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Mayor Bejo opens Tacloban
City Hall to the media
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
January 27, 2006
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte –
Tacloban City Mayor Alfredo “Bejo” Romualdez Sr. has opened the city hall to
the media. This after the inauguration of the Media Lounge at the City
Hall’s Livelihood and Productivity Center at the scenic Balyuan Park at
Tacloban City.
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Mayor Romualdez
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In his message, Mayor
Romualdez said that he thought of turning a room as the media lounge so that
the members of the media will have a place to work while making their
dispatches. He admitted that in the past he always shuns the media because
he did not want to brag his plans. Now that big projects are completed and
some are ongoing but about to be finished, he feels the need for the media
to know so that they can disseminate these developments to the city
constituents. He said he is happy with the presence of the guest of honor,
PIA Director Olive Tiu because he knows that she can help guide the media.
For her part, Director Olive
Tiu of PIA expressed her gratitude with the good gesture of the Mayor not
only in providing a comfortable lounge for the media but because of his
acknowledgement of the big role of the media in the development of a city.
She said that she is glad that the Mayor realizes the importance of
communications plan in any government undertaking because no matter how good
the project is if the constituents are not informed about it, then the
project will not be appreciated. She cited the importance of the media in
giving feedback of the longings and concerns of the people so that those
concerned officials will have the chance to solve their concerns. She
expressed her wish that the media will remain as the city government’s
partners for the development of the city and in uplifting the lives of the
citizenry.
City Administrator Jimjim T.
Yaokasin said that the five sets of computers with internet connections, the
telephone and the fax machine, the television and the music station found in
the media lounge are all for the use of the media. He also pointed out that
the refrigerator will always be filled with drinks and some food for the
media.
More than 50 media
practitioners were present during the inauguration of the media lounge. Also
present were former DILG Director Johnny Volfango and former PNP director
Dionisio Coloma who has just taken his oath as the new executive assistant
of Mayor Romualdez. Although he has yet to receive his special order,
Director Coloma said that he will help the Mayor in the traffic management
of the city and in some other undertakings of the city which the mayor will
assign to him.
Nation’s rep to children’s
folklore fest is from Region 8
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
January 25, 2006
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte – The
Leyte Dance Theater’s junior dance company, the Kaliawan Performing Arts
Group, has been invited to represent the
Philippines
in the 4th CIOFF Asian and Oceanian Children’s Folklore Festival on April
18-24 at the Municipality of Pendik, Istanbul, Turkey.
Mr. Jess de Paz, artistic
director and head of Delegation, said that the Kaliawan Performing Art Group
is composed of children from the grassroots who started their training with
the Leyte Dance Theater through a scholarship given by Engr. Wilson Chan of
the Leyte Park Hotel.
He said that it is a great
honor for the group to represent the Region and the country to the
prestigious activity. However, as the group will be responsible for its own
international travel expenses and visas, benevolent sponsors and friends are
currently being requested to pool their resources.
As a farewell concert, the
Kaliaawan Performing Group and the Leyte Dance Theater will present
“Karahibot” on February 24 2006, 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon at the LNHS
Gym, Tacloban City. Tickets are available at P500.00 (good for 2), P100.00
and P50.00. The proceeds will be for the benefit of the children who will be
participating in the Children’s Folklore Festival.
Ms. Corazon G. Iñigo,
president of the Philippine National Counseil International des
Organisations de Folklore et d’ Arts Traditionnel (CIOFF), said that the
holding of the Children’s Festival in the different countries of the Asian
and Oceanian Seactor is cognizant of the fundamental role that children
perform and achieve in the conservation and dissemination of a country’s
culture.
She added that the
Philippine participation in festivals all over the world has always been
highly praised and looked forward to. The participation in this festival of
the Leyte Dance Theater’s junior dance company will bring into prominence
the Philippines’ wealth of diverse and exceptional dances and songs.
It will provide a unique
character-building for the child to be the performing artist. In addition,
the children will be immersed in the Turkish way of life as they will stay
with Turkish families. As festival participants, they will have the singular
opportunity to forge strong bonds of lasting friendship with the other
children of the world.
