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Empire State Building lights up in blue, red, yellow for ‘Yolanda’ victims

 News
Nov 162013
 
Empire State Building lights up in blue, red, yellow for ‘Yolanda’ victims

By Julliane Love de JesusINQUIRER.net 5:38 pm | Saturday, November 16th, 2013 New York’s iconic Empire State Building bathed in blue, red and yellow in solidarity with the victims of Supertyphoon ‘Yolanda’ in the Philippines. Photo by the Philippine Embassy in the United States MANILA, Philippines—For two consecutive nights, blue, red and yellow colors illuminated the iconic Empire State Building in New York City in solidarity with the victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan). The 103-story skycraper rising above the Manhattan skyline began to display the colors of the Philippine flag on Friday (Saturday in Manila), and again on Saturday, New York time. Anabel Madueño, a Cuban from New York City, posted on a photo of the building on Instagram. “Empire State Building raises awareness and support for Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines,” the management of the 82-year-old building said on its website. Each night, ESB’s tower lights take on a new lighting sequence, representing major holidays, iconic milestones and global events. 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: Empire State Building , Empire State colors , Filipinos , Haiyan , lights , New York , Supertyphoon , tribute , United States , Yolanda Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Read More …

Filipinos abroad seek news, rally aid after ‘Yolanda’

 News
Nov 162013
 
Filipinos abroad seek news, rally aid after ‘Yolanda’

Filipino employees at an express company in Hong Kong pack boxes of donations from overseas workers at a shopping mall before they ship them to the survivors of Typhoon ‘Yolanda.’ AP HONG KONG—They gather in California churches, in Hong Kong shopping malls, at prayer vigils in Bahrain and on hastily launched Facebook pages. Filipino overseas workers, cut off from home after a super-typhoon killed thousands, are coming together to pray, swap information and launch aid drives. Above all, many of the more than 10.5 million Filipinos abroad — some 10 percent of the country’s population — are desperately dialing phone numbers that don’t answer in the typhoon zone, where aid is still only slowly trickling in and communications have been largely blown away. “I call again, and I keep trying and trying and trying but no one answered,” said Princess Howard, a worker at a money transfer business in Hong Kong, of her attempts to reach her 62-year-old grandfather and nine other relatives in the Leyte region that was flattened when Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan) hit one week ago. Sending $21.4 billion back home last year alone, Filipino overseas workers are a major part of their country’s economy, with their remittances equaling nearly 10 percent of gross domestic product. Spread out over more than 200 countries, they work as nurses in Europe, sugar cane laborers in Malaysia, housemaids in Hong Kong and construction workers in the oil-rich Middle East. Hong Kong alone has some 133,000 Filipinos, mostly domestic workers who tend Read More …

EU expresses solidarity with typhoon-battered Philippines

 News
Nov 082013
 
EU expresses solidarity with typhoon-battered Philippines

INQUIRER.net 8:11 pm | Friday, November 8th, 2013 EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The European Union on Friday expressed solidarity with the Filipino people as it vowed to provide humanitarian assistance to families affected by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name Haiyan). “The Philippines has been severely tested by nature on several occasions this year. As it confronts yet another natural calamity I express my solidarity with the Filipino people and my deep sympathy with those who have lost their loved ones or their livelihoods,” said EU Ambassador to the Philippines Guy Ledoux. “An EU humanitarian aid team is already in the Philippines to assess the impact of the typhoon and find out how the EU can be most helpful to those most urgent need,” he said. Yolanda smashed into coastal communities on the central island of Samar, about 600 kilometers southeast of Manila, before dawn on Friday with maximum sustained winds of about 315 kilometers an hour. The government said three people had been confirmed killed and another man was missing after he fell off a gangplank in the central port of Cebu. But the death toll was expected to rise, with authorities unable to immediately contact the worst affected areas and Yolanda only expected to leave the Philippines in the evening. Communication lines with Guiuan remained cut off in the afternoon, and the civil defense office said it was unable to give an assessment of the damage there. In Tacloban, a nearby city of more than 200,000 people, Read More …

Korean fugitive caught in Boracay after failing to pay hotel bill

 News
Nov 082013
 
Korean fugitive caught in Boracay after failing to pay hotel bill

By Tina G. SantosPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:39 pm | Friday, November 8th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—Immigration authorities have arrested in Boracay a South Korean national facing a multimillion dollar embezzlement case in his country, the authorities said Friday. The fugitive was identified as Kim Jin Soo, 25, who is now being held at the Bureau of Immigration’s detention center in Bicutan, Taguig City. He faces deportation upon the issuance of an order from the Bureau’s Board of Commissioners. The Korean, who has been overstaying since December last year, was initially arrested by tourist policemen in Boracay for allegedly failing to pay his hotel bill and was turned over to immigration officials. The bureau of Immigration said the South Korean embassy had sought its assistance in locating the fugitive so he could be made to answer embezzlement charges against him in South Korea. 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: Boracay , Bureau of Immigration , Deportation , Embezzlement , fugitive , Korean 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

