than Metro Manila’s P109.
For instance, Zamboanga del Norte obtained P30 million of pork but its PDAF release per capita is only P33; Northern Samar had P43.25 million and PDAF per capita of only P7.87.
The NSCB lists the poorest provinces as, by order of penury, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Lanao del Norte, Maguindanao, Zamboanga Sibugay, Romblon, Eastern Samar, Misamis Occidental, Northern Samar, Bohol, and Saranggani.
By type of projects, the 21 senators used up 40 percent or P2.08 billion of their combined PDAF on “soft” projects. Of this, a third or P633 million went to livelihood assistance projects, another third or P728.4 million to medical assistance, and the balance, to scholarship, purchase of vehicles, and to forestry and marine development projects.
The pork funds the 21 senators spent on “hard” or infrastructure projects went mostly to high-visibility, small but pervasive projects. Roads and bridges top the list, grabbing P1.11 billion or a fourth of the P5.78 billion in combined PDAF that the senators have secured since June 2010. Another P632 million went to the construction of “education facilities,” and P508 million more for multi-purpose buildings. – PCIJ, July 2012

Disclaimer: I do not own this article, just shared it so that others will be informed. 

http://pcij.org/stories/senators-pdaf-floodsbr-ncr-vote-rich-provinces/

PDAFCorruption Uncovered!

Its more and more corruption in the Philippines. No wonder progress of the country is stalled. :(

A good research from GMA News.

Pork racket: NGO headed by Luy got P225-M from DA's corporate arm

By JAKE SORIANO, GMA News Research July 25, 2013 4:52pm

Despite alarms raised by state auditors over five years, pork barrel funds still went to the same questionable NGOs through a single government corporation, to the tune of P1.5 billion, according to a review of Commission on Audit (COA) documents.

The biggest chunk of the pork was funneled to an NGO headed by Benhur K. Luy, the whistleblower in the recently exposed alleged scam that reportedly defrauded the government of an estimated P10 billion in "pork barrel" funds.

Luy's NGO, the Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation, Inc. (SDPFFI), is one of the groups linked to the scam. Documents obtained by GMA News Research shows that the group received about P225 million through the National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR), the corporate arm of the Department of Agriculture that was set up to assist small agribusiness ventures.

Last year, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala stopped the flow of cash from NABCOR to the questionable NGOs. The move ended a pattern of what the COA has cited as anomalous transactions from 2006 to 2011, involving NGOs and players in both the executive and legislative branches of government.

Based in Biñan, Laguna, SDPFFI was formed in July 2004. Listed as its president and board chairman in Its 2012 general information sheet is Luy, who exposed the alleged scam.

In his affidavit, Luy claimed to be an employee of a company owned by businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, whom he accused of engaging in illegal business transactions with the government.

In a joint sworn statement on March 2013, the parents and siblings of Luy said that Benhur oversaw the implementation of anomalous government-funded projects through foundations such as SDPFFI allegedly being used by Napoles.

In an interview with GMA News, Napoles denied the accusations and implicated Luy instead.

COA objections vs SDPFFI

Year after year, the Commission on Audit (COA) issued the same observations about the transactions of NABCOR, a government-owned and controlled corporation attached to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In its reports, the COA said the funds seemed to be going to questionable NGOs and POs. And yet, year after year the money kept coming, with NABCOR unable to provide satisfactory answers to the government auditing agency.

As the corporate arm of DA, NABCOR is the leading government corporation in countryside agribusiness enterprises for small farmers and fisherfolk. Since 2006, it had been releasing funds to various foundations for a wide range of projects.

In the case of SDPFFI, P160.54 million from the Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF, more commonly known as lawmakers' pork barrel funds, was released to the group in 2008. The following year, it received another P64.75 million

Documents show that the Laguna-based NGO was implementing projects in Sarangani, Agusan del Sur, Benguet, South Cotabato, Pangasinan, Lanao del Sur, and Masbate. This is a violation of COA's Circular 2007-001, which requires NGOs and POs to be "based in the community where the project shall be implemented."

Non-compliance with the requirement disqualifies an NGO or PO from obtaining government funds. But in its answer to the 2008 audit, NABCOR justified its actions, saying that proper coordination was observed in the "tripartite project" involving the participation of legislators, SDPFFI and NABCOR itself.

To support this explanation, NABCOR submitted a list of projects implemented by the foundation as proof of its track record. However, COA rejected this justification, saying "the submission of the list of projects implemented by the NGOs/ POs does not cure" the deficiency it had identified with SDPFFI.

According to the group's articles of incorporation, it was formed to carry out community development programs through the establishment of training centers for the poor and for out-of-school youth.

SDPFFI's corporate records submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shows that Luy is also among its seven incorporators. Besides Luy, three are based in Manila, while the three others are in Zamboanga City.

