Learning To Speak Japanese: Trying Hard

(Daily Yomiuri Online) - Santa Monica's Wind, a buffet-style restaurant in the Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel in Chuo Ward, Kobe, offers its customers a view of Kobe Port and a mix of Japanese, Chinese and Western cuisines. In the middle of this cultural culinary mix is 33-year-old Filipino waiter Diego Bustillo, who strives to improve his Japanese language skills by chatting with the restaurant's customers.

"When you work, you have to entertain yourself and enjoy it," Bustillo said. "Otherwise, the job can be very stressful. But I like my job here." ...full story here

Preparing For The Worst To Come

The Philippines is on its way to a major climate change catastrophe--that is, unless the government takes urgent and ambitious action to avert a disaster that will put millions of Filipinos at risk. Greenpeace issued the warning today during the release of never-before seen maps that illustrate the extent of climate change impacts on the archipelago. The group additionally called for strong measures to mitigate the worst effects of climate change to help the country avoid certain disaster... full story here

Canada Wants More Filipino Workers (hurry, hurry)

A shortage of foodservice and housekeeping workers has B.C.'s $9.8-billion tourism and hospitality sector worried.

So much so that operators have launched an aggressive international recruitment campaign that is delivering Filipino workers to Vancouver Island's west coast.

"Worker shortage is a crisis, not just a challenge," says Charles McDiarmid, managing director of Tofino's up-market Wickaninnish Inn. "The entire 2006 season we spent thousands of dollars advertising for workers in Canada. There was not a day [in 2006] that we were not actively recruiting. But we were still chronically short between 10 and 20 workers."

"We hope to bring a number of Filipinos over [to Tofino] so they can establish camaraderie and a system of support." ... full story here

Hostage: A Political Gimmick?

(Channel News Asia) - One of the politicians who intervened in the 10-hour hostage drama in Manila last week has been accused by some of his colleagues of using the incident as a political gimmick.

They have called on the authorities to investigate him and jail those found guilty of conniving with the hostage-taker.

Accusations are being hurled against administration senatorial candidate Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson for his involvement in the hostage drama that brought the whole nation to a standstill... full story here

UK-based Firm Cancels Investment in South Cotabato

(SunStar General Santos) - Staunch opposition to coal projects in Barangay Ned in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato has taken its toll on a foreign firm interested in investing in a venture of a Philippine company.

The United Kingdom-based Crew Gold Corp has abandoned its interest at Daguma Agro Minerals, Inc., Levitico C. Toquero, Daguma Agro's consulting geologist, confirmed last week.

He said Crew Gold, which had conducted a due diligence study at a 2,000- hectare area of Daguma Agro, pulled out its equipment late last year due to mounting opposition by residents backed by the local Catholic Church.

Paper Dolls in Israel

Paper Dolls...the fascinating subculture of Filipino transsexuals working as caretakers for elderly Orthodox Jews in Israel...

As Paper Dolls chronicles these trials and tribulations, what emerges is a sensitive portrait of individuals trying to create and maintain their identity, independence, and happiness... full story here

Gloria: Women Divers Hall of Fame

(divenews.com) - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Republic of the Philippines has been honored and inducted to the Women Divers Hall of Fame (WDHOF) at the "Beneath the Sea" Gala Event at the Sheraton Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey. WDHOF is an international non-profit professional honor society within the world's diving community that inducts women who have made remarkable contributions to the industry.

President Macapagal-Arroyo has been accorded this honor, not only in her capacity as an experienced diver, but more so because of the outstanding contributions she has made to the dive industry through edicts for the establishment of sanctuaries and a series of mandates for the protection of the Philippines' underwater coral and marine life... full story here

Filipino Workers In Australia Exploited

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) wants the Federal Government to investigate a south-east Queensland company it says is exploiting foreign workers.

The AMWU says 26 Filipino and Chinese workers are paying $277 each a week in rent and fees to Waterbrook Enterprises at Carole Park in Brisbane's west.

The union's, Dave Oliver, says the men are being forced to live nine to a house and being paid only $8 an hour after rent and fees are deducted.

Mr Oliver says one man has been sacked for complaining about the conditions and socialising with Filipino workers from other companies... full story here

What Not To Bring From Hong Kong

(The Philippine Daily Inquirer) - Filipino visitors returning from Hong Kong are reminded of new security rules at the Hong Kong International Airport, restricting the amount and kind of liquids one may bring out of the former crown colony.

In his report to the home office, Consul Victorio Mario Dimagiba Jr. of the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong said that effective 21 March 2007, departing passengers could carry only a limited amount of liquids in their cabin or carry-on baggage.

These items, which must be stored in containers up to 100 milliliter (ml) and placed in a transparent re-sealable plastic bag measuring 20 x 20 centimeter (cm) (or 8 x 8 inches), are: gels; lotions and liquids, such as sun creams, suntan oil, suntan spray, perfume, face cream, body lotion, roll-on deodorant, and aftershave; pastes, such as toothpaste, Vaseline, and cream eye shadow; pressurized foams and sprays, such as shaving foams, shower foam, tanning foam, and pressurized deodorant; food stuffs, such as water, soft drinks, yoghurt, soup, and yogurt; and liquid cosmetics, such as liquid foundation, lip gloss, liquid mascara, make-up remover, and nail polish.

A Campaign Against AIDS (In France) ...just a break