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PH to host Asean biodiversity meet

News

Sep 072013

Philippine Daily Inquirer 5:53 am | Sunday, September 8th, 2013 Environment Secretary Ramon Paje. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines will host next month the 4th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Heritage Parks (AHP) Conference, a regional dialogue addressing biodiversity issues and the sustainable management of protected areas. The four-day meet will be held in Tagaytay City on Oct. 1-4 spearheaded by the Asean Center for Biodiversity (ACB) and hosted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Secretary Ramon Paje announced Saturday. Some 300 delegates from the Asean countries, biodiversity experts, park managers, policy makers, scientists, and representatives of nongovernment organizations, indigenous and local communities, are expected to attend. In a news release, ACB Executive Director Roberto V. Oliva said the conference would update participants on recent knowledge and tools in addressing biodiversity loss, ecosystems degradation and the preservation of Asean nations’ natural heritage. Side events will include a visit to the Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, the newest AHP. To date, there are 33 AHPs in Southeast Asia, five of them in the Philippines: Mt. Apo Natural Park, Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park and Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park, all in Mindanao; Mt. Iglit-Baco in Mindoro and the Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve. DJ Yap 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. Read More …

Fil-Am YouTube hit remakes ‘90s Top 40 single

News

Sep 072013

Fil-Am YouTube hit remakes ‘90s Top 40 single

SBWIRE/INQUIRER.net US Bureau 12:57 am | Sunday, September 8th, 2013 Michelle Martinez. Screengrab from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FxJs8hH4x4 SAN MATEO, California—If you were part of the US dance-club scene in the mid-‘90s, then you’ll likely remember the Top 40 single “Do You Miss Me?” performed by Jocelyn Enriquez and written by Glenn Gutierrez. The single peaked on several Billboard charts, including the coveted Top 40. The song was both a domestic and international hit. More than 15 years later, San Francisco multimedia producer Anthony Garcia, along with music producer Venice John Valdez (aka Tugbeats) and YouTube celebrity Michelle Martinez, have remade this single by giving it a new electronic dance music track inspired by Super Producer and DJ Dave Guetta. Accompanying the single is a slick new music video. The support for this project has been overwhelmingly positive from the San Francisco Bay Area music community, with some of its top radio personalities agreeing to be a part of the music video. The list of celebrities includes 99.7 Now’s St. John, 106 KMEL’s LadyRay, 99.7 Now’s Strawberry, 103.3 AMP Radio’s Joe Breezy, and 99.7 Now’s Freska. A large part of the support is due to the song’s San Francisco origin. In addition to introducing the song to a whole new market, Garcia is following the millennial generation’s lead by producing singles and music videos independently, without the luxury of backing from a music label or media company. Garcia produced the majority of this project both on his smartphone and from his living room on Read More …

Politicians steal our dreams

News

Sep 072013

By Cristina DC PastorThe FilAm/INQUIRER.net 11:27 pm | Saturday, September 7th, 2013 FILIPINO crane and heavy equipment operators in Saudi Arabia say their piece via social media. Photo courtesy of Junar Elmedo/Inquirer.net NEW YORK—Let’s see now. When was the last time we Filipinos got so angry we marched on the streets to scream, curse and throw insults out of rage? SEAFARERS join the protest, too. Photo by Edgardo Tuangtuang/courtesy of Migrante International/Bulatlat.com I remember being at Edsa People Power 1 in 1986 where millions came out in defiance of the Marcos Dictatorship. That was totally spontaneous. I don’t remember calling a friend saying, “Hey let’s meet at Greenhills and then we can have coffee afterwards.” I remember watching TV and seeing people pouring out into the streets. Inflamed by that scene, the husband and I got on a jeepney in our tsinelas and joined the swelling crowd. I had left the country by the time Edsa 2 happened in 2001, but I doubt I would have joined even if I was back home. The corruption of Joseph Estrada may have been a big issue then but for some reason, it did not get me all riled up maybe because Filipinos knew they were up against an individual with no scruples but voted him anyway. BANGKOK-BASED Filipinos turn a welcome party into a gathering to demand the abolition of the pork. Photo courtesy of Lan Mercado/ Inquirer.net At last Sunday’s rally outside the Philippine Consulate building, I was feeling pretty riled Read More …

