The Philippines and the European Union

As I wrote already in one of my previous columns: the European Parliament is elected five years by member states' citizens - in 2014 this coming Sunday, May 25.

I agree with EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux saying that the significant increase in the number of European politicial leaders to the Philippines confirms the increasing interest of the European Union in the country. It was interesting to listen Ledoux's speech during the Europe Day reception. Yes, indeed the flow of bilateral visit of ministers from European member states as well as Philippine Cabinet members visiting European countries has been steady.

The increase in the number of visits is no accident, as word of high economic groth and good governance in the Philippines has reached Europe.

Already last June, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario met European Council Prsident van Rompuy in Brussels. And yes, that's the right path to take: the Philippines decided to resolve maritime issues peacefully and within the framework of international law.

And let's keep in mind: the lifting of the air ban for major Philippine air carriers is indeed one of the major achievements in European-Philippines relations.

Tourists in the Philippines is not always a great topic comparing to other Asian countries and their visitors' numbers. Good to know, that the Philippines has recently be named as one of the top 20 destinations for 2014 by an European newspaper. Anyway, European hospitability companies should invest more in the Philippine tourism industry by creating jobs and sharing their experience.

As expatriate living in this wonderful country since 1999, I can only underline Ledoux's statement saying Filipinos are known worldwide for their amazing hospitability because when they have visitors they do make feel them at home. The same thing told me Deputy Head of Mission (Germany Embassy), Mr. Michael Hasper during my last Manila visit.

(Pre-published in MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR from Monday, May 19, 2014 in my column "IN MY OPINION".)

Cholera Outbreak in Cotabato Town

By GMA TV

A cholera outbreak in Alamada town, Cotabato province, where at least eight people died after showing symptoms, was confirmed Friday afternoon by the province Gov. Lala Mendoza.

Mendoza said that the outbreak was confirmed after samples from the town were tested.

The World Health Organization defined cholera as an "acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae."

Cholera has a short incubation period of a maximum of five days. It produces an enterotoxin that causes a "painless, watery diarrhea that can quickly lead to severe dehydration and death if treatment is not promptly given."

Vomiting also occurs in most patients.

Mendoza said the tests had included chemical, bacteriological for water, and rectal swabs.

According to a separate report from GMA News stringer Garry Fuerzas, health officer Dra. Rosario Bandala said they examined more than 700 patients. Of these, 438 tested positive for Vibrio Cholerae.

Figures from the Alamada Municipal Health Office showed 769 were brought to hospitals or clinics, with 438 testing positive for Vibrio Cholerae.

The governor said the Department of Health, the provincial government and Alamada local government unit were "now taking intervention to control this outbreak."

Alamada Municipal Administrator Robin Cadava said a state of calamity, which was first declared last Wednesday, would remain over Alamada until the patients recover. The state of calamity allows the local government to use its calamity fund.

Meanwhile, Town Councilor Nolie Doromal added they had allocated P986,000 in calamity funds to help the patients.

Relatives of the eight fatalities had been given financial aid, according to the governor.

New patients

A report by GMA Davao's Jan Bautista on "24 Oras" Wednesday evening added several residents had gone to the local community hospital for treatment. They complained of vomiting, loose bowel movement, stomach pains, and dizziness.

Dr. Mary Joy Posada, chief of the Alamada Community Hospital, said in a Phlippine News Agency report that though many patients had been discharged, new patients kept complaining of stomach pain and diarrhea.

“On Monday, the patients came by batches, by 20s, even 50s, on board trucks and military vehicles,” Posada said. She added only about 178 remained in the hospital.

Still, she said the situation was better compared to the previous few days.

Hospital figures showing 600 patients were vomiting, had diarrhea and stomach pain. More than 70 percent of them have recovered and returned home.

 

 — Joel Locsin/DVM, GMA News

Philippine German Relations

I am back from a three days visit in Manila full of meetings, especially with Deputy Head of Mission (German Embassy) Mr. Michael Hasper.

Soon, I will be meeting the new appointed German Ambassador to the Philippines, Mr. Thomas Ossowski.

While staying in Manila, "Europe Day" had been celebrated. Europe Day was formally recognize by the European Parliament in 2008. Also known as Schumann Day, Europe Day commemorates the historical declaration by French Foreign Minister Robert Schumann proposing the creation of a European Coal and Stell Community which ultimately became the European Union (EU). The event is an annual celebration of peace and unity in Europe.

Various forms of activities such as parades, exhibitions, seminars, and parties have been held during Europe Day in member states of the European Union. The holiday is an opportunity to educate people on history of the EU and promote support for the region's integration.

