AFP gradually boosting territorial defense

 News
Jan 062014
 
AFP gradually boosting territorial defense

By Frances MangosingPhilippine Daily Inquirer 9:06 pm | Monday, January 6th, 2014 Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – The military is in “gradual transition” of its operations to territorial defense this 2014. Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Emmanuel Bautista, however, emphasized that they will continue to address internal security threats even it starts its transition to territorial defense. “We will continue to address- it’s part of our mandate- internal security issues until appropriate agencies of government are capable,” he told reporters on Monday. By 2016, the military targets the completion of its anti-insurgency Internal Peace Security Plan Bayanihan. This campaign is a multi-sectoral approach in ending insurgency problem in the country that is anchored on “winning the peace.” “We will sustain Bayanihan, [but also we] appeal to our people that internal conflicts be put to an end because there are more pressing concerns, urgent concerns that we need to address. We are witness to Yolanda, climate change. We are witness to our problems in the West Philippine Sea and many more,” he added. Communist rebels are estimated to be around 4,000. As for the military’s territorial defense, where the Philippines faces external conflict with China, Bautista also highlighted its “peaceful” approach but is also prepared for other scenarios. “We would like to resolve conflicts in the most peaceful manner, it applies internally and also externally. We will continue to pursue that national policy, without Read More …

PH gov’t asked to shun US military access amid Tubbataha issue

 News
Jan 042014
 
PH gov’t asked to shun US military access amid Tubbataha issue

By Kristine Angeli SabilloINQUIRER.net 12:31 pm | Sunday, January 5th, 2014 This undated handout photo released on March 30, 2013 by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shows the stern of the USS Guardian before being lifted by a boat crane during its salvage operation at Tubbataha reef, in Palawan island, western Philippines. AFP PHOTO/PCG MANILA, Philippines – Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) asked the government on Sunday to abandon military access negotiations with the United States after it was revealed that the US has yet to pay for the damage caused by their ship on the Tubbataha Reef. “The US government has made it abundantly clear that our relations are unequal. It has not paid a single centavo for the destruction caused by the USS Guardian on the Tubbataha Reef. It has made a mockery of our laws,” Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said in a statement. The group chided the PH government for not aggressively pursuing the damage claims, adding that there were many opportunities to do so, including US Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to the country last month. “Why allow the US increased military access to our country when the US clearly disregards the protection of the environment? Why allow de facto basing when these ships pose a threat to the environment? It does not make any sense,” Reyes said. The two countries have started negotiations on a framework agreement for the increased rotational presence of US troops in Philippine soil. It is in line with US Read More …

In the Know: Naphthalene

 Economy
Jan 032014
 
In the Know: Naphthalene

Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:04 am | Saturday, January 4th, 2014 Naphthalene, a main ingredient in producing mothballs, is a chemical compound widely used as an insecticide and pest repellent. Made from crude oil or coal tar, this crystalline can be colorless but also range in color from solid white to brown. It can be found in car exhaust, cigarette smoke, or smoke from forest fires. Naphthalene, which was first registered as a pesticide in the United States in 1948, is primarily used to control clothes moth and silverfish through vapors that, in airtight containers, can kill insects. It is also used to repel animals such as squirrels and bats. Some hanging toilet bowl deodorizers may also contain naphthalene. Naphthalene is considered moderately toxic to some species of fish, water fleas and Pacific oysters, and slightly toxic to green algae. Apart from mothballs, this toxic and active ingredient is also used in the production of plastics, dyes, resins, lubricants and fuels. Exposure to naphthalene vapors may result in headache, nausea, dizziness or vomiting. Children who accidentally consume mothballs may also develop diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain and painful urination with discolored urine. Breathing in napthalene vapors or consuming the product may result in hemolytic anemia, which occurs when red blood cells break apart and fail to carry oxygen through the body. When naphthalene enters the body, it breaks down to alpha-naphthol, which is linked to the development of hemolytic anemia. Kidney and liver damage may occur as alpha-naphthol and other metabolites are Read More …

