Page 8 - LM Confidential Issue August 2014

Philippines
Pope to Lift Filipino spirits
Joey de Leon dares “killer” of Vic Sotto
Hindi man pinaniwalaan at sineryoso ng batikang host na si Joey de Leon ang kumakalat na video na nagsasabing namatay na ang kaibigan niyang si Vic Sotto, may mensahe pa rin siya sa gumawa at
nagpakalat nito.
Sa eksklusibong panayam ng
GMANetwork.com, ikinwento ni Joey na binati niya agad si Vic ng “Oh, you’re alive!” pagkakita niya rito sa Eat Bulaga. Marami rin din daw ang nagtanong sa kanya upang kumpirmahin ang tsismis.
Ipinaliwanag niya na nagkataon lamang na absent si Vic dahil madalas itong maglaro ng golf tuwing Huwebes at Biyernes. Hinamon ni Joey ang mga nagpasimuno ng hoax: “Itong mga social media minsan ginagamit sa kalokohan eh. Pero mga duwag ‘yun, mga duwag.” “Nilalahat ko na. Mga duwag kasi. Hindi naman naglalagay ng pangalan na tunay ang mga ‘yun eh. Mga duwag. Ilagay niyo ang tunay niyong pangalan bago kayo mag- tsismis,” paghamon ng Eat Bulaga at Startalk host.
Ipinaalala rin niya na hindi dapat basta-basta pinaniniwalaan ang mga bali-balita, at kailangang mag-ingat sa mga kumakalat sa Internet na maaaring pagmulan ng virus.
Anne Curtis, “Dyesebel made me stronger”
As the most-loved fantasy series “Dyesebel’s” final chapter aired July 18, on The Filipino Channel’s (TFC) Kapamilya star Anne Curtis admits that all trials she has faced in ABS-CBN’s well-loved fantasy series, ”Dyesebel” made her value her craft as actress even more.
“The series taught me to be stronger and made me realize how committed I can be. We continued to work, rain or shine, because that is how much we love what we were doing,” said Curtis.
According to the “Dyesebel” star, all the sacrifices were rewarded with the warm support of the viewers, worldwide. “It is a great honor to hear people call me Dyesebel. It just means that the character made a strong mark on them,” she adds.
+ ‘Spaghetti wires’ to stay
POPE Francis will visit the Philippines, Asia’s bastion of the Catholic faith, in January 2015 to comfort victims of disasters including Super Typhoon Yolanda, local church leaders said.
Specific details of the trip were not released, but Manila’s Archbishop Luis Tagle said the pope viewed Asia as crucial in spreading the faith.
Tagle said the pontiff had told him during a recent meeting at the Vatican that “Asia is important for evangelizsation”.
“The Christian population of Asia may be numerically small but it is significant,” he quoted the pope as saying.
The planned visit comes as the Philippines struggles to recover from a series of disasters in 2013 that claimed thousands of lives. In November, Super Typhoon Yolanda -- the most powerful storm to make landfall in history -- left about 8,000 dead and millions homeless, devastating communities across the central Philippines.
“Our compassionate shepherd comes to show his deep concern for our people who have gone through devastating calamities,” said Socrates Villegas, head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. “Pope Francis comes to revive our drooping spirit and to lead us to greener pastures.”
The visit would be the fourth by a pope to the Philippines, where more than 80 percent of the 100 million-strong population are Catholics.
Tagle said a delegation from the Vatican had visited Manila and Tacloban to check
on logistics for the papal visit. Further details will be released in August.
The bishops said there were security, infrastructure and logistical concerns to be addressed, while the health of the 77-year- old pope is also an issue.
Pope Francis was forced to pull out of a visit in Rome late last month, with his spokesman citing “the intense pace” of the pontiff ’s schedule by way of an explanation
Francis, who became leader of the world’s Catholics after the unprecedented retirement of his predecessor Benedict XVI last year, will make his first visit to Asia as pope when he travels to South Korea next month.
‘Spaghetti wires’ to stay
UNDERGROUND power distribution in Metro Manila is ill-advised because of heat and floods, according to Bureau of Fire Protection director Chief Supt. Carlito Romero.
At a media briefing during the bureau’s 23rd anniversary celebration at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, he said many parts of the metro are flood-prone making underground electrical cabling system impractical.
“Overhead lines are preferable,” he told the Manila Standard, indicating that “spaghetti wires” are a necessary evil.
Underground conductors wrapped in layers that transmit electricity need high- quality insulation that could withstand the
very high voltage, he said.
“We also do not have the infrastructure
to dissipate overheating of the cable system, such as the construction of huge tunnels designed for such purpose, and other physical protection against floods during downpour.”
Underground cables are generally bigger for good heat dissipation and are costly, he said, noting that the country “is prone to floods” as well.
An electric utility undertook the first underground power distribution in Cebu in 2013 to do away with unsightly “spaghetti wires” of overhead poles.
But overhead lines are disallowed at the Bonifacio Global City, a highly urbanized district in Metro Manila.
According to Meralco, “underground feeders have to be installed as... required by the Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation and Bases Conversion Development Authority for BGC as contained in the respective Memorandum Agreements and Deed with Usufruct between Meralco and FBDC signed dated May 19, 1990 and between Meralco and BCDA signed September 19, 2002”.
Meanwhile, Romero said octopus wiring in depressed areas has been the no. 1 cause of fire occurrence in the National Capital Region.
“Informal settlers are now permitted to apply for their own power system, unlike in the past years, so as to lower the high incidence of fire occurrences due to use of candles and gas lamps. Most of them, however, are faced with the difficulty to maintain payment of power bills, and would resort to jumper wires, a cause of electrical fires,” he said.
Scenes in the City
LEFT, Mayor Dave Ryan of Pickering support the FILCORE Mission of uplifting the lives of the people who had fallen behind due to illness and other unforseen circumtances, the newcomers, and the caregivers. Miss Caregiver 2014 - FILCORE was held at Centre for the Arts of Saint Michael’s College School on July 5, 2014. RIGHT, Ontario Filipino Womens’ Club took a group tour in June 2014 to Ottawa to visit Parliament Hill; and the surrounding historical sites; and the flower gardens, PHOTOS BY ARIEL RAMOS
8 L. M. Confidential AUGUST 2014