VOLUME 2NUMBER 251WEDNESDAYAPRIL 1, 2009

P 8.P 8.P 8.P 8.P 8.0000000000

BY JOEY PAVIA

QUEZON CITY – Coming to the aidof cabalen President GloriaMacapagal-Arroyo, a prominentPampanga businesswoman and acabinet secretary lashed at Gov.Eddie Panlilio for “issuingirresponsible statements to gainmedia and political mileage at theexpense of the President.”

Hizon, EdPam lash at Gov

UNACCOUNTED. Lolita Hizon (right) shows to mediamen replica of a P1 million check shedonated to the gubernatorial campaign of Panlilio. Joining her are husband Jun and son Carlo.

PHOTO BY JOEY PAVIA

PAGE 6 PLEASE

BY DING CERVANTES

CITY OF SAN FERNAN-DO - Relatives of Gov.Eddie Panlilio have de-fended him from Mala-canang’s challenge toprosecute Pres. Arroyo“if and when” he becomespresident.

“The Arroyo adminis-tration is replete with his-tory of preventing or har-rassing witnesses fromtestifying, as what hap-pened in Senate investi-gations of various scan-dals that implicated

Prosecuting GMA‘futile’ says Gov’s kin

members of the first fam-ily,” said a close relativeof Panlilio.

The relative asked notto be identified, sayingthat the Panlilio familyhas never sought to befocus of attention despitethe status of the governorand that its memberswould face publicity onlyif necessary.

The relative, who hasshied away from mediasince Panlilio, a priestunder suspension in theCatholic Church, declined

NI ROMMEL RAMOS

MARILAO, Bulacan—Kakasuhan ko kayo!Magkakasuhan kami!

Ito ang babala ni Envi-ronment Secretary LitoAtienza kay Gob. JoselitoMendoza at sa RosemoorMining and Development

Jonjon, Rosemoor miningbinantaan ni Atienza

Corporation (Rosemoor) nanagbanta sa isat-isa namagsasampa ng kaso da-hil sa mga alegasyong maykaugnayan sa pagmiminang mamahaling tea rosemarble sa mineral reserva-tion area ng Biak-na Bato.

“Paiimbestigahan koang mga kaso at reklamo

nila and we will file possi-ble charges kung mapap-atunayan ang kanilangpaglabag,” ani Atienzanang siya ay maka-panayam sa Prenza Damsa bayang ito noong Ling-go, Marso 29 kaugnay ngpagdiriwang ng PhilippineWater Week.PAGE 6 PLEASE

At a press conferencehere yesterday, LolitaHizon of the Pampanga’sBest foods scored Panlil-io for “just talking aboutgood governance and notmanifesting it.” She wasone of the top campaigncontributors of Panlilio inthe 2007 gubernatorialelections.

Accompanied by herhusband Jun and son Car-lo, Hizon said she had

“laughed off” the plan ofPanlilio to run for presi-dent in 2010. She alsosaid the governor“seemed to be acting cra-zy” when he vowed toprosecute Arroyo for al-leged plunder when hebecomes president.

Hizon also showed tomediamen an oversizedreplica of a P1-millionbank check she had do-

MAGALANG, Pampanga – “Don’t get af-fected too much. The truth shall prevailin our town.”

Thus said Mayor Lyndon Cunanan inhis speech at the flag-raising ceremonyon Monday attended by municipal em-ployees and local officials. He was urg-ing his workers and residents “to go withtheir lives” amid the electoral legal battlebetween him and prominent business-man Romy Pecson.

“Sometimes, I get a call at night andthey ask me if I am still the mayor. Some

Cunanan displays his two awards while surrounded by loyal supporters.PHOTO BY JOEY PAVIA

Magalang still calm after SC denies‘with finality’ Cunanan’s motion

PAGE 6 PLEASE

people worry too much,” said Cunan-an. “They say I am doing okay and Idon’t deserve such tiring legal battlethreatening my post.”

Cunanan, in the same ceremony,was roundly applauded after the an-nouncement that he received awardsfrom the Department of Education(DepEd) and the Central Luzon GrowthCorridor Foundation (CLGCF) headedby Aurora Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castil-lo.

Ang paiimbestigahanni Atienza ay ang alegasy-on ni Mendoza na nag-sasagawa ng pagpapas-abog ang Rosemoor sapagmimina nito ngmamamahaling tea rosemarble sa Bundok ng Na-bio na nasasakop ng min-

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BY ANSELMO ROQUE

SAN ISIDRO, Nueva Ecija — The “Bayan-Anihan” project of theDepartment of Agriculture (DA) and the private sector-led GawadKalinga (GK) movement was launched in Barangay Tabon hereSaturday.

The project, at two farm sites at the Nuestra Senora de SoledadVillage, will benefit 62 families who are planting kangkong, egg-plant, okra, ampalaya, sili and tomato in vegetable beds providedfor them by Globe Telecom.

This telecommunication company has committed to adopt 34other similar farms under this project in different areas in the coun-try.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, who led the soft-launching ofthe project here, said this food production program is expected tohelp 900,000 rural and urban households in supplementing theirfood requirement and raise their incomes.

Besides vegetables, the food production project will also in-clude root crops and fruit trees growing and production. An expan-sion of the DA’s “Gulayan program,” it gives priority to families inrain-fed areas and low-income provinces.

“We plan to begin full implementation of this project before theonset of the wet season in May,” Yap said

Also present during the launching of the project here were May-or Sonia Lorenzo of this town, lawyer Joe Tale, chairman of GK;Tony Meloto, the advocate champion of GK; John Concepcion,president of Bayan-Anihan Foundation Inc.; Jeffrey Tarayao, com-munity relations head of Globe Telecom; and Dr. Ruben Sevilleja,president of the Central Luzon State University.

Director Rene Rafael Espino of the Ginintuang MasaganangAni-High-Value Commercial Crops (GMA-HVCC) said the ceremo-ny here, dubbed the “Bayan-anihan SaBAYANg PagtaTANIM”, kicked off with a Goodbye “Gutom Rally” led by Meloto, followedby the Call to Plant by Yap.

Espino said the initial 115 sites have been set up in Metro Ma-nila, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon(Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), MIMAROPA (Min-doro Oriental and Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan)and Bicol.

He said a total of 500 sites is planned to be set up this year indifferent sites, of which 225 will be in GK sites and 275 in non-GKsites, while another 2,000 sites are targeted for 2010 and 2011.

The GK, which is best known for building houses for the poor,has already partnered with other government agencies—amongthem the Departments of Education (DepEd) and of Social Welfareand Development (DSWD) and Housing and Urban DevelopmentCoordinating Council (HUDCC)—on its various programs, but thisis the first time that it is officially teaming up with the DA in carry-ing out a food sufficiency program.

