Deadly Starfish

(CNEWS) - Coral-eating starfish have infested several coastal areas in the Philippines, threatening to devastate entire sections of reefs in weeks, a conservation group has warned.

The World Wide Fund for Nature reported outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish in at least seven coastal areas. One starfish can consume six square metres of healthy coral reef in a year... full story here

Marie Should Have Told The Nigers: Return To The Jungles Of Africa

Filipino student, Marie Stephanie Martinez, 17, of Brooklyn, New York, was allegedly beaten by a group of 10 African American teenagers while riding the B82 bus down Kings Highway in Brooklyn.

Martinez reportedly told police that the teens teased her for “looking Chinese.”

When she tried to fight them off, one of the teens laughed and began punching her in the mouth.

“I’m just so glad the kids didn’t have a weapon,” Martinez told a local newspaper. “If they did, I could have died if they stabbed me with a pen or something.” ...full story here

Filipino Artist Shines In Illinois

Artwork of Filipino artist Fred DeAsis was selected in Illinois recently, to be displayed at the Studio at the Creek Gallery, Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois from April 1 through April 6, 2007.

The juried selection calls for classic scenes based on the Christian Lent season. European classic styles and techniques of Rembrandt and old masters were the major criteria for the selection... full story here

The Internet and the May 2007 Elections

(globalvoicesonline.org) - Statistics vary on the actual number of internet users in the Philippines. It may range from as low as nine million to a high number of thirty-five million users. This figure is enough to compel politicians to recognize the value of online campaigning. Many candidates who aspire to tap the youth vote are using the internet as a platform for their candidacies... full details here

Can They Pay Their Loans?

(The Daily Review) - Meanwhile the Filipino group has shelved its initial plan to repay the city, said its chairwoman, Pat Gacoscos. Investors have not stepped forward to pay off the city loans while redeveloping the mansion into a private office building with some space for nonprofits... full story here

Gary Valenciano Will Wow Singaporeans

(Channel News Asia) - The son of a Puerto Rican opera singer and a Filipino photographer, Valenciano started out as a singer in the 1980s and went on to set the record for the Philippines' biggest pop concert: Giving a free performance for an estimated crowd of 800,000 in Manila's Ultra Sports Complex in 1985... full story here

Filipino Jailed For Stealing Handbag From Taiwanese

(The Daily Express, Malaysia) - A 48-year-old Filipino was jailed 18 months by the Magistrate's Court here Tuesday for theft of a handbag belonging to a tourist from Taiwan at the waterfront here two months ago.

Antonio Abel Vailoces pleaded guilty before Magistrate Zaini Fisher to stealing the handbag containing Chen Mei Yu's personal documents, cash and jewellery worth RM32,000 at 12.30pm on Feb 23 at the Kohinoor North Indian Restaurant. He had committed the offence along with two accomplices still at large... full story here

Four Filipino Sailors Hurt In Australia Identified

(The Philippine Daily Inquirer) - Consul General Maria Theresa Lazaro of the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney has identified the four Filipino sailors who were hurt in ship explosion in Australia. They are Chief Engineer Pablito A. Gloriani, Second Assistant Engineer Raymond P. Loares, Third Assistant Engineer Stanley O. Ugnit and Fitter Arnelito H. Mabilangan.

“Mr. Gloriani, Mr. Loares, and Mr. Mabilangan are currently being treated at the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle while Mr. Ugnit is being treated at the Burns Unit of the Royal North Shore Hospital in North Sydney,” she said.

700 Philippine Towns May Sink

(The Philippine Daily Inquirer) - More than 700 towns throughout the Philippines will go under water if, as predicted by some scientists, the sea level rises by one meter in less than 300 years, the environmental group Greenpeace has warned.

In a report titled "The Philippines: A Climate Hotspot,'' Greenpeace said that all of the country’s 16 regions were vulnerable to the one-meter rise in sea level that is projected to happen in 2300 and onwards. It said the process could be accelerated by the melting of the Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets.

The top 20 provinces vulnerable to sea level rise are Sulu, Palawan, Zamboanga del Sur, Northern Samar, Zamboanga Sibugay, Basilan, Cebu, Davao del Norte, Bohol, Camarines Sur, Quezon, Tawi-Tawi, Masbate, Negros Occidental, Camarines Norte, Capiz, Catanduanes, Samar, Zamboanga del Norte, and Maguindanao... full story here

Fake Kidnapping

Nigeria is reportedly unhappy about a faked kidnapping affair involving a Filipina woman, who disappeared in the Western African state in February but turned out to be in her home country later, said a Filipino official.

