Salute to Valor: Palawan - 70 Years of Freedom

Enlarge Photo Palawan to host event honoring Filipino-American WWII veterans 70 years after Palawan is not the first to come to mind when it comes to Philippine World War II history. But for Dr Ricardo Jose of the UP Third World Center Studies, Palawan was one of the most strategic spots in the region. “It covers the western flank of the Philippines, it covers the West Philippine Sea, and before WWII broke out, the Americans didn’t realize this. There were no significant fortifications in the area,” he said. Palawan is actually one of the many places in the country with a grim past. On December 14, 1944, American prisoners of war numbering 139 were massacred by Japanese forces in Plaza Cuartel. By jumping off a cliff, 11 soldiers survived and were kept from harm by Palaweños. As part of the campaign to liberate the Philippines, the US liberation forces invaded Palawan from February 28 to April 22, 1945. A Palawan special battalion composed of 1,000 Filipino guerillas joined in on the action and helped liberate the island. To help commemorate the island’s historical significance, a public-private partnership will try to stimulate tourism growth by developing places associated with the liberation. The program dubbed “A Salute to Valor: Palawan – 70 Years of Freedom” will be held on April 21-23, 2015 in commemoration of the 70th year of liberation of the province of Palawan. Activities are lined up to be held at the Plaza Cuartel and Mendoza Park. Developed by Rajah Travel Corporation, the Salute to Valor commemorates the World War II invasion of Palawan and the fight between the US and the Japanese in 1945. The Palawan Liberation Task Force is composed of the Department of Tourism, the provincial government of Palawan, the Puerto Princesa City local government, the United States Agency for International Development, the Palawan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, FAME, the Palawan Tourism Council, and the Rajah Travel Corp. The program aims to further nurture into the minds of the people the history of Palawan and Puerto Princesa which is aimed to boost the historical and cultural aspect of tourism in the province. The event will be attended by relatives of war veterans from the province as well as those from the United States of America who were part of World War II. Heroes to be honored include Palawan’s own Dr. Higinio Mendoza and the prisoners who died in the Plaza Cuartel. Aileen Clemente of Rajah Travel Corporation said organizers have been doing several researches about history of Palawan’s liberation and have reached out to several relatives of war veterans to make the event more meaningful. The historic event is really meant to honor the war heroes of Palawan.

Philippine Financial Capital in Chaos

... as 2 mayors stand off

By: Agenec France-Presse

MANILA -- The Philippines' financial capital Makati has been plunged into chaos with two politicians claiming to be mayor, forcing courts to close and delaying government business during a bitter stand-off triggered by graft claims.

Surrounded by hundreds of supporters, Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay has been holed up in city hall since the ombudsman suspended him last week because of an investigation into alleged corrupt practices.

Insisting the graft accusations are trumped up, Binay has refused to cede power to his deputy and rival, Romulo Pena, who insists he is now "acting mayor".

The power struggle is widely seen as a battle between the nation's ruling Liberal Party and main opposition.

Binay is the son of opposition leader, Vice President Jejomar Binay, while Pena is a member of President Benigno Aquino's Liberal Party.

It also threatens to delay the salaries of 8,000 government workers and payments for utilities and services.

Makati's courts closed on the first day of the stand-off last week, and some judges have continued to postpone hearings to avoid the crush of Binay supporters outside the building, family spokesman Joey Salgado told AFP.

He said welfare recipients had also been unable to collect benefits, and warned there was a looming crisis over who had the authority to sign the city's cheques.

If banks do not honour cheques signed by Binay, street lamps and traffic lights will be shut down, taps in government buildings will run dry and garbage collection will stop, according to Salgado.

"This is a very dangerous situation, if their (national government's) actions result in delays in salaries, utilities," he said.

"Any perception of instability would have an effect on the country. They are sending the wrong signal to investors. Makati is the financial centre of the country."

From an adjacent old building, with hallways that reek of leaking toilets, Pena issued a memorandum on Friday to all city hall employees asserting his authority.

"All ordinances, official documents and official actions must be submitted and referred to the undersigned for approval and/or appropriate action," Pena said, referring to himself.

