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Stay indoors, Filipinos in Egypt told

News

Jul 072013

Philippine Daily Inquirer 5:50 am | Monday, July 8th, 2013 Opponents of Egypt’s Islamist President Mohammed Morsi burn pictures showing the United States President Barack Obama during a rally outside the Presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, July 7, 2013. As clashes between protesters raged over the ouster of Morsi, Malacañang on Sunday cautioned Filipinos in Egypt not to venture out on “unnecessary errands.” AP PHOTO/Hassan Ammar MANILA, Philippines—As clashes between protesters raged over the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi, Malacañang on Sunday cautioned Filipinos in Egypt not to venture out on “unnecessary errands.” Undersecretary Abigail Valte, deputy presidential spokesperson, reminded the 6,000 Filipinos there that alert level 1 raised by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) remained in effect. Under this alert, Filipinos are advised to stay indoors, avoid areas of protest and take all necessary precautions. “The alert level stays, which is why this has not been lifted by the DFA to warn our citizens that they shouldn’t venture out on any unnecessary errands while there are still incidents (skirmishes) like this,” said Valte over government-run dzRB radio. Morsi’s ouster by the military following days of demonstrations has triggered violent clashes between his supporters and the opposition that has led to deaths and injuries. The Philippine government is monitoring the unrest 24/7 through duty officers manning the embassy and its communication lines, foreign affairs officials have said. “We continue to monitor the temperature, so to speak, and we are ready to extend any assistance that may be required Read More …

POEA warns nurses

News

Jul 072013

Philippine Daily Inquirer 5:35 am | Monday, July 8th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) on Saturday warned Filipino nurses seeking work abroad about fixers offering jobs in Germany. The POEA earlier announced Germany was hiring 500 nurses from the Philippines. ZAV, the agency authorized to recruit Filipino health professionals under German law, has the final say in the selection of candidates, the POEA said. POEA chief Hans Leo Cacdac advised jobseekers to report fixers through tel. 7221144 or 7221155, or e-mail info@poea.gov.ph, or via facebook.com/ poea.official or twitter.com/poeaNews.—Tina G. Santos Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: Germany , jobs , Nurses , Philippine Overseas Employment Administration , Philippines Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Reader’s Advocate. Or write The Readers’ Advocate: c/o Philippine Daily Inquirer Chino Roces Avenue corner Yague and Mascardo Streets, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Or fax nos. +63 2 8974793 to 94

Asiana Airlines to continue PH flights

News

Jul 072013

By Miguel R. CamusPhilippine Daily Inquirer 2:57 am | Monday, July 8th, 2013 Fire crews respond to the scene where Asiana Flight 214 crashed at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday, July 6, 2013. Asiana Airlines may continue flying into the Philippines while the country’s air safety officials are waiting for the results of the investigation of the crash of one of the carrier’s planes in San Francisco, California, on Saturday. AP PHOTO/NOAH BERGER MANILA, Philippines—Asiana Airlines may continue flying into the Philippines while the country’s air safety officials are waiting for the results of the investigation of the crash of one of the carrier’s planes in San Francisco, California, on Saturday. The South Korean airline operates flights to Manila, Clark and Cebu. Deputy Director General John Andrews of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said that if a problem with Asiana’s Boeing 777 was found to be the cause of the crash, it would have negative implications for the plane’s manufacturer and the airlines operating that type of aircraft. “Only two areas to be looked at: man and machine. It should not be difficult as the CVR (cockpit voice recorder) and FDR (flight data recorder) have been retrieved,” Andrews said. “If machine is the cause, there is possibility of worldwide grounding of Boeing 777,” he said. Philippine Airlines, which flies daily flights to San Francisco, said none of its flights would be diverted, as San Francisco International Airport has several runways. In a statement posted on its Read More …

