You plan to move to the Philippines? Wollen Sie auf den Philippinen leben?

There are REALLY TONS of websites telling us how, why, maybe why not and when you'll be able to move to the Philippines. I only love to tell and explain some things "between the lines". Enjoy reading, be informed, have fun and be entertained too!

Ja, es gibt tonnenweise Webseiten, die Ihnen sagen wie, warum, vielleicht warum nicht und wann Sie am besten auf die Philippinen auswandern könnten. Ich möchte Ihnen in Zukunft "zwischen den Zeilen" einige zusätzlichen Dinge berichten und erzählen. Viel Spass beim Lesen und Gute Unterhaltung!


Visitors of germanexpatinthephilippines/Besucher dieser Webseite.Ich liebe meine Flaggensammlung!

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Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Merry Christmas! Frohe Weihnachten!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2015 to all my dear readers of this blog. 

Thank you for your loyality!

Frohe Weihnachten und ein gesegnetes Neues Jahr 2015, meine lieben Blogleser!

Danke fuer Ihre Treue!


Monday, December 15, 2014

Philippine TV Station Didn't Fire News Reader

By Vittorio Hernandez, International Business Times
 
Waves crash as Typhoon Vongfong approaches Japan's main islands while surfers try to ride a wave at Eguchihama Beach in Hioki, Kagoshima prefecture, in this photo taken by Kyodo October 12, 2014. Typhoon Vongfong battered the southern Japanese island of Okinawa on Sunday, injuring 31 people and knocking out power before losing intensity and getting downgraded to a tropical storm. Mandatory credit. REUTERS/Kyodo (JAPAN - Tags: DISASTER ENVIRONMENT)
Waves crash as Typhoon Vongfong approaches Japan's main islands while surfers try to ride a wave at Eguchihama Beach in Hioki, Kagoshima prefecture, in this photo taken by Kyodo October 12, 2014. Typhoon Vongfong battered the southern Japanese island of Okinawa on Sunday, injuring 31 people and knocking out power before losing intensity and getting downgraded to a tropical storm. Mandatory credit. REUTERS/Kyodo (JAPAN - Tags: DISASTER ENVIRONMENT)
Like Super Typhoon Ruby, ABS-CBN news reader Korina Sanchez came on too strong to many televiewers when she expressed hope that Hagupit (Ruby) would spare the Philippines and instead hit Japan.

Many netizens didn't like her comment and didn't hide their disappointment. Some were not surprised because it was the second time involving the coverage of a super typhoon that Sanchez, the wife of Philippine Interior Secretary, created controversy because of her criticism of CNN's Anderson Cooper's coverage of Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in November 2013.
 The recent incident led to a hoax report that Japan declared Sanchez a persona non grata for her comments. However, another Web site, Waffles at Noon, debunked the report, although a lot of Filipinos thought the veteran news reader deserved being banned in The Land of the Rising Sun as well as from national television.
Thus, it was not surprising that another satire news site rode on that angle and said that ABS-CBN fired Sanchez for her comment. Adobo Chronicles wrote that Sanchez's remarks embarrassed the country, causing Japan to file a protest to permanently keep her off from TV, which the international body allegedly backed 100 percent.

It would be recalled that in 2013, there were speculations that ABS-CBN suspended Sanchez for one week after she spoke against Cooper's coverage, although the "official version" is that she went on leave.

One indicator that Adobo Republic's article was a satire is that it quoted the "fired" news reader as saying in reaction to her receiving the boot, "Well and good! This will give me time to focus on campaigning for my husband in his 2016 bid to become elected as the next president. I'll have the last laugh when I become the First Lady."

For one, Roxas insists that his eyes are not on 2016 (yet), but on helping Ruby victims. But the best proof is that Sanchez is still on TV Patrol, although she would probably be best remembered for her Japan remarks.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

JAN VAN DAM*: Christmas Parols in The Philippines

Christmas Parols in the Philippines
boys watching the colorful display in this shop
 
The southeast Asian island nation has the world’s longest festive season — and pulls no punches in its celebratory zeal for the period, with lavish light displays, masses, and festivals held throughout the country from September until January.

☆ The Philippines has the longest Christmas season in the world — from September to January.
☆ The festive season is marked by traditional masses, spectacular light displays and family gatherings
☆ Some villages organise contents for the best Christmas decorations
☆ Traditional paper and bamboo lanterns known as ‘parols’ light up many Filipino villages and towns.

The parols are as important to Filipinos as the Christmas tree to Western culture — without parols Christmas wouldn’t be complete.

Christmas lanterns known as ‘parols’ light up many Filipino homes or streets. They were first created in the late 1800’s by artisans to help villagers find their way to churches to pray. Old paintings from that time show these lanterns already. The lanterns were used by people to light their paths during the ritual Yuletide dawn masses called ‘Misa de Gallo’ [midnight mass], because electricity was unavailable at the time in many rural areas. They were made of bamboo and paper and had a candle inside. Such lanterns are now more likely to glow with electronic lights, and made with plastic or capiz, but the ethos remains the same — a guiding light in the darkness for worshippers wanting to congregate and pray.

Make your own Christmas Parols in the Philippines.

Try to make your own parol for next year. A nice website with a good way to make a parol can be found on My Parol dot com And another one can be found at the website of the Bayanihan Community Center .

