Philippine News by MySearch Philippines

STANDING next to the Western Police District (WPD) Headquarters in Manila is a white and blue building, a monument to the city’s proud history and fitting tribute to the city’s “finest” policemen.

Three decades after it closed in 1971, the Manila Police Academy was reopened early this year to revive the police force”s flagging morale and reinstate its “glorious past,” according to Chief Insp. Alejandro Yanquiling, Jr., in-charge of curriculum development and planning office.

“The academy was originally conceived in 1992 as a formal training center for police recruits,” Yanquiling said.

“With the Philippine National Police s training camps performing that function, the academy’s main vision would be to provide in-house and specialized training for all policemen in the district, regardless of rank,” he said.

Yanquiling explained that Manila policemen, who had been called “Manila’s Finest,” could use additional and continuous training to live up to that claim.

The academy official, also the WPD Museum curator and head of the district’s Task Force Galugad, said the Manila Police s beginnings went back to about a century ago.
“The Manila Police Department’s duties then covered the entire country,” Yanquiling said. He said member of the MPD, then composed mostly of Americans, were deployed to different areas in the country.

In 1992, then Manila Police chief John W. Green established the first training school for recruits. Newly appointed policemen had to take a prescribed course before being assigned to the field.

Yanquiling said training at the old academy, initially located at the Bagumbayan Police Station before being relocated at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, lasted 18 months.

“Now it only takes four months to complete the police basic course,” Yanquiling said. Back then, rookies had their own field training officers (FTO), experienced lawmen who left no room for error.

“During that time, a corporal was considered a god by the rookies,” Yanquiling said, grinning. “The FTOs made sure they trained the new policemen the right way so they would do their jobs honorably.”

Yanquiling also said Manila policemen had a “bible” which they knew by heart. “It was a thick little booklet containing rules and regulations,” he said. Violations of the police’s codes of conduct could mean automatic dismissal.

Yanquiling added, “As a result, the Manila police were looked up to by everyone, men in uniform who were dignified and honorable.” Hence, they were called Manila’s Finest, just a New York City’s policemen are called its “Finest.”

With the academy’s reopening, Manila police officials led by WPD director Chief Supt. Pedro Bulaong hope to revitalize the force.

Yanquiling said they would require all personnel to undergo specialized training to improve their skills.

“Even if you are the chief or district director and you belong to the command group, you will be required to attend training,” he stressed.

Yanquiling, with Special Training Unit chief Senior Insp. Wilfredo Natividad will also try to resolve at the academy problems with policemen transferred to the city from other areas.

They encounter problems when newly reassigned policemen “bungle” the work for lack of knowledge of basic ordinances and decorum.

“Manila Mayor Lito Atienza has often been an unfortunate victim of these untrained policemen,” Yanquiling said.

He said a rookie policemen last week shone his flashlight on Atienza’s face, not recognizing the city mayor. Yanquiling said two policemen at the Baywalk area also did not recognize the mayor, mistakenly referring to him as “pare.”

“We try to solve this problem with the orientation course for reassigned policemen,” he said adding that, aside from geography and lessons on courtesy, the policemen would also undergo a special “radio dispatcher’s course” to polish their diction while using police equipment.

Natividad, in a separate interview, said all their personnel would undergo explosives seminars, firearms proficiency, narcotics training and other related topics.

“Guest lecturers from the prosecutor’s office would also talk about the proper way to conduct investigations (so) their cases would not be dismissed upon reaching the courts,” Natividad said.

May 28, 2005, Margaux C. Ortiz, Philippine Daily Inquirer

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For almost nine years now, the Amazon jungles of Brazil have been the home of Fr. Ebisa, SVD, a Filipino priest doing missionary work in Northern Brazil.

Serving a parish that covers 160 communities, one of Fr. Bobby's problems is traveling great distances in order to visit each community. And because 47 of these communities are located along the muddy Amazon River, half of the year, these places are practically submerged in water and are almost impossible to reach!

Then, an idea hit him: Why not tap radio's potential for evangelization? After all, Fr. Bobby has the right credentials to initiate a radio program: He has a Masters of Science degree in development communication from UP Los Baqos. The thirtysometing priest also had intensive training in community broadcasting at UP.

"So, I started to plan," Fr. Bobby told this writer during his recent visit to the Philippines. "There was an existing radio station in Para called Radio Ximango. I tapped the station to reach those communities."

The first thing Fr. Bobby did was to convince his four SVD companions regarding the feasibility of producing a radio program. "I'm the only Filipino priest there - the others are from Papua New Guinea, Poland, Ireland and Brazil. They were supportive of my plan from the very start."

But, who would pay for the expensive airtime? Fr. Bobby recalled: "We thought of knocking on the doors of local businessmen. Since most of local businessmen. Since most of them were Catholics, they didn't need much convincing."

Fr. Bobby handpicked six volunteer parishioners and trained them in basic broadcasting. They later made up the show's production team.

In May 2002, "Radio communitarian de Alenquer" or Community Radio of Alenquer went on the air. "It was Mother's Day, and we celebrated the Holy Mass over the radio. This was followed by a magazine program, which I also conceptualized," Fr. Bobby said.

Aired live in Portuguese, a language which Fr. Bobby has mastered over the years, the two-and-a-half-hour program became a venue to learn basic information about nearby communities.

"In this area, there are still places with no electricity. The literacy rate is low. So, I invited the leaders of communities to discuss the history, culture and customs of their respective bailiwicks. It became a hit, and the feedback has been overwhelming."

