Houses and Mosques damaged by Magnitude 6 Quake in Lanao del Sur

Houses, mosques damaged by magnitude 6 quake in Lanao del Sur

 (philstar.com) | Updated April 12, 2017 - 8:31am

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The magnitude 6 quake hit 14 km N 36° W of the town of Wao in Lanao Del Sur. Phivolcs

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE 1 1:22 p.m.) — A strong magnitude 6 earthquake hit a Lanao del Sur town early Wednesday morning, damaging dozens of houses and sending people fleeing into the streets for safety, authorities said.

There were no immediate reports of serious casualties but electricity was cut and water pipes ruptured in Lanao del Sur. The provincial government said that four villages were affected with 30 houses damaged. The national road in Barangay Panang also had a crack four inches wide with a depth of one foot. Two mosques were also damaged in the same village. 

Disaster officials said residents jumped out of bed and ran onto the road to avoid falling objects. The earthquake occurred at 5:21 a.m. 14 kilometers north the town of Wao. 

"Residents are really shocked with regard to the calamity that happened. So they are on standby (at) the highway," the town's disaster official Francis Garcia said over ABS-CBN television. He said patients were also evacuated outside a district hospital as a precaution.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the quake was felt in 16 other cities and towns in Mindanao including the major urban centers of Davao and Cagayan de Oro.

The highest reported intensity of the quake was at 7, which Phivolcs categorized as destructive. Big church bells may ring at this intensity while heavy furniture overturn. Old structures could also suffer considerable damage. Intensity 7 was reported at Wao, Lanao del Sur and Kalilangan, Bukidnon.

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Meanwhile, Intensity 4 or a moderately strong quake was felt in Cagayan de Oro City; Cotabato City; Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental; Matalam, North Cotabato; and Davao City. At this intensity, the vibration felt is comparable to a passing of a heavy truck.

Other reported intensities were:

• Intensity III: Kabacan, North Cotabato; Maramag, Quezon, Don Carlos, Bukidnon; and Lebak, Sultan Kudarat
• Intensity II: Kidapawan City and Koronadal City
• Intensity I: Camiguin, Misamis Oriental

Phivolcs said that damage is expected from the jolt.

The tremor came days after a trio of strong earthquakes damaged buildings and caused panicked tourists to flee Mabini, a resort town south of Manila famous for its marine life and coral reefs.

"Since the (Mabini) quake, our people became more aware to duck, (take) cover and hold," Kristofferson Vidad, science research assistant at the seismology agency, told AFP, referring to its standard advice on surviving quakes. 

The Philippines lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

A 6.5-magnitude quake killed eight people and left more than 250 injured outside the southern city of Surigao in February, and another 5.9-magnitude tremor killed one person there last month.

Before the Surigao quakes, the last lethal earthquake to hit the country was a 7.1-magnitude tremor that left more than 220 people dead and destroyed historic churches when it struck the central islands in October 2013.

As of 1:30 p.m., 13 aftershocks were recorded in Lanao del Sur with the strongest one, at magnitude 4.4, occurring at 1:01 p.m. — with a report from Agence France-Presse

Display of faith

WED, APRIL 12, 2017 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINION

Trust or reliance? What means faith for you? To say it clearly: without faith we are really nothing. Faith is belief; believe in us, beliefs in our works, talents and personalities.

We also should believe in our parents or better, in the whole family including the black sheep, who can be found everywhere. We should also believe in our friends, even sometimes it seems to become a very difficult task. A friend? A real friend? An expatriate friend…?

Without faith, we will be reaching the rock bottom. Please don’t say, it’s a likely story. The German poet Johann Christian Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1815) mentioned in his drama “Maria Stuart”: “Even the word might be dead, but faith keeps it alive.” Yes, I can live with this.

