MSU News

2014-03-19T04:09:00.004-07:00

25 Tasks to Outsource to a General Virtual Assistant
by Chris C. Ducker

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http://www.filipinovirtualagents.com/filipinovirtualagents-25-tasks-to-outsource-to-a-general-virtual-assistant/

1. Email Management/Filtering

2. Setting up Autoresponders (Aweber, Mailchimp)

3. Booking appointments with clients

4. Following up with clients/customers (sending thank you and happy birthday emails)

5. Receptionist duties (answering occasional calls)

6. Calendar Management

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Scarborough Shoal standoff becomes an online war between Chinese - Filipino Hackers

2012-04-21T20:40:00.002-07:00

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The Scarborough Shoal standoff goes online. Responding to the defacement of the University of the Philippines (UP) website on Friday, a group of Philippine-based hackers has defaced a Chinese university website on Saturday as tension between China and the Philippines continue to escalate.

Anonymous #OccupyPhilippines replaced the main page of the Chinese University Media Union (http://star.chinaumu.org) with a defaced website that declared “Scarborough Shoal is ours!” as loud, screaming music play in the background.

Chinese University Media Union (star.chinaumu.org; IP: 58.68.134.164) website as of 10:00 A.M., April 22, 2012.

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“STFU. Chinese government is clearly retarded,” a note on the China UMU page said, just above the ASCII image rendition of the popular Guy Fawkes mask, which has been used as a symbol by international hacking group Anonymous.

The group has been involved in similar attacks before, including Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDOS) attacks leveled against the websites of the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation following protests against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill in the US in January.

DDoS is a form of cyber attack used by hacking groups to take down particular websites, which involves overwhelming the website’s server by executing external commands from a number of terminals, subsequently crippling the server indefinitely.

Other Chinese web properties that were broken into, the report said, include the websites of China Youth Online (http://v.cyol.com), P. Loft Youth Hostel (http://www.ploft.cn) and the Chinese government website http://gh.rc.gov.cn.

Chinese Government Website (gh.rc.gov.cn) website as of 10:00 A.M., April 22, 2012.

On April 20, the UP website (http://www.upd.edu.ph) displayed a photo of China’s territorial claim over the Spratly Islands with a statement that reads: “We come from China! Huangyan Island is Ours!”

Officials from the two countries have yet to issue a statement about the defacements as the Philippines prepares to bring closure to the standoff by bringing it to international court.

via Interaksyon | Cool Buster

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US government approved Philippine request to acquire F16 fighter jets

2012-04-19T09:27:00.002-07:00

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April 19, 2012

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said Wednesday that the Philippines will seek a squadron of F-16 fighter jets and a third coast guard cutter, communications and electronics jamming equipment as well as modern weapons systems for its two new cutters that is scheduled for delivery.

"We are upgrading the capacity of our armed forces and we are glad that the US government approved our request to acquire those fighter jets", says del Rosario who decline to reveal further details.

The jet deal would be for second-hand F-16s block C/ D with the Philippines paying for reconditioning, maintenance and pilot training which will run for two years, del Rosario added.

A recent naval stand-off between the Philippines and China has not gone unnoticed by the United States which agreed to immediately schedule high-level talks between Manila and Washington on April 30 to establish the country's “minimum defense posture” against aggressors.

Secretary del Rosario will be accompanied by Defense Chief Voltaire Gazmin who is scheduled to meet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Leon Panetta in Washington next week to discuss the terms of the grant.

The Foreign Secretary said that the potential jet deal was raised during a visit last month by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who pledged a wide-ranging commitment to its former colony, from military to economic cooperation.

The Philippines is offering the United States greater access to its airfields in exchange for military hardware necessary for its defense.

The April 30 talks between and among foreign and Defense Officials will precede the meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Philippine President Benigno Aquino later this year who is expected to issue the formal announcement.

from: http://philippineairspace.blogspot.com/search/label/Philippine%20Air%20Force

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International Survey: Philippines is the most Godly country in the World – Chicago

2012-04-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

As published in the Washington Post, it shows that the Philippines is the most Godly country in the world with never fading faith and continuously believing and making God as the center of each lives.

Belief in God is slowly declining in most countries around the world, according to a new poll, but the truest of the true believers can still be found in developing countries in the Christian worlds and Catholic societies in the Far East.

The "Beliefs about God Across Time and Countries" report, released Wednesday (April 18, 2012) by researchers at the University of Chicago, found the Philippines to be the country with the highest belief, where 94 percent of Filipinos said they were strong believers who had always believed.

The Philippines is the home of the continuously emerging new Christian religions, the home of the highest Catholics and the only strongest-faith-Christian country in Asia.

At the opposite end, according to the survey at just 13 percent, was the former East Germany where people are majority non believer.

"The Philippines is both developing and Catholic," said Tom W. Smith, who directs the General Social Survey of the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. "Religion, which is mainly Catholic, is very emotionally strong there."

The report covered data from 30 countries that participated in at least two surveys in 1991, 1998 or 2008.

Filipino's faith in God has said to be keeps creating miracles, healing wounds & diseases, changing lives, creating ample of blessings and riches to the believers as acclaimed by Christian testimonies how they got healed, how they succeeded their career, how they acquire riches and how they live happily and how God changed their lives .

In 29 of the 30 countries surveyed in 2008, belief increased with age: Belief in God was highest for those ages 68 or older (43 percent), compared to 23 percent of those younger than 28.

While overall belief in God has decreased in most parts of the world, three countries — Israel, Russia and Slovenia — saw increases. The report said religious belief had "slowly eroded" since the 1950s in most countries of the world.

Atheism and unbelief was most prominent in northwest Europe and some former Soviet states, with the exception of majority-Catholic Poland (just 3.3 percent).

Top 5 countries of Strong Faith and God believers

Philippines – 94%
Chile – 79.4%
Israel – 65.5%
Poland – 62%
United States – 60.6%

The United States (60.6 percent) was ranked in the top five countries for people who said they knew God existed and had no doubts. Besides the Philippines, the other countries were Chile (79.4 percent), Israel (65.5 percent) and Poland (62 percent).

Some factors are seen that affect the faith in God for Filipinos are the calamity such as earthquakes, typhoons and natural disasters which Faith in God is their only way to remain firm and strong, and the said to be keep existing of mystical powers which is practiced by the natives and tribal groups in most remote areas.

Filipinos is also known to be the most sociable people in the world ranking number one for social network users. The sociable attitudes are also the effect of the religious activities in each sector which people will go out every weekend to go to church and meet people to do worships in God. If in the other country people will meet each other in the bar or in the dance hall, Filipinos will usually go out for prayer meetings, worships, & other church and religious activities as their rendezvous.

Many Filipinos believes that the last judgment , the last paradise and the land of the Promise could be found in the Philippines when God return as promised in the Holy Bible.

Philippines $75.174 Billion now Rank 26th World’s highest Gross International Reserves

2012-04-15T04:36:00.001-07:00

THE PHILIPPINES' foreign currency reserves continued to grow in October 2011, giving the Philippines more than enough of a defense against a deteriorating global economic situation as it ranks now up to the 26th highest World Gross International Reserves..

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Friday that the country's gross international reserves (GIR) came up to $75.8 billion last month, $600 million more than in September.

The latest figure, which was above the central bank's $75 billion full-year forecast, was mainly due to the central bank's foreign exchange operations, income from its overseas investments and higher valuation of its gold holdings.

It was nearly a third higher than the $57.153 billion recorded in October last year and could nearly pay for a year's worth of imports.

"The appreciable build-up in the reserves level at end-October 2011 resulted mainly from the foreign exchange operations and income from investments abroad of the BSP as well as revaluation gains on the BSP's gold holdings," the central bank said.

