EU official to visit PH to boost development ties

 News
Nov 082013
 
EU official to visit PH to boost development ties

By Julliane Love de JesusINQUIRER.net 1:31 pm | Saturday, November 9th, 2013 European Union (EU) commissioner Andris Piebalgs. AFP PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The European Commissioner for Development will visit the Philippines on Sunday to strengthen bilateral development cooperation between the European Union and the Philippines. European Union (EU) commissioner Andris Piebalgs said the highlight of his visit is the support to the Philippines “on its path to reduce poverty, strengthen the rule of law and support Mindanao’s Peace Process.” Aligned with the Philippines Development Plan for 2011 until 2016, EU development assistance delivers annually to the country about €640 million of grants “to combat poverty.” Piebalgs will meet Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita, Quintos Deles, Socio-economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balicasan, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla and Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Evan Garcia. Ahead of the visit, Commissioner Piebalgs said in a statement: “I am pleased to see rapid economic growth in the Philippines in past few years. However it is now important to deepen the economic reforms and make this growth more inclusive.” As part of Piebalgs’ itinerary, he will visit the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Agriculture, which is supported by the EU Trade Related Technical Assistance (TRTA) project. Aside from the EU development assistance budget, the EU TRTA, in a 12-year period, has granted €18 million aimed at improving laboratory facilities in the Philippines, enhance the control system for fisheries products, training of Fish Health Management and Quality Assurance on export Read More …

Saudi assurance: No arrests while OFWs are processed

 News
Nov 082013
 
Saudi assurance: No arrests while OFWs are processed

By Jerome AningPhilippine Daily Inquirer 6:50 am | Saturday, November 9th, 2013 Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday said that Saudi Arabia’s labor authorities have assured overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who failed to beat the Nov. 3 deadline to fix their status but had started the process that will not be arrested as long as there are no violations. Binay, in a statement, said he raised Manila’s concerns about the stranded OFWs with Bahrain’s labor minister, Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, concurrent chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) Council of Labor Ministers, who was in Manila on official visit. Humaidan, accompanied by the Philippines’ special envoy to the GCC, Amable Aguiluz V, paid a courtesy call on the Vice President on Wednesday. “Upon recommendation of Aguiluz to [me], the minister called Saudi deputy labor minister, Mr. Mufreg Al-Haqbani, appealing not to make arrests nor harm those who are found not having travel documents,” Binay said. “Subsequently, Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ezzedin Tago received a message from the labor deputy minister Mr. Al-Haqbani giving assurance that Filipinos will be treated well while processing their exit visas,” Binay said. According to Binay, Tago reiterated his appeal to Filipinos in the kingdom to remain calm because the Philippine government was ready to provide appropriate assistance In addition, Filipinos who have not yet enlisted for processing of their exit visas were advised by Tago to contact the embassy or the Philippine Overseas Labor Office Read More …

NFA asks BOC to block illegal rice imports

 Economy
Nov 082013
 
NFA asks BOC to block illegal rice imports

MANILA, Philippines – The National Food Authority (NFA) has asked the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to watch out for the possible illegal entry of 120,000 metric tons (MT) of rice from Vietnam. In letter dated Oct. 21, NFA administrator Orlan Calayag informed Customs commissioner Rufino Biazon of reports of an agreement between unnamed Filipino traders with Vietnam Food Association for the supply of such volume. “This agreement was made without prior consent from the NFA,” said Calayag. A wires report last month said that Vietnam has signed contracts to sell 120,000 of rice to private companies in the Philippines. “For your information, the planned importation is in violation of Republic Act 8178 and Presidential Decree No. 4, as amended,” Calayag said in his letter. “Rice cannot be imported in the Philippines without an import permit from the NFA.” Calayag noted that Republic Act 8178 also known as “The Agricultural Tariffication Act,” mandates the NFA to require importation permits for rice shipments upon assessment of the current supply. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 NFA also informed the BOC that rice is being smuggled into the country in container vans from Vietnam through ports in Thailand, Singapore or Taiwan. Earlier, the NFA asked BOC to go after five traders that have allegedly smuggled into the country, through the port of Davao,  243,000 50-kilogram bags of rice. The shipments, which originated from Vietnam arrived betwen July and September. The NFA said the shipments were sent to the Philippines via Read More …

EU expresses solidarity with typhoon-battered Philippines

 News
Nov 082013
 
EU expresses solidarity with typhoon-battered Philippines

INQUIRER.net 8:11 pm | Friday, November 8th, 2013 EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The European Union on Friday expressed solidarity with the Filipino people as it vowed to provide humanitarian assistance to families affected by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name Haiyan). “The Philippines has been severely tested by nature on several occasions this year. As it confronts yet another natural calamity I express my solidarity with the Filipino people and my deep sympathy with those who have lost their loved ones or their livelihoods,” said EU Ambassador to the Philippines Guy Ledoux. “An EU humanitarian aid team is already in the Philippines to assess the impact of the typhoon and find out how the EU can be most helpful to those most urgent need,” he said. Yolanda smashed into coastal communities on the central island of Samar, about 600 kilometers southeast of Manila, before dawn on Friday with maximum sustained winds of about 315 kilometers an hour. The government said three people had been confirmed killed and another man was missing after he fell off a gangplank in the central port of Cebu. But the death toll was expected to rise, with authorities unable to immediately contact the worst affected areas and Yolanda only expected to leave the Philippines in the evening. Communication lines with Guiuan remained cut off in the afternoon, and the civil defense office said it was unable to give an assessment of the damage there. In Tacloban, a nearby city of more than 200,000 people, Read More …

HK lawmakers vote to scrap visa-free access to Pinoys over Manila bus hostage tragedy

 News
Nov 072013
 
HK lawmakers vote to scrap visa-free access to Pinoys over Manila bus hostage tragedy

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 …

Palace: No suspension of work in govt offices

 News
Nov 072013
 
Palace: No suspension of work in govt offices

Despite the threat of Typhoon Yolanda, Malacañang on Friday said that there is no suspension of work in government offices yet. “No announcement on work suspension from ES [Executive Secretary’s] office; not warranted by present and forecast weather situation,” Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said in a text message to reporters. He issued the statement after Yolanda, dubbed the most powerful typhoon in the world this year, made landfall in the Philippines on Friday morning. On Thursday night, President Benigno Aquino addressed the public in a televised message and warned them about the danger Yolanda brings. — Kimberly Jane T. Tan /LBG, GMA News

 Older Entries  Newer Entries