PH embassy in Riyadh issued a record 72,028 passports in 2013

 News
Jan 022014
 
PH embassy in Riyadh issued a record 72,028 passports in 2013

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 11:58 am | Friday, January 3rd, 2014 DFA Passports Processed in Riyadh MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has processed a record 72,028 passport applications for 2013, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement Friday. “In 2013, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh processed 1,522 new passports for newly born infants; 64,298 renewals, and 6,208 replacement passports for lost passports,” DFA said. “Around 6,000 replacement passports of the 6,208 were issued during the correction period, particularly in May and June. These numbers do not include the passport applications processed by the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah,” it said. The 2013 number of processed passports was at its highest over the past years. In 2007, 31,990 applications were received. According to records of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA), Saudi Arabia has the second largest population of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with 1,267,660 as of 2012.   The United States has the largest OFW population with 3,494,281 Filipinos The deployment of OFWs to Saudi Arabia has been on the rise over the past several years with 330,040 new hires and rehires in 2012. The most hires were domestic helpers with 11,582 and in the nursing profession with 8,513. In 2011, 204,088 OFWs were deployed to Saudi Arabia, 173,670 were deployed in 2010, 164,758 were deployed in 2009, and  153,675 were deployed in 2008. Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free Read More …

What Went Before: Damage wrought by USS Guardian

 News
Jan 022014
 
What Went Before: Damage wrought by USS Guardian

Philippine Daily Inquirer 5:25 am | Friday, January 3rd, 2014 MANILA, Philippines-On Jan. 17 last year, the Avenger-class minehunter USS Guardian ran aground on the south atoll of the Tubbataha Reefs while sailing to Indonesia following a port call on Subic Bay. The grounding damaged 2,345 square meters of coral on the reefs, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) World Heritage Site in the middle of the Sulu Sea. After 10 weeks, the salvage operation was completed by a Singapore-based salvor company hired by the US Navy. The ship had to be dismantled piece by piece so it could be lifted without damaging the reef further. It was then decommissioned and stricken off the naval registry. In April 2013, the commanding officer of the Guardian, Lt. Cmdr. Mark Rice, the executive officer and navigator Lt. Daniel Tyler, the assistant navigator and the officer of the deck at the time of the grounding were relieved. In the same month, the Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) said it would fine the United States not more than $1.4 million (about P60 million) for the damage to the Tubbataha Reefs. The report of the assessment team, composed of divers and researchers from the TMO and World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines, showed that the damaged area spanned 2,345.67 sqm, smaller than the initial estimate of 4,000 sq m, which would have pushed the fine to $5 million, or about P200 million. Under Republic Act No. 10067, or the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Act Read More …

US embassy releases its list of 2014 holidays

 News
Jan 022014
 
US embassy releases its list of 2014 holidays

By Bong LozadaINQUIRER.net 10:20 pm | Thursday, January 2nd, 2014 MANILA, Philippines—The United States Embassy has released its own list of holidays for 2014, dates that would inform the public that the embassy is closed for the day, following the release of the Philippine Government’s release earlier. The 19-holiday list contains events in the Philippines and also important holidays from the US. Only two dates are joint holidays for Philippines and US: New Year’s Day and Christmas. From the list, eight are exclusively American holidays and these are Martin Luther King Jr. day (January 20), US President’s day (February 17), US Memorial day (May 26), US Independence day (July 4), Columbus day (October 13), US Veterans day (November 11) and Thanksgiving (November 27). The embassy also lists the Muslim event of Eid-ul-Fitr as one of its holidays, though the date hass yet to be announced. Heroism Day (April 9), Maundy Thursday (April 17), Good Friday (April 18), Labor Day (May 1), Philippine Independence Day (June 12), Ninoy Aquino Day (August 21), Rizal Day (December 30) and the last day of the year are the exclusive Filipino holidays on the embassy’s list.   Related story Philippine holidays for 2014 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: 2014 , Global Nation , Holidays Read More …

52 OFWs still in strife-torn South Sudan

 News
Jan 022014
 
52 OFWs still in strife-torn South Sudan

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 5:07 pm | Thursday, January 2nd, 2014 In this handout image provided by the United Nations Mission South Sudan, taken on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013, civilians arrive at the UNMISS compound adjacent to Juba International Airport to take refuge. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – There are still 52 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in strife-torn South Sudan as the government declared a state of emergency due to the continuing violence. “Our Embassy continues to monitor the security situation in South Sudan and alert level 3 is still in effect over that country,” Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Raul Hernandez said in a text message Thursday. “So far, our Embassy has confirmed that there are still 48 OFWs in [the capital city] Juba and four others are in a town called Paloch, an hour and a half away by plane from Juba,” he said. A state of emergency was declared by South Sudan president Salva Kiir in two of its states on Wednesday as more than 1,000 people have been killed from the violence between rebel forces and government security forces. The DFA placed the country under crisis alert level 3 last December 23 banning deployment of OFWs going there and urging Filipinos already there to undergo voluntary repatriation. Hernandez said that 30 OFWs have already been repatriated while “57 were evacuated to neighboring countries and Dubai.” The United Nations has already sent reinforcements for its peacekeeping force in the country and continued to appeal for more. Read More …

