Maniolas

Members of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) wave as they drive their armored vehicle in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights near the Quneitra crossing, the only border crossing between Israel and Syria, on August 30, 2014. AFP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–The top Filipino commander in the Golan Heights has resigned as chief of staff of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (Undof) in protest of the Undof force commander’s handling of the crisis in the two camps manned by Filipino peacekeepers. Col. Ezra Enriquez, the head of the 7th Philippine Contingent, tendered his resignation to Undof Force Commander Iqbal Sing Singha last Sunday, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Gregorio Catapang said on Tuesday. Catapang said Enriquez also filed an administrative leave from the Undof, which Singha granted, effective last Sunday until the end of the contingent’s tour of duty in October. Enriquez, however, will continue to oversee the operations, and ensure the safety, of the Filipino troops until their repatriation to the Philippines, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief said. Catapang defended Enriquez’s decision, describing it as an honorable act. “It’s just like you have a boss and you are the secretary or the chief of staff, so if you are not anymore in good talking terms (with the boss), then it would just be an honorable act to file your resignation,” he said. Col. Roberto Ancan, the chief of the AFP peacekeeping operations center, said Singha sent a message saying that “he respected the will of the national contingent commander to be relieved as chief of his staff and granted Enriquez’s administrative leave.” Read More …

At the Hastings College of Law forum on minimum wage: Shaw San Liu (at the podium) of Chinese Progressive Action; (seated) Ken Jacobs, chair of UC Berkeley Center for Research on Labor and Employment; Michael Reich, director of the UC Berkeley Institute for Research on Labor and Employment; Un Un Che, a worker; Ofelia Prettyman, also a worker. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS SAN FRANCISCO, California – Nearly a quarter of San Francisco, California’s work force would get a pay raise if voters approve a proposed measure in the November ballot. A recently released study by a group of economists of the University of California (UC) in Berkeley found that an estimated 142,000 workers or 23 percent of San Francisco’s workforce would benefit from Measure J’s passage. UC Berkeley economists Michael Reich, Ken Jacobs, Annette Bernhardt and Ian Perry and formally presented in a forum at Hastings College of Law recently. Measure J would raise the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour by 2018, phased in over four steps. It would raise the pay from the current hourly rate of $10.74 to $12.25 an hour on May 1, 2015; to $13 on July 1, 2016; to $14 on July 1, 2017; and to $15 on July 1, 2018. Subsequent years’ rates would then be pegged to inflation. Everyone who works in San Francisco would be covered by the measure except state and federal government employees and the self-employed. Wage boost substantial The study found that the measure, if passed, would result in an Read More …

New Consul General to Chicago Generoso Calonge CHICAGO, Illinois – The Philippines’ new Consul General held the first of his promised “dialogue with the community” on August 20 at 5:30 p.m., right after the regular office hours, lasting for about one and half hour. “The third Wednesday of the month will be for the concerns of Filipinos under my consular jurisdiction,” declared Generoso Calonge, the newly appointed Consul General in Chicago. This unprecedented move was made known early July when he made his first public appearance. “I was not able to start last month because of my participation in the 9th Ambassador Consuls General Tourism Directors Tour in Manila,” he explained to two-dozen area community leaders and media persons. Many of those who came took note of the tense and cool reception from the other consular personnel, who at some point aggressively told attendees that they would not be let in if their names were not on their list of those who called in for reservation. Many attendees countered that they actually called or confirmed their intention to join the dialogue, and this highlighted the persistent and common complaint about the poor telecommunication system in the consulate. The problem became the top topic for the afternoon, and Calonge promised to make sure an improvement would be made. Facilitating dual citizenship, passport applications and the electoral registration of overseas voters also were raised as the Filipino expatriates’ top concerns. “I believe that with the million Filipino citizens abroad, making sure that Read More …