Subic fishermen buck fishing ban at Panatag lagoon

 News
Nov 232016
 
Subic fishermen buck fishing ban at Panatag lagoon

NO RESTRICTION This time, a Filipino fisherman is undisturbed by Chinese coast guards while fishing at Panatag Shoal off Zambales province.RICHARD A. REYES SUBIC, ZAMBALES—Fishermen from this coastal town are opposing President Duterte’s plan to declare the lagoon in the contested Panatag Shoal (international name: Scarborough Shoal) a marine sanctuary, claiming that a ban would deprive them of their traditional fishing ground. The shoal, a rich fishing ground, became accessible to Filipino fishermen last month after the Chinese Coast Guard allowed them in the area that had been closed to them since 2012. “We are not in favor of that plan. It (shoal) has been our traditional fishing ground so we don’t understand why suddenly our government wants it to be off limits,” said fisherman Tirso Atiga, 44, president of Calapandayan Fishermen’s Multipurpose Cooperative. Instead of a ban, Artiga said the government could tap them to help safeguard the shoal from poaching and destructive fishing. He said they were worried that the move could be disadvantageous to Filipino fishermen. Mr. Duterte said he would issue an executive order declaring the triangle-shaped lagoon inside the Panatag shoal a marine sanctuary, where neither Filipino nor Chinese fishermen would be allowed to fish. This was relayed by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. to reporters after Mr. Duterte discussed the plan with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their talks on Nov. 19 on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru.   No certainty “There’s no certainty that China and other Read More …

SF parol fest-parade to showcase Filipino X’mas traditions

 News
Nov 232016
 
SF parol fest-parade to showcase Filipino X’mas traditions

A past Parol Lantern Festival and Parade in San Francisco. CONTRIBUTED SAN FRANCISCO — This is the time of year when Filipino culture is prominently showcased even in a universally celebrated holiday season in America, thanks to the Annual Parol Lantern Festival and Parade, now on its 14th year. The festival is a fun-filled family evening of music, games and prizes with the brightly lit and colorful parol lanterns, and for the second year, we will be featuring artist-commissioned lanterns and a food-tasting program dubbed as Taste of Filipino Christmas. The parol festival is scheduled every second Saturday of December, the Saturday before Simbang Gabi o Misa de Gallo, a nine-day early morning mass at St. Patrick’s Church before Christmas. The main event will be held on Saturday, December 10 and it starts in Yerba Buena Gardens and marches to Jessie Square on the eastside of St. Patrick’s Church. Parol strollers with their brightly lit contingent lanterns gather for a lively parade and holiday festival. This year’s theme is “Bring Our Culture to Light.” The parol festival-parade is one of the many cultural assets and community celebrations that convinced the Board of Supervisors and the City to unanimously adopt a resolution last April establishing the SoMa (South of Market Street) Pilipinas as Filipino Cultural Heritage District in San Francisco. SoMa Pilipinas has served as a touchstone for Filipinos seeking to connect with their cultural heritage. As a Filipino cultural heritage district, it celebrates and preserves the community, individual and family Read More …

Long Beach police reopen cold case of Filipina-Hispanic woman

 News
Nov 232016
 
Long Beach police reopen cold case of Filipina-Hispanic woman

Diana Rojas, who went missing in 2000, in an undated family photo. LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT LONG BEACH, California – Detectives have re-opened a cold case involving a Filipina-Hispanic woman who went missing 16 years ago, after an anonymous tip led them to believe she was killed. Diana Raquel Rojas was 27 when she was last seen on Oct. 20, 2000, in her apartment in the 5500 block of Ackerfield Avenue, according to the Long Beach Police Department. The anonymous tip led to an area in Ridgecrest that was excavated after topographical examination and cadaver dogs indicated the possibility of human remains buried there, officials said. No human remains were found during the excavation. Rojas was a single mother to her then two-year-old daughter and worked at His Nesting Place, a church and women’s shelter, when she disappeared, her lawyers said. She was concerned about her personal safety related to her estranged husband. Rojas is described as Filipino and Hispanic, 5 feet 2 inches tall, with brown hair and a light complexion. She also has scars on her back, authorities said. Her vehicle, also still missing, was a 1992 black Nissan pickup truck with extended cab and white pinstripes, officers said. It had a Texas license plate, BY3242, and the driver’s side door lock and radio are missing. Rojas was reportedly last seen wearing a pink-colored shirt with spaghetti straps, blue sweatpants with a “Winnie the Pooh” logo on the left leg and a blue zip-up jacket with a medical insignia on the left side. Read More …

PH schools alumni rock it in NY ‘battle of the bands’

 News
Nov 232016
 
PH schools alumni rock it in NY ‘battle of the bands’