DA, GK launch ‘Bayan-Anihan’2,500 sites for food projectnationwideNI ERNIE B. ESCONDE

ABUCAY, Bataan – Malililim naswimming pool at masasarap napagkain ang umaakit sa maramiupang pasylan ang Villa Aman-da Resort and Restaurant na

ANGELES UNIVERSITYFoundation (AUF) Reper-tory Theater directorTony Mabesa was namedas The OutstandingTheater Artist by theNational Commission forCulture and the Arts(NCCA) and the Interna-tional Theater Institute-UNESCO in celebrationof the World Theater Daylast March 27 in Mala-cañang.

Mabesa was cited inrecognition of his exem-plary achievements andoutstanding contribu-tions to theater actingand directing that spanmore than 50 years.

He finished hisbachelor’s degree inAgriculture from UP LosBaños but his passionfor culture and the artslured him to pursueinstead a career inacting and directing. Hecompleted his M.A. inTheater Arts from theUniversity of California inLos Angeles and pur-sued his doctoral degreein Asian Drama andTheater at the Universityof Hawaii. He alsocompleted graduatestudies in DramaticLiterature at the Univer-sity of Minnesota;Special Education at theUniversity of Delaware;and Community Develop-ment at the IndianaUniversity and CornellUniversity.

He was responsible inspearheading the curric-ular development of theTheater Arts EducationProgram in both gradu-ate and undergraduateprograms at UP Diliman,a pioneering formaltheater training institu-tion in the country. In1986, he established theUP Playwright’s Theaterwhere he tutored stu-dents into becomingprofessional actors untilhis retirement in 2000where he was namedprofessor emeritus.

Mabesa has directedsome 140 productionsand has appeared in overa hundred Filipino films,20 foreign movies andover 40 television pro-ductions.

NCCA,UNESCOciteMabesa

Mabesa

Amanda Resort, magandangpasyalan at masarap na kainan

matatagpuan sa tabi lamang ngMacArthur Highway sa Capitan-gan, Abucay, Bataan.

May isang malaking swim-ming pool at tatlong maliliit parasa mga bata na siyang –siyalalo na’t kung pinapaandar ang

bumubugang mga shower nito.Ligtas sa matinding init ang mganaliligo sapagka’t ang mgaswimming pool ay may atip.

May malaki itong palaisdaanng mga isdang tilapia na hinu-huli at iniluluto batay sa order

ng mga bisita. Espesyal na lutorito ang tilapyang pesa, inihaw,pinaputok at steamed. Ang Vil-la Amanda mismo ang gumaga-wa ng tinapang tilapia na P130isang kilo na for export sa iba’t-ibang dako ng daigdig.

Bukod sa ulam na tilapia naang inihaw ay isinasawsaw sabagoong alamang na gawa rinsa Villa Amanda na nilagyan ngkalamansi, may nilasing nahipon at iba pang mga putahena iniluluto ng mga magagalingna cook sa pangangasiwa ngmay-ari nitong si Aling Amanda.

Ang entrance fee ay P60 parasa mga bata at P70 sa adult nabukas mula alas-8 ng umagahanggang alas-9 ng gabi. Angmga cottages na nakapaligid samga swimming pool ay P300bawat isa. May airconditionedrooms din dito na P2,500 a daygood for 5 persons.

May maaliwalas na functionrooms na tamang-tama sa mgakasalan, binyagan, seminars oanumang kasayahan sa afford-able na halaga.

Isang maamong malakingsawa, Burmese python, ang pi-nagkakaguluhan ng mga bata atmatanda kapag inilalabas sakulungan. Meron ditong isangaviary kung saan may iba’t-ibanguri ng mga magagandang ibonang makikita. Isang maliit nabuwaya ay umaakit din ngpansin.

A grade schooler joins Agriculture Sec. Arthur Yap in planting eggplants at the BayanAnihan corner of the Gawad Kalinga site in Barangay Pulo, San Isidro, Nueva Ecija.PHOTO BY ARMAND M. GALANG

BY ARMAND M. GALANG

SANTA ROSA, Nueva Ecija -Another suspected member ofthe dreaded Alakdan Gang, arobbery-hold-up group that op-erates in Nueva Ecija and near-by provinces, was killed whiletrying to extort from a car-deal-ing firm in Barangay Luna hereFriday night, police reported onMonday.

Senior Supt. Ricardo Mar-quez, Nueva Ecija police direc-tor, identified the suspect as

Ramil Hizon, a resident of thesame village.

Marquez said that two po-licemen were sent by ChiefInsp. Reynaldo dela Cruz, townpolice chief, to check a reportthat a suspicious looking manwas in the vicinity of the HondaCars dealership in BarangayLuna at about 8:00 p.m. Friday.

The policemen, he said, ap-proached the man but “the sus-pect immediately drew his shortfirearm and shot twice at theresponding policemen.”

This, according to delaCruz, prompted the policemento fire back.

Scene of the crime opera-tives recovered from the crimethe suspect’s cal. 38 revolverwith two live bullets and spentshells and a hand grenade.

Last January, police killedthree alleged members of thegang in Barangay Soledad,also of this town. Two of themwere identified as Rodel Hizonand Modesto Sison of Ca-banatuan City.

Rob gang ‘member’ killedHALL OF FAMER. City of San Fernando Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez receives a Plaqueof Recognition from Central Luzon Growth Corridor Foundation Inc. (CLGCFI) presidentand Aurora Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo for the city government’s implementationof the “Documented Streamlined Procedures On the Issuance of Mayor’s Permit”(Component City Category). The City was named by the CLGCFI and the Departmentof Trade and Industry as top LGU implementer of the program since 2006, thusmaking it to the Hall of Fame this year. Held last March 26 at Holiday Inn-Clark, theannual affair continues to boost efforts to make Central Luzon a haven for businessand investment in the country.

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI)has placed a Hong Kong jour-nalist in the bureau’s blacklistfor committing a racial slur bydescribing the Philippines as“nation of servants” in his arti-cle.

Immigration CommissionerMarcelino Libanan said he im-mediately ordered the inclu-sion of Chip Tsao in the bu-reau’s blacklist for insultingthe Filipino people in his opin-ion piece entitled “The War atHome”, which appeared in theMarch 27 edition of the HKMagazine.

FOR RACIAL SLUR AGAINST PINOYS

Libanan puts HK writer on BI blacklist“Chip Tsao showed arro-

gance, disrespect to the coun-try and the Filipino people,” Li-banan said in his order datedMarch 30.

“Let a copy of this order befurnished the Chief of the Immi-gration Regulation Division forhis information and dissemina-tion to all sub-ports,” Libananadded.

The order was also distribut-ed to all main airports and sub-ports all over the country, includ-ing the Ninoy Aquino Internation-al Airport Terminals 1 and 2, tomake sure that Tsao will not be

able to enter the country if hetries to do so.

In the article, Tsao belittledthe capability of Filipino domes-tic helpers in Hong Kong, say-ing they could easily be used bytheir employers as hostages inthe Spratlys dispute.

He also called the Philip-pines a “nation of servants,”which has no capability to dis-pute China’s claims.