DFA suspends services at satellite offices in Metro Manila

 News
Nov 082013
 
DFA suspends services at satellite offices in Metro Manila

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 4:34 pm | Friday, November 8th, 2013 FILE Photo MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will temporarily suspend operations of its consular services in satellite offices in Metro Manila on  Saturday due to Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name Haiyan). “Due to the threat of Supertyphoon ‘Yolanda,’ the Department of Foreign Affairs advises the public that consular services at DFA Satellite Offices (SOs) in Metro Manila will be temporarily suspended on November 9,” it said in an advisory Friday. DFA passport and authentication services as well as the release of passports in the following SOs will resume on Monday: DFA NCR – Central (Robinsons Galleria) DFA NCR – East (SM Megamall) DFA NCR – West (SM Manila) DFA NCR – South (Metro Gaisano Alabang) “Passport applicants who have scheduled appointment on November 9 will be accommodated from November 11 to 16, provided that they can show proof of their appointment,” DFA said in the advisory. The DFA said that persons who have queries about the consular services of the particular SO may contact the following numbers and email addresses: DFA NCR – Central, 631-0806, dfancrcentral@dfa.gov.ph DFA NCR – East, 570-3230, dfancreast@dfa.gov.ph DFA NCR – West, 536-9994, dfancrwest@dfa.gov.ph DFA NCR – South, 551-1051, dfancrsouth@dfa.gov.ph “The DFA can also be reached at (02) 536-0000. Emails can also be sent at passportconcerns@dfa.gov.ph and ppt_do@yahoo.com. Messages can be sent to the Passport Division’s Facebook page, Philippine Passport,” it said. Supertyphoon Yolanda, the strongest typhoon to hit the country in 2013, has already left three people dead and seven others injured as it lashed several regions in Read More …

EU to give P148M in humanitarian aid to quake-ravaged Central Viasayas

 News
Oct 312013
 
EU to give P148M in humanitarian aid to quake-ravaged Central Viasayas

By Dennis Atienza MaliwanagINQUIRER.net 2:53 pm | Thursday, October 31st, 2013 EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The European Union is providing P148 million in humanitarian aid to about 350,000 people who lost their homes and livelihoods when a powerful earthquake ravaged Bohol island and nearby provinces in Central Visayas. “We have seen the destruction and suffering caused by the powerful earthquake,” EU ambassador to the Philippines Guy Ledoux said Thursday. “We stand by the people of the Philippines in this hour of need and this EU assistance reaffirms our commitment to immediately respond to the needs of the families affected by the disaster,” he said. The quake that struck underneath Bohol on October 15 left 222 people dead, 796 injured and eight missing mostly on the resort island, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in its latest report Thursday. The aid, made available through the EU’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), is intended for the emergency  needs of the victims, such as shelter, water and sanitation, primary health care and the management of evacuations sites, the EU Delegation to the Philippine said. Ledoux said that two humanitarian aid experts—Torben Bruhn, regional health coordinator of ECHO based in Bangkok and Arlynn Aquino, humanitarian aid officer in the Philippines—went to the Bohol towns of Calape, Maribojoc and Loon shortly after the tremor jolted the island to determine the priority needs of the affected population. They noted that most of the houses collapsed and access to Read More …

Kerry presses China, neighbors on maritime issues

 News
Oct 092013
 
Kerry presses China, neighbors on maritime issues

Associated Press 3:47 pm | Wednesday, October 9th, 2013 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry AP PHOTO BANDAR SERI BAGAWAN, Brunei — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Brunei for meetings with top officials from China and its smaller Southeast Asian neighbors, in which he will urge all countries to cool tensions over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Kerry will make the case in Wednesday discussions with China’s prime minister and the leaders of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. U.S. officials said Kerry would call on the Chinese to accept a binding code of conduct to govern maritime behavior until disputes with the ASEAN states are resolved. Kerry is filling in at the summit for President Barack Obama, who had to cancel his participation due to the government shutdown in Washington. One senior official traveling with Kerry said he would he encouraging the ASEAN countries to continue to work “for enhanced coherence and unity” among themselves to bolster their position with China in negotiating a code of conduct. China has bristled at what it sees as U.S. interference in its backyard and has only reluctantly agreed to open consultations with ASEAN on a code of conduct. It has also lobbied some ASEAN members hard to prevent a consensus on the matter. The U.S. weighed in on the issue during Obama’s first term, when Washington announced it had a national security interest in keeping the world’s busiest commercial sea lanes open and Read More …

