New Zealand provides P30-M assistance to PH quake, flood victims

 News
Nov 042013
 
New Zealand provides P30-M assistance to PH quake, flood victims

INQUIRER.net 2:55 pm | Monday, November 4th, 2013 New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray McCully (L) MANILA, Philippines–New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully announced Monday that New Zealand is providing $NZ850,000 (approximately P30 million) in humanitarian assistance to the Philippines following the recent disasters that have hit Central Visayas and Mindanao. “We are deeply sympathetic to the plight of people affected by these crises,” said New Zealand Ambassador Reuben Levermore, in an official statement sent via email to media companies. “We hope that the assistance announced today by Minister McCully will aid in the rapid recovery of the communities affected by the Bohol Earthquake and flooding in Zamboanga.” New Zealand’s assistance package will contribute $500,000 through UNICEF as one of the key implementing partners of the United Nations appeal following the Bohol earthquake. Another $100,000 has been allocated to draw on New Zealand technical expertise to help the Philippine government further assess the earthquake damage and prepare for reconstruction work. Ambassador Levermore said that New Zealand’s contribution responds to the international appeal launched by the United Nations after a new assessment revealed that an estimated 370,000 people had been left living in temporary shelters after the 7.2 earthquake struck two weeks ago. In addition, $250,000 is being provided for urgent water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities for the conflict-displaced population living in Zamboanga City, where recent flooding has placed significant pressure on emergency shelters and created serious health risks. The New Zealand Aid Programme already supports disaster risk management and Read More …

Trial of 27 Filipinos in Sabah standoff to start January

 News
Nov 022013
 
Trial of 27 Filipinos in Sabah standoff to start January

By Julliane Love de JesusINQUIRER.net 5:31 pm | Saturday, November 2nd, 2013 In this March 14, 2013 photo released by Malaysia’s Ministry of Defense, Malaysian soldiers discuss strategies at Sungai Nyamuk where a stand-off with Filipino gunmen took place, near Tanduo village in Lahad Datu, Borneo’s Sabah state, Malaysia. File photo MANILA, Philippines—The Malaysian high court will start hearing in January the case of  27 Filipino armed followers of the late Sultan Jamalul Kiram III involved in a bloody clash with Malaysian forces in Sabah in February. In a Malaysian news agency report on Friday, the high court of Malaysia allotted 17 days starting January 6 until February next year to hear the case of the Filipinos and three Malaysian nationals for allegedly being involved with terrorist groups against Malaysia’s head of state Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Justice Stephen Chung set the trial on the following dates: January 6 to10, 15 to17, 27 to 30 and February 10 to14 in 2014. But starting next month, the prosecution and defense will have to file before the court the agreed facts and issues of the case. The report said the hearing, which will be in open court, will be held at the Sabah Prisons Department in Malaysia. The court could have attended to the case last September 17 in a supposed 11-day trial but the counsel sought more time to go through “voluminous documents and recordings as well as satellite imaging in relation to the case.” Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said Read More …

US urged to probe death of OFW who fell off oil rig

 News
Nov 022013
 
US urged to probe death of OFW who fell off oil rig

By Tarra QuismundoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:53 pm | Saturday, November 2nd, 2013 Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Cuisia Jr. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine Embassy in the United States has called on American authorities to investigate the death of a Filipino worker who fell off an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico a week ago, expressing concern over the safety of Philippine citizens employed in off-shore facilities in the US. Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia Jr. made the appeal to the US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) following the death of 38-year-old welder Peter Jorge Voces. “The Philippines expresses its deep concern over the safety of Filipinos working in offshore oil facilities in the US,” Cuisia said through the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C.’s Twitter account. “Although we hope Mr Voces’ death was not the result of platform safety issues, we expect the BSEE to thoroughly investigate the incident,” he said. Voces was killed Sunday night after an empty storage tank fell and pushed him overboard as he worked with a crew to dismantle a platform in an area called Vermillion Block 200 located some 88.5 kms south of Freshwater Bayou in Louisiana. It was not clear how the tank fell on Voces. US Coast Guard search and rescue crews found him on Tuesday morning pinned underwater just below the platform. Cuisia on Friday also phoned Voces’ widow in the Philippines and assured him of the Philippine government’s assistance Read More …

