UK & Europe Edition
November 2013 / Fortnightly
Volume 4 - Number 22
page 32
Connecting Global News & Views For The Community
FORTNIGHTLY
Celeb Scoop
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PALACE ADMITS SHORTCOMINGS IN YOLANDA PREPARATIONS AND RESPONSE
An aerial view taken on Wednesday, November 13, shows signs for help and food amid the destruction left by super typhoon Yolanda in the coastal town of Tanauan, Leyte. Yolanda (Haiyan), one of the strongest storms on record, slammed into six Central Philippine islands on November 8 leaving a wide swath of destruction and thousands of people dead. Photo by Wally Santana ©AP
MALACAÑANG on Thursday admitted that it may have had some shortcomings in preparing and responding to super typhoon Yolanda, which devastated parts of the Visayas region last weekend. “Kung meron pong mga pumupuna, tinatanggap naman po natin iyong kanilang pagpuna. Hindi po natin itinatanggi na maaaring nagkaroon ng mga
pagkukulang. Pero iyon po ay bunga na rin ng mga severe constraints,” Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said during a press conference. “Hindi naman po sinasadyang huwag pagtuunan [iyon] ng pansin,” he added. In a televised speech on
Thursday night, President Benigno Aquino III said the government was prepared for the threat brought by Yolanda. And despite Coloma’s admission about the government’s shortcomings, he still stood by Aquino’s statement and said they tried to prepare for all “possible eventualities.” “If we review the transcript,
the President warned of storm surge na maaaring umabot ng up to six meters. Kaya in terms of the framework that is prescribed by law, na-anticipate naman po ng ating pamahalaan iyong mga possible scenarios katulad din po nung mga nakaraang pagkakataon especially in the case of Typhoon Pablo,” he said. “So in terms of preparation,
in terms of emergency alert, masasabi po natin na ginawa po ang nararapat at naaayon sa batas na tungkulin ng pamahalaan,” he added. But he said there are really just some things out of their control, adding that all that’s left is to learn from what happened. “Sa isang malaking organisasyon, any complex
organization will involve many permutations, many nuances of operations; at mahirap magimagine ng totally perfect world na lahat na lang will fall in machinelike precision,” Coloma said. “At dahil po nakakapulot tayo ng mga mahahalagang aral, gagamitin po natin ang aral na napulot natin para mas maging Continue to page 6
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PHILIPPINES DISASTER RELIEF FUND On Friday 8th November 2013, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded on land, Super Typhoon Haiyan, hit the coastal Philippine provinces of Leyte and Samar. The Super Typhoon Haiyan brought gusts of winds over 320 km/h and bringing ashore waves as high as 15m (45ft). It swept through six central Philippine islands before heading on to Vietnam and southern China where several deaths were also associated with its destructive force. The death toll in the Philippines as of today is at 2,275, with another 3,665 injured as of Wednesday (13/11/13) and more than 80 people are listed as missing, confirmed figures by Disaster Management Officials in The Philippines. Unfortunately, these figures are expecting to rise in the future. Survivors are now very much reliant on emergency food and water supplies, shelter and other basic living needs. For over 26 years, the Philippine government, Filipino suppliers and most importantly our customers in the UK have been supporters of Manning Impex Ltd. The Company feels exceptionally disheartened and sad to see such tragic situations result from this natural disaster which has severely affected many of our friends, partner businesses and family in The Philippines, especially in the Tacloban province. Manning Impex Ltd will be donating a percentage of its profits for the month of November to Charities which will directly assist The Philippines disaster. In addition, we will be asking assistance from our Customers; and any donation forwarded through us will be matched in value by Manning Impex Ltd in order to maximise the value that we may send. With your generous donation and support, and through our sales, Manning Impex Ltd will help and assist millions of lives in The Philippines. Your generous donation will provide food, shelter, clothing, clean water and medicine. Manning Impex Ltd would like to thank you in advance for your support and contribution most sincerely. Together we are saving lives and helping to rebuild brighter futures. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected, and the financial contribution we donate will make a huge difference and have these realised. Again, thank you very much for your support.
Staff & Management Manning Impex Ltd. Manning Impex Ltd 2 Doman Road, Camberley Surrey. GU15 3DF Tel. +44 (0)1276 406888/7 Fax. +44 (0)1276 406889 Registration No. 2141125 e-mail sales@manningimpex.com
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EVENTS DIARY UK & EUROPE
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
2013 Monthly Filipino Community Masses in Greater London DATE / TIME 15 December Sunday 3:00pm 15 December Sunday 3:00pm 15 December Sunday 3:30pm
SPONSORING ORGANIZATION/S Filipino Community of Blessed Sacrament Parish Filchamp Kilburn Friends of Our Lady of Peñafrancia / Sto Nino Group / Our Lady of Victories Church
VENUE Blessed Sacrament Parish Church, 157 Copenhagen Street, Islington, London N1 0SR Sacred Heart Church, New Priory, Quex Road, Kilburn, London NW6 4PS Church of Our Lady of Victories, 235A Kensington High Street, London W8 6SA
PRESIDER / CO-CELEBRANT Fr. Allan Satur
CONTACTS / REMARKS Ms Christy Sangalang – 07743 369 977 / christycortezsangalang@yahoo.co.uk
Fr. Irvin Morastil, O.M.I.
Ms Remy Villacruel – 07901 352 381 / remediosvillacruel@yahoo.com
Fr. Voltaire Dimol
Mr Essex Angulo – 07946 510 347 / ecangulo@me.com Ms Adela Caguimbal – 07717 493 541 / adellecag@yahoo.com Emet Gutierrez – 020 7598 1165 / 07407 073 263 Ms Cecilia Bas – 07578 368 272 Ms Analita Bash – 07553 791 944 / elshaddai.london@yahoo.co.uk Mr Rommel C. Abellar – 07453 313 595 / rommelabellar@yahoo.co.uk Ms Fe Perfect – 07734 154 312 / fe@celestialtravel.co.uk Ms Flora Cayaban Kingscote – 07875 867 739 / flora_k78@yahoo.co.uk
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel & St. Joseph Church, 8A Battersea Park Road, London SW8 4BH St. Dominic’s Catholic Church, Violet Lane, Waddon, Croydon, Surrey CR0 4HN
Fr. Cirino Potrido,C.M.
Filipino Club at Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral, Victoria Street, London SW1
Fr. Voltaire Dimol / Canon Christopher Tuckwell
16 December Monday 7:00pm 16 December Monday 7:00pm
Filipino Community in Wembley
Fr. Agustin Paunon
Ms Lilian Owen – 07957 550 729 / lilianowen1@msn.com
Fr. Jose Claveria
Mr Rene Garcia – tirenebev@aol.com
17 December Tuesday 7:00pm
Couples for Christ – Maidenhead
Msgr. Tom McGrath
Mr Rene Garcia – tirenebev@aol.com
18 December Wednesday 7:00pm
Batangas Association UK / Farm Street Filipino Community / Order of the Knights of Rizal and Kababaihang Rizalista, London Chapter
Roman Catholic Church of St. Joseph’s, 339 High Road, Wembley, Middlesex HA9 6AG St. Edmund Campion Roman Catholic Parish, 40A Altwood Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 4PY St. Joseph Church, The Presbytery. 36 Cookham Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7EG Jesuit Church of the Immaculate Conception (Farm Street), 114 Mount Street, London W1K 3AH
Fr. Voltaire Dimol
Mrs Corazon Santos – 07956 271 750 Mrs Julie Villanueva – secretariat@batangas-association.org.uk Ms Josie Ramos – 07723 024 591 / aquisu0411@gmail.com Mrs Aurea Taguiang – 020 7724 7332 / taguiang.alfonsoaurea@gmail.com
19 December Thursday 7:00pm
CFC-Singles For Christ, London, UK / The Community Prayer CrusadeWest London`
The Holy Cross Chapel, Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9NT
Fr. Giles Pinnock Catholic Chaplain
19 December Thursday 7:30pm
Filipino Community in Acton
Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Acton High Street, London W3 8AA
Fr. Voltaire Dimol
Mr Felicito Simon – 07795 324 859 / bradmonsi@yahoo.com Ms Merla – 07939 684 558 Mr Mario Gumogda – 07818 021 874 / mariobg73@hotmail.com Ms Maria “Ning” de Zoysa – 07886 210 883 / maribeldz19@hotmail.com Ms Corazon Gonzales – 020 8354 1068 / 07585 229 006 / corazongonzales63@yahoo.com
20 December Friday 6:00pm 20 December Friday 6:00pm (Carols + Posadas) 7:00pm (Mass) 20 December Friday 6:30pm 21 December Saturday 1:00pm 21 December Saturday 4:00pm
CFC-Singles For Christ, London, UK
St Augustine’s Church, 55 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8AU St. James Catholic Church, Forbury Road, Reading RG1 3HW
Fr. Gianni Notarianni OSA (Parish Priest) Fr. Claro Conde
Mr Felicito Simon – 07795 324 859 / bradmonsi@yahoo.com
Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church, 111 Portsmouth Road, Frimley, Surrey, GU16 7AA St. Antony of Padua, St. Antony Road, Forest Gate, London E7 9QB Roman Catholic Church of St. Pius X, 79 St. Charles Square, Ladbroke Grove, London W10 6EB
Fr. Voltaire Dimol
Mr Jeck Paler – 07869 293 397 / palerblue@yahoo.com
Fr. Voltaire Dimol
Ms Myrna V. Cunningham – 07791 125 494 / myrna_cunningham@hotmail.com
Fr. CirinoPotrido, C.M.
Ms Nilda – 07985 324 147
21 December Saturday 5:00pm 21 December Saturday 7:00pm 21 December Saturday 7:30pm
Couples for Christ – Guildford
St. Joseph’s Church, 12 Eastgate Gardens, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4AZ Sacred Heart and Mary Immaculate Church, 2 Flower Lane, Mill Hill, London NW7 2JB Church of the Holy Redeemer 20 Brixton Road, London SW9 6BU
Fr. Aaron Espenelli
Sister Oneng Mendoza – 01483 413 980 / 07871 479 978 / onengmendoza.fmdm@yahoo.co.uk Mr Sande Gutierrez – 07584 575 411 / sjgutierrez@yahoo.com
22 December Sunday 2:00pm
Bicol Association UK / Carmelite Church Filipino Choir / Filipino Women’s Association (FWA) / Aguman Kapampangan UK
Carmelite Priory, 41 Kensington Church Street, London W8 4BB
Fr. Cirino Potrido,C.M.
