Cyclone May Enter the Philippines This Week

By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)

State meteorologists are keeping a close eye on a developing storm off the Pacific Ocean that could enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) later this week.

Jori Loiz, senior weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said the looming cyclone was located some 1,500 kilometers east of the PAR as of yesterday afternoon.

He warned the developing weather disturbance is likely to reach the typhoon category as it hovers over the Pacific Ocean in the next few days.

Loiz told The STAR of two scenarios for the cyclone. The most likely is that the storm could intensify further but will veer north towards Japan. The second scenario is the cyclone will intensity into a typhoon and enter the PAR on Friday.

“The movement of the developing cyclone will depend on the high-pressure area northeast of the Philippines,” Loiz said, noting that the HPA has not moved in the past days.

“The most possible scenario is it will enter the PAR but will recurve toward east of Japan… But if the HPA will not move, the cyclone, which could be a strong one, could make landfall in the Philippines,” he added.

He noted that the location of the looming cyclone is also the place where Super Typhoon Yolanda formed last year.

“Hopefully, the HPA will move, because we expect this to be really strong. It is still far and could gain more strength while over the sea,” Loiz said.

He said one or two cyclones are likely to enter the Philippines this month, warning that cyclones during this time of the year usually make landfall.

The usual track of the cyclones during the latter part of the year is Visayas and Mindanao.

On Nov. 8 last year, Yolanda slammed the Visayas, leaving more than 6,000 people dead and 1,700 missing. Strong storms Pablo and Sendong hit Mindanao in December.

Meanwhile, Loiz said fair weather is expected in most parts of the country in the next three days, apart from isolated rain showers and thunderstorms.

He said a low-pressure area (LPA) that dumped rains in Mindanao and parts of Visayas and Luzon over the weekend was spotted at 75 km west southwest of Romblon, Romblon as of 10 a.m. yesterday.

The LPA was likely to dissipate or continue to cross Southern Luzon towards the West Philippine Sea, where it could regain strength, he said.

Philippines to Simplify Weather Warnings to Reduce Loss of Lives

The Philippines will simplify its weather warnings to make them easier to understand in order to prevent the annual loss of hundreds of lives from natural calamities, officials said Wednesday.

The state weather service of one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations is working with linguists to ensure that the threat posed by typhoons, floods and other events would be fully understood by people, they said.

“People need to be told in a language they can understand the dangers that they face,” said Roberto Añonuevo, executive director of the government’s Filipino Language Commission.

“Typhoons and storms are a common occurrence, so they become complacent. This will help them to respond. This is potentially life-saving,” he told AFP.

Giant walls of seawater, called “storm surges” generated by Haiyan, the strongest ever typhoon to hit land, were blamed for most of the 7,350 lives lost in the central Philippines a year ago.

Even though the hardest-hit areas were warned beforehand, the weather service and other officials later admitted that the victims were unfamiliar with the term “storm surge”, which they said failed to adequately convey the deadly threat.

President Benigno S. C. Aquino III has been among the weather service’s most severe critics, often lecturing its forecasters publicly to use layman’s terms in its bulletins.

About 20 typhoons and storms hit the country each year, triggering floods and landslides that kill hundreds.

Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are also an ever-present threat in the Asian archipelago that forms part of a “Ring of Fire” of Pacific islands formed by volcanic activity.

“People with lower levels of education at times have trouble understanding technical terms,” conceded Lani Aquino, a public relations officer for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration.

“So what happens is they do not make the necessary precautions for certain meteorological events,” Ms. Aquino, no relation to the President, told AFP.

The weather service spokeswoman said it was reviewing a 300-word glossary of more easily understood weather terms prepared by the language commission, including the words for storm surges in the country’s major dialects. -- AFP

Metro Manila Pollution Worse Than Ever

By Babe G. Romualdez (The Philippine Star)  

Traffic in Metro Manila is usually the heaviest on Fridays and weekends especially now with the approaching holiday season as people from the provinces start trooping to Metro Manila to shop for Christmas gifts. For sure, this will be exacerbated by the spike in the number of arriving balikbayans who are not only spending the holidays here, but also to wait for the arrival of Pope Francis in January next year.

Exhaust from idling vehicles stuck in traffic make it difficult to breathe, and the condition is made worse by the cool weather since the dense air cannot circulate upward – trapping carbon particles that make the ground level atmosphere thick and heavy with pollutants. Respiratory ailments have increased by 30 percent since last year, according to records from Metro Manila hospitals.

We received photos taken on Saturday morning and yesterday at noon, and as one can readily see the pollution has become worse than ever – with a grayish shadow covering the metropolis like an ominous shroud.  The air quality has become so bad that a multisector group calling itself the Coalition of Clean Air Advocates (Philippines), composed of health professionals, business leaders, the religious sector and civil society organizations came out with a full page ad in the Sunday edition of this paper, making an urgent appeal for the president to fully implement Republic Act 8749, otherwise known as the Clean Air Act of 1999.

Citing data from the DENR, the group stressed that the air quality in Metro Manila and other urban centers has reached internationally unacceptable levels that pose a “clear and present danger to human health.” Data shows that 80 percent of air pollution is caused by motor vehicle emissions, yet a lot of carbon-spewing vehicles still manage to pass the mandatory emission test prior to registration – due to the unfortunate practice of  “non-appearance” that some corrupt DOTC-LTO employees have allowed to proliferate.

It’s been 15 years since the passage of the Clean Air Act law yet to this day, it hasn’t really done much to combat pollution or improve air quality. Corruption in both the public and private sector has been identified by the Clean Air advocacy group as critical in the implementation of the Clean Air Act, and among their proposals is to impose stiffer penalties for those that take part in “non-appearance” testing plus the automation of emission testing protocols – which might entail changes in DENR specifications with regard to equipment and test data gathering.

