(MANILA-AFP) – In a caged ring at a newly built sports arena in the Philippine capital, 20 martial artists from around the world try to choke out, knock down or submit each other for thousands of paying fans. Scantily clad ring girls saunter on stage in between rounds to loud rock music and cheers, part […]
MANILA (Mabuhay) — Malacanang welcomed the improvement of the country’s global peace rating, although slightly, noting the administration has been addressing the domestic peace and security concerns. “When it comes to that, maganda naman na tumaas ang ranking natin because we’ve been taking concrete steps to address peace-related issues that have been confronting the administration,” […]
by Myrna Aquitania The recent 2013 Kalayaan celebration of the Philippine Independence Day, spearheaded by the Philippine Consulate along with the Department of Tourism and the Philippine Tourism Promotions Board at the historic Filpinotown was a rousing success with around 60 booths of various categories of businesses and civic organizations who participated in the all-day event. […]
Agence France-Presse 9:35 am | Wednesday, June 19th, 2013 Money traders work under a screen indicating the U.S. dollar is traded at 100.845 yen at a foreign exchange company in Tokyo, Friday, May 10, 2013. INQUIRER file photo TOKYO – Japan’s trade deficit for May expanded 9.5 percent from a year earlier to $10.4 billion, official data showed Wednesday as import costs rose on a weak yen. Data from the finance ministry showed Japan incurred a trade deficit of 993.9 billion yen, the 11th straight monthly shortfall. That was the longest run of monthly deficits since a 14-month string from July 1979 to August 1980. But May’s deficit was smaller than expected as the market had forecast a shortfall of around 1.2 trillion yen. Exports rose 10.1 percent to 5.76 trillion yen, growing for the third straight month on higher shipments to the United States and China. Imports also climbed 10.0 percent, an increase for the seventh consecutive month, as costs of fuel and other items jumped due to a weaker yen. A lower yen helps make Japanese exporters more competitive overseas but pushes up import bills. Japan’s fuel imports have soared as most of its nuclear reactors remain off-line since the huge earthquake and tsunami in 2011 sparked the world’s worst atomic accident in a generation. 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 Read More …
By Jocelyn R. UyPhilippine Daily Inquirer 6:51 am | Wednesday, June 19th, 2013 Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Foreign visitors who want to extend their vacation in the Philippines may now do so without the usual hassles. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced on Tuesday that foreigners who would like to stay longer in the country, could avail of a six-month, long-stay tourist visa from the agency. The program is set to be formally launched next week, according to the BI. In a statement, Immigration Commissioner also announced that the bureau would introduce the new visa sticker to replace the wet stamp it was using to implement extensions of stay on the passports of foreign tourists. The Long Stay Visitor Visa Extension (LSVVE) project was launched to draw more international travelers into the country by giving them the privilege to prolong their stay in the country without the need to frequently visit the BI office to process their documents. Currently, the bureau allows foreign tourists a maximum stay of two months in the country each time they apply for visa extensions. “Through this long-stay visa, we [also] expect lesser crowding in our offices due to the decreased volume of visa extension applicants,” stated David. On the other hand, the new visa sticker will help the bureau prevent the proliferation of fake visa extension stamps, which have victimized many foreigners, added the BI chief, who noted that the new sticker would have security and tracking features that Read More …
By Armando ChavezINQUIRER.net US Bureau 5:00 am | Wednesday, June 19th, 2013 Moreau high school dancers in Union Square, San Francisco. https://www.facebook.com/KalayaanSF SAN FRANCISCO—What a way to celebrate the 115th year of Philippine independence—Filipinos transformed San Francisco’s landmark Union Square into a Philippine town plaza for a day last June 15. Where there were usually art shows and buskers, was now filled with food booths vending lumpia, adobo, pansit, mango tarts, and other Filipino delicacies. There was a fashion show featuring haute couture as interpreted by Filipino designers. Of course, there can be no Filipino celebration without music and dancing, particularly folk dancing. This year, some of the performances were done, not on the stage, but on the plaza level, giving it the look and feel of having impromptu street performers amidst the crowd. The martial arts group Eskabo Daan gave a demonstration of the uniquely Filipino martial arts form that it practices and espouses, which bears some similarity to arnis de mano. The grand finale was a special show by Apl.de.Ap, who had the crowd—many of whom came just for his performance—dancing, singing, jumping and clapping to his beat and screaming with joy at being able to enjoy this rare performance by a true world celebrity. Apl.de.ap keeps crowd dancing and cheering. https://www.facebook.com/KalayaanSF Apl.de.Ap used the entire stage as his dance floor, going from one side to the other in half-skip, half-dance as the rapt audience of little girls, dads and grandmothers and every age group in between sang Read More …
