PH hails diplomatic ties with China despite row

 News
Jun 092013
 

By TJ Burgonio Philippine Daily Inquirer 3:28 am | Monday, June 10th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—Their territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) should not stop the Philippines and China from celebrating the 38th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations, Malacañang said Sunday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said relations between the two countries were multifaceted and the territorial dispute over parts of the West Philippine Sea was just one facet. After all, there were other facets of this relationship that “we continue to develop and that we continue to move forward on,” Valte said on state-run radio dzRB. “So let’s let the maritime disputes not be the whole of our relationship but, rather, just a part of it. And, again, given the close ties that we have, then that’s worth something to look at all the other facets and check and see if we can move forward on those fronts,” she said. Starting 1975 The Philippines and China opened diplomatic relations on June 9, 1975. Since then, the relations have reached “unprecedented levels” in security and regional cooperation, trade, investment, agriculture, tourism and cultural exchanges, according to the Philippine Embassy in China. In April 2005, then Chinese President Hu Jintao, on a state visit to Manila, and then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo described the relations between the two countries as the “golden age of partnership.” The relations hit a low when Philippine and Chinese ships faced off at Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) in April last year. Read More …

Popular Fil-Am mayor of Milpitas, California delivers

 News
Jun 092013
 
Popular Fil-Am mayor of Milpitas, California delivers

By Harvey I. Barkin INQUIRER.net U.S. Bureau 1:25 am | Monday, June 10th, 2013 Mayor Jose Esteves of Milpitas, California MILPITAS, California–Five-term Mayor Jose Esteves, a Filipino American, told hundreds of constituents at his very first State of the City address May 30 that the city was in a better position compared with others in Northern California. “Let me say plainly that our current financial standing is +AA and our outlook is very positive,” Esteves told the standing-room-only crowd at the Chamber of Commerce venue. “I don’t want to move ever,” said Deritha May Randall has lived in Milpitas for 50 years. “Thank God for the (Milpitas) Police and Fire Departments. The mayor is good and has improved Milpitas more than any man, especially in the Dixon area (where she lives). Mayor Esteves has got it under control.” Esteves admitted, however, that the last seven years were the most difficult in the city’s history. Tough decisions and sacrifices had to be made, he said, for Milpitas to become financially solvent. “We cut costs internally and redefined our service delivery without compromising it. This is an accomplishment not all cities can claim,” he explained. But the solvency came at a price. In the last year, the city council had to cut $9.2 million from the $69.2 million general fund in June, as a result of State’s decision to eliminate redevelopment agency funding. This forced the city to cut its expenses by $7 million on top of a $2.2 million structural deficit. Read More …

180,000 foreign workers leave Saudi in 2 months—report

 News
Jun 092013
 
180,000 foreign workers leave Saudi in 2 months—report

Agence France-Presse 7:54 pm | Sunday, June 9th, 2013 AP FILE PHOTO RIYADH — Some 180,000 illegal foreign workers have left Saudi Arabia since April 1 under an amnesty that allowed them to try to sort out their papers or leave without paying a penalty, a report said on Sunday. “Between the beginning of April and the start of June, 180,000 foreigners left the kingdom for good,” Okaz daily quoted Badr Malek, spokesman for the passports department, as saying. This wave brings to 380,000 the number of foreign workers who have left Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the year. Malek stressed that violators of immigration rules in the oil-rich kingdom will face penalties when the amnesty period ends on July 3, with punishment including imprisonment up to two years, and fines up to 100,000 riyals ($27,000). According to official statistics, eight million expatriates work in the kingdom. Economists say there are another two million unregistered foreign workers. Saudi Arabia is aiming to create job opportunities for its unemployed nationals through cutting the number of foreign workers, although many of those are in low-paid jobs that Saudis would not accept. The world’s largest oil exporter is a goldmine for millions of people from poor Asian and Arab countries that are reeling under high levels of unemployment. 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 Read More …

Journalists from 120 countries press Aquino to speed up Maguindanao massacre trial

 News
Jun 092013
 
Journalists from 120 countries press Aquino to speed up Maguindanao massacre trial