Ateneans pose with Consul General Tess Dizon De Vega (Ateneo Law School) standing fourth from left between this writer and event organizer Romainne de Guzman Luis (fifth from left) and Ateneo coordinator Cecile Sison (sixth from left). PORSHA SEECHUNG NEW YORK CITY — In keeping with this tradition, alumni from five universities joined the “battle of the bands” Nov. 4, coinciding with the annual Homecoming sa Konsulado started by the Philippine Consulate General of New York a few years ago. Filipino Americans in the Northeast found another way to bring camaraderie and a little competition through the 4th Bandastiks competition to be held here in the Northeast. Ateneo De Manila University alums won this year’s Bandastiks battle of the bands held at the Philippine Consulate General of New York. They performed at the Consulate’s Homecoming sa Konsulado. PORSHA SEECHUNG The Ateneans’ band won the competition with their rendition of classic Pinoy rock, OPMs and swing, making the cheering crowd hit the dance floor. Alumni of Ateneo, La Salle, Assumption, St. Paul and Xavier University/Ateneo Cagayan competed this year. The Ateneans performed the following day during the Homecoming sa Konsulado attended by several university alumni from the New York- New Jersey area. The first Bandafest battle of the bands was held in fall of 2004 among alumni of Ateneo, La Salle, St. Scholastica and St. Theresa’sCollege. The interschool competition ran until 2007 when participants diminished. Last year, it was revived as Bandastiks, a benefit showdown. TAGS: alumni homecoming, Bandastiks, Homecoming Sa Konsulado, Read More …

Latest PH Navy frigate sails for home

 News
Nov 232016
 
Latest PH Navy frigate sails for home

San Francisco Consul General Henry S. Bensurto at ceremony before BRP Bonifacio’s departure from Alameda, California US Coast Guard station. CONTRIBUTED ALAMEDA, California — The Philippine Navy’s latest frigate, the BRP Andres Bonifacio, left the US Coast Guard Base in Alameda, California on Nov. 1, on its voyage to the Philippines. Commanding the ship is Captain Brendo J. Casaclang. It is the third Del Pilar Class Frigate of the Philippine Navy, following the commissioning of the BRP Gregorio del Pilar and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz. Philippine Consul General to San Francisco Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. led the send-off party composed of Mrs. Mariza Bensurto, Consulate officials, Philippine Defense and Armed Forces Attaché B/Gen Eric Calip and members of the Filipino American community. Philippine Defense and Armed Forces Attaché B/Gen Eric Calip, Consul General Bensurto, Capt. Brendo Casaclang and a US Coast Guard officer. CONTRIBUTED Consul General Bensurto congratulated the crew for completing their training, and for preparing the BRP Andres Bonifacio to take on its new mission of protecting the Philippines and the Filipino people. He added that “traditional and non-traditional security concerns continue to confront our country, and the BRP Andres Bonifacio and its crew would indeed be a welcome asset of the Philippine Navy and the Armed Force of the Philippines in addressing these concerns.” The BRP Andres Bonifacio at US Coast Guard station in Alameda, California, before sailing for San Diego and the Philippines. CONTRIBUTED He also thanked the US Coast Guard personnel who, on top of Read More …

Young winners named in Hawaii ‘Letter to My Parents’ contest

 News
Nov 232016
 
Young winners named in Hawaii ‘Letter to My Parents’ contest

SAN FRANCISCO – Winners of this year’s Letter to My Parents™ Contest in Hawai‘i were announced Saturday, Nov. 19 where nine contestants recited their letters dedicated to their parents. Judges selected three award recipients for this year’s contest: Amanda Herolaga for “Bravery,” Shyloe Tote for “Reflection” and Aizea Ranon for “Proposal.” Each of them received a prize of $500. For this year, there was another award – “Spirit of Aloha,” which was awarded to Casey Metrose, who received a $200 dinner certificate courtesy of Suntory Restaurant in Waikiki. The judges were Dwayne Manzanillo, (Teacher, James Campbell High School), Joanne Corpus (Zippy’s), and Alvin Ishihara (Reiyukai America). The Final Presentation was held during the “‘Ohana Day Celebration” hosted by Reiyukai America, which organizes the annual contest along with Kalamansi Books and Things and Sariling Gawa Youth Council, Inc. A total of 187 letters from 21 different schools were submitted. The Organizing Committee invited nine contestants to present their letters to their parents, families, the general audience and the judges at the Hawaii’s Plantation Village in Waipahu, O‘ahu: Masar Abdeljawad; Maizie Distad; Amanda Herolaga; Casey Metrose; Aizea Ranon; Julienne Saladino; Hannah Smasne; Timoteo Sumalinog; Shyloe Tote. After the letters were read, the nine participants received a $50 gift certificate and a Certificate of Participation, gift certificate from Zippy’s, a Free Online E-book subscription with a free pizza coupon courtesy of Read 2 Succeed Foundation. Each of the contestants will be also receiving a “1 Year TestPrep Course Subscription” courtesy of BenchPrep. Noriko Sotta, member of the Reiyukai America National Committee noted, “We are very pleased to see this year again many families were able to get together.” “This Read More …