Reserves from overseas investments increased slightly by 0.32% to $65.92 billion while the value of gold holdings climbed by 6.09% to $7.91 billion.

"These inflows were partially offset, however, by payments by the national government for its maturing foreign exchange obligations," the BSP added.

The GIR, which cushions the country against external shocks, show a country's capability to pay for imports and service foreign debts. It is also the main indicator of the country's liquidity.

The BSP noted that the latest level could cover 11.2 months worth of imports. It was also equivalent to 10.6 times external debt with maturity of up to 12 months, and 6.4 times such liabilities plus principal payments on longer-term loans falling due within 12 months.

Net international reserves -- which include the revaluation of reserve assets -- rose by $600 million to $75.8 billion in end-October from $75.2 billion in the previous month. These reserves are GIR minus total short-term liabilities.

As the Philippines economy continue to bubble, the countries GIR will also grow upward. The country's GIR now higher than the reserves of Canada, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Australia, and most countries in Europe.

Japan remains the 2nd highest followed by Russia & Saudi Arabia. France ranks 13th lower than South Korea's 8th notch. United Kingdom is on the 20th of $114,180 Billion GIR.

San Miguel Corporation - Engineering & Construction bid for 3 airport projects in the Philippines

2012-04-15T04:27:00.002-07:00

Philippines—Diversifying conglomerate San Miguel Corp. is investing about $300 million to modernize and set up new tourism amenities at the Boracay Airport; the main gateway to the world-famous Boracay Island.

The conglomerate also plans to participate in the public bidding for the public-private partnership airport contracts for Palawan, Bohol and Caraga (Agusan).

The three airport projects were cited by President Aquino on Saturday during the inauguration of the SMC-backed Caticlan airport rehabilitation.

“When we join the bidding, the price becomes reasonable, so we’ll participate in all of them,” SMC president Ramon S. Ang told reporters at the sidelines of the inauguration of the airport project. It was earlier reported that SMC was likewise interested in the NAIA 3 airport terminal privatization.

By the time the Caticlan modernization project is completed by December 2013, it will accommodate three million tourists a year from only 500,000 at present. “We invested here because we saw the potential that we can contribute to [boost] tourist arrivals,” Ang said.

Over the last seven months, SMC has spruced up the Caticlan airport but it would take at least two more years to complete the major upgrading, Ang said.

The $300-million investment will include not only the upgrading of the airport itself but the construction of new amenities like a 5,000-room budget hotel, a world-class convention center and a retail complex that will showcase local souvenirs and a row of seafood restaurants. The tourism amenities, Ang said, would be managed by local operators.

“The airport will make Boracay a more affordable holiday destination for many Filipinos,” Ang said. With the upcoming improvements, he said there would be more regional and domestic flights to Boracay, in turn pulling down airfare costs per passenger from as much as P16,000 during the peak season to as low as P1,500 to P2,000.

The Caticlan airport is envisioned to be at par with the best airports in the region, with its runway planned to be extended from 950 meters to 2,500 meters. The width of the runway will also be doubled to 60 meters, allowing Boracay to handle regional and night landing. Flight volumes are targeted to increase by at least 30 percent.

Airport systems will likewise be streamlined for bigger volume of passengers while departure lounges will be improved. Based on the blueprint, it will also have a jetty port that can handle two international cruise liners at a time, allowing a more efficient transfer to Boracay Island.

To support Boracay’s green initiatives, Ang said the conglomerate would invest in a major water-treatment plant.

Asked whether SMC would start collecting higher terminal fees to recover its investment, Ang said there was no plan to do so as investment could be recovered from other businesses like hotel and retail operations. “We’ll keep the terminal fee affordable,” he said.

He said many international carriers were very much eager to fly to Caticlan once the rehabilitation has been finished.

Filipino 38th happiest people in the world

2012-04-15T04:03:00.000-07:00

Danes world’s happiest; Filipinos 38th

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Filed Under: Ratings, Research
WASHINGTON?Denmark, with its democracy, social equality and peaceful atmosphere, is the happiest country in the world, researchers said on Monday.

Zimbabwe, torn by political and social strife, is the least happy, while the world?s richest nation, the United States, ranks 16th.

The Philippines ranks 38th, just behind France (37) and also trailing other Southeast Asian nations Thailand (27), Singapore (31), Malaysia (34) and Vietnam (36). Japan places 43rd and China, 54th.

Overall, the world is getting happier, according to the US government-funded World Values Survey, which is done regularly by a global network of social scientists.

The survey found increased happiness from 1981 to 2007 in 45 of 52 countries analyzed.

?I strongly suspect that there is a strong correlation between peace and happiness,? said Ronald Inglehart, a political scientist at the University of Michigan?s Institute for Social Research, who directed the study.

And, there is a strong correlation between happiness and democracy, according to Ingelhart.

?Denmark is the happiest country in the world in our ratings,? Inglehart said in an audio statement released by the National Science Foundation, which paid for the analysis.

?Denmark is prosperous?not the richest country in the world but it is prosperous,? he added.

Puerto Rico and Colombia also rank highly, along with Northern Ireland, Iceland, Switzerland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada and Sweden.

?Though by no means the happiest country in the world, from a global perspective, the United States looks pretty good,? Inglehart said.

?The country is not only prosperous; it ranks relatively high in gender equality, tolerance of ethnic and social diversity and has high levels of political freedom.?

The survey, first done in 1981, has kept to two simple questions:

?Taking all things together, would you say you are very happy, rather happy, not very happy, not at all happy??

And, ?All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole these days??

Writing in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, Ingelhart?s team said they had surveyed 350,000 people.

Reuters

BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, nasa Poro Point, La Union para magkarga ng langis at pagkain

2012-04-15T03:26:00.000-07:00

Crazy Chinese ordered Philippine Navy to step out of their waters

2012-04-11T03:31:00.000-07:00

China on Wednesday accused a Philippine warship of illegally entering Chinese waters and ordered it to immediately leave the area, escalating a territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila released a statement reasserting the country's sovereign rights to the entire sea, including the disputed area that is much closer to Philippine land mass.

The statement "urged the Philippine side to stop immediately their illegal activities and leave this area."

Earlier on Wednesday, the Philippine government had said two Chinese surveillance vessels were blocking efforts by its biggest warship, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, to arrest Chinese fishermen on eight boats caught fishing illegally in its waters.

The government said the standoff was occurring at Scarborough Shoal, an estimated 200 kilometers west of Subic Bay in Zambales, on the western coast of Luzon.

The Philippines calls the sandbar with rocks the Panatag Shoal. Scarborough Shoal is its international name, after a tea ship that was wrecked on the rocks in the 18th century.

China calls the shoal Huangyan Island, and the Chinese embassy statement insisted the area belonged solely to China.

China insists it has sovereign rights to all of the South China Sea, even waters close to the coast of other countries and hundreds of kilometers from its own land mass.

The Philippines says it has sovereign rights over areas of the sea within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, and that its position is supported by international law.

"The Chinese Embassy hereby reiterates that Huangyan Island is an integral part of the Chinese territory and the waters around it is the traditional fishing area for the Chinese fishermen," the statement said.

"Ever since the ancient times, numerous documents on the Chinese history have put down definitely in writing that Huangyan Island belongs to Chinese territory." –Agence France-Presse, GMA News/HS

Tsunami Warning Issued After Major Earthquake Hits Indonesia

2012-04-11T03:22:00.000-07:00

An earthquake of magnitude 8.7 has been detected off the west coast of northern Sumatra, the U.S. Geological Survey says.

The epicenter of the quake was some 430 kilometers (267 miles) from Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia’s Aceh province, at a depth of 33 kilometers (20.5 miles).

