By Karl Malakunas

Agence France-Presse

PUERTO PRINCESA – For tourists the Philippine island of Palawan seems like paradise, but for environment activists it feels more akin to a battlefield.

Murders and threats on what is promoted as the Southeast Asian nation’s last ecological frontier are emblematic of a struggle across the country, where dozens of environment campaigners have been killed over the past decade.

Father-of-five “Doc” Gerry Ortega became the latest casualty in late January when a hitman shot him in the head while browsing in a second-hand clothes shop along one of the main roads of Palawan’s capital city, Puerto Princesa.

“He received a lot of death threats,” Ortega’s wife, Patty, 48, told AFP in an interview at a cafe just a few hundred meters from where he was killed.

The murdered Ortega, 47, a veterinarian, made many enemies via a daily radio morning show he hosted in which he lambasted politicians whom he accused of being corrupt and allowing the island’s natural resources to be pillaged.

“He was a very passionate man, passionate about the environment,” his widow said.

On the far western edge of the Philippines’ archipelago, Palawan has some of the country’s most beautiful beaches, stunning coral reefs and biodiverse forests — it is home to two UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites.

But environment campaigners say Palawan’s natural wonders could be destroyed within a generation amid the frenzy to exploit them, citing as an example the destruction of countless coral reefs from cyanide and dynamite fishing.

Its reefs supply more than half the nation’s seafood, plus millions of dollars’ worth of fish to other Asian markets.

Palawan also has vast amounts of nickel, cobalt and other valuable minerals, prompting hundreds of applications to mine about half of the island.

The applications have spurred a high-profile campaign to ban all forms of mining.

Meanwhile, 11 percent of the Philippines’ remaining virgin forests and 38 percent of its mangroves are on Palawan, according to government data.

“From the post cards it’s a great tourist area,” Robert Chan, a crusading environmental lawyer and executive director of Palawan NGO Network Inc, told AFP from his rundown headquarters in Puerto Princesa.

“But if you talk about the resources that really mean something for biodiversity or medicines eventually for our future generations, if you talk about its old growth forests, if you talk about mangrove forests, if you talk about its coral reefs, were losing it.”

While there are many laws to protect Palawan’s natural resources, they are no match for the lawlessness and corruption that permeates all of Philippine society, according to environment campaigners and some politicians.

“The biggest obstacle really is the temptation of money from big industries and (those involved in) illegal activities,” Edward Hagedorn, the long-time mayor of Puerto Princesa, told AFP.

Hagedorn, regarded by Palawan’s environment activists as one of their most important political allies, has banned mining and logging in Puerto Princesa which, although a city, has huge tracts of forests and white sand beaches.

“Outside the city destruction is happening very fast,” he said.

Hagedorn said powerful figures had often tried to bribe him to permit environmentally destructive practices, such as allowing truckloads of seafood that were illegally fished to be flown from his city’s airport.

“You’ll be surprised. Law enforcers, judges, come into my office (offering money and) asking for me to give them a chance,” he said.

Environment campaigners say that, amid this chaos, they have to perform functions that government bodies and law enforcers should be doing, which often pushes them into very dangerous situations.

Attorney Chan, 43, said four environment activists from local communities he had worked with over the past decade had been murdered.

Chan and his colleagues train communities to resist destructive environment practices by filing law suits, but also to confiscate equipment such as chainsaws used for illegal logging and even boats used for illegal fishing.

Under Philippine law, citizens are allowed to seize equipment used in illegal activities and arrest those involved.

Over the past 10 years, Chan said he, his colleagues and the communities they worked with had seized more than 360 chainsaws, two large ships, about 20 small outrigger boats and rifles.

But the successes are tempered by a sense of danger.

Chan, who is married and has a young daughter, recounted losing an activist in 2006 who had been working to oppose illegal logging and the cutting down of mangroves in his community.

“We found him in a shallow grave in a beach. He had been specifically buried there for us to find him,” said Chan.

“His testicles were taken off, put into his mouth, his tongue was cut out, his eyes were gouged out, his fingernails were taken out, he had around 16 stab wounds.”

Abdelwin Sangkula, another Puerto Princesa-based campaigner, said he had also received many death threats over the past few years.

“I’m worried about my safety and the safety of my family. But I will continue with my fight, said Sangkula, 39, who has three children and was a regular guest on the murdered Ortega’s radio show.

“I don’t know whether it’s just in my blood, but I see injustice and unfairness with what’s happening in this province.”

Abraham Mitra, the governor of Palawan who is also chairman of the province’s sustainable development council, did not respond to requests by AFP for comment on the allegations made by the environment campaigners.

The development council has run full-page advertisements in national papers recently rejecting claims that the local environment is being destroyed, and insisting that mining applications are being approved in a responsible manner.