Tsao’s publisher, the AsiaCity Publishing House, has is-sued a public apology, sayingthey have been championing therights of Filipinos working in

Hong Kong.“The publisher and editors

of HK Magazine wish to apolo-gize unreservedly for any of-fense that may have beencaused by Chip Tsao’s columndated March 27. HK Magazinehas long championed the rightsof Filipinos working in HongKong. We note that Filipinoshave often been unfairly treat-ed in Hong Kong, and that theymake an important contribu-tion to this community,” theapology said.

Tsao has yet to issue anapology over his article.

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Zona LibreBong Z. Lacson

E d i t o r i a l O p i n i o nO p i n i o n

acaesar.blogspot.com

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

Tel. No. (45) 636•6327 Cel. No. 0917•481•1416e-mail address: puntogitnangluzon@yahoo.com

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

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Editorial ConsultantMarketing Manager

Administrative StaffLayout

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Atty. Gener C. EndonaJoey R. AguilarCaesar “Bong” LacsonJoanna Niña V. CorderoMa. Teresa U. VillanuevaDondie B. VenturaGilbert Mendoza

LLL Trimedia CoordinatorsPublisher

EDGAR V. MOVIDOFounder

WhirlwindSOW THE wind, now reap the whirlwind.

A tornado of indignation swirled around PampangaGov. Eddie T. Panlilio in the wake of his statements inthe national media that “Oh yes, definitely. Definitely” hewould prosecute President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ifand when he becomes President of the Philippines.

Panlilio furthered that Arroyo “could be prosecuted forplunder after her term ends in 2010.”

His basis for his position?“There are so many accusations against her – ill-gotten

wealth, so many cases,” so he claimed.Snapped back Energy Regulatory Chair Zeny Ducut,

a former prosecutor herself: “Mere accusations –especially if only heard or read over the media – wouldnot merit a moment of consideration in a court oflaw…Now if he has evidence, why should Panlilio stillwait to become president and not file the case in courtimmediately?”

So why doesn’t Panlilio? He cannot. Thesubstantiation of his accusations only in the recesses ofhis wild imagination.

“A political stunt to gain media mileage and add up tohis stock as presidential hopeful.” So Ducut said ofPanlilio’s “prosecute-GMA stance.” So said she so rightly.As other Kapampangans agree wholeheartedly.

Agriculture Asec Clayton Olalia said as much inlashing at Panlilio for “using the President as steppingstone to launch his presidential ambition.”

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Clayton Olalia, aformer vice governor of Pampanga, said Panlilio has “hurtKapampangan pride with his irresponsible statementson the President.”

“Grandstanding to gain political and media mileage,”sneered Board Member Cris Garbo of Panlilio’s “antics.”

“Ungrateful, insensitive,” so Bacolor Mayor BuddyDungca damned Panlilio, “the President having done somuch for Pampanga, even as Panlilio had done abarangay kagawad’s job in governing the province.”

Ingrato. So is Panlilio in the collective mind of theKapampangans, from their elected officials down to theleast of their constituencies – they who are “reaping thefruits of the President’s concern with and commitmentto their welfare.”

“For the Kapampangans – as well as for the otherpeople of Central and Northern Luzon – there is theSCTEx, Clark and Subic, the continuing infrastructuredevelopment and pump priming of the economy to makelife here so much better. So what evil has the Presidentdone that Panlilio should be so righteous as to threatenher with a plunder case.” So articulated Secretary EdPamintuan of the Subic-Clark Alliance for DevelopmentCouncil.

So what had Panlilio to say over these reactions?“I was quoted out of context.” Typical Panlilio, typically

fork-tonguing his way out of a mess of his own making.

FIRST BLOOD in the looming presidential war did Sen. ManuelVillar draw in Pampanga Friday last week, being the first of theputative presidentiables to hit the vote-rich province.

No, Villar was quick to assert, his coming was no presidentialcampaign launch – being as yet an unannounced, but most probable,candidate. It was the launch of a nationwide entrepreneurshipmovement called Multi-sectoral Organization of Volunteers forEntrepreneurship or MOVE.

And move – Villar did his audience of some 2,000 cheering,roaring, Kapampangans at the Holy Angel University in AngelesCity consisting of inter-faith groups, small and mediumentrepreneurs, the urban poor, NGOs, the youth, senior citizens,persons with disabilities and, of course, barangay officials. Thepresence of “miracle worker” Reghis Romero II is a give-away there.

“I am not campaigning yet because that’s still banned.” So Villarstressed. His words lost in the atmosphere of a presidentialcampaign sortie of a sea of orange shirts, orange balloons andorange confetti raining down on him. Orange, as if anybody neededto be reminded, is Villar’s campaign color.

Villar’s viability

The orange-shirted ex-city councilor, ex-cityadministrator Bong Alvaro, chair of MOVE-CentralLuzon, did a yeoman’s job in lifting the spirits ofthe Villar partisans. As did a short audio-visualbio of Villar shown on giant screens on either sideof the stage backdropped by a huge MOVEtarpaulin.

Villar’s brief speech was a crash course infighting poverty as sampled by his own strugglesin life from the squalor of Tondo to his corporatesuccess in real estate.

And then – as in the presidential hustings –the requisite dig at the other aspirants.

“Noble vision and aspiration for the country isnot enough,” Villar said without naming names.“After his oath-taking, the President must startreal work right that afternoon.”

The nation, already buffeted by myriadproblems, cannot be entrusted to one who wouldbegin the presidency as an on-the-job training,said Villar.

Did he mean presidency-dreaming Eddie T.Panlilio, asked someone who looked like inter-faith convenor Joel San Pedro.

Or could it be Gilbert Teodoro, asked one whowas a dead-ringer for Pampanga realtor ConradGarcia.

Villar cited experience, political maturity andtrack record as premium in the selection of apresident thus: “You must have enoughexperience to lead this nation of 90 million Filipinos.To save a drowning victim, you must know how to

swim.” Else, the nation perishes. So did not haveto say.

So, how can Panlilio even dream of leadingthe Philippines when he is an abject failure in hisgovernance of Pampanga, asked one PWD wholooked a lot like DWRW’s Deng Pangilinan.

Villar also struck at other unnamedpresidentiables who allegedly have no knownprominent businesses but could afford homes ina posh Makati village. This, even as heemphasized that he earned every centavo of hiswealth legitimately through his real estatebusiness.

So, who among the presidentiables nests inan enclave of affluence even when he does nothave the means to show for it? Search me. Can’tthink of anyone.

Still and all, Villar made a great impact in theKapampangan electorate’s psyche that Fridayafternoon.

“We are one in blood, one in team, one in spirit,one Filipino standing dedicated anddetermined…Together we will face everychallenge, overcome any obstacle, and conquer2010 as one team.” So pledged the audience toVillar.

The viability of Villar’s candidacy gets fullcertainty in his Pampanga sortie. And the localstalwarts of the Nacionalista Party that Villarheads have not even made their presence felt yet.Watch out for the erudite former CongressmanRimpy Bondoc’s second coming.

