A bird eye's view of the active Taal Volcano in Lake Taal, on the island of Luzon near Manila, Phillipines. -- STPHOTO: BANU KANNU
MANILA - MORE quakes and gas emissions have been detected from a volcano on an island close to the Philippine capital, possibly indicating an eruption is looming, the government said on Saturday.
Twenty volcanic quakes were detected at Taal Volcano in the 24 hours to Saturday 8am (0000 GMT, 8am Singapore time) compared to 15 quakes in the same period on Friday, indicating that magma is still rising to the surface, the volcanology institute said.
Additionally, the water in the crater of Taal is heating up while the volcano's emissions of carbon dioxide have risen from 1,875 tonnes per day in February to 4,670 tonnes by the end of March.
'If this trend continues, we may have to raise alert level again,' said Mr Paul Alanis of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). People were warned not to approach Taal's crater or parts of its slopes where gas could still vent out.
Phivolcs on April 9 raised the second of a five-step alert around Taal Volcano, a popular tourist attraction 65km south of Manila, after detecting signs that magma was rising to the top of the volcano.
However Mr Alanis said this does not mean an eruption is imminent and that the volcano might yet stabilise. Despite government pleas for people to leave the 2,500-hectare crater island, only 163 of the estimated 7,000 people living there have evacuated, the civil defence agency said in a statement. -- AFP
Saturday, April 16, 2011
News Update Philippines protests China's '9-dash line' Spratlys claim
THE protest was rather late and came a week after three Filipinos were executed in China for drug trafficking.
The department of foreign affairs on Thursday confirmed reports that the country had filed a formal protest in the United Nations over China's so-called 'nine-dash line' territorial claim over the entire South China Sea.
China has been using the map with nine dashes in asserting its territorial claim over the entire area, including the Spratly group of islands which is believed to sit on vast mineral resources.
Aside from China, Malaysia, Viet Nam and the Philippines, the Spratlys are being claimed wholly or in part by Brunei and Taiwan.
Assistant foreign secretary J. Eduardo Malaya, also DFA spokesperson, said the Philippine government had 'filed a note (verbale) with the UN expressing its position on the nine-dotted line' issue.
Reports reaching the DFA said the Philippine protest, dated April 5, was posted three days later by the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UNCLOS). A copy of the protest sent by the Philippines to the UN on April 5 and seen by Agence France-Presse on Thursday said the Chinese notes were in reaction to Viet Nam and Malaysia's own letters to the UN outlining their rival claims. -- PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ ANN
The department of foreign affairs on Thursday confirmed reports that the country had filed a formal protest in the United Nations over China's so-called 'nine-dash line' territorial claim over the entire South China Sea.
China has been using the map with nine dashes in asserting its territorial claim over the entire area, including the Spratly group of islands which is believed to sit on vast mineral resources.
Aside from China, Malaysia, Viet Nam and the Philippines, the Spratlys are being claimed wholly or in part by Brunei and Taiwan.
Assistant foreign secretary J. Eduardo Malaya, also DFA spokesperson, said the Philippine government had 'filed a note (verbale) with the UN expressing its position on the nine-dotted line' issue.
Reports reaching the DFA said the Philippine protest, dated April 5, was posted three days later by the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UNCLOS). A copy of the protest sent by the Philippines to the UN on April 5 and seen by Agence France-Presse on Thursday said the Chinese notes were in reaction to Viet Nam and Malaysia's own letters to the UN outlining their rival claims. -- PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ ANN
News Update Philippines launches electric tricycles
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, left, waves as he rides a passenger electric tricycle known as "e-Trykes" during its launching in Mandaluyong city, east of Manila, Philippines. -- PHOTO: AP
MANILA - THE Philippines wants to replace millions of petrol-powered tricycles with electric ones as part of efforts to clean up the nation's polluting mass transport system, President Benigno Aquino said on Friday.
The government will initially replace 20,000 tricycles that ply minor streets across the capital Manila and eventually expand the project throughout the country, Mr Aquino said in a speech to government employees.
It is hoped the scheme will save the impoverished country tens of millions of dollars annually.
'The (project) is an ambitious multi-year plan to wean public utility vehicles from the use of gasoline and diesel and to encourage them to shift to alternatives like natural gas, electricity and hybrid engines,' he said.
'I would like to see the day when nearly all public utility vehicles... run on alternative fuel, freeing the public transport sector and commuters from the threat of unreasonably high oil prices and unhealthy levels of air pollution.' Mr Aquino did not give a definite timetable of the programme, which was launched this week when 20 so-called 'e-tricycles' hit the streets of a Manila suburb.
Manila-based Asian Development Bank, which is funding the initial stage of the project, said transport sector emissions accounted for 30 per cent of all pollution in the Philippines. In Manila, vehicle emissions account for 80 per cent of all pollution, it said. -- AFP
MANILA - THE Philippines wants to replace millions of petrol-powered tricycles with electric ones as part of efforts to clean up the nation's polluting mass transport system, President Benigno Aquino said on Friday.
The government will initially replace 20,000 tricycles that ply minor streets across the capital Manila and eventually expand the project throughout the country, Mr Aquino said in a speech to government employees.
It is hoped the scheme will save the impoverished country tens of millions of dollars annually.
'The (project) is an ambitious multi-year plan to wean public utility vehicles from the use of gasoline and diesel and to encourage them to shift to alternatives like natural gas, electricity and hybrid engines,' he said.
'I would like to see the day when nearly all public utility vehicles... run on alternative fuel, freeing the public transport sector and commuters from the threat of unreasonably high oil prices and unhealthy levels of air pollution.' Mr Aquino did not give a definite timetable of the programme, which was launched this week when 20 so-called 'e-tricycles' hit the streets of a Manila suburb.
Manila-based Asian Development Bank, which is funding the initial stage of the project, said transport sector emissions accounted for 30 per cent of all pollution in the Philippines. In Manila, vehicle emissions account for 80 per cent of all pollution, it said. -- AFP
News uopdate DoST develops low-cost water filter for remote villages
By Anna Valmero
MUNTINLUPA CITY, METRO MANILA--The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) said it has developed a low-cost ceramic water filter that will be distributed in disease-stricken communities.
The DoST recently handed over 10 units of the ceramic filter filter to families in a National Housing Authority (NHA) resettlement site here.
Based on initial tests, the ceramic filter can reduce the hetetrophic plate count or the E.coli bacteria found in water from 37,000 to one or zero, according to DoST.
“This makes it a good alternative to producing clean and safe drinking water without the need to pay extra costs," said DoST chief Mario Montejo, noting plans to distribute the filter nationwide within a year.
E.coli causes diarrhea, a leading cause of death among children. At least 15 people, mostly children, in the remote town of Bataraza in Palawan were reported to have died from severe diarrhea.
The ceramic filter is made of local red clay from Baler (in Aurora) and coated with nano-colloidal silver to remove disease-causing bacteria found in water.
“Initially, the silver coating can be used for a minimum of two or three years but we are studying techniques to prolong its lifecycle," said Dr. Nuna Almanzor, director of the Industrial Technolocy Development Institute (ITDI), an agency under DoST.
ITDI will pilot test the filter in the next three months before mass production starts by July or August, added Almanzor.
More than 884 million people in developing nations such as the Philippines still use unsafe drinking water sources, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef).
