NDRRMC: Death toll from Labuyo rises to 8

 News
Aug 142013
 
NDRRMC: Death toll from Labuyo rises to 8

Aurora hardest hit by Labuyo. A stall is blown away by the strong winds brought by Typhoon Labuyo (Utor) in Baler, Aurora province on Monday, August 12. Ronald Leander The death toll from Typhoon Labuyo (Utor) rose to eight even as four people remained missing as of Thursday morning, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. In its 5 a.m. update, the NDRRMC identified the latest fatality as Ronald Borja, 27, from Sitio Amutan in Barangay Matawe in Dingalan, Aurora. Borja died from drowning, the NDRRMC said. At least seven were injured while four are still missing, it added. Meanwhile, Quirino province and Dinalungan, Casiguran and Dilasag towns in Aurora were placed under a state of calamity. The NDRRMC said Labuyo has so far affected 61,448 families or 281,686 people in 569 villages in 87 towns and five cities in 16 provinces. Of the affected families, 151 families or 658 people are still staying in six evacuation centers. Roads, bridges, communications At least 31 roads—including 14 in Central Luzon and 15 in Cordillera—remained impassable due to floods or rockslides. The NDRRMC also said six bridges, five in Central Luzon and one in Cagayan Valley, remained impassable. Bridges in Isabela, Quirino and Cagayan are now passable. Zambales, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Baguio City are still having power outages, said NDRRMC. However, communications remain cut off in Dipaculao, Dinalungan and Casiguran in Aurora. Damage At least 1,441 houses were destroyed while 10,649 were damaged. The estimated damage to property Read More …

NDRRMC: Labuyo death toll rises to 7, damage nears P1 billion

 News
Aug 142013
 
NDRRMC: Labuyo death toll rises to 7, damage nears P1 billion

Labuyo causes landslides, flood in Baguio. Rescuers clear debris from a road after a landslide that occurred at the height of Typhoon Labuyo (Utor) in Baguio City on Monday, August 12. The strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year triggered landslides and floods, disrupting power and communication links, leaving one person dead and 13 fishermen missing. Reuters The death toll from Typhoon Labuyo rose to seven Wednesday afternoon, with a resident of Isabela being the latest fatality, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Wednesday. NDRRMC spokesman Maj. Reynaldo Balido said Army troops found the body of Benie Almario Labios, 46, at Dipangit village in Jones town in Isabela. “Nakita siya ng tropa ng Philippine Army, ang 86th Infantry Battalion, sa Dipangit, Jones, Isabela,” Balido said in an interview on dzBB radio. Labios was initially reported missing last Monday. The NDRRMC’s 3 p.m. update said that five people were missing while at least seven were injured. According to the council, Labuyo affected at least 45,249 families or 204,627 people in 475 villages in 84 towns and five cities in 16 provinces. It likewise noted a “significant increase” in the number of affected families or persons in Cagayan Valley. Of those affected, 2,641 families or 11,855 people are housed in 57 evacuation centers. As of Wednesday afternoon, 29 roads were still impassable,including 14 in Cordillera, 12 in Central Luzon, and one each in Ilocos and Cagayan Valley. The NDRRMC said 13 bridges were rendered impassable, while power outages Read More …

PAGASA employees finally receive overdue benefits – report

 News
Aug 132013
 
PAGASA employees finally receive overdue benefits - report

After several long months of waiting, the country’s weather forecasters finally received some of their overdue benefits. Philippine Weathermen Employees Association head Ramon Agustin said the Budget Department had released the funds and the benefits were received Tuesday noon, radio dzBB reported Tuesday night. The benefits the PAGASA personnel received included longevity and hazard pay from January to June. The weathermen had been waiting for their benefits since January. Agustin thanked their supporters and hoped there would be no repeat of a delay. A report from the state-run Philippines News Agency quoted Agustin as saying the benefits range from P20,000 to P100,000, depending on their salary grades. He said a forecaster can receive at least P60,000 in perks for six months. Earlier this month, PAGASA lost another weather specialist Ricky Fabregas, reportedly after he failed to get his long-overdue benefits. A report by dzBB’s Allan Gatus said Fabregas left for the Congo to take a lower-ranking but higher-paying job. The salary in Congo was about five times Fabregas’ salary in PAGASA – nearly P100,000 a month at his new job compared to his P20,000 monthly pay at PAGASA. — DVM, GMA News

