the former mayor of tagaytay city is the new chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority or MMDA.

Francis Tolentino was the Mayor of Tagaytay City for nine (9) years, and will replace MMDA Chairman Oscar Inocentes.

Francis Tolentino was said to be the architect for the progressiveness and development of Tagaytay City when he was still the Mayor.,

The appointment of the new Chairman will end the rift between General Manager Nacianceno and Judge Oscar Inocentes

President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III delivered his Inaugural Speech as he was officially proclaimed as the 15th President of the Philippines. read his Inaugural Speech below.

His Excellency Jose Ramos Horta, Former President Fidel V. Ramos, Former President Joseph

Estrada, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and members of the Senate, House Speaker

Prospero Nograles and members of the House, justices of the Supreme Court, members of the

foreign delegations,Your Excellencies of the diplomatic corps, fellow colleagues in government,

aking mga kababayan.

Ang pagtayo ko dito ngayon ay patunay na kayo ang aking tunay na lakas. Hindi ko inakala na

darating tayo sa puntong ito, na ako’y manunumpa sa harap ninyo bilang inyong Pangulo. Hindi

ko pinangarap maging tagapagtaguyod ng pag-asa at tagapagmana ng mga suliranin ng ating

bayan. Ang layunin ko sa buhay ay simple lang: maging tapat sa aking mga magulang at sa

bayan bilang isang marangal na anak, mabait na kuya, at mabuting mamamayan. Nilabanan ng

aking ama ang diktaturya at ibinuwis niya ang kanyang buhay para tubusin ang ating

demokrasya. Inalay ng aking ina ang kanyang buhay upang pangalagaan ang demokrasyang ito.

Ilalaan ko ang aking buhay para siguraduhin na ang ating demokrasya ay kapaki-pakinabang sa

bawat isa. Namuhunan na kami ng dugo at handang gawin itong muli kung kinakailangan.

Tanyag man ang aking mga magulang at ang kanilang mga nagawa, alam ko rin ang problema ng

ordinaryong mamamayan. Alam nating lahat ang pakiramdam na magkaroon ng pamahalaang

bulag at bingi. Alam natin ang pakiramdam na mapagkaitan ng hustisya, na mabalewala ng mga

taong pinagkatiwalaan at inatasan nating maging ating tagapagtanggol.

Kayo ba ay minsan ring nalimutan ng pamahalaang inyong iniluklok sa puwesto? Ako rin. Kayo

ba ay nagtiis na sa trapiko para lamang masingitan ng isang naghahari-hariang de-wangwang sa

kalsada? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay sawang-sawa na sa pamahalaang sa halip na magsilbi sa

taumbayan ay kailangan pa nila itong pagpasensiyahan at tiisin? Ako rin. Katulad ninyo ako.

Marami na sa atin ang bumoto gamit ang kanilang paa – nilisan na nila ang ating bansa sa

kanilang paghahanap ng pagbabago at katahimikan. Tiniis nila ang hirap, sinugod ang panganib

sa ibang bansa dahil doon may pag-asa kahit kaunti na dito sa atin ay hindi nila nakikita. Sa

iilang sandali na sarili ko lang ang aking inaalala, pati ako ay napag-isip din – talaga bang hindi

na mababago ang pamamahala natin dito? Hindi kaya nasa ibang bansa ang katahimikang

hinahanap ko? Saan ba nakasulat na kailangang puro pagtitiis ang tadhana ng Pilipino?

