Business as usual

SAT, SEPTEMBER 10, 2016 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

(With friendy permission for re-posting from the publisher Marietta F. Siognco)

EDITORIAL

The opening of the  three-day PhilConstruct Mindanao 2016 , the biggest building and construction exposition in the region yesterday at SMX Convention Center proved wrong people are terrorized by the recent deadly blast at Roxas Night Market.  Over 500 hundred exhibitors composed of locals and foreign companies and brands have booked weeks earlier before the dates of event.  Sadly, on September 2, the horrendous explosion occurred.  But the  event organizer  as well as the exhibitors were not intimidated by the incident.  They said “The show must go on.”  The event which is the biggest construction exposition in Davao Region is expected to draw about 10,000 visitors in three days.

“Up to yesterday (Thursday) everybody scrambled for booth slots.  So this indicates they were not cowed by the bombing incident,” Event Chair Engr. Ramon Allado said.  He said the event also shows life must move on after the bombing.  The Mindanao construction sector continuously holds the exposition every year in the city in the light of the booming construction industry.  With the increasing number of exhibitors and visitors, the sector is confident this would keep on next year.   Professionals from the construction industry are looking forward for the yearly PhilConstruct Mindanao expo being the venue for the discovery of updated quality construction equipment and ideas.

Local officials were very thankful the big business event pushed through despite the recent terrorist attack in the city.  They are happy about the positive outlook of the business sector to stand up and be strong against terror.  They are also thankful for their trust and confidence on the city’s security even after the blast. The huge event and more upcoming major events in the city prove false the city is not anymore livable.  Life is still here after the attack.  People must not nurture fear out of the sad incident for this would mean victory to the perpetrators.

19th Cine Europa Opens Today at Shangria-La

By Kristian Javier (philstar.com) 

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Cine Europa Kicks off at Shangri-La Kristian Javier

MANILA, Philippines — Cine Europa, the longest film festival in the country, opens today in its 19th year at Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong and will travel for four months to 10 other cities and municipalities with its 28 well-crafted and meaningful movies.

Celebrating the 25th year anniversary of the European Union (EU) Delegation in the Philippines, Cine Europa chose "Friendship" as the theme of the movies. “It’s the 25 year anniversary. By having the theme friendship, we thought that this will show also the friendship we have between the EU and the Philippines in celebrating our 25 years here,” Martin Lentz, charge d'affaires of the EU Delegation to the Philippines.

Friendship between the EU and the Philippines has been good, according to Lentz.

“It’s getting deeper, getting broader,” he said. “We have more cultural exchange, and again, the festival is one illustration of this.”

Cine Europa opens with the film “Of Sinners and Saints” directed and starred by Ruben Maria Soriquez, a Filipino-Italian actor. “This is my first project here in the Philippines, and I directed it, and I starred it, and I’m so happy to have worked with great actors in the movie.” Soriquez said, also revealing that the movie was completed in 2015 before his TV series “Dolce Amore.”

“I’m honored, really honored. Because that’s what I’m trying to do from the start, since I am half-Italian, is to build a bridge between the two countries, and have more co-productions between the two countries.” Soriquez said.

Entertainment ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

He said it feels good to have his film open for Cine Europa.

Soriquez also said that he is open to direct again for Cine Europa, but will avoid drama and action. “It will be like dark comedy,” he said.

Cine Europa will be shown at Shangri-La starting Sept. 8 and will take a road trip to Baguio, Iloilo, Cebu, Tacloban, Palawan, Zamboanga, Davao, Cagayan De Oro, and lastly, at Kalaw, Manila from Dec. 6 – 11.

Cayetano on Duterte-Obama Row: All is Well

Office of the Senator

Alan Peter S. Cayetano

Rm. 602 GSIS Complex Senate of the Philippines Roxas Blvd Pasay City

         

PRESS RELEASE

08 September 2016

Cayetano on Duterte-Obama row: All is Well

“All’s well that ends well.”

This is how Senator Alan Peter Cayetano described the brief meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and United States President Barack Obama on Wednesday night, following the cancellation of a scheduled formal talk between the two leaders last Tuesday.