If you like to insert a lightbulb or candle, you need to make provisions before you finish the parol, but I do not need to tell you this. If you do: be carefull, because the paper and the bamboo might catch fire easily… ;-)


lantern parade in San Francisco
lantern parade in San Francisco
 
Summary
 
Article Name
Christmas Parols in the Philippines
Author
Description
The Philippines has the longest Christmas season of all countries in the world: September - January. This is about the famous Christmas Parols in the Philippines, history and how to make them.
 
(c) 2103/2014 Jan van Dam (http://www.expatinthephilippines.com)

Friday, December 12, 2014

UN: No Sign of Islamic State Group Militants in Philippines

French Jean-Paul Laborde, center, U.N. Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), gestures beside Philippine Department of Justice, Justice Undersecretary Atty. Francisco Baraan III, right, and Sue Takasu, U.N. Senior Legal Officer, left, as they meet reporters at the Department of Justice in Manila, Philippines on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014. Laborde said there is no evidence that Islamic State militants have gained a foothold in the Philippines but added the country can take more steps to help fight a group that has vowed to expand its reach. AP/Aaron Favila
   
A U.N. counterterrorism official said Thursday there was no evidence that Islamic State militants have gained a foothold in the Philippines, where Muslim rebels are active, but added that the country can take more steps to help fight a group that has vowed to expand its reach.
 
Filipinos belonging to two small but violent Muslim insurgent groups in the country's south, including the al-Qaida-inspired Abu Sayyaf, have publicly vowed support to the Islamic State group, sparking concerns among Philippine security officials. There have been reports of Filipinos sneaking into Syria and Iraq to fight alongside the Islamic State group, but the military and police say there's have found no proof of that after an investigation.

"There is no evidence that they are in the Philippines," Jean-Paul Laborde of the U.N. Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate told a news conference in Manila.

He said that the Philippines and other countries should continue to shield their territories from the terrorists, including by strengthening laws and regulations to prevent local Muslim communities from being targeted for recruitment and to deprive the militants of financial resources.

"They will try to get as much as they can in terms of foreign terrorist fighters, in terms of finance, in terms of everything, so it's possible that, one day, they will come to your country," he said.
 
Laborde discussed counterterrorism steps with Philippine officials and praised the government for establishing an anti-terrorism council to oversee a battle against extremists.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Philippines Pushes Developing Countries to Cut Their Emissions

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Disaster-Proofing Davao Oriental


TO DISASTER-PROOF an entire province, the local government must take the lead in ensuring mitigation and adaptation measures are in place.

Since Davao Oriental can no longer claim to be typhoon-free, the province has revisited its Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan to better equip its municipalities when worse comes to worst.
 United Nations Development Program (UNDP) where both have found a common ground that Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRRCCA) should be integrated in the local development planning.
modification and rezonification so that the areas determined as not so sound for habitation will be off limits to people.


"And as our firm commitment, the province is helping LGUs (local government units) to chart out their respective Municipal Comprehensive Land Use Plan while mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation measures in their respective development plans," said Governor Corazon Malanyaon, in her speech during a recent forum.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 11 has helped the province along with Department of Science and Technology (DOST) 11 and Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to map out the geo-hazard areas, which is now followed in the establishment of resettlements.

The government is also working on restoring the province's environmental resources, particularly the programs on mangrove rehabilitation, coastal cleanup, dumpsite development and watershed rehabilitation.

When Pablo made landfall, it flattened most of Baganga, Cateel and Boston municipalities, leaving 457 deaths, 3,020 injured, 64,032 families affected, and P5.846 billion in government infrastructures, private structures and properties lost on its wake.

Also, the rich agriculture, tourism, trade, and service sectors incurred P8.5 billion damages while 30 percent of its coral resources were lost and 132,105 hectares of forest lands were destroyed.

With the plan now in place, at least the province can cushion the impact of typhoons, the same intensity or even stronger than Typhoon Pablo that wreaked havoc the province on December 4, 2012.

Rehab on track

With the means of livelihood destroyed, the province sought out the intervention of Department of Agriculture (DA)-Davao to help affected families get back on their feet.
The programs that were implemented include extension of 100 percent rice seed subsidy to more than 8,000 farmers in Baganga, Cateel, and Boston for a total area of 9,876 hectares, provision of seeds for corn production benefitting more than 7,000 farmers, and provision of seeds for vegetable production.

Also, part of the intervention was the distribution of cacao seedlings in the towns of Boston and Cateel benefiting almost 2,000 farmers, and seedlings for cassava production in affected towns to 5,742 farmers covering a total of 430 hectares.

On the housing, a total of 6,729 families received temporary shelters and emergency shelter kits containing basic construction tools and materials.

"These were provided by convergence of various local and international agencies under the Shelter Cluster. Meanwhile, the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), who aside from constructing bunk houses as temporary shelters also helped bring aid to families whose houses were partially damaged through the distribution of Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) in the form of cash," she reported.

The first and second releases amounted to P158.7 million, which benefited around 15,881 households.

Transition shelters were also put in place for a total of 5,359 families. 

"These shelters not only provided our people with the most basic comforts of a home, but mainly protected them especially from health risks due to poor hygienic conditions in congested emergency shelters," she said.

The governor added that there were close to 10,000 permanent homes completed and undergoing construction under the Modified Shelter Assistance Program of the provincial government and DSWD.

