Canadian Chamber Head Weighs in on Investors after Samal Kidnapping

DAVAO CITY -- The abduction last September of four people -- two of whom are Canadians -- in the Island Garden City of Samal has affected business prospects in the region and how the case will be resolved will be crucial to investor confidence, the head of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CanCham) said.

Canadian PM-Elect Justin S. Trudeau -- AFP

“The recent kidnapping has been given fairly wide publicity in Canada and has temporarily affected business,” CanCham President Julian H. Payne said in an interview during a recent visit to the city.

The Government of Canada, on its Web site updated Oct. 27, has warned its nationals to exercise a high degree of caution when traveling to the Philippines and advised against “all travel to the Mindanao Region, excluding urban areas of Davao City.”

The advisory applies to the Davao Region provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley and Davao del Norte, which covers Samal.

“Those [Canadians] already doing business in the area would not be affected because while they know there are some risks, the existing businesses know how to cope,” Mr. Payne said.

Among the biggest Canadian companies operating in the Philippines are those in the mining and insurance industries.

But Mr. Payne said those who are still in the prospective stage may have second thoughts and are likely to postpone their plans following the advisory.

“There is a temporary effect but in the long term, it will all depend on how the kidnapping is resolved,” he said.

A video of the kidnap victims uploaded on YouTube last month is still being validated by the Special Investigation Task Group Ocean View.

Supt. Antonio E. Rivera, spokesperson of the Davao Police Regional Office, said they submitted the copy of the video to the Manila headquarters since the local office does not have the equipment for verification.

The 2:22-minute clip, which was posted on YouTube on Oct. 13, showed the two Canadians and the Norwegian manager of the Holiday Oceanview Marina where they were kidnapped, together with a Filipina hostage presumed to be a partner of one of the kidnapped Canadians.

They were surrounded by eight heavily armed men with the recognizable black flag of the terrorist group ISIS behind them.

Canada’s advisory is significant in the context of the Philippines’ hosting the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit this month.

Canadian Prime Minister-Elect Justin Trudeau is among the leaders of APEC’s member-economies scheduled to arrive in Manila for the Nov. 18-19 summit.

Mr. Trudeau, who is due to be sworn in on Wednesday after winning in Canada’s Oct. 19 legislative elections, will also attend UN climate talks in Paris on Nov. 30 where the Philippines is also a participant. -- with reports by AFP

Just a loan

WED, NOVEMBER 4, 2015 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINION
Klaus Doring

Sweet words are easy to say; nice things are easy to buy; but good people are different to find. Life ends, when you stop dreaming; hope ends, when you stop believing; friendship stops, when you stop sharing. A good friend of mine sent me this quotation. I commented back: So very true and very well said!

Our life is borrowed – from God. No rental charges are collected from us. Many of us have forgotten this and live life at his fullest. Our life is equal to a book from a library that lends one. But how insatiable and unbearable are we in disdainful acting towards life and therefore to ourselves? Remember: life is just a loan!

Life seems to be nothing, just being ready to riddle one with bullets. Life seems to be nothing, just being broken through the indifference and unreliable and immoral behavior. Life seems to be nothing for those people who don’t understand cries from the heart of other people around them – cries for their hearts and families, for justice and for many other things.

Life with all its ups and downs, is just a loan, but for many of our fellow creatures it just seems to be nonsense to be littered like dump. And, if people try to survive, especially during these days, and if they just experienced (once more!) indifference, arrogance, ignorance or cheating by whomever – they will give up!

I can assure you that every one of us can at first help in prayers and, in reading the bible. “Proverbs” is probably the most down-to-earth book in the bible. Its teachings prepare you for the daily life, the street and the market place, but not for the schoolroom. The book offers warm pieces of advice you get; practical guidance for making your way on earth. Proverbs co-vers any kinds of questions you might have right now. Any-body can relate to the generalities of Proverbs, because this book simply tells how life works most of the time.

While writing this piece, I observed that more and more people struggle through life: tired, hopeless, experiencing their rock-bottoms, believing in fallacious “people” around them. I also observed a lot of people living a thief life, as if it it has been giving them without limitation.