The group is also advocating the development of more mass transport system and the designation of more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly lanes to lessen he use of motor vehicles when commuting, and the introduction/commercialization of clean fuels or other fuels that will lessen carbon and particulate emission.  While Metro Manila is not in The Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross Switzerland’s list of the 10 most polluted cities in 2013, an expert from the World Health Organization told us we will soon have the dubious honor of joining that list if the quality of air continues to deteriorate. Clearly, we all have to do our part in improving the air quality in Metro Manila.

SM Prime(s) up for solar energy use

The use of renewable energy like solar is now a major factor being considered by planners and designers who advocate “clean cities,” saying that electricity from coal and fossil fuel account for much of the carbon dioxide emissions that are responsible for pollution. In Germany for instance, the government has passed legislation encouraging the use of solar energy by providing incentives for homes that invest in solar or wind energy to generate their own electricity.  This has resulted in a major shift towards solar energy that has not only resulted in lesser electric consumption but has contributed in reducing pollution.

In the Philippines, retail and property giant SM Prime Holdings has marked another milestone in its commitment to achieve sustainability in its operations as seen in the activation of the solar powered rooftop at its SM City North Edsa Mall. SM Prime president Hans Sy led the switch-on ceremony yesterday with President Noynoy Aquino as guest of honor, with the event witnessed by environment champion Loren Legarda, Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, DENR Secretary Mon Paje and Speaker Sonny Belmonte. 

SM Prime worked closely with Solar Philippines to put up over 5,700 solar panels that have the capacity to generate up to 1.5 megawatts (MW) of energy – enough to power 1,000 homes or charge over 200,000 cellular phones. The power generated by the solar panels could offset 1,200 tons of carbon dioxide – almost like planting 6,000 trees per year. The solar panels installed at the rooftop can power up the lighting fixtures and elevators at the mall.

Time and time again, the SM Group has displayed its commitment in making its operations sustainable and environment friendly especially now that the country faces a power shortage next year. With the solar rooftop project, the mall developer has shown it walks the talk – doing what it can to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing the consumption of electricity.  Hopefully, other groups will also follow suit not only to make business sustainable but to help ensure a cleaner, greener environment for the future.

Nine Sentenced in Philippines Over Deadly 1996 Disco Fire

A Philippine court on Thursday sentenced nine people to jail for a fire that killed 162 people at a disco in 1996, in a decision that highlighted the country's painfully slow justice system.

Survivors and anti-crime groups welcomed the ruling, but were anguished that it had taken so long and expressed fears that some of those found guilty had fled the country, with a court official admitting the whereabouts of the nine were unknown.

In one of the Philippines' deadliest fires, 162 people were killed and 94 others injured after becoming trapped when the Ozone Disco in a commercial district of northern Manila went up in flames.

In Thursday's ruling, seven city engineers were sentenced to up to 10 years in jail for allowing the nightclub to operate without adequate safety precautions, court administrator Teresa Pabulayan told AFP.

The Ozone Disco's owner and treasurer were given the same sentences, according to Pabulayan, but she would not specify the exact number of years given, saying only it was between six and 10. 

"The engineers gave unwarranted and preferential advantage to the Ozone disco owners. They failed to detect structural and fire safety deficiencies," she said, summarising the Manila anti-graft court's ruling.

The nine will not be immediately arrested as they have 15 days to appeal the ruling, Pabulayan said, adding she did not know where they were.

"After 18 years, finally justice is served," Stephen Santos, president of a group that represents the survivors, told local television channel ANC.

However Santos voiced concern about the time it took for the verdict to be delivered, and said he feared those convicted had left the country.

Dante Jimenez, founder of an anti-crime advocacy group that helped the survivors with court cases, said some of the survivors had died before justice was served.

"This reflects how rotten the justice system is," Jimenez told AFP.

Court cases in the Philippines typically take many years to complete. 

Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said last month she was hiring more judges and finding ways to hasten legal procedures to clear massive backlogs that burden judges with as many as 4,000 cases at a time.

"We want to say that in the Philippines, it's no longer justice delayed and therefore justice denied," she said.

Bohol - one year later!

By MST Lifestyle 
 

Virgelio and Maria Crieta's family is closer than any family can get. While most of their children are married and have families of their own, Virgelio and Maria make it a point to spend time together at least once a week like most Filipino families.

The houses are built using a unique bamboo
design that gives the structure more flexibility.

On October 15, 2013, a national holiday, Virgelio and Maria found another opportunity to gather the whole family at one of their children’s homes in Poblacion, in the town of Loon, Bohol. However, the family revelry was interrupted by a violent shaking – a 7.2-magnitude quake had struck the island of Bohol with a force so great, it left thousands of families homeless and fearful for their lives.

As the tremors stopped, the Crietas were terrified. They thought it was the end of the world. Virgelio and Maria had to stay at their child’s house for a week before they finally had the courage to go back to their home in the village of Catagbacan Norte, which was also terribly damaged.It was painful to discover that their home, which was built through years of hard labour, fell apart in just minutes.

Moving on from such a tragedy was not easy for the Crietas. But what kept them going was their family: that unshakeable bond that no earthquake could ever shatter. That, for them,was more than enough reason to move on.

Virgelio and Maria stayed in a temporary shelter made out of salvaged plywood, metal sheets and a tarpaulin before they were gifted with a brand new home from Habitat for Humanity and its partner, UnionBank, who was among the first to come to Bohol’s aid.

The Crieta family is just one of some 6,000 families who will benefit from the new homes with a unique bamboo design provided by Habitat for Humanity. The design makes use of a special technology involving chemically treated bamboo strips woven between concrete-reinforced steel frames, giving the structure more flexiblity.  This design was a result of Habitat for Humanity’s scouring its global database; and which UnionBank readily supported.