According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii, a tsunami watch was issued for Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Myanmar, Thailand, Maldives, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles, Pakistan, Somalia, Oman, Madagascar, Iran, Uae, Yemen, Comores, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands, South Africa and Singapore.

In 2004, Indonesia and many neighboring countries, including Sri Lanka, India and Thailand, have been devastated by a tsunami following a 9.1 magnitude earthquake in Indonesia’s Aceh province.

The news has spread fast on social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook — check out below for some of the latest comments. If you’ve been affected by the earthquake, let us know in the comments.

STOP the #1 World Enemy

2012-03-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

MARGAS maranao movie (marawi city )

2012-03-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

source: Youtube

Thanks to the director and actors on this short film

Philippines to sign two MRV's contracts from Indonesia

2012-03-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

Two MultiRole Vessels (MRVs) along with three new helicopters will be ordered to the Navy. While PT PAL offers Strategic Sealift Vessel LPD for Philippines Navy (photo : Defense Studies)

MANILA — Philippine Navy (PN) flag-officer-in charge Vice Admiral Alexander Pama on Thursday expressed optimism that the contracts for the service's two multi-role vessels (MRVs) will be signed by July this year.

With the expected signing of this vital document, the contracting shipbuilder can proceed ahead with the construction of the above-mentioned ships as per design specification of the Philippine government.

The acquisition cost for the two MRVs is estimated to be worth P10 billion.

Pama said that the two vessels would greatly increase the PN's patrolling and disaster relief mission capabilities as the proposed ships are capable of cruising even at the heaviest seas,aside from being equipped with helicopters and and LCMs, allowing them easy access to calamity-stricken communities.

Aside from the MRVs contract, the PN chief stated that the contract for the three brand-new helicopters for the naval service will also be signed by the end of the year, giving the command's air arm new equipment to fulfill its mandate of patrolling and securing Philippine maritime sovereignty.

USA Russia - Australia - Japan - Indonesia -- Supports Philippines for Spratly Disputes

2012-03-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

USA Russia Australia Japan Indonesia -Supports Philippines for Spratly Disputes

In a historic bilateral meeting held in Moscow on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed to further improve relations between the two countries, particularly in matters of political security, the fight against terrorism and transnational crime, trade, investment and tourism, migration, energy and culture.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Del Rosario and Lavrov have "agreed to craft a joint plan of action that will chart their future relations in the next five years."

The Moscow visit, the DFA said, was a first by a Philippine foreign secretary in seven years and capped the yearlong celebration of 35 years of Philippine-Russian relations.

Del Rosario and Lavrov also discussed the challenges posed by maritime security in the Asia-Pacific region. "They agreed that the threats in this area should be approached using a rules-based regime based on transparency and diplomacy," the DFA said. "They affirmed their commitment to ensure safety of navigation and other security issues in the region."

The Philippines considers Russia an important bilateral partner as it shares similar views in the United Nations, the East Asia Summit, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Asia-Europe Meeting and other regional groupings.

"These similar aspirations are based on both countries' adherence to sovereignty, territorial integrity and the maintenance of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region," the foreign office added.

The bilateral meeting was preceded by a wreath-laying ceremony at Alexandrovsky Garden, and was followed by a working lunch.

The DFA said the visit is deemed timely as Russia prepares to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting on September 5 to 6 in Vladivostok

Russia will support the Philippines for the Spratly Disputes against China's force

March 13, 2012: Russia Pronounce its support to the Philippines over Spratly disputes with china and other claimants. Philippines - Russia is supporting the Philippines' stand that rules based on transparency and diplomacy should be used to resolve maritime issues.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov aired his government's support during his bilateral meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario in Moscow on March 13, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday.

The 2 officials tackled regional and international issues, including maritime security in the Asia-Pacific region.

"They agreed that the threats faced in this area should be approached using a rules-based regime based on transparency and diplomacy. They affirmed their commitment to ensure safety of navigation and other security issues in the Asia-Pacific region," the DFA said.

The Philippines earlier asked China to end the disputes in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea by validating the 2 countries' territorial claims under the United Nations on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing declined to make a commitment on the issue but said Beijing is not ignoring the UNCLOS as a way to resolve territorial disputes.

Del Rosario and Lavrov also discussed Syrian crisis and the Arab Spring phenomena in their bilateral talks, according to the DFA.

The DFA chief met with Russian businessmen, diplomats and leaders of the Filipino community during his visit to Moscow.

He encouraged Russian businessmen to invest in the Philippines in the energy, tourism, public-private partnership, and business process outsourcing sectors.

USA Supports the Philippines for the Spartly Disputes

June 14, 2011. The Unites States (US) on Tuesday threw its support to the Philippines amid the escalating tensions over the disputed Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

"I assure you, in all subjects, we, the United States are with the Philippines," US Ambassador Harry Thomas said in his speech during the grand launch of the National Renewable Energy Program in Makati.

"The Philippines and the United States are strategic treaty allies. We are partners. We will continue to consult and work with each other on all issues, including the South China Sea," he added.

Malacañang earlier expressed confidence that the US will side on the Philippines, citing Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) in case the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea heightens.

China warned the US should not intervene in the issue, noting that the US is not a party to the dispute.

US press attaché Rebecca Thompson over the weekend said the US does not take sides on the issue on Spratlys when it escalates into a shooting war.

This statement dismayed several lawmakers prompting them to call for the abrogation of the MDT since it is not beneficial to the country.

"It only proves that the MDT is a mere piece of paper that doesn't bind the two countries at all," said Anakpawis party-list Representative Rafael Mariano.

The Philippines is among the six countries claiming all or in part the disputed oil rich area at the West Philippine Sea.

Australia expresses support for Philippines on Spratlys dispute

November 14th, 2011. President Benigno Aquino III on Saturday received Australia's support for the Philippines' move to declare the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) as a zone of peace, freedom, friendship and cooperation.

Mr. Aquino met with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, according to presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

"(The) Australian prime minister just mentioned that 20 percent of their exports pass through the West Philippine Sea. Basically, that's it and the President spoke on the solution of the West Philippine Sea being a zone of peace, freedom, friendship and cooperation," Lacierda said in a news briefing.

Asked whether there was an expression of support, Lacierda said, "Yes, yes."

Foreign Undersecretary Laura del Rosario, who attended the bilateral meeting, said Gillard also lauded Mr. Aquino's efforts to promote transparency and accountability.

"The Australian prime minister congratulated or applauded the President on his governance initiatives, in all his steps that he has taken to make sure that, he called it technical corruption, is also being addressed and that resources are being freed to address our need," Del Rosario said.

Del Rosario said Gillard asked Mr. Aquino to visit Australia possibly in mid-2012.

Asked about the invitation, the President told reporters on Saturday, "We're working on it."

Gas deposits

Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras on Saturday also elaborated on the President's statement on Friday about the discovery of substantial gas deposits.

"We're talking about Recto Bank, which really is not in the Spratlys area," said Almendras, a member of the Philippine delegation to the Apec summit.

He told reporters that Forum Energy, the contract service provider in the area, had been conducting seismic testing in the area. "The exploration has been continuing," he said.

On Friday, Mr. Aquino said that the gas fields included disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea and that the deposits there "dwarfs" the Malampaya oil fields. The President said operations there would begin next year.

But Almendras clarified on Saturday that the Philippines' gas fields were outside the Spratlys.

He also said that Manila would honor its agreement with its fellow claimants over disputed territories.

Seismic evaluation

"In the terms of China, depending on what they claim to be their basis of their claims, some of these areas will be questioned but as far as the acknowledged contested area is concerned by all of the parties involved whether China agrees to it or not is really the Spratlys area," Almendras said.

The gas fields in the Recto Bank, Almendras said, showed "very good results on seismic evaluation and even previous wells that were dug as early as 1976 (and) are not in the Spratlys area."