By Jeannette I. Andrade, Ryan D. RosauroInquirer Mindanao, Philippine Daily Inquirer 7:03 pm | Sunday, June 9th, 2013 The massacre in Maguindanao where over 30 journalists were also killed in 2009 is testament to the danger media men and women face in the Philippines. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO OZAMIZ CITY, Philippines — More than 300 delegates to the 28th World Congress of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in Dublin, Ireland have called on President Benigno Aquino III to “take steps to expedite the trial” of those accused in the Maguindanao massacre. The call was contained in an urgent resolution adopted by the congress, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) chair Rowena Paraan, who attended the Dublin gathering. “Everybody is disappointed that … the justice system in the Philippines has not moved forward. Journalists here from 120 countries are absolutely united in making sure that they will help [promote] the widest campaigns until justice is found,” IFJ president Jim Boumelha was quoted in an NUJP news release. The IFJ is the world’s largest organization of journalists with some 600,000 members in 120 countries. The NUJP is its affiliate in the Philippines. Fifty-eight people died in the Maguindanao massacre, 32 of whom were media workers. The massacre has been dubbed the world’s single worst attack on the press and the trial of those accused has earned the attention of press freedom advocates. Nov. 23, the date of the massacre, has been declared by advocates of the freedom Read More …

P420M worth of elephant tusks to be crushed, burned by DENR on June 21

 News
Jun 092013
 
P420M worth of elephant tusks to be crushed, burned by DENR on June 21

By Jeannette I. AndradePhilippine Daily Inquirer 5:40 pm | Sunday, June 9th, 2013 AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is set to crush and burn some P420 million (US$10 million) worth of seized elephant tusks to show the country’s support for the global campaign to end the illegal trade of wildlife species. The five tons of ivory are part of the total cargo of elephant tusks intercepted by customs officials since 2009 in separate operations nationwide. These are stored in the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB). The ivory will be crushed by a steam roller before they are burned in June 21 rites at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, according to Environment secretary Ramon Paje. Foreign experts and anti-ivory trade advocates are anticipated to witness the event, one of the highlights of the environment month celebration. In a statement, Paje said, “Our decision to destroy these ivory tusks that entered the country illegally is to show to the whole world that the Philippines will not tolerate illegal wildlife trade.” The country is a signatory to the 1989 Geneva-based Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of flora and fauna, which bans the ivory trade as a cause of the massive decline in elephant populations in Africa, according to Paje. PAWB is designated as the management authority under the Wildlife Resource Conservation and Protection Act. Under the CITES, elephants are highly endangered and their international trade declared illegal. The Read More …

AS PHILIPPINES BOOMS, OVERSEAS WORKERS EYE RETURN HOME

 News
Jun 092013
 
AS PHILIPPINES BOOMS, OVERSEAS WORKERS EYE RETURN HOME

Mateo Ragonjan took a leap of faith in August last year. The executive sous-chef of a seven-star luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi packed his bags to take up a similar job back home in the Philippines. He is one of a small group of like-minded Filipinos returning to jobs back home, a sign of confidence in an economy that for decades has seen millions leave in search of better prospects overseas. Ragonjan now helps run a 300-man kitchen that caters to guests and high-rollers flocking to Manila’s newest and most luxurious casino resort, one of 400 overseas Filipinos who came home to work at the hotel. “The Philippines is booming at the moment, so I thought it was the right time to go back,” Ragonjan, 41, said on a break from his 10-hour shift at the Solaire Resort & Casino in Manila Bay, developed at a cost of $1.2 billion. The Philippines economy is leaving behind its reputation as a regional laggard. It reported annual GDP growth of 7.8 percent in the first three months of the year, outstripping China to make it Asia’s fastest-growing economy. Earlier this year, the government secured an investment grade credit rating, reducing its borrowing costs, while the stock market has reached a series of record highs this year. Returnees like Ragonjan are just a trickle compared to those still leaving the country, but the hope is that the more the country can draw the diaspora back to the Philippines the more that the entrepreneurial Read More …

Aquino ‘deeply touched’ on meeting Aung San Suu Kyi

 News
Jun 082013
 
Aquino ‘deeply touched’ on meeting Aung San Suu Kyi

By Cynthia D. BalanaPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:01 am | Sunday, June 9th, 2013 Aung San Suu Kyi. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO NAYPYITAW, BURMA—President Benigno Aquino III said his brief encounter with Burma’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi struck in him a deep personal cord. “Nakakamanghang kausap iyung isang person na very historical, iyong sa akin may pagka-personal (It’s awe-inspiring to talk to someone who is part of history, which for me in also quite personal),” the President said at a press conference here Friday night. “The struggle that my father underwent, my mother underwent … and you can see, that she (Suu Kyi) underwent the same thing (too),” he said. It was the first face-to-face meeting between Mr. Aquino and the Burmese leader on the sidelines of the three-day World Economic Forum on East Asia in this second largest Southeast Asian country. Mr. Aquino admitted he was overwhelmed upon seeing and talking to Suu Kyi, whose struggle against the Burmese military junta resulted in her detention for 20 years. The President’s father, the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino was also incarcerated by a dictatorship and his crusade to restore democracy in the Philippines culminated in his assassination in 1983.  A people power revolt in 1986 brought his widow, Cory, to power. During her time, the late president Cory Aquino campaigned for the release of Suu Kyi and the restoration of democracy in Burma. During their meeting, the President reiterated his long standing invitation to Suu Kyi to visit the Philippines Read More …

