tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58239131836778879042024-03-05T03:08:24.865-08:00NEWSCOREAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-78045929402795834062011-01-31T06:46:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:49:45.941-08:00Rep. Sy-Alvarado defends husband<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxZX0WxJ7qyo_pldI6hyX0QkRXYWw1AKerdqeXPIxj_sipY6hI7_2drJ_XyiSXVyisIwTbDF-xqt_ziWOYtxg230qpnNEOg-R3Jwup2qoNEEODuJoSp-SV7_yyid4e5bBC4AwQqZDZGD4/s1600/marivic.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 89px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxZX0WxJ7qyo_pldI6hyX0QkRXYWw1AKerdqeXPIxj_sipY6hI7_2drJ_XyiSXVyisIwTbDF-xqt_ziWOYtxg230qpnNEOg-R3Jwup2qoNEEODuJoSp-SV7_yyid4e5bBC4AwQqZDZGD4/s200/marivic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571330948394319506" border="0" /></a><br />CITY OF MALOLOS—Bulacan First District Congresswoman Marivic Sy-Alvarado calls for a House investigation on the alleged destructive operations of quarry and mining companies in Bulacan’s natural resources as she defended her husband Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado over recent order to confiscate in favor of the provincial government pieces of abandoned blocks of marbles in San Miguel town.<br /> Gov. Sy-Alvarado is being accused of “abuse of authority” by a former village official from San Miguel town in the third district of Bulacan in support of the alleged owner of some of the marble blocks he ordered confiscated and kept in favor of the provincial government.<br /> At least nine marble blocks which were found abandoned and scattered along the rivers and road sides in San Miguel were ordered hauled off by the governor to the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) in Tabang, Guiguinto last October 2010 to prevent accidents as the blocks may roll down to passing motorists and residents.<br /> But, a reported owner of some of the said blocks had questioned the authority of the local chief executive over such hauling off.<br /> Atty. Rustico De Belen, head of the Bulacan Environment and Natural Resources (BENRO) said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional office had allowed such seizure of the said abandoned marble blocks.<br /> Gov. Sy-Alvarado told NEWS CORE on Thursday the marble blocks remain intact at the PEO together with earlier stocked marble blocks being kept there.<br /> The governor had dismissed claims that the provincial government immediately claimed ownership and engaged in profitable discharge of the said minerals.<br /> He said he even post a huge notice in tarpaulin on the said blocks that owner of the said minerals which can show pertinent documents of their ownership on them can claim the blocks within a certain period.<br /> The notice reads “the marble block were abandoned in major thoroughfares and waterways at Sibul, San Miguel, Bulacan. They were hauled here to protect the public from flooding and accident that can be caused by such hazards and for safekeeping. Any lawful claimant is given two weeks from today (October 1, 2010) to file his/her claim at the Office of the Governor of through the BENRO.<br /> According to the Congresswoman, full authority by the LGU’s to issue permits to mine and quarry one’s respective province mineral sites would stop sectors particularly mining and quarry companies from questioning the power of governors, mayors and even barangay officials in intervening in the said issuances for the protection of the natural resources.<br /> The Bulacan solon in a privileged speech she delivered in Congress last Monday had pushed for stronger stake of the LGU’s over the DENR issuances of mining permits and mining operations in Bulacan’s marble and iron rich mountains to give full protection on the province wealth and natural resources.<br /> Sy-Alvarado blamed the DENR’s granting of permits to mine and quarry in the mineral reserve area of Biak-na-Bato without a consent and prior conformity by the Bulacan provincial government as behind the degradation of the province mountain resources yet had only left a very minimal income generated in forms of taxes and local permits.<br /> She said destruction in the natural resources of Bulacan especially in the Biak-na-Bato area today is imminent through the obvious left huge holes and diggings in the mountain areas and the numbers of abandoned marble blocks found along the rivers and side roads in San Miguel town. <br /> She asked the Congress Oversight Committee to conduct investigation to look deeper into the implementation of the free and prior informed consent (FPIC) of the national government towards the LGU’s to clear the delineation and respective shares of the national government from the LGU’s including indigent communities from the tax income from quarry and mining operations in Biak-na-Bato.<br /> “Ang pagbibibigay ng maigting na kapangyarihan sa mga pamahalaang local sa sektor ng pagmimina. The approval of any mining claim by the national government through the DENR must require concurrence of the provincial government through its local chief executive who could be held accountable for any environment degradation together with the mining claimants under the Writ of Kalikasan, the Local Government Code of 1991 and other laws,” she said in her speech.<br /> “There should be equitable and transparent sharing benefits between the national and local governments. The 50% national, 10% provincial and 20% each for the municipality and host barangays) sharing scheme must be reviewed, particularly considering the indigenous people/s cultural communities in case the mining claims fall within the ancestral lands domains,” she said in her speech.<br /> The previous minimal P15 million a year income generation of the Bulacan provincial government from marble quarry and other mining operations in the province natural resources rose up to over P40 million in July to October 2010 after Gov. Alvarado ordered full inventory and suspension of all quarry and mining operations in Biak-na-Bato and other mineral reserve and natural resources in Bulacan.<br /> Affected mining and quarry firms appealed to the governor to honestly pay taxes and permits just to allow them to resume operation that caused the tax and permit generation to rise up to that amount in only a matter of few months.<br /> De Belen today further projected a close to P100 million collection this year based on the initiated now being implemented collection reforms to the quarry and mining sector yet maintaining a preserved and protected natural resources of the province.<br /> The lady solon is also pushing for amendment to the present mining laws to provide social and environmental safety nest for wise management of the environment and the protection of the people particularly the affected communities.<br /> The lady solon also expressed support to the program of her husband for the mining and quarry firms operating in Bulacan to put up their own processing plants in the province to generate more employment and add more revenue collection in the province.<br /> She also lashed out on the DENR’s issuances of permits without the consent of the provincial government as contributory to the killings of individuals engaged in the marble quarry sector in Bulacan. <br /> According to the Congresswoman, The DENR’s earlier granting of Mineral Product Sharing Agreement (MPSA), a 25 years permit to quarry red tea rose marble in the said area to Rosemoor Mining and Development Corporation without consultation and prior consent with the provincial government ignited the murder of two squabbling owners of the said firm<br /> Constantino Pascual, former CEO of RMDC was killed in 2008 in San Miguel town. His aunt who also claims full ownership of the company was strangled to death inside her room in her house in Quezon City last November 2010. <br /> Earlier, Gov. Sy-Alvarado had been battling against such issuance of the MPSA to RMDC following internal squabble of the Pascual’s who are related to each other as aunt and nephew.<br /> Alvarado welcomed the earlier decision by the DENR to cancel the said MPSA of RMDC.<br /> He said the DENR should really stop allowing magnitude or large scale of quarry and mining in Bulacan’s natural resources and leave it to the provincial government province through the permits for small scale mining within 5 hectares area.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-33281552169218265802011-01-31T06:43:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:51:55.686-08:00Filipinos owe Ople's OFW remittance policy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5I4C-XOGMeMmqAZwmmUYZFaur735U20M_ZHwunoki8mutb97mUJijebAlNE-OxLPOV0L5lD7dLIi2lUtKSvlehRS2sx8MNr8iZXA2x7EJas2SMLmrdttTUfmblb8QPZHq7Fdts6H8sMb2/s1600/ople.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 89px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5I4C-XOGMeMmqAZwmmUYZFaur735U20M_ZHwunoki8mutb97mUJijebAlNE-OxLPOV0L5lD7dLIi2lUtKSvlehRS2sx8MNr8iZXA2x7EJas2SMLmrdttTUfmblb8QPZHq7Fdts6H8sMb2/s200/ople.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571330079362328322" border="0" /></a><br />CITY OF MALOLOS—Bulacan officials Thursday honored former Labor Secretary Blas Ople as the man behind today’s strong economy of the nation brought by the dollar remittances of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) which he had initiated about thirty years now.<br /> Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado led other Bulcan leaders in a wreath laying ceremony and a program at the monument of Ople in front of a building named after him inside the provincial capitol compound here for the commemoration of his 84th birth anniversary.<br /> Alvarado said the Filipino nation and the Philippine government owe it to Ople today as our economy grows stronger each year because of the money remittances of the millions of Filipinos working abroad which was a brain work of the former Labor Secretary from Hagonoy town.<br /> Ople who was born on Feb. 3, 1927 from a very poor family in the coastal Hagonoy town was the Labor Secretary in early 1970’s when he put up the Bureau of Employment Services at the Ministry of Labor and Employment which led to the birth of manpower export of the country.<br /> Since then, Ople had formulated international labor laws and become the Father of International Labor Laws.<br /> He then became a Foreign Affairs Secretary before he became a Senate President.<br /> Alvarado said honoring the great sons of Bulacan and the Filipino nation like Ople which he called as a wonder boy of his time being born from a very poor family yet graduated as an elementary valedictorian and continue to rise up reaching his dreams and serving the country is part of his government’s thrust to enrich the culture and tradition of the province.<br /> He recalled the young Ople who goes to school barely on his foot and without slippers and about to attend his graduation with honors in school without a pair of shoes as a very young member of the Bulacan Military Area command against then Japanese forces who occupied the country.<br /> A fellow resident from Hagonoy town, Alvarado said the Bulacan race is very proud of Ople called as “Amang” by his children and relatives for also being a bright and brilliant journalist and a multi colored statesman.<br /> Former Governor Tomas Martin, also from Hagonoy town who was guest speaker during the affair said Hagonoy would never have a similar son with such greatness that of Ople had shown and done for the country and for the people of Bulacan and their town.<br /> Martin, 89, governor of Bulacan from 1957 to 1961 said Filipinos should always look at Ople as the man behind the manpower export in different countries and should never forget it.<br /> He also hails Ople as an epitome of an honest, no single corrupt act committed during his terms in the government and should be emulated by all the people in the government. “Si Ople ay nanatiling mahirap pa rin hanggang siya ay mamatay, hindi siya nagpayaman at nag corrupt, wala siyang pabaong tinanggap sa gobyerno, iyan ang dapat tularan ng lahat,” he said.<br /> Board Member Felix Ople, former Mayor of Hagonoy also reminded every Bulakenyo and every Filipino of the love and heart of his father for the laborers especially the OFW’s.<br /> “His heart always belongs to the poor and the laborers and he raised us up with that principles of service to our fellowmen,” he said.<br /> Ople died in 2003 as a modern day hero of Bulacan. He was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Manila.<br /> Former Board Member Raul Ople, another son of the old Ople spoke if his father’s contributions to fellow Bulakenyos not only in terms of labor export but including different infrastructures and a huge number of who had benefited from local employment.<br /> Former Labor Undersecretary Susan “Toots” Ople and Hagonoy Councilor Dalisay Ople-San Jose are also the children of the former Senate President and Foreign Affairs Secretary.<br /> Toots who run but lost in the senate race in May 2010 elections had been running the Ople Policy Center which she founded as a legacy of her father that looks after the welfare and protection from abuses and maltreatments of OFW’s in different countries.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-18645688955433905982011-01-31T06:40:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:41:48.385-08:00Dominguez bros, fine young men--Calumpit old neighborCALUMPIT, Bulacan—Eldest and second to the eldest of a brood of four males, brothers Roger and Raymond Dominguez, alleged leaders of a notorious carjack gang are just simple and ordinary sons of one of a wealthy family in a village here and are not known to be involved in any criminal activities.<br /> Ambrocio Talampas, 64, who lives just some blocks away from the brother’s house in Barangay Iba Este said they have not known any of them as carjackers and many of them are caught by surprise when they saw on the news the former young boys in their neighborhood are involved in series of car theft and even murder.<br /> “Halos lahat kami rito nagulat na lang sa biglang balitang ganun, dito kasi mga simple at ordinaryong mga kapitbahay lang sila. Nakita naming mga lumaki iyon at mababait naman sila,” Talampas, a retired employee at a nearby paper mill company in this town told NEWS CORE Monday.<br /> According to him, Roger, 29 was even known to have entered a seminary school and Raymond, 26 actively participates during fiesta events in their barangay.<br /> Talampas said the two came from one of the most few well off families in their village and need not to even work for themselves in order to live because their parents can fully sustain even their luxury living including if they would have their own respective families.<br /> The father of the Dominguez brothers is a well respected retired head of a private financial company and their mother is engage in rice farm business and owns at least seven threshers or rice mills.<br /> However, he said, if there is any truth on what the police accused and charged the two brothers, they are not aware of that because he said the brothers also stay and live for quite sometime in Metro Manila. <br /> A woman neighbor who refused to be named said they also known the Dominguez brothers as quiet and simple residents. However, the woman in her early 50’s said they do not know if the two have been in criminal syndicate operation recently and refused to further give comments. “Mahirap ng magsalita, pero iyon lang, mababait naman sila,” she said.<br /> Betty Dominguez, 54, the mother of Roger and Raymond who was interviewed by this reporter on phone on Monday denied her children are carjack gang leaders and who own the safe houses which were raided by the police where numbers of plate numbers and believed carjack vehicles were recovered.<br /> She said the implications made by the police to her sons to the recent spate of killings of car dealer Venson Evangelista and Emerson Lozano and his driver Ernani Sensil all just came about when the kin of Dianne Santos, a member of the Bay Walk Bodies who was found dead last Dec. 29 points to Raymond as the alleged killer.<br /> But she said that could be very impossible because she only fetch Raymond from the Bulacan Provincial Jail 4pm on that day while the dead body of Santos was found at around 3:45 am right after the north bound lane of the Tabang Toll entry of the North Luzon Expressway.<br /> “Nakikiangkas pa ang nanay ni Rejoice sa kaso laban sa mga anak ko. Dun sila una na-implicate e napaka-imposibleng mangyaring si Raymond ang pumatay kay Rejoice, alas kuwatro ng hapon ng December 29 ng sinundo ko si Raymond sa Jail at ng iuwi ko siya dito, dito siya sa akin nakatira” she said.<br /> Betty said it is at their house in Iba Este where Raymond went straight after his release at the Bulacan Provincial Jail on that day.