Important institutions of EU are the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the Court of Justice of the EU  and the European Central Bank. The European Parliament is elected every five years by member states' citizens - in 2014 on May 25.

Later this is year, in October,another great event is coming up. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to visit the Philippines to cap the 60th year of di0plomatic relations between the Philippines and Germany. A diplomatic source said Merkel already agreed to accept President Aquino's invitation to visit Manila.

So, the Philippines and Germany will celebrate the 60th anniversary of establishment of their diplomatic relations.

Philippine German relations are excisting since long time, although the existence of a German Community in the Philippines during the years before 1836 was impossible. The Royal Decree of February 2, 1800 prohibited foreigners to reside in the Philippines. In 1844, another royal decree prohibited foreigners even to travel to the Philippines under any pretext wathsoever. It was evident that Spain wanted to keep foreigners out of Philippine soil, believing in some way, that the Philippines a dollar gained by a foreigner was one taken from the pocket of a Spaniard.

Once upon a time... . Time had changed.

(Pre-published in my column "IN MY OPINION" in Mindanao Daily Mirror from 16th May 2014!)

Philippines 11th Biggest Source of Spam

 The Philippines moved up by nine notches in the list of countries considered as top sources of spam or unsolicited e-mail during the first quarter of 2014, according to a report by secure content and threat management solutions developer Kaspersky.

The report conducted from January to March showed that the geographical distribution of spam by country saw little change in the first quarter of 2014. The top three spam sources remained unchanged: China, the United States and South Korea.

While the rankings of the other countries in the list did not vary significantly, Kaspersky Lab noted that there was a noticeable shift in the second half of the top 20 spam sources, with the Philippines climbing up from 20th to 11th place. The report said that the share of spam based in the Philippines was 1.23 percent.

The rating of the top sources of spam by region also did not have any major change from the previous quarter. Asia remained the number one regional source of spam although its share decreased by 3.2 percentage points.

According to the Kaspersky Lab’s report, the percentage of spam in total email traffic during the first quarter of 2014 was pegged at 66.34 percent, down 6.42 percentage points from the previous quarter. But compared with the same period in 2013, the share of spam in the first quarter this year barely changed, falling by only 0.16 percentage points.

After being ranked third in the previous quarter last year, the United States once again topped the list of countries most frequently targeted by spam or malicious emails.

 

The country's share (14 percent) grew by 3.68 percentage points while the contribution of the United Kingdom (9.9 percent) and Germany (9.6 percent) decreased by 2.27 and 1.34 percentage points, respectively.


Favorite spam targets

The Kaspersky Lab’s report said the widespread use of mobile devices has triggered the emergence of email spam targeting smartphone and tablet users.

Malicious programs and mass mailings containing malware for Android-based devices are sent out regularly though they are not yet appearing in huge numbers.

"Recently we have seen a growth in the number of attacks targeting mobile users. Gadgets have become popular even among those who had little interaction with computers and are less familiar with computer security. This opens up new vectors of attacks for spammers and phishers," said Darya Gudkova, head of Content Analysis & Research Department at Kaspersky Lab.

The report warned that while malicious applications for Android operating systems being distributed via email are still quite rare however an increase in the amount of mobile malware can be expected soon.

"In the future, this will only become more common. We also expect an increase in the volume of phishing mailings which target passwords for mobile app accounts," Gudkova added.

Another trend was also seen during the first quarter of the year: fake notifications distributed in spam are now imitating messages from mobile applications.

Spammers especially like the popular mobile messengers WhatsApp, Viber and Google Hangouts. The notifications purportedly sent from these applications are being used to spread malware.

These findings of the Kaspersky Lab report are alarming for a country like the Philippines, which has been considered as the fastest-growing market for smartphones in Southeast Asia.

According to Singapore-based research firm GfK, the Philippines scored a staggering 326-percent increase in smartphone sales in 2012.

In the same year, the country also recorded the highest growth in smartphone market share among its neighboring countries in the region, from nine percent to 24 percent.

Kaspersky Lab is now reminding users in the Philippines and in other countries to protect themselves from spam by not opening emails from unknown senders and by not clicking any links in these emails.

"Clicking unsafe links threatens user security regardless of which device is used – they pose a danger to desktop computers and mobile gadgets alike," Gudkova said.

Brownouts Blamed For Crime Rise in Davao City

The long rotational brownouts are being blamed for a rise in crime in Davao City – by as much as 20 percent – with police noting the rising trend since the outages started, a Mindanao news site reported late Thursday.