22 December Sunday 2:00pm
Share Hope Outreach – English Martyrs Filipino Community
English Martyrs Church, Chalkhill Road, Wembley Park HA9 9EW
Fr. Voltaire Dimol
22 December Sunday 5:00pm
Couples for Christ / Divine Mercy Group of Kensal Filipino Community / Filipino Catholic Community in Our Lady of the Holy Souls Couples for Christ – Reading
Our Lady of the Holy Souls, 68 Hazelwood Crescent, Kensal Road, London W10 5DJ
Fr. Cirino Potrido
Mr Chris Mautsi – 07951 064 688 Mr Agui Galang – 07892 475 127 Mrs Lita Galang – 07754 659 580
Christ the King, 408 Northumberland Avenue, Reading RG2 8NR Church of the Five Precious Wounds, Brentfield Road, Stonebridge, London NW10 8ER
Fr. Pat Madden
Mr Rene Garcia – tirenebev@aol.com
Fr. Cirino Potrido,C.M.
Ms Laila Osei – 07930 162 875
Our Lady of Peace Church, 338 Wokingham Road, Reading RG6 7DA Our Lady of Dolours, Service Parish Church, 264 Fulham Road, London SW10 4EL
Fr. Emmanuel
Mr Rene Garcia – tirenebev@aol.com
Fr. Allan Satur
Fr. Allan Satur – 020 7352 6965 / fulhamroad@rcdow.org.uk Mr Roland Adap – r_adap@hotmail.com
15 December Sunday 6:00pm 15 December Sunday 7:00pm
El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI London Chapter
15 December Sunday 7:00pm
22 December Sunday 6:00pm 23 December Monday 6:00pm 23 December Monday 6:00pm 23 December Monday 8:00pm
St. Dominic Filipino Community of Waddon
Couples for Christ – Maidenhead
Magnificat Choir
Couples for Christ – Frimley, Surrey Filipino Community in East London St. Pius X Filipino Association
Kapa-Mill Hill Oval Filipino Community
Stonebridge Filipino Community Couples for Christ Filipino Community in Servites
Fr. Jake Dicto, C.S.
Fr. Cirino Potrido,C.M. Fr. Jake Dicto, C.S.
Choir: Carmelite Church Filipino Choir
Mr Edgar Bautista – 07824 885 553 / edgar_s_bautista@hotmail.co.uk
Mr Ben Ortiz – 07723 318 486 / ben.ortiz@hotmail.co.uk Mr Ian Alejandro – 07912 173 913 / ian78_london@yahoo.co.uk Mr Julius Maristela – 07823 336 085 / julius_maristela@yahoo.com Ms Chelo Taylo – cruz_chelo@hotmail.com Ms Clarita Richardson – 07505 931 468 / clarita.richardson@gmail.com Ms Zanie del Mundo – 07886 881 432 / 07733 781 858 / zendel22@hotmail.co.uk Ms Becky Sarinas – 07949 857 699 / sharehopeoutreach@hotmail.co.uk
NOTE: The Oval Filipino Community of the Holy Redeemer Church (RC), Scalabrini Centre and the Filipino Community of Roehampton, both under the Archidiocese of Southwark and entrusted to the Scalabrini Fathers, are hosting a novena of masses for the whole nine (9) days, from 15 – 23 December 2013. The Filipino Community in Servites are also hosting a traditional Tagalog Mass, dubbed Simbang Gabi sa Chelsea. Following are details of their Simbang Gabi Masses: DATE / TIME SPONSORING VENUE PRESIDER / CONTACTS / REMARKS ORGANIZATION/S CO-CELEBRANT Presider: Fr. Jake Dicto, Mr. Ben Ortiz – 07723 318 486 / Oval Filipino Community Church of the Holy Redeemer, 20 15 - 23 December C.S./Scalabrini Fathers ben.ortiz@hotmail.co.uk Brixton Road, Oval, London Sunday – Monday Mr. Ian Alejandro – 07912 173 913 / SW9 6BU 7:30pm, except 15 ian78_london@yahoo.co.uk December 2:00pm and 22 December 5:00pm Presider: Fr. Jake Dicto, Mr. Rafael Santiago – 07909 444 340 / Filipino Community of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church , 15 - 23 December C.S./Scalabrini Fathers paengsky@yahoo.co.uk Roehampton 218 Roehampton Lane, London Sunday - Monday SW15 4LE 8:00pm, except 15 and 22 December 6:00pm Presider: Fr. Allan Satur Fr. Allan Satur – 020 7352 6965 / Filipino Community in Our Lady of Dolours, Service 15 - 23 December fulhamroad@rcdow.org.uk Servites Parish Church, 264 Fulham Road, Sunday - Monday Mr. Roland Adap – r_adap@hotmail.com London SW10 4EL 8:00pm
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PALACE ADMITS SHORTCOMINGS.. mahusay po ang ating pagtugon sa susunod na pagkakataon,” he said. The death toll due to Yolanda went up to 2,357 according to the latest figures from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). About 3,853 were injured and 77 are still missing. Some officials, however, have projected fatalities to be as high as 10,000 if all can be counted. Many people are missing or washed out to sea. The NDRRMC also said a total of 1,732,477 families or 8,007,200 people have been affected in 8,819 villages in 43 provinces. Of these, 74,246 families or 359,574 people are staying in 1,099 evacuation centers. The government has been criticized by international media for the slow delivery of relief goods to areas affected by Yolanda. Local governments, which usually provide the first responders and take the lead in delivering immediate relief, have been decimated, with many personnel killed, missing, or otherwise unable to perform emergency duties. Local police have also been paralyzed, resulting in a security vacuum in some areas and rampant crime. In the absence of local government effectiveness, the national government has stepped in, but its exact role has been unclear. The lack of power and communications has slowed even assessments of the damage.
Continuation from page 1 On Wednesday, Malacañang declared Aquino is in charge. On Thursday, Presidential Communications Operations Office head Sonny Coloma Jr. also listed what the government has been able to achieve in the days following the onslaught of Yolanda. He said on the first day, they managed to establish contacts with local government units while they re-established connectivity on the second day. On the third day, he said they completed the mapping of the hardest-hit areas using storm-tracking systems and identified the priority areas, which include Regions IV-B (MIMAROPA), V (Bicol), VI (Western Visayas), VII (Central Visayas), and VIII (Eastern Visayas). On the fourth day, he said all national highways were re-opened while other transport operations resumed on the fifth day. Coloma said among the government’s priorities are the immediate delivery of food, water, medicine, and medical assistance to the victims; and the provision of temporary shelters for displaced residents. He also said they are prioritizing the restoration of power and communication services; of land, sea, and air transportation services; and of the “normalcy” of essential government services in hardesthit areas. ■ Kimberly Jane Tan / KG/KBK, GMA News / November 14, 2013 / Updated 7:26 PM
SPECIAL NEWS REPORT
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
China tops $100k pledge for Yolanda victims with another ₱73-M donation
THE Chinese government has announced that that it will donate ₱73.2 million worth of relief goods for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda, days after it drew flak for its earlier $100,000 donation to the Philippines. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Chinese Embassy in Manila said the Chinese government will be providing RMB 10 million in materials, mainly blankets and tents to assist communities devastated by the typhoon. “All the materials are now under preparation and will be delivered to the Philippine government as soon as possible,” the embassy said. The Chinese government earlier pledged $100,000 in aid to Manila, along with another $100,000 through the Chinese Red Cross—which were relatively smaller compared to the amounts donated by other countries. Other economic heavyweights such as Japan, for instance, has offered $10 million in aid and is sending in an emergency relief team while Australia donated $9.6 million. A Reuters report earlier said China’s paltry aid to the Philippines was criticized even by the state-run Global Times newspaper, which expressed concern about the impact on Beijing’s international standing. “China, as a responsible power, should participate in relief operations
to assist a disaster-stricken neighboring country, no matter whether it’s friendly or not,” the paper said in a commentary. China and the Philippines are locked in territorial dispute over some parts of the South China Sea, which the latter refers to as the West Philippine Sea. The United Nations estimates that nearly 12 percent of the population and more the 544,600 people particularly in the Visayas region have been displaced by typhoon Yolanda when it barreled through central Philippines last week. In an interview aired on GMA News TV’s News to Go on Thursday, US Embassy press attaché Kurt Hoyer said
US has deployed two Osprey aircraft to help deliver relief goods to far-flung areas in Leyte. The US Agency for International Development Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID-OFDA) said on Twitter Wednesday that several packs of high-energy biscuits enough to feed 120,000 people have arrived in Manila for delivery to the typhoon-stricken areas. Hoyer said the US has been “working very closely” with its partners in the Philippines to address the needs of typhoon survivors for shelter materials, food and other items. ■ with Xianne Arcangel / RSJ, GMA News / November 14, 2013 / 2:28 PM
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November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
Philippine Airlines (PAL) lands for the first time in fifteen years at London Heathrow Airport
LONDON, UK, November 4, 2013 – For the first time in fifteen years, Philippine Airlines landed at Terminal 4, London Heathrow Airport, fulfilling the airlines’ promise to reintroduce direct flights to Europe. The flight took off from Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Monday, 4 November and landed at Heathrow Airport at 15:10pm to a water canon reception. This will be the first European destination introduced by the airline after flights to Europe were discontinued in 1998. The new route will be the fastest way for passengers to travel to Manila with five flights each week. Philippine Airlines President, Mr Ang said, “We’re very happy that London is PAL’s first European destination since flights were discontinued in 1998. With the new direct link, our country is looking
at a potential windfall in tourism, trade and investment in Europe and we aim to provide UK travellers and the more than 664,000 Filipinos in Europe with the most convenient travel to return home with the airline that knows them best.” The Manila-London service will use the twin-engine, 370-seater Boeing 777300ER which is equipped with modern in-flight amenities. The UK is an important market for the Philippines, with one third of the 349,000 European visitors travelling to the country during 2012 coming from the UK. During the first half of 2013, arrivals from the UK have already reached 60,234 and Philippine Airlines is looking to further expand into other European markets with routes to Amsterdam, Rome and Paris to be introduced.
The first Philippine Airlines flight lands at Terminal 4 at London Heathrow Airport on Monday, 4 November 2013 at 15:10pm to a water canon reception.
About Philippine Airlines. Philippine Airlines (PAL) is Asia’s first airline, commencing service on 15 March 1941, connecting the archipelago together and becoming the conduit for growth in the region. Today, PAL has a modern and young fleet of aircraft with a route network that spans 31 international destinations from North America to Australia, throughout Asia and the Gulf region. As the Philippine Islands’ hometown carrier, PAL serves 29 domestic points. PAL is the airline of choice for travellers in the Philippines Islands and beyond. For further information on Philippine Airlines visit www.philippineairlines. com. ■ Press Release and Photos provided by:
The in-flight crew pose with the Captain onboard the aircraft after it has landed at London Heathrow Airport.
McCluskey International
(From left) Founder and Director Mrs Corazon R. Santos, British Ambassador to the Philippines Asif Anwar Ahmad and Consul Kristine Salle at the Royal Suite of London Heathrow International Airport (Terminal 4).
(From left) Philippine Airlines (PAL) President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ramon S. Ang, Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James, His Excellency Enrique A. Manalo, Heathrow Airport Commercial Director Fidel Lopez and British Ambassador to the Philippines Asif Anwar Ahmad at the Royal Suite, Terminal 4, London Heathrow Airport.
