acerojano

Chinese ships leave Paracel Islands after landing drills

News

Jan 232014

Chinese ships leave Paracel Islands after landing drills

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 6:26 pm | Thursday, January 23rd, 2014 MANILA, Philippines – A fleet of three Chinese ships, one of which has an “advanced weapons system,” has completed patrols and landing exercises in the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea Wednesday, Chinese state media reported. “The three-ship flotilla, consisting of amphibious landing craft Changbaishan and destroyers Wuhan and Haikou, left from a military port in south China’s Hainan Province on Monday,” Xinhua news agency reported Wednesday. “The flotilla undertook a ‘three-dimensional’ patrol of several islets, using surface vessels, hovercraft and shipboard helicopters. Marines with the flotilla conducted a 20-minute landing training on Wednesday,” it said. The ship Changbaishan was described as China’s largest landing ship and has an “advanced weapon system.” The fleet also has three helicopters and one company of Marines onboard, the report said. Disputed islands Paracel Islands is a group of island in the South China Sea that is the subject of a dispute between China and Vietnam. China calls it Xisha Islands while Vietnam calls it Hoang Sa Islands. In 1974, a military engagement between Chinese and Vietnamese troops left at least 50 from the Vietnamese side and 18 from the Chinese side dead. One Vietnamese ship was sunk while a total of seven ships were damaged. China won the battle and have controlled and occupied Paracel Islands ever since. Sansha city was established July 2012 to administer over the The islands are covered under the recently implemented fisheries regulations of Hainan province that Read More …

OFWs join ‘Walk 4 Freedom’ in US

News

Jan 122014

LA rally exposes “modern day slaves” in US PHOTO by Benny Uy LOS ANGELES – Former caregiver Angela Guanzon, 36, recalled her two-year nightmare at an elderly care facility in Long Beach, California, where she worked in slave-like conditions. “I worked 18 hours a day, with very little pay, and slept on the floor,” said Guanzon, one of the Filipino victims of labor trafficking who joined the two-mile “Walk 4 Freedom” in Los Angeles yesterday (Sunday in Manila). “I was threatened when I complained and when I tried to escape.” Holding a placard that said, “Human Trafficking: Don’t Let It Happen to You,” Guanzon urged other victims to come out of the shadows and get help. “Many of the victims, especially my fellow Filipinos, are ashamed or afraid to come out and tell their story,” said the Bacolod native, who was rescued by the FBI in 2008. She is now a survivor-organizer for the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST), a nonprofit organization that provided Guanzon with shelter and legal assistance. Angela Guanzon, a victim of unscrupulous labor recruiters PHOTO by Benny Uy Guanzon was one of about 40 Filipino “modern day slaves” helped by CAST in the Greater Los Angeles Area alone. Most of them were victims of unscrupulous labor recruiters “who prey on those who seek a better life in the US,” CAST Executive Director Kay Buck told the Inquirer. “Not only do they end up being enslaved but also in debt bondage,” she said. “This human Read More …

Keeping alive the stories of Yolanda in the Bay Area

News

Dec 252013

Keeping alive the stories of Yolanda in the Bay Area

PHOTO/Tigra Bantayan Back to Sea project It’s been nearly two months since Yolanda. But the stories and images from the tragedy remain fresh in the Bay Area. Rick Rocamora is among those keeping them alive. He has snapped pictures of rebellions, poverty, ethnic conflicts from the Philippines to South Africa to El Salvador. He was opening an exhibit at U.P. Diliman when Yolanda struck. PHOTO/Rick Rocamora That led to a drastic change in plans — and one of the toughest assignments in his career as a documentary photographer. Through a snap, unexpected assignment from the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, he came face to face with one of the biggest catastrophes in recent history. “There were times when I myself was overwhelmed by emotions and have to slow down,” he told me. “It was not an easy task when you know that the survivors are your own people and their rehabilitation is a monumental task.” Rick’s images from the Yolanda tragedy are part of the ongoing exhibit titled “Displaced,” at the Exposure Gallery at 801 Howard in San Francisco until February 18. PHOTO/Tigra Bantayan Back to Sea project Rick’s photographs will also be part of an exhibit sponsored by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees at the Philippine Senate to be launched at the opening day of the 17th Congress. “To understand the impact of the devastation, I need not only pick and choose the image and compose it appropriately but I also needed to be a good Read More …

