Over 25,000 pass teacher licensure exams — PRC

 News
Apr 182013
 
Over 25,000 pass teacher licensure exams — PRC

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on Thursday announced that 10,310 elementary teachers out of 37,117 examinees (27.78 percent) and 15,223 secondary teachers out of 38,433 examinees (39.61 percent) passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers (L.E.T.) given last March 10 all over the Philippines and Hong Kong. [Click here for list of L.E.T. – Elementary passers] [Click here for list of L.E.T. – Secondary passers] The results of examination with respect to 33 examinees, however, were withheld pending final determination of their liabilities under the rules and regulations governing licensure examination.    Registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card and Certificate of Registration will start on April 29, 2013, the PRC said. The dates and venues for the oathtaking ceremonies of the new successful examinees in the said examination will be announced later, the commission added. — KBK, GMA News

Chinese poachers could face 20 years over pangolins

 News
Apr 172013
 
Chinese poachers could face 20 years over pangolins

Agence France-Presse 6:02 am | Thursday, April 18th, 2013 Members of the Philippine Coast Guard hold a frozen pangolin, or scaly anteater, on board a Chinese vessel that ran aground off Tubbataha coral reef in this April 13, 2013, photo released by the Philippine Coast Guard in Manila. AP PHOTO/PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD MANILA, Philippines—Twelve suspected Chinese poachers could face up to 20 years in prison for possession of hundreds of dead pangolins, or scaly anteaters, Philippine wildlife authorities said Wednesday. The boat carrying the 12 Chinese men ran aground on Tubbataha marine park, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed coral reef near Palawan, last week. “We are preparing a case. We are still compiling supporting documents (but) it carries a heavy penalty of 12 to 20 years’ imprisonment,” Adelina Villena, environment officer of the province of Palawan, told AFP. Mere possession of the threatened species is basis for criminal charges, regardless of where the pangolins were obtained, said Villena. All eight species of the insect-eating mammals are protected by international law. Two—the Malaysian and Chinese pangolins—are on the International Union of Conservation of Nature’s “red list” of endangered species. Prosecutors have already charged the men with illegal poaching and with corruption for attempting to bribe Filipino officials. The Philippine coast guard said Monday it had found hundreds of frozen pangolins, individually wrapped in plastic and hidden in sacks in the cargo hold of a Chinese boat. Pangolins are widely hunted in parts of Asia for their meat, skin and scales and in Read More …

Philippines, US end ‘Balikatan’ war games

 News
Apr 172013
 
Philippines, US end ‘Balikatan’ war games

By Nikko Dizon Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:54 am | Thursday, April 18th, 2013 US Marines from Company B, 1st Battalion Landing Team, 5th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and their Philippine counterparts storm a beach to simulate a combat rubber boat raid in the culmination of their 12-day joint military exercise dubbed Balikatan 2013 between the Philippines and the United States Monday, April 15, 2013, at the Philippine marine base, in Ternate, Cavite. The annual joint military exercise ended Wednesday. AP PHOTO/BULLIT MARQUEZ MANILA, Pilippines—The Philippines and the United States ended their 29th Balikatan joint military exercises on Wednesday, and immediately set about planning next year’s event, raising the possibility of inviting Japan and Australia to make it a multilateral exercise. Brian Goldbeck, the US deputy chief of mission here, described the recently concluded exercise as the “most ambitious intellectual exchanges in the history of Balikatan.” “This year’s exercise featured a medical symposium, an aviation forum, a senior enlisted forum, a chaplain forum and a search-and-rescue forum,” Goldbeck said in his remarks. He underscored the Balikatan activities that went beyond the traditional military exercises like the building of classrooms that can withstand typhoons and floods. He noted that most of the residents in areas where the engagement was held said all they wanted was for their children to have a good education. “So many of the families that our service members met in Zambales echoed the same concerns. They just want their children to be able to go to school. Read More …