The President, in his State of the Nation Address this year, made an unequivocal claim over Recto Bank, saying being in the area is like being on CM Recto Avenue in Manila.

China, however, is also claiming the bank as one of its territories. Aside from the Philippines and China, claimants over the Spratlys include Vietnam and Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

During a session of the Apec CEO Summit on commodity security, Mr. Aquino told a panel that work in a gas-rich area would commence next year.

Almendras clarified the President's earlier statement that the area would be in northern Philippines. He said the area of Recto Bank lay just north of Palawan.

"This is not in the contested area," Almendras said.

He acknowledged that the area was "a new field," as Mr. Aquino said, because it has yet to go into the "development mode."

New gas fields

The President referred to the new gas fields during a session on commodity security of the Apec CEO Summit when asked what his government was doing to address cost of electricity in the country—one of the highest in the region.

"There are substantial gas deposits that we believe are already in the proven scale at this point in time that will dwarf the Malampaya oil fields. Some of them are in areas that are part of the contentious disputes as to sovereignty over the same."

He said his government was working on "steps to determine as to who actually owns them consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea."

"We are hoping that all the signatories to the United Nations convention will adhere to the stipulations of the convention," Mr. Aquino said.

He said this included the 370-kilometer (200-Nautical miles) exclusive economic zone, "which clearly shows that the areas in dispute are in our favor."

The President said the Philippines could go for arbitration to settle the matter "once and for all and to have these resources benefit not only our country but our neighbors in the region."

Philippines gets Japan support on Spratlys dispute

September 28th, 2011. President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday night secured Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's support for a peaceful resolution of the six-nation dispute over the potentially oil-rich Spratly islands.

The maritime issue in the South China Sea, which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea, ranked high in the agenda of the two leaders' meeting that sought to elevate their country's bilateral relations to a more meaningful "strategic partnership."

In a joint statement, Mr. Aquino and Noda "confirmed that the South China Sea is vital, as it connects the world and the Asia Pacific region, and that peace and stability therein is of common interest to the international community."

The President reiterated the Philippines' "commitment to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and to the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes over the South China Sea."

He also emphasized the importance of "a rules-based regime for addressing and resolving disputes and promoting cooperation."

Following the meeting, the President and Noda "confirmed that freedom of navigation, unimpeded commerce, and compliance with established international law including the UNCLOS and the peaceful settlement of disputes serve the interests of the two countries and the whole region." UNCLOS refers to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

"They shared the recognition that these same interests should also be advanced and protected in the South China Sea," according to the statement.

Though not a claimant to the Spratlys islands, Japan came into the picture, saying vessels that deliver oil it imports from the Middle East pass by that vital sea lane.

Japan promised to assist the Philippine Coast Guard so it could better patrol the country's vast coast line. It will dispatch patrol vessels of the Japan Coast Guard to train its Filipino counterparts. Both countries also agreed to "promote exchanges and cooperation between their defense authorities."

The Philippines and China, along with Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, have conflicting claims to the Spratlys. Tensions spiked this year after the Philippines and Vietnam said China had become increasingly aggressive in staking its claims to the area, believed to hold vast deposits of oil and gas.

Deal for Filipino nurses

Mr. Aquino and Noda tackled the 3-year-old Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), specifically addressing claims Filipino health workers are not getting a fair treatment from Japanese employers.

The two leaders agreed "to continue consultations in order to further improve the current situation, including the smooth dispatch and acceptance of Filipino candidates for qualified nurses and certified workers.".

The President thanked Japan for agreeing to conduct Japanese language training before nurses are sent to Japan. He also "emphasized the importance of increasing the passing rates of Filipino nurses in the Japanese National Examination for nurses."

"We agreed to sustain our active economic cooperation founded on the framework of the JPEPA," Mr. Aquino said after the meeting. "Our governments will be working closely for its effective implementation and for the success of its first general review this year, so that we can maximize its prospective benefits."

During his four-day Japan visit, the President travelled to the tsunami-hit Ishinomaki in the north and will meet with Emperor Akihito before returning home on.

Before the start of the bilateral meeting at his official residence, Noda expressed his sympathy for the battering the Philippines was getting from Typhoon "Pedring."

"We hope the threats would be minimized as soon as possible," Noda told the President.

Development aid

The two leaders witnessed an exchange of notes on a package of development assistance from Japan, specifically on disaster preparedness and mitigation projects.

Topping the list was a forest management project worth 9.22 billion yen (or P5.87 billion), which was part of the overall official development assistance by Japan to the Philippines.

Mr. Aquino said the project would "help preserve critical river basins" in four regions of the country.

The President "renewed his appreciation for Japan's continuous assistance for the climate change mitigation and adaptation measures" in the Philippines and promised the "steady implementation" of other projects made possible by Japan loans.

Earlier, the President offered a "win-win" opportunity for Japanese investors in the Philippines and received pledges of potential fresh investments worth at least $1.1 billion, according to spokesperson Herminio Coloma.

Japan is already the Philippines' top trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching $14.4 billion last year, according to government data.

Culture of transparency

The President sat down with more than 30 Japanese businessmen at the Tokyo Kaikan Hotel, presenting investment opportunities in the Philippines. Mr. Aquino also engaged in a round-table discussion members of the Japan-Philippine Economic Coordinating Committee and the Philippine-Japan Economic Coordinating Committee.

Coloma said Toyota Motor Corp. alone would invest P3.6 billion, which would create some 5,000 jobs. He said the top car-maker was also looking to put up a $170-million "next generation" manufacturing plant in the Philippines.

Murato Manufacturing Co. Ltd., one of the world's top producers of digital components, was also planning to establish a factory for its cutting-edge "monolithic ceramic capacitor" in a 23-hectare property in Laguna by October next year.

Coloma said Marubeni Corp. would engage in at least four power projects: the expansion of the Pagbilao coal power plant by 2015, expansion of the Sual facility, a 600-megawatt coal power plant in Subic, and the Leyte-Mindanao interconnection project.

"This is a good time to invest in the Philippines because this culture of transparency we are cultivasting will lead to a win-win situation for all stakeholders involved," he told the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry during lunch at the Tokyo Kaikan Hotel.

Rule of law

A palpable change, Mr. Aquino said, was the streamlining of business applications, which was part of a larger effort to "eliminate the preponderance of under-the-table transactions with bloated commissions secretly pocketed by corrupt officials."

Mr. Aquino noted that efforts to review previous government contracts led the Department of Public and Works and Highways to save P4.652 billion worth of supposedly "questionable projects."

Critics blamed his cautious approach to public spending to the country's 3.4-percent economic growth rate in the second quarter this year. A recent Senate budget hearing showed that the DPWH spent only P16 billion out of its P90-billion budget for infrastructure as of last month.

But in his meetings here, the President said it was better to have a problem with "underspending" than to worry about lost money due to corruption. "All our efforts are governed by an overarching principle: an end to corruption means an end to poverty," he said.

Indonesia supports PHL stand on Spratlys

14 DECEMBER 2011. Indonesian government assured the Philippines that its proposal to segregate parts of the disputed West Philippine Sea will not be rejected by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) amid alleged bullying by China.

The Philippines and Indonesia concluded on Wednesday the 5th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in Manila where they discussed extensively the scheduled drafting of the legally binding Code of Conduct that will govern claimant countries to the disputed parts of the West Philippine Sea.

The drafting of the Code of Conduct will be adopted in time for the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea between members of the ASEAN and China.

Claimant countries to the Spratly islands include four ASEAN members—the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei—as well as China and Taiwan. Other ASEAN countries include Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Burma, Cambodia and Singapore.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the Philippines's proposal on the establishment of a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Cooperation in the West Philippine Sea is not rejected by the Asean.