The two presidents met informally in a holding room before attending a gala dinner at the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) summit in Laos.

During an interview with the Philippine media delegation, Cayetano, who accompanied President Duterte in his trip, said that the brief meetup ended well for both parties. He said the two leaders shared “a warm handshake [and] a good conversation.”

“You could see that there is an effort from both sides to patch things up,” added the chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, as he expressed the importance of maintaining strong diplomatic ties between the Philippines and the US.

“In diplomacy, you do not usually go to the past and say, ‘bakit nangyari ‘yun.’ You can’t blame anyone. It won’t be productive. The Philippines and the US have a longstanding partnership [and] relationship. There will be bumps along the way... But it won’t hurt to have a popular President on our side,” he stressed.

The senator earlier wrote an open letter to President Obama, which went viral in social media. In his letter, Cayetano appealed to the US leader to "give the Philippines and President Duterte a chance" to achieve genuine change, as the administration wages a three-pronged war to address poverty, defeat crime and drugs, and achieve a just, inclusive, and lasting peace.

Cayetano said that like President Obama, who persevered to overcome challenges and accomplish so much for the American people, the Philippines now has a leader who is willing to sacrifice his life and honor to protect the welfare of all Filipinos.

He further lamented how President Duterte has been misjudged by some sectors based on the way he speaks, which was aggravated by a misinformation campaign about the human rights situation in the country.

"Does he (Pres. Duterte) not deserve to be judged on his record and his actions? On facts and not manipulated statistics? On where he wants to bring the country rather than his sometimes politically incorrect words?" Cayetano asked. "Can't we give the Philippines and President Duterte a Chance?" #

Climate change and its turning point?

TUE, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINIONKlaus Doring

The United States and China have formally joined the global climate change agreement reached in Paris last year. The decisions mark a major step towards the pact’s eventual implementation. Will this be another step in the right direction of the turning point?

At a ceremony on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in China on yesterday Saturday (I am writing this piece on Sunday, September 4, 2016!), US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered documents to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon entering their countries into the pact.

China’s National People’s Congress adopted “the proposal to review and ratify the Paris Agreement,” according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. Xi called the agreement a milestone that marked the “emergence of a global government system” for climate change.

The ceremony took place shortly after Obama arrived in Hangzhou for the annual G-20 summit. Speaking in the presence of the Chinese president and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Obama said: “Just as I believe the Paris agreement will ultimately prove to be a turning point for our planet, I believe that history will judge today’s efforts as pivotal.”

He said the United States was committed to being a global leader in the fight against climate change: “This is not a fight that any one country, no matter how powerful, can take alone.” He said of the Paris agreement: “Some day we may see this as the moment that we finally decided to save our planet.”

Honestly, it took already very very long before reaching this point.

China, the world’s most populous country, with 1.38 billion people, is the world’s largest emitter of green-house gases. The United States, with just 324 million people, is number two. The two countries account for about 20 percent and 18 percent, respectively, of global warming emissions. Check out this: Russia accounts for 7.5 percent, while India pumps out 4.1 percent.

Since it is an executive agreement, rather than a treaty, Obama can sign it without needing a vote from Congress, which would, in all likelihood, reject it. In Paris, the countries agreed to a binding global compact for each country to decide how best to slash their own greenhouse emissions with the aim of keeping global temperature increases to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) relative to the pre-industrial revolution.

And this is today’s reality:  experts have said the pace of global warming is already threatening to exceed the temperature target. The UN weather agency said 2016 is on pace to become the warmest since record-keeping began, breaking the previous record set last year. I guess, we can all feel it also here in the Philippines.

The Paris agreement set ambitious goals for capping global warming and funneling trillions of dollars to poor countries facing an onslaught of climate damage. But, how future will be looking like…?

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Email: doringklaus@ gmail.com or follow me in Facebook or Twitter or visitwww.germanexpatinthe philippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic .blogspot.com .

Jessy Mendiola Is FHM's September Cover GIrl

Jessy Mendiola is FHM Philippines' September Cober Girl.

