Tuesday, August 31, 2010

News Update Philippine Dengue cases could reach 80,000 by year end

The Department of Health (DOH) fears that there could be 80,000 dengue cases by the end of 2010, as the number of patients continues to go up.

As of August 14 this year, 54,659 dengue cases have been recorded nationwide. From this figure, 2,966 cases were recorded in the first two weeks of August alone.

A record number of 17,470 dengue cases were reported in July 2010, more than double the number of cases in July of the previous year.

DOH National Epidemiology Center (NEC) Chief Dr. Eric Tayag said August is the peak month for dengue but the number of cases is expected to keep rising in the first two weeks of September.

"Sa mga susunod na linggo, asahan natin na medyo mataas pa. Ibig sabihin niyan, kung nakaraang July lampas 17,000 ang na-report, baka malampasan ito kung mananatiling Agosto ang peak month ng dengue," he said.

The DOH earlier said trends have changed and dengue is no longer a rainy season disease. Dengue cases are now expected even when the rainy months, June to August, are over.

Tayag said one of the reasons why dengue trends have changed is because of the recent El Niño weather phenomenon, which caused dengue-carrying mosquitoes to mutate.

"Naobserbahan yung mga lamok, lalung naging mas mabilis yung kanilang pangangagat sapagkat naging mas maliit daw sila (It was observed that dengue-carrying mosquitoes now bite faster because they have become smaller)," he said.

The NEC chief also said the recent water shortage, which forced people to store water in containers in their homes, contributed to the increase in mosquitoes. Dengue-carrying mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, whether it is clean or dirty.

He explained that there are currently four dengue strains so it is possible for a patient to get dengue more than once.

Tayag reminds the public to follow DOH's "DENGUE" reminders:

- Daily monitoring of the patient (check if the patient is vomiting, has rashes, or has difficulty urinating;

- Encourage oral fluids or oral glucose electrolyte solution (an oral solution of 1 liter water, 8 teaspoons (tsp) of sugar and 1 tsp salt will also do);

- Note any symptoms of dengue (nose-bleeding, muscle pain, vomiting, fatigue)

- Give paracetamol, not aspirin;

- Use mosquito nets or screens; and

- Early consultation is advised

News Update Police: Businessman abducted in Marawi City

A businessman was abducted on Tuesday morning by still unidentified gunmen in front of his house in the southern city of Marawi, a local police official said. Abdulcarim Magarang was riding a pedicab to his house in Barangay Bubonga Lilod Madaya in Marawi City at 6 a.m. when five armed men blocked the road and seized him, Chief Superintendent Bienvenido Latag, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) regional police chief, said. Magarang was forcibly taken to a white Sedan car with no license plate, which the kidnappers also used to fled toward an unknown destination, according to Latag. The regional police chief said local police are still investigating the motive behind the kidnapping. Pursuit operations have also been launched to track down Magarang’s abductors, he added. Early this year, Yemeni missionary Naijib Al Odaini was also seized in Marawi City by gunmen posing as cops. He was released a month later. (See: Kidnapped Yemeni national freed in Marawi City)

Two weeks ago, Filipino-Chinese businessman Nelson Tay was kidnapped in Cotabato City by two men wearing camouflage uniforms and taken to the nearby province of Maguindanao. He was freed three days later.

News Update 9 hurt as truck rams parked vehicles in Isabela

ILAGAN, Isabela — Nine people were hurt, one of them in serious condition, after a 10-wheeler truck rammed into a row of parked vehicles along the national road in front of a public market here, police said Tuesday.

Damaged in the incident, which occurred at about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, were one passenger jeepney, one XLT-type jeepney, one pick-up car, six tricycles, and a motorcycle, according to Police Superintendent Baltazar Israel, Ilagan police chief.

Also damaged by the wayward Isuzu (RDL-577) were two fried chicken stalls, a street light post, and a generating set, Israel said.

This page requires a higher version browser Lilia Pangilinan, who suffered injuries on her face and legs, remains under observation at the Isabela Doctors General Hospital, while the other victims had already been sent home after being treated.

The truck driver, Eliezer Acson of Calinaoan village in Santo Tomas town, admitted that he failed to control the steering wheel after the truck’s brakes malfunctioned.

Acson will be charged for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple physical injuries, Israel said. - Joel Nueva/KBK/RSJ

Kopi Talk 'S'pore must remain open' Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made immigration a central theme in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday. He set out three reasons why Singapore must remain open to foreigners: to top up its talent pool, its labour force and its population. He also assured Singaporeans they would always come first. He announced policy changes to address some of the most pressing concerns of citizens. Here are excerpts of his address.


THIS year with a booming economy, we will definitely need more foreign workers so we can create our jobs in Singapore.
A few months ago, I mentioned to the press that we could need more than 100,000 foreign workers this year.
Since then, we've recalculated. Maybe we'll get by with a few less, perhaps 80,000 workers. But I said this to highlight the trade-off which we face and which we cannot avoid. You want higher growth which will benefit our workers, that also means accepting more foreign workers to come and work in Singapore. You choke off the foreign workers, the economy is stifled, growth is not here, our workers will suffer.
This is a very hot topic in Singapore, foreign workers and also immigration. We've held many dialogue sessions with the grassroots, with the residents and I think Singaporeans understand logically why we need foreign workers, why we need this immigration. But they are still concerned about competition for jobs, about crowding, competing for housing or for transport on MRT and deeper things like the character of our society.
Of course there's the psychological aspect too, the sense that they want to be valued and that Singaporeans are more valued than foreigners.
And these concerns come through many other channels as well: union leaders, newspapers columns. When we build workers' dormitories, we remember the sensitivities which can be aroused. Serangoon Gardens, two years ago, got very upset because things were not explained well enough.
I understand these sentiments. These are legitimate concerns, which we take seriously. We don't brush them aside but we have to weigh them against the plus side of having the foreign workers and immigrants, why it is necessary for us to let in a controlled inflow so we can derive benefits from it.
Tonight, I can't solve the whole problem, but I will try and explain why staying open is going to benefit us and how.
First, because we need to gain talent. It makes a tremendous difference to us, doing critical work in our economy, helping Singapore to become an outstanding city. We have very good people but never enough. And therefore we need to draw from all over the world, to supplement our local pool.
You take professionals, for example, architects. There are lots of talented young architects in Singapore.
The majority of the architects are native Singaporeans, although quite a few are foreign-born. And the foreign-born ones include the two architects who built The Pinnacle, a husband-and-wife team.
The husband, Mr Khoo Peng Beng, is from Ipoh, now a PR. The wife, Belinda Huang, is from Selangor, now a Singapore citizen. They won a design competition to build on the Duxton Plain site and the result is one of the most sought-after HDB projects in Singapore.
For the local architects, you might consider this foreign competition too fierce, unfair. But for Singaporeans, and especially for the residents of Pinnacle, we benefit. We get a better living environment, we get a more beautiful city and I think even our own architects benefit because from the competition, from that stimulus, they will do better and produce better works too.
Take sports talent as another example. We are grooming our own. Our young sportsmen have done very well in the YOG, the young Olympians. And in some sports, we are near the top in the world rankings, like sailing or bowling.
But in other sports we still need to draw on new citizens, like table tennis. The second reason is we need reinforcements to grow our economy and create better jobs for Singaporeans.
The foreign workers supplement our ranks and enable us to build successful companies. You take Keppel and SembCorp. They are world beaters.
Together they employ 20,000 people in Singapore, of whom 5,000 are Singa-poreans. The other 15,000 are foreign workers, professionals. Without the foreign workers, the Singaporean jobs wouldn't exist. Of course, the converse is true, too. Without the Singaporean brains working the system and bringing the foreign workers together and organising them, the foreign worker jobs wouldn't exist either.
The final reason we need immigrants is to make up for our shortfall in babies. Our efforts to produce more Singaporean babies have not yielded results, not yet. Two years ago, I made a long speech in the National Day Rally about new measures. Last year, we produced fewer babies than in 2008. So for this type of productivity, please work harder.
Foreign workers versus immigrants
BUT I think we should make an important distinction between foreign workers and immigrants, which means PRs and citizens.
Foreign workers are transient, we need them to work in the factories, in the banks, hospitals, shipyards, construction projects. When the job is done, they will leave. When there are no jobs here, they will go.
So temporarily, the economy is hot, I think we can accept higher numbers. For the longer term, we are pushing to raise productivity so we can rely less on foreign workers. But meanwhile, we want to build flats, MRT lines, IRs, so please bear with the larger numbers for the time being. That's foreign workers.
Immigrants: The PRs and the citizens are far fewer. We are very careful whom we accept. Not only must they contribute to our economy but they've also got to integrate with our society and strike roots here.
We've moved quite fast over the last five years. We've accepted a larger inflow of foreign workers and we've taken in more new citizens and PRs. Conditions were good, we caught the wind, we moved forward. But now I think we should consolidate, slow down the pace.
We can't continue going like this and increasing our population 100,000, 150,000 a year indefinitely and we should give Singaporeans time to adjust, and our society time to settle and integrate better the new arrivals. But we must not close ourselves up.
The basic principle for us is always, citizens come first and that's how our policies are designed: citizens before PRs, PRs before other foreigners and non-residents.
Last year, we reviewed the policies, we changed the subsidies to make this distinction sharper, so education fees, health-care subsidies, housing subsidies all adjusted, so it's quite clear that the Singaporeans get the best deal.
But not everything is reduced to subsidies and dollars. There are other less tangible issues, too, which I will also talk about, not to dismiss them but to explain how we can manage the problems and enjoy the benefits of the inflow by limiting the down side.
Citizens come first
FIRST of all, competition from foreigners. I think many Singaporeans accept the economic logic that the economy needs these foreigners but they fear the impact on them. What if a foreigner takes my job? What if my own wages get pushed out? I understand this, I empathise and in fact we take measures to help to protect Singaporeans.
We don't allow the foreigners to come in uncontrolled because otherwise, we would be swamped. We restrict the foreign workers with dependency ratios, with the foreign worker levies.
The employer pays an extra foreign worker levy to discourage him from hiring the foreigner and look for a Singaporean instead. The levies are going up, they are going to go up further. Some employers may feel the pinch but it is necessary because we need to manage the inflow and not have an indefinite number.
On the other side, we have Workfare, which helps low-income Singaporeans so when they work, they get a top-up to their wage from the Government. That makes it more worth their while to work and improves what they receive and overall, they end up better off compared to the foreigner who gets no Workfare.
This year, we're going to spend $400 million on Workfare, giving it to 400,000 Singaporeans. That's a lot of money and I think it's a lot of help to our lower-income group. But the protection can only go so far. If you lack the skills or you're not competitive, then it doesn't matter how high the foreign worker levy is or how generous the Workfare is, the jobs are still going to go elsewhere. I've discussed this question with the union leaders regularly and they understand the logic. They were more worried a few years ago when the flows were growing and they were not sure of the impact on Singapore workers, but now their members are quite convinced that their companies benefit from being able to hire foreign workers.
At the firm level, within each of the companies, the foreigners and the Singaporean workers work well together. In one hotel, the housekeeping department employs both locals and foreign workers. The locals are the aunties, the more experienced ones, and the foreign workers are the younger ones. The aunties treat the foreign workers like their own daughters or nieces. So when they arrive in Singapore, they help to orientate them, even help them to cook or pack their food for them.
The heavier physical tasks like turning over mattresses, younger foreign workers would be able to do and between the two, they've worked out a good working relationship and become firm friends. When one of the foreign workers applied for PR, a supervisor and the union representative asked the management to assist in the PR application.
The second worry of Singaporeans is whether the new arrivals will integrate into our society. Will they identify with Singapore? Will they grow roots here? After all, they speak and dress differently, their social norms are different and they may speak no English or very little English. So it's harder to fit in and communicate, particularly with the non-Chinese.
We encourage the immigrants to learn English. Our community centres will offer basic English courses and I think if they'll come up and pick up a few words, this proficiency will help them to integrate and therefore, become more ready for permanent residence or citizenship later on should they apply for it. But more important than language or social graces, the immigrants have to get along with the different races here and adopt our egalitarian norms.
This is a multiracial society. Our Chinese are used to getting along with Malays and Indians. Our Indians are used to getting along with Malays and with Chinese.
The immigrant Chinese who come, the immigrant Indians who come, may not be used to this and it takes some time for them to adjust, but they should make the effort. Some of them have got along fine.
We have foreign workers now working as bus drivers in SBS. I asked the CEO how it is getting along. And he said: 'Well, it's not bad. They sometimes get flak but sometimes it works out very well.' And he gave me an example of Ms Zhao Xiaodong who comes from Dalian and she's the bus captain of Service 109 from Serangoon Interchange to Changi Village going through Pasir Ris and she is well liked by her passengers, especially the Pasir Ris residents. So at one point she had to go away for a week, several of the commuters wrote to SBS.
They said: 'What's happened to our bus driver? She is polite, she's caring, she's considerate to pregnant women and the elderly. Have you transferred her to another route or maybe she's left SBS? Whatever it is, please bring her back to Service 109', which I think is where she still is.
So I think at the personal level if you can get on and the relationships can be established, that's a tremendous help. Singaporeans, too, should do their part to understand and integrate the new arrivals.
The key to this is not just your arguments and the principles and the logic, but the personal ties and the friendships.
On the immigrants side, I think it's very helpful if the new citizens and the PRs can also make the effort to engage Singaporeans, to give back to Singapore society.
And some of them are doing this.
For example, in Sinda, there's Project Read, a programme where volunteers adopt kids from disadvantaged homes and spend time with the kids, reading to them, mentoring them, helping them to make progress. And it's benefited over 4,000 kids. And almost half the volunteers are PRs and new citizens.
I think both sides have to make the effort. Growing roots takes time. You can't plant an instant tree and tomorrow, expect it to have taken root.
It takes time but gradually the new arrivals will connect, identify with Singapore and finally, we hope some will make the decision to commit themselves and become Singapore citizens.

