FINANCE Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said potential foreign investors can count on infrastructure investment to continue in the countryside despite the unrest in Mindanao.
Jun 152017
Apr 162014
By Bong LozadaINQUIRER.net 8:21 pm | Wednesday, April 16th, 2014 MANILA, Philippines—Even without an official announcement, and decision, for a visa-free travel for Filipinos to Japan, Netizens are all hyped up for the possibility. On Tuesday, talks were underway to lift the visa requirement of Filipinos, Indonesians and Vietnamese travelling to Japan. It was a unanimous message on Twitter that Filipinos are elated for the possibility. One Jean Austin Rogers is “looking forward” for the new opportunity. Another user, who goes by the handle Primeputri, said that the visa-free travel is “dream come true.” Jelito de Leon may not be pretty elated with the news but he is one of those “glass is half-full” people. “I have my fingers crossed for the visa-free Japan trips for Filipinos!” he said on his Twitter account. A Twitter user who goes by the handle Dude Interrupted have a more direct emotion toward the news. “Eat this HK!” he posted after Hong Kong required Philippine visas for Filipinos travelling to the country. RELATED STORIES Visa-free travel to Japan could boost tourism Japan mulls no visa rule for Filipinos Japan now issuing multiple-entry visas to Filipinos Follow Us Other Stories: Visa-free travel to Japan could boost tourism Japan backs PH in case before UN Japan mulls no visa rule for Filipinos South Korea, Japan to hold talks on comfort women 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 Read More …
Feb 082014
Malacañang indicated Saturday it is open to third-party help in resolving its row with Hong Kong, which recently imposed sanctions stemming from the hostage tragedy in Manila in 2010. But presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said such third-party help should be “consistent” with Philippine national interest and the position of the Philippine government. “(If) it is a private initiative that will effect better relations with Hong Kong and (is) consistent with national interest, why not?” Lacierda said on state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan. A report on BusinessMirror newspaper had quoted physician and Chinese General Hospital director James Dy as saying he plans to appeal to Hong Kong chief executive C.Y. Leung to reconsider the Hong Kong government’s decision. Earlier this month, Hong Kong revoked the visa-free privileges of holders of official Philippine passports after the Philippines refused to apologize for the 2010 tragedy. The August 2010 tragedy involved a dismissed policeman who took a busload of tourists hostage in Manila to demand his reinstatement. But the policeman and eight Hong Kong tourists were killed in a botched police rescue operation. While the Philippines expressed regret over the tragedy that killed eight Hong Kong tourists, it has not issued an apology. President Benigno Aquino III, in an interview with The New York Times, reiterated that he has no plans to apologize as doing so could create a “legal liability.” — LBG, GMA News
Feb 042014
INQUIRER.net 6:05 pm | Tuesday, February 4th, 2014 Albay Representative Al Francis Bichara. Facebook photo MANILA, Philippines – A lawmaker believes the government should have apologized earlier to Hong Kong over the botched hostage-taking crisis three years ago. Albay Representative Al Francis Bichara said at a press briefing Tuesday that it would be more shameful if the government waits for worse sanctions from Hong Kong before it apologizes. “We could have done that earlier because apparently we cannot always say that is the fault of the police captain. We’re part of the operations and we are partly to blame, also,” Bichara said when asked if the government should give in to Hong Kong’s demands. “Kung hihintayin pa natin na maipit tayo, mas lalong nakakahiya (It would be more embarrassing if we wait for things to get worse before we apologize),” he added. Bichara made the statement after Hong Kong suspended the current visa-free arrangement for visiting Philippine diplomats and officials. The sanction will start on February 5. Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said the government may take more action if it thought it could be “effective” in securing an apology over the hostage-taking. Hong Kong is infuriated as the Philippines refused to apologize for the act of a disgruntled police officer who hijacked a tourist bus boarded by its nationals in 2010. Eight Hong Kong tourists were killed because of a botched police operation. Since the crisis, relations have soured between the Philippines and Hong Kong, home to some Read More …
Jan 012014
Thousands of protesters march during a demonstration demanding universal suffrage for the people of Hong Kong on New Year’s Day in Hong Kong Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014. The white banner, right, reads “Real universal suffrage, No filtering.” (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) HONG KONG – Thousands marched in Hong Kong Wednesday to demand a greater say in how their future leaders will be chosen, expressing fears that China will limit long-awaited political reforms. “Democracy will prevail” read some banners as protesters sang and shouted slogans against the government of the semi-autonomous Chinese city, less than one month after the start of an official public consultation on a future electoral system. “Because we are Hong Kong citizens, we must vote,” said Sharon Tang, a 49-year-old trading company employee, adding that residents of the former British colony have the intelligence to choose their leaders. Mainland Chinese tourists took pictures of the march as protesters chanted “End one-party rule!” China, which took back Hong Kong in 1997, has promised that its people will be able to vote in 2017 for their next chief executive. Currently the leader is elected by a 1,200-strong pro-Beijing committee. But many fear that China will control the choice of candidates to secure the election of a sympathetic official. “Hong Kong people have been on the streets over the years to strive for what we deserve, and what the Chinese government has not given us,” Charles Tam, 25, told AFP. One protester had red tape wrapped around her arms and covering Read More …
Dec 302013
