Megaworld allots P 25B for 2011 capex

MANILA, June 21 (PNA) -- Publicly listed real estate giant Megaworld Corp. has allotted P 25 billion for its capital and development expenditures in 2011, expecting growth to continue strong as its first five months' performance.

Francisco C. Canuto, Megaworld senior vice president and corporate information officer, in a disclosure, said the Megaworld group of companies, through the Megaworld, Empire East and Suntrust brands, sold real estate projects worth P17 billion.

Megaworld is the country’s largest residential condominium developer and BPO office developer and landlord, as well as the pioneer of integrated township projects that offer a live-work-play-learn lifestyle.

Megaworld is set to unveil Bonifacio Uptown in Bonifacio Global City in the second half of 2011. The mixed-use, high-density, 16-hectare project in the North Bonifacio central business district extends all the way to Kalayaan Avenue, and is located near the British, Japanese and American international schools.

The company will invest at least P25 billion to build Bonifacio Uptown over the next 12 years.

The project offers close to 500,000 square meters of residential space, nearly 400,000 square meters of office space, and about 90,000 square meters of retail space.

Megaworld is looking to launch soon One Uptown Residence at Bonifacio Uptown, with total potential revenues of P7.5 billion. Starting 2013, the company will begin developing in phases the P12-billion Uptown Place, which features four office towers on top of a retail mall.

Its next-generation BPO offices and campus buildings are expected to help generate at least 120,000 new jobs.

The company’s pioneering BPO and IT park in Eastwood City, Quezon City, home to a 40,000-strong workforce, is a 24x7 hub for BPO players servicing a global market.

The successful Eastwood City CyberPark served as an inspiration for Megaworld’s second cyber park in McKinley Hill, Taguig City, which now hosts the biggest names in the BPO industry.

In a span of just three years, McKinley Hill has provided employment for more than 15,000 workers.
Megaworld’s PEZA-accredited Newport City Cybertourism Zone has helped expand the country's active labor force by generating some 15,000 new jobs from the opening of Marriott Hotel and the Resorts World tourism complex in 2009. 

Megaworld currently has an inventory of 384,000 square meters of BPO office space, with 78,000 square meters more space to be completed by yearend.

Megaworld has six townships in strategic locations in Metro Manila that are in various stages of development.

It also has a series of luxury residential condominium projects at the heart of the Makati central business district.

Megaworld launched in the first quarter of 2011 the Iloilo Business Park, its first project outside Metro Manila.


The 55-hectare business park is located at the site of the old Iloilo airport, which the company acquired in 2007. The project features 300,000 square meters of office space and 200,000 square meters of hotel and retail space, designed to support business operations.

Anchoring the Iloilo Business Park is the P2.5-billion Richmonde Hotel Iloilo and Tower, slated for completion by the first quarter of 2013. The Richmonde project hosts 90 hotel rooms and BPO offices with a total gross floor area of about 24,000 square meters.

By the end of 2012, Megaworld will develop the nearby 14,000-square-meter Festive Walkretail center and several BPO campus buildings, offering about 20,000 square meters of office space. (PNA)  By Mediatrix P. Cristobal

Read More

Iloilo flood control project substantially complete

MANILA, June 21 (PNA) -- Construction of the Iloilo Flood Control project in Western Visayas Region is now substantially complete ahead of anticipated schedule.

In a report to Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, project director Patrick Gatan said the flood control project is 96.31 percent complete as against target accomplishment of 95.70 percent for the construction of Jaro Floodway and Improvement of Tigum and Aganan Rivers in Iloilo City.

Undersecretary Rafael Yabut said the project, which costs P2.22 billion, started in April 2006 and is scheduled to be completed in December.“The project which is mainly composed of river improvement and construction of floodways aims to create more sustainable urban community and provide safer, more pleasant living condition for people in the urban area of Iloilo City,” Gatan said.

The project includes the construction of Jaro Floodway, improvement of Tigum River, improvement of Aganan River, and construction of six bridges.The Jaro Floodway and La Paz Floodway are employed to divert the excess flood discharge of Jaro River towards the Iloilo Strait.

Ongoing works include the construction of Pagsangaan Bridge in Pavia, revetment works at Tigum River (Tigum River Improvement); construction of Anilao Bridge in Pavia, revetment works at Barangay Amparo, Pavia (Aganan River Improvement); and dike embankment at Barangay Hinactacan, Lapaz.

