HarryTheHorse - Angeles City Expat Newsletter for July 2001

News in the Philippines is always rather dramatic. The Abu Sayyaf kidnap at will, torture and behead captives, elude the military and the President can't decide what type of emergency to call. Past President Estrada still seeks house arrest, though denied, but manages to stay in the hospital because of arthritis, bronchitis, and other ailments (anything he can make up as he goes), all ailments that many of us suffer, quietly at home. A U.S. Navy man hides out in the hills after bandits seeking weapons attack his group. He hid so well, he became lost and went missing for a couple of days; thanks to a couple of Aetas he was brought safely back to Clark Field. Lesson learned - don't take the Mt. Pinatubo tour with any armed escorts. Better to hike with plenty of cold water and beer instead, and a bit of food so the bandits would be able to just sit and have a few social hours with you. Now we enter into the month of July that should bring heavier and more frequent rains and hopefully, bit cooler temperatures as well.

The tourist business has slackened off a bit, but this is not unusual at this time of the year. It is important that out of country readers realize that life is rather peaceful around Angeles City and at many of the resort areas that you may want to visit. The International Press will have you thinking that danger lurks around every corner but this is not so. The cowardly, nasty Abu Sayyaf restrict their activities to areas which are rather isolated and afford easy escape to safe havens where they can hide and continue their atrocities in relative safety. The fact that they can continue to elude capture reflects rather negatively on the Philippine military. Traveling to Manila and Central Luzon remains quite safe and a better get-a-way for the price and convenience would be hard to find.

FILLYS OF THE MONTH

Not one, not two, but three young nurses from Health Visions are here to start off the cheerful month of July. They are single and real nice folks who are happy with their jobs and do a super job for the ex-pat members of the local community who belong to Health Visions. Neither one of them is actively seeking beaus but the "Horse" was able to talk them into posing for this months issue. I am a romantic at heart and hope that sometime in the future one of my Fillies will meet a decent guy through this column, get married and invite me to the reception so I can have a nice big feed for free. Starting from the left is Evelyn N. Tubig (Bing), 27, who likes dancing and singing. Just think, when you are sick she could be nursing and singing you back to good health. Next is Rhea P. Rogue, 24, who also likes to sing and dance (are they teaching these things in Nursing schools now?) but add in energetic native tripping (hiking). Now this takes energy so all you senior citizens - don't write! Lastly we have Johanna M. Gonzales, 25 who likes shopping and reading. Instead of singing, Johanna could read you back to health. So, here we have three lovely, educated, single ladies who are willing to meet new friends. You can contact them by snail mail at Health Visions, 245 McArthur Hi-way, Balibago, Angeles City, or send an E-Mail through Harry the Horse at lacasa@netasia-angeles.net. I don't mind performing a delivery service.

PUMPING UP IN COMFORT

It was a pleasure to witness the official opening of the Ironworks Gym located at 736 Melton Ave, Riverside Subdivision, Angeles City (Along the out-bound Friendship Gate) on 23 Jun. This is a facility that is needed in this area and many have been waiting for a long time to see it operational. It is very impressive with its modern equipment, air-conditioned comfort and professional trainers. The second floor will be used for aerobics and in the near future will feature a health drink bar. Lockers are provided and shower facilities. The membership fee is P1500 with monthly dues of P1500 that is a bit steep for those living here with a limited budget but for those that can afford it, believe me, this is a first class place to spend those hours working out. Managing Director Gina is very personable with a positive attitude as is Marketing Head Anthony Abad. The entire staff displays an energy that I had 30 years ago now hardly have the energy to open the door. I wonder if the staff at Ironworks could make me look and feel 10 years younger? That might be asking too much so I will just settle for giving this gym a 10 horseshoe rating in the exercise department - check it out!

THEM THERE WEDDING BELLS

Congrats goes out to Ray and Dehl Sauvola (yes, I finally got the spelling right) who, finally, tied the knot on 22 Jun and had a fine reception at the Bonanza Hotel on the 23rd. I managed to get a couple of pictures despite the big voice of Texas Ann Marie yelling at me to get out of the way. This horse enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces in attendance and as usual, the Bonanza management provided just the right ambience and professionalism to assure a successful evening.