A wish for 2014

News

Dec 252013

Christmas is the celebration of God coming into the world as a man. The man Jesus Christ who is God proclaimed to us the good news – that God is a loving God who loves us. Jesus also taught us how to live: Love God above everything else; Love your neighbor as yourself. And for our sins to be forgiven, He suffered and died for us. For those who believe in Jesus Christ, His message, teachings, sacrifice and His entire life itself – are all manifestations of God’s love. Christ’s promise to us of a place of eternal bliss after our lives in this world of tears – is truly reason for constant celebration and joy. For those who make Jesus Christ the Center of their lives, connect Him to every facet of their existence – how they live and how they die – their lives bear much fruit not only for themselves but also for others. And even if faced with the worst of situations, their faith in God’s love and mercy keeps them from crumbling. It is a part of God’s love that the start of the new year comes exactly a week after we celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. A new year symbolically and in actuality can mean a new beginning as well as the ending of certain aspects of our lives. Making a list of resolutions for the new year is a good idea. Whether it’s a resolution connected to improving one’s situation – financial, Read More …

PMA-Hawaii gears up for mission to Yolanda victims

News

Dec 122013

PMA-Hawaii gears up for mission to Yolanda victims

The Philippine Medical Association of Hawaii (PMAH) is gearing up for a medical and humanitarian mission to the typhoon-devastated Visayan region of the Philippines from December 13-23. A total of 40 volunteers will join the mission, including 20 physicians, medical and physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, medical students and other paramedical personnel. Every volunteer will pay for his or her own travel, lodging, food and other expenses. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO “This is the first mission from Hawaii to help the Typhoon Yolanda survivors,” says mission chair Dr. Sonido, who has been involved in at least 20 missions of mercy over the past 30 years as a volunteer physician. He will be assisted by co-chair Dr. Russell Kelly, who is the current president of the Ohana Medical Missions—the missionary arm of the PMAH. The team will be based in Cebu but plans to go to areas most devastated by the typhoon. Organizers are expecting to serve up to 25,000 Yolanda survivors over a five-day period. Mission volunteers will bring over $500,000 worth of medications and supplies such as EKG machines, stethoscopes, and blood pressure and blood sugar monitors. Most of the items were donated by physicians, pharmaceutical companies, local drug stores and mainland medical companies. Mission co-chair Dr. Kelly says volunteers are anticipating a very challenging mission. “We expect horrible conditions in the Visayas because it is in a state of emergency and people are expecting a lot of help,” he says. “We are planning to deliver aid to as many survivors as Read More …

Medical aid worth $1.5 M airlifted to Yolanda victims

News

Dec 122013

Medical aid worth $1.5 M airlifted to Yolanda victims

Logistics giant UPS, the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), the ABS-CBN Foundation, the Harmony for Peace Foundation, Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) and other community groups recently joined hands to provide critical medical supplies to victims of hurricane Haiyan (typhoon Yolanda). New York Consul General Mario P. De Leon, Jr. and Deputy ConGen Zaldy Patron extolled the business-nonprofit partnership on November 26 at the CMMB Distribution Center in Long Island City as $1.5 million worth of antibiotics, anti-diarrheal and wound care products, gloves, face masks, bandages, splints, saline solutions and other hospital supplies were loaded onto a UPS truck for air transport via UPS. In a joint statement by Ramon Villongco, Chairman of the Suffolk County Asian American Advisory Board and overall project facilitator, and PIDCI President Fe Martinez, the shipment “was the first time that critical humanitarian aid of this scale was airlifted to the Philippines instead of being sent as ocean cargo, which takes much longer in transit while victims’ survival hangs in the balance.” Witnessing the CMMB-UPS medical airlift, from left: Ramon Villongco, Suffolk County Asian American Advisory Board; Libby Carroll, Office of the Nassau County Executive; Deputy ConGen Zaldy Patron; Fe Martinez, PIDCI President; Consul General Mario De Leon, Jr.; Chris Peck, UPS HR Vice President; Johnny Rustia, AARP Asian Community Ambassador; Darnelle Bernier, CMMB Director; Marlon Nufable, MCN Global CEO; and Tomoko Torii, the Harmony for Peace Foundation’s Executive Director. United Parcel Service Regional Representatives Chris Peck, UPS Vice President of Human Resources and Read More …

Ways to help and criticize (fine points of the blame game)

News

Nov 172013

Ways to help and criticize (fine points of the blame game)

We all want to help. Many of us have done that by donating to major relief organizations. For those of us overseas, there are other ways, smaller, more focused, more personal. Social media makes this possible now. In my case, a Facebook message led to one path. My friend Jane Po was asking if I knew of Bay Area relief organizations. That exchange led to a plan to take on specific needs in this crisis. And we decided to focus on one: water, safe drinking water. Villagers stranded by last week’s Typhoon Yolanda scramble for aid from a US Navy Sea Hawk helicopter from the U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington in the coastal town of Tanawan, central Philippines Sunday, Nov. 17. 2013. Jane’s sister, Jette Po-Major, is directly involved in the relief effort who was, in fact, helping organize a medical team from San Francisco. She told us, “All water purification tabs, ubos na.” So we reached out to friends on Facebook to help address that need. It was a fairly simple plan: We asked for 50 friends willing to make a one-time donation of $50. It turned out to be a far too modest goal. More than fifty were willing to pitch in. In just 14 hours we raised enough money to send three big boxes of water purification tablets (called Aquatabs). We’ve gotten so much support that we will be sending more boxes next week. This is an emotional time even for those of us far away Read More …

