Us asian post july 8, 2015

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Vol. 4. No. 41

LOS ANGELES

A Balita Media Publication

Wednesday - Tuesday, July 8-14, 2015

PHL expects to win UN South China Sea case

President Benigno S. Aquino III checks the scale model of FA 50 aircraft from South Korea as part of the exhibition during the celebration of the 68th founding anniversary of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) at the Haribon Hangar of Air Force City in Clark Air Base, Pampanga on Wednesday (July 01). This year’s celebration is anchored on the theme “Matatag na Bagwis, Dangal ng Bayan, Lakas ng Sambayanan”. The PAF was founded on July 1, 1947- two years after the end of World War II. It traces its lineage to the Philippine Army Air Corporation established in 1941. (MNS photo)

Manila, Philippines (AFP) Saturday 7/4/2015 – The Philippines expects a United Nations tribunal to rule in its favor in an increasingly fraught dispute with China over territories in the South China Sea, a presidential spokeswoman said Saturday.

Manila will argue its position against Beijing’s claim over most of the resource-rich sea at The Hague on July 7 to 13.

China has refused to participate in the arbitration proceedings. The upcoming hearings will decide whether the tribunal has jurisdiction over the case.

“We prepared a strong case. We believe we stand on strong legal ground,” presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte told government radio.

“We believe the tribunal will look at our case with favor. We are confident of the Philippine position on this matter.”

Philippine foreign secretary Albert del Rosario will lead a government delegation to The Hague, assisted by US-based law-

yers, foreign affairs spokesman Charles Jose said.

If the Netherlands-based court decides it has jurisdiction, Jose said the Philippines would be asked to argue the merits of its case in another round of hearings.

“We have prepared well enough for these oral arguments,” Jose told reporters.

The Philippines is among the most vocal critics of China’s South China Sea claims, which also overlap with those of Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

Beijing has reinforced its claim by building artificial islands on disputed reefs. Dwarfed by China in terms of economic and military might, the Philippines has turned to arbitration as it strengthened military alliances with the United States and Japan.

The Philippine navy held separate naval drills with their American and Japanese counterparts last month.

The flashpoint South China Sea hosts major sea lanes over vast mineral reserves.

Japan joins US-Australia war Palace: PHL officials games amid China tensions in Greece ready Zealand are also involved in the measures for worstSydney, Australia (AFP) Sun- exercise, which concludes on July day 7/5/2015 – The United States 21. case scenarios and Australia kicked off a massive “It is a very, very important

by Glenda KWEK

joint biennial military exercise on Sunday, with Japan taking part for the first time as tensions with China over territorial rows loom over the drills.

The two-week “Talisman Sabre” exercise in the Northern Territory and Queensland state involves 30,000 personnel from the US and Australia practicing operations at sea, in the air and on land.

Some 40 personnel from Japan’s army – the Ground SelfDefense Force (JGSDF) – will join the American contingent, while more than 500 troops from New

alliance,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Friday in Sydney on board the USS Blue Ridge, which is taking part in the exercise, referring to Australia-US ties.

“It’s a very important relationship and right now we are facing quite significant challenges in many parts of the world but particularly in the Middle East.”

The war games, being held for the sixth time, come as China flexes its strategic and economic muscle in the region.

Beijing has been building artificial islands and facilities in dis-

MANILA, July 4 (Mabuhay) – Philippine officials in Greece are preparing measures to address so-called worst-case scenarios stemming from Greece’s referendum on a bailout reform package, Malacañang said Saturday.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Philippine embassy there is monitoring the situation and its effect on Filipinos there, including overseas Filipino workers making remittances home.

“So far hinihintay nila yun if it will have an effect, kung magka-

See WAR GAMES, page 12

See GREECE READY, page 12

China conducts ‘live-fire’ drill: Xinhua Filipino teen recovers sea Beijing, China (AFP) Thursday adding that the exercise marked 7/2/2015 – China’s military car- the first time a “maritime missile in Sudan after ried out a “live-fire confrontation combat supply exercise” had been drill” on Thursday in the Yellow carried out. life-saving surgery Sea in an exercise combining sea, The drill took place amid what

By Tom Little

Khartoum, Sudan (AFP) Sunday 7/5/2015 – A dressing covers the scar where surgeons cut open Reynaldo Nilo’s chest for life-saving heart surgery, but the Philippine teenager feels stronger than he has for years after his operation in Sudan.

The 17-year-old arrived in Khartoum last month after his sister saw a television report about a hospital run by an Italian

Vice President Jejomar Binay walks among his supporters at the Makati City hall on Monday. People gathered at the city hall grounds to show their support for the older Binay and his son, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, who was earlier served another suspension by the Ombudsman. (MNS photo)

Binay accused of roughing up police Manila, Philippines (AFP) Wednesday 7/1/2015 – Elderly Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay was accused by Manila police on Wednesday of roughing up officers during a brawl that left several people hurt.

The fracas broke out after police tried to serve a special prosecutor’s order suspending the vice president’s son from his post as mayor of the Makati financial district of the city.

The suspension was ordered over a corruption case also allegedly involving his father.

“I thought I was face-to-face with a vice-president who supported the police, but it was the opposite. He mocked my being a policeman,” Senior Superintendent Elmer Jamias said of the

Fishermen’s group Pamalakaya holds a protest outside Chinese Consulate office in Makati City on Friday to denounce the Chinese Navy’s action prohibiting Filipino fishermen in contested waters in the Spratly Islands. The United Nations arbitration court will hear the Philippines’ claim next week in The Hague, the Netherlands. (MNS photo)

See FILIPINO TEEN, page 12

Ferry may have been overloaded, death toll rises to 61

melee, parts of which aired on television.

“I saluted him but he didn’t return it right away. He pointed at my nameplate and said I was there only to drag him out of city hall,” Jamias told a news conference.

Police leaders said they were studying possible criminal charges against the elder Binay and his bodyguards.

The vice president, 73, has denied he laid a hand on any police officer during the Monday night confrontation in Makati.

Television footage showed Binay, who plans to run for president in next year’s elections, angrily jabbing his forefinger at Jamias.

Ormoc City, Philippines (AFP) Sunday 7/5/2015 – The death toll from a ferry that capsized in the central Philippines has risen to 61, the coast guard said Sunday, indicating that the vessel was overloaded.

Whether the ferry was carrying too many people will be part of an investigation into last week’s disaster off the city of Ormoc, which has seen the boat’s owner and crew charged with murder.

Coast guard figures showed that 61 people had died when the wooden Kim Nirvana capsized, with at least 145 people listed as survivors.

This would mean at least 206

See BINAY ACCUSED, page 12

See OVERLOADED, page 12

air and land-based forces, state media reported.

The practice involved the firing of “various missiles, dozens of torpedoes and hundreds of shells”, the official Xinhua news agency said in a dispatch from the eastern city of Qingdao, home of China’s North Sea Fleet which participated in the exercise.

Citing a military statement, Xinhua said that the firing was for intercepting “water-surface, underwater and airborne targets”,

was described as a “complicated electric-magnetic environment”, suggesting that offensive and defensive capabilities of an electronic and cyber nature were a key aspect of the training.

The defense ministry said in January that military training this year would focus on “improving fighting capacity” to win “local wars”, as Beijing is embroiled in several maritime territorial disputes with neighboring countries.

See LIVE-FIRE, page 12

Owner, crew of capsized ferry charged with murder Manila, Philippines (AFP) Saturday 7/4/2015 – Philippine police have filed murder charges against the owner and crew of a passenger ferry that capsized killing 59 people, an official said Saturday.

The charges were filed late on Friday in the central city of Ormoc over the sinking of the Kim Nirvana ship, according to regional police chief Asher Dolina.

An initial police investigation and interviews with survivors indicated the vessel abruptly turned in waters off the central port of Ormoc on Thursday, causing it to capsize, Dolina told AFP. “They were not careful, showing there was an intent to kill. They were reckless on purpose,” Dolina said.

A total of nineteen people were charged, including ship operator Joge Bong Zarco, captain Warren Oliviero, and all 17 crew members, according to Dolina.

All members of crew survived and are now in police custody.

Under Philippine law, murder is punishable by up to 40 years imprisonment.

The police investigation is separate from a coast guard inquiry, which will primarily determine the cause of the mishap.

However, the coast guard may also recommend criminal and administrative charges.

See CAPSIZED FERRY, page 12

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Bystanders using NAIA 3 as temporary shelter not unusual, says manager

Passengers form long queues to the immigration counters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Thursday morning. Some passengers missed their flights as the whole check-in process took hours due to the shortage of manpower from the Bureau of Immigration according to airport authorities. (MNS photo

MANILA, July 2 (Mabuhay) – Much like shopping malls but open 24/7.

This was how airport manager Engr. Octavio Lina described NAIA Terminal 3 when asked how former multi-awarded child actor Jiro Manio was able to wander inside the terminal for several days.