<br /> She also denied Roger and Raymond’s being alleged carjackers and are the hands behind the said killings of Evangelista and Lozano as Raymond was attending court hearing on previous charges filed against him at the Bulacan Regional Trial Courts (RTC) in Malolos City on the said dates the said victims were killed.<br /><br />Ondoy-damaged cars<br /> Betty said the car dealer business of her son boomed following typhoon Ondoy where several cars and other vehicles were destroyed b y floods which were the ones repaired and are being sold. She said all those vehicles are acquired in legal process as owners are known and have their own car insurances.<br /> She also denies that Roger owns all the apartments which were raided by the police as alleged safe houses of the two. “Hindi lahat iyon ay kay Ogie, ang dami na tuloy nadamay,” she said.<br /> According to the mother, she owns seven thresher machines and she is in rice farming business and that she can provide for all the material needs of all her four children and there is no need for them to engage in illegal car business just to sustain their living. “Kahit hindi pa sila magtrabaho, kaya ko silang buhayin, pito ang thresher ko at nagpapatanim ako ng palay”.<br /> <br />No longer watching, reading news<br /> Betty said she and her husband who used to read newspapers and watch TV for news and other current events have stopped even making a glance on all the news on TV and newspapers and even hear from a radio station when all the news and implications about their sons came out.<br /> “Hindi na kami nanonood ng TV ngayon, kahit magbasa ng diyaryo o making ng radyo, nasasaktan lang kami at naiiyak, puro mga anak namin ang nasa news. Sa Inquirer naka front page pa ang mukha ni Raymond. Hamo na lang lumabas ang katotohanan,” she said.<br /> She said Raymond was a former computer science student at Centro Escolar University and Roger attended classes and graduated with a degree of electronics communication engineering at the Bulacan State University (BulSU).<br /><br />Ogie, studious, kind classmate<br /> Jay Salamat, a Bulacan provincial capitol employee who was a former classmate in Automotive Vocational course of Roger in BulSU said they could have not believed Roger would be involved in carjacking operations because they have known him to be studious, intelligent and very kind.<br /> “Mabait iyan si Roger, tahimik at simple bukod pa sa matalino at masipag mag-aral. Hindi kami makapaniwalang magagawa niya ang mga ibinibintang sa kanya. May pagkamahiyain pa nga iyan at parang Mama’s boy,” Salamat said.<br /> He said members of their batch were all just surprised when they saw on the news that Roger is being implicated in the said murders and have series of carjack cases filed against him in courts. <br /><br />No more surrender for Ogie<br /> Lawyer Joey Cruz who also said he had stopped watching news on TV and reading newspapers with all the bad and negative news about his clients told NEWS CORE Roger’s earlier plan to surrender will no longer pursue today while carjack and homicide complaints are now under preliminary investigation before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.<br /> “Malabo na siguro, unless mag-issue ng warrant ang court,” he said.<br /> Cruz said they expect the elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Team (CIDT) who filed the complaints against his clients including private complainants will submit their reply and evidence at the scheduled continuation of the preliminary hearing today.<br /> He said it is still depends on the Prosecutor whether to file a case against the Dominguez brothers in court. <br /> Raising alleged human rights violation committed by the police when they handcuffed Raymond during his transfer from Camp Gen. Alejo Santos here to Camp Crame on Monday night last week when there was no existing warrant of arrest issued against his client, Cruz said he will present Roger to court once the charged are filed in court and a warrant of arrest is issued.<br /> Cruz said the detailing by Justice Secretary Laila De Lima of women prosecutor to review the previous cases filed against Raymond and Roger Dominguez in Bulacan and Pampanga courts is a welcome development to them because it will lead to a deeper re-investigation of the cases that which may even favor the brothers.<br /> Raymond had been charged of eleven cases of carjacking, one of those cases is carjacking with homicide in different courts at the Bulacan RTC while Roger with two dismissed cases of carjacking in Bulacan and nine separate carjack cases in Pampanga. Other cases filed against Raymond at the Bulacan RTC branches are robbery, illegal drugs and violation to Omnibus Election Code (gun ban).<br /> Cruz said all the carjacked vehicles in the cases filed against his clients especially of Raymond’s cases remained missing and were not recovered even up to this time.<br /> Cruz also assail as absurd the theory and claim of the police that they have recovered the burnt driver’s license from one of the alleged safe houses of the Dominguez brothers which they raided.<br /> “Kung ikaw ba ang suspect iuuwi mo pa sa lukbutan mo ang gamit ng isang taong pinatay mo, ebidensiya laban sa iyo yun at hindi mo gagawin iyon,” he said.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-85320433515925848122011-01-24T06:37:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:38:13.814-08:00Malolos faces delisting from RP’s heritage sitesCITY OF MALOLOS—This Bulacan’s capital where Barasoain Church is located and once the center of Philippine government as the birth place of the First Philippine Republic is now threatened to be delisted from the historical and cultural heritage landmarks in the country.<br /> Ivan Henares, vice president of the Heritage Conservation Society disclosed Thursday their plan to remove Malolos from the country’s lists of historical and cultural heritage and resources because there were no efforts done by the local government and the people to preserve the marked structures.<br /> Henares told NEWS CORE that structures like old houses and others which are included in the declared part of the historic town center of Malolos, Bulacan as a national historical landmark have been demolished and destroyed.<br /> “Based on tours we have conducted, there were a number of these important structures which were destroyed and some are no longer being protected that’s why delisting of Malolos in the cultural and heritage sites in the country is now being planned,” he said.<br /> In 2001, Chairman Pablo Trillana of the National Historical Institute (NHI) now National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) declared through Resolution No. 2, S as National Historical Landmark and a eritage Town, this historic town center of Malolos covered by the following areas: Paseo del Congreso from the church of Barasoain to Old Malolos Bridge; P. Burgos Street bounded by Enriquez Street and Old Malolos Bridge; Hipolito Street Bounded by P. Burgos Street and Enriquez Street; Cigarillera Street; Pariancillo Street; Santo Nino Street; F.T. Reyes Street bounded by Santo Nino and M. Tengco Street; M. Tengco Street bounded by F. T. Reyes Street and F. Estrella Street; F. Estrella Street bounded by Liyang River and Kanto Boy Street.<br /> Also included in the preserved and declared heritage are the Santiago Cruz House at Jacinto Street, the Pineda House and Aldaba House at F. T. Reyes Street, the Water Cistern and Old Malolos bridge.<br /> The plan delisting is up despite the fact that Malolos City is where the Barasoain Church is located, the site of the Malolos Congress, the Malolos Constitution and the first Philippine Republic later also known as the First Philippine Republic in Asia. <br /> On Jan. 23, Mayor Christian Natividad, a lawyer, first time mayor of this city led the 112th anniversary celebration of the First Philippine Republic held at the historic Barasoain Church in 1899.<br /> Jaime Salvador Corpuz, President of the Bulacan Heritage Conservation Society said Barasoain Church including the House of the Women of Malolos and several other ancestral houses of prominent people of Malolos were also declared as historical and cultural landmarks which have the markers of the NHI.<br /> Corpuz said because of all the said historical significance of the said places and structures, Malolos should maintain its inclusion in the lists and that the local government including non-government groups should join efforts to thwart the plan delisting.<br /> In December 2010, Mons., Angelito Santiago, Parish Priest of Barasoain Church who conducted signature campaign for the return of the church image at any Philippine peso bill was elated on the inclusion of the church picturesque at the front portion of the new P200 bill to be released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.<br /> Henares said Malolos officials must act now to prevent them from pursuing their action plan to delist Malolos from the said list.<br /> He said collective efforts must be undertaken.<br /> “There must be efforts for us to see the local officials are doing,” he said.<br /> Natividad however, who had renamed Malolos City under his new term as “The Renaissance City” said the destruction of the old structures did not happen during his term as he only assumed post in July 2010 after winning the mayoralty of this city last May elections.<br /> He said they are now coordinating with the Bulacan Heritage Society for necessary actions to be done.<br /> Some of the old structures were either sold to private businessmen and serve as sites of new modern buildings while the old houses were also destroyed as some private owners reportedly also sold them to investors.<br /> The Paseo del Congreso Street has become a very busy major business site in this city where close to twenty bank branches and other huge commercial establishments have been erected for years.<br /> Corpuz said they are now making recommendatory lists for Natividad and the rest of the local officials of Malolos to be done to retain in the lists of historical and cultural landmarks in the country.<br /> Corpuz cited Malolos Cathedral in this city, Nicanor Abelardo nipa hut in San Miguel town, Maximo Viola house also in San Migue town including San Miguel town and San Rafael churches as among the other historical landmarks in Bulacan marked by the NHI now NHCP.<br /> He said they are currently working for the inclusion of several other vital structures and places in Bulacan that are part of our country’s history to also be included in the NHCP lists.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-47880411603197111532011-01-24T06:35:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:37:27.721-08:00Camp Alejo back to normal after Dominguez’s transferCAMP GEN. ALEJO SANTOS, Bulacan—Gate security and police movements are back to normal at this camp on Tuesday as carjack gang leader Raymond Dominguez had been moved out and brought to Quezon City on Monday night for inquest proceedings at Quezon City Justice Hall.<br /> Earlier on Saturday night, thinking it is safer to face murder and additional carjacking cases before police authorities in his own place, Dominguez, alleged leader of a notorious carjack gang operating in Metro Manila and Central Luzon and was a subject of PNP manhunt as the alleged mastermind in the gruesome murder of car dealers Emerson Lozano, Venson Evangelista and another victim, surrendered to lawmen at this camp.<br /> Dominguez, 26 from Barangay Iba O’Este in Calumpit town was accompanied by his mother when he brought himself up to police officials at the Bulacan Provincial Police Office (PPO) at this camp past 9pm on Saturday.<br /> His mother later left his son at the hands of OIC Provincial Director Wendy Rosario. He spent his night at the Intelligence Investigation Unit under the watch of its head, Supt. Dario Menor who serves as his temporary custodian.<br /> Atty. Joey Cruz, Dominguez lawyer said Roger Dominguez, brother of Raymond who is also under a manhunt operation by the PNP for the same charges will also turn himself in to Bulacan police officials Sunday.<br /> But while this news is being written Saturday, already a week after Raymond has turned himself in, Roger has yet to proceed with the said plan.<br /><br />Camp Alejo gate closed<br />Early on Jan. 23, the gate of this camp was temporarily closed and media members including TV networks channel 2, 5 and 7, NEWS CORE and an Inquirer Photographer from Manila office are prevented from entering the gate.<br /> The gates were only opened in the afternoon when Rosario arrived.<br /> Atty. Cruz who told NEWS CORE Sunday that certainly Raymond will be kept safe at Camp Alejo Santos said the gates are made close on Sunday and will be opened tomorrow (Monday). “For sure Raymond is safe in their arms. He should thank the police,” Cruz said in a text message reply.<br /> The lawyer denying any threat on the life of his client said the closure of the gate could be just one way for Dominguez of taking a rest from visitors including media. “Siguro nag re-rest lang to prepare for tomorrow<br /> Tomorrow is another day,” he said in a text message reply. Menor could not be contacted on his mobile phone to answer query why the gate of this camp was closed.<br /> Raymond told reporters on Saturday night his surface at this camp and that of his brother is not a surrender as he denied the police accusations and charges they masterminded the said killings including the driver of Lozano whose dead and charred bodied of all the victims were found in different places in Central Luzon.<br /> “Hindi po kami sumusuko dahil wala naman kaming kasalanan, hindi po totoo ang mga bintang sa amin,” he said.<br /> According to Dominguez, he presented himself to be under the custody of the police to thwart any attempt on his life because of the manhunt operation launched by the PNP against him.<br /> “Nagpa-custody po ako, hindi surrender,” he said.<br /> But, Supt. Agrimero Cruz, PNP spokesperson based in Camp Crame Quezon City told NEWS CORE in a text message reply that murder and carjacking cases were already filed against the Dominguez brothers along with seven other suspects before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office on Saturday night.<br /> The PNP Spokesman said the brothers will be brought to Camp Olivas, region 3 police office in San Fernando, Pampanga or in Camp Crame to face police probers. He said the two may be brought either at Camp Olivas or in Camp Crame depending on the situation.<br /> But on Monday night ( Jan. 24) Raymond was moved out of this camp and brought to Quezon City Justice Hall for inquest proceedings.<br /> OIC Bulacan Police Director Senior Supt. Wendy Rosario admitted to NEWS CORE he and the rest of the police in this camp were relieved of some pressure on the security measure they have to implement and bear during the stay of Dominguez.<br /> “Although we are used to pressure because it is normal to police work, in the case of keeping Dominguez here for quite sometime left us to enforce more security measure and that’s why his transfer to Quezon City gave us a feeling of relief,” he said.<br /> Saying Dominguez has been receiving threats to his life, they have to tighten the security of the camp. “May mga threats daw si Raymond kaya nagdagdag kami ng extra security, mahirap ng masingitan kami,” he added.<br /> With Dominguez no longer seeking police security at this camp, the numbers of police personnel manning the gates were returned to two unlike during his stay it was increased to as many as six to eight each with long firearms and in full battle gear.<br /> Heavy armed police troops both from Bulacan Provincial Police Office and from the PNP regional camp in Camp Olivas, Pampanga on board a number of vehicles escorted Dominguez out of this camp on his way to Quezon City on Monday night.<br /> Atty. Joey Cruz, lawyer of Raymond said he was surprised on the sudden decision to transfer his client to Quezon City. He described the transfer as already an arrest of his client.<br /> Cruz also expressed no conformity with the police inquest of Dominguez saying there is no continuing inquest because the earlier arrested suspects have already underwent inquest proceedings. “It should already be a regular preliminary investigation for my clients. Closed na dapat ang pag inquest dun sa bakla at kasama nito, (referring to Alfredo Mendiola and Parulan) di na pwede open kina Dominguez,” he said.<br /> Menor who served as police custodian of Dominguez expressed a similar relief over the transfer of Dominguez. “Wala na ako binabantayan ngayon, hindi na ako yaya, o yayo,” he said.<br /> Earlier on Monday, media members were no longer allowed to personally see and interview Dominguez saying the mother asked them not to allow more media interviews on the request of her son.