Volunteers helped build the structure that could withstand earthquakes – the interwoven bamboo slats plastered with concrete, a representation of that same tight, resilient bond their family held on to during the tragedy.

After months of enduring the stuffiness of their improvised shelter, the Crieta family finally moved into their new brighter home,where they can start making new memories and strengthen even more the ties that bind their family together.

Tubbataha Reefs Hamiguitan Forest Named Asean Treasures

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By Dona Z. Pazzibugan, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Tubbataha Reefs, Hamiguitan forest named Asean treasures

The world-renowned Tubbataha Reefs diving site off Palawan and the Mt. Hamiguitan forest in Davao Oriental have been officially recognized as among Southeast Asia’s most treasured parks.

During their meeting in Vientiane, Laos, last month, environment ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) approved the inclusion of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary among the Asean Heritage Parks.

The approval brings to 35 the number of Asean Heritage Parks, seven of which are in the Philippines.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said the designation of the Tubbataha and Mt. Hamiguitan national protected areas as regional heritage parks was long overdue since the two had been recognized as Unesco World Heritage Sites.

The five other Asean Heritage Parks in the country are Mt. Apo Natural Park, Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park and Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park—all in Mindanao; Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park in Occidental Mindoro; and Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve in Laguna.

“This latest recognition indicates that the natural characteristics of both Tubbataha and Mt. Hamiguitan are so exceptional that they deserve to be protected for the benefit of everyone in Southeast Asia,” Paje said in a statement.

Asean Heritage Parks are marked off as areas “of high conservation importance” as key biodiversity areas.

Located 181 kilometers southeast of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is at the very center of the Sulu Sea.

The park contains roughly 10,000 hectares of coral reefs and more than 86,000 hectares of surrounding waters, lying at the heart of the Coral Triangle, the center of global marine biodiversity.

The Tubbataha marine sanctuary is home to diverse marine life, including at least half of all coral species in the world and about 80 percent of all coral species in the Philippines.

Green sea and hawksbill turtles, as well as rays and sharks, are common in the reefs. Pelagics such as tuna, mackerel, jacks and barracuda are observed in schools near the reef crests.

The Tubbataha marine sanctuary was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1993.

Established in 2004, the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary covers 6,834 hectares of seven barangays (villages) in Davao Oriental.

Standing at 1,637 meters, Mt. Hamiguitan is surrounded by forest land, including a bonsai field or “pygmy” forest of 100-year-old trees on ultramafic soil.

The trees within the mossy pygmy forest stand an average of only 1.4 meters, with a diameter of eight centimeters. One of the dominant species that can be found only in this forest type is the tinikaran or red fig tree (scientific name Wendlandia nervosa).

Other rare plant species found on Mt. Hamiguitan include the slipper orchid, nepenthes, staghorn fern, rhododendrons and Philippine hardwoods, such as yakal and tangile.

Basilan Mayors Targets of Sayyaf 'Extortion'

By Roel Pareño (Philippine Star)

Basilan province, part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, is seen in this sateliite rendering from Google Earth.

Officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have been recent targets of extortion activities of the extremist Abu Sayyaf group, the governor said.

ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman told reporters Friday that he and all 13 mayors of Basilan province signed a manifesto supporting an intensified military campaign as incidents of extortion by the extremist rebels have increased.

"All those who refused to heed payment are threatened to be bombed," Hataman said.

Even vendors and drivers were not spared from the extortion activities of Abu Sayyaf members who allegedly cite the practice of as "jakat," a Muslim term of monetary gift, as excuse, he said.

Each of the Basilan mayors has received text messages from alleged Abu Sayyaf members demanding for their monthly contribution, Hataman added.

"I was even called up the other day and identified himself as spokesman of (Abu Sayyaf leader) Isnilon Hapilon and I dropped the call. I waited if he [would] text but nothing came," Hataman said.

He said his district engineer also received messages believed to be from the group's Basilan leader, Furuji Indama, and demanded P200,000 monthly.

Hataman said the engineer's house was lobbed with bomb a week after he refused to pay the amount.

He also noted that children are the most vulnerable victims of incidents as they develop traumas from the bombing attempts.

Local officials' call for an all-out offensive launched Friday against the armed militants was meant to mobilize government units not only the military and police, Hataman said.

"Precisely, these Abu Sayyaf bandits were freely extorting because we are not running after them," he added. "That’s the proposal of the mayors because the Abu Sayyaf group committed crimes against the people and the country."

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang directed Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero and coordinated with the police in the region to secure the mayors.
Catapang anticipated the possible backlash of the support laid out by the town mayors against the Abu Sayyaf group.

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

Since the onset of Yolanda, Germany has been relentless in the outpour of support for those devastated by the typhoon. German humanitarian relief organizations have been among the first who reached the Philippines from abroad to help the victims of Typhoon Yolanda – through a Lufthansa plane scheduled to fly from Germany to Manila for its regular servicing, which was loaded with relief goods after early news of the typhoon’s damage hit the screens.

Until today, German relief organizations have been working non-stop in the typhoon-stricken areas, funded by massive donations of the German civil society and funds from the German Government – released within a heartbeat following news of the typhoon’s devastation.

To quantify this support: more than 176 million Euros, (Php 10.7 billion) for relief and rehabilitation efforts in the regions affected by Typhoon Yolanda came from Germany. Out of these, an outstanding 144 million Euros (Php 8.7 billion) are made up of German private donations to relief organizations actively operating in the Visayas regions. In addition to private donations, the German government contributed a total of 32 million Euros (Php 2 billion) out of which 16 million Euros were given in humanitarian aid for the immediate relief of victims of the typhoon, while 16 million Euros were allocated for reconstruction of areas destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda.

Until today, many German aid organizations are implementing reconstruction programs in the areas hit by the Typhoon. Examples are: Johanniter Unfallhilfe, Malteser International and Plan International.

