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Never forgetting is weapon against tyranny

Published by Ellen on November 23, 2010

The latest Pulse Asia survey showed that the Maguindanao massacre, where 58 persons were massacred by Andal Ampatuan, Jr. and his companions, one year ago, is in the consciousness of 98 percent of the Filipinos.

However, Pulse Asia said, less than half (48 percent) of those they surveyed last month said that they are following the developments of the trial.

Click here (VERA Files) for Carol Arguillas’ coverage of the commemoration in Mindanao. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima was there.

Click here (VERA Files) for pictorial of the commemoration in Metro Manila.

Pulse Asia’s findings make the request of news organizations and relatives of the victims to allow live coverage of the trial compelling.

As the days wear on, with so many issues and problems cropping up, interest on the carnage that earned for the Philippines the dubious distinction of the world’s most dangerous place for journalists (32 of the victims were members of media), would wane. That would be a cause of concern because tyranny thrives when the people are not vigilant.

Continue readingNever forgetting is weapon against tyranny

Romano, ‘Pilipinas Kay Ganda’ architect, resigns

Published by Ellen on November 23, 2010

By Jojo Malig, abs-cbnNEWS.com

Related article by Business Mirror’s Stella Arnaldo: DOT’s Romano quits over branding

Had the decency to admit fault and resign
Department of Tourism (DOT) Undersecretary Vicente Romano resigned Tuesday over the botched “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” branding campaign.

He admitted that he was the one responsible for the controversial branding scheme.

Romano defended his decision to spend P4.8 million in state funds for the launching which he and Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said was just a preview of the concept and logo.

“Palagay ko po para maipakita rin natin ‘yung ganda nung brand na aming gustong i-propose. ‘Yun ang inakala naming paraan na inaasahan namin na ‘yung mga dumalo roon ay matuwa po sa aming inilulunsad. Ang DOT naman ho ay nagi-stage sa iba’t ibang events na hindi naman po kalayuan ang ginagastos sa mga ganyang uri ng event dahil talaga naman pong kailangan mayroon talagang ipe-present ng maganda,” he said.

President Benigno Aquino III immediately accepted the resignation of Romano.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said: “Enteng offered his resignation, he admitted his mistake, it was honorable of him to offer his resignation and the president respects him for his act. And it is with reluctance that the president accepted his resignation.”

Continue readingRomano, ‘Pilipinas Kay Ganda’ architect, resigns

Never forget

Published by Ellen on November 21, 2010

Update: Today at 2pm, photo-journalists will have their head shaved in front of the Department of Justice on Padre Faura st., to commemorate the darkest day not only in Philippine journalism one year ago.

The day of impunity
Nov. 23 last year, Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr of the town named after him,Datu Unsay in the province of Maguindanao, accompanied by relatives and hired goons waylaid a convoy led by the wife of his political opponent, Esmael Mangudadatu, vice mayor of the town of Buluan to a secluded, hilly interior and massacred them.

Mangudadatu’s wife was supposed to file the certificate of candidacy of her husband against Ampatuan Jr for the position of governor.
From Ateneo School of Government:

From the Ateneo School of Government:To give way to the event in Maguindanao commemorating the Ampatuan Massacre where key policy actors will be attending, the public presentation of the PODER study on government response to election-related violence scheduled on 23 November 2010, 8:00am – 1:00pm, is postponed to a later date, which will soon be announced.

Fifty-seven bodies were recovered from the area which was turned into a mammoth graveyard by a backhoe that belonged to the provincial government. Of the 57, 31 were journalists, who were supposed to cover Mangudadatu’s filing of certificate of candidacy.

Fifty-eight actually were killed, 32 of them journalists. The body of Midland Review staff Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay , who was with the convoy, remains missing up to this day. Only his dentures were recovered from the killing site.

Continue readingNever forget

Ang kahalagahan ng ginagawa ni Professor Leonardo Co

Published by Ellen on November 20, 2010

Thanks to Arnoldi blogspot
Ang rafflesia ay ang pinakamalaking bulaklak sa mundo na naitala ngayon. Maaring merong mas malaki pa ngunit hindi pa nadidiskubre.

Ang rafflesia ay sobra isang metro ang laki kaya nasa lupa lang siya nakalatag. Parang red-orange ang kulay. Hindi maganda ang amoy dahil kumakain ng mga kung ano-anong mga insekto o mali-liit na hayop. Matatagpuan ito sa kabundukan ng Antique,ang aking probinsya, at Mindanao dito sa Pilipinas. Meron din daw sa Malaysia, sa gubat ng Sarawak.

Ang rafflesia ay isa sa ipinag-mamalaki ng Antique. Ngunit hindi pa ako nakakita ang aktuwal na rafflesia dahil sa gubat ng Sibalom at San Remigio yun matatagpuan. Sinabi sa akin na sa kabundukan yun at aabutin daw kalahating araw na paglalakad bago makarating doon. At medyo delikado daw pumunta doon basta-basta dahil may mga nakatira doon na mga kababayan nating No Permanent Address. Alam nyo na.

Ngayon ko lang nalaman na si Prof, Leonardo Co pala ang nakadiskubre ng rafflesia dito sa Pilipinas kaya nakapunta na sya doon sa kabundukan ng Antique. Ang pang-apat na Rafflesia na nadiskubre ay ipinangalan sa kanya: Rafflesia Leonensis.