Lina said NAIA 3 is accessible to both passengers and non-passengers since it is an “open” airport unlike Terminals 1 and 2.

“Katulad (ni Jiro), walang passport, walang ticket pero nakaakyat siya sa 4th floor. Marami na kasi rito kahit na sabihin nating hindi nag-i-istay, pabalik-balik. Nandiyan na rin sa terminal, nagpapalamig, kumakain,” Lina said.

Some airport security personnel said that unless spotted for consecutive days inside terminal

premises, it is difficult to determine if a person is a passenger or a bystander.

“Hindi naman natin pwedeng kasuhan yun na bakit nandito sa loob ng terminal. ‘Pag pumasok siya sa restricted areas, yan huhulihin natin,” Lina said.

Lina said it could not be verified yet why the 23-year-old former actor chose to stay in the airport.

Although it was not the first time a non-passenger was discovered to have been roaming inside and making use of terminal facilities for days, Lina said the situation does not pose any security threat.

“Basta hindi naman gagawa ng kalokohan, hindi makakaperhuwisyo at hindi makakasira ng mga bagay-bagay sa terminal, nakamonitor lang kami,” he said.

(MNS)

Chiz says Coast Guard budget provides for more safety inspections to reduce sea mishaps Senator Chiz Escudero reminded the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) of the “promissory note” attached to its P5.6 billion bud-

get this year that it would step up Escudero, who chairs the safety inspections of sea vessels Senate Committee on Finance, and cut down mishaps by the coun- said “the targets, to begin with, try’s 9,574-strong merchant fleet. are already very low, so there’s no excuse on why they can’t be met.”

Under the “performance indicators” affixed to the PCG budget in Republic Act 10651, or the 2015 National Budget, the agency vowed to cut maritime accidents by “5 percent, or from 264 in 2013 to 251 this year.”

As to other “maritime incidents,” the Coast Guard promised to bring it down to 517 from 544, or a 5-percent reduction, Escudero said.

Escudero said the agency, which is attached to the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) also committed to slash marine pollution accidents to 32 percent from 35 percent.

“Limang porsyento na bawas sa bilang ng mga aksidente lang ang hinihingi sa PCG, siguro naman kaya nilang tupdin iyon,” Escudero said.

But the Bicolano lawmaker

said the PCG should have set a higher target considering “the volume of maritime traffic in this archipelagic country of ours.”

“There were close to 50 million shipping passengers last year. In addition to our merchant fleet, there are 9,437 fishing boats and 202 million tons of cargo passed through our ports in 2013,” Escudero said.

“All of the above point to the need to keep our nautical highway safe. And the Coast Guard has a great role to play in seeing to it that indeed it is,” he said.

Escudero, however, conceded that “given the large territory it has to patrol on ships, which are not only few but old, the Coast Guard needs beefing up in both personnel and equipment.”

For 2015, the PCG claims it will patrol 59,088 kilometers of Philippine coasts in addition to doing traffic cop duties on 11,285 kilometers of shipping lanes.

“If it needs more personnel, then it should fill up the 1,037

vacant positions in its plantilla,” Escudero said.

PCG has an authorized troop ceiling of 7,730, but only 6,693 of these positions are filled.

He said a Coast Guard Modernization Program should also be “drafted, legislated and funded.”

“One that is legislated is preferable because it is binding, and funding-wise, a law can authorize multiyear funding obligations. Kasi ang modernization, lalo na kung gugugol ng bilyun-bilyon ay hindi pwede matapos sa isang taon lang,” Escudero said One component of a PCG modernization program, he stressed, is the acquisition of “air assets which are needed in search-and-rescue operations.”

“Dapat nating natandaan na sa hindi lang barko ang dumadaan sa ating shipping lanes, pati bagyo dumaraan din. Kaya maraming distress calls na natatanggap ang Coast Guard,” Escudero said.

BOC chief, 2 other former execs face plunder, graft complaints MANILA, July 2 (Mabuhay) – Customs commissioner Alberto Lina and two former commissioners face plunder and graft complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman in another purported instance of conflict of interest – a cancelled P650 million customs processing system contract that went to a company linked to Lina.

In a 30-page complaint affidavit filed before the Ombudsman on Thursday, Annabelle Margaroli, a representative of Omniprime Marketing, filed the complaint against Lina and former Customs commissioner Guillermo Parayno Jr. and former deputy commissioner Primo Aguas. The complainant, represented

by Atty. Harry Roque, alleged that the respondents canceled a P650-million contract for a Bureau of Customs (BOC) computer integrated system that would have served as a single entry point for import and export transactions.

The complainant said

the system offered by Omniprime would have curbed rampant smuggling in the country.

The complainants said resigned Customs commissioner John Sevilla awarded the contract to winning bidder Omniprime. But when Lina took over, he cancelled the contract just two weeks since he assumed office.

Lina supposedly said he had to cancel the contract to review all projects of BOC, the complainants said.

Because the old customs processing system would have to remain because of the canceled contract, Lina gave undue favor to E-Konek Pilipinas, the existing service provider of the BOC where Lina and his family has a 96.48 percent stake, the complainant said. Parayno is also the President of E-Konek, the complainant said.

“The cancellation by Lina was a grave instance of a criminal conflict of interest, manifest illegal partiality and malevolent

bad faith because it benefitted E-Konek Pilipinas,” the complainant said. “EKonek Pilipinas as an existing service provider of the BOC stands to continue reaping benefits from the perpetuation of the current inefficient and dysfunctional system,” the complainant added.

Meanwhile, the respondents are also liable for plunder because the system managed by E-Konek is valued between P100 million and P500 million annually.

The complainant said Lina and Aguas conspired to give benefit to E-Konek and thus to give financial perks to Lina and his business in the amount of not less than P50 million, or the threshold for plunder.

In an interview after the filing, Atty. Roque said Lina should also be charged for plunder for the release of the equipment of broadcast company GMA Network handled by two corporations linked to him—U-Freight and 2100 CB.

DOJ forms task force vs. price fixing, cartels MANILA, July 3 (Mabuhay) – The Department of Justice (DOJ) has formed a five-member task force to handle cases involving anticompetition practices like price fixing and cartels.

Making up the Task Force on Anti-Competitive Agreements and Cartels are five members from DOJ offices including the National Prosecution Service (NPS), Office of the Chief State Counsel and Office for Competition (OFC).

“Effective anti-cartel enforcement requires a dedicated unit equipped with the necessary tools and capacity to handle the complex nature of competition cases,” Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Friday.

De Lima added the DOJ has already recommended

to the Supreme Court the designation of specialized courts to hear and decide on competition cases.

Justice Assistant Secretary Geronimo Sy, head of the DOJ Office for Competition, said the focus of the task force would be on cases involving price fixing, output restriction, market allocation, bid-rigging and similar anti- competitive agreements. “The use of investigative strategies and techniques rounded on international best practices is key to enforcement,” Sy said. NPS head Prosecutor General, meanwhile, said the creation of the task force was “an indication of the Department’s serious stance in the fight against the most harmful forms of business conduct.”

The creation of the task force came on the heels of the ratification by Congress on 10 June 2015 of the Philippine Competition Act that penalizes bad market behavior and abuse of dominant position. The DOJ said this would further strengthen the competition reforms which the DOJ-OFC has consistently supported and advocated.

Under the proposed law, the DOJ-Office for Competition is assigned to investigate cartels that are considered criminal actions.

In the past, the DOJ-OFC has confirmed that the spike in garlic prices was caused by collusion between government officials and a garlic importer who allegedly cornered nearly all of the commodity’s supply.

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El Niño-spawned dry spell to cut PHL rainfall: official Manila, Philippines (AFP) Monday 6/29/2015 – The Philippines is facing an El Niñospawned dry spell that will cut rainfall by as much as 80 percent and hit food production, a government weather forecaster warned Monday.

“There will be many places that we expect to have below normal rainfall as early as August,” warned Anthony Lucero, head of the climate monitoring and weather prediction division of the government weather station.

Most places in the Philippines are expected to have ‘below normal’ to ‘way below normal’ rainfall due to El Niño, he said, defining this as meaning a 60 to 80 percent drop in rainfall.

The Philippines normally gets between 2,000 to 4,000 millimetres (79-157 inches) of rain a year.

“El Niño” refers to the abnormal warming of surface ocean waters in the eastern tropical sections of the Pacific Ocean every three to five years.

The phenomenon, which the weather service said it began observing last December, usually leads to drier than average conditions in affected countries.

The southern island of Mind-

anao, where large areas are still dependent on agriculture, will likely be the worst hit by the dry spell, Lucero said.

The production of rice, the country’s staple food, will be affected as will generation of hydroelectric power which accounts for about 10 percent of the country’s electricity requirements, Lucero said.

The Philippines has already been suffering a dry spell since December and many reservoirs are near critically low levels.

