Thursday, 23rd May 2013

Bacolod City surges in IT-BPM industry

By: Francis Allan L. Angelo

BACOLOD CITY is now at par with more established investment sites for the Information Technology and Business process management (IT-BPM) industry.

The City of Smiles was elevated Monday to the status of Center of Excellence for IT-BPM operations, joining the ranks of Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Clark as a premier IT-BPM host and a high-density location.

The Department of Science and Technology-Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO) and Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) gave the citation to Bacolod and Negros Occidental officials in Metro Manila.

The occasion timed with the announcement of Top 10 Next Wave Cities™ (NWC) for 2012. Next wave cities refer to areas in the country seen potential investment/expansion sites for IT-BPM firms.

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DOT not worried with Taiwan snub

By: Tara Yap

AMIDST THE squabble between the Philippines and Taiwan, the Department of Tourism (DOT-6) still has hopes that the famed beach destination of Boracay Island will remain attractive to other nationalities.

“We should act proactively by attracting other markets,” said Atty. Helen Catalbas, DOT-6 regional director.

Taiwanese tourists have been cancelling their scheduled vacations in Boracay Island as a sign of protest after a Taiwanese fisherman was shot dead by Philippine Coast Guard personnel off the coast of Batanes last May 9.

Based on the 2012 arrival data, a total of 75,107 Taiwanese visited Boracay.

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Alleged pusher yields P250K worth of shabu

By: Jennifer Ponsaran-Rendon

A suspected drug pusher from Pasay City was arrested following a buy bust operation Tuesday afternoon in Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan.

Sergio Santiago, 34, of M. Dela Cruz St., Pasay City was arrested in a joint operation of the Aklan Police Provincial Office intelligence operatives and Boracay Tourist Assistance Center (BTAC).

The suspect, who rented a place at Sitio Lutugan, Brgy. Manoc-Manoc, was collared after handing over a shabu worth P1,000 to a police poseur buyer.

When frisked, the suspect yielded additional 19 plastic sachets of suspected shabu with estimated street value of aroundP250,000, drug paraphernalia, two mobile phones recording his illegal drug transactions, and P2,350 cash.

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Microsoft unveils new Xbox One game console REDMOND, Washington - Microsoft Corp gave the world the first look at its new game console on Tuesday, hoping the newly named Xbox One will... Read more

Obama to meet with China's Xi in California June 7-8 WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold their first meeting since Xi became president in March when they... Read more

3.9M families went hungry in March - SWS More Filipinos experienced hunger in March, with about 3.9 million Filipino families saying they had nothing to eat at some point during that... Read more

Oklahoma tornado damage likely to exceed Joplin MOORE, Oklahoma - The damage from Monday's tornado in a suburb of Oklahoma City is likely to exceed that caused by the 2011 twister in Joplin,... Read more

Golf PHL contingent start strong in Malaysian Ladies Am Open Malaysia — Cyna Rodriguez, still feeling tired from the tough grind of the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour inaugural over the weekend, showed... Read more

PAGASA: No cyclone near PAR; rain likely over Luzon and Mindanao Although there is still no cyclone near the Philippine area of responsibility, residents in parts of northern Luzon and Mindanao may expect... Read more

Report: Dengue claims 6 lives in Iloilo At least six people in Iloilo have succumbed to dengue so far this year, provincial health authorities said. The Iloilo Provincial Health... Read more

NBA Charlotte Bobcats franchise pushes move to bring back 'Hornets' monicker In a letter sent out by franchise owner Michael Jordan, the Charlotte Bobcats announced that they have begun the process of bringing back the... Read more

Pope criticizes 'savage capitalism' on visit to food kitchen VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis criticized what he called "savage capitalism" on a visit to a food kitchen on Tuesday, in an address in which he... Read more

H7N9 bird flu outbreak costs more than $6.5-B so far —UN GENEVA - The H7N9 bird flu outbreak in China has caused economic losses of more than $6.5 billion so far, the UN Food and Agriculture... Read more