"No less than 5,000 construction workers, that include masons, carpenters, painters, plumbers, have been employed in the implementation of this massive housing project," she said.

Rise of hot chili

Jose P. Calub, officer-in-charge of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Davao Oriental, during the DTI-Davao Media Interface at the Marco Polo Hotel Davao on Friday, said they are supporting eight major chili producers in Davao Oriental.

"Nakita namo na resilient ang (We saw that chili is more resilient) compared to other crops during typhoon," he said.

Right now, they are in the thick of things in helping these producers comply with the requirements to secure a certification from Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).
"So that when the Asean Community takes effect, our chili producers are ready," he said.

In Davao Oriental, most of the focus is centered on the three towns hit by Pablo -- Cateel, Baganga, and Boston.

The agency is also set to construct three facilities through the Shared Service Facilities (SSF) that are compliant with the regulations of the FDA.

With this initiative, a total of 1,000 families have benefited from the "Hot Pablo' Livelihood Project covering 100 hectares.

The beneficiaries, comprised of farmers and processors, were assisted in terms of production, skills development, product development marketing and branding.
The trade office has also observed a high local demand for chili, as evident on the sales generated from the trade fairs where processors have actively been participating in.

Last year, chili processors generated P6 million from joining trade fairs.
To address the immediate need of farmers to earn a living, Malanyaon added that livestock and draft animals such as carabao, cattle, goat and chicken were distributed to families.

There were also a series of skills, productivity and entrepreneurial trainings to strengthen livelihood projects such as bamboo (furniture, construction materials and baskets) processing, coco-bead and coco-furniture processing, driftwood furniture and novelties processing, bead making, rubber nursery and hot chili production and processing. 

These initiatives were facilitated through the support of some government agencies and Rural Entrepreneurship Advocacy for Change (Reach) program of the Provincial Government.

Other livelihood programs that are currently being pushed are; Driftwood Processing (Boston, Baganga, Cateel); Rosary-making out of coco-beads (Cateel); Carpentry Workshop and Material Recovery Facility (Cateel and Baganga); and Fiber-board Processing Facility (Baganga).

"These livelihood projects under the Debris Management supported more than 11,000 beneficiaries," Malanyaon added.

Given the intensity of damages caused by Pablo in the province, it will take a while before it can get back on its feet.

"Our 'Building-Back-Better' agenda is still a long way to go. But having a solid support from the national government and other development collaborators, and having put in place operational mechanisms, we are positive that we can harness more resources and partners... we can do more... and we can do better in the coming years... Always with that undaunted spirit 'to Move on and to Move up' as our mantra goes," she added.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Cyclone May Enter the Philippines This Week



State meteorologists are keeping a close eye on a developing storm off the Pacific Ocean that could enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) later this week.
Jori Loiz, senior weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said the looming cyclone was located some 1,500 kilometers east of the PAR as of yesterday afternoon.
He warned the developing weather disturbance is likely to reach the typhoon category as it hovers over the Pacific Ocean in the next few days.
Loiz told The STAR of two scenarios for the cyclone. The most likely is that the storm could intensify further but will veer north towards Japan. The second scenario is the cyclone will intensity into a typhoon and enter the PAR on Friday.
“The movement of the developing cyclone will depend on the high-pressure area northeast of the Philippines,” Loiz said, noting that the HPA has not moved in the past days.
“The most possible scenario is it will enter the PAR but will recurve toward east of Japan… But if the HPA will not move, the cyclone, which could be a strong one, could make landfall in the Philippines,” he added.

He noted that the location of the looming cyclone is also the place where Super Typhoon Yolanda formed last year.
“Hopefully, the HPA will move, because we expect this to be really strong. It is still far and could gain more strength while over the sea,” Loiz said.
He said one or two cyclones are likely to enter the Philippines this month, warning that cyclones during this time of the year usually make landfall.
The usual track of the cyclones during the latter part of the year is Visayas and Mindanao.
On Nov. 8 last year, Yolanda slammed the Visayas, leaving more than 6,000 people dead and 1,700 missing. Strong storms Pablo and Sendong hit Mindanao in December.
Meanwhile, Loiz said fair weather is expected in most parts of the country in the next three days, apart from isolated rain showers and thunderstorms.
He said a low-pressure area (LPA) that dumped rains in Mindanao and parts of Visayas and Luzon over the weekend was spotted at 75 km west southwest of Romblon, Romblon as of 10 a.m. yesterday.
The LPA was likely to dissipate or continue to cross Southern Luzon towards the West Philippine Sea, where it could regain strength, he said.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Philippines to Simplify Weather Warnings to Reduce Loss of Lives

The Philippines will simplify its weather warnings to make them easier to understand in order to prevent the annual loss of hundreds of lives from natural calamities, officials said Wednesday.


The state weather service of one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations is working with linguists to ensure that the threat posed by typhoons, floods and other events would be fully understood by people, they said.

“People need to be told in a language they can understand the dangers that they face,” said Roberto Añonuevo, executive director of the government’s Filipino Language Commission.

“Typhoons and storms are a common occurrence, so they become complacent. This will help them to respond. This is potentially life-saving,” he told AFP.

Giant walls of seawater, called “storm surges” generated by Haiyan, the strongest ever typhoon to hit land, were blamed for most of the 7,350 lives lost in the central Philippines a year ago.