<br /> Dominguez spent his two nights stay inside some of the rooms and offices in this camp with heavily armed police on guard.<br /> According to Rosario, despite pressure on the security at this camp during Dominguez stay, the camp is still ready and willing to accommodate Roger if he wishes to also seek initial police protective custody before similar transfer to Camp Crame.<br /> Cruz said Raymond is now at the Custodial Center of Camp Crame in Quezon City and in constant communication with him using the suspect’s mobile phone.<br /> Cruz said he remained the lawyer of the Dominguez brothers in all their existing past cases now being heard in Bulacan and Pampanga courts and the new cases filed against them before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.<br /> The lawyer said he only asked his lawyer friend for assistance to pitch in for him during Raymond’s in quest proceeding at Quezon City on Monday night because he was really exhausted and that he has to attend to his mother that time.<br /> Rosario suddenly replaced Bulacan Police Director Senior Supt. Fernando Villanueva on Saturday for still undetermined grounds.<br /> On November 2010, Raymond made his first surrender to Bulacan Prosecutors and had been placed inside the Bulacan Provincial Jail after the police also launched an earlier manhunt against him for alleged series of carjack cases he committed.<br /> Eleven carjack charges including robbery, drugs and violation to Omnibus election code (gun ban) were filed against him with one case inclusion of homicide before Bulacan courts. He managed to went out of jail on Dec. 29 after posting bail for all the said charges.<br /> Dominguez has been frequenting the courts of Bulacan in Malolos City since on Tuesday including on Wednesday attending court hearings of the charges filed against hi. He is being escorted by heavy police security from Camp Crame Custodial Center.<br /><br />Carjack in Angat<br /> But, at the height of the police ongoing investigation and operation to solve the said killings of car dealers, Hector Sencioco robbed Aida Illescas and took away her colored blue Honda Civic car with plate number USX 494 in their place in Barangay Marungko in Angat town at around past 6 in the morning Tuesday.<br /> Police running after the suspect led to a police car chase up to Pampanga.<br /> Maj. Irwin Tadeo, Angat town police chief said they received a phone call at 6:45 am that Sensioco living just near Illescas and Apolonia Cruz’s house in Barangay Marungko suddenly barged inside the house and armed with a .38 caliber revolver demanded huge amount of money from the victim.<br /> Tadeo said Illescas wife is a cousin of Sencioco. The suspect after taking away P80,000 cash money from the victims at gun point used the said car as his get away vehicle.<br /> Tadeo said the victims were about to open their Feed Mix store when the suspect barged in. <br /> Rosario said they are still investigating if Sencioco is a member of Dominguez carjack gang or belonging to other carjack groups in Central Luzon.<br /> He said however, what the suspect staged was a robbery hold-up and not intentionally a carjack operation. The car was used as a gate away vehicle, he added.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-23668966618344649012011-01-24T06:34:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:36:57.043-08:00Bus blast victim’s kin appeal for justice, decent burialPLARIDEL, Bulacan— The kin of Johansen Reyes, 24, from Barangay Dulong Bayan this town, one of those who were killed in a bus explosion in Edsa Tuesday appeal for a descent burial for their loved from the government and a descent burial.<br /> Rodolfo Reyes, a tricycle driver and brother of the deceased father of the victim said they were all saddened and shocked from untimely death of their loved one.<br /> He said his nephew is already scheduled to work as a chef in Australia and was completing his studies of culinary arts in TESDA. He has just come to his class in TESDA and was already bound home in Barangay Guadalupe Viejo in Makati City on board the said bus when the blast took place. <br /> The victim with his younger sister is only in their week of stay at their older brother and aunt, sister of their mother in the said place. Their mother, Allie is working in Batangas.<br /> According to Reyes, Johansen is a vey kind young man who has lots of dreams to pursue that’s why despite their poor economic condition still goes to school. The victim he said previously studied at the Bulacan State University in Malolos but unable to finish his studies that’s why he decided to just take up TESDA course.<br /> He said they went to Ospital ng Makati on Tuesday night to check on the dead body of their loved one after Plaridel Police informed them Johansen is already dead.<br /> At about 5pm, he said, Camp Crame police arrived to their house here and informed them their nephew was one of those who were victims of bus explosion but did not directly informed them that he was killed. It was only the Plaridel police who informed them later that Johansen was killed.<br /> The victim’s body remains at the Rizal Funeral Parlor in Pasay City for autopsy, he said.<br /> He said they will hold a one day vigil wake of the victim in Makati City before full wake and burial in Batangas City.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-52106918068295121092011-01-24T06:33:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:33:45.665-08:00Ex-Bulacan PD denies link with Domiguez carjack gangCITY OF MALOLOS— Relieved former Bulacan Police Director Senior Supt. Fernando Villanueva who is a veteran and multi awarded official on insurgency warfare in Bulacan after surviving series of ambush and encounters has denied any involvement in the carjack operation of any groups in Central Luzon particularly the Dominguez gang.<br /> Interviewed by phone on Wednesday, Villanueva told NEWS CORE his relief from his post as Bulacan provincial director was based on series of recent incidents in the province especially those involving police elements and that he has no any connection with the Dominguez carjack group.<br /> He said his family especially his children has been suffering a lot because of his being implicated in the said syndicate.<br /> “Nag-iiyakan na ang mga anak ko dahil sa mga lumabas na issue tungkol sa pag-involve sa akin sa Dominguez group na walang katotohanan. Wala akong kinalaman sa Dominguez group. I was told that I will be relieved based on those incidents but not about the carjack operation”’ he said.<br /> Villanueva was suddenly sacked from his post on Saturday, hours before carjack leader Raymond Dominguez sought a voluntary police protective custody at Camp Alejo Santos in Malolos City to the surprise of many Bulakenyos.<br /> NEWS CORE had asked PNP Spokesperson Supt. Agrimero Cruz on Sunday about the grounds for Villanueva’s relief but did not give any response.<br /> Villanueva suspected other police official may be is that interested in his position as Bulacan PD and used the Dominguez carjack issue against him to justify more his relieve. “Okey lang agawin sa akin yung posisyon pero ang i-involve pa ako at pagbintangan kasangkot sa carjack gang na walang katotohanan, napakasakit naman, particular para sa pamilya ko, sa mga anak ko,” he said. <br /> Villanueva cited the involvement of a San Jose del Monte City police in a shooting incident in a restaurant in Marilao over a traffic altercation, a San Jose del Monte City police who was caught sniffing shabu allegedly within the city hall vicinity, the killing of Baywalk Bodies member Dianne Santos alias Rejoice Rivera and the carjacking of Monica Atienza’s Isuzu Altera last Jan. 12. <br /> He said all those incidents happened during his stint as Bulacan director but he did not take those incidents just sting down.<br /> “Hindi naman ako nakatanga lang ng nangyari ang mga iyan. I immediately acted upon especially on the erring police members,” he said.<br /> Villanueva said he disarmed, relieved and taken of his ID Po1 Richard Guiyab, the San Jose del Monte City police member who was found sniffing shabu and filed corresponding charges against the police involved in the traffic brawl.<br /> He said they were also able to get witnesses in the Santos killing and turned them over to CIDG which is pursuing the case.<br /> According to the police director, it was during his stay as High Patrol Group (HPG) head in Central Luzon when the series of charges were filed against Raymond Dominguez, the alleged notorious leader of the Dominguez carjack gang.<br /> “Kung nakakapag-piyansa ang mga Dominguez sa kaso nila, it is not beyond my control, judiciary iyon, bakit ako ang sinisisi nila,” he said.<br /> Villanueva survived a three days heavy ambush-encounter with communist rebels in Pandi town in March 29, 2003 where his deputy group director in the 305th Provincial Mobile Group Command in Bulacan and some six other Bulacan police where killed.<br /> Prior to that, Villanueva received several other awards for his anti insurgency operations in the province before he was assigned as HPG head.<br /> He was assigned as provincial director in Bulacan to help man an honest and peaceful election before the May 10 elections.<br /> Villanueva has earlier Police intensified visibility and checkpoint operations in all major and inner roads as part of the manhunt operation launched against groups of carjack suspects now being looked at as behind the spate of killings of car dealers and to help deter possible next cases of carjack incidents.<br /> Villanueva disclosed a carjack incident happened that in Hagonoy town last Jan. 12 where the victim, identified as Monica Atienza of Barangay Sto. Nino that town had been taken of her colored gray Isuzu Altera with plate number ZHH-889 by four armed men.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-26279616136188697682011-01-17T06:25:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:26:26.801-08:00Hagonoy carjacking woman, kids victims unhurtHAGONOY, Bulacan—Police intensified visibility and checkpoint operations in all major and inner roads in Bulacan as part of the manhunt operation launched against groups of carjack suspects now being looked at as behind the spate of killings of car dealers in Central Luzon and to help deter possible next cases of carjack incidents.<br /> Senior Supt. Fernando Villanueva, Bulacan police director said quite a number of police forces have been deployed along key areas in the Mac-Arthur highway, Maharlika Highway and even along the outskirt and inner roads in the province since after the series of murder whose bodies of dead victims were recovered in nearby province in Central Luzon last week and early this week.<br /> Villanueva disclosed a carjack incident happened that in this town last Jan. 12 where the victim, identified as Monica Atienza of Barangay Sto. Nino had been taken of her colored gray Isuzu Altera with plate number ZHH-889 by four armed men.<br /> PO3 Nino Yang, chief investigator at the Hagonoy police said four men came to the house of Atienza at about 1 pm and requested to drive test the vehicle.<br /> Yang said Monica with her two young children, a boy and a girl ages 6 and 7 years old respectively and her more than 60 years old aunt went with the four men in drive test the said Isuzu Altera.<br /> But, at around 4pm when they have yet to return home, Atienza’s sister identified as Ana Maria Santos, 34 from Barangay Sta. Monica already came to the town’s police station and reported the supposed ill car deal.<br /> At about 7pm however, the police received a call from Santos informing them that her sister with her three companions were all alive and were dumped by the four men somewhere in a remoter grassy area in Victoria, Tarlac.<br /> Atienza, Yang said told them the four men on board unknown service car tied her and her companions hands with packing tapes and their face and bodies have been covered by blanket to avoid familiarizing with the suspects before they were dumped in the said area and took away her being sold Altera vehicle.<br /> The four managed to rode a tricycle where the driver kept them for safety at an Iglesia ni Cristo chapel near the area where the nervous victim managed to grab her cell phone and inform her sister of what happened.<br /> Yang said Atienza posted her for sale vehicle in the internet where the carjack group possible have known she is selling the car.<br /> Yang said according to PO2 Willie Tadeo, Hagonoy police who is investigating the case said Atienza and her children and aunt could not recall the faces of the carjack group who dealt with them as their faces and bodies have been covered.<br /> Yang said the four victims remain in shock and trauma following the incident.<br /> Because of the incident, Chief Supt. Allan Purisima relieved Supt. Albert Nocon, them chief of police of this town. He was replaced by Supt. Aurelio Ducay, according to Villanueva. <br /> Villanueva said the call of the PNP to car dealers selling their vehicles in the internet is not to become too trusting to the supposed buyers and not to allow to drive test their vehicle with them or with out them because the vehicle can be taken away and carjack with them included.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-24937709982912920962011-01-17T06:23:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:30:44.694-08:00Baron Geisler: 'not guilty' plea on Yasmin Kurdi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BXIsGLMg7MVF-CaV-pd0wK4qrKSNfX7LxH_CDYxnLvDNPYlWnQn0fuvM-YYnd-yGVLE1cMGwzPH3vTuhpIktLIzdguI5smlv9bmAly3lybOxy0j9klnJE-2DNqMBd53Bb8fKbpERMozm/s1600/baron.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 89px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BXIsGLMg7MVF-CaV-pd0wK4qrKSNfX7LxH_CDYxnLvDNPYlWnQn0fuvM-YYnd-yGVLE1cMGwzPH3vTuhpIktLIzdguI5smlv9bmAly3lybOxy0j9klnJE-2DNqMBd53Bb8fKbpERMozm/s200/baron.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571325978476247234" border="0" /></a><br />BOCAUE, Bulacan—Amidst another sexual assault offense brought up against multi awarded actor Baron Geisler, this time by senior actress Cherrie Pie Picache, he pleaded not guilty during his arraignment of two counts of act of lasciviousness and one count of unjust vexation filed against him by actress Yasmien Kurdi at the municipal trial court of this town Wednesday.<br /> Geisler, standing with his lawyer, Carlo Bonifacio Alentajan pleaded not guilty when the said three charges were read to him by Bocaue MTC personnel at about past 2pm inside the sala of Judge Lauro Bernardo.<br /> Geisler interviewed even before the arraignment denied said the cases filed against hum by Kurdi and what Picache has just brought up were two different issues. He also denied he sexually assaulted Picache and said he was just acting on the character he was portraying.<br /> “Yung character ko doon ay isang unggoy na mahilig magwala at hinostage namin ang mga tao. Siyempre ano ba ang kilos ng nagwawala at nang-ho-hostage,” he said.<br /> The cases stemmed during the shoot of “Suspetsya,” a drama series on GMA-7 inside the Bocaue church and at its compound last May 21, 2009 when Geisler allegedly sexually assaulted Kurdi by kissing her on the lips and squeezed her private part, telling her malicious things and texting her sexual enticement even after the incident.<br /> But, Kurdi who cried right after Geisler pleaded not guilty and could not yet go out of the court to face reporters and TV camera men and during interview said she found the defense of Geisler’s lawyer as weird claiming there was no element of act of lasciviousness in the complaint.<br /> Alentajan who filed early on that day a motion for certiorari to dismiss the case filed by Kurdi against his client at the Bulacan regional trial court in Malolos City told the court the arraignment should not push through pending result of the said cases filed against the actor on the basis that there was no force, intimidation and violence as elements of act of lasciviousness that was committed by the actor against Kurdi.<br /> “Ang weird lang kasi, hinihingi ba ng permiso kapag babastusin ka. Ang dami pang nakalagay sa complaints ko na hindi binasa, katunayan sinapak ko siya pagkatapos niya akong bastusin. Pagkatapos more than a week after nun nagtext pa siya sa akin asking me if I wanted to have sex with him. Nagulat ako, rape lang pala ang may elements ng force, intimidation and violence, ang ginawa pala sa aking pambabastos walang element ng ganoon” she told reporters during interview.<br /> Ferdinand Topacio, Kurdi’s lawyer however welcomed the pushed through arraignment despite and earlier motion by Geisler’s lawyer to postpone it pending result of the motion for certiorari they filed said the arraignment is one way step for success in the cases they filed against the actor.