The Department of Agriculture, in a report on the lack of rain, said that almost 66,000 farmers would be affected with production losses of 2.168 billion pesos ($48.18 million).

The department is conducting cloud-seeding while distributing more water pumps to tap rivers and groundwater sources.

Agriculture accounts for about 11 percent of the economy but employs about 37 percent of the country’s labour force.

Australian scientists in May forecast a “substantial” El Niño for this year, potentially spelling deadly and costly climate extremes, after officially declaring its onset in the tropical Pacific.

Coral gardening in PHL, others beckon ecotourists to restore reefs

By Kerry Sheridan

Miami, United States (AFP) Tuesday 6/30/2015 – Coral reefs are fragile and in danger worldwide, but a growing movement to restore them is based on the science of breaking off pieces in order to grow more, known as coral gardening.

It works like this: marine biologists cut off the tips of live branching corals, hang the pieces on man-made underwater trees where they grow, and later “outplant” them on real reefs on the ocean floor.

After years of trial and error, scientists in Florida are now bringing their methods to the public – via diving trips, ecotourism outings and summer camps for teens – to counter the harmful effects of climate change, pollution and industrial development.

“It is just like if you had a rosebush in your garden. As you prune that rosebush back, it grows back healthier, bushier, a little more lively,” explains Stephanie Schopmeyer, senior research associate at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine Science, which runs a program called Rescue a Reef that allows citizen scientists to join the project.

“Corals that are fragmented actually grow back faster and with more branches,” she said.

On a recent outing, Schopmeyer and about a dozen other divers and snorkelers spent a sunny spring morning on the water, traveling first by boat to an underwater nursery in Biscayne Bay where they scrubbed algae off the man-made trees on which Staghorn corals hang, and later to another area where they planted nursery-grown bits of coral on an existing reef.

Certified scuba divers did the underwater work, while a handful of tourists and students helped make cookies—small discs on which they use epoxy to affix finger-sized pieces of coral. Then, the volunteers snorkeled, watching the divers nail their handiwork on the ocean floor.

Nicole Besemer, a graduate student at the University of Miami, says she was surprised to learn that corals can survive and thrive after being cut and nailed in a new place.

“As a diver in south Florida, I want to make sure that my reefs are as healthy as they can be,” Besemer says.

“I know they are not what they used to be.”

Corals may look like rocks or plants but they are actually animals in the same family as jellyfish and anemones. Each individual coral is called a polyp, and the reef grows as polyps grow copies of themselves. Most corals reproduce by releasing eggs and sperm into the water.

Coral reefs are important because they provide habitat and food for fish, turtles, seahorses, sea urchins and other creatures.

But the reefs are struggling, with their numbers down 50-95 percent in some parts of the world.

Pollution cuts off their light and food supply, overfishing removes the creatures that keep them clean and healthy, development and dredging cause sediment to smother them, and ocean acidification makes it harder for them to grow.

Storms can also kill them. Diego Lirman, an associate professor of marine biology and ecology at the University of Miami, did his dissertation some 30 years ago on the impact of hurricanes on a place nearby called Elkhorn Reef.

Now, he says, there are no Elkhorn corals left there.

“It got to the point where I was getting tired of just watching things die and learning about them in the process. I wanted to be able to do something to recover them,” says Lirman.

He credits scientists in nations like Israel, Fiji, Indonesia and the Philippines for coming up with the coral gardening techniques that Florida researchers are now using, and says sharing knowledge across borders helped everyone perfect their techniques.

“We are now reaching ecologically meaningful scales,” Lirman says.

“We realized it is all about the numbers – the numbers you can grow, the numbers you can put back.”

Explosive growth A major part of the movement in Florida and the Caribbean is led by the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF), which employs about 10 staff and leads an army of volunteers on regular expeditions.

CRF and the University of Miami’s reef programs were initially funded in large part by the Recovery Act of 2009, a White House initiative to kickstart the US economy following the global financial crisis. Donations have poured in as well.

“We are kind of at the explosive growth stage,” says CRF president Ken Nedimyer.

A few years ago, the foundation planted a few thousand corals per year. Now they have 500 underwater trees in Florida that are growing 40,000-50,000 corals at any one time, he says.

For those who want special training, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) offers courses and certifications in coral reef restoration.

Scuba divers must be age 14 or older, and must be able to control their buoyancy underwater so as not to harm the reefs, says Patti Gross, a master diving instructor with PADI who says she has certified around 250 people in coral restoration in the past four years.

Advocates for a ban on plastic bags from the Ecowaste Coalition, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives and other environmental groups stage a tableau to dramatize the impacts of “degradable” plastic bags as they celebrate the International Plastic Bag Free Day on Friday in Manila.(MNS photo

CBCP exec: No room for ego-boosting in environment protection efforts MANILA, July 4 (Mabuhay) – A Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines official warned the faithful against using Pope Francis’ environment protection encyclical “Laudato Si’” to boost their ego or for other selfish ends.

CBCP Episcopal Commission on Culture Chairman and Iligan Bishop Elenito Galido said all people are stewards of God’s cre-

ation and must do their part.

“Sana magtulungan tayo. Sana we will not waste our resources at the same time not to use it for our self-esteem or because of greed kasi nalulong tayo sa capitalism para sa profit orientation at sa sarili lang,” Galido said in an interview on Church-run Radyo Veritas.

Galido also reminded people of their “moral imperative and

great responsibility” to meet the challenges presented by climate change.

He said Pope Francis’ “Laudato Si’” is urging all to respect nature and take care of the environment.

“If we take care of God’s creation, then it benefits us, and at the same time (it is) an expression of purifying the Creator who is God himself,” he added. (MNS)

Tropical Storm Linfa brings floods in northern Luzon Manila, Philippines | AFP | Sunday 7/5/2015 – Floods inundated towns in the northern Philippines as Tropical Storm Linfa struck the northern edge of the archipelago, where relief agencies were braced for disaster on Sunday.

The region’s civil defense chief Chito Castro said that at least 11 coastal towns had been affected by floodwaters and swelling rivers as Linfa passed over the area.

“The rain is strong, the wind is strong. Major roads are impassable. Some houses are half-covered (with water), some are completely covered,” he told reporters.

He said there were still no re-

ports of casualties from the storm, but this could be because the focus was on relief efforts.

Power has also been knocked out in large areas of the north, hampering communications.

The storm, packing maximum winds of 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour, is moving northwest at nine kilometers per hour and is expected to curve northwards, moving off Luzon by Sunday evening.

National civil defense chief Alexander Pama said “we have prepositioned the items necessary” in case the storm prompts any massive evacuations.

The disaster-plagued Philip-

pines is hit by about 20 typhoons and storms each year, many of them deadly.

Among the worst in recent memory was Super Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving more than 7,350 people dead or missing.

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Top rebel slain a blow to PHL communist rebellion

Davao, Philippines (AFP) Monday 6/29/2015 – The Philippine military has shot dead an infamous communist guerilla leader in a blow to one of the world’s longest-running Maoist insurgencies, authorities said Monday.

New People’s Army (NPA) commander Leonardo Pitao was killed in a mountainous hamlet near the major southern city of Davao on Sunday by army special forces, the military said.

“He’s an NPA idol, and now they will see how the long arm of the law finally caught up with their leader,” Major-General Eduardo Ano said of the rebel leader also known as “Commander Parago”.

“This is not only going to be a big setback; this is going to be what you call the fall of the NPA in the Davao region,” Ano told reporters.

A woman believed to be Pitao’s medic was also killed as the monthslong operation targeting the most famous guerrilla leader in the main southern island of Mindanao ended, a military statement said.

The 46-year-old rebellion has claimed tens of thousands of lives and impoverished large areas of the country.

The insurgency’s armed force is now estimated at less than 4,000 fighters, about half of which on Mindanao. The military says the group sustains itself by extorting from businesses.

The military said Pitao, described by the local press as about 57 years old, commanded the 700-strong Pulang Bagani Command.

He had several standing arrest warrants for various crimes ranging from murder to robbery, the military statement said.

In 1999 Pitao’s unit abducted Brigadier-General Victor Obillo, head of an army engineering unit building roads in remote, impoverished areas influenced by communist guerrillas.

Pitao was arrested later that same year, after Obillo and his military aide were freed unharmed.

However the guerilla leader was released less than two years later as part of the government’s efforts to hold peace talks with the insurgents, which have so far been unsuccessful.

In 2009, Pitao’s 20-year-old daughter, who was not accused of being a guerrilla, was abducted by unknown gunmen and later found murdered in Davao. Her murder was never solved.

The NPA blamed the security forces for the unsolved killing, and said it would hold the then-president Gloria Arroyo’s administration responsible. The military rejected the allegation.