In Southville 3 Housing Project in Barangay Poblacion in Muntinlupa City, for example, access to safe drinking water is still a problem, said resident Gaudencio Bandayazon.
To avoid getting disease from using tap water or those from deep wells in the area, Bandayazon's family buys two six-gallon bottles of water from a drinking station for P60. In a month, his family consumes drinking water worth P240.
"Mabigat po sa bulsa kasi mahal yung tubig. Sana sa paggamit namin ng ceramic filter, yung ginagastos sa tubig maipambili na namin ng pagkain, mlaking tulong yun (The cost of drinking water is expensive so we hope that by using the ceramic filter, we can use the savings from water to buy food)," said Bandayazon.
The ceramic filter is shaped like a pot and placed atop a plastic water container. It can sieve one to two liters of water per hour or at least six liters of water in a day.
DoST has started discussions with the Philippine Plastics Industry Association for the design and mass production of plastic containers that can hold the ceramic filter.
The prototype plastic unit with faucet costs P500 but this is expected to go down when DoST approves the design for mass production. The clay filter costs P300 a unit.
Almanzor hopes to bring down costs of the ceramic filter and plastic container below P400.
"Through the use of indigenous clay materials, we can teach potters nationwide on how to produce the clay filter. After Baler, we aim to gather clay soil samples from Ilocos and other parts of the country to study the formulation for producing the silver," she said
MUNTINLUPA CITY, METRO MANILA--The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) said it has developed a low-cost ceramic water filter that will be distributed in disease-stricken communities.
The DoST recently handed over 10 units of the ceramic filter filter to families in a National Housing Authority (NHA) resettlement site here.
Based on initial tests, the ceramic filter can reduce the hetetrophic plate count or the E.coli bacteria found in water from 37,000 to one or zero, according to DoST.
“This makes it a good alternative to producing clean and safe drinking water without the need to pay extra costs," said DoST chief Mario Montejo, noting plans to distribute the filter nationwide within a year.
E.coli causes diarrhea, a leading cause of death among children. At least 15 people, mostly children, in the remote town of Bataraza in Palawan were reported to have died from severe diarrhea.
The ceramic filter is made of local red clay from Baler (in Aurora) and coated with nano-colloidal silver to remove disease-causing bacteria found in water.
“Initially, the silver coating can be used for a minimum of two or three years but we are studying techniques to prolong its lifecycle," said Dr. Nuna Almanzor, director of the Industrial Technolocy Development Institute (ITDI), an agency under DoST.
ITDI will pilot test the filter in the next three months before mass production starts by July or August, added Almanzor.
More than 884 million people in developing nations such as the Philippines still use unsafe drinking water sources, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef).
In Southville 3 Housing Project in Barangay Poblacion in Muntinlupa City, for example, access to safe drinking water is still a problem, said resident Gaudencio Bandayazon.
To avoid getting disease from using tap water or those from deep wells in the area, Bandayazon's family buys two six-gallon bottles of water from a drinking station for P60. In a month, his family consumes drinking water worth P240.
"Mabigat po sa bulsa kasi mahal yung tubig. Sana sa paggamit namin ng ceramic filter, yung ginagastos sa tubig maipambili na namin ng pagkain, mlaking tulong yun (The cost of drinking water is expensive so we hope that by using the ceramic filter, we can use the savings from water to buy food)," said Bandayazon.
The ceramic filter is shaped like a pot and placed atop a plastic water container. It can sieve one to two liters of water per hour or at least six liters of water in a day.
DoST has started discussions with the Philippine Plastics Industry Association for the design and mass production of plastic containers that can hold the ceramic filter.
The prototype plastic unit with faucet costs P500 but this is expected to go down when DoST approves the design for mass production. The clay filter costs P300 a unit.
Almanzor hopes to bring down costs of the ceramic filter and plastic container below P400.
"Through the use of indigenous clay materials, we can teach potters nationwide on how to produce the clay filter. After Baler, we aim to gather clay soil samples from Ilocos and other parts of the country to study the formulation for producing the silver," she said
News Update Bikers to distribute solar panels in remote communities
.By Anna Valmero
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA — Three bikers will tour the country for 19 days to distribute solar panels and power-efficient lamps in a bid to bring electricity to communities living off the grid.
The campaign brings Solar Energy Foundation board member and ambassador Philippe Saubier, Ibba Rasul Bernardo, founder of “Buhay Ko sa Smokey Mountain project,” and Antonio Villanueva, a four-time finisher of the BOSS Ironman competition and one of the top mechanics in the country.
The campaign is part of the global effort of nonprofit organization Stiftung Solarenergie that aims to bring attention to over 1.6 billion people in the world who live without electricity.
“Over 20 million in the Philippines live without electricity. No electricity means limited chance to proper in life so we advocate to bring access for basic services such as electricity.,” said Saubier, who considers himself a “white Filipino” after living in the country with his Filipina wife for two decades.
Aside from economic issues, the lack of electricity can cause fire accidents in the case of gas lamps while students would have less time to study in advance or do their school homework.
“Solar energy is very practical and abundant in the Philippines so it makes sense to tap it to bring light to more people over chemical batteries or kerosene lamps,” he added.
The group will distribute 100 solar panels for free to some 40 communities. They will be given to local cooperatives and non-government social partners who will sell provide households with solar-generated electricity at affordable prices to power their light emitting diode (LED) lamps that consume only 1.5 watts per hour.
To travel 6,600 kilometers around the country, the riders will be using their BMW R 1200 GS Adventure and BMW R 1200 GS bikes. Saubier said the motorbike is best suited for the rough dirt roads in provinces and can handle 200 to 300 kilometers of travel in a day.
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA — Three bikers will tour the country for 19 days to distribute solar panels and power-efficient lamps in a bid to bring electricity to communities living off the grid.
The campaign brings Solar Energy Foundation board member and ambassador Philippe Saubier, Ibba Rasul Bernardo, founder of “Buhay Ko sa Smokey Mountain project,” and Antonio Villanueva, a four-time finisher of the BOSS Ironman competition and one of the top mechanics in the country.
The campaign is part of the global effort of nonprofit organization Stiftung Solarenergie that aims to bring attention to over 1.6 billion people in the world who live without electricity.
“Over 20 million in the Philippines live without electricity. No electricity means limited chance to proper in life so we advocate to bring access for basic services such as electricity.,” said Saubier, who considers himself a “white Filipino” after living in the country with his Filipina wife for two decades.
Aside from economic issues, the lack of electricity can cause fire accidents in the case of gas lamps while students would have less time to study in advance or do their school homework.
“Solar energy is very practical and abundant in the Philippines so it makes sense to tap it to bring light to more people over chemical batteries or kerosene lamps,” he added.
The group will distribute 100 solar panels for free to some 40 communities. They will be given to local cooperatives and non-government social partners who will sell provide households with solar-generated electricity at affordable prices to power their light emitting diode (LED) lamps that consume only 1.5 watts per hour.
To travel 6,600 kilometers around the country, the riders will be using their BMW R 1200 GS Adventure and BMW R 1200 GS bikes. Saubier said the motorbike is best suited for the rough dirt roads in provinces and can handle 200 to 300 kilometers of travel in a day.