Calata declares dividend

 Economy
Apr 172013
 
Calata declares dividend

MANILA, Philippines – Listed agritechnology firm Calata Corp. is  declaring cash dividends as it posts a year-on-year growth in revenues and a slight increase in its net income. In a filing,  the company announced that it has approved cash dividends of  P0.25 per share on common shares as of May 17, 2013. The company will announce the date of distribution. As a result of its continued business growth, this is the third consecutive year that the company has declared a cash dividend. Calata declared a net income of P110.375 million in 2012 from P100.173 million in 2011. The firm attributed its higher income to increased tie ups with foreign agritechnology companies and exclusive long term supply agreements in 2012. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 It posted revenues of P2.2 billion in 2012 from P2 billion in 2011. Towards the close of 2012, the company established a retail chain of farm input products through its acquisition of Agri Phil Corp. Agri Phil Corp. owns 116 stores located in various parts of Luzon. “This is expected to further improve the revenue and income of the company in the years to come, thereby increasing shareholder value as well as providing an attractive investment prospect to the investing public,” the company said. Early this month, the company announced that it has entered into an agreement with Argentina-based Agroservicios Humboldt S.A for the exclusive distribution of its animal nutrition products in the Philippines. The company was granted the exclusive right to Read More …

PNP chief Purisima off to Interpol conference in France

 News
Apr 152013
 
PNP chief Purisima off to Interpol conference in France

By Jamie Elona INQUIRER.net 7:12 pm | Monday, April 15th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—Philippine National Police chief, Director General Alan Purisima, left the country Monday to represent the Philippines in an annual conference of the Interpol in France that seeks to strengthen member countries in dealing with new crime challenges. Joining Purisima to attend the 9thannual heads of Interpol national central bureaus (NCBs) in Lyon, France from April 17 to 19 are Police Director Napoleon Estilles, PNP director for Plans, and Superintendent Lorenzo Eleazar of the Office of the Chief PNP. Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO The three-man PNP delegation will also attend the group discussions of regional NCBs on specific topics from a regional perspective. “It is a great honor for me to represent the country in this annual meeting among Interpol-member countries,” Purisima said. The PNP is the NCB of the Interpol in the Philippines. In his absence, Purisima designated his 2nd in command, Deputy Director General Rommel Heredia, PNP deputy chief for Administration, as officer-in-charge.

PH embassy in South Korea preparing Filipino communities for possible conflict

 News
Apr 152013
 
PH embassy in South Korea preparing Filipino communities for possible conflict

By Tarra Quismundo Philippine Daily Inquirer 6:56 pm | Monday, April 15th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines – While the situation in the Korean Peninsula remains unchanged, the Philippine Embassy in Seoul has begun preparing Filipino communities for possible conflict scenarios amid tensions between North and South Korea, starting with those in vulnerable cities near the tense border between the Korean neighbors. The Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday said that officials from the Philippine mission in Seoul on Sunday met with Filipino area coordinators in four areas near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) at the North-South border, part of a series of meetings with some 150 Filipino community organizations across South Korea. This even as the Embassy reported to the Manila home office that the atmosphere in South Korea “remains calm and normal” despite Pyongyang’s persistent threats of a missile launch against Seoul and its ally, the United States. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has been ratcheting up his war rhetoric against the South and its allies in protest of fresh international sanctions meted Pyongyang for nuclear tests earlier this year. “Nevertheless, the Filipinos in South have been well-advised to remain vigilant and alert and in the event of armed conflict to proceed immediately to the designated shelters closest to their homes or workplaces,” said DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez in a press briefing. He said officials from the Philippine mission in South Korea on Sunday gathered Filipino community leaders in the cities of Incheon and Seoul and counties in the provinces of Read More …

Chinese military officials join maritime disaster response talks in Balikatan exercises

 News
Apr 152013
 
Chinese military officials join maritime disaster response talks in Balikatan exercises

Amid the ongoing territorial dispute between China and the Philippines, two Chinese military officials on Monday joined their Filipino and American counterparts in talks on maritime disaster response as part of the annual Balikatan military exercises. According to Brig. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, deputy chief of staff for operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), this marks the first time China joined such a discussion, since it is also the first time the Philippines and the United States opened the Balikatan exercises to other countries. “Ang Balikatan, originally, military to military ng US saka ng Pilipinas lang. Now, parang ine-expand naman natin ito as we globalize. What if something happens doon sa international waters? How do we respond to it?” Baladad told reporters Monday. He added that the territorial dispute between China and the Philippines over parts of the South China Sea had nothing to do with the talks, since the discussions were on how to respond to maritime disasters such as oil spills. “This is a multi-national approach. Kapitbahay natin sila, and just like other countries, they are one of the responders kung sakaling magkaroon ng incident na kailangang mag-respond in international waters… Sa disaster response siguro, wala nang mga tampuhan muna,” Baladad said. China and the Philippines, as well as Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia, have overlapping claims on the islands, shoals and reefs in the South China Sea where undersea gas deposits have been discovered in several areas. In January, Manila initiated an arbitration process under Read More …