U.S. Embassy closed on Nov. 1 for All Saints’ Day

 News
Oct 312013
 
U.S. Embassy closed on Nov. 1 for All Saints’ Day

INQUIRER.net 3:33 pm | Thursday, October 31st, 2013 US Embassy in Manila, Philippines. AP FILE PHOTO The Embassy of the United States in Manila and its affiliated offices will be closed to the public on Friday, November 1, 2013, in observance of All Saints’ Day, a Philippine holiday. The Embassy and its affiliated offices will resume services on Monday, Nov. 4. Follow Us 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 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: all saints’ day , Global Nation , Holidays , u.s. embassy Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Reader’s Advocate. Or write The Readers’ Advocate: c/o Philippine Daily Inquirer Chino Roces Avenue corner Yague and Mascardo Streets, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Or fax nos. +63 2 8974793 to 94

EU to give P148M in humanitarian aid to quake-ravaged Central Viasayas

 News
Oct 312013
 
EU to give P148M in humanitarian aid to quake-ravaged Central Viasayas

By Dennis Atienza MaliwanagINQUIRER.net 2:53 pm | Thursday, October 31st, 2013 EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The European Union is providing P148 million in humanitarian aid to about 350,000 people who lost their homes and livelihoods when a powerful earthquake ravaged Bohol island and nearby provinces in Central Visayas. “We have seen the destruction and suffering caused by the powerful earthquake,” EU ambassador to the Philippines Guy Ledoux said Thursday. “We stand by the people of the Philippines in this hour of need and this EU assistance reaffirms our commitment to immediately respond to the needs of the families affected by the disaster,” he said. The quake that struck underneath Bohol on October 15 left 222 people dead, 796 injured and eight missing mostly on the resort island, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in its latest report Thursday. The aid, made available through the EU’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), is intended for the emergency  needs of the victims, such as shelter, water and sanitation, primary health care and the management of evacuations sites, the EU Delegation to the Philippine said. Ledoux said that two humanitarian aid experts—Torben Bruhn, regional health coordinator of ECHO based in Bangkok and Arlynn Aquino, humanitarian aid officer in the Philippines—went to the Bohol towns of Calape, Maribojoc and Loon shortly after the tremor jolted the island to determine the priority needs of the affected population. They noted that most of the houses collapsed and access to Read More …

Panatag Shoal won’t be another Mischief Reef, PH defense chief vows

 News
Oct 252013
 
Panatag Shoal won’t be another Mischief Reef, PH defense chief vows

By Frances MangosingINQUIRER.net 4:41 pm | Friday, October 25th, 2013 Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin MANILA, Philippines—Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Friday assured that Panatag Shoal (Scarborough) off Zambales will not be another Mischief Reef. The statement came after the Department of Foreign Affairs said that the Philippines will no longer protest the presence of concrete blocks in Panatag, saying that there were no “determination of facts.” The Philippines accused China in late August of putting concrete blocks in the disputed territory. “I don’t think [it would be another Mischief Reef], because we have regular air and sea patrols,” Gazmin told reporters. Gazmin said the blocks have algae, an indication that they were already old. “Well now, we have seen that they are old. But how did it get there? In other words, these were newly discovered but it doesn’t mean they were newly put,” he said. “This is new to us because we have just seen it recently. At that time it was low tide. Maybe during previous missions it was on high tide so we did not see it,” he said. He could not say, however, how old the concrete blocks were. In 1995, structures built by China were sighted in the Mischief Reef, an area near Ayungin also within the Philippine exclusive economic zone, where the Chinese put up a military garrison. These were reportedly built initially to provide shelter for fishermen, but were later transformed into a military garrison. Gazmin emphasized that the arbitration case still continued. Read More …

Global protests vs violence on women to intensify in 2014 – Monique Wilson

 News
Oct 212013
 
Global protests vs violence on women to intensify in 2014 – Monique Wilson

By Germelina LacorteInquirer Mindanao 4:18 pm | Monday, October 21st, 2013 Photo from www.onebillionrising.org DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Women will scale up their worldwide Valentine-day protests this year, calling for an end to impunity as they demand justice for victims and survivors of violence against women, according to theater artist Monique Wilson. “We’re sick and tired of what is happening,” Wilson, now the global coordinator of the One Billion Rising for Justice, said in a meeting with community leaders and members of Gabriela women’s group here last week. She said that in 2013, about a billion women from 207 countries joined the global campaign against violence against women, and next year, organizers would further scale up the protests to call for justice and an end to impunity in the country. “Our One Billion Action for Justice will address issues causing this continuing violence, and this is the issue of impunity,” she said. “We could not separate the issue of violence against women from the issues on mining, poverty and corruption.” Wilson said violence against women has intensified and has not shown signs of abating. “Sa halip na magbago, mas lumala pa (Instead of abating, it becomes worse),” Wilson said. “Eve Ensler felt that we need to do a more daring action, we need to make this a global movement, to tie with women’s movement around the world,” she said, referring to the author of the “Vagina Monologues,” Eve Ensler, who started the V-day campaign, where millions of women would take Read More …

