Wednesday, March 28, 2007

In Texas: They Want To Become Filipinos (Again)

More than 50 Filipino-Americans in the lower Rio Grande Valley in South Texas have enlisted with Koalisyon Balik Pinoy(KBP) to lobby with the Philippine Consulate based in Los Angeles, California to hold an information campaign to encourage more Filipinos who are US citizens to reacquire their Filipino citizenships and to send personnel to process their applications in the City of McAllen. (GMA 7)

Philippine Mangoes U.S.-Bound

The first batch of Philippine mangoes produced outside of Guimaras Island in the Visayas left the Philippines Wednesday for export to the United States, specifically Guam and Hawaii.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led the sending off ceremony in line with a U.S. Federal Register ruling dated December 18 allowing Philippine mangoes grown anywhere in the country except Palawan to be initially exported to Hawaii and Guam in addition to those being raised in Guimaras, which are already allowed in the entire U.S. mainland. (All Headline News)

In Angola: Dead Filipinos Identified

Two of three Filipinos who perished when two United Nations aircraft were shot down over Angola eight years ago have been identified, the Philippine Mission to the United Nations has reported. Ambassador Hilario G. Davide, Jr., Permanent Representative to the United Nations, identified the two Filipinos as Ramon Dumlao and Bernabe Vicarme, both crewmembers of one of the two UN C-130 transport aircraft that went down in Angola during the height of that country’s civil war. (Philippine News Online)

In New York: Domestic Helper Found Dead

(Flashback) - Felisa “Fely” Sales Garcia, a middle-aged migrant worker from Barangay Dacanlao, Calaca, Batangas, was found dead Wednesday, March 14, in her Bronx residence where she rented a room. Garcia worked as a domestic worker, taking care of an elderly couple in the Bronx. (philippine news online)

Europe + Filipino = Europino

What do you get when you cross the European way of life with the familiar that is Filipino? You get Europino—experiencing Europe right here in the Philippines!

The Candy girls trooped to Two Serendra this afternoon to sample the yummy treats at the Europino Food Festival. Jennie was the most excited one among all of us. Haha! Before we headed out to the different booths, we were served lunch in Thai at Silk... full details here

In New Jersey: Filipino Art, Music, and Dance

On Saturday April 7, 2007 in Princeton, NJ, WEB OF COMPASSION presents DIWA NG UGNAYAN (Essence of Connections), a day long celebration of Filipino art, music, and dance presented as a fund raiser for the victims of devastating typhoons in the Philippines. Admission tickets of $50.00/person ($40.00 for seniors/students) $10.00 (7-12 years old) and free under 7, entitles individuals to raffles for paintings. Light refreshments will be provided. (prweb.com)

China's Largest Nickel Producer Eyes Palawan

Gansu Province-based Jinchuan Nickel Group, China's largest nickel producer, will conduct a due diligence assessment on a nickel mine in the Philippine province of Palawan, for possible joint exploration with MacroAsia Corporation, a MacroAsia Corporation official told Interfax yesterday. (China Business News)

One Million Filipinos Every Year

Everyday, there are over 3,000 Filipinos who migrate from the Philippines. They will migrate to more than 186 different countries, including the U.S. Of the almost one million who migrate every year, three out of four of them are women. Filipino overseas worker remitted more than $12.5 billion dollars in 2006, keeping the Philippine economy afloat and sustaining the families directly affected by the economic, political and social crisis. (Philippine News)

In Chicago: Filipino Fishing Net Recognized

Lakefront smelting opens Sunday. Prospects for smelt look as poor as other recent years, making the nylon nets known as ''Filipino nets'' doubly important. (Chicago Sun-Times) ...full story here

"Where Were The Avocados Coming From?"