Read More

First regional land use forum to tackle zoning ordinance

by Elsa S. Subong

ILOILO CITY, June 19 (PIA) –- A regional land use forum, the first ever to be held in Western Visayas, will tackle the significance of zoning ordinance in land use and development.

The forum will be held on June 22, at the Iloilo Grand Hotel. This will be sponsored by DILG-6, the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board and the Deutsche Gesellschaft for Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), according to Dir. Evelyn Trompeta of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Trompeta said the general situation in the region points to weaknesses of the local government units (LGUs) in implementing land use regulations, especially in zoning ordinances.

The GIZ has been helping LGUs in the region, through their Environment and Rural Development and Decentralization Programs, with technical and advisory services in the formulation of their Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs).

Trompeta said the forum will help the LGUs that are about to formulate their (CLUPs) by way of improving their processes on zoning ordinances formulation, implementing and monitoring these for sustainable land use in their respective communities.

The forum is expected to be a means for sharing of experiences from some LGUs and discussion of issues with the help of experts from GIZ, Dr. Andreas Lange, Chief Adviser, Local Governance, Dr. Herwig Mayer, Program Manager, Decentralization Program, and with HLURB-6 Director Antonio Decatoria,Sr., who will talk about zoning ordinance as a tool to regulate land use.

The LGU officers who will share their experiences include Mr. Pancho Villasis, City Planning and Development Coordinator, Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, and Mr. Vladimir Mata, City Administrator of Dagupan City.

From Iloilo, Mr. Jose Roni Penalosa, Executive Director of Metro Iloilo-Guimaras Economic Development Council will talk on Spatial Framework Experience of MIGEDC, while Dumangas Mayor Ronaldo Golez will discuss the land use as a challenge in disaster risk reduction.

DILG said that the participants, who will come from LGUs all over the region, are expected to come to a consensus that indeed there are existing weaknesses in land use planning they are experiencing, and that by affirming so, they will appreciate the importance of genuine land use plan through effective zoning ordinances. (JCM/ESS/PIA-Iloilo).


source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r06&id=39077

Read More

Edgar Sia's Fast-Food Cashout

Edgar Sia's cash-out of his fast-food chain, Mang Inasal, makes him this year's youngest lister.

It started in 2003 when smalltown lad Edgar Sia II, then a 26-year-old college dropout, grabbed a tiny spot in the parking lot of a mall, the site of an upcoming food hall. As a frequent customer of McDonald's and KFC, Sia knew what he'd been missing in the fast-food scene: Filipino-style street fare served in a restaurant-type setting.

Before long customers were lining up outside Mang Inasal as word spread quickly through Iloilo City about Sia's new eatery. Its charcoal-grilled chicken served with rice wrapped in a banana leaf wasn't like anything on the menus of McDonald's ( MCD - news - people ), KFC or even Jollibee, the local burger chain. The flavors were distinctively Filipino, as was the earthy décor with wooden tables, handmade paper lamps and walls painted in orange, green and yellow.

"We really wanted to create a new category in this business, one that wasn't influenced by American food," says Sia, 34, who's often referred to by his nickname, Injap. It's a winning recipe; Mang Inasal's affordable concoctions aimed at Filipino taste buds has made it the country's third-largest fastfood chain after Jollibee and Chowking, both owned by fellow lister Tony Tan Caktiong, whose expanding food empire has made him a billionaire.

Sia's eight-year-old barbecue chain, with 380 outlets, has even overtaken McDonald's. And it has lately put him on the road to riches. Last October Jollibee, in a nod to its upstart rival, scooped up 70% of Mang Inasal for $68 million, valuing the outfit at nearly $100 million. The deal earned Sia a spot among the Philippines' wealthiest for the first time this year. With a net worth of $85 million, he's the youngest of the top 40.

Sia isn't done yet. He retains a 30% stake in Mang Inasal through Injap Investment, a family holding company in which his brother Ferdinand and sister Rizza also own shares. He and Ferdinand, who heads operations, continue to run the chain and have agreed to a three-year noncompete contract.

source: http://www.forbes.com/global/2011/0718/philippines-billionaires-11-edgar-sia-mang-inasal-mr-bbq.html

Read More

Mangrove expert hails Iloilo River dev’t initiatives

The Iloilo city government’s projects on the development of the Iloilo River has earned another praise this time from former Kalibo mayor and three-term congressman of Aklan province, Allen Quimpo.

“The initiatives done by Mayor (Jed Patrick) Mabilog are indeed very good. It’s also a good thing that (Sen.) Frank Drilon is there to help (Iloilo City),” he said in an interview.