Johanniter Unfallhilfe is working on the islands of Panay and Leyte. Johanniter’s main activities on Panay focus on the repair of infrastructure such as barangay halls, health and day care centers, class rooms, sea walls, rainwater catchments, foot bridges, community halls, as well as the installation of water filtration systems. This project, which is co-funded by German Bank Foundation (GBS) and Johanniter reaches 7,000 direct and 1,500 indirect beneficiaries.

Rebuilding of homes by Malteser International (© Photo: Fulvio Zanettini/ADH)

 

In the immediate aftermath of the typhoon, Malteser International from Germany distributed food, hygiene kits, water containers and relief items to about 9,000 families. A water treatment unit provided clean drinking water to an entire village. To date, 250 houses have been repaired, 52 large tents were set up as classrooms and play areas, and 800 families received tarpaulins. Malteser International distributed school materials to almost 2,500 school children as well as tools for cleanup and farming tools to the villagers. Over the past year, Malteser International, in partnership with the Philippine Association of the Order of Malta initiated a relief and recovery program with 4 communities on Samar and Bantayan Island affected by Typhoon Yolanda. Its comprehensive program seeks to assist vulnerable families and communities to recover after the disaster, through disaster resistant and inclusive housing reconstruction, school rehabilitation, water systems repairs, targeted home improvements, youth training, and small livelihood activities. 200 shelters have been provided with 500 more to be constructed. Malteser International will also seek to strengthen local knowledge about safe construction. Young adults will receive training in carpentry and masonry as well as disaster relief actions as part of a program in cooperation with a local vocational training agency.

Plan International has received support from the German Federal Foreign Office for activities that aim to strengthen climate resiliency of the local population in the rehabilitation efforts.

Green Skills Training participants showing their output for the day (Day 2) - solar dryer and Liquid fertilizer, mouldings (© Plan International) As part of the program, communities receive trainings in green technology such as the construction and use of solar dryers that can cut the drying time for fish or other food in half, retained heat cookers, organic fertilizers and char making stoves using debris fuel instead of cutting mangroves. These sustainable green technologies utilize indigenous materials and enable a more efficient use of natural resources or debris. Energy costs are reduced and waste management is improved.

Filipino Values - that Hinder Progress in the Workplace (Part II)

By: Dr. Tomas Q. D. Andres, BLUE COLLAR, OCTOBER 1988 issue.

Many times, the three (3) T's in the work place: tanga, tamad and tarantado (stupid, lazy and crazy), kinds of workers cause the production of defective products.

When  a worker does his best and poduce a quality producngan, he becomes a victim of tsismis or gossip. They pass around groundless rumor of some trifling or petty scandal about him. A Filipino saying goes like this: "May tainga ang lupa, may pakpak ang balita" (The earth has ears, rumor has wings). The quality producer is unfairly branded by his peers as sip-sip, the same term used to refer a worker who tries to put up a co-worker in bad light in the eyes of his superiors in clandestine ways, just so he can appear to be  better (nagpapalapd ng papel).

n "Hindi ca maghilabot sa akon".

The "wala kang paki value" (mind your own business) can be adversarial in mainting quality product. In Ilokana, i.e., it is "Awan ti pakibibiangan"; in Visayas "Hindi ca maghilabot sa akon"!

The above mentioned Filipino values have positive dimensions which can be harnessed for quality assurance and control. "Gaya-gaya", for example, can serve as inspiration for works to strive to produce the best product and thus better their own standard of living. Quality controllers criticize but not condemn; show the defects but have trust in the Filipino's capacity for self-reform to produce quality workers. "It's a commitment to our customers" - can be a slogan.

Filipinos conduct their personal life and observance of law based on sanctons of shame, dishonor, ridicule or horror of improprierty. For them, it is important to consider what and how truth is said and when and who says the truth. Concealing defects in a product can be avoided if criticism is done in the right and nonhurting way. This is the positive value for filling up the gap.

Tacloban to Hold Memorial Service for Still Unidentified Victims of Yolanda

The Tacloban City government will hold a memorial service on November 1 for more than 2,000 victims of super typhoon Yolanda buried in a mass grave in Brgy. Vasper.

“We are going to do a memorial service in the mass grave in order to put closure to this, that people will know that it's time to move on,” said Tacloban City mayor Alfred Romualdez in an interview with GMA News' Saksi aired Thursday evening.

“We've given them (victims) proper burial. Now we will give them proper rites,” he added.


According to the report, there were a total of 2,273 individuals whose remains were buried at the mass grave at Holy Cross Memorial Garden in Brgy. Vasper. Majority of these individuals remain unidentified by their families though the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has already conducted DNA testing on the remains.

The city government, however, assured that the DNA test results of each body buried in the mass grave have been stored in the NBI database to help relatives in tracing and verifying the identity of the remains.

The mass grave was divided into 157 lots, with each lot measuring four meters by eight meters.

Leandro Alapoop, caretaker of the mass grave, said there were 20 bodies buried in each lot.

“Oo, magkakatabi. Bale nakasalansan lang isa-isa. Hindi naman nag-aabot 'yung katawan. Maganda ang pagkalagay namin,” recounted Alapoop on how they buried the remains being examined by the NBI since December last year.

He said families of the victims may request to recover the remains and transfer them to another cemetery as long as they can prove the identity of a particular body.

The report said that as early as Wednesday, some residents of Tacloban started arriving at the Holy Cross mass grave to light candles and bring flowers despite not knowing if their departed loved ones were really buried in the area.

For Eric Cidro, the least he can do to ease the pain of losing his wife, two children, parents and some other relatives when Yolanda hit the city in November last year, was to pray for them at the mass grave.

Cidro was left with only a sole photograph of his wife.

Though he was not able to see the remains of any member of his family, Cidro said he will offer flowers and candles at the mass grave and pray for the repose of the souls of his loved ones nonetheless.