Philippines Inc mobilizes aid for ‘Yolanda’ victims MANILA—As the devastation wrought by Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ comes to light, Philippines Inc. has set into motion its philanthropic arm, leveraging on its ability not only to provide immediate aid, but also to mobilize more support beyond the boardroom. In separate statements, corporates such as SM, Citi, Jollibee, Del Monte Pacific and Harbor Star Shipping were among those that have launched relief efforts for the victims of the disaster that left an estimated 10,000 people dead. The SM group is setting up a ₱100-million calamity fund for areas affected by the typhoon as well as the recent 7.2-magnitude earthquake, particularly Tacloban, Ormoc, Samar, Bohol, Cebu, Iloilo, Capiz, and Bicol. The fund will focus on rebuilding homes, community centers, schools, and churches as well as providing immediate relief through food and supplies. “SM Foundation is taking the lead in the relief effort with the nationwide reach of SM Cares of the mall group, SM Savemore, and BDO Foundation. Each group has a different expertise in the community support program, and will be working with community groups to expand the efforts and widen the reach of the relief operation,” the group said. “Operation Tulong Express” will be open for donations in SM malls, and an account in both BDO and China Bank will be open to accept cash donations. Likewise, Citi Foundation has pledged
a $250,000 disaster relief grant to the American Red Cross Pacific Typhoon Fund to support relief and recovery efforts in the communities affected by the typhoon. Citi Philippines has established a special account to raise funds to go to the Philippine Red Cross, a member of the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, to support the relief efforts and long-term rebuilding of the communities. Donations may be sent to the following account: • Account Name: TYPHOON HAIYAN RELIEF FUND, US Dollar Account No: 1600125377, Peso Account No: 1400172923, Swift Code: CITIPHMX, Routing Number: 021-0000-89 (CITINY), Address: Citibank, N.A. 8741 Paseo De Roxas Ave. Makati City, Philippines Jollibee Foods Corp, through Jollibee Group Foundation, is also accepting donations for the victims through coin banks found in over 2,000 stores across the group’s portfolio of brands that include Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal and Burger King. Jollibee is also accepting donations through these bank accounts: • PESO ACCOUNT: Metrobank—Cubao
Araneta Branch, Account Name: Jollibee Group Foundation, Account Number: 4737-47301401-3 • DOLLAR ACCOUNT: BDO—Megamall Branch, Account Name: Jollibee Foundation, Inc, Account Number: 100661267008, Swift Code: BNORPHMM Tug boat operator Harbor Star Shipping Services Inc has also allowed the Philippine Coast Guard to use the company’s 300-foot Barge Lynx in transporting relief goods and supplies as well as equipment to Tacloban and other affected areas for free. Barge Lynx, one of the largest barges in the Philippines, can transport 8,000 metric tons of goods, or the equivalent weight of 150,000 sacks of rice. Del Monte Pacific Co Ltd said it would reach out to the local government agencies in Leyte in “providing meaningful assistance” to the victims. West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc is donating P1 million to the typhoon victims through the PLDT-Smart Foundation, as part of the Tulong Kapatid efforts of the MVP group of companies. The group’s Alagang Kapatid Foundation last Sunday raised ₱21 million in less than two hours during a telethon. The company will also send 12,000 units of one-liter bottles, 15,000 one-gallon jugs and 10,000 pieces of bottled water to various public and private organizations. It already deployed 3,000 one-liter bottles and 1,100 one-gallon jugs of water to Alagang Kapatid Foundation, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
and the Philippine Navy. In coordination with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Maynilad is also sending water engineers to Tacloban to provide technical assistance in getting the city’s water systems up and running. Water supply in these areas was disrupted because of widespread infrastructure damage. “Typhoon Yolanda has inflicted unimaginable damage and losses to our countrymen in Visayas. We are committed to helping them recover and pick-up the pieces, in whatever way we can,” said Maynilad president Ricky P. Vargas. “For those who also want to donate goods, they can drop off their in-kind donations in our Maynilad offices in Cavite, Muntinlupa, Parañaque and Quezon City,” Vargas added. Aboitiz Foundation has raised P30 million, including ₱5 million pledged by mega star Sharon Cuneta and ₱25 million by Union Bank of the Philippines. Cuneta said she is giving a total of ₱10 million, with the other ₱5 million coursed through the Alagang Kapatid Foundation. “This is how much I believe in you both. God bless Visayas,” she said. The corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of the Aboitiz group earlier set up a command center in the Visayas after shipping relief packs and hygiene kits for 6,500 families in Northern Cebu. The foundation said donations can be coursed through its UShare portal http:// ushare.unionbankph.com/aboitiz/, and
through the following bank accounts: Union Bank of the Philippines Account No. 100261070944 and City Savings Bank Account No. 200-20031301 Lastly, the San Miguel group has mobilized its business units for the relief efforts, with affiliate Philippine Airlines (PAL) committing to airlift relief goods for free. Open to government agencies and duly-registered foundations and nongovernment organizations, the PAL Cargo Humanitarian Grant will transport the following necessities: medicines, medical supplies, powdered milk for infants, hygiene products; toiletries such as new underwear, and ready-to-eat products such as dried fish and dried fruits, which cannot be readily sourced in the affected areas. The San Miguel Foundation also coordinated with the DSWD to donate thousands of boxes of relief goods, consisting of drinking water and canned meat products. San Miguel Brewery Inc. is repacking additional relief goods, using its Mandaue Brewery in Cebu as a command center for relief operations and as drop-off point for donations. Petron Corp meanwhile is tapping its 500 service stations nationwide as dropoff points for donations. The company also said it will establish temporary service stations to ensure reliable fuel supply at the right prices in order to help recovery, relief, and rehabilitation efforts. ■ Krista Angela M. Montealegre and Euan Paulo C. Añonuevo / InterAksyon.com / November 12, 2013 / 7:38 AM
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
BUSINESS & FINANCE
‘No more looting’ in Tacloban, defense chief claims MANILA, Philippines - With the deployment of 1,200 troops and armored vehicles to beef up the 800 police personnel in Tacloban City, the government is “in full control of the security problem” and has put an end to looting in the Leyte capital devastated by super typhoon “Yolanda,” Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Thursday. “The security situation there has changed. We’ve deployed 1,200 soldiers to augment the 800 policemen backed with four armored vehicles,” said Gazmin, who is also concurrent chairman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. There had been reports survivors resorting to raiding malls, department stores and other sources of food and water out of desperation at the lack of government response soon after Yolanda’s strong winds and storm surges laid waste to vast swathes of Eastern Visayas, where the howler first made landfall. However, Gazmin said, “As of yesterday and the night before wala na, wala na (there is no more). We are in full control of the security problem in Tacloban. It’s not getting worse.” But even as government has reported that roads leading out of Tacloban have been reopened after being cleared of debris,
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HIGHLIGHT EXPRESS INTERNATIONAL LTD 88 Hay Lane, Kingsbury, London NW9 0LG, UK Tel. No. 020 8205 8990 / 020 8205 0449 / 020 8930 0055 Email: info@highlightexpress.co.uk Website: www.highlightexpress.co.uk WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP THE VICTIMS OF TYPHOON YOLANDA? If you want to help and you want to donate relief goods such as canned / tin food, dried food (biscuits), blankets and old clothes, we can help you send them to the Philippines for FREE. All donations received will be given to The Philippine Red Cross and DSWD.
severe logistical problems and a perceived lack of organization by government has kept badly needed aid from reaching other communities just as ravaged by the storm. “We have not gotten into all areas but the plan was for us, we agreed with (Interior) Sec. Mar (Roxas) and (Social Welfare) Sec. Dinky Soliman that we will cover everything, all the 40 municipalities of Leyte, and it started this afternoon with the arrival of nine more trucks from the Philippine Army that will augment the existing transportation assets we have in Tacloban,” Gazmin said. Meanwhile, Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Emmanuel Bautista dismissed reports that a Philippine Air Force C130
transporting relief goods had overshot the runway at the Tacloban airport. He said one of the plane’s wheels rolled off the tarmac as the aircraft made a U-turn at the end of the runway after landing, “so huminto na lang siya du’n. Du’n na siya nag-unload ng cargo and then from there nag-take off na uli siya (so they stopped there and unloaded their cargo and from there took off again).” The government has already put up relief hubs in Tacloban and Ormoc cities in Leyte, and the town of Guiuan in Samar, where Yolanda first made landfall, with nearby Cebu City as the staging point for the delivery of relief goods. ■ Jaime Sinapit / InterAksyon.com / November 14, 2013 / 2:31 PM
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F O U N D A T I O N
Western Union offers no-fee* transfers from 43 countries and territories into
Philippines for Typhoon Haiyan’s relief efforts No-Fee* money transfer offer complements Western Union Foundation’s initial $100,000 Grant to Save the Children and other efforts
PHILIPPINES, Manila – November 13, 2013 – The Western Union Company today announced that 43 countries and territories will offer no-fee* money transfer into the Philippines, enabling more consumers around the world to support the relief efforts in response to Typhoon Haiyan’s aftermath. Over the course of this week, The Western Union Company will activate a no-fee* money transfer transaction program from participating Agent locations in the following countries, through November 30, 2013. Additional countries will be updated as they are activated. • Asia Pacific: Malaysia; • Europe & CIS: Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Slovenia; • Middle East: Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain; • Americas: the United States, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Barthelemy, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Vincent, and Suriname No-fee* online transactions to the Philippines have also been enabled for the same time period at WesternUnion.com: • Asia-Pacific: Australia, New Zealand • North America: the United States • Europe: United Kingdom Earlier this week The Western Union Foundation pledged a grant of US$100,000 to Save the Children to support the organization’s immediate response activities in the Philippines, which include providing emergency materials, meals and water to disaster victims. To encourage and support additional philanthropy, through November 30, 2013, The Western Union Company will match two-for-one employee donations to the Western Union Foundation for disaster relief efforts in the Philippines. Western Union is also encouraging its Agents to join together in supporting relief efforts. Under the Western Union Foundation Business Partner Giving program, the Foundation will provide a dollar-for-dollar match of qualifying contributions to NGOs providing disaster relief support in the impacted region “Western Union is responding with support for relief efforts in the immediate aftermath of the storm, including programs that provide meals, water and emergency materials to the families and children most affected by the disaster,” said Patrick Gaston, president of The Western Union Foundation. “We are committed to helping the communities we serve, and our thoughts are with the people of the Philippines, and the Filipino diaspora community around the world, during this time of need. In addition to immediate response, we will be working with Western Union Agents, employees and nonprofit relief agencies to provide support for initiatives that will help the area recover and rebuild,” concluded Gaston. *Western Union makes money on the exchange of currencies. No-fee activations may not be immediately available. Due to the severity of Typhoon Haiyan, some Western Union Agent locations in the Philippines may not be immediately operational or possess sufficient funds. Both retail and online consumers in the United States will need to use the promotion code HAIYANRELIEF to utilize the no-fee offer, while online consumers in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom need to use promotion code HAIYANRELIEF2013. About Western Union. The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. As of September 30, 2013, the Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined network of approximately 515,000 agent locations in 200 countries and territories and approximately 115,000 ATMs. In 2012, The Western Union Company completed 231 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $79 billion of principal between consumers, and 432 million business payments. For more information, visit www.WesternUnion.com. About The Western Union Foundation. The Western Union Foundation is dedicated to creating a better world, where the ability to realize dreams through economic opportunity is not just a privilege for the few but a right for all. Through its signature program, Education for Better, and with the support of The Western Union Company, its employees, Agents, and business partners, The Western Union Foundation works to realize this vision by supporting education and disaster relief efforts as pathways toward a better future. Our combined social ventures efforts make life better for individuals, families and communities around the world. Since its inception, The Western Union Foundation has committed more than $91.2 million in grants and other giving to more than 2,682 nongovernmental organizations in more than 133 countries and territories. The Western Union Foundation, is a separate §501(c)(3) recognized United States charity. To learn more, visit www.westernunionfoundation.org. ■