<br /> Kurdi said she could not control her self to cry because the case has been filed months ago and it was only this time that Geisler was arraigned.<br /> She said she has not talked to Picache yet but she is also surprise that she has become another victim just like her. “Mas ibang usapan yun kasi kahit pala mas matanda sa kanya wala siyang respeto at nagawa niya yun kay Ms. Cherrie Pie. Nagulat din ako, kahit best friend ko ginawan din ni Bairon ng ganyan at marami pa pala kami,” she added.<br /> Topacio and Alentajan had almost blew it up during the arraignment when they argued about Alentajan saying there was no element of act of lasciviousness committed by his client against the complainant and should be the basis of postponing the arraignment. “The recital of facts does not constitute elements of act of lasciviousness”.<br /> Topacio burst and accused him of assailing the personal character of his client. In retaliation, Topacio also brought up Picache’s recent sexual offense being hurled against Byron as allegedly a clear proof of the character of the actor.<br /> But Judge Bernardo saying the court may just have to comply with the decision of the regional trial court on the motion for certiorari once it is release days from now and need to proceed with the arraignment.<br /> Geisler who was also in teary eyes and become emotional told reporters after his arraignment that he was caught mum on the incidents happening and the cases being up against him.<br /> “Wala akong masabi, nagugulat na lang ako sa mga nangyayari. Ni minsan kahit saang set, lahat ng katrabaho ko iginagalang ko dahil kagalang galang naman silang lahat at wala akong binabastos,” he said.<br /> “Parati na lang ako hinahanapan ng mali, ayaw nila akong bigyan ng pagkakataong magbago. Mahal ko ang karera ko at ang sarili ko at mga taong katrabaho ko,” he added.<br /> According to Geisler because of the series of the claims against him, he has now come to a point to decide something for himself that he will do to. “Pagod na ako sa mga ganitong issue. It came to a point na nasasaktan na ako kaya may gagawin ako sa sarili ko para matigil na ang lahat ng ito,” he said.<br /> However, he declined to pinpoint if that will be for him undergoing rehabilitation or a legal action against those who filed sexual cases against him.<br /> Alentajan belied claims Geisler needs to be rehabilitated. “Linawin natin, to undergo rehab for what, e mukhang normal naman itong si Bairon,” he told reporters.<br /> Alentajan said he filed motion for certiorari after the Bocaue MTC earlier denied the motion to quash they filed against the cases filed against his client.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-432051034579740012011-01-17T06:22:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:23:03.465-08:00No surrender yet, say Dominguez bros’ lawyersCITY OF MALOLOS—Lawyer of Raymond and Roger Dominguez, alleged notorious leaders of a car jack group operating in Manila and Central Luzon who are being tagged today by police as the mastermind in the killing of car dealer Venson Evangelista said the suspects have yet to decide whether they will surrender or not.<br /> Atty. Joey Cruz told NEWS CORE by phone Saturday he had last spoke with his clients on Friday night convincing them to voluntarily yield themselves to the authorities.<br /> But, Cruz said Dominguez remain adamant on the idea of turning themselves in.<br /> “During the last time na magkausap kami kagabi, ang sabi sa akin pag-iisipan pa nila. Ang sabi ko bilis-bilisan ang pag-iisip kasi lalabasan na kayo ng warrant of arrest,” Cruz said.<br /> According to the lawyer, advising and convincing his clients to surrender to authorities is the right thing to do. “Their surrender will shed light on the investigation and one way to also openly give their side”.<br /> Being an officer of the court, asking my client to turn themselves in to authorities is also the right thing for me to do, Cruz added.<br /> He said he told his client they should stop making it hard to the police and authorities who are after them. “Ang sabi ko pa sa kanila huwag na nilang pahirapan pa ang mga pulis”.<br /> However, Cruz said, he could not force his clients. “Ganunpaman, hindi ko sila mapipilit”.<br /> “If they belied the accusations and the charges, harapin nila, prove their innocence. I even told them that it is but natural na kayo ang suspect kasi ang krimeng nangyayari na walang nahuhuli ay kapareho ng mga kaso nakasampa sa inyo”.<br /> Earlier, Bulacan Provincial Warden, retired PAF Col. Pepito Plameno told NEWS CORE that there were fifteen cases of carjack with one homicide that were filed against Raymond. <br /> Raymond, from Barangay Iba O’ Este in Calumpit town surrendered to Bulacan authorities in November 2010. He was able to post bail on Dec. 29 2010. Plamenco said he released Raymond afternoon of that day after completing the bailing out for the said charges. <br /> But, Cruz said he do not know how much was the bail posted. He said Dominguez instructed someone else and not him as his lawyer to pay the necessary amount for the bail.<br /> Cruz also said he do not know if the Dominguez brothers were the ones who posted the bail for Alfredo<br /> Mendiola, a gay, who is a suspected accomplice to the killing of Evangelista based on the investigation of the police.<br /> Mendiola according to the authorities handling the cases of spate of killings of car dealers in Central Luzon surrendered to them on Thursday.<br /> Plamenco said Mendiola who was facing estafa charges was released on bail on Oct. 18, 2010.<br /> Supt. Alfredo Ducay, chief of police of Hagonoy confirmed to NEWS CORE it was also Mendiola who served as an agent who approached a carjack victim Monica Atienza, a victim of car jack incident from Hagonoy town on January 12.<br /> Ducay said the victim confirmed it to him when he went to her house on Thursday to verify if the said gay was the same gay who came to her house in Barangay Sto. Nino on Jan. 12 with other men and took away her Isuzu Altera with plate number ZHH-889.<br /> PO3 Nino Yang, chief investigator at the Hagonoy police said four men came to the house of Atienza at about 1 pm that day and requested for a drive test of the vehicle.<br /> Yang said Monica with her two young children, a boy and a girl ages 6 and 7 years old respectively and her more than 60 years old aunt went with the four men in the drive testing.<br /> But, at around 4pm when they have yet to return home, Atienza’s sister identified as Ana Maria Santos, 34 from Barangay Sta. Monica also in Hagonoy already came to the town’s police station and reported the supposed ill car deal.<br /> At about 7pm however, the police received a call from Santos informing them that her sister with her three companions were all alive and were dumped by the four men somewhere in a remoter grassy area in Victoria, Tarlac.<br /> Atienza, Yang said told them the four men on board unknown service car tied her and her companions hands with packing tapes and their face and bodies have been covered by blanket to avoid familiarizing with the suspects before they were dumped in the said area and took away her being sold Altera vehicle.<br /> The four managed to rode a tricycle where the driver kept them for safety at an Iglesia ni Cristo chapel near the area where the nervous victim managed to grab her cell phone and inform her sister of what happened.<br /> Yang said Atienza posted her for sale vehicle in the internet where the carjack group possible have known she is selling the car.<br /> Yang said according to PO2 Willie Tadeo, Hagonoy police who is investigating the case said Atienza and her children and aunt could not recall the faces of the carjack group who dealt with them as their faces and bodies have been covered.<br /> Yang said the four victims remain in shock and trauma following the incident.<br /> Senior Supt. Fernando Villanueva, Bulacan police director had ordered an intensified police visibility and checkpoint operations in all major and inner roads in Bulacan as part of the manhunt operation launched against Dominguez and other carjack suspects and to help deter possible next cases of carjack incidents.<br /> However, Villanueva would not confirm to this reporter any operation on the house of Dominguez on Friday night.<br /> But, sources from Calumpit town said authorities from Manila were on a watch near the house of Dominguez in Barangay Iba O’Este on Friday night.<br /> Some TV reporters were also on stand by, sources said.<br /> A fully armed number of police forces have been deployed along key areas in the Mac-Arthur highway, Maharlika Highway and even along the outskirt and inner roads in the province since after the series of murder whose bodies of dead victims were recovered in nearby province in Central Luzon last week and early this week.<br /> Because of the Atienza carjack incident in Hagonoy town, Region 3 Police Director Chief Supt. Allan Purisima relieved Supt. Albert Nocon as Hagonoy town chief of police and was replaced by Supt. Aurelio Ducay, Villanueva said. <br /> Villanueva said the call of the PNP to car dealers selling their vehicles in the internet is not to become too trusting to the supposed buyers and not to allow to drive test their vehicle with them or with out them because the vehicle can be taken away and carjack with them included.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-7304399628859088762011-01-10T06:15:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:18:45.626-08:00DENR cancels big time marble exporter’s permitCITY OF MALOLOS—The 25 years mining permit of a controversial marble firm exporting marble varieties in different countries has finally been cancelled by the Department of Environment and Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) following series of clamor to totally stop its alleged destructive operations in Biak-na-Bato mineral reservation area in San Miguel town.<br /> Director Leo Jasareno of the Mines and GeoSciences Bureau (MGB) of the DENR brought the good news to Bulacan officials and residents here Monday during the Bulacan State University (BulSU) Rain Forestation project to help save and protect the Biak-na-Bato mountains of Bulacan.<br /> Jasareno said the cancellation of the Mineral Product Sharing Agreement (PMSA) of Rosemoor Mining and Development Corporation (RMDC) which he signed as MGB head and was released last Dec. 28 was ordered by DENR Sec. Ramon Paje due to several violations committed by the company that were raised and presented by both government officials and various socio civic and environment groups in the province.<br /> He told NEWS CORE that Rosemoor has been found to have allowed a number of other firms to operate and quarry marble within their MPSA prescribed quarry site without each of those getting approval from the MGB and only using the firm’s MPSA.<br /> Jasareno also cited the internal conflict for ownership of RMDC between the family of its slain alleged former president Constantino Pascual and his aunt, Dr. Lourdes Pascual who was just recently killed in her house in Quezon City.<br /> Constantino Pascual was killed right after he attended a Sunday mass near his house in San Miguel town in 2008, two years after he was arrested and jailed at the Bulacan Provincial Jail on large scale estafa cases filed against him by his aunt.<br /> Their squabble for ownership has yet to be resolved before the Supreme Court.<br /> According to Jasareno, Rosemoor’s marble quarry operation has also an unresolved issue on its effect on ground water.<br /> He said while the national government under President Aquino’s term encourages huge economy from mining industry, mining is not absolute to any company especially if there are violations and destructions on the bigger remaining natural wealth.<br /> “Hindi puwedeng economic-based lang, dapat balance at responsible ang mining, kung destructive ito, hindi na dapat magpatuloy,” he said.<br /> Jasareno said the next step is for the MGB and the DENR to formally ask the President to lift the declaration of some less than 1,000 hectares within the Biak-na-Bato National and Historical Park as Mineral Reservation area.<br /> Biak-na-Bato, which figured in the country’s history as one of the camps of the revolutionary Katipunan forces in 19th century Philippines, was declared a national park by former President Manuel Quezon on Nov. 16, 1937 through Proclamation No. 223. The area covers 2,117 hectares in the villages of Kalawakan and Talbak in Doña Remedios Trinidad town and the villages of Biak-na-Bato and Sibul in San Miguel town.<br /> In 1970, then President Ferdinand Marcos issued an order guiding mineral prospecting and exploitation in government reservations.<br /> Through Proclamation No. 401, issued on April 11, 1989 by President Corazon Aquino, the national government re-defined the boundaries of the Biak-na-Bato National Park.<br /> The proclamation set aside 952 hectares as mineral reservation, 938 hectares as watershed reservation and 480 hectares as forest reserve.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-79619778593564445602011-01-10T06:12:00.002-08:002011-02-08T06:14:21.070-08:00Paid ads vs. NLEX toll hike, a must — Bulacan officialsCITY OF MALOLOS—Bulacan officials defended paying worth P600,000 worth of full page advertisements on three national dailies expressing their contradiction on the new toll hikes at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) saying it came as an insult to them and would create a further effect to other goods and commodities from North and Central Luzon that are being brought to Metro Manila to increase in costs.<br /> At a called meeting with Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) and Traffic Management Corporation, (TMC) which respectively manages and operates the NLEX including bus and jeepney transport groups representatives at the provincial board session hall here Wednesday, members of the provincial board said the increase on rates effective Jan. 1 surprised and caught them unaware and rendered them blind on how to explain it to their constituents.<br /> Board Member Felix Ople from the first district said they felt insulted when a major portion in the NLEX is located in Bulacan but they were not advised or informed by MNTC and TMC officials of the increased in toll rates making them appear ignorant before the residents asking them about the details of the new rates.<br /> Board Member and lawyer Enrique Dela Cru z from the second district, chairman on transportation committee at the provincial board said the sudden increase in the toll rates despite prior newspaper publications and announcements caught many Bulakenyos by surprise and yet not a single voice opposition has come out necessitating them to publish minutes of their recent meeting expressing their contradiction. <br /> “Wala man lang tumutol o nagsalita. Wala pa tayong narinig sa mga taga Pampanga, Pangasinan, kaya’t nauna na tayo rito sa Bulacan,” he said.<br /> Dela Cruz said it was an order by Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado to discuss and present oppositions on the new rates during their previous session and to come out with paid advertisement of their opposition to at least three major national dailies to let the MNTC and NLEX officials knew of their stand on the increase.<br /> Dela Cruz questioned the alleged 13 % increase in toll rates amidst alleged no recent and latest improvements and developments made on the NLEX in favor of the motorists.<br /> He also questioned the alleged bloated income of P109.5 billion by the MNTC from its 25 years contract projection of managing the NLEX, compared to only P21 billion worth of loans it incurred for the construction of the highway and its maintenance.<br /> However, Vice Gov. Daniel Fernando acknowledged presenting an erroneous claim of 13 % increase in the toll rates whereas the actual increase is only 11.8%.<br /> Fernando said their first knowledge was a 13% increase.<br /> According to Fernando, there was no obvious recent developments on the NLEX.<br /> Representatives from different bus companies—ES bus Transport, Baliuwag Transit Corp, Five-Star Bus Company, Victory Liner including jeepney transport groups also expressed their contradiction to the new toll rates.<br /> But, Marlene Ochoa, vice president for corporate communications of MNTC told NEWS CORE during interview at the meeting that jeepney transport groups plying routes for Monumento-Meycauayan and Bocaue including in San Fernando Pampanga to Dau and other areas are exempted from the rate increase. <br /> Benigno Valles, senior manager for corporate communications of TMC said the said jeepney routes have their respective Pasada and Tsuper Card demanding from them a minimal P190.00 whole day 24 hour payment for using the NLEX.