“Wala talaga. May nakakita daw pero hindi na maituro kung nasaan,” Cidro said.

On November 8 last year, Yolanda ripped through central Philippines, claiming over 6,000 lives and leaving P39-billion worth of damages.  

—Elizabeth Marcelo/KG, GMA News

Davao Police Chief Sued by 'abused' Wife

by Ina Reformina, ABS-CBN News

The wife of Davao City Police chief Sr. Supt. Vicente Danao Jr., Susie Danao, filed a complaint for violation of Republic Act (RA) No. 9262, also known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act, against her husband.

Mrs. Danao, an overseas Filipino worker, in a 12-page complaint-affidavit filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday, alleged that she and her children "had been physically and verbally abused" by her husband in several instances from 2002 up to 2013

Mrs. Danao accused the Davao police chief of "psychological, economic, and physical abuse," and expressed fears that if she did not file a case against him, he might continue his abuse and "marital infidelity" to the detriment of their children.

Last August, a video of the police officer physically and verbally abusing his wife surfaced. His wife reportedly revealed his abuses in several police blotters during occasions she sought help.

Mrs. Danao was accompanied by Gabriela Party-List Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan, who said in a statement that "it is doubly alarming that the perpetrator is one who is supposedly expected to uphold the law."

"How can he be expected to perform his functions in protecting women and children from violence when he himself is a perpetrator and insists on reducing cases of violence as trivial domestic concerns?" Ilagan said, in a press statement.

The criminal complaint is on top of an administrative complaint against Sr. Supt. Danao before the Philippine National Police Regional Internal Affairs Service. Danao was administratively relieved from his post for a month due to the administrative complaint. He was reinstated to his post early this month.

Bureau of Immigration Keeps Sueselbeck in The Philipines to Face Deportation Case

Laude fiance Marc Sueselbeck stopped from leaving PHL. Marc Sueselbeck, fiance of slain transgender woman Jennifer Laude, is seen here at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26, for his flight home to Germany. However, the Bureau of Immigration barred Sueselbeck from leaving the country after it filed a charge of 'undesirability' against him. Danny Pata

The Bureau of Immigration prevented Marc Sueselbeck, German fiance of slain transgender woman Jeffrey (Jennifer) Laude, from leaving the country on Sunday because of a pending deportation case against him.

Immigration Commissioner Siegfried Mison said in a text message that Sueselbeck had to defer his departure because of an undesirability case against him.

"A copy of the Charge Sheet was provided to him," Mison also said, adding Sueselbeck has been told to report to the BI's legal division on Monday.
 
On Oct. 22,  Sueselbeck and Laude's sister Marilou climbed a perimeter fence inside Camp Aguinaldo to get inside the Mutual Defense Board – Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) facility, a restricted area, where US Marines Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton, the suspect in Laude's death, was brought earlier in the day.

 

Sueselbeck has repeatedly apologized for the incident, saying he did not mean to disrespect Philippine authorities.

In a statement to the media, Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman,

said the AFP is "happy that the BI has done its job professionally and took swift action" in preventing Sueselbeck from leaving.

 

"The AFP has accepted his apology but remains committed to pursue the move to have him declared as an undesirable alien," he also said.

 

(C) 2014 by GMA News

Tourism Accolades for The Philippines

By Ed Biado, MANILA STANDARD 
 

These 7,107 islands are finally getting the recognition they deserve. After being perennially ignored for a long time in favor of other exotic Asian locales, the Philippines is now among the emerging destinations shaking up the world of travel. Thanks to aggressive marketing campaigns and effective branding strategies undertaken by the Tourism Department and supported by the the Filipino public here and abroad, Philippine tourism is on the brink of a renaissance.

Travel guide creator and publisher Lonely Planet included the Philippines in the list of top 10 countries to visit in 2015 in its “Best In Travel 2015” guidebook—one of only two Asian countries on the tally. (The other is Singapore, which takes the top spot.)

Baler in Aurora together with its more popular
counterparts are putting the Philippines back
on the map. DAVID CHAN

The write-up on the Web site states, “Many would say the time is well overdue for the Philippines to be recognized as the next big travel destination in Southeast Asia,” citing its “beautiful coastlines, fringed by dive-tastic coral reefs, sprinkled with sunbathe-ready white sand, backed by swaying palm trees and dotted with simple resorts of nipa-palm thatched huts.”

It adds that there are “plenty” of live-changing experiences (such as “clinging to the back of a jeepney speeding through the crowded streets of Metro Manila”), as well as “street parades, food festivals, sports tournaments and live music shows.”

From “hundreds of places that are exciting right now,” the destinations that made the recommendations guide are “just 10 countries, 10 regions and 10 cities,” each “chosen for its topicality, unique experiences and ‘wow’ factor.” (“Best In Travel 2015” is now on sale through www.lonelyplanet.com for $14.99.)

In a separate story on the Lonely Planet Web site, writer Trent Holden raves about the nation’s capital. He says, “Boasting everything from craft beer, street food and speakeasy bars, to live music and a contemporary art scene, Manila is emerging as one of Asia’s most happening capitals,” crediting the development to “a new generation of fun-loving Manileños determined to put it back on the map.”

The country is also on the radar of luxury travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler. Its Readers’ Choice Awards for Top Islands in the World named Palawan as the number-one choice and Boracay as the 12th.

Meanwhile, travel industry publication TTG Asia, a licensee of Travel Trade Gazette, hailed the Philippines “Destination of the Year,” an award bestowed upon the “most outstanding destination [in the region] for taking proactive steps and initiatives towards the development and promotion of the travel industry.”

All these are expected to raise the profile of the country in 2015, which the DOT declared as Visit the Philippines Year, “an invitation for all to experience the enduring promise of more fun in the Philippines.”