SOMETHING FISHY HERE

A lot of people were shocked to pick up the 17 Jun issue of the Sun Star paper and read that Australian National John Brian Martin had been arrested after elements of the Angeles City Police Office (ACPO) raided his residence in Josefeville Subdivision. Seized were three different sizes of plastic bags containing shabu weighing over 230 grams; bundles of empty plastic sachets; rolls of aluminum foil wrap and P45,000 cash in different denominations. They also found one Taurus PT58 S..380 loaded handgun with three rounds of live ammunition. Many of us have know John Martin, previous owner of the Greenlands Sports Resort for many years and find this extremely hard to believe. It smells of a set-up, something that is quite common in this country, especially when it involves foreigners. Granted, John may have made a few enemies during his time here but in no way would any of us imagine that he is involved in the drug trade. I mentioned a possible "set-up" scenario to a well-placed City Official and he indicated that the bust was legitimate and that I would be surprised to learn of other well-known figures that have been involved in nefarious activities in this town. The Horse will try to contact John and see if I can get his side of this issue. Meanwhile, the many friends of John are hoping that he will be vindicated and he can get on with his semi-retirement.

THE TAX MAN COMETH

Just like in the United States, when the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), (the American Gestapo) decides to audit you, the victim is guilty until proven innocent. So it has been recently when the Director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) District Office in San Fernando decided to go after Fields Avenue Bar owners for unpaid taxes. Assessments of one million pesos were not uncommon and in one case 2.2 million pesos (reduced from an earlier demand of 28 million). How did these demands come about? In the majority of cases, bookkeepers were negligent and owners were remiss in making sure that proper monthly taxes (VAT) were being paid. This allowed for a legal shakedown in which a lot of money was collected and will continue to be collected with, no doubt, very little going to the government it is intended for. The lesson for anyone thinking of investing in Angeles City, especially those opening bars, is to make sure that you are knowledgeable of the tax requirements and hires one damm good accountant. To have to come up with $44,000 in back taxes has one investor rethinking his commitment to Angeles City but realizes that he left himself open to this action and will not make the same mistake again. Having a business in Angeles City can be a profitable adventure but heed this warning, keep those tax records straight because "THE TAX MAN COMETH".

BUBBLES

Champagne bubbles? Nope! Bubble bath bubbles? Nope! Soap bubbles? Nope! It is that big motorcycle riding Garth blowing bubbles at the newly opened Bubbles Bar on Perimeter road next to Romeo's Jazz Club. Open from 10 AM to 7 PM Garth is providing a nice cool daytime and early evening facility to escape from the heat of the day, enjoy the sight of some lovely ladies at very reasonable prices. Fees for extended and brief conversations are less than those on Fields Ave and one does not have to memorize a dictionary to converse his way to a successful climatic conversation. No doubt, on a hot day even Aristotle would stop in for a cool one, if he could. Good things just come a bit late for many of us!! Don't be too late, stop in and say hello to Garth at Bubbles.

VOLCANO ACTIVITY

Nope, we are not talking about the recent eruption of the Mayon Volcano but the eruption on the dance floor of the renovated Volcano Bar on Fields Ave. The pictures I took do not do the new location of the dance stage justice. I could not get the wide angle I desired. It is a big improvement over the old stage location and best of all, it gets the ladies further away from the mirror on the wall, now they have to look at the customers instead of themselves. The collection of dancers was certainly looking good which must explain why this club is so popular.

ONCE AGAIN - COCKATOO

Very seldom will I write about a club in two consecutive columns but since I was so close to the Cockatoo after leaving the Volcano the convenience tempted me. To my surprise it was rather crowded and a party atmosphere prevailed. Every Tuesday night this bar serves as the post location for the Dog House participants. Big Big John G. was the MC for the evening as door prizes were being raffled off. For every drink you get a ticket, for a ladies drink you get two and the prizes are worth waiting around for. The bar is small so it is easy to get caught up in the action and there is more interaction with customers. You can actually meet new people at this place where in other larger bars one does not get a chance to talk to anyone else except the ladies. Yes, I know the ladies are the ones you want to talk to but it is fun to meet a fellow countryman as well, unless he is trying to get the lady of your choice. That's it Cockatoo, no more words from me for the rest of the year.

PARENTS BEWARE

How often have you taken your children swimming at a resort or hotel that does not have lifeguards but a sign that tells you to swim at your own risk and for children under 12 to have adult supervision? Many times I bet, but do you really watch your children closely, especially when they are older, say between 7 and twelve? Regretfully, 8-year old Miguel Carlos Dychioco, son of Edward Dychioco was the victim of a tragic accident when he wondered off by himself and drowned in the Holiday Inn Clark swimming pool. Edward had thought that his son was with his wife who had gone to her room as the day of swimming had ended but this was not the case. This saddened many of us in the community, as Miguel was the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Dychioco, owners of Dindo's Store. Holiday Inn manager Andrew Langston said, "accidents do happen" which is very true but it hurts even more when you know the people involved. Parents - be careful, yes, accidents do happen, but many can be avoided. Keep an eye on your rugrats when they are in the vicinity of a swimming pool without lifeguards.

