MANILA – A row sparked by boxer Manny Pacquiao’s comments on gay marriage has damaged the world champion, but has not so far affected any of his mega-buck endorsement deals, his spokeswoman said Friday.

Pacquiao told a US website this week he was opposed to same-sex unions, in an article that erroneously suggested the Philippine superstar had quoted a biblical passage calling for gays to be put to death.

Despite Pacquiao denying he had quoted the verses from Leviticus — and the interviewer admitting he had inserted the line himself — there were calls for sports manufacturers to drop the eight-division champion.

“The misquote had a huge effect. A lot of people spoke out against it,” Pacquiao’s spokeswoman Rose Tamayo told AFP.

“There was even one group that came out to campaign for Nike to drop him,” she said, referring to the US sports goods giant.

“So far not one (endorsement deal) had been cancelled,” she added.

Following the controversy over the blog, which came after US President Barack Obama came out in favour of gay marriage, Pacquiao was banned from an upmarket Los Angeles shopping mall where he was due to give a TV interview.

Nevertheless, Tamayo said Pacquiao, who was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives in 2010, took a big hit.

“If I had hurt anyone I offer my apologies,” Pacquiao, a 33-year-old father of four, said in an interview aired by Manila television station GMA on Friday.

“I was asked about my stand, whether I was in favour of gay marriage or not. I said I am against gay marriage and I believe in God. That was all I said.”

Naomi Fontanas, head of the Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines, said the Pacquiao apology was not enough.

“It doesn’t change the fact that Manny is not supportive of the equal rights of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community,” Fontanas told AFP.

Tamayo said that the flap had not affected Pacquiao’s training ahead of the defence of his World Boxing Organisation welterweight title against American Tim Bradley on June 9.

Pacquiao, formerly known for enjoying late-night parties, womanising and gambling, has become a devout Catholic and now reads the Bible every day, she said.

“The congressman is a patient person, even if people say bad things about him. He resorts to prayer.”

Forbes.com magazine on Wednesday put Pacquiao at number-33 on its Top 100 list of the world’s “most powerful celebrities”, putting his total earnings at $67 million.

“Pacquiao has become a pay-per-view stud with five fights each generating at least one million PPV (pay per view) buys during the past four years,” it said.

“Pacman has expanded his endorsement reach by signing deals with Monster Energy and Hennessy. Other partners include Nike and Hewlett-Packard.”

After the big boys have had their fun, it’s time for high-flying wingmen and undersized post players. The Governors’ Cup features reinforcements 6-foot-5 and below, but the fun they promise to deliver look to be unlimited. Here’s an early look at them.

Click here to see Part 2

Zach Graham, Air 21 Express

Graham is a young player out of Mississippi in the NCAA, where ge averaged 14.2 points and 4.5 rebounds as a senior. He later played for the Reno Bighorns in the NBA D-League, putting up 10.9 points and 3.2 rebounds.

Graham is very comfortable shooting the basketball; he hit 47 three-pointers in 34 games in his senior year at Ole Miss, including a game where he knocked down 7-of-11 from long range, and shot better than 87% from the free throw line. In the D-League, he hit 43 three-pointerss in 43 games and shot at an 86.7% clip from the line.

Graham’s scoring will be a boon to a team that is still sorely lacking a true franchise guy. Look for him to carry the load for the Express, but what they can get from the locals will probably determine how far they can go this conference.

Jason Forte, Alaska Aces

Forte is an old reliable who’s on his third stint in the PBA, and his second with the Aces. He’s a strong, versatile player who posted averages of 23.1 points, 16.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 blocks in 13 games in the 2011 Governors’ Cup. He’s also just a few years removed from averaging 17 points and 8.5 rebounds for Romanian club Targu Mures, where he was named MVP of the Romanian final four.

Forte is the versatile type of import that can dunk with ease but can also hit from three-point range. He makes good decisions with the ball, and is a willing and able passer. He has a good reputation as a defender, both on the ball and in playing the passing lanes, and is a good rebounder for his size. He’s an all-around talent that can adapt and give the Aces what they need in a particular game.