By Rose PaquetteINQUIRER.net US Bureau 4:57 am | Wednesday, June 19th, 2013 Filipino Advocates for Justice executive director Lillian Galedo (center). OAKLAND, California–Forty years. That’s how long the Filipino Advocates for Justice (FAJJ, a multiservice civil rights organization, has been serving the more vulnerable in the Filipino community in the San Francisco Bay Area’s “East Bay.” Celebrating its 40th anniversary on June 20, FAJ has helped build a labor/community coalition to prevent the loss of jobs and services for the Filipino Americans in Northern California. It has stood up to unjust laws and discriminatory practices, developed leaders and organized the community on major social issues. Its headquarters is in Oakland, with another office in Union City. FAJ’s 40th Anniversary “social justice honorees” are Assembly member Rob Bonta, Asian Health Services, Carlos Villa (posthumously), Mari Rose Taruc and Honorata Nono, a caregiver. “Nono is an organizer and strategist for worker empowerment,” says FAJ organizer Fiona Cruz. Over the last four years, FAJ has worked with some 70 Filipino homecare workers in the East Bay, San Mateo, and Fresno. “I never wanted to be a leader,” said Nono. “I didn’t go past fourth grade and didn’t think I can lead. Now I’m doing so many things I never thought I could do. She’s active in PAWIS (People’s Association of Workers and Immigrants), which was initially formed to protect the jobs of airport screeners in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Today it focuses on organizing and supporting home care workers. Humble beginnings One Read More …
Philippine Daily Inquirer 3:19 am | Wednesday, June 19th, 2013 Secretary of the Navy Mabus is honored by Philippine military members after a meeting with the Philippine Defense Secretary of National Defense Voltaire Gazmin. Mabus discussed Tuesday regional security issues during the meeting. US NAVY PHOTO/MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS ARIF PATANI MANILA, Philippines—US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus discussed Tuesday regional security issues in a meeting with Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. “The representatives from the two departments discussed security issues in the Asia-Pacific region, modernization efforts, and the US’s commitment to provide humanitarian assistance in times of disasters/calamities,” the Department of National Defense (DND) said in a statement. “Secretary Mabus further intimated the critical nature of the Philippines for the US rebalance in the Asia-Pacific,” the statement said. Also in the meeting at the DND headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo were Navy Flag Office in Command Vice Adm. Jose Luis Alano, US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas, and Defense Undersecretaries Honorio Azcueta and Pio Batino. Thomas described Mabus’ visit as a “mutually beneficial and important trip.” He said one of the issues discussed was the situation in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). He noted that Mabus’ trip came on the heels of the trip to the Philippines by Adm. Samuel Locklear III, commander of the US Pacific Command. “We have sent many high-level officials here in the last few years to Read More …
Philippine Daily Inquirer 2:47 am | Wednesday, June 19th, 2013 Graphics depicting the locations of 7-Eleven stores involved in a federal indictment are shown after a news conference at the US Attorney’s office, Monday, June 17, 2013, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Philippine officials in the US are investigating the reported exploitation of Filipino immigrants at several 7-Eleven convenience stores in two East Coast states under a scheme likened to a “modern-day plantation system” where their wages are withheld and their employment concealed under stolen identities. AP PHOTO/JOHN MINCHILLO MANILA, Philippines—Philippine officials in the United States are investigating the reported exploitation of Filipino immigrants at several 7-Eleven convenience stores in two East Coast states under a scheme likened to a “modern-day plantation system” where their wages are withheld and their employment concealed under stolen identities. Nine store owners and managers were charged on Monday in the scheme to exploit immigrants from Pakistan and the Philippines, in part by paying them using the stolen Social Security numbers of a child and three dead people, according to the Associated Press (AP). Most of the defendants were arrested early Monday as US federal authorities raided 14 franchise stores on Long Island, New York, and in Virginia. Immigration and customs enforcement agents were executing search warrants at about 30 other stores across the US suspected of similar infractions, authorities said at a news conference in Brooklyn. The Philippine Embassy in Washington and the Philippine Consulate General in New York are looking into Read More …
By Tarra Quismundo, Gil C. CabacunganPhilippine Daily Inquirer 2:00 am | Wednesday, June 19th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—As Manila and Taipei prepared for fishery talks next month in a bid to ease tensions, the Chinese Embassy on Tuesday issued a reminder of Taiwan’s political status, saying governments should defer to Beijing’s “one-China policy.” “The Chinese government has no objection to the nongovernmental economic and cultural contacts between Taiwan and foreign countries that have diplomatic relations with China, but we oppose foreign countries and Taiwan to have official exchanges or sign agreements with sovereign and official implications,” said the Chinese Embassy spokesperson, Zhang Hua. “We have always required and hoped that the countries that have established diplomatic relations with China would abide by their commitments to adhere to the one-China policy,” Zhang said in a statement to the Inquirer. The embassy official in Manila made the statement when asked to comment on the start of Manila and Taipei’s fishery talks, a sign of easing tensions sparked by the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by Filipino coast guards in overlapping waters off Batanes on May 9. Officials of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco) and the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (Teco), the agencies that take care of Philippine-Taiwan relations, are to hold talks next month aimed at preventing the use of force in resolving fishery issues in overlapping borders. The Meco earlier said the negotiations would include crafting a protocol in responding to poaching incidents within overlapping waters off the Read More …