Cavite province, Zambales town under state of calamity due to Typhoon Labuyo

 News
Aug 132013
 
Cavite province, Zambales town under state of calamity due to Typhoon Labuyo

Aurora hardest hit by Labuyo. A stall is blown away by the strong winds brought by Typhoon Labuyo (Utor) in Baler, Aurora province on Monday, August 12. Ronald Leander Cavite province and Masinloc town in Zambales were placed under a state of calamity Tuesday following the destruction caused by Typhoon Labuyo (Utor). Earlier, three towns in Aurora were placed under a state of calamity because of Labuyo. In Cavite, Vice Governor Ramon “Jolo” Revilla III said the provincial board passed two resolutions declaring a state of calamity via Resolutions No. 67-S-2013 and 68-S-2013. The resolutions, posted on Revilla’s Twitter account, placed the province under a state of calamity, not only bacause of Labuyo, but also because of an oil spill off Rosario town last week. At least four towns in the province were affected by a diesel spill last week, which affected the livelihood of some 300 fishermen. Petron Corp. on Monday took responsibility for the leak. Zambales Masinloc town town in Zambales province was placed under a state of calamity Tuesday, after floods cause by Labuyo displaced residents, and destroyed roads and bridges, the Philippine News Agency reported. The report said seven barangays in Masinloc town were flooded, with waters reaching two to five feet high as of Monday afternoon. The town areas affected were North Poblacion, South Poblacion, Inhobol, Sto. Rosario, Tapuac, Sta. Rita, and Collat. At least 4,200 families or 25,229 people were displaced and are now in evacuation centers. Meanwhile, a part of the highway in 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 …

Seoul mayor suggests subways as traffic fix for Metro Manila

 News
Aug 132013
 
Seoul mayor suggests subways as traffic fix for Metro Manila

By Niña P. CallejaPhilippine Daily Inquirer 9:27 pm | Tuesday, August 13th, 2013 EDSA. File photo MANILA, Philippines — The mayor of Seoul — a human rights activist and lawyer who earned the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2006 — met with Metro Manila officials on Tuesday to foster long-term partnerships in addressing urban development issues. Mayor Park Won Soon received a warm welcome from several Metro Manila mayors and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino at the MMDA headquarters in Makati City, in arrival rites complete with a brass band and MMDA employees waving the South Korean flag. In a two-hour meeting with the mayors, Park offered his government’s help to Metro Manila, inviting Philippine officials to come to Seoul for them to learn in detail how the Philippine capital could handle common problems facing megacities, such as traffic jams and flooding. Among the best practices and projects he cited were Seoul’s modern transport solutions, including a 115-kilometer bus transit system, a 327-kilometer urban railway system, and government efforts to make mass transport not only efficient but also environment friendly. Asked what he could recommend for Metro Manila’s perennial traffic mess, Park proposed an interconnected metro system and the construction of a subway. “The subway is the most efficient (mode of) transportation from the outskirts of Seoul to downtown. I recommend that you have consultations with international traffic experts for the establishment of a metro system,” Park said. “The cost may be very high but it will be Read More …

Recruiters eye to fill 3,000 jobs as Taiwan lifts hiring freeze

 News
Aug 132013
 
Recruiters eye to fill 3,000 jobs as Taiwan lifts hiring freeze

By Tina G. SantosPhilippine Daily Inquirer 8:12 pm | Tuesday, August 13th, 2013 FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–Local recruitment agencies are looking to deploy some 3,000 workers for electronic factories to Taiwan, nearly a week after the Taiwanese government lifted its hiring freeze on Filipino workers. Angelo Tong, president of Pilipino Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan, said Taiwan is in need of some 3,000 workers for electronic factories that did not hire workers from other countries and instead patiently waited for Filipinos, their preferred choice of workers, for the highly-skilled positions in their companies. In a statement, Tong admitted that a few companies had to get Vietnamese workers for those positions that needed to be filled since OFWs, whose work contracts were up for extension or renewal, had to return home to wait for developments following tensions the past three months over the death of a Taiwanese fisherman. “With the issue now behind, we are very optimistic that these workers will be recalled by their companies to their previous positions,” he said. Last week, Taiwan lifted a freeze on the hiring of Filipino workers, after the Philippines relayed its apology to the family of the fisherman killed in an encounter with Philippine Coast Guard personnel in disputed waters last May 9. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s office in Manila on Tuesday posted online the guidelines for prospective Filipino job seekers. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office said this applies to work permit applications of blue-collar workers, including first-time applications, substitutes and re-hiring. TECO said Read More …