Determined to find the source – and to thank the donor – she walked around her neighborhood one Saturday morning looking to see who had a tree. She found only one. It belonged to the Filipino family up the street. (The Christian Science Monitor) ...full story here

Coca-Cola To Stay In The Philippines

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo hailed Wednesday the decision of US softdrink giant Coca-Cola Company to stay and expand its operations in the Philippines after it gained full ownership of Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc. Coca-Cola Company has bought from San Miguel Corporation (SMC) its 65 per cent stake in local bottlers for US$590 million. (Asia Pulse, Yahoo Finance News)

In Sabah, Malaysia: 12,000 Filipinos Working

Legally, a Malaysian executive said, there are about 212,000 Indonesians working in the various plantations and factories throughout Sabah and about 18,000 Filipinos working mostly in the construction and service sectors. (Daily Express, Sabah, Malaysia)

In Dubai: Filipina Puts Baby Inside A Plastic Bag

Dubai: The UAE's culture, values and ethics as well as Sharia law protect the country against a rise in the crime of mothers killing their newborns, said a senior official. The crime is considered alien to UAE society, said assistant chief prosecutor Ahmad Al Hammadi of Dubai's Public Prosecution Department yesterday.

The issue surfaced at the public prosecution when it charged a Filipina with attempting to kill her illegitimate newborn girl by putting her in a plastic bag and dumping her in the garbage.

Police heard the mother, identified as M.K., put her illegitimate newborn in a sealed plastic bag which she placed inside a bin near a driving institute where she was being trained. Al Hammadi said the prosecution had asked the court to implement the stiffest punishment applicable for such a crime against the mother. A court hearing will be held soon. (gulfnews.com)

In Korea: Filipinos Are Welcome To Work

THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Bacolod has started a manpower pooling for Negrenses and Bacoleños who wanted to work in Korea. "There's no limit yet on how many will be registered until Dole National Office in Manila will order the stoppage of manpower pooling in Bacolod," the DOLE said. (Sun Star Bacolod)

Brunei Air Force Praises Phil. Air Force General

(Wednesday, March 28) - His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has consented to award the Royal Brunei Air Force Honorary Pilot Wing to the Commanding General, Philippine Air Force in recognition of his contribution to strengthening the bilateral ties between Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) and the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAirF). (bruneidirect.com) ...full story here

In Manila: Hostage Crisis

(Wednesday, March 28) Up to three men armed with grenades and handguns commandeered a bus and took 32 children and two teachers hostage in the Philippine capital Wednesday, police said. A crack police team surrounded the bus which was stopped outside Manila city hall. The children were apparently on a field trip... full story here

JoeMa Accused of Mass Murder

(Wednesday, March 28) - Jose Maria Sison, the exiled leader of the Philippines Communist party – who has strong support in Canada’s Filipino migrant worker community – has been accused of mass murder to purge his military wing of spies. The charges come in the wake of Sison being criticized for posting pictures of himself on his Web site, singing and dancing with actress Ara Mina, who was in a revealing, low-cut dress... (The Asian Pacific Post) ...full details here

$5 Million For A Malaysian Terrorist in RP

(Wednesday, March 28) - The United States has posted a five-million dollar reward for the capture of a Malaysian terror suspect wanted for several bombings in the Philippines, the State Department said Tuesday. "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has authorized a new reward of up to five million dollars for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Zulkifli bin Hir (a.k.a. Marwan)," the State Department said in a statement. Zulkifli, described as "a terrorist believed to be involved in multiple deadly bomb attacks in the Philippines," has also been added to the US most-wanted list.