Quimpo, who currently heads the Kalibo Save the Mangroves Association (KASAMA) in New Buswang, Kalibo, Aklan, was one of the participants in the Iloilo River Summit held here in March.

He was then Kalibo’s chief executive when mangrove reforestation project started around the mouth of Aklan River in 1990.

The successful development of the area in New Buswang has now turned a former sprawling mudflat to a mangrove forested area with abundant flora and fauna encompassing more than 100 hectares.

Over a million trees have been planted to date, Quimpo said.

“The challenge is greater for Iloilo because of already well-entrenched businesses,” he stated.

While Iloilo River can’t be turned into a full mangrove area, he suggested the city government just has to ensure that there will be no additional land reclamation.

The embankment also needs to be fixed and may be planted with mangroves, he observed.

“What is needed to implement this is political will of the mayor,” Quimpo said.

Quimpo also advised Mabilog to let the community handle the projects. “It’s better to let the people be the ones to initiate while getting support from the local government.”

“Iloilo is facing a critical problem because of pollution. If you don’t know how to manage it, it will become a dead river. Just like Pasig,” he warned.

“This is the best time to do something and be united about it,” he said.

The river, a 15-kilometer long estuarine, is actually an arm of the sea dividing the districts of City Proper, Molo and Arevalo from the districts of La Paz, Lapuz, Jaro and Mandurriao.

It serves as nursery for many important fish species such as bangus and tilapia, while sea bass or “bulgan” are once again thriving in the river after disappearing from quite some time because of pollution.

The Iloilo River is also home to 22 of the country’s 35 mangrove species as well as the rare emerald shrimp species, metapenaues insolitus.

sourceL: http://kauswagannews.wordpress.com/

Read More

The Iloilo River during the American period

WHEN THE Americans took over the governance of the Philippines, the first major improvement done in Iloilo was with the port in the Iloilo River because of its leading importance in Philippine economic activities at that time.

Improvements were provided for by Act No. 641 appropriating $150,000 in United currency for this purpose (Report of Philippine Commission, 1903). Work started in 1904 when the Philippine Commission contracted the J.G. White and Co. to dredge the river from the mouth of the Custom House at a depth of not less than 15 feet at low water and to rebuild the existing retaining wall (Worcester, 1904). Seven hundred eighty-three feet of river wall and 1,290 feet of reinforced concrete wharf, both to accommodate vessels of 18 feet at low water, were built along the south bank of the middle reach of the river. These were completed in March 1907. All in all, P1,000 was spent for the dredging of the Iloilo River and the improvements done on the wharf (120 th Port Anniversary, 1975). In the same year, pillotes were erected in order to facilitate the docking of ships.

The dredging work done on the Iloilo River from 1904 to 1907 enabled the government to reclaim 210,000 square meters of land along the banks, especially the lower portion of the area between the river and Fort San Pedro.

More improvements were done from 1908 to 1915. The insular government purchased a new dredge for the construction of the concrete marginal wharf with road connections and part of the dredging operations to include the turning basin (Report of the Philippine Commission, 1908).

The dredging projects and maintenance made the Iloilo River deep. As a result, it was able to accommodate larger vessels both in foreign operation and domestic shipping. Thus, by 1916, it was clearing more ships than Manila. It cleared 6,071 vessels totaling 398,130 tons, compared to Manila’s 2,849 vessels of 343,600 tons (Iloilo Provincial Historical Committee, 1975). That year, Iloilo also got a new custom house and, as if to prove that the Iloilo port was the heart of the city’s economic life, it was made the tallest building in the city that time. It is noteworthy to mention that Iloilo was the second port of call in the Philippines during this time as far as coast-wise shipping was concerned David, 1937).

In 1926, 115 meters of concrete river wall was added and, in the following year, rock jetties were put up at the river mouth to prevent erosion and formation of mud bars. In 1929, more dredging was was done to further improve the operations of the Iloilo port (Quintilla,1992). Again, in 1927, because of the dredging activity, a greater expanse of land (the later site of the Iloilo airport and now partly occupied by Camp Delgado and squatters), was reclaimed.

To serve the growing number of sea-going vessels sailing into the Iloilo port, dockyards and machine shops were established along the inner portion of the river. Those that were already operating in the 1920’s were the Visayan Stevedore and Transportation Co. (VISTRANCO), Iloilo Drydock and Engineering Co. (IDECO) and Taller Bisayas Strachan and McMurray. In the late 1930’s, two more establishments were added, namely: Commonwealth Foundry Shops and Dolendo Engineering, also known as La Paz Engineering.