Faith and hope belongs together. In his book “Through the Valley of the Kwai”, Scottish officer Ernest Gordon wrote of his years as a prisoner of World War II. The 6’2” man suffered from malaria, diphtheria, typhoid, beriberi and jungle ulcers. Many circumstances quickly plunged his weight to less than 100 pounds. Lying in the dirt of the death house, he waited to die. But every day, a fellow prisoner came to wash his wounds and to encourage him to eat parts of his own rations. As this fellow prisoner nursed Ernest back to health, he talked with the agnostic Scotsman of his own strong faith in God and showed him that, even in the midst of suffering – there is hope – and faith!

Faith is indeed tantamount to convincing and conviction. Richard Wagner, a German classical composer and poet found the following lyric: “Blessed are those people, who know how to live their life in humility and faith!”

Well, let’s even continue believing in our government. Faithful hope is loyal, reliable, exact and honorable.

Faith looks beyond the transient life with hope for all eternity. The hope we read in scripture is not a wishywashy optimism. First and second Chapter of Thessalonians, for example, give encouragements to all Christians, who have been undergoing persecution for their faith. And, Corinthians 13:2 says: “If I have faith it can move mountains!”

Mein Foto des Tages: Philippinen

09.04.2017 Lieber Herr Doring, ich wünsche Ihnen einen guten Start in den Tag. Auch heute empfehle ich Ihnen wieder 7 Top-Storys, die Sie gelesen haben sollten. MEIN FOTO DES TAGES Ein philippinischer Priester segnet hunderte Palmwedel bei einer Messe in der Hauptstadt Manila. Am heutigen Palmsonntag feiern Christen den sechsten und letzten Sonntag der Fastenzeit. Es ist zugleich der Beginn der sogenannten Karwoche, die mit dem Osterwochenende endet. In dem Inselstaat sind fast 83 Prozent der Bevölkerung katholisch. In der Baclaran-Kirche, wo das Foto entstanden ist, finden insgesamt rund 11 000 Menschen Platz. Bester Gruß Ihr Julian Reichelt Chefredakteur BILD.de

Fake news

SAT, APRIL 8, 2017 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINIONKlaus Doring

Fake news are not new but just simply to be spread via the World Wide Web and here especially social media platforms. Actually since several months, I avoid reading and especially spreading news in Facebook. Good to know that Facebook to tackle fake news with educational campaign….

Users will be directed to Facebook’s help center where they can get detailed advice. Facebook is launching an educational tool as part of measures it is taking to counter fake news.

For three days, an ad will appear at the top of users’ news feeds linking to advice on “how to spot fake news” and report it. The campaign, which will be promoted in 14 countries, is “designed to help people become more discerning readers”, the social media firm said. These countries are Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Myanmar (Burma), Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina,United States and Canada.

But experts questioned whether the measure would have any real impact. “Until Facebook stops rewarding the architects of fake news with huge traffic, this problem will just get worse,” Tom Felle, a lecturer in digital journalism at City University told the BBC. Starting Friday, April 7, 2017, users who click on Facebook’s ads will be redirected to its help center, where they will see a list of 10 tips for identifying false stories.

These include looking at an article’s URL, investigating the source of a story and thinking more critically about whether an article is a joke. It also recommends being “sceptical of headlines”, as false news stories “often have catchy headlines in all caps with exclamation points”.

Facebook’s new guide is a useful primer on the basic principles of good journalism. If all the millions who will see it popping up in their feeds read and digest it, maybe it will have an effect.

But it will only be there for three days and one has to suspect that it will be read in the main by people who are already suitably sceptical about hoaxes and propaganda. So I’m not convinced that this will be seen as a game changer in the battle to make Facebook a place you go to find the truth, rather than wallow in your friends’ prejudices.

What could be more effective is a German plan to combat hate speech and fake news that Facebook does not like one bit. German chancellor Angela Merkel’s government has just approved plans which could see social networks fined up to 50 million Euros if they fail to remove illegal con-tent within 24 hours.

However, critics also said the tool was just one part of a broader strategy, and that there was “no silver bullet”.