CHANGING HANDS

Just got the word that Voodoo and Mirage bars have been sold. The names will be changed and new themes developed but neither bar will be closed down. Major renovations will not be necessary so there will be business as usual.

MORE DANCERS PLEASE

It is a pleasure to hear from readers of this column. I do read all comments and at times try to acknowledge folks who have written in this column. One writer, Colin Livas from Sydney Australia asked that I feature more dancing girls. The reason I do not do this is because there are so many more outlets in which one can catch a glimpse of Angeles City's fine dancers. I am including more since I obtained my own digital camera and can take the time to accomplish this very difficult task. For example, I will try to get some more pictures of the winners in the forthcoming Wet T-Shirt contest being held at Kokomo's swimming pool on Saturday, 7 July. Despite fighting the crowds and sweating profusely, I will do my best. Colin and Steve Brennan are planning to visit Angeles City from 16 Oct to 28 Oct 2001. In Sydney they have organized the Angeles City Social Club made up of friends that have been here and like to swap stories. They are hoping that other Australians that have never been here or those hoping for a return trip will join them on 16 Oct. For further information about the club contact Colin at 0403014117 or Steve at 0418257261. These are both mobile phones but they can be contacted via hotmail at manyakiss@hotmail.com. It is nice to be able to share "war stories" with old and new friends. Looking forward to that drink Colin.
Another correspondent, Eric Berg, Bakeresfield, Calif. would like Ritchel Lopez (Voodoo Bar) to check her E-mail. Eric, I will search out this lady and personally deliver your message. Another difficult but manageable job for Harry the Horse.

SUCCESS STORY - SO FAR

Michael Spradley is a very happy man. He is pictured here with his wife Amy (Nice legs), a young lady from Mindanao that he met here and got her to the States on a fiancé visa and has been happily married for three years. Mike introduced Amy to the computer and within a short period of time she decided to start her own introduction web site. Mike helped her to get started and she put in several thousand hours into the site. Now it is a very robust site and has brought together numerous couples that have gone through the fiancé visa process and gotten married. In May Mike and Amy were able to go to Dallas to attend a wedding of a couple that Amy's web site brought together. Amy still maintains the site but to get out of the house a bit more she went to work for a major department store and has been an outstanding employee for the past 7 months. Mike's advice for finding a mate "is to be particular, both the man and the woman. I see so many guys marry the first woman who will marry them. In my search I made 3 trips to the Philippines, corresponded with over 100 ladies and met many in person. I did not consider marrying any of them until I met Amy. I felt that she was right for me. We are very happy with each other and we both make the effort to make the marriage work". Nice words Mike and thanks for dropping this old horse a line. Continued good luck to you and Amy, hope things settle down enough for you to feel safe in visiting Mindanao in the near future.

PIRATES BEWARE

This story has been removed by the owners of this site for the time being. Check back for more info later.

NEW LOCATION FOR DAVE

Over the years I have seen Dave Donney working in various locations in town and even in Manila. Now he can be found sitting along the side of Jade Cool as he manages the Birdwatchers Bar that specializes in gourmet open face sandwiches. I suspect that Dave's presence will entice many folks that know him to stop for a cool one and a sandwich. The location is ideal for "bird watching" and a good feed wouldn't hurt at all.

DEAD OR ALIVE

There are conflicting stories about the health of Kenny Evans who left Angeles City for Pattaya, Thailand. Is Kenny alive or dead? Could some one from the Dogs Bollocks bar in Pattaya provide the horse with the answer?

VEHICLE ABUSE

When selling your vehicle would you like to find someone that will drive the vehicle excessively, drain the battery, damage the brakes, damage the side mirrors, allow an emblem to be stolen from the rear, and severely damage the motor? Look no further, just let John (Big Nose) Hennessy take a contract out with you to sell the car for a P10,000 commission. John has his little car selling operation along the side road in front of the Roadhouse along with his sidekick Romy. My strong recommendation is that you do not deal with this man at all. My vehicle, after getting it out of the garage, was in perfect condition to sell. After a few months with John it was a disaster. When I went to reclaim the vehicle it could not be started, the brakes were shot and the engine was running extremely rough. How in the world this man thought he could sell a car in this condition is beyond me. Most of the time John is not on site and his Filipino employees could care less and are seen driving vehicles to be sold as if they are their own. In the last month I have had the opportunity to talk with other people that took their vehicles back from this man because of misuse. I have talked with expats that knew this man in Olongapo and they indicated he had a bad reputation there. If you want to sell your car and keep it in good condition while looking for a buyer, DO NOT turn it over to John Hennessy, look around for a more reputable dealer or just sell it yourself.