Hong Kong on Monday renewed its black warning travel on the Philippines, citing the effects of super Typhoon Yolanda as well as the risk of possible terrorist attacks including on areas frequented by foreigners. In its Dec. 30 update, the Hong Kong Security Bureau said some foreign governments had noted the risk of “possible terrorist attacks.” “Some overseas administrations had noted the risk on possible terrorist attacks, including places frequented by foreigners, such as large shopping malls and convention centers,” it said. It also noted Yolanda’s effects, including “widespread damage. Food and water shortages, deteriorating hygienic conditions, electricity outages and poor communications” in affected areas. Hong Kong has not changed its black travel warning on the Philippines since Aug. 23, 2010, when a dismissed policeman took a busload of Hong Kong tourists hostage to demand his reinstatement. He and some of his hostages were killed in a botched rescue try. The black travel alert is the most serious in Hong Kong’s three-tier outbound travel alert system. The others include red (significant threat) and amber (signs of threat). The Philippines is one of only three countries to be assigned the black alert. The others are Egypt and Syria. — BM, GMA News
Nov 072013
Hong Kong lawmakers voted this week to impose economic sanctions on the Philippines and cancel the visa-free access for Filipinos due to the Manila bus hostage crisis three years ago, South China Morning Post reported. The report said lawmakers voted to pass a non-binding motion by People Power’s Albert Chan Wai-yip calling on the government to impose sanctions. They also voted 41 to three in favor of former security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee’s amendment calling for visa-free access to be scrapped, the report added. More than 100,000 Filipino domestic helpers are working in Hong Kong. Hong Kong tourists, meanwhile, are among the top ten tourist groups arriving in the Philippines with 86,396 arrivals from January to August this year. Sought for comment, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Raul Hernandez neither confirmed nor denied the imposition of sanctions but said the government will continue to work to address the issue. “We will continue to work quietly to achieve a mutually satisfactory conclusion,” Hernandez said in a text message sent Friday to GMA News Online. Last Tuesday, Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying said the government may impose unspecified economic sanctions on the Philippines if Manila will not apologize and grant compensation for a hostage tragedy in 2010, Reuters reported. The Hong Kong government has been demanding for an apology–from the Philippine government and not the Manila City government– and compensation to the victims’ families. Last month, former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, now Manila mayor, personally delivered a written apology to the People’s Republic Read More …
Jul 042013
File photo from 2012 Asia on the Edge conference. MANILA, Philippines – Filipino creative entrepreneurs, thinkers and leaders and their counterparts from Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Myanmar attempt to make Asia among the world’s foremost creative capitals as they let ideas simmer at the Hong Kong Fringe Club for the 2013 Asia on the Edge (AOTE). Much anticipation for conference, said to be especially for the “mentally agile, frighteningly creative and daringly enterprising,” is also brewing in social media. [View the story “Asia on the Edge 2013 in social media” on Storify] Poached Mag writer Valerie reports that delegates are already looking forward to a “robust” creative dialogue with its unmatched lineup of guests and speakers. Yuchengco Museum owner and serial entrepreneur Marco Santos as well as Intellectual Property Ventures Group chief executive Enrique Gonzalez will be involved in the creative mapping of the Philippines. Other leading creative minds to be heard from at AOTE are filmmaker Antony Szeto, Singaporean ambassador to Russia Michael Tay, Filipino politician Imee Marcos and Press Room Group HK director Alan Lo.
May 302013
By Philip C. TubezaPhilippine Daily Inquirer 3:35 am | Friday, May 31st, 2013 Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Philippine immigration authorities arrested a couple from China after one of them tried to slip into Hong Kong by pretending to be a Filipino, Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. said Thursday. David said Fong Waiyan and his wife, Fan Yueying, were arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) on May 11 after Hong Kong immigration sent them back to Manila after discovering that Fan was using a fake Philippine passport. He said Fan wanted to give birth to their second child in Hong Kong to avoid penalties under the mainland’s “one-child” policy. “The couple left Manila using their Chinese passports. But upon arriving at the Hong Kong airport, Fan pretended to be a Filipino by presenting a fraudulent Philippine passport to the immigration officer,” David said. “The woman was denied entry due to a dubious immigration departure stamp on her passport and Fong decided to go back with her to Manila,” he added. David said the couple would be deported to China and blacklisted as soon as the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) board of commissioners issues the order for their summary deportation. Fan will be deported for knowingly using a spurious travel document with the aid of her husband, who will also be kicked out for harboring and giving comfort to an illegal alien. Uso Dan Salasim, Naia-BI intelligence unit head, said Fan readily confessed to using Read More …
Apr 182013
By Leila B. Salaverria Philippine Daily Inquirer 5:08 am | Friday, April 19th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—Hong Kong’s Immigration Department has rejected a bid for protection made by Myrna Reblando, widow of one of the journalists slain in the Maguindanao massacre, saying it did not believe she would be tortured should she return to the Philippines. Reblando fled to Hong Kong in 2011 with her daughter, claiming inadequate security to protect her back home. She also criticized the slow grind of justice in the Philippines. Mother and daughter had asked the Hong Kong Immigration Department to allow them to stay in the Special Administrative Region while awaiting the result of their pending application for asylum with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. They said they faced torture if they returned to the Philippines. The Hong Kong government is prohibited from returning to their country of origin persons claiming risk of torture and other threats to their lives, according to Danilo Reyes, acting deputy director of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). Facing deportation But with the Hong Kong Immigration Department’s rejection of Reblando’s torture claim, she and her daughter faced deportation to the Philippines, Reyes said. He said Reblando would appeal the ruling. In her torture claim, Reblando detailed several incidents she said highlighted the dangers she and her daughter faced should they return to the Philippines, including certain death after the Ampatuans reportedly offered her P3 million to stop talking about the case or, should she refuse the money, Read More …