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OFW’s death in Malaysia ‘suspicious’; Owwa unaware

News

Aug 162014

OFW’s death in Malaysia ‘suspicious’; Owwa unaware

ABUYOG, Leyte, Philippines—Almost two years ago, single mother Remedios Rias Bacoto left this town for a two-year work contract in Malaysia, pursuing a dream of a better life for herself and her only child. Last week, the 35-year-old domestic worker came home in a coffin, her death shrouded in mystery and suspicions of foul play. “She was bludgeoned to death. Who killed her and why?” asked Jeanie Bacoto, 34, the slain woman’s younger sister. “Our family was looking forward to her coming home. Instead we are preparing for her funeral.” Claiming foul play and an official cover-up, Bacoto’s family is demanding answers from both Malaysian and Philippine authorities on Bacoto’s death. According to the official autopsy report issued on Aug. 1 by Dr. Siew Sheue Feng of the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Bacoto died of a “head injury due to blunt force trauma.” The findings were confirmed by a second autopsy conducted by medicolegal examiner Dr. John C. Ilao when Bacoto’s body arrived here on Aug. 7. Grisly remains “Her head was smashed to a pulp. They said she was killed defending the house in a robbery. But Malaysian police had no evidence of forced entry into the house,” said the younger Bacoto, who saw her sister’s remains during the autopsy. Bacoto quoted Harry Chan, a nephew of her sister’s employer in Kuala Lumpur (KL), as saying that “Remy died securing the house.” Chan told them the tragic news over the phone on Aug. 1. It was all the information Chan Read More …

EU gives P1.8B for PH health services

News

Aug 162014

By Department of Health, DoH, European Union, Health Services |Philippine Daily Inquirer 5:53 am | Sunday, August 17th, 2014 MANILA, Philippines—The European Union has extended a grant of 30-million euros, or around P1.8 billion, to the Philippines to help the government push for initiatives that would improve the health sector, according to the Department of Health (DOH). The DOH said that under the agreement, 20.5-million euros, or roughly P1.2 billion, would go directly to the National Treasury while the rest of the grant would be used to fund various technical assistance and capacity-building programs to boost its health delivery systems. “The DOH has continually aspired to strengthen national and local health systems by rationalizing and improving the quality of health services and ensuring better access to these services by Filipinos, especially the poor and the disadvantaged,” Health Secretary Enrique Ona said in a statement. “The partnership of the Philippines and the EU provides the much needed boost to further the health sector reforms towards the achievement of universal health care for Filipinos,” added Ona. The latest agreement brings to three the number of EU-funded programs supporting the Philippine Health Sector Reform Agenda, which was launched in 2005 to speed up the implementation of critical health interventions. Under the Aquino administration, the government launched the Aquino Health Agenda highlighting the Universal Health Care Strategy, which aims to provide health insurance coverage to all Filipinos and improve their access to quality hospital and health care facilities. The new deal between the Philippines Read More …

Up and away: Dream a wish come true for ailing teener

General

Aug 162014

Up and away: Dream a wish come true for ailing teener

NO TURBULENCE For a 45-minute “flight” from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Jake Adonis Sebial sits at the cockpit of an Airbus flight simulator with veteran AirAsia pilot Lee Seong Thiang. PHOTO COURTESY OF AIRASIA The “Big C” must be the most serious disturbance in Cebuano teenager Jake Adonis Sebial’s turbulent life. The same disease, however, paved the way for the fulfillment of his dream of becoming a pilot, even for just 45 minutes of his revitalized life. Last Wednesday afternoon, Jake experienced how it feels to fly a plane, through no less than a state-of-the-art Airbus A320 flight simulator at Asian Aviation Center of Excellence in Sepang, Malaysia, thanks to the generosity of AirAsia—the largest Asian low-cost carrier—as well as the help of nonprofit Make-A-Wish Foundation Philippines. Jake has always dreamed of occupying the pilot’s seat, his aunt Rubi told reporters. At one point, she related, the 18-year-old thought the dream would no longer materialize. In August last year, Jake was hospitalized after showing symptoms of dengue fever. A month later, however, he was diagnosed with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), a cancer affecting the blood and bone marrow. According to medical experts, AML progresses quickly and can lead to death within weeks or months if not immediately treated. But the disease did not stop Jake nor his family in Danao City from fighting for the young man’s life. That was not the first time Jake hung on for dear life. At the age of 7, he was electrocuted and lost Read More …