Filipino Values - that hinder progress in the workplace (I)

By Dr. Tomas Q. D. Andres, BLUE COLLAR, October 1988

There are some negatively oriented Filipino values that hinder the attainment of quality performance. An oversome of amorpropio, for instance, makes the Filipino oversensitive to correction and criticism. He is ever on the alert to note slights, fancy or real. A worker, when given constructive criticism by his supervisor in all candor and sincerity could get mad and retaliate by telling him: "Akala mo kung sining stockholder!" A brotherly suggestion designed to guide a worker and made with the noblest intensions tend to excite animosity against a supervisor.

Filipinos are proud winners but are unabe to take defeat gracefully. They always strive to win and are exceedingly jubilant what they do. However, Filipinos are poor losers and do  not know how to lose without a feeling of bitterness. When a piecerate worker's output is rejected because of poor quality, he feels humiliated and no amount of explanation can sweeten the unpalatable fact. He is always apt to put up an excuse or alibi, blaming the machine or the material.

Another value hast has a negative dimension affecting quality is "gayagaya" or "keeping up with the Santoses" (copy-cats). The desire to compete with the neighbor's standards of living at all costs makes a worker produce quantity at the expense of quality. This sometimes leads to "pasikatan" mentality in a factory, where a worker is judged according to how many and how much he does a day.

Gaya-gaya also works adversely against quality when the supervisor himself does not give a good example. "Ang lumikha ng batas siya mismo ang bumutas".

The "bahala na"-mentality is the thief of quality, the mother of indolence, the twin sister of idleness, the natural parent of vice, the roadblock to initiative and productivity, the producer of sluggards. Procrastination -or putting off for tomorrow what you can do today - Manana habit - is also negative dimension and lack of quality. Superstition and fatalism values (talaga ng Diyos, iginuhit ng tadhana, gasat (destiny) and malas affect quality in a negative way. The baka-makalusot mentality makes Filipinos pass poor quality products to costumers.

(To be continued!)

Ramos Weighs in on New Bangsamoro Region

FORMER president Fidel V. Ramos said the government has set an unrealistic time frame for a proposed law intended to set up a new autonomous Bangsamoro region in Southern Philippines.

Speaking at the Islam Democracy forum organized by the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID) at the University of the Philippines in Diliman on Tuesday, Mr. Ramos said the government should extend its time frame to complete its plan.

“Ang kulang ay yung panahon kasi [Time is lacking because] you can’t just take these things for granted. Just because there is an expert panel, that does not mean that everybody will accept it within the time frame established by the government. It doesn’t work that way,” the former president said.

The administration of President Benigno S. C. Aquino III is eyeing to have the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) approved by Congress by the first quarter of 2015.

Asked what the administration should do to ensure that the planned Bangsamoro region will not be doomed to fail, Mr. Ramos said the national government should invest more in training the right people who will occupy key positions in the new region.

“There needs to be continuous training, at yung mga mahahalal na chief minister [and the chief minister who will be elected] must be well trained from the very beginning with the proper patriotism, proper sharing and caring for others and the republic of the PH.

“They will be part of the Philippines, they are not an independent entity,” Mr. Ramos said further.

Mr. Ramos was Philippine president from 1992 to 1998 -- the second chief executive in the restored democracy of the Fifth Republic which followed the fall of his cousin, the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos. Mr. Ramos was a leading participant in the People Power Revolution of 1986 that led to Mr. Marcos’s ouster and exile.

In 1996, Mr. Ramos forged a peace agreement with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) head Nur Misuari that briefly reintegrated the rebel leader into the political mainstream with his election as governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), an entity organized during the administration of Mr. Ramos’s predecessor, Corazon C. Aquino.

In light of Mr. Misuari’s controversial stint in government, Mrs. Aquino’s son, the incumbent president, had criticized the ARMM as “a failed experiment. Many of the people continue to feel alienated by the system, and those who feel that there is no way out will continue to articulate their grievances through the barrel of a gun. We cannot change this without structural reform.”

Mr. Ramos emphasized that the ARMM is the outcome of a political process dating back to Mrs. Aquino’s presidency.

“It’s the leaders of the ARMM who were bad, not the Constitution,” he also said. 

(C) 2014 by BusinessWorld Online - Alden M. Monzon

Ramos Weighs in on New Bangsamoro Region

FORMER president Fidel V. Ramos said the government has set an unrealistic time frame for a proposed law intended to set up a new autonomous Bangsamoro region in Southern Philippines.

Speaking at the Islam Democracy forum organized by the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID) at the University of the Philippines in Diliman on Tuesday, Mr. Ramos said the government should extend its time frame to complete its plan.

“Ang kulang ay yung panahon kasi [Time is lacking because] you can’t just take these things for granted. Just because there is an expert panel, that does not mean that everybody will accept it within the time frame established by the government. It doesn’t work that way,” the former president said.

The administration of President Benigno S. C. Aquino III is eyeing to have the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) approved by Congress by the first quarter of 2015.

Asked what the administration should do to ensure that the planned Bangsamoro region will not be doomed to fail, Mr. Ramos said the national government should invest more in training the right people who will occupy key positions in the new region.

“There needs to be continuous training, at yung mga mahahalal na chief minister [and the chief minister who will be elected] must be well trained from the very beginning with the proper patriotism, proper sharing and caring for others and the republic of the PH.

“They will be part of the Philippines, they are not an independent entity,” Mr. Ramos said further.

Mr. Ramos was Philippine president from 1992 to 1998 -- the second chief executive in the restored democracy of the Fifth Republic which followed the fall of his cousin, the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos. Mr. Ramos was a leading participant in the People Power Revolution of 1986 that led to Mr. Marcos’s ouster and exile.

In 1996, Mr. Ramos forged a peace agreement with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) head Nur Misuari that briefly reintegrated the rebel leader into the political mainstream with his election as governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), an entity organized during the administration of Mr. Ramos’s predecessor, Corazon C. Aquino.