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INTERNATIONAL / GLOBAL NEWS
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
China one-child law change small but crucial, say experts BEIJING – Beijing’s relaxation of its hugely controversial one-child policy is an attention-grabbing first step, but it will have to usher in greater changes if China is to tackle its looming demographic timebomb, experts say. According to a Communist Party announcement on Friday, couples in China will now be allowed to have two children if one of the parents is an only child. Since the late 1970s, most couples in the world’s most populous nation have been legally restricted to a single child, in an effort to control population growth. “I would not be surprised if a year from now, we’re going to see more and even a complete abandonment of the policy,” said Wang Feng, a Chinese population expert and the director of the Brookings-Tsinghua Centre for Public Policy in Beijing. “The government is testing the waters right now. They know that the policy will have to be gone. The policy serves nobody’s interests,” he said. China’s fertility rate – the number of children a woman has in her lifetime – currently stands at 1.5, academics estimate, far below the 2.1 needed to keep a population stable. Wang, who has written several books on China’s demographic changes, called the move the biggest change to the policy since it was first implemented and an important step toward its eventual dismantling. But he estimated that, due to existing exemptions, it could affect only about 10 million more couples, a sliver of China’s
1.35 billion populations. “It does not affect a lot of people,” he said. “And it does not generate too many new births that would make a significant dent or boost in the Chinese demographic landscape.” Nonetheless it represented a start to “openly and decisively” phasing out the rule, he said. Current exceptions to the policy include some rural families whose first child is a girl, ethnic minorities, and couples who are both only children. The new change was only a matter of time, experts say, as the restrictions have contributed towards putting China on course to a demographic disaster. Officials have long argued that the onechild policy – which is estimated to have prevented 400 million births – has been key to the country’s economic growth and rising prosperity. But China’s working-age population declined last year for the first time since 1963, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, and the ranks of its elderly are swelling, with 30 percent of people expected to be over 60 in 2050, the United Nations says. The proportion was only 10 percent in 2000. “There’s an economic reason (behind the move), because China now starts to worry that in 20 years or even less, there will be a labour shortage,” said Cheng Li, director of research and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s John L. Thornton
China Center in Washington, D.C. Experts point out that the fertility rate fall is not solely due to the one-child policy, as lower infant mortality levels have led to a global drop in fertility rates. China’s infertility rates have also quadrupled over the past 20 years, and the rising costs of rent, medical care and education mean that even couples who qualify to have a second child often decide against having one. “I think it depends on the person,” said Zhang Yan, 29, who was shopping in Beijing Saturday afternoon with her husband and two-year old son. “Some people might want to be able to have two kids, but these days many young people in China actually don’t want a lot of children.” The couple are both only children so are already allowed a second child, she said, but have not yet decided whether to go ahead. Given the exemptions to the rule – the one-child limit already does not apply to around 37 percent of Chinese couples, according to a 2007 study – as well as wealthier couples’ ability to have a second child if they pay a fine, the impact will be limited, experts say. “Over the past five or 10 years, the one-child policy has become increasingly irrelevant,” said Li. “The middle class doesn’t care about the policy because they can afford the penalty.” Even so, the childbearing restrictions have drawn condemnation abroad for their often brutal enforcement through forced
China rebukes former H.K. leader over democracy remarks HONG KONG - China has hit back at Kong, an arm of the Foreign Ministry in remarks made by Hong Kong’s last colonial leader in which he described the city’s transition to democracy as inevitable, calling them “unwarranted”. Chris Patten, the city’s last British governor, said in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal that anyone who resists the right for Hong Kong citizens to elect their own government is “spitting in the wind”. “The only thing [Hong Kong] doesn’t have is the right to elect its own government, and sooner or later it will have,” Patten told the newspaper on a visit to Singapore Monday, adding that residents would ultimately want greater control over how their city was run. Chinese authorities on Wednesday said Patten, who administered Hong Kong for the five years prior to its handover to China in 1997, was not in a position to comment. “We are firmly opposed to people of foreign countries to make unwarranted remarks or point fingers,” a spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Commission in Hong
Beijing, said. “The people of Hong Kong enjoy unprecedented rights and freedoms according to law,” he said, adding that the city’s political development was an internal matter for the territory and China. China has promised the former British colony it will see a transition to universal suffrage by 2017, though critics say little or no progress has been made on the prickly issue as the deadline draws closer. In the interview, Patten also said his biggest regrets from his time as Hong Kong governor were not taking earlier steps to implement democratic reforms under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, in particular regarding elections. During his administration, Patten introduced political reforms which allowed more people to vote in the territory’s legislative body, but these were rolled back when China gained sovereignty. Recent debate over Hong Kong’s
This file photo shows outgoing Hong Kong governor, Chris Patten, waving to wellwishers after touring Wong Tai Sin temple, on June 27, 1997. Photo by Andrew Gun ©AFP
This file photo shows Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten (C-L) and Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs office Lu Ping, pictured in Beijing, on October 21, 1992. Photo by Mike Fiala ©AFP
Chris Patten, former British governor in Hong Kong, pictured during a press conference in London, on December 19, 2012. Photo by Chris Radburn ©Pool/AFP
electoral reforms has revolved around how candidates will be chosen to stand for the 2017 chief executive election, with concerns Beijing will restrict voters’ choices. The Foreign Ministry in Beijing has made a series of rebukes to foreign officials who have called for greater democracy in the southern Chinese city. In September, it branded “irresponsible” remarks by British Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire who said democracy is “vital to Hong Kong stability”. It also accused Washington’s consul general in Hong Kong, Clifford Hart, of meddling in China’s internal affairs after he made similar remarks on looking forward to “progress towards genuine universal suffrage” in August. Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under an agreement with Britain that grants it semi-autonomous status and enshrines civil liberties not seen in mainland China. But policies in relation to defense and foreign affairs are administered by Beijing. ■ AFP / November 14, 2013
A man and boy make their way down a street in Beijing on September 20, 2012. Photo by Wang Zhao ©AFP
An only child runs in front of his parents and grandparents on a street in Shanghai on November 16, 2013. Photo by Peter Parks ©AFP
sterilisation and late-term abortions. Rights groups have long campaigned against the law and welcomed the move, but said it did not abolish the existence of the policy itself. The use of coercion is the “basis of the system, and the reform that is being announced does nothing to address this,” said Nicholas Bequelin, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch in Hong Kong. “It is a step forward to the extent that some people are getting the ability to have a second child,” he added. “But the policy still wrongly limits reproductive rights and is also still marked by many abuses.” ■ Felicia Sonmez / AFP / November 16, 2013
A girl plays skipping with her family by a road in Beijing on December 7, 2012. Photo by Wang Zhao ©AFP
A photo taken on March 21, 2013 shows parents and children leaving a school in Chengde, Hebei province, a town where inhabitants are not bound by China’s ‘onechild’ policy . Photo by Ed Jones ©AFP
Netanyahu ‘unimpressed’ by IAEA nuclear report on Iran
VIENNA – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was unimpressed by a report from the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday that Iran had frozen its nuclear activities. Iran’s archenemy Israel takes a hard line on international pressures for Tehran to rein in its controversial nuclear programme and has not ruled out military action against it. “I am not impressed by the report published this evening,” Netanyahu was quoted by his office as saying. “Iran does not need to expand its programme because it already possesses the necessary infrastructure for building a nuclear weapon.” The IAEA said that, in the past three months, only four new centrifuges had been installed at Iran’s Natanz plant, compared with 1,861 in the previous period. At the Fordo facility, which also enriches uranium—which can be used for a nuclear weapon if highly purified—no new centrifuges were put into operation, the report seen by AFP showed. Iranian soldiers gather around an antiaircraft machinegun inside the uranium enrichment facility in … The report added that Iran has also not begun operating any new-generation IR-2M centrifuges and that “no... major components” had been installed at a reactor being built at Arak. The faster IR-2M centrifuges are of concern to world powers because, in theory, they shorten the time Iran would need to produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a nuclear bomb.
And the so-called IR-40 reactor at Arak is a worry because it could provide Iran with plutonium, an alternative to uranium for a nuclear weapon. Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful. The IAEA report was released ahead of a new round of talks between Iran and world powers in Geneva next week after three days of gruelling talks last week ended with no agreement. The international community wants Iran to freeze the most sensitive parts of its nuclear programme—not just to stop expanding it. This includes the enrichment of uranium to fissile purities of 20 percent, close to weapons-grade, and a halt to construction at Arak. In return Iran wants UN and Western sanctions that have been hammering the Islamic republic’s economy to be eased soon, and its “right” to enrich uranium recognised. Israel, the region’s sole if undeclared nuclear power, views a nuclear Iran as an existential threat and has said it will not be “bound” by any world deal with Tehran, refusing to rule out the threat of military action to halt it. ■ AFP / November 14, 2013
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pictured November 10, 2013. Photo by David Buimovitch ©AFP
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INTERNATIONAL / GLOBAL NEWS
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
New clashes in Libya’s Tripoli as toll tops 40 TRIPOLI—Fresh clashes erupted in Tripoli on Saturday as the death toll from a shootout at an anti-militia protest rose to 43 and the weak, post-revolutionary government appealed for restraint. More than 450 people were wounded when Friday’s protest sparked clashes in the capital between rival militias that continued through the night, Justice Minister Salah al-Marghani said. Prime Minister Ali Zeidan appealed for “restraint and a halt to the clashes”, warning that the entry of more armed groups into the volatile city could only “further complicate the situation”. “The coming hours and days will be decisive for the history of Libya and the success of the revolution,” stressed Zeidan, who was himself abducted by militiamen and held for several hours last month. Libya has seen a surge in unrest as former rebels who helped end Moamer Kadhafi’s four decades of dictatorship have scoffed at government demands to lay down their arms or join the security forces. The latest violence erupted when protesters carrying white flags marched on a cluster of villas that serve as the Tripoli base of the Misrata brigade— made up of battle-hardened fighters from the western city of the same name—and demanded that they leave the capital. Gunmen opened fire from inside the villas, killing several protesters and prompting rival militias to attack the base, setting part of it ablaze and briefly expelling the Misrata fighters. The western city of Misrata, Libya’s third largest, saw some of the fiercest
fighting of the 2011 uprising, and its fighters eventually advanced to Tripoli as Kadhafi’s regime crumbled. Reinforcements rolled into the capital overnight from the militia’s headquarters in Misrata, 200 kilometres (120 miles) away, and retook the base in Ghargour as explosions and gunfire echoed across the city. The Misrata brigade attacked an army barracks early Saturday, setting off clashes in which one person was killed and eight wounded, according to Colonel Mosbah al-Harna, commander of a brigade nominally under the authority of the defence ministry. Harna said the Misrata militiamen then looted the base, taking away vehicles, weapons and ammunition. Another column of Misrata reinforcements tried to enter Tripoli from the east, setting off clashes with rival militias. Military police restricted access to the Gharghour district on Saturday, warning motorists of the risks. “Heartbreaking to hear continuing gunfire. An insult to the memory of the martyrs,” US ambassador Deborah Jones tweeted. ‘Peaceful’ protest. The UN mission in Tripoli also condemned the violence, urging Libyans to “exercise maximum restraint and resort to peaceful means to resolve their differences”. March was a ‘peaceful’ protest. Zeidan said at first that armed demonstrators were involved in the clashes and that security forces had not intervened “so as not to complicate the situation”.