A RETURN TO LIFE

In record time Roy's Pub reopened on 2 Jun to a full house of well wishers. It only took a month for workers to march in and repair the damage caused by a fire that could have been a complete disaster for Roys. It is remarkable that repairs were made so quickly and pictured here are the faces of many happy customers relieved to know that their favorite watering hole is open again. Congrats Clive and a suggestion, this time get fire insurance.

MIMOSA CASINO REOPENS

Many tourists and permanent residents will be pleased to be able to visit the Mimosa Regency Casino that was shut down last December 1998. A soft reopening took place on 29 June and a bright future is hoped for. This will certainly be a draw back for the Fontana Casino which is a pimple on an elephants butt compared to the Regency. The Regency is not even close to a Las Vegas Casino but at least it offers a variety of gambling and some entertainment as well. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) has a 75% interest, Clark Development Corp. (CDC) 12 1/2%, with the last 12 1/2% being divided by secured banks (6 1/4%), unsecured banks and Mondragon's Gonzales sharing the last 6 1/4%. Should be interesting to see how that last 6 1/4% share is fought over.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT

This is one of those "I'll believe it when I see it" stories. The corrupt ridden Centennial Expo is to reopen this year. Those unbelievable words were printed in the 30 Jun Sun Star paper. It seems that Angelo Lopez, Jr., manager of the CDC's Public Affairs Information Service Office (Paiso) has reported that Clark Development Corp. (CDC) will be organizing the reopening sometime this year. Now here comes the standard words, "CDC has yet to set a date for the Expo Filipino's formal reopening", "Everything is under negotiations right now". Sure, right, don't hold your breath! Maybe they are going to borrow money from the Abu Sayyaf.

DAVID AND GOLIATH

Last months article featuring comments from Dr. de Guzman about Health Visions resulted in Mr. John Jones himself dropping by for a few words with this writer. He seemed to be a bit upset with our favorite one-handed doctor and gave me a printed response that has been circulated around town. It was not an unfriendly visit as I explained that I have no bone to pick with Health Visions since I am a member that has been very satisfied with the service. Never the less, when information is forwarded to me that I feel is of general interest to all, or even a portion of my readership, then I feel obligated to pass it on. I will quote some of the printed material from the Health Visions letter and also, again, a few more words from Dr. DeGuzman in response. Lastly, another E-Mail from Health Visions outlining their history and objectives is included. All of this is put at the end of this months article as it only applies to retired American servicemen living in the Philippines. After this month I will no longer cover this subject in such depth. My desire is to support any organization that will help the retirees living in this area, as long as the services are legal and beneficial with no hidden agendas.

UNDATED STATEMENT FROM HEALTH VISIONS FOLLOWS:

"Our corporation fights its legal battles in the appropriate forum - the courts, NOT in tabloids or any other form of circulation.

The inaccuracies however, given to you by this Doctor compels us to point out that there is NOTHING proved in court yet because as of this time the trial of the main case has not even started. What the court said in a preliminary order, is for our corporation NOT to continue the demolition of what the Doctor pointed out and stated as a "dilapidated building" (Surprised that he still continues to hang on to it), in the meantime that the case is being tried, no more no less and that's how the case accurately stands at this time.

We can declare with absolute certitude that your hope that HVC is running an honest operation is NOT misplaced.

By the way, we do not approve of illegal abortions unless it is medically necessary to preserve life.

Our corporation's only purpose is to provide the best health care available and we will always put our plan and purpose into action, unlike a self-proclaimed RAO leader who can only give lip service to the retirees as his best effort.

Please give our regards to Mr. Jim Boyd."

8 JUNE LTR FROM DR. DEGUZMAN

"Dear Harry-The-Horse;

I love this "dilapidated building" as I love my wife. I mean dilapidated 'coz of the damage that was done to it by this people after they tried to demolish it.

Inaccuracies??? What? This people have the nerve to deny me, when their marketing director himself wrote me an invitation. Please see attached correspondence with notations. I will have more papers to show that proves it is not very good to have short memories. Please, tell them how easy they forget the things they have said and written.

I'm just asking, are they insulting the bargirls?

"Not legal in the medical practice"? What are they implying?