Last year, he helped the Aces close in on a finals spot, narrowly losing it to Petron due to the quotient system after the round-robin semifinal round. He’s someone who’s played in Alaska’s triangle offense before, which interim coach Luigi Trillo is reportedly bringing back this conference, so there won’t be too much of an adjustment period. If he brings more of the same, then the Aces could be an interesting challenge for some of the top teams this conference.

Marqus Blakely, B-MEG Llamados

The 23-year-old Blakely is no stranger to having to play big, averaging 16.1 points, 7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks for the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the NBA D-League as an undersized power forward this year. He was described by B-MEG coach Tim Cone as playing “like (Marc Pingris) times two”, and the possibility of seeing two Sakuragis on the floor together should actively excite any basketball fan.

Like Pingris, Blakely excels mainly on the defensive end, where he averaged 2.7 blocks twice and 1.9 blocks once in his four-year college career with Vermont. He possesses fantastic length for his size, measuring under 6-5 without shoes but with a 7-1 wingspan at the NBA predraft camp. He’s shown the ability to defend multiple positions, from bigs to wings. He has tremendous athleticism as well, winning the US NCAA slam dunk contest in 2010 and making ESPN SportsCenter’s top plays in the process. Look for him to provide plenty of highlight-reel dunks on the offensive end, though he might show limited range on his shots.

It’s an interesting departure, though, from B-MEG’s last import Denzel Bowles, who was a top-notch offensive talent. Bowles really took pressure off of the locals scoring-wise, making up for the struggles of the hobbling PJ Simon in the finals and making things easier for guys like James Yap to put up big numbers. Look for both Yap and Simon to have to carry a heavier load offensively, but it looks like defense will be the key to their run at the title this conference, and Blakely will surely provide plenty of that.

Jamine Peterson, Barako Bull Energy

Peterson is nicknamed “Greedy”, though it isn’t clear exactly why. But backstory is just as interesting as his nickname.

He just had a breakout season with Providence in the NCAA, averaging an impressive 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds as a junior, when he was dismissed for a violation of team rules in May 2010. While the college refused to comment on anything about the incident, Peterson revealed later that it had something to do about showing a visiting high school recruit “a good time” with a female.

All that is behind him, though, but his scoring and rebounding talent remains. He is used to putting up huge numbers as an undersized power forward, which means he could really thrive as a big man in the PBA. In his final game at Providence, he put up a monstrous 38 points and 16 rebounds in the Big East tournament. In the D-League, he also showed the ability to knock down three-point shots which would add to an already impressive offensive arsenal. He’ll be a strong rebounder, too, which means big numbers should probably be expected from the young, talented Peterson.

A potentially dominant presence like Peterson could benefit Barako Bull’s aging “Manong Brigade”, who will be able to lean heavily on their import early and preserve their legs for another deep run into the playoffs. If Peterson proves “greedy” enough to want the Governors’ Cup crown badly, then the veteran-laden Energy could find themselves in the mix, just like last conference.

Cedric Bozeman, Barangay Ginebra

Bozeman has a bit of NBA experience, having played 23 games for the Atlanta Hawks in 2006-07, though he only averaged 8.7 minutes per game with the team. He was also able to play in the NCAA title game with the UCLA Bruins, alongside future NBA players Arron Afflalo and Jordan Farmar.

He’s described as very comfortable playing point guard, though his role in the PBA will probably be far from that. With a floor general’s mentality, his passing could be a real strength this conference, alongside the usual scoring that imports generally provide. He could be a real threat to put up triple-doubles, so watch for that as well. He’s a good defender and a nice “glue guy”, so he should be a solid pick-up for the Kings.

Bozeman will be a good addition to a team that already has a proven scorer in Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference Mark Caguioa. He doesn’t have the reputation of being a dominant guy, but he can make his teammates around him better, and that might mean Ginebra will be looking pretty good this conference.