Davao City police head Senior Superintendent Vicente Danao Jr. said the 20-percent rise negated a 35-percent drop in crime from the fourth quarter of 2013 to the first quarter of 2014.

“Stay home. If you really don’t have somewhere to go during the brownouts, don’t leave your homes because that’s when the criminals are taking advantage of the cover of darkness,” he advised residents, according to a report on MindaNews.

He also asked the Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) to immediately address the power situation.

The DLPC had said Wednesday its power allocation was reduced by 18 megawatts, dropping power supply from 120MW last week to 102MW starting Wednesday.

Because of this, DLPC was forced to extend daily brownouts from six hours to seven-and-a-half hours.

Citing police data, Danao said most of the incidents committed since the brownouts started were crimes against persons and against property.

Police were also affected by the brownouts as "(w)e can’t see in the dark,” he added.

Even closed-circuit television cameras would be of little use as they may not be able to capture images in in the dark.

Anti-terror efforts

MindaNews also said Task Force Davao, a batallion tasked to combat terrorism in the city, is helping maintain peace and order.

Task Force Davao head Casiano Monilla said TFD has deployed seven four-member, two-motorcycle teams to help monitor the area, especially during brownouts.

Business

Meanwhile, a separate report on Davao Today said the brownouts have worsened effects on local businesses.

The report said traders had to buy more ice to preserve meat in abattoirs and pay workers of full salary for undertime work.

“Aside from the power failure, increased cost of labor and low productivity, the power cost is very high because the distributors have to buy from suppliers who are running their diesel-fired power generators,” local business leader Bonifacio Tan told Davao Today on Thursday.

Local traders have been mulling retrenchment of workers and cutting down on production to cope with lost working hours.

For its part, the City Council committee on energy (COE) has promoted alternative energy sources such as portable solar panels. — By: Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News

Communist Rebels Use Miners as Shields

Communist rebels seized dozens of prospectors in a remote Philippine gold rush site and used them as “human shields” against pursuing troops, a military official said on Sunday. 

About 80 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) “prevented” 39 miners, including four children, from leaving the mining site in Compostela Valley on Saturday to stop government troops from advancing and capturing them, regional army chief Lt. Col. Michael Logico told Agence France-Presse.

Capt. Ernest Carolina, spokesman of the Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said gunmen from the NPA’s Front 2 and Pulang Bagani (Red Warrior) Company 6 herded the 39 residents from Mahayahay village at around 10 a.m. and brought them to Sitio (settlement) Tabon, Panamin, in the nearby town of Mabini. 

In a text message to the Inquirer, Carolina said Juanito Torcende and Alejandro Hoylar Sr., Mahayahay barangay chair and councilor, respectively, reported the alleged hostage-taking to the 66th Infantry Battalion and asked for assistance.

Local officials persuaded the rebels to free most of the miners, although it is believed that around a dozen were still being held at the site. 

“It’s a desperate move,” Logico said. “They are using them as human shields. They know that without the civilians they are vulnerable to an assault.”

Logico said the military launched an assault on two fronts last week to flush out the rebels amid reports that they were harassing villagers. 

“We had been conducting platoon-size combat operations that forced them to flee,” he said, adding that in all, two battalions, or around 800 men, were involved in the operation. 

“Negotiations are still ongoing,”Compostela Valley Gov. Arturo T. Uy said in a text message, without giving further details. 

The NPA still has to issue a statement on the incident.

The mountainous area where the offensives took place is a mineral-rich site that has over the years attracted thousands of prospectors who operate illegal gold mines. 

Entire villages have been set up around such mines, which have also become a lucrative source of extortion money from the rebels, officials said. 

The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, whose Maoist rebellion has claimed tens of thousands of lives since 1969.

AFP and Frinston L. Lim, Inquirer Mindanao

Philippines and U.S. to Sign New Military Pact

By Rosemarie Francisco and Matt Spetallnick

Members of the Philippine marines are transported on a rubber boat from a patrol ship after conducting a mission on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, as they make their way to a naval forces camp in Palawan province, southwest Philippines March 31, 2014.

 "We're not doing this because of China," Evan Medeiros, Obama's top Asia adviser, told reporters.

The United States and the Philippines will sign a new 10-year security pact on Monday that will allow for a larger U.S. military presence as it struggles to raise its defense capabilities amid territorial disputes with China.

The agreement, which establishes a framework for a beefed-up rotation of U.S. troops, ship and warplanes through the Philippines, will be formally sealed just hours before U.S. President Barack Obama arrives on a two-day visit to Manila, U.S. and Philippine officials said.

