Philippines, US to hold naval exercises near disputed reef

 News
Jun 202013
 
Philippines, US to hold naval exercises near disputed reef

Agance France-Presse 3:11 pm | Thursday, June 20th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines – The United States and the Philippines are to hold joint naval maneuvers in the South China Sea next week between the main island of Luzon and a reef claimed by both China and Manila, the Filipino navy said Thursday. The exercises taking place from June 27 to July 2 by the two allies are to be held about 108 kilometers (67 miles) east of Scarborough Shoal, navy spokesman Lieutenant-Commander Gregory Fabic told AFP. Chinese government vessels are still believed to be patrolling the waters around the shoal after a lengthy stand-off last year with the Philippines, which ended with a Filipino retreat. “This was planned way back in 2010. Whatever happened since then was purely coincidental,” Fabic said when asked if holding the exercises there this year were a way for the Philippines to reassert its sovereignty over the shoal. The maneuvers would be held over 12,347 square kilometers (4,767 square miles) of waters, he added. Chinese embassy spokesmen in Manila could not be reached for comment Thursday. Beijing claims it has sovereign rights over nearly all of the South China Sea, even waters far away from its main landmass and approaching the coasts of Southeast Asian countries. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim parts of the sea, and the area has for decades been regarded as a potential trigger for major military conflict in the region. Since last month the Philippine navy has also Read More …

Thought comes to the archbishop

 News
Jun 202013
 
Thought comes to the archbishop

Outtakes By Rene Ciria-Cruz 2:11 pm | Thursday, June 20th, 2013 Can a brother marry his sister? “Yes,” according to retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz, as long as he’s gay and she’s a lesbian. “Hold it, hold it right there! That’s not what the good archbishop said!” As you can see, I’m being rudely interrupted, by no less than Dr. Teologio Macadios of the Pandacan Theological Seminary. “Archbishop Cruz said ‘yes,’ gays can marry, so long as it’s with the opposite sex. It’s okay for a gay man to marry a lesbian woman—because the anatomy to consummate a union for procreation is there.” I stand corrected. Apologies all around. That’s indeed what the archbishop–the judicial vicar of the august Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines–may have declared at the National Appellate Matrimonial Tribunal last week. He even confessed, “I ask this question to myself and I have thought about it for a long time, and the answer is ‘yes.’” Still, it’s good to know that a brother can now marry his sister, so long as they’re both homosexuals and belong to different religious orders. “Wait! Hold it there again! Priests can’t marry nuns, stupid!” Even if they’re gays and have the anatomies for conception? “Yes, because of their vows of celibacy, you idiot.” I apologize for being thoroughly confused. But one other thing. If the Church says it’s okay for gay men to marry gay women, then isn’t it easier for them to split up later compared with, say, heterosexual couples. Read More …

CNOOC talks very preliminary, says Pangilinan

 Economy
Jun 192013
 
CNOOC talks very preliminary, says Pangilinan

MANILA, Philippines – Philex Petroleum Corp. chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said their discussions with China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) remains “very preliminary.” “I think I was asked earlier if there was a discussion with CNOOC and that continues on a very preliminary basis but (there is) nothing concrete to report,” Pangilinan told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo yesterday. When asked whether he is optimistic that the plan to explore and develop the gas-rich Recto Bank will push through, Pangilinan said: “I think it’s hard to say. At this stage, talks are very preliminary.” Earlier, Philex said it is considering forging a partnership with CNOOC to explore and develop the Recto Bank, which is located within 80 nautical miles from Palawan. The gas-rich area is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Philippines and China. In 2011, two Chinese ships reportedly bullied a civilian vessel commissioned by the Energy department while conducting an oil exploration survey in the area. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 China has denied the allegation and has consistently claimed that it has “indisputable sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea islands and their surrounding waters.  Pangilinan maintained that his company is just discussing purely business issues with CNOOC. “We made it very clear to CNOOC that we are not authorized to talk about government issues so that’s why the talks are very preliminary at this stage,” the businessman said. “I’m sure they will have to go back to their government and we will go back to our Read More …

BI to launch 6-month tourist visa next week

 News
Jun 182013
 
BI to launch 6-month tourist visa next week

By Jocelyn R. UyPhilippine Daily Inquirer 6:51 am | Wednesday, June 19th, 2013 Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Foreign visitors who want to extend their vacation in the Philippines may now do so without the usual hassles. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced on Tuesday that foreigners who would like to stay longer in the country, could avail of a six-month, long-stay tourist visa from the agency. The program is set to be formally launched next week, according to the BI. In a statement, Immigration Commissioner also announced that the bureau would introduce the new visa sticker to replace the wet stamp it was using to implement extensions of stay on the passports of foreign tourists. The Long Stay Visitor Visa Extension (LSVVE) project was launched to draw more international travelers into the country by giving them the privilege to prolong their stay in the country without the need to frequently visit the BI office to process their documents. Currently, the bureau allows foreign tourists a maximum stay of two months in the country each time they apply for visa extensions. “Through this long-stay visa, we [also] expect lesser crowding in our offices due to the decreased volume of visa extension applicants,” stated David. On the other hand, the new visa sticker will help the bureau prevent the proliferation of fake visa extension stamps, which have victimized many foreigners, added the BI chief, who noted that the new sticker would have security and tracking features that Read More …