In the case of Ortega, the accused gunman and four other people alleged to have been involved in the killing have been arrested.

His widow has filed documents with the justice department accusing a powerful local politician of masterminding the murder.

The politician, who has not been arrested, has gone on national television to deny any link to Ortega’s killing. Police investigations are ongoing.

SEE RELATED STORY

By Malou Mangahas

Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism

Late evening last Feb. 4, Friday, a long-time source suddenly called. Would I be free for brunch the next day, he asked. He wanted to consult me on something important.

We met the next day and he bared his purpose: Angelo ‘Angie’ T. Reyes, the former Armed Forces chief of staff and Defense secretary, wanted to see me so he could tell his story to “an independent journalist” – would I want to interview him? The source happened to be a senior trusted associate of Angie for the last decade or so.

Now which reporter would pass up the chance to do a great interview? I was tempted to say yes at once. But I knew Angie Reyes to be a difficult source – smart, articulate, often given to intellectual musings, somewhat arrogant in manner and tone, and yes, a bit full of himself. I don’t know how he sized me up; perhaps it was just sheer luck that he had thought of PCIJ at a time he was vulnerable and under fire in the Senate for alleged corruption.

In 2001, for over two hours, I had interviewed Angie for a PCIJ story on the rushed, overpriced, and irregular purchase of four, 30-year-old C-130-K military transport and cargo planes and two sensor equipment for $41 million or P2.1 billion. The supplier was the world’s largest defense contractor, the U.S. firm Lockheed Martin.

The story had reached Angie’s doorstep because it was he, as Armed Forces chief of staff, who recommended the purchase, and approved the same weeks later, as Defense secretary, without public bidding. The purchase was enrolled for funding under the multi-billion-peso Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program when it was not supposed to be there at all. The program did not include the purchase of C-130s but only aircraft with night-vision sensors.

To push it, the AFP crafted the contract with Lockheed Martin to cover the acquisition of C-130s retrofitted with night-vision sensors. As it turned out, Angie had merely signed on to a deal endorsed by two presidents, one of whom was said to be close to the lobbying contractor. The Department of Budget and Management did not approve the contract until months later. The Armed Forces had a bad habit then of awarding supply contracts that the service commands or headquarters would later suspend or rescind, then bid and award again, for reasons like product specs mismatched with unit requirements and the change of commanders.

I got to ask Angie hard questions only after a long, small-talk session. He regaled me with his views on books, the arts, and his life as a graduate student at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He didn’t get it that when some sources start pulling in vanity snippets, some reporters become more wary.

And so on Saturday, Feb. 5, when the source said Angie wanted to tell his story, I agreed — but only after laying down what I thought should be the best premises for a good interview: no-holds barred, he doesn’t waste time denying things, he deals with the critical questions, and he agrees that I bring a PCIJ colleague as associate. I told the source about my honest impressions of Angie, arrogance and all. I asked the source if he really thought Angie had it in him a hint of humility, and the courage to tell all about what I am certain he knew first-hand were details of corruption – the cases, the actors, the modus and the system – in the military and the government.

I told the source that it seems clear that apart from senior military officers, corruption festers with the knowledge or acquiescence of a string of chiefs of staff, defense secretaries, and presidents, as well as some of the members of Congress and contractors. If Angie would talk to secure self-redemption, I said, the interview could not guarantee that. I requested the source to tell Angie that the best reason for him to talk would be simply to tell the truth, and that maybe in doing so, over time, he could have self-redemption.

The source said he would relay all this to Angie and get back to me. We exchanged text messages – some of which he said he forwarded to Angie – while Angie engaged in muni-muni, reflected on his options, and consulted with his sons about the interview.

On Sunday, Feb. 6, past 8 p.m., the source called to say Angie was ready to talk and our meeting was a go. But minutes later, the source said Angie had changed his mind and it was a no-go. More minutes later, the source called again to say that Angie said it was a go once more. I was already halfway prepared to go out when the source relayed the message that Angie had again changed his mind. I told the source we should respect that Angie and Angie alone should make the call if and when he wants to talk.

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, the day Angie Reyes took his life, I learned from the source that Angie had actually prepared for our interview. For a few hours last Sunday morning, Angie had sat down with the source to organize his words and thoughts to prepare for his two considered options: the interview with the PCIJ, or a final statement he would issue, in his name, to the media. He asked his associate to document his thoughts and feelings.

“In retrospect, he must have meant it as a final testament, but he kept that card very close to his chest,” the source said. “The notes are incomplete, because our conversation was unfinished. I apologized that I had to leave for a lunch appointment.”

“He became anxious and suddenly revived the PCIJ interview option,” the source recalled. He quoted Angie as telling him, “‘Please lang. Importanteng-importante ito. Time is of the essence.”