But he later backtracked to say the protest march had been “peaceful” and came under fire when it entered Gharghour. Last week Zeidan had urged Libyans to rebel against militias, saying: “The people must take to the streets... and support the building up of the army and police.” In sermons at midday Muslim prayers on Friday, imams backed the call for protests. Sadat al-Badri, president of Tripoli city council, which had called Friday’s protest, insisted the demonstrators were unarmed and had been shot at from inside the Misrata militia headquarters. Gunmen inside the base had initially fired into the air to try to scare off the protesters—who had children with them—but when the demonstrators kept advancing the militiamen lowered their barrels and shot into the crowd, an AFP correspondent said. A Misrata commander told private television channel Al-Naba that demonstrators had opened fire first. The march was a response to heavy clashes on November 7 between the Misrata brigade and a rival militia. The rebels who overthrew Kadhafi were hailed as heroes following his ouster, but many have since carved out their own fiefdoms and been accused of mafia-like extortion and other crimes. Libyans have staged several protests against the militias, and in June more than 30 people were killed when protesters— some of them armed—marched on the barracks of a powerful militia in the restive eastern city of Benghazi. ■ Imed Lamloum / AFP / November 16, 2013
Libyan protesters gather during a demonstration calling on militiamen to vacate their headquarters in southern Tripoli on November 15, 2013. Photo by Mahmud Turkia ©AFP
Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan (left) speaks during a news conference in Tripoli on November 16, 2013. Photo by Mahmud Turkia ©AFP
Libyan protesters gather during a demonstration calling on militiamen to vacate their headquarters in southern Tripoli on November 15, 2013. Photo by Mahmud Turkia ©AFP
Libyan protesters gather around a vehicle belonging to militiamen following a demonstration calling on them to vacate their headquarters in Tripoli on November 15, 2013. Photo by Mahmud Turkia ©AFP
Six killed in Kabul blast ahead of US security pact debate KABUL – A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-packed car in west Kabul, killing at least six people near a compound where Afghan elders will debate a security pact with the US next week, officials said. Another 22 were injured when the vehicle blew up about 150 metres (yards) from the giant tent where some 2500 tribal elders and civil leaders will gather on Thursday to decide on the future of US troops in the country after NATO coalition pulls out in 2014. “Inital information shows that unfortunately four civilians, one police and one soldier have been killed in today’s attack. Twenty-two more, the
majority of whom are civilians, have been injured,” spokesman for Afghan interior ministry Sediq Sediqqi told AFP, adding that the toll may rise. A statement issued by the Afghan interior ministry said that the bomber was being pursued by security forces shortly before the explosion. “The attacker driving a vehicle had been identified and was being pursued by security forces. He detonated himself after police opened fire on his vehicle,” a statement issued by interior ministry said. Nasrullah, a witness, said: “I heard a big bang near the jirga site, and later saw ambulances carrying bloodied people.
Afghan municipal workers clear the site of a suicide attack in Kabul on November 16, 2013. Photos by Massoud Hossaini ©AFP
I saw at least three wounded in army uniforms.” Earlier in the day, President Hamid Karzai had called on the Taliban and their allies to join the assembly, known as a ‘Loya Jirga’. “We invite them, please come to this national jirga of Afghanistan, raise your voice, raise your objection... and share your views,” he told a news conference in Kabul. The draft pact was hammered out in Kabul last month during a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry. But he left without a final deal as Afghan President Hamid Karzai said only a jirga had the
authority to decide the contentious issues. These include a US demand to retain legal jurisdiction over its troops in Afghanistan, which would give them immunity from Afghan law. The request emerged as the main sticking point after Kerry’s visit. The Taliban, whose government was toppled by a US-led invasion in 2001, has rejected the jirga and warned members that they would be punished as “traitors” if they endorsed the deal. Hezb-e-Islami, a Taliban affiliate, has also refused to send members to jirga, calling it “legalising the US occupation”.
Afghan municipality workers and fire fighters clear the site of a suicide attack in Kabul on November 16, 2013
If the agreement is passed by both loya jirga and parliament, between 5,000 and 10,000 US troops would stay in Afghanistan to help fight Al-Qaeda remnants and train the national army. Washington had been pushing for the agreement to be signed by the end of October to allow the US-led NATO coalition to plan the withdrawal of its 75,000 combat troops by December 2014. The collapse of a similar security agreement with Iraq in 2011 led to the US pulling all its troops out of the country, which is currently suffering its worst sectarian violence since 2008. ■ AFP /
November 16, 2013
Afghan President Hamid Karzai addresses a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Kabul on November 16, 2013.
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SPECIAL NEWS REPORT
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
Hope is born amid Philippine disaster zone “I could not help but be touched as the proud new parents looked at their baby swathed in a soiled cloth. They asked if I wanted to hold her, but I refused; I had been out among the dead and probably covered in all sorts of bacteria.” AFP Manila correspondent Jason Gutierrez traveled to the devastated city of Tacloban where he found hope amid the rubble. Blood trickled down the pregnant woman’s legs as she hobbled to a destroyed building converted into a makeshift medical center, sheer determination on her face, to deliver her first baby in the care of military doctors. It was one of those days when you just knew that however grim the situation on the ground is, there would always be that one story that makes all the hard work worthwhile. The story of Emily Sagalis, 21, and her husband, Jobert, encapsulates the resilience of the Filipino people. No matter what happens, they will soldier on even on the brink of death. Even as fate told them they should be dead. Thousands of people, including the couple’s relatives and friends, were killed when towering waves stirred by Super
Typhoon Haiyan crashed into coastal towns and villages across Leyte last Friday, November 8. People here are used to storms, and despite warnings that Haiyan was turning out to be the world’s strongest typhoon to hit land this century, many just battened down the hatches to ride it out. Few were prepared for the worst. Within minutes of hitting land, entire communities had been erased from the map, men, women and children—entire neighbourhoods— floated among the debris, their cries drowned out by the howling winds, survivors said. Emily Sagalis knew she was days from giving birth to her first child. What should have been a cause of celebration turned into a nightmare. She and her husband were swept away from their bed, swirling violently among the waves as it wended its way through a wide area. She said she last saw her mother crying as she was carried away. But as miracles go, the couple found each other after the water subsided, and still dazed and confused, drifted to a partially standing structure that used to be the community school. They survived on bottled water they found among the dead and the debris for three days, along with dozens of other people.
Baby Beatriz Joy is born at a makeshift medical center in the storm damaged central Philippine city of Tacloban on Monday, November 11 2013. Photos by Jason Gutierrez ©AFP
Early on Monday, November 11, as the scale and magnitude of the disaster made worldwide headlines, Sagalis went into labour. The couple trudged on muddy roads littered with debris and dead people to get to the airport compound, where the military had set up an improvised medical facility inside a wrecked building—the only one for miles. A passerby searching for his own missing family picked them up on a truck he had salvaged from somewhere, just in time as the baby was about to come out. “She is my miracle. I had thought I would die with her still inside me when high waves came and took us all away,” she told me as her teary eyed husband, Jobert, tightly
First-time young mother Emily Sagalis gives birth on the dirty, debris ridden floor of the makeshift medical center in Tacloban. November 11, 2013.
held her hand as they sprawled on the dirty floor among the debris and blood she had discharged moments after giving birth. I could not help but be touched as the proud new parents looked at their baby swathed in a soiled cloth. They asked if I wanted to hold her, but I refused; I had been out among the dead and probably covered in all sorts of bacteria. I did not want to add to the infection she may probably get from
the unsterile surroundings where she’d been born. There is a certain way that babies pull the heart strings, and witnesses a birthing this way was a welcome reminder that amid the misery, life will always find a way. The story’s headline called her a miracle baby. Emily settled for Bea Joy, in honour of her missing mother Beatriz. I call her Hope. ■ Jason Gutierrez / AFP
in Yolanda’s aftermath Foreign Secretary William Hague has spoken to Philippines Secretary EU praises PH coordination efforts TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte – The European recognize that in a world of more frequent, for Foreign Affairs Albert Ferreros Del Rosario and offered condolences Union (EU) praised the Philippine more devastating disasters, we have to
THE Foreign Secretary telephoned Philippines Secretary for Foreign Affairs Albert Ferreros Del Rosario to offer British condolences for the loss of life in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan. The Foreign Secretary pledged continued support from the UK. He reiterated the Prime Minister’s
announcement this morning that the UK will contribute an additional £30 million to the UN and the Red Cross appeals. He confirmed that HMS Daring would arrive in Cebu on Sunday morning, and HMS Illustrious on its way, as a significant reinforcement of the relief effort. He told
HMS Daring. Photo by Claire Myers ©Leading Airman
File photo of Britain’s largest ship HMS Ilustrious the British navy’s helicopter carrier.