Be wary of unscrupulous schools

News

Sep 072013

IMFO By Lourdes Santos TancincoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 11:22 pm | Saturday, September 7th, 2013 After the Sept. 11 tragedy, student visa holders in the United States have been under the watchful eye of federal agencies. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is diligently enforcing its own rules against student visa violators and schools who abuse the immigration process regarding foreign students. While China has the most number of foreign students actively in US schools, there are also quite a number of Filipinos. Just like other nonimmigrants, some Filipino student visa holders have also become victims of unscrupulous school owners. The Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) is the agency that administers the student visa program. Last week, ICE reported that an owner of a school in New Jersey, PC Tech Learning, admitted to having committed widespread foreign student visa fraud. The owner, identified as Somalingam, was said to have conspired to obtain student visas for foreign students even if they were not eligible. The school owner also did not report to DHS the visa status of its students, as required by immigration and security regulatons. The owner confessed to “conspiring to commit visa fraud and conspiring to conceal and harbor illegal aliens for financial gain which carries a penalty of 10 to 15 years imprisonment. While problem school owners may be subjected to investigation and face criminal liabilities, what about the students who encounter visa problems due to the fact that they unknowingly enroll with a problem school such PC Tech Read More …

Habiba Sarabi: Rebuilding lives in a once fabled land

News

Aug 312013

Habiba Sarabi: Rebuilding lives in a once fabled land

MAGSAYSAY AWARDS By Ma. Ceres P. DoyoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 3:21 am | Sunday, September 1st, 2013 GOV. HABIBA SARABI of Bamyan province, Afghanistan. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO After the land of turquoise blue lakes, awesome cliffs and sweet pomegranates had been turned into a place of terror, violence and death, after the once fabled land of misty valleys, craggy hills and historic monuments had become a battlefield, what is there to do? “Rebuilding lives and the land in a socially divided nation” is the daunting task and challenge for Habiba Sarabi, governor of Bamyan province in Afghanistan. This was also the running theme of her sharing sessions with those eager to learn from her experience. The first and only woman governor in a “fiercely patriarchal” nation that has gone through years of strife brought about by foreign domination, warring tribes, warlordism and terrorist attacks, Sarabi has shown what an educated woman, wife, mother and leader can do for her suffering people. Hopeful persistence Sarabi, 57, is one of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay awardees. In choosing her, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) recognized “her bold exercise of leadership to build up a functioning local government against daunting odds, serving her people with a hopeful persistence grounded in her abiding commitment to peace and development in Afghanistan.” Coming from a family of relative means, Sarabi studied pharmacy in a Kabul university and later specialized in hematology in India. She was teaching at Kabul Medical Science College when the fearsome and extremist Taliban seized Read More …

Construction projects in PH on the rise

Economy

Aug 302013

By Michelle V. RemoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 10:47 pm | Friday, August 30th, 2013 The value of construction projects with approved building permits rose in the second quarter from a year ago on the back of substantial demand for residential and office spaces. This was according to the National Statistics Office, which reported that construction projects with building permits were valued at P66.4 billion in the second quarter, up by nearly 18 percent from P60.9 billion reported in the same period last year. The total value was spread over 29,424 projects, lower by about 4 percent than the 30,614 approved building projects reported for the same period last year. Nearly half, or P32.6 billion, of the total value of construction projects was accounted for by the residential sector. Non-residential accounted for P28.5 billion and the balance covered repairs. The total floor area for residential projects stood at 3.3 million square meters, while that for non-residential settled at 2.1 million square meters. The total floor area for residential projects was up from 3.1 million square meters a year ago, while the total floor area for office and other non-residential projects was lower than last year’s 2.8 million square meters. The double-digit growth in the value of construction projects was attributed to still significant demand for residential and office spaces. Economists said the demand for residential spaces in the Philippines was partly boosted by remittances from overseas Filipino workers, while demand for office spaces was driven in part by demand from business process Read More …

Ship runs aground in Palawan

News

Aug 242013

Philippine Daily Inquirer 5:35 am | Sunday, August 25th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—A foreign vessel ran aground in Palawan on Saturday morning, according to a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) report released late Saturday afternoon. According to PCG spokesperson Cmdr. Armand Balilo, the MT Glenn Australia ran aground some 600 meters from the shore south of Barangay Panlaitan, Busuanga, Palawan. The vessel, skippered by Burma (Myanmar) national Capt. Myint Swe, is said to be owned by Glenn Defense Marine (Asia) Pte. Ltd. and operated by Singapore-based Shokuyo Navigation Co. Apart from the ship captain, also on board the ship were nine crew members—eight Burmese and one Filipino. PCG District Palawan Commander Erick Evangelista immediately directed PCG Station Coron to coordinate on towing operations to free the vessel. Initial investigation showed that the vessel was loaded with 1,010.794 tons of palm oil. Balilo said there was no oil spill at the site of the incident as the ship was a double-hulled vessel. 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: Armand Balilo , Barangay Panlaitan , Busuanga , Glenn Defense Marine , Palawan , PCG report , Philippine Coast Guard 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 Read More …

