Jersey City Marks 23rd Phil-Am Friendship Day

 News
Jun 272013
 
Jersey City Marks 23rd Phil-Am Friendship Day

By Joyce Andes-DavidINQUIRER.net U.S. Bureau 7:58 am | Friday, June 28th, 2013 (L to R) Edwin Solano (Pafcom overall chairman), Senator Barbara Buono, Jersey City Mayor-Elect Steven Fulop (Honorary Grand Marshal), Cora Reyes (Grand Marshal), and Consul General Mario de Leon, Jr. (Honorary Grand Marshal) PHOTO BY ARMAN DAVID OF AJ JERSEY CITY, New Jersey—Filipinos celebrated “Philippine-American Friendship Day” for the 23rd time on June 23 at Lincoln Park in this city with a large concentration of Filipino residents. The annual celebration organized by the Philippine American Friendship Committee Inc. (Pafcom) has become an institution eagerly awaited each June by local officials and residents of Jersey City. Masskara Dancers, NY Edition PHOTO BY JUNEL CORALES PHOTO BY OGIE BAGTAS The opening ceremonies and flag salutes to both the American and Filipino flags commenced around 11a.m. Then, the ribbon-cutting ceremony kicked off the parade along West Side and Claremont Avenues. The streets were flooded with cheerful spectators awaiting the parade of different groups, organizations, decorative floats, and diverse cultural performances. The grand finale float was of GMA Pinoy TV with Filipino Actress Glaiza de Castro. The celebration continued at Lincoln Park where the festivities included a cultural-show, live entertainment, games, activities for all ages, various merchandise and food vendors. 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 Read More …

Mental health workers strike for safety in Long Beach

 News
Jun 272013
 
Mental health workers strike for safety in Long Beach

By Hiyasmin QuijanoINQUIRER.net US Bureau 6:35 am | Friday, June 28th, 2013 Workers at La Casa Mental Health Rehabilitation Center in Long Beach, California, are demanding better protection from assaults by patients. PHOTO BY HIYASMIN QUIJANO LONG BEACH, California—Nearly 200 workers of La Casa Mental Health Rehabilitation Center in North Long Beach, including several Filipinos, went on strike, demanding workplace safety and better pay. Striking employees want management to implement several safety measures, including hiring an onsite security guard and a Plexiglas barrier around the nursing station. They are members of the Service Employers’ International Union–United Healthcare Workers West. Workers allege that patient assaults on them have led to more than 200 calls to the police from the facility in a three-year period. According to the union, these consisted of 70 assault, 45 follow-ups, 24 suicidal, 44 medical, 3 rape, 4 illegal drugs and 31 escape calls to the Long Beach Police Department. “We want improvements in the safety of the patient and also the staff,” states Neilanie Bensana, a Filipina licensed vocational nurse who says she has been assaulted by a female client a few times. In recovery   “Many admitted to the facility are not ready for the recovery phase of their mental illness,” Bensana adds, “which leads to client-to-client assault, patient-to-patient assault, visitor assault, escaping from the facility and running around the community.” She says management should reinforce the gates, put a clear barrier around the nursing station “so that patients don’t throw objects at us” and give Read More …

ABS-CBN Int’l launches Lifestyle Network with star-studded bash

 News
Jun 272013
 
ABS-CBN Int’l launches Lifestyle Network with star-studded bash

INQUIRER.net US Bureau 6:30 am | Friday, June 28th, 2013 Collage: Benny Uy; Sthanlee Mirador & John Salangsang; Bradford Adkins & Richard Lao LOS ANGELES–A dazzling tableau of high fashion, gourmet food, fine wines, elegantly attired celebrities, VIP guests and flashing cameras marked the launch party of ABS-CBN International’s Lifestyle Network at the Legendary Park Plaza Hotel, host to Hollywood’s elite in the 1920s. Time Warner Cable carries Lifestyle Network in Los Angeles, San Diego and Hawaii. A panoramic scan of the courtyard and red carpet showed many familiar faces among the 500 invited guests. Social media were inundated with real time image uploads of on-goings and lots of kudos. Among the celebrities spotted were Apl.de.ap of Black-Eyed Peas; vintage intelligence extraordinaire Doris Raymond; designers Alan del Rosario, Carlyn Calloway and Alexis Phifer; Fritz Friedman of Sony Pictures; Kaya Jones of the Pussycat Dolls; TV host and model Vanessa Minnillo; celebrity stylist Kyle Blackmon, Also seen were chef Cecilia de Castro, head of the Academy of Culinary Education in Los Angeles who has worked with Wolfgang Puck and restaurateur Patrick Terrail; Filipino local stars including actor-director Bernardo Bernardo, legendary pop-jazz singers Louie Reyes and Joannie Feliciano of ABS-CBN Foundation International, former Adobo Nation co-host and commercial model Jaja Bolivar, news anchors Maria Quiban and Bob de Castro of Fox11. Cher Calvin of KTLA5 hosted the fashion show that featured the designs of celebrated Filipino designers Jay Nicolas Sario of Project Runway and Alexis Monsanto, founder of West Hollywood-based fashion design Read More …