Cartoonist Pol Medina, creator of 'Pugad Baboy,' resigns from PDI

 News
Jun 082013
 
Cartoonist Pol Medina, creator of 'Pugad Baboy,' resigns from PDI

After 25 years, Pol Medina Jr, the cartoonist behind the popular comic strip “Pugad Baboy,” resigned from the national daily Philippine Daily Inquirer on Friday night. In a phone interview with GMA News Online on Saturday night, Medina confirmed that he has resigned “irrevocably” from his post. “Mga 9:55 p.m., right after ko manood ng “SONA” [ni Jessica Soho], pinabigay ko sa kasama ko sa Art Section ‘yung resignation letter ko,” Medina said. “Hindi siya spur of the moment,” he said. “I wrote a very precise and crisp [letter].” The cartoonist detailed what the letter said: 07 June 2013 To: Ms. Letty-Jimenez Magsanoc Ma’am: Sorry I dishonored you. I resign. (signed) Pol Medina Jr. The “Pugad Baboy” creator quipped that he did not know how to use an electronic signature that is why his signature appeared big in print. “Parang galit lang, pero hindi naman.” Asked what pushed him to resign, he said: “Nung Friday, wala akong comic strip tapos may nakalagay na pending further investigation.” He was referring to the statement posted on the space allotted for his comic strip, which read: “Our Reader’s Advocate, Elena E. Pernia, has begun an inquiry into this matter. Her preliminary findings show that this cartoon strip had been rejected for its insensitivity when it was submitted in April 2013 but, due to a mix-up in the comics section, was picked up for publication.” “The Inquirer confirms its commitment to the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and good taste,” the statement continued. Medina’s Read More …

Palace: Cebu Pacific mishap should not affect PHL bid for aviation upgrade

 News
Jun 082013
 
Palace: Cebu Pacific mishap should not affect PHL bid for aviation upgrade

Saying similar accidents also happen even in first-world countries, Malacañang on Saturday insisted the faulty landing of a Cebu Pacific plane at the Davao International Airport should not be a cause to hold the upgrade of the Philippine aviation industry. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda contested claims that the country’s aviation industry is not ready for an upgrade following the Davao airpoprt mishap. “Ang nangyari diyan, nangyayari rin sa mga first world countries, hindi lang ‘yan sa mga third world countries. Alam natin na may mga aksidenteng ganito na nangyayari rin sa mga ibang bansa,” he said on government-run dzRB radio. Excerpts of the interview were posted Saturday afternoon on the Presidential Communication and Operations website. Last Sunday, a Cebu Pacific plane skidded off a Davao International Airport runway and got grounded. The incident forced the airport to halt operations until Tuesday night. Yet, Lacierda downplayed arguments that what happened showed the Philippines is not ready for an upgrade in its assessment. “I don’t think that is a one-to-one correspondence. And I don’t think that is proper. The premise would justify the conclusion,” he said. Also, he said the government has been focusing on different approaches in improving the country’s aviation industry and making a conclusion based on the Davao incident would be irresponsible. Besides, he said the Philippines is getting commendations for its initiatives in modernizing the aviation sector. “We are taking the proper steps to ensure that we are going to be out of that category and to ensure Read More …

PAGASA: 'Dante' intensifies; floods, landslides threaten parts of Luzon, Vis-Min

 News
Jun 082013
 
PAGASA: 'Dante' intensifies; floods, landslides threaten parts of Luzon, Vis-Min

PAGASA: Tropical Depression ‘Dante’ spotted 690 km east of Aurora province. “Dante” maintained its north northwest path but picked up pace from 9 kph to 11 kph PAGASA Residents in parts of southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao may have to brace for possible flash floods and landslides in the next 24 hours even as Tropical Depression Dante slightly hovered near Aurora province Saturday afternoon. In its 5 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA indicated Dante slightly intensified but also slowed down along its track as well on Saturday afternoon. PAGASA said that as of 4 p.m., Dante was estimated at 730 km northeast of Casiguran, Aurora, with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center and moving northeast at 11 kph. As of 10 a.m., Dante packed winds of only 45 kph near the center and was moving north-northwest at 15 kph. “Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, MIMAROPA and the Visayas will experience cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rain and thunderstorms that may trigger flash floods and landslides,” PAGASA warned. It added that Bicol and the rest of Mindanao will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms. Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will be “partly cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening,” it added. Also, PAGASA said moderate to occasionally strong winds from the southwest to west will prevail over northern Luzon and its coastal waters will be moderate to occasionally rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to Read More …

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