News Update Piston to storm Shell office in Makati today

MANILA, Philippines – Militant transport group Piston will picket main office of oil firm Pilipinas Shell in Makati City today to protest the company’s alleged overpricing of the prices of its petroleum products.

Piston secretary general George San Mateo said they will stage a picket-rally in front of Shell’s head office around 11 a.m.

The group claimed Shell is part of the oil cartel that has been manipulating the prices of diesel and gasoline in the country.

San Mateo said the prevailing prices of fuels in the provinces have already been a burden to transport workers.

"Prices of diesel and gasoline are very high in the provinces, especially in Ilocos. The same goes in Visayas and Mindanao," he said.

At present, the price of diesel in the National Capital Region is at P32.50 per liter while premium gasoline retails at P42.70 per liter.

The prevailing oil price is P2 to P7 higher in provinces such as Ilocos, Baguio, Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo, Surigao, General Santos, and Cagayan de Oro, San Mateo said.

Aside from Shell, Piston had previously picketed the offices of Petron and Chevron. - By Dennis Carcamo

Kopi Talk Why there’s hope and the ‘Pwede na’ mentality

Hi Erwin thanks for the article you are right to stated that the most difficult hurdle to mound are human mindset mentally. It's like trying to make sense of those patent eye chart during an eye check up you can read and make sense of the alphabet character but not the whole sentences.

Posted by Erwin Oliva
I’m writing this opinion piece as a direct reaction to a Huffington Post article on the recent hostage crisis and Venus Raj’s supposed blunder in the concluded Miss Universe pageant. One question was posed, as this article ended: How much are Filipinos demanding of themselves?

Mr. Wagner wrote: “I came to the conclusion that in spite of all the things the Philippines has going for it, its people didn’t demand enough of themselves, or of their government. Political apathy and a willingness to accept a low common denominator of performance have taken their toll on the psyche of the Philippine people.”

I’m teaching now at the University of the Philippines. Apart from imparting lesson on how to write for a popular audience, I’m sharing values and life’s lessons. Every writing exercise also aims to build confidence. From these exercises, I’m hoping to drill the point that they should strive for excellence.

Once I was asked why I decided to teach. My reply: I see hope in these kids. That may sound corny, but it’s true. There’s nothing more satisfying than knowing that after weeks of sharing lessons in writing, they will also realize I’m future-proofing them. I learned this lesson the hard way.

I made mistakes—but there was none that I would have regretted. So this would explain Venus’ “major, major” answer that has been turned into a running joke. At such a young age, Venus sees hope. So when asked what was the biggest mistake she has done in her life, and what could have she done to correct it, she didn’t pick a specific incident. We all make mistakes in life and we learn from it. No regrets. In my book, that’s an honest answer to a very difficult question.

Reacting to a post I made on Facebook about the HuffPost article, Filipino journalist Luz Rimban thinks that “even when success should be within reach, we often don’t ensure it, or don’t set ourselves up to succeed. It’s not just the ‘pwede na’ [That’s good enough] mentality. It’s the lack of competitiveness, the absence of the fight-to-the-finish, all-or-nothing mentality that drives others to be the best they can be. Filipinos just make do. But the situation is different when Filipinos go abroad, however. Nag-iiba na mindset nila [Their mindset changes].”

On August 23, 2010, the world watched a desperate former policeman take hostage of innocent tourists in Manila. As I watched events unfold, I felt sadness and anger. For a country wanting hope, this is another black-eye. The day-long hostage drama ended in a bloodbath. The next day, Venus who was touted as one of the top Ms. Universe candidates supposedly choked when asked a difficult question. Somehow, some local and foreign observers connected this event to the August 23 hostage fiasco.

Is this a reflection of the Philippine society? Do Filipinos love shooting themselves on the foot? Mistakes are repeated, giving out the impression that we don’t learn from history? Sad, but it’s true.

Jojo Ayson, another Filipino who reacted to my question on Facebook, offered this opinion: “As a general rule of thumb, we should all demand more from ourselves and strive to be better. I agree that we have to demand more from ourselves in the situation and not continue with a ‘pwede na’ attitude. Even if things did go better there is always room for improvement. That said, regardless of where you stand on the level of competency displayed I think we can all agree that we could have done better. The key is in striving to be better. If we had that attitude then we will no longer fall victim of ‘pwede na.’”

Indeed, Filipinos do demand from themselves a lot. Our pursuit of excellence is reflected in our sheer determination to survive the onslaught of negative forces shaping society. I saw this during Ondoy where unsung heroes thrived. The country witnessed this when the people toppled a dictatorship in 1986. I was there when Filipinos decided to boot out Estrada from government.

And who can deny that Manny Pacquiao is one shining example of the Filipinos’ pursuit of excellence. He epitomizes the Filipinos’ struggle to become the greatest in what they do.

In a recent lunch conversation with a friend who read a draft of this piece, she offered this insight: our pursuit of excellence is relative to our situation. For most Filipinos living in poverty, finding a decent job to pay for a decent meal drives them to demand more from themselves.