Ngayon, sa araw na ito – dito magwawakas ang pamumunong manhid sa mga daing ng

taumbayan. Hindi si Noynoy ang gumawa ng paraan, kayo ang dahilan kung bakit ngayon,

magtatapos na ang pagtitiis ng sambayanan. Ito naman ang umpisa ng kalbaryo ko, ngunit kung

marami tayong magpapasan ng krus ay kakayanin natin ito, gaano man kabigat. Sa tulong ng

wastong pamamahala sa mga darating na taon, maiibsan din ang marami nating problema. Ang

tadhana ng Pilipino ay babalik sa tamang kalagayan, na sa bawat taon pabawas ng pabawas ang

problema ng Pinoy na nagsusumikap at may kasiguruhan sila na magiging tuloy-tuloy na ang

pagbuti ng kanilang sitwasyon. Kami ay narito para magsilbi at hindi para maghari. Ang

mandato ninyo sa amin ay pagbabago – isang malinaw na utos para ayusin ang gobyerno at

lipunan mula sa pamahalaang iilan lamang ang nakikinabang tungo sa isang pamahalaang

kabutihan ng mamamayan ang pinangangalagaan. Ang mandatong ito ay isa kung saan kayo at

ang inyong pangulo ay nagkasundo para sa pagbabago – isang paninindigan na ipinangako ko

noong kampanya at tinanggap ninyo noong araw ng halalan.

Sigaw natin noong kampanya: “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.” Hindi lamang ito pang

slogan o pang poster – ito ang mga prinsipyong tinatayuan at nagsisilbing batayan ng ating

administrasyon.

Ang ating pangunahing tungkulin ay ang magsikap na maiangat ang bansa mula sa kahirapan, sa

pamamagitan ng pagpapairal ng katapatan at mabuting pamamalakad sa pamahalaan. Ang unang

hakbang ay ang pagkakaroon ng tuwid at tapat na hanay ng mga pinuno. Magsisimula ito sa akin.

Sisikapin kong maging isang mabuting ehemplo. Hinding hindi ko sasayangin ang tiwalang

ipinagkaloob ninyo sa akin. Sisiguraduhin ko na ganito rin ang adhikain ng aking Gabinete at ng

mga magiging kasama sa ating pamahalaan. Naniniwala akong hindi lahat ng nagsisilbi sa

gobyerno ay corrupt. Sa katunayan, mas marami sa kanila ay tapat. Pinili nilang maglingkod sa

gobyerno upang gumawa ng kabutihan. Ngayon, magkakaroon na sila ng pagkakataong

magpakitang-gilas. Inaasahan natin sila sa pagsupil ng korapsyon sa loob mismo ng burukrasya.

Sa mga itinalaga sa paraang labag sa batas, ito ang aking babala: sisimulan natin ang pagbabalik

ng tiwala sa pamamagitan ng pag-usisa sa mga “midnight appointments.” Sana ay magsilbi itong

babala sa mga nag-iisip na ipagpatuloy ang baluktot na kalakarang nakasanayan na ng marami.

Sa mga kapuspalad nating mga kababayan, ngayon, ang pamahalaan ang inyong kampeon.

Hindi natin ipagpapaliban ang mga pangangailangan ng ating mga estudyante, kaya’t sisikapin

nating punan ang kakulangan sa ating mga silid-aralan. Unti-unti din nating babawasan ang mga

kakulangan sa imprastraktura para sa transportasyon, turismo at pangangalakal. Mula ngayon,

hindi na puwede ang “puwede na” pagdating sa mga kalye, tulay at gusali dahil magiging

responsibilidad ng mga kontratista ang panatilihing nasa mabuting kalagayan ang mga proyekto

nila.

Bubuhayin natin ang programang “emergency employment” ng dating pangulong Corazon

Aquino sa pagtatayo ng mga bagong imprastraktura na ito. Ito ay magbibigay ng trabaho sa mga

local na komunidad at makakatulong sa pagpapalago ng kanila at ng ating ekonomiya. Hindi

kami magiging sanhi ng inyong pasakit at perwisyo. Palalakasin natin ang koleksyon at

pupuksain natin ang korapsyon sa Kawanihan ng Rentas Internas at Bureau of Customs para

mapondohan natin ang ating mga hinahangad para sa lahat, tulad ng:

-dekalidad na edukasyon, kabilang ang edukasyong bokasyonal para makapaghanap ng marangal

na trabaho ang hindi makapag-kolehiyo;

- serbisyong pangkalusugan, tulad ng Philhealth para sa lahat sa loob ng tatlong taon;

-tirahan sa loob ng mga ligtas na komunidad.

