The Asian CSR Awards Program recognizes and honors Asian companies for outstanding, innovative and world-class products, services, projects and programs in five categories. These projects should demonstrate the company’s leadership, sincerity and on-going commitment in incorporating ethical values, compliance with legal requirements, respect for individuals, involvement in communities and protection of the environment into the way they do business.

Companies can enter as many projects as they wish in one or more of these categories:

• Best Workplace Practices


• Concern for Health


• Environmental Excellence


• Poverty Alleviation


• Support and Improvement of Education

The presentation ceremonies will take place during the Gala Dinner of the eighth annual Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) in Manila, Philippines on 19-20 November 2009. Hundreds of CEOs, senior executives, leaders in the government, NGOs, international organizations and businesses from the region, and the media will be present.

To enter, please visit www.asianforumcsr.com and fill out two forms: a) the Entry form, one form per company, and the b) the Project Summary form, one form per project. Deadline for submission of the Entry form and the Project Summary form is on 11 September 2009. The supporting materials should follow as soon as possible, but no later than 18 September 2009.

For any queries, kindly contact Mr. ER Rosales, Awards Coordinator, at Tel: (632) 812-6289; Fax (632) 819-3752 or Email: errosales@oiceventsasia.com.

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Whether a person loves sweet chocolates or cannot stop watching television shows or blogging for money, these addictions could bring danger to one's health, livelihood, or emotional stability if not addressed early. When a member of the family gets into the habit of abusing substances, displaying caustic behavior, and/or following negative lifestyle patterns, they will need all the support of the other members to break the cycle of self-destruction.

However, the road to recovery is not an easy one to take. It should start with understanding what addiction really means. When the word "addiction" is brought out in a conversation, the initial thinking is that drugs and alcohol are the main source of the problem. It does not really follow in some cases. However, the confusion is understandable considering the general observation that a growing number of the population is losing control over substances and alcohol by exhibiting destructive behavioral patterns or habits that they normally do not have.

When one is addicted to something, regardless of whether it is substance or alcohol, they usually feel as if they have to possess, use, or take advantage of whatever circumstance or substance that is consuming their everyday life. Addiction can take over the psychological stability of a person or attack their physical well being. In many cases, both conditions are present.

Fortunately, InTheRooms, a global recovery social network, is available for families and friends who want to help a love one find recovery from their addiction. Because of its innovative design and user-friendly features, the site itself was recognized by some experts as one of the top recovery sites on the Web.

Aside from that, InTheRooms Meetings database is considered as the most current and comprehensive compilation of data regarding the meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Overeaters Anonymous (OA) and Gamblers Anonymous (GA) members in the world. It features the latest dates, times and locations of local fellowship meetings across the United States and around the world.

The site's Wiki platform also allows knowledgeable individuals to update information regarding telephone numbers, meeting locations and times through its "Add Meeting" and "Edit Meeting" functions, making the entries as accurate and up to date as possible. Editing capabilities will be enabled only for the registered users of the site.

Dealing with addiction is rather difficult to master, but recognizing the signs and utilizing the information provided by InTheRooms will help immensely in eradicating the dependency. Drug addicts may use illegal substances to forget their daily problems and relieve stress. Sex addicts may place themselves in dangerous situations to bring someone home with them. Gambling addicts may steal money from family and friends so they can visit casinos or play the lottery. Those addicted to food may display the signs of eating disorders, such as bulimia. Alcoholics may exhibit anxiety, anger, depression, and/or mood swings. All of these addictions can be addressed through the InTheRooms fellowship programs, which are safe and secure.

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The Department of Trade and Industry's Bureau of Export Trade Promotion (DTI-BETP) together with CITEM, the Export Development Council (EDC) and Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) will be holding another Exporter’s Expo on 16-19 July 2009. The venue will be at the PTTC ground, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City from 11:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.

The big retail / wholesale selling event of Philippine products will feature items not commercially available locally from the country’s direct and indirect exporters.

Specifically, it will be a haven of great finds for retail / wholesale buyers especially among the following:

• Multi-branch institutional accounts (i.e. hotels, motels, restaurants, hospitals, etc.)


• Real estate developers, contractors, design firms, etc.


• Catering, banquet set-up providers, event stylists, etc.


• Props providers, studios, etc.


• Homemakers and interior design enthusiasts

Aside from the trade shows, the event will also provide trade opportunities briefing sessions to help local exporters find available foreign buyers using a list of current inquiries from all over the world. This will be on 17 July 2009, 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 NOON. Interested participants are requested to call (632) 890-4727 to get a seat reservation.