PBA/Nuki Sabio

After the big boys have had their fun, it’s time for high-flying wingmen and undersized post players. The Governors’ Cup features reinforcements 6-foot-5 and below, but the fun they promise to deliver look to be unlimited. Here’s an early look at them.

Click here to see Part 1

Juan Pattillo, Meralco Bolts

(UPDATE: Pattillo would not be reinforcing Meralco, after he was reportedly measured to be over the 6-foot-5 height limit.)

Champ Oguchi, Meralco Bolts

Oguchi would give the Bolts a familiar face. The former Southern Illinois University played 11 games for Meralco in last season’s Governors’ Cup, averaging 28.3 points and 10.3 rebounds over 11 games. He showcased his scoring prowess, posting an average of 4.2 three-pointers per game while shooting 40.2 percent beyond the arc.

He made his debut in the Commissioner’s Cup, scoring 43 points in his very first game after replacing Anthony Dandridge, and was so impressive that Meralco brought him back for the Governors’ Cup.

His stint with the Bolts was cut short by a groin injury, and Meralco brought in Tim Pickett to take over. Pickett was then also hit by the injury bug, and Oguchi played one last game to end the Bolts’ season.

The choice of Oguchi is a curious one, considering that the prospect he replaced, Pattillo, is an inside operator. Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio tried to justify tapping Oguchi: “We need someone who can spread the floor and Oguchi is the type of import we need.” It’s unclear, however, if he really believes those words — or he just doesn’t have a better option at the moment.

Eddie Basden, Petron Blaze Boosters

Basden is an import who’s been around, having played 19 games with the Chicago Bulls in the NBA and spending time in the D-League, Turkey, France, Greece and Brazil. He doesn’t have mind-blowing stats, but he could be interesting to watch this conference.

He’s known more for his defensive ability than his offensive game, having been a dominant force on defense during his college days. He was named Defensive Player of the Year of Conference USA in the NCAA twice and was named National Defensive Player of the Year once by several analysts, including ESPN. He is a lockdown guy on the ball with great instincts for anticipation. He gets a lot of steals without giving up good defensive position. He won’t be a dominant scorer, but he can get easy baskets if left open. He also has good passing and ball-handling skills.

With his court smarts, right attitude and excellent defense, Basden has been described as the kind of player who can dominate a game (at least on the US NCAA level) without scoring. And with him being surrounded by plenty of talent in Petron, especially with their blockbuster acquisition of Marcio Lassiter, he’ll have a chance to do just that this conference.

Rashad McCants, Powerade Tigers

In terms of pedigree, no import this conference comes remotely close to McCants. He averaged 17.6 points per game for the University of North Carolina in the US NCAA, and was part of the 2005 national champion Tar Heels that also featured Sean May, Raymond Felton and Marvin Williams. He was a first-round pick (14th overall) of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA and played a total of 249 games in his four-year career.

McCants is a gifted scorer, averaging a career-high 14.9 points in just 26.9 minutes per game in his third year in the NBA. He’s a proven NBA-level talent who can just flat-out score. He has excellent range as well, showing the ability to knock down threes with ease. He has some explosiveness and athleticism, and should be a decent defender if he proves to be a willing one. In terms of pure on-court product, McCants should be the hands-down favorite to be the Best Import in the Governors’ Cup.

Powerade, though, will have their hands full of the fiery, outspoken McCants, who once compared playing in UNC to being in jail, and called himself better than 70 percent of players in the NBA. To tell the truth, the guy probably should still be in the NBA. But things have gotten so bad off the court, that in March, he was reportedly signed and released by a team in Puerto Rico in a matter of just one day. If McCants can set the off-court distractions aside and just play, Powerade should go very far this conference. If not, he still gives the already potent Gary David-led Tigers an insane amount of firepower and they should put a lot of points on the board.

Rain or Shine – Jamelle Cornley

Cornley is a former teammate of Filipino-American guard Stanley Pringle at Penn State in the NCAA. Together, they won the NIT, the consolation tournament of college teams that weren’t invited to the NCAA tournament, in 2009 and Cornley was named MVP of the tourney. His most recent stints overseas include 11 games for Lev Hasharon in Israel where he averaged of 17.0 points and 7.3 rebounds and a stint with Argentinean club Ciclista where he averaged 21.3 points and was named MVP for the second-division team.