Last (?) plane out: 767 Filipinos escape from Libya

News

Aug 162014

Last (?) plane out: 767 Filipinos escape from Libya

HALFWAY HOUSE After a 28-hour boat ride, Filipinos fleeing from Libya wait for their flight to Manila at Malta International Airport. CHRISTINE AVENDAÑO MALTA INTERNATIONAL Airport—Stuffed toys, some random items like a guitar and an audio speaker, and laundry—these were all that they had when they got here after fleeing strife-torn Libya. They had no money. From Benghazi and Misrata, 767 Filipino migrant workers converged here on Saturday, children and luggage in tow to catch a flight to Manila—and safety, at least from getting caught in the crossfire between militias fiercely battling for control of the North African country. As for survival at home after Libya, that’s a different story. The Filipinos accepted their government’s offer of repatriation and they were evacuated to Malta by sea, the only way out of Libya after the closure of the international airport at the capital Tripoli and the border crossings to neighboring Tunisia and Egypt. The sea crossing on a Maltese ship chartered by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) took 28 hours and a 12-hour flight to Manila on two Philippine Airlines planes awaited the weary Filipinos here. It was the only evacuation that the government was undertaking for now, according to Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, because only a few hundred of the more than 13,000 Filipino workers in Libya were willing to leave their jobs there. More than 10,000 Filipino workers, at least 3,000 of them health-care professionals, have decided they have better chances of survival amid the fighting in Read More …

Pope asks youth: What are you willing to die for?

News

Aug 162014

Pope asks youth: What are you willing to die for?

LIKE A ROCK STAR Pope Francis (inset) on Saturday celebrates Mass at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, where he beatified 124 Koreans martyred in the 18th century. Crowd at the beatification Mass and rites tops a million, according to Korean media, a significant number where only 10 percent of South Korea’s population is Catholic. AFP SEOUL, South Korea—Pope Francis beatified 124 early Korean martyrs on Saturday at a Mass in Seoul and challenged the massive crowd to ask what values they might be willing to die for in an increasingly materialistic, globalized world. “They challenge us to think about what, if anything, we ourselves would be willing to die for,” the Pope said in his homily. “Their example has much to say to us who live in societies where, alongside immense wealth, dire poverty is silently growing; where the cry of the poor is seldom heeded,” he said. Hundreds of thousands of believers, most of them invited church groups from across South Korea, attended the open-air ceremony, held in hot, humid conditions in Gwanghwamun plaza, the city’s main ceremonial thoroughfare. Police declined to give an estimate of the crowd size, but local media reported it had topped 1 million. The number was significant given that Catholics represent only about 10 percent of South Korea’s 50 million people. The centerpiece of the Pope’s five-day visit, the beatification Mass, was the subject of a massive security operation, with bridges, roads and subway stations closed and police snipers posted on the roofs of Read More …

Jonathan Yabut: One year after the ‘Apprentice’

General

Aug 162014

Jonathan Yabut: One year after the ‘Apprentice’

THIS BS Economics graduate from the University of the Philippines temporarily left his work at GlaxoSmithKline to compete in Malaysia. A year after winning the toughest job interview on TV, Jonathan Yabut is still very much on “high” as he copes with his busy schedule, flying from one place to another, and living up to the expectations of his big boss. It was definitely a life changing experience for this 29-year-old marketing genius after emerging as the first winner of the “The Apprentice Asia.” Since he was a big fan of Donald Trump’s hit reality series (with franchises shown in the UK, Italy, Australia and New Zealand), Yabut tried his luck to be part of the show when auditions came to Manila. This BS Economics graduate from the University of the Philippines temporarily left his work at GlaxoSmithKline to compete in Malaysia when he was chosen as one of the 12 contenders. Lucrative contract During the show, Yabut bested other young professionals in several business tasks. He was finally “hired” by Tony Fernandes, the owner and CEO of AirAsia, who gave him a lucrative management contract to work in the company as the chief marketing officer. After the show, Yabut had to relocate and adapt to his new life in Kuala Lumpur. It was initially daunting and confusing for this Manila kid. At work, he had to run around like a headless chicken following Fernandes in all of his meetings. Fortunately, he got a “big break” when he led the Read More …

Stocks down on profit-taking

General

Aug 152014

Philippine Daily Inquirer 12:30 am | Saturday, August 16th, 2014 Filipino traders at Philippine Stock Exchange, Makati. AP FILE PHOTO The local stock index Friday slumped for the first time in four days but stayed above the 7,000-mark amid a slew of profit-taking. The Philippine Stock Exchange index shed 52.49 points, or 0.74 percent, to close at 7,008.51. Week-on-week, the index still advanced by 128.17 points, or 1.86 percent, due to the cumulative gains made in the last four days. All counters were in the red as the recent run-up to a 14-month-high drove many investors to trim and reassess their portfolios, dealers said. On Thursday, the index finished past the 7,000 mark for the first time this year as some large cap stocks like PLDT and Ayala Land Inc. benefited from increased weights in the closely tracked MSCI indices. Value turnover for the day amounted to P9 billion. Market breadth was negative, with 55 advancers against 120 decliners, while 49 stocks were unchanged. PLDT was unchanged after the MSCI-induced rally on Thursday, but it was still the most actively traded stock for the day. AGI fell by 3.35 percent after gaming arm Travellers’ first half profit attained only 38 percent of full-year market consensus. EDC (-2.28 percent), BPI (-2.58 percent) and Megaworld (-1.16 percent) also weighed down the index. Investors also pocketed gains from BDO, Metrobank, Bloomberry, SMIC, URC. Outside of index stocks, Puregold (-8.73 percent) and Cosco (-5.52 percent) were heavily battered due to disappointing second quarter results. Read More …

