www.punto.com.ph New Clark City P 10.00 Central V 13 P N 13 unto! sports stadium M - W N 11 - 13, 2019 PANANAW NG MALAYANG PILIPINO! Luzon fi t for Olympics NEW CLARK CITY, Tar- tracks equipped with the lac-- The International IAAF-approved Rekor- Association of Athletics tan M sandwich synthet- Federations (IAAF), the ic surface system.” international governing “When I fi rst saw the body for the sport of ath- new facility, I wanted letics, has given a Class to be an athlete again. 1 certifi cation on the Ath- During our time, we letics Stadium of the ris- didn’t have this kind of ing metropolis here. equipment. I wanted to This means that the train again,” said Sean Philippines can now use Guevarra, the nation- the stadium to host “Tier- al athletics team coach 1 athletics competitions who set the national re- like the SEA Games, the cord in the high-jump Asian Games, and even category when he was the Olympic Games.” still an athlete. The fi rst venue of such The stadium also scale built in the country showcases an Aquatic since the Rizal Memo- Center with a pool that rial Sports Complex in is at par with what was 1927, the 20,000-seat- used during the 2012 er Athletics Stadium London Olympics. Other JOY TO THE WORLD! Yuletide carols reverberate across SM City Clark with the Angeles boasts of a “nine-lane facilities in the area in- University Concert Chorus serenading mallgoers at the launch of the Winter Woodland themed main track, and indoor clude an Athletes’ Village Christmas display. See story on page 3. C $" and outdoor warm-up P./& 4 5#&.6& PHL outpacing China in rice imports decried B7 D8)/ C&(+.):&6 LARK FREEPORT – Amid estimates that the Philippine’s Crice imports would reach a record high of 3.12 million metric tons would outpace China’s 2.5 million metric tons, the blame on the Rice Liberalization Law rose in angry unison with fears that rice self-suffi ciency has gone down the drain. P./& 4 5#&.6& Healing priest mulls suit vs. CBCP MANYAMAN! Delighted over Kapampangan dishes are former President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo and Vice Gov. Lilia G. Pineda at the opening of Mangan Tamu Pampanga Food Street. B7 A6?#&7 M).'.: With them are (L-R) Mabalacat City Vice Mayor Geld Aquino, CDC president-CEO Noel Manankil and chef Sau del Rosario. P,"$" ' J".## M. V.0)#1&.#" CITY OF SAN FERNAN- DO – A Catholic priest who gained popularity with his “healing mass- es” is threatening to fi le Mangan Tamu opens in Clark charges in court if the Catholic Bishops Confer- ence of the Philippines Commercio Central’s newest food park (CBCP) will not act on a B7 J".)) M. V.#&)>8.)" Kulinarya Pampanga. Pineda, CDC chair Jose “Ping” letter he sent the body. The event also held its rib- De Jesus, CDC president Noel In a press confer- CLARK FREEPORT — Com- bon cutting ceremony and was F. Manankil, and Mabalacat City ence Friday at the Ho- mercio Central’s Mangan Tamu graced by Tourism Secretary Vice Mayor Geld Aquino. tel Gracelane here, Fr. (Let’s Eat) held its grand open- Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, for- Puyat expressed her excite- Fernando Suarez said ing on Tuesday with a sumptu- mer President and Speaker Glo- ment for the newest food park in he wrote a letter to the ous presentation of Pampan- ria Macapagal-Arroyo, Gov. Den- this Freeport as it will generate CBCP asking for fi nal- ga’s best cuisine prepared by nis “Delta” Pineda, Vice Gov. Lilia P./& 4 5#&.6& ity on the allegations P./& 11 5#&.6& Fr. Suarez Amid war against rice import lib, now comes battle vs. sugar imports B• D••• C••!"•#•$ ar import liberalization.” Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac, Ne- CWS chair Bishop Gerar- and jobs of local farmers and UMA chair Antonio Flores gros, Cebu, and Bukidnon. It is do Alminaza of the Diocese agricultural workers just like CITY OF SAN FERNANDO said his group formed the expected to establish support- of San Carlos sent a “solidar- what happened to rice, gar- -- With the war already being group together with the Nation- ing groups in Cagayan Valley, ity message” in support of the lic and onion farmers. Farm- waged against the Rice Lib- al Federation of Sugar Work- Flores said. move against sugar liberaliza- er incomes and wages of farm eralization Law, yet another ers (NFSW) and other stake- Flores noted that the net- tion. workers are expected to be battle has been launched, this holders in the sugar industry work is also backed by the Flores said Alminaza reduced further as price of lo- time against plans to also lib- “to solidify our voices into one Federation of Free Workers, “raised the concern that the cal sugar will drop at the low- eralize the importation of sug- and call on the economic man- the Church Workers Solidari- proposed unlimited liberaliza- est price to compete with sug- ar. agers of the Duterte adminis- ty (CWS), Ecumenical Institute tion