"The overall aura during the ASEAN summit [is] how we will link the Philippine proposal in drafting the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea next year. We won't move out of the script from what has already been [agreed upon]," said Natalegawa, adding that the Philippines's proposal is supposed to be integrated in the Code.

He said ASEAN leaders are looking forward to adopting the Code next year in time for the 10th year anniversary of the signing of the landmark Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

"Leaving things hanging and not addressed is [will continue to cause conflict] to the peace and stability in the region," said Natalegawa.

"ASEAN as a whole has a very strong interest to settle the dispute peacefully in accordance with maritime laws."

In a joint statement on Tuesday, Filipino and Indonesian diplomats agreed to conclude a plan of action covering the period 2013 to 2015 that will cover trade, security, defense and border cooperation as well as cultural issues.

The Philippines also offered to host the 6th Meeting of the Joint Working Group of Senior Officials next year to implement the existing Agreement on Trade, Investments, Handicraft and Shipping, as well as to review and update the Border Trade Agreement.

The two archipelagic countries also agreed to cooperate on marine and fisheries development as well as push for programs that protect the rights of their migrant workers, with the most numbers particularly in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. 

"There were discussions at the JCBC on developments on the evolving regional architecture in East Asia and the international financial situation," said the joint statement.

source:
http://betterphils.blogspot.com

Top US bank sets up BPO in PhilippinesTop US bank sets up BPO in Philippines Top US bank sets up BPO in Philippines

2012-03-11T03:30:00.000-07:00

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Despite moves by US President Barack Obama and the United States Congress to discourage outsourcing, one of the biggest US banks has decided to locate some of its non-core business support activities in the Philippines.
Wells Fargo & Co., the second largest US bank in deposits, home mortgage servicing and debit cards with $1.3 trillion in assets, is setting up a business support center in Manila as the country's booming business process outsourcing (BPO) industry is projected to produce more than 120,000 new jobs this year.
Company officials did not disclose the value of the investment neither the number of BPO workers the operations would employ.
"We selected the Philippines to be part of Wells Fargo's international footprint based on the country's reputation for strong customer service, a large English-speaking population and a cultural affinity to the United States," said David Caldwell, managing director of Wells
Fargo Philippines Solutions, the local subsidiary of the US banking giant.
The new investment is also good news for property developer Megaworld Corp. on whose McKinley Hill Cyberpark project will rise a new building to serve the outsourcing needs of the US banking giant.
"Our location in McKinley Hill gives us a strong foothold as we are among our peers in the industry," Caldwell said.
Wells Fargo joins other high-profile BPO locators at the 14-hectare McKinley Hill Cyberpark, including Accenture, HP and Thomson Reuters.
Wells Fargo Philippines Solutions already occupies two floors of buildings 8 and 10 Upper McKinley Road, and it will also lease a campus-type building currently being constructed in McKinley Hill Cyberpark.
PH reputation enhanced
The US bank's launch of an in-house business support center here was welcomed by labor leader and former Sen. Ernesto Herrera, saying it has reinforced the Philippines' reputation as "an exceptional global hub for labor-intensive and information technology-enabled outsourcing services."
"We are counting on Wells Fargo's new center to help provide gainful employment to our college-educated, fluent English-speaking professionals, many of whom remain idle," said Herrera.
Variety of functions
He said Wells Fargo's new Philippine center deals with a variety of functions, including customer service and back office support.
Herrera, who is locked in a struggle for leadership of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), said his labor group's new members include VOICE, a labor federation of contact center employees.
According to Herrera, the country's booming BPO industry, which fully employs some 630,000 Filipinos, produced $11 billion in revenues in 2011.
The Business Processing Association of the Philippines sees industry revenues jumping 18 percent to $13 billion this year, he said.
Based on the projected incremental revenues of $2 billion, Herrera said the industry could create around 126,000 new jobs this year.
Worries over US bill
According to Herrera, Wells Fargo's decision to shift more jobs offshore comes amid worries in the Philippines over an anti-outsourcing bill in the US Congress.
Herrera said the proposed US Call Center and Consumer Protection Act, introduced by New York Rep. Tim Bishop, would require the US Department of Labor to track firms that shift contact center jobs overseas. Those firms would be ineligible for any direct or indirect US federal loans or loan guarantees for five years.
Boost for cyberpark
The bill would also require contact center staff to disclose their location to US consumers, who would be given the right to be routed to a US-based call hub upon request, Herrera said.
However, Herrera said he does not expect the US Congress to pass the bill, which he said is being opposed by US corporations that are benefiting from outsourcing.
Megaworld said the entry of Wells Fargo was a big boost to the McKinley Hill Cyberpark, which is on a rapid expansion mode, with the ongoing construction of the four-tower Science Hub beside the Venice Piazza commercial and retail area.
As an IT park accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, McKinley Hill Cyberpark offers locators income tax holidays and other perks, including the duty-free importation of office equipment.
"We are proud that one of the United States' top four banks, Wells Fargo, has chosen McKinley Hill Cyberpark to set up their new Philippine service center," said Jericho Go, Megaworld's first vice president for business development.
"This move highlights the attractiveness of the Philippines as an investment destination and its human resource capabilities," Go said.
One of US Big 4
Founded in 1929, the San Francisco, California-based Wells Fargo is one of the so-called Big 4 US banks regarded as "too big to fail" at the height of the 2008 global financial crisis. The three others are Bank of America, Citigroup and JP Morgan.
JP Morgan and Citigroup have long existing in-house back offices in Manila through JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A. Philippine Customer Care Center and Citigroup Business Process Solutions Pte. Ltd.
Bigger franchise
Although Bank of America does not yet have in-house back offices here, Herrera said the Charlotte, North Carolina-based lender is known to have outsourced some of its customer support activities to an independent BPO provider with extensive Philippine operations.
Wells Fargo is emerging from the 2008 financial crisis with a bigger franchise, after it acquired rival banking giant Wachovia Corp., which had been weakened by mounting bad loans, Herrera said.
A highly diversified financial services company with more than 80 different business lines, Wells Fargo has 6,335 branches, 12,094 ATMs, 70 million customers and 264,000 employees, he said.

Philippines urges responsible use of power by China

2012-03-11T03:13:00.002-07:00

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Philippines' Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario yesterday shrugged off reports that China was boosting its military spending by more than 11 percent this year, calling this a "sovereign right" of the nation with a booming economy.

"We are impressed with the economic growth of China and we praise them as this growth is no doubt benefiting the Philippines as well," he said in a statement.

But "with an expanded economy and military," Del Rosario said, "we are relying on China to fully utilise its vast global influence in a more responsible way, especially in terms of promoting peace, prosperity and stability in the region."

Last week, Del Rosario told a media forum the Philippines had "committed ourselves to improve our national defence by building a minimum credible defence posture to protect out national sovereignty."

Given the country's lack of resources, he said "it behooves us to proactively seek the assistance and cooperation of our various international partners to achieve this minimum credible defence posture, which is a fundamental attribute of any sovereign country."

Increased US aid

Del Rosario said Manila would receive from Washington this year at least US$144.66 million in defence aid, an increase of $21.4 million over the previous year's assistance.

"We also acquired a Hamilton-class cutter from the United States last year and are expecting the delivery of a second cutter this year. Negotiations are likewise underway for more defence articles, including newer air assets for the Philippine Air Force," he said.

US Deputy Chief of Mission Leslie Bassett said on Sunday that the United States was looking for ways to improve military engagement with the Philippines.

"We are not talking about anything beyond what we've already got in the terms of agreement. What we're looking at is whether the Philippines might be interested in changing our military engagement, making it a little bit more profound, shifting its emphasis a little,"

Bassett said at the close of a three-day road show "America in 3D" that includes planting mangroves and painting schools.