Pitao’s killing followed the detention earlier this month of Adelberto Silva, described by the military as the “highest-ranking” leader of the NPA’s mother organisation the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Last year the government arrested CPP chairman Benito Tiamzon and his wife Wilma Tiamzon, the party’s secretary-general.

Binay did not promise they would not steal from gov’t – Chiz MANILA, July 2 (Mabuhay) – Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero found something lacking from Vice President Jejomar Binay’s speech where he attacked the Aquino government: He never promised that he would not steal public funds.

“Sa dami ng sinabi nya. Wala syang sinabi na hindi sya o sila magnanakaw,” (He said a lot of things. He did not say that he, or they, would not steal) Escudero said, referring to Binay’s speech during the launching of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) as a political party.

“Wala syang binanggit ni isang salita ukol sa ‘tuwid na daan’ at sa pagtiyak na gagalangin at papangalagaan nila ang kaban ng bayan,” (He never said anything about the ‘straight path’ or made any assurance that they would respect and protect the government coffers) the senator added.

Escudero then asked: “Paano nila gagawin ang lahat ng sinabi niyang plataporma kung hindi naman makakarating sa ating mga kababayan ang pera na dapat ay para sa kanila at hindi sa bulsa ng tiwali?” (How could they deliver what they said on their platform if funds for our countrymen would not reach them and not get into the pockets of the corrupt.)

In his speech, Binay criticized the Aquino administration for not doing enough to benefit Filipinos.

“After five years, so many are still without jobs, hungry, ill and with no one to turn to, youths who cannot go to school, rampant crime and illegal drugs in the community. Poverty is widespread,” Binay said.

“The nation asks: ‘Where is the government?’” the Vice President continued.

Reacting to Binay’s question thrown at the Aquino administration, Escudero said: “Ngayon lang ba nawala ng gobyerno nung umalis sya?

Nung nandun sya, pano?” (Did the government only become absent when he left? What about when he was still part of it?)

Binay was part of the Aquino government for five years as head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and as presidential adviser on OFW concers.

Malacañang criticized the vice president for being “silent” during his stay in the Cabinet of President Benigno Aquino III, saying Binay should have spoken up if he had seen something wrong. He never did.

(MNS)

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OPINION

Beijing’s South China Sea runway ‘nearly complete’ Beijing, China (AFP) Thursday 7/2/2015 – Beijing has nearly completed building a 3,000-metre (9,800-foot) airstrip on a reef in disputed waters in the South China Sea, where tensions are mounting with its neighbors, a US think-tank said.

A satellite picture taken on Sunday showed that China was paving and marking the runway on Fiery Cross Reef and an apron and taxiway have been added, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said on its website.

Beijing’s project to build artificial islands and facilities on various reefs and outcrops in the Spratly islands only became publicly known in recent months but construction has since been rapid, raising tensions with both its neighbours and Washington.

The South China Sea is home to strategically vital shipping lanes and is believed to be rich in oil and gas.

Washington is concerned China’s efforts carry a military dimension that could undermine America’s naval and economic power in the Pacific, and has weighed sending warships and surveillance aircraft within 12 nautical miles – the normal territorial zone around natural land – of the new artificial islands.

A lake in the middle of Fiery Cross Reef has been filled in and it has a partially-developed port with nine temporary loading piers, CSIS said.

Personnel could be seen walking around and two helipads, up to 10 satellite communications antennas and one possible radar tower were also visible, it added.

Washington wants Beijing to halt construction and militarisation, which “the Chinese show no indication of willingness to do”, Bonnie Glaser of CSIS said.

She anticipated a short-term lull in construction as summer is typhoon season in the South China Sea while China’s President Xi Jinping is due to visit the US in September and “the Chinese are attaching priority to having a successful summit”.

But she expected activity would pick up again later. The runway will be long enough for the People’s Liberation Army to land any of its aircraft on the island, analysts say.

Arthur Ding, an expert on China’s military at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University, said the airstrip would “definitely improve or enhance some-

what China’s military capability in the South China Sea”, including being able to deploy jet fighters to the island, although they would need “sophisticated logistical” support.

Other neighbouring countries have also built artificial islands in the area, he pointed out. But the speed and scale of China’s works were much faster, he told AFP, and whatever it does “definitely will have a serious repercussion on the South China Sea and the regional order”.

‘Occupied islands’ Fiery Cross Reef, once little more than coral, is now 2.74 square kilometres (1.06 square miles) in size, Washington-based CSIS said. China has reclaimed land on seven different reefs totalling an estimated 12.8 square kilometres, it added.

At one of the sites, South Johnson Reef, CSIS said Beijing has added a small port with two loading stations, two helipads on the reef and up to three satellite communications antennas.

It also had a “large multi-level military facility” with two possible radar towers being built, along with up to six security and surveillance towers, and four possible weapons installations.

Beijing claims almost the whole of the South China Sea, including areas close to the coasts of other littoral states, locking it into disputes with several neighbors, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam.

It also has a long-running row with Japan over islands in the East China Sea. China’s foreign ministry said this week that some of the land reclamation works in the Spratlys had been recently finished on schedule, and facilities would be built mainly for civilian purposes, but “necessary military defense requirements will also be fulfilled”.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing on Thursday that she was “not aware” of details of the latest CSIS report.

In a commentary Thursday China’s official Xinhua news agency said that Beijing remained committed to dialogue and the peaceful settlement of disputes, stressing that it had refrained from forcefully taking back “occupied islands”.

But it warned: “Expecting China to sit idly by as other countries rush to occupy South China Sea islands is unrealistic and unthinkable.”

China ‘trying to hack into everything’: Clinton Glen, United States (AFP) Saturday 7/4/2015 – Hillary Clinton accused China on Saturday of “trying to hack into everything that doesn’t move in America” and stealing government information, in strongly worded comments likely to irk Beijing.

Clinton, a former secretary of state who is making another tilt at the White House in 2016, pulled no punches in remarks to Democratic supporters at a campaign event in New Hampshire.

James Clapper, the US director of national intelligence, said last month that China was the “leading suspect” in a massive breach affecting personal data of millions of US government employees.

Beijing dismissed the charge as “absurd logic.”

Clinton, the current frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, said: “They’re trying to hack into everything that doesn’t move in America... stealing huge amounts of government information all looking for an advantage.

“Make no mistake, they know they’re in competition—and they’re gonna do everything they can to win.”

The US has in recent years blamed several hacks on Beijing, including some it says were carried out by members of the Chinese military.

Cybersecurity specialists say the breach of data on at least four million current and former US federal employees appeared to be part of a Chinese effort to build a database for espionage.

At the same event, Clinton said that engagement was the best option when it comes to confronting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We have to be much smarter in how we deal with Putin and how we deal with his ambitions,” she said.

“I’ve dealt with him. I know him. He’s not an easy man.

“But I don’t think there is any substitute other than constant engagement.”

Relations between Moscow and Washington are at their lowest ebb since the Cold War over Russia’s actions in neighboring Ukraine. Moscow denies backing pro-Russian rebels in the east of the country.

Despite the tense ties, Putin sent a message earlier to US counterpart Barack Obama to mark Independence Day in the United States, saying that relations between Moscow and Washington were key to ensuring global stability, and calling for dialogue based on “equality and respect.”

Clinton also touched on Iran, which is thrashing out the fine details of a deal with world powers over its nuclear ambitions.

She warned, however, that even if an accord is sealed, “Iran’s aggressiveness will not end.”

“They will continue to be the principle state sponsor of terrorism,” Clinton said.

“They will continue to destabilize governments in the region and beyond.

Europe’s impossible dilemma: Let Greece stay or let it go?

By Danny Kemp

Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Sunday 7/5/2015 – Europe faces a near impossible choice between giving debt-laden Greece a chance or pushing it out of the euro and risking global turmoil, analysts said Sunday, after Greek voters overwhelmingly rejected international creditors’ terms.

Berlin, Paris and Brussels all warned in the runup to Sunday’s referendum that a ‘No’ vote to the EU-IMF reform demands was a ‘No’ vote for the single currency and a return to the drachma.

Some analysts say the cold reality of a possible “Grexit” may make some leaders agree with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras that the shock result does not necessarily have to mean a break with Europe.

“EU member states will give Greece another chance, but there is very little time and this will really be the last chance,” Nicolas Veron of the Bruegel think-tank in Brussels told AFP. He said a Greek exit from the 19-country currency union could come about “very rapidly” if action was not taken quickly.

The referendum result – a rejection of more austerity after five years of pain for Greece, came as a surprise to many European governments—because “lots of people were relying on the rationality of the process, and confused their desires for reality,” he added.

The creditors face a difficult choice between trying to avoid the risk of contagion from a Greek euro exit – plus the political and symbolic implications of the loss of a historic European nation from the club – or sticking to their austerity guns.

‘Prepare for drachma’The radical leftist government led by Tsipras and his Syriza party has been at loggerheads with its creditors since it was elected in January on a tough anti-austerity platform.