News Upate Many Filipinos still jobless and poor, says report
By Marjorie Gorospe, loQal.ph
MANILA CITY, METRO MANILA- Many Filipinos in rural areas are still jobless, poor, hungry and vulnerable, according to a report from the Social Watch Philippines (SWP).
The SWP report also noted that ten years after the historic Millennium Summit where world leaders vowed to end extreme poverty by 2015, many Filipinos are still “left behind.”
These are mostly women in rural areas, Muslims in Mindanao, and members of indigenous tribes.
According to United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator to the Philippines Dr. Jacqueline Badcock, there are nine sectors in the country that have been left behind despite reported economic growth.
“With only five years remaining, we are shifting our focus to strategies that will allow us to breakthrough and accelerate the pace of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) achievement,” said Badcock in a forum, calling on Congress to “combat poverty head on”.
The official said women in rural areas remain at risk. These women continue to struggle because of the lack of capital, insufficient income, and absence of alternative or sustainable sources of livelihood.
She also cited the growing number of Filipinos between the ages of 15 and 24 who are forced quit school to work and help support their parents and young siblings.
Aside from women and out-of-school youths, small-scale fisherfolk and resource dependent workers also remain left behind.
Displaced Muslims are also becoming vulnerable as they struggle to have basic needs such as decent homes. These groups also lack capital to start a new livelihood, and do not have access to education and health services.
These groups are also vulnerable to the persistent threat of an armed conflict.
The rising number of Filipinos with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) should also be addressed. AIDS cases in the country have reached 5,729 as reported from 1984 to October 2010.
MANILA CITY, METRO MANILA- Many Filipinos in rural areas are still jobless, poor, hungry and vulnerable, according to a report from the Social Watch Philippines (SWP).
The SWP report also noted that ten years after the historic Millennium Summit where world leaders vowed to end extreme poverty by 2015, many Filipinos are still “left behind.”
These are mostly women in rural areas, Muslims in Mindanao, and members of indigenous tribes.
According to United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator to the Philippines Dr. Jacqueline Badcock, there are nine sectors in the country that have been left behind despite reported economic growth.
“With only five years remaining, we are shifting our focus to strategies that will allow us to breakthrough and accelerate the pace of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) achievement,” said Badcock in a forum, calling on Congress to “combat poverty head on”.
The official said women in rural areas remain at risk. These women continue to struggle because of the lack of capital, insufficient income, and absence of alternative or sustainable sources of livelihood.
She also cited the growing number of Filipinos between the ages of 15 and 24 who are forced quit school to work and help support their parents and young siblings.
Aside from women and out-of-school youths, small-scale fisherfolk and resource dependent workers also remain left behind.
Displaced Muslims are also becoming vulnerable as they struggle to have basic needs such as decent homes. These groups also lack capital to start a new livelihood, and do not have access to education and health services.
These groups are also vulnerable to the persistent threat of an armed conflict.
The rising number of Filipinos with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) should also be addressed. AIDS cases in the country have reached 5,729 as reported from 1984 to October 2010.
News Update 'Dia Del Libro' encourages Filipinos to read more
By Anna Valmero
MANILA CITY, METRO MANILA-- Originally a Spanish tradition, Dia Del Libro is also celebrated locally encouraging Filipinos to indulge their literary passion.
"Reading makes you understand culture and while Filipinos have their Malayan lineage like other countries in Asia, there is also a Latin, Hispanic part in Philippine history," says Jose Rodriguez, director of Instituto Cervantes Manila.
Dia Del Libro originated from Barcelona. On St. George’s Day, people would exchange roses for books. Instituto Cervantes is conducting this tradition in the Philippines for five years now.
"In this era of electronic books, I believe that the traditional book is still incomparable. It brings the total experience in reading as it triggers all your senses," says Rodriguez.
Local publishing houses such as Vibal Publishing have also embraced the digitization of reading making available an electronic version of Francisco Baltazar' classic tale Ibong Adarna.
Still, widespread isn't expected to happen soon given the high cost of electronic readers like the iPad. For Rodriguez, it's a welcome hindrance because Filipinos can enjoy traditional books and have a "more personal reading experience".
To further enjoy reading, Rodriguez urges Filipinos to learn another language such as Spanish to enjoy more books. He noted that some 20,000 words in Filipino came from the Spanish language and often used daily.
Yet, few Filipinos have enrolled in language classes, he says.
Dia Del Libro is an annual event when bibliophiles can avail of books in English, Filipino and Spanish for as low as P20 each. Entrance is free and some 4,000 titles are available at the language center from 10a.m. to 5p.m. on April 16.
Other activities include poetry reading, photography contest, free Spanish food and wine tasting, games and free language classes.
"Reading makes you understand culture and it is important to learn lessons and gems from the past because it is part of who we are today," says Rodriguez.
***
MANILA CITY, METRO MANILA-- Originally a Spanish tradition, Dia Del Libro is also celebrated locally encouraging Filipinos to indulge their literary passion.
"Reading makes you understand culture and while Filipinos have their Malayan lineage like other countries in Asia, there is also a Latin, Hispanic part in Philippine history," says Jose Rodriguez, director of Instituto Cervantes Manila.
Dia Del Libro originated from Barcelona. On St. George’s Day, people would exchange roses for books. Instituto Cervantes is conducting this tradition in the Philippines for five years now.
"In this era of electronic books, I believe that the traditional book is still incomparable. It brings the total experience in reading as it triggers all your senses," says Rodriguez.
Local publishing houses such as Vibal Publishing have also embraced the digitization of reading making available an electronic version of Francisco Baltazar' classic tale Ibong Adarna.
Still, widespread isn't expected to happen soon given the high cost of electronic readers like the iPad. For Rodriguez, it's a welcome hindrance because Filipinos can enjoy traditional books and have a "more personal reading experience".
To further enjoy reading, Rodriguez urges Filipinos to learn another language such as Spanish to enjoy more books. He noted that some 20,000 words in Filipino came from the Spanish language and often used daily.
Yet, few Filipinos have enrolled in language classes, he says.
Dia Del Libro is an annual event when bibliophiles can avail of books in English, Filipino and Spanish for as low as P20 each. Entrance is free and some 4,000 titles are available at the language center from 10a.m. to 5p.m. on April 16.
Other activities include poetry reading, photography contest, free Spanish food and wine tasting, games and free language classes.
"Reading makes you understand culture and it is important to learn lessons and gems from the past because it is part of who we are today," says Rodriguez.
***
News Update It’s the Year of the Jaguar
..MANILA, Philippines - Best in tumbling, best in pyramid and best in basic elements. With all these, the University of the Cordilleras Jaguars is this year's local cheerleading buzz as they take on all these distinctions plus the championship trophy in the recently held National Cheerleading Championship (NCC) National Finals.
The barely three-year-old squad and last year's 2nd Best College Squad in the Nation bested other teams including veteran teams from the NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in what is now the country's biggest cheerleading competition.
Five time NCAA champions University of Perpetual Help System DALTA took 2nd place while three time national champions Central Colleges of the Philippines ranked third.
More than 2,500 cheerleaders trooped to Ynares Sports Arena for the finals with Adidas Action 3 Anti Perspirant and Deodorant there to support them.
Adidas Action 3 provides active individuals the best defense against sweat. Made by studying athletes, Adidas Action 3 makes sure that every cheerleader can leap tumble, leap and fly without worries.