White House officials touted the deal as part of a "rebalancing" of U.S. resources toward the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region.


The Philippines will be Obama's final stop on a four-country tour aimed at showing sometimes skeptical allies he is serious about the strategic shift.


It comes as China has strengthened its maritime presence in disputed areas in the South China Sea after seizing control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012.

The accord allows for enhanced "rotational presence" of U.S. forces in the country - but not a return of U.S. military bases, U.S. officials said.

It will allow U.S. forces to train and conduct exercises with Philippine forces for maritime security, disaster assistance and humanitarian aid, the officials said.
The White House said the pact did not specify how many U.S. military assets can be deployed but established a legal basis for deciding on a mission-by-mission basis.
Still, Manila's acceptance of an increased U.S. military presence, a politically sensitive issue in the independent-minded archipelago nation, reveals the scale of Philippine anxiety over China.


The Philippine Senate voted to evict the U.S. military from their bases in 1991, ending 94 years of American military presence in the Philippines, and has only gradually allowed the return of U.S. forces for limited operations.


RENEWABLE PACT

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation agreement will run for 10 years, shorter than the United States was originally asking for, two Philippine government officials said, asking for anonymity due to lack of authority to reveal details.


But the deal is renewable depending on the needs of the two oldest allies in the Asia-Pacific region, one source said.


It will be signed by Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg shortly before Obama meets Philippine President Benigno Aquino in Manila.


The agreement allows the United States to rotate ships, aircraft and troops for a period longer than the current maximum of two weeks during joint military exercises by the two nations, a senior Philippine military source told Reuters.
The United States is expected to gradually deploy combat ships, a squadron of F18s or F16s and maritime surveillance aircraft, the same source said.


Last year, there were 149 U.S. navy ship visits to the Philippines, up from 68 in the previous year, and that number is likely to rise further under the new pact.
"We are considering bases in Northern Luzon like Clark and Subic, and Fort Magsaysay, to accommodate the U.S. forces. We will set aside space in those bases for their troops," the military source said.


Clark and Subic were bases maintained by the United States northwest of Manila until 1991, when U.S. troops were evicted.


Eight years later, the Senate approved an agreement providing for temporary visits by U.S. forces, allowing the staging of joint military exercises.


The new accord also allows the storage of U.S. humanitarian equipment and supplies for disaster response, with some already in the country after super Typhoon Haiyan devastated central Philippines in November, the military source also said.


Pio Lorenzo Batino, undersecretary of Defense and chair of the Philippine panel negotiating with the United States, earlier said the agreement complied with the Philippine Constitution, which meant U.S. forces will have no permanent presence.
Philippine Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said she would scrutinize the pact, adding any agreement involving the posting of foreign troops and equipment required Senate ratification.


While most Filipinos support the pact to help counter China, there is some opposition on the left.


"We condemn in the strongest terms the brazen treachery of the Aquino regime which is set to sign tomorrow the US-PH Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement," said Renato Reyes of leftist group Bayan.

Philippinen Has Slowest Internet in Southeast Asia

I need the Internet daily. I also struggle daily. Here is why:



PH has slowest internet in Southeast Asia

(C) Philippine Daily Inquirer

Rising Number of Trafficked Fishermen in Tawi-Tawi

by Jake Soriano

 

BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi—Tawi-Tawi authorities are alarmed at the growing number of fishermen from the Visayas who end up here after being recruited by human trafficking syndicates to engage in dangerous compressor diving.

The latest case involves 13 fishermen rescued from a fishing village here on March 15 by a team composed of the Tawi-Tawi Provincial Police Office (PPO), Philippine Marines and the Bongao Inter-agency Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons (BIATFAT).

The case is the eighth recorded by BIATFAT since December 2012, and brings the total number of rescued fishermen to 80, all of them from Cebu and Bohol.

 

 

 

Not just a backdoor transit point, Tawi-Tawi is also a destination for human trafficking victims.

“They have taken a huge risk in accepting compressor diving work here,” said Inspector Elmira Relox, chief of the Tawi-Tawi PPO Women and Children Protection Desk, who led the rescue.

Compressor diving, a dangerous deep-sea fishing method, requires the fishermen to dive into the water without any gear, except for a plastic hose attached to an air pump on the surface. The diver inhales air through the hose when deep underwater.

Police said compressor diving killed one fisherman and incapacitated another. The casualties, both of who had been recruited along with the 13 rescued fishermen, were not identified.