US military ‘godsend’ to ‘Yolanda’ victims

News

Nov 172013

US military ‘godsend’ to ‘Yolanda’ victims

Residents protect themselves from strong wind created by a US Navy Sea Hawk helicopter from the US aircraft carrier USS George Washington as it takes off upon dropping relief supplies for villagers isolated by last week’s super typhoon Yolanda Saturday Nov.16, 2013 on Manicani island, Eastern Samar. AP ABOARD THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON — As soon as Navy pilot Matthew Stafford puts his helicopter down in the village of Borongan, he is rushed by dozens of local men who form a line to unload the supplies he has flown in from the USS George Washington aircraft carrier. On the Philippine islands of Leyte and Samar that were shattered by Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan), there is no doubt about it: the US military has been a godsend. “It is awesome to see this,” says one grateful villager. “They are saving us.” Villagers stranded by last week’s Typhoon Yolanda scramble for aid from a US Navy Sea Hawk helicopter from the U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington in the coastal town of Tanawan, central Philippines Sunday, Nov. 17. 2013. But while US military support can be critical when disasters like Yolanda strike, staging massive humanitarian relief missions for allies in need isn’t just about being a good neighbor. They can be a strategic and publicity goldmine for US troops whose presence in Asia isn’t always portrayed in such a favorable light — and a powerful warning to countries that aren’t on board. This aerial photo shows the devastation caused by last Read More …

If only Aquino had said this …

News

Oct 312013

It could perhaps be described as President Aquino’s Nixon moment. Did President Benigno Aquino III’s communications team not realize that? “I’m not a crook,” Richard Nixon declared in the ’70s as he rejected allegations related to the Watergate scandal. President Benigno Aquino III delivers his speech on national television at Malacanang on Wednesday Oct. 30, 2013. Aquino said officials implicated in a corruption scandal involving the pocketing of huge development funds were muddling the issue to confuse the public instead of addressing the allegations against them. AP PHOTO Now comes Aquino proclaiming: “I am not a thief.” As I’ve noted in the past, many Filipinos still believe he is sincere in his desire to eradicate corruption in government. Until recently, they had reason to be hopeful. But the Napoles fiasco and the other scandals that followed have simply overwhelmed Team PNoy (Aquino). They were silent, then they became defensive. Then they started throwing a fit. PNoy’s speech underscored this. “The issue here is theft. I am not a thief,” he said. But it isn’t just about theft. It’s about a system that has made theft by trapos, by the country’s elites, so easy to pull off. So easy. But PNoy unfortunately gives the impression that he doesn’t get it — that he only recently discovered the brazen corruption that’s been part of the Philippine politics for generations. “We were stolen from, we were deceived—and now we are the ones being asked to explain?” he said. “I have pursued truth and Read More …

Noli Me Tangere in Manhattan

News

Oct 142013

NEW YORK—Last year, Noli Me Tangere, the opera, was staged in Chicago. I heard about it and wanted to see it but couldn’t and wished that it would be staged here as well. Fortunately like-minded New York-based Filipinos had the same idea. And so it was that over a recent weekend this month, the Foundation for Filipino Artists, in celebration of its 25th anniversary, presented it at the Kaye Playhouse that is part of Hunter College (where I teach, coincidentally). The foundation, headed by its founder Aida Bartolome, partnered with a committee to raise funds, whose chair was Loida Nicolas Lewis. As the latter pointed out in a speech welcoming the audience to the last performance, New York hadto have its own production. In 1888, it was the culmination of his transcontinental train journey begun in San Francisco. He stayed for three days before boarding a passenger ship to Liverpool. A scene of the party at Don Santiago’s Binondo home, welcoming Ibarra back. Photo/Project Fury13 Working to stage this opera was a creative team made up of gifted veteran professionals, from the artistic director and composer/conductor Michael Dadap and dancer/choreographer Kristin Jackson, from set and costume designer Jerry Sibal to the singers, all of whom have had considerable experience and success in regional venues in the US and in Europe. Sal Malaki, for instance, singing the role of Ibarra, is with the Los Angeles Opera; Antoni Mendezona (Maria Clara) has sung to critical acclaim in New York; and Andrew Fernando Read More …

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