But he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer the conversations were "very preliminary" and that the Philippines had "complete sovereignty and the complete decisions to decide what it does and doesn't want to do."

PAF acquisitions

The Philipine Air Force (PAF) on Monday said it expected to acquire aircraft and assets for territorial defence in the remaining four years of the Aquino administration.

According to the PAF spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Miguel Okol, the first phase of their upgrade program dubbed "Back to Basics" is nearly completed.

From this year up to 2016, the PAF will move to the second phase dubbed "Horizon 2" that targets air assets apt for defence against external threats.

On Friday, the PAF will formally accept four of eight new "Sokol" multipurpose combat utility helicopters ordered from PZL-Swidnik in Poland for 2.8 billion pesos (US$65 million).

Four more helicopters are expected to be delivered in the last quarter of the year.

The first phase targets to acquire assets meant for internal security operations, including eight combat utility helicopters, seven attack helicopters, one C-130 cargo aircraft, a long-range patrol aircraft and 18 basic trainer aircraft.

The second phase or "Horizon 2" will take place in the 2012 to 2016 time frame, according to Okol.

"For Horizon 2, PAF expects the delivery of territorial defence assets such as surface attack aircraft, lead-in fighter jet trainers, long range patrol aircraft, air defence radar and a special mission aircraft, which will greatly boost the country's defence stance against external threats," he said.

The new Sokol helicopters, which will replace the PAF's Vietnam War-vintage UH-1H "Huey" utility helicopters, will greatly boost the PAF's search and rescue, medical evacuation and combat utility missions since the choppers are reliable in all weather conditions. With a report from Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Inquirer Visayas.

source:

Yahoonews

China grabbing "Reed Bank" 50 Miles off Palawan Philippines

2012-03-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

Colliding China and the Philippines in West Philippines Sea (South China Sea) over oil surveys

The looming conflict in the Philippines waters as china's aggression and assertiveness in invading neighboring territory flared over the oil race in the sea. The conflict begun last year 2011 when Lieutenant-General Juancho Sabban received an urgent phone call from an oil company saying two Chinese vessels were threatening to ram its survey ship, the Philippine commander's message was clear: "Don't move, we'll come to the rescue."

Within hours, a Philippine surveillance plane, patrol ships and light attack aircraft arrived in the area of Reed Bank in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea). By then the Chinese boats had left after chasing away the survey ship, Veritas Voyager, hired by UK-based Forum Energy.

But the tension had become so bigger; Forum Energy chief Ray Apostol wanted to halt two months of work in the area.

"They were so close to finishing their work. I told them to stay and finish the job," Sabban, who heads the Western Command of the Philippine Armed Forces, said at his headquarters in Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island, the main Island of the Province of Palawan that administer the Spratlys Archipelago.

Reed Bank or Recto Bank is an undersea territory of the Philippines located 50 miles or 80 Kilometers from the province of Palawan believed to rich in oil and natural gas deposits

Over the next few days, Philippines President Benigno Aquino III would call an emergency cabinet meeting, file a formal protest with China, and send his defense secretary and armed forces chief to the Western Command in a show of strength.

The March 2011 incident is considered a turning point for the Aquino administration. The president hardened his stance on sovereignty rights, sought closer ties with Washington and has quickened efforts to modernize its military capability by spending billions.

A year later, Forum Energy is planning to return. Top company executives said the company intended to sail to Reed Bank within months to drill the area's first well for oil and natural gas in decades, an event that could spark a military crisis for Aquino if China responded more aggressively.

The US military has also signaled its return to the area, with war games scheduled this month with the Philippine navy near Reed Bank, Palawan Province of the Philippines that China is bound to view as provocative.

"This will be a litmus test of where China stands on the South China Sea issue," said Ian Storey, a fellow at the Singapore Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. "They could adopt the same tactics as they did last year and harass the drilling vessels, or they might even take a stronger line against them and send in warships."

A decades-old territorial squabble over the South China Sea is entering a new and more contentious chapter, as claimant nations search deeper into disputed waters for energy supplies while building up their navies and military alliances with other nations, particularly with the US.

Reed Bank, Palawan Province is claimed by China in which is under the province of Palawan Philippines, it's just one of several possible flashpoints in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea) that could force Washington to intervene in defense of its Southeast Asian allies.

US President Barack Obama has sought to reassure regional allies that Washington would serve as a counterbalance to a newly assertive China, part of his campaign to "pivot" US foreign policy more intensely on Asia after a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama brought up the South China Sea at an Asia-Pacific summit in Bali in November. He had a surprise one-on-one with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on the subject, although Beijing had insisted the issue should not be on the agenda at all.

"As Southeast Asian countries run to the US for assistance, Beijing increasingly fears America aims to encircle China militarily and diplomatically," said Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, Northeast Asia director for the International Crisis Group.

"Underlying all of these concerns is the potential that discoveries of oil and natural gas beneath the disputed sections of the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea) could fuel conflict."

The area is thought to hold vast untapped reserves of oil and natural gas that could potentially place China, the Philippines, Vietnam and other claimant nations alongside the likes of Saudi Arabia, Russia and Qatar.

Manila is beefing up its tiny and outdated naval fleet and military bases, adding at least two Hamilton-class cutters this year and earmarking millions of dollars to expand its Ulugan Bay naval base in Palawan.

It's no match for China's fleet, the largest in Asia, which boasts 62 submarines, 13 destroyers and 65 frigates, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

China last month launched the fourth of its new 071 amphibious landing ships that are designed to quickly insert troops to trouble spots, for example, disputed islands.

The US Navy has announced it will deploy its new amphibious assault vessels, the Littoral Combat Ships, to the "maritime crossroads" of the Asia-Pacific theatre, stationing them in Singapore and perhaps the Philippines.

Washington's renewed presence in the Philippines – a former US colony that voted to remove US naval and air bases 20 years ago – follows the US announcement last year of plans to set up a Marine base in northern Australia and possibly station warships in Singapore.

Manila is talking about giving Washington more access to its ports and airfields to re-fuel and service US warships and planes. The two countries will conduct war games off Palawan Island in late March – focusing on how to deal with a take-over of an oil rig in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea).

China has warned oil companies not to explore in the disputed South China Sea, over which Beijing says it has "indisputable sovereignty". Chinese ships have repeatedly harassed vessels that have tried.

After ExxonMobil discovered hydrocarbons off the coast of Danang in central Vietnam, an area also claimed by China, one of China's most popular newspapers warned in October nations involved in territorial disputes should "mentally prepare for the sounds of cannons" if they remain at loggerheads with Beijing.

Despite the threats, the Philippines and Vietnam have continued to explore for oil and natural gas further offshore in the West Philippines and South China waters, driven by persistently high oil prices and more advanced deepsea technology.

The Philippines had reported as many as 12 incidents of Chinese vessels intruding into its sovereign waters in the past year, an unusually high number, Sabban said.

In one of the most serious incidents last October, a Philippine navy ship seized Chinese fishing boats after colliding with one of them, prompting protests from China for their return. At least 12 Chinese fishermen have been arrested over the past year. Half of them remain in detention in Palawan.

"China has no right to tell us we should first ask for permission from them to explore the area," Sabban said. "We have explored that area back in the 1970s, so why can't we explore it now? We knew there was a substantial deposit of natural gas even before all of these things started."

Manila said Reed Bank, about 80 Kilometers or 50 nautical miles west of Palawan Island at the southwestern end of the Philippine archipelago, was within the country's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

But Beijing believed it was part of the Spratlys, a group of 250 uninhabitable islets spread over 265 542km2, claimed entirely by China, Taiwan and Vietnam, and in part by Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines.