The rescued fishermen told police they started working for a certain Nelson Mohammad in September 2013, with the contract supposed to expire last February.

Mohammad, however, reportedly detained them in his residence after they complained of unfair pay and refused to extend their contract. He also claimed the fishermen still owed him money he had advanced to them in Cebu and their transportation expenses going to Tawi-Tawi.

Police said one of the fishermen escaped by swimming in the shallow waters off the edge of Bongao island and alerted the local authorities to the group’s situation.

Prosecutor Ivy Damayo of the Sea-based Anti-trafficking Task Force said hundreds more fishermen are trapped in dire working conditions on the islands.

The 13 rescued fishermen are from Lapu-Lapu City. The youngest is 19, the oldest 48.

“They were exploited and harassed by their employers,” Relox said.

According to police, fishermen from Cebu and Bohol are lured by recruiters who are known or related to them.

These recruiters advance the fishermen a portion of the promised salary ranging from P10,000 to P15,000 to get them to agree to work in Tawi-Tawi usually on a six-month contract. The fishermen are also promised a share of the profit from the catch.

But the agreements are made only orally. Once in Tawi-Tawi, the deep-sea divers are left to the mercy of their employers, and the promises forgotten.

BIATFAT focal person Rosabella Sulani said the fishermen usually work from 3 p.m. until 7 the next morning.

When their contracts are about to expire, the fishermen are told they still owe their employers money and they would have to stay to be able to pay their debts. The victims, therefore, get caught in a vicious cycle of debt bondage, Sulani said.

 

 

Fishing is a leading source of livelihood in Tawi-Tawi.

 

Fishermen are also regularly threatened with violence, according to police. Their employers usually carry firearms and claim to have a network of contacts among the local authorities in Tawi-Tawi.

Mohammad managed to evade capture when local authorities raided his residence to rescue the 13 fishermen and, according to Sulani, has become the newest addition to the growing list of suspects behind the trafficking of fishermen from Cebu and Bohol to Tawi-Tawi.

He is the first to be identified operating in Languyan town near Bongao, capital of Tawi-Tawi, said Sulani.

The victims told police that Mohammad lives in Sama-Kasulutan in Simandagit, Bongao, reputedly a den for lawless elements, including members of the Abu Sayyaf. He is known to carry firearms, and once fired a gun in the air when he got mad at his employees.

One of the rescued fishermen told police that Mohammad also claims to be well connected to law enforcement officials in Tawi-Tawi.

Three other suspects identified by Sulani allegedly employing compressor divers in the island municipalities of Sibutu and Sitangkai are Anthony Jumat and the brothers “Ugly” and Jimmy Haibit.

BIATFAT records of Bongao cases referred to Zamboanga City show that Jimmy Haibit was charged with human trafficking on July 16, 2013. The case is awaiting resolution.

Also charged was Policarpio “Paul” Mantos, who reportedly recruits fishermen from Cebu and Bohol.

BIATFAT, meanwhile, referred on Jan. 29 a trafficking case against Jumat to the Zamboanga City Prosecutor’s Office. Task force officials said Jumat is also known as a notorious drug pusher in Tawi-Tawi and that he allegedly works with recruiter Jefferson Daño.

Last Sept. 5, BIATFAT rescued a fisherman from Bohol who said as payment for the amount given to him in advance in Bohol, Jumat made him peddle the illegal drug methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as shabu.

Sulani said some fishermen are forced to use “shabu” to combat tough sea conditions, particularly the extreme cold at night.

No cases have been filed against Mohammad, his recruiter, identified as Eduardo Tumulak, and “Ugly” Haibit. They are at large.

The Tawi-Tawi PPO and the BIATFAT turned over the 13 rescued fishermen to authorities in Zamboanga, who in turn facilitated their return to Cebu.

Relox said catching the employers and recruiters remains a problem for the police. “They are just too good,” she said, referring to human traffickers’ skills at evading authorities.

While many victims have been rescued, only a few are interested in pursuing cases, Damayo said. Among the 80 rescued, she said, “only about three are interested” in legal action against their former employers and recruiters.

(This story is part of VERA Files' project “Human Trafficking Casewatch” supported by the U.S. Embassy's Small Grants Facility and the Embassy of Canada. VERA Files is put out by senior journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. VERA is Latin for true.)

Frohe Ostern! Happy Easter!

ALLEN MEINEN LESERINNEN UND LESERN EIN GESEGNETES FROHES OSTERFEST!

FOR ALL MY DEAR READERS:

I WISH YOU A VERY BLESSED HAPPY EASTER!