jdalangin

PH economy seen bouncing back from calamities

General

Aug 232013

PH economy seen bouncing back from calamities

By Paolo G. MontecilloPhilippine Daily Inquirer 10:48 pm | Friday, August 23rd, 2013 The government is confident that the economic impact of recent calamities that shut down the country’s financial centers this week, however minimal, can be recovered in the third quarter. In a statement, Department of Finance’s (DOF) Chief Economist Gil S. Beltran said the agriculture sector likely took the brunt of the effects of tropical storm Maring and Typhoon Labuyo. Despite this, Beltran said floods that hit Metro Manila and most parts of Luzon would have minimal impact on output for the third quarter. “Losses from the two major typhoons that hit the country in the third quarter can be recovered,” Beltran said. According to the Department of Agriculture, combined damage to agriculture by Typhoon “Labuyo” and the southwest monsoon—as enhanced by tropical storm “Maring”—amounted to P2.6 billion, equivalent to 0.09 percent of projected third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP). 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. Short URL: http://business.inquirer.net/?p=139933 Tags: Business , calamities , economy , floods , 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:

Severe Tropical Storm Trami hits Taiwan

News

Aug 212013

Associated Press 8:42 pm | Wednesday, August 21st, 2013 With their boat safely docked in harbor, fishermen take the time to repair nets as they ride out approaching Tropical Storm Trami near Toucheng, north eastern Taiwan, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013.Severe Tropical Storm Trami bore down Wednesday on heavily populated northern Taiwan, prompting schools and offices to close down as heavy rains threatened to trigger landslides and other disruptions throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally Santana) TAIPEI — Severe Tropical Storm Trami struck Wednesday in heavily populated northern Taiwan, prompting schools and offices to close down as heavy rains triggered landslides and other disruptions throughout the island. At 5:30 p.m.(0330 GMT), the Central Weather Bureau said the center of the storm was located offshore, 100 kilometers (63 miles) northeast of the capital of Taipei, packing sustained winds of 108 kmh (68 mph) with gusts of up to 137 kmh. It was expected to complete its passage of the island’s northern coast by midnight, heading westward on a direct course toward the Chinese province of Fujian. An increase of 10 kph in sustained wind speed would cause the storm to be upgraded to typhoon status, though forecasters were unsure if that would happen. Earlier this week, Trami wreaked havoc in the Philippine capital of Manila and in outlying regions, leaving 15 dead, 41 injured and affecting more than 1 million people as floodwaters swamped wide swathes of the densely-populated region. President Benigno Aquino III visited emergency shelters to distribute food packs and cheer Read More …

OWWA vows more flexible loan programs for OFWS

News

Aug 212013

OWWA vows more flexible loan programs for OFWS

By Tina G. SantosPhilippine Daily Inquirer 8:40 pm | Wednesday, August 21st, 2013 FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration has vowed to make the government’s loan assistance program for overseas Filipino workers more flexible by easing requirements and application procedures. “We’re [finding ways to make it] more flexible and accessible to OFWs. We are making adjustments in procedures and requirements in response to reports that some are finding it hard to avail of the loan assistance,” OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon said. Dimzon clarified reports that the OWWA was asking for too many requirements that make it difficult for OFWs to avail of the program. “It’s not true, we have to clear that. The OWWA actually almost [does] not ask for any requirement. We just check with our database if they are members, active or non-active. Then we will provide them with certification, saying they are OFW or former OFW, which they have to show to Land Bank,” she said. “If they will avail of the loan on behalf of the member, they just need authorization. And then, of course, they have to undergo training on financial literacy, which only takes a day,” she added. Under the P2-billion reintegration program, the OWWA offering loans for OFWs, especially displaced or distressed workers, who decide to come home for good and put up or expand an existing business in the country. OFWs may apply for business capital loans ranging from P300,000 to P2 million from the P2-billion Reintegration Loan Fund offered Read More …