13 Vietnamese arrested in Philippines over sea turtles

 News
Oct 212013
 
13 Vietnamese arrested in Philippines over sea turtles

Agence France-Presse 3:47 pm | Monday, October 21st, 2013 Sea Turtle. AFP PHOTO PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines – Thirteen Vietnamese fishermen were arrested after being found in Philippine waters with a haul of protected sea turtles, police said Monday. The fishermen were caught on Friday off the western Philippine island of Palawan, in waters near the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) where authorities say foreign poaching of endangered or protected species has become a major problem. “Upon initial inspection, it was found out that the said foreign fishing vessel is loaded with undetermined (number of) pieces of dead sea turtles,” said Benigno Caabay, a station officer at the Palawan police provincial headquarters, quoting an official report. The 13 are being held at a police camp in Palawan while officers look into filing a case against them, Caabay added. Sea turtles are protected under Philippine law and catching them is punishable by at least 12 years in jail. In recent years, Philippine authorities have frequently caught foreigners, often Chinese, catching or buying sea turtles in the waters off Palawan. In November last year, in the same area where the Vietnamese were caught, the Philippine navy rescued more than 100 sea turtles from poachers. But the fishermen, whom authorities believed to be Chinese, escaped. Twelve Chinese fishermen were also arrested in April after their boat, which ran aground on a protected reef, was found to be carrying hundreds of dead pangolins, or scaly anteaters, another protected species. Their case is still pending Read More …

JICA urges PH to review building code, ensure stronger structures

 News
Oct 172013
 
JICA urges PH to review building code, ensure stronger structures

By Allan A. NawalInquirer Mindanao 9:10 am | Friday, October 18th, 2013 INQUIRER FILE PHOTO DAVAO CITY, Philippines—The Philippine government must take “urgent steps to protect public infrastructure from natural disasters,” the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said. In a statement sent out on Wednesday following the devastating Bohol earthquake, JICA had quoted a recent speech by Tatsuo Narafu, its senior advisor on architectural mitigation for disaster, in urging the Philippine government to take steps toward a more resilient infrastructure. Narafu, speaking before a recent forum on infrastructure safety and resiliency—which was sponsored by the World Bank—said among the steps needed to be taken to improve the resiliency of public infrastructure and facilities to protect it from natural disasters would be a review of the national building code. He said resilient infrastructure could actually contribute to saving lives. Narafu said similar actions were taken by the Japanese government following the massive devastation caused by 1995 “Great” Hanshin Awaji earthquake, during which, more than 5,000 people were killed and nearly 35,000 others  were injured. Of the more than 100,000 structures destroyed by the tremor, 38,321 completely collapsed, including a large portion of the Hansin Expressway, which links Kobe and Osaka. Narafu said more stringent measures were taken by the Japanese government following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that killed 15,883 people. During that earthquake, more than 400,000 structures across 20 prefectures were damaged. “We recommend a review of the building codes in the Philippines as well as enhancing the capacity Read More …

Swiss grants await Filipino grads, doctors

 News
Oct 122013
 
Swiss grants await Filipino grads, doctors

By Dona Z. PazzibuganPhilippine Daily Inquirer 2:53 am | Sunday, October 13th, 2013 Education Secretary Armin Luistro. FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Swiss government is offering scholarships to those currently taking up doctorate studies in the Philippines and to medical doctors wishing to undertake specializations in select universities in Switzerland, according to Education Secretary Armin Luistro. Luistro said the research scholarships were open to those studying for a doctorate degree who wish to conduct a 12-month research with a professor in a Swiss university. The scholarship is also open to medical doctors undertaking specializations. Scholarships are also available to those wishing to go through a Ph.D. program in a Swiss university for a maximum of three years. The Swiss government is also offering a grant for researchers with a doctorate degree wishing to conduct post-doctoral research at a Swiss university for 12 months. The deadline for applications for academic year 2014-15 is Nov. 15. “We welcome this offer which is part of the continuing promotion of understanding and cooperation between our country and the Swiss Confederation,” Luistro said. The scholarship and research grants offered by the Swiss government are almost similar to those offered by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) through the Philippine-California Advanced Research Institutes (PCARI) that was organized only last year. Follow Us 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 4467, for Read More …

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