Napag-uusapanlangNi Felix M. Garcia

Bangketa ningSan Fernando

melinis lang ustu(KARUGTONG NG SINUNDANG ISYU)

KARING illegal a structures ngara pinAmpon pakalapag a paninda karin;A nung nu’ maybug neng misara karetingSidewalks occupants ing bukud makarikil,

A sukat dalanan ding sablang pedestriansBan e la king dalan maybug asapunganDing motorista neng imbes king ila itangKing bangketa dalpak, vendors la ring dakal

A makabarega kilub ning aldo-aldoInia pin ken e ka mibasa mang galo:(Puera karing estanteng maglarin reloAting maglapag ken a magtindang paro).

E kaya manayun lalon ing paligidA misna kalagu king balang penandit?At keta malaut kang biglang mitakidAgiang maglakad kang medyu papulandit?

At saka e mu pin keti San FernandoBawal ing makanian a magpuestu tamuKaring bangketa at lugal pampublikoA makarikil keng pamangamit ustu.

Atin tang’ palengking sukat paglugalanKing nanu mang bage a pamangailangan;Bukud karing tiangge atin pa mu namangAliwang espasyo a nung nu’ e bawal.

Bilang Fernandino e ta’ wari buriKing ing siyudad tamu luminis ya biliAt ing bage-bage a balu tang’ maliMibayu at e yan ing sukat matuki?

Kapanyiran mu pu king administrasyonIng ngara sobra ya igpit ing city hall;At natural mung ding maka-oposisyonPosibleng atin lang sariling intenyon.

A nung makananu rang apalto retiIng kabaligtaran ning buring maliariDing salukuyan a makalukluk ngeni,Kapamilatan ning mialiwang diskarti;

A nung makananu da reting apildisIng tune isyu king pangalako pilitKaring sidewalks ampon dalan a makitidA nu’la kelat ding ‘vendors’ a mebanggit.

Natural mu itang dakal la ring mimuaKaring paka-puestu a e meko kusaIniang ing gubyernu, lalam nang upayaNing mayor, yutus na iting mesambilta.

Kalupa na naman iniang y AquinoPalakuan no’ ring king gilid munisipyu,A mag-‘xerox’ ampon magtindang tucino;Kanita dakal la namang mimuang tau!

Pero kaibat nita, iniang tangalan daKing yan meksanting king munisipyu ra,Ding migmunikalang deti ilako laKapurian ing meging sukli na karela.

Makanian mu naman ing posibleng kamtanNang papuri ampon kapasalamatanNing administrasyon potang makilalangIti meka-kayap king mal tang’ balayan;

Pablasang iti yang makailangan sangkapNing insa’mang balen keti PilipinasA magnasang lalu niting apaunladIng tune panyulung a ta’na mibuklat!

IN EXODUS 3, Moses had hisf irst encounter with Godthrough the burning bush. Godheard the crying out of His peo-ple in the hands of the Egyp-tians. God wanted to rescuethem and asked Moses “tobring them up out of that landinto a good and spacious land,a land flowing with milk andhoney.”

But Moses was adamant.“Who am I, that I should to goPharaoh and bring the Israel-ites out of Egypt,” Moses toldthe Almighty. To Moses, be-ing a leader was a big respon-sibility. And he never had anyidea of being one.

“The first responsibility of aleader is to define reality,” sug-gests Max DePree. “The lastis to say thank you. In betweenthe two, the leader must be-come a servant and a debtor.That sums up the progress ofan artful leader.”

George Roby, owner andmanager of the Arrowhead In-ternational Wildlife Manage-ment Consulting firm based inClaremont, California, has writ-ten a very timely essay on tenelements of being a success-ful leader. The elements, whichare nothing magic or earths-haking, are worth sharing:

1. Be yourself. Don’t try tobe what you are not. Whatworked for others may or maynot work for you. Be what youare today. Individuals cannotdrastically change their per-sonalities and managementstyle. Hitler was a leader andso was Jim Jones. Jesus ofNazareth, Martin Luther King,Jr., Winston Churchill, andJohn F. Kennedy all were lead-ers. But their value systemsand management abilities werevery different.

“Learn as much as you can,take the gems from the train-ing, books, and role modelsthat fit your traits best (nega-tive and positive),” Roby sug-gests. “Watch other leaders,the good and the bad, and learnfrom those examples. Onceyou blend these gems withyour own traits, experiment,then experiment some more.”

A leader has to maximizehis strengths and minimize hisweaknesses. “Capitalize onyour basic strengths that havetaken you to where you are to-

On being a good leader

Regarding HenryBY HENRYLITO D. TACIO

day, and then enhance them,”Roby says. “Learn your weak-nesses and minimize them.”

2. You can’t treat people thesame way, but you must treatthem equally. Treat everyonefairly. People have differentgoals, interests, background,needs (personal and profes-sional), skills, problems, andcontributions. “You must treatpeople with dignity and respect,and you expect the same in re-turn,” points out Roby. “Earnrespect and set the exampleby respecting others.”

3. Learn to delegate andsee that others do also. “Del-egation is more an art than itis a science,” Roby says. “Theage of specialization demandsdelegation. Today’s and to-morrow’s leaders will have con-siderable difficulties being asuccessful leader if they do notlearn the art of effective dele-gation.”

4. Trust those you delegateto. If you don’t trust a person,then don’t delegate the task tothat person. “Human nature,with few exceptions, is that peo-ple want to do a good job. Itmay not get something doneexactly the way you wouldhave done it, but most individ-uals will do the best they canwith their understanding ofwhat it was you wanted,” Robystates.

Here’s a word of wisdom:“You must empower peopleand mean it. Trust! Do thisand you’ll find it easier to meetdeadlines; moreover, qualityneed not suffer. The piles ofpaper or backlog of projects onyour desk will start disappear-ing.”

5. Recognize performance,good and bad. Remember, ittakes 10 bouquets to removeone dagger. The key is to starton positive side of people, notthe negative. “Try to recognizethe positive with employeesbefore inserting a dagger,”Roby suggests. “Deposit a fewbouquets before withdrawingyour dagger.”

6. Support your personnelthrough good times and badtimes. They’ll be there whenyou need them if you’re therewhen they need you. Be fairand equitable, and they will stillbe there when you need them,whether or not it’s an award or

disciplinary action. “Every in-dividual is a chapter to yoursuccess as a leader once youlearn to read them,” Roby in-forms.

7. Listen. It is lonely upthere and to beat that loneli-ness, you must listen to yoursubordinates and peers. Ev-eryone has something to offer.Listen, analyze, make an edu-cated decision, and hope youmake the right decision mostof the time. “Listen to all lev-els of the organization, espe-cially those below you,” Robysays. “They are the key toyour being successful becausethey carry out the job you’reexpected to do. They can alsohelp you identi fy yourstrengths and weaknesses.”

8. Be flexible. There is noone style that will meet everyneed. You need to be able togo from one style or strategyto another as needs change oras situation calls for. “Be will-ing to change,” Roby says.“Be flexible depending on thesituation. Learn how to oper-ate effectively in differentmodes.”