Foreign Secretary Del Rosario that the British people had been profoundly moved by the suffering of people in the Philippines and have already donated £23 million to the DEC public appeal. They discussed what may be needed in the next phase of the response. Mr. Del Rosario said that words could not express his gratitude for the way the UK government and the British people have responded to help the people of the Philippines. The Foreign Secretary confirmed that a number of British nationals remained unaccounted for. He asked that every possible assistance be given to any British people caught up in the disaster. ■ Foreign & Commonwealth Office (GOV.UK) / November 16, 2013
Philippine Embassy lauds outpouring of support for typhoon victims LONDON, UK – Philippine Ambassador Enrique Manalo thanked the UK and the international communities for their generosity and kindness to the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. In a statement released today by the Philippine Embassy in London, Ambassador Manalo said the immediate and generous response of both the Government and the public were “expressions of solidarity with the Filipino people”. Ambassador Manalo also said the Government’s provision of assistance, personnel and assets to the affected Areas and people “speaks eloquently of the long-standing friendship between our two countries.” The Embassy also cited the public’s warm response to the appeal launched by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which raised £13 million in just 24 hours. Buckingham Palace announced that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II personally donated to the appeal. The Government pledged to match pound for pound the first £5 million donated by the British public to
British charities. Ambassador Manalo also said the Embassy also received inspiring messages and moving gestures from everywhere in the UK. A condolence book was opened for signature at the Belfast City Hall, while the Philippine appeal was launched at Glasgow City Chambers. An old man travelled two hours to the Embassy to offer his condolences and to remit his small community’s donation. A woman inquired about sending blankets to the victims, saying she had just finished knitting them. Many companies donated crucial items such as power generators, and communicated ideas on how to help. The Embassy said the most spontaneous outpouring of support came from the Filipino communities all over the UK, as organizations large and small mobilised for various fundraising events and prayer sessions. Numerous individuals also approached their employers and co-workers and received unstinting support. Ambassador Manalo said these gestures “not only manifest
(these communities’) enduring ties with the Philippines but also the strength of their empathy with their compatriots.” The UK Government acted quickly to provide assistance as soon as the devastation caused by the Category 5 typhoon became apparent, earmarking £10 million for relief operations. Prime Minister David Cameron today tasked Helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious to bolster Britain’s aid effort together with HMS Daring, which is now about a day’s sailing from Tacloban. The ships join two RAF Globemaster transporters flying out from the UK packed with humanitarian aid. The DEC is composed of 14 leading UK aid charities working together in times of crisis. These are Action Aid, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, Care International, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Plan UK, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision. All are collectively raising money for the Philippine relief efforts. ■ Embassy of the Philippines in
London / November 14, 2013.
government’s initial response to the devastation of super typhoon “Yolanda,” saying Filipino authorities were able to coordinate all efforts coming from here and abroad. European Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, who arrived here Saturday, acknowledged the colossal scale of Yolanda’s devastation in the Visayas region, but noted that the Philippine government was quick to coordinate efforts from different relief and recovery organizations. “But what I see now is a very significant improvement. The government has set up their own coordination team in place,” Georgieva said in an interview at the Leyte Sports Complex. She said aftermath of the super typhoon was so traumatic because it left an unexpected disturbance and gigantic impact on the region. “And this is a lesson for all of us to
continually strive to improve our capacity to mobilize our best people for the most dangerous location,” Georgieva said, adding that the EU had immediately set up a coordination team in the Philippines right after the devastation. The EU’s humanitarian team is also in the Philippines to develop quick response strategies when huge disasters strike, she said “One of the reasons that we are here is because for every disaster of this magnitude, we need to learn on the spot what can be done well and what we can do better,” Georgieva said. The EU has been here in the Philippines supporting the country in relief efforts every year with millions of dollars in contributions. She also acknowledged that climate change had been affecting every region of the world and the Philippines was not an exception. ■ Office of the President of the Philippines / November 16, 2013
How the UK is helping people devastated by Typhoon Haiyan THE UK is providing urgent humanitarian support for up to 800,000 people in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan. Thousands of people in remote communities have lost their homes and everything they own. They are in the open and completely exposed to the elements. The UK will provide over £50 million in humanitarian support to help aid get through to hard to reach areas.
Damaged houses in Sagay City, Negros Occidental. Photo ©COSE/HelpAge International
UK support will include: • the redeployment of HMS Daring and HMS Illustrious to the Philippines to join the aid effort • flights delivering 4x4s, forklift trucks, water purification kits and cutting equipment to flood hit areas • the deployment of a team of 12 NHS staff trained to operate under emergency conditions • providing temporary shelters, bedding, blankets and solar lanterns to people through the Rapid Response Facility • £30 million to support the UN and Red Cross emergency appeals for the Philippines SOURCE: Department for International Development, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and Prime Minister’s Office (GOV. UK) / November 16, 2013. ■
PHILIPPINE AIRLINES (PAL) HOSTS LONDON RECEPTION TO CELEBRATE LAUNCH OF DIRECT FLIGHT FROM LONDON HEATHROW TO MANILA
PHILIPPINE Airlines celebrated the arrival of their inaugural direct flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila to London Heathrow Airport, London with a reception at the Corinthia Hotel in London on Tuesday, 5 November 2013. The event offered guests the opportunity to hear the airline’s plans for 2014 and to network with key representatives from Philippine Airlines as well as the travel industry. During the evening, guests enjoyed traditional Filipino food and enjoyed a live performance from Joanna Ampil, a musical theatre actress from the Philippines currently performing in the West End. A prize draw also took place with four lucky guests winning return flights from UK to Manila, receiving their prize on stage from members of the Philippine Airlines cabin crew. The PAL Boeing 777-300ER, filled with 179 passengers, landed shortly after 15:00pm at London Heathrow Airport on Monday, 4 November 2013 after a 15year absence and was greeted by a water canon salute.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) President, Mr. Ramon S. Ang, told British and Filipino media that the flying time from London to Manila will be further reduced once the request for overfly permit is granted by the Russian government. He also promised that “PAL will next be returning to Amsterdam, Rome and Paris within the coming months.” Secretary of Tourism of the Philippines, Honourable Ramon Jimenez Jr, led the Philippine participation at World Travel Market this year and admitted that the return of PAL’s London flights “will immensely boost the government’s tourism efforts to attract more visitors from Europe.” The UK will be the first European destination introduced by the airline after flights to Europe were discontinued in 1998. The new route will be the fastest way for passengers to travel to Manila with five flights each week and will use the twin-engine, 370-seater Boeing 777300ER which is equipped with modern in-flight amenities. For further information on Philippine Airlines visit www.philippineairlines.com ■
(From left to right) Philippine Airlines (PAL) President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ramon S. Ang, Secretary of Tourism of the Philippines Honourable Ramon R. Jimenez Jr and Philippines Consul General to the UK Senen Mangalile
Philippine Airlines (PAL) President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ramon S. Ang, Secretary of Tourism of the Philippines Honourable Ramon R. Jimenez Jr and Founder and Director of Hello Philippines newspaper Mrs Corazon R. Santos
Philippine Airlines (PAL) President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Mr Ramon S. Ang welcomes guests to the reception at the Corinthia Hotel, London on Tuesday, 5 November 2013
British Ambassador to the Philippines Asif Anwar Ahmad
Secretary of Tourism of the Philippines Honourable Ramon R. Jimenez Jr.
PAL flight attendants present competition winners with their prize (2 x winners of Economy Class and 2 x winners of Business Class)
Press Release and Photos provided by McCluskey International
18
www.hello-philippines.com
SPECIAL NEWS REPORT
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
International Assistance Matrix : as of November 15, 2013, 4:00PM
INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE - as of November 16, 2013, 7:30 PM
DONOR
Australia
ASSISTANCE OFFERED
Australian Government
medical team, search and rescue
AUD 13 M UN Flash Appeal AUD 13 M through Australian NGOs
Red Cross, UN
N/A
AUD 1 M for non-food items (tarpaulins, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, water containers and health and hygiene kits to assist families affected by this disaster) AUD 390K emergency supplies through the Red Cross and UNFP
Emergency supplies to be distributed by the Australian team
Use of aircrafts and ships to support transport and logistical requirements of humanitarian activities
Australian Government
water treatment units relief goods
Cambodia
Canada
Statement of His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III President of the Philippines On the aftermath of super typhoon Haiyan
IN the aftermath of supertyphoon Haiyan (Yolanda) there are many reasons to grieve. Over the past few days, however, the Filipino people have seen many reasons to be grateful as well. Filipinos at home and abroad have, once more, come together to render aid and assistance to hard-hit areas. The thought that the community of nations stands in solidarity with our nation has also greatly eased our burdens. On behalf of the Filipino people, I thank the governments and peoples of so many nations – 28 as of last count – as well as the donor organizations, who have pledged or already provided assistance, whether technical, financial, or in kind, for the relief and rebuilding efforts that we are undertaking in Leyte, Samar, and other provinces devastated by Haiyan. I also reiterate my gratitude to every Filipino who has extended help to his
countrymen in their time of need. The companies who have offered their services for free or at a great discount, the groups and institutions who have mobilized their members for relief drives, individuals who have volunteered time, knowledge, and resources: You have my deepest thanks. The well of strength and compassion that characterizes us as a nation has time and again proven to be bottomless. Solidarity born of faith and prayer, combined with a steadfast resolve, is showing the world that nothing can make the Filipino spirit yield. The Almighty has granted us the resilience to withstand such tragedies, secure in our belief that God will continue to guide us as we provide care for our countrymen, rebuild our nation, and prepare for the future. ■ Office of the President of the Philippines / November 13, 2013
DFA Statement on International Assistance for Victims of Typhoon Yolanda
THE Department of Foreign Affairs would like to convey its sincerest gratitude to our international partners and kababayans abroad for their generous and swift response in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda. As of 2:00 pm today, the number of international donors monitored by the DFA has risen to thirty-six (36) and the value of international assistance has been estimated atPhp 3,848,564,500 or USD 89,501,500. Again, this figure accounts only for cash donation pledges and in-kind donations to which monetary valuation had been assigned by the donors. Let me clarify that most of the international assistance, either in monetary form or in-kind donations, does not go through the Philippine government. The DFA, as the first point of contact for the international community, is notified of pledges of international assistance. The DFA will then pass on the information to the NDRRMC and other agencies involved in relief and rehabilitation efforts. So far, except for Indonesia, all international donors that have pledged
monetary donations are coursing the money through their aid agencies, or through NGOs, charitable institutions and foundations of their choice. The Vatican, for instance, is sending its donation to local churches and these churches will be distributing the aid to the people. Some donors are distributing relief goods directly to the affected communities while others turned the items over to NDRRMC and DSWD repacking stations. Other donors are also deploying their own medical and search-and-rescue teams in hard-hit areas. Furthermore, a pledge of financial support is subject to the rules and processes of the donating government or agency. Therefore, it takes time for the actual funds to be released to the recipients. As for reports that adequate aid is yet to reach those in need, the DFA wishes to assure the public that it is doing everything it can to properly and promptly coordinate offers of international assistance with the agencies engaged in aid delivery.
■ Delivered by the DFA Spokesperson / November 13
2013
China PROC Czech Republic Denmark
EU/EC
pledge of $100,000 check to PH Government;; recipient agency to be determined CAD 5M approved;; mechanism for release to be determined CAD 30K through the Red Cross
France France
Germany
Hungary
financial aid
to be determined Red Cross
to be determined N/A
to be determined
CAD 100,000 pledge by the Government of Manitoba Province, Canada
to be determined
Deployment of aircrafts, and the Canadian Armed Forces' Disaster Assistance Canadian Government Response Team (DART) for 30-60 days
equipment
PH Crisis Fund. The CA government has set up the PH crisis fund to address the needs of affected populations in the PH. For every dollar donated by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities responding to the crisis in the PH, the government will set aside an additional dollar to match the donation. The money from the relief fund will be used to provide assistance through international and Canadian humanitarian organizations.