According to Adidas Action 3 Brand Manager AR Polinar "Adidas Action 3 has the highest level of anti-perspirant actives. The deodorant also perfected the balance between sweat and skin care, so both their moves and skin can remain flawless."
Aside from providing the cheerleaders personal care, Adidas Action 3 also provided special awards all throughout the season. It supported the NCC in all its regional qualifying legs, from Baguio to General Santos, to give importance to this fast-growing and exciting sport.
"We wanted to be there from the start," Polinar says. "It's important that cheerleaders know that Adidas Action 3 supports all their endeavors."
Aside from the special awards, the brand also had special fun games during the cheer camps. It sponsored the first-ever NCC Cheer Jam at the Eastwood City, which is a get-together of all the cheerleaders right after the finals.
"Next season should be more exciting, and we look forward to an even bigger participation by teams from around the Philippines. It's truly a pleasure for Adidas Action 3 to be part of the NCC," Polinar concluded.
NCC is the country's first and only national cheerleading competition which employs international rules and regulations. It is a member of the Philippine Cheerleading Alliance (PCA), thePhilippines' governing body for cheerleading and the International Cheer Union (ICU), the world's governing body for the sport of cheerleading, and one of the biggest cheerleading organizations in Asia.
...
The barely three-year-old squad and last year's 2nd Best College Squad in the Nation bested other teams including veteran teams from the NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in what is now the country's biggest cheerleading competition.
Five time NCAA champions University of Perpetual Help System DALTA took 2nd place while three time national champions Central Colleges of the Philippines ranked third.
More than 2,500 cheerleaders trooped to Ynares Sports Arena for the finals with Adidas Action 3 Anti Perspirant and Deodorant there to support them.
Adidas Action 3 provides active individuals the best defense against sweat. Made by studying athletes, Adidas Action 3 makes sure that every cheerleader can leap tumble, leap and fly without worries.
According to Adidas Action 3 Brand Manager AR Polinar "Adidas Action 3 has the highest level of anti-perspirant actives. The deodorant also perfected the balance between sweat and skin care, so both their moves and skin can remain flawless."
Aside from providing the cheerleaders personal care, Adidas Action 3 also provided special awards all throughout the season. It supported the NCC in all its regional qualifying legs, from Baguio to General Santos, to give importance to this fast-growing and exciting sport.
"We wanted to be there from the start," Polinar says. "It's important that cheerleaders know that Adidas Action 3 supports all their endeavors."
Aside from the special awards, the brand also had special fun games during the cheer camps. It sponsored the first-ever NCC Cheer Jam at the Eastwood City, which is a get-together of all the cheerleaders right after the finals.
"Next season should be more exciting, and we look forward to an even bigger participation by teams from around the Philippines. It's truly a pleasure for Adidas Action 3 to be part of the NCC," Polinar concluded.
NCC is the country's first and only national cheerleading competition which employs international rules and regulations. It is a member of the Philippine Cheerleading Alliance (PCA), thePhilippines' governing body for cheerleading and the International Cheer Union (ICU), the world's governing body for the sport of cheerleading, and one of the biggest cheerleading organizations in Asia.
...
News Update Philippines woos China tourists
Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - China is one of the fastest-growing markets for Philippine tourism with tourist arrivals from China posting an annual growth rate of 18 percent, officials said.
The number of Chinese tourists in the Philippines reached 200,000 in 2010, Philippine tourism and foreign affairs officials said.
With rising incomes in China, the country's outbound travelers is expected to reach 100 million by 2020, making it the strongest source of tourists in Asia and the world, said Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim, who was in Beijing from Sunday to Wednesday (April 10-13).
A Boston-based consulting company estimates that by 2020, a quarter of all international travelers arriving in Japan and South Korea will come from China, while arrivals from China in Europe will quadruple.
In North America, Chinese travelers will rank third among international arrivals. On average, there will be 25 million first-time Chinese travelers every year for the next 10 years.
In his meeting with his China National Tourism Administration Chairman Shao Qi Wei in Beijing Monday, Lim said that China is a "very important market for Philippine tourism."
He said Aquino administration “is working hard to improve infrastructure, facilities, and services in preparation for the arrival of more Chinese tourists."
The Philippine Embassy in Beijing reported that Lim told Shao that the Philippines was hoping to double the number of tourist arrivals in the Philippines from three million to six million by 2016.
He expects that China, as a close neighbor of the Philippines with the largest number of outbound tourists in the region, will be a key source of these arrivals.
Lim also briefed Shao on the open-skies policy of the Aquino administration, more relaxed visa policies and measures to assure and enhance the safety of tourists in the country.
A bus hostage incident in Manila that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead recently soured relations between the Philippines and China, especially after President Benigno Aquino brushed aside recommendations that officials and police blamed for mishandling the case face stiff penalties
The number of Chinese tourists in the Philippines reached 200,000 in 2010, Philippine tourism and foreign affairs officials said.
With rising incomes in China, the country's outbound travelers is expected to reach 100 million by 2020, making it the strongest source of tourists in Asia and the world, said Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim, who was in Beijing from Sunday to Wednesday (April 10-13).
A Boston-based consulting company estimates that by 2020, a quarter of all international travelers arriving in Japan and South Korea will come from China, while arrivals from China in Europe will quadruple.
In North America, Chinese travelers will rank third among international arrivals. On average, there will be 25 million first-time Chinese travelers every year for the next 10 years.
In his meeting with his China National Tourism Administration Chairman Shao Qi Wei in Beijing Monday, Lim said that China is a "very important market for Philippine tourism."
He said Aquino administration “is working hard to improve infrastructure, facilities, and services in preparation for the arrival of more Chinese tourists."
The Philippine Embassy in Beijing reported that Lim told Shao that the Philippines was hoping to double the number of tourist arrivals in the Philippines from three million to six million by 2016.
He expects that China, as a close neighbor of the Philippines with the largest number of outbound tourists in the region, will be a key source of these arrivals.
Lim also briefed Shao on the open-skies policy of the Aquino administration, more relaxed visa policies and measures to assure and enhance the safety of tourists in the country.
A bus hostage incident in Manila that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead recently soured relations between the Philippines and China, especially after President Benigno Aquino brushed aside recommendations that officials and police blamed for mishandling the case face stiff penalties
News Update Philippines to boost Spratly patrols
..MANILA, April 15, 2011 (AFP) - The Philippine military said Friday it planned to use a new US-made vessel to boost patrols in disputed South China Sea waters, amid a flare-up in tensions with China over rival claims.
The navy was looking to use the modern Hamilton-class patrol craft, recently bought from the United States, around the Philippine-claimed area of the Spratly archipelago, military spokesman Brigadier-General Jose Mabanta said.
"That's one of the possible areas. We really have to secure some of our possessions, and the Spratlys is one of our possessions," Mabanta told AFP when asked where the vessel would be deployed.
Mabanta said a Philippine navy crew was currently in the United States training to operate the patrol craft, and that it was expected to arrive in June.
The US navy describes the Hamilton as a high endurance cutter with close-in weapons systems.
The Philippine navy has a tiny and old fleet compared with China.
The Philippine fleet is made up of recommissioned former US navy vessels, headlined by Rajah Humabon, a Cannon-class destroyer escort that was built during World War II and is one of the world's oldest operational warships.
The Philippines and China, along with Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, claim all or part of the Spratlys, which are believed to sit on vast mineral resources and lie near vital sea lanes.