Even though the hardest-hit areas were warned beforehand, the weather service and other officials later admitted that the victims were unfamiliar with the term “storm surge”, which they said failed to adequately convey the deadly threat.

President Benigno S. C. Aquino III has been among the weather service’s most severe critics, often lecturing its forecasters publicly to use layman’s terms in its bulletins.

About 20 typhoons and storms hit the country each year, triggering floods and landslides that kill hundreds.

Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are also an ever-present threat in the Asian archipelago that forms part of a “Ring of Fire” of Pacific islands formed by volcanic activity.

“People with lower levels of education at times have trouble understanding technical terms,” conceded Lani Aquino, a public relations officer for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration.

“So what happens is they do not make the necessary precautions for certain meteorological events,” Ms. Aquino, no relation to the President, told AFP.

The weather service spokeswoman said it was reviewing a 300-word glossary of more easily understood weather terms prepared by the language commission, including the words for storm surges in the country’s major dialects. -- AFP

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Metro Manila Pollution Worse Than Ever


 (The Philippine Star) 


Traffic in Metro Manila is usually the heaviest on Fridays and weekends especially now with the approaching holiday season as people from the provinces start trooping to Metro Manila to shop for Christmas gifts. For sure, this will be exacerbated by the spike in the number of arriving balikbayans who are not only spending the holidays here, but also to wait for the arrival of Pope Francis in January next year.

Exhaust from idling vehicles stuck in traffic make it difficult to breathe, and the condition is made worse by the cool weather since the dense air cannot circulate upward – trapping carbon particles that make the ground level atmosphere thick and heavy with pollutants. Respiratory ailments have increased by 30 percent since last year, according to records from Metro Manila hospitals.

We received photos taken on Saturday morning and yesterday at noon, and as one can readily see the pollution has become worse than ever – with a grayish shadow covering the metropolis like an ominous shroud.  The air quality has become so bad that a multisector group calling itself the Coalition of Clean Air Advocates (Philippines), composed of health professionals, business leaders, the religious sector and civil society organizations came out with a full page ad in the Sunday edition of this paper, making an urgent appeal for the president to fully implement Republic Act 8749, otherwise known as the Clean Air Act of 1999.

Citing data from the DENR, the group stressed that the air quality in Metro Manila and other urban centers has reached internationally unacceptable levels that pose a “clear and present danger to human health.” Data shows that 80 percent of air pollution is caused by motor vehicle emissions, yet a lot of carbon-spewing vehicles still manage to pass the mandatory emission test prior to registration – due to the unfortunate practice of  “non-appearance” that some corrupt DOTC-LTO employees have allowed to proliferate.

It’s been 15 years since the passage of the Clean Air Act law yet to this day, it hasn’t really done much to combat pollution or improve air quality. Corruption in both the public and private sector has been identified by the Clean Air advocacy group as critical in the implementation of the Clean Air Act, and among their proposals is to impose stiffer penalties for those that take part in “non-appearance” testing plus the automation of emission testing protocols – which might entail changes in DENR specifications with regard to equipment and test data gathering.

The group is also advocating the development of more mass transport system and the designation of more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly lanes to lessen he use of motor vehicles when commuting, and the introduction/commercialization of clean fuels or other fuels that will lessen carbon and particulate emission.  While Metro Manila is not in The Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross Switzerland’s list of the 10 most polluted cities in 2013, an expert from the World Health Organization told us we will soon have the dubious honor of joining that list if the quality of air continues to deteriorate. Clearly, we all have to do our part in improving the air quality in Metro Manila.

SM Prime(s) up for solar energy use

The use of renewable energy like solar is now a major factor being considered by planners and designers who advocate “clean cities,” saying that electricity from coal and fossil fuel account for much of the carbon dioxide emissions that are responsible for pollution. In Germany for instance, the government has passed legislation encouraging the use of solar energy by providing incentives for homes that invest in solar or wind energy to generate their own electricity.  This has resulted in a major shift towards solar energy that has not only resulted in lesser electric consumption but has contributed in reducing pollution.

In the Philippines, retail and property giant SM Prime Holdings has marked another milestone in its commitment to achieve sustainability in its operations as seen in the activation of the solar powered rooftop at its SM City North Edsa Mall. SM Prime president Hans Sy led the switch-on ceremony yesterday with President Noynoy Aquino as guest of honor, with the event witnessed by environment champion Loren Legarda, Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, DENR Secretary Mon Paje and Speaker Sonny Belmonte. 

SM Prime worked closely with Solar Philippines to put up over 5,700 solar panels that have the capacity to generate up to 1.5 megawatts (MW) of energy – enough to power 1,000 homes or charge over 200,000 cellular phones. The power generated by the solar panels could offset 1,200 tons of carbon dioxide – almost like planting 6,000 trees per year. The solar panels installed at the rooftop can power up the lighting fixtures and elevators at the mall.