“After I said goodbye, he thanked me and shook my hand much more tightly than usual,” the source said. “By then, he was vacillating anew on whether or not to grant the interview. Many considerations (must have) flitted through his mind: he clearly didn’t want to rat on anyone, certainly not his comrades in arms; he also didn’t want to be an instrument for inflicting irreparable damage on the AFP…and so on.”

Said the source: “He would have wanted to contribute to cleaning the system – but only in a just and rational manner. At the hearings, he strongly felt – quite justifiably, I think – that he was being set up by some people to be ‘the face of military corruption.’ While he felt that this was very, very unfair, he was powerless to defend himself in that forum.”

The start of their conversation was recorded on tape. A minute into it, Angie asked the source to just jot down notes of their discussion that took place at the Reyeses’ home in Taguig. The source gave the PCIJ his notes from his discussion, with Angie captured verbatim, saying these were the main points that Angie would have wanted to highlight in the interview. In it, Angie showed he was not one to fail the expectations of honor.

With appropriate courtesy and clearance from his widow and sons, the PCIJ has decided to let Angie tell his story, verbatim. The discussion notes are rough and still unpolished in some parts, and somewhat incomplete. But they are Angie Reyes’s words and thoughts, as of Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011, two days before he put a gun to his heart and shot himself.

Living life without honor is a tragedy bigger than death itself  – Angie Reyes

“Honor, truth, justice. Honor above all else. Pride goes with it, self-respect, sense of legacy. This is very, very important to me. Sometimes, I am accused of being arrogant. I like to have plenty – a healthy sense – of self-esteem. I react to affronts on this.

There are two options available: to stonewall/fight the legal battle, or to come clean and make my own contribution to cleanse the system.

Stonewalling, I am told, would result in a long, protracted legal battle. However, past cases are not being resolved either way, kept in state of limbo. People’s memories are short and all this will eventually fade into public disinterest, and eventually oblivion. So, not to worry.

Coming clean, on the other hand, cannot be done without giving up something. I have decided to come clean, bare my heart and speak the truth. The truth can cut two ways: 1. If you are guiltless, you can embrace the truth and hope that it will protect you; 2. If you are not guiltless, speak the truth and it shall set you free.

I speak the truth not to whistle-blow or to seek neither immunity nor protection nor to escape from any form of liability. As a matter of fact, I speak the truth to accept responsibility for whatever liability I may have.

Honor is above all else. More valuable than freedom or even life itself. Therefore, honor must be guarded/defended with your life.

Living life without honor is a tragedy bigger than death itself.

Stonewalling would mean I would have to go on every day of my life or at least a large part of it under a cloud of public suspicion, at least until the case is resolved. Every day as you continue to live with the lie, you lose a little of your self-respect. And every day, as people look at you, you can read from their minds that they find you dishonorable, and you die a little. So if you stonewall – and you have the connections, resources and power to sustain it, and perhaps the thick face to endure it – that would be the preferred option. I have none of these, and so I choose the path of honor.

My honor has been attacked and damaged. I still have a lot of pride and self-respect, and I’d like to come clean to preserve whatever honor is left.

We see plenty of people walking around who have been clearly disgraced in the eyes of the people, and I do not want to join their ranks.

I think if you want to cleanse the system and for there to be justice, it should be applied equally and well. Our experience has shown that those with position and power, support and connection invariably go scot-free. I don’t have any of these.

It is unfortunate that we have a huge canvas here of which, I admit, I have been a part; unfortunately, people are now inclined to make me the face of that problem for their own various reasons.

When I participated in EDSA II, even then I anticipated that something like this would happen when I made enemies both on a personal and official level. In my long years of service, I knew that I would have to come to terms with this enmity some day.

I might not be guiltless/faultless, but I am not as evil as some would like to portray.

To my friends and those who have known me and believed in me, I honestly believe I did not let you down.

I want to assure the (PMA) cadet corps, current and future, that there are plenty of military professionals who have served and will continue to serve the country well. Do not be disheartened by this turn of events. Yours is a noble profession (of arms), and you should feel no shame. I have tried to live with integrity, loyalty, and courage.

In my 48 years of public service, I have tried to live up to the highest levels of professionalism and integrity. Whether it’s my assignment with the AFP-RSBS or with the Anti-Smuggling Task Force, I never received any offers of bribes; in fact, I returned them. In all my assignments, 39 years in the military and 9 years in four different Cabinet positions, I have never had any favorite supplier. Neither have I ever extorted money nor set any financial precondition for the approval of any contract. I can honestly say that I served honestly and well.

We are now in the situation where my honor and the family name are at stake. My family, my children, my grandchildren could say with a lot of truthfulness and pride that in the family, we value honor and integrity. Strength to live it and the courage to face up to the truth. This is the legacy I would like to leave with them.

