July 22, 2013 Edition

President Benigno Aquino III on July 22 vowed his government would continue focusing on improving the lives of the poor as it works toward achieving inclusive growth. “Our strategy is to maximize opportunities for all, especially for those most in need. We are not content to wait for the trickle-down effect; we cannot leave their fate to chance. What we call inclusive growth is the principle that drives every initiative, every action and every decision of your government,” he said in his 4th State of the Nation Address at the opening of the 16th Congress. The poor would also continue to get cash and health subsidies, he added. Aquino reiterated his inclusive growth agenda as he cited the economic gains that the Philippines has enjoyed during his administration.


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The “only big man of the Senate” for President Benigno Aquino III will head the chamber in the second half of his administration. Staunch Aquino ally Sen Franklin Drilon is the new Senate President, a position that will help him ensure the passage of Aquino’s priority measures, and solidify the administration’s control of Congress. Drilon gained a majority vote of 17 in the opening of the first regular session of the 16th Congress on July 22. Sen Ralph Recto, another LP member, is Senate President Pro Tempore, while Nacionalista Party member Sen Alan Peter Cayetano, another Aquino ally, is the new Majority Floor Leader.

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to visit the Philippines later this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. Abe’s official visit will be on July 26 to 27, and he is scheduled to meet with President Benigno Aquino III “to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional issues, and further advance the Strategic Partnership between the Philippines and Japan.” Japan was the country’s top trade partner and aid provider in 2012. Abe was in Manila in 2006, during his first term as prime minister. Abe has just won in Japan’s upper house elections on July 21.

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The breakdown of law and order on the island of Jolo in the southern Philippines spirals into chaos in the kidnapping of Filipino-Muslim filmmaker sisters nearly a month ago. A Rappler investigation unveils an exorbitant ransom demand, shows how difficult it is to tell the good guys from the bad guys, and identifies at least one of the kidnappers. Classified documents show the kidnappers are demanding P50 million (or nearly US$1.2 million) in ransom. The group, once a part of the Abu Sayyaf, is locally known as “Anak-ilu” —Tausug for “orphans.” The Philippine military calls them the “Lucky 9” and says it is headed by Ninok Sappari.

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Tycoon Lucio Tan is leaving the airline business, and he is blaming workers for his departure. “The union” is the reason why he is selling his 51-percent stake in Philippine Airlines (PAL) Holdings Inc to local and foreign investors, Tan told reporters on July 20. PAL has been hounded by strikes from ground crew, flight attendants, and pilots since the airline laid off at least 2,600 of its employees in 2010. The PAL Employees Association (Palea) welcomed Tan’s impending departure from PAL, suggesting that the flag carrier is better off without the tycoon.

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Egypt’s new cabinet held on July 21 its first meeting and urged parties to keep their demonstrations peaceful, as a panel named to amend the constitution called on all sides to contribute. In the latest violence, militants killed two soldiers and a policeman in the Sinai peninsula. Forging ahead with an army “roadmap” for political transition, foreign minister Nabil Fahmy launched a public relations campaign to boost the army-backed administration’s credibility abroad.  The caretaker cabinet urged “all political parties to express their opinions peacefully, and to renounce violence.”

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A lot has been said about the horrific traffic situation in Metro Manila, especially on EDSA. Much of the blame is directed at public utility buses for their supposed lack of discipline on the road. Are they solely to blame? We boarded various buses to observe if they stop at the right spots. We found out that EDSA buses made a total of only 63 proper bus stops as compared to 356 incorrect bus stops – or nearly 6 improper stops for every proper one. Given this, plus the lack of discipline on the part of bus drivers and passengers and inconsistent enforcement of traffic rules, it comes as no surprise that the current EDSA bus segregation system has been failing miserably.

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Developers who make applications for the iOS platform may have been wondering why some parts of the Apple developer website were offline. As ZDNet reported, while the entrance page of the Apple developer website was up, the Apple Dev Center members area for paid developers has been offline. Apple sent out an email to inform registered Apple developers that someone tried to get into the developer website to take personal information. The email, which Rappler received on July 22, Apple told users of a potential breach. “Sensitive personal information was encrypted and cannot be accessed,” they said, adding that despite this, “we have not been able to rule out the possibility that some developers’ names, mailing addresses, and/or email addresses may have been accessed.”

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Britain’s Chris Froome was crowned champion of the 100th edition of the Tour de France. Team Sky’s Froome, the winner of 3 stages in this edition, claimed his maiden yellow jersey with a winning margin of 4min 20sec on second-placed Colombian Nairo Quintana of Movistar. Froome, whose mother Jane died in 2008 three weeks before he raced his maiden “Grande Boucle,” paid tribute as he stood atop the podium.
“I think it’s going to take a while to sink in,” said a triumphant Froome, who succeeded teammate and compatriot Bradley Wiggins, absent this year, as the yellow jersey champion.

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Superman and Batman are to team up in a new film. The new movie was announced by director Zack Snyder, widely praised for rebooting the Superman franchise last month, with Briton Henry Cavil proving his mettle in the title role. Batman has yet to be cast, after Christian Bale said he had hung up his cape after the third and final “Dark Knight” movie last year. The superhero double-act could be seen as an attempt by studio giant Warner Bros to emulate the record-breaking success of last year’s “Avengers” mega-hit, featuring Marvel characters. “I’m so excited to begin working again with Henry Cavill in the world we created, and I can’t wait to expand the DC (comic book) Universe in this next chapter,” Snyder told the Comic-Con international pop culture gathering in San Diego.

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