The dispute flared up again last month when Manila complained that Chinese patrol boats had harassed a Philippine oil exploration vessel in disputed waters near the Spratlys.
The Philippines later announced plans to pursue oil exploration in the area and to upgrade its military airfield on one of the islands, and lodged a formal protest at the United Nations over China's claims.
Amid the flare-up China has repeatedly reiterated its exclusive claims to all the disputed areas and their adjacent waters, much of which are much closer to Philippine land than Chinese.
The United States considers the Philippines a major non-North Atlantic Treaty Organisation military ally and the two countries are bound by a 1951 mutual defence pact.
China has repeatedly told the United States it has no right to be involved in the Spratlys dispute.
...
The navy was looking to use the modern Hamilton-class patrol craft, recently bought from the United States, around the Philippine-claimed area of the Spratly archipelago, military spokesman Brigadier-General Jose Mabanta said.
"That's one of the possible areas. We really have to secure some of our possessions, and the Spratlys is one of our possessions," Mabanta told AFP when asked where the vessel would be deployed.
Mabanta said a Philippine navy crew was currently in the United States training to operate the patrol craft, and that it was expected to arrive in June.
The US navy describes the Hamilton as a high endurance cutter with close-in weapons systems.
The Philippine navy has a tiny and old fleet compared with China.
The Philippine fleet is made up of recommissioned former US navy vessels, headlined by Rajah Humabon, a Cannon-class destroyer escort that was built during World War II and is one of the world's oldest operational warships.
The Philippines and China, along with Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, claim all or part of the Spratlys, which are believed to sit on vast mineral resources and lie near vital sea lanes.
The dispute flared up again last month when Manila complained that Chinese patrol boats had harassed a Philippine oil exploration vessel in disputed waters near the Spratlys.
The Philippines later announced plans to pursue oil exploration in the area and to upgrade its military airfield on one of the islands, and lodged a formal protest at the United Nations over China's claims.
Amid the flare-up China has repeatedly reiterated its exclusive claims to all the disputed areas and their adjacent waters, much of which are much closer to Philippine land than Chinese.
The United States considers the Philippines a major non-North Atlantic Treaty Organisation military ally and the two countries are bound by a 1951 mutual defence pact.
China has repeatedly told the United States it has no right to be involved in the Spratlys dispute.
...
Friday, April 15, 2011
DID YOU KNOW THAT ? The loot of Luzon Tokyo gold buried in the Philippines–really?
BY MIKE THARP
Shortly before his trial for war crimes, Japanese Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita was asked the main cause of Japan's defeat. According to historian John Dower, the general "responded with the only English word he used in the entire interview: 'science.' "
Science, as it turns out, has almost nothing to do with Yamashita's personal legacy. As legend has it, Emperor Hirohito ordered him to hide tons of gold and other treasures in a maze of booby-trapped Philippine tunnels–riches to help Japan rebuild from the ashes of its imminent defeat.
Historians have never unearthed credible evidence of the Yamashita gold, but the story took on a life of its own. Today, 55 years after the stocky general walked out of his mountain redoubt and surrendered to U.S. infantrymen, there's a ready supply of books, articles, and Web sites about the treasure. The bestselling novel Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson cuts between World War II and the present in a tale about the gold. Earlier this year, a nonfiction "secret history" of Japan's Yamato Dynasty breathlessly exposed a plot in which stolen Pacific War gold has underwritten Japan's postwar economic miracle. Stephenson's book is much more believable.
There are many versions of the tale, but the main elements are pretty standard. Beginning in the late 1930s in Manchuria and China, Japanese teams pillaged the countries they colonized, stripping them of the most precious metals and jewels. Ultimately, this hoard was loaded onto a Japanese ship, which sailed for the Philippines. The ship made land in the Philippines, the story goes, and Yamashita hid the riches on the island of Luzon in tunnels guarded by trip mines and gas canisters. After the war, the Japanese are said to have funneled the gold back to Tokyo.
The legend ignores several facts. Yamashita was never a favorite of the military clique running the war. He was cashiered by Prime Minister Hideki Tojo. In 1944, after Tojo was removed, Yamashita was dispatched to the Philippines. From December 1944 until he handed over his sword in September 1945, Yamashita had to relocate his headquarters at least six times, driven ever deeper into the mountains and the jungles by devastating U.S. air, land, and sea power. It's hard to see when he would have had time to hide all that gold.
It makes a good yarn–but that may be all. "We heard rumors, but we couldn't track any of them down," recalls Kay Tateishi, stationed in the Philippines with the Japanese news agency Domei in 1943-44. "As far as I know and the sources I talked to, it was a lot of hogwash."
Shortly before his trial for war crimes, Japanese Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita was asked the main cause of Japan's defeat. According to historian John Dower, the general "responded with the only English word he used in the entire interview: 'science.' "
Science, as it turns out, has almost nothing to do with Yamashita's personal legacy. As legend has it, Emperor Hirohito ordered him to hide tons of gold and other treasures in a maze of booby-trapped Philippine tunnels–riches to help Japan rebuild from the ashes of its imminent defeat.
Historians have never unearthed credible evidence of the Yamashita gold, but the story took on a life of its own. Today, 55 years after the stocky general walked out of his mountain redoubt and surrendered to U.S. infantrymen, there's a ready supply of books, articles, and Web sites about the treasure. The bestselling novel Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson cuts between World War II and the present in a tale about the gold. Earlier this year, a nonfiction "secret history" of Japan's Yamato Dynasty breathlessly exposed a plot in which stolen Pacific War gold has underwritten Japan's postwar economic miracle. Stephenson's book is much more believable.
There are many versions of the tale, but the main elements are pretty standard. Beginning in the late 1930s in Manchuria and China, Japanese teams pillaged the countries they colonized, stripping them of the most precious metals and jewels. Ultimately, this hoard was loaded onto a Japanese ship, which sailed for the Philippines. The ship made land in the Philippines, the story goes, and Yamashita hid the riches on the island of Luzon in tunnels guarded by trip mines and gas canisters. After the war, the Japanese are said to have funneled the gold back to Tokyo.
The legend ignores several facts. Yamashita was never a favorite of the military clique running the war. He was cashiered by Prime Minister Hideki Tojo. In 1944, after Tojo was removed, Yamashita was dispatched to the Philippines. From December 1944 until he handed over his sword in September 1945, Yamashita had to relocate his headquarters at least six times, driven ever deeper into the mountains and the jungles by devastating U.S. air, land, and sea power. It's hard to see when he would have had time to hide all that gold.
It makes a good yarn–but that may be all. "We heard rumors, but we couldn't track any of them down," recalls Kay Tateishi, stationed in the Philippines with the Japanese news agency Domei in 1943-44. "As far as I know and the sources I talked to, it was a lot of hogwash."
Thursday, April 14, 2011
News Update Canned show stirs TV debate in the Philippines
Philippine television personality Willy Revillame handing out cash to a physically-challenged boy. -- PHOTO: AFP
MANILA - FAST-TALKING comedian Willy Revillame is one of the most popular television personalities in the Philippines with a legion of poor fans who crave the thick wads of cash he hands out to audience members.
But to many critics, the 50-year-old star represents all that is wrong with an industry that they say has for years promoted low-brow entertainment and toilet humour.