Honor, truth, but there must be justice. And justice can be served if laws are applied evenly and well – not favoring the rich and powerful. I hope my case/situation will not be used as something that would bring closure to the issue of military corruption. The fight to reform the system and the entire country must continue; the sad part is that they are selectively targeting individuals and institutions.

I did not invent corruption. I walked into it. Perhaps my first fault was in having accepted aspects of it as a fact of life.

While I am familiar with finance, I must admit I had scant knowledge of military comptrollership. Personally, zero experience. Never been assigned as disbursement officer, etc., no stint. It’s a military field of specialization that I do not have.

No system is perfect. The AFP system needs a lot of systemic solutions…And the same might be true of some other institutions.

Tinyente pa ako,  ganyan na ang sistema (i.e., “conversion” system, etc.)… I can perhaps be faulted for presuming regularity in a grossly imperfect system. As CS (chief of staff), a big landscape, presume regularity, convenient to ignore it, accept it as part of the system. It’s easy to say, institute reforms after the problems have erupted.

I joined EDSA II at great risk. Jumped into a void. Coming from a place that was high and comfortable.  Without any regard for compensation or recognition or reward. I thought what I did – being loyal to the Flag and putting the national interest above all else – a right, but I was faulted for not being loyal to the commander-in-chief, that I should have stuck with him to the end, however that end might be. I stuck it out with the GMA administration for 9 years, not under the banner of loyalty; I could have deserted GMA, but I did not want to be branded as someone who abandoned his superiors…”

When we participated in many military campaigns, I would like to think that I showed courage…” – PCIJ, February 2011

One hundred twelve years after the Philippines declared itself an independent state, questions on the width and breadth of Philippine territory are still a subject of intense debate. The latest book of distinguished diplomat Rodolfo C. Severino shows that despite several revisions and laws related to territory, the most basic question on the area of Philippine jurisdiction remains ambiguous. READ FULL STORY

“No to Mining in Palawan”, a signature campaign to raise 10 million signatures against mining activities in Palawan, was launched on Feb. 3 by the Save Palawan Movement. It is spearheaded by ABS-CBN Foundation, civic and church leaders following the killing of civic leader, environmentalist and broadcaster Dr. Gerardo “Doc Gerry” Ortega in Puerto Princesa last Jan. 24. READ FULL STORY

By Pepper Marcelo

Once a vital transport route and a vital ecosystem linking Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay, the 25-kilometer Pasig River has been continually neglected and polluted for decades. As a result, it has been deemed “biologically dead” by some experts. Garbage coming from informal settlers residing along its banks, as well as the wastes dumped by factories operating near the river have all contributed to its continual decline.

Rehabilitation efforts , however, started only in 1989 with the establishment of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Program. But it wasn’t until then-President Joseph Estrada signed Executive Order No. 54, launching the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) 10 years later, have there been concerted efforts to rehabilitate the river to its pristine glory.

In conjunction with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), PRRC’s work has seen noticeable improvements through the years. A widespread crackdown on illegal dumping of garbage along the river as well as tributaries, esteros, and creeks leading to it, has been implemented without letup. The water is also being treated with catchments, filtration systems and various helpful micro-organisms and fungi to bring life to fish, plants and other organisms.

The “centerpiece component” of the PRRC is the Dredging Project, which consists of removing contaminated materials from the whole stretch of the river. The project is being undertaken with the expert assistance of Baggerwerken Decloedt & Zoon (BDZ), a Belgian firm with experience in land reclamation and environmental dredging.

Two months ahead of its December 2010 deadline, the firm announced that it had completed the dredging of at least 2.5 million cubic meters of silt from the river, deepening the waterway to allow bigger boats and barges to navigate through.

“The 17-kilometer stretch of the Pasig River now has a draft of -6 meters at low water level, allowing improved navigation and flood control. The removal of the contaminated silt improved the water quality,” the BDZ said in a statement.

“To allow for its overall rehabilitation, further work will be required on the revetment works along the Pasig River, the sewage systems leading into the Pasig River, and the rules and regulations on dumping of waste and emissions,” it added.

In February 2010, a massive clean-up and rehabilitation campaign was launched under the banner “Kapit Bisig sa Ilog Pasig” (KBSIP). The project is led by the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI) in partnership with the PRRC, with the goal of “zero toxic input into the Pasig River,” specifically the tributaries, esteros, and creeks.

ABS-CBN Foundation Managing Director and PRRC Chairperson Gina Lopez called the initiative a “genuine display of bayanihan,” with both the public and private sectors joining forces to bring life back to a river “intimately connected to our history, culture and origin as a people.”

KBSIP aims to raise Php700 million for technology and operational expenses to clean up the river within a seven-year period. It has implemented various strategies, including Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs), information, education, and communication (IEC) campaigns, relocation, as well as area redevelopment.