“Let’s enjoy every single loophole in law!” What a sad and fatal attraction!

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

Eine ganz besondere Schule ...

Ich lebe bereits seit fast 17 Jahren als Auswanderer auf den Philippinen.

Seit fast acht Jahren unterrichte ich Deutsch an der University of Southeastern Philippines am Fremdsprachen-Institut in Davao City.

Bei meinem letzten Besuch in Manila fragte mich Konsul und Verwaltungsleiter sowie Sachgebietsleiter RK, Ulrich Koehler, ob ich ueberhaupt schon einmal die Deutsche Manila besucht haette. Ich verneinte ... .

Und prompt arrangierte er ein Treffen mit dem neuen Schulleiter Andreas Thiergen, der seinen Posten Anfang September 2015 angetreten hat.

Andreas Thiergen, der sich im April 2015 ueber die Zentralstelle fuer das Auslandsschulwesen fuer Izmir bewarb, bekam Manila vorgeschlagen. Wie er in einem frueheren Interview sagte: "Der 50-jaehrige hat die Entscheidung gemeinsam mit seiner Familie getroffen, erneut ins Ausland zu gehen".

Ich empfand Andreas Thiergen von der ersten Minute sehr symphatisch und offen. Es war eine Freude, seinen Erzaehlungen zu lauschen. Bis vor den diesjaehrigen Sommerferien war er Lehrer fuer Deutsch, Geschichte, Gemeinschaftskunde und Ethik am Andreae-Gymnasium in Herrenberg. Nun ist er also Schulleiter der beruehmten Deutschen Internationalen Schule in Manila - oder auch German-European School Manila genannt.

Er kennt die Tropen. Er kennt Asien. Er unterrichte acht Jahre in Jakarta/Indonesien und lernte dort seine liebenswuerdige Frau Elita Nasution kennen. Die beiden Kinder Alifah und Arifin wurden in Jakarta geboren.

Ja, die Arbeit als Schulleiter an der GESM mit ueber 300 Schuelern ist eine Herausforderung fuer Andreas Thiergen. Er ist fuer -neben vielen anderen Dingen-  fuer die Kooperation zwischen Deutscher Botschaft, Goethe Institut und "seiner" Schule zustaendig.

Die German European School Manila, die mich sehr beeindruckt hat, bietet von der Krabbelgruppe ueber den Kindergarten, die Grundschule und die hoehere Schule verschiedene Betreuungsangebote und Bildungsmoeglichkeiten an. Zusammen mit der Franzoesischen Schule bildet sie den Eurocampus Manila. GESM besitzt einen deutschen und internationalen Zweig und als SEK-II-Abschluss das "International Bacalaureat Diploma".

The German European School Manila (GESM) started its Special Education Needs Policy in 2013 based on long lasting experience with special needs students at GESM.

This SEN policy is GESM's own take on the Concept of Inclusion wherein the school increases the participation, by reducing barriers of learning, of students who have "special educational needs" or with physical or sensorial impairments.

The Student Services Department oversees the daily operation and implementation of the SEN policy and its spearheaded by the Guidance Councelor (Socio-emotional) and SEN Coordinator (students with special education needs).

Check out for more here:

http://www.gesm.ph

At the moment, the side is down for maintenance.

The German European School Manila, is an international school in Parañaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines. GESM is an IB World School in its Diploma and Primary Years Programme and a Certified Excellent German School Abroad. Wikipedia

Address: 75 Swaziland Street, Better Living Subdivision, Parañaque, 1711 Metro Manila

Phone: (02) 776 1000

Founded: 1983

New Borders in Europe?

Philippines Cancels Flights and Alerts Hospitals Over Haze

By: Agence France-Presse

A woman takes a photo from a building of the thick haze, believed to be from Indonesia's forest fires, engulfing the city of Davao on Friday. Smog from the fires on Sumatra island and the Indonesian section of Borneo island has affected several Southeast Asian countries. Photo by Dennis Jay Santos, AFP.