With the reclamation of low-lying areas along the Iloilo River, more roads were constructed leading to the heart of the town of Iloilo. Notable among these was the extension of the Muelle Loney road from Calle Arroyo to the Casa Real or the Provincial Capitol (Versoza, 1937).

In 1937, because of the situation of the Iloilo River, the government appropriated P420,000 for dredging it and P98,165.40 for port maintenance (David, 1937). As can be seen, a lot of dredging and improvement were done on the Iloilo River and the port during the American period. These projects had far-reaching effects on the physical character and economy of the Iloilo town.

source: The News Today, July 1, 2005.

Read More

Iloilo Airport now ready for 'Open Sky' policy

ILOILO CITY, June 15 (PNA) -- The Iloilo Airport of international standards located at the Sta. Barbara-Cabatuan site is looking forward to accommodate international flights with its inclusion in the ‘Open Sky’ policy approved by President Benigno S. Aquino III.

On Tuesday the new airport which replaced the old Mandurriao Airport celebrated its 4th year anniversary since commencing operation on June 14, 2007 with Philippine Airlines Flight 139 taking the 6:20 a.m. inaugural flight from Manila.

Chief of Staff to the Director General Rodrigo Rodolfo Artuz said Iloilo international flights will soon be materialized as he likewise cited its impact not only in terms of employment but likewise in foreign exchange earnings.

He added that its state of the art facilities made the airport among the busiest in the country next to airports in Manila, Mactan, Cebu and Davao.

Meanwhile, CAAP-Iloilo Air Manager Efren Nagrama said so far no airline company so far has submitted a proposal for international destinations.

Nagrama hopes that soon there will be flights to Hongkong, Singapore, Korea, China although he cited as one problem the marketing aspect.

Should the plan pushes through the airport he said is ready to accommodate passengers from abroad even if only for twice a week.

Currently, the airport is catering everyday 21 domestic flights to Manila, Davao, Cebu vice versa.

Nagrama added their target of 1. 4 million passengers supposedly for 2015 has already been reached last year which means that numbers of domestic passengers are increasing rapidly.

Last year, he said they have accommodated almost 1.5 passengers and they are expecting more passengers this year.

On the other hand, Artuz brought good news to employees of the abolished Air Transportation Office (ATO) that by July this year they will be absorbed by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines-Iloilo (CAAP). (PNA)

source & related story(s):

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=695592&publicationSubCategoryId=66

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&nid=6&rid=352741

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&nid=2&rid=352611

http://iloilonewstoday.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2407:after-4-years-iloilo-airport-still-waiting-for-intl-flights&catid=98:local-news

Read More

Prospects better for BPO firms

Amigo Terrace Hotel in Iloilo City is PEZA Accredited Bldg.

EXPECTATIONS for the outsourcing industry have been scaled down but are better compared to the more uncertain view recently offered for merchandise exports.

Officials of the Export Development Council (EDC) and the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) have pegged industry growth for 2011 at 18% and 20%, respectively, down from last year’s 26% surge to $8.9 billion.

This compares to merchandise exporters describing their 10% growth goal a "fighting target" given concerns over a recovery in Japan, the unresolved debt crisis in the euro zone and continued unrest in the oil-producing Arab world.

Last year, outbound merchandise shipments rebounded by over a third to $50 billion.

"Since the growth in IT-BPO (information technology-business process outsourcing) has been robust at over 30% in recent years, it was felt that it would be more realistic to have a slightly lower target because the base itself is expanding rapidly and it would be difficult to project the same or higher rate," EDC Executive Director Senen M. Perlada said in a text message yesterday.

The outsourcing sector is more optimistic, with BPAP Executive Director Gillian G. Virata saying the forecast is for revenues to grow by a fifth to $11 billion. The Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) is also similarly upbeat.

"A target of around 15-20% for the BPO industry is a conservative growth rate," Jojo J. Uligan, CCAP corporate secretary and executive director, said on Saturday.

"The base is expanding, which is why it’s more difficult to achieve larger growth rates now, but the voice-based customer service industry is far from its saturation point," Mr. Uligan added.

"Majority of our accounts are still from the US, but there are other English-speaking countries out there we can tap such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand," he continued.

"We’re also encouraging companies to expand outside Metro Manila [to areas] such as Cebu, Baguio, Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, Davao, Dumaguete, Cagayan de Oro, and Iloilo to increase their risk management abilities and lower their vulnerability to things like natural disasters."