Canadian Government, NGOs
N/A
USD 100,000 through the Red Cross USD 100,000 financial assistance to the PH Government RMB 10M worth of emergency relief goods (blankets, tents, etc) via chartered flight CZK 4 M pledge for humanitarian assistance 10 M Danish kroners (USD 2 M) through UN OCHA Two 747s loaded with relief goods (ETA Manila 11/11)
Red Cross DSWD
financial aid
EUR 3M for immediate humanitarian assistance, plus additional EUR 10M for reconstruction pledged for rehabilitation and reconstruction
European Union Commission
India Indonesia Ireland
Israel
Italy
medical team, search and rescue Red Cross
relief goods
to be determined French Government to directly distribute relief goods and administer medical aid
equipment
French Government
medical team, search and rescue equipment
Indian Government
relief goods
Equipment and relief goods transported and distributed by Israeli team
relief goods
Relief goods (tents, blankets, water bottles and purifiers) valued of approximately €350,000;; €300,000 in support of the WFP emergency food assistance plan;; €350,000 contribution to the Red Cross. (TOTAL: €1M)
Italian Government, World Food Programme, Red Cross
relief goods
Japanese Government
medical team, search and rescue
use of 15 aircrafts to assist in rescue and relief operations
financial aid medical team, search and rescue
Red Cross, UN to be determined
1 aircraft with relief goods
for consignment with OSS
2 planes loaded with team humanitarian EMERCOM medical (offered)goods
Russian Government
financial aid
23,048,000.00
USD 2,747,000
118,121,000.00
USD 2,601,500
111,864,500.00
USD 3,200,000
137,600,000.00
USD 200,000
8,600,000.00
medical team, search and rescue
medical team, search and rescue medical team, search and rescue
Slovakia
pledged pledged EUR USD 20,000 5Mworth of assistance (channel to be announced)
to to be be determined determined
South Korea
pledged USD 5Mworth assistance to be announced) Korean Disaster Relief of Team (KDRT) (channel on standby
be determined to South Korean Government
humanitarian assistance workers humanitarian humanitarian assistance assistance workers workers humanitarian humanitarian assistance assistance workers workers humanitarian humanitarian assistance assistance workers workers humanitarian humanitarian assistance assistance workers workers humanitarian assistance workers
Korean medical Disaster team Relief Team (KDRT) on standby KOICA
South South Korean Korean Government Government
Two planes loaded with relief goods and people to assist in humanitarian KOICA medical team activities Two planes loaded with relief goods and people to assist in humanitarian AECID medical team activities
South Korean Government Spanish Government Spanish Spanish Government Government Spanish Government UN
USD 160,000
6,880,000.00
USD USD160,000 26,800
6,880,000.00 1,152,400.00
USD 26,800 USD 5,000,000
1,152,400.00 215,000,000.00
USD 5,000,000
215,000,000.00
UN
Swiss Government
humanitarian assistance workers humanitarian assistance workers relief goods
to be determined Swiss Government Taiwan Government to be determined Taiwan Government to be determined
financial aid relief goods relief goods financial aid relief goods relief goods
USD200,000 cash pledge;; beneficiary to be announced offer to send a medical mission
to be determined Thai Government
offer to send a medical mission C-130 carrying relief goods
goodsGovernment may be consigned to the Cebu Thai OSS warehouse for repacking and goods may be consigned to the Cebu distribution OSS warehouse for repacking and distribution Turkish Government
relief goods medical team, search and rescue medical team, search and rescue relief goods
Swiss Government Swiss Government
U.A.E.
Search and Rescue Teamof assistance;; form of donation to be determined Pledged USD 10 M worth
Turkish Government to be determined
£15 M (6USD M + 10 4 MM+worth matching fund of public up to Pledged of assistance;; formdonation of donation to5M) be determined
NGO to be determined
financial aid aid financial
Scotland pledged £15 M (6 M + 4 M£600,000 + matching fund of public donation up to 5M)
to be determined NGO
financial aid
HMS-Daring with Lynx helicopters and HMS-Ilustrius with 8 helicopters, 2 C- Scotland pledged £600,000 to be Government determined U.K. 130 and 1 Antonov to fly freight and assist otehr humanitarian activities HMS-Daring Lynx HMS-Ilustrius with 8 helicopters, C- to More than 50with ships andhelicopters aircrafts toand assist search-and-rescue operations 2and U.K. Government 130 and 1 Antonov to fly freight and the assist otehrWashington humanitarian activities airlift emergency supplies, including George battle group doing More than 50 ships in and aircrafts to assist search-and-rescue operations and to medical operations Eastern Samar US Government airlift emergency supplies, including the George Washington battle group doing medical operations Eastern Samar USD 22.5M worth ofinhumanitarian funding through USAID and DoD US Government
Vatican
USD 22.5M worth of humanitarian funding through USAID and DoD USD150,000 to be distributed to local churches in affected areas
local churches
Vietnam Vatican
USD 100,000to (mode of contribution to churches be announced) USD150,000 be distributed to local in affected areas
to be churches determined local
Vietnam
USD 100,000 (mode of contribution to be announced)
to be determined
146,200,000.00 146,200,000.00
USD 200,000
8,600,000.00
USD 200,000
8,600,000.00
USD 200,000 USD 200,000
8,600,000.00 8,600,000.00
relief goods
U.A.E.
Turkish Government Turkish Government
USD 3,400,000 USD 3,400,000
relief goods goods relief medical team, search and rescue medical team, search and financial aid rescue
U.S.
USD 536,000
New Zealand government
civil defensemedical force toteam assist the UN office in coordinating humanitarian EMERCOM (offered) Singapore Government activities civil defense assist the UN office in coordinating humanitarian SGD 200,000force (SGDto50K pledged 11/10, SGD 150K pledged 11/12);; channel to Singapore Government to be determined activities be announced SGD 200,000 (SGD 50K pledged 11/10, SGD 150K pledged 11/12);; channel to to pledged EUR 20,000 to be be determined determined be announced
U.S.
26,101,000.00
430,000,000.00
pledged USD 200,000;; beneficiary to be announced
U.K.
430,000,000.00
medical team, search and rescue
Norway
U.K.
86,430,000.00
USD 10,000,000
Panama
Turkey
43,000,000.00
57,620,000.00
USD 607,000
financial aid
C-130 carrying relief goods One (1) plane loaded with relief goods- tents, blankets, kitchen sets transported via a Turkish airlines cargo plane One (1) plane loaded with relief goods- tents, blankets, kitchen sets transported via a Turkish airlines cargo plane Search and Rescue Team
43,000,000.00
USD 1,340,000
USD 10,000,000
New Zealand government
Assistance through UNOCHA operations, including: 2x C-130 planes to deliver AECID medical team fuel and generators and 8 members of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Assistance through UNOCHA operations, including: 2x C-130 planes to deliver Agency fuel and initial generators and 8 amounting members oftothe Swedish pledged assistance US$ 3.4 M. Civil Contingencies Agency professionals, medical doctors and health specialists, water and sanitation pledged initial assistance amounting to US$ 3.4 M. engineers, professionals, doctors health specialists, water and sanitation ticians and in Cebu City shelter expertsmedical and logis engineers, relief goods, water purification and distribution equipment, tents will shipped shelter 11/15 experts and logis ticians in Cebu City relief 200,000.00 goods, water purification USD (Php 8.6 M) and distribution equipment, tents will shipped 11/15 One (1) plane loaded with relief goods USD 200,000.00 (Php 8.6 M) One (1) plane loaded with relief goods USD200,000 cash pledge;; beneficiary to be announced
57,620,000.00
Japanese Government
relief goods 2x C-130 aircrafts will be in PH for 4-5 days to provide transportation (after offloading off relief goods on 11/14) 20 M Norwegian Krone via UNOCHA and Red Cross
Turkey
USD 1,340,000
mobile desalination equipment, medical supplies, food
financial aid
Thailand
749,060,000.00
Israeli Government
Red Cross, NGO
Thailand
USD 17,420,000
two 747 planes with 158 personnel with field medical facilities
NZ$ 2.15M (150K Red Cross, 750K to NGOs, 1.25M to be announced)
Taiwan
8,428,000.00 68,800,000.00
medical team, search and rescue
Red Cross
Taiwan
USD 196,000 USD 1,600,000
USD 2,010,000
Red Cross, UN
Switzerland
4,300,000.00 4,300,000.00
USD 100,000
USD 1,000,000
USD 1M through the Red Cross
Switzerland
USD 100,000
relief goods
EUR 2 M pledge via Red Cross and UNOCHA, in addition to EUR 50,000 initially released to Red Cross
Sweden
4,085,000.00
Irish Government
Malaysian Government
Sweden
USD 95,000
EUR 1.5 pledged for emergency funding
NGO
Spain
10,212,500.00
USD 1,000,000
Military medics, search and rescue team, blankets and medicine
Spain
1,225,500.00
USD 237,500
financial aid
EUR 400,000 allocated to Luxembourg's humanitarian partners
South Korea
4,300,000.00 204,250,000.00
USD 28,500
relief goods
Part of UN operations
Slovakia
USD 100,000 USD 4,750,000
check issued to PH Embassy
4 rescue experts deployed as part of UNOCHA's International Humanitarian Partnership team, 2 emergency experts
Singapore
55,586,100.00
USD 1M handed to Jakarta PE on 11 Nov.
