Pia Cayetano cited as RH hero by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

 News
Jun 012013
 
Pia Cayetano cited as RH hero by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

By Norman BordadoraPhilippine Daily Inquirer 6:52 am | Sunday, June 2nd, 2013 Senator Pia Cayetano. INQUIRER file photo MANILA, Philippines—An international women’s conference organized by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation last week gave Sen. Pia Cayetano its Rising Star Award for her efforts in the passage of the reproductive health (RH) law in the Philippines. Cayetano was recognized for standing up for women’s health and rights at the 3rd Women Deliver Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which focused on promoting women’s well-being. “Senator. Mom. Triathlete. That’s how Sen. Pia Cayetano of the Philippines describes herself on Twitter. There’s one thing missing: Hero,” wrote Gabrielle Fitzgerald, director of Global Program Advocacy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Youngest senator Fitzgerald wrote on the website of the Gates foundation that Cayetano took on the task of pushing for the RH bill—which had been languishing in the Philippine Congress for five years—when she became the youngest woman senator in 2001. Fitzgerald cited Cayetano’s sponsorship of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act that was eventually passed in 2012. The law “ensures all women and men in the Philippines can freely and responsibly decide the number and spacing of their children, and have the information and means to carry out their decisions.” This is a highlight of the international Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) which is recognized by almost all countries. ‘Agents of death’ “It’s a little hard to imagine, but this bill, which guarantees Read More …

OFWs seek PH help on coping with new virus

 News
Jun 012013
 
OFWs seek PH help on coping with new virus

Philippine Daily Inquirer 6:51 am | Sunday, June 2nd, 2013 AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—An overseas Filipino workers group has called on the Philippine government to send medical attachés to Saudi Arabia which has been hit by an outbreak of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said OFWs in Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries had many questions about the ailment and the Philippine government should do something to educate them and prepare them for any contingencies. “There are lots of medical concerns of our OFWs not only in Saudi Arabia but also in other Mideast countries. Giving them the right information, education and guidance would be of help to prevent work-related diseases,” said Monterona in a statement. Citing latest reports, Monterona said three more persons had died from MERS-CoV, on top of the 17 previous fatalities in the kingdom. “It is in the best interest of the Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia to be properly informed, educated and guided about taking care of their health amid the spread of MERS-CoV,” he added. He said the Philippine government should also launch a massive information and education campaign about MERS-CoV and other illnesses such as avian flu and swine flu at all entry and exit points of the country like airports and at various diplomatic outposts in the Middle East. On Friday, Italy became the ninth country to report a MERS-CoV infection, which struck a 45-year-old man who had traveled to Jordan. Deployment of Read More …

PAGASA: Rain over parts of Mindanao due to wind convergence

 News
Jun 012013
 
PAGASA: Rain over parts of Mindanao due to wind convergence

Rain is forecast over parts of Mindanao on Sunday due to the inter-tropical convergence zone, state meteorologist said in a weather bulletin. PAGASA also said in the Sunday morning bulletin that Metro Manila and other parts of the country may expect isolated rain showers and thunderstorms. “The regions of Davao, Soccsksargen, Zamboanga Peninsula and the Autonomous Region Of Muslim Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms,” it said. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be “partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms,” it added. For Sunday, PAGASA said Metro Manila may expect temperatures of 23 to 34 degrees Celsius while Tuguegarao City may expect temperatures of 24 to 36 degrees Celsius. Angeles and Olongapo Cities may expect temperatures of 25 to 35 degrees Celsius, it said. Meanwhile, PAGASA said light to moderate winds from the east to southeast will prevail over Luzon and Visayas and coming from the east to northeast over the rest of the country. The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate, it added.  — ELR, GMA News

US: Corruption abets terror in PH

 News
Jun 012013
 
US: Corruption abets terror in PH

By Tarra QuismundoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 2:08 am | Sunday, June 2nd, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—While citing its “strong counterterrorism cooperation” with the Philippines, the United States noted that “official corruption” and resource and personnel constraints had stymied the country’s antiterror campaign. In its latest Country Reports on Terrorism released this week, the US Department of State, however, lauded the Philippines continuing pressure on known terror groups, saying that its efforts in the last decade “have been successful at isolating and constraining the activities of domestic and transnational terrorists.” Mindanao remains classified as a “terrorist haven” due to the presence of the al-Qaida linked Abu Sayyaf which the US had tagged  as a foreign terrorist organization. The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), also remain on the terror list. “The Philippines has coordinated with US law enforcement authorities, especially regarding US  fugitives and suspected terrorists. An under-resourced and understaffed law enforcement and justice system coupled with widespread official corruption, however, resulted in limited domestic investigations, unexecuted arrest warrants, few prosecutions, and lengthy trials of cases,” said the report released on May 30. The report noted, for instance, that the proscription case the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) brought against the Abu Sayyaf, the first of its kind that sought to officially tag the group as a terrorist organization under the 2007 Human Security Act, had remained pending by the end of last year. The US also cited a Manila court’s dismissal of an Read More …

