Hundreds flock to Marian festival (Sun.Star, Tuesday, September 11, 2007)

Hundreds flock to Marian festival

By Ian Ocampo Flora

STA RITA -- The Marian Festival held by an elite group of image owners here attracted Marian devotees and lay faithful from all across the province.

The Confradia de la Maria organized by Marian enthusiasts in Pampanga’s second district staged a three day exhibit of antique and “newly” commissioned Marian images and saints at the town convento here. The exhibit for free resulted in the patronage of Catholic schools in the area.

“Before the grand procession (September 9) we usually close the exhibit to provide time for the owners of the images to decorate their carrozas but because of the sheer number of visitors we had to extend our viewing time to accommodate them,” said Glenn Emmanuel Canlas, chief organizer of the exhibit.

Canlas added that this year’s exhibit was the most successful event that the Confradia had organized so far, with more than 30 images participating in the exhibit and more of the same number in the grand procession.

“We are very thankful that collectors and image owners had participated,” Canlas said, adding that most of the images on exhibit are of great value and a couple of which are event antique heirlooms from grand old families in the district.

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Capitol employees ask for higher GMA bonus (Sun.Star, Sunday, December 09, 2007)

Capitol employees ask for higher GMA bonus

By Ian Ocampo Flora

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Capitol employees have expressed delight over the news of the impending release of their "GMA bonus." But during the birthday of Governor Eddie Panlilio Thursday, they asked him to increase their bonus.

Panlilio announced the anuual GMA bonus would be released within the next few days to capitol employees. He made the announcement during the opening of the Aldo Ning Kapampangan celebrations in the city.

The GMA bonus given during the Yuletide season usually amounts to around P5,000. The beneficiaries, however, have clamored for an increase of the bonus during Panlilio's birthday celebration last December 6. Panlilio said he only awaits the formal directive from the Office of the President before releasing the much-anticipated bonus.

"On the GMA bonus we will give you as much as we can as far as our budget will allow," Panlilio said during his birthday bash organized by capitol employees. The GMA bonus usually comes from available local funds. The bonus would be benefiting regular and casual employees of the capitol.

Some capitol employees said the P5,000 would already help a lot in the upcoming Christmas season though the amount might not be enough to meet yuletide demands.

"Pwedi na yung bonus kung maliit lang yung pamilya pero hindi kakasya yung halaga na yon kapag medyo may kalakihan ang pamilya, sa handa at gastusin pa lang kulang na (the bonus would be enough for small families, but if the family is large enough, the amount won't be that good)," one employee who refused to be named said.

The prices of basic commodities are expected to soar a bit higher as Christmas approaches. Some employees say it would not hurt the capitol too much if it would place a "little more" on the impending bonus.

"Malaki naman ang kinikita ng probinsya mula sa quarry operation kaya pwede naman suguro maglagay ng konti para sa bonus (the province gets high amounts from quarry operation, so it would be possible for them to increase our bonus)," remarks one employee, stressing that a little increase on the bonus would go a long way for most capitol employees.

Former governors' portraits being restored: Dabu (Sun.Star, Sunday, December 09, 2007)

Former governors' portraits being restored: Dabu

By Ian Ocampo Flora

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Provincial Administrator Vivian Dabu has clarified the issue regarding the "missing portraits" of past governors of the province at the capitol, stressing that the said art works are undergoing restoration.

In an interview with Sun.Star Pampanga, Dabu said the portraits are under the safe keeping of the provincial tourism office after they were removed from the second floor lobby of the Capitol.

Dabu clarified the portraits were not "stashed away" -- the common misconception among some capitol observers. "The portraits need cleaning and restoration, when we removed them during the general cleaning of the capitol we discovered that they were not arranged chronologically," Dabu said, adding that there are around 10 governors without portraits from the original batch.

"We are going to place them back but in a much better location. The former location is not a good site," she added.

Dabu said the provincial government would be allotting around P10,000 for each portrait.

Provincial Tourism Officer Ian Paulo Mejia said they have been consulting with the Center for Kapampangan Studies of Holy Angel University to have the portraits of the other ten governors commissioned. Mejia confirmed Dabu's statements saying they would undertake efforts to research on the origin and background information of the portraits.

"We will restore them and include the other remaining portraits in a more dignified position. Though we are still coordinating with the center, we are targeting February 13, which is the founding anniversary of the provincial government, for the unveiling of the portraits," Mejia told Sun.Star Pampanga.