One of the foundation's purposes is to "acquire loans and other financial accommodations from the government and private institutions" for its activities and projects.

For a foundation receiving millions in funds from the government, it is interesting to note that SDPFFI only has capital totaling P100,000 from the contribution of its members. Its 2011 financial statement shows that it only has P1 million in assets and zero excess funds.

COA requires a foundation to put up the equivalent of 20 percent of the total cost of the project it would undertake as its own equity participation.

Pork from six legislators

Despite COA's observations in 2008, SDPFFI received millions of pesos more the following year. In its 2009/ 2010 audit, COA said the money came from the PDAF of six legislators, listed in the table below.

Table 1: PDAF received by SDPFFI in 2009

SOURCE OF FUND	AMOUNT RELEASED
ERWIN CHIONGBIAN	13,822,500
RODOLFO PLAZA	9,700,000
SAMUEL DANGWA	7,760,000
ARTHUR PINGOY	2,910,000
ROBERT RAYMUND ESTRELLA	20855000
RIZALINA SEACHON-LANETE	9,700,000
TOTAL	64,747,500

Source: Commission on Audit 

"The office of the legislators nominated SDFFI for the implementation of livelihood projects," COA's report stated. Again, auditors listed the NGO's faults: non-submission of documentary requirements, foundation not based in communities where projects are to be implemented, foundation's financial standing deficiencies.

GMA News tried to reach the six former legislators to get their side on the issue. When the camp of Chiongbian was contacted last week, his nephew, Sarangani Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon, said his uncle was in the US and would issue an official statement later.

Seachon-Lanete refused to comment, saying her camp is now preparing a statement on the issue. Plaza, Dangwa, Pingoy and Estrella, meanwhile, could not be reached for comment as of this posting.

Aside from the institutional problems of SDPFFI, government auditors also questioned nearly the entire amount released to the group. The COA disclosed that purchases of fertilizers, knapsack sprayers, gardening and agricultural production packages, and other agricultural kits amounting to P64.73 million were not covered by a contract or purchase order.

COA also noted that the schedule of fund releases for projects was not followed. Instead of four scheduled payments (15 percent upon signing of MOA, 35 percent upon submission of accomplishment and disbursement reports, 40 percent upon completion of at least three-fifths of the total project, 10 percent upon submission of terminal report), actual payments were made in two releases (15 percent upon MOA signing, 85 percent upon project completion). The only exceptions were the releases for Chiongbian, which complied with the schedule, and Estrella who made three releases.

The government auditing agency could not confirm that SDPFFI maintained separate bank accounts, as the foundation failed to submit the required documents. In addition, checks released to the foundation amounting to P15.16 million were not crossed for deposit to its bank accounts, while checks amounting to P26.53 million were not presented for audit.

The COA ended its 2009/ 2010 report on SDPFFI with the note that it had yet to hear from NABCOR about the findings.

In an interview with GMA News, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that because of the COA audit reports, the DA no longer released funds to NGOs and POs through NABCOR starting 2012. Alcala added that DA itself has had liquidation problems with NABCOR.

26 foundations received questionable funds

From 2006 to 2011, the government's audit arm identified at least 26 foundations involved in irregular transactions involving pork barrel funds. At least 12, including SDPFFI, had received government funds more than once, as seen in the table below.

