by magnolia_eic | Feb 24, 2011 | Headlines, National News
THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued on Monday a travel advisory warning
Filipinos not to travel to Libya, Bahrain and Yemen where anti-government protest actions
have led to killings.
DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos, Jr. said mandatory
evacuation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Libya, Bahrain and Yemen is not yet
necessary but Filipinos were told to postpone non-essential and non-urgent travel to the three
countries.
Conejos said the Philippine government is ready to evacuate Filipinos if it becomes
necessary.
Filipinos who are planning to travel to these countries were urged to defer their plans until the
security situations have stabilized.
The Philippine embassies in Libya, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, which also covers Yemen,
have been placed on heightened alert but diplomats assured the government that Filipinos in
those countries are safe.
The embassies have also established 24-hour crisis monitoring teams that will keep in close
contact with some 31,000 Filipinos in Bahrain, 1,400 Filipinos in Yemen and around 26,000 in
Libya. (PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Feb 23, 2011 | Headlines, National News
PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III lauded on Tuesday Filipino micro-enterprise consortium
PinoyME for its pioneering efforts at helping government’s poverty-alleviation programs
by providing enterprising Filipinos in poor communities with innovative and cost-effective
opportunities to link up with the mainstream market and thereby uplift their quality of life.
The President congratulated PinoyME for heeding his mother, former President Corazon
Aquino’s call “to continue tapping into the spirit of People Power so that we may create better
lives for our less fortunate countrymen.”
“And I must congratulate PinoyME for doing just that (heeding his mother’s call) through
their continued work toward giving our countrymen more opportunities to defeat poverty
through their own efforts—specifically through microfinance and micro-entrepreneurship,” the
President said.
“These activities of PinoyME have been a significant help in our administration’s efforts
to alleviate poverty. Through your help, less fortunate Filipinos are able to earn additional
income. This reduces their dependency on state subsidies, and strengthens their resistance
to external shocks such as calamities or family emergencies,” he added.
He likewise lauded other microfinance institutions “for taking the lead in promoting a lasting
way of lifting the poor out of poverty.” (PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Feb 23, 2011 | Headlines, National News
MALACAÑANG clarified Monday that no concessions were given to China for the latter’s
grant of a reprieve to three overseas Filipino workers facing execution for drug trafficking.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Vice President Jejomar Binay had categorically
denied offering concessions to China after securing postponement of the execution of
Ramon Credo, 42; Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, 32; and Elizabeth Batain, 38. The three were
scheduled for execution this week.
Binay announced the development Friday after meeting with Dai Bongguo, state councilor;
Wang Shengjun, president of the Supreme People’s Court; and Zhang Zhijun, executive vice
minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos, who was with Binay on his Beijing trip, said
the meeting was not behind closed doors and no concession could have been given without
the public getting the information.
For its part, the Chinese embassy in Manila said China only “gave consideration” to the
Philippines’ request.
Lacierda also downplayed concerns over the possibility of the Philippines becoming hostage
to China as a result of the issue. (PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Feb 22, 2011 | Headlines, National News
GITAMBAGAN sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) ang mga Pilipino nga i-oktaba una
ang pag-biyahe sa Yemen, Libya ug Bahrain kung dili importante ang ilang lakaw.
Matud pa sa tigpamaba sa DFA nga si Ed Malaya, mahimo nilang i-rekomenda sa
Department of Labor and Employement ang deployment ban sa mga Overseas Filipino
Worker (OFW) sa maong mga nasud sa Middle East hangtud molinaw na ang sitwasyon
didto diin may mga nahitabong bayolenteng demonstrasyon.
Kagahapon, gibarugan sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) nga dili pa kinahanglang
ibakwit ang mga OFW’s nga naa sa Libya, Yemen ug Bahrain.
Matud pa sa DFA, nagpabiling luwas ang may 26,000 ka Pinoy sa Libya , 1,400 OFWs sa
Yemen ug may 31,000 pa sa Bahrain.
Nagbutang ang DFA og 24-hour crisis monitoring team sa mga Embahada ug Konsulado nga
sakop sa maong tulo ka Arab nations.
Gisiguro usab ni Vice Consul Jose Garcia, ang Phl Consulate sa Libya nga andam na usab
ang ilang contingency plans alang sa mga Pinoy nga napiit sa kagubot sa maong lugar.
(ecbPIABohol)
by magnolia_eic | Feb 21, 2011 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
GOVERNOR Edgar Chatto issues calls for all disaster risk reduction managers (DRRM) to inspect and report any
earth movements in their respective areas in the wake of land slips happening in a town here.
Local officials have reported a land slip, with crack measuring more than a meter wide, in barangays
Magsaysay, Dusita and Danicop in Sierra Bullones town.
The landslip is the latest of the land movements reported here as disaster authorities pointed to the
continuous rains in the past week affecting the integrity of the earth’s base and forcing the movements.
Few days ago, similar land slips were noted in barangays Bosongon and Cawayanan of Tubigon, in barangay
Tubod Monte of Jagna town and in Barangay Abejilan of Garcia Hernandez.
The early land slips however left no human casualty but temporarily cut off crucial road links connecting
Tubigon to Catigbian, Sierra Bullones to Jagna and to some barangays of Garcia Hernandez.
The latest landslip however prove to be more destructive as the slip caused cracks in the walls of houses and
shifts in the soil leaving gaping dangerous fissures, reported Magsaysay barangay chairman Germogenes Tadle
in a radio interview Thursday.
He also said a house in his barangay has a kitchen slowly separating from the living room, the crack in
between creating a void dangerous for its residents.
Governor Chatto said he and Mayor Alfredo Gamalo have conducted ocular inspections on the affected areas
and met with the families to warn them and assure their safety at evacuation sites.
Aside from bringing in relief assistance, the mayor in a radio interview said he has advised residents to go to
the nearest temporary resettlement at Dusita High School at night and in case the movements do not stop.
The resettlement, he said is located about a kilometer away from the affected areas.
The mayor also added that a troop of government soldiers camped at Dusita would help monitor the situation
and alert authorities of any other developments.
On this, Chatto has called on Disaster Risk Reduction Managers to inspect these affected areas and determine
its causes so appropriate interventions can be done.
At least 23 families living in barangay Magsaysay and some more families living in Danicop and Dusita have
been affected, several houses already unfit for stay.
The cracks in Magsaysay have affected rice-farm lots and these continue to widen everyday, the movements
already tearing into the newly constructed road sections of the national highway posing danger to travelers.
(racPIABohol)