Cayetano Writes to US President Obama

Office of the Senator

Alan Peter S. Cayetano

Rm. 602 GSIS Complex Senate of the Philippines Roxas Blvd Pasay City

         

PRESS RELEASE

05 September 2016

Cayetano writes to US President Obama: Give Duterte, Philippines a chance; Help us experience Change we can believe in

Ahead of the historic first meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and United States President Barack Obama, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano wrote an open letter appealing to the head of the world's biggest superpower to "give the Philippines and President Duterte a chance" to achieve genuine change, even as his government wages a three-pronged war to address poverty, defeat drugs and criminality, and achieve just and inclusive peace amid criticisms.

In his open letter, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair also appealed to President Obama to help the Philippines pursue an independent foreign policy that balances the country's relations with the US and China, even as he affirmed the country's firm commitment to the US as a long-time ally.

"As a Citizen of the world and a believer in Change, allow me to write you an open letter to attempt to articulate the audacity of the Filipino people to hope for a better future and to aspire for a nation that is secure, peaceful, law abiding and prosperous," wrote Cayetano.

"I write to you because more than any other person, you know how it feels to have the weight of the world on your shoulders...to have the burden of fixing the problems of your own country but having to constantly live up to the expectations of the entire world," he continued.

The senator said that like President Obama, who persevered to overcome challenges and accomplish so much for the American people in the last 7 years, the Philippines now has a president who has shown willingness to sacrifice his life and honor to see that change comes to all Filipinos.

"After decades of hopelessness and up to 10 million Filipinos leaving our country  to find work in foreign lands and after an entire generation exposed to the perils of illegal drugs, we finally have a President who is trying to get the country back on the right track," Cayetano explained.

"Now it is our turn. Our turn to experience Change we can believe in," he said, echoing the central theme of the presidential campaign that won Obama the US presidency.

He then asked: "Will you now allow us to lose hope and fail? Will the West deny us the 'Change we can believe in?'" 

Cayetano noted that President Duterte has been misjudged by some sectors based on the way he speaks. This has been aggravated by a misinformation campaign about the human rights situation in the country, he added.

"Does he (Pres. Duterte) not deserve to be judged on his record and his actions? On facts and not manipulated statistics? On where he wants to bring the country rather than his sometimes politically incorrect words?" he asked.

On the two countries' relations, Cayetano stressed that the Philippines deserves a chance to assert its national identity and pursue an independent foreign policy.

Explaining further, Cayetano defined this as "a foreign policy for Filipinos by Filipinos" which shall be marked by "a balanced friendship with our oldest ally and big brother the United States of America on one hand and a friendship of mutual respect with our neighbor China on the other."

Cayetano expressed confidence that as President Obama has tried at every turn to avoid war and promote peace in various parts of the world, a win-win situation can also be worked out for the USA, Philippines and China.

The senator then cautioned against efforts by pessimists, critics, and hardliners in the West, the United Nations, and within the country who want the US and the Philippines to continue to bicker and disagree. 

"Hardliners fear the Philippine government will make peace with the communist rebels. Critics Fear that Christians and Muslims can't build communities and a nation together. Pessimists say that we can't be a drug-free country," he explained.

"Will we let the pessimists and hardliners win Mr. President? Or will we persevere and try to understand each other, so we can wake up one day to a peaceful, prosperous and progressive Philippines?"

"Can't we give the Philippines and President Duterte a Chance?" he concluded, even as expressed hope for a successful meeting between the two heads of state.#

Facebook link: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1144764025616377&substory_index=0&id=368498793242908

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on the recent Davao City bombing

Office of the Senator Alan Peter S. Cayetano Rm. 602 GSIS Complex Senate of the Philippines Roxas Blvd Pasay City PRESS STATEMENT 03 September 2016 Statement of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on the recent Davao City bombing on Friday (Sept. 2) 'It is time that we stand together as a Nation' Stand together in mourning and offering our love and condolences to the victims, to their loved ones, and to Davao, which became a target because of our leaders' quest to rid ourselves of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). Stand behind our nation's and our President's fight against drugs and criminality, which includes the viciousness of the ASG. Stand firm and strong as a people behind our law enforcers and emergency first responders. Stand strong as a people in the quest to restore law and order and to get rid of drugs and organized criminal syndicates within six months. And most of all, despite our diversity as a people, stand together in humbling ourselves before God, in praying for the healing and protection of our land. "15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven." - James 5:15 We may come from different regions, backgrounds, and faiths, but as one people and one nation, we pray in faith for the healing for our country.#