Talks broke down last week when the eurozone refused to extend Greece’s bailout past June 30, and there are still few signs that the other 18 members of the currency club are willing to compromise.

Eurozone leaders are to hold a special summit on Tuesday in Brussels which could well be the last chance to reach some kind of deal before the European Central Bank cuts off emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) to Greece’s struggling banks.

Slovakia’s Finance Minister Peter Kazimir poured cold water on the chances of success, saying that the “nightmare of the ‘euro-architects’ that a country could leave the club seems like a realistic scenario after Greece voted ‘No’ today.”

“I think it’s going to lead to Grexit,” Pieter Cleppe of the Open Europe think-tank told AFP. “The EU doesn’t want to be seen as the one pulling the trigger. But that shouldn’t be the only reason for not pulling it—I think it would be irresponsible not to prepare for drachma if you think it’s impossible to get a deal with the eurozone finance ministers.

“And I think that’s going to be very hard, so why keep pretending and wasting precious time, when you risk social breakdown.”

He said that without an extension of ECB funding “there is no other way than to provide a parallel currency.”

Pandora’s Box Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis insisted on Sunday night that a parallel currency was not on the table and that Athens could strike a deal, but that will take hard work, analysts said.

Pouring more money into the black hole of Greece’s finances will not be popular with voters in other eurozone countries, particularly in the more hardline Baltics, Finland and the Netherlands, said Anne Laure Delatte, an economist at the French Institute for Scientific Research.

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UTREACH California proclaims special day honoring Fil-Am labor leader It’s official: California will observe a Larry Itliong Day each year to honor the legacy of the Filipino American labor organizer who fought for racial justice and farmworkers’ rights.

Governor Jerry Brown yesterday (Wednesday in Manila) signed into law AB 7 proclaiming the commemorative day on October 25, Itliong’s birthday.

“Larry Itliong was one of the greatest labor organizers and leaders in California history,” said Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), the bill’s sponsor.

“He was a hero not only to the Filipino-American community, but to all Californians and Americans who fought and continue to fight for socioeconomic and racial justice in our state and nation.”

The legislation, which was unanimously passed by the State Assembly on April 9, also encourages public schools to teach about Iltiong’s life and contributions to California.

Bonta, the first Filipino American elected to the Assembly, said the historic signing ensures that Itliong’s fight for justice, opportunity and equity will be “properly honored for generations to come.”

Itliong worked alongside prominent Mexican American civil rights leaders like Cesar Chavez to fight for equal rights, better conditions and wages for Filipino and Mexican farmworkers in the ‘60s and early ‘70s.

But his contributions to the farm labor movement have been

overlooked, said Bonta and many Fil-Am groups who have fought for the recognition of Itliong and other Fil-Am labor leaders like Andy Imutan and Philip Vera Cruz.

Itliong led the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC), which was the first to strike for improved wages and working conditions in Delano in 1965. What became known as the Delano Grape Strike launched the California farm labor movement.

AWOC and the National Farm Workers Association, led by Cesar Chávez and Dolores Huerta, joined forces soon thereafter – at the urging of Itliong – to start the now internationally famous United Farm Workers of America.

“While the farm labor movement is often seen predominantly as a Latino movement, it encompassed much more than just one ethnic group,” said Bonta, whose parents organized farmworkers in Kern County.

“Filipino American and Latino labor leaders built a beautiful collaborative relationship to create the farm worker movement in California, and Larry Itliong played a critical leadership role in that movement. I’m grateful to have this opportunity to recognize his contributions to California.”

Itliong was from San Nicolas, Pangasinan. He migrated to the United States in 1929 at the age of 15.

Seton Hall University President A. Gabriel Esteban & Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret)

NaFFAA Commends Carnegie’s tribute to immigrants Washington, D.C. “We are heartened by Carnegie Corporation’s July 4th tribute to immigrants and their vital contributions to this country,” says NaFFAA National Chairman JT Mallonga, in a statement praising the corporation’s “Great Immigrants: The Pride of America” initiative. This year, 39 naturalized citizens from more than 30 countries are being honored for helping strengthen American democracy and advancing U.S. society, culture and economy. Among the honorees are two Filipino Americans: Seton Hall University President Dr. A. Gabriel Esteban and U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret.) “Our founder, Andrew Carnegie, came to this country as the son of impoverished immigrants

and grew up to become one of the greatest contributors to American industry and philanthropy,” said Carnegie Corporation President Vartan Gregorian. “His devotion to U.S. democracy stemmed from his conviction that the new infusion of talent that immigrants bring to our country keeps American society vibrant.”

Every July 4 since 2006, Carnegie Corporation pays tribute to immigrants and their accomplishments. “It’s a great honor to the Filipino American community that two of our leaders have been recognized for their valuable contributions to this country,” adds Mallonga. “Their inspiring accomplishments are a source of pride for us, and we will strive to do the same through our civic engagement and advocacy efforts.”

A mural of Filipino labor leaders in Los Angeles.

ConGen general welcomes partnership with LMU and teach in PHL Los Angeles, 26 June 2015 – PHL Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim welcomed the Loyola Marymount University School of Education (LMU-SOE) headed

by Dean Shane Martin and in partnership with Teach for the Philippines led by Chairman and Founder Elizabeth Eder Zobel de Ayala in Los Angeles on 24 June 2015.

The partnership between LMU’s Teach for America program and Teach for the Philippines aims to start a unique exchange that will bring peer mentorship and the University’s educational expertise to teaching corps members in the Philippines.

Teach for the Philippines is the 25th official partner in the Teach for all global network of nonprofit organizations employing the model pioneered by Teach for America.

In the United States, in the Philippines and around the world, this network transforms corps members into lifelong advocates for educational equity through their teaching, helping countless young learners along the way.

The work of Teach for the Philippines helps rebuild a nation by creating better futures for youth.

Filipino Corps Members teach anywhere from 40 to 60 students, and collectively impact thousands of young lives.

LMU School of Education (LMU-SOE) is named among the nation’s best graduate schools of education by U.S. News and World Report partnering Teach for America for the past 14 years and is the exclusive university partner in the greater Los Angeles area and in Southern California.

For more information: http:// www.teachforthephilippines.org/

Photo above shows (from left) Mr. Fritz Friedman of Sony Entertainment, Ms. Margarita Delgado, Ms Zobel de Ayala, Madam Herrera-Lim and Consul General Herrera-Lim.

Photo above shows (from left) LMU-SOE Dean Shane Martin, Consul General HerreraLim, Madam Fides Herrera-Lim, Teach for the Philippines Vice Chairman Margarita Delgado and Teach for the Philippines Chairman & Co-Founder Zobel de Ayala.

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Achieve the ‘American Dream’ with help from CSI Professionals In employment sponsorship, everything starts with looking for a qualified employer who will sponsor you. CSI will do that for you. Being clueless is not an excuse for stagnant plans waiting to be implemented. Your success is just waiting for you.

Luck is just a fortunate incident that Science may not be able to explain; and being hopeful might be the nearest and only tool for the “lost and distressed” individual.

Tendency to ‘hope’ is like touching an endlessly wide and tall wall, “feeling” and may be “smelling” what is awaiting on the other side. While this is similar to walking blindly; at least that “blind” person is continuously walking – moving forward.

As we all know, there will not be hard-earned success if it weren’t for hard work. And for the “lost and distressed” individual, it is always better to say that just “getting a feel” or “smelling” the good life on the other side, is believing in that other side’s “existence” or at least the possibility of

Plan would bring sweeping changes to the way customers interact with a more resilient, reliable and low-carbon power network of tomorrow ROSEMEAD, Calif., July 1, 2015– Southern California Edison (SCE) today filed its Distribution Resources Plan (DRP) with the California Public Utilities Commission. The filing is the next step in a proceeding the commission initiated last August to move toward full integration of Distributed Energy Resources (such as rooftop solar, storage, electric vehicle charging, energy efficiency and demand response) in operations, investment and distribution system planning.

In the past, SCE produced or bought power from large, centralized power sources and delivered it to customers – only requiring a “one-way road.” In the future, the electric distribution system will deliver power from many sources, including from customers. This means power flows back from customers to the distribution system at times, requiring a “two-way road”.

This “two-way road” could come with traffic congestion that will increase without an upgraded grid. The

CSI Professionals will and is dedicated to help you start, and will walk with you through your employment sponsorship process to help you realize your American Dream.

it being achieved.

You will never know what is on the “other side” if you do not find means to start climbing that wall. Steps to success will have to start from somewhere, and there is no denying that people are willing to help. CSI Professionals will and is dedicated to help you start, and we will walk with you through your employment spon-

sorship process (and better yet, in the realizations of your American dream…)

To make this dream come true, contact the CSI Professionals Inc. at 818-476-0082 or visit their offices in Glendale at 100 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203 or at 213-487-5059 for their offices located at 3255 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1520, Los Angeles, CA 90010.