OFW found dead in suitcase in Egypt

News

Aug 212013

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 8:13 pm | Wednesday, August 21st, 2013 In this Sunday, Aug. 18, 2013 photo a convoy of Egyptian police vehicles patrols the southern city of Assiut, Egypt. (AP Photo/Roger Anis, El Shorouk Newspaper) EGYPT OUT MANILA, Philippines – An Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) was found dead in a suitcase in Cairo, Egypt, a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday. “A female OFW was reported on Aug 17 to have been killed in Cairo. Her body was found concealed in a large suitcase which was left around the dump site in Nasr City,” Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez said in a text message Wednesday. The identity of the body could not be immediately determined due to its advanced stage of decomposition. It was also not yet clear whether the OFW was collateral damage in the ongoing civil unrest in the country. “In cooperation with the [Philippine] embassy [in Egypt], the police authorities are ascertaining the positive identity, cause, and circumstances of her death prior to notifying the victim’s next of kin,” Hernandez said. Previously, the DFA has raised crisis alert level 4 in Egypt due to the civil unrest between supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi and government security forces. Violent clashes ensued when authorities dispersed a sit-in protest of Morsi’s supporters who were demanding his reinstatement. Hundreds were reported killed with thousands more injured from the clashes. A month-long state of emergency has been declared by the government. Related Stories: First batch of OFWs repatriated from Read More …

DFA disputes Trillanes over PH plan for larger US presence

News

Aug 132013

DFA disputes Trillanes over PH plan for larger US presence

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 5:09 pm | Tuesday, August 13th, 2013 Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez and Senator Antonio Trillanes INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) disputed the allegations of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV that the negotiations between the United States and the Philippines for increased rotational presence of their troops was being unjustly hyped. “Defending what is ours, securing our nation, and keeping our people safe is a combined effort of diplomacy and defense, the partnership of the DFA and Department of National Defense (DND) is of paramount importance,” DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez told reporters Tuesday. “We need to be transparent to the public; we need to let our people know how we intend to protect and safeguard their interest and welfare at all times,” he said. Trillanes said Monday that the negotiations between US and the Philippines should be a national security matter only and the DFA should not have a role. “I believe that is an operational matter that does not need the consent of the Senate so they should have studied it first before they give it hype,” Trillanes said. “That should be a defense matter, it’s not a foreign relations matter. It is a national security concern, only [DND] secretary Voltaire Gazmin should be speaking about that matter,” he said. The ongoing territorial dispute over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) between the Philippines and China should not be connected to the policy of the US to Read More …

Menchu Sanchez leads TOFA-NY awardees in 2013

News

Aug 062013

Menchu Sanchez leads TOFA-NY awardees in 2013

By Cristina DC PastorINQUIRER.net US Bureau 5:23 pm | Tuesday, August 6th, 2013 From top left clockwise: Menchu De Luna Sanchez, Judge Nina Elgo and Dindi Gallardo Mills This year’s TOFA-NY, the third in a row, is proud to announce the New York Tri-State’s outstanding Filipino Americans, led by a nurse who saved infants in critical condition when Hurricane Sandy caused a power outage, a former actress who is suing for racial discrimination, and a judge who is the first FilAm to serve in Connecticut. The Outstanding Filipino Americans in the New York Tri-State is an annual search for role models in the region with a population of more than 300,000 FilAms. The awards program coincides with the celebration of Filipino American History Month in October. Menchu De Luna Sanchez, the NYU Langone nurse who sprang into action to save at least 20 babies in ICU units when the hospital lost power during Hurricane Sandy, was nominated for the Health Care category. Actress Dindi Gallardo Mills, who brought charges of racial discrimination against her employer — a powerful writer in Hollywood – is a finalist for the category Courage of Conviction. Judge Nina Elgo won a nomination for the category Public Service & Politics for being Connecticut’s first Filipino and first Asian judge. They were among the 39 individuals who comprise this year’s crop of TOFA-NY nominees. The winners will be selected based on Facebook votes (Likes) collected. Last day for voting is September 30, 2013. They will be awarded Read More …

DFA rejects anew China’s ‘indisputable claim’ over West Philippine Sea

News

Aug 062013

DFA rejects anew China’s ‘indisputable claim’ over West Philippine Sea

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 4:13 pm | Tuesday, August 6th, 2013 DFA spokesman Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) rejects China’s “indisputable” claim over the entire West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), including parts of the country’s 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) – the “core issue” of the territorial dispute between the two countries, a spokesman for the DFA said Tuesday. “We once again redirect China to the core issue which is its claim of indisputable sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea under its ‘nine dash line’ position,” said assistant secretary Raul Hernandez. “The Philippines has asserted before the Arbitral Tribunal, to which China has been invited but has refused to participate, that the nine dash line claim is expansive, excessive and in gross violation of international law,” he told reporters. China’s nine dash line encompasses nearly the entire West Philippine Sea including the Spratly’s group of Islands near Palawan and Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal). It also encroaches into the EEZ of Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, among other Southeast Asian countries. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi proposed three ways to solve the territorial dispute between individual countries. First was the bilateral talks between parties directly involved, second was for the implementation of the “Declaration of the Conduct of the South China Sea” for peace and stability, and third was to look for ways of common exploitation that would economically benefit all concerned parties. China Read More …