US reminded on responsibility for coral reef destruction in Sulu Sea

 News
Jan 022014
 
US reminded on responsibility for coral reef destruction in Sulu Sea

By DJ YapPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:24 pm | Thursday, January 2nd, 2014 FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — Almost a year after an American warship ran aground in the Sulu Sea, destroying a portion of the Tubbataha Reefs, a militant fisherfolk organization pressed the US government to take responsibility beyond the P58 million-fine it was ordered to pay the Philippines for the environmental damage. The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) asked the Aquino administration to “follow up and pursue the US government to honor its obligations arising from the national environmental disaster” involving the grounding of the USS Guardian on Jan. 17, 2013. The group is one of the petitioners in the writ of kalikasan (nature) pending in the Supreme Court, which seeks higher penalties for the damage on the Tubbataha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as criminal prosecution of the ship’s officers and crew. Pamalakaya, in a statement, lamented that the United States government continued to snub the high tribunal’s request for Washington to answer the petition, which named as respondents Scott Swift, commander of the US Seventh Fleet, and Mark Rice, commanding officer of the American minesweeper. “The US government must respond to and account for their crimes against the people and the environment. That is simple as ABC, nothing more, nothing less. The incident merits the filing of criminal and other appropriate charges against officials and the 79 other crew of USS Guardian,” said Pamalakaya vice chair Salvador France. France also said the Read More …

BTr to offer securities worth P135B in Q1

 Economy
Dec 292013
 
BTr to offer securities worth P135B in Q1

By Michelle V. RemoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 8:42 pm | Sunday, December 29th, 2013 The government plans to sell P135 billion worth of treasury bills and bonds in the first quarter of the coming year, according to the Bureau of the Treasury. The amount represents a nearly 10-percent rise from the P122.96 billion worth of government securities sold in the domestic market in the same period of 2013. The decision to raise domestic borrowings came on the heels of the government’s announcement to hike public expenditures for infrastructure and social services. The government has been forced to beef up spending and support reconstruction activities in areas affected by Supertyphoon “Yolanda,” which devastated the Visayas last month. To accommodate the higher spending, the government is ready to post a higher budget deficit and borrow more in 2014. In the notice posted on its website, the Treasury said P60 billion worth of T-bills and P75 billion worth of T-bonds would be auctioned off in January to March. About P4 billion worth of 91-day T-bills and P6 billion worth of 182-day bills, as well as P10 billion in 364-day notes will be sold each month. Also, P25 billion worth of bonds will be sold each month. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima told reporters that the government would continue to borrow more from the domestic than the foreign market in the coming year. This will allow the government to minimize its exposure to foreign-exchange risks, he explained. The government does not need to borrow abroad if Read More …

Last of distressed OFWs in Lebanon home by yearend—DOLE

 News
Dec 282013
 
Last of distressed OFWs in Lebanon home by yearend—DOLE

By Tina G. SantosPhilippine Daily Inquirer 5:04 pm | Saturday, December 28th, 2013 FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — The 36 remaining distressed Filipino workers in Lebanon are to be flown home before the year ends, the Department of Labor said Saturday. Citing a report from Irma Valiente, the assistant labor attache in Beirut, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the Lebanese General Security Department has agreed to waive all penalties and fines, thus allowing the 36 workers to leave immediately. The workers, most of whom are domestics, are staying at the Filipino Workers Rescue Center, Baldoz said. “The plane tickets of the 36, who are all female ‘runaways’, will be paid for by Caritas Lebanon, a religious non-government organization in Bierut. We are now finalizing the flight bookings of the distressed OFWs,” Valiente said in her report to Baldoz. Baldoz had earlier directed all Philippine Overseas Labor Offices to fast-track the settlement of cases involving distressed Filipino workers so they could be repatriated as soon as possible. She urged labor officials to work closely with the Philippine embassies, establish rapport with licensed overseas employment providers, and intensify networking and coordination with the immigration and labor offices of the host countries. “I commend the POLO in Lebanon for sustaining our efforts to fast-track the settlement of cases and repatriation of OFWs,” Baldoz said. “This is, without doubt, the result of our POLO-Lebanon’s good rapport and active networking with Lebanon’s immigration and labor offices.” RELATED STORIES: OFW alert up in Lebanon 31 OFWs Read More …

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