The Exporters' Expo, a DTI-CLEEP (Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Program), aims to help the exporters move their inventories and lessen the negative effect of the global economic crisis. More Exporters' Expo is being planned for other parts of the country in the succeeding months.

For more information about this event, contact the following:

OIC Baby Ferrer, BETP - (632) 890-4723 / 890-4693

OIC Ferdi Canlas, BETP – (632) 890-4724 / 890-4720

DC Lyn Piquero, BETP - (632) 890-4714 / 897-7606

Overall Head:

Dodjie R. Fabian
Director III, BETP
(632) 890-4727 / 0917-5115466
www.dtiexpo.com

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When the federal judge rejected Bernard Madoff's plea for leniency Monday (29 June 2009), sentencing the 71-year-old swindler to spend the rest of his life in prison for an "extraordinarily evil", it brought closure to the victims who were swindled out of US$ 65 billion in the largest recorded financial fraud. It was only discovered in part after the investors demanded for repayment of money that was long gone when the stock market plummeted.

U.S. District Judge Denny Chin cited the unprecedented nature of the multibillion-dollar fraud as he sentenced Madoff to the maximum of 150 years in prison, a term comparable only to those given in the past to terrorists, traitors and the most violent criminals. There is no parole in federal prison so Madoff will most likely die there.

Only Madoff and an accountant accused of failing to make basic auditing checks have faced criminal charges. But a person familiar with the investigation said that 10 more people would face federal charges by the time the probe is complete. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, wouldn't detail potential charges or say whether the 10 would include Madoff's family or former employees.

While the investigation is still focused on the persons involved, the public is also clamoring for a review of the agency responsible for preventing it. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lost credibility when it emerged that a tipster had been trying to blow the whistle on Madoff for years but had been brushed off repeatedly. Since Madoff's case came to light, the agency has announced a series of changes it hopes will improve enforcement, making it easier to detect and root out fraud before it approaches this massive scale.

But this might not be enough. Hence, Daniel Wagner, an AP Business Writer, prepared some questions and answers about what the SEC is doing to shore up its examination and enforcement actions, and how far these changes will go to prevent the next Madoff-style scandal.

QUESTION: Could a Madoff-style fraud happen again?

ANSWER: Of course it could. Enforcement is by definition a backward-looking process, with officials exposing and punishing wrongdoing only after it's been committed. As far as the SEC knows, there are more Madoffs starting up right now.

But officials say fraud on Madoff's scale is unlikely because he was an uncommonly talented crook, quietly gaining the trust of investors, regulators and power brokers over decades in the financial world.

QUESTION: Does that mean they're not doing anything to stop the next Madoff?

ANSWER: Regulators are doing quite a bit to prevent similar Ponzi schemes from bilking more investors.

The examinations division, which is responsible for day-to-day oversight, will be improving examiners' expertise in fraud detection and in complex financial products, looking more closely at firms deemed more likely to commit fraud and improving handling of tips and complaints. That's according to a speech this month by Lori Richards, who directs the SEC's Office of Inspections and Examinations.

SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro has installed a new director of the Division of Enforcement: Robert Khuzami, a former federal prosecutor. He has launched efforts to improve the SEC's enforcement capabilities, including streamlining key processes, and advocates pouring vast resources into hiring new staff.

Testifying before Congress in May, Khuzami said, "Not a day goes by that I don't think about how we can stop the next big fraud."

The agency also will introduce a new computer system intended to track and sift through the complaints that come in, which number between 750,000 and 1.5 million a year.

QUESTION: That all sounds nice, but aren't there some concrete loopholes the SEC needs to close to prevent future scams?

ANSWER: Madoff exploited the opportunity to act as both investment adviser and custodian of his clients' assets. That meant there was no one to verify whether the assets existed, or whether he was making the trades he claimed.

The SEC proposed a new rule that would require third-party verification of the assets, effectively closing that loophole.

But closing loopholes doesn't prevent future abuses, warns Laura Unger, a former commissioner and acting chairman of the SEC.

"Disclosure and rules are always changed after the crisis," she says. "You're hard-pressed to prevent the next thing before it happens because it's always going to be something different."

QUESTION: With so many attempts at reform going on all at once, how can we be sure the SEC even understands where the problems were?

ANSWER: In August, SEC Inspector General David Kotz is expected to release a long-awaited investigation of the breakdowns that allowed Madoff to pull off his scam undetected. It will examine information sharing between the examination and enforcement divisions, and attempt to explain why a tipster with information on Madoff's fraud was unable to attract the agency's attention for over a decade.