The call center industry ended 2010 with 344,000 jobs and $6.1 billion worth of revenue, a 21% rise from 2009, BPAP data show.

"[O]ur industry is close to 370,00-380,000 employees, but we are aiming for more than 420,000 jobs generated by the end of the year," Mr. Uligan said.

"Most of all, we are moving to higher value adding for voice-operated customer services for the next several years, since our workforce now is more technically capable and more knowledgeable compared to three to five years ago," he noted.

The BPAP has drafted a six-year medium-term development plan to generate $25 billion in revenue and 1.3 million jobs.

The EDC, for its part, has set out decreasing BPO growth goals of 16% and 14%, respectively, for 2012 and 2013. -- Eliza J. Diaz

source:

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=TopStory&title=Prospects-better-for-BPO-firms&id=33060

Read More

Seeking niche in $1B bamboo market

The government is spearheading a "bamboo revolution" to harness the potential of the world’s tallest grass other than as a material for handicraft and enable the country to get a bigger slice of the $8-billion global market for the material.

Executive Order 879, which was issued in May 2010, created the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) that aims to promote the bamboo industry.

The order directed the use of bamboo for at least 25 percent of the desk and other furniture requirements of public elementary and secondary schools and prioritizing the use of bamboo in furniture and other construction requirements of government agencies.

In 2009, it was estimated that the Department of Education DepEd bought about P1 billion worth of desks every year.

Trade Undersecretary Merly Cruz, in a presentation highlighting the accomplishments of the bamboo industry project, cited the other benefits from planting bamboo: it can significantly help mitigate climate change and reduce impacts of natural disasters.

The Bamboo Network of the Philippines (BambooPhil), an organization composed of Filipino bamboo scientists, advocates and entrepreneurs, also said bamboo is great for erosion control and carbon dioxide control.

It can be tapped as a cash crop because it is fast-growing and easy to propagate.

Celso Lantican of BambooPhil said cost-wise, bamboo is cheaper than wood and, therefore, a good substitute for the wood the country imports from Malaysia and Indonesia.

According to Cruz, the Philippines’ contribution to Asean’s efforts toward large-scale production of bamboo is the reforestation of at least 500,000 hectares with bamboo from 2010 to 2020.

During the first PBIDC meeting in January, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, council chair, said bamboo should be competitive in cost against wood to make substitution viable; otherwise, bamboo should be marketed as a premium product through research and development.

While technology is available, the council sees the need for technical assistance and capacity building and training.

Lantican said that raw materials are either insufficient or not suited for the production of certain products. He said massive planting of bamboo should be encouraged.

The council also eyes benchmarking with China, which has developed a breakthrough technology in tissue culture, leading to mass propagation.

Lantican said bamboo farming or plantation costs P30,000 per hectare. The average harvest per hectare is 1,200 culms or poles calculated at 6 culms per clump and 200 clumps per hectare.

Cruz said large-scale bamboo plantations will enable local government units to participate more actively in processing various products, creating jobs and livelihood.

So far, the program has established 11 new nurseries while about 900 new hectares have planted on the propagation side.

On business development, some 25 nodes and eight hubs and one Bamboo Negosyo Village have been set up.

One of the strategies adopted was a "big bro-small bro" subcontracting partnership.

Bambu International Corp. in Iloilo has been subcontracting from eight medium- and small-scale producers and sells bamboo products to the local and export markets.

Before the EO, the DTI had identified engineered bamboo projects under its one-town, one-project (OTOP) program.

OTOP has identified bamboo production and processing as a strategic industry for its potential not only in the domestic but also in the export market.

The industry’s major products come in the form of engineered construction materials.

DTI has forged a strong collaboration with the Department of Natural Resources, with the latter handling the establishment of bamboo nurseries and the growing of cuttings.

The clustering approach has been adopted for bamboo production and processing such that each island will have its own clusters.

In Luzon, Pampanga has been identified as a pilot area and hub for Central Luzon; Abra for Northern Luzon, Laguna for Southern Luzon, and Tarlac, Palawan, and Camarines Sur, among other provinces, as nodes.

In the Visayas, Iloilo and Negros Oriental are hubs and the whole island of Panay is a site of nodes. In Mindanao, General Santos City is the hub with Sarangani, South Cotabato, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay as nodes.

According to the DTI’s OTOP on bamboo, the tinik and or bayog varieties, which are economically important and the most widely cultivated, are the choice for the project.

The botong and tinik bamboo varieties mature between three to six months and have a gestation period of 4 to 5 years.