Siege of Baler rekindles PH-Spain ties

News

Jul 072013

114TH ANNIVERSARY RITES By Michael Lim UbacPhilippine Daily Inquirer 12:25 am | Monday, July 8th, 2013 BALER, Aurora—Spanish film writer-director Jesús Valbuena, a descendant of one of the 33 Spanish soldiers who survived the 11-month siege by Filipino revolutionaries of Baler in 1899, is eternally indebted to the people of this town. The “adopted son” of Baler has kept coming back to Aurora every June 30, Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day, to keep alive the cultural and historical ties between the two countries. Aurora is the site of the Siege of Baler, the last and historically significant story of the Philippine war of independence against Spain. “I am alive, thanks to Balerianos,” a tearful Valbuena told residents during ceremonies marking the 11th year of the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day, which also coincided with the 114th anniversary of the attack and the 500th year of Spanish presence in the Pacific. With his wife, Anabel Izquierdo Rubio, Valbuena flew in from Spain to attend this year’s commemoration. He said the siege took place at the “sunset” of the once powerful Spanish empire that ruled over the Philippine archipelago for 333 years. Generosity “My wife and I try to teach our three kids (Adrian, David and Raquel) … to have dignity in defeat and humbleness in victory, and we try to teach them that, one day, the last will be the first,” he said. He said that during the siege, the generosity of Filipinos became “the universal legacy that this town has given the world.” “So Read More …

US warns against travel to Mindanao

News

Jul 062013

Agence France-Presse 2:24 pm | Saturday, July 6th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—The United States has warned Americans against travel to Mindanao just days after Australia and Canada issued similar advice. A “security message” from the US embassy in Manila earlier this week said diplomatic staff had been restricted from travelling to three cities on the southern island of Mindanao. It was followed by a US State Department travel warning dated July 5 advising Americans to exercise extreme caution when travelling to Mindanao, citing “criminal gangs… (and) terrorist groups” in the area. It also called on Americans to defer non-essential travel to the Sulu archipelago, a chain of islands off Mindanao where Al-Qaeda-linked extremists are active. “It (the travel warning) reflects continuing threats in the Sulu archipelago and the island of Mindanao due to terrorist and insurgent activities,” the US embassy said in a statement. Australia and Canada issued warnings on Wednesday about fresh threats of terrorism and kidnapping in the southern Philippines. Canberra has barred its diplomats from travelling to Davao, Cotabato and Zamboanga — the same three Mindanao cities that US embassy staff are not allowed to travel to. An embassy spokeswoman declined to comment on the nature of the threat against Americans. The Philippine National Police also did not know of any specific threat against Americans in Mindanao, said spokesman Senior Superintendent Reuben Sindac. Mindanao and surrounding islands are a hotbed of various armed groups including communist guerrillas, bandits, Muslim insurgents and the Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic extremist group Read More …

PH urges closer US-Asean ties to protect sea lanes

News

Jul 022013

PH urges closer US-Asean ties to protect sea lanes

By Tarra QuismundoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:13 am | Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013 Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario: Greater engagement between Asean and US, AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Unfazed by China’s accusation that the Philippines was “internationalizing” territorial disputes, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario has called for greater engagement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the United States in ensuring maritime security in the region. Speaking at the Asean-US Post-Ministerial Conference in Brunei Darussalam on Monday, Del Rosario also called for compliance to the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) as Asean and China were still working on a legally binding Code of Conduct (COC) to govern the disputed waters. The DOC is an agreement between the Asean and China that seeks to deter armed confrontations in the strategic waterway, a critical international trading route where China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan have competing territorial claims. “Fortunately, we have an appropriate mechanism for dialogue and interaction on these matters—the Expanded Asean Maritime Forum —which was inaugurated in Manila in October 2012,” Del Rosario said in his speech, a copy of which was released in Manila by the Department of Foreign Affairs. His remarks followed China’s threat of a “counterstrike” in the disputed waters and pointed criticism of the Philippines’ stance on the regional maritime dispute, particularly blasting its involvement of dialogue partners, including the United States, in discussions toward resolving the dispute. Illegal occupation China also Read More …

3 OFWs confirm sex abuses

News

Jun 242013

By Tarra QuismundoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 3:16 am | Tuesday, June 25th, 2013 Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario: Institutionalized sexual exploitation. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The testimonies of three women who claimed they were abused by a Filipino labor officer in Saudi Arabia bolstered allegations of “institutionalized” sexual exploitation of distressed migrant workers in Philippine embassies in the Middle East, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said Monday. Speaking to reporters after two days of consultations with heads of Philippine diplomatic missions in the Middle East and North Africa, Del Rosario said he had widened the investigation of the allegations to include missions in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong that also have shelters for distressed migrant workers. Del Rosario said he had ordered home the Philippine ambassadors to Singapore and Malaysia and consul general in Hong Kong for consultations. The three women and a witness met with Del Rosario and other officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and officials of the Department of Labor and Employment last Friday and told them that they were sexually abused by a labor officer in the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, who handled their requests for repatriation. “Certain allegations were confirmed by the three alleged victims who spoke with me on June 21. For the most part, however, until other victims and witnesses come forward, all other allegations, including sex rings, remain as allegations requiring further investigation,” Del Rosario said. Help for victims Malacañang on Sunday promised a thorough investigation of the sex-for-repatriation Read More …