Overseas Filipino workers decide to leave their families to work abroad –sometimes in harsh conditions – to provide them a better future.

One would argue that the abovementioned examples are natural reactions to situations where government has failed to provide jobs for its booming population.

The Filipinos’ psyche is indeed intriguing, as Mr. Wagner pointed out in his article.

“If the Philippines wants to get its act together and live up to its potential, it needs to demand more of itself. It can achieve this by stopping making excuses for its failures and ending its acceptance of the lowest common denominator,” Mr Wagner posed.

If you look at Philippine history, we Filipinos have risen to the occasion many times over to topple a dictatorship, to boot out corrupt government officials, and correct a misdirected government. In short, we’re still hoping to change for the better, and if it takes a lifetime to achieve that, then so be it.

I don’t expect changes to happen overnight, as world histories have taught me. But it is clear from our vantage as Filipinos that hope is not so far off. Not everyone accepts the lowest common denominator, and we’re not going to make any excuses for our law enforcers’ or even media’s failures.

Kopi Talk Next challenge: investigation

MANILA, Philippines - Forensic investigators from Hong Kong started examining yesterday the bus where eight tourists and a hostage taker were shot dead. The investigators wore protective clothing, including plastic covering for their shoes, gloves, caps and dust masks – items that would prevent them from coming directly in contact with any part of the bus and possibly contaminating evidence. They brought flashlights for close examination as well as cameras to record what they saw.

Contrast this with the actions of the Manila police as soon as it became clear that hostage taker Rolando Mendoza was finally dead. A cop was seen waving to the crowd in what looked like an invitation to approach the bus. A horde of journalists then joined the police and paramedics in rushing toward the vehicle, stepping on spent shells and jostling for a closer look at Mendoza and his victims. No one is sure what happened to the sledgehammer that slipped from the grip of one of the Special Weapons and Tactics team members and flew into the bus through a shattered windowpane. Everyone trampled all over the scene of the crime, with each step making it harder for investigators to piece together an accurate picture of what happened.

In Hong Kong last Sunday, tens of thousands of residents marched in the streets to demand justice for the eight victims and protest the mishandling of the incident by Philippine authorities. The quest for justice begins with a thorough investigation of what happened. The results should also establish who must be held accountable for the bungled police response that culminated in the carnage.

Over the weekend the Philippine National Police virtually cleared itself of suspicions that the responding SWAT team might have killed some of the hostages. Yesterday both Malacañang and the Department of Justice told the PNP to shut up and wait for the final results of probes being conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation and the Hong Kong forensic team. Philippine law enforcers botched their response to the hostage crisis. They should make sure they do not botch the investigation as well

News Update Palace orders PNP: Shut up

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang has ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to stop issuing statements and let the Department of Justice (DOJ) do the talking in connection with the progress of the investigation into the hostage incident last week that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said only Justice Secretary Leila de Lima would be allowed to brief the media and the public on developments in the investigation being conducted by an inter-agency body headed by the DOJ. The NBI is under the DOJ.

“Only one will talk. The NBI, the PNP and all other offices have been told not to issue any announcements, to recourse to the Secretary of Justice, which is a better way of coordinating news,” Lacierda said.

He said the gag order was De Lima’s idea and was meant to avoid confusion.

The gag order came a day after the PNP, through spokesman Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr., said all the tourists were killed by the hostage taker and not by friendly fire from members of the Manila police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. Cruz cited initial forensic analysis on spent shells recovered inside the bus where the hostages were held for 11 hours.

Lacierda said Chinese officials led by the assistant police commissioner of Hong Kong agreed that the Philippines would have primary jurisdiction over the investigation after meeting with De Lima and Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo. Lacierda said he was present during the meeting.

“They (Chinese) will be coordinating with the Philippine authorities. Today the agreements were that the Chinese authorities will be allowed to examine the bus, as well as the firearms, so it’s being coordinated by the NBI,” he said.

“We had a fruitful discussion a while ago and we hope to see a harmonious relationship with the Chinese authorities here. They will be working under our supervision,” he added.

“They will be observing. They’re here on observer status. Any questions that they may have, they may course through the investigating committee,” he pointed out.

Lacierda also clarified the Chinese authorities would have to seek permission from Philippine officials first before they could do anything like inspecting the bus.

“And we are providing them the courtesy of allowing them to examine the bus together with our authorities present also,” Lacierda said.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma earlier said that the Chinese side would not have an independent probe but would only coordinate with Philippine authorities, in deference to the country’s sovereignty.

A bungled rescue operation was widely seen to have led to the deaths of the tourists. Snipers later killed dismissed police officer Rolando Mendoza after an 11-hour standoff.

Following orders

The PNP said it would still pursue with vigor its investigation in support of the DOJ-led Joint Incident Investigation and Review Committee.

“Pursuant to a presidential directive, the Joint Incident Investigation and Review Committee is created effective immediately. The Secretary of Justice will sit as the chair with Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and the communications group as members,” said the PNP’s Cruz. “The Secretary of Justice will be the sole person who will give or issue statements and updates on the hostage incident,” he said.

“Very strict yung kanilang directive, any information about the hostage incident should come from them,” said Cruz during a briefing held at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

He declined to comment on the PNP’s action on the police officers who posed for photos like tourists with the ill-fated bus in the background.

Their pictures had been uploaded on the popular social network site Facebook.

The PNP spokesman assured the public that SWAT men have been sent away for retraining.

A police official, who declined to be identified, lamented that the deaths have been more emphasized in the media than the rescue of the 13 other tourists and four staff.

“Let us not forget that 17 people were rescued from the bus but that was not highlighted by the media,” the officer said.

NCRPO chief Director Leocadio Santiago, for his part, said his investigators would only take action upon orders from the DOJ.

“It is now the DOJ who would release the progress of the hostage incident investigation. We are on standby or support mode and would move only upon the direction of the DOJ,” said Santiago.

Santiago said all the pieces of evidence gathered by the NCRPO had been turned over to the NBI.

Conditional

Meanwhile, De Lima said they have agreed to Hong Kong’s request to inspect the bus, examine the firearms and interview witnesses but with certain conditions.

“They are going to do their inspection for their own purposes, but (it’s) very clear that they do that only by stages and only after our investigative authorities like PNP, SOCO and NBI have completed their own examination,” she told reporters.

She explained that the foreign authorities were allowed to conduct their bullet trajectory examination only after the PNP and SOCO (scene of the crime operatives) had completed the inspection of the bus.

“That goes with the firearms examination and interviews of witnesses also. They cannot do that without us completing our own firearms examinations and interviews and questioning of witnesses,” the DOJ chief added.

“They will always have to be guided, assisted, escorted by our own representatives. It depends on which agency has conducted the particular examination, but always the DOJ will be there to supervise,” she said.

She added that they would attend hearings on the case but only as observers.

“They cannot interfere in the proceedings. If they have questions, they can course them through us. But it will still be the prerogative of the committee whether or not to ask the questions coursed through our committee,” she explained.

The DOJ chief said both sides have agreed on “certain protocols.”

She said Hong Kong investigators led by assistant police commissioner Ng Ka Shing had assured her and other Philippine officials of their commitment to respect the jurisdiction of the Philippine government over the case.

Ng told reporters that they in the country “to collect all necessary evidence for our inquiries.”

“We respect the jurisdiction of Philippine authorities and we will do our examination, our work with the advice and company of Philippine offices,” Ng said.

“Under their company, we will be working together and we will be cooperating in gathering all necessary evidence,” he said.

“We have primary jurisdiction in conducting the investigation since the crime happened here. And it is our primary responsibility to find out exactly what happened and to take appropriate action,” De Lima said in response.

“With or without the demand of the Hong Kong authorities, the Philippine government is under obligation, as both legal and moral duty, under both foreign and domestic laws, (to investigate the incident),” she said.

She said it was also agreed during the meeting that a final report on the case would only be given to the Hong Kong government upon completion of the probe.

“The agreement is that they can only get it after we complete our investigation, which the Philippines has committed to submit to Hong Kong authorities. Only then can they see the reports,” she said.

“It will be premature for us to be submitting preliminary and partial reports,” she explained.

“There will be no premature disclosure, findings, observations, unnecessary comments, etc. until the reports are completed,” she said.

She also stressed that Hong Kong media would be handled by Hong Kong authorities, as agreed during the meeting.

De Lima said the incident review committee is expected to consolidate the reports of the PNP, SOCO and NBI within 10 days at the earliest.

She said the 10-day period is a self-imposed deadline.

President Aquino wanted a report in five days, but she said she asked for an extension.

“Ten days is possible but that would be on our best effort already and we cannot guarantee that because it all depends on the product of the investigations from various agencies,” she said. “Evaluation, findings, and recommendations are very crucial since these will include determination of liabilities, or determination of culpability,” she stressed.

The reports, she said, would include statements from witnesses, resource persons, and even from Mendoza’s brother, SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza.

She also revealed that the NBI would invite Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim “for interview and possible execution of statement” on Wednesday.

Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay, who was on indefinite leave as Manila Police District chief, earlier told a Senate hearing that Lim called the shots during the hostage incident. Lim has denied this.

De Lima said Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno and other media personalities would also be summoned by the NBI.