One of its recent major activities to raise awareness and funding was a “fun run”, dubbed the “10.10.10 A Run for the Pasig River.” It attracted a record 160,000 runners, with 116,086 finishing the race.

“We broke the world record. It was peaceful. It was joyful. It was a sea of humanity advocating for change,” Lopez tells Planet Philippines in an interview. “I could feel how the run was going to result in a significant shift in consciousness.”

The fun run generated some Php12 million in contributions, to be used to start cleaning operations in the polluted sections of the river near Malacañang Palace. “The plan is to finish [cleaning] Estero de Paco and to start and even hopefully finish the network of esteros behind Malacañang. The massive show of support will help greatly in facilitating these objectives,” Lopez adds.

Other forthcoming activities by the KBSIP include a nationwide songwriting competition, as well as the first-ever “Agos Awards,” honoring individuals, schools, organizations, government offices, and private corporations for their donations.

KBSIP has also instituted a program to relocate informal settlers to different sites. Almost 8,000 informal settlers reside along the banks of Pasig River, accounting for 60 percent of the garbage dumped on the river.

Since June 2009, a total of 221 families living along Estero de Paco have been moved to a 107-hectare site in Calauan, Laguna, and an additional 181 families to the PRRC site in Montalban, Rizal. These resettlement areas include “a full range of community amenities,” such as schools, day care facilities and livelihood opportunities for its residents.

The project also plans to relocate an additional 4,040 informal settlers from Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Tondo, Manila, Makati-Guadalupe, Pasig, and Taguig.

After the relocation of informal settlers comes the development of the river banks into linear parks, river walks and promenades that also serve as “buffer zone” and protection between the river and adjacent communities. A total of 24.6 kilometers of linear parks have been completed in the cities of Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig and Taguig.

The PRRC has also set up Environmental Preservation Areas (EPAs) in the form of linear parks, walkways and greenbelts on both sides of the Pasig River. Thus far, a total of 24.64 linear meters of parks have been completed extending from the Manila to Taguig City.

“My game plan is to show significant improvements in three indicators: the economy, peace and order and health,” says Lopez. “Once this done my projection is that there will be a snowball effect. We will have established a template.”

The BDZ urges Metro Manila residents and those living in the Marikina watershed to take good care of the Pasig River to reduce siltation and revive the waterway. “As long as it is considered an open sewer rather than as part of the natural environment of Metro Manila, the ongoing ‘abuse’ of the Pasig River will continue,” explains Lopez. “All will come to nothing if people do not put the Pasig River back into their hearts.”

She continues: “If you look at all the great metropolitan cities in the world, you will see that they are built beside rivers, and if we want Manila to be great again, then we should start by restoring Pasig River to its old glory.” (SEE RELATED STORY)

On November 23, 2009, 58 people were murdered by a local warlord from Maguindanao in the worst case of election violence in Philippine history. A year later, hope still flickers for the families of the victims, but the path to justice has been unbearably slow. VIEW DOCUMENTARY

A report by the Business Process Association of Philippines (BPAP) and Everest Research Institute, an autonomous research and analysis firm, says that the Philippines is set to overtake India as the call center capital of the world.

The report noted that major companies like HSBC, Cisco, BT Plc and T-Mobile are moving their work from India due to the alarming attrition rate there. Several other large firms are also contemplating setting up another core support center in the Philippines.

Another report, by IBM’s Latest Global Locations Trend Annual Report released recently in New York, said the Philippines is now the world’s leader in business support functions such as shares services and business process outsourcing after effectively overtaking India in these categories last year.

The 20-page report, launched in October but was only made available online in November, said it was the first time that India was not in the leading position for these activities. India now ranks No. 2.

“The Philippines has taken over the lead in the global ranking from India, after having challenged the top position for several years,” the report said.

It said the Philippines offered a similarly attractive business environment for international business support functions as India, but has not had the same labor cost increases as have occurred in various Indian “hot spots” in recent years.

The Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), meanwhile, says the Philippines is already ahead of India in terms of number of call center employees this year.

In a television interview on ANC’s Headstart last Dec. 2, CCAP president Benedict Hernandez said, “When you think of the contact center environment, we have assumed the number one position. Last year (2009), we were about 300,000. This year, its 350,000 in terms of employed Filipino working in call centers in the Philippines compared to only 330,000 in India. Right now, the best place to put a call center from a quality position is the Philippines.” he said.

Hernandez said the country assumed its lofty status because of the quality of English-speaking employees in the Philippines. “We won this war not because we’re lower cost than India. To some extent, we are a little bit higher priced to operate a call center compared to India. We won this battle by virtue of Filipino quality.  We grew faster than India because it’s the Filipino talent, which is world class caliber,” he said.

According to the report released recently, the major outsourcing services buyers are convinced that the Philippines has a number of advantages over India which would help the country to become the most preferred global destination for voice-based sales and customer services.