9. Learn to establish priori-ties and hold your ground. Youwill never get al of the job done.“We have a deep-rooted reluc-tance to say we can’t do some-thing,” Roby states. “It’s eas-ier to hold our ground if we pri-oritize by ‘must do,’ ‘want to,’and ‘nice to do’ categories. Wedo a pretty good job of settingpriorities, but we’re terrible atholding our ground and carry-ing them out as set.”

10. Admit mistakes. “Don’ttry to fool people when youmake a poor decision,” Robysays. “They already knowyou’ve made it, and you onlymake yourself look worse whenyou ignore or deny it. Admityour mistakes immediately. Itdisarms your critics and helpsyou regain your credibility.”

Not any one individual hasall the answers. Admit youdon’t know it all. Martin Luth-er King, Jr. said it right: “Theultimate measure of a man isnot where he stands in mo-ments of comfort, but where hestands at times of challengeand controversy.”

For comments, write me athenrytacio@gmail.com

(COURTESY OF MABUHAY NEWS)

ON THIS DAY in 1700, Englishpranksters begin popularizingthe annual tradition of AprilFools' Day by playing practi-cal jokes on each other.

Although the day, alsocalled All Fools' Day, has beencelebrated for several centuriesby different cultures, its exactorigins remain a mystery.

Some historians speculatethat April Fools' Day datesback to 1582, when Franceswitched from the Julian cal-endar to the Gregorian calen-dar, as called for by the Coun-cil of Trent in 1563.

People who were slow toget the news or failed to rec-ognize that the start of the newyear had moved to January 1and continued to celebrate itduring the last week of Marchthrough April 1 became the buttof jokes and hoaxes.

These included having pa-per fish placed on their backsand being referred to as "pois-son d'avril" (April fish), said tosymbolize a young, easilycaught fish and a gullible per-

son.Historians have also linked

April Fools' Day to ancient fes-tivals such as Hilaria, whichwas celebrated in Rome at theend of March and involved peo-ple dressing up in disguises.

There's also speculationthat April Fools' Day was tiedto the vernal equinox, or firstday of spring in the NorthernHemisphere, when Mother Na-ture fooled people with chang-ing, unpredictable weather.

April Fools' Day spreadthroughout Britain during the18th century. In Scotland, thetradition became a two-dayevent, starting with "hunting thegowk," in which people weresent on phony errands (gowkis a word for cuckoo bird, asymbol for fool) and followed byTailie Day, which involvedpranks played on people's der-rieres, such as pinning faketails or "kick me" signs onthem.

In modern times, peoplehave gone to great lengths tocreate elaborate April Fools'

Day hoaxes.Newspapers, radio and TV

stations and Web sites haveparticipated in the April 1 tra-dition of reporting outrageousfictional claims that have fooledtheir audiences.

In 1957, the BBC reportedthat Swiss farmers were expe-riencing a record spaghetticrop and showed footage ofpeople harvesting noodles fromtrees; numerous viewers werefooled. In 1985, Sports Illustrat-ed tricked many of its readerswhen it ran a made-up articleabout a rookie pitcher namedSidd Finch who could throw afastball over 168 miles per hour.

In 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain, dupedpeople when it announced ithad agreed to purchase Phila-delphia's Liberty Bell and in-tended to rename it the TacoLiberty Bell.

In 1998, after Burger Kingadvertised a "Left-HandedWhopper," scores of cluelesscustomers requested the fakesandwich.

April Fools traditionpopularized

TODAY IN HISTORY

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TheGossip-millerby Cesar Pambid

KADIRI NAMAN ang gimmick ng Dos tungkol kina KC Concepcion. Pilit nilangini-slant na posbileng maging lovers sina Piolo Pascual at KC Concepcion ga-yung alam naman nilang commited na si Piolo na magbuhay-binata habangpanahon. Well, malinaw naman kasi na maligaya na si Pilo bilang single dadkung susuriin ang mga nagging pahayag nito in the past.

Isa pa, hindi ba nila nahahalatang mukhang diring-diri si Piolo kapag tina-tanong tungkol sa kanila ni KC?

Nandoon na kami, naging magka-close nga ang dalawa. Napakaposible nunpero para maging lovers na nilagyan pa ng slant na kesyo nag-sidetrip angdalawa sa Itay is already ridiculous. Nilagyan pa ng malisyang ek na nagkaibig-an nga sina KC at Piolo kung kaya sumama ang huli sa Italy trip ng anak niMega.

Aba, kung sakaling true ang mga kuwento ng Dos, hindi ba magmumukhanaming tsipipay si KC Concepcion? Kahit na kasi may halong gimik yung sakanila ni Richard Gutierreez na masyadong pinagmukhang totoong magkarelasy-on dahil sa big promo ng dalawang pelikula nila, para nga talagang mahirappaniwalaang mapo-fall si KC kay Piolo Pascual.

Sa anu’t anuman, at magkatotoo na talagang very sweet sina KC at Piolo, e

Read: peke lang…KC-Piolo lutong-makaw

ano naman ang big deal doon aside from the promotionng kanilang Lovers In Paris na in the first place, ay walanamang kadating-dating. If this project makes good atthe ratings, alam naman nating malakas si Piolo sa view-ers. At walang puwedeng iba pang dahilan. If it fails, maybago pa ba?

Basta, walang maniniwalang magiging sina KC at Pi-olo sa tunay na buhay. Lutong makaw, peke at gimik lang yan ng mga drumbeateras at paid hacks ng ABS-CBN.

Hindi ba, Lorrie something?

Aljur nagbabanta kay Richard GutierrezHINDI PALA pamilyar sa Guillermo Mendoza award si AljurAbrenica kaya nagtanung-tanong siya sa mga kasa-mahan kung ano ito.

Siya kasi ang napiling Most Promising Actor sa male category ng naturang award-giving body.Nang malaman niya kung anong klaseng awards ito, na-flatter siya nang husto na siya ang napili.Pero, ngayon pa lang ay kinukwestyun na ng ilang sectors ang pagkapili sa kanya dahil may mga mas

deserving daw para sa naturang award. Isa sa mga pangalan na nabanggit na mas deserving ay si JC de Vera.“Pero ‘di ba matagal nang nag-aartista si JC? Ang alam ko, ibinibigay ang award na ‘most promising’ sa mga

nagsisimula pa lang mabigyan ng malaking break dito sa showbiz tulad namin ni KC. I guess you just cannotplease everybody.

“Ang alam ko, hindi basta-basta ibinibigay ang award na ito ng Guillermo kung hindi muna nila pinag-aaralanito nang husto. So kung ako ang napili nila, I must be deserving,” katwiran ni Aljur.

Well, opinion lang yan ni Aljur at di nangangahulugang isang katotohanan. While it is true na baguhan pa langsi Aljur, this camp believes na marami pang nakahihigt sa kanya. Isa pa, ano ba naman ang dapat ipagkapuri sapagkakapili sa kanya?