MANILA -- The Philippines cancelled flights and put hospitals on alert on Sunday, as its southern and central islands were covered by thickening haze from Indonesian forest fires.

Smog from Indonesian slash-and-burn farming has choked vast expanses of Southeast Asia for weeks, killing at least 10 people, forcing events to be shut down and schools to close across the region.

International efforts to douse the blazes have done little to clear the air, and Filipino authorities warned ash levels were becoming increasingly dangerous in the southern islands.

"The department of health is advising those who have breathing problems or respiratory diseases to wear face masks in areas covered by haze," presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma told reporters.

Hospitals in the south were ready to receive anyone affected by the haze, he added.

Six flights to central and southern islands were cancelled or delayed Sunday due to the thickening smog, after thousands were left stranded over the past 10 days.

Pilots flying in the central city of Cebu could only see eight kilometers ahead, said government weather observer John Agbay, adding that visibility was also impaired in the western island of Palawan.

Indonesian forest fires are an annual occurence, but dry weather has made them particularly bad this year and Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Japan have all sent help to fight the blazes.

While the haze in the Philippines has been mild compared to other parts of Southeast Asia, the smoke has been largely unexpected as the islands affected lie thousands of kilometers away from the fires.

Singapore, one of the worst hit, on Sunday urged fellow ASEAN members to take "firm and decisive action" against ahead of a group summit in Malaysia next month.

The city-state issued the call after Singaporean troops and firefighters returned from an international assistance mission in Indonesia's Sumatra island.

Experts say Typhoon Koppu (local name "Lando"), which passed over the northern tip of the Philippines last week, may have contributed to the problem in the archipelago by dragging the smoke across from Indonesia.

© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

Professor Files Third Petition vs Poe

By: Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News

A political science professor of the De La Salle University has filed the third case against Senator Grace Poe here at the Commission on Elections since the senator filed her certificate of candidacy for president last week.

Professor Antonio Contreras filed a Petition to Deny Due Course or Cancel the COC of Senator Poe before the Comelec's Clerk of the Commission Tuesday using her residency as grounds.

Contreras believes that the senator is two months and 9 days short of the 10 years minimum residency requirement to run for president.

Compared to the earlier petitioners, Contreras in his petition did not use Poe's citizenship status against her as there is no clear jurisprudence yet on foundlings.

He also did not choose to file a disqualification case against Poe because he believes that she has not committed any election violations when she filed her COC.

He added that his decision to file the petition was to prove that someone without any political backing or dubious motivations could question the qualifications of any candidate, even one who is leading in the surveys like Senator Poe.
Contreras told reporters that he is acting on his own, and that he is using his own money to finance the case, even going against his own mother who he said will vote for Grace Poe.

The Poe camp said the different petitions against the senator are meant to condition the minds of the voters that she will be disqualified.

"In their quest to achieve that malicious objective, the barrage of petitions being filed is already turning the electoral process into a circus. To reiterate, Sen. Poe is ready to answer all these unfounded petitions in the proper forum point per point," the Poe camp said.

The DLSU professor is the third person to file a petition against Poe before the Comelec since last week.
Last Friday, Atty. Estrella Elamparo filed a petition to deny due course or cancel Poe's COC for alleged "material misrepresentation in stating that she is a natural-born Filipino."

Elamparo argued that Poe is not a natural-born Filipino citizen because she is a foundling, and that her adoption did not have the effect of transmitting or conferring upon her the status of a natural-born Filipino.

READ: A foundling named Grace

She also argued that international conventions and treaties on stateless persons are not sufficient to grant Poe the status of a natural-born citizen, and any presumption that the senator is a natural-born Filipino is not sufficient for the residency requirement under the Constitution.

On Monday, former senator Francisco "Kit" Tatad also filed a disqualification case against Poe, saying Poe cannot run for president next year because she is not a natural born Filipino and because she failed to meet the residency requirement for candidates.