Cayetano: Duterte's War on Drugs a War to Protect Human Rights

Office of the Senator

Alan Peter S. Cayetano

Rm. 602 GSIS Complex Senate of the Philippines Roxas Blvd Pasay City

         

PRESS RELEASE

01 September 2016

Cayetano: Duterte’s war on drugs a war to protect human rights, ensure safety & welfare of Filipinos

“Our war against illegal drugs is not a war against life, but a war to fight for the lives of all Filipinos. It is not a war against human rights, but a war to protect human rights, and to ensure the safety and welfare of the Filipino family."

 Senator Alan Peter Cayetano stressed this in his privilege speech on Wednesday (August 31) amid false reports in foreign press about human rights issues in the conduct of the administration’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

Contrary to claims of the Commission on Human Rights,  Cayetano said the government’s strong policies against criminality have made it possible for Filipino families to begin feeling safer, particularly since the government waged an all-out war on drugs.

The senator reiterated that President Rodrigo Duterte has not wavered in his commitment to uphold and protect the human rights of every Filipino at any time, contrary to what the President’s critics are trying to portray. 

He added the government’s unrelenting campaign against illegal drugs has actually improved the country’s peace and order situation.

“Narinig po natin sa sariling bibig ng ating Pangulo na ang human rights ay importante sa ating bansa. Pero hindi pwedeng gamitin ang human rights para hindi ituloy ang drug war,” Cayetano said. “If you listen to the President’s speeches… palagi niyang sinasabi that he will operate within the confines of the Philippine Constitution. He will respect the Bill of Rights and the rule of law,” he intoned. 

The senator pointed out that the drug menace has reached alarming levels that nothing short of bold and swift solutions are needed to end the problem.

He said criminality was already rampant under previous administrations at the rate of almost 1,000-2,000 incidents of murders and homicides every month. The only difference, he said, is that in the past, innocent citizens were  hounded and victimized by hardened criminals and drug pushers. But today, it’s the law that’s hounding the drug pushers and criminals, he noted.

“Don’t you feel safer today than six years ago? Wala pong sense of security ang Pilipino dati… Dati, ang takot ay ang tao… Ngayon, nararamdaman ng mga tao ang pagbabago... Ngayon ang kriminal na ang takot, hindi ang mamamayan.” he said.

Cayetano also denounced Duterte’s detractors’ penchant to blame the administration for all the drug-related killings in the country. He said the slack use of  “extrajudicial killings”  (EJKs) to label all suspected drug casualties puts in question the motive behind the investigation being conducted by Sen. Leila De Lima’s Committee on Justice.

“Are some people using the term EJK loosely not because they are human rights advocates… [but] to discredit the PNP and the Duterte administration?” Cayetano asked as he reiterated his call for De Lima to inhibit herself from the inquiry.

Cayetano said labeling the deaths of drug suspects as EJKs is obviously meant to create the wrong perception that the State is initiating the executions and is doing nothing to resolve the crimes. 

“The State, the executive department, legislative department, and the judiciary, are doing its best to ensure that the rule of law prevails. Even the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is part of the state and is already investigating,” the senator pointed out.

Cayetano, meanwhile, said he remains confident of President Duterte’s continuous efforts  to uphold human rights while also ensuring the safety and protection of all families.

A world without water?

TUE, AUGUST 30, 2016 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINIONKlaus Doring

As the world marked again the UN’s World Water Day last March 2016, global residents are still struggling to access fresh water. Water scarcity has long been a problem. But climate change, a growing global population and economic growth are putting the natural resource under even more stress. A world without water? Sounding impossible and crazy, while in some parts of the world, especially in Asia, the monsoon rain keeps large areas land-under.

One example of many: since the late 1950's, the Aral lake in Uzbekistan, once the world’s fourth largest, has been rapidly shrinking. Water that had flowed into the lake was diverted to provide irrigation for Uzbekistan’s ‘white gold’, cotton plantations spread across the arid region, while hydro power facilities and reservoirs across Central Asia have also taken their toll.