While China prefers to solve the disputes one on one with its smaller Southeast Asian neighbor, Washington has sought to internationalize the issue, given half the world's merchant fleet tonnage sails across the sea and around these islets each year, carrying $5 trillion (R37.35 trillion) worth of trade.

"If we don't develop our positions in our exclusive economic zone, then we will only be giving it away and will be at the losing end," Saban said. – Reuters

From:http://betterphils.blogspot.com/2012/03/china-grabbing-reed-bank-50-miles-off.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RebuildingBetterPhilippines+%28Rebuilding++Better+Philippines%29#.T1ZidHmAq3M

Qatar Airways bids goodbay to Cebu airport

2012-03-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

Qatar Airways has call it quits for Cebu after more than eight long years of developing the network.

The airline decided to suspend flights to Cebu starting April this year due to economic reason. The inaugural Doha-Cebu flight of Qatar Airways started at Mactan Cebu International Airport on Dec. 11, 2003. The airline served the route three times weekly. It never grow from there.

"We cannot simply fill our planes and grow despite our existence here for more than five years" Cebu commercial manager Mohammed El Emam said yesterday.

In contrast, Manila got the better share of the airline but is prevented from expanding the route due to bilateral restrictions.

"The problem with Cebu I think is domestic connections to other places in Visayas and Mindanao region." says Emam.

"In Manila, you could virtually connect to any places in the Philippines and airlines offered bigger planes such as Airbus 320 to ferry passengers." Emam adds. "In Cebu, you get a commuter plane to the provinces."

But Cebu-based travel agencies has other reasons in mind.

"The Cebu-Qatar route is much more expensive as compared to Manila-Qatar, and sometimes the difference is huge when you consider flying other airlines to the middle east" says a local operator Jenny Franco.

"Perhaps because they operate on monopoly", the operator adds.

However Emam stressed that even if they are alone in Cebu, there is no monopoly for them as plenty of airlines are available in Manila which is an hour away. He stressed that Cebu pricing is actually market based, and since it has fewer passenger to fly they have to pay more.

"It's more or less an economy of scale, if you like" says Emam.

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) recently asked Qatar Airways to reconsider its decision of withdrawing from Cebu.

“We understand the factors that triggered Qatar Airways to suspend its flights to our island, but we are in dire need of the services of your airways” Chioson said in his letter to the airline.

Hotel and restaurant owners have a different reason.

“I believe it’s a combination of factors that pushed Qatar Airways to that decision: the low cargo revenues, the low yield from business-class,” said Hotel, Resorts, and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) president Hans Hauri.

In an advisory sent to its partners and clients, Qatar Airways said it will stop servicing the Cebu-Doha route because of rising fuel cost and high operating expenses.

The airline said passengers with flights after March 26 will be provided with alternative flights like the Manila-Doha route that flies twice-weekly.

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Officials: US pledges $144M for Philippine defense

2012-03-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines—Washington has pledged to provide $144 million in addition to a warship this year to help bolster the Philippines’ territorial defense, officials said.

The Philippines has turned to the United States, a defense-treaty ally, and other Western countries to acquire warships, fighter jets and radar to strengthen its security amid a long-simmering territorial dispute with China and other countries in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

The US has already provided one warship and approved the delivery of a second one this year.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario confirmed the assistance late Wednesday and said he and other officials would visit Washington on April 30 to seek additional aid and discuss joint military exercises.

Air Asia Philippines is now open for business in the Philippines - another budget carrier for the Filipinos

2012-03-01T08:06:00.000-08:00

AirAsia Philippines on Tuesday announced it will begin flights on March 28, giving almost free fares to its first 20,000 passengers to Kalibo and Davao.

The no-frills budget airline said the fare of P275 is for a one-way ticket and already includes taxes. The seat sale is actually a zero-fare promo with the seat totally free and the guest is actually paying only P275 to cover the fuel surcharge, processing fee and government mandated fees such as aviation security fee and VAT, said AirAsia Philippines in a statement.

Kathleen Tan, regional head of the AirAsia commercial plane fleet, said they had ferried at least 2 million passengers with AirAsia Berhad, the Malaysia-based mother company which began its operations at Clark in 2005 offering flights to Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia.

Tan said they will utilize their two brand-new Airbus 320 for twice-a-day flights to Bangoy International Airport in Davao and Kalibo International Airport via the Clark International Airport.

Marianne B. Hontiveros, AirAsia Philippines’ president and chief executive, said in a briefing that the company has submitted applications to Singapore, Malaysia, China, Thailand, Hong Kong and Macau for airport slots and flight permits two weeks ago,

“I think it would take two to six months,” she said.

“For instance, it would depend on the diplomatic agreement between countries,” she added. Flights will be immediately launched should papers be completed, Ms. Hontiveros said.

The company fulfilled additional requirements imposed by the Philippine Civil Aviation Regulator (CAAP) such as data on its aircraft, proposed initial training for crew, documentation of maintenance system, among others.

Sources:
Youtube.com
http://philippineairspace.blogspot.com/2012/02/air-asia-philippines-opens-for-business.html

AirAsia Philippines now in the Philippines - another budget carrier available for all Filipinos

2012-03-01T07:58:00.003-08:00

AirAsia Philippines on Tuesday announced it will begin flights on March 28, giving almost free fares to its first 20,000 passengers to Kalibo and Davao.

The no-frills budget airline said the fare of P275 is for a one-way ticket and already includes taxes. The seat sale is actually a zero-fare promo with the seat totally free and the guest is actually paying only P275 to cover the fuel surcharge, processing fee and government mandated fees such as aviation security fee and VAT, said AirAsia Philippines in a statement.

Kathleen Tan, regional head of the AirAsia commercial plane fleet, said they had ferried at least 2 million passengers with AirAsia Berhad, the Malaysia-based mother company which began its operations at Clark in 2005 offering flights to Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia.

Tan said they will utilize their two brand-new Airbus 320 for twice-a-day flights to Bangoy International Airport in Davao and Kalibo International Airport via the Clark International Airport.

Marianne B. Hontiveros, AirAsia Philippines’ president and chief executive, said in a briefing that the company has submitted applications to Singapore, Malaysia, China, Thailand, Hong Kong and Macau for airport slots and flight permits two weeks ago,

“I think it would take two to six months,” she said.

“For instance, it would depend on the diplomatic agreement between countries,” she added. Flights will be immediately launched should papers be completed, Ms. Hontiveros said.

The company fulfilled additional requirements imposed by the Philippine Civil Aviation Regulator (CAAP) such as data on its aircraft, proposed initial training for crew, documentation of maintenance system, among others.

sources:
Youtube.com
http://philippineairspace.blogspot.com/2012/02/air-asia-philippines-opens-for-business.html

Outrageous Senator-Judge Meriam Santiago attacks Private Prosecutor Atty Aguirre for his misbehavior

2012-02-29T19:48:00.000-08:00

Day 26: Corona Impeachment - Sen. Judge Meriam Santiago on a rage

2012-02-29T08:38:00.000-08:00

Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard will conduct joint patrol in West mandated under the newly-created National Coast Watch System (NCWS) Philippine Sea as

2012-02-25T21:39:00.001-08:00

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Philippine Navy (PN) will jointly conduct offshore patrol on West Philippine Sea (WPS), a task mandated under the newly-created National Coast Watch System (NCWS) by virtue of Executive Order No. 57, signed and issued by President Benigno C. Aquino III last September.

Addressing the PCG graduating class of Advance Boarding Officers' Course (ABOC) conducted by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Mobile Training Team held at the PCG headquarters last week, newly-named PCG chief of staff Commodore Aaron T. Reconquista said, of late, the PCG has been mandated with a leading role in the West Philippine Sea in terms of enforcement of national laws particularly relative to customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ).

