by magnolia_eic | Sep 29, 2011 | National News, World
PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III on Monday pledged a US$I-Million assistance for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami disasters in March 2011 in Ishinomaki, Japan and the city’s reconstruction program. The Chief executive made the pledge during the turn-over ceremonies of the donation to Ishimiyaki City Mayor Hiroshi Kameyama at the Ishinimaki City Hall here.
Ishinomaki City was among the most seriously affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. A tsunami about 10 meters high traveled 600 meters inland and destroyed around 80 percent of the 700 houses in the coastal whaling port of Ayukawa and the district of Kadonawaki. According to a fact sheet, approximately 46 percent of the city was inundated by the tsunami. One, elementary school, Okawa Elementary, was completely destroyed killing 74 of the 108 students and 10 of 13 teachers and staff. The fact sheet also said that as of June 17, 2011, a total of 3,097 deaths have been confirmed in Ishinomaki City due to the tsunami, with some 2,770 unaccounted for. It added that approximately 29.000 city residents lost their homes.
President Aquino personally handed over the pledge of assistance to Mayor Kameyama in the presence of other officials of the city, namely, vice mayor Etsuro Kitamura, Ishinomaki City Council chairperson Hiroshima Abe, and Parliamentary senior vice minister for Foreign Affairs Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, and the Philippine delegation led by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Sonny Coloma, and Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras among others.
The President pointed out that the actual cash will be given by the Philippine Embassy in Japan through Ambassador Manolo Lopez.
As he turned over the letter containing the pledge of assistance to the Ishinomaki official, the President reiterated his sympathy for the losses. (PCOO)
by magnolia_eic | Mar 31, 2011 | Headlines, National News
NAKITAAN og radioactive substance ang hangin sa Pilipinas bisan wala nausab ang
direksyon sa hangin sa Japan.
Matud pa ni Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
(PAGASA) Senior Weather Specialist Niño Relos, niabot na ang radioactive susbtance sa
Pilipinas tungod sa weather system sa nagkalain-laing nasud.
Niingon si Relos nga ang hangin nga may radioactive substance gikan sa Japan, gidala
padung sa direksyon sa China ug gikan didto, naapektuhan kini sa weather system diin ang
hangin nagtuyok gikan sa high pressure area (HPA) padung sa low pressure area (LPA).
Giingong ang maong sistema ang nakaingon nga napadpad sa Pilipinas ang gagmay nga
traces sa radioactive substance gikan sa Japan.
Gitataw usab ni Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) Executive Director Alumanda
dela Rosa nga ubos kaayo ang level sa contamination ug wala kini bisan-unsang dautang
epekto sa palibot bisan sa tawo o bisan sa mananap.
Bisan pa niini, nitambag si Relos nga dili una maligo sa uwan ilabi na ang mga taga-Metro
Manila dili tungod sa radioactive substance kun di tungod sa polusyon nga mahimong
magresulta sa acid rain.
Gipulong usab dayon sa National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
(NDRRMC) ang nagkalain-laing ahensya sa gobyerno sama sa Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI), National Food Authority (NFA) ug Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) aron mahibaw-an kun unsang preparasyon ang gihimo nila kun mosaka
ang level sa kontaminasyon sa radioactive substance sa nasud. (ecbPIABohol)
by magnolia_eic | Mar 29, 2011 | Headlines, Major Events, National News
The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) reported on Monday that radioactive
particles from the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan
have reached the country but the amount is not harmful to humans.
“Environmental radiation monitoring all over the world, including the Philippines, has detected
very tiny amounts of radioactive isotopes which appeared to be coming from the Fukushima
nuclear power plant and which pose no human health hazards,” the PNRI said in a bulletin.
It said latest radiation level check at PNRI grounds in Quezon City as of 9 a.m. Monday
remained “normal” at 93 to 115 nanosieverts per hour (nSv).
The PNRI said it continues to monitor the situation at the nuclear power plant.
“The condition in the (Japanese) plant remains very serious but is not worsening,” the agency
said.
It said high level of radiation remains inside the nuclear power plant but poses danger only to
the emergency workers.
Very small amounts of radiation from the nuclear plant have also reached the US West Coast
but federal and state officials said they posed no health risks.
by magnolia_eic | Mar 22, 2011 | Headlines, National News
PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III assured that the government will put in place contingency
measures for the country to be able to cope with the global impact of the powerful earthquake
and tsunami that hit Japan last week.
In a press briefing on Monday at Malacanang, the President said the Japan twin disasters
will definitely have an effect on the country’s economy. He said his economic team is now
studying the effects of Japan’s economy falling out on the country.
“I was informed by the economic team that we will be guided (by the study) as to how we
will cope with the fall of one of the world’s biggest economies, one of our biggest official
development assistance (ODA) source and one of our biggest trading partners,” the
President said.
“The directions that we will take after the study will tell us exactly what needs to be done so
we can cope with this development that has happened,” he added.
Some of the country’s economists have said that the government should look for other loan
and financing alternatives as Japan gears for a massive reconstruction of its economy.
Reports said that reconstruction in Japan may take at least 10 years and a lot of spending.
(PCOO)
by magnolia_eic | Mar 15, 2011 | Headlines, National News
STATE weather forecasters on Monday denied rumors circulating via text messages that
there will be “acid rain” in the Philippines supposedly because of radioactive clouds from
quake- and tsunami-stricken Japan.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
(PAGASA) said there was no basis for such claims.
“The winds from Japan are moving away from us. It’s not true that these winds contain acid
rain,” PAGASA forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said in a radio interview.
Several text messages had been circulating that acid rain may fall on the Philippines because
of the looming nuclear emergency in Japan.
Japanese authorities are now scrambling to prevent a meltdown of its nuclear plant in
Fukushima, after its cooling systems failed. (PIA)