Indeed, in my opinion, Facebook should go further. One of the biggest problems with fake news is that the algorithms that run social media sites like Facebook and search engines such as Google are being gamed by black ops companies.

Facebook has been under pressure to combat fake news on its platform after claims it was used to sway voters during the US presidential campaign. Examples include a story that falsely claimed President Obama had banned the pledge of allegiance in US schools, and another fake news item, saying former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was part of a paedophile ring. Facebook has since taken action to improve its monitoring and reporting processes.

What Filharmonic expects when visiting Philippines

By Edmund Silvestre (The Philippine Star) 

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A day before fronting for the 7/27 concert of the all-female pop group Fifth Harmony at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena, Niko Del Rey, Jules Cruz, Joe Caigoy, VJ Rosales and Trace Gaynor faced the media at Gerry’s Grill Aseana and gamely answered all questions under the sun.

MANILA, Philippines - Members of the popular Fil-Am a cappella group Filharmonic are so used to flying to the Philippines that they’re no longer bothered by the political and social controversies surrounding their parents’ native land.

If there’s one thing the group and their parents are wary about coming to Manila, it’s the infamous tap water that has become a source of nightmare to not a few tourists and visiting expatriates.

Just a day before fronting for the 7/27 concert of the all-female pop group Fifth Harmony at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena, Niko Del Rey, Jules Cruz, Joe Caigoy, VJ Rosales and Trace Gaynor faced the media at Gerry’s Grill Aseana and gamely answered all questions under the sun.

They claimed that their parents are more concerned about them accidentally drinking contaminated water that often causes waterborne diseases.

“They just reminded us to just drink bottled water as a safety precaution,” said Joe Caigoy, laughing. “We’ve been here before and that’s why our parents are more concerned about the water and nothing else.”

The Filharmonic’s parents hail from Ilocos Norte, Bataan, Cavite, Iloilo, Leyte and Manila.

Filipino-French sisters shine at Madrid Fusion Manila

By: Ginny Mata, FOOD Magazine

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What is cocina avant garde, or avant garde cuisine? It’s a return to simplicity and elegance in cooking, but with a distinctly more sophisticated approach to the manner in which dishes are conceptualized and executed. 

In the spirit of Ferran Adria’s modernist approach to gastronomy, the two Spanish chefs in the afternoon session of the first day of Madrid Fusion Manila discussed the importance of this ethos in their own cuisine: Paco Pérez of Miramar, and Kiko Moya of L’ Escalante. 

Both come from a long line of chefs and restaurateurs, and both did apprenticeships under Adria, so they have a deep appreciation of the role of history, culture, and family values in shaping the way they express their creativity through food.

Pérez has been working in restaurants since he was 12 years old, and is now at the helm of two Michelin starred restaurant Miramar in Llança. Initially founded by his wife Monte Serra’s grandparents in 1939, Miramar has become a reference point for the avant garde cuisine movement today. 

“We’re now the third generation, and we’ve been living there for more than 30 years,” shared Pérez. With an emphasis on using food as a canvas to transmit emotions, Pérez makes sure that his dishes evoke strong feelings and sensations in his customers.

Photo by author.

For instance, guests are welcomed with a drink made with hydro-honey from their very own bee farm, and a first course of “honeycomb” that was been filled with different ecological essences like nasturtium, honey, different leaves, and flowers like sorrell and begonias.

Photo by author.

At the congress, he showed us how to “create this feeling of the easterly wind, of being under the sea.” Out of plastic waste carelessly left by humans in the sea, they fashioned a vessel to look like a beautiful beach scape, which they use as a plate for oyster powder, decorated with algae jelly, clams, an emulsion of mussels and cockles, codium (special seaweed), soaked almonds, blended caviar in cream, with a final touch of foam from the sea – “all of them adding up flavors from our influences and our experiences”, he explained.

