Wednesday, 16 March 2016

LOOK: Was Cacai Bautista “friendzoned” by Ahron Villena?

MANILA, Philippines- For the past few months, singer Cacai Bautista and Kapamilya actor Ahron Villena had been rumored to be an item. A series of social media posts showing their closeness sparked rumors that they are actually in a serious relationship.

Ahron Villena 'friendzoned' Cacai Bautista?
Ahron Villena 'friendzoned' Cacai Bautista? Photo Credit: Instagram/ahronvillena
It appears that Villena decided to dispel rumors linking him to Bautista through a lengthy post on Instagram. Apparently, the 37-year-old singer threw a surprise birthday party for the 29-year-old actor which was attended by Villena’s family and loved ones. Villena took to social media to thank Bautista.

However in his post, Villena emphasized that he is happy being Bautista’s friend/bestfriend.

Although two versions of his post emerged online, it was stated clearly in both posts that he loves Bautista as a friend. In fact, Villena mentioned the word “friend/best friend” several times in his posts.

Here’s the unedited version that circulated online.

Ahron Villena post unedited version


Several minutes later, this version appeared. According to some netizens, Villena edited the caption of his post after it received negative comments.


Because of his controversial post, Villena earned the ire of netizens who accused him of giving false hope to Bautista. Some netizens believe that the post was embarrassing for Bautista and it would have been better if Villena just sent it as a private message to his best friend.

An hour later, Bautista decided to break her silence about the issue. In her Instagram post titled “Kalma”, Bautista clarified that she is happy with whatever relationship she has with Villena.


She wrote: “I hate it when people put pressure on people’s relationships even if they don’t know how it works. Pero ang alam ko lang, totoo kung ano mang meron tayo. Maganda ang nabuo naming friendship.”

(But I know what we have is true. We created a beautiful friendship.)

-Mini, The Summit Express

Goodbye Telstra, San Miguel to launch 'BellTel' this 2016?

MANILA, Philippines - Despite the botched partnership with Telstra, San Miguel Corporation is expected to launch this year its mobile services through Bell Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (BellTel).
San Miguel to launch 'BellTel' this 2016
Ramon Ang’s SMC and Australian telecom giant Telstra ends joint venture talk with a “no.”
Then, ring the 'Bell.'
“San Miguel’s entry in the telecom market will definitely be a game changer. When we launch, consumers will benefit from better, cheaper service,” SMC President and COO Ramon S. Ang said.

Belltel, which SMC acquired in 2010 through Vega Telecom Inc, has 197 base stations in Metro Manila, of which 191 already have radio station licenses, Interaksyon has reported.

Ang added that the company is currently testing the LTE service, which would be rolled out “very soon” or within 2016. “We won’t switch it on until it’s perfect,” he said to the media.

Reports said that the company has ongoing rollout of base stations from Pampanga to Batangas. Same with major players, the concentration is still the National Capital Region (NCR).

While on the stage of developing a mobile network, Telstra has offered aid in technical network design and construction consultancy to make SMC's network brand an equally competent rival of industry leaders, PLDT and Globe Telecom. The company also hired experienced engineers allegedly coming from the existing players in the country.

“Both SMC and Telstra worked hard,” Ang says

In a statement, San Miguel announced to public that both SMC and Telstra worked hard to come up with an acceptable resolution to some issues.

"However, we agreed we can no longer continue with the talks. I believe this is best for all parties," Ang said.

It can be remembered that the Filipino business tycoon made an announcement last October 2015 at the Forbes Global CEO Conference of the possibility of SMC having a joint venture with Telstra that will finally provide an unparalleled mobile and internet services in the country.

The announcement was greeted with a very warm response by some Filipino mobile subscribers who have been consistently complaining of the alleged poor telecommunication service experience in the country. Some also claimed they are willing to pay a higher price just to enjoy the promising services of the SMC-Telstra backed network.

On the other hand, Telstra's CEO Andrew Penn confirmed the news on a separate press statement saying that "While this opportunity is strategically attractive, and we have great respect for San Miguel Corporation and its President Mr (Ramon) Ang, it was obviously crucial that the commercial arrangements achieved the right risk-reward balance for all involved."

Telstra supposed to invest USD1 billion to speed up PH internet

Originally, Telstra was supposed to pour in a huge $US1 billion for the joint venture with SMC with the hope to enable the Philippines to experience the standard high-speed mobile and internet services, something which it doesn't have as compared to its ASEAN neighbors.

The Philippines ranks lowly among its ASEAN peers in terms of having the fastest internet services while at the same time serves as one of the leaders in terms of having the most expensive broadband services being paid by its consumers.