Palalakasin at palalaguin natin ang bilang ng ating kasundaluhan at kapulisan, hindi para tugunan

ang interes ng mga naghahari-harian, ngunit para proteksyunan ang mamamayan. Itinataya nila

ang kanilang buhay para mayroong pagkakataon sa katahimikan at kapayapaan sa sambayanan.

Dumoble na ang populasyong kanilang binabantayan, nanatili naman sila sa bilang. Hindi tama

na ang nagmamalasakit ay kinakawawa. Kung dati ay may fertilizer scam, ngayon ay may

kalinga na tunay para sa mga magsasaka. Tutulungan natin sila sa irigasyon, extension services,

at sa pagbenta ng kanilang produkto sa pinakamataas na presyong maaari.

Inaatasan natin si papasok na Kalihim Alcala na magtayo ng mga trading centers kung saan

diretso na ang magsasaka sa mamimili – lalaktawan natin ang gitna, kasama na ang kotong cop.

Sa ganitong paraan, ang dating napupunta sa gitna ay maari nang paghatian ng magsasaka at

mamimili. Gagawin nating kaaya-aya sa negosyante ang ating bansa. We will cut red tape

dramatically and implement stable economic policies. We will level the playing field for

investors and make government an enabler, not a hindrance, to business. Sa ganitong paraan

lamang natin mapupunan ang kakulangan ng trabaho para sa ating mga mamamayan. Layunin

nating paramihin ang trabaho dito sa ating bansa upang hindi na kailanganin ang mangibangbansa

para makahanap ng trabaho. Ngunit habang ito ay hindi pa natin naaabot, inaatasan ko ang

mga kawani ng DFA, POEA, OWWA at iba pang mga kinauukulang ahensiya na mas lalo pang

paigtingin ang pagtugon sa mga hinaing at pangangailangan ng ating mga overseas Filipino

workers.

Papaigtingin namin ang proseso ng konsultasyon at pag-uulat sa taumbayan. Sisikapin naming

isakatuparan ang nakasaad sa ating Konstitusyon na kinikilala ang karapatan ng mamamayan na

magkaroon ng kaalaman ukol sa mga pampublikong alintana. Binuhay natin ang diwa ng people

power noong kampanya. Ipagpatuloy natin ito tungo sa tuwid at tapat na pamamahala. Ang

naniniwala sa people power ay nakatuon sa kapwa at hindi sa sarili. Sa mga nang-api sa akin,

kaya ko kayong patawarin, at pinapatawad ko na kayo. Sa mga nang-api sa sambayanan, wala

akong karapatan na limutin ang inyong mga kasalanan.

To those who are talking about reconciliation, if they mean that they would like us to simply

forget about the wrongs that they have committed in the past, we have this to say: there can be no

reconciliation without justice. Sa paglimot ng pagkakasala, sinisigurado mong mauulit muli ang

mga pagkakasalang ito. Secretary de Lima, you have your marching orders. Begin the process of

providing true and complete justice for all.

Ikinagagalak din naming ibahagi sa inyo ang pagtanggap ni dating Chief Justice Hilario Davide

sa hamon ng pagtatatag at pamumuno sa isang Truth Commission na magbibigay linaw sa

maraming kahinahinalang isyu na hanggang ngayon ay walang kasagutan at resolusyon. Ang

sinumang nagkamali ay kailangang humarap sa hustisya. Hindi maaaring patuloy ang kalakaran

ng walang pananagutan at tuloy na pang-aapi. My government will be sincere in dealing with all

the peoples of Mindanao. We are committed to a peaceful and just settlement of conflicts,

inclusive of the interests of all – may they be Lumads, Bangsamoro or Christian.