Time and time again, the SM Group has displayed its commitment in making its operations sustainable and environment friendly especially now that the country faces a power shortage next year. With the solar rooftop project, the mall developer has shown it walks the talk – doing what it can to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing the consumption of electricity.  Hopefully, other groups will also follow suit not only to make business sustainable but to help ensure a cleaner, greener environment for the future.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Nine Sentenced in Philippines Over Deadly 1996 Disco Fire

A Philippine court on Thursday sentenced nine people to jail for a fire that killed 162 people at a disco in 1996, in a decision that highlighted the country's painfully slow justice system.
Survivors and anti-crime groups welcomed the ruling, but were anguished that it had taken so long and expressed fears that some of those found guilty had fled the country, with a court official admitting the whereabouts of the nine were unknown.
In one of the Philippines' deadliest fires, 162 people were killed and 94 others injured after becoming trapped when the Ozone Disco in a commercial district of northern Manila went up in flames.
In Thursday's ruling, seven city engineers were sentenced to up to 10 years in jail for allowing the nightclub to operate without adequate safety precautions, court administrator Teresa Pabulayan told AFP.
The Ozone Disco's owner and treasurer were given the same sentences, according to Pabulayan, but she would not specify the exact number of years given, saying only it was between six and 10. 
"The engineers gave unwarranted and preferential advantage to the Ozone disco owners. They failed to detect structural and fire safety deficiencies," she said, summarising the Manila anti-graft court's ruling.
The nine will not be immediately arrested as they have 15 days to appeal the ruling, Pabulayan said, adding she did not know where they were.
"After 18 years, finally justice is served," Stephen Santos, president of a group that represents the survivors, told local television channel ANC.
However Santos voiced concern about the time it took for the verdict to be delivered, and said he feared those convicted had left the country.
Dante Jimenez, founder of an anti-crime advocacy group that helped the survivors with court cases, said some of the survivors had died before justice was served.
"This reflects how rotten the justice system is," Jimenez told AFP.
Court cases in the Philippines typically take many years to complete. 
Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said last month she was hiring more judges and finding ways to hasten legal procedures to clear massive backlogs that burden judges with as many as 4,000 cases at a time.
"We want to say that in the Philippines, it's no longer justice delayed and therefore justice denied," she said.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Bohol - one year later!

By MST Lifestyle 
 
Virgelio and Maria Crieta's family is closer than any family can get. While most of their children are married and have families of their own, Virgelio and Maria make it a point to spend time together at least once a week like most Filipino families.
The houses are built using a unique bamboo
design that gives the structure more flexibility.
On October 15, 2013, a national holiday, Virgelio and Maria found another opportunity to gather the whole family at one of their children’s homes in Poblacion, in the town of Loon, Bohol. However, the family revelry was interrupted by a violent shaking – a 7.2-magnitude quake had struck the island of Bohol with a force so great, it left thousands of families homeless and fearful for their lives.

As the tremors stopped, the Crietas were terrified. They thought it was the end of the world. Virgelio and Maria had to stay at their child’s house for a week before they finally had the courage to go back to their home in the village of Catagbacan Norte, which was also terribly damaged.It was painful to discover that their home, which was built through years of hard labour, fell apart in just minutes.

Moving on from such a tragedy was not easy for the Crietas. But what kept them going was their family: that unshakeable bond that no earthquake could ever shatter. That, for them,was more than enough reason to move on.

Virgelio and Maria stayed in a temporary shelter made out of salvaged plywood, metal sheets and a tarpaulin before they were gifted with a brand new home from Habitat for Humanity and its partner, UnionBank, who was among the first to come to Bohol’s aid.

The Crieta family is just one of some 6,000 families who will benefit from the new homes with a unique bamboo design provided by Habitat for Humanity. The design makes use of a special technology involving chemically treated bamboo strips woven between concrete-reinforced steel frames, giving the structure more flexiblity.  This design was a result of Habitat for Humanity’s scouring its global database; and which UnionBank readily supported.

Volunteers helped build the structure that could withstand earthquakes – the interwoven bamboo slats plastered with concrete, a representation of that same tight, resilient bond their family held on to during the tragedy.

After months of enduring the stuffiness of their improvised shelter, the Crieta family finally moved into their new brighter home,where they can start making new memories and strengthen even more the ties that bind their family together.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Tubbataha Reefs Hamiguitan Forest Named Asean Treasures

By Dona Z. Pazzibugan, Philippine Daily Inquirer


Tubbataha Reefs, Hamiguitan forest named Asean treasures
The world-renowned Tubbataha Reefs diving site off Palawan and the Mt. Hamiguitan forest in Davao Oriental have been officially recognized as among Southeast Asia’s most treasured parks.
During their meeting in Vientiane, Laos, last month, environment ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) approved the inclusion of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary among the Asean Heritage Parks.

The approval brings to 35 the number of Asean Heritage Parks, seven of which are in the Philippines.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said the designation of the Tubbataha and Mt. Hamiguitan national protected areas as regional heritage parks was long overdue since the two had been recognized as Unesco World Heritage Sites.

The five other Asean Heritage Parks in the country are Mt. Apo Natural Park, Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park and Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park—all in Mindanao; Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park in Occidental Mindoro; and Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve in Laguna.

“This latest recognition indicates that the natural characteristics of both Tubbataha and Mt. Hamiguitan are so exceptional that they deserve to be protected for the benefit of everyone in Southeast Asia,” Paje said in a statement.

Asean Heritage Parks are marked off as areas “of high conservation importance” as key biodiversity areas.

Located 181 kilometers southeast of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is at the very center of the Sulu Sea.

The park contains roughly 10,000 hectares of coral reefs and more than 86,000 hectares of surrounding waters, lying at the heart of the Coral Triangle, the center of global marine biodiversity.