When Ookla conducted a household speedtest last May 2015, the Philippines showed very poorly among its Asian contemporaries, ranking 21st among the 22 countries, just above the cellar dweller Afghanistan.

May 2015's Ookla houshold speedtest index result:

1. Singapore - 122.43 Mbps
2. Hong Kong - 102.96 Mbps
3. Japan - 82.12 Mbps
4. South Korea - 59.77 Mbps
5. Macau - 50.66 Mbps
6. Taiwan - 50.59 Mbps
7. Thailand - 19.82 Mbps
8. Mongolia - 17.92 Mbps
9. Vietnam - 17.70 Mbps
10. Bangladesh - 9.86 Mbps
11. Cambodia 9.04 Mbps
12. Nepal 8.63 Mbps
13. Brunei 7.99 Mbps
14. Bhutan - 7.82 Mbps
15. India 7.04 Mbps
16. Malaysia 7.03 Mbps
17. Laos 6.92 Mbps
18. Indonesia 6.68 Mbps
19. Myanmar 6.54 Mbps
20. Pakistan 4.00 Mbps
21. Philippines - 3.64 Mbps
22. Afghanistan - 2.52 Mbps


Duopoly and corruption seen as obstacles in Telstra-SMC joint venture

Aside from the differences that kept the two conglomerates from sending the go signal for their joint venture, other factors were also being analyzed in the business world.

First, the threat of having a third player in the telecommunications industry backed by a foreign telecom giant made the duopoly of Philippine Long Distance Telephon Company (PLDT) and Globe Telecom Incorporated to allegedly implement all the necessary measures to block any possible attempts for SMC to bring the services of Telstra with it.

Reports said that both have ramped up public awareness and lobbying to secure part of San Miguel’s 700 Mhz spectrum, a low-band frequency good for covering large areas efficiently.

Utilizing the 700-MHz band would allow the deployment of a high-capacity LTE-based wireless and fixed broadband network to deliver higher data rate and LTE wireless broadband service. With the use of the 700-MHz frequency, broadband prices can go down further benefitting consumers.

Another issue is the rampant bureaucratic corruption in which the Philippine government has been notoriously known for. Although the present government lifted up the global image of the Philippines, the vestiges of its old identity as an accessory to high-level corruption activities still persists. Take for example the busted 2008 NBN-ZTE deal in which the former first gentleman Mike Arroyo was accused of having a hand on it. -Michael Santiago/The Summit Express

LOOK: 11-year-old fire volunteer is an inspiration to many

MANILA, Philippines- Described as shy but hardworking, Ricardo Cruz, 11, is probably the youngest fire volunteer in the country.

The pint-sized fire volunteer is an inspiration to the youth.
PHOTO CREDIT: Inquirer
Although he does not participate in actual firefighting, the pint-sized member of Pasig Alliance Volunteer Group (PAVG), helps fellow fire volunteers keep their gears and quarters in order and ensures that the fire truck is in good working condition. Situated on top of fire truck, the young firefighter looks after the gear and equipment of the firemen when his comrades are in action.

“Banny” to his family and friends, Cruz is the 10th child in a brood of 11. In the past, he would tag along with his older brother Bobby, a barangay watchman in their area. An out-of-school youth who often encountered members of the PAVG, Banny would often tell the group that he would like to join them.

Arnold De Lima of PAVG told Inquirer: “We called him ‘batang tanod’ back then. He would greet us with a yell: ‘Sir, sama ako!”

After realizing that Cruz was serious and that it would be less risky for the child to join them instead of the watchmen, De Lima invited him to join their new headquarters on Kamagong street.

Cruz, who has been a volunteer for four months, sorts hoses, assists in cleaning the quarters and helps clean the firetruck. Although he does not receive salary, the group covers his basic needs. At a young age, Cruz is able to help his widowed mother, who washes clothes and drives a tricycle in order to make ends meet.

“We hope that Banny will serve as an inspiration to kids and out-of-school youth; to those who have strayed off the right path and become a burden to their parents. Banny may be an out-of-school youth but he has already contributed a lot to society,” De Lima told Inquirer.

With the advice of fellow PAVG members, Cruz will be enrolling as a Grade 4 student at Bagong Ilog Elementary School this coming school year. In preparation for his schooling, Cruz is currently enrolled in a two-hours basic computer studies every day at a learning centre run by the local government. -Mini, The Summit Express

LOOK: Security officer caught removing diplomatic plate of Russian diplomat

MANILA, Philippines- A security officer from McKinley Hill allegedly removed the diplomatic plate of a parked Mercedez-Benz in front of the PCGI building.

Security officer caught removing diplomatic plate of Russian diplomat
Photo Credit: TopGear Philippines
The incident was photographed and shared on the Facebook page of Top Gear Philippines by a certain Miko Duñgo Camacho. The post has over 2,600 shares as of press time.