No special talks to help OFWs losing their jobs in Taiwan

 News
Jun 012013
 
No special talks to help OFWs losing their jobs in Taiwan

By Nancy C. CarvajalPhilippine Daily Inquirer 1:47 am | Sunday, June 2nd, 2013 Taiwanese investigators rides a rubber boat as they inspect a ship involved in the alleged shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman while they continue their probe in Manila on Tuesday, May 28, 2013. The daughter of the Taiwanese fisherman allegedly killed by Filipino coast guards filed murder charges during joint proceedings held by Taiwanese and Philippine prosecutors in Pingtung County on Tuesday. AP PHOTO/AARON FAVILA MANILA, Philippines—There are no special talks to help Filipinos who are losing their jobs in Taiwan after the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman by Filipino coast guards three weeks ago. Arthur Abiera, Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco) representative, told a news conference on Thursday that negotiations with Taiwanese authorities involved general matters for the restoration of good relations between the Philippines and Taiwan. Labor issues are only part of the talks, he said. Taiwan froze new jobs for Filipino migrant workers and Taiwanese employers are not renewing contracts in retaliation for the shooting death of fisherman Hung Shih-chen on May 9. Many of the 87,000 Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan are affected by the retaliatory measure but Abiera said Meco could not do anything about it. “That’s the Taiwanese government’s decision,” Abiera said. “We are trying to address all issues. It’s sad that they will be affected.” Why us? “Why should we suffer for what other Filipinos had done?” asked Maryanne, a Filipino migrant worker in Taiwan who asked that her last Read More …

Going back to school abroad

 News
Jun 012013
 
Going back to school abroad

By Rene PastorThe FilAm 1:24 am | Sunday, June 2nd, 2013 LEVELLING UP The author recently completed his requirements for a Master of Science in International Relations. Contributed photo/The FilAm When American whiz statistician Nate Silver, who was our commencement speaker, urged the millennials not to stop “being weird,” I felt oddly out of place, coming from Ray Romano’s league of Men of a Certain Age. It was the kind of raw, gusty and rainy day which made for a miserable go in New York City. My wife and I struggled under one umbrella that couldn’t shield my suit from the rain nor her green dress, but you cannot choose a graduation day. Mine fell on an afternoon that resembled slushy winter more than spring. We got off at Penn Station and began walking toward the Jacob K. Javitz Convention Center on 11th Avenue and 39th Street where The New School was holding its commencement ceremony. I was a candidate for a degree in Master of Science in International Relations. More than 30 years after getting a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from the Ateneo, I would be marching again. Sitting on a bench, waiting for us to line up so the 77th commencement of The New School could start, I looked around at faces I did not know. I was surrounded by complete strangers, not by people I had schooled with for four years. Millennials’ graduation Although we were told to put away our phones after putting on our Read More …

Relief group to run marathon for PH out-of-school kids

 News
May 312013
 
Relief group to run marathon for PH out-of-school kids

INQUIRER.net US Bureau 2:45 am | Saturday, June 1st, 2013 SAN FRANCISCO—Christian relief organization World Vision Philippines will participate in the San Francisco Marathon (26.2 miles) on June 16 to raise funds for out-of-school kids in the Philippines. The group’s “We Run So They Can Go to School” project is seeking sponsors and donations to help send ten children to school as its initial goal. It cites a Philippine Department of Education and National Statistical Coordination Board that one in every six Filipino children is not in schooling because of poverty. Many families in the marginalized sectors cannot afford to send kids to school, and many children can be seen selling newspapers, street foods and even cigarettes to help their families and are at risk of criminal activity. World Vision Philippines   “We Run So They Can Go to School” project was “conceptualized to address the increasing statistics of out of school youth in the Philippines,” said the group’s statement. http://werunsotheycangotoschool.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 in the Philippines. Tags: education , Fundraising , marathon , street children 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:

U.S. Immigration bill–what happens now?