The burly, undersized forward enjoys playing physical and doesn’t mind finishing around the basket with contact, even against bigger players. In college, the 6-foot-5 Cornley was known for once sending Cleveland Cavaliers forward Luke Harangody whining to the referees for his physical play. And though he didn’t show too much of it in college, he seems to have developed a three-point shot as well, shooting a 41.2% clip in Israel. He also displays plenty of heart, winning the NIT title in his last college game with an 18-point, 7-rebound performance despite playing with a shoulder injury.

These attributes – aggressive, physical, huge heart – make Cornley a perfect recruit for Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, of course. He’ll be a great fit with the Elastopainters, but they will have a lot of work to do after a tough finish last conference.

Talk ‘N Text – Paul Harris

Harris is a very familiar face for the Tropang Texters having just suited up for them in last year’s Commissioner’s Cup. He averaged 25.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists, and finished second in the Best Import race behind Ginebra’s Nate Brumfield.

He’s a perfect fit for the up-and-down transition game and the dribble-drive halfcourt offense that Talk ‘N Text likes to run. He’s strong, athletic and built like a football player, which is why few people doubted him when he tweeted about the possibility of attending the NFL draft combine and trying out as a tight end. He has extremely long arms for a guy his size, which helps his tremendously on the defensive end, where he is such a tough, physical presence. He also has an excellent reputation as a rebounder, where he’s made an impact in his college career even from the wing positions.

And in this stretch where Talk ‘N Text has made five straight appearances in the PBA finals, Harris remains the only import to have taken them all the way to the championship. That should bode well for them this conference – the knowledge that Harris knows what it takes, and that he’s actually done it for them before. Depending on the health of their talented local bunch, the Tropang Texters stand a chance of making it six-for-six in terms of final appearances the last two years.

NEW YORK- Babies who are fed milk from their mothers’ breasts gain less weight over their first year compared to babies fed milk — breast or formula — from a bottle, suggests a new study.

The lead author said the difference may come down to how much of a role babies play in deciding when to stop feeding, instead of mothers or fathers forcing them to finish a bottle.

“If the babies are fed by the breast, the baby plays a very active role, because they are the ones who decide when to suckle and when to stop,” said Dr. Ruowei Li, of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Li told Reuters Health some researchers believe that “if the babies are fed with the bottle, they will gradually lose their self-regulation of their energy intake and the internal cues of satiety and hunger.”

To look at the link between weight gain and feeding, Li and her fellow researchers followed about 1,900 babies from across the US born in the mid-2000s.

Through a series of surveys sent to their mothers, the researchers asked for — among other things — babies’ weights at different ages and how often women breastfed, pumped their breast milk or used formula.

Babies who were only fed from a bottle — either with only breast milk or only formula — gained about three ounces more per month compared to those who were solely breastfed.

After that, the findings got a bit complicated.

When moms did a combination of breastfeeding and bottle feeding with human milk only, babies didn’t gain any extra weight — but if they both breastfed and bottle-fed with formula, their babies gained an additional two ounces each month, on average.

And when moms exclusively bottle-fed, but alternated between using human milk and formula, their babies grew similarly to solely-breastfed babies.

It’s not totally clear why babies fed a combination of bottled breast milk and formula may not have gained additional weight, the researchers wrote in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

“The key message out of this study is that breastfeeding really is the first feeding choice for the babies,” said Li, who added that supplementing breastfeeding with breast milk from a bottle is a good second option.

Mounting evidence

The new study is only a piece of the growing evidence that breastfeeding appears to be the best choice for a newborn, and may protect against obesity later in life.

In the same journal, Tessa Crume and her colleagues published findings suggesting breastfeeding for at least six months may not only protect kids against being overweight later in childhood, but also against being underweight.

Simply put, overweight kids might have been even more overweight if they weren’t breastfed as babies, the researchers reported. At the opposite end of the weight spectrum, there was a suggestion that underweight kids might have weighed even less if their moms hadn’t breastfed them.