<br /> Ochoa and other officials of their company acknowledged committing a shortcoming with the Bulacan officials of not prior making information or communication of the new toll rates come Jan. 1.<br /> However, she said, the toll fee increase is based on road user’s choice. “Maganda naman ang serbisyo at facility ng NLEX, kung sino lang naman ang gusting dumaan, it’s a choice, kung gusto dumaan sa magandang kalsada, magbayad ng ganoong fee at yung ayaw naman ay doon sa libre dumaan,” she said.<br /> Ochoa, defended the new toll increase as only toll rate adjustment with only a very minimal 11.8 percent increase from the current rates is lower than the opening rates in 2005.<br /> Today’s minimum toll for class 1 vehicles is at P41.00 from P36.00 compared to P42.00 when the NLEX re-opened under MNTC-TMC sister companies both under the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation new management in 2005.<br /> The previous P64.00 Tabang toll to Balintawak Plaza is now at P72.00 for class 1 vehicles. Balintawak to Sta. Ines for class 1 vehicles is at a new rate of P195.00.<br /> She said the January 2007 toll rates went down by 11. 6 percent and the July 2008 toll rates further went down from the previous 2007 rates by 3.1 percent.<br /> Valles said the new rate notice had been long announced and advised to the public.<br /> Ochoa said the new toll rate is based on provisional authority given to them by the Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and will be implemented while a public hearing will also be conducted.<br /> She said the toll being collected is worth because of the high quality services being offered and returned to all motorists using the NLEX because.<br /> She said the highway is smooth and there is no area with holes and that can cause traffic.<br /> She said recent road traffic and safety improvement facilities acquired such as accordion type accident impact reducer, lane management vehicle and intervention vehicles further completes the good services returned to the motorists.<br /> Valles said the Intervention Vehicles and four Lane Management Vehicles roaming along the NLEX help guide and warn motorists of possible road abuses and shortcomings that can lead to accidents.<br />He added the opening of the Mindanao Avenue Link also eases up traffic along Balintawak toll plaza.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-82713725986623832632011-01-10T06:12:00.001-08:002011-02-08T06:14:29.144-08:00Paid ads vs. NLEX toll hike, a must — Bulacan officialsCITY OF MALOLOS—Bulacan officials defended paying worth P600,000 worth of full page advertisements on three national dailies expressing their contradiction on the new toll hikes at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) saying it came as an insult to them and would create a further effect to other goods and commodities from North and Central Luzon that are being brought to Metro Manila to increase in costs.<br /> At a called meeting with Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) and Traffic Management Corporation, (TMC) which respectively manages and operates the NLEX including bus and jeepney transport groups representatives at the provincial board session hall here Wednesday, members of the provincial board said the increase on rates effective Jan. 1 surprised and caught them unaware and rendered them blind on how to explain it to their constituents.<br /> Board Member Felix Ople from the first district said they felt insulted when a major portion in the NLEX is located in Bulacan but they were not advised or informed by MNTC and TMC officials of the increased in toll rates making them appear ignorant before the residents asking them about the details of the new rates.<br /> Board Member and lawyer Enrique Dela Cru z from the second district, chairman on transportation committee at the provincial board said the sudden increase in the toll rates despite prior newspaper publications and announcements caught many Bulakenyos by surprise and yet not a single voice opposition has come out necessitating them to publish minutes of their recent meeting expressing their contradiction. <br /> “Wala man lang tumutol o nagsalita. Wala pa tayong narinig sa mga taga Pampanga, Pangasinan, kaya’t nauna na tayo rito sa Bulacan,” he said.<br /> Dela Cruz said it was an order by Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado to discuss and present oppositions on the new rates during their previous session and to come out with paid advertisement of their opposition to at least three major national dailies to let the MNTC and NLEX officials knew of their stand on the increase.<br /> Dela Cruz questioned the alleged 13 % increase in toll rates amidst alleged no recent and latest improvements and developments made on the NLEX in favor of the motorists.<br /> He also questioned the alleged bloated income of P109.5 billion by the MNTC from its 25 years contract projection of managing the NLEX, compared to only P21 billion worth of loans it incurred for the construction of the highway and its maintenance.<br /> However, Vice Gov. Daniel Fernando acknowledged presenting an erroneous claim of 13 % increase in the toll rates whereas the actual increase is only 11.8%.<br /> Fernando said their first knowledge was a 13% increase.<br /> According to Fernando, there was no obvious recent developments on the NLEX.<br /> Representatives from different bus companies—ES bus Transport, Baliuwag Transit Corp, Five-Star Bus Company, Victory Liner including jeepney transport groups also expressed their contradiction to the new toll rates.<br /> But, Marlene Ochoa, vice president for corporate communications of MNTC told NEWS CORE during interview at the meeting that jeepney transport groups plying routes for Monumento-Meycauayan and Bocaue including in San Fernando Pampanga to Dau and other areas are exempted from the rate increase. <br /> Benigno Valles, senior manager for corporate communications of TMC said the said jeepney routes have their respective Pasada and Tsuper Card demanding from them a minimal P190.00 whole day 24 hour payment for using the NLEX.<br /> Ochoa and other officials of their company acknowledged committing a shortcoming with the Bulacan officials of not prior making information or communication of the new toll rates come Jan. 1.<br /> However, she said, the toll fee increase is based on road user’s choice. “Maganda naman ang serbisyo at facility ng NLEX, kung sino lang naman ang gusting dumaan, it’s a choice, kung gusto dumaan sa magandang kalsada, magbayad ng ganoong fee at yung ayaw naman ay doon sa libre dumaan,” she said.<br /> Ochoa, defended the new toll increase as only toll rate adjustment with only a very minimal 11.8 percent increase from the current rates is lower than the opening rates in 2005.<br /> Today’s minimum toll for class 1 vehicles is at P41.00 from P36.00 compared to P42.00 when the NLEX re-opened under MNTC-TMC sister companies both under the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation new management in 2005.<br /> The previous P64.00 Tabang toll to Balintawak Plaza is now at P72.00 for class 1 vehicles. Balintawak to Sta. Ines for class 1 vehicles is at a new rate of P195.00.<br /> She said the January 2007 toll rates went down by 11. 6 percent and the July 2008 toll rates further went down from the previous 2007 rates by 3.1 percent.<br /> Valles said the new rate notice had been long announced and advised to the public.<br /> Ochoa said the new toll rate is based on provisional authority given to them by the Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and will be implemented while a public hearing will also be conducted.<br /> She said the toll being collected is worth because of the high quality services being offered and returned to all motorists using the NLEX because.<br /> She said the highway is smooth and there is no area with holes and that can cause traffic.<br /> She said recent road traffic and safety improvement facilities acquired such as accordion type accident impact reducer, lane management vehicle and intervention vehicles further completes the good services returned to the motorists.<br /> Valles said the Intervention Vehicles and four Lane Management Vehicles roaming along the NLEX help guide and warn motorists of possible road abuses and shortcomings that can lead to accidents.<br />He added the opening of the Mindanao Avenue Link also eases up traffic along Balintawak toll plaza.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-42351179841552604452011-01-10T06:12:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:13:02.864-08:00Paid ads vs. NLEX toll hike, a must — Bulacan officialsCITY OF MALOLOS—Bulacan officials defended paying worth P600,000 worth of full page advertisements on three national dailies expressing their contradiction on the new toll hikes at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) saying it came as an insult to them and would create a further effect to other goods and commodities from North and Central Luzon that are being brought to Metro Manila to increase in costs.<br /> At a called meeting with Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) and Traffic Management Corporation, (TMC) which respectively manages and operates the NLEX including bus and jeepney transport groups representatives at the provincial board session hall here Wednesday, members of the provincial board said the increase on rates effective Jan. 1 surprised and caught them unaware and rendered them blind on how to explain it to their constituents.<br /> Board Member Felix Ople from the first district said they felt insulted when a major portion in the NLEX is located in Bulacan but they were not advised or informed by MNTC and TMC officials of the increased in toll rates making them appear ignorant before the residents asking them about the details of the new rates.<br /> Board Member and lawyer Enrique Dela Cru z from the second district, chairman on transportation committee at the provincial board said the sudden increase in the toll rates despite prior newspaper publications and announcements caught many Bulakenyos by surprise and yet not a single voice opposition has come out necessitating them to publish minutes of their recent meeting expressing their contradiction. <br /> “Wala man lang tumutol o nagsalita. Wala pa tayong narinig sa mga taga Pampanga, Pangasinan, kaya’t nauna na tayo rito sa Bulacan,” he said.<br /> Dela Cruz said it was an order by Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado to discuss and present oppositions on the new rates during their previous session and to come out with paid advertisement of their opposition to at least three major national dailies to let the MNTC and NLEX officials knew of their stand on the increase.<br /> Dela Cruz questioned the alleged 13 % increase in toll rates amidst alleged no recent and latest improvements and developments made on the NLEX in favor of the motorists.<br /> He also questioned the alleged bloated income of P109.5 billion by the MNTC from its 25 years contract projection of managing the NLEX, compared to only P21 billion worth of loans it incurred for the construction of the highway and its maintenance.<br /> However, Vice Gov. Daniel Fernando acknowledged presenting an erroneous claim of 13 % increase in the toll rates whereas the actual increase is only 11.8%.<br /> Fernando said their first knowledge was a 13% increase.<br /> According to Fernando, there was no obvious recent developments on the NLEX.<br /> Representatives from different bus companies—ES bus Transport, Baliuwag Transit Corp, Five-Star Bus Company, Victory Liner including jeepney transport groups also expressed their contradiction to the new toll rates.<br /> But, Marlene Ochoa, vice president for corporate communications of MNTC told NEWS CORE during interview at the meeting that jeepney transport groups plying routes for Monumento-Meycauayan and Bocaue including in San Fernando Pampanga to Dau and other areas are exempted from the rate increase. <br /> Benigno Valles, senior manager for corporate communications of TMC said the said jeepney routes have their respective Pasada and Tsuper Card demanding from them a minimal P190.00 whole day 24 hour payment for using the NLEX.<br /> Ochoa and other officials of their company acknowledged committing a shortcoming with the Bulacan officials of not prior making information or communication of the new toll rates come Jan. 1.<br /> However, she said, the toll fee increase is based on road user’s choice. “Maganda naman ang serbisyo at facility ng NLEX, kung sino lang naman ang gusting dumaan, it’s a choice, kung gusto dumaan sa magandang kalsada, magbayad ng ganoong fee at yung ayaw naman ay doon sa libre dumaan,” she said.<br /> Ochoa, defended the new toll increase as only toll rate adjustment with only a very minimal 11.8 percent increase from the current rates is lower than the opening rates in 2005.<br /> Today’s minimum toll for class 1 vehicles is at P41.00 from P36.00 compared to P42.00 when the NLEX re-opened under MNTC-TMC sister companies both under the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation new management in 2005.<br /> The previous P64.00 Tabang toll to Balintawak Plaza is now at P72.00 for class 1 vehicles. Balintawak to Sta. Ines for class 1 vehicles is at a new rate of P195.00.<br /> She said the January 2007 toll rates went down by 11. 6 percent and the July 2008 toll rates further went down from the previous 2007 rates by 3.1 percent.<br /> Valles said the new rate notice had been long announced and advised to the public.<br /> Ochoa said the new toll rate is based on provisional authority given to them by the Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and will be implemented while a public hearing will also be conducted.<br /> She said the toll being collected is worth because of the high quality services being offered and returned to all motorists using the NLEX because.<br /> She said the highway is smooth and there is no area with holes and that can cause traffic.<br /> She said recent road traffic and safety improvement facilities acquired such as accordion type accident impact reducer, lane management vehicle and intervention vehicles further completes the good services returned to the motorists.<br /> Valles said the Intervention Vehicles and four Lane Management Vehicles roaming along the NLEX help guide and warn motorists of possible road abuses and shortcomings that can lead to accidents.<br />He added the opening of the Mindanao Avenue Link also eases up traffic along Balintawak toll plaza.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-27511790920113090242011-01-10T06:06:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:10:17.133-08:00BulSU launches rain forestation in Biak-na-BatoCITY OF MALOLOS—Challenged by officials and students from colleges in Metro Manila showing concern and conducting efforts to help save and protect the Biak-na-Bato National and Historical Park from destructive mining operations, officials, faculty and students of the Bulacan State University (BulSU) launched Monday a Rain Forestation project to contribute preserving the said rich national wealth of the province. <br />Ray Naguit, dean of the college of social sciences and philosophy who lead the project launching said they felt insulted when it’s other universities and colleges outside Bulacan who have been initiating moves for the protection of Biak-na-Bato Park which is a cultural and historical wealth of Bulacan.<br />“Nahihiya kami na tayong mga mga university dito sa Bulacan walang nagagawang effort para tumulong mahinto ang pagmimina at quary sa Biak-na-Bato at pagtatanim ng puno para mapagyaman pa ang kagubatan nito,” he told NEWS CORE.<br /> Participated in by different government organizations and socio civic groups in Bulacan, BulSU with the help of Buklod Unlad ng Dalitang Umaasa sa Kabundukan (Bundok) Inc., a local folk group in San Miguel for the protection of Biak-na-bato and their counterpart Dumagat tribe members is set to gather wild species of trees—lawaan, yakal, palusapis, malatagum, tibig, luknab from the inner forest area of Sierra Madre.<br /> Naguit said the trees once gathered and initially grown in a semi-nursery area near the Biak-na-Bato area will be planted and taken care of by the BulSU officials, faculty and student on a sustained basis.<br /> Victorino Villela, president of Bundok Inc. and other residents living at the foot of the Biak-na-Bato mountains in this town in San Miguel have earlier asked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to declare the mountains protected areas to stop marble quarrying and mining there.<br /> Villela said parts of Biak-na-Bato were declared a mineral reservation, that could spell disaster to nearby residents. Environmental groups have noted the damaging effects of quarrying and mining on the mountain — including soil erosion and landslides during heavy rainfall and typhoons.