Distributed Resources Plan provides a road map to address this issue. SCE’s filing includes five key guiding principles in planning, creating and operating the power network of tomorrow: – Ensure safety, reliability and resilience; – Promote customer choice of new technologies; – Reduce greenhouse gases; – Provide affordable and equitable costs of electric service; and – Use competitive processes for procuring clean-energy resources “As more customers adopt cleanenergy technologies like solar panels and energy storage equipment in their homes and businesses, the grid will become much more complicated to operate,” said SCE President Pedro Pizarro.

“The DRP is our game plan to build a state-of-the-art power network that is essential to assure reliability, power quality, customer choice of new technologies and to further reduce greenhouse gases.”

SCE’s filing also includes the company’s proposal to address the following commission requirements: – Evaluating the ability of the distri-

bution system to integrate Distributed Energy Resources and development of tools to analyze the value of locations for those resources.

– Development of demonstration projects.

– Provision of data access.

– Assessment of tariff and contract implications.

– Identification of safety considerations.

– Description of barriers to deployment of Distributed Energy Resources.

– Coordination of the DRP with SCE’s general rate case.

– Phasing of next steps.

The company’s plan addresses all these requirements and proposes other sweeping changes to the way it operates, while maintaining a resilient, reliable and low-carbon power network that offers customers a choice in how they consume and produce energy.

“We’re moving toward a ‘plug-andplay’ system,” said Pizarro. “The coming power network will make it easier for customers to plug in many types of energy technologies, whether it’s an electric vehicle, solar panels or energy storage devices.”

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US announces first death from measles in 12 years Los Angeles, United States (AFP) Thursday 7/2/2015 - Health authorities on Thursday announced the first US death from measles in 12 years, after an autopsy showed a woman’s fatal pneumonia was caused by the contagious disease.

“The cause of death was pneumonia due to measles,” said a statement from the Department of Health in Clallam County, Washington.

“The woman had several other health conditions and was on medications that contributed to a suppressed immune system,” it added.

Her name and age were not made public.

“The woman was most likely exposed to measles at a local medical facility during a recent outbreak in Clallam County,” said the statement.

“She was there at the same time as a person who later developed a rash and was contagious for measles.”

Officials said she did not show common measles symptoms so the infection was not discovered until after her

death, which occurred in the spring.

A spokesman for the health department told AFP that the woman’s death was not related to the outbreak this year linked to a Disney theme park in California.

The type of measles the woman died of “matched the outbreak in the local county here, but that outbreak strain was not a match for the Disney outbreak,” he said.

There have been 176 cases of measles in the United States so far this year, with 117 of those cases linked to the Disney outbreak, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The last US death from measles was in 2003.

“This tragic situation illustrates the importance of immunizing as many people as possible to provide a high level of community protection against measles,” the department of health said.

“People with compromised immune systems often cannot be vaccinated against measles.”

Pact with devil? California farmers use oil firms’ water

By Veronique Dupont

Bakersfield, United States (AFP) Friday 7/3/2015 – An efficient solution to a historic drought, or an environmentally risky pact with the devil?

That’s the question being raised by critics about Californian farmers who irrigate their crops with waste water supplied by oil companies, in an arrangement slammed as dangerous by environmental campaigners.

Driving into the parched region around Bakersfield, in the western US state’s fertile Central Valley, it is evident how closely the agriculture and oil industries are related.

Lines of orchards stand near fields of oil wells stretched out as far as the eye can see.

Eighty percent of the state’s oil production and 45 percent of the farming industry is concentrated in a single county, Kern County, said Madeline Stano of the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment. With temperatures frequently exceeding 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in the summer, water is in scarce supply.

After four years of record drought, farmers can no longer pump water from rivers whose levels are dangerously low.

Drawing from the water table is also increasingly difficult: more than 1,000 wells have dried up in the region.

In a bid to diversify supplies, the Cawelo Water District, a cooperative financed by local farmers, has for 20 years used waste water from oil companies.

Abby Auffant, spokeswoman for oil giant Chevron, explained that crude comes out of the ground mixed with water, from which it must be separated.

Separating the water from the crude is a process that actually benefits oil firms, according to Stano.

“It’s hard for the oil industry to get rid of, so it’s a win-win for the oil companies” when they are able to sell the water, she said.

Chevron’s Kern River operation sells some 500,000 barrels of waste water per day to the Cawelo Water District, which currently gets 50 percent of its supplies from the oil company.

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Foodies could be the healthiest among us: study Saturday July 4 2015 (Relaxnews) – We think of those who love fine food and trying new dishes as being indulgent and even gluttonous, yet a new study suggests the opposite: Foodies weigh less and could be in better health than the less adventurous among us.

Hailing from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab in the US, the research team worked with survey responses from 502 women residing in the US of a mean age of 26.8 and whose average body mass index (BMI) was 25.96.

They were asked about their weight satisfaction, lifestyle and personality traits and the research team provided a list of 16 novel foods and asked them to report which ones they had tried.

Those who had sampled nine or more of the foods on the list were considered “foodies” in the study and the rest were considered non-adventurous

Summer 2015: Three tips for picking the right sunscreen June 7, 2015 (Relaxnews) – Temperatures are rising and summer vacations are upon us. With the beach beckoning, it’s very important to find the proper sunscreen to best deal with the sun all the while taking care of your skin. Here are a few pieces of advice that should help each and every one find the ideal product, based on skin type and needs, to tan in peace.

Oils, creams, lotions, milks, wipes... every brand offers different ways to protect your skin against the sun. More than the type of product though, what really matters is the solar protection factor, which needs to be picked based on skin type, which part of the body it is for and how much sun will be hitting it. Needless to say, this can get rather confusing.

Solar Protection Factor (SPF) A sunscreen’s SPF is indicated right on the label, and relates to two factors: skin type (extremely sensitive to resilient) and exposure conditions (moderate to extreme).

There are four phototypes, meaning an aptitude to tan or redden with more or less ease, and the lighter the hair and skin a person has, the more sensitive and fragile they are considered, which calls for a higher SPF. As for sun exposure, since summer is all about beach and prolonged outdoor activities, we’re looking at “significant exposure.”

So, people with white or fair skin, those with freckles and redheads should look for an SPF of 50+, while those with light skin and blonde hair, with or without freckles, but who can develop a bit of a tan under the sun should opt for a high protection in the 30-50 SPF range.

Light skinned people with brown hair but who tan easily, should go for an SPF of 15-25, while darker-skinned people can settle for a light protection in the 6-10 range.

What texture to pick?

Contrary to popular belief, the various textures are all practically equally efficient in protecting your skin from UV rays.

Brands have improved their formulas to give their products a minimum SPF of 30, even for oils that people often think of as inefficient.

Though it is always going to be important to select an SPF made for your phototype (don’t select a sun spray that only has an SPF of 30 if you have very sensitive skin), the type of product you buy is an entirely personal decision.

eaters.

The research team adjusted the data to draw on possible associations between adventurous eating, BMI and body image. Those who said they noshed on staples seldom seen in the US such as seitan, beef tongue, Kimchi and rabbit also described themselves as more concerned with healthfulness of what they ate than did those who stuck to traditional fare.

Foodies were also more physically active and their overall diets appeared healthier to the research team than those of their counterparts.

“They also reported being much more likely to have friends over for dinner,” says lead author Lara Latimer, PhD, formerly at the Cornell Food and Brand Lab and now at the University of Texas.

What’s more they were likely to

prepare meals that corresponded to their heritage and had a slightly lower BMIs than their counterparts.

Weight satisfaction, however, was not associated with adventurous eating.

“These findings are important to dieters because they show that promoting adventurous eating may provide a way for people – especially women – to lose or maintain weight without feeling restricted by a strict diet,” says coauthor Brian Wansink, author of “Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life.”

Wansink, whose study is forthcoming in the journal Obesity, advises dieters everywhere to part ways with that boring salad and nosh on something new.

“It could kick start a more novel, fun and healthy life of food adventure,” he says.

Adventurous eaters might be the healthiest among us, according to a recent study. ©bikeriderlondon / shutterstock.com

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Herbert tells Kris: ‘May forever’ “Mayroon.” This was the response of actor and Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista when asked if he believes that there is such a thing as “forever” when it comes to love.

“Mayroon. Mayroong forever,” he said as he looked at his ex-girlfriend, Kris Aquino, on Friday’s episode of “Kris TV.” Bautista joined Aquino and her guest co-host, K Brosas, during the ABS-CBN morning talk show.

When asked to react to Bautista’s statement, Aquino said: “I’m not galit. I don’t have issues.”

Aquino and Bautista are set to do a film together for this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival.

According to Aquino, she will start shooting her film with Bautista in mid-September. She will first do “Etiquette for Mistresses,” which also stars Kim Chiu, Claudine Barretto and Iza Calzado. (MNS)

Herbert Bautista

Dingdong, Marian expecting a baby girl DINGDONG Dantes and Marian Rivera are expecting a baby girl.