Most netizens believe that what the security officer did is a violation since Land Transportation Office (LTO) personnel are the only ones authorized to remove license plates. A report by Coconuts Manila also revealed that the incident posed a much bigger problem since the license plate with plate number of 1,000 belongs to a Russian Diplomat.

Camacho pointed out in his post that the security officer’s action could result to a big issue between the country and Russia as the vehicle in question is considered a “moving territory of Russia.

Moreover, several netizens commented that the owner of the vehicle has “diplomatic immunity” based on the Vienna Convention.

From Miko Duñgo Camacho: "This happened earlier in front of the the PCCI Building. The security officer from McKinley...
Posted by TOP GEAR PHILIPPINES on Tuesday, March 15, 2016

In the caption of his post, Camacho wrote: “This happened earlier in front of the the PCCI Building. The security officer from McKinley Hill was removing the plate of the parked Mercedes-Benz. This would have been fine under normal circumstances, but this car had a DIPLOMATIC PLATE (1000), meaning this is the Russian Ambassador's official vehicle. Maybe there's a new law on protocol, or maybe they have utter disregard for protocol. For me, this is just wrong. I think McKinley Hill security is going too far. This irresponsible action could result in a big issue between the Philippines and Russia."

As of this writing, the security personnel nor the people involved in the incident have not released a statement regarding the issue.

In his Facebook post, multimedia motoring journalist James Deakin said that the incident became an effective means to inform motorists that enforcers are not allowed to take your license plates.

Personally, I'm so happy that this happened. It doesn't even matter anymore what the driver of the car did because it...
Posted by James Deakin on Tuesday, March 15, 2016

-Mini, The Summit Express

Top performing schools, performance of schools Physician board exam March 2016

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced on Wednesday night, March 16, that 483 out of 1,044 (46.26%) passed the Physician Licensure Examination given by the Board of Medicine in the cities of Manila, Baguio and Cebu this March 2016.

RELATED RESULTS

PRC has named Far Eastern University(FEU)-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation as the only top performing school with 80.53% passing rate or 91 out of 113 successfully hurdled the series of exam.

performance of schools Physician board exam March 2016
Full Text Phycian Board Exam Results


The performance of schools in the March 2016 Physician board exam in alphabetical order as per R.A. 8981 otherwise known as PRC Modernization Act of 2000 Section 7(m) "To monitor the performance of schools in licensure examinations and publish the results thereof in a newspaper of national circulation" is as follows:


Top 10 Passers: SWU grad tops March 2016 Physician board exam

MANILA, Philippines - The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) officially released on Wednesday, the complete list of passers for March 2016 Physician board exam. Al Patrick Cajandab Alajas, graduate of Southwestern University (SWU) - Matias H. Aznar Memorial College of Medicine topped the board with 88.67 percent grade.

Our Lady of Fatima University-Valenzuela alumna Eunice Lovelle Rosaroso Clarito ranked second with 87.83 percent average grade.

LIST: 483 out of 1,044 pass March 2016 Physician Board exam

The successful examinees in the March 2016 Physician Licensure Examination who garnered the ten (10) highest places (Top 10) are the following:

RANK NAME SCHOOL RATING(%)
1 AL PATRICK CAJANDAB ALAJAS
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY MATIAS H. AZNAR MEM. COLL. OF MED.
88.67

2 EUNICE LOVELLE ROSAROSO CLARITO
OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITYVALENZUELA
87.83

3 JOMARI RIEZA BIÑAS
CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY
87.25

4 LARRAINE SANTIAGO VERGARA
OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITYVALENZUELA
86.83

5 NICHOLE ANDREA NATIVIDAD BISQUERA
FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY-NICANOR REYES MEDICAL FOUNDATION
85.75

MERCIA JOANNE MARIANO CODILAN
WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITYLA PAZ
85.75

GRACE HAZIEL CARLOS MANARANG
OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITYVALENZUELA
85.75

6 RUBY COBILLA CERDEÑO
UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEM. MEDICAL CTR.
85.67

JAN MICHAEL JESSE CAJETA LOMANTA
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINESMANILA
85.67

7 MARIVIC OLARTE BUMALAY
OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITYVALENZUELA
85.58

8 ROSCOE BUNDOC CRUZ
FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY-NICANOR REYES MEDICAL FOUNDATION
85.50

9 FRANCINE NAYRA DILOY
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITYMATIAS H. AZNAR MEM. COLL. OF MED.
85.08

10 GARRETT PASCO PALTAO
OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITYVALENZUELA
85.00
NOTHING FOLLOWS-----------------------------------------

SWU grad tops March 2016 Physician board exam