Bakit, relevant pa ba ngayon sa mga panahong ito ang Guillermo ek na ito? In the past, hindi ba may mgausaping binabayaran ang mga award na ipinamimigay ng samahangi to?

Nagtatanong lang po kami at hindi nagsasabing bible truth yung sinasabi namin. We said, may mga usapin,at wala na kaming iba pang ibig sabihin!

Mula kay Aljur ay nalaman na bati na pala sila ni Richard Gutierrez. Nagkita sila minsan sa recording studiong GMA7 at siya na ang unang bumati sa aktor ng “Happy New Year!” Na sinuklian ni Chard ng bati rin atnagkaayos na sila nang araw na ‘yon.

“Ako na ang nakipagbati sa kanya, kasi gusto ko nang matapos ang alitan namin. Tahimik lang kasi akongtao at ayoko ng may kaaway. Gusto ko lang magtrabaho. Pero sa susunod na may magpapahiya sa akin ulit,hindi ko na palalampasin. Tao lang ako, may hangganan ang pagtitimpi,” fighting words from Aljur.

O di ba, napakayabang ng dating ng mga statement ng Aljur na ito who feels like isa na siya sa mgamalalaking artista ng local entertainment industry?

Dingdong Dantes pinakain ng alikabok ni Richard GutierrezINAASAHAN na talaga na mauungusan na ni Richard Gutierrez si Dingdong Dantes. As it is, Zorro garnered thehighest rating when it started airing a few days ago. It confirms the bankability of Richard Gutierrez as an actionhero.

“I am very fortunate to have been chosen to play one of the most well-loved adventure characters. Big fan akoni Zorro at twice kong pinanood ang pelikula na ang bida ay si Antonio Banderas. “I have always imagined how Iwould fare as Zorro pero hindi ko akalaing darating ang araw na bibigyan ko ito ng buhay. The hard part in playingthe character is performing the action scenes which include fencing. Maganda ngang tingnan na nakakapa kapero sa totoo lang dagdag hirap ito sa aking paggalaw.”

Malaki ang ginastos ng GMA 7 para sa Zorro.It is like one gigantic and spectacular movie that everyone raves about.Tinalo nga n to ang kina Dingdong at Marian na Ang Babaing Hinugot sa Aking Tadyang.O ayan, Jun Lalin, number one na talaga’ng alaga mo. Sana mai-maintain niya yan. At a time na nakasasawa

na ang tambalang Dingdong at Marian, panahon na ni Richard upang mag-shine.At least, napatunayan na ni Richard that by himself, kaya na niya talaga.Di ba, kailangang magtambal sina Marian at Dingdong para mataas ang rating nila?Subukin kaya nilang pagsolohin ang mga yan.

Kris ImeldificKRIS AQUINO looks very good sa kanyang fuschia pink na Filipina ternowhich she donned sa premiere telecast ng kanyang bingo show noongLunes. Talaga namang Kris carried it with élan at kung pipili tayo ngbagong terno endorser para sa buong mundo, si Kris Aquino na yundahil nga talagang ang ganda-ganda niya.

Kung kami si Kris, at this point, lagi ng terno-inspired ang isusuotnaming gown sa bingo show na ito para kahit paano magmukha ngkagalang-galang dahil may bagong fashion sense na siya.

As it is, wala pang bumagay sa mga gowns na isinuot ni Kris sa mganagdaang appearances niya sa tv. At the most, talagang nagmukha langsiyang overweight matron sa lahat ng mga damit na na isinuot na niya.Kumbaga may mali talaga sa fashion sense ni Kris at ngayon ngangbumagay na sa kanya ang terno, dapat ito na lang lagi ang isuot niya.

Kay lang may hitch dito.Hindi ba, si Imelda Marcos ang dating epitome ng pagsusuot ng

terno na kilalang kilala bilang nemesis ng pamilya ni Kris. Matuwa kayaitong sundan ang bakas ni Imeda Marcos?

By the way, we would like to change the concept of the word imeldif-ic. Kung kay Imelda Marcos, it largely meant spending big or splurginglavishly on weatlth, kay Kris it simply meant a new brand of fashionista.Kasi nga bagay na bagay sa dyowa ni James Yap ang nakasuot ngterno.

KC Concepcion

Kris Aquino

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Interested parties may send their application letter, comprehensive résumé, school records and recent 2x2picture by post/fax or email to:

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Notice of Extrajudicial Settlementwith Waiver

Notice is hereby given that the heirs of ESMERALDAARCEO-VELASQUEZ who died intestate on March 12,1998, executed an Extrajudicial Settlement with Waiverof her estate, more particularly described as a parcelsof land (Lot 35, Blk 55 of the Subdivision Plan (LRC)Psd-66539 (Sheet 2), being a portion of Lot 702B,described on plan (LRC) Psd-48796, LRC (GLRO) Cad.Rec. No. 124), situated in the Bo. Pampang, City ofAngeles, Island of Luzon; and (Lot 11-A of the Subd. PlanPsd-03-092496, being a portion of Lot 11, Psd-03-002295, LRC Rec No.) situated in the Bo. of Camias,Mun. of Magalang, Prov. of Pampanga, covered by TCTNo. 65186 and TCT No. 460055-R, respectively.Punto! Central Luzon: March 16, 24 & April 1, 2009

nated to the campaign ofPanlilio but had not beenaccounted for in the list ofcontributions the gover-nor’s camp submitted tothe Commission on Elec-tions. Perjury chargeshad been filed againstPanli l io before theComelec.

Asked to comment onwho could be a goodchoice for governor come2010, Hizon said ViceGov. Joseller “Yeng” Guiao“is one of them as he hadproven himself in gover-nance.”

Contrasting imagesIn a statement sent to

Punto!, Subic Clark Alli-ance for DevelopmentCouncil (SCADC) Chair-

FROM PAGE 1

Hizon, EdPam lash at Govman Edgardo Pamintuansaid “what we see hereare contrasting image oftwo leaders whose onlycommon denominator isthat they are both Kapam-pangan.”

The former AngelesCity mayor furthered that“while the president isworking very hard to im-prove the lives of our coun-trymen, Panlilio is mak-ing life more miserable forthe province.”

“While the president islooking at what she canstill do within the last yearof her administration,Panlilio is already lookingbeyond this administra-tion,” said Pamintuan.

Canbaba Mayor JerryPelayo, who attended thepress conference, said

Panlilio “had failed his peo-ple and now he wants torun for the highest post inthe land.”

He added that the so-called Third Force led byHizon had left the gover-nor’s camp showing hehad no “leadership at all.”

“What we have is a di-vided Pampanga underPanlilio,” he said.

Pelayo challengedPanlilio to file chargesagainst Arroyo “if he hasanything substantial oth-er than text messagesand hearsays to back uphis accusations.”