And pls, help me identify the self-proclaimed RAO leader. They sign their paper "HVC", why can't a real person, or agent or spokesperson speak for themselves? Harry, they even mention "illegal abortions", does this mean they do it if there is an excuse like "to preserve life"? I'm at a loss because the statements are a little vague and open to too many interpretations. I hope I will be enlightened soon.

Until here and I'll be writing soon. Next time I'll give you some facts my lawyers discovered. Bye for now and I remain -------"

H E A L T H V I S I O N S C O R P O R A T I O N
#15 Lindayag Street, E.T., Olongapo City, Philippines 2200,
Tel. No. (047) 222-2410/2543, Fax (047) 222-5408
E-mail: hvisions@piol.net WEB SITE: www.hvisions.com/hvc

HVC - We Go The Extra Step

Harry, thank you for the opportunity to discuss our medical care corporation.

Health Visions Corporation (HVC) was formed four years ago to satisfy the medical care needs of U.S. military retirees throughout the Philippines. Specifically, except in Angeles City, no doctor, clinic or hospital participated in CHAMPUS (now TRICARE Standard) after the closing of the U.S. military bases. Each patient was required to pay his bill in full before departing a doctor's office or clinic, or being discharged from a hospital. In cases of lengthy hospitalization, many hospitals required periodic payment in full every 10 to 14 days. With bill in hand the retiree then submitted a claim to CHAMPUS/TRICARE Standard to recover the 75% of costs covered by CHAMPUS. This procedure caused a severe financial hardship on many retirees, to the point that they often did not seek the medical care they or their dependents required. Their only alternative was to pay their own way to Guam (where Medevac was possible) or to CONUS for treatment before they reached the point where they could not travel.

This alternative is still in effect for most retirees over age 65, since there is no Medicare coverage outside the USA. On October 1, 2001 HVC will begin to provide medical care for these individuals as well with the advent of TRICARE for Life (TFL). We are already providing pharmaceuticals to them as a non-network pharmacy under the TRICARE Senior Pharmacy (TSRx) program which was effective April 1, 2001.

From a modest beginning in Olongapo City, HVC now operates throughout the northern and central Philippines with a multitude of contracted doctors, clinics and hospitals and hundreds of clients signed to participate. In addition, a small five star hospital with state-of-the-art equipment has been built and opened in Olongapo City. A second, much larger facility will be built in Angeles City as soon as the legal problems regarding the land which we purchased are resolved by the Philippine justice system. HVC operations have been extended to other countries outside the USA where there are significant numbers retirees to sustain operations.

We have chosen our providers carefully from among the very best in the Philippines. Not all have agreed to join our organization, but that is not unusual in the health care business or, indeed, in any business. To state that we attempt to coerce doctors to join or that we offer illegal incentives or payments is absolutely and blatantly false and libelous.

It is unfortunate that those jealous of our success are doing so much to belittle our successful business operations. In addition, there are now a glut of fraudulent TRICARE Standard claims from the Philippines.

I am particularly saddened and frustrated that Jim Boyd, Director USAF RAO Angeles City, has taken it upon himself to criticize and disrupt our business operations to the detriment of the retirees in that area.

We have achieved the goal which we set for our corporation: To provide affordable, quality health care to all U.S. military retirees. As our business operations grow, we hope to make this available to more of these individuals.

Sincerely,

Thomas Lutz
Vice President

(Editor's Note)

To my knowledge and personal experience Jim Boyd, RAO Director, over the years has dedicated himself to serving the American military retiree in this area and he has the full support of this community as well as the American Embassy. I showed this statement to Jim and his comments were that he does not know Dr. de Guzman and does not deal with him. He is not against any medical enterprise that helps the retiree. Wisely, unless someone actually signs his name to any letter disparaging his name, he is not interested in getting involved in any name calling game.

As I already wrote, I will put this debate to bed. Let the courts decide what will happen and the big question will be as to whether the HVC six story hospital will ever be built. It has been reported to me that CHAMPUS is beginning to look at medical claims coming from the Philippines and reducing the amount of payments. Will this mean that a hospital will no longer bring in the hoped for profits? We hope that all this legal jumbo, jumbo, accusations, name calling, etc. will be finished in the near future and that we will see start-up construction.

The rains are coming every afternoon and evening now and it is a bit cooler. The dreaded tropical storm season is upon us and hopefully this area will be spared any major disasters this year. It appears that Clark's airport might be seeing a bit more activity but nothing to get too excited about yet. This horse keeps hoping that one year I can report that International Flights will be landing at Clark and deplaning at Manila will no longer be necessary. It is a nice dream. Enjoy July and remember, be kind to horses.