Maniolas

A baby sleeps as typhoon survivors continue to live in tents at a coastal village in Tacloban, Leyte province in central Philippines Friday, Nov.7, 2014. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has expressed concern over the slow relocation of many survivors of Supertyphoon Yolanda, known internationally as Haiyan, forcing them to rebuild their homes in the so-called “danger zones” using unsafe materials. Margareta Wahlstrom, who is also UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s special representative for disaster risk reduction, noted that one year after the storm ravaged Eastern Visayas, “only 150 households have been relocated to permanent shelters, as part of the government housing program.” “Survivors are complaining about the rebuilding process, which is, according to them far too slow,” she said in a statement furnished the Inquirer by the UN agency’s head office in Geneva. Wahlstrom, who is in Manila to attend the Top Leaders Forum, which aims to promote public-private partnership and multi-stakeholders’ collaboration as the best way to ensure long-term resilience in the face of disasters, pointed out “land tenure is a major hurdle to the resettlement program.” This, she said, was “adding to the frustration of the many people who want a new home now.” “Too many people have already rebuilt their homes in danger zones using unsafe materials,” she said. Wahlstrom also reported that SM Prime Holdings, one of the region’s top private property developers, had turned over 200 permanent homes to the same number of families Read More …

MONTREAL CTVNEWS DALY CITY, California — Canada has unveiled important changes to its Live-In Caregiver Program, giving better protection to caregivers and as well as opportunities for them to become permanent residents. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Chris Alexander announced that the “live-in” aspect of the program, which required caregivers to live with their employers, is now optional. The government, he said, recognizes that in some cases, this requirement had led to exploitation of workers. For example, complaints were made against certain employers that forced caregivers to work overtime for no extra pay. Additionally, the previous regulations for this program ensured that caregivers had living expenses such as accommodation, food and utilities taken from their pay, reports CIC News http://www.cicnews.com/2014/11/major-reforms-caregiver-program-announced-canadian-government-114044.html. The recent reforms are a complete turnaround, with employers now unable to dock expenses for room and board from a worker’s compensation.   The other basic change to the caregiver program is the creation of two new categories for caregivers working in Canada on temporary work permits to seek permanent residence. One pathway to permanent residence will be for childcare providers. The other will be for caregivers who take care of the elderly or those with chronic medical needs. Caregivers will still have to work full-time for two years before being eligible to apply under these new categories. The Canadian government will aim to process applications within six months, in line with theExpress Entry immigration selection system due to come into operation on January 1, 2015. Until now, it could take more than Read More …

MANILA, Philippines — United Nations (UN) peacekeepers coming home from Ebola-stricken Liberia on Wednesday will be brought to a “paradise” island, equipped with recreational facilities, for a mandatory 21-day quarantine. Caballo island is a Philippine naval base known as Fort Hughes located at the entrance of Manila Bay. It is off limits to civilians. The Philippine military has equipped the quarantine area with recreational facilities on top of the basic necessities in order for the peacekeepers to enjoy their three-week stay. “To the family members of our gallant peacekeepers, I would like to ask your patience for extending the absence of your loved ones. I have done everything to make their stay at the Island Paradise of Caballo, a very pleasant and memorable one,” Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP) chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said on Monday. Caballo Island. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/Armed Forces of the Philippines There are 133 peacekeepers returning home on Wednesday — 108 from the AFP, 24 from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and one from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP). All the peacekeepers belong to the “No risk” category and have passed the Ebola screening conducted by UN doctors. The procedure is a requirement before their repatriation. But despite this, the 21-day quarantine will still be implemented in line with government’s efforts to retain the country’s Ebola-free status. Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cabunoc, AFP Public Affairs Office Chief, downplayed any possible spread of the Ebola virus and that personnel who would greet them Read More …

Ebola health care workers carry the body of a middle aged man that they suspected of dying from the Ebola, on the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014. AP MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang vowed on Sunday to step up efforts against the Ebola virus following a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing that nearly half of Filipinos had only partial or little knowledge of the deadly disease, which has killed 4,960 people mostly in West Africa. Presidential Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma cited the need for “correct and sufficient information” so the public could take the necessary measures and avoid panicking, as governments has been working to prevent the entry of the virus in the Philippines. Coloma noted that the SWS survey conducted from Sept. 26 to 29 showed that 73 percent of the respondents said they were aware of the disease. But 44 percent of them said their knowledge of the virus was partial or little. The Department of Health earlier put up an online “Ebola Resource Center” (http://www.healthpromo.doh.gov.ph/ebola/) containing updates on the virus, which has infected a total of 13,268 people, mostly in West Africa, as of Nov. 4. Most of the cases were recorded in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, where authorities have been trying to contain the outbreak. In the Philippines, Coloma cited the DOH’s “preparedness plan” containing guidelines on “case detection and reporting, outbreak management and response, surveillance at points of entry, case management, interagency coordination, planning, and resource allocation.” Filipino peacekeepers arriving from Read More …

China’s President Xi Jinping delivers an opening speech for the APEC CEO Summit as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014. AP BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping offered the world a vision of a Chinese-driven “Asia-Pacific dream” on Sunday, echoing his oft-quoted but never clearly defined “Chinese dream.” “We have the responsibility to create and realize an Asia-Pacific dream for the people of the region,” the Chinese Communist chief told the opening in Beijing of the Apec CEO Summit, a gathering of business and political leaders that precedes the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ gathering. Such a dream, he said, was “based on a shared destiny of all of the Asia-Pacific” and incorporated peace, development and mutual benefits. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation area includes 40 percent of the world’s population, almost half its trade, and more than half its GDP. China would focus on “managing its own affairs well” while looking to “bring more benefits to the Asia-Pacific and the world with its own development,” Xi said. As “China’s overall national strength grows,” he told his audience, it would be able and willing to offer “new initiatives and visions for enhancing regional cooperation.” “China wants to live in harmony with all its neighbors,” he added. But Beijing is embroiled in enduring territorial disputes with Japan over islands in the East China Sea, and several of the countries around the strategically vital South China Sea. Under Xi Read More …