<br /> At least 500 persons live in the area surrounding Biak na Bato.<br /> Villela said quarry trucks and equipment also damaged roads leading to their villages.<br /> Biak-na-Bato, which figured in the country’s history as one of the camps of the revolutionary Katipunan forces in 19th century Philippines, was declared a national park by former President Manuel Quezon on Nov. 16, 1937 through Proclamation No. 223. The area covers 2,117 hectares in the villages of Kalawakan and Talbak in Doña Remedios Trinidad town and the villages of Biak-na-Bato and Sibul in San Miguel town.<br /> In 1970, then President Ferdinand Marcos issued an order guiding mineral prospecting and exploitation in government reservations.<br /> Through Proclamation No. 401, issued on April 11, 1989 by President Corazon Aquino, the national government re-defined the boundaries of the Biak-na-Bato National Park.<br /> The proclamation set aside 952 hectares as mineral reservation, 938 hectares as watershed reservation and 480 hectares as forest reserve.<br /> Earlier, the Dangal ng Bulacan Foundation Inc. and multi-sectoral groups in Bulacan launched signature campaigns to ask Ms Arroyo to stop marble quarrying at Biak-na-Bato.<br /> Former Governors Josefina Dela Cruz and Joselito Mendoza both pushed and clamor for the national government to cancel the MPSA of RMDC on claims it was operating illegally because it was not given recognition or was cleared by the provincial board.<br /> Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado also recently ordered suspended the operation of RMDC pending national government’s cancellation of its MPSA.<br /> Alvarado said the internal squabble on the company’s ownership should first be settled before the firm should be allowed to operate.<br /> Mendoza who is now representative of the third district of Bulacan immediately filed on September, barely just two months after he stepped his feet in Congress House Bill 2677, “an act providing for the reinstatement of the original area of Biak-na-Bato National Park, a historical landmark of the province of Bulacan situated in the municipality of San Miguel for its preservation and protection and for other purposes”.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-78418283256698505872011-01-03T06:10:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:11:12.551-08:00‘Minasa’ of Bustos, rich sole old time food delicacyBUSTOS, Bulacan—”Minasa,” an original food delicacy the rich exclusively prepared for them and their guests and was told as a product borne out of Spanish-inspired houses of the wealthy folks here during the old times which recently have been one of the Overseas Filipino Workers and Balikbayans most favorite Bulacan sweets pasalubong will take center stage recognition during a Minasa Festival here was started last Jan. 16.<br /> Lourdes Cruz, a 75 years old retired teacher and one of the pioneer makers of minasa, dubbed as the “meryenda ng mayayaman ng kahapon’ said the cookies they sold at P140.00 per plastic jar are most in demand by OFW and Balikbayans as their keep-sake food stuffs for their families, friends and work mates in foreign countries where they stay.<br /> With around ten makers of minasa in this town and the industry to yet has a minimal of only close to P2 million worth of investment, the distinct one town one product pasalubong food stuff of Bustos is well known especially by many Filipinos abroad.<br /> Cruz said their regular buyers and customers who came to their stores and manufacturing sites in this town are not only OFW’s and Balikbayans from the province but even came from as far as Ilocos, Batangas, Quezon and Cebu who would make a detour here when they are in Manila just for jars and containers of their minasa.<br /> She said their last Christmas sale especially for the Balikbayans and OFW’s rose to more than P200,000 excluding the sales from different government and private agencies as part of the Christmas party baskets and give-away.<br /> Cruz said she belongs to the fifth generation of “meryenda ng mayayaman kahapon” makers who rose from the later less richer and middle class group of the original minasa makers.<br /> Minasa, she said is formerly and originally a favorite home-made merienda of only the wealthy and rich folks in this town which they exclusively prepared for them and their guests during feasts and other special occasions during the Spanish time.<br /> She said that time, the minasa cookies, known as minasa because of the literal and actual hand mixing and flattening of the flour mixture or batter are not yet being sold commercially.<br /> But, over the years, even those from the middle class and even the poor managed to learn to prepare and cook this minasa because the maids and workers they have in their haciendas and houses who they ask to join them and help them while preparing the minasa came from the poor class of residents.<br /> “ Ang tawag namin dito ay meryenda ng mayayaman kahapon. Mayayaman lang talaga ang nakakakain nito noong una, pero kalaunan, may natuto na ring mga nasa middle class hanggang sa yung iba kahit mahirap natuto na irng gumawa nito,” she said.<br /> She said the minasa uses cassava flour, egg yolk, coconut milk, sugar and margarine are being made and baked by the rich using their own old style process especially the “minasa” or the literally mixing by the hands alone the batter of mixture for the cookie product.<br /> Cruz recalled she was just a small girl when she heard her ancestors talking to one another expressing joy over their learning of how to make minasa.<br /> “Tuwang tuwa yung mga lola namin nung matutuo na silang magluto ng minasa, sinabi nila sa sarili nila na pwede na rin silang masabing mayaman kasi marunong na silang gumawa ng minasa at nakakakain na rin sila nito,” she said.<br /> It was only in late 1980’s when she decided to make pieces of the cookies and sold them in their store here for some experimental purposes and as a continuous work to be busy with for her retirement in teaching work.<br /> Called the “Fe’s Minasa,” her and her family’s cookie products was the original maker of the minasa of Bustos that continue to bake today the delicious minasa. Cruz store, house and baking area is located just opposite the municipal government hall and compound in Poblacion.<br /> She said all her four children, all males knew how to prepare and bake the minasa. There are times, she said, they bake the cookies with the names of each of his son as the molded designs based on their own clamors and requests.<br /> After all the ingredients are mixed, they will be placed in a wooden mold with usually floral designs which they use up to this time and they will be cut into smaller pieces before they are placed on top of an aluminum tray for baking inside huge oven.<br /> Before, Cruz, said, the rich make their minasa just like how bibingka was being cooked, with flames on top and at the bottom. But, during these days, oven helped them a lot in easier and speedier baking. She said they still keep with her the old cooking gadget of the rich people in her town and plan to preserve and keep it in her baking spot.<br /> Cruz said their preparations from mixing was made better and lighter through the help of the Department of Science and Technology after it gave them worth close to P400,000 worth of mixer, cutter and molder. <br /> Mayor Arnel Mendoza who is the first local official of Bustos who gave interest in further promoting the minasa industry in the town out of the Festival said their notion of the minasa cookies since they were small kids was show different yet still related to the minasa as the rich folks of this town’s favorite merienda during feasts.<br /> Mendoza said they usually heard from old folks that minasa cookies are made by rich people in their town so as to still make good use of the pales and pales of left egg yolks which are remnants of the egg white used during those times in sticking the piles of bricks used in the construction of Spanish-styled houses.<br /> “Yung ang kuwento sa amin, lumaki kami sa ganoong kuwento, ginagamit ng mayayaman yung claro ng itlog sa pagdidikit ng mga bricks pag gawa ng bahay noong Spanish time at yung mga asawa nilang mga babae, para hindi matapon at masayang lang ang pula ng itlog, ginawa silang cookies na tinawag nilang minasa,” he said.<br /> Arnold Beltran, Bustos municipal secretary said some of the famous Mercado and Mateo Spanish-inspired houses in their town built in 1853 and 1888 were said to have used egg whites as in between sticky materials for the bricks and stones.<br /> “Karaniwan ng mga bahay na iyan ay pag-aari ng mga land lords, yung pula ng itlog ginagawang minasa para ihanda pag may special na okasyon at panregalo sa mga bisita nilang mayayaman,” Beltran said. <br /> The mayor recalled the rich people formerly use the extract of sago plant which are abundant in their town before switching using the cassava flour which is presently being used today.<br /> Mendoza who said the minasa business in Bustos is still a cottage industry believes it will further grow bigger in years to come as more families and businessmen may also invest in the business to meet the demand abroad and even in local market.<br /> The Minasa Festival will also highlight a street dancing competition highlighting the cookies and in the uniform tune of Minasa Song Festival sang by known band Escabeche in the country whose members are from Bustos and adjacent Baliuag town.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-27300970940060125652011-01-03T05:57:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:05:39.210-08:00Black Nazarene Fluvial parade ashores Hagonoy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6_EQkfRN8dS7lhFcNuW3vM1QTKXQah686UxowboZFq6ktCRHfbZ6MaiuIcGi6R0zvSSicqlKz3X-j5U6JhCbCPW2xWdRdmin5xw14LLXe6eslkkiOSa_JN_u5YiivAMMxo44dmjyrFp9/s1600/nazarene.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6_EQkfRN8dS7lhFcNuW3vM1QTKXQah686UxowboZFq6ktCRHfbZ6MaiuIcGi6R0zvSSicqlKz3X-j5U6JhCbCPW2xWdRdmin5xw14LLXe6eslkkiOSa_JN_u5YiivAMMxo44dmjyrFp9/s320/nazarene.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571318090545776306" border="0" /></a><br />HAGONOY, Bulacan— Close to 2,000 local believers of Black Nazarene of Quiapo Church in Manila participated on Sunday’s procession of the Feast of the Black Nazarene through their own celebration of fluvial parade.<br /> For 32 years now, the devotees from this town and other places in Bulacan have been joining the annual traditional festive yet sacrificial procession of the patron of Quiapo Church in Manila through their own distinct way of fluvial parade of the image in Parong-parong river.<br /> They first attended the 9 a.m. mass at the Parong-parong chapel along the Halang river in Barangay San Agustin before they boarded the makeshift huge banca and ten other smaller ones along the said river for the past 11 a.m. actual procession of the image.<br /> Following the mass, fireworks were cracked in the air in front of the chapel compound to symbolize and call on other devotees that the water procession is just about to start.<br /> Rosalla Montehermoso, one of the close devotees and organizers to the Feast event, said the fireworks made of skyrocket or kuwitis was made an integral part of the procession as a symbol calling on other devotees in the remote Sitio of Parong-parong who are still in their houses to go to the chapel as the fluvial procession is just about to go ashore.<br /> Flora Santiago-Robles, 69, from Sitio Halang and a close Black Nazarene of Quiapo devotee said the annual fluvial parade of the Black Nazarene patron of Parong-parong chapel that had been going on for 32 years now continue to draw more devotees from several other places every year.<br /> Robles who joined her brothers and sisters in shouldering the construction of the said chapel more than 20 years ago to help keep the Roman Catholic faith of regularly going to mass of the residents in the said remote place, said another set of firecrackers are cracked symbolizing the image of the Black Nazarene is already making its trip along Halang river, a major part of this town’s waters connected to the Manila Bay.<br /> A third batch of firecrackers was cracked in the air as the image of the Black Nazarene approached back the chapel, Robles said symbolizing the thanksgiving and praises of the residents to their chapel’s patron for an abundant year and hope for a continuance of the said blessings.<br /> “The water procession of the Nazarene has also become a tradition for them and the people to spread the graces of God to their folks living in the coastal villages by giving blessings to the river where many residents depend their living,” she told NEWS CORE.<br /> As the major coastal municipality in Bulacan, more than half of the residents here are fishermen.<br /> Because of the resident’s recognition and thanksgiving to the abundant aquatic food and resources being made available to them and their families for over a hundred of years, they are annually bringing the image of St. Anne, (Virgin Mary’s mother), their town’s patron saint in a fluvial parade.<br /> Robles, a mother of five used to walk on her knee at Quiapo church especially during the time of her nearing respective date of giving birth to all of them. She said she was doing that to ask graces and offer the lives of her children to God and Jesus Christ through the Black Nazarene.<br /> Robles said she was not surprise she had an easy and light delivery to all of them.<br /> When each of her children is about two months old, she again walk on her knee from the entrance door of the Quiapo Church to the altar carrying them and offering their lives to God to become good children and good followers of His name.<br /> Robles, who is one of the owners of the Bulacan Garden ornamental plant firm that has already gone intoexporting since several years back and whose family is the one who built the Parong-parong chapel said that she got her strong and deep faith in God and her devotion to the Black Nazarene first from the influence of her parents. She said, her personal encounters of trials and graces made her faith deeper.<br /> Just like Robles who previously show her faith and respect to the Black Nazarene in Quiapo but have made switch to the Black Nazarene of Parong-parong, many from the devotees annually flocking to the said chapel for the Feast of the Black Nazarene are also regular devotees to Quiapo but transferred here after the chapel had been made and the fluvial parade had been started.<br /> Eighty one years old Cristina Magsakay from Tawiran this town was in tears during the procession because of her wholehearted thanksgiving to the Black Nazarene for keeping her alive and with still a sound health despite her age. She said she used to go to Quiapo every Black Nazarene day but she contended herself in Parong-parong chapel after it was constructed.<br /> Rosalie De Guzman, 63, from nearby Paombing town said she started going to Quiapo Church and made her devotion to the Black Nazarene when she was only 23 years old.<br /> Nea De Jesus, from Barangay San Miguel this town is now on her second year devotion to Black Nazarene in Parong-parong seeking for a cure through faith to the bone problem of her 4 years old niece Cristina.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-41020756770170222102011-01-03T05:53:00.000-08:002011-02-08T05:56:28.885-08:00Water shortage ahead due to low water in Angat Dam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyP2FcR6eW21F9IQ7_6xNp_iPuGVy1tcMfxoYIsxcfHnvCLSkwUKnY54kNwP5RhH-fs-glGpiy5Z6ijDXnk-5x5TYLSkw8WgTNQXeha2EM2rlYtlLgqe47ajgRTDyjvX_-OMmzU0Lk9eg/s1600/dam.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyP2FcR6eW21F9IQ7_6xNp_iPuGVy1tcMfxoYIsxcfHnvCLSkwUKnY54kNwP5RhH-fs-glGpiy5Z6ijDXnk-5x5TYLSkw8WgTNQXeha2EM2rlYtlLgqe47ajgRTDyjvX_-OMmzU0Lk9eg/s320/dam.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571317243078658962" border="0" /></a><br />CITY OF MALOLOS—Officials forecast a possible resurgence of shortage of water these coming months as water level in Angat dam which supply 97 % of water requirement of Metro Manila and Bulacan and Pampanga farmers continue to drop.<br /> Rodolfo German, general manager of Angat River Hydro Electric Power Plant (Arhepp) which operates and manages the Angat dam in the mountainous Hilltop area in Barangay San Lorenzo in Norzagaray town said Monday the absence of rains in December brought down to 203.23 meters above sea level (masl) the current elevation of the dam.<br /> Liza Mungcal, provincial disaster management office head of Bulacan said the last recorded high level of water was at more than 204.00 meters last Dec. 8.<br /> Angat dam has a normal elevation of 210-214 masl from dry to rainy season.