Maniolas

Philippine Daily Inquirer November 22nd, 2015 07:06 AM KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia— US President Barack Obama voiced his determination to put Asia front and center in his foreign policy on Saturday, even as a two-nation visit to the region was eclipsed by jihadist attacks in France and Mali. America’s self-styled “Pacific President” has been frustrated to see a trip to Malaysia and the Philippines designed to highlight his stated refocus on Asia overshadowed once again. After years of talking about the need to deepen trade, security and diplomatic ties with the region, White House officials had hoped the trip would be a victory lap. Twelve countries recently agreed to Obama’s Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact, and the US pledged to boost security assistance to its ally the Philippines, which is in a confrontation with China over maritime territory. During the weeklong Asia swing, Obama has touted his years growing up in Southeast Asia, vowed to become the first president to visit Laos, and chatted with audience members in Bahasa Indonesia. But at a business forum on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Malaysia yesterday, Obama had to begin by talking about events half a world away in Mali, where 27 people died in an attack by gun-toting jihadists. In a speech, Obama condemned the “appalling” attack, adding that “this barbarity only stiffens our resolve to meet this challenge” of extremist violence. “On behalf of the American people, I want to extend our deepest condolences to Read More …

Philippine Daily Inquirer By: Tina G. Santos, November 22nd, 2015 07:02 AM Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle has urged the faithful to participate in a prayer-march on Nov. 29, the day before the global climate change talks in Paris, to encourage global leaders to hear the moral imperative for a climate treaty. “I encourage everyone, especially our various communities in the Archdiocese of Manila to participate in the Metro Manila-wide Climate Solidarity Prayer March,” he said in a post on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) News site. The gathering, led by Catholic communities, aims to show solidarity with over a million people who are expected to gather in over 2,000 cities around the world for a Global Climate March. The Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM), according to Tagle, has enjoined the Catholic faithful to participate. The GCCM said that following Pope Francis’ call to action, Catholics are urged to join in the global movement to tell world leaders that “climate change is real, and we care” so actions must be taken immediately. The movement is expected to hand over to world leaders a petition with over 20 million signatures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Aside from Manila, 12 other places will hold marches, namely, Antipolo City, Baguio City, Baler, Cagayan de Oro City, Cebu City, Ibaan (Batangas), Imus City, Jaro (Iloilo), Las Piñas City, Mandaluyong City, San Fernando (Pampanga) and Tuguegarao City. In Manila, various groups will gather at 6 a.m. at three points: Central Bank Read More …

Philippine Daily Inquirer By: Jovic Yee, November 21st, 2015 03:40 AM New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, left, is welcomed to the opening plenary session by Philippines President Benigno Aquino III at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Manila, Philippines, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015. Pool Photo via AP Before leaving the country on Friday after attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key made a quick stop in Mandaluyong City to inaugurate the P29-million logistics and multipurpose center of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), a project cofunded by his government. The center, built behind the PRC headquarters on Pinatubo Street, Barangay Barangka Ilaya, is one of eight facilities nationwide supported by the New Zealand Aid Programme. Apart from being a storage facility for relief goods, supplies and equipment for emergency response, the 2,200-square-meter building can also serve as a mini hospital that can accommodate at least 500 patients in mass-casualty events, according to PRC Chair Richard Gordon. In a speech, Key stressed that “preparation is key to saving lives” especially in a country like the Philippines that is vulnerable to natural disasters like typhoons and earthquakes. “It’s great that we are able to assist [PRC] in a very practical way.” Since July 2013, the partnership has also enabled PRC to retrofit its eight warehouses in the country, including those in Subic, Laoag and Cebu, to make the structures more quake-resistant. Key said his government, which extended aid totaling P159 million to PRC, would continue Read More …

Philippine Daily Inquirer By: DJ Yap, November 21st, 2015 03:38 AM The creation of a registry of sex offenders known to have preyed on children will be one of the components of an Australia-funded project to combat child trafficking in the Philippines. Australia will request the Philippine Congress to enact a law creating such a registry as part of its P66-million program on child protection against sexual abuse and exploitation, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said on Tuesday. Bishop led the launch of the three-year project, which is seen to boost the Philippines’ capability to monitor the activities of foreign pedophiles, and at the same time warn communities that a sexual predator may be within their midst. “Child sexual abuse and exploitation is an aberrant crime. It is a serious social issue that is not confined to the Philippines. All countries are affected by this, including Australia,” Bishop said at the launch of the program in Makati. “The existence of these crimes has intensified by virtue of technology and social media,” she said, adding that the issue was compounded by the fact that some parents in impoverished communities were complicit. The officials who attended the event included Justice Secretary Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa and Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman who both expressed their support for the Australian initiative. Bishop said the program will also ensure that Philippine authorities would have the training to deal with the serious criminal issue, aligned with other Australia initiatives on transnational crime, including human trafficking Read More …