She said they would also coordinate with Hong Kong authorities regarding the possible taking of depositions or interviews with survivors of the tragedy. With Edu Punay, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Non Alquitran - By Aurea Calica

News Update PCS bares campaign vs cancer

DAVAO CITY (PNA) - The Philippine Cancer Society (PCS) Davao City chapter said the war against killer disease cancer has started during its recently held general assembly and induction of new members at Grand Men Seng Hotel here recently.

PCS Davao City chapter chairman Dr. Herminio A. Villano said spreading the campaign that although cancer kills, prevention and early detection are still the best way to fight this dreadful disease.

Villano, together with PCS Davao City chapter president Dr. Virginia R. Montenegro, advocated to combat the spread of the disease, advance knowledge and correct information drive about cancer would bring relief to those suffering from this disease.

"The PCS Davao City chapter was established in July 1975 and we cannot forget the active and voluntary contributions of our former colleagues like Carlos 'Caloy' Millete and many others who made our organization moving," Villano said.

The PCS Davao chapter is composed of not only medical practitioners, but businessmen, cancer survivors, caregivers, women in the community service, professionals and media with additional 30 new members who were inducted during the assembly.

Montenegro disclosed the alarming increase on the incidence of cancer, including doctors themselves. Without mentioning the statistics on the increased cases of cancer, Montenegro said four of their colleagues at present are afflicted of the disease.

News Update Pig disease spreads in Tabuk

TABUK, Kalinga - Diseases among hogs have spread in this town and the deaths of at least 300 pigs showed that they were downed by cholera and Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) infections, authorities revealed Monday.

Results of hog blood samples brought last week for laboratory test at the Philippine Animal Health Center in Manila confirmed the cholera and PRRS mixed infection among hogs here, said Godofredo Laed of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO).

Laed said the PVO made the move following reports from hog raisers of widespread cases of severe diarrhea and still births among hogs since July.

While admitting that the 300 death toll in swine is very high, Laed said the PVO cannot yet declare a state of an outbreak, "since we lack further qualifying requirements for such a declaration."

Based on their investigation, Laed said the virus might have originated from infected pig meats and live hogs brought into the town.

He attributed this to the weakening monitoring of livestock and meat products coming in to Tabuk after the quarantine post at the entry point to Tabuk has been pulled-out.

Laed characterized the viral strains of hog cholera as that of excessive diarrhea, while that of PRRS leads to abortion, still births, mummified fetus and very weak piglets.

Laed admitted that it is very difficult to contain both viral infections which cause sudden deaths among pigs.

"What we can do at least is to prevent the further spread of the disease," he said.

As a preventive measure, the PVO conducted massive spraying of disinfectants among infected pig pens. They also called on swine owners to increase body resistance of their pigs through vitamins and proper feedings.

Laed appealed to owners of morbid pigs to properly dispose of their live stocks through burning and deep burying.

He warned people who dare butcher infected pigs for human consumption saying they are just providing possibilities of wider spread of the virus even to other municipalities of the province.

When infected meats enter a house, you are bringing in the threat to your own pigs and that of your neighbors, Laed warned.

News Update P13-M marijuana destroyed

BANGUED, Abra - Some P13.38 million worth of marijuana plants were destroyed in a four-day eradication campaign launched by joint operatives from different law enforcement agencies in Cordillera which ended last Saturday.

Chief Inspector Edgar Apalla, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Cordillera (PDEA-Cordillera) officer-in-charge, said Monday that the operation raided 1.26 hectares of marijuana lantations in the boundary Kibungan and Bakun in Benguet.

"Based on the standard set by the Dangerous Drug Board (DDB), the estimated worth of the destroyed marijuana plants were the following - P11.44 million of fully-grown marijuana plants uprooted; and P1.94 million of the destroyed marijuana seedlings."

After the operation, the bulk of the marijuna plants were burned at the plantation sites in the presence of local barangay officials.

Only bundles of uprooted fully-grown marijuana plants were taken back to the PDEA-Cordillera office for documentation and disposal.

News Update Guard botches bakery heist; 1 dead, 1 hurt

MANILA, Philippines – A security guard shot dead the owner of a house where he sought refuge from police officers who were chasing him for robbing a nearby bakery in Barangay Pag-Asa, Quezon City Sunday night, police said yesterday.

Superintendent Antonio Yarra, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) criminal investigation and detection unit chief, identified the victim as Herbin Cornista, 70, a resident of Road 4. Cornista died of gunshot wounds in the chest and abdomen.

Suspect Robert Pingad, 40, a security guard employed by Festoc Security Agency and a resident of Road 2 in the same barangay, is confined at the Quezon City General Hospital after he sustained eight gunshot wounds during a shootout with police officers from the QCPD’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit.

Yarra clarified that the incident was not a case of hostage-taking but a simple robbery gone haywire after a bakery helper resisted during the heist.

Helper Rosemarie Bonifacio, 21, told investigators Pingad posed as a customer and bought bread at the bakery just before 8:30 p.m. She said Pingad lingered at the store, watching a show on a television mounted in the store.

Minutes later, Bonifacio saw Pingad draw a .45 caliber pistol and force his way behind the counter. She said she tried to block his path, but the suspect pointed a gun at her then shoved her aside. He grabbed a plastic bowl contained P7,000, the bakery’s earnings for the day.

As Pingad was leaving, Bonifacio grappled for the gun and cried out for help. Pingad pistol-whipped her on the head and shoulders and ran out of the bakery.

Bonifacio’s shouts drew the attention of Police Officer 2 Rodolfo Saborco, an off-duty Quezon City policeman, and another resident. The two men chased Pingad, who ran to Cornista’s house to hide.

Cornista’s 17-year-old daughter, Helen, managed to get out of the house and shout for help, waking up her father. The elder Cornista put up a fight, prompting Pingad to shoot him several times.

By this time, SWAT policemen arrived and cornered Pingad in Cornista’s house. The suspect engaged the lawmen in a shootout. Pingad was wounded and was taken to the hospital.

Pingad faces charges of homicide and multiple counts of physical injuries. - By Jerry Botial

Monday, August 30, 2010

News Update No backlash against Filipinos

Filipino domestic workers react during a candle vigil as they prayed for the Hong Kong tourists who were killed in the Manila tourist bus hostage standoff in Hong Kong on Sunday. -- PHOTO CREDIT: AP


HONG KONG - HONG KONG authorities said on Monday there was no anti-Philippines sentiment in the city and dismissed rumours that employers sacked Filipino maids to vent their anger over the Manila hostage bloodbath that took place on Aug 23.
Messages circulated among the city's 200,000-strong Filipino community last week claiming that more than 30 Filipino domestic helpers lost their jobs after the hostage crisis, in which eight Hong Kong tourists were killed.
Fears within the migrant community were further heightened by unfounded reports that three Filipinos were killed in Hong Kong last week.
Ngai Wing Chit, deputy secretary for security, said there was no evidence to support any of the rumours. 'We do not see the emergence of an anti-Philippines sentiment in Hong Kong,' he told a press briefing.
The average number of early job contract terminations among Filipino helpers remained unchanged at about 150 a day last week, he said, citing immigration statistics from June to Aug.
Mr Ngai also praised the tens of thousands of Hong Kong people who participated in a memorial rally on Sunday for being calm and orderly. There had been concerns about clashes between the rally group and mourners at a candlelight vigil held in central Hong Kong by Filipino unions. -- AF

News Update Hong Kong police inspect Manila hostage bus

MANILA, Philippines – Hong Kong forensic experts on Monday inspected the bullet-peppered bus in which a hijacker killed eight tourists in Manila last week, as the Philippines tried to calm China's outrage over the bloodshed.

Anger has been rising in Hong Kong since the Aug. 23 carnage in which a disgruntled former Philippine police officer took the busload of tourists from the Chinese territory hostage in a bid to win his job back. Hong Kongers have blasted a failed rescue operation and botched negotiations that seemed to enrage the hostage-taker, who was eventually killed by a police sharpshooter.

Organizers said about 80,000 people marched in Hong Kong on Sunday, denouncing the Philippines and demanding justice for the dead.

President Benigno Aquino III has ordered a thorough investigation into the crisis and the police response, and on Monday the Philippines allowed Hong Kong forensic experts to inspect the bus.

"We want to appease them and show that we're not hiding anything," Philippine National Police spokesman Agrimero Cruz said. "This is a show of transparency."

Guided by Filipino investigators, the Hong Kong team used flashlights as they examined the bloodied passenger compartment, taking pictures of bullet holes and shattered windows. Another checked the bus tires shot out by police to prevent the hostage-taker from moving out of a police cordon.

Hong Kong investigators refused to talk to a throng of Chinese and Filipino journalists.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima met Hong Kong officials Monday. Philippine investigators plan to question Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, who helped oversee the hostage negotiations, as well as journalists who interviewed hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza by phone during the drama, de Lima said. They may also travel to Hong Kong to talk to survivors of the nearly 12-hour standoff.

It is unclear if that will be enough to stem the anger in Hong Kong, which has discouraged its residents from traveling to the Philippines. About 140,000 Hong Kong tourists visit the Philippines yearly and hundreds have canceled planned trips.

Concerns have also been raised about a possible backlash on the more than 100,000 Filipinos working in the territory, mostly as maids.

Also Monday, Filipino anti-crime activists placed flowers at the site of the carnage in a Manila park. One carried a wooden cross bearing the names of the slain hostages. "We couldn't stomach this crime," said activist Dante Jimenez.

___

Associated Press writer Min Lee in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

News Update DOJ bars 'premature disclosures' on hostage probe

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday barred government agencies from issuing premature disclosures on the inquiry into the August 23 hostage tragedy in Manila that left eight tourists from Hong Kong dead.

The Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) are spearheading the Incident and Investigation Review Committee (IIRC), which is conducting a parallel probe into the incident. The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are attached agencies of the two departments, respectively.

On Monday, the review committee met with investigators from Hong Kong, headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Ng Ka Sing and Albert Man Tat Shing, superintendent of the Hong Kong HK police force for organized crime and triad committee.

At a news briefing after the meeting, De Lima said the committee has to issue a clearance first before any information is made public.

"There would be no premature disclosure of findings, observations, unnecessary comments until the investigation is finished, until we submit a report. There should be a clearance first before a disclosure is given," De Lima said.

"I'm going to request the PNP to desist from disclosing so-called preliminary findings. It will not do us good," she added.

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De Lima was reacting to reports quoting the PNP as saying that the eight hostages who died in the bloddbath were killed by the bullet of the hostage-taker, Rolando Mendoza, and not by the police. Mendoza was also killed in the incident.

"I am issuing a gag order now," she stressed.

Only the committee can disclose the status of the ongoing probe. The findings and recommendations will later be submitted to Malacañang and to Hong Kong authorities.

For his part, deputy presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the review committee's report will be the basis of the country's top-level delegation to Hong Kong and China, to be headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay. Lacierda and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo are part of the high-level team.

"Hintayin po ang report at pagdala po namin ang report. Nun lamang po kami aalis (Let us wait for the report. Once we have it, that's when we will leave the country)," said Lacierda at the same news briefing.

HK probers in RP has observer status

De Lima has also instructed that Philippine forensic investigators must first complete their tests before their Hong Kong counterparts. For example, Philippine policemen have to finish their bullet trajectory tests first before Hong Kong investigators can do so.

"We discussed certain protocols they (HK investigators) asked for permission to conduct inspection of the bus and subsequently inspection or examiniation of the firearms as well as interviews of witnesses. They are going to do that (probe) for their won purpsoes. It will be by stages and only after our own authorities...have compelted their own examination," she said.

The investigators from Hong Kong, for their part, said they accept that the Philippine government has the primary jurisdiction in conducting the investigation into the incident. "We resepct the jurisiction of the Philippine atuhorities," Ng said in an ambush interview.

This week, the Philippine review committee is expected to collect police and NBI reports on evidence-gathering, forensic tests, and witnesses' statements.

After processing the submissions made by the PNP and NBI, the committee will then hold proceedings for clarificatory questions. De Lima said the HK investigators will get to observe the proceedings, but they cannot interfere.

"We will evaluate (the reports) and identify who among the officials will be summoned to the proceedings of the commitee for purposes of clarificatory questioning. The Hong Kong authorities cannot interfere. They can attend and observe but they cannot interfere," said De Lima.

She added the NBI may also send representatives to Hong Kong to get the statements of those who survived the hostage tragedy. — RSJ

News Update Filipinos may postpone HK vacation for now

If they are still anxious over last week’s bloody hostage crisis in Manila, Filipinos may want to postpone for now their vacation to Hong Kong, a Philippine official said.

Philippine consul general to Hong Kong Claro Cristobal issued the advice as he noted that some Filipinos still feel jittery about going to Hong Kong despite assurances about their safety there.

“Pangit na nagbabakasyon tayong nangangamba. Ang sinasabi ko, ligtas, walang kumpirmadong kaso na sila ay babastusin o aatakihin. (Pero) kung sa pananaw nila sila takot na takot huwag muna magbakasyon muna, baka di mag-enjoy o maging masaya, baka mangibabaw ang takot," Cristobal said in an interview on dzBB radio on Monday.

(It will not be good if you go there on vacation while anxious. All I am saying is that there is no confirmed instance of Filipinos being bullied in Hong Kong. But if they still feel scared, they better postpone their vacation for now because they will likely not enjoy their trip there.)

Cristobal assured that Hong Kong is one of the "most mature areas" in Asia, where the police and emergency response teams will always be ready to secure their guests.

He added that the community there will not judge Filipinos visiting there just because of the crisis incident in Manila.

On August 23, in an 11-hour hostage crisis, nine persons were killed — eight Hong Kong tourists and the hostage taker, dismissed Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza.

Mendoza hijacked a tourist bus in front of the Quirino Grandstand in Manila and held hostage 21 Hong Kong tourists and four Filipinos.

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Rally and march in Hong Kong On Sunday, a major rally was held in Hong Kong to seek an impartial investigation into last week’s incident. Filipinos expressed their support for Hong Kong residents by holding sympathy vigils.

Cristobal said the criticisms against the Philippines during Sunday’s rally and march were relatively mature.

“Di natin maaalis may masakit na pananalita pero ito ginawa sa mahinahong paraan. Walang nagtatawag ng masamang salita (We cannot avoid some people saying hurtful words but these were done calmly and no one resorted to insults)," he said.

He said the participants at Sunday’s march and vigil made it clear that they are not angry at the Philippines or Filipinos, but merely want a fair investigation.

“Sinasabi nila ang kanilang hangad ay magkaroon ng investigation. Hindi tayo ang target, hindi tayo pinupuntirya bilang isang bayan. Ang hinihiling nila, pangunahan ang masusi, tapat at makabuluhang investigation sa mga insidente," he said.

(They merely want a fair investigation. The target of their criticisms is neither the Philippines nor Filipinos. All they want is a full and honest-to-goodness investigation.)

Cristobal said there was no truth to rumors being spread via text messages that Filipinos were attacked, shot, or stabbed because of last week's hostage crisis.

He said “hate" emails, texts and calls still reach the Philippine consulate general in Hong Kong but only when there are news that may aggravate the situation, such as when it was reported that a Philippine flag was draped over Mendoza's coffin.

The Philippine government denied that it had anything to do with the placing of the flag and said the family to do that. The flag was removed from the coffin shortly after the Chinese embassy in the Philippines condemned the action.

Labor Secretary's advice to OFWs

Meanwhile, Labor Secretary Rosalindo Baldoz, advised overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong, particularly domestic helpers, not to let the recent events affect their work in the Chinese territory.

She assured them that only one Filipino worker has been terminated so far due to the hostage-taking incident.

Baldoz, however, said Filipinos in Hong Kong must continue to be "sensitive" to the sentiments of the Chinese territory's citizens.

"Maging sensitive pa rin at patuloy na igalang ang anumang mga damdamin na naghahari pa rin sa mga residente at mga national ng Hong Kong (Continue to be sensitive and respect whatever feelings continue to be felt by the residents and citizens of Hong Kong)," Baldoz said in an interview over GMA News' Unang Hirit.

Baldoz said she has asked Cristobal if the Filipino community there can hold a memorial service for the victims at the "appropriate time."

The labor secretary said the relatives of Filipinos in Hong Kong and mainland China need not worry about their family members in the Chinese territory.

She said the labor department is constantly communicating with the Filipino consulate general in Hong Kong as well as with recruitment agencies.

"Sa mga pamilya po ng ating mga kababayang nagtatrabaho sa Hong Kong at China wag po kayong mag-alala, ang atin pong konsulado doon, ang labor officee po patuloy pong nakikipag-ugnayan sa pinagtatrabahuhan nung amo at mga ahensya. Kung meron pong problema makakaasa po kayo kaagad ng kanilang tulong at kami naman po dito'y patuloy pong nakikipag-ugnayan," she said.

(To the relatives of our countrymen who are working in Hong Kong and China, don't worry because our consulate, the labor office there, continuously communicates with the employers and the agencies. If there is a problem you can expect immediate assistance. We are also in constant communication with them.). –with Jam Sisante, VVP

News Update PhilHealth covers dengue hospitalization

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) assured Sunday that members and their legal dependents who would be confined due to dengue will receive hospitalization benefits, covering room and board and other medications.

''We are alarmed by the continuing rise in dengue cases from different parts of the country. We have to ensure that members and their legal dependents confined due to the said disease will be able to avail themselves of hospitalization benefits,'' Dr. Rey B. Aquino, PhilHealth President and CEO said.

As such, patients diagnosed with stage 1 dengue fever and are confined in a tertiary or Level 3 hospital can avail themselves of up to P500 per day for hospital room and board fees and P4,200 for drugs and medicines that are included in the Philippine National Drug Formulary.

Aquino said a total of P3,200 will also be shouldered by PhilHealth for X-ray and other laboratory exams done during the period of confinement; while a maximum of P1,200 is available for the professional fee of the attending physician.

''These benefits may be availed of in any of the over 1,300 PhilHealth-accredited hospitals nationwide,'' he said. ''Members only need to ascertain that their member data records are updated, especially if the patient is their dependent; and that they have made sufficient premium contributions.''

In a statement, PhilHealth detailed their payments for dengue cases from January to June.

The national health insurance agency reported a total of P191 million for confinements due to dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever.

The agency said the amount represents payments for 24,583 claims received nationwide.

Aquino asked government hospitals to waive any amount in excess of what PhilHealth covers for members and their dependents admitted to ward-type accommodation.

''Let us exercise social responsibility, especially now that the dengue menace has reached alarming proportions, and hospitals are teeming with dengue patients,'' he said.

Last week, the Department of Health (DoH) reported that dengue cases in the country have reached 54,659 cases from January 1 to August 14 which is 75 percent higher than the same period last year.

The National Epidemiology Center (NEC) reports that dengue cases are high in National Capital Region, Western Visayas, SOCCSKARGEN, CALABARZON, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Davao Region.