For instance, they feel that the Philippines enjoys more cultural affinity with the US and possesses a large talent pool. In addition, the Philippines also offers better tax motivations.

BPAP and Everest said the voice-based jobs contribute as much as 45 per cent of India’s entire BPO services exports, estimated at $5.58 billion in 2010. Compared to this, the total export revenues from just voice-based work for the Philippine BPO firms would be about $5.70 billion in 2010.

According to the partner of Everest Research India, Nikhil Rajpal, the Philippines will overtake India in pure call center business in 2010 and be the new capital of the global voice-based BPO industry.

The report also states that major outsourcing services buyers like BT Plc and Cisco are providing more and more voice-based customer support and sales work to inexpensive destinations like the Philippines. For example, the customer support executives in overseas such as the Philippines are paid just one-fourth of what their counterparts in the US with equivalent talent and experience actually get.

Industry experts believe that at the pace at which the Philippines BPO industry is progressing, it is very much possible that in another five years’ time, the firms in that country would leave behind India, whose BPO industry is worth $12.4 billion. The offshoring and outsourcing (O&O) industry has witnessed tremendous growth during the last two years and is now currently worth $9.5 billion.

Last November, IBM opened three new service delivery facilities inside the UP Ayala Techno Hub in Quezon City that will deliver outsourced process services, including human resources, finance and administration, customer relationship management, application management services and shared services (IBM internal) to existing and future clients of IBM’s BPO unit.

This expansion further strengthens IBM’s existing service delivery capability in the Philippines which serves over a million client employees across 84 countries. A mix of BPO services will be delivered to global companies from sectors such as healthcare/ pharmaceutical, consumer goods, technology, entertainment, telecommunication and distribution through these new facilities.

IBM growth markets general manager Bruno Di LeoHe said the Philippines is attractive to international business due to its well-educated workforce, strong work ethic and good language abilities.

“Filipinos are competitive and flexible and productive. That is why we are confident in investing in the future of the Philippines,” he said.

Di Leo said IBM is committed to growth and to the Philippines. IBM operates in eight world-class locations in the business centers of Metro Manila and Metro Cebu and delivers IT and business solutions to leading public and private sector clients throughout the country.

Di Leo also revealed that in the next five years, IBM intends to more than double its employees in the Philippines because the country is a world leader in providing business support functions.

He added that next year, IBM intends to double its business growth in these global delivery centers by building centers of competence with deep industry expertise in business analytics, applications management and helpdesk operations. “We will hire more industry IT architects as well as graduates from top universities,” he noted.

IBM Philippines country general manager James Velasquez said this expansion demonstrates their continued commitment to the country.

“The Philippines is one of the strategic locations in IBM’s Global Delivery network that integrates capabilities, assets and skills without borders. With abundant resources and globally benchmarked processes and methodologies, IBM will provide solutions to global and domestic clients to help them reach higher operational efficiency in a cost-effective way,” he said.

The Economic Times, a publication in the Times of India group, recently reported on all the Indian call centre and BPO companies that are either moving or setting up subsidiary operations in the Philippines. Indian companies now employ over 20,000 in Metro Manila alone. Another Indian call centre company, Convergys, plans to hire 3,000 people this year and Sitel is looking for 4,000 employees.

These companies join well-known multinational companies like MSN-Microsoft, Intuit, Expedia, HSBC, AT&T and IBM, which have already established their service and sales call centers in Manila, Davao, Angeles and Cebu.

The Philippine government has been actively encouraging the development of BPO industries by substantial investments in communications infrastructure. The country’s telecommunications network is superior to that of India, and Filipino call center agents can deal with 20 to 30 per cent more calls a day than can those in India.

BPO companies in the country enjoy income tax holidays from four to eight years, and a five percent tax rate on gross income after that time period. If situated in IT Parks and eco-zones, these companies also enjoy tax and duty exemption on imported capital equipment.

Industry observers note that one advantage of the Philippines stems from India’s much greater general economic success. Last year for example, the Indian economy grew by nearly eight per cent as it has for several years while the Philippine economy grew by only one per cent. As a result, there are many more opportunities for young, educated people in India and there is a high turnover of staff in Indian call centers and BPO offices, as much as 60 per cent a year. With few options, Filipinos tend to stay put.

Others point to the Philippines’ close affinity to the United States that serves as added attraction for America-based multinationals.

Chris Repholz, senior vice-president with the U.S. outsourcing company Zenta, aptly put in a recent speech: “Culturally, India is less westernized than the Philippines. Filipinos speak idiomatic American English better than Indians and their accent is more neutral.”

Sharif Aguak, Philippines (AFP) – Leaders of a Muslim clan accused of carrying out the Philippines’ worst political massacre remain a major security threat in their home province even from behind bars, locals say.