This was revealed by Dantes himself on his Instagram account.

He posted a photo of two pink bibs with the caption, “Pretty soon, we will have to make a decision on what she should wear first.”

Few minutes later, the actor shared a photo of his whole family after a thanksgiving mass officiated by Fr. Tito Caluag.

“Thank you father @titocaluag for blessing my girls after tonight’s community Mass. Maraming salamat din, Carlo Katigbak and family for hosting this gathering,” he wrote.

In a recent television appearance, Rivera said that her husband got his wish on the sex of their baby.

“Yun talaga ang gusto ni Dong. Yun talaga ang gusto niya,” she said.

Rivera also shared that if they’re indeed expecting a baby girl, the child’s first name will definitely have “Maria” on it. (MNS)

Marian Rivera and Dingdong Avanzado

Judy Ann shares struggles in second pregnancy

Judy Ann Santos

Actress Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo talked about her second pregnancy during the launch of her new cookbook, “Judy Ann’s Kitchen.”

Santos shared some of her struggles in her second pregnancy.

“There is a slight difference from the one I had in the first pregnancy. Medyo mas may bigat factor na ngayon,” Santos said.

“Mas tamad na tamad lang ako ngayon. Ayoko kumilos. Kain ako nang kain. Tapos tulog ako nang tulog,” she added.

“Judy Ann’s Kitchen” is a cookbook that contains recipes the actress grew up with, including some of her favourite dishes to cook for her husband and kids. (MNS)

Jean Garcia to everyone: Don’t call me ‘lola’ JEAN Garcia says her daughter Jennica is due to give birth anytime now and they’re all eagerly awaiting the coming of her first granchild, who’ll be a girl, with Alwyn Uytingco as the dad.

“Siyempre, we welcome the baby pero kapag iniisip kong magiging lola na ako, parang huwag muna,” she says at the thanksgiving presscon of her hit afternoon show, “The Half Sisters”. “I don’t know yet kung ano ang ipapatawag ko sa sarili ko, basta ayoko ng lola.”

She certainly looks so young to be considered a grandmother at 45.

Right now, she’s just thankful that “The Half Sisters”, the number one show among afternoon soaps, has just been extended again until August.

“Sobrang nakakatuwa, di ba? That means tuluy-tuloy lang ang trabaho naming lahat sa cast. Abangan n’yo dahil magkakaroon na naman ng bagong twist sa kuwento. Makakatakas sa bilangguan ang kontrabidang si Ryan Eigenmann sa tulong ng syndicate member na si Pancho Magno at muling maghahasik ng lagim sa buhay namin nina Barbie Forteza at Thea Tolentino.”

How is it working with Barbie and Thea as her daughters? “Naku, talagang sarili ko ng mga anak ang turing ko sa dalawang ‘yan. Kahit wala kaming taping, nagkikita kami at nagbo-bonding. Sabi nga ng daughter kong si Jennica, natutuwa siya dahil puro mga bagets ang kabarkada ko ngayon kaya feeling and looking bagets na rin ako.” (MNS)

Jean Garcia

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MOTORING Is an electric car battery breakthrough on the horizon?

Sunday July 5 2015 (Relaxnews) – Demand for the current crop of plug-in electric cars may still be weak but Nissan, Renault and Volkswagen are all confident that a mass-market electric car is just around the corner.

This week Nissan added a new model to its range of Leaf electric cars. The Leaf Acenta+ Grade adds special 17-inch alloy wheels and a 6.6kW charger as standard, meaning that it can be recharged in just four hours. And these practicality features come on top of a telematics system, reversing camera and cruise control and speed limiting system.

The extra creature comforts

range, Renault-Nissan is confident that within five to 10 years thanks to on-going research and development, range will be extended significantly – three to four times greater than the current distances.

Nissan isn’t the only company confident that a better battery is really just around the corner.

This week, during an interview with German publication Bild, Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn described the battery technology it is currently working on as a “quantum leap for the electric car.”

The battery in question is being developed in the US, in Silicon Valley and could prove the key to creating a practical, affordable plug-in electric car with mass market appeal. Winterkorn said that the battery was cheaper, smaller and more powerful meaning that “An electric Volkswagen that can travel 300km on electricity is The Nissan Leaf Nissan LEAF Acenta+. The new in sight.” model ups the creature comforts but not the price.

There is no debating ©Nissan whether electric cars are will go some way to attracting cleaner than their gas-powered new customers to the electric car counterparts in terms of tailpipe market. However, the trickle of emissions; however, a new study new customers won’t turn into a from the National Bureau of Ecostampede until the Leaf’s range – nomics, first detailed on Monday 124 miles (200 km) – can be im- by CityLab, suggests that dependproved. ing on how the electricity that reIt’s an issue that the Renault- charges the battery is generated, Nissan Alliance’s head, Carlos eclectic cars could be generating Ghosn is fully aware of. Speaking more pollution than an internal to The Guardian at the formula combustion engine. The research, E championships on Wednesday, conducted in the US, shows that he said: “If there’s a price penal- in states that use coal fired power ty, they just don’t buy. If there’s stations, charging an electric car range anxiety, they just don’t is adding to the pollution and over buy.” a lifecycle of 150,000 miles could However, as demand for elec- be less environmentally friendly tric cars increases, their cost will than an equivalent size gasoline come down. And, as for driving car.

BMW 5-Series GT Hydrogen Fuel cell prototype. This prototype uses the same fuel cell technology as the Toyota Mirai. ©BMW Group

BMW showcases its future green driving tech Friday July 3 2015 (Relaxnews) – From direct water injection systems to hybrids and full hydrogen fuel cell powertrains, BMW is leaving no stone unturned it its search for increased efficiency and reduced pollution.

BMW has been testing the feasibility of hydrogen fuel cells as an eventual replacement for the internal combustion engine for 15 years and its latest prototype, unveiled this week, suggests that the company is as focused on speed and performance as it is on environmental well-being.

The company has taken its flagship i8 hybrid supercar and transformed it into a fuel cell sportscar.

Currently capable of a top speed of just 124mph (200 km/h) the car can still accelerate to 100km in under six seconds although its range remains a secret.

The company has been working on the car since 2012 and its carbon fiber body has been heav-

ily modified to improve cooling and air circulation as well as cut weight. As such, the BMW ‘i’ brand which currently consists of a plug-in electric car (i3) and a plug-in hybrid (i8) is expected to become a fuel-cell range by the end of the decade.

However, the company is also planning to bring a more massmarket fuel cell car to market by 2020. BMW also showcased a prototype 5 Series GT—a large four door coupé—that is powered by the same fuel cell technology used in the Toyota Mirai, the company’s first affordable fuel cell car.

Hybrid tech still in the picture Issues surrounding hydrogen creation and fuelling infrastructure need to be addressed before fuel cells stand a chance of going mainstream so in the meantime BMW is also persevering with hybrid technology.

This year it launched its first BMW-branded hybrid, the X5

xDrive40e crossover, and it is now looking at bringing the same technology to its 3 Series sedan and its new 2 Series Active tourer which is aimed at young families. However, neither will become a reality unless they can add rather than detract from the driving experience—one of the principal pillars of the BMW brand.

One new technology that will be rolling out to production BMWs shortly is direct water injection.

By spraying water into the cylinders ahead of the fuel, engine temperature falls considerably which has the knock-on effect of saving fuel while also increasing performance.

BMW claims the simple system can boost fuel economy by 8% and up the power by 10%. And, best of all the system is self-replenishing. Water is extracted from the engine and from the air conditioning system and used for engine injection.

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KITCHENOMICS FAMILY FEATURES

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s the kids head back to school, there’s no better time to make a fresh start in the kitchen, too. Substituting nutritious ingredients such as sorghum in your favorite grain-based foods is an easy way to upgrade your family’s menu this fall.

Some of the traditional snacks kids love most — such as cakes, cookies and doughnuts — can all be prepared using sorghum, a gluten-free cereal grain grown throughout the world. This highly versatile ingredient is naturally high in fiber, iron and protein, and can be used in a wide range of preparations. In fact, white food-grade sorghum

can be milled directly into whole grain flour to produce foods such as brownies, breads, pizza dough, pastas, cereals, pancakes and waffles.

Whether it’s a power breakfast to fuel the day, a sweet lunchbox treat or a tasty after school snack, these recipes showcase how simple it can be to give your kids’ favorite treats a nutritious makeover they’ll be thrilled to sample.

For more nutritious back to school recipes and tips for cooking with sorghum, visit www.HealthySorghum.com.