Magsaysay expresses concern
over Pinay teacher’s fate in Kuwait
Press Release by
Alliance
of Volunteer Educators (AVE)
January 25, 2006
MANILA, Philippines –
Expressing concern over the sad plight of a Pinay teacher in Kuwait,
Alliance of Volunteer Educators (AVE) Party-list Representative Eulogio
“Amang” R. Magsaysay hailed yesterday the directive of President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo ordering the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to exhaust
all diplomatic and legal means to save her from being put to death by the
Kuwaiti government.
The teacher, Marilou Ranario,
was reportedly sentenced to death by a Kuwaiti court last September 28 for
allegedly stabbing her employer who had “insulted” her and “her people”.
“This is really something
serious to worry about,” Magsaysay said in a statement.
The solon was also alarmed
over the report that Marilou was not represented by a Filipino lawyer but
instead was defended by Kuwaiti lawyers. Per AVE's conversation with the DFA, Atty.
Noel Garcia said "non-Kuwaiti lawyers are not allowed to practice" in the
said country.
“Just imagine our fellow
teacher who went abroad for greener pasture about to die and we were not
able to represent her because Filipino lawyers are not allowed to practice
in Kuwait,” Magsaysay said.
Despite the diplomatic ties
between the two countries, the Philippines was not able to defend the Pinay
teacher. According to Chargé d’ Affaires (CDA) Ricardo M. Endaya of the
Philippine Embassy in the State of Kuwait, Ranario is now being represented
by Kuwaiti lawyers.
According to Magsaysay, this
is what small countries like Philippines get because we are treated
insignificantly. He said it is disheartening to know that it seems we are
not being properly heard. “Is it because we are a small country compared to
others that we cannot ask for the proper representation to defend our fellow
Filipinos? Given this scenario, do we need to sever the ties between our
country and Kuwait,
then?,” he asked.
The AVE representative also
lamented the system of Philippine education as one of the reasons behind
what has happened. “We have here a very good example of what the state of
our education system is doing to our people. If only we are paying attention
to the pleas of our fellow teachers and educators over their low salaries
then they would not be forced to leave the country and work as domestic
helpers in the first place,” adding that, “until now, our teachers are still
the least paid workers even if they have the noblest profession in the
land.”
Ranario is a native of Tubod,
Surigao del Sur who went to
Manila
to find work and flew to Kuwait to become one of the many Overseas Filipino
Workers (OFWs).
Magsaysay said that many
OFWs cannot help but fall victims to psychological problems because of
homesickness and that this happens because they do not have other options
but work abroad since there is no better opportunity for them here.
He, however, was quick to
add that at this time, we should not resort to blaming one another and
instead try to find solutions to the problem at hand. According to him, we
must all work hand-in-hand in order to resolve this crisis and prevent other
Filipinos from experiencing the same situation in the future.
Although Magsaysay
recognizes the efforts of DFA and the Philippine Embassy in “exhausting all
appeal remedies under the Kuwaiti justice system”, he urges the authorities
to expedite action on their efforts to save the life of Ranario before it is
too late.
Samar governor conducts
medical and dental mission
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE, PIA
Samar
January 24, 2006
CATBALOGAN, Samar – Governor Milagrosa Tan invaded Pinabacdao town
on Monday (January 23) bringing along doctors and dentists to
accommodate Pinabacdao folks.
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Governor Tan
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Close to two thousand
Pinabacdao folks crowded the vicinities of then Botoc Hospital to get a
chance to be treated free. They were also given free medicines after the
consultation and for some, tooth extraction.
The activity resembled that
of a fiesta as the crowd was almost difficult to handle, more so when
Governor’s men started distributing kilos of rice, umbrellas and
flashlights.
As the occasion coincided
with the birthday of Board Member Bontoy Quijano, a certified Pinabcdaonon,
food treats flowed freely both prepared by the Pinabacdao folks and those
catered by Jollibee. Even the mascot Jolibee was not spared, it performed a
dance number along with Tan’s girl Friday Che che who provided songs for
entertainment.
Community Development
Information Officer (CDIO) Edgar Cabutin said it was the first time the
governor held such a big happening in their town. All employees were on
their toes entertaining and accommodating the hundreds of visitors.
