The Philippine economy grew by 7.8% in the first three months of 2013, surpassing every single analyst estimate and putting it just above China as one of Asia’s fastest growing economies. The torrid growth, the best in nearly three years, is especially impressive given that exports declined 6.2% as electronics shipments collapsed. READ FULL STORY
Dan Brown could be right: Metro Manila indeed has places with names that may lead the unwary to the “gates of hell.” While many communities in this predominantly Catholic country invoke the names of saints and things holy, there are pockets with a shared history of darkness called “Kalye Impyerno” (Hell Street) in Navotas City, “Pasong Dyablo” (Devil’s Pass) in Muntinlupa City and “Pulong Dyablo” (Devil’s Island) in landlocked Antipolo City. READ FULL STORY
By Ana Maria Villanueva-Lykes Back in the day, women hid their smiles behind lace fans. Today, girls hide behind profile pictures doctored by Photoshop. There was a time when men would agonize to hear the “matamis na oo.” Today, guys will celebrate a mere “K”. After all, a “K” can mean “Ok, I will go out with you.” And this single character can eventually lead to “I do”. How the Filipino love language has been reduced to a letter is a love story in itself. Although Filipino courtship has greatly evolved since the days of Maria Clara, how women are regarded has always been a constant. Filipinas are mostly considered as the homemaker, but they are highly revered and treated like queens. And they see this treatment with indifference knowing that they are entitled to this kind of worship. Filipinas cannot let on about their feelings. They are expected to be coy and pakipot. It would be scandalous of her to show any interest, much more to make the first move. But even before any move is made, permission first needs to be obtained. Courting the parents It is customary for the gentleman to request approval from the lady’s parents. In fact, back then, when one tries to win the affection of his love, he is really trying to win the heart of the family. Often, this takes years – months of cutting wood for the family, days of following her around like a dog even though she pretends that Read More …
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 …
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 …
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
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 …
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 …
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 …
MANILA, May 29 (Mabuhay) — Jodi Sta. Maria said the annulment of her marriage with former partner Pampi Lacson is underway. The 30-year-old actress said she and Lacson have made steps to legally end their 8-year marriage. “Well, on the way siya,” Sta. Maria told reporters, when asked if she is seeking the annulment of […]