Table 2: Foundations and the pork they received

FOUNDATION	AMOUNT
AARON FOUNDATION PHILIPPINES INC.	97,000,000
BUHAY MO MAHAL KO FOUNDATION INC.	31,525,000
BUKID-TANGLAW LIVELIHOOD FOUNDATION INC.	8,730,000
CENTER FOR MINDORO INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION	9,700,000
CENTER FOR MINDORO INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION INC.	4,850,000
CENTER FOR MINDORO INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION INC.	4,850,000
DR. RODOLFO A. IGNACIO SR. FOUNDATION INC.	9,700,000
GABAY AT PAG-ASA NG MASA FOUNDATION INC	52,865,000
GABAY SA MAGANDANG BUKAS FOUNDATION INC.	2,910,000
GABAYMASA DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION INC.	23,280,000
IKAW AND AKO FOUNDATION INC.	19,400,000
INFINITE COMMUNITY INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT FOUNDATION INC.	26,190,000
INFINITE COMMUNITY INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT FOUNDATION INC.	24,250,000
INTERACTIVE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY ON NEEDS ALLEVIATION (ITO NA!) MOVEMENT INC.	4,365,000
INTERACTIVE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY ON NEEDS ALLEVIATIONS (ITO NA!) MOVEMENT INC.	5,383,500
KAAGAPAY MAGPAKAILANMAN FOUNDATION INC.	57,230,000
KAAGAPAY MAGPAKAILANMAN FOUNDATION INC.	4,850,000
KAAGAPAY MAGPAKAILANMAN FOUNDATION INC.	1,042,750
KABUHAYAN AT KALUSUGANG ALAY SA MASA FOUNDATION	50,440,000
KABUHAYAN AT KALUSUGANG ALAY SA MASA FOUNDATION INC	65,960,000
KABUHAYAN AT KALUSUGANG ALAY SA MASA FOUNDATION INC.	63,341,000
KAGANDAHAN NG KAPALIGIRAN FOUNDATION INC.	109,061,950
KAISA'T KAAGAPAY MO FOUNDATION INC.	55,290,000
KAPUSO'T KAPAMILYA FOUNDATION INC.	12,610,000
KAPUSO'T KAPAMILYA FOUNDATION INC.	76,455,400
KAPUSO'T KAPAMILYA FOUNDATION INC.	4,850,000
KASANGGA SA MAGANDANG BUKAS FOUNDATION INC. (KMBFI)	56,551,000
MASAGANANG ANI PARA SA MAGSASAKA FOUNDATION INC.	112,083,500
MASAGANANG ANI PARA SA MAGSASAKA FOUNDATION INC.	9,700,000
PANGKABUHAYAN FOUNDATION INC.	24,250,000
PANGKABUHAYAN FOUNDATION INC.	9,457,500
PEOPLE'S ORGANIZATION FOR PROGRESS & DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION INC.	24,250,000
SAGIP-BUHAY PEOPLE SUPPORT FOUNDATION INC.	29,100,000
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR FARMERS FOUNDATION INC.	160,535,000
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR FARMERS FOUNDATION INC.	64,747,500
ST. JAMES THE APOSTLE MULTIPURPOSE COOPERATIVE	9,700,000
ST. JAMES THE APOSTLE MULTI-PURPOSE COOPERATIVE	9,700,000
THE LIKHAAN GROUP INC.	4,365,000
THE LIKHAAN GROUP INC.	4,850,000
THE LIKHAAN GROUP INC.	9,215,000
USWAG GUIMARAS FOUNDATION	2,546,250
USWAG GUIMARAS FOUNDATION INC.	13,580,000
USWAG PILIPINAS FOUNDATION INC.	12,804,000
VARIOUS NGOS AND POS	146,038,499
TOTAL	1,529,602,849

Source: GMA News Research, using data from the Commission on Audit

The anomalies continued despite the revised, and more stringent, COA guidelines on the release of funds to NGOs/ POs issued in 2007, in the aftermath of the commission's discovery of the fertilizer fund scam.

Since the 2009 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the government has also made it a policy not to allow NGOs/ POs to participate in projects if they have unliquidated fund releases. Government agencies are also tasked by law to ensure that the NGOs/ POs they deal with are legitimate.

COA's objections to NABCOR's transactions with questionable NGOs/ POs stem from violations of legal requirements that should have rendered them ineligible to receive government funds. The deficiencies and transaction irregularities include the following:

• non-submission of project proposals
• lack of proof of good financial standing for three years preceding the date of project implementation
• incapability of a foundation to put up its own equity participation without using funds, i.e. government funds, allocated to it
• non-compliance with COA rule that an NGO/ PO must be based in the community where its project is to be implemented
• non-submission of required documents for audit
• liquidation deficiencies
• non-compliance with bidding requirements

In its latest COA audit covering transactions in 2011, released this year, the same set of complaints appear, with the COA still unsatisfied with NABCOR's explanations.

Seven foundations run by the same people

Among the COA's findings, one observation stood out: at least seven foundations allegedly involved in irregular transactions with the government are being run by the same individuals.

"Marilou L. Antonio was the Project Coordinator of Buhay Mo Mahal Ko Foundation, Inc. and Ikaw at Ako Foundation, Inc. and Chief Finance Officer of Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay Sa Masa while Marilou C. Ferrer was the Project Coordinator of Kapuso't Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. and Corporate Secretary of Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa," COA observed in 2007.

In a 2008 audit, COA disclosed that Antonio, Ferrer and Godofredo G. Roque were also incorporators of Gabay at Pag-asa ng Masa Foundation, Inc., Kasangga sa Magandang Bukas Foundation, Inc. and Kaagapay Magpakailanman Foundation, Inc.

Table 3: Foundations with interlocking officers

FOUNDATION	AMOUNT RECEIVED
BUHAY MO MAHAL KO FOUNDATION, INC.	31,525,000
KAPUSO'T KAPAMILYA FOUNDATION, INC.	93,915,400
IKAW AT AKO FOUNDATION, INC.	19,400,000
KABUHAYAN AT KALUSUGANG ALAY SA MASA FOUNDATION	179,741,000
GABAY AT PAG-ASA NG MASA FOUNDATION, INC.	52,865,000
KASANGGA SA MAGANDANG BUKAS FOUNDATION, INC.	56,551,000
KAAGAPAY MAGPAKAILANMAN FOUNDATION, INC.	63,122,750
TOTAL	497,120,150

Source: GMA News Research, based on data from the Commission on Audit

Altogether, these foundations received PDAF amounting to almost half a billion pesos in the years audited by COA.