Vargas film ‘Documented’: Immigration debate ‘not a policy but a moral issue’

News

Jun 232013

Vargas film ‘Documented’: Immigration debate ‘not a policy but a moral issue’

5:34 am | Monday, June 24th, 2013 Jose Antonio Vargas. AP WASHINGTON, D.C.—“To be honest, this was not the film I sought out to make,” journalist Jose Antonio Vargas explained. He wanted to make a film about young people like him who grew up American but are undocumented. “But after sending a film crew to the Philippines to document my own mother, whom I haven’t seen for almost 20 years, the film took a different turn—I didn’t want it to go there but it had to go there.” “Documented,” a deeply personal story of Vargas’ own journey to the US as an undocumented immigrant, had its world premiere here June 21 at the American Film Institute’s documentary festival (AFI Docs), America’s leading showcase for documentary film. With immigration reform dominating the agenda in Capitol Hill these days, immigration reform advocates hailed the 90-minute documentary—written and directed by Vargas himself—as timely and relevant. This “journey inward as he reconnects with his mother” offers a firsthand glimpse on how a broken system has profoundly affected the lives of 11 million human beings, tearing families apart, says Frank Sharry, an immigrant rights champion who has been at the center of every major legislative and policy debate related to immigration for many years. “The film shows that at its core, our national debate is not about policy or politics but about our own morality and humanity as a people. It opens up hearts and minds and, hopefully, the possibility that we may yet solve Read More …

US hits China bullying in disputed waters

News

Jun 212013

US hits China bullying in disputed waters

Top envoy talks tough in confirmation hearing Associated Press 12:27 am | Saturday, June 22nd, 2013 In this May 7, 2013 photo, a Filipino fisherman places ice on containers for fish before they are delivered to the market in the coastal town of Infanta, Pangasinan province, northwestern Philippines. Since China took control of the Scarborough Shoal last year, which Beijing calls Huangyan Island, Filipino fishermen say Chinese maritime surveillance ships have shooed them from the disputed waters in the South China Sea and roped off the entrance to the vast lagoon that had been their fishing paradise for decades. Now, they say, they can’t even count on the Chinese to give them shelter there from a potentially deadly storm. AP WASHINGTON—The nominee to become the top US diplomat in East Asia delivered pointed comments about China in his confirmation hearing on Thursday, saying there’s no place for “coercion and bullying” in the region’s seas. Danny Russel told a Senate panel that he will do everything in his power to “lower the temperature” in territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas and push claimants, including China, toward diplomacy. He also said it was “unacceptable” for China to demand only bilateral negotiations with the other claimants, and voiced strong US support for efforts by Southeast Asia to negotiate as a bloc and frame a “code of conduct” to manage the disputes—an issue to be taken up at regional security talks in Brunei later this month. Russel is currently White House Read More …

PH urged to convict embassy execs in sex scandal to boost trafficking status

News

Jun 202013

PH urged to convict embassy execs in sex scandal to boost trafficking status

By Karen BoncocanINQUIRER.net 12:50 pm | Friday, June 21st, 2013 MANILA, Philippines — In order to improve its status in the United States’ annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, the Philippines needs to convict embassy officials who will be found guilty of currying sexual favors from distressed female overseas Filipino workers in exchange for their repatriation, a lawmaker at the House of Representatives said Friday. Akbayan Partylist Representative Walden Bello felt that the Philippines was not doing enough to curb the incidence of human trafficking and said that one way of sending a message about the country’s resolve would be to “dismiss officials engaged in sex trafficking”. The US’ TIP Report showed that the Philippines retained its Tier 2 status and noted that there was a “paucity of arrests and convictions”. “We need to clean up our agencies,” Bello, who heads the committee on overseas workers affairs at the House of Representatives, told INQUIRER.net. The partylist lawmaker has accused three Philippine Embassy officials of involvement in sexual exploitation in the Middle East, prompting an investigation by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). The legislator warned that he would resign from the House should the government fail to hold accountable Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) in Amman, Jordan assistant labor attaché Mario Antonio, Kuwait Polo officer Blas Marquez and a certain “Kim” in Damascus. Antonio in a press conference Thursday denied the allegation. Related stories:PH failed to restrain human trafficking–USSolon slams gov’t for Read More …

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