Noong Lunes, Nobyembre 15, napatay si Co at ang kanyang dalawang kasama na sina Sofronio G. Cortez, forest guard day of ng EDC-Environmental Management Division a pag-aari ng pamilyang Lopez at Julius Borromeo, miyembro ng Tongonan Farmers Association (Tofa) sa Kananga, Leyte .Nakalibre ang isa nilang kasama na si Policarpio Balute.

Continue readingAng kahalagahan ng ginagawa ni Professor Leonardo Co

Thanks, Professor Co

Published by Ellen on November 20, 2010

Leonardo L. Co, 56, one of the country’s top botanist ,who was serving as biodiversity consultant of Lopez-owned Energy Development Corp. (EDC), was killed together with his two companions Nov 15 while gathering specimen seedlings of endangered trees with a five-member team of civilians in Kananga, Leyte.

Manuel Paete, EDC resident manager identified identified the other fatalities as Sofronio G. Cortez, a forest guard day of EDC-Environmental Management Division, and Julius Borromeo, a member of the Tongonan Farmers Association (Tofa).

Co is a specialist in plant taxonomy and ethnobotany.

Early reports said Co’s team was caught in a cross fire. Later reports said there was no cross fire and that they were mistaken as NPA’s

Slain botanist heard begging for mercy: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20101119-304043/Slain-botanist-heard-begging-for-mercy

His remains lie at the Funeraria Paz on Araneta Avenue. It will be brought to UP this afternoon for the wake until Sunday.

Following is Business Mirror’s editorial last Nov. 17 which encapsulates our sentiments:

Thanks, Professor Co

It’s hard to find words to capture the sense of loss of the Philippine science community, not only for themselves but for the future of this country, at the untimely, tragic demise of University of the Philippines botany professor Leonardo Co, in an unfortunate crossfire between soldiers and rebels in Leyte this week. Indeed, as some reports go, the military unit that might have (the shooting-by-friendly-fire angle is still being investigated) snuffed out his life was filled with deep remorse on knowing the encounter had claimed an innocent life—and what a life it was.

Continue readingThanks, Professor Co

Campaigns and Grey statement on ‘Pilipinas kay Ganda’

Published by Ellen on November 19, 2010

Update: President Benigno Aquino III on Saturday ordered the Department of Tourism (DOT) to drop the new tourism brand for the country, “Pilipinas Kay Ganda.”- ABS-CBN

Campaigns & Grey was called by DOT for advice on a new branding exercise. There was hesitation on our end as we were familiar with the complex bidding process, and we were still owed by the past administration for services rendered. Our love for country prevailed.

From the beginning, it was clear that the actual campaign would be bidded out and that our work was merely to establish preliminary strategic directions. But suddenly, there was a pressing need for exploratory concepts to be shown in some travel industry events. Again, we warned the client that we were taking too many shortcuts. But it was agreed that there will be a proper market research where multiple concepts will be thoroughly tested among the target market i.e. North America, Korea, Japan, China etc. Through this whole episode, we did not have a contract nor did we receive a single centavo.

Tourism Undersecretary Vicente Romano invites volunteers to help rebuild DOT website: Romano Help the DOT build the website

Based on available market data, ‘Pilipinas Kay Ganda!’ was developed as one of 5 concepts for testing among the target segments. The intention of this particular concept was to come up with a novel line that visitors would find memorable, similar to Hawaii’s ‘Aloha’ or even the Japanese ‘Irasshaimase!’ and help regain the Filipino pride in the long run.

Continue readingCampaigns and Grey statement on ‘Pilipinas kay Ganda’

What the government does is the message

Published by Ellen on November 18, 2010

The pictures below once again prove what Abraham Lincoln said that ““You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time.”

The Department of Tourism unveiled last Monday the Pilipinas Kay Ganda logo that would now be the Philippines’ symbol replacing Dick Gordon’s “Wow Philippines.”

Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said in his speech during the launch that when they presented to President Aquino the logo,”He even gave his own inputs in terms of colors and other visual elements, which are now part of the brand..”

It turned out that what was bandied as a product of a four-month study and testing, which we imagine cost taxpayers a hefty sum, was a copy of Poland’s tourism logo.

(Thanks to Dennis Garcia for the above images.)

We are relieved to hear from Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim and his Undersecretary Vicente Romano that they are open to changes about their much-ridiculed “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” promotions thrust.

Continue readingWhat the government does is the message

With Diana’s ring, William and Kate are engaged

Published by Ellen on November 18, 2010

From NBC News

LONDON — Britain’s Prince William will marry his longtime girlfriend, Kate Middleton, next spring or summer in London, the royal family announced Tuesday. A spokesman for Prince Charles said Prince William gave Kate Middleton the engagement ring that belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana.

The ring is an oval sapphire surrounded by diamonds.

The engagement announcement ends years of rumored splits, reconciliations and will-they, won’t-they speculation. It will be the biggest royal wedding since Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer almost 30 years ago.

Prince Charles’ Clarence House office said the heir to the British throne was “delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton.” It said the couple got engaged last month during a vacation in Kenya.
The statement also said that William had informed his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and also sought the permission of Middleton’s father.

Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip “are absolutely delighted for them both,” Buckingham Palace said. According to the U.K. newspaper the Sun, soon after the announcement of the engagement, a tweet appeared on the monarchy’s recently launched Twitter feed reading: “The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are absolutely delighted at the news of Prince William and Catherine Middleton’s engagement.”

A tweet from Prince Charles said: “The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton.”

Continue readingWith Diana’s ring, William and Kate are engaged