Fil-Am group marks 40 years of service and activism

 News
Jun 182013
 
Fil-Am group marks 40 years of service and activism

By Rose PaquetteINQUIRER.net US Bureau 4:57 am | Wednesday, June 19th, 2013 Filipino Advocates for Justice executive director Lillian Galedo (center). OAKLAND, California–Forty years. That’s how long the Filipino Advocates for Justice (FAJJ, a multiservice civil rights organization, has been serving the more vulnerable in the Filipino community in the San Francisco Bay Area’s “East Bay.” Celebrating its 40th anniversary on June 20, FAJ has helped build a labor/community coalition to prevent the loss of jobs and services for the Filipino Americans in Northern California. It has stood up to unjust laws and discriminatory practices, developed leaders and organized the community on major social issues. Its headquarters is in Oakland, with another office in Union City. FAJ’s 40th Anniversary “social justice honorees” are  Assembly member Rob Bonta,  Asian Health Services, Carlos Villa (posthumously), Mari Rose Taruc and Honorata Nono, a caregiver. “Nono is an organizer and strategist for worker empowerment,” says FAJ organizer Fiona Cruz.  Over the last four years, FAJ has worked with some 70 Filipino homecare workers in the East Bay, San Mateo, and Fresno. “I never wanted to be a leader,” said Nono. “I didn’t go past fourth grade and didn’t think I can lead. Now I’m doing so many things I never thought I could do. She’s active in PAWIS (People’s Association of Workers and Immigrants), which was initially formed to protect the jobs of airport screeners in the wake of the September 11 attacks.  Today it focuses on organizing and supporting home care workers. Humble beginnings   One Read More …

Philippines’ sweetheart Anne Curtis entertains at Pechanga Hotel and Casino

 Entertainment
Jun 172013
 

Anne Curtis 2011 Album Cover The U.S. concert debut of “Annebisyosa” in Temecula, CA was a success.  The show featured 28-year old Filipino actress, Anne Curtis, whose ambitions of becoming a singer were realized when the concert opened at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines.  Despite the fact the she admits to being a […]

California Senate honors June 12 and Filipino contributions

 News
Jun 172013
 
California Senate honors June 12 and Filipino contributions

INQUIRER.net U.S. Bureau 5:13 am | Tuesday, June 18th, 2013 Philippine Consul General Marciano Paynor with California Senate Majority Leader Ellen M. Corbett. The Senate officially declared June 12 as Philippine Independence Day. SACRAMENTO– California’s State Senate unanimously approved a resolution sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Ellen M. Corbett (D-East Bay) Senator Corbett honoring June 12 as Philippine Independence Day. The state Senate also made a  “special recognition of California’s Filipino American citizens” and thanked them for their “countless contributions to our nation’s cultural, economic and political heritage.” “I thank my Senate colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, for supporting SCR 47 today to honor Philippine independence, as well as the thriving Filipino-American community in California,” Senator Corbett said. “The 10th State Senate District is home to tens of thousands of Filipino-Americans that contribute to the diversity of our state, in fields such as government, medicine, business and education.  Visiting Naga City in the Philippines as Mayor of San Leandro during a Sister City trip helped me appreciate even more the strong connection between our East Bay communities and the beautiful island nation of the Philippines.  I greatly appreciate their rich history and traditions that live on in California today.” Many Filipino-Americans continue to make an indelible mark on life in California, including several individuals that live and work in the 10th State Senate District.  Some of those community leaders include: ·    Assemblymember Rob Bonta (First Filipino-American elected to the California Legislature) ·    Chief Justice of California Tani Cantil-Sakauye ·    Philippine Read More …

Two dead, dozens rescued after ferry sinks

 Entertainment
Jun 172013
 

By Mynardo MACARAIG MANILA, June 14, 2013 (AFP) – Fishermen and rescue workers hauled dozens of people out of the sea after a ferry sank in the central Philippines on Friday, but at least two passengers drowned, authorities said. In the latest disaster to hit the nation’s notoriously dangerous sea transport industry, the ferry mysteriously […]

Labor Sec. Baldoz cries foul over PHL ‘slave nation’ tag

 Entertainment
Jun 172013
 

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz on Monday decried the “slave nation” tag given to the Philippines by Hong Kong football fans who booed the Philippine football team Azkals recently. “The remarks are derogatory,” Baldoz said. With almost half of the 300,000 domestic helpers in Hong Kong coming from the Philippines, Hong Kong remains […]

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