Real Change in Emergency Response

Office of the Senate Majority Leader

Alan Peter S. Cayetano

Rm. 603 GSIS Complex Senate of the Philippines Roxas Blvd Pasay City

         

PRESS RELEASE

21 October 2015

 

 

 

CAYETANO CALLS FOR REAL CHANGE IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE: RENEWS CALL FOR CREATION OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE DEPARTMENT

“We need to make real change to make sure our government is ready when disaster strikes,” said Senator Cayetano.

In light of the onslaught of Typhoon Lando that hit several Luzon provinces this week, Cayetano said now is the perfect time for government to create a single, unified department that will spearhead the government’s disaster risk reduction and management efforts. 

“We must learn from our past experiences and create real change now to ensure government does all that it can to help when Filipinos need help the most,” We have not yet fully recovered from the impact of previous calamities that devastated the country in the past years. And now, another one threatened the lives and livelihood of our kababayans in the north,” Cayetano said.

In the aftermath of super typhoon Yolanda two years ago, the senator filed Senate Bill No. 1940 which, if enacted into law, would institute an "Emergency Response Department" (ERD) that will be headed by a Cabinet Secretary, will manage all disaster preparedness and response activities. and allocates more funds for the execution of such tasks.

But Cayetano lamented that the administration has not given priority to the bill since it was filed in November 2013.

“In times of emergencies, we need to make a real change in how government responds, and that means better communication and accountability,” Cayetano explains. “This is not possible when the agency is part-time. Samantalang ang kalamidad sa ating bansa ay full-time,” he added. ###

The Haze is on

WED, OCTOBER 21, 2015 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR

EDITORIAL

Davao City’s skyline looks like it came straight out of a surreal painting with the darkened horizon. While everyone wants to believe that this fog-like image came as a result of the cool weather brought about by Typhoon Lando, the experts at Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) were however quick to awaken us from dreamland to tell us that this is all haze straight from Indonesia. Apparently, the monsoon winds have brought us not the romantic air we beget but the haze from Indonesia’s forest fires. The same haze is visible in General Santos City, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro City. Even ASEAN countries like Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore have been under a blanket of haze for quite sometime now, no thanks to the forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia.

Forest fires occur because of farmers who engage in slash-and-burn practices when clearing their lands primarily for economic reasons. The El Niño or the long periods of drought or dry season has only worsened the forest fires and unfortunately, the haze. This should be a cause of concern for all of us not only because it is detrimental to our environment. More importantly, this haze could be detrimental to our health especially those suffering from asthma and other chronic diseases. If you find yourself coughing a lot now, or sneezing more than you should be, then you should start to wonder if this is all caused by the haze. It is high time for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to start measuring air quality in the cities and provinces affected by the haze so we become aware if it is still safe to breathe freely. The Health Department should also come up with a guideline as to the effects of haze on our health, and what we can do to minimize the ill effects if there are.

Indonesia may be thousand of miles away from the Philippines but the haze that we are experiencing now shows that no country is isolated from the outside world anymore. As Joey Ayala’s song “Magkaugnay” goes…

Lupa, laot, langit ay magkaugnay

Hayop, halaman, tao ay magkaugnay

Ang lahat ng bagay ay magkaugnay

Magkaugnay ang lahat.

(C) 2015 by MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR, Davao City

What could be a Christmas gift?

TUE, OCTOBER 20, 2015 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINION
Klaus Doring

Gift gi-ving and receiving and Christ-mas simply but surely go together. Many times it’s incurring our indig-nation. Ma-ny of us defer the most important decision during the most jolliest season of the year. What is the best Christmas gift for our loved ones??? Is it really an important decision, or does it delete the real meaning of Christmas? I am sure, many of us know the real answer.

The giving spirit of the holiday season seems to fade in the light of necessary obligations and finances, along the painful dilemma of giving gifts to those who want to buy for as opposed to those for whom you should buy!

Let’s think about it: To whom are we obligated at Christmas: our boss, our cousins, our parents, our partner or our children and friends as well? What about the children? Should they give presents to people other than family mem-bers? How about the innumerable large families especially in the Philippines, because of economics, resort to name drawing process at Christmas.

For me firstly Christ-mas is spirit. You can always find ways to give gifts without expenses. The most well known and always remembered gift is to do to someone like giving time. In my family we do this mostly during the season holidays.