Binay's family has said the mayor's suspension is politically motivated as his father continues to dominate presidential polls, ahead of the presumptive nominee of Aquino's party for the 2016 elections, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.

Makati is the country's largest city in terms of revenue, with 11.9 billion pesos ($265 million) in earnings from taxes and fees in 2013, according to government data.

The city hosts the country's stock exchange, 82 embassies and consulates, 506 bank offices and 246 business process outsourcing and technology companies.

Mindanao Conflict Uproots Tens of Thousands

More than 120,000 people have fled their homes in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao, as fighting between government troops and Muslim rebels intensifies. Food and shelter are urgently needed.

Government sources indicate that more that 123,000 people, or 24,700 families, have been forced to flee their homes due to the fighting as of March 17, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said in a statement.

The clashes have affected people from 13 municipalities and as a result, a state of calamity has been declared in Maguindanao, a province located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) - the country's second biggest and southernmost major island - which has been the scene of a Muslim separatist conflict over the past 40 years.

Where to go?

Families are now living in evacuation centers, schools, madrasahs (Islamic educational centers), covered courts, tents and with host relatives and friends, says the IOM, adding that more than 2,200 pregnant women in evacuation centers are in need of medical support, while classes in 42 public elementary and high schools have been affected.

The fighting in the area follows a bloody anti-terror operation on January 25

The intergovernmental organization also indicate that the displaced families are constantly exposed to a number of hazards and risks, as many of them have installed tents under trees, along the roads and nearby military sites with artillery installations.

Moreover, there seem to be other organizational challenges. For instance, Besim Ajeti, IOM Head of the Cotabato Office, explains that it has become increasingly difficult for those in charge to track some of families as they transfer from one evacuation site to another.

Mindanao is home to the biggest and most relevant Muslim minority in the archipelago, the indigenous Moro people. Created in 1989, the ARMM is composed of five predominantly Muslim provinces and is the only region that has its own government.

Supplies may soon run out

The ARMM government has begun distributing food packs and a few plastic sheets (tarpaulins) to those affected. But as Ajeti pointed out, "Food supplies from government agencies may run out in less than 20 days, considering the limited funds available."

Aquino facing 'biggest crisis' as Philippine president

Dozens of police officers were killed in an anti-terror raid that has dented the popularity of Philippine President Benigno Aquino, rendering major reforms unlikely during the rest of his term, says analyst Alecia Quah. (19.02.2015)

Is the Philippines peace process in jeopardy?

Philippine government and Muslim rebels complete peace deal talks

Philippines attacks: A rebel group's last stand

Currently, the ARMM is spending approximately PHP 13 million (USD 290,000) per week to support the displaced families, mainly on food assistance, according to IOM. But an IOM assessment reveals the need is much larger: Food, non-food items, emergency shelter support, latrines, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, kitchen utensils, mosquito nets, jerry cans, clothing and safe water (drinking, cooking and general use), are urgently needed.

In addition, evacuation center support, displacement tracking, medical personnel and supplies, psychosocial support as well as mechanisms for addressing protection were recognized as key priorities to continue assisting the affected populations in Maguindanao.

The fighting continues

In the meantime, more than 50 militants have reportedly been killed in attacks launched by the Philippine military last month against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a Muslim rebel group seeking independence.

The fighting in the area follows a bloody anti-terror operation on January 25 aimed at capturing or killing a top Islamist militant. But the raid took a turn for the worse, ending in the killing of 44 police commandos. The police were killed by members of the country's biggest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and its breakaway group, the BIFF, when they entered rebel-controlled territory.

It was the government's biggest single-day combat loss in recent memory, prompting calls for retribution which could potentially threaten a peace deal, which entails the establishment of a more powerful autonomous region for minority Muslims in the south of the Catholic-majority nation.

But the botched raid, which took place in Mamasapano, Maguindanao Province, has also triggered a wave of outrage in the Southeast Asian nation. Public opposition to the granting of further concessions to the MILF has stiffened and the administration of President Benigno Aquino has been shaken, with opposition lawmakers calling for the president's impeachment.

(C) 2015 Deutsche Welle