As of 2009, the bamboo project has generated P 2.443 million investments, P1.991 million domestic sales, 257 jobs, and created/assisted 57 MSMEs.

Cruz said from meeting the school desk requirements of the DepEd, the project aims to go into higher-end wood products such as wood panels both for the local and export markets.

Laguna served as the first pilot site due to its abundance of water, especially around the Laguna lake.

The Laguna bamboo model was replicated in Iloilo for Visayas and General Santos for Mindanao.

Early in the implementation of the project, DTI was exploring the possibility of exporting bamboo products to Japan, which heavily promotes the use of biodegradable and organic products.

Bamboo belongs to the grass family and has about 1,000 species. It is described as the fastest-growing plant on Earth and has been measured to grow as fast as 121 centimeters or 47.6 inches in one day.

Previous attempts to put up bamboo nurseries in the country had been unsuccessful because of the absence of a market to sell the bamboo harvested and the lack of processing facilities for higher-end applications.

source:

http://www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph/ssentinel/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1491&Itemid=41

Read More

Dinagyang wows New York in PIDCI Parade

Iloilo City's Dinagyang winner  in New York

NEW YORK - “Sensational! New York has never seen anything like it!” Those were only some of the hooray and hurrah comments Sunday when the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. unleashed its annual commemoration of the Declaration of Philippine Independence on Madison Avenue highlighting the performances of the Philippines’ awards-winning “Queen of Festivals,” the Dinagyang Festival.

As the 32-strong Dinagyang Festival dancers and drummers made their thumping and weaving choreography down the avenue to the shrieks and screams of onlookers running along and on the sidewalks, Dinagyang drums kept the pace booming up and down the concrete canyons of the greatest city in the world.

“It’s an infectious experience I’ve never felt before,” was another spectator’s comment as she tried to keep pace following at the heels of the costumed Dinagyang drummers and dancers.

And the merriment continued later in the day as the Dinagyang Festival put in another rousing performance during PIDCI’s afternoon Cultural Festival on the open stage just north of 23rd Street on Madison Avenue. Once again the shrieks and screams reverberated at the downtown end of the avenue and west through Madison Square Park all the way through the intersecting Fifth Avenue and Broadway.

If you ask Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog of Iloilo City, who heads the delegation, he’ll tell you that the Dinagyang Festival has become some sort of an international phenomenon, especially after winning the Grand Slam Award of the “Aliwan” Festival in Manila. Aliwan is likened to the Carnaval of Rio de Janeiro. It is held annually in Manila, Philippines with winning festivals from the outlying provinces and cities invited to compete for the Grand Slam prize.

And as the day wore on, the crowd on Madison Avenue, enjoying the upper 70’s-degree weather, savored the other major events of PIDCI’s Philippine Independence Day—the all-day Street Fair, from 24th Street to 26th Street—a block-long Food Festival and another block-long Mini-Expo; and the afternoon Cultural Festival that also showcased the Independence Day Parade Guest of Honor, Philippine Vice President Jejomar C. Binay, who was accompanied by Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. and Philippine consul General in New York, Ambassador Mario L. de Leon, Jr. and invited celebrities from the Philippines Jericho and Karyll who sang a few songs on the stage to wind up the day’s festivities.

PIDCI President Joji Jalandoni announced and invited everyone to the next and culminating event of the 113th Anniversary Commemoration of Philippine Independence – the annual Philippine Independence Ball, at the New York Hilton Hotel at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019, on Saturday, June 11 from 7pm to 1am of the following day – Philippine Independence Day.

“Get ready to be thrilled by more Dinagyang Festival dances,” she promised.

source:

http://www.asianjournal.com/fil-am-news/3-filamnews/10744-dinagyang-wows-new-york-in-pidci-parade.html

Read More

Iloilo to pilot cultural integration of Fil-Am youths

By Lydia C. Pendon

Friday, June 10, 2011

MAYOR Jed Patrick Mabilog and Philippine Ambassador Joey Cuisia based in New York City are planning a joint project to make Iloilo City as a pilot area to reintegrate the Filipino-American (Fil-Am) youths on Filipino culture and tradition.

Mabilog, fresh from his 12-day trip to the United States, said an agreement was forged with the Philippine Ambassador to send about 30 to 40 Fil-Am youths in the Philippines and stay for at least one month to absorb Filipino culture and tradition.

Are you short of coins? Check out Sun.Star's multimedia special report on coin circulation.

The meeting was held recently when Mabilog led an Ilonggo contingent in New York in a grand Philippine Independence Day celebration and parade last June 5, 2011.