<br /> German told NEWS CORE by phone, the current elevation is critical because it is lower than the level last year during the first week of 2010 where shortage of water was experienced by Metro Manila residents and the farmers from Bulacan and Pampanga.<br /> “Critical ito, mas mababa pa ito kaysa last year na ganitong pagpasok ng January ay nag-204 mahigit ang level noon, ngayon 203 lang. Dapat napuno ang dam ng mga ulan bago matapos ang taon dahil sa ngayong mga darating na buwan wala tayong aasahang ulan dahil papunta tayo sa tag-araw,” he said.<br /> However, German said, id there will be rains to come before May, the water shortage direction may be averted.<br /> German sees a continuous drop in the water level if there will be no rains to come.<br /> He said because there were no more rains experienced during the last weeks of 2010, Angat dam which had a hard time pulling up its critical low level to its current more than 200 masl level may go back decreasing its stock of water.<br /> “Walang ulan nitong Disyembre, posibleng magtuloy tuloy na ang pagbaba ng level ng tubig natin dito sa Angat dam,<br /> During the third quarter months last year, Angat dam continue to reach its far below 180.00 masl critical prompting a cut in the supply of water to Bulacan and Pampanga farmers to prioritize supplying the need of Metro Manila.<br /> In July last year, Angat dam set a record in history of reaching down its lowest elevation when it reached 157-158 masl.<br /> German calls on the Manila Water Company Inc. and the Maynilad Water Company, the two water concessionaires for Metro Manila which gets their supply from Angat dam to make a fast water conservation and preservation information campaign drive to the metro residents.<br /> “Ngayon pa lang dapat mag-info drive na sila, ang mga Metro Manila users dapat magitpid sa pag gamit para hindi maranasan ang water shortage,” he said.<br /> During the water shortage last year, Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado through a provincial board resolution placed the 17 towns in Bulacan dependent of water needs for farming use under state of calamity for the purchase of shallow tube wells and other augmenting facilities to make water available for the farmers.<br /> However, the rains and typhoons during the last quarter of 2010 which have suddenly pulled jup the water elevation in Angat dam have destroyed the crops of the farmers.<br /> Alvarado called on the national government to look for alternative water source for Metro Manila so that the more than 25,000 Bulacan and Pampanga farmers dependent of water need to Angat dam should not always be sacrificed to favor Metro Manila.<br /> Alvarado also want the leaks of major pipes of the water concessionaires be completely repaired to maximize the use of water coming from Bulacan dam.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-91625822394453481662011-01-03T05:52:00.000-08:002011-02-08T05:53:25.959-08:00SJDM cop, brothers arrested over traffic murderMARILAO, Bulacan—A policeman is now inside the municipal jail of this town after he shot dead a man he had a traffic altercation with and seriously wounding a barangay watchman who tried to pacify him in Barangay Ibayo early dawn Tuesday.<br /> Supt. Cezar Tanagan, Marilao police station chief identified the suspect as PO2 Arman Canilang, assigned at San Jose del Monte City police station and his victims as Arnel Dulzura, 35, from this town and Amllie Salangsang, 40, a village watchman of Ibayo.<br /> Tanagan said Canilang and Dulzura both on board their own motorcycles and had just came at a nearby restaurant were under the influence of liquor when they had a road traffic confrontation an altercation.<br /> The two alighted from each of their motorcycles and engaged in a fist fight when suddenly Dulzura managed to run and asked for help from Salanglang who was in a near barangay outpost. But, while the village watchman was just about to approach Canilang to pacify him, the policeman drew his gun and fired on Dulzura and Salangsang.<br /> Dulzura was pronounced dead on arrival at the nearby Nazarenus Hospital while Salangsang was rushed at the National Orthopedic Hospital in Quezon City and is now in critical condition due to gun shot wounds on his spinal column.<br /> A by-stander identified as Ian Adante, 19, who was also hit at his arm and was also rushed at a hospital is already declared safe.<br /> Tanagan said Canilang with his two brother who are back riders on his motorcycle identified as Arman and Alvin jay were also arrested.<br /> Tanagan said the three suspects will be charged of murder.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-16896760818433516162010-12-27T05:37:00.000-08:002011-02-08T05:41:22.744-08:00New year toll hike<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa9LRkbWYvwD_XVGemNVVcasAi5VDT-qYa-vrJMYrgrd73tj-uuNUh7TUbPO4rjFvCvpkx71AMxyDK2OMDpfr27R3lE_WTX3CIC_gWLTs83haekWgS4HWRp4VHu1HPXjxS345eZrlg7Q7/s1600/nlex.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa9LRkbWYvwD_XVGemNVVcasAi5VDT-qYa-vrJMYrgrd73tj-uuNUh7TUbPO4rjFvCvpkx71AMxyDK2OMDpfr27R3lE_WTX3CIC_gWLTs83haekWgS4HWRp4VHu1HPXjxS345eZrlg7Q7/s320/nlex.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571313250457220610" border="0" /></a><br />GUIGUINTO, Bulacan—At the struck of 12:01 for the new year 2011, new toll fee rates were also implemented at the 85-km North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) from Balintawak to Sta. Ines, officials of the Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) which manages the speed highway confirmed Thurdsay.<br /> Marlene Ochoa, vice president for corporate communications of MNTC, defended the new toll increase as only toll rate adjustment with only a very minimal 11.8 percent increase from the current rates will be lower than the opening rates in 2005.<br /> Today’s minimum toll for class 1 vehicles is at P41 from P36 compared to P42 when the NLEX re-opened under MNTC-TMC sister companies both under the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation new management in 2005.<br /> The previous P64 Tabang toll to Balintawak Plaza is now at P72 for class 1 vehicles. Balintawak to Sta. Ines for class 1 vehicles is at a new rate of P195.<br /> Ochoa at a patch phone interview at the Traffic Management Corporation (TMC) office here said the MNTC made the upward adjustment for the first time since it opened six years ago.<br /> She said the January 2007 toll rates went down by 11. 6 percent and the July 2008 toll rates further went down from the previous 2007 rates by 3.1 percent.<br /> At the NLEX booth toll plazas in Balintawak and Bocaue where this reporter entered Thursday, notices of the new toll rates to be effective January 1, 2011 were all up and posted.<br /> Benigno Valles, senior manager for corporate communications of TMC said the new rate notice had been long announced and advised to the public.<br /> Ochoa said the new toll rate is based on provisional authority given to them by the Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and will be implemented while a public hearing will also be conducted.<br /> She said the toll being collected is worth because of the high quality services being offered and returned to all motorists using the NLEX because.<br /> She said the highway is smooth and there is no area with holes and that can cause traffic.<br /> She said recent road traffic and safety improvement facilities acquired such as accordion type accident impact reducer, lane management vehicle and intervention vehicles further completes the good services returned to the motorists.<br /> Valles said the volumes of traffic this Holiday Season especially those motorists going to North have already increased from 10-15 percent but NLEX personnel have not encountered long piles of vehicles in any of its toll booth.<br /> He said the entry record of vehicles this Christmas has set the highest record of 201,000 compared to the highest so far in the past years of only 199,000. However, the highest transaction was recorded last All Saint’s Day.<br /> Despite the said volume of motorists that used the NLEX this Holiday Season which they also expect to further go up this New Year, Valles said, no major accidents have occurred and no volume of traffic was recorded.<br /> “All are smooth flow, there was no problem area except for the Bocaue section near the stores of fireworks,” he told NEWS CORE.<br /> He said only self accidents of blown tires.<br /> He said the motorists did not take the NLEX in bulk at once time but have scattered times of undergoing their long trips home that’s why there was no heavy volume felt at one time despite an already increased up to almost 20,000 in the numbers of vehicles that have travelled this Christmas Season compared to regular days.<br /> He said the Intervention Vehicles and four Lane Management Vehicles roaming along the NLEX help guide and warn motorists of possible road abuses and shortcomings that can lead to accidents.<br /> He added the opening of the Mindanao Avenue Link also eases up traffic along Balintawak toll plaza.<br /> Francisco Dagohoy, Information officer of TMC said they are expecting a heavy turn of traffic come January 2 and 3 when the vacation is over and motorists are gear back to Metro Manila that’s why they release advisories for the motorists to take extra precautionary measures to avoid accidents.<br /> Dagohoy said they are advising drivers to have enough rest and sleep so that they will not fall sleepy while on the wheels.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-86300489360660422402010-12-27T05:33:00.000-08:002011-02-08T05:37:46.024-08:00Fireworks industry sets good sales record for 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevvq1PdQBmo6WrMN4q7FB4JtSZpTlTHfRwfgrszJ73euinF_wwQhMY90AqMljdw_9vvRvv-KsfOer7Uouyq1m6b1CHgBjH5hCruCBCQarEoXRjIUU_VJcZbc2OlMGpF9EAHrNGO8SKPFu/s1600/paputok.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevvq1PdQBmo6WrMN4q7FB4JtSZpTlTHfRwfgrszJ73euinF_wwQhMY90AqMljdw_9vvRvv-KsfOer7Uouyq1m6b1CHgBjH5hCruCBCQarEoXRjIUU_VJcZbc2OlMGpF9EAHrNGO8SKPFu/s320/paputok.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571312338834268722" border="0" /></a><br />BOCAUE, Bulacan—The fireworks industry glittered in 2010 after it set a record of last minute good sales despite government anti-fireworks bombardment and official of pyrotechnic association in the country attributed the silver lining shine in the business on Filipinos new found hope for better lives under the leadership of President Aquino.<br /> Celso Cruz, chairman emeritus of Philippine Pyrotechnic Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc. (PPMDAI) said they have already forecasted that sales will go up due to the new found hope and prosperity brought about by the ascendency of Mr. Aquino as the new leader of our country.<br /> Cristy Magaling, owner of Ace Fireworks at a pyro-zone in Barangay Turo going to Gov. F. Halili road here said many of them were amazed on the tremendous sales starting on December 26 where most of them recorded a sales of P200-P300,000 a day.<br /> “Lahat kami dito mahina ang P200,000 na benta kada araw simula nung December 26. May P300,000 pa na benta dito at mas malaki pa. Nagtuloy tuloy na ang magandang benta na iyon hanggang noong December 31. Iyon naman ang dasal namin” Magaling said.<br /> Magaling who engaged in the fireworks retail business in time for New Year sales for the first time said she and her partner is most likely to venture in the same work next year due to good profit and earning they’ve experienced.<br /> Tony Dinglasan which firecracker store within the pyro zone exploded in 2007 had already run out of stock during the 24-hour last minute sales because of regular customers that came in including new buyers from Metro Manila and nearby provinces.<br /> His son’s store, the first along the piles of stores in the pyro-zone area had a jump packed of buyers and have to attend and accommodate all of them even just a couple of hours before the welcome fete for of New Year.<br /> The two admitted good sales this year compared to previous years but could not immediately give an estimate of the amount of sales and earning they had. <br /> The fireworks store owned by Police Supt. Manuel Lukban, next after the Dinglasan’s and Magaling also followed in the trend of good last minute sales.<br /> Celso Enriquez, owner of Unistar Fireworks in the other wing of Turo going to Bocaue town proper also said they started to feel the kick in the sales on Sunday because it is the traditional start of the good sales in the industry every Yuletide Season.<br /> But he said, compare to previous years, sales for this year is far low.<br /> He expressed sentiment over the lost of his huge sales from his regular in Makati City after usage of firecracker in a village there was banned by the city local government due to a gas leak to avoid any accidental explosions.<br /> Cruz said the new found hope and prospect of good lives ahead under a new leader in Malacanang drove many Filipinos to celebrate new year and patronage firecracker products despite series of attacks by various government agencies.<br /> “Gusto ng mga Filipino mag celebrate ng new year kasi may pag-asa kay PNoy na umasenso ang buhay ng marami sa atin,” Cruz who co-founded the PPMDAI in 1993, the following year after RA 8173, the laws that allows the manufacture, sale and distribution of fireworks had been passed told NEWS CORE.<br /> He said as experienced on the night of December 31, people started lighting fireworks as early as 9pm in Metro Manila and lasted up to 1am.<br /> The excitement and eagerness of the people in cracking and lighting fireworks, Cruz said came amidst Department of Health (DOH) “Iwas Paputok” campaign, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Product Standard (PS) seal inspection, close tax monitoring by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), police raid and similar fire safety inspection by the Bureau of Fire Protection and the banning of sale and usage in some local governments in Metro Manila and some provinces. <br /> Joven Ong, president of Dragon Fireworks Inc., also a member of the PPMDAI supported Cruz claim on the positive attitude of many Filipinos these days that favored the industry. “There is truth in that. People when optimistic tend to celebrate and thus spend more on fireworks,” he said.<br /> But, Vimie Erise, president of PPMDAI despite the beam of success in the industry sales in 2010 expressed sadness and frustration there are still numerous individuals particularly children who were victimized of firecracker related incidents during the welcome celebration of the new year.<br /> Erise said it is always the industry that is being blamed because of the said accidents but it is the responsibility of the parents of the children to guide or not allow their kids from cracking fireworks during new year’s celebration.<br /> Erise said the more than half a billion worth fireworks industry in the country can further grow if all government and public sector efforts will be geared toward fully accepting and acknowledging the industry and pushing hard for an individual’s safety use campaign. <br /> She said it is really the information campaign on safely usage and cracking of firecracker and pyrotechnic products which should be the focus of the government agencies rather than continuously attacking them.<br /> According to Erise, the opposition and contradiction approach of the government to the industry even make people more eager to buy and crack fireworks.<br /> “Ang mga Filipino ganyan, habang pinagbabawalan, lalong nanggigigil at hindi tuloy nakakaganda sa industriya,” she said.<br /> She said for 2011, the PPMDAI will dwell on massive information campaign on safety usage of firecracker products.<br /> Erise said the government should also rather concentrate on banning and strictly preventing the smuggling of imported products from China which include piccolo in order to better implement a zero-firecracker accident for the new year’s fete.<br /> Piccolo, according to the DOH is one of the most toxic deadliest firecracker product that have victimized many Filipinos particularly children.<br /> Lukban also blamed the swamping of the said low priced smuggled items from China as what have caused the sales not to have fully comprehended.<br /> Lukban said the good sales were only recorded on the last six days, but before that, his sales has dropped to almost 50% because of the said smuggled products that were favored by buyers and also because of business competition as new stores and retail outlets have sprouted in time for the new year sale.<br /> “Nag-drop to almost 50% masyado kasi dumami ang nagbebenta kaya ang prices ay hindi nagawang tumaas. Lumaki ang competition at masyadong maraming items na galing China na bagsak presyo. Generally, masyadong marami products ang lumabas sa market, malaki ang naging kita ng suppliers pero ang store retailers ay humina ang kita dahil lumakas at dumami ang competitions,” he said.