US court rules Bin Laden death photos can stay secret WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that the US government had properly classified top secret more than 50 images of al Qaeda... Read more

Boston bomb brothers more American than Chechen —actor Depardieu GROZNY, Russia - French actor Gerard Depardieu said on Tuesday the ethnic Chechen brothers accused of the Boston Marathon bombing had been... Read more

Tunisia announces first death from new coronavirus TUNIS - A 66-year-old Tunisian man has died from new coronavirus, a strain of a virus that emerged in the Middle East last year, after a visit... Read more

US Stocks: Dow, S&P end at records on Fed officials' reassurance NEW YORK - US stocks rose on Tuesday, with the Dow and the S&P 500 closing at new all-time highs as Federal Reserve officials' comments... Read more

Photographic Society of Iloilo @ 31

By: Tara Yap

THE longest existing camera club in Iloilo recently celebrated its 31^st founding anniversary.

The multi-faceted members of Photographic Society of Iloilo (PSI) have tested their photographic skills over the past year in different categories of its monthly contests that culminated in recognizing the best of the best.

No less than Jun Rojas emerged as the Photographer of the Year winning the categories of enhancement and manipulation.

Other Photographers of the Year were Dr. Israel Gonzalez for black and white, Dr. Malbar Ferrer for salon and Dr. Therese Robles for safari.

On its anniversary contest, three different categories—best shot, wedding and photojournalism—became testing grounds for the artistic and scientific skills of PSI members.

Once again, Jun Rojas emerged as the winner for the best shot category while Dr. Gonzalez and Russ Sio were the runner-ups.

John Guevarra Sr. won the best wedding category while Dr. Socorro Martinez and Paul Go were runner-ups.

Dr. Ruben Ramirez won the best photojournalism category. Carlos Garcia and Dr. Gonzalez were runner-ups.

Indeed, the camera club founded by lawyer and entrepreneur Bert Ong has come a long way.

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Tipping point

May 23,2013 12:58 AM

By: Modesto Sa-onoy

THE stand-off between the Philippines and Taiwan on the death of the latter’s fisherman who was shot by the Philippine Coast Guard, is starting to escalate. From verbal demands of the Taiwanese government, the controversy has resulted in direct hostility of the Taiwanese against Filipinos who are working there. Read more...

Pavlovian Response

May 23,2013 12:56 AM

By: Alex P. Vidal

"BETWEEN stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." Viktor E. Frankl

The name Pavlov may make us want to cry "Dogs!" We would call this a Pavlovian response, but that would be oversimplifying the point made by the phrase's namesake, the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), stressed Dr. Michael Macrone, author of Eureka! Read more...

SELF –RELIANCE

May 23,2013 12:54 AM

By: Bonnie B. Barrientos

(The author is a Teacher III of Rizal Elementary School in Pontevedra, Capiz)

TRAIN EVERY child to be self-reliant. As much as possible, every child should be trained to self-reliance. By calling into exercise the various faculties, he will learn where he is strongest, and in what way he is deficient.

A wise teacher will give special attention to the development of a well-balanced, harmonious attitude. Read more...

THE HUNGER GAMES

May 23,2013 12:52 AM

By: Henrylito D. Tacio

“THERE is a lot that happens around the world we cannot control,” American Congressman Jan Schakowsky once said. “We cannot stop earthquakes, we cannot prevent droughts, and we cannot prevent all conflict, but when we know where the hungry, the homeless and the sick exist, then we can help.”

This statement came to mind while reading the report that there more Filipinos who are hungry than ever. Read more...

Safe drinking water - an unfinished agenda

May 23,2013 12:50 AM

By: Dr. Noeleen Heyzer

WITHOUT WATER there is no life. Clean drinking water and sanitation are basic human rights – essential to life and to all other rights. Lack of access to clean water and sanitation is a silent crisis that destroys livelihoods and claims more lives through illness than any war claims through guns. Read more...

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