A catchy slogan that doesn’t ‘catch’ tourists

 Economy
Nov 232016
 
A catchy slogan that doesn’t ‘catch’ tourists

A new tourism masterplan is now making the rounds of stakeholders. The masterplan aims to raise tourist arrivals to 12 million by 2022, doubling the target this year of six million visitors over the next six years. It’s going to be a tough act, especially since the 2017 budget had been slashed by about 30 percent to P2.5 billion from P3.6 billion last year. More than finding ways of stretching the budget, though, the Tourism department will have to think of new ways to achieve its target. What seems to be the first line of attack of the new Tourism officials is tweaking the current advertising slogan “It’s more Fun in the Philippines.” And, as Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo says, the invitation to come to the Philippines needs to be more defining. Not enticing enough This is apparently an offshoot of a Nielsen study (not the extra judicial killings under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte that rumors say have somehow made the current slogan ironical) where it was pointed out that, while the slogan is catchy, it does not entice tourists to come visit the Philippines. According to the study, commissioned by the Tourism department under former secretary Ramon Jimenez, two of three European respondents said they liked the slogan, but unfortunately, only one in four expressed a desire to visit the Philippines. The study, conducted over two months from March to April, also bared that three in four North American survey respondents were amused by the slogan, but Read More …

Trump‘s economic team

 Economy
Nov 232016
 
Trump‘s economic team

The transition team of Donald Trump has been very busy helping the US president-elect vet the potential members of his White House staff and Cabinet, starting with Reince Priebus as chief of staff, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general and retired general Michael Flynn as national security adviser. A lot of Cabinet positions are still waiting to be filled, including that of state secretary (said to be a toss-up between former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney). Businessmen, however, are closely monitoring Donald Trump’s picks for his economic team that include the secretaries for Commerce and Treasury, as well as directors for the Office of Management and Budget, and chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. Much earlier, Trump released a video message reiterating his presidency would focus on “putting America first,” with subsequent executive actions that would underscore this core principle. Trump has already announced he would junk the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP (which he characterized as a potential disaster) and instead called for “fair bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry among American shores. “Whether it’s producing steel, building cars or curing disease, I want the next generation of production and innovation to happen right here, on our great homeland: America – creating wealth and jobs for American workers,” Trump’s video message went. Official data says the US unemployment rate is at 4.9 percent, although many are convinced that “real unemployment” is much higher, most likely at 20 percent. Trump’s campaign Read More …

Investors gobble up P130-B term deposits

 Economy
Nov 232016
 
Investors gobble up P130-B term deposits

The seven- and 28-day term deposits fetched higher rates yesterday ahead of the increase in the volume of the term deposit facility (TDF) to be implemented by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Dec. 1. File photo Fed rate hike, Trump presidency causing jitters MANILA, Philippines – Term deposits continued to fetch higher yields due to the uncertainties brought about by the impending interest rate hike in the US next month and the assumption into office of US president-elect Donald Trump early next year. The seven- and 28-day term deposits fetched higher rates yesterday ahead of the increase in the volume of the term deposit facility (TDF) to be implemented by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Dec. 1. During yesterday’s auction, the seven-day term deposits fetched 2.5249 percent from last week’s 2.5232 percent as accepted yield ranged between 2.5 and 2.5313 percent while yield of the 28-day term deposits inched up to 2.8023 percent from 2.7842 percent as accepted yield ranged from 2.5 to 2.95 percent. BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said the auction results were expected. Bids for the seven-day term deposits reached P22.79 billion for a lower bid coverage ratio of 2.279 while tenders for the 28-day term deposits amounted to P150.55 billion for a lower bid coverage ratio of 1.2546. “The bid to cover ratio changes are beginning to reflect seasonality given these tenors would mature close to the holidays,” Tetangco said. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The BSP made Read More …

Ayala, Filinvest eye Middle East projects

 Economy
Nov 232016
 
Ayala, Filinvest eye Middle East projects

Real estate giants Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) and Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) are exploring expansion opportunities in the Middle East, Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) director general Charito Plaza said. File photo MANILA, Philippines – Real estate giants Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) and Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) are exploring expansion opportunities in the Middle East, Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) director general Charito Plaza said. Plaza said the two property firms are eyeing projects that would cater to the millions of Filipinos working in the Middle East.  “I recently came from Middle East. I was with the President in his state visit in China and Japan and after Japan, I went to Qatar because I was guest speaker of the real estate executives of Qatar which includes Filipino real estate developers like Ayala Land and Filinvest,” Plaza said. “They are also exploring the market of Qatar and the Middle East, especially for our overseas Filipino workers,” she added. During said Middle East trip, Plaza  offered Philippine lands and islands to investors, including members of royal families, the PEZA chief earlier reported. ALI and FLI serve as property units of two of the country’s largest conglomerates—Ayala Corp. and Filinvest Development Corp. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 ALI marked its first international expansion in 2010 through a partnership with Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co. Ltd. to develop a 9.78-hectare property in Beijing. The property giant earned P15.1 billion in the nine months ending September 2016, with revenues Read More …

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