In light of Mr. Misuari’s controversial stint in government, Mrs. Aquino’s son, the incumbent president, had criticized the ARMM as “a failed experiment. Many of the people continue to feel alienated by the system, and those who feel that there is no way out will continue to articulate their grievances through the barrel of a gun. We cannot change this without structural reform.”

Mr. Ramos emphasized that the ARMM is the outcome of a political process dating back to Mrs. Aquino’s presidency.

“It’s the leaders of the ARMM who were bad, not the Constitution,” he also said. 

(C) 2014 by BusinessWorld Online - Alden M. Monzon

Celebrating 60 years of Diplomatic Relations between Germany and the Philippines ...

The Next Typhoon is On the Way ...

 A new typhoon hovering over the Pacific Ocean was forecast to enter the Philippine area of responsibility on Wednesday but the state weather bureau said it is unlikely to affect any part of the country as it moves toward Japan.

Vongfong was expected to pass through the northeastern boundary of the country on Wednesday or Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday.

Vongfong will be locally named Ompong once it enters the Philippine
area of responsibility, PAGASA said.

It said Vongfong may follow the track of Typhoon Neneng (Phanfone), which exited the country on Saturday.

“If it maintains its current track of west-northwest, it may enter the Philippine area of responsibility by Wednesday or Thursday,” PAGASA weather forecaster Fernando Cada said.

The weather bureau said that light to moderate rains may affect the eastern section of Luzon, Palawan and the Visayas on Wednesday due to the trough of the typhoon.

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

The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies apart from rainshowers or thunderstorms, it added.

PAGASA said the tropical cyclone was forecast to move toward the southern islands of Japan.

“It is not expected to make landfall in any part of the country,” the weather bureau said.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said the intertropical convergence zone will continue to bring cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms over the Visayas, Bicol region, Caraga and the provinces of Mindoro until today.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

PAGASA said the coastal waters of Northern Luzon will be moderate to rough in the next 24 hours.

 

(C) 2014 by Philippine Star

Worldbank Downgrades Philippinen Growth Outlook

By Ted P. Torres (The Philippine Star) 
 

The World Bank has revised downward its economic growth projections for the Philippines this year and the next, warning that growth would largely depend on public spending, disaster reconstruction, and further structural reforms.

In a report, the World Bank said baseline growth projections were revised downward from the original 6.6 percent to 6.4 percent for 2014, and from the earlier 6.9 percent to 6.7 percent for 2015.

According to the World Bank, private consumption driven by strong remittance inflows would drive the economy “but growth will depend heavily on the ability of the government to ramp up spending.”

“An acceleration of reconstruction spending can support growth at above six percent,” the World Bank said.

A number of external and domestic factors could likewise pose risks to growth, it added.

External risks could come from disorderly policy normalization in high-income countries, a disorderly adjustment in China’s property market, political tensions in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and territorial disputes with China.

On the domestic side, the main sources of risk are low government consumption, slow reconstruction spending, and domestic reform lags, in particular reforms to raise tax revenues needed to raise infrastructure and social services spending.

Inflation is projected to reach the ceiling of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ three-to five-percent target.

It will also force monetary tightening and greater use of macro-prudential measures, such as further increases in the RRR and policy rates.

The World Bank report, entitled East Asia Pacific Economic Update, warned that food supply could remain tight throughout 2014 because of poor harvests due to weather-related disturbances, and could be exacerbated by droughts due to El Niño.

In addition, because rice is a basic consumption necessity with inelastic demand, any delay in the importation of rice, which is controlled by the government, could result in sharp increases in rice prices. Moreover, short-term depreciation of the peso and higher fuel prices are sources of inflation.

The World Bank said growth can be sustained and made more inclusive by pursuing structural reforms and investing more in human and physical capital in the medium term. Key structural reforms include protecting property rights, promoting more competition, and simplifying regulations.

The report noted the government’s planned doubling of infrastructure spending to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and significant increases in health and education spending, which require new sources of revenues.

“This can be achieved through a package of tax policy and administrative reforms,” the World Bank said.

There is scope to increase tax revenues, by, for example, broadening the base and making the tax system simpler, more efficient, and more equitable, while simultaneously lowering certain tax rates to increase the political feasibility of such a package.

The government has successfully raised taxes by 1.2 percentage points of GDP in the last three years through the sin tax reform, improved tax administration, and higher growth.

Accelerating the current reform momentum would help the country yield additional tax revenues to create the fiscal space needed to enhance growth in the coming years.

Meanwhile, economic growth of developing East Asia is seen to slow down to 6.9 percent this year, from 7.2 percent in 2013 due to various external risks.

World Bank East Asia and Pacific regional vice-president Axel Vann Trotsenburg said the region has the potential to continue to grow at a higher rate and faster than other developing regions if policy makers implement an ambitious domestic reform agenda.

The region remains vulnerable to a sharp slowdown in China, which though unlikely to happen, could hurt commodity producers which include metal exporters in Mongolia and coal exporters in Indonesia.

Study Links Heat Waves in Asia to Climate Change

The report, published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, investigates the causes of a wide variety of extreme weather and climate events from around the world in 2013. Titled "Explaining Extreme Events of 2013 from a Climate Perspective" the 84-page document examines the causes of 16 individual extreme events - including heat waves, rain, flood, droughts and storms - that occurred on four continents in 2013. 

Thirteen independent studies mentioned in the report - compiled by 92 scientists from around the globe – determined there was a link between extreme weather and the burning of fossil fuels. But while the authors found that human influence had substantially increased both the likelihood and severity of heat waves in places like Asia and Australia, it was more difficult to measure the influence of human activity on other events like droughts, heavy rain and storms.