Those findings are based on weight and body fat measurements, as well as breastfeeding history, for 442 children between the ages of six and 13 years old.

“It is suggesting that breastfeeding has a growth-regulating effect — preventing extremes,” said Crume, from the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado in Denver.

In an ideal world

Despite growing research in favor of breastfeeding, the authors of a linked commentary say the new findings may put too much pressure on new mothers.

“Pediatricians should deliver their expert advice with empathy, being mindful of the gap that always exists for parents between doing what is ideal for their children and doing what is possible,” according to the editorial.

Co-author Dr. Jeffrey Wright, a pediatrician from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, told Reuters Health there could be anatomical or economic reasons why mothers cannot breastfeed their children.

Some mothers have to return to work, fathers may want to help with feeding and the parents may want to know how much milk their baby is getting. Wright said all of these reasons may keep mothers from breastfeeding.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends mothers exclusively breastfeed for six months, and continue breastfeeding as foods are introduced until at least 12 months.

“There were millions of babies raised on formula well before the obesity epidemic started,” said Wright. “Each family should weigh the benefits they see against the hassles they take to get there, and the father should be involved with that discussion.”

As with any research, the new studies also have limitations — including that neither can prove breastfeeding directly protects kids from gaining too much weight.

But researchers agreed that employers need to do what they can to promote breastfeeding, such as having onsite child care and allowing new parents to work part-time.

“Breastfeeding is really the best feeding for the babies, and needs to be the first choice,” said Li.

If that’s not possible, she said it’s important to pay attention to the signals a baby sends out to prevent overfeeding with a bottle, such as keeping their mouth shut or not wanting to suckle.

MANILA, Philippines – The chances of finding alive the two pilots of the ill-fated Philippine Air Force (PAF) Cessna training plane is very slim, according to a military officer.

“The possibility of survival is very nil,” Col. Generoso Bolina, spokesman of the Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command said on Saturday.

The search and rescue operations were suspended past 6 p.m. Saturday at the waters of Mariveles, Bataan, according to Bolina.

He said the identities of the two pilots were being withheld pending notification of their relatives

The PAF plane SF 260 took off from Sangley Point, Cavite Friday morning and crashed near Lamonja Island in Cavite. Coast Guard personnel recovered the wreckage Friday afternoon.

The government finally woke up to this growing problem a couple of years ago when studies by its information technology department estimated the e-waste burden on the country to touch 800,000 metric tonnes by December. It responded by framing the e-waste (management and handling) rules – 2011 which came into effect this month. While the rules seem impressive on paper, environmental groups have expressed concerns about its ability to bring about change due to the sheer oversight of the ground situation.

To begin with, the rules put India along with a select club of nations like the United States and many in Europe to have legislation to regulate and manage electronic waste. Not just that, the rules also propose several ambitious measures to regulate waste.

For instance, according to government data, close to 95 percent of all the electronic waste is currently recycled by the unauthorised sector — scrap dealers. They usually resort to recycling methods that cause great damage to environment and human health, according to various studies conducted by environmental agencies including the Central Pollution Control Board. Printed circuit boards and electronic parts are usually immersed in chemical solutions or burnt to extract small amounts of metals.

The newly framed rules aim to change this situation by entrusting the responsibility of collection and safe disposal of waste with the manufacturers of electronic goods. It mandates manufacturers to collect electronic scrap directly from consumers and route them to authorised recycling centres across the country. The rules also try to address other issues such as restricting the usage of hazardous substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury, PCB, PVR and BFR in electronics.

But all these promising measures in the paper seem far from changing the ground scenario. Here is why.

The environment ministry proposed the electronic waste rules about a year ago, providing companies and other groups affected by the rules enough time to put systems in place for effective compliance before they come into effect this month.

If observations made by environmental NGOs are anything to go by, efforts over the past year to improve disposal mechanisms have been negligible. For instance, information on electronic scrap collection centres for consumers has not been made available in many major cities.

