18th Hot Air Balloon festival

The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Foundation Incorporated has set the 18th hot air balloon festival on February 21 to 24, 2013.

A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was recently forged by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Clark Development Corporation (CDC), Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), PIHABF, and Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).

Officials present during the agreement signing at the MIAA board room were President and acting CDC President Arnel Paciano Casanova; CIAC President and Chief Executive Officer Victor Jose Luciano and PIHABF President Captain Joy Roa.

The upcoming 18th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta titled “A Weekend of Everything that Flies” will be held at the Omni Aviation Complex in the Clark Freeport.

CDC Tourism Promotions Manager Noemi Garcia, MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado, CDC Executive Vice-President Philip Panlilio, CIAC Executive Vice-President and COO Bienvenido Manga and CDC Assistant Vice-President Bernie Angeles were also present during the MOA signing.

In 2012, some 26 balloons, including six specially shaped balloons with shapes of a car, birthday cake, ice cream, Sunkist, and a Kiwi mascot, were flown.

by: Reynaldo Navales

Withdraw Pamintuan awards – newsman

Veteran mediaman Robledo Sanchez on December 4 forwarded a letter to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II requesting the agency to review the awards given to the Pamintuan administration.

In his letter, Sanchez said the issue of irregularities surrounding the Pamintuan administration, particularly the controversial “ghost employees” in the job order appointments, do not resonate with the corrupt-free government advocacy of the Aquino administration.

A copy of the letter was also forwarded to DILG regional director Florida Dijan.

Sanchez also cited the case of several barangay officials who denied any knowledge about the inclusion of their relatives’ names in the list of the Pamintuan administration’s job order appointments.

According to the barangay officials, the names of their relatives have been included in the list of job order employees even when their relatives are not even working for City Hall and have never received any salary from the City Government.

Among these officials are Barangay Lourdes Northwest Kagawad and Councilmen’s League of Angeles City (CLAC) Vice-President for External Affairs William David, Barangay Cutcut Kagawad and CLAC Executive Vice-President Roy Ogurida, Barangay Salapungan Kagawad Renato Coronel and Barangay Margot Kagawad Nenita Ferrer.

Sanchez also cited the observations of the City Project Monitoring Committee regarding the projects of the City Government, which are allegedly poorly planned, poorly constructed and perceived to be overpriced.

Sanchez also mentioned the several irregularities cited by COA in its Annual Audit Report for Angeles City for the year 2011, which include unliquidated cash advances amounting to P19.4 million, unbooked hospital equipment donations amounting to P13.9 million, and reimbursements of non-petty expenses amounting to P9.6 million.

On October 19, 2012, Sanchez filed graft and corruption charges against Pamintuan, City Accountant Wilfredo Tiotuico, City Budget Officer Fe Corpuz, City Treasurer Juliet Quinsaat and other department heads over the 2,506 job order employees employed by the Pamintuan administration.

by: Reynaldo Navales