of the sugar industry will ar coming in from other coun- The Unyon ng Manggaga- tration to totally abandon their for Labor Education and Re- only worsen the already dire tries,” Alminaza warned. wa sa Agrikultura (UMA) said plan to implement sugar im- search, Center for Trade Union living condition of farmers and Flores said those who yesterday stakeholders in the port liberalization.” and Human Rights, Amihan, farm workers and their fami- joined the network have vowed sugar industry have formed The network was formed Sugar Regulatory Administra- lies.” to “launch a wide range of ac- the Tanggol Asukal Network in a recent gathering attended tion, Bureau of Workers with “Liberalization will only de- tivities and mass actions until whose “main aim is to create a mostly by sugar workers and Special Concerns, and the In- stroy the local sugar industry, the sugar importation liberal- mass movement against sug- small planters from Batangas, stitute for Labor Studies. leading to loss of livelihood ization plan is scrapped.” PhilRice gives farmers certifi ed palay seeds B• E••• B. E%&•'• SAMAL, Bataan -- The Philippine Rice Institute (PhilRice) in Nueva Ecija on Monday distributed free certifi ed palay seeds to farmers, a mover that will be replicated in the whole province and other 56 provinces in the country. “Ito ay programa ng PhilRice under the Rice Competitive En- hancement Fund. Ito ay libreng ipinamimigay sa mga magsasa- ka, mga magtatanim ngayong dry season,” said Frederick Sa- ludes, PhilRice regional coordinator. He said that farmer benefi ciaries are entitled to a bag of free certifi ed seeds of 40 kilograms for every hectare planted to rice this planting season and the next dry season. The palay varieties handed out in Samal were RC-402, RC- 216, and RC-222. “Mga 57 probinsiya sa bansa ang napiling bigyan ng libreng binhi na binubuo ng halos isang libong munisipyo,” Saludes said. Under the PhilRice program are 2 million hectares of rice- lands tilled by 1.2 million farmers in 57 provinces. He said that in the case of Samal, farmers were given only a bag of 40 kilograms seeds each regardless of the area of rice- lands they cultivate per the decision of the municipal agriculture so that more farmers can avail themselves of the free seeds. He said that only 756 hectares or 60 percent of the total rice- lands in Samal were included in the program this planting sea- DONATION. Former Angeles City First Lady Herminia Pamintuan receives, on son but he said that by next dry season, all rice lands in the town behalf of Kuliat Foundation president Arch. Len Naguiat, a check in the amount will become part of the project. of P1-M from Converge ICT Solutions president and CEO Dennis Anthony Uy as donation for various projects of the foundation. P,"$" 1"(%$)2 "3 L&#1"0# M. B.0(-($ Farmers urged 13 mangingisda nawawala sa laot to plant early N• J&*••• R. R•+)"•'& bangka. mga Zambaleñong mang- Nasagip ng mga taga ingsida si Epitito sa Bataan MARIVELES, Bataan -- lsa Zambales na mangingisda habang nagpapatuloy naman sa labing-apat na mangingis- ang biktimang si Angelito Epi- ang isinasagawang search for dry crop da ang nakaligtas matapos tito, 25, ng Sisiman, Mariveles and rescue operation ng Phil- B• A•("•' M. G")"•• hampasin ng nalalaking alon matapos itong makitang palu- ippine Coast Guard sa 13 week later. sa laot ang kanilang sina- tang-lutang sa laot. mangingisda na nakilalang On the same date of last sakyang fi shing boat dala ng Batay sa kuwento ni Epi- sina Ronilo Epetito, 31; Bob- CABANATUAN CITY - Farm- year, she said, the water lev- sama ng panahon. tito sa pamamagitan ng hand by Gabales, 32; Christian ers within the service area of el of Pantabangan was at 217 Batay sa ulat na nakarat- held radio kay Sisiman baran- Gabales, 28; Don-Don Narci- the National Irrigation Admin- masl. ing sa tanggapan ni Bataan gay chairman Dalisay Cruz, so, 22; Jerry Mantoring, 27; istration-Upper Pampanga Under this situation, UP- provincial police director Col. nagpalutang-lutang ito sa laot Jerry Villaruel, 26; Ariel Epeti- River Integrated Irrigation Sys- RIIS has now closed its gates Villamor Tuliao, pumalaot ang gamit ang styro foam habang to, 30; Frederick Falogme, tem (NIA-UPRIIS) particular- to restore more water and in- 14 na mangingisda sakay ang 13 kasamahan nito ay 31; Jeff rey Abayin, 21; Alamat ly in tail-ends, were urged to stead utilizes local fl ows, es- ng fi shing vessel na 3 Sister magkakasamang nakata- Binocan; Ruel Gueico; Joel plant rice earlier than usual for pecially those of Atate Dam in noong Oktubre 28 patungo li sa katawan na nagpapalu- Negrido at ang boat captain dry crop 2020 owing to slightly Palayan City and Peñaranda ng Reed Bank nang abutan tang-lutang habang hinaham- na si Lauriano Delos Santos, lower water elevation of Pant- Dam for some portions of Divi- sila ng sama ng panahon sa pas ng malalaking alon.