Residents in the southern province of Maguindanao still talk about the Ampatuan family in hushed voices, because saying anything bad about the clan could bring bloody reprisals from loyal militiamen who have eluded arrest.

“Their forces are still very much around. You may not see the family’s leaders anymore, but you can still feel their presence,” said Jun Dadula, a long-time government employee, whose name was changed to protect his identity.

Dadula has lived all his life literally under the shadows of the Ampatuans — his family’s modest bungalow is not far from the mansions owned by Andal Ampatuan Sr. and his sons in Shariff Aguak, the provincial capital.

He described Ampatuan Sr. as a benevolent godfather to those who were loyal to him, but a vengeful and violent man to those who went against his will.

“No one dares to go against them,” he said as a column of military tanks and armored personnel carriers patrolled the main highway amid heightened tensions just ahead of the first anniversary of the massacre on Nov. 23.

Clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr., his son and namesake, and four other relatives are among 196 people charged with murder for the November 23 massacre of the 57 people — 32 of whom were journalists.

They are being held in a detention center a long flight away from Maguindanao, in Manila, while awaiting trial — a process that could take years — yet have access to mobile phones and other forms of communication.

Last year’s murders were meant to stop a politician from a rival family, Esmael Mangudadatu, from contesting the governorship of the province.

Mangudadatu eventually won the post in May national elections after the Ampatuans lost their political support from then president Gloria Arroyo amid the fallout from the massacre.

But Mangudadatu, whose wife was among last year’s victims, said many of the clan’s loyal armed followers continued to elude a police manhunt by hiding in Maguindanao’s remote hilly areas.

He blamed them for the murders of at least five potential witnesses, including a former Ampatuan militiaman gunned down in July whose death has been widely reported.

“They remain very dangerous and can receive instructions any time (from the Ampatuan leaders) through mobile phones,” Mangudadatu told Agence France-Presse.

Illustrating the security threat, Mangudadatu has chosen not to set up his governors’ base in Shariff Aguak, preferring a town with fewer Ampatuan links, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) away.

He will travel on Nov. 23 to the massacre site on the outskirts of Shariff Aguak, along with other relatives of the murdered people, for a one-year anniversary commemoration service.

However they will only go protected with heavy military security.

Ampatuan Sr. rose to prominence in the 1970s as a leader of a paramilitary group before entering politics as a mayor in Maguindanao province.

He later became provincial governor, and consolidated power and wealth by allegedly taking over vast tracts of land by force and by eliminating other families that were seen as a threat, according to Human Rights Watch.

The family’s power grew even stronger under the patronage of Arroyo, who used the Ampatuans and their militia of up to 5,000 men as a proxy force against Muslim rebels who have waged a decades-long insurgency in the southern Philippines.

Human Rights Watch said in a report that the Ampatuans remained in control in some parts of Maguindanao even after a security crackdown following last year’s massacre that led to the clan’s leaders being arrested.

It noted that eight of the 34 mayors who won in the May 2010 elections were Ampatuan relatives.

The continued violence has left people like Bai Nena Sahrik with little hope of seeing her 10-month-old granddaughter grow up in a place where she can play without fear of being abducted or harmed.

“We are still very, very afraid,” said Sahrik, as she lined up to receive a cash dole-out at a dilapidated municipal building in a town named after the Ampatuans.

“Everyday, we are reminded of them,” she said, pointing to a fading campaign picture on a wall showing Zaldy Ampatuan, one of the clan leaders in jail awaiting trial. (Agence France-Presse)

PHOTO: Principal accused Andal Ampatuan Jr.

By Pepper Marcelo

More and more politicians, not just locally but around the world, are utilizing new technologies, particularly the Internet and social media such as Facebook and Twitter, to revolutionize the way in which they communicate and engage their constituents. No doubt, Barack Obama’s phenomenal victory in 2008, which was propelled in no small way by the use of the Internet and social media, has helped immensely in social networking’s popularity.

In keeping with his election promise of honesty and transparency in government, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III immediately instructed his staff to draft and implement an innovative communication program that maximizes the use and benefit of social networking in order for his new administration to better interact with and engage the Filipino people.

P-Noy, as the President prefers to be called by the people, said he was inspired by the way the much-beloved President Ramon Magsaysay had interacted with Filipinos during his time. He wants to reverse the traditional top-to-bottom communication approach where information flows one-way from the leaders to the people. Under this traditional set-up, the people’s sentiments on current issues and government policies are not given the prominence and importance that are today’s hallmark of modern and strong democratic countries.

“Sabi ni Pangulo he wants an organization that will deliver messages effectively and provide feedback on what the government is doing,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

This is in contrast to the previous administrations that merely disseminated information “one-way” to the media and public without scrutiny or proper response, Lacuerda added.