We shalI defeat the enemy by wielding the tools of justice, social reform, and equitable

governance leading to a better life. Sa tamang pamamahala gaganda ang buhay ng lahat, at sa

buhay na maganda, sino pa ang gugustuhing bumalik sa panahon ng pang-aapi? Kung kasama

ko kayo, maitataguyod natin ang isang bayan kung saan pantay-pantay ang pagkakataon, dahil

pantay-pantay nating ginagampanan ang ating mga pananagutan. Kamakailan lamang, ang

bawat isa sa atin ay nanindigan sa presinto. Bumoto tayo ayon sa ating karapatan at konsensiya.

Hindi tayo umatras sa tungkulin nating ipaglaban ang karapatang ito.

Pagkatapos ng bilangan, pinatunayan ninyo na ang tao ang tunay na lakas ng bayan. Ito ang

kahalagahan ng ating demokrasya. Ito ang pundasyon ng ating pagkakaisa. Nangampanya tayo

para sa pagbabago. Dahil dito taas-noo muli ang Pilipino. Tayong lahat ay kabilang sa isang

bansa kung saan maaari nang mangarap muli. To our friends and neighbors around the world,

we are ready to take our place as a reliable member of the community of nations, a nation serious

about its commitments and which harmonizes its national interests with its international

responsibilities.

We will be a predictable and consistent place for investment, a nation where everyone will say,

“it all works.”

Inaanyayahan ko kayo ngayon na manumpa sa ating mga sarili, sa sambayanan, WALANG

MAIIWAN.

Walang pangingibang-bayan at gastusan na walang wastong dahilan. Walang pagtatalikod sa

mga salitang binitawan noong kampanya, ngayon at hanggang sa mga susunod pang pagsubok na

pagdadaanan sa loob ng anim na taon.

Walang lamangan, walang padrino at walang pagnanakaw. Walang wang-wang, walang

counterflow, walang tong. Panahon na upang tayo ay muling magkawang-gawa.

Nandito tayo ngayon dahil sama-sama tayong nanindigan at nagtiwala na may pag-asa.

The people who are behind us dared to dream. Today, the dream starts to become a reality. Sa

inyong mga nag-iisip pa kung tutulong kayo sa pagpasan ng ating krus, isa lang ang aking tanong

– kung kailan tayo nanalo, saka pa ba kayo susuko? Kayo ang boss ko, kaya’t hindi maaaring

hindi ako makinig sa mga utos ninyo. We will design and implement an interaction and feedback

mechanism that can effectively respond to the people’s needs and aspirations.

Kayo ang nagdala sa akin sa puntong ito – ang ating mga volunteers – matanda, bata, celebrity,

ordinaryong tao, na umikot sa Pilipinas para ikampanya ang pagbabago; ang aking mga

kasambahay, na nag-asikaso ng lahat ng aking mga personal na pangangailangan; ang aking

pamilya, kaibigan at katrabaho, na dumamay, nag-alaga at nagbigay ng suporta sa akin; ang ating

mga abogado, na nagpuyat para bantayan ang ating mga boto at siguraduhing mabibilang ang

bawat isa; ang aking mga kapartido at kaalyado na kasama kong nangahas mangarap; at ang

milyun-milyong Pilipinong nagkaisa, nagtiwala at hindi nawalan ng pag-asa – nasa inyo ang

aking taus-pusong pasasalamat.

Hindi ko makakayang harapin ang aking mga magulang, at kayong mga nagdala sa akin sa yugto

ng buhay kong ito, kung hindi ko maisasakatuparan ang aking mga binitawang salita sa araw na

ito.

My parents sought nothing less and died for nothing less than democracy, peace and prosperity. I

am blessed by this legacy. I shall carry the torch forward.

Layunin ko na sa pagbaba ko sa katungkulan, masasabi ng lahat na malayo na ang narating natin

sa pagtahak ng tuwid na landas at mas maganda na ang kinabukasang ipapamana natin sa

susunod na henerasyon. Samahan ninyo ako sa pagtatapos ng laban na ito. Tayo na sa tuwid na

landas.