Moya is the second generation chef of his family’s one Michelin starred restaurant L’Escaleta (‘Grand Staircase’ in English) in Alicante, Valencia. The landscape – the sea, the mountains, and the land – all play a crucial role in their culinary philosophy. “Everywhere is magical,” said Moya, “and so we pay tribute to our culture and our environment in our dishes.” Locally sourced ingredients from their native Spain such as saffron and rice take on greater meaning when framed in this context.

Photo by author.

“Saffron is very important in Spanish culture,” says Moya, “and we are able to protect it and save it in this way”. Using Spanish saffron, Moya created a sabayon, making a custard with freeze-dried saffron roses, topped with freshly harvested pollen and freeze-dried raspberries for additional sweetness.

Photo by author.

 Given the importance of paella in Spanish cuisine, rice is another essential ingredient in their kitchen. “When we talk about sustainability,” he explained, “it’s best to use different varieties of rice from all over the Spain, because as chefs we have the obligation to make the customer interested in the story behind the dish.” 

Their Sticky Rice with Cod Cheeks and Cod Tripe is one of the more emblematic dishes of L’Escaleta. Here we see the blending of the mountains (rice) and the sea (cod). “We’re also defending our traditional cooking, by giving it a different viewpoint,” he affirmed.

FILIPINO-EUROPEAN FLAVORS

With the goal of long-term sustainability in mind, today’s chefs and restaurateurs are seeking to cut down or eliminate food wastage in their kitchens. Filipino-European chefs Josh Boutwood and the Levha sisters exemplify this ethos perfectly.

Multi-award-winning young Filipino-British chef Chef Josh Boutwood has apprenticed in restaurants in Sweden (Svaneholm), Copenhagen (Noma) and the UK. When he came back to the Philippines, he has since been receiving high praises for his work with The Bistro Group of restaurants, as well as his new restaurant, The Test Kitchen in Makati.

His menu changes constantly, sometimes minute to minute, depending on what ingredients are available. 

“We don’t like to repeat a dish,” he said, “but we will take a tenderloin and use it in five or six different ways throughout the week.” He likes to pickle vegetables and infuse vinegars, to “preserve produce, and allow things to age naturally, thus deepening their flavors.”

Photo by author.

 To illustrate this, Boutwood made a beautifully composed dish of seared scallops with pickled gherkins, pickled cucamelons, lemon cream, cucumber jelly, with a little elderflower, sprinkled with botarga (fish roe that has been salted and dried).

Photo by author.

 He will use “ugly” vegetables too, pickling and dehydrating them, then grating them for texture (carrots) or plating them (pickled radishes) on top of dishes like seared steak which has been glazed with a complex, peppery sauce.

Boutwood is set to open a second restaurant soon. “It will be a zero-waste restaurant,” he said, “so we will be composting on the roof, brewing, pickling, and fermenting.”

Photo by author.

 Much anticipated was the presentation of Filipino-French sisters Tatiana and Katia Levha of Le Servan, a modern bistro in Paris, France that opened to instant acclaim three years ago. 

Tatiana, the head chef, trained at three Michelin-starred restaurants such as L’Arpege and L’Astrance. But they wanted to work together, and so with Katia handling the front of the house, they opted to open a more casual place serving affordably priced meals. 

Their food may be French, but there are unmistakably Asian, and yes even Filipino, hints to their dishes. Tatiana remarks, “Asia is kind of a trend [in France]. People are getting more and more open about spicy food, fried food. We feel more and more people are excited about Filipino flavors and food.” And it helps that they have been exposed to a lot of Filipino food, thanks to summer trips to the Philippines while growing up.

For the sisters, sustainability isn’t a trendy by-word, but a daily concern for them, primarily as a way to maximize the quality ingredients they purchase. They demonstrated this frugality with two dishes—a pork belly with an adobo-style sauce, followed by fried wonton ravioli that used the leftover vegetables from the pork belly dish. 

Tatiana said: “With these two dishes, there’s hardly any trash. This rotation works for us—to buy the most beautiful products and to offer it at affordable prices.” 