“And while at it, heshould fi le chargesagainst all Pampangamayors too as he alsocalled us corrupt,” Pelayodared.

to comment on the senti-ment of the Panlilio clanregarding the possibility ofthe governor running forpresident in the 2010 elec-tions.

Panlilio was earlierquoted to have said that hewould “definitely prose-cute” the President “if andwhen he becomes presi-dent”.

Press Sec. Cerge Re-monde immediately chal-leged Panlilio to file charg-es immediately instead ofwaiting for his turn to be-come president.

Panlilio’s relative said,however, that charging theFirst Family with any

FROM PAGE 1

Prosecuting GMA ‘futile’...wrongdoing would likely be“an exercise in futility asshown by what has hap-pened to the big scandalsthat rocked the Arroyo gov-ernment”.

“There were cover-ups,intimidation of witnesseswho ended up being vic-tims themselves,” the rel-ative said, as he cited theZTE-NBN scandal thatrocked the Arroyo govern-ment.

Panlilio is reportedlybeing pushed by the groupKaya Natin for president inthe 2010 elections, withIsabela Gov. Grace Pada-ca as his running mate.

In the 2007 gubernato-rial polls, Panlilio won asindependent candidate

against administrationbets former provincialboard member Lilia Pine-da and then incumbentMark Lapid. He has beenat odds over various is-sues with Vice Gov. Jo-seller Guiao, members ofthe provincial board, andmembers of the Pampan-ga Mayors’ League (PML)whose president, LubaoMayor Dennis Pineda, isthe son of Lilia.

Panlilio’s statementelicited angry reactionsfrom some Kapampanganleaders now occupyinggovernment posts, sayingthe governor should “stopusing the President to ad-vance his personal ambi-tions.”

eral reservation area ngBiak-na-Bato.

Maging ang alegasyonng Rosemoor na harass-ment o panggugulo niMendoza sa paghahakotng marmol ng Rosemooray paiimbestigahan ngKalihim.

Hinggil sa alegasyonng paggamit ng Rosemoorng pampasabog, sinabi niAtienza na labag iyon sanakatakda sa permisongibinigay nila sa Rosemoor.

Sinabi niya na, “dapatay wiresaw ang ginagamitnila at hindi blasting.”

Gayunpaman, sinabiniya na ang kanyang de-sisyon ay depende samagiging resulta ng imb-estigasyon na kanilangisasagawa sa linggong ito.

Iginiit naman ng ni Ze-naida Pascual, ang biyu-da ni Inhinyero Constanti-no Pascual, ang datingpangulo ng Rosemoor napinaslang noong Hunyo,

na hindi sila gumagamit ngpampasabog dahil may-roon silang 10 wiresaw naginagamit sa pagtabas ngtea rose.

Hinggil naman sa ale-gasyon ng Rosemoor la-ban kay Mendoza, sinabini Atienza na, “Ang hanap-buhay ay hindi dapat gina-gambala kung legal dahilkailangan natin ang mganegosyo sa bansa. Dap-at ay sinusuportahan angmga negosyo dahil lumil-ikha iyan ng trabaho.”

Ayon sa Rosemoor,nagtayo ng checkpointang mga tauhan ng kapi-tolyo sa pangunguna ngmga kawani ng Environ-ment and Natural Re-sources Office (ENRO)kasama ang lokal na puli-sya at ang civil security ngkapitolyo sa pangungunang retiradong pulis na siSupt. Benjamin Velasco.

Ang nasabing check-point ay matatagpuan sakalsadang nag-uugnay saBrgy. Sibul, San Miguel at

Brgy. Kalawakan, DRT nadinadaanan ng mga trakna humahakot ng mgamarmol na namina ngRosemoor.

Ayon kay Pascual, hi-narang sa ng nasabingcheckpoint ang kanilangtrak noong Lunes, Marso,23 at inihulog ang bloke ngmarmol na nakakarga salikod ng trak gamit angisang backhoe.

“It’s pure harassment,we are legally operatingwith Mineral ProductionSharing Agreement(MPSA) at may OTP (oretransport permit) kami,”ani Pascual.

Sinabi pa ni Pascual nakakasuhan nila si Mendo-za dahil sa ginawa nitongpanghaharang na nagingdahilan upang matigil angkanilang operasyon.

Para naman kay Men-doza, sinabi niyang naka-handa niyang harapin anu-mang kaso at magsasam-pa rin siya ng kaso labansa Rosemoor.

FROM PAGE 1

Jonjon, Rosemoor mining...

The DepEd gaveCunanan a “Layman’sAward” for

helping give quality ed-ucation, while the CLGCFrecognized him for the“Documented Streamlin-ing Procedures on the is-suance of Mayor’s Per-mit.”

Save for Mexico town,Magalang bested the oth-er first and second classmunicipalities of Pam-panga in the categoryset by the CLGF. In thetwo previous years, Ma-galang topped the cate-gory.

Councilor RodolfoGonzales, Association ofBarangay Councils (ABC)president, said Cunananhad performed “well asshown with these acco-lades.”

He expressed disap-pointment because the

FROM PAGE 1

Magalang still calm...“peaceful town is dividedby politics”

New Decision“We haven’t received a

copy of the SupremeCourt (SC) decision yet. Iwonder who they got themfrom in advance,” saidCunanan of the recent SCdecision denying with final-ity the Motion

for Reconsiderationfiled by the first-term may-or on February 2.

“There will be legal rem-edies once we get the de-cision to resolve the mat-ter. We could only saymuch because I and mylegal counsel have yet toreceive the copy of thesaid decision,” addedCunanan.

The SC, in a decisiondated February 7 obtainedby this paper yesterday,said “acting on the motionfor reconsideration (of theSC decision on December

24, 2008) dated February2 filed by the legal coun-sel of Cunanan, the Courtresolved to deny with final-ity the said motion for re-consideration, as the ba-sic issues raised thereinhave been passed upon bythis Court and no substan-tial arguments were pre-sented to warrant the re-versal of the questioneddecision.”

It added that “no furtherpleadings will be enter-tained.”

Pecson, in an interviewat his meat plant in near-by Mabalacat, said theyhad filed a motion beforethe local court urging theimplementation of the SCdecision.

“My victory is the vic-tory of the people,” said ajubilant Pecson. “Rightfrom the start, service iswhat I offer.”

Asked when he willassume his post as may-or, Pecson said “I don’tknow yet but hope soon.”

Pecson, quoting hislegal counsel Atty. Romu-lo Macalintal, said “taposna” after the promulgationof SC decision.

Pecson urged Cunan-an to “step down peace-fully for the benefit of thepeople.”

But Cunanan urgedPecson to hold his hors-es, saying its not him butthe SC, local court andDepartment of Interior andLocal Government (DILG)which will implement thedecision. –Joey Pavia

DMIA will be the country’spremiere international air-port.

Reacting to the Presi-dent’s order for him to fin-ish the entire project be-fore her term ends, Pam-intuan said “this is indeeda tall order for the Northrailteam and me.”