The rules also do not mention the number of collection points, number of authorised recyclers required in cities or the amount of waste to be collected and disposed. Environmentalists believe that this might result in manufacturers setting up a few symbolic collection centres across the country which might not be able to deal with the quantity of waste produced.

For instance, the second largest electronic waste-producing state in the country — Tamil Nadu (responsible for 13 percent of the total waste produced in India) — has only one recycler for the entire state. Other states face similar problems.

Even if the manufacturers and policymakers decide to open more collection centres, bigger problems remain, including persuading people to deliver their old computers and other products to collection centres instead of going to scrap dealers.

But when the local dealer pays handsomely for the scrap, it is doubtful that many would choose to return the waste to the manufacturer for free. Ever since the rules were being made, environmentalists have been negotiating with the government to provide some incentive to people who use electronics so they volunteer to turn in their devices to the companies to get them recycled. But this has not featured in the rules.

Furthermore, according to the study by the Department of Information Technology, there are more than 3,000 scrap dealers across the country. Unless these scrap dealers are given a chance to participate in an authorised recycling system, they will only fight harder to stay in business.

The rules are also completely oblivious to the electronic waste that is imported into the country. A study by the Centre for Science and Environment estimates that close to 50,000 metric tonnes of electronic scrap is imported into the country every year. But the rules have no provisions to control imports.

Though the trans-boundary movement of hazardous waste is banned under an international treaty called the Basel Convention, dealers sneak in consignments of electronic scrap as they are not properly classified. According to environmental activists, most electronic scrap that comes into the country is classified as plastic scrap or mixed waste.

The biggest impediment of all for safely disposing electronics products is India’s record of municipal waste management. Twelve years after the municipal solid waste rules were framed, major metro cities like Chennai have not even got the basics right in terms of segregating waste at source and preventing the environmentally harmful burning of waste. With a track record like that, and the number of Indians using computers and mobile devices only rising, there seems to be little hope that rules will succeed in the marketplace.

MANILA, Philippines- The first eclipse of 2012 will happen on Monday (Manila time) and most of North America will have the opportunity to view this rare astronomical event. But how about the Philippines?

Filipinos will not fully see the so-called “ring of fire” when it occurs due to the location of the country. According to the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA), the annular solar eclipse will begin in southern China, traveling eastward to the west coast of the US.

The Philippines will only see a partial solar eclipse beginning at 4:59 am on Monday. Meanwhile, the maximum eclipse will happen at around 5:58 am.

The phases of the annular solar eclipse (file photo by Reuters)

But the weather might not cooperate well for Filipino eclipse enthusiasts. As of 2 pm, a developing storm or low pressure area (LPA) was spotted 320 km east of Mindanao.

The LPA is embedded along a band of clouds called the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which will affect northern Mindanao, Visayas and Palawan. Most of northern Luzon will also experience cloudy skies in the coming days due to the prevailing trough of another LPA.

Nevertheless, for Filipinos can still troop the Pagasa observatory in Quezon City to try their luck at catching a glimpse of this rare soalr occurence.

Here are some links that might be helpful for your annular solar eclipse-viewing:

For local updates on the annular solar eclipse, including the viewing events you may visit the Astronomical League of the Philippines:http://www.astroleaguephils.org/

You can also view the spectacular animation on how the annular solar eclipse may look like from the Philippines thru this website: http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/philippines/manila

For a more scientific understanding of the eclipse (and the schedule of the other eclipses this year), you can also visit the page of NASA: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2012.html

TARLAC CITY — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) on Friday started conducting a massive information campaign simultaneously in all barangays inside Hacienda Luisita to farmer-beneficiaries of the government’s agrarian reform program.

Some 9,200 residents attended the event with 7,369 interview stubs were distributed by some 150 DAR field personnel, who set up makeshift offices in each of the 10 barangays within the country’s biggest sugar plantation.

The stubs indicated the farm workers’ date, time and place of interview with the department.

The interview is the first step in the identification, screening, and validation of farm workers who are qualified to own parcels of lands in Hacienda Luisita in accordance with the recent decision of the Supreme Court.