It is one of the major environmental disasters of the last half century with animal and plant life in the region dying out as a result. But it is not the only place where water has been disappearing. Bolivia’s second-largest lake, Poopó has all but vanished, with severe consequences for both wildlife and people.

Scarcity of water all over the world is becoming an increasing problem. And it’s only going to get worse, said Richard Connor, editor-in-chief of the United Nation’s World Water Development Report 2016 (WWDR), released last month.

“Water has already been relatively scarce,” he explained in German Television. “It’s just that populations are growing and economies are developing, so demand for water keeps increasing, but the quantity of water that is available does not.”

More than 70 percent of the freshwater that is taken from natural re-sources is used in agriculture, for food crops like wheat and rice, but also for plants like cotton. Energy production ac-counts for 15 percent of water usage and another 5 percent is for household usage.

But with the population expected to grow – the WWDR predicts that by 2050 there will be 9.3 billion people, 33 percent more than in 2011 – the world’s water resources are likely to come under increasing pressure. Regions like Central Asia, the Arab world, parts of China, India and the western United States, already suffer from a physical shortage of water. But storage and infra-structure enable countries to collect water and keep it ready in times of drought.

“The magnitude will be proportional to its vulnerability,” said Connor. “Developed countries are much less vulnerable because they have the storage capacity – dams and reservoirs.” But in the developing world, water scarcity is having the greatest impact. There are already more than 1.8 billion people, who only have access to water that is not safe for human consumption, according to the WWDR. And even in areas where there is an abundance of water, like in Sub-Saharan Africa, economic factors mean that people are not getting enough access to the natural resource.

“The water resource is there, but it doesn’t get to the fields, the factories and the cities because infrastructure and institutions are lacking there,” said Connor, adding that crops there are rain-fed because water cannot be used for irrigation. “When there is a drought, like in Ethiopia, they have serious problems that lead to food crises.”

Without improved efficiency measures, agriculture is expected to need 20 percent more water in the coming years to feed the growing population. And let’s face it again: climate is expected to exacerbate the problem, with some countries becoming drier and hotter, while others experience extreme weather in the form of storms and flooding.

A world with less water translates into hardship for unknown millions. Solution must be find. Or is it already too late?

It is only better water management that will help deal with increasing water scarcity, according to experts worldwide. .

Better irrigation techniques that don’t see water wasted through runoff from flooded fields are one way of saving the resource. But any changes in measures would have to be introduced by individual governments and in some cases individual farmers and other stakeholders.

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Email: doringklaus @gmail.com or follow me in Facebook or Twitter or visit www.germanex patinthephilippines.blogspot. com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com.

Peace in the Philippines?

DIPLOMACY

Philippines, Maoists reach accord following Norway talks

The Philippine government and Communist guerrillas have agreed to an indefinite ceasefire as talks continue for a final peace deal. The two sides were in Oslo negotiating a truce in the five-decade conflict.

The Philippine government and Maoist insurgents inked an indefinite ceasefire deal Friday to facilitate peace talks aimed at ending one of Asia's longest-running guerilla conflicts.

"This is a historic and unprecedented event ... (but) there is still a lot of work to be done ahead," Manila' peace adviser, Jesus Dureza, said at a signing ceremony in Norway, which is mediating the talks aimed at ending a conflcit that's claimed more than 30,000 live since the late 1960s.

The two sides are slated to meet again in Oslo on October 8-12.

Oslo as interlocutor

Norway has acted as a facilitator for the peace process since 2001. Talks have been held on and off since 1986 to end the conflict.

Recently elected President Rodrigo Duterte says he wants to end guerrilla wars with both communist and Muslim rebels that have been hampering economic development.

The Communist's 3,000-strong New People's Army operates mainly in the east and south of the Philippines. At it peak in the 1980s, it commanded an army of 26,000 fighters during the 20-year dictatorship of the late Ferdinand Marcos.

The Communist guerillas have historically drawn support from those dissatisfied with economic inequality, especially in the countryside, and the Philippines' close alliance with the United States.

jar/rg (AFP, Reuters)