By Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan

1. We are strategically located at the heart of East Asia.

Northeast Asia (Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong) and Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos) combined makes East Asia. We are only at most four hours away from every major city in East Asia. If the Philippines were a real estate venture in a commercial area, ours is a location to die for. We can be the shipping and air transport hub of East Asia. We can be the top tourist destination of the region. We can be the cultural center of the region for performing arts.

2. We are No. 1 in aquamarine resources worldwide.

“We have the most diverse aquamarine ecosystem in the entire world which, if managed properly, will feed not only our hungry people but will be a source of huge revenue coming from a world in dire need of aquamarine resources such as fish, seaweed, and other similar products. We can be the seafood basket and aquamarine resource center of the world, the aquamarine resource powerhouse of the world.

3. We have a huge tourism industry potential.

Our people are by nature extremely friendly and hospitable. We only have some 3 million tourist visits every year, while our neighbors are doing 4 or 5 times more with 12 to 15 million tourist visits annually. It has been said that other countries in the ASEAN are doing so much more with so little in terms of natural wonders and beautiful sites while we are doing so little with so much. With the right infrastructure such as highways and airports and seaports in place, we can be the number one tourist destination in ASEAN if not Asia.

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By Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines – Family, friends, and former colleagues of the late Senator Blas Ople gathered for a mass at the Libingan ng mga Bayani [Heroes’ Cemetery] in celebration of his 82nd birthday.

Ople served for nearly two decades and created the overseas employment program in the early 70’s, and then the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, and the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration, with the last earning for him the distinction of being the “father of overseas employment.”

Continuing the legacy of her father, Susan Ople, president of Blas F. Ople Policy Center, is helping overseas Filipino workers by strengthening the programs designed by the government for them.

“He is a mentoring type of father and we grew up knowing the country first,” said Ople as she described what her father was like.

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By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

WHEN Philippine politics seems hopeless for some, a few leaders still see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo, Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio and Isabela Governor Grace Padaca still believe that good governance and ethical leadership is possible as they advocate the movement, “Kaya Natin.”

“By ourselves, we have demonstrated on our localities that good governance and ethical leadership is possible especially with the support of the constituency,” said Robredo.

Robredo elaborated that leaders cannot do the work alone. The government and the people should work hand in hand. He related that in Naga City, non-government organizations are part of the decision-making. Also, Padaca stressed that no one should be exempted from doing his share.

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