DOLE expands probe of sex-for-flight scandal

 News
Jun 272013
 
DOLE expands probe of sex-for-flight scandal

By Tarra Quismundo, Tina G. SantosPhilippine Daily Inquirer 5:17 am | Friday, June 28th, 2013 Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz: Probe beyond sex-for-repatriation allegations. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The fact-finding team created by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to look into the alleged sex-for-flight scheme at several Philippine diplomatic outposts in the Middle East is expanding its investigation to cover other irregularities reported in Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (Polo) in the region. Lawyer Leah Fortuna, probe team leader, said they had a big job ahead of them after Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz instructed them not to limit their investigation to the sex-for-repatriation allegations. “We will look into several other issues reported to us, including irregularities in operational policy matters,” Fortuna told reporters. Bottom line: Reforms “The bottom line is, at the end of the process, whether somebody will be charged or not, whether the allegations are true or not, there should be reforms,” she said. Reports had surfaced that some distressed OFWs staying at the welfare centers or halfway houses awaiting repatriation were being made to do part-time jobs, like working as waiters in hotels, apparently by some labor officers. But other labor officials explained that OFWs at the centers were not allowed to take part-time jobs because this exposed them to risks and they were not covered by employment contracts. As of Thursday, the DOLE fact-finding team was preparing to depart for the Middle East on Saturday to gather more testimonial and documentary evidence. The three-member team would Read More …

PH, Japan defense chiefs welcome deepening ties

 News
Jun 272013
 
PH, Japan defense chiefs welcome deepening ties

By Nikko DizonPhilippine Daily Inquirer 5:08 am | Friday, June 28th, 2013 Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera reviews a guard of honor during a welcome ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Thursday June 27, 2013. In a joint news conference with Philippine counterpart Voltaire Gazmin, Onodera said Japan supports the peaceful resolution of the current row between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). AP PHOTO/BULLIT MARQUEZ MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines and Japan on Thursday welcomed the deepening of their “strategic partnership” for defense, particularly in maritime affairs, amid their territorial disputes with an increasingly aggressive China. Without mentioning China, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera vowed their governments would work together to protect their territories in accordance with the rule of law. The meeting between Gazmin and Onodera was the first between the defense chiefs of the Philippines and Japan in nearly a decade. The two defense chiefs also discussed the United States’ rebalancing of its forces to the Asia-Pacific region. Rotational deployment   “We did not talk about any individual or specific equipment of United States forces, but we agreed that Japan and the Philippines will work together to make this rebalance a reality,” Onodera said. He added that he learned from Gazmin that the Philippines was “making efforts to further increase the rotational deployment of the United States forces and I have also heard that the Philippine side is now discussing with the United States (its) presence Read More …

War games tied to US pivot strategy in Asia

 News
Jun 272013
 
War games tied to US pivot strategy in Asia

By Robert GonzagaInquirer Central Luzon 4:20 am | Friday, June 28th, 2013 RAISING THE FLAG In a scene old-timers say brings to mind the raising of the US flag during the World War II battle of Iwo Jima, American sailors hoist their flag on the guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald as it docks in Subic Bay on Thursday. The ship is taking part in Philippine-US naval exercises. The United States captured Iwo Jima after a bloody battle with Japan in the Pacific. RAFFY LERMA SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines—The joint naval exercises between the Philippines and the United States have nothing to do with the Philippines’ territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), but these have to do with US President Barack Obama’s “pivot strategy” in Asia, a US Navy official said. At the opening of the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Carat) 2013 in this former American naval base on Thursday, US Navy Rear Adm. Thomas Carney said the exercises were “part of the rebalance that the US is looking to reinforce its relations, not only militarily but economically and politically with Asia.” The exercises will run until July 2. China said parties in the unresolved territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea should instead promote peace in the region, stopping short of calling the naval exercises provocative. “We have seen the report and hope that relevant parties could do more to maintain regional peace and stability rather than the opposite,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Read More …

PH: US, allies may use military bases

 News
Jun 272013
 
PH: US, allies may use military bases

No new military facilities to be built By Nikko DizonPhilippine Daily Inquirer 12:22 am | Friday, June 28th, 2013 RAISING THE FLAG In a scene old-timers say brings to mind the raising of the US flag during the World War II battle of Iwo Jima, American sailors hoist their flag on the guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald as it docks in Subic Bay on Thursday. The ship is taking part in Philippine-US naval exercises. The United States captured Iwo Jima after a bloody battle with Japan in the Pacific. RAFFY LERMA The Philippines plans to give the United States and other allies access to its military bases under an arrangement that US forces could use to counter China’s creeping presence in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). But contrary to a foreign news report on Thursday that was attributed to unnamed Philippine Navy officials, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the Philippines would not build new air and naval bases. China had already heard the news and warned that countries with territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea which look for help from third parties will find their efforts “futile.” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the strategy was a “path of confrontation” and it would be “doomed.” The Philippines and the United States on Thursday began five days of joint naval exercises off Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal), a rich fishing ground within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone that China occupied after a maritime standoff that lasted more than Read More …

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