SOUTHWESTERN MINDANAO REGISTERS 34 DEATHS

GENERAL SANTOS CITY - The regional office of the DoH has monitored at least 6,500 cases of dengue, of which 34 patients, mostly children, died from January to August this year.

Dr. Abdullah Dumama, DoH regional chief for Southwestern Mindanao reported that North Cotabato province posted the highest incidence of dengue with 3,301 cases and 14 deaths; South Cotabato with 1,583 cases and four deaths; General Santos City with 676 cases and five deaths; Sarangani with 345 cases and 7 deaths, and Sultan Kudarat province with 305 cases and three deaths. He said there was an increase of 169 percent of dengue cases compared to cases monitored in the same period last year.

''The youngest among the dengue fatalities was a 10-month old infant from North Cotabato,'' Dumama said.

The ratio had been placed at 0.53 percent case fatality or one death per 200 dengue-afflicted patients, Dumama said. ''If the case reaches the ratio of one fatality every 100 patients that will be considered a very alarming level,'' the regional health director said.

HEALTH BRIGADES

In Quezon City, the local government will launch a project dubbed ''Health Brigades,'' with the aim of raising public awareness on the cause, prevention and effect of dengue through the city's 142 public elementary and high schools.

Mayor Herbert Bautista said children as young as seven will be trained as ''dengue busters'' for a city-wide drive against the dreaded mosquito-killer disease as he will personally witness the ceremony for the students' oath of commitment set on September 2.

He said that the project is vital as there are already 950 dengue cases with eight deaths reported in the city 69 of which reportedly inflicted children from the public schools.

Under the system, Division of City Schools officer-in-charge (OIC) Dr. Corazon Rubio said that health brigades in the city's public schools will be composed of five pupils or student leaders for each school.

As dengue busters, the pupils will assist their teachers and medical officers in the search-and-destroy activities to pinpoint the breeding areas of mosquitos, which are mostly in damp areas of their respective schools.

The students will also be asked to participate in the advocacy of Tutok Linis Program of the City's Health Department headed by Dr. Antonietta Inumerable where the value of proper sanitation of school premises will be emphasized.

''It is our belief that young children have open minds and a natural curiosity, as well as tendency to share school projects and information with adult members of their families,'' Rubio added.

Bautista also directed the City Health Department and other agencies concerned to closely coordinate with Department of Science and Technology (DoST) on the possibility of using new inventions available like new vaccines or medicines to combat dengue.

Inumerable said dengue cases in QC had tremendously declined by 14 percent this year compared to 2009, where 61 deaths had been reported adding that in 2010 only 0.85 percent is the fatality rate of dengue cases in the city.

DENGUE CLAIMS 3 MORE IN ABRA

BANGUED, Abra - At least three more dengue patients died at the Abra Provincial Hospital in the past weeks, Provincial Health Officer Godofredo Gasa said Sunday.

The recent deaths have prompted local health officials here to urge people to observe cleanliness in all places especially in houses, schools as well as offices and all other establishments to insure that breeding places for dengue biting mosquitoes are eliminated.

Catherine Cabunoc, head nurse at the Abra Provincial Hospital, said that the most effective way to controll the spread of dengue virus is the religious implementation of the 4S approach which means search and destroy; seek early consultation, self- protective measure and ''say no'' to indiscriminate fogging.

She advised the Abra residents that if they have fever, it is better for them to seek immediate consultation to a physician to further monitor their health status.

Meanwhile, the all-out campaign on dengue prevention is already on-going in the province with barangay folk highly involved in the massive cleaning of the environment.

Health personnel are also advocating for the 4 o'clock habit, that is the replacement of water in flower vases and emptying all water containers that are potential habitat of dengue mosquitoes.

They also advised the people to cover containers of clean water to prevent the mosquitoes from breeding there since dengue mosquitoes thrive in clean water. (With reports from Chito A. Chavez, Dexter A. See and Freddie G. Lazaro)

News Update Export council eyes 10 percent growth in Cebu thru 3-yr plan

CEBU CITY (PNA) - The Export Development Council (EDC) has consulted Cebuano exporters on the drafting of the three-year Philippines Export Development Plan (PEDP) aimed at achieving a 10 percent export growth year-on-year.

The EDC, in coordination with the Bureau of Export Trade Promotions (BETP), is now preparing the PEDP 2011-2013, which will chart the strategies to increase the export revenue of the country, employment generation, and other economic activities as embodied in the Export Development Act. Both agencies are under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

BETP Director and EDC Executive Director Senen Pelada said the regional consultation last Wednesday was meant to gather feedback from exporters on the development of the three-year trade strategy roadmap for the export industry.

He said the planning will empower exporters as they can outline their opportunities, strategies and concerns.

The consultation on PEDP with the various exporters was held at the Cebu Grand Hotel Cebu was the council's last stop of the regional consultation. The three-year trade strategy will be presented to Malacañang in October.

DTI special consultant Serafin Julaino said the export roadmap will also be one of the bases for the continued release of an export support fund from the government that will help finance efforts to promote Philippine products.

"But we will still contextualize this within the government's fiscal policies," he said, adding that the government is not just considering the revenues exporters will be generating but also the promotion of employment in the country.

Juliano said consultations with Cebu exporters will also help them revalidate forecasts of their respective industries.

"This will also allow us to determine whether the targets set are attainable," Juliano said.

EDC targets more than 10 percent export growth year-on-year for the next three years, following the upbeat performance of the country's merchandise exports. Exports in the first half of the year posted an increase of 137.7 percent to 3.71 billion dollars. This year's export growth drivers are electronics and service sectors and some agricultural products, according to the National statistics Office (NSO).

News Update Mariculture seen to boost fish industry

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Fish production through mariculture technology has become a prospect for hundreds of stakeholders in the fishery industry in Mindanao, following the conduct of a two-day symposium on the said technology here last week.

The Oro Chamber of Commerce in tandem with Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) conducted from August 26 to 27 the 1st Mindanao Techno Forum on Mariculture at the Chali Beach Resort here amid reports on growing consumer demand for live food fish locally and abroad.

Fish farmers, investors, mariculture experts, planners, and chamber of commerce leaders from across Mindanao attended the forum, which complemented decades-old initiatives to develop an integrated mariculture industry in the region, organizers said.

''The forum was timely held to meet the growing demands from ''more international seafood buyers (who) are turning to mariculture farms for a sustainable supply of popular marine species like grouper,'' GEM media specialist Nikki Meru said.

The symposium taught participating stakeholders on meeting the demands of expanding export market and at the same time helping conserve food fish stocks in the wild, Meru added.

News Update Surigao opens 3-day food event

SURIGAO CITY - Local government officials here and key tourism players of the Caraga Region noted an influx of tourists, both foreign and domestic, during the opening day on Sunday of the three-day ''Tilaw sa Pagkaong Surigaonon (A taste of the Surigaonon food) Food Festival and Exhibit 2010'' at the Luneta Park here.

The event is one of the highlights of the celebration of the city's 40th Charter Day slated on Tuesday, August 31.

The opening day of the three-day gastronomic affair was stormed by Surigaonons and tourists at the park where food competitions were lined up after City Mayor Ernesto T. Matugas gave his message.

Top government line agency officials and guests were also present during the opening ceremonies.

The food competition is organized by the city government headed by Matugas through the City Tourism Office and Surigao Caterers' Association led by Lydia Ga.

During the opening day, various cooking groups in this city, schools and other areas in the region participated in various events like the: Open Category; Barangay A Category for the native delicacies contest; Open B Category for the barangay level in exotic ''kinilaw;'' Barangay Category for native cuisines; and for the ''Best Barbecue'' contest category.

While different Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) schools in the city and other parts in the region also participated in bartending, table skirting and obstacle setting competitions, fruit and vegetable carving, napkin folding and wine mixing/cocktail competition.

''It's really a spectacular event for the three-day food competition here,'' said Department of Tourism (DoT) Region 13 Director Leticia Tan.

''Marajao, I welcome you all to this opening ceremony and it is only the beginning of the series of exciting events in the coming days,'' Matugas said in his opening message.

News Update 4 killed, 39 injured in Quezon bus accident

At least four people were reported killed and 39 injured when a passenger bus fell into a ravine in Quezon province before dawn Sunday.

Quezon provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Erickson Velasquez said the incident occurred at 2:30 a.m. as the bus was traveling from Tacloban City to its terminal in Quezon City.

“Yung bus galing Tacloban papuntang Cubao, naaksidente sa Pagbilao. Nahulog sa ravine kaninang mga 2:30 a.m. (The bus from Tacloban City heading to its terminal in Cubao when it fell into a ravine at 2:30 a.m.)," Velasquez said in an interview on dzBB radio.

“Mga 39 ang nasugatan at apat ang nasawi sa insidenteng ito (About 39 were injured and four were killed in this incident)," he said.

Velasquez did not immediately name the four fatalities. He said that the police were waiting for the bus driver to regain consciousness before interviewing him.

Sunday’s incident was the latest in a series of deadly bus accidents since June.

In Cebu last June, at least 20 Iranians died after the bus they were riding on plunged into a ravine.

On Aug. 18, at least 42 were killed when a bus fell into a ravine in Benguet province.

Last week, beauty titlist Melody Gersbach and two others were killed after their car collided with a bus in Bicol. —VS

News Update 2 hurt in grenade attack near Bukidnon church

At least two people were wounded while tension gripped a parish in Kalilangan town in Bukidnon Sunday following an early morning grenade attack there allegedly perpetrated by a youth.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said revenge may be a possible motive behind the attack on the San Vicente Ferrer Parish.