Fil-Am artists set lumpia and martini fundraiser in San Francisco

News

Aug 062013

Fil-Am artists set lumpia and martini fundraiser in San Francisco

INQUIRER.net US Bureau 3:32 pm | Tuesday, August 6th, 2013 SAN FRANCISCO–Local Filipino artists will hold their second annual Lumpia and Martinis gathering on Aug. 10 at 6 p.m. at the Philippine Center Gallery, 447 Sutter Street, fifth floor. The Jay Loyola Dance Project, Filipino American Arts Exposition and various local artists created the annual cocktails and arts event, to celebrate the art scene and the successes of Filipino artists in the Bay Area and all over the United States. Lumpia represents the well-known Filipino appetizer also known as “pulutan” and martini represents the years of hard work of Filipino artists in America in showcasing their ethnic and/or tribal talent in different media. Guest Artists include: Christian Cabuay Ron Quesada “Kulintronica” Parangal Dance Company Pamela Ybanez Marconi Calindas Paolo Salazar La Bamboo Vixen Juven Ayudtud Melanie Sangalang Lenny San Jose “Ukelenny” Coco Chanel Cory “CryWolffs” Calendar Listing: WHO: Jay Loyola Dance Project, Filipino American Arts Exposition, San Francisco Bay Area Local Artists WHAT: Second Annual Lumpia and Martinis 2013 WHEN: August 10, 2013, 6:00pm WHERE: Philippine Center Gallery, 447 Sutter Street, San Francisco, Califronia WHY: Organized to support SF Bay Area Local Artists Tickets: Regular Admission: $25.00 Contact: Lydia D. Neff Phone: (415) 999-8365 Email: lydia@pixelfrontstudios.com Website: www.lumpiaandmartinis.eventbrite.com 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 Read More …

Dutch activist who scolded Filipino cop detained

News

Aug 062013

Dutch activist who scolded Filipino cop detained

Associated Press 2:46 pm | Tuesday, August 6th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—Immigration authorities have detained a Dutch activist photographed confronting a police officer during a rally last month against President Benigno Aquino III, a lawyer said. Lawyer Rey Cortez said airport immigration staff prevented Thomas van Beersum from boarding his plane to the Netherlands early Tuesday. Cortez said his 20-year-old client was just being harassed by requiring him to obtain a “clearance” to leave the country. Beersum has said in an open letter that he joined left-wing demonstrators because he was outraged by alleged human rights violations in the country, including the killing of a Dutch aid worker last year. Many Filipinos have denounced Beersum for interfering in Philippine affairs. Spokesmen for the Bureau of Immigration and the Dutch Embassy could not be reached for comment. 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: Activist , Bureau of Immigration , Police , rally 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:

Manila to apologize for Taiwan fisherman’s death—daughter

News

Aug 052013

Manila to apologize for Taiwan fisherman’s death—daughter

Agence France-Presse 8:52 pm | Monday, August 5th, 2013 Taiwan government experts along with National Bureau of Investigation personnel are onboard the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) patrol boat Maritime Control Surveillance 3001, the patrol boat used by PCG when the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman happened, docked at a pier in Manila on May 28, 2013. AFP FILE PHOTO TAIPEI — The Philippines will send a special envoy to Taiwan to apologize for the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman, his daughter said Monday, signalling a potential breakthrough in a major row. The remarks sparked hopes that the conciliatory move, if realized, could ease the strained relationship between Taipei and Manila following the shooting of 65-year-old Hung Shih-cheng on May 9 in disputed waters. “The Filipino side has agreed to apologize to us in a public manner,” Hung Tzu-ching, the fisherman’s daughter, told reporters in Pingtung city, adding that the agreement was made with lawyers authorized by the Filipino government. “They have agreed to send a special envoy (over the matter)… we insist the representative must represent the Filipino government. They will let us know in advance who will be appointed. If we feel the designated representative is OK, then the time will be decided,” she said. Officials at Manila’s Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, the Philippines de facto embassy in Taiwan, were not immediately available for comment. A presidential spokeswoman in Manila said she had no immediate confirmation of the move. Taiwan’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Anna Kao Read More …

Older Entries Newer Entries