The Tubbataha marine sanctuary is home to diverse marine life, including at least half of all coral species in the world and about 80 percent of all coral species in the Philippines.

Green sea and hawksbill turtles, as well as rays and sharks, are common in the reefs. Pelagics such as tuna, mackerel, jacks and barracuda are observed in schools near the reef crests.

The Tubbataha marine sanctuary was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1993.

Established in 2004, the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary covers 6,834 hectares of seven barangays (villages) in Davao Oriental.

Standing at 1,637 meters, Mt. Hamiguitan is surrounded by forest land, including a bonsai field or “pygmy” forest of 100-year-old trees on ultramafic soil.
The trees within the mossy pygmy forest stand an average of only 1.4 meters, with a diameter of eight centimeters. One of the dominant species that can be found only in this forest type is the tinikaran or red fig tree (scientific name Wendlandia nervosa).
Other rare plant species found on Mt. Hamiguitan include the slipper orchid, nepenthes, staghorn fern, rhododendrons and Philippine hardwoods, such as yakal and tangile.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Basilan Mayors Targets of Sayyaf 'Extortion'


Basilan province, part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, is seen in this sateliite rendering from Google Earth.
Officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have been recent targets of extortion activities of the extremist Abu Sayyaf group, the governor said.

ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman told reporters Friday that he and all 13 mayors of Basilan province signed a manifesto supporting an intensified military campaign as incidents of extortion by the extremist rebels have increased.

"All those who refused to heed payment are threatened to be bombed," Hataman said.

Even vendors and drivers were not spared from the extortion activities of Abu Sayyaf members who allegedly cite the practice of as "jakat," a Muslim term of monetary gift, as excuse, he said.

Each of the Basilan mayors has received text messages from alleged Abu Sayyaf members demanding for their monthly contribution, Hataman added.

"I was even called up the other day and identified himself as spokesman of (Abu Sayyaf leader) Isnilon Hapilon and I dropped the call. I waited if he [would] text but nothing came," Hataman said.

He said his district engineer also received messages believed to be from the group's Basilan leader, Furuji Indama, and demanded P200,000 monthly.

Hataman said the engineer's house was lobbed with bomb a week after he refused to pay the amount.

He also noted that children are the most vulnerable victims of incidents as they develop traumas from the bombing attempts.

Local officials' call for an all-out offensive launched Friday against the armed militants was meant to mobilize government units not only the military and police, Hataman said.

"Precisely, these Abu Sayyaf bandits were freely extorting because we are not running after them," he added. "That’s the proposal of the mayors because the Abu Sayyaf group committed crimes against the people and the country."

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang directed Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero and coordinated with the police in the region to secure the mayors.
Catapang anticipated the possible backlash of the support laid out by the town mayors against the Abu Sayyaf group.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

From Day One After Yolanda until Today: Solid German Support for Rehabilitation Continues

Lufthansa Technik Philippines Since the onset of Yolanda, Germany has been relentless in the outpour of support for those devastated by the typhoon. German humanitarian relief organizations have been among the first who reached the Philippines from abroad to help the victims of Typhoon Yolanda – through a Lufthansa plane scheduled to fly from Germany to Manila for its regular servicing, which was loaded with relief goods after early news of the typhoon’s damage hit the screens.
Until today, German relief organizations have been working non-stop in the typhoon-stricken areas, funded by massive donations of the German civil society and funds from the German Government – released within a heartbeat following news of the typhoon’s devastation.
To quantify this support: more than 176 million Euros, (Php 10.7 billion) for relief and rehabilitation efforts in the regions affected by Typhoon Yolanda came from Germany. Out of these, an outstanding 144 million Euros (Php 8.7 billion) are made up of German private donations to relief organizations actively operating in the Visayas regions. In addition to private donations, the German government contributed a total of 32 million Euros (Php 2 billion) out of which 16 million Euros were given in humanitarian aid for the immediate relief of victims of the typhoon, while 16 million Euros were allocated for reconstruction of areas destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda.
Until today, many German aid organizations are implementing reconstruction programs in the areas hit by the Typhoon. Examples are: Johanniter Unfallhilfe, Malteser International and Plan International.
Johanniter Unfallhilfe is working on the islands of Panay and Leyte. Johanniter’s main activities on Panay focus on the repair of infrastructure such as barangay halls, health and day care centers, class rooms, sea walls, rainwater catchments, foot bridges, community halls, as well as the installation of water filtration systems. This project, which is co-funded by German Bank Foundation (GBS) and Johanniter reaches 7,000 direct and 1,500 indirect beneficiaries.
Photo: Fulvio Zanettini/ADH Rebuilding of homes by Malteser International (© Photo: Fulvio Zanettini/ADH)
 
In the immediate aftermath of the typhoon, Malteser International from Germany distributed food, hygiene kits, water containers and relief items to about 9,000 families. A water treatment unit provided clean drinking water to an entire village. To date, 250 houses have been repaired, 52 large tents were set up as classrooms and play areas, and 800 families received tarpaulins. Malteser International distributed school materials to almost 2,500 school children as well as tools for cleanup and farming tools to the villagers. Over the past year, Malteser International, in partnership with the Philippine Association of the Order of Malta initiated a relief and recovery program with 4 communities on Samar and Bantayan Island affected by Typhoon Yolanda. Its comprehensive program seeks to assist vulnerable families and communities to recover after the disaster, through disaster resistant and inclusive housing reconstruction, school rehabilitation, water systems repairs, targeted home improvements, youth training, and small livelihood activities. 200 shelters have been provided with 500 more to be constructed. Malteser International will also seek to strengthen local knowledge about safe construction. Young adults will receive training in carpentry and masonry as well as disaster relief actions as part of a program in cooperation with a local vocational training agency.