Mila Felomina, 82 held on to
her coupon of rice and prescription for the medicines. She hails from a
Poblacion barangay and walked on foot for consultation. After some time, PIA
saw her beaming with a smile as she held on to her kilo of rice and a brand
new umbrella, slowly keeping up with her long stride was husband who was
inspecting his new flashlight.
Umbrellas, packed rice and
flashlights were presents from Tan who brought trucks to accommodate the
goodies she shared. She distributed cans of paints for teachers, sacks of
cements for SB members and barangay captains. The lady governor also treated
the barangay folks lunch from Jolibee delivered to Pinabacdao.
In her speech, the lady
governor acknowledged the help she got from the BHWs, tanods and rural
folks. She added that the people themselves would determine whether they
want an election or not. She however urged them to unite regardless of
political affiliations, as unity, she said will usher development.
Her Pinabacdao sojourn, she
beamed is a way of bringing the provincial government to the people of
Pinabacdao.
Meanwhile as a token of
their gratitude for the generosity of the lady governor, Pinabacadao Mayor
Mario Quijano presented Governor Tan a picture of a newly discovered falls
whom they named "Milagrosa
Falls"
in honor of the lady. Milagrosa Falls will be entered in Pinabacdao as one
tourist spot, Ian, the tourism officer beamed with pride.
Other visitors included Vice
Governor Jess Redaja, Board Members Fe Arcales, Tommy Bolastig, Elan
Castillo, Joseph Escober, Totoy Ricafort, Boy Tiopes and Renato UY.
Bomb threat alarm Ormoc
residents
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
January 23, 2006
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte –
General Eliseo dela Paz, Regional director of the Philippine National
Police, urged the people to be vigilant in the face of the text messages
circulating about bomb threats on a big establishment in
Ormoc City.
Interviewed by PIA 8 at an
unholy hour due to numerous queries, the General said that this is the fifth
time that such text messages have been circulated. He said that he has
talked to the chief of police in Ormoc and efforts are now being made to
trace the origin of the text message.
He said that the people must
not be alarmed because the PNP is in control of the situation. He said
though that the people must beware of people whose main purpose is to
terrorize the peaceful society.
General dela Paz said that
the public must know that the PNP is aware of the attempt by some elements
to sow chaos and alarm on the people. He assured the public that effective
countermeasures are now being undertaken to preempt and deter it.
He revealed that tight
security measures are now being implemented not only in the establishment
mentioned in the text messages but all establishments in the area to ensure
that no untoward incidents will occur.
In the meantime, the public
is requested to take all the necessary safety precautions. They should not
expose themselves to danger by unnecessarily leaving the comfort of their
homes and going to public or crowded places for no important reason at all.
The good General also
enjoined the public to coordinate and cooperate with the law enforcers by
reporting any unusual happenings or situations in their respective areas.
DPWH Norsamar cautions
travelers on damaged roads
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
January 21, 2006
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte –
District Engineer David Tabongay, Jr. of the DPWH Northern Samar Second
Engineering District cautions the commuters to take note that the Pang-Pang–Palapag–Mapanas–
Gamay–Lapinig Road is hardly passable to all vehicular traffic. This, he said
is because of the extensive damaged the road suffered due to incessant heavy
rains from the month of October up to the present.
Engineer Tabongay said that
the agency is doing its best to restore the travel convenience of the
commuters. In the meantime, he is asking for the understanding, cooperation
and patience of the riding public to beat the inconveniences while the
agency diligently continues its restoration work.
The DPWH District Office,
District Engineer Tabongay said, is committed to serve the people and
promote the progress of the community. With all the unforeseen events that
befell Northern Samar, the agency is do the best it can do to remedy the
situation within the means provided to it by the department.
He added that the DPWH
Northern Samar second district is pooling all its available resources at
hand to accomplish immediate road restoration work that would render the
roadway passable to all vehicular traffic.
Repair work, he reiterated,
is now in progress. Barring the occurrence of heavy rainfall which delays
the job progress and considering the difficulty in transporting materials to
the jobsite, the engineering district hopes to complete the restoration work
in due time.
Engineer Tabongay revealed
that additional funding is also being requested from the DPWH Central Office
and the Regional Office to complete the repair or rehabilitation of roadway
structure and to ensure the complete restoration of the existing roadway.
The district office also requested for additional heavy equipment which is
badly needed for immediate as well as future road restoration and repair
works.