Philippines discovers pangolins on Chinese poacher boat

 News
Apr 142013
 
Philippines discovers pangolins on Chinese poacher boat

Agence France-Presse 11:47 am | Monday, April 15th, 2013 This undated handout photo received on April 10, 2013 and released by the Philippine coast Guard (PCG) shows coast guard personnel inspecting the Chinese fishing vessel which ran aground off Tubbataha reef in Palawan island, western Philippines. A Chinese fishing boat has run aground on a World Heritage-listed coral reef in the Philippines, roughly 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) from China’s nearest major landmass, authorities said April 9. AFP PHOTO/PCG MANILA – The Philippine coast guard said Monday it had found hundreds of frozen scaly anteaters, or pangolins, in the cargo hold of a Chinese boat that ran aground in a protected marine sanctuary last week. Wildlife officials have been informed of the surprising discovery, which could lead to more charges for the 12 Chinese men arrested on charges including poaching after their boat was stranded in Tubbataha Reef last week. “We found 400 boxes containing anteaters aboard the vessel, and we are now determining where these came from,” coast guard spokesman Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo told AFP. He could not say whether the pangolins were frozen alive, or had already been butchered as meat. A protected species, pangolins are widely hunted in parts of Asia for their meat, skin and scales. In China, they are known as a delicacy and are purported to have medicinal qualities. According to the International Union of Conservation of Nature, all eight species of the insect-eating mammals are protected by international laws around the world. Two Read More …

Infra lack hinders Mindanao growth

 Economy
Apr 142013
 
Infra lack hinders Mindanao growth

MANILA, Philippines – The government must continue to address nagging issues in Mindanao to spur its economic growth as the  recent upgrade by international credit rating agency Fitch Ratings will not be enough to generate investments in the region, an economist said over the weekend. Economist and University of the Philippines professor Benjamin Diokno said the Fitch Ratings upgrade does not necessarily translate to the influx of investors in Mindanao, where many issues need to be addressed. “Overall, the upgrade is a necessary but not sufficient condition for higher private investment. Much remains to be done by the government,” Diokno said. He said government must provide better public infrastructure, reduce the cost of doing business, improve its revenue generating capacity, ensure policy consistency, and relax some restrictive provisions in the Constitution, among others. “Mindanao as an investment destination has added wrinkles. Power supply adequacy and reliability and peace and order problems are quite severe,” he said. Power outages in Mindanao average eight hours daily as the island suffers from a power shortfall of 294 megawatts with demand at 1,157 megawatts against an actual supply of only 863 megawatts. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Diokno said government should also look into  Mindanao’s “inefficient sea and air transport system.” “Sadly these problems cannot be solved overnight. But they should be addressed with great sense of urgency,” he said.

Ratings upgrade not enough

 Economy
Apr 102013
 

After the country got its investment grade rating, what’s next? Simply put, rating upgrade is not enough, its means more work. Of course, congratulations are in order for the whole P-Noy team, especially Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, for keeping their focus and steadfast efforts in steering the economy forward. For the uninitiated, Fitch Ratings last month issued an upgrade of the Philippines’ position from BB+ to BBB-, the three letters signifying investment grade status. Fitch is a global rating company that keeps tabs of a company’s or country’s credit standing. The Philippines relies on three agencies for these periodic ratings, and Fitch is considered to be the least tough. The other two agencies are Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s, both of which have marked the country just a notch below investment grade. Often, it just takes a bit more time before Moody’s and S&P  echo what Fitch had earlier announced. Yet this should not detract our bureaucracy from continuing to get the house in order for that time when investors start pouring in. And there is so much to do. Higher trust Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 This latest investment upgrade, for example, will persuade investors to take a more serious look at the many business opportunities that the government is offering, something that was not given much attention because of a perceived general weakness in the state’s ability to guarantee robust returns. But since P-Noy took over the state leadership in 2010, his Read More …

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