She added: “We choose what’s seasonal, healthy, beautiful and sustainably grown always.”

In total darkness

TUE, MARCH 28, 2017 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINION

Klaus Doring

When I was still hosting my radio shows with classical music  in different radio stations, I really got surprised, how many people tried to come in touch with me after listening not only the (wonderful?) classical music as well as my inspirational thoughts in between. Yes, I really felt glad and honored being  on air and getting the chance to share my passion of classical music with a really great listener ship. Once upon a time –  already several years ago…

Strategies against darkness?  ”Why I am so sad? What am I so troubled?” (Psalm 42,11).

If it’s becoming dark, we usually turn on our lights. But, it’s still day light. It’s a magnificent and wonderful day! The sun shines with might in the sky. Yes, summer is back! The trees are blossoming and the flowers are ablaze with amazing colors; the birds are chirping cheerfully. – “Yet, why I am so sad? Why am I so troubled?”

We experience feelings, as if darkness lies onto our souls, and light cannot get through any more. Yes, we make head or tail of it, because some really bad things happened since a couple of weeks or months in many of our life and surroundings:

A good friend passed away unforeseen; a wish, carried with us in our hearts never become true; all doors seem to be locked forever; financial problems bother us and don’t allow the chance  three daily meals; and arduous illness seems to become incurable.

Why are we so sad? Why are we so troubled? The psalm’s poet voices out innermost feelings and emotions during those times.

A very good friend (a really very good one!) asked the following question: “How can you praise and worship this God, who allowed me always to get into a never-ending darkness?” Is my friend a dyed-in-the-wool-at-heist”, who underpinned his opinion with even the Psalm: “Day and night I cry and tears are my only food; all the time my enemies ask me, “Where is YOUR “God”?””

I was trained how to survive such periods of life. Be patient and wait!

Pray!

Or: “Quarrel with your soul!” No, it’s not nonsense, it really works.

“Don’t make such a fuss; get out of your dump and be happy!”

Or, read Psalm 103: “The Love of God”.

Women can be achievers

PNPA topnotcher: Women can be achievers

By Emmanuel Tupas (The Philippine Star)

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Cadet Maysy Cataquiz, the only woman in the Top 10 of the Philippine National Police Academy Class Masidlak of 2017, speaks during a press conference at Camp Crame yesterday. Joining her are cadets Ian Rey Diolanto, Abdulcahar Armama, Juan Paulo Porciuncula, Midzfar Hamis Omar, valedictorian Macdum Enca, Elcid Layug, Harley Glenn Galpo, Michael Daunotan and Michael John Sentinta.  Boy Santos


 

MANILA, Philippines -  Graduating in the Top 10 of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Class Masidlak of 2017 is proof enough that women can also be achievers, said Cadet Maysy Cataquiz.

At 23 years old, Cataquiz ranks 10th out of 144 cadets who will march in today’s ceremonies at Camp Mariano Castañeda in Silang, Cavite. Her batch has 22 females.

“I’m proud to have proven that what they do, I can also do,” she said in a press briefing at Camp Crame yesterday. “I’m happy I will be giving an example to women who also want to join the PNPA.”

Entering the PNPA was not her initial goal, as her childhood dream was to become a doctor. She enrolled in electronics engineering at the Southern Luzon State University after realizing that she is good in Math.

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Somewhere along the way, she and her brother decided to give PNPA a try – going through the entrance examination and initial screening. She passed the second screening stage but her brother was not as lucky.

Her father urged her to continue and prodded her to endure the physical, emotional and mental challenges at the academy.

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Asked if she is currently in a relationship, Cataquiz replied: “I don’t have a cadet boyfriend. It’s not allowed in the academy.”

She added that although she has let go of her childhood dream to help the sick, she can still realize her desire to save lives and help people in need by joining the Bureau of Fire Protection after graduation.

Class Masidlak is topped by 22-year-old Police Cadet Macdum Enca, a native of Cotabato City, who will receive the Presidential Kampilan Award.