An article on the CBCP news site quoted Malaybalay Bishop Jose Araneta Cabantan as saying that the wounded were sitting on the last pews near the entrance of the church.

Cabantan said the attack happened past 8 a.m. while the parishioners were praying the “Prayers of the Faithful."

Initial investigation showed a boy appearing to be 12 years old got off a motorcycle and threw two fragmentation grenades at the church. Only one of the grenades exploded near the church’s entrance.

Police safely detonated the grenade that did not explode.

“Policemen who were in the church helped Fr. (Art) Paraiso in calming the parishioners down. They then all went outside the church and Fr. Paraiso proceeded to say the Mass outside," Cabantan said.

He added the attackers were teenagers who were riding in tandem on a motorcycle.

“According to the police, the one who threw the grenades was more or less 12 years old who immediately escaped on board the waiting motorcycle," he said.

The attack on the church was the first in the history of the town, the bishop said.

San Vicente Ferrer parish has more than 20,000 parishioners.

Cabantan urged his flock to remain calm and let law enforcers solve the case and not take justice into their own hands to prevent bloodshed. - KBK

News Update Hackers attack Philippine government website

MANILA (AFP) - – The Philippines on Sunday ordered all government offices to tighten Internet security after its main information website was brought down by hackers.

"We are alerting all government agencies to review and improve security of their websites in view of the hacking of the website this afternoon," presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma said.

"We are adopting best practices to lessen the vulnerability of our websites to hacking and other cyber crimes," Coloma said.

The information agency website was inaccessible for several hours in the afternoon with the words "Hacked by 7z1" appearing if searched on Google.

Coloma did not say whether the hacker attack was related to widespread public anger in Hong Kong over police bungling of a hostage crisis that left eight tourists dead on Monday.

President Benigno Aquino's personal Facebook account, which is linked to his official website, has been flooded by hate messages over the incident, with many coming from disgruntled Hong Kong residents accusing his police force of incompetence.

Aquino censored his Facebook page after Internet users ignored his appeal to stop bashing his government over its handling of the hostage crisis, banning slanderous and defamatory comments and posts.

Coloma said only slanderous postings and profanities were erased from the Facebook page.

"But those expressing their feelings -- even if they are negative -- are not being erased from the website because cyberspace should be democratic and different views are permitted," he said.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

News Update Pilipinos in HK fearful

HONG KONG - JOY Fajardo likes to spend her Sundays meeting friends from her home town in Chater Garden, a famous gathering spot for the Philippine community at the heart of Hong Kong's financial centre.

But this Sunday was an exception. The 30-year-old said she was warned to stay away from Chinese crowds for fear of retribution over the dramatic hostage crisis that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead in Manila on Monday. 'We are very worried to be living in a Chinese community now,' Ms Fajardo told AFP.

In a sign that feelings are running high, the message 'Stop hiring Filipino domestic workers!!!' has sprung up on Facebook sites set up by Hong Kong people to mourn the hostage victims.

The hostage drama has whipped up a frenzy of fear and rumours in the 200,000-strong Philippine community in Hong Kong, where most are employed as domestic helpers. A series of unconfirmed reports of Hong Kong employers trying to vent their anger by sacking or attacking their helpers has been widely circulating among Filipinos.

Ms Fajardo said text messages had been exchanged saying that more than 30 Filipina maids have been sacked following the tragedy, including one whose contract was terminated allegedly because her family name was the same as the gunman's.

On Friday, Ms Fajardo said she received reports that three maids had been killed, with one of them having acid splashed over her face. 'We don't know if these cases are true. But we are very scared,' she said.

Another Filipina worker, Julie, said her 60-year-old employer, for whom she has worked for 14 years, did not speak to her after the hostage crisis. 'She watched news on TV about the hijacking. She did not talk to me and did not give me dinner on Wednesday,' she said. 'I was worried because she's not happy and I didn't understand what the Chinese news was about.'

Many also complained about being berated on public transport in the aftermath of the siege. -- AFP

News Update Chinese awardees' no-shows not linked to hostage tragedy

The Manila hostage tragedy has nothing to do with the travel plans of two Chinese recipients of this year’s prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, officials of the foundation in charge of the awards said Sunday, contrary to a newspaper report on Sunday.

On Sunday, Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) president Carmencita Abella clarified that awardee Fu Qiping was ill and would instead send a representative. Another awardee, Pan Yue, has not confirmed his attendance.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer speculated in a front page report on Sunday that the two Chinese awardees' absences was related to the brewing tension between the Philippines and China due to the deaths last August 23 of eight Hong Kong hostages in a botched rescue attempt by Manila police.

Abella told GMANews.TV that is unfortunate that the award ceremonies comes at a time of controversy and mourning over the deaths, and the fact that "we have three Chinese awardees."

"In the case of Mr. Pan, we are having communication difficulties on the final confirmation of his travel plans," Abella said.

"The cancelled trips have nothing to do with the hostage tragedy," RMAF spokesperson Sierra Tanjutco said.

'The labyrinthine bureaucracy' For his part, Pocholo Macaranas, a member of the RMAF Board of Trustees, said that the foundation was having a hard time reaching the camps of Fu and Pan because of "the labyrinthine bureaucracy" in China.

The Raman Magsaysay Award honors Asians who made exemplary contributions to human development.

Pan and Fu are among the seven recipients of the prestigious award this year. Another Chinese awardee, photojournalist Huo Daishan, is already in Manila. The other awardees are Tadoshi Akiba (Japan), A.H.M. Noman Khan (Bangladesh), and couple Christopher Bernido and Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido (Philippines) who are science educators in Bohol.

The award ceremonies will be held on Tuesday at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila.

Pan and Fu were recognized for "their exemplary vision and zeal, as public servants at two levels of the state bureaucracy in avoiding the inseparability of development and the environment in uplifting the lives of the Chinese people."

Huo showed "his selfless and unrelenting efforts, despite formidable odds, to save China's great river Huai and the numerous communities who draw life from it, " according to the RMAF.

AIM understands but is 'disappointed'

Aside from receiving his award, Fu was supposed to give a lecture on "The Environment and a Village's Journey to Prosperity" at the Asian Institute of Management.

"(The lecture) was about Mr. Fu's work on environment and conservation of his country as a village elder," said AIM Center for Development and Management associate dean Juan Miguel Luz, who was organizing the lecture.

In a text message to GMANews.TV, Luz also said "the sudden illness of Mr. Fu and the cancellation of his visit is disappointing, of course. AIM is hopeful we can host him in the future." VS

News Update Bangladesh to send 45k maids to S'pore

DHAKA - SINGAPORE will recruit 45,000 Bangladeshi domestic workers in a boost for the impoverished country's labour export sector after jobs dried up in the Middle East and elsewhere in Asia, an official said on Sunday.

Singaporean recruiting firms agreed on the number following talks in Dhaka last week, director of the government's Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) Nurul Islam told AFP.

'They want some 45,000 maids in a year. We shall train the maids and start sending them to Singapore by the end of this year,' Ms Islam said. 'It's a very good news for us. It comes as our traditional markets such as the Middle Eastern countries and Malaysia have yet to ride out the impact of the global recession.'

The global downturn affected jobs for Bangladeshi workers in the construction and manufacturing sectors in the Persian Gulf.

According to the BMET, Bangladesh sent 202,000 workers abroad in the first half of 2010 - the lowest in four years.

Malaysia, hit hard by the recession, has accepted no new Bangladeshi workers for more than a year. Saudi Arabia, which employs more than two million Bangladeshis, signed up only 2,200 in the first quarter of 2010. For the same period in 2008, it employed 48,000. -- AFP

Kopi Talk Astons Specialties - special indeed

A couple of months back, I did a review on the Jurong East outlet of Astons Express, one of the coffeeshop franchisees of the Astons company and, while I’ve been back there a couple more times (with each one being as good as the previous), I still have not had the chance to visit the more expensive, restaurant-styled Astons outlets that I had heard so much about.
I finally got my chance a few days back when, at a gathering for a friend who recently came back from overseas, my friends and I headed to Suntec City and, on a whim, decided to try out the Astons Specialties branch there. Boy, was I glad I went. To put it simply, the food we had there was good, economically priced and served in generous portions.
Astons Specialties is a cosy restaurant with warm, inviting Western-styled decor located at the basement of Suntec City (where, if memory serves me right, a Chinese soup restaurant used to be). The first thing one would notice upon perusing the menu would be the low prices for the main courses, placed way below the usual restaurant range. The prices vary from below $10 for several favourites (like the chicken chops) to slightly above for the steaks and more premium dishes, which is only a tad pricier than the coffeeshop counterparts.

Similarly, the quality of the food, too, was slightly above the coffeeshop versions (which were, as mentioned, already of decent standard) and easily better many mid-range chains like Swensons and Cafe Cartel.

I had a sirloin steak (apparently one of their titular “Specialties”) with pasta salad and coleslaw as my sides. Unlike many restaurants which usually foul up a medium-rare order, the steak served at Astons came in just the right proportion, with enough chewy tenderness and redness to satisfy the carnivore in me without being so raw that I feel like I just slaughtered the cow and bit into it straight. While it might not have the textural oomph that Jack’s Place steaks (and presumably other more expensive restaurants) offer but, for its price (a mere $11.90), tasty dressing and generous serving size, I was more than satisfied with what I was given.
The pasta salad and coleslaw were also generously served and both were done great, with the pasta springy and solid and the coleslaw cold and crunchy.