During their scheduled interview, beneficiaries were advised to bring identification cards and other documents that would show proof, among others, that they were farm workers in the hacienda on or before the year 1989.

Relatives of potential beneficiaries may also obtain appointment schedules in behalf of their kin provided they bring documents showing proof of relationship, such as marriage and birth certificates.

“The 6,269 beneficiaries submitted to the Supreme Court is not yet the final list. That is why, we are here in Hacienda Luisita to verify those names to see to it they are the qualified beneficiaries, ” DAR Undersecretary Anthony Parungao said.

“It may take around four months before the DAR can come out with the master list. The master list will be the basis of the DENR as they surveyed the land so that they can determine how much each beneficiary will get, Parungao said.

He also said that the DAR would publish the list in the newspapers so that others might know who were the qualified beneficiaries of the land. .

“According to the law it is solely the DAR which is responsible to distribute the land inside Hacienda Luisita, Parungao said in reaction to the claim of Alyansa ng mga Mangagawang Bukid sa Hacienda Luisita (AMBALA) that they must be the one as petitioners to the Supreme Court to distribute the land.

Meanwhile, Lito Bais. president of United Luisita Workers Union (ULWU), said they would insist on the collective distribution of the land so that they could manage the land use properly.

But , according to Renato Luna, a village chief of Balete, which is one of the 10 villages inside Hacienda Luisita, his constituents told him that they want the individual way of distribution rather than the collective one.

Luna, however, appealed to everyone to respect the law and abide by the decision of the DAR.

Parungao said they would include in their interview that choice if they want an individual or collective manner of land distribution.

He said it would take around one year to finish their work before they can distribute the land.

“This is not an easy tasking because it is a large land area and there are thousands of beneficiaries. However, we will do it faster as we can, ” he said.

Beijing – China expressed Saturday its “firm opposition” to a Pentagon report that said Beijing was carrying out aggressive cyber espionage as part of a steady build-up of its military power, state media said.

Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said “China’s justified and normal military development” had been unjustly criticised in the annual report, which was released on Friday, according to the Xinhua news agency.

The development of China’s “limited” military force was only geared towards safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, said the spokesman.

“So long as a country is not hostile to China, it will show no doubt or worry over such development,” he added.

He told Washington to “respect facts, change its mind-set and stop its wrongdoing in issuing similar reports year after year”.

Echoing recent warnings from intelligence officials, the Pentagon blamed China for “many” of the world’s cyber intrusions over the past year targeting US government and commercial networks, including companies “that directly support US defense programs”.

The Pentagon assessment also accused China of exploiting Western commercial technology and buying more anti-ship missiles. Washington has routinely urged Beijing to be more open about its military intentions.

The annual assessment of China’s military resembled previous reports but adopted more diplomatic language, possibly to avoid aggravating delicate relations with Beijing, analysts said.

The American military has long worried that China could potentially limit the reach of US naval ships in the western Pacific with new weapons, and the Pentagon report underlined those concerns.

China’s military budget officially reached $106 billion in 2012, an 11.2 percent increase.

But the US report said that budget does not include major expenditures such as improvements to nuclear forces or purchases of foreign-made weapons. Real defence spending amounts to $120 to $180 billion, the report said.

US military spending, however, still dwarfs Chinese investments, with the Pentagon’s proposed budget for 2013 at more than $600 billion.

Friday’s document was released as the House of Representatives voted to force the US government to sell 66 new fighter-jets to Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of China.

Taiwan welcomed the vote.

“The defence ministry is deeply grateful that the US Congress attaches much importance to Taiwan’s aerial safety,” it said in a statement.

“We will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the F16 C/D fighter jets and fully negotiate with the US side to acquire the jets that will meet our aerial defence needs.”

President Barack Obama’s administration, anxious to keep ties with an increasingly assertive China on track, is only planning to upgrade existing planes. The measure still needs Senate approval.

MANILA, Philippines – Ian Joseph Somerhalder, star of the Popular TV series “The Vampire Diaries,” arrived Saturday night at the NAIA Terminal 1 for a week of photo shoots and to endorse a clothing brand.