The three foundations that received the biggest government funds were PDAF recipients on three different years, despite COA's observations of their involvement in irregular transactions with NABCOR.

Fertilizer fund mess

Irregularities in government transactions, particularly in the agriculture sector, with NGOs/ POs are nothing new.

COA's 2008 release of a special audit on the P728 million Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) farm input fund, which uncovered what is now known as the fertilizer fund scam, has led to the revision and tightening of guidelines on government transactions with foundations.

The Senate probed the fertilizer scam, conducting inquiries in 2005, 2006 and 2008. The report it released in February 2009 recommended the filing of charges, but only against officials no higher than an agriculture undersecretary.

A plunder complaint against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in relation to the scandal was filed in June 2011 before the Department of Justice (DOJ). The following month, the Ombudsman ordered the probe on Mrs. Arroyo's alleged involvement in the case, which has yet to reach the preliminary investigation stage.

Inaction on the fertilizer fund scam was one of the charges leveled against former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez in two impeachment charges against her. In 2011, the House impeached Gutierrez, who resigned before she could face trial in the Senate.

To date, the fertilizer fund scam has yet to be resolved. — RSJ/YA/HS, GMA News

 

Filipino Cheating Culture

     It is very sad to hear that Culture of Dishonesty is very common in the Philippines. From the common of the commoners to the richest of the rich... from top government officials to the officials in Baranggay.  

     Honesty must start within me and through me. Never tolerate dishonesty and corruption.

Cheating cops copy wrong test answers

By Niña P. Calleja
Philippine Daily Inquirer

12:34 am | Wednesday, July 24th, 2013

Dishonesty in the police force lurks even at the outset of a prospective career in law enforcement, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) has found.
A total of 205 aspiring policemen and 20 rookie policemen in Mindanao cheated in the entrance and promotional exams given last year, the Napolcom announced on Tuesday. The agency is tasked with administering the tests.
“We don’t want dishonest cops to come in. We don’t want to undermine the credibility of the Philippine National Police. Who would believe the PNP if cheaters can be policemen?” Eduardo Escueta, Napolcom vice chair and executive officer, told the Inquirer.
Escueta said the results of the tests taken by the 225 examinees had been nullified after cheating became obvious to the agency’s experts, including copying ready-made answers—even the wrong ones.
The exams were conducted in various test centers across the country on April 29, 2012, and Oct. 14, 2012. These included current events, job knowledge, familiarity with the law and law enforcement.
Police applicants need a rating of at least 75 percent to pass the exam and qualify for the next tests, which cover psychology, medical and physical agility. If they pass all the tests, they will be admitted to a one-year training program at Philippine Public Safety College.
Every year, an average of only 20 percent of the examinees obtain passing marks.
Answer pattern
The Napolcom discovered the latest incident of cheating through a computer-generated answer pattern analysis. It regularly conducts the activity to prevent unqualified people from entering the PNP and maintain the credibility and integrity of the police exams.
The results of last year’s tests taken by 151 applicants on April 29, 2012, and 54 others on Oct. 14, 2012, were found to have a high percentage of similar patterns of wrong answers ranging from 50 percent to 100 percent.
A high percentage of similar patterns of wrong answers was discovered in the results of the April 29 tests taken by 20 police officers 1 (PO1).
According to Escueta, the “high percentage of homogeneity of wrong answers” is statistically improbable.
The results of the pattern analysis have also been regarded as “prima facie evidence” that points to an irregularity or cheating as cited in Section 4 of Republic Act No. 9416, otherwise known as the Anti-Cheating Law of 2007.
Sanctions
Those found to have cheated will be barred from taking the PNP entrance exams for three years, according to Napolcom Memorandum Circular No. 2000-007. The circular prescribes sanctions in case of cheating, collusion, misrepresentation, substitution or any anomalous acts in connection with the administration of the police exams.
“They could also be charged for dishonesty and be meted the penalty of dismissal from the service,” Escueta said. He even proposed a lifetime ban from taking police exams on cheaters.
The Napolcom official said the desire of applicants to become policemen was more intense in Mindanao than in other parts of the country. “Probably because they thought that getting a job in the police was easier,” he said.
“Now they learned their lessons the hard way. It was not that easy to cheat police exams,” Escueta said.
He noted that the number of cheaters had declined from 2008 when some 400 were found to be bearing kodigo (secret answer guide).
Escueta said the Napolcom was determined to weed out “anyone who undermines the sanctity and integrity” of the police exams.
He said those qualified to enter the police service must continue to imbibe important values, such as honesty, integrity and merit, and fitness principles.