Dinagyang Tribu Pan-ay was the celebration centerpiece along Madison Avenue, Manhattan that captured more than 150,000 crowd and considered as the biggest celebration of Philippine Independence Day in northeastern area of the United States.

Mabilog said the reintegration project seeks to inculcate Philippine tradition and culture among the Fil-Ams who were mostly born and raised in the United States and absorbed the American way of life.

The city mayor said there is a need to teach the youths on Philippine tradition and culture by staying with Ilonggo families who will teach and remind them of their origin.

The city mayor said that several parents of these youths are willing to send back their children to Iloilo during school break from July to August as school opens in September in the United States.

source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/iloilo/local-news/2011/06/10/iloilo-pilot-cultural-integration-fil-am-youths-160426

Read More

Iloilo Welcomes CNS e-Lamp

CNS e-Lamp Office

Iloilo is privilege to be chosen by CNS e-Lamp to be one of their expansion sites. CNS e-Lamp is a Business Processing Outsourcing service company that provide quality English education through web conferencing technology.

E-lamp’s operation started in 2006 at the East Tower Philippine Stock Exchange Center, Exchange Road, Pasig City and in 2009, a new branch opened at the IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City. This April 2011, e-Lamp will start its operation in the heart of Iloilo City.

The Iloilo Federation for Information Technology (I FIT) assisted CNS e-Lamp in looking for sites for their expansion. There were a couple of sites visited including a visit for courtesy call to our beloved city Mayor, Hon. Jed Patrick Mabilog last December. Today IFIT officially welcomes CNS e-Lamp in Iloilo.

Currently, CNS e-Lamp is looking for applicants as ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST (online English Tutors for Koreans). Interested applicants may visit CNS e-Lamp at their office at the 2nd floor, Unit 2A at TTW Corporate Center, JM Bas St., Iloilo City. Phone 0915-6925095, 0999-5160904, 0922-9337332.

Read More

History of Barotac Nuevo

Barotac Nuevo is Known as the Footbal Capital of the Philippines

Barotac Nuevo is a small town in the province of Iloilo. It is 34 kilometers from Iloilo City going to the North and was founded in 1811 by Don Simon Raymundo Protacio, a known leader of the place during the Spanish era. It is bounded on the north by Anilao, south by Dumangas, west by Pototan and east by the Iloilo Strait. Today, about 34,367 inhabitants enjoy the fruit of Don Simon Raymundo's shrewdness. It has a total land area of 9,787.6 hectares.

SPANISH REGIME

The town was found in 1811 by the recognized leader of the place during the Spanish era, Don Simon Raymundo Protacio. Tha name Barotac was derived from the acronym of the Sapnish word "baro" meaning mud and "tac" the last syllable of the vernacular term "lutac" which has the same meaning as mud. The word "Nuevo" which means new was added to identify it from a town some 30 kilometers up north called Barotac Viejo.

According to the native lore, Barotac Nuevo during the 15th century was known far and wide with its pure breed horses. And Tamasak, a white stallion was the strongest, fastest and handsomest horse in the locality. Tamasak was destined to be Barotac Nuevo's symbol. How and why is an interesting story. At that time, the Governor-General of the country was Manuel Gonzales de Aguilar. One time, de Aguilar was given a handsome horse that came from India. But there was no horse around Manila which could be used as its pair to draw the Governor-General's carromata. De Aguilar's men went around the islands looking for another horse until they reached the town of Dumangas in Iloilo. Malutac then was only an arrabal of Dumangas. They found Tamasak and wanted to buy the horse at any price but Don Simon would not sell it although he was willing to give it for free provided Malutac be made a pueblo.

The men went back to Manila and informed the Governor-General of Don Simon's request. The Governer-General agreed and immediately ordered the Gobernadorcillo of Iloilo to separate Barrio Malutac from the town of Dumangas and proclaim its townhood identity.

SPANISH ERA

Education during the period was purely religious. The Christian Doctrine was the subject matter and the purpose was to spread Christianity all over the island. Seven corporal punishments were imposed on those who guilty. People were forced to go to school and those who disobeyed were caught by the guardia civil. Severe punishments like "Palmita" "San Sebastian" and "pinasong" or twenty - five lashes were suffered by the people if they were found guilty or if they could not memorize the required prayers. The priest who was esteemed and respected very much, recommend the teachers. The first teachers were Maetras Gregoria Celez, Rufina Siaotong and Nieves Batayola. The method of teaching was purely memory work.