To ensure a captive audience, Fr. Bobby also tapped a German funding agency to distribute radio sets to those communities. People eagerly tuned in.

"Later on, I thought of replicating the experience in a smaller government station and soon, another program, "Associacao de Radio Communitaria de Alenquer," was launched. This show has a smaller reach, but it has become a popular venue for spreading the word of God."

His parishioner knew that Fr. Bobby is a Filipino, but many of them didn't know exactly where the Philippines was on the map. "I always had to explain that it is very far from Brazil. Some of them would even ask me: "Is it near Chile?" I told them, "No, it's even farther," he laughs.

Indeed, through the potency of the radio medium, and through persistence, Fr. Bobby has already built a community of communities in his parish in Alenquer, Para, Brazil.

It took him nine years to realize his vision of bringing the word of God closer to the people. When he visits a community, he's treated like a star. "Just seeing them smile brings real joy. They may be poor, but they are happy in spirit. I do get homesick at times, but I've also learned to love my life in Brazil," he mused.

May 28, 2005, Ronald Mangubat, Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Biñan, Laguna - The prosperous industrial-commercial town of Biñan, home of the industrial estates Laguna Technopark II and the Laguna International and Industrial Park, topped the country's municipalities in net income in fiscal year 2004.

According to audited 2004 financial reports of local government units (LGUs) released last week by the Commission on Audit (CoA), Biñan, led by Mayor Hermis Perez, earned a net income of P195.7 million in 2004, besting 1,418 other municipalities across the nation.

Number two on the list of top net income earners among municipalities was Rosario, Cavite, with a P186.7 million net income. In third is Cainta, Rizal, with a P142.9 million net income.

Also in the top 10 net-income earners are the Laguna municipalities of Cabuyao (No. 5) with P106 million and Siniloan (No. 10) with P51.2 million. Cabuyao is led by Mayor Nila Aguillo while Siniloan is led by Mayor Gilmore Acero.

Meanwhile, the city of Calamba, Laguna, led by Mayor Joaquin Chipeco, Jr., ranked No. 9 among 117 cities nationwide in net income with P355.4 million in 2004.

Biñan, also known as the “Divisoria” of Southern Luzon, ranked second in gross income. The municipality’s gross income of P499.8 million was bested only by the municipality of San Juan in Metro Manila which recorded a gross income of P565.6 million.

Cabuyao placed third in gross income with P443.3 million. Among the towns with biggest current assets (cash, receivables, and pre-payments), Biñan ranked no. 2 with P399.4 million, again topped only by San Juan with P529.7 million in current assets.

Biñan was third P213.9 million) among the municipalities in the Philippines with substantial cash in bank.

Among the municipalities with the highest Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) - the LGUs’ share from national income - San Pedro of Laguna was No. 6 with P115.2 million. Biñan ranked 10th with P103 million

Biñan P830.1 million) and Cabuyao (P698.2 million) were third and fourth, respectively, in terms of equity (assets minus liabilities).

August 28, 2005. Momoy Cardenas. Manila Bulletin

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Another Filipina shines in the international scene, as Precious Lara Quigaman becomes the country's fourth Miss International in the recent 45th Miss International beauty pageant held in Tokyo, Japan.

Precious Lara Quigaman had shown her innate talent in school, performing in school plays and other presentations. She also joined a contest in a popular noontime show, and in 2001 at 18, joined the Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant. She wasn't lucky that time.

This year, at 22, Precious Lara tried her luck once more with Binibining Pilipinas and won the title Binibining Pilipinas International. She represented the country in the 45th Miss International beauty competition in Tokyo, and as all of us know by now, won the title, besting 51 other contestants from all over the world.

Miss Dominican Republic Yadira Geara Cury was first runner-up while Miss Finland Susanna Laine was second runner-up.

The finalists were asked to write an essay about their advocacies and plans to help the less fortunate. Lara wrote about street children. She said she would like to be a missionary doctor to be able to help the poor and the needy.

As beauty contestant, Precious Lara was asked about the true essence of a woman. Her answer was something like this: that a woman's true essence comes to fore when she is able to care and give and make sacrifices for other people; a real woman is a friend to everyone.

Lara's only regret in light is that her father did not live long enough to be with her in her hour of glory. Her dad who truly believed his beauty and brains daughter would win the competition passed away last May.

On her arrival on October 3, she was accorded a thicker tape parade along Ayala Ave. in Makati's Central Business District. She paid a courtesy call on President Arroyo later on.
Lara's grandfather Armando de San Agustin described his granddaughter as simple and quiet while she was growing up in Ususan, Taguig. She spends her teenage days in Biqan, Laguna, where she attended high school at La Consolacion College Biqan. Later Lara went to London and studied at Filton College.

In her portfolio, Lara is listed as a freelance web writer before concentrating in modeling at 5-5 tall the beauty titlist weight 100 lbs. and measures 33-23-34.

A local news program said Lara impressed the judges with her answer on kids welfare. Lara said she hopes to raise funds for children and give them free education, not only in the Philippines but also around the world. She said that her plans will promote friendship among nation.

The three other Filipina beauty queens who won the Miss International title were Gemma Cruz (1965), Aurora Pijuan (1970), and Melanie Marquez (1979).

We congratulate Precious Lara Quigaman for bringing honor to our country as 2005 Miss International.

Manila Bulletin

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