But if I look more around, mmh, sad to say, that “time as gift” doesn’t satisfy most of all.Well, it’s okay. There are so many ways to use your mind in terms of giving someone other things than putting Peso or Dollar notes. I am sure you know, that home made gifts can be also a very good idea….

Sure, there is etiquette of gift giving at Christmas and also other occasions. Homemade gifts are most appropriate especially as Christmas gifts, according to Stuart E. Jacobson, book author of “The Art of Giving”. Allow me to quote Jacob-son, “Home-made gifts are won-derful. A gift of imagi-nation, a gift of creativity, a gift, that shows (also!) time was put into it. A created time is a wonderful present.”

When considering a homemade gift, instead of tumbling through crowded shopping malls (as I tried again yesterday!) and getting a headache (I really got!)! While stumbling from one mall to the next, I found out again, that the real and whole essence of giving a gift is to bring pleasure to the person receiving it. Jacobson says in his book, “Homemade gifts are also ideal for children to give as presents. Kids can create things because they have unique imagination. Children should feel free to give something to anyone they spend a lot of time with. No monetary value should be placed on what a child should give to someone.”

Very well said. I am just afraid, that it seems more or less impossible nowadays in these modern times….

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You can email me: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me in Facebook or Twitter or visit www.germanexpatinthe philippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdorings classicalmusic.blogspot.com.

The Race for the Philippine Presidency Has Begun

By Mong Palatino

According to the Philippine Commission on Elections, 130 persons have applied to run for president in next year’s election. The majority are unknown aspirants who will likely be disqualified for lacking the means to mount a nationwide campaign. The election itself is set for May 9.

There are four major candidates with both strong party backing and large public following. The administration candidate is former interior secretary Mar Roxas. Opposition leader and incumbent vice president Jejomar Binay also formally registered his bid for the presidency. Neophyte Grace Poe, a senator and the leading candidate based on several surveys, also submitted her certificate of candidacy this week. But the surprise candidate is Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who declared her intention to run for president only a few days ago.

Roxas is the grandson of a former president and son of a former senator. He topped the Senate race in 2004 and became the leader of Liberal Party, one of the country’s oldest and biggest political parties. He ran unsuccessfully for vice president in 2010.

Binay was a longtime mayor of Makati City, the country’s premier business and financial hub, prior to his election as vice president. Poe is the daughter of Fernando Poe Jr, an actor who ran for president in 2004. Santiago placed second in the 1992 presidential election before becoming senator in 1995.

Roxas has the edge in terms of election machinery, since he is the candidate of the ruling party. President Benigno Aquino III, who enjoys high public confidence based on opinion polls, has also committed to actively campaign for Roxas. But Aquino’s endorsement can also hurt Roxas by turning away voters who are disappointed with the performance of the president.

Binay claims he has the support of the poor, overseas Filipinos, and local government leaders. But his numbers went down after he was accused of being involved in various corruption scandals. Though he insists that these were all politically-motivated, his reputation has already been tarnished.

Poe presents herself as an alternative candidate who has a clean record as a public servant. Tired of the antics of traditional politicians and political dynasties, many urged her to run for higher office. Though she has decided to run, her previous American citizenship was immediately questioned in the court.

Santiago is also seen as an outsider, even though she has been a politician for more than two decades. She is admired by many people – especially the young – who are looking for intelligent and articulate leaders. Santiago’s candidacy was not expected because she has only recently recovered from cancer.

Turning to their running mates, Roxas has teamed up with Leni Robredo, the widow of a respected politician. Binay’s vice presidential candidate is Senator Gringo Honasan. Poe, meanwhile, chose her mentor, Senator Chiz Escudero, to be her vice president. Santiago has reportedly endorsed the vice presidential candidacy of Senator Bongbong Marcos. Marcos is the son of the country’s former strongman, Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the country for two decades before he was ousted by a popular uprising in 1986.

Campaigning will officially begin next year. But since the candidates are already known, political realignments across the country are expected to reshape the electoral landscape. Political bickering between candidates and parties is also anticipated to intensify.