Militants oppose talks for larger US presence in PH

 News
Aug 132013
 
Militants oppose talks for larger US presence in PH

By Frances MangosingINQURER.net 7:41 pm | Tuesday, August 13th, 2013 A Filipino activist holds a slogan during a rally outside Camp Aguinaldo military headquarters in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013. The group is protesting against a proposed increase in U.S. military presence in the Philippines to help the country defend its territorial waters amid a conflict with China in the South China Sea. AP MANILA, Philippines – Militants led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan protested Tuesday the upcoming negotiations for greater access of US troops in the Philippines during a rally staged in front of Camp Aguinaldo. “The biggest lie being peddled now by the Aquino government is the one that says the US will help us in the territorial dispute against China. While there is a need to stand up to China’s aggressive and assertive behavior, the US will not really help us. The US will not go head to head with China nor is it under any obligation to take our side in any territorial dispute. The US has many economic interests in China. The US is merely exploiting the dispute,”  Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Secretary General Renato Reyes said. Talks between the Philippines and United States on the increased rotational presence of American forces in the country will start Wednesday at Department of National Defense headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo. This move is seen as a restraint to China’s expanding military might and its aggressiveness in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). China Read More …

Estrada lauds Taiwan move to lift sanctions vs PH

 News
Aug 132013
 
Estrada lauds Taiwan move to lift sanctions vs PH

By Maila AgerINQUIRER.net 5:35 pm | Tuesday, August 13th, 2013 Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada. FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada on Tuesday lauded Taiwan’s decision to lift sanctions it earlier imposed against the Philippines, saying this would pave the way for the resumption of bilateral ties on trade, investments, and hiring of overseas Filipino workers. “This resumption of productive relations between the two governments definitely results to mutual benefits. It is especially a very positive development for our OFWs,” Estrada, chairman of the Senate committee on labor, said in a statement. The reported lifting of sanctions came after the National Bureau of Investigation recommended the  filing of charges against  Coast Guard personnel  involved in the  fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman in an encounter last May 9. The Philippines through Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) chairman Amadeo Perez Jr. also issued an apology to the family of 65-year old fisherman Hung Shih Cheng who was killed during the encounter. Estrada pointed out information showing that Taiwan is among the top destinations of OFWs and is host to some 80,000 to 100,000 Filipino workers. Statistics also showed that the deployment of workers in Taiwan is estimated at 40,000 every year. He then urged Philippine officials, particularly the MECO, to beef up steps aimed at further strengthening and normalizing the two governments’ relations. Tension rose, he noted, during the three months that the issue was being addressed and investigated, and actual incidents of harassment against Filipinos in Taiwan Read More …

9 places on DFA’s shortlist of possible Apec venue

 News
Aug 132013
 
9 places on DFA’s shortlist of possible Apec venue

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 5:31 pm | Tuesday, August 13th, 2013 DFA Undersecretary for International Economic Relations Laura Q. Del Rosario. Photo from http://www.philippineembassy-usa.org MANILA, Philippines – With at least two years before the country hosts the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit in November 2015, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has already shortlisted nine places throughout the Philippines where the meetings of delegates from 21 countries in the Pacific rim will be held. The places are Clark, Metro Manila, Tagaytay, Legazpi City, Iloilo City, Boracay, Bacolod City, Davao City, and Cebu City, DFA Undersecretary for International Economic Relations Laura Q. Del Rosario told reporters in an interview. “These are the locations that are under serious consideration. [They] were reviewed as having passed the initial requirements [and will be subject to] further evaluation,” she said. Among the initial requirements for the cities to be able to host the many meetings of delegates are access and accommodations. “The locations must have airports and should be within one hour commute from the hotel and convention center,” Del Rosario said. Some of the meetings would be attended by hundreds of participants and this will require that the convention center must have enough space to sit them all together and the hotels there must also have sufficient rooms. There are around eight ministerial meetings, four senior officials meetings, and then the highlight APEC summit. Del Rosario said that instead of just assigning which Local Government Units (LGUs) will host the meetings, they asked them Read More …

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