AMERICAN REGIME

During the first part of the American regime, robbery and looting were rampant causing the loss of many lives and the burning of houses. From 1889 to 1901, the destruction suffered by the municipality of Barotac Nuevo was the burning of house in Barrio Guintas, Talisay and Lanas.

Later, the Americans came to occupy the town. They were very friendly to the people. Since the people and the Americans could not understand each other, interpreters were employed. Lorenzo Mararejo an intelligent man, who has command of the Spanish language, became one, after he learned a little of the English language. They organized classes although the people were reluctant. However, the encouragement and kind attention shown by the Americans lulled many to attend school. They supplied the people with books, papers, slates and other school needs.

In 1901, a dreaded cholera epidemic broke out. Many suffered and died. Everyday, cartloads of dead were taken to the cemetery. This was the most horrible year for only one or two in a family survived. In some cases all members of the family died.

In 1911, the town was plagued by an intense heat ot drought called "panglaya". Plants withered and died and production was practically nil and did not meet the needs and appease the hunger of the people. Corn, the only crop that survived was the people's salvation.

The year 1912 was a period of development. Many improvements were made in the town, such as the building of roads, ridges, and the public market. Further improvements were also made during the administration of Bernardo Siaotong from 1926 - 1934. Among them are the moment of Dr.

In giving due honors and acknowledgement to Don Simon and his bejeweled Tamasak, a statue was erected at the heart of the municipality by the Late Mayor Bernardo Siaotong as a symbol of gratitude of the Barotacnons.

The radio house was constructed under the administration on Mayor Ramon A. Juarez.

In 1928, the Central Santos - Lopez Co., Inc. sugar mill was created at Barrio Salihid, two and a half kilometers away from the poblacion. This booted the economy of the town and employed a big number of residents in the place. However, due to the collapse of the sugar mill has stopped operating since 1985.

The constructions of the Jalaur bridge in 1931 - 1932 paved the way for an easy means of transportation and contact between the north and south of the Jalaur River. The former bridge was made of wood and was built so low it was often destroyed by floods. Transportation therefore at times was inaccessible, and a raft was usually used to ferry people and produce from one side to the other.

In 1931, a new steel bridge was built. This greatly helped commuters. In 1981, a concrete bridge was constructed beside the steel bridge, which had been demolished.

WORLD WAR 11

On April 16, 1942, the Japanese imperial forces landed in Iloilo. Matias Ray who came from the City of Iloilo on that day relayed and alarming news to the residents in the poblacion. Three days later truckloads of Japanese soldiers went to central - Santos - Lopez but left later in the day. A series of thirty - five truckloads of the invaders returned to Barotac Nuevo a week later and literally ransacked and plundered every house on their way. Thus began miserable existence of the town population. May 1942, a Japanese contingent garrisoned themselves at the Roman Catholic Church. The began courting the residents by appointing an influential man in the person of Jose. P. S. Bretana as their first Occupation Mayor, Monico Nicolo as Treasurer and Numeriano Bayona as Chief of Police.

Meanwhile, the civil resistance for Panay and Romblon which was headed by the late Senator Tomas Confesor was organized in Barrio Jalaud with Romulo Golez as first Deputy Governor for the Administrative District comprising the towns as Barotac Nuevo, Dumangas, Pototan, Dingle, Lambunao and Calinog as his area of responsibility. Golez in turn appointed Pedro Paranpan as Resistence Movement Mayor of Barotac Nuevo, Jesus Reyes as judge, Salvador Tuble as Treasurer and Ramon Bayona as food admininstrator, with Barrio Jalaud as the seat of the resistance civil government and later transferred to Barrio Talisay.

ETHNIC ORIGIN OF THE PEOPLE

Aside from the legend and folklores transmitted from generation to generation, nobody among the Baratocnons bothered to record the events that transpired in Baratoc Nuevo. Existing records if any, during the Spanish and American regime were lost during the last war. It can be safely assumed however, that the aetas were the origins of the place, although only a few of them can be found presently.

POLITICAL SUBDIVISION AND LAND AREA

The municipality of Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo is 30 kilometers away from the city of Iloilo. Located in the northeastern part of the provines, it has 29 baranggays including Ilaud Poblicoan and Ilaya Poblacion. Its land area is 9,787,6887 hectares representing about 1.84% of the total area of the Province of Iloilo. It is a 5th class municipality with an annual income of P4,512,853.62 (1988 financial statement).

source: http://www.friendster.com/group-discussion/index.php?t=msg&th=191851&start=0&

Read More