Maraming salamat po at mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino!

Registration is still open so visit our selected New Balance stores in Glorietta, Shangrila, and Festival and Planet Sports Trinoma to join.  They can only accommodate 3,000 runners.  So if you want those personalized singlets that will have your names on it, register early. Registration is until April 30, 2010

A day before the celebration,my mother informed me that an invitation was given to me to attend the said event. This was my second time to attend, the first time was almost 6 years ago when I graduated from college and my parents as an awardee for parents of the year.

This time, I was invited as an achiever for passing the 2009 bar Examination. In this event, I was addressed as Attorney and no longer in my first name. I was proud of my self, however, I was even prouder for my parents.  Although the people there do not know me, they know my  parents, and they envy my folks for having  a lawyer son.

I was outside  the Office for a whole week attending a Financial Investigative Training sponsored by the Philippine Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) and conducted by Art Mendez of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), when the Bar Exam result was scheduled to be released. It was scheduled on a tuesday, but was was finally moved Friday that week. Every participants wished me good luck after the training. Curiously, I was still feeling normal. I even had the courage to sing Black-eyed-pea’s “I gotta Feeling”…. I gotta feeling, that tonight’s gonna be a goodnight! that tonight gonna be a good good night!

I used all the courage I got and decided to go to the Supreme Court and wait there for the result, I was accompanied by a brother in the fraternity who was also waiting for the result of the bar. For the first time in the last six months, I felt that I was intense, and somewhat nervous. My boss met me up in the Supreme Court and waited with me. From the original scheduled released of 6pm, the result was finally revealed around 10 pm! My heart was pounding so hard and fast! I thought I flunked! until I was told that I was looking at the wrong monitor. I was the longest and most intensed five (5) minutes for me. I can feel my heart pounding so fast as each name in the monitor were shown. At last! my name came! 996. PALAD, DENNIS M.!!!

I screamed! shouted! I cursed! I Jumped! over and over and over! until i cried so hard and called my mother to deliver the good news! The happiest day so far in my life!

Congratulations to Eevee Band from Philippine Women’s University – Davao! The grand winner of the Nescafe 3in1 Soundskool 2009 held n Ninoy Aquino Sports Stadium, Manila.

NESCAFÉ 3in1 Soundskool is an inter-collegiate competition open to young, unsigned bands in the Philippines. From its beginnings as a battle among student bands in the Greater Manila Area in 2005, the competition has become of the country’s most anticipated music events. NESCAFÉ 3in1 Soundskool has produced some of the Philippines hottest young bands, including Hilera and Letter Day Story.

This year, NESCAFÉ 3in1 Soundskool is widening its reach to around 400 colleges and universities nationwide. NESCAFÉ 3in1 Soundskool sets itself apart from other music competitions because it not only makes participants experience fame — it also provides opportunities that help young artists build on their craft to become better overall performers.

NESCAFÉ strongly believes in young, talented Filipinos. NESCAFÉ 3in1 Soundskool has committed itself to discovering the best college bands and helping them become famous. Handa ka na bang sumikat? Log on to www.nescafe3in1.com.ph/soundskool for competition guidelines, schedules and updates.

NESCAFÉ 3in1 Soundskool, the country’s most anticipated inter-collegiate band competition, capped off its fifth year with its Grand Finals Night  at the Ninoy Aquino Sports Stadium. Thirteen of the best college bands from across the Philippines will be performdc against one another and alongside some of the best Pinoy music acts. The lucky 13  competed for the PhP250,000 cash prize, an exclusive record label deal with Sony Music Entertainment Philippines and PhP100,000 worth of music equipment for the school they represent

The lucky 13 college bands that bested out the hundreds this year are:

1. Little School House (Ateneo de Cagayan – Xavier University),
2. Eevee (Philippine Women’s University – Davao),
3. Disco…Disco…Disco (St. Michael’s College – Iligan City),
4. Lady Suzette (AMA – Tacloban),
5. Sundae Special (Iloilo Doctors College),
6. 3 Hours and 10 (University of the Visayas – Cebu),
7. Iktuz (Colegio de San Juan De Letran Calamba – Calamba Laguna),
8. Mixed Tape (Lyceum – St. Cabrini College of Allied Medicine – Batangas),
9. In Descent (University of Perpetual Help Laguna – Binan Laguna),
10. Nameless Heroes (Mapua Institute of Technology – Makati),
11. Play (Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Quezon City),
12. Soltera (AMA – IIT Cubao – Quezon City) and Project (Jose Rizal University).