The Covington, Loiusiana, native arrived at NAIA at 11:20 pm on board Asiana Airlines from Korea.

He was wearing a fedora hat and casual black tops and denim pants and was mobbed at the airport by fans. Even airport employees from airlines, immigration and customs on duty were seen taking shots or asking for souvenir photos with the actor.

Known for his role as Damon Salvatore in the hit series, Somerhalder will be staying for a week in Manila for photo shoots and to attend a press conference with local clothing brand Penshoppe, according to PR Asia Worldwide’s lead publicist, Joyce A. Ramirez.

Somerhalder’s endorsement stint is his first trip to the Philippines,

The actor-model who also appeared in the drama series titledLost, is the newest addition to the roster of endorsers of “All Stars” Team Penshoppe that includes Ed Westwick,who plays Chuck Bass in the popular series Gossip Girl; Thai superstar Mario Maurer, who is now shooting his first Filipino film under Star Cinema called Suddenly It’s Magic; and A-list Hollywood movie star Zac Efron, who recently appeared in the romantic movie The Lucky One.

Ramirez added in her statement, “Hopefully, Ian gets a chance to meet his adoring Filipino fans who have supported him in The Vampire Diaries for the last two top-rating seasons. Fans can also look forward to Ian visiting a flagship Penshoppe store.”

Somerhalder currently stars in the CW’s The Vampire Diaries, opposite Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev. The show is returning for its third season in mid-September 2012.

DILI — East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta prepared for a handover of power to his successor late Saturday ahead of celebrations to mark the country’s first decade of independence from Indonesia.

As the impoverished half-island nation of 1.1 million prepares to celebrate the anniversary, the dusty, potholed streets of its capital Dili are being spruced up to welcome VIP guests including Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Australia’s governor-general and Portugal’s president.

This is a crucial year for the country also known as Timor-Leste. It will choose a new prime minister and government in general elections on July 7, then at year’s end will bid goodbye to UN forces stationed since 1999.

Taur Matan Ruak is due to take over the largely ceremonial post of president, which enjoyed a high profile under Ramos-Horta, at 11:30 p.m. (1430 GMT) Saturday.

Ruak, a former armed forces chief and ex-guerrilla fighter, won a run-off election last month that was widely lauded as peaceful and fair.

He takes over a country that is hobbled by extreme poverty, corruption and an over-reliance on energy revenues.

But the unstable nation has now enjoyed several years of peace.

“I would sum up the challenges and two priorities of our country as security and the well-being and prosperity of our people,” Ruak, 55, told AFP.

“This is what people voted for and yearn for as demonstrated in the elections.”

The UN has said that peacekeepers, stationed since 1999, will pull out as planned by year’s end if the general elections are also peaceful.

The former Portuguese colony voted for independence in a UN-supervised referendum in 1999, after Indonesia’s 24-year occupation had left up to 183,000 people dead from fighting, disease and starvation.

The Indonesian military and anti-independence militias went on a savage campaign of retribution after the vote, ravaging the new nation’s infrastructure and killing more than 1,000 people.

The UN administered East Timor until May 20, 2002, when sovereignty was formally handed to its first president.

Since then the nation has suffered bouts of violence — a political crisis in 2006 killed 37 people and displaced tens of thousands, and Ramos-Horta was lucky to survive an assassination attempt in 2008.

There has been no major political unrest since then, and government spending has increased dramatically in line with East Timor’s increased energy income.

Still, the grinding poverty is visible everywhere.

In Dili, away from the venues for the weekend celebrations, mud canals flood slum neighbourhoods after rains, barely clothed children play in the streets, and infrastructure is limited to a few paved roads, a single port and a tiny airport.

The International Monetary Fund calls East Timor the “most oil-dependent economy in the world” after the discovery of large fields of oil and natural gas at sea.

Petroleum products account for more than 90 percent of total government revenue. A special fund, geared for development spending now and to cushion the next generation, recently swelled to $10 billion.