ONE of the all-time greats of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), former professional basketball player Fortunato “Atoy” Co, was the special guest at the annual summer basketball tournament of the Filipino community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates which opened on April 11.

Here’s a photo of Co addressing the participating teams.

The opening ceremonies held at the Al Nasr Gymnasium in Oud Metha, Dubai saw the Intercontinental Hotel team win the best in uniform award, while Nina Cascades of the Fairmont Hotel team was named Ms. FBC-Chikka Grill at Marco Polo Hotel Cup.

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By TJ Burgonio
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–In the eyes of fellow environmentalists, Von Hernandez is the kind who walks his talk, and gets the job done.

It’s no surprise then that Hernandez has been named by Time magazine as among this year’s “Heroes of the Environment,” along with Al Gore, Mikhail Gorbachev and Prince Charles and other personalities.

The Greenpeace campaign director was cited for his relentless campaign against trading in waste and highly polluting waste incinerators that led the Philippines to ban waste incineration in 1999, the first country to do so.

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By Margaux Ortiz
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–Imagine going to Manila Bay and coming face-to-face with a shark or even a school of fierce barracudas.

Come December, this awesome scene would be experienced by Filipinos — adults and children alike — with the completion of the Manila Ocean Park just behind the Quirino Grandstand at the Rizal Park.

The ocean park, a P1-billion project of Singaporean and Malaysian investors, is the first world-class marine park to adopt a “fusion concept,” according to Manila Ocean Park president Lim Chee Yong.

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By TJ Burgonio
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–He isn’t hanging up his gloves yet. But Manny Pacquiao now wants to focus on a larger-than-life fight outside the ring — protecting the Philippine Eagle from extinction.

The boxing icon bared his plans to help preserve one of the world’s rarest and most powerful birds after he was showered with red, white and blue confetti at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Pacquiao, 28, fresh from his second conquest of Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera in Las Vegas last Oct. 7, flew in early Thursday to a subdued, less festive welcome after a planned motorcade in Manila was scuttled.

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By Kate V. Pedroso
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–Family, health and religion are the three most important sources of happiness among Filipinos, while sex, sports, politics and cultural pursuits rank among the least important, according to a recent study by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).

But sounding incredulous, the NSCB official, who released the results of the study Tuesday, observed: “Could it be that the respondents were just too shy to reveal their true feelings about sex? Or (is it) time to shift stories away from the birds and the bees?”

Romulo Virola, NSCB secretary general, reported that Filipinos ranked family as the most important source of happiness, with a score of 9.45 on a scale of 10. Health came next with 8.95, while religion ranked third with 8.59.

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By DJ Yap
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–She has literally seen the growth of Makati City from the time it was still known as San Pedro Makati to its rise as the financial capital of the country.

Today, 101-year-old Paula Garcia-Samarista will be honored, along with two of her slightly younger peers, in a special ceremony at the Makati City Hall celebrating their longevity.

To mark the beginning of Senior Citizen’s Week, the city famous for pampering its elderly residents will pay tribute to Garcia-Samarista, Melchora Oria-Ancheta, 97, and Mercedes Sarmiento-Belandres, 95.

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