The NESCAFÉ 3in1 Soundskool finalists performed alongside some of the country’s best bands come Grand Finals Night. These include NESCAFÉ 3in1 Soundskool 05 Grand Prize Winners Hilera, 6CycleMind, Pedicab, ItchyWorms, Imago, Sugarfree, Taken By Cars, Urbandub, Spongecola, Paraluman, Callalily, Sandwich and Letter Day Story.

“What’s unique and special about NESCAFÉ 3in1 Soundskool is that the competition not only provides opportunities for the next generation of Pinoy musicians to gain stardom. NESCAFÉ 3in1 Soundskool helps young bands develop their musical abilities with the Workshops and Mentorship stages of the competition where they get to learn lessons that will help them grow as performers and songwriters,” according to Eileen Rose Bangcoro, NESTLÉ Philippines marketing promotions and events cluster head.

The Grand Finals Night also served as the climax of this year’s competition. After besting out hundreds of other equally talented bands, the 13 finalists attended intensive music workshops facilitated by some of the representatives from local music industry in the tropical paradise of Boracay. The finalists listened intently as spokespersons like Sony Music Entertainment Philippines’ Vic Valenciano and Jerrick Mina, Soupstar Entertainment’s Darwin Hernandez, Sandwich’s Raimund Marasigan and Pupil shared valuable tips and anecdotes on connecting it with the audience, writing better lyrics and making it in the local music scene. Aside from having the rare opportunity to interact and have fun with bands like Callalily, Letter Day Story, 6Cycle Mind, Pupil and Sandwich in teambuilding activities, the finalists also got to perform with these bands while in the island.

“NESCAFÉ 3in1 Soundskool’s fifth year has proven to be its most exciting so far. They not only found extraordinary talents this year — the competition has never been this close among the finalists. It was really exciting at how things would turn out on the Grand Finals Night. Every music fan in the country will indeed have something to look forward to during the event,” Bangcoro added.

NESCAFÉ 3in1 Soundskool trawled the country in search of the lucky 13 last October during the Regional Eliminations stage. The top three college bands from Mindanao were announced in front of a full Atrium of the Limketkai Center in Cagayan de Oro City last October 3. On October 10, the three college bands that would represent the Visayas were named at the Piazza area of Parkmall in Mandaue City, Cebu. On the other hand, three of Luzon’s finest college bands were awarded last October 17 at the Central Plaza at Eastwood City Libis. And last October 24, bands from the Greater Manila Area (GMA) competed against one another at the Activity Center of Market! Market! in Taguig City for the competition’s four final slots.

This year’s NESCAFÉ 3in1 Soundskool, with the theme “Huwag Na Magtago! Magparamdam Ka Na!” is supported by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Sony Music Entertainment Philippines, Paseo de Bahamas, Rudy Project, Boracay Scuba, Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel, Ix Chel, La Carmela de Boracay Resort Hotel and Parkmall in Mandaue City, Cebu.

For more details, log on to http://www.nescafe3in1.com.ph/soundskool

Paint A Wall, Cleaner Air for AllPlanting a tree is something a lot of people do to help protect the environment. In the very near future, painting a wall may be an even more effective way to do so.

While trees are a means to neutralize the carbon dioxide modern society produces, a revolutionary new paint from Boysen provides people with the means to neutralize the nitrogen oxides (NOx) they generate every time they use a motor vehicle.

