10/04/2013

Watz Buzzing - 10 Apr 2013

Fewer jobs for Pinoys, foreigners in Singapore



Not everyone was happy when the Philippines' biggest fast-food chain, Jollibee, announced it would set up a store in Singapore.

An online group called "The Real Singapore" demanded a boycott of the chain, saying: "Singaporeans are encouraged to boycott Jollibee Singapore to send a message that foreign businesses which hire foreigners first are not welcome in Singapore." 

Despite the online resistance, the first store opened on March 12 in Lucky Plaza, a well-known hangout for Filipino immigrants. A month later, demand is still so great that even on weekdays lines, mostly of overseas Filipino workers, snake up to the door. The restaurant has had to maintain an empty room beside it just to hold additional waiting customers.

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Filipina nail salon owner finds success in Singapore


ANNETTE HEPPOLETTE: Managing Director & Sole Proprietor The NAILHOUSE By Annette.

A community magazine for Filipinos in Singapore honored 10 Pinoys who represent what it called the new breed of Filipinos in the community.

The Pinoy Star published its magazine “Pinoy Power: PAST PRESENT FUTURE” to acknowledge the growing number of Filipino entrepreneurs who exemplify the Filipinos spirit of bayanihan and kaya natin ito, Publisher Luz Campos Mesenas said in the book.

The 10 winners were selected by a group of judges based on the criteria business acumen, service to customers and contribution to the well-being of family and community, entrepreneurial skill and zeal.

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Filipina travel agent shares secret to staying on top in Singapore


MARIA JOSEFINA 'PEN' VILLANUEVA, Managing Director Pentravel & Ours (Singapore) PTE LTD

MANILA - The Pinoy Star, a community magazine in Singapore, recently published its list of 10 Top Filipino Entrepreneurs in the country.

One of the winners is Maria Josefina 'Pen' Villanueva, managing director of Pentravel & Tours (Sinapore) PTE LTD.

The Pinoy Star has given ABS-CBNnews.com permission to republish the interviews with the winners.

related: Pinay aims to build 'micro business empire' in Singapore

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The Philippines Wants To Become The Next Asian Gambling Hub 

On March 16th Bloomberry Resorts' Solaire Manila, the first of four giant casino resorts that are to be opened the next four years, started trading in the capital

The resort lies at the heart of the Philippine government's ambitious plan to make Manila a major gaming hub in Asia, alongside Singapore and Macau

The government wants to create a Las Vegas-style strip consisting of four casino resorts, Entertainment City, as a key element of its plans to develop tourism as a major industry. It is hoped that an increase in tourism will create jobs and boost incomes, especially in remote areas far from large cities. The government wants to raise tourist arrivals to 10m a year by 2016, from 4.3m in 2012. 

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Filipino national on social visit pass jailed for offering $20 bribe to Singapore police

Channelnewsasia Forum, 8 Apr 2013
A woman was jailed for three weeks on Monday for offering $20 to two police officers to not take action against her for littering. Filipino national Prisbelle Pascua Abalos, 26, who was on social visit here, admitted to corruptly offering the bribe to Corporal Fatin Hazirah Mustaffa and Staff Sergeant Yves Yeo Mingshu who caught her throwing a cigarette butt near Orchard Towers on Aug 22 last year.


The officers were on foot patrol at about 1.45am that day when they saw Abalos and three other Filipinos smoking near the main entrance of Orchard Towers. After asking them for their identification papers, Cpl Fatin saw Abalos throw a cigarette butt on the floor. She warned her about littering and asked her to pick it up which she did.

While waiting for a friend to retrieve their passports left at a bar in the building, Abalos threw the same cigarette butt on the floor again. Abalos was again warned by the officers. When the friend returned with the passports, the officers told the other two that they could leave.

Cpl Fatin told Abalos that she would be issuing a summons against her for littering. As Abalos could not remember her Singapore address, she was allowed to get her handbag. She then told the officers that she was unable to find her address and instead, took out a wallet and gave two $10 bills to the officers, telling them to "go downstairs have food and drink''. Link
 
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Police arrest 168 for various offences in islandwide operation



In a continued effort to clamp down criminal activities, Central Police Division with support from Criminal Investigation Department and Traffic Police, conducted a series of operations from 3 to 7 April 2013.