Producers at TV5 television yanked Revillame's Willing Willie show off the air this week amid an uproar over a segment involving a crying six-year-old boy the host cajoled into simulating a striptease for the equivalent of $230 (S$289).
The incident in March has sparked a heated debate over the standards of Philippine television, with some calling for an end to shows they say prey on the poor and debase moral values in the conservative Catholic nation.
'Local television feeds Filipinos a steady, dirty diet of trash,' leading film and television critic Lito Zulueta told AFP.
He said Mr Revillame was a creation of an industry that had lost its moral compass as networks fought an intense ratings war. -- AFP
News Update Philippine priest in ancient battle with 'demons'
Father Jose Francisco Syquia believes he is in the frontline of the battle between good and evil on earth. -- PHOTO: AFP
MANILA - A BLOOD-CURDLING scream echoes through the Roman Catholic chapel in Manila as Father Jose Francisco Syquia says a prayer of exorcism over a Satanic cult member believed to be possessed by the devil.
'It's very painful,' the woman cries in an unearthly voice, her body contorting in an attempt to break free from the tight grasp of Father Syquia's assistants. After a few minutes she falls silent, her limp body exhausted.
The case is among hundreds documented on video and kept by Father Syquia, who heads the Manila Archdiocese's Office of Exorcism - the only one that exists in the Catholic nation of 94 million people.
'She would have levitated had she not been restrained,' Father Syquia said of the woman in the video, portions of which were shown to AFP during a rare interview at his office in the basement of a seminary in Manila. Father Syquia believes he is in the frontline of the battle between good and evil on earth.
'There is a great dramatic increase of possessions right now,' said the 44-year-old priest. 'More and more the demons are gaining a foothold into this society.' While non-believers often joke about the devil, and demonic possessions are trivialised by Hollywood, Father Syquia insisted the torment suffered by those he had healed was real.
'I have seen scratches suddenly appearing on their skin, of inverted crosses on the forehead. These persons would be conscious at the time, and they tell me its like razor cutting from the inside of the skin,' he said. -- AFP
DID YOU KNOW THAT ? Philippine soldiers made headlines around the world
After a group of mutinous Philippine soldiers made headlines around the world last month by taking over a shopping complex and lacing it with explosives, most American newspapers were content to report that the soldiers were protesting corruption in the government and the military. But an outrageous and troubling allegation -- that the government has deliberately bombed its people to extract more military aid for the war on terror -- has gone largely unexamined in our papers.
The situation is murky. Naomi Klein, in a rare attempt to explore the murk, examines the claims of the mutineers in The Nation , and offers a few a guesses about what the truth might be:
"In the six months since, while all eyes have been on Iraq, there has been a spike in terrorist bombings in [the southern island of] Mindanao. Now, post-mutiny, the question is: Who did it? The government blames the Moro Islamic Liberation Front [MILF]. The mutinous soldiers point the finger back at the military and the government, claiming that by inflating the terrorist threat, they are rebuilding the justification for more U.S. aid and intervention."
The mutineers, who are sent out to fight in the name of the war on terror, allege that the MILF rebels are supplied with arms by the Philippine military itself. The government is also helping convicted terrorists escape, says Lt. Antonio Trillanes, the mutiny's leader. That could explain the escape of Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi from a Manila prison last month. According to Klein, locals say Al-Ghozi -- an Indonesian terrorist connected to MILF and the Marriott bombing in Jakarta -- could not have escaped without help from authorities.
So is the Bush administration being taken for a ride by a government that is fueling terror to reap the benefits of being an ally in the war on terrorism? It's a question too few reporters are asking. The Economist reports that Muslim separatist guerrillas have acknowledged that they buy weapons from the armed forces. But the picture is complicated and politicized, The Economist notes:
The idea that [President] Arroyo plans to declare martial law so that she can remain in office is tortuous. She would have a reasonable chance of winning the next presidential election, which is due next year. But Mrs. Arroyo has said she has no wish to run. The notion that opposition politicians instigated the rebellion is based on shaky evidence. Still, the mutineers had expensive radios that were not military issue, suggesting that the rebellion may have been financed by outsiders.
...
Filipinos, beset by conspiracy theories, are in danger of overlooking one obvious explanation of the mutiny: that young, idealistic but immature officers, upset by shortcomings in the institution they serve, decided simply to protest in a manner that they calculated, correctly, would get the attention of the nation.
But the mutiny story could be tied to a story even more scandalous. Is the U.S. government playing a role in this dangerous game involving the Moro rebels and the Philippine military?
In a fascinating three-part story, the island's newspaper, MindaNews, investigates the story of Michael Meiring, an American who was nearly killed when explosives he owned went off in his hotel room in Manila. Some in the country have accused him of being a CIA agent who assisted terrorists in order to justify a U.S. military deployment or the establishment of a military base in the archipelago.
Klein recaps:
"These suspicions stem from a bizarre incident on May 16, 2002, in Davao. Michael Meiring, a US citizen, allegedly detonated explosives in his hotel room, injuring himself badly. While recovering in the hospital, Meiring was whisked away by two men, who witnesses say identified themselves as FBI agents, and flown to the United States. Local officials have demanded that Meiring return to face charges, to little effect. BusinessWorld, a leading Philippine newspaper, has published articles openly accusing Meiring of being a CIA agent involved in covert operations to justify the stationing of American troops and bases in Mindanao.'"
Now surely that is newsworthy for Americans? Sadly, no. A search in a database of American newspapers for "Michael Meiring" returns only one result -- Klein's article, published in a British newspaper.
The situation is murky. Naomi Klein, in a rare attempt to explore the murk, examines the claims of the mutineers in The Nation , and offers a few a guesses about what the truth might be:
"In the six months since, while all eyes have been on Iraq, there has been a spike in terrorist bombings in [the southern island of] Mindanao. Now, post-mutiny, the question is: Who did it? The government blames the Moro Islamic Liberation Front [MILF]. The mutinous soldiers point the finger back at the military and the government, claiming that by inflating the terrorist threat, they are rebuilding the justification for more U.S. aid and intervention."
The mutineers, who are sent out to fight in the name of the war on terror, allege that the MILF rebels are supplied with arms by the Philippine military itself. The government is also helping convicted terrorists escape, says Lt. Antonio Trillanes, the mutiny's leader. That could explain the escape of Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi from a Manila prison last month. According to Klein, locals say Al-Ghozi -- an Indonesian terrorist connected to MILF and the Marriott bombing in Jakarta -- could not have escaped without help from authorities.
So is the Bush administration being taken for a ride by a government that is fueling terror to reap the benefits of being an ally in the war on terrorism? It's a question too few reporters are asking. The Economist reports that Muslim separatist guerrillas have acknowledged that they buy weapons from the armed forces. But the picture is complicated and politicized, The Economist notes:
The idea that [President] Arroyo plans to declare martial law so that she can remain in office is tortuous. She would have a reasonable chance of winning the next presidential election, which is due next year. But Mrs. Arroyo has said she has no wish to run. The notion that opposition politicians instigated the rebellion is based on shaky evidence. Still, the mutineers had expensive radios that were not military issue, suggesting that the rebellion may have been financed by outsiders.
...
Filipinos, beset by conspiracy theories, are in danger of overlooking one obvious explanation of the mutiny: that young, idealistic but immature officers, upset by shortcomings in the institution they serve, decided simply to protest in a manner that they calculated, correctly, would get the attention of the nation.
