Maniolas

AIRLINES have been told to disinfect their planes before landing and taking off from the country’s airports, including the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), to check the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus. The Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), an attached agency of the Department of Health, issued a memorandum dated Sept. 1 reminding airlines, aircraft operators, ground handlers and airport authorities to spray or “disinsect”—eliminate insects in air travel—the cabins of international flights to prevent the spread of the Zika virus through the country’s airports. It also intends to check the spread of other diseases that could be transmitted through insect bites. Onie Nakpil, chair of the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Airline Operators Council, welcomed the directive and said they would abide by it. He said Manila-bound airlines would be required to spray or fumigate the aircraft cabins, particularly if they were flying in from countries with a high number of cases of Zika virus infection. The memo states that cabins of aircraft, prior to the unloading of cargo, must be sprayed with a solution of d-phenothrin (a component of insecticides) and permethrin (an insecticide and repellant). The quantity of the insecticide sprayed would depend on the type or size of aircraft, while the methods used for “disinsection” may also vary by destination. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization recommend two methods: spraying insecticide in the cabin while passengers are onboard; or treating the aircraft’s interior surfaces with residual insecticide while there are Read More …

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte AP FILE PHOTO DAVAO CITY—Saying he was “not a fan” of the United States, President Duterte on Saturday vowed to steer an independent course for the Philippines, and refrain from confronting territorial rival China and from picking up a fight with any nation over human rights. “I am not a fan of the Americans … Filipinos should be first before everybody else,” Mr. Duterte told reporters upon arrival in his hometown, Davao City, from his first foreign trip that was marred by a diplomatic bust-up with the United States after he called President Barack Obama a “son of a bitch.” READ: Duterte on Obama ‘slur’: I never made statement; it’s media spin “In our relations to the world, the Philippines will pursue an independent foreign policy. I repeat: The Philippines will pursue an independent foreign policy,” Mr. Duterte said. READ: Duterte: Gov’t to pursue ‘independent foreign policy’ Mr. Duterte arrived at Davao International Airport at 12:50 a.m. aboard a chartered Philippine Airlines flight from Jakarta, where he had talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Friday. Reporting on his trip in an arrival speech, Mr. Duterte said advancing the Philippines’ interest was his objective in attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit and related meetings in Vientiane, Laos, last week. “I engaged the leaders of Asean and its dialogue partners on important regional and international issues that impact on peace, security, stability and prosperity of our region,” he said. Despite an earlier promise not Read More …

DAVAO CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday said his administration will pursue an “independent foreign policy” and will reject any attempts at meddling by foreign governments. This meant that the government will adopt and implement policies that would safeguard its national interests and to achieve goals within its international relations environment. The 1987 Constitution states that “The State shall pursue an independent foreign policy. In its relations with other states, the paramount consideration shall be national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest and the right to self-determination.” “We will observe and I must insist – I repeat, I must insist – on the time honored principles of sovereign equality, non-interference and commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes to best serve our people and protect the interests of our country,” Duterte said in his arrival speech at the Davao International Airport here. The President – accompanied by Cabinet secretaries and other officials – arrived in Davao from Jakarta aboard a chartered Philippine Airlines plane around 12:50 a.m., where he was afforded foyer honors by the Tactical Operation Group 11. Former senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani wrote in an article in 2015 that the pursuit of an independent foreign policy was “not a ‘go-it-alone’ foreign policy. Neither does it mean the absence of any alliances.” “Rather, it means a long-term, deliberate government policy sustained and adjusted by several administrations aimed at making the government and its people responsible for containing and responding to internal and external threats to ensure the nation’s security,” Shahani Read More …