These operations resulted in the arrest of 168 persons, comprising 62 males and 106 females between the ages of 18 and 72, for various offences.

The operations saw officers cracking down on illegal gambling in the Jalan Besar area, with enforcement checks conducted at public entertainment outlets, and massage establishments located along Marina Bay, South Bridge Road and Little India. Road blocks were also set up within to detect drink driving.

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Sex on Page Six

Singapore newspapers should come with a rating system judging from the number of explicit articles on incidents revolving around ‘sex for favours’ lately. Page 6 of today’s Straits Times reads like some orgy of stupidity with educators, businessmen, and even cops getting in trouble for obtaining sexual services from people who blew their cover (no pun intended).

First story on page 6 revolves around Professor Tey Tsun Hang embroiled in a sex-for-grades scandal with his student. The best part is apart from offering Professor Tay sex, he also received expensive gifts from this girl such as a Jorg Gray watch valued between $500 to $750. Talk about being kiasu.

The second story involves match fixing but with a heavy dose of..you guessed it…sex thrown in. Businessman Eric Ding Si Yang apparently offered prostitutes to three Lebanese football match officials in return for fixing a game and was bailed at $150,000. As we all know, match fixing is a serious business with a lot of money involved so I’m sure the prostitutes involved were of pretty ‘high’ quality. Maybe there were more than one given to each coach so they would get more ‘bang for their buck’ (pun intended).

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Senior MOM officer charged for obtaining sexual favours



A senior investigation officer from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) was charged in court today for obtaining gratification in the form of sexual favours from a Chinese national.

Charges read in court revealed that Norezwan Bin Em, 27, had received sexual favours on three occasions from Liu Lihua to extend her stay in Singapore.

The incidents occurred on Oct 30, 2012, at a park near Block 601 Clementi West Street 1, and on Nov 2 and

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Police officer charged with corruptly getting sexual favours



Staff Sergeant Parthivan Ramaya, 32, of Ang Mo Kio Police Division, allegedly obtained bribes in the form of physical intimacy and sex from Dwi Sulistiani in return for recommending leniency in the investigation of her theft case. He is accused of obtaining physical intimacy from her in an interview room within the station on Jan 4 this year.

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Singaporean businessman charged over alleged soccer sex bribe 

A SINGAPOREAN businessman has been charged with corruption after allegedly offering free sex to three Lebanese football referees to induce them to fix a match, a government agency says.

Eric Ding Si Yang, 31, was charged with three counts of corruption on Saturday, a spokesman for the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) told AFP yesterday. He gave no further details.

If convicted, Ding faces a maximum prison term of five years or a fine of up to $US81,000 ($78,500), or both penalties, for each charge. 

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Ex-football coach jailed for 1 year
 



Former Woodlands football head coach R. Balasubramaniam was on Friday jailed for a year after misappropriating nearly $167,400 from his wife and her father.

The 39-year-old had transferred about $131,500 from a joint bank account belonging to wife Nirmala Jaybalen and his father-in-law Jaybalen Karsenathan.

He also pocketed another $35,900 of rental income from his father-in-law's house.

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Singapore cop and ministry official in dock over sexual favors

 A young Singaporean policeman has been charged with corruption for allegedly obtaining sexual favours from a suspect, in return for showing her leniency, media reports said.

Parthivan Ramaya, a staff sergeant of the Singapore Police Force, is accused of obtaining physical intimacy from Dwi Sulistiani on four occasions, Channel News Asia reported. Court documents state that Parthivan, 32, recommended leniency for Dwi who had been arrested for theft, as an inducement. The alleged sexual favours took place at the police station, Parthivan's Yishun Ring Road flat and at a stairwell along Fernvale Road.

Separately, another law enforcer, a senior investigation officer at Manpower Ministry faces three counts of corruption.

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Three Lebanese referees charged for receiving sexual bribes 

Three Lebanese soccer referees were charged Thursday for receiving sexual bribes in exchange for fixing a match in Singapore, the Government's anti-corruption bureau said.

Referee Ali Sabbagh, and assistants Ali Eid and Abdallah Taleb, were charged before a district court for "corruptly" receiving sexual gratification "as an inducement" to fix the match they were to officiate Wednesday, court documents showed.

The charge sheets said the three committed an offence punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

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