OFWs in Jeddah warned on repatriation scheme by fake passport office staff

 News
Sep 032013
 
OFWs in Jeddah warned on repatriation scheme by fake passport office staff

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 4:25 pm | Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013 MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) warned undocumented Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Jeddah against an extortion scheme promising a faster way back to the Philippines for a fee. FILE PHOTO The Consul General in Jeddah had received reports that people posing as personnel of the district passport office or “Jawazat” were approaching undocumented OFWs and asking for 100 Riyals payment in exchange for being repatriated, the DFA said in a statement Tuesday. “The OFWs are really brought to the airport but they will not be able to leave,” it said. The Jawazat personnel had claimed they were helping the OFWs go back home upon orders of the King of Saudi Arabia, the DFA said. “This information has been confirmed by the Consulate with the Jawazat. The Jawazat said that there was no such order from the King and that no one can be sent home without going through the process under the repatriation and regularization program,” DFA said. “We reiterate that the repatriation is free of charge and anyone who gets an exit visa but is unable to buy airplane tickets may ask for help from the Consulate,” it added. The DFA reminded that there are no such charges or fees to get a “reference number” on their travel document, to have their fingerprints recorded, or to get exit visas. Those who have fallen victim to such schemes, or have information to share, they may call Read More …

First batch of OFWs repatriated from Egypt to arrive in PH

 News
Aug 212013
 
First batch of OFWs repatriated from Egypt to arrive in PH

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 4:44 pm | Wednesday, August 21st, 2013 Egyptian soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint during a dawn-to-dusk curfew in the Zamalek district of Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013. The Philippines has ordered the mandatory evacuation of some 6,000 Filipinos from Egypt following a visit to the Arab country by Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario to investigate the security situation after days of violent clashes. AP PHOTO/MAYA ALLERUZZO MANILA, Philippines – Five Filipinos will comprise the first batch of overseas Filipino workers to be repatriated from Egypt in light of the crisis alert level 4 raised due to the escalating civil strife in that country. “Five Filipinos are to be repatriated to the Philippines in view of the crisis alert level 4 imposed [due to] the current political situation in Egypt,” Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman assistant secretary Raul Hernandez said Wednesday in a text message. “Three of them came from Cairo, and two from Alexandria. Their flight is scheduled to arrive Aug 21, 4:20 p.m. via [flight] QR646,” Hernandez said. Violence erupted in Cairo after government security forces dispersed a sit-in protest of ousted president Mohammed Morsi’s supporters who have been demanding his reinstatement after being deposed in a military coup last July. Hundreds have been reported killed in the violent dispersal, the latest of a series of clashes between pro-Morsi protesters and government authorities. The DFA issued crisis alert level 4 last Aug 19 after a month-long state of emergency was declared in the Read More …

Marooned in Malta, 21 Filipino seamen seek help

 News
Aug 132013
 
Marooned in Malta, 21 Filipino seamen seek help

By Tarra QuismundoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 9:35 pm | Tuesday, August 13th, 2013 DFA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez said Maltese authorities just recently granted the ship entry into its waters, providing it fuel to enter its territory. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-one Filipino seafarers aboard a cargo ship have been adrift off the port of Malta for months and are seeking compensation from Taiwanese employers alleged to have virtually abandoned them at sea with no fuel and limited food and water. The Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday two members of the Philippine embassy in Rome, which also services Malta, checked on the seafarers aboard the stranded MV A Lady Bug, a Taiwanese-owned carrier of cars and trucks, and brought them some supplies. The seafarers told the embassy representatives they would appreciate repatriation assistance but only after they receive pending wages from their employer. “The Embassy team boarded on August 11, Sunday, A Lady Bug, personally checked on the condition of the seafarers and brought them supplies such as noodles, drinking water and specific medicines,” said DFA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez Tuesday. During the meeting of the Embassy team with the seafarers, the seafarers said they wished to be repatriated as soon as possible, but only after their pending claim for back salaries and other benefits from the management of the ship are fully settled,” Hernandez said in a press briefing. MV A Lady Bug, a Panamanian-registered vehicle carrier had been adrift “for months” some 15 nautical Read More …

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