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-14076196806144843732010-12-27T05:25:00.000-08:002011-02-08T05:41:53.856-08:00Baywalk Bodies’ Rejoice found dead near NLEX<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLasOgOOE7LjPSfcIP1mcaVh_vUwOsWaCAyQ8W84kD3Vg9wFUQkNVeRSC5IYowuXMw0jIzSwivuyKgvDebC0vdelA6oG1PteQ9zOK60jT0bxlWy-3rta35kezXZ9ZP3zKmfW9eiCl1UDV/s1600/rejoice.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLasOgOOE7LjPSfcIP1mcaVh_vUwOsWaCAyQ8W84kD3Vg9wFUQkNVeRSC5IYowuXMw0jIzSwivuyKgvDebC0vdelA6oG1PteQ9zOK60jT0bxlWy-3rta35kezXZ9ZP3zKmfW9eiCl1UDV/s320/rejoice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571311204030543154" border="0" /></a><br />CAMP GENERAL ALEJO SANTOS, Bulacan— A member of sexy female dance group Baywalk Bodies was found dead with a gunshot wound in the head just after the north bound lane of the Tabang toll exit of the North Luzon Expressway in Guiguinto town early morning on Wednesday, belated report reaching this camp said on Saturday.<br /> Police identified the victim as Rejoice Rivera, 26, a native of Malolos City.<br /> Rivera whose real name is Dianne Marie Santos was found lying lifeless at the shoulder and emergency lane of the NLEX in the said area at about 3:45 am on Dec. 29 with a gunshot wound on her temple, Guiguinto police investigators reported.<br /> Police said the victim was found wearing a gray shirt and maong short pants. Her wallet and mobile phone were missing.<br /> Rivera was positively identified by relatives at the morgue of a local funeral parlour in Malolos City.<br /> Nieves Santos, mother of the victim, said she had her last communication with her daughter on December 28 telling her that somebody will fetch her at her apartment in Quezon City.<br /> It was also learned that somebody had earlier sent the victim a gift package but she did not accept it.<br /> The family of the victim are in a state of shock and are clueless on the victim’s death.<br /> They said Rejoice, second of three Santos siblings, was the breadwinner in the family. They also claimed that Rejoice is a kind and happy person and has no known enemy.<br /> Bulacan police director Senior Supt. Fernando Villanueva said the Guiguinto police is still investigating the case.<br /> Villanueva said they have yet to establish if the victim was a victim of summary execution and was just dumped near the Tabang toll gate or somebody shot her on her head.<br /> Villanueva said they are looking into all possible angles and motives in the discovery of the dead body of the young beautiful dancer-celebrity with a gun shot wound on her head.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-29512328255360320022010-12-27T05:24:00.000-08:002011-02-08T05:24:48.259-08:00Woman died of ‘piccolo’ ingestionCITY OF MALOLOS—A woman from this city had died of watusi and piccolo ingestion on Christmas Eve, reports from officials and kin of the victim said on Monday.<br /> Dr. Joy Gomez, provincial public health officer of Bulacan identified the victim as Evelyn Faustino, 44, a resident of Purok 3, of Barangay Mojon this City and a fish ball vendor near the Bulacan Medical Center here. <br /> Gomez said based on the details from 566, a Bulacan emergency response office stationed at the provincial capitol grounds, the victim was a victim of piccolo ingestion last Dec. 24 and was rushed at the Bulacan Medical Center.<br /> She was later transferred to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) where she died.<br /> Her son Brian Faustino confirmed on Monday that her mother died past 2am on Christmas Day at the PGH.<br /> But, Dr. Protacio Bajao, BMC Director belied to NEWS CORE the victim died of piccolo ingestion and said the possible cause of death was watusi ingestion.<br /> He said based on interview to the victim while the resident-doctors of BMC were treating her, she admitted taking in watusi.<br /> According to the victim’s son, her mother went to public market in Malolos earlier that day and bought watusi and piccolo.<br /> When she went back home around 12 noon, she locked herself up inside her room and told them not to disturb her whoever may even look for her. <br /> At about 4pm, she left their house and went to her neighbors and friends for some drinking spree.<br /> Brian said her mother was eating ponkan fruit while walking bound to their neighbor’s house.<br /> Brian said it was at the drinking spree place where her mother pee on her clothes where she was sitting and where she fell unconscious.<br /> She was immediately rushed at BMC and was later transferred at PGH where she later expired past 2am on Christmas Day.<br /> Brian said they saw the room of her mother with scattered pieces of piccolo, watusi and an open can of fruit cocktail. Although they did not see her on the act of taking in the piccolo and watusi, Brian said they suspected their mother placed some of the powder chemicals of the said explosive products on the fruit cocktail she was eating.<br /> Supt. Baltazar Mamaril, chief of police of this city said based on investigation they conducted Monday afternoon, said that they learned that the victim who is facing huge financial problem in their family intentionally made in takes of piccolo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-79867035946171703182010-12-27T05:20:00.000-08:002011-02-08T05:23:56.653-08:00Fireworks named after famous figures<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4joYlhRr9Yd8JhLW8v02Dovz0PlhI3-SmAidc4_wuJ_TLZxmLpyRKDlmyJalfMDse4obcoXKP9laP1VCNWer7aapdQi9fAlvD6UMZkFqjPbfCSu5tRVi9OaYoqCD1k2eh1IIRgoPeqHgT/s1600/SHOWTIME.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4joYlhRr9Yd8JhLW8v02Dovz0PlhI3-SmAidc4_wuJ_TLZxmLpyRKDlmyJalfMDse4obcoXKP9laP1VCNWer7aapdQi9fAlvD6UMZkFqjPbfCSu5tRVi9OaYoqCD1k2eh1IIRgoPeqHgT/s320/SHOWTIME.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571308719205894866" border="0" /></a><br />BOCAUE, Bulacan—From famous personalities, colloquial names of some firecracker products made a present switch to names of programs on TV.<br /> There are no more “Goodbye Gloria” fireworks, a huge five star that are prohibited and secretly and illegally sold. This item was being sneaked in last year in time for the last term of former President Gloria Arroyo from Malacanang.<br /> The “Goodbye Gloria” was patterned to “Goodbye Philippines” and “Bin Laden” firecracker products made as fun names for huge bang crackers following the World Trade Bombing incident in the United States 2001.<br /> “Trillanes” another huge and illegally sold firecracker item surfaced in 2007 and was named after Senator Antonio Trillanes, after the infamous Oakwood mutiny where he led a group of soldiers in seizing the said Makati hotel using combat explosive vehicles.<br /> These items are bring explicitly sold to buyers who would whisper their demand for such products.<br /> Celso Enriquez, owner of Unistar fireworks here said during previous interviews that he only have heard of those items but are not selling them because those are illegal and can be considered already as destructive.<br /> Enriquez said, as far as he knew, those items can already destroy window glass when cracked at a near distance.<br /> In 2007, a resident of Quezon City who went home to his native place in Barangay Maysantol in Bulakan town secretly brought pieces of Trillanes and cracked them in their backyard. At a five meters distance, the impact of the explosion left a tremor effect and some glass windows of a nearby house to be destroyed and shattered. <br /> This year, only a handful of these very strong impact fireworks can be sneaked in and bought.<br /> What are openly being sold are the legal products aerial and medium bang fireworks named after television programs “It’s Show Time,” and “Pinoy Big Brother”.<br /> Mark Eleogo, a part time newly hired additional store attendant at a fireworks store here said the “Its Show<br /> Time” is a 16-shot or sixteen times to crack aerial pyrotechnic (pailaw) type of fireworks while the “Pinoy Big brother” is a large kweaton or kuwitis type firework imported from Europe.<br /> Eleogo said manufacturers named the large kweaton as “Pinoy Big Brother” because it is where the show originated.<br /> “Bukod dun, kasi malaki, parang si kuya, malaki, kaya iyon daw ang itinawag ng mga gumagawa ng paputok sa kalse na ito,” he said.<br /> “It’s Show Time” costs P650.00 and the “Pinoy Big Brother” costs P350.00.<br /> Bayani Sayo, president of Bocaue fireworks manufacturers and dealers association said it has been a tradition among manufacturers to name their products to famous personalities and events now shows on TV to make the products more saleable and appealing to the buyers.<br /> “Nakasanayan na ng mga gumagawa na ipangalan sa mga sikat na tao, bagay at pangyayari lalo na yung may kinalaman sa mga sumasabog o pumuputok na bagay, ina-associate ang paputok doon kasi para lalong maging mabili,” he said.<br /> Sayo said, manufacturers not only do that to sale the products but also out of fun for the industry.<br /> Enriquez earlier said it is usually the people who are asking for the stronger impact or effect types of fireworks which also trigger the manufacturers to make or come out with such types of products to give satisfaction to the demand of the buyers.<br /> A bigger five star is called pla-pla, the next bigger in size is called “kabase”. Pla-pla is St. peter’s fish (huge tilapia) and kabase is much bigger type of fish. Both these products are prohibited.<br /> Eleogo said they also sell “Bandila” (a flag type of fireworks after the late night news program of Channel 2) and a heart shape firework they named as “Kapuso” named after channel 7.<br /> “It’s Show Time” and “Pinoy Big Brother” are both TV programs of channel 2.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823913183677887904.post-11643923563120149522010-12-20T05:07:00.000-08:002011-02-08T05:12:56.244-08:00Free show glitters ‘bilibid’ sky<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBL33DY-D8GtDB_-f06SwiHv0hfRbk-MfDAghEjQfm9lPPhZyhkScDqDAknQe9ZHlfXYhV3kidtZkDU58FLyoVrbmgLxcR3mO_38ZaKhyphenhyphenSwK280PzBquJdY05mZ5zlVNMzTwwD1Wd59c3S/s1600/bilibid.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBL33DY-D8GtDB_-f06SwiHv0hfRbk-MfDAghEjQfm9lPPhZyhkScDqDAknQe9ZHlfXYhV3kidtZkDU58FLyoVrbmgLxcR3mO_38ZaKhyphenhyphenSwK280PzBquJdY05mZ5zlVNMzTwwD1Wd59c3S/s320/bilibid.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571305992100510402" border="0" /></a><br />NEW BILIBID PRISON, Muntinlupa City—Fireworks officials in the country gave love this Christmas as they offered a free fireworks show to the employees and inmates of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) New Bilibid Prison (NBP) here on Dec. 23 despite series of bombardments by different government agencies downplaying the firecracker industry in the country.<br /> Vimie Erise, president of Philippine Pyrotechnic Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc. (PPMDAI) which factory is located in this town sponsored in behalf of her group a 15-minute fireworks show for the benefit of the low-income earning BuCor employees and the close to 20,000 inmates at the NBP.<br /> Erise who herself experienced police raids and harassment at her factory said anti-fireworks industry efforts being made by many government agencies like the PNP, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Health does not prevent her and the PPMDAI in extending love and offering to personnel of other government agency which they can bring smiles on their faces and make this Holiday Season a little happier for them.<br /> The PPMDAI official found the more reason to offer the worth P80,000 worth of fireworks show knowing the inmates at the NBP, many of which have been gone away from their families in their native places in Visayas and Mindanao for 10 to 30 years and have not seen or personally experience to watch a fireworks show.<br /> “Hindi lang mga empleyado ng BuCor and napangiti natin kahit sandal dahil sa makukulay at maliliwanag na fireworks aerial show na ginawa natin, lalo’t higit ang mga bilanggo sa New Bilibid Prison na alam nating malulungkot dahil marami sa kanila ang halos ay nakalimutan na ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay at hindi man lang sila nadadalaw ilang Pasko at Bagong Taon na ang nagdaan,” Erise told NEWS CORE.<br /> The all aerial fireworks show was held at the open space parking foreground of the BuCor immediately just after the employees and officials Christmas party.<br /> The inmates at the Maximum Security Compound and at the Medium Security Compound in Camp Sampaguita watched the glittering skies in front of the BuCor office while still kept inside the walls of their respective compounds.<br /> Armando Miranda, Chief Penal Superintendent in the NBP allowed the inmates at the Maximum Security Compound to stay outside their respective dormitories inside walls and gates of their compound to watch the fireworks.<br /> The inmates are 40-250 meters distance away depending on the location of their dormitories from where the foreground parking site is where the aerial show was staged.<br /> Alex Delos Reyes an inmate at Dorm 9-A said he had to keep his head upward looking at the skies for about 15-minutes so that he would not miss a bit of second of variety of huge the colorful and bright lights and loud fireworks sound.<br /> Miranda said the fireworks show brought some mode of joy both to the employees and the inmates.<br /> Miranda said BuCor employees who are only earning meager income seemed to have already celebrated the welcoming of New Year through the fireworks offering of the PPMDAI without spending money for the fireworks out of their already short budget for their families. <br /> Many among the employees also brought along with them their children to watch the aerial show.<br /> Celso Cruz, chairman emeritus of PPMDAI however said that the series of various government agency’s bombardment on fireworks industry would not deter the numbers of accidents during the welcome fete for New Year. Cruz said the safety consumer usage of firecrackers and fireworks should be the responsibility of the community, the local government, the parents especially for the children cracking pyrotechnic products.”How can we prevent children from using fireworks when they are so interested and amazed with the light, fire and sounds”.<br /> The annual New Year celebration firecracker related incidents toll bears children as leading victims.<br /> RA 7183, authored by former rep. Vicente Rivera of the Second District of Bulacan was implemented into law in 1992.<br /> PPMDAI with members from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao was formed in 1993 where Cruz was the founding vice president.<br /> Bayani Sayo, president of the Bocaue Fireworks Manufacturers and Dealers Association said there are still some dealers in his group who failed to acquire products with PS marks from manufacturers causing them to be frightened of the DTI inspection.<br /> But he said, he asked the DTI officials in Bulacan to just let go of them sell the products this time as a Christmas gift to his members with the assurance all the products they will have PS marks or made by manufacturers who have fully complied with the law and procedures on standard safety.<br /> Sayo and his members have been vocal in saying they only borrowed from lending investors the huge capital they had to sell fireworks today and any hampering to their supposed continuous smooth sale would result to them of not able to raise the sufficient money to pay their debts.<br /> Zorrina Aldana, DTI head in Bulacan who conducted the inspection of stores in Bocaue three weeks ago said their target of verification if products bear PS seal or marks are the manufacturers and the way to find them out is through inspection of fireworks stalls.<br /> Joven Ong, president of Dragon Fireworks Inc., also a member of the PPMDAI who also donated product for the aerial show said the DTI has the regular mandate to check for the PS mark of the products just like the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) checking on taxes, the DOH public safety and the PNP and should not be taken into bad light by some members in the industry.<br /> Ong who said that his firm is the only Filipino company so far to have the highest International Certification ISO 9001:2008 and all its pyrotechnic products to have a PS mark said they are eyeing an expanded export destination of Dragon products to more countries next year.<br /> It was the second year that Bulacan offered a free fireworks show at the NBP. Last year, Gov. Joselito Mendoza, now congressman of the third district of Bulacan sponsored the free fireworks display.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06311981423380465740noreply@blogger.com0