He is the fourth child of Hajah Zainab, a public school teacher, and Haji Yacobnor, a businessman.

Enca had wanted to be a part of the Philippine National Police to prove to the public that not all Muslims are terrorists.

“I’m not an extremist. I’m just a good person, just like any other,” Enca told reporters.

Graduating second is Jail Cadet Midzfar Hamis Omar, a Tawi-Tawi native and member of the ethnic group Badjao. He will receive the Vice President Kampilan Award.

Cadet Jan Elcid Layug, who is from Tondo in Manila and son of a police officer, will receive the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Kampilan Award.

Also in the top 10 are Jail Cadet Juan Paulo Porciuncula, Fire Cadet Harley Glenn Galpo, Police Cadet Michael Daunotan, Police Cadet Ian Rey Diolanto, Police Cadet Abdulcahar Armama and Police Cadet Michael John Sentinta.

The graduates will receive a bachelor’s degree in Public Safety and would enter the service as inspectors. Of the 144 cadets, 98 will join the PNP, 31 the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and 15 the BFP. 

PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa advised the graduates to stay away from corruption and avoid seeking favors from politicians if they want to have a fruitful career.

“I told them not to approach politicians or influential government officials and request to be assigned in their preferred assignments,” he said in a press briefing after meeting the Top 10 graduates of batch 2017, also known as Class Masidlak, in Camp Crame yesterday.

Dela Rosa reminded them that it is better to excel through hard work rather than from seeking the help of influential people in government.

“Don’t get special treatment just because you are the number one in class,” he said.

Telling them that no one can bring money to heaven after death, he reminded them to avoid corrupt practices as these would only taint their careers.

Incidentally, Dela Rosa’s only son is joining the PNPA in May.

Rock dela Rosa, after his father’s nickname Bato, is among 451 applicants who successfully passed the PNPA-Cadet Admission Test 2016 held in 28 test centers nationwide last Oct. 30.

The police chief said he has mixed feelings on the decision of his only son, the youngest of three children, as the young man would surely face strenuous physical and mental challenges during his four years of cadetship.

“I wish him good luck. I’m very proud. But as a father, I also feel nervous. I am not sure if he can survive the training,” Dela Rosa said.

He related that since he is the son of a tricycle driver, he adapted a “no retreat, no return” mental attitude when he trained at the Philippine Military Academy years ago.

This is not the case with his son though.

“He is the son of the chief PNP, so he would have a different psychological outlook,” Dela Rosa said.

                  – With Cecille Suerte Felipe

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A vote for Europe…

TUE, MARCH 21, 2017 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINIONKlaus Doring

…  a vote against extremists! Yes, European leaders breathe easier now!

With his first-place finish in the Netherlands’ elections, Mark Rutte has effectively halted the right-wing populist Geert Wilders. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is among the European leaders welcoming the result. Merkel, at this very moment (on Friday, March 17) meeting U.S. President Donald Trump, says Dutch election result sends pro-Europe signal.

Both the vote count tallies and the reactions poured in during the early hours of last Thursday morning as politicians and individuals across Europe and the world took in the results of Wednesday’s parliamentary election in the Netherlands. In what many considered to be a bellwether election for the European Union, the center-right Rutte clearly defeated Wilders in what many saw as a symbolic victory against European populism.

With 54 percent of the vote counted, the projected results indicated Rutte scored a commanding victory, earning 33 out of the Dutch parliament’s 150 seats.

Many European leaders offered congratulatory messages to the acting Dutch prime minister, who will now stay on in office for a third term. But just as many chose to highlight Wilders’ defeat, framing his party’s second place finish with 20 seats – far below the 30-odd seats he had been predicted to win – as a resounding success for the unity and democratic values of a European Union battered by populism from both within and outside the bloc.

The response from Berlin came quickly. German Chancellor Angela Merkel phoned Rutte to offer her congratulations as well as her readiness to work with him and his new government, which he will now have to form with parliamentary alliances.