Plan International has received support from the German Federal Foreign Office for activities that aim to strengthen climate resiliency of the local population in the rehabilitation efforts. Plan International

Green Skills Training participants showing their output for the day (Day 2) - solar dryer and Liquid fertilizer, mouldings (© Plan International) As part of the program, communities receive trainings in green technology such as the construction and use of solar dryers that can cut the drying time for fish or other food in half, retained heat cookers, organic fertilizers and char making stoves using debris fuel instead of cutting mangroves. These sustainable green technologies utilize indigenous materials and enable a more efficient use of natural resources or debris. Energy costs are reduced and waste management is improved.


Saturday, November 1, 2014

Filipino Values - that Hinder Progress in the Workplace (Part II)

By: Dr. Tomas Q. D. Andres, BLUE COLLAR, OCTOBER 1988 issue.

Many times, the three (3) T's in the work place: tanga, tamad and tarantado (stupid, lazy and crazy), kinds of workers cause the production of defective products.

When  a worker does his best and poduce a quality producngan, he becomes a victim of tsismis or gossip. They pass around groundless rumor of some trifling or petty scandal about him. A Filipino saying goes like this: "May tainga ang lupa, may pakpak ang balita" (The earth has ears, rumor has wings). The quality producer is unfairly branded by his peers as sip-sip, the same term used to refer a worker who tries to put up a co-worker in bad light in the eyes of his superiors in clandestine ways, just so he can appear to be  better (nagpapalapd ng papel).
n "Hindi ca maghilabot sa akon".
The "wala kang paki value" (mind your own business) can be adversarial in mainting quality product. In Ilokana, i.e., it is "Awan ti pakibibiangan"; in Visayas "Hindi ca maghilabot sa akon"!

The above mentioned Filipino values have positive dimensions which can be harnessed for quality assurance and control. "Gaya-gaya", for example, can serve as inspiration for works to strive to produce the best product and thus better their own standard of living. Quality controllers criticize but not condemn; show the defects but have trust in the Filipino's capacity for self-reform to produce quality workers. "It's a commitment to our customers" - can be a slogan.

Filipinos conduct their personal life and observance of law based on sanctons of shame, dishonor, ridicule or horror of improprierty. For them, it is important to consider what and how truth is said and when and who says the truth. Concealing defects in a product can be avoided if criticism is done in the right and nonhurting way. This is the positive value for filling up the gap.

Tacloban to Hold Memorial Service for Still Unidentified Victims of Yolanda

The Tacloban City government will hold a memorial service on November 1 for more than 2,000 victims of super typhoon Yolanda buried in a mass grave in Brgy. Vasper.

“We are going to do a memorial service in the mass grave in order to put closure to this, that people will know that it's time to move on,” said Tacloban City mayor Alfred Romualdez in an interview with GMA News' Saksi aired Thursday evening.

“We've given them (victims) proper burial. Now we will give them proper rites,” he added.


According to the report, there were a total of 2,273 individuals whose remains were buried at the mass grave at Holy Cross Memorial Garden in Brgy. Vasper. Majority of these individuals remain unidentified by their families though the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has already conducted DNA testing on the remains.

The city government, however, assured that the DNA test results of each body buried in the mass grave have been stored in the NBI database to help relatives in tracing and verifying the identity of the remains.

The mass grave was divided into 157 lots, with each lot measuring four meters by eight meters.

Leandro Alapoop, caretaker of the mass grave, said there were 20 bodies buried in each lot.

“Oo, magkakatabi. Bale nakasalansan lang isa-isa. Hindi naman nag-aabot 'yung katawan. Maganda ang pagkalagay namin,” recounted Alapoop on how they buried the remains being examined by the NBI since December last year.

He said families of the victims may request to recover the remains and transfer them to another cemetery as long as they can prove the identity of a particular body.

The report said that as early as Wednesday, some residents of Tacloban started arriving at the Holy Cross mass grave to light candles and bring flowers despite not knowing if their departed loved ones were really buried in the area.

For Eric Cidro, the least he can do to ease the pain of losing his wife, two children, parents and some other relatives when Yolanda hit the city in November last year, was to pray for them at the mass grave.

Cidro was left with only a sole photograph of his wife.

Though he was not able to see the remains of any member of his family, Cidro said he will offer flowers and candles at the mass grave and pray for the repose of the souls of his loved ones nonetheless.

“Wala talaga. May nakakita daw pero hindi na maituro kung nasaan,” Cidro said.

On November 8 last year, Yolanda ripped through central Philippines, claiming over 6,000 lives and leaving P39-billion worth of damages.  

Elizabeth Marcelo/KG, GMA News

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Davao Police Chief Sued by 'abused' Wife



The wife of Davao City Police chief Sr. Supt. Vicente Danao Jr., Susie Danao, filed a complaint for violation of Republic Act (RA) No. 9262, also known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act, against her husband.