Last August, the newly-formed Presidential Communications Operations Office launched the website www.president.gov.ph to update the public on official events and engagements of the President, as well as provide a venue wherein they can state their concerns, complaints and suggestions regarding current issues and the administration.

There is also the official website of Malacañang (www.gov.ph), which serves as the official “gazette” of the Aquino Administration, issuing official policies of the President and all laws of the Republic.

In addition, the President and Malacañang have their own accounts on Twitter, the highly-popular social networking and micro-blog service. There are also official Aquino and Malacañang pages on Facebook, Friendster, YouTube and Multiply.

Two-way communication

Secretary for Information Dissemination Herminio “Sonny” Coloma emphasizes that the role of the Internet and social networking is not simply to distribute information, but to gather quality feedback from users and provide a quick response to their concerns.

“New media are potent channels of communication,” he tells Planet Philippines. “Some studies show that Internet penetration in the Philippines has reached 21.5 per cent. Even cellular or mobile phones can serve as channels for conveying significant messages from the government to the people, as well as feedback from the people to the government.”

According to digital world watchdog comScore Inc., Facebook is the top destination of online users in the Philippines, with 93% of “netizens” in the country visiting the site last May.

Overall, the Philippines is the seventh-biggest market in the world for Facebook with nearly 16 million users (one-fifth of the population), according to Nick Gonzalez, an analyst who operates CheckFacebook.com.

Such is the popularity of Facebook among Filipinos that Aquino was voted the third most popular politician in the world, with 1.5 million fans who “liked” his Facebook page. He was ranked behind only US President Barack Obama and former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Even more impressive is the fact that Aquino’s fan page gained an average of 20,000 fans a day in a span of only six months.

Meanwhile, there are more than 4,000 (and growing) followers to date on Malacañang’s official Twitter page. Coloma also claims that Aquino himself personally answers some of the questions on his own account. “During the campaign, he had some time to do that. If not, someone else manages it. There’s quality control in that aspect to ensure that his views are reflected there,” says Coloma.

Some of these queries range from mere trivia (RacQueL0816: “Why is it Benigno S. Aquino, while his full name is Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III? Shouldn’t that be Benigno C. Aquino?” Answer: “The President follows the practice of his late father, Benigno S. Aquino Jr. in using his second given name as his middle name.”), to general consumer concerns (noypi_nuj asks, “whats the twit for BIR? just want to rport dat sam big stors are not giving the correct 12% VAT based on costumers’ receipts.”)

Malacañang intends to institute this instant feedback mechanism not only for its own use but for all government agencies as well. The official Malacañang website provides links to the websites of various departments and includes a page that allows users to post comments and complaints.

In addition, there is a page on the site called “Panata sa Pagbabago” that invites individuals and groups to make a vow for change, as well as a page titled “Tito Noy,” which encourages children to become active nation-builders by helping to bring back traditional Filipino values.

For those that have no access to computers or the Internet, i.e., the poor who, ironically, are those who need most to have a voice, the Presidential Communications Group plans on using different media channels, both traditional and nontraditional, to ensure a proper flow of communication that everyone can access.

“We intend to tap into the vast potentials of cellular or mobile telephony and thereby reach bigger chunks of the population across all socio-economic classes and all throughout the archipelago,” says Coloma. The handwritten message via snail mail remains one viable option to communicate with the government.

Online censorship

But while the Aquino Administration embraces openness in governance via the new social media, the administration found itself on the receiving end of a public backlash on account of its mishandling of the government’s response to a deluge of feedback – mostly negative – on its websites and social networking sites on the August 23 Luneta hostage fiasco. Faced with angry reaction from Filipinos and foreigners alike, the Palace Communications Group apparently panicked and proceeded to censor some of the comments on the President’s Facebook that were highly critical of the government handling of the hostage crisis that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead.

More than 250 comments were posted on Aquino’s wall within a few days after the incident, which ranged from mild disappointment to outright indignation at his leadership. “Shame on you and your administration. Tender your resignation,” wrote an HK resident, while a Filipino said, “You did not fail us. You are consistently clueless.”

Another user wrote, “Our president is a retard who has done nothing but smirk in front of the TV cameras after all this had happened.”

Other comments included complaints directed at top officials of the Philippine National Police and demands for their swift resignation or firing, as well as suggestions on how the hostage-taker should have been neutralized.

The Communications Group responded by blocking “slanderous comments, racial slurs and other below-the-belt attacks,” saying the President “reserved the right to block anyone who fails to follow the rules and report them as spammers.”

To soothe the ruffled feelings, Malacañang came up with this message on its website: “In Memory of the Victims: We offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims whose lives were lost.”

We have to say it flat out. The highest court of our land seems headed for a fall on this one. Inter-related issues already weigh rather heavily on its integrity — while its sagacity, let alone common sense, appears to be taking a hit as well. READ FULL STORY