 News
May 312013
 
U.S. Immigration bill–what happens now?

By Harvey I. BarkinINQUIRER.net US Bureau 1:44 am | Saturday, June 1st, 2013 From left, Myisha Areloano, Adrian James, Jahel Campos, David Vuenrostro, and Antonio Cabrera camp outside of the Obama Campaign Headquarters in Culver City, Calif. in protest of President Obama’s immigration policies and in hopes of getting him to pass an executive order to halt discretionary deportation on Friday, June 16, 2012. AP FILE PHOTO SAN JOSE, California—The U.S. immigration reform bill approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week and slated for the Senate floor in June is still getting mixed reviews from immigrant rights supporters. For Filipinos directly affected by the U.S. immigration reform bill, family reunification is the big question. How long will the wait be for petitioned siblings, who are not undocumented students and not agricultural workers? Of the more than 200 proposed amendments to the U.S. immigration reform bill, 141 passed in almost 30 hours of debate in the Judiciary Committee  Analysts say if the Republican-controlled House passes the bill by July, legislation may occur in early August this year. “There are both good and bad consequences” as the bill stands now, Pramila Jayapal, co-chair of women’s rights campaign We Belong Together and founder-executive director of the biggest immigrants advocacy movement in Washington state OneAmerica, told INQUIRER.net. “One positive thing is that there’s a major concern to wipe out the backlog (of petitions) so Filipino families can be together. We need to get rid of a 4.3 million backlog.” The wait for relative-sponsored Read More …

PH Embassy seeks probe of Fil-Am woman’s death

 News
May 312013
 
PH Embassy seeks probe of Fil-Am woman’s death

By Nimfa U. RuedaInquirer Correspondent 6:12 pm | Friday, May 31st, 2013 Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia Jr. FILE PHOTO LOS ANGELES—The Philippine Embassy has joined the Filipino-American community in questioning the use of “disproportionate force” in subduing a Filipino-American woman who was fatally shot by police after reportedly creating a disturbance inside a wholesale store in Virginia. Mylene de Leon Scott, 38, was shot dead on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) by one of two police officers who responded to a reported disturbance at Costco Wholesale Store in Sterling, Virginia. In a statement released yesterday (Friday in Manila), Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. said “we share the concerns” expressed by the family of the victim and the Filipino-American community that police officers “may have responded with disproportionate force.” Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman told NBC News that at about 3 p.m. Wednesday, the store employees noticed Scott acting strangely after running out of the pizza samples she was handing out.  Witnesses said she became upset and started waving a knife and scissors, threatening employees. Chapman said that when the police officers arrived to handle the disturbance, Scott approached the officers with the sharp items. One deputy tried to use a stun gun on Scott, but the stun gun “did not work,” and another deputy fatally shot her, he added. ‘Expeditious investigation’ In its statement, the Philippine Embassy offered its condolences to the family of the victim and requested authorities to conduct “a thorough, impartial and expeditious investigation of Read More …

Jessica Sanchez’s ‘lola’ steals scene at White House event

 News
May 312013
 
Jessica Sanchez’s ‘lola’ steals scene at White House event

By Nimfa U. RuedaPhilippine Daily Inquirer 6:08 pm | Friday, May 31st, 2013 President Barack Obama gestures to lipstick marks on his collar in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 28, 2013. The aunt of American Idol runner-up Jessica Sanchez kissed the president’s collar and left the lipstick marks just before he gave his remarks at an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month event. AP LOS ANGELES—President Barrack Obama on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) pointed out what he called “a sign of warmth” from the audience gathered in the East Room of the White House—a lipstick smear on his collar. He said the culprit was the “aunt” of Filipino-Mexican-American singer Jessica Sanchez. But Obama was actually referring to Sanchez’s maternal grandmother, Virginia Bugay, who was visiting from her native Bataan and accompanied her granddaughter to a White House celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Sanchez, a runner-up in the reality show American Idol, performed at the White House event. While the audience waited for Obama to arrive, Virginia stood near the entrance, recounted Bing Branigin, spokesperson of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), who attended the event. When Obama entered the room, Virginia rushed toward Obama and said, “Mr. President I’m a big fan, can I have a hug?” Branigin said. Virginia gave the much taller Obama a hug–and a kiss, which landed on the right side collar of Obama’s blue shirt. Before he delivered his remarks, Obama talked Read More …

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