Of course, Merkel faces her own electoral test in September this year when Germans will cast their votes for the national parliament. The head of government from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) will seek to remain in office, though her primary rival and current coalition partner’s candidate Martin Schulz has been polling neck and neck with her. Schulz, a member of the Social Democratic Party, took to Twitter to celebrate Wilder’s defeat. “I am relieved,” the former EU parliamentarian wrote. “But we must continue to fight for an open and free Europe!”

For many the right-wing nightmare is everywhere. Also Germany hosts its own populist party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), whose success has been fed by the arrival of over a million refugees and migrants to Europe since 2015 and fears of terrorism linked to Islam. However, the party has been struggling in recent polls due to internal divisions. And then: France is up next for  national elections. Outgoing French President Francois Hollande welcomed Rutte’s victory as a triumph against extremism.

France is indeed the next country in Europe to confront its own right-wing populist movement in spring presidential elections. Polls currently show the National Front’s Marine Le Pen winning the first-round of voting in April but falling short in the May run-off. However, a seemingly never-ending scandal that has engulfed conservative candidate Francois Fillon and a newly launched probe into travels undertaken by the political youngster Emmanuel Macron means the election’s course remains wide open.

“A vote for Europe, a vote against extremists,” strong words of EU Commission President Jean-Claude Junker….

The Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni similarly framed Wilders defeat as a win for pro-EU forces, writing on Twitter “No Nexit. The anti-EU right has lost the elections in the Netherlands.”

Perhaps the most straight-forward and succinct Tweet came from Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. In response to Rutte’s victory and Wilders’ defeat, the leader of the Scottish National party simply tweeted “Good.”

EU and ASEAN – a restart?

THU, MARCH 16, 2017 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINIONKlaus Doring

These are really good news: the European Union and ASEAN are ready to restart free trade talks!

The EU and the 10-member bloc of Southeast Asian states are to put a trade pact back on the agenda after a 7-year hiatus. Currently only Singapore and Vietnam have free trade deals with Europe.

Trade ministers of the two regional blocs said in a joint statement on Friday  they had asked officials to develop a framework for a future free trade agreement (FTA). EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said talks would restart, but there was no so far no targeted time-frame. In my opinion: no problem, most important is, ready to restart trade talks. Or as Mrs. Malmstrom voices out in Manila:

“We believe it is important to connect two growing markets and to take away as many obstacles to trade. Having a region-to-region agreement between the EU and ASEAN is a long-term goal we’ve been discussing for many years. We are now taking steps towards this.”

I also agree with Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez saying talks would resume in an attempt to counter uncertainties arising from “growing protectionist and inward-looking policy stances” that often blame trade for the loss of jobs because of automation and industrialization.

His comments were aimed at US President Donald Trump, who has vowed to impose tariffs on imports and bring back American jobs lost to other countries. Trump has also withdrawn the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with several Asia Pacific rim countries, which included the ASEAN bloc.

The original negotiations between the EU and ASEAN began in 2007 but were suspended two years later due to the difficulties of agreeing a common set of standards among the 10 Southeast Asian countries, which include Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Philippines.

Of course, human rights still an issue! A requirement by Brussels to consider human rights in its trade policies may also have been an issue. The EU has FTA’s with Vietnam and Singapore and is still negotiating agreements with the other larger countries in the region.

The ASEAN area is the world’s seventh largest market, and has a combined 622 million people and economy of 2.45 trillion euros ($2.6 trillion) and is driven largely by consumption, exports and manufacturing, with Europe a key importer of goods.

EU and ASEAN being ready to restart free trade talks? A big step towards better trade relations!

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Email: doringklaus @gmail.com or follow me in Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin or visit www. germanexpatinthephilip pines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassi calmusic.blogspot.com.

(Note: On Saturday-Sunday/March 11-12, 2017, an article appeared on my column WAS NOT MY COLUMN though it appears with my name and photo.)