Mrs. Danao, an overseas Filipino worker, in a 12-page complaint-affidavit filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday, alleged that she and her children "had been physically and verbally abused" by her husband in several instances from 2002 up to 2013

Mrs. Danao accused the Davao police chief of "psychological, economic, and physical abuse," and expressed fears that if she did not file a case against him, he might continue his abuse and "marital infidelity" to the detriment of their children.

Last August, a video of the police officer physically and verbally abusing his wife surfaced. His wife reportedly revealed his abuses in several police blotters during occasions she sought help.

Mrs. Danao was accompanied by Gabriela Party-List Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan, who said in a statement that "it is doubly alarming that the perpetrator is one who is supposedly expected to uphold the law."

"How can he be expected to perform his functions in protecting women and children from violence when he himself is a perpetrator and insists on reducing cases of violence as trivial domestic concerns?" Ilagan said, in a press statement.

The criminal complaint is on top of an administrative complaint against Sr. Supt. Danao before the Philippine National Police Regional Internal Affairs Service. Danao was administratively relieved from his post for a month due to the administrative complaint. He was reinstated to his post early this month.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Bureau of Immigration Keeps Sueselbeck in The Philipines to Face Deportation Case

Laude fiance Marc Sueselbeck stopped from leaving PHL
Laude fiance Marc Sueselbeck stopped from leaving PHL. Marc Sueselbeck, fiance of slain transgender woman Jennifer Laude, is seen here at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26, for his flight home to Germany. However, the Bureau of Immigration barred Sueselbeck from leaving the country after it filed a charge of 'undesirability' against him. Danny Pata

The Bureau of Immigration prevented Marc Sueselbeck, German fiance of slain transgender woman Jeffrey (Jennifer) Laude, from leaving the country on Sunday because of a pending deportation case against him.

Immigration Commissioner Siegfried Mison said in a text message that Sueselbeck had to defer his departure because of an undesirability case against him.

"A copy of the Charge Sheet was provided to him," Mison also said, adding Sueselbeck has been told to report to the BI's legal division on Monday.

 
On Oct. 22,  Sueselbeck and Laude's sister Marilou climbed a perimeter fence inside Camp Aguinaldo to get inside the Mutual Defense Board – Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) facility, a restricted area, where US Marines Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton, the suspect in Laude's death, was brought earlier in the day.
 
Sueselbeck has repeatedly apologized for the incident, saying he did not mean to disrespect Philippine authorities.

In a statement to the media, Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman,
said the AFP is "happy that the BI has done its job professionally and took swift action" in preventing Sueselbeck from leaving.

 
"The AFP has accepted his apology but remains committed to pursue the move to have him declared as an undesirable alien," he also said.
 
(C) 2014 by GMA News

Friday, October 24, 2014

Tourism Accolades for The Philippines

By Ed Biado, MANILA STANDARD 
 
These 7,107 islands are finally getting the recognition they deserve. After being perennially ignored for a long time in favor of other exotic Asian locales, the Philippines is now among the emerging destinations shaking up the world of travel. Thanks to aggressive marketing campaigns and effective branding strategies undertaken by the Tourism Department and supported by the the Filipino public here and abroad, Philippine tourism is on the brink of a renaissance.

Travel guide creator and publisher Lonely Planet included the Philippines in the list of top 10 countries to visit in 2015 in its “Best In Travel 2015” guidebook—one of only two Asian countries on the tally. (The other is Singapore, which takes the top spot.)

Baler in Aurora together with its more popular
counterparts are putting the Philippines back
on the map. DAVID CHAN
The write-up on the Web site states, “Many would say the time is well overdue for the Philippines to be recognized as the next big travel destination in Southeast Asia,” citing its “beautiful coastlines, fringed by dive-tastic coral reefs, sprinkled with sunbathe-ready white sand, backed by swaying palm trees and dotted with simple resorts of nipa-palm thatched huts.”
It adds that there are “plenty” of live-changing experiences (such as “clinging to the back of a jeepney speeding through the crowded streets of Metro Manila”), as well as “street parades, food festivals, sports tournaments and live music shows.”

From “hundreds of places that are exciting right now,” the destinations that made the recommendations guide are “just 10 countries, 10 regions and 10 cities,” each “chosen for its topicality, unique experiences and ‘wow’ factor.” (“Best In Travel 2015” is now on sale through www.lonelyplanet.com for $14.99.)

In a separate story on the Lonely Planet Web site, writer Trent Holden raves about the nation’s capital. He says, “Boasting everything from craft beer, street food and speakeasy bars, to live music and a contemporary art scene, Manila is emerging as one of Asia’s most happening capitals,” crediting the development to “a new generation of fun-loving Manileños determined to put it back on the map.”

The country is also on the radar of luxury travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler. Its Readers’ Choice Awards for Top Islands in the World named Palawan as the number-one choice and Boracay as the 12th.

Meanwhile, travel industry publication TTG Asia, a licensee of Travel Trade Gazette, hailed the Philippines “Destination of the Year,” an award bestowed upon the “most outstanding destination [in the region] for taking proactive steps and initiatives towards the development and promotion of the travel industry.”

All these are expected to raise the profile of the country in 2015, which the DOT declared as Visit the Philippines Year, “an invitation for all to experience the enduring promise of more fun in the Philippines.”