“Time is still my neme-sis as I face the dauntingtask of catching up with thefive-year delay in projectimplementation. Rest as-sured that we are exertingall efforts to ensure that allof the civil and track worksfrom Caloocan to Clark arecompleted on or beforeJune 2010,” he said.

Pamintuan noted that“Section 1 or the Caloo-can- to-Malolos Section ofthe project should havebeen completed in Sep-tember 2007. I was able toimmediately address theinadequacy in the organi-zational structure by in-creasing its technical stafffrom the only seven per-sonnel when I assumedoffice in July 2008 to thepresent day 65 technicalpersonnel all of whom areengineers.”

He noted that “duringour negotiations to breakthe impasse with the Si-nomach, I was able to con-vince them to adopt a si-multaneous, segmental

construction methodologyin order to meet the sched-ule.”

“In the past, Sinomachwanted to solely imple-ment the project. Now,they will be tapping theexpertise of qualified Fili-pino engineering contrac-tors and using local sup-plies to implement theproject. The Sinomachhowever will be directlyimplementing the moresensitive components ofthe project,” he said.

He also said that de-spite the higher cost, thegovernment will greatlybenefit from the project.

“Even before the rail-ways project is complet-ed, economic benefits canbe expected from theProject in these grave eco-nomic times. The use ofqualified Filipino subcon-tractors means employ-ment opportunities for bothskilled and unskilled la-bor,” he noted.

He said that “Northrailwill also be working withthe affected local govern-ment units to implementthe President’s Compre-hensive Livelihood andEmergency EmploymentProgram or CLEEP for lo-calized project activitiessuch as post-demolitionclearing and temporaryfencing of project sites.”

“On-the-job trainingand apprenticeship pro-

grams will also be madeavailable to students inthe engineering and ar-chitectural fields,” headded.

Pamintuan noted thatfor the 32-kilometer Caloo-can-to-Malolos section ofthe railways alone, some36,000 tons of rebars,83,000 tons of cement,115,000 cubic meters ofsand and 230,000 cubicmeters of gravel wouldhave to be purchased fromlocal suppliers.

This is on top of some2.2 million cubic meters ofburrow material, 6,373tons of steel rails and120,000 cubic meters ofballast material also re-quired for the railways sec-tion.

“The Malolos-to-Clarksegment will surely re-quire more constructionmaterials because it islonger than Section 1, “Pamintuan noted.

“Instead of going onwork slowdowns or tempo-rary shutdowns, the Phil-ippine steel, cement, andquarry industries will beloaded with work and willbe hard-pressed to meetthe demands of the entireproject. This is the type ofeconomic pump-primingthat the President is im-plementing that beats theodds presented by the glo-bal recession,” Pamintuanadded.

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BY ERNIE B. ESCONDE

ABUCAY, Bataan- The Sto. Do-mingo Church in Abucay is theoldest church in Bataan andone of the oldest in the coun-try, the spiritual ministration ofwhich was entrusted to the Do-minicans in 1588.

The church is one of theplaces of worship visited bymany from other provinces intheir “Visita Iglesia” during theHoly Week.

Monsignor Hernando Guan-zon said the church is morethan 400 years old and was thescene of fierce fighting betweenthe invading Dutch and the na-tives with Pampango defenderson June 23, 1647.

Records showed that about

Abucay churchcalls the faithful

200 Pampangos died while 40others together with the Span-ish alcalde and two Dominicanswere taken prisoners. Thechurch was badly damaged byan earthquake on September16, 1852.

Renovations and repairswere made but the sturdy thickwalls and columns made ofadobe or “batong silyar” haveremained. Some more than400-year old floor tiles werealso preserved outside of thechurch interior..

An image of Sto. Domingo deGuzman, patron saint of theDominicans and Abucay townstands near the altar. Like allother churches under the Domin-icans in Bataan, the AbucayChurch faces the Manila Bay.

VISITA IGLESIA

ANGELES CITY– The ArmedForces Northern Luzon Com-mand (Nolcom) said yesterdaythe New People’s Army (NPA)suffered a major setback duringits 40th founding anniversary lastMarch 29 with the capture of itstop leader in Pampanga.

Nolcom identified the NPAleader as Jose Jackson Labra-dor Carmen alias Roman, 33,single, and resident of Mayan-toc, Tarlac and allegedly thehead of Sangay sa Partido saPlatoon Pampanga (SPP Pam-panga) of the NPA.

Carmen was captured at a

NPA MARKS 40TH YEAR

Top Pampanga rebel leader nabbedfast food chain beside the Victo-ry Liner terminal along Rizal Av-enue, Caloocan City by joint ele-ments from the 703rd InfantryBrigade and 3rd Infantry Battal-ion led by 1st Lt. Andy Galacio,the Criminal Investigation andDetection Group from Region 3and the Northern Police District.

“The troops attributed thesuccessful operation to the in-formation provided by concernedcivilians who wanted to put anend to crimes perpetrated by theNPAs not only in Central Luzonbut all over the country,” Nolcomsaid.

It said that Carmen hasstanding warrants of arrest forattempted homicide in Porac,Pampanga, arson in Guagua,Pampanga and murder in theCity of San Fernando, also inPampanga.

Nolcom chief Lt. Gen. Isa-gani Cachuela commended allthe troops involved in the cap-ture of the NPA leader. He laud-ed the three Army brigades fortheir “intensified operations sincelast year, in partnership with thedifferent stakeholders of the so-ciety against insurgency”.

–Ding Cervantes

BY DING CERVANTES

CLARK FREEPORT- North Lu-zon Railways Corp. (Northrail)Chairman Edgardo Pamintuansaid yesterday the long-delayedCaloocan-to-Clark modern rail-way will now cost $317 millionmore, on top of its initial $1 bil-lion cost.

In an interview with Punto,Pamintuan said this was ap-proved yesterday morning by theboard of the National EconomicDevelopment Authority (NEDA)as proposed by his governmentfirm.

He said the additional costwas approved after Northrail’sproposal for the upgraded cost

$317-M added to $1-BCaloocan-Clark railway

passed through “the processesof the NEDA inter-agency coor-dinating council and technicalboards.”

Pamintuan said NEDA’s ap-proval of the additional $317 mil-lion was based on the foreignexchange adjustments, inflation,and “necessary variation ordersrequired by project site condi-tions.”

The railways project was al-ready delayed five years whenPamintuan assumed post asNorthrail chairman in July lastyear.

But despite the delay, Pam-intuan said Pres. Arroyo wantsthe entire project from Caloocanto Clark, and not just its first

phase from Caloocan to Malo-los, Bulacan finished within herterm which ends by the middleof next year.

“The contractor Sinomach,which used to be known as Chi-na National Machinery andEquipment Corp. (CNMEC) willimmediately commence theMalolos-to-Clark section of theproject,” he said.

This, even as Northrail is setto bid out to the private sectorthe operations and maintenanceof the project which will link theDiosdado Macapagal Internation-al Airport (DMIA) at Clark Free-port to Metro Manila. The Pres-ident announced last year that

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