Reconquista underscored the US team of instructors for sharing their expertise, knowledge and skills with the PCG, particularly the members of PCG special operations group (SOG) headed by Cdr. Marco Antonio Gines, who, undoubtedly acquired knowledge and skills from the four-week training course – two weeks spent in training instructors-counterparts, and two weeks in training new 26 students on advance boarding course. "We are indebted to the US government for extending to us this assistance and to the United States Coast Guard (ASCG) mobile training team facilitated by the US embassy staff," he said.

He extended the warm felicitations and words of thanks of the whole PCG headed by its commandant Vice Admiral Edmund C. Tan to US embassy deputy economic counselor Mr. Brent Christensen, US charge' d Affaires Ms. Leslie Basset, Export control and Boarding Security (EXBS)regional advisor Mike Mcnamara, US naval attache to the Philippines Capt. Jack Sotherland, and the entire USCG Mobile training team for the time they shared with the PCG, who benefited from the training course.

The conduct of the ABOC is really quite timely, said Reconquista. "Today's terrorists are not particularly concern about converts, and rather than wanting a seat at the table, they want to destroy the table and everyone sitting on it,!" stressed the PCG chief of staff.

Reconquista, an alumnus of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), disclosed that the 2nd USCG cutter will be handed over to the Philippine Navy soon. Expressing excitement, he told US brass present at the rites, "perhaps through your representation, the 3rd USCG cutter would be for the PCG, as the trend in maritime law enforcement is shifting to law enforcer operators like the Coast Guard, in contrast to the aggressive nature of the 'gray ships."

President Benigno Aquino III created the National Coast Watch System (NCWS) to expand the country's naval and maritime security operations to preserve the Philippine territory, protect its people and resources from maritime threats, through Executive Order No. 57 that has made the NCWS the 'central inter-agency mechanism' for a more coordinated approach on maritime issues, and security operations, to enhance governance of the country's maritime domain.'

China Order the Philippines over Spratly

Former Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Wang Yingfan warned that dragging the United States in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) would be unacceptable to China and Beijing "certainly would react" if that happened.

"We could forge good neighborly relations and work out something that's beneficial and acceptable to both sides… You are happy and we are happy. Maybe, you're half-happy and we're half-happy, but it's acceptable to both sides," Wang said in a media forum on Wednesday organized by the Chinese Embassy.

Wang ignored the previous incidents of poaching and firing of Chinese Naval Force to the Filipino fishermen fishing in the Sea of Palawan.

Wang, who served in Manila from 1988 to 1990, said there was nothing wrong with the Philippines acquiring used US warships for defense purposes and that "any nation must do something (to improve) their own national defense."

"It's understandable. No problem," he said. "I know your Navy is very much backward in equipment. If you buy warships from the United States, I would understand."

But Wang, who said he still advised his government on regional issues despite his retirement, asserted that allowing the United States to meddle in the six-nation Spratly Island dispute was another story.

More complicated

"If it really happens that the United States and your country would talk about the South China Sea and how you should work together, I think that would be something which cannot be accepted by the Chinese," he said.

"If (the Americans) involve themselves in the territorial dispute, there will be problems with China. If that happened, the Chinese government certainly would react," he added.

That is why it would be "wise for the nations concerned in this region, including the Philippines, not to introduce Americans into the disputed waters," Wang said.

Six claimants

"That would make the issue more complicated and more difficult to settle among ourselves," he said.

The Spratlys are a chain of up to 190 isles, reefs, coral outcrops and banks believed to be sitting atop large deposits of oil and natural gas. A Chinese report quoted by US authorities estimates there are 225 billion barrels of oil in the area.

The isles and their waters are claimed wholly or in part by China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

President Benigno Aquino III has said the gas deposits in the disputed territory are so enormous that they would dwarf the Malampaya oil and gas fields.

Wang Yingfan and another retired Chinese diplomat, Wang Chungui, who was ambassador to Manila from 2000 to 2004, are in the Philippines on a weeklong goodwill visit as part of the two countries' friendly exchanges, the embassy said.

'Deng Xiaoping solution'

Wang Yingfan pushed for the so-called "Deng Xiaoping solution" to the dispute—setting aside the territorial quarrel in favor of joint exploration and development.

Xiaoping solution is unfavorable and unacceptable to the Philippines as the whole Spratly's Archipelago is under the territory of the old Sultanate State of Sulu during the 1400 years. The Chinese invasion to the Philippines territory in Spratly wouldn't mean that they would have the rights over the wealth in the Spratly but just a forever dream as the Philippines will never surrender to China's power.

The late Deng, who led China from 1978 to 1992, steered the world's most populous state toward a market economy in the 1980s.

Wang Yingfan stressed "it is the time for cooperation, not confrontation, not fighting."

"I talked with some important people in your government that we should work hard to find ways that are acceptable to both sides, that we must work hard to prepare the ground so that we could share the resources together," he added.

"The response was very encouraging. They said they would consider this kind of thinking. So with patience, with goodwill and with hard work, we could find a way out that's agreeable and acceptable to both sides."

'China's Solution will come but not the UNCLOS'

Instead of wasting time talking about the Spratlys dispute, Wang said it would be better if Filipinos "spend your energy on economic development."

He said "it would take some time before we could find a solution (to the dispute)" but he was "optimistic that that will come."

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario has said a "rules-based" approach based on international law is the key to settling the dispute and that the Philippines expects nothing less from the other Spratlys claimants.

Following a recent meeting between the Philippines and China in Beijing, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the two sides had agreed to promote bilateral relations, such as on energy, science and technology, disaster mitigation, law enforcement and maritime cooperation.

The Chinese foreign ministry has said both countries have agreed not to let their quarrel over the Spratlys "affect the broader picture of friendship and cooperation" between them.

China had warn the Philippines several times that the Philippines would pay the price after Philippine Navy catch the Chinese poacher who is illegally killing green turtles in the West Philippines sea, recently Chinese government mouthpiece even call for the China government to sanction the Philippines by economic disruption and even fired several Filipino fishermen in the Philippine waters during the last year.

China's belligerent behavior towards the Philippines have recently slow down after the USA pronounced its full support to the Philippines if there is any invasion from external force to the Philippine territory.

Though invasion happened as the china controlled few islands and shoal near the Palawan Island under Palawan jurisdiction; still the Philippines failed to drive away the current illegal occupation of china in around Sabina shoal.

China loosen its tight grip over the Spratlys archipelago after US intervene of its aggression in the 1400 year old territory of the Sultanate State of Sulu which is the Spratly Archipelago.

China won't give up its territorial claim in the West Philippine Seas

2012-02-25T21:08:00.000-08:00

Manila, Philippines – Two former Chinese envoys to Manila said it would be hard for China to just give up its claims over the disputed islands in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea), thus, it could be sometime before a solution on the territorial conﬂict is reached.
“The Chinese will not agree, no leaders will agree to do that,” said Wang Yingfan, who, together with Wang Chungui, met with the local press in a roundtable discussion Wednesday night at a hotel in Manila.
A former vice minister of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yingfan served as ambassador to Manila from 1985 to 1990. He was also appointed as Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations from 2000 to 2003 and Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress from 2003 to 2008.
Wang Chungui was the Chinese envoy to the Philippines from 2000 to 2004. His 30-year diplomatic career has been concentrated on Asia.
The visit of the Chinese diplomats signals the start of what has been designated by the leaders of the two countries as “Years of Friendly Exchanges between China and the Philippines” from 2012 to 2013.
According to Wang Yingfan, between China, the Philippines, and other claimant countries, it could be sometime before a solution on the West Philippines Sea is reached.
However, when that day will come, he is not that optimistic the sovereignty issue would be resolved.
By:
(Roy C. Mabasa)