DFA: Alert level 1 up in UK amid riots

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday alert level 1 has been raised in London as violence persists in the area.

DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez urged overseas Filipino workers to be extra careful and vigilant of violence.

He said the Philippine government has not yet imposed of travel and deployment bans to London.

On Tuesday, the Philippine Embassy in London issued an advisory to the Filipino community in the United Kingdom to be vigilant and to exercise due caution in light of the riots that occurred around London and in other UK cities over the past days.

“The Embassy urges all Filipinos to stay away from high street areas, to avoid large gatherings and to avoid joining or going to places of riots or get involved in any public disturbance,” Charge d’Affaires, a.i. Reynaldo A. Catapang said.

The Embassy has also called on the Filipino community leaders and members to contact the local police immediately and/or the Embassy if there are any untoward incidents in their respective areas or to report any information on Filipinos who may have been injured or seriously affected by
the riots.

The Embassy remains in close contact with UK authorities and Filipino community leaders and is closely monitoring events and developments. It has also activated a round-the-clock monitoring team to continuously ascertain the situation. (End)

BSP: Piso, magpabiling lig-on bisan pa sa US credit rating downgrade

TAGBILARAN CITY, Aug. 9 (PIA) – GISEGURO sa Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) nga magpabiling lig-on sa 42 hangtud 54 nga level ang kantidad sa piso kontra dolyar bisan gipaubos sa Standard and Poor’s sa AA+ rating ang credit rating ng Estados Unidos gikan sa kanhi AAA.

Sa briefing sa Senate Finance committee kalabot sa balaodnon sa 2012 national budget, miingon si BSP Governor Amando Tetanco Jr. nga bisan moubos ang piso, makabarug ra usab kini.

Ang lig-on nga pagsulod sa remittances sa mga Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), export receipts ug ang igong reserves ang mosuporta sa kalig-on sa piso.

Samtang matud pa usab ni kanhi Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, dili angay magpanik ang gobyerno sa gihimo sa Standard and Poor’s nga pagpaubos sa AAA rating sa Estados Unidos sa AA+ nga maoy pinakaubos nila nga rating sukad niadtong tuig 1917.

Dugang pa ni Diokno, lig-on pa gihapon ang ekonomiya ng US kun itandi sa mga nasud sa Europa o bisan sa China.

Bisan pa niini, gitataw ni Diokno nga angay pa gihapon’g mag-andam ang Pilipinas tungod kay siguradong maigo ang nasud kun mohinay ang ekonomiya sa Amerika ug mao kini ang panahon aron mas hingusgan sa kagamhanan ang domestic economy niini. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)

Malacañang: Aquino government sincere in efforts to win peace and development in Mindanao

MALACANANG assured Monday that the Aquino government is sincere in its efforts to win the peace that has long been elusive in the conflict-ridden parts of the country.

In an ambush interview following the celebration of the 44th Foundation Anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) at the Bulwagang Apolinario Mabini of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Pasay City on Monday, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said that President Benigno S. Aquino III has a clear grasp of the ongoing peace negotiations adding that all concerned government agencies have been exerting all
out measures to attain this common goal.

Coloma said that the actions being undertaken by the government peace panel are geared towards the interest of the Filipino people.

The PCOO chief also said that the talks to end the decades-old conflict is an active and changing process as he noted the possible development it could incur, especially in the Mindanao region.

Late last week, President Aquino met with Moro Islamic Liberation Front chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim where they have committed to forge a final agreement to end the conflict in Mindanao within the next five years.

The said meeting took place at the Ana Crowne Hotel in Narita, a suburb of Tokyo in Japan.

In their two-hour meeting, the parties agreed to discuss possible approaches in moving the peace process forward. Both agreed to fast track the negotiations. (PCOO)

Aquino and MILF Chair Murad agree: ‘We are not adversaries’

PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III said that if he were to sum up in one sentence the outcome of his meeting with Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim in a hotel in Tokyo, Japan last August 4, it would be that both sides agreed that they are not adversaries.