But the mutiny story could be tied to a story even more scandalous. Is the U.S. government playing a role in this dangerous game involving the Moro rebels and the Philippine military?
In a fascinating three-part story, the island's newspaper, MindaNews, investigates the story of Michael Meiring, an American who was nearly killed when explosives he owned went off in his hotel room in Manila. Some in the country have accused him of being a CIA agent who assisted terrorists in order to justify a U.S. military deployment or the establishment of a military base in the archipelago.
Klein recaps:
"These suspicions stem from a bizarre incident on May 16, 2002, in Davao. Michael Meiring, a US citizen, allegedly detonated explosives in his hotel room, injuring himself badly. While recovering in the hospital, Meiring was whisked away by two men, who witnesses say identified themselves as FBI agents, and flown to the United States. Local officials have demanded that Meiring return to face charges, to little effect. BusinessWorld, a leading Philippine newspaper, has published articles openly accusing Meiring of being a CIA agent involved in covert operations to justify the stationing of American troops and bases in Mindanao.'"
Now surely that is newsworthy for Americans? Sadly, no. A search in a database of American newspapers for "Michael Meiring" returns only one result -- Klein's article, published in a British newspaper.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
News Update Philippine army arrests bomb suspect with JI links
MANILA - A SUSPECTED militant believed to be a liaison between Muslim rebels and a Southeast Asian terrorist network was arrested in the restive southern Philippines, officials said on Wednesday.
Security forces apprehended Abi Pamanay in the central part of Mindanao Island on Tuesday based on an arrest warrant for murder in connection with bombing attacks, said Philippine army chief Lt. Gen. Arturo Ortiz.
Mr Ortiz accused Pamanay of being a member of the largest Muslim separatist group and a 'senior associate' of notorious bomb-maker Abdul Basit Usman, who has been on the run for his alleged links with the Indonesian-based terrorist network Jemaah Islamiah (JI) and the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, both blamed for a series of deadly attacks across the region.
Pamanay was being interrogated after his arrest in Isulan town in Sultan Kudarat province, Mr Ortiz said. Other officials were quoted as saying he did not resist arrest and had denied the charges against him.
Usman is a Filipino on the US State Department's list of most-wanted terrorists who carries a US$1 million (S$1.2 million) bounty.
Pakistani military intelligence officers last year claimed that Usman was killed with other militants in a US drone strike in Pakistani tribal regions, but a Philippine military official later denied it, saying that Usman had been sighted near southern Maguindanao province. -- AP
News Update McDonald's pulls Philippine ad amid church anger
US fast-food chain McDonald's said on Wednesday it had scrapped a television commercial in the devoutly Catholic Philippines after facing a barrage of criticism from church leaders. -- PHOTO: AFP
MANILA - US FAST-FOOD chain McDonald's said on Wednesday it had scrapped a television commercial in the devoutly Catholic Philippines after facing a barrage of criticism from church leaders.
'We recognise and respect the stand of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and have stopped airing the said commercial across all television stations,' McDonald's said in a statement.
In the commercial, a girl who looks to be only five or six years old asks a boy of the same age if she can be his girlfriend. The boy curtly rejects her, complaining that girlfriends are too demanding.
But after the girl says all she wants are some french fries from McDonald's, the boy's face lights up and the commercial finishes with the pair walking side by side, almost holding hands.
Catholic church leaders had called for the commercial to be pulled, complaining it sent the wrong message to children.
Bishop Deogracias Yniguez, a senior member of the Catholic Bishops Conference, said concerns had centred on having very young children doing such an adult-themed commercial. -- AFP
News Update Ford Philippines suspends operations
MANILA, April 13, 2011 (AFP) - The Philippine subsidiary of Ford Motors said Wednesday it would go through a month-long shutdown due to an expected shortage of parts caused by the earthquake disaster in Japan.
The shutdown began on Monday and will last until May 9, Ford Motors Philippines said, although it added the interruption would not have a serious impact on the company's corporate results.
"Starting this week, we are pulling ahead 18 previously scheduled down days at our manufacturing facility in the Philippines as a precautionary move to ensure we have parts availability going forward," the company statement said.
"Our inventories are adequate to support consumer demand at this point."
The 18 "down days" cover official working days over the four-week period, during which there are Easter holidays.
Ford, which employs about 700 people in the Philippines, manufactures automobiles and sports utility vehicles for the local and regional market.
The devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami forced Japan's leading automakers to close factories at home.
The shutdown began on Monday and will last until May 9, Ford Motors Philippines said, although it added the interruption would not have a serious impact on the company's corporate results.
"Starting this week, we are pulling ahead 18 previously scheduled down days at our manufacturing facility in the Philippines as a precautionary move to ensure we have parts availability going forward," the company statement said.
"Our inventories are adequate to support consumer demand at this point."
The 18 "down days" cover official working days over the four-week period, during which there are Easter holidays.
Ford, which employs about 700 people in the Philippines, manufactures automobiles and sports utility vehicles for the local and regional market.
The devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami forced Japan's leading automakers to close factories at home.
News Update Rebels vow to end hostilities with conditions
THE National Democratic Front (NDF) on Tuesday vowed to end hostilities if the roots of armed conflict are addressed by President Benigno Aquino III.
Fidel V. Agcaoili, spokesperson of NDF negotiating panel, said their organization's 10-Point Concise Agreement Proposal is a deal to end civil war and attain an immediate just peace for the nation, be in the incumbent regime or the new generation.
"This is a substantive agenda. Ito po ay end of hostilities and end of disposition of forces, kasi para po sa NDF, mahirap magkaroon ng ganito na ceasefire o walang putukan hanggat hindi na i-address ang roots ng armed conflicts. Kasi para lang pong sinabi, bitawan nyo mga armas nyo upang mapanatili itong mapanupil at hirap na lipunan," Agcaoili said during Tuesday's forum on the updates and prospects of peace talks between the Philippine Government and NDF.
"Ganito yan. Ang NDF po ay handang pumasok sa isang truce and alliance with the Aquino administration, if this regime agrees to sign the ten point concise agreement for a just and immediate peace," Agcaoili said.
Fidel V. Agcaoili, spokesperson of NDF negotiating panel, said their organization's 10-Point Concise Agreement Proposal is a deal to end civil war and attain an immediate just peace for the nation, be in the incumbent regime or the new generation.
"This is a substantive agenda. Ito po ay end of hostilities and end of disposition of forces, kasi para po sa NDF, mahirap magkaroon ng ganito na ceasefire o walang putukan hanggat hindi na i-address ang roots ng armed conflicts. Kasi para lang pong sinabi, bitawan nyo mga armas nyo upang mapanatili itong mapanupil at hirap na lipunan," Agcaoili said during Tuesday's forum on the updates and prospects of peace talks between the Philippine Government and NDF.
"Ganito yan. Ang NDF po ay handang pumasok sa isang truce and alliance with the Aquino administration, if this regime agrees to sign the ten point concise agreement for a just and immediate peace," Agcaoili said.