ASIA: Absent rule of law
threatens human rights in Asia, new report says
Press Release by
Asian Human Rights Commission
January 20,
2006
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Basil Fernando
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HONG KONG – Growing human
rights abuses in Asia are due primarily to the continued absence of the rule
of law there, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has said in its first
annual assessment of the region.
The 169-page report,
entitled The State of Human Rights in Ten Asian Nations: 2005, was released
at a press briefing in Hong Kong on Tuesday.
"We can state unequivocally
that across almost all of
Asia the
situation of human rights worsened in 2005," Basil Fernando, executive
director of the Hong Kong-based regional rights body, said at the briefing.
"The primary reason for this
situation is the deep flaws in the institutions of justice and policing in
these countries," he said.
"Where the rule of law is
broken down, there is no possibility to implement human rights standards,"
Fernando said.
"That is why we use
implementation, not education, as the key measure for the success or failure
of human rights in a given country," he added.
The ten countries covered
extensively in the report are
Thailand,
India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, the Philippines, Cambodia, South
Korea and Indonesia.
The AHRC pointed to Burma,
Nepal and Cambodia as countries where there is a complete absence of the
rule of law.
"The situation in Nepal is
now worse than the worst-case scenario," Mandira Sharma, director of the
Kathmandu-based Advocacy Forum, told the briefing.
"We have exhausted all
possibilities of getting judicial remedies for victims of torture, arbitrary
detention and killings," she said.
"When the word of the king
alone is law there is no possibility of protecting human rights," Sharma
added.
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines were identified among countries
where the rule of law is seriously flawed and torture endemic.
Speaking on behalf of the
Bangkok-based Thai Working Group for Human Rights Defenders, Pornpen
Khongkachonkiet said that the problems of southern Thailand reflected the
impunity enjoyed by state security officers throughout the country.
"The police in Thailand
continue to commit torture and other grave abuses and we lack ways to deal
with these," she said.
"While we see some small
signs of progress, we are concerned that overall the situation is getting
worse," Pornpen said.
Babloo Loitongbam, director
of the Manipur-based Human Rights Alert, in northeast India, expressed
appreciation for outside interest in the situation of human rights in his
region.
"We are struggling in
silence against very grave forms of repression," he said.
"On top of the usual
problems posed by
India's
entire decrepit bureaucracy and judicial system, we have to contend with
extraordinary security measures and routine state-sponsored violence,"
Loitongbam said.
Other speakers concurred
with the assessment that the human rights problems in their countries are
due primarily to the absence of the rule of law.
Akram Hassain Chowdry,
executive director of the Dhaka-based Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for
Trauma Victims, identified the police as the main perpetrators of rights
abuses there.
Alfonso Cinco IV, a legal
consultant of the Franciscan Justice and Peace Office in Cebu, said that the
Philippines is now a "killing field" for human rights defenders and social
activists, with responsible officers being promoted rather than prosecuted.
Syamsul Alam Agus, director
of the Institute of Law Study and Human Rights Advocacy based in Sulawesi,
said that the situation of human rights in
Indonesia
has seen little improvement since the fall of the Suharto regime.
Basil Fernando concluded the
briefing by pointing to an illustration of a judge's wig on a rubbish bin.
"This cartoon depicts the
situation of justice in Sri Lanka today," he said.
"When the entire country
knows that our judicial system is rubbish the idea of enforcement of human
rights standards is ridiculous," Fernando said.
"This is of equal relevance
to most other countries in
Asia," he added.
The AHRC report contains a
series of open letters to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights,
Louise Arbour, calling for specific goals to improve the situation of human
rights in Asia during 2006.
These include for Thailand
to ratify the U.N. Convention against Torture, for Nepal, Bangladesh, South
Korea and the Philippines to introduce laws to prohibit torture, and for
Sri Lanka
to implement the standing recommendations of U.N. human rights committees.
The AHRC has also called on
Arbour to suspend
Burma
from the U.N. Human Rights Commission completely as its government's
presence there "is nothing more than a cruel joke on the global community,
and... its own people".
It has likewise called for a
complete review of the U.N. mandate with reference to Cambodia, as twelve
years after the internationally-sponsored peace process the country is
governed by "fear, tyranny and dictatorship".
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