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

Metro Manila Pollution Worse Than Ever

By Babe G. Romualdez (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.

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.

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.

Tubbataha Reefs Hamiguitan Forest Named Asean Treasures

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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.

Basilan Mayors Targets of Sayyaf 'Extortion'

By Roel Pareño (Philippine Star)

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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