Long-time employees of the provincial capitol saidmost of the portraits have been placed in the second floor lobby since the early seventies.

Though it's still not clear who commissioned the portraits, most of the existing ones are those of the most illustrious governors of the province. The portraits were done through oil on canvass except for the portrait of Governor Lito Lapid, which was commissioned using a different medium.

"It is not true that we have placed them away because we do not value past leaders, in fact the tourism department is also focusing on arts and culture," Dabu added.

48 Aeta families ‘rescued’ in San Fernando (Sunnex, Sunday, November 18, 2007)

48 Aeta families ‘rescued’ in San Fernando

By Ian Ocampo Flora

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -– The social welfare department of the local government unit (LGU) here has rescued 48 Aeta families who had built makeshift homes in various parts of the city.

“We do not want to use the word ‘apprehend,’ what we did was a rescue of the Aetas who have built temporary homes in the city and have been begging for alms despite the hazards that begging pose to their lives and that of their children,” stressed City Social Welfare Department (CSWD) head Irish Deliwang.

Deliwang said the “rescued” Aetas have built homes in the city transport facility along Olongapo-Gapan Road and the Torno Memorial Holmes.

“The conditions to which they are exposed had been taking the toll on most of the children they have with them,” she said, pointing to some Aeta children confined at the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital here.

The CSWD gathered the Aeta families and would be transporting them to the towns were they came from.

Deliwang said the city has no available indigenous program.

“We help them when they come to the city each year but we could only do little because they are not part of our clientele. The fact is it’s the LGUs (of Mabalacat and Porac) that should institute programs for social services of Aetas,” she said.

The CSWD official added: “Most of the health cases that we have now is on children having pneumonia and diarrhea. Their situation is really alarming which poses a question if there are really available streamlining of social services were these Aetas came from.”

According to Deliwang, Aeta groups usually “visit” San Fernando during the Yuletide season to scratch a living out of begging along streets and communities, saying that such has been a perennial problem for the city.

She also raised the issue of hospitals not accepting indigenous people who would like to avail of medical attention.

“We have cases of hospital that refuses to care for Aetas without necessary identification. They don’t need identification because you would know an Aeta when you see one,” Deliwang said, adding that the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (Republic Act 8371) accords indigenous people free medical attention.

She said: “We are coordinating with Porac and Mabalacat but we could only do help within our jurisdiction and we do not have a hold of the social services of the towns.”

A survey of Aeta communities in Porac and Mabalacat reveal that most Aetas are receiving support mostly from religious, community, and advocacy organizations rather from tangible government projects.

“This only shows that there is a weak extension of social services in the province. Rehabilitation should have been accorded to them a long time ago. Begging is only a temporary solution to their situation and it has a terrible effect on their health and safety, especially that of the children that they bring when begging,” said Deliwang. (Sun.Star Pampanga/Sunnex)

Center provides free cultural dance lessons (Sun.Star, Friday, October 19, 2007)

Center provides free cultural dance lessons

By Ian Ocampo Flora

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- A premier dance training center here is offering free training workshops for cultural dances in hopes of popularizing Kapampangan dance culture.

The Sinukwan Training Center for the Arts (STCA) will be holding free dance lessons at the Robinsons Starmills Pampanga every Saturdays and Sundays starting this month. The STCA is a non-profit organization set up in 1992 by a group of cultural dance enthusiasts. Since its inception, the STCA has focused on other dance genres such as jazz, pop, modern dancing and even Kapampangan cultural dances.

Peter de Vera, artistic director of the STCA, said their group hopes to make "ripples" by creating distinct dance moves that would be associated with Kapampangans.

"Most of the moves that we are teaching are original dances that we have conceptualized and used in various stints we had abroad and in various shows and competition," de Vera said, adding that most of their participants are dance enthusiasts and choreographers from various schools in the region.

The SCTA is training around 50 participants, four of which even come from the US.

Anamaria Labao Cabato, executive director of the Philippine Performing Arts Company (Pacasat) based in San Diego, California, has long been tracking down a dance that was performed by Saint Louis University of Baguio during an international tour.

"It took us seven years to trace the dance here in the Philippines and we were so lucky to learn that it was a dance that originated here in Pampanga," Cabato said.

Pacasat is an organization of Kapampangan arts and culture enthusiasts who bonded themselves together with the aim of popularizing Kapampangan culture among fellow kabalens abroad.