Sorghum Pancakes

Recipe provided by Barbara Kliment 1 3/4 cups sorghum flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 3 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup powdered buttermilk 2 eggs 3 tablespoons melted butter 1 1/2 cups water Heat oven to 200°F. Combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl, beat together eggs, melted butter and water; add to dry ingredients and

mix just until well blended. Heat large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Spray pan with cooking oil. Wet fingertips under faucet and shake them over hot griddle.

If water droplets “sizzle,” heat is right to begin making pancakes.

For large cakes pour 1/4 cup of batter into pan; for small use 2 tablespoons of batter. Cook until bubbles form on top; flip and cook until golden brown on bottom. Transfer to baking sheet and keep warm in oven while making rest of pancakes. Serve warm with butter and syrup.

Chewy Oatmeal Toffee Cookies Recipe provided by Kate Lange 1 cup butter, softened 2 eggs 2 cups light brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup sorghum flour 3/4 cup unbleached white flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/8 teaspoon allspice 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon cloves 3 cups oatmeal 1 cup coconut flakes 1 (10-ounce) package almond toffee bits Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Cream butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy.

Mix flour, salt, soda, allspice, cinnamon and cloves; add to butter mixture. Beat until well blended. Stir in oatmeal, coconut and toffee bits with spoon. Drop by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto prepared sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Cool 1 minute; remove to wire rack.

Milo Doughnuts Recipe provided by Karla Lubben 1 egg 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup milk 2 tablespoons melted shortening or lard 1/2 cup sifted sorghum flour 1 1/2 cups sifted allpurpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder Dash of cinnamon Dash of salt 8 cups vegetable oil Glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar 2 teaspoons warm milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla In large bowl, beat together egg and sugar.

Stir in milk and shortening.

Sift together all dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and stir to combine.

Chill dough for 30 minutes. On lightly floured surface, flatten dough to 1/2-inch thickness with your finger-tips or rolling pin. Cut out doughnuts using a doughnut cutter or two sizes of round cookie cutters.

Transfer doughnuts to waxed paper and allow to dry for 10 minutes. In deep heavy pot or electric fryer, heat oil to 375°F. Using wire spatula dipped in hot oil, carefully transfer doughnuts into hot oil. Cook 2-3 doughnuts at a time turning them when brown on one side. Remove to paper towel or racks to drain.

For glazed doughnuts, combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla flavoring.

Drizzle on doughnuts or sprinkle doughnuts with powdered sugar or mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

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CAPSIZED FERRY From page 1

“We filed the charges as soon as we could because we don’t want the suspects to leave the country,” Dolina said.

The death toll stood at 59, transportation secretary Joseph

Emilio Abaya told ANC television Saturday. This toll was higher than the 45 reported by the coast guard, which was based on the ship’s passenger list. The coast guard and other reports have put

OVERLOADED ported the bodies of 42 residents of Camotes – where the ferry had been heading – back to their island home for burial.

Relatives watched gravely as rescue personnel carried dozens of white coffins onto the ship.

The Kim Nirvana, which has been lifted out of the water with a crane, lay on a ramp in the background.

As well as passengers the boat had also been transporting sacks of cement, rice and fertilizer which would have weighed as much as 7,500 kilos.

Poorly-maintained, loosely-regulated ferries form the backbone of maritime travel in the Philippines, a sprawling archipelago of 100 million people.

Frequent accidents involving overloaded ferries in recent decades have claimed thousands of lives, including the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster in 1987 when the Dona Paz ferry collided with an oil tanker, leaving more than 4,300 dead.

Each sack of rice, cement and fertilizer weighs 50 kilos (110 pounds), and 150 sacks would easily add 7,500 kilos to the ship’s load, excluding passengers, he said. Passengers on the ferry’s route from Ormoc to the Camotes islands regularly bring supplies from the city to their remote fishing villages.

China has rapidly expanded its navy in recent years, commissioning its first aircraft carrier in 2012 and adding to its submarine and surface fleets.

The increased military pos-

ture comes as Beijing asserts its territorial claims in the East and South China Seas, where it has disputes with several Asian neighbos including Japan and the Philippines.

school building.

Binay’s son, Jejomar Erwin Binay, rejected the ruling as politically motivated and barricaded himself inside city hall with supporters.

Police allege the vice president, a former Makati mayor, later went there and helped his son defy the authorities.

Surveys show the elder Binay is among the front-runners to succeed President Benigno Aquino who ends his six-year term in June next year.

The younger Binay left city hall on Wednesday to end the two-day

standoff.

The Binay family has ruled Makati since 1986, endearing its members to the masses with unparalleled benefits such as free college education, medicine, movies and birthday cakes.

The elder Binay capitalized on this populist theme to propel himself to the country’s second-highest post in 2010 and fortify a political dynasty that includes two of the vice-president’s daughters elected to parliament.

The Makati Business Club criticized the Binays’ defiance which it said led to the violence.

smiling weakly as he sat up on his bed, his sister Sarah Joy by his side.

Reynaldo, the son of impoverished farmers, dropped out of school two years ago after developing rheumatic heart disease.

He had strep throat as a child which developed into a deadly

heart condition because it was not treated with antibiotics.

Distraught that the family could not afford the $25,000 (22,500 euro) surgery at the hospital near their home in the north of the Philippines, Reynaldo’s sister spotted the opportunity that saved his life.

program.

A report on the British Broadcasting Co. said Greece’s current bailout program ran out Tuesday, and banks were closed all week.

Limits were imposed on cash withdrawals.

Valte said the government

hopes the referendum on Sunday (Monday in PHL) will lead to the normalization of the situation.

“Umaasa tayo the referendum on Sunday/Monday will normalize (the) situation para maka-open ang remittances,” she said. (MNS)

From page 1

In May, China’s State Council, or cabinet, said in a white paper that the country would project its military power further beyond its sea borders and more assertively in the air.

BINAY ACCUSED From page 1

Other footage showed alleged Binay supporters throwing plastic chairs at a phalanx of riot police, who took cover behind their shields.

A second officer, Chief Inspector Gideon Ines, accused the elder Binay of grabbing him by the collar and the vice president’s bodyguards of striking him on the chest.

The younger Binay was ordered suspended for six months on Monday by the Ombudsman, who is investigating both father and son over allegations they took kickbacks from contractors for a

FILIPINO TEEN

WAR GAMES

From page 1

From page 1

puted waters in the South China Sea, and has a separate territorial dispute with Japan over the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku islands – which it calls the Diaoyus – in the East China Sea. “There’s subtle message going out that at every level – from hardware to technical and strategic expertise and cooperation – the main American allies and America are working very closely together largely to account for China,” John Lee, a China specialist at the University of Sydney, told AFP. “It’s definitely linked to the notion that China is becoming more assertive and that it seems to be putting money into military ca-

city councilor Godiardo Ebcas told AFP. Survivors reported seeing up to 150 sacks of cement and more of rice and fertilizer in the ship’s cargo area before it capsized in relatively calm seas, he said. “The ship might not be too overloaded in terms of passengers, but imagine the weight of its cargo,” councilor Ebcas said.

LIVE-FIRE

From page 1

people were onboard, exceeding the 194 passengers and crew the boat was authorized to carry. The heavy cargo the ferry was transporting may also have played a role, authorities have said.

“The number of bodies is more than we expected,” said Captain Pedro Tinampay, the regional coast guard chief, refusing to speculate how many might still be missing. Only 173 passengers and 16 crew were listed on the boat’s manifest.

The crew have been accused of committing murder, with an initial police investigation and interviews with survivors indicating the vessel turned abruptly causing it to capsize.

The police investigation is separate from a coast guard enquiry, which will primarily determine the cause of the mishap. However, the coast guard may also recommend criminal and administrative charges.

On Sunday, a coast guard search and rescue vessel trans-

the number of survivors at 142.

The coast guard earlier said the 33-tonne ship could carry 194 people including 178 passengers and 16 crew, but according to the casualty count of Ormoc’s city council, the ship was carrying at least 198. Overloading of cargo and passengers might have been to blame for the disaster, Ormoc

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pabilities to back up its assertiveness in the South China Sea in particular.”

Beijing rejected US criticism of its reclamation works in the South China Sea during the annual Shangri-La Dialogue meeting in May, saying it was just exercising its sovereignty.

The US has been pursuing a foreign policy “pivot” towards Asia, which has rattled China, and is rotating Marines through northern Australia – a move announced by President Barack Obama in 2011.

While Beijing would not be pleased with Japan’s involvement in the drills, it would also not be surprised, experts said.

medical charity that offers free treatment.

Sitting in his spotless hospital room, his voice still hoarse after his five-hour surgery on June 16, Reynaldo said he was on the mend.

“I am feeling better, not like before. I feel stronger,” he said,

GREECE READY From page 1

roon ng limitation on withdrawal of banks. Nakaantabay ang embahada doon at prepare sila for worst-case scenario sakaling hindi umayos ang sitwasyon,” Valte said on state-run dzRB radio.

Greece is to hold a referendum this weekend on the latest bailout