Thomas Peterson, principal scientist at NOAA's National Climactic Data Center and one of the report's lead editors, says in an interview with  Deutsche Welle TV Berlin, that while scientists could not identify a linkage between human-caused global warming and some extreme weather events, the data gathered provides evidence that human activity has increased the intensity and likelihood of heat waves in Asian countries such as China, Japan and Korea.

Peterson: 'Human activity has influenced the strength of extreme weather or increased its likelihood'

Which extreme weather events did you focus on in Asia and why?

Thomas Peterson: Each of the four topics evaluated in Asia was selected by the author team for subjective reasons. Often because the event was of interest to them on a personal level, as it impacted them, their families and their friends. For instance, the report focuses on Japan, Korea and China which all experienced extremely hot summers in 2013.

The fourth topic focused on heavy rain in India. With an early arrival of monsoon-like atmospheric circulation in June, the heavy precipitation that occurred in northern India was a once-in-a-century event.

What were the key findings of the report?

The report found that long duration heat waves during the summer and prevailing warmth for annual conditions are becoming increasingly likely due to a warming planet, as much as 10 times more likely due to the current cumulative effects of human-induced climate change, as found for the Korean heat wave of summer 2013.

Extreme precipitation events of last year were found to have been much less influenced by human-induced climate change than extreme temperature events. Furthermore, prolonged cold waves have become much less likely, such that the severely cold 2013 winter over the United Kingdom was perhaps the most remarkable event of all those studied in 2013 - its probability of occurrence may have fallen 30-fold due to global warming alone.

However, there was no clear evidence of human influence on any of the three very intense storms examined, which included a surprising winter-like storm during autumn in the Pyrenees, an extreme blizzard across the US High Plains, and Cyclone 'Christian' that delivered damaging winds across northern Germany and southern Denmark.

To which extent did climate role play a role in extreme weather events in Asia last year?

All four events evaluated in Asia were found to indicate that human activity had influenced the strength of extreme weather or increased its likelihood. For instance, analyses of observed and simulated June precipitation provided evidence that human-caused climate change has increased the likelihood of much stronger precipitation in northern India, and made heat waves more likely to occur in Japan, Korea and Easter China.

How come human factors were found to have influenced some weather events, but not others? 

Natural variability was a prime cause of all events, just the randomness of the weather. For some of these events, in addition to the natural causes, human influence helped make the events stronger or more likely. But for some events in other regions, the analyses that scientists conducted could not identify a linkage. For a few events, greenhouse gases actually made the extreme event less likely.

Three independent studies which examined Pacific Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric anomalies, found some, but not conclusive, evidence for the impact of human-caused climate change on the ongoing rainfall deficit in the US state of California. For example, one paper found evidence that atmospheric pressure patterns related to the drought increased due to human causes, but their exact influence on the California drought remains uncertain.

So, in your view, which weather events are more likely to be influenced by human factors than others?

Three papers with different methodologies looking at the Chinese, Korean and Japanese heat waves reached the same conclusion. This is a very powerful message. If increases in greenhouse gases are making an event more likely, then it implies that we should expect events like that more often in the future.

The study examined the causes of 16 individual extreme weather events around the world in 2013.

If some extreme weather events could be linked directly to climate change, what does this tell us about the urgency to tackle the issue?

It tells us that climate change is not just in the future but, for example, for the people in eastern China, Korea and Japan, climate change is in their own backyards.

Thomas C. Peterson is President of World Meteorological Organization's Commission for Climatology and the Principal Scientist at the National Climatic Data Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States.

(C) 2014 Deutsche Welle TV Berlin/Germany

Philippine Has No ISIS Presence

The Philippines has so far not monitored any presence of ISIS member in the country, a senior government official said here today.  

However, "Perhaps there are sympathizers" of the Muslim militants here, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a local radio program.

The Philippine government has been coordinating with the Muslim groups in the country to thwart threats posed by the Islamic State (ISIS), she added.  

Valte admitted that the government has been taking seriously the threats brought by this terrorist group.

"We do not take it lightly. We don't want to have additional problem here in our country," she said in an interview at a state- run radio station.

She said that the Muslim brothers, including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), have been helping the government in ensuring that no member of this terror group could enter the Philippines.

The MILF, the largest Muslim rebel group in the country, forged in March this year a peace deal with the Philippine government.

 Members of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a break away group of the MILF, have expressed support to ISIS. 

Manila-NAIA Terminal Fee Included in International Tickets

International passengers departing the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) will no longer have to line up to pay the terminal fee starting October 1. 

 

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said it will start implementing the integration of terminal fee in the cost of airline ticket next month. The one-year transition integration program would start on October 1, while the full implementation of the policy would be October 2015. 

In a notice, the MIAA said the P550 international passenger service charge or terminal fee should be integrated into the cost of the airline ticket at point of sale. The move is expected to ease the congestion problem at the departure area in NAIA. 

The DOTC has also ordered the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, the Clark International Airport Corporation and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to incorporate the terminal fee into the cost of tickets.

The MIAA reiterated that overseas Filipino workers, who have a certification from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration; pilgrims endorsed by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos; athletes endorsed by the Philippine Sports Commission; and others authorized by the Office of the President, still enjoy exemptions from paying the terminal fee.

If the airline ticket is purchased online or abroad, these exempted passengers would have to pay terminal fee. Also, the exempted passengers should also pay the fee, if they cannot present the proper certification when tickets are purchased over the counter.

The MIAA, however, said the terminal fee could be refunded at NAIA if the passenger can present the overseas employment certificate, electronic ticket, boarding pass, and MIAA exemption certificate.

The "terminal fee" collected by the MIAA is used for the airport operations. Of the P550, the MIAA gets P390 for maintenance and upkeep, the national government gets P100 and aviation security gets P60.

The terminal fee for domestic flights has already been incorporated in airline tickets since August 2012.