Upong getting wind of de Vera's free training, Cabato trooped to San Fernando along with four other Pacasat members just to learn the "Lantern Dance" that was popularized by the STCA. The Lantern Dance is the signature move of the STCA which was first presented at the Paskuhan Village (now WOW Philippines Hilaga).

"We are so happy to learn the dance and even more, we are going to include this dance (Lantern Dance) and other Kapampangan dance moves that we have learned into our performances abroad," Cabato said.

Pacasat will also be holding a Lantern Festival in San Diego by December and would highlight the lantern-making tradition and the Lantern Dance, according to Cabato.

De Vera said the foreign delegation inspires them more to do their advocacies in a whole new level.

"I was so happy that they were enchanted by the dance, I only hope that Kapampangans here in the country would have the same enthusiasm," de Vera said.

Cop in 'salvaging' case gives up (Sun.Star, Friday, November 09, 2007)

Cop in 'salvaging' case gives up

By Ian Ocampo Flora

GUAGUA -- In an unprecedented turn of events, the policeman who was indicted on charges of "salvaging" a robbery suspect has finally surrendered to his superiors through the mediation of local authorities.

Policeman Ponciano Manalo who was accused of salvaging Avelino Bautista, 27, who was involved in a robbery incident in an Internet shop here owned by one Vic Chu last month.

Manalo and his partner Russel Castro were the police officers who responded to the robbery case.

Castro later confessed to Inspector Onofre Asuncion, deputy chief here, the alleged summary execution of Bautista. He positively identified his buddy, PO1 Manalo, "as the one who shot to death salvage victim Bautista on the eve of October 7."

Charges of homicide and grave abuse of authority were prepared against Manalo who went on "absence without leave." Castro was also charged with homicide to enable him to qualify as a state witness.

Guagua Police Chief Wilson Santos said Manalo finally presented himself to the Guagua police. He said the suspect had surrendered through the mediation of Guagua Mayor Ricardo Rivera and Councilor Relly Manalang on Wednesday afternoon.

"The good mayor and the councilor facilitated the surrender," he said.

"Manalo is now restricted in the area of the police station," Santos said while assuring that wherever Manalo would go, he would have fellow police officers as escorts.

The Guagua police chief also assured that the cases would still follow its due course despite the fact that the suspect is a police officer.

He also said Castro had not recanted his confession. "Castro is also restricted in the vicinity of the station," Santos assured.

When asked by Sun.Star if there would be problems with the two officers meeting in one station, Santos said the situation is okay as of the moment.

The body of robbery suspect Bautista was found floating along the Masaluso River in Barangay Santo Rosario, Minalin last October 9. He was single, jobless and a resident of Purok 5 San Pedro, Guagua.

Investigation showed that when Manalo and Castro that when the two policemen reached the reported place of robbery incident last October 7, Bautista was already tied up by village folk with a nylon cord on both hands and feet.

Castro said in his confession that he and Manalo were on their way to the police station when Manalo shot Bautista in the head. Upon seeing Bautista with a bullet wound in the head, Castro, who was driving the police patrol vehicle, pulled over and disembarked.

Castro told his superiors that he had been threatened by Manalo against telling anybody about the "salvaging" of Bautista. But his conscience bothered him and decided to confess the incident.

Board member: Blanket authority will not pass Provincial Board (Sun.Star, Saturday, July 21, 2007)

Board member: Blanket authority will not pass Provincial Board

By Ian Ocampo Flora

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Pampanga Provincial Board (PB) is inclined to reject the request of Governor Eddie Panlilio for blanket authority.

Board Member Karl Domingo said yesterday that Panlilio’s request for blanket authority will not be passed by members of the PB.

Domingo clarified that the disagreement of the PB over the request does not only concern the appeal of the governor to have “full” authority over donations but also some other factors that would run contrary to the mandate of the PB.

Panlilio asked the PB to grant him the authority to enter into contracts and memorandum of agreements that may be needed by the people of the province.

He said the governor’s appeal also concerns some provisions that are general and does not have specific parameters and limitations.

The request, Domingo said, runs counter to the mandate of the PB and in the check and balance in the provincial government.

The board member stressed that the blanket authority is not necessary and the provincial government could still provide the necessary services even without the blanket authority vested in the Governor.

However, despite the distaste by the PB members, Domingo said that the Governor’s team would still insist on the request in the coming days.