Nigeria has asked the Philippines to explain the faked kidnapping of businesswoman Josiebeth Foroozan, who is married to an Iranian man, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos said.

Conejos said in an interview with local media that Philippine Ambassador to Nigeria Umpa Masaranga received a communication from the Nigerian government asking for details about Foroozan's case.

Quoting the letter, he said Nigeria complained about being put in the international spotlight because of the kidnappings.

Foroozan was reportedly kidnapped on February 7 in Port Harcourt, a day after Filipino engineer Wilson Helera was abducted. At the time, a whole ship's crew of 24 Filipinos were also being held hostage in Nigeria... full story here

Lawsuit Against Toyota

(Japan Today) - A Japanese labor union has filed a lawsuit in connection with massive layoffs in 2001 at Toyota Motor Corp's subsidiary in the Philippines.

In the lawsuit filed with the Tokyo District Court, the Kanagawa region union under the All Japan Shipbuilding and Machine Workers' Union is seeking a nullification of the government's order dismissing a request that it step in on behalf of the fired employees. About 230 local workers at the subsidiary were laid off in 2002 due to disputes with the management over forming a labor union, according to the lawsuit.

"Preserve The Cats"

Filipino coffee traders called on villagers in Mountain Province to stop capturing and eating civet cats (Paradoxurus phippinensis) because a decline in the cat population would cause a decline in the supply of one of the world's most expensive coffee varieties... full story here

Rebels Launch Attacks

(businessweek.com) - Communist rebels launched a string of attacks in the central Philippines, setting fire to buildings and equipment at a gold mining company and killing at least three police officers in an ambush, officials said... full story here

A Dream Fulfilled

(The Chronicle) - When a Filipino driver was hired to tour Ladysmith chiropractor Henny Vogelzang around his native country, he had no idea she would turn his life upside down... full story here

Convicted For Touching A 14-Year-Old Girl

(San Jose Mercury News) - An Alameda man will spend seven months in prison for groping a 14-year-old girl he was sitting next to on a flight home from the Philippines last July, U.S. Attorney Scott Schools announced today.

Benjamin Caniaveral, 48, was sentenced today in San Francisco federal court by Judge William Alsup and must report to prison by the end of the month.

Caniaveral pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of simple assault on a juvenile in October. In doing so, he admitted to intentionally touching the girl, who was sleeping in the window seat covered by a blanket... full story here

Hong Kong Telecom Giant Goes to the Philippines

Hong Kong telecom giant PCCW is to set up a call centre operation in the Philippines in a worth up to 40 million dollars, reports said.

The Philippine Star said PCCW is to partner with local firm IP-Contact Centre Outsourcing Inc (IPCCO). Based on the agreement, IPCCO will provide call center services in the Philippines to meet the English-language requirements of PCCW clients in other parts of the world, the Star said.

The project will involve 30-40 million dollars in investments over three to four years which will be financed through a combination of debt and equity, the paper said... full story here

13th World's Richest Man To Build Hotel in the Philippines

(Yahoo Business News) - The Philippine president has hailed a deal by Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal to invest $153 million in an upscale Manila hotel complex, saying more Arab investors should follow suit.

Prince Alwaleed, ranked 13th on Forbes' list of the world's richest men, visited Manila for a few hours late Monday to meet with Arroyo, Cabinet officials, and the country's leading property developer, Ayala Land Inc., Saudi Embassy officials said... full story here

Memento Of Japanese Soldier For Sale

(Great Falls Tribune) - ...a Filipino soldier spotted the Japanese men with the rice heading into nearby mountains to hide. In hot pursuit, Kraft crouched behind a rock and surprised the Japanese soldiers... full story here

Full Investigation Of Filipina's Death In NY Urged

The Filipina domestic workers support network known as KABALIKAT, an organizing project of the Philippine Forum, convened over 75 domestic workers and concerned community members for a forum, demanding a full investigation into the mysterious death of Felisa "Fely" Garcia, 58, a Filipina domestic caregiver, who was found dead due to an alleged suicide in her bedroom last March 14 in the Bronx. ...full story here

Results of the 2006 Philippine Bar Examinations

1. ABAD, Aileen G.
2. ABAD, Blessilda B.
3. ABAN, Noel A.
4. ABANG, Raul E.
5. ABANIA, Niña Maria DG.
6. ABANTE, JR., Joseph S.
7. ABARENTOS, Maricel P.
8. ABAS, Joanne Sharon C.
9. ABAYA, Joseph A.
10. ABBAS, Osop MP.

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Bombo Radyo Broadcaster Jailed For Libel

Unable to afford a lawyer in his defence, a radio broadcaster from Davao, a province south of Manila, has been convicted of libel and is now serving time in jail. ...full story here