DID YOU KNOW THAT ? RICE TERRACES - NORTHERN Philippine
In Luzon Province of the Northern Philippines, through mountains and rice terraces, the road ends at a church, in a small town called Banaue. 4,000 feet above sea level in Banaue sits a small market village in Ifugao province. Located north of Manila in the Philippines, Ifugao province is famous for the handiwork of its people, who increased cultivable lands by carving gigantic rice terraces from the sides of mountains. For over 2,000 years, the people of Batad have built these terraces, one stone at a time.
News Update Proposed law seeks more benefits for DOST scholars
By Alexander Villafania, loQal.ph
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA – House Bill 3676 seeks additional benefits for scholars chosen by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
The bill, authored by Agham Party-list Angelo Palmones, pushes for the continued implementation of Republic Act 7687 or the Science Scholarship Act of 1994.
It also seeks to provide additional budgetary allocation for science and technology (S&T) scholarships through augmentation from the net annual income of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).
Palmones added that the budget allocation be pegged to inflation rates, which has both direct and indirect effects on the cost of education.
Currently, DOST scholars get tuition subsidy of up to P6,000 per semester, book allowance of up to P5,000 every year, and monthly stipends ranging from around P1,000 to P4,000.
Every year, several thousand students are able to pass the DOST scholarship exams. However, Palmones said that the Philippines still lags behind in trained personnel in S&T compared to other countries.
He stressed that there are only 165 trained S&T professionals per one million in the Philippines, which is below the 380 per one million recommended by the United Nations Education, Science, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to have a stable S&T pool.
Palmones has been pushing for more S&T scholars in the Philippines, citing that the number of S&T professionals is commensurate with the economic level of a country.
He said that for the Philippines to improve its economy as well as global competitiveness, more must be done to develop the S&T professional pool.
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA – House Bill 3676 seeks additional benefits for scholars chosen by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
The bill, authored by Agham Party-list Angelo Palmones, pushes for the continued implementation of Republic Act 7687 or the Science Scholarship Act of 1994.
It also seeks to provide additional budgetary allocation for science and technology (S&T) scholarships through augmentation from the net annual income of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).
Palmones added that the budget allocation be pegged to inflation rates, which has both direct and indirect effects on the cost of education.
Currently, DOST scholars get tuition subsidy of up to P6,000 per semester, book allowance of up to P5,000 every year, and monthly stipends ranging from around P1,000 to P4,000.
Every year, several thousand students are able to pass the DOST scholarship exams. However, Palmones said that the Philippines still lags behind in trained personnel in S&T compared to other countries.
He stressed that there are only 165 trained S&T professionals per one million in the Philippines, which is below the 380 per one million recommended by the United Nations Education, Science, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to have a stable S&T pool.
Palmones has been pushing for more S&T scholars in the Philippines, citing that the number of S&T professionals is commensurate with the economic level of a country.
He said that for the Philippines to improve its economy as well as global competitiveness, more must be done to develop the S&T professional pool.
News Update Preventing TB among Filipino children
By KC Santos, loQal.ph
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA – Unknown to many Filipinos, tuberculosis or TB also affects children.
The Department of Health (DoH) is intensifying its campaign against TB by also raising awareness and prevention of the disease on children.
TB is the sixth leading cause of death in the country, killing 98 Filipinos each day. In the watch list of the World Health Organization, the Philippines ranks ninth among 22 countries burdened with this disease.
The Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis (PhilCAT) recently gathered parents and their children at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Hospital for an interactive briefing.
It was part of Health department's Philippine Plan of Action to Control Tuberculosis 2010 to 2016 that aims to prevent and reduce cases of TB among chikdren.
The World Vision Development Foundation Inc. (WVDFI) and Holistic Community Development and Initiatives Inc.,(HCDI) is also deploying personnel in various communities to conduct similar briefings on TB.
According to PhilCat chair Dr. Vincent Balanag, Jr., the problem with TB cases among children is the fact that its diagnosis is not fully incorporated with the National Tuberculosis Program of the DoH, resulting to a limited coverage for TB prevention and patient treatment.
Apart from limited resources, knowledge of the guidelines for detecting the presence of TB among children is still limited.
Balanag said that in diagnosis of TB in children, the bacteriological sputum test - the most accessible and commonly used for detecting TB in adults - does not guarantee a TB negative patient. In fact, sputum negative patients can still harbor the infectious disease.
Presently, the DoH and other pediatric societies rely on clinical presentation, X-rays, tuberculin skin tests and the newest diagnostic method called Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for diagnosis of young patients.
Balanag adds that unlike the previous diagnostic methods that produce results from 24 hours to 6 to 8 weeks, the PCR produces the result in just two hours, which enables the doctors to counter the disease at its early stages and prevent it from being spread.
The only drawback with this new method is the price. The PCR test alone costs P10,000 and the diagnosis kits have to be housed in laboratories when ideally it should be spread across regions.
In urban poor areas of Tondo and Quezon City, slight improvements in services have been implemented with the help of the Research Institute of Tuberculosis and the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association (RIT-JATA).
The current BCG vaccination which should be administered to infants don't have long-term efficacy therefore parents should make themselves aware of the symptoms of TB as this manifests differently and indirectly with children.
“Filipinos should recognize that TB affects all ages especially children. In fact, children are considered the high risk group,” Balanag said.
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA – Unknown to many Filipinos, tuberculosis or TB also affects children.
The Department of Health (DoH) is intensifying its campaign against TB by also raising awareness and prevention of the disease on children.
TB is the sixth leading cause of death in the country, killing 98 Filipinos each day. In the watch list of the World Health Organization, the Philippines ranks ninth among 22 countries burdened with this disease.
The Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis (PhilCAT) recently gathered parents and their children at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Hospital for an interactive briefing.
It was part of Health department's Philippine Plan of Action to Control Tuberculosis 2010 to 2016 that aims to prevent and reduce cases of TB among chikdren.
The World Vision Development Foundation Inc. (WVDFI) and Holistic Community Development and Initiatives Inc.,(HCDI) is also deploying personnel in various communities to conduct similar briefings on TB.
According to PhilCat chair Dr. Vincent Balanag, Jr., the problem with TB cases among children is the fact that its diagnosis is not fully incorporated with the National Tuberculosis Program of the DoH, resulting to a limited coverage for TB prevention and patient treatment.
Apart from limited resources, knowledge of the guidelines for detecting the presence of TB among children is still limited.
Balanag said that in diagnosis of TB in children, the bacteriological sputum test - the most accessible and commonly used for detecting TB in adults - does not guarantee a TB negative patient. In fact, sputum negative patients can still harbor the infectious disease.
Presently, the DoH and other pediatric societies rely on clinical presentation, X-rays, tuberculin skin tests and the newest diagnostic method called Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for diagnosis of young patients.
Balanag adds that unlike the previous diagnostic methods that produce results from 24 hours to 6 to 8 weeks, the PCR produces the result in just two hours, which enables the doctors to counter the disease at its early stages and prevent it from being spread.
The only drawback with this new method is the price. The PCR test alone costs P10,000 and the diagnosis kits have to be housed in laboratories when ideally it should be spread across regions.
In urban poor areas of Tondo and Quezon City, slight improvements in services have been implemented with the help of the Research Institute of Tuberculosis and the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association (RIT-JATA).
The current BCG vaccination which should be administered to infants don't have long-term efficacy therefore parents should make themselves aware of the symptoms of TB as this manifests differently and indirectly with children.
“Filipinos should recognize that TB affects all ages especially children. In fact, children are considered the high risk group,” Balanag said.
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