Filipinos in Egypt told again: Leave now

General

Aug 242013

Filipinos in Egypt told again: Leave now

By Tarra QuismundoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 5:21 am | Sunday, August 25th, 2013 Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario has renewed his call on Filipinos in Egypt to leave that country, citing the worsening violence there. The Philippine Embassy in Cairo again advised Philippine citizens across Egypt to immediately contact the mission and sign up for repatriation. They were also advised to stay indoors while awaiting evacuation as the country remained under a state of emergency. “Our two visits to Cairo within the last 12 days to assess the security situation has convinced us that the marked deterioration of peace and order, exacerbated by the complex political challenges, has called for the raising of our alert level to mandatory repatriation,” said Del Rosario, who arrived this week from his second visit to that city. Crisis alert The foreign secretary ordered the raising of crisis alert level 4 for the estimated 6,000 Filipinos in Egypt on Monday. This means a mandatory repatriation to the Philippines paid for by the government. The Philippine government meanwhile has issued an order barring the deployment of new workers to Egypt and the return there of Egypt-based Filipinos currently on vacation out of the country. “This is the highest level possible, and we therefore strongly urge our countrymen in Egypt to register with the Philippine Embassy in Cairo for early repatriation,” said Del Rosario. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier reported that the initial offer of repatriation was Read More …

No sex-for-flight case, just simple negligence raps

News

Aug 232013

No sex-for-flight case, just simple negligence raps

By Tina G. SantosPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:05 am | Saturday, August 24th, 2013 Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Not finding any evidence of a sex-for-repatriation racket, the labor official in Riyadh who was the subject of recent complaints from distressed overseas women workers will face charges of “simple negligence” for other work-related matters, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said. Baldoz said two other labor officials implicated in the sex-for-repatriation controversy will also face unrelated charges “for apparently not performing their duties well.” Baldoz has approved the filing of administrative charges against Riyadh Labor Attache Adam Musa for gross negligence; Jordan officer in charge Labor Attaché Mario Antonio for grave misconduct; and Riyadh Assistant Labor Attaché Antonio Villafuerte for simple negligence. In a statement, Baldoz said the fact-finding team tasked to look into the controversy has found prima facie evidence against the officials, not for the sex-for-repatriation allegations but for other infractions, including their “failure to do their duties well.” She clarified that the team did not find the involvement of any of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) organic personnel in any “sex-for-fly” or “sex-for-hire” activities. The investigation report said some distressed workers had apparently been recruited into a prostitution ring, but it did not involve their personnel. In addition to the charge of simple negligence against Villafuerte, Baldoz also approved the fact-finding team’s recommendation to refer the complaints for sexual harassment against the Riyadh official to the DOLE Committee on Decorum and Investigation. Nicon Fameronag, DOLE Read More …

International flights into PH cancelled–DOTC

General

Aug 202013

International flights into PH cancelled–DOTC

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 9:57 am | Wednesday, August 21st, 2013 Photo released by the Philippine Air Force shows vehicles lined up as they wait for floods to subside in Pasay city, south of Manila, Philippines on Tuesday Aug. 20, 2013. Some of the Philippines’ heaviest rains on record fell for a second day Tuesday, turning the capital’s roads into rivers and trapping tens of thousands of people in homes and shelters. The government suspended all work except rescues and disaster response. AP/Philippine Air Force MANILA, Philippines — International flights going into the country were cancelled anew Wednesday morning due to the continuous rains and floods brought by the southwest monsoon. In the latest announcement by the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) through its twitter account @DOTCPhilippines, the flights cancelled as of 7:30. a.m. are as follows: PR-383 Guangzhou-MNL2P-801 Singapore-MNLPR-538 Denpasar-MNLPR-399 Beijing-MNLPR-313 Hong Kong-MNLPR-437 Nagoya-MNLPR-407 Osaka-MNLPR-431 Tokyo (Narita)-MNLPR-733 Bangkok-MNLPR-210 Melbourne-MNLPR-220 Darwin-MNL2P-875 MNL-Kuala Lumpur and return flight 2P-876 Kuala Lumpur-MNL Tropical storm “Maring” (international name Trami) has left the Philippine Area of Responsibility as of 7:00 a.m. according to the state-run weather bureau but the southwest monsoon continues to affect large parts of the country. RELATED STORIES: ‘Maring’ exits PH, but rains to continueFloodwaters in most areas of Metro Manila gone—MMDAWater levels of Marikina River, La Mesa Dam still on alert status 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 Read More …

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