As thecountry observes the 10th year anniversary of the passage of the Clean Air Act, the need to clean the noxious air of Metro Manila has never been more urgent. A study of the World Bank and Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) estimates that up to 5,000 people die prematurely due to air pollution in the metropolis every year, accounting for 1 of every 8 deaths.

Boysen KNOxOUT, the first air cleaning paint in the world with CristalActiv technology, is also one of the only proven ways for people to take NOx out of the air. In the world’s largest air cleaning paint trial conducted at the Guadalupe MRT Station, the KNOxOUT painted on the station was found to be cleaning the exhausts of over 30,000 vehicles passing by the area.

“KNOxOUT not only provides every Filipino with a way to help protect themselves from the harmful effects of air pollution,” says Johnson Ongking, Vice President of Pacific Paints (Boysen) Philippines Inc. “It also gives everyone a chance to be part of the solution to air pollution.”

”Everytime we travel with a motor vehicle, we add things to the air that harm people. Painting a wall with KNOxOUT is one of the only ways to take out the NOx that we put in the air.”

“We have one world and we breathe the same air; therefore we have a common responsibility to improve its quality,”,h

e added. If everyone gets involved, we can neutralize our NOx emissions one wall at a time.”

Air Pollution Solution in a Can

It’s pretty ironic that paint, which has long had a reputation for fouling up the air, would provide a solution to the air pollution problem. But while KNOxOUT looks like an ordinary water based paint, it has a special ingredient – air cleaning titanium dioxide (TiO₂), often referred to as a photocatalyst. When activated by light, it speeds up a chemical reaction that turns ordinary water vapor into free radicals that attack NOx and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the two components of smog; and transform them into harmless substances.

The technology has been verified in several trials in Europe, but the Guadalupe MRT trial was the first in which an actual commercial pa

int was used. The Manila trial was overseen by Conexor, a Swedish environmental project management company and the Manila Observatory, the Philippines’ oldest scientific research institute and a leading authority on air quality studies in the country.

“KNOxOUT really changes the way you think of paint,” says Ongking. “Up to now, we’ve always painted to protect surfaces – a concrete wall, a metal roof, a wooden door. KNOxOUT goes beyond that to actually protect people from the ill effects of air pollution.”

“Today we define eco-friendly paints as those that do the least harm to people and the environment. Again, KNOxOUT takes that a step further – it actively improves the environment by lessening air pollution. While the coatings industry is focused on reducing VOCs of their paint formulas, KNOxOUT actually takes VOCs out of the air. KNOxOUT moves the benchmark of sustainable coatings from eco-friendly paints to eco-active paints.”

One Wall One World

“People have kind of accepted air pollutio

n as a fact of life,” notes Ongking. “They feel there’s not much they can do about it, because there really hasn’t been a way for people to clean the air.”

“KNOxOUT changes that. It gives people a way to fight back so they don’t feel powerless against air pollution anymore. That’s the idea behind the company’s One Wall One World Advocacy – a way to empower people to be part of the solution to air pollution, and not just being part of the problem.

”Everytime we trav

el with a motor vehicle, we add things to the air that harm people. Painting a wall with KNOxOUT is one of the only ways to take out the NOx that we put in the air,” he added. “It’s like planting a tree to neutralize our carbon footprint. Now we can paint walls to neutralize our NOx footprint. Every wall is a potential air purifier.”

Every little bit counts in the fight against air pollution. A study in Europe by APHEIS (Air Pollution and Health: A European Information System) found that even very small cuts in pollution can benefit health, and a recent Harvard University study found that people living in cities where air pollution decreased in recent decades saw their life expectancy incre

ase an average of five months as a result of cleaner air.

“We have one world and we breathe the same air; therefore we have a common responsibility to improve its quality. If everyone gets involved, we can neutralize our NOx emissions one wall at a time and make the air safer for all of us.”

To find out more about air Boysen KNOxOUT and to find out which companies and citizens are stepping up to clean our air check out www.onewalloneworld.com.