Lacson: ‘Yolanda’ like a superpower that bullied PH

News

Aug 142014

Lacson: ‘Yolanda’ like a superpower that bullied PH

In this aerial photo taken on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013, and released by the Philippine Air Force, a ferry boat is seen washed inland from a massive storm surge caused by Typhoon Haiyan, in the city of Tacloban, central Philippines. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Secretary Panfilo Lacson likened super typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) to a “world superpower” that is “bullying” any country it wants to, knowing “with certainty that she would not be challenged.” “To the extent that the Filipino people are being made to confront a mighty power sinister in purpose and so treacherously concealed in the dead of the night, densely fogged in false diplomacy if it were likened to an armed aggressor in the ancient times of the dynasties,” Lacson said Thursday in his speech delivered before a delegation from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). “Being one of the most powerful threats in the history of mankind and all nations in this part of the globe, the tempest of phenomenal proportions has had the luxury of being able to do more or less whatever she wants in arrogantly confronting any jurisdiction impressively weak and helpless along her path, maybe conscious and with certainty that she would not be challenged,” he said. Despite what could be construed as clear references to China, Lacson clarified that he was not referring to any country with his speech before the Asean High-Level Conference on Assistance for the Recovery of Yolanda-affected Areas. “For those of you who are more Read More …

Catapang: ‘China getting bolder’

News

Aug 142014

5-6 Chinese coast guard vessels seen patrolling disputed waters, says AFP Chief By Nestor Corrales |INQUIRER.net 5:59 pm | Thursday, August 14th, 2014 Chinese Coast Guard ships. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—”China is getting bolder and bolder.” That’s how Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Lieutenant General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. described China’s presence at the West Philippines Sea. Catapang on Thursday said at least five to six Chinese coast guard vessels were seen patrolling at the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea. “There are about 5 to 6. They are in Ayungin shoal and also in Scarborough shoal,” he told reporters after the turnover of assault rifles at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. Catapang said most of the vessels were spotted at the Scarborough shoal or at the Ayungin shoal. He mentioned that more Chinese coast guard vessels were seen patrolling in the disputed areas in the past. The military chief said he already submitted a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) regarding the incident. “It is already with the DFA,” he said, citing the AFP is just the “muscle” of the government in implementing directives on what actions to undertake at the West Philippine Sea. He said that the Chinese government were continuing their reclamation activities in the disputed islands ignoring the Philippines motion before the United Nations International Tribunal on the Laws of the Sea (ITLOS). The Philippines and China has been locked up in a long standing maritime dispute over the West Philippine Read More …

JG Summit’s net profit grew by 151% to P13B in 1st half of 2014

General

Aug 142014

JG Summit’s net profit grew by 151% to P13B in 1st half of 2014

By Doris C. Dumlao |Philippine Daily Inquirer 5:46 pm | Thursday, August 14th, 2014 SCREENGRAB from www.jgsummit.com.ph MANILA, Philippines—Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Inc. jacked up its first semester net profit by 151.3 percent year-on-year to P13 billion as extraordinary items added to the growth in core earnings. Of the six-month income, P8.12 billion was achieved in the second quarter due to some foreign exchange gains, recognition of equity earnings from its new investment in Manila Electric Co. and gain on sale of shares in online recruitment website JobStreet amounting to P1.45 billion. Excluding non-recurring items, JG Summit reported that core net income increased by 30.5 percent to P10.32 billion in the first semester. Cash flow as measured by earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rose by 31.1 percent to P24.33 billion in the first half compared to the level in the same period in 2013. Consolidated revenues grew by 17.1 percent to P88.53 billion. Equity earnings from associated companies and joint ventures increased by 323 percent year-on-year to P3.81 billion for the six-month period, primarily due to the equity earnings from Meralco amounting to P2.61 billion. For first half of 2014, total revenues of food and beverage arm Universal Robina Corp. increased by 13.5 percent year-on-year to P45.74 billion while airline unit Cebu Air’s revenues were up by 23 percent to P26.72 billion. Property unit Robinsons Land Corp. also increased revenues by 6.7 percent to P8.45 billion for the period. As of the end of June, JG Summit Petrochemicals Read More …

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