The President revealed this piece of information in an interview at the sidelines of the commemoration of the 110th Police Service Anniversary of the Philippine National Police on Monday in Quezon City. “If there is one central message that, to me, really stuck is the idea na “tayo ay hindi magka-tunggali (We are not adversaries),” the President said.

The President met with Ebrahim in hopes of ending the decades long war that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people.
He expressed confidence that through their meeting, a mutual “cooperation” between the two sides could be reached.

“I would like to think they will be cooperative as far as improving the situation, especially in the ARMM
(Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) and Mindanao in particular,” the President said. (PCOO)

CHR, mag-inspeksyon sa mga PNP training camp

TAGBILARAN CITY, Aug. 4 (PIA)–PLANO sa Commission on Human Rights (CHR) nga mag- inspeksyon sa 17 ka training camps sa Philippine National Polcie (PNP).  Matud pa ni CHR Chairperson Loreta Ann “Etta” Rosales, himuon nila kini tungod sa pinakabag-ong
insidente sa hazing nga nahitabo sa Camp Eldridge sa Los Baños, Laguna diin nakita sa videong nadawat sa komisyon ang maka-alarmang insidente sa hazing sa mga police trainees.

Gusto nilang personal nga makita ang mga aktibidad sulod sa mga training camp aron matino kun unsa ang mga aksyong ipatuman sa liderato sa PNP aron malikayan ang pagpanglisod-lisod sa mga
police recruit.

Giingong makig-alayon usab sila sa Human Rights Affairs Office sa PNP aron mapatuman ang preventive monitoring sa mga training camp ug malikayan ang maka-alarmang insidente sa hazing.

Gisibak na sa pwesto ug gibutang sa restrictive custody ang walo ka police trainors nga parehong adunay ranggo nga Police Officer 1 nga giilang sila Roque Oro, Evan Mark Cuartero, Jhun Plonelo, Melvin Malihan, Rovylyn Addatu, Marfe Adler, Allan Pascua ug Troy Sumayod. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)

23 pa ka toxic beauty products gi-ban sa FDA

TAGBILARAN CITY, Aug. 5 (PIA)–Gi-ban na sa Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ang 23 pa ka cosmetic ug skin whitening products sa merkado human napamatud-an nga aduna kini excessive levels sa mercury, usa ka toxic substance nga makadaot sa vital organs sa lawas.

Ang mga produkto mao ang:

BIB Night Cream Whitening Cream – 922;

Pretty Model Whitening and Freckle Removing (Day Cream and Night Cream-Set);

Pretty Girl 10 Day Special Cream;

Pretty Girl Green Cucumber and Ginseng Cream;

Liliki Whitening Day Cream – 911;

Liliki Whitening Night Cream – 912; New Miss Beauty Magic Cream; Jiaoli
Rejuvenation Essence 10 Days Speckle Removing; Jaio Liang 7 Days Eliminating Freckle AB
Set; Jiao Liang 10 Days Eliminating Fredkle AB Set; Beauty Girl 6 Days Specific Eliminating
Fredkle Whitening Cream Egg White and Tomato 3in1 and Beautiful Dream Whitening Anti-
Speckle and Anti-Acne Kit.

Apil usab ang Miss Beauty Magic Cream;

Miss Beauty Excellent Therapy Whitening Cream;

Dagette and Ramsdell Underarm Lightening Cream;

Lanmeirou 12 Days Whiten and Speckle Removing Suit;

Berglotus Spot Removing Series;

Yoko Gentlemen Cream for Men;

Jonathan Clearing Facial Spots 12 Day Cream;

The Flower Woman 7-day Whitening and Spot and Night Set Cream;

Sara Glutathione Sheep Placenta Whitening and Anti-Spot Cream;

Aichun Beauty Green Tea Whitening Speckle Removing Series Cream ug ang

Aichun Beauty Whitening Freckle Day and Night Cream.

Kadaghanan niining mga produkto gikan sa Taiwan ug Hong Kong samtang ang pipila niini gikan usab sa China, Thailand ug United States.

Niadtong Enero, ang FDA ni ban na sa 27 ka imported products tungod usab sa taas nga
mercury levels. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)