Even before the formal recommendations come out, Schapiro has said she will address any weaknesses that come to her attention.

QUESTION: Now that the SEC is stepping up its game, can investors rest easy?

ANSWER: Never.

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In the midst of all the economic uncertainties, here is one good news for the Philippines. GMAnews.TV reported that the country is being eyed as the hub of Fujitsu’s SAP (Systems and Application Program) and Oracle enterprise solutions and services, which are software applications used by companies.

This was announced after Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand recently acquired Australian-based Supply Chain Consulting Pty. Ltd., which has a local subsidiary.

The acquisition resulted in the creation of Fujitsu-Supply Chain, which is "expected to generate additional SAP income for both companies, with consolidated IT, communications solutions, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) products."

The same transaction also intends to improve the company’s current capabilities by “exporting services and increasing investments in employment, training, infrastructure and technology," said Raymond Lacdao, director of Supply Chain Consulting Philippines.

Currently, Fujitsu-Supply Chain is “serving support customers in Hong Kong, Australia, and Thailand," he added.

It also plans to increase investments, a move allowing it to “accept bigger capacity for more international work."

“Fujitsu has expressed confidence in the Philippine operations, and plans are currently underway to build out the Manila site into a center of excellence for the region in the ERP space," it added.

Fujitsu-Supply Chain handles “finance, accounting and other needs of a company."

Although Fujitsu-Supply Chain holds about P300-million worth of business in the Philippines, the company is raring to get more, particularly from the government.

The company was invited by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to bid for a project,

“Based on its requirements, it could be for Pagcor City," Lacdao added.

Hotel, resort, and casino construction in the 800-hectare Bagong Nayong Pilipino Entertainment City is currently in full swing.

Pagcor is requiring investors in the mixed-use commercial, retail, and entertainment complex to put in at least $1 billion in capital outlay for any project.

Some $20 billion is needed for the Pagcor City’s development, which has acquired local investors and those from Malaysia, Japan, US, Europe and South Korea.

Fujitsu-Supply Chain is also currently serving the SAP requirements of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and state pension fund Social Security System.

Top companies such as those in telecommunications industry employs SAP and Oracle applications, Lacdao explained.

Fujitsu’s local subsidiary is also hiring 100 more employees to fill up the company’s “identified requirements," the company said.

Fujitsu has two options in its plan to ramp up its current work force: by tapping on the fresh graduates of technical and IT courses, and end users of SAP and Oracle solutions.

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Aside from the death of Michael Jackson, Hollywood was also shocked to learn that Farrah Fawcett has died after a long battle with cancer. She passed away at 9:28 A.M. on Thursday (25 June) at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.She was 62.

"After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away," Farrah's longtime companion, Ryan O'Neal, said in a statement to Hollywood Access. "Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world."

The actress, best known for her role in the '70s TV show "Charlie's Angels" and her iconic hair, was in the hospital earlier this month and a source close to Farrah told Access Hollywood at the time that she was not doing well.

While her condition was deteriorating, those closest to Farrah wanted to take her home for her final days.

Her death comes just days after O'Neal revealed he had asked Farrah to be his wife.

"If she's feeling a little better, I've asked her to marry me again and she's agreed," Ryan said in a new interview with Barbara Walters for ABC's "20/20," set to air 26 June.

"We will as soon as she can say, 'Yes.' Maybe she can nod her head. I promise you, we will."

However, a source has confirmed to Hollywood Access that Ryan and Farrah did not get married prior to her death.

Following her diagnosis with anal cancer in 2006, Farrah waged a very public battle against the disease, documenting her fight in "Farrah's Story," which aired in May on NBC and will re-air on 26 June.

After several rounds of chemotherapy treatments, Farrah announced that she was cancer-free, but in May 2007, the cancer had returned and she underwent further treatment in Germany.

The star was born on 2 February 1947, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Even at a young age, Farrah caught people's attention - she was given the title "Most Beautiful" in high school.

She became an icon for her role as Jill Munroe in "Charlie's Angels" in the mid-'70s, inspiring fans to imitate her feathered blonde hair. She rose to sex symbol status thanks in part to a now-legendary swimsuit poster that sold over 12 million copies.

Farrah left the popular show after a single season, going on to star in a number of films, television shows and made-for-TV movies such as 1984's "The Burning Bed," which earned her an Emmy nomination.

The actress made further headlines in 1995, when she posed for Playboy at age 48.

Farrah is survived by her father James, longtime partner Ryan O'Neal, their son, Redmond O'Neal, who has dealt with numerous legal issues over the last few years.

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