Both my friends who went with me ordered different chicken dishes, all of which were done well. The chicken slices were thick and, again, large and were just the right texture for a good bite. The sauces and dressings provided good complements without overwhelming the overall taste and the sides were adequately tasty and filling.
Like I mentioned, the prices at Astons Specialties are, reasonably, priced slightly higher than the coffeeshop Astons Express line (and even then, they’re not much higher and are still lower than other similar competitors) and, considering the quality of the food, definitely a bang for the buck. A must go, for all fans of Western food.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Astons Specialties
3 Temasek Boulevard
Suntec City Mall
#B1-043/044 Singapore 038983
Tel: 6884 8816
Operating Hours: 11.30am -10pm Daily

Kopi Talk Rage, anger, mourning

Last week, the world witnessed the display of three kinds of emotions in the wake and aftermath of the hostage drama in front of the Quirino Grandstand.

First, the hostage-taker's rage.

Second, the anger of the people of Hong Kong.

Third, a national mourning called for by the President.

Is rage different from anger? Medical experts believe there is a clear distinction. A colleague in the profession who specializes in these two types of "negative" emotions explains the difference. He says, "anger is goal-directed; rage is threat-directed."

This means an "angry person" wants something specific. The "raging individual" believes he or she is threatened and is trying to relieve that feeling.

Rage is fascinating. The medical practitioner says a raging person "feels like the rage is happening without his or her consent." "They sometimes lose conscious awareness of their activity; they can have so-called rage blackouts that could last from seconds to hours," he adds.

"This does not happen in anger," the good doctor points out.

It can be presumed that the hostage-taker in Luneta may have gone into a fit of rage. He may have felt a "serious threat to his physical survival" which may have ignited a rage blackout.

The day after that tragic incident, local and international broadcast networks showed footages of Hong Kong leaders and residents demonstrating outside of the Philippine consulate in Hong Kong.

They were speaking in agitated tone. Shouting, even. Their faces betrayed the fact that they were aghast.

They were angry. They were not raging. Their emotion was goal-directed: they wanted explanations.

They wanted to know how the incident could have happened. More important, they demanded to know what the Philippine government plans to do in the aftermath of the incident.

It may be reasonable to presume that anger can sometimes be productive. Rage, never.

Sometimes, people need to express anger - in healthy and meaningful ways. People who are angry in a "mature" way use the emotion to make a strong assertion and to demand that a wrong be made right.

In rage, one is helpless. In anger, one still has some control over himself.

In the aftermath of the display of rage and anger, the President called for a "day of national mourning."

Friends asked me, how does one mourn? What does "mourning" really mean?

It's probably different things to different people.

But here's how "mourning" is defined within the medical community. It means "a process by which human beings adapt to a loss." Often, that loss is someone near and dear. The medical dictionary says "mourning" is the normal psychological processes that follow the loss of a loved one" and explains that the emotion called "grief" is the hallmark of this state.

Another question friends ask me is this: But I don't "feel" sadness, so how do I mourn?

That is a valid and important question. Many of us may not feel the actual "grief" that the relatives of the victims of the hostage-taking incident may be going through now. But still, we can "mourn."

There are medical practitioners who believe that the so-called forms of "social mourning" are helpful and important. These include gestures such as lighting candles and offering flowers; ceremonies like wakes and burials; prayers and eulogies.

When the President called for a "national day of mourning," he may not have exactly called on the nation to go an orgy of unbridled grief. Technically, he must have called us to a day of "social mourning." Flying flags at half-mast, offering prayers and expressing our condolences with the relatives of the victims are important expressions of this form of "mourning."

There are medical practitioners who actually encourage "mourning." To them, expressing grief is important to the psychological processes that lead to closure.

But here's an important aspect of "mourning."

Experts say that when people "mourn," they are actually trying to "make sense out of" and "find meaning in" their loss.

We may not feel the grief as intensely as the people of Hong Kong.

But we can surely benefit from a time of mourning during which, as a nation, we can "make sense out of" and "understand the meaning" of that useless carnage that happened in our very own backyard. After that, we can soberly take steps to make sure it does not happen again.

If we don't, then we run the risk of witnessing another public display of fatal rage.

The repercussion of the anger of other nations may then exact a price we cannot afford.

News Update Quezon City police, tourism officials to secure foreigners

MANILA, Philippines - Following the bloody hostage crisis in Manila that claimed the lives of eight foreign tourists, the local police in Quezon City has asked the city government for coordination on tourists visiting the city.

Chief Superintendent Benjardi Mantele, director of the Quezon City Police District, has asked the city government's Cultural and Tourism Affairs Office to properly coordinate with the city police on any scheduled visit, trip, or excursion of tourists in the city for security and protection purpose.

The QCPD is also set to conduct a series of crisis management trainings to provide its special action teams with the know-how and preparation in handling situations similar to the hostage-taking incident in Manila.

According to Mantele, policemen should be well-prepared for any untoward incidents that may happen in the city and should perform their duty promptly, effectively and efficiently.

The police official said "protocol" and crisis management flow charts had been distributed to different police stations and police officials in the city, for them to study the proper handling of hostage-taking incidents.

"Police officials should know very well the flow chart for hostage-taking as well as the proper cordoning of media and other persons not involved in the crisis management team," he said. - By Reinir Padua

News Update Tens of thousands in Hong Kong protest bus tragedy

HONG KONG – Tens of thousands of Hong Kongers marched Sunday in honor of eight locals killed in a bus hijacking in Manila, denouncing the Philippine government for botching the rescue operation and demanding justice for the dead.

The Philippine president has "begged for understanding" and ordered a thorough investigation into last Monday's incident, but that has done little to stem growing anger in this wealthy southern Chinese territory where violent crime is a rarity.

About 20 Hong Kong legislators led the crowd gathered at an urban park in a short ceremony honoring the dead before setting off on a march to the Central financial district. Police didn't estimate the size of the crowd, but organizers said about 80,000 people took part, radio RTHK reported on its website.

"Today's protest expresses our deep mourning and our strong desire for the Philippine government to take the matter seriously," Jasper Tsang, president of the Legislative Council, told the crowd.

Former Philippine police officer Rolando Mendoza commandeered a bus carrying a 20-member Hong Kong tour group visiting Manila last week, hoping to reverse his dismissal from the force on what he said were bogus robbery and extortion charges.

He released several children and elderly hostages early in the 12-hour standoff broadcast live on television, but later opened fire on the tourists. A police sniper shot and killed Mendoza _ but not before eight tourists were killed in gunfire. Three others were seriously injured, including one who is still in a coma.

The bloody ending stunned Hong Kongers, who blasted Manila police for what they called an amateurish rescue attempt. They also accused Philippine President Benigno Aquino III of indifference in angry online messages.

"Everyone saw how the Philippine government mishandled the situation before TV cameras and the chaos in the country. As a Chinese person, I need to demand justice," 49-year-old worker Andy Wong said at Sunday's protest.

Manila's police chief has taken leave and four leaders of the assault team have been relieved pending an investigation. Officials have said the firearms used by 200 police commandos will be tested to see if any of the hostages were hit by police gunfire.

There are concerns that local anger could boil over and the some 120,000 Filipinos working as live-in domestic helpers for Hong Kong families would face a backlash. So far there have been no reports of violence _ although a local Filipino activist group says two maids have been fired over the incident and another employer decided not to sign a helper who had been lined up. Philippine officials are also expecting Hong Kong tourists to stay away from their country.

On Sunday, organizers of the protest urged participants not to target Filipinos.

"My feelings toward the Philippine people haven't changed. This is not a problem concerning the entire Filipino race," said protester Carl Chiu, a 20-year-old university student.

In a gesture of solidarity, local Filipino activists organized an interfaith service in memory of the victims earlier Sunday where they lit eight candles _ one for each victim.

"We ask the Hong Kong people who are watching us not to blame us for what happened because we also did not want this kind of thing to happen. This is why we are holding this prayer _ to send our sympathy and condolences to them," migrant worker Elma Oliva said.

The Philippines' consul general in Hong Kong, Claro Cristobal, didn't immediately return a call seeking comment on the protest.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

News Update Over 1m tourists in July

Some 1.095 million tourists came here in July - a jump of 24.1 per cent from a year ago, said the Singapore Tourism Board in a statement on Friday. -- ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN


SINGAPORE continued on its record-breaking streak for tourist arrivals in July, with more than a million visitors.
This marks the first time that visitor arrivals have exceeded 1 million in a single month.
In total, 1,095,000 tourists visited Singapore last month - a jump of 24.1 per cent over a year ago.
STB, which released the latest data on Friday, said the improved travel sentiment, the draw of the two Integrated Resorts (IR) and the Great Singapore Sale (GSS) all contributed to the jump.
It noted that most of Singapore's top 15 visitor-generating markets, except three - India, Japan and the United Kingdom - saw more tourists coming this way
The number of visitors from China took the biggest leap - by 63 per cent to 118,000, followed by Malaysian visitors, contributing to a 53 per cent surge to 83,000.
In tandem, average hotel occupancy rate and average room rate, which have been creeping upwards in the last few months, continued their upward trend.
The average occupancy rate went up 10.2 percentage points over that for July last year to hit 90 per cent.
The average room rate stood at $209, an increase of 19.9 per cent. Total hotel revenue for the month hit $173 million, an increase of 37.2 per cent.