He joins the United States' public enemy number one, Osama Bin Laden, mastermind of the Al-Qaeda network, who has a 25-million dollar bounty on his head. Zulkifli is believed to have been in hiding in the Philippines since August 2003 where he is involved in making bombs with the Abu Sayyaf group, which is linked to Al-Qaeda. (Yahoo, AFP)

Filipino Journalist: The Best in Asia

(Wednesday, March 28) - Yet it still came as a surprise to Gutierrez that the story was chosen as the winning newspaper article of the Asia Human Rights press awards organized by Amnesty International and the Foreign Correspondents Club in Hong Kong last March 26. Gutierrez bested over 400 media entries from across the region, including those from the prestigious Time magazine, International Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal and South China Morning Post...(The Philippine Star) ...full story here

Excellent in IT Education: Only 9 RP Schools

(Wednesday, March 28) - Over a hundred applied, but only nine colleges and universities qualified for official recognition as centers of excellence in information technology education. The roster includes not only institutions already known for academic excellence Рthe University of the Philippines in Diliman, Los Ba̱os and Cebu as well as Ateneo de Manila University and De la Salle University Рbut also lesser known schools including the Asia Pacific College in Para̱aque, Angeles University Foundation in Pampanga, Cebu Institute of Technology and University of the Cordilleras in Baguio City...(The Philippine Star) ...full story here

In Legazpi City: Shabu Big Fish Caught

(Wednesday, March 28) - Elements of the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police have arrested a woman suspected to be one of the biggest suppliers of methamphetamine hydrochloride or "shabu" in Albay in a buy-bust operation. Lawyer Tomas Enrile, the NBI Legazpi district officer, said Teresita "Tita Mameng" Cruz, 55, was arrested Monday inside her house in Doña Maria Subdivision in Barangay (village) Tagas, Daraga, after receiving P1,500 from an NBI agent who posed as a shabu buyer. (The Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Cory Alarmed Over Activists' Killings

(Wednesday, March 28) - Former President Corazon C. Aquino yesterday said that extrajudicial killings in the country allegedly done by security forces were a "cause for alarm" and that the Filipino people have the right to know what the Arroyo administration is doing to address the problem.

"The extrajudicial killings were a cause for alarm. The people would want to know what is being done to address the issue," said Aquino in an interview with the media after speaking at the Forum Series on Governance, International Politics, and Development at the University of Makati in Makati City the other night. (The Manila Bulletin)

"Unless I Whipped Her Like A Dog"

(Wednesday, March 28) - Most Americans have never been to a Muslim Library, so as a public service, I have sent Marga, my Filipina servant, to a typical Muslim Library and asked her to write down the titles and some descriptive text of the most popular Islamic books. Although Marga is very obedient, she previously worked for a Saudi and so she would not do exactly as I requested unless I whipped her like a dog. I tried to explain to her that since I was not a Muslim there was no need for her to wait to be beaten before complying with any of my requests... full details here

U.S. Ambassador Visited Jolo, Sulu

(Wednesday, March 28, update) - U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenney visited the strife-torn island of Jolo in southern Philippines and inaugurated a cooperative store previously bombed by the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group. Kenney, accompanied by senior US and Philippine military officials, also handed various office equipment and livelihood programs to the locals, said Major Eugene Batara, a spokesman for the Philippine military’s Western Mindanao Command. “The visit of U.S. Ambassador Kenney is successful and there are so many people who welcomed and greeted her. They are happy about the visit. She handed various office equipment and unveiled a livelihood programs for the locals,” Batara told the Mindanao Examiner. (The Mindanao Examiner)

12 Most Outstanding Filipino Muslims: Search

(Wednesday, March 28) - TO PROMOTE the importance of peace and unity nationwide, the Sultan Moh'd Amin Baab Torres Foundation is spearheading a national search for the 12 most outstanding Filipino Muslims. The national search is anchored upon the notion that the government, in the exercise of its fiduciary authority over a state, is expected to ensure equal protection and recognition of its citizenry, regardless of affiliation, race, creed and color. (SunStar Baguio)

Phil-Made Ampalaya Tablet To Cure Diabetes

(Wednesday, March 28) - Ampalaya tablets will soon be out in the market as a cure for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Pascual Laboratories Inc. has secured the license to manufacture, distribute and market a new Ampalaya (bitter gourd) tablet as an anti-diabetic medicine developed by the National Integrated Research Program on Medicinal Plants (NIRPROMP). (GMA 7)