Luxembourg
Singapore
USD 1,292,700
3 C130 aircrafts bringing relief goods (worth USD 1M) including a "naval asset" Indonesian Government
to be determined
Russia
1,039,740,000.00
259,290,000.00
Hungarian Government
Pledged USD 10 M worth of assistance;; form of donation to be determined
Qatar
USD 24,180,000
USD 6,030,000
Hungarian Government
Kuwait
New Zealand
119,970,000.00
personnel
20-person search and rescue team and 5 medics
emergency relief goods worth up to 60 million yen (approximately 607,000 US dollars)
Netherlands
USD 2,790,000
medical team, search and rescue
NGOs - ISAR, CARE, Malteser International, HelpAge, ADRA
Relief goods distributed by Japanese team Relief goods distributed by Japanese team
Mexico
financial aid
medical team, search and rescue
USD 10M for emergency relief to be coursed through the UN
Malaysia
financial aid relief goods
German Government assistance agency
Medical personnel (JICA), Japan Self-Defense Team to assist in humanitarian activities Japan
PHP conversion
USD 10,000,000
Red Cross UN
German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) sent a search and rescue team (arrived in MNL 11/11 afternoon;; flying to Cebu 11/12)
mobile water purification plant with 6 technical personnel to operate the facility (capacity of 5000 liters per hour) 15 tonnes of relief goods (blankets, medicine, hygiene items, fresh water and water purification material, tents, blankets, mattresses, food)
USD
relief goods
Philippine Government
Team of Humanitarian Experts (some already in PH) Finland
8,115,906,000.00
medical team, search and Belgian Government rescue Equipment and relief goods brought by equipment the Belgian team Equipment and relief goods brought by relief goods the Belgian team
CAD 250,000 pledge by the Government of Saskatchewan Province, Canada
EUR 1 M through Finnish Red Cross to supply 9,500 vaccine and medical packages Two (2) motor boats for rescue operations A group of French first responders with experience with OCHA is departing Paris for PH on Wednesday, November 13 and staying for seven (7) days, with one ton of relief goods. 16 social workers and representatives from the French Gov's crisis center, carrying relief goods EUR 1.5M approved for emergency humanitarian assistance (500K + 1M +3M as of 11/15) via partner organizations - includes medical teams, rescue teams, relief goods, etc
USD 188,742,000
TYPE
AUD 2 M deployment of Australian medical assistance team (AusMAT) AUD 1 M through the Australian Federal Police disaster management specialists
Belgian First Aid and Support Team (70 people) Belgium
CHANNEL
equipment
USD 10,000,000
430,000,000.00
USD 23,850,000 USD 10,000,000 USD 23,850,000 USD 954,000
1,025,550,000.00 430,000,000.00 1,025,550,000.00 41,022,000.00
USD 954,000
41,022,000.00
equipment medical team, search and rescue medical team, search and rescue USD 22,500,000 USD 22,500,000
967,500,000.00
USD 150,000
967,500,000.00 6,450,000.00
USD 100,000 USD 150,000 USD 100,000
4,300,000.00 6,450,000.00 4,300,000.00
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 60 tons of aid (shelters and medicine), eta PH Tuesday, to be followed by INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS UNICEF
deliveries of water purification and sanitation equipment. 60 tons of aid (shelters and medicine), eta PH Tuesday, to be followed by USD 25 Moftowater be released fromand the sanitation Central Emergency Relief Fundas an initial purification equipment. deliveries response (via (via 3 3 different different UN UN instrumentalities) instrumentalities) response Arab UNOCHA Gulf Fund for USD 25 M to be released from the Central Emergency Relief Fundas an initial UN Development response (via 3 different UN instrumentalities) (AGFUND) USD 100,000 - mode of aid delivery to be announced UNICEF UNOCHA
UN
in-kind
UN UN
in-kind financial aid
USD 25,000,000
1,075,000,000.00
UN
financial aid financial aid
USD 25,000,000 USD 100,000
1,075,000,000.00 4,300,000.00
AGFUND
SOURCE: OFFICIAL GAZETTE OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES – The gov.ph #YolandaPH International Assistance matrix is up to Published by Google Drive – Report Abuse – Updated automatically every 5 minutes date as of November 16, 2013, 7:30 p.m. http://www.gov.ph/crisis-response/updates-typhoon-yolanda/international-assistance/
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
SPECIAL NEWS REPORT
www.hello-philippines.com
19
British Catholics mobilize massive support to PH Haiyan / Yolanda relief efforts THE official Catholic aid agency for England and Wales, CAFOD, together with the 13 other charities under the UK Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has contributed to raise more than £30 million since the DEC’s Philippines Typhoon Haiyan Appeal was launched. In his homily during a special mass offered for the Philippines, The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, also said that he has sent a special envoy, Bishop John Arnold, to convey the support and prayers of the community in Britain to the Philippines. Filipino and British Catholics gathered at the Westminster Cathedral Friday, 15 November, for a special mass offered by Archbishop Nichols to the Filipino community and for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). The mass was attended by HE Enrique Manalo, Ambassador of the Philippines to the United Kingdom, The Rt. Hon. Justine Greening MP, Secretary of State for International Development, Mr Stephen Lillie, Head of the AsiaPacific Directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and former Ambassador of the UK to the Philippines,
HE. Enrique Manalo and Secretary of State for International Development Justine Greening at the special mass at Westminster Cathedral; looking on are FCO Asia-Pacific Directorate Head Mr. Stephen Lillie, and Canon Christopher Tuckwell of the Archdiocese of Westminster
and members of the Philippine Embassy and the Filipino Organizations in the UK. In his homily, Archbishop Nichols mentioned “the Filipino community here enrich our country greatly by your faith, your prayers and your work. We salute you and all you do here and we stand by you in this hour of need.” He also mentioned that he has asked Bishop John Arnold to “go to the Philippines to carry our love and our prayers to your country in this time of
need.” He also thanked the Catholic aid agency, CAFOD for its impressive response to the Typhoon Haiyan Appeal. CAFOD is part of the DEC’s 14 charities which has raised more than £23 million in the first 48 hours alone of the Philippines Typhoon Haiyan Appeal’s launch. Archbishop Nichols said: “So many parishes benefit from the lively faith and contribution of the Filipino community and we all benefit from their significant
contribution to hospitals and the caring services in this country. Now, in their hour of need, we must support them in prayer and generosity.” In his remarks, HE Enrique Manalo also thanked the UK Government and the people of the UK for their generous and unwavering support for the Philippines in its hour of great need. He also expressed appreciation to the Department for International Development (DFID) for
coordinating and spearheading the immediate relief efforts to the areas devastated by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). The special mass was attended by thousands of Catholics, Filipinos and Britons alike, at the Westminster Cathedral, which is the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster and the Mother Church for Roman Catholics in England and Wales. ■ The Philippine Embassy in London, United Kingdom / November 15, 2013
Archbishop Nichols at Mass for Victims of Typhoon Haiyan
THOUSANDS of Filipinos gathered at Westminster Cathedral, Victoria, London, UK for a special Mass for Victims of Typhoon Haiyan. Enrique A Manalo, Philippine Ambassador to the UK, as well as representatives from the goverment were present. Many people are still unnaccounted for after the catastrophic storm which has claimed more than 2,500 lives. Speaking before the Mass Archbishop Vincent Nichols, who is Chief Celebrant, said: “So many parishes benefit from the lively faith and contribution of the Filipino community and we all benefit from their significant contribution to hospitals and the caring services in this country. Now, in their hour of need, we must support them in prayer and generosity.” The full text of his homily follows: My brothers and sisters, this evening we gather to pray for all who have lost their lives or been caught up in the horrific devastation caused by typhoon Haiyan, or Yolanda as Filipinos call it. It blasted central regions of the country last week killing thousands and leaving millions in a desperate state. There are, I’m sure, many family and friends of Yolanda’s victims here this evening. I offer you my heartfelt condolences and prayers. We are with you in our hearts.
I long to be able to reach out to all those who are suffering. That is not easy. The Philippines is far away. You cannot go to express your love and support. I cannot go. But I have asked Bishop John Arnold to go to the Philippines as soon as possible, to go on my behalf, to go on your behalf, to carry our love and our prayers to your country in this time of need. Bishop John will go next week. We thank you, Bishop John. May God strengthen you for this journey and fill your heart with our love and prayers. At this moment we readily feel powerless, unable to help. And yet help is being given by people and governments from all around the world. The Government of this country and our own Catholic community here, together with many, many others, are sending help. And so we should for you, the Filipino community here enrich our country greatly by your faith, your prayers and your work. We salute you all you do here and we stand by you in this hour of need. I thank in a special way our own Catholic aid agency CAFOD for its impressive response. We pray that this help may speedily reach those most in need. Where there is help there is hope for the future. Hope for the future was beautifully
symbolised by the lovely pictures of baby Bea Joy. As you probably know, Bea Joy’s 21 year old mother, Emily Sagalis, still heavily pregnant, was swept away by a huge wave and feared lost. But her husband, Jobert, found her floating among the debris. Soon after, Emily gave birth to her daughter amidst the rubble: new life emerging from the abyss of destruction. Such hope for new life is so evidently carried in the hearts of very many of those suffering the effects of the typhoon. In fact, more than anything we can give them, they offer us an inspiring witness to the power of hope, a hope deeply rooted in faith. I find it especially remarkable that their trust in God has not been crushed by the terrifying winds which flattened everything else, including so many churches. For others, this kind of natural disaster, far from manifesting the “author of beauty” [as we heard in the first Reading], gives reason to reject belief in God. But, instead, what have we witnessed? As Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, said: we see “Faith in the midst of ruins.” It was humbling and encouraging to see people last Sunday, despite everything they’d suffered, gathering for Mass close to the remains of their beloved church buildings which had crumbled before the elemental forces. At Loboc, for example, the Parish Priest, Fr Andres Ayco decided to hold three Masses, whereas others in the area held just two. Why? Because he had not been able to announce that the 8.30am Mass was cancelled! That’s real pastoral care. Fr Andre knew that those who turned up for Mass would be severely disappointed if there was none. They needed it, desired it. For as Fr Andre said: “Behind their suffering is their faith in the Lord.” In this same parish, the Children’s Choir sang hymns to uplift the
community’s spirits. One of the Choir members, a fifteen year old girl called Carmel Mae, explained that though still frightened herself by the aftershocks she didn’t want fear to prevent her from giving “hope and inspiration to the people…so that they will no longer be afraid.” Just one instance of the love shared amongst those who have lost so much. Certainly, this admirable hope, faith, and love flourishing in the face of the grievous pain of loss, this cleaving to God despite the horror experienced, encourages us to strive for the same remarkable and unreserved commitment to God’s providence; to the God who from all bad things has the power to bring out good, even from the suffering wrought by Typhoon Yolanda. Nowhere do we see this power of God more clearly than in the Crucifix. In every darkness, we are gently invited to look to the Crucifix, and from its silence discern God’s response. When Pope Benedict celebrated Mass in our cathedral, he directed our gaze to “the great crucifix dominating the nave, which portrays Christ’s body, crushed by suffering”. He spoke eloquently of Christ uniting our sufferings to the infinite merits of his sacrifice. He assured us that we are caught up in Christ’s eternal oblation, the source of life itself. In the Crucifix we see the very presence of God in human suffering and death: the Word now silent promising healing and resurrection. We cannot exclude God from this awful situation because God has chosen to be in the thick of it, transforming it from within! Look at Christ crucified and see the people of the Philippines embraced in that ultimate Love which is the source of their sure and certain hope. From the silence of the Cross, hear the reason for their faith. Mary stood by the foot of that Cross. Devotion to Mary brings great comfort to people afflicted by the typhoon. Processions with statues of Our Lady
tangibly express their firm conviction that the Virgin is with them, giving birth to her Son amidst the rubble, giving birth to Hope, to new Life, even where death appeared to triumph. In the parish of Barangay Napu, dedicated to Birhen sa Kasilag, Our Lady of Light, the statue of our Blessed Mother survived destruction. In the Masses celebrated in the Philippines after Typhoon Yolanda, and at every Mass, the Light who is Mary’s Son, God-with-us, shines brilliantly, casting out the darkness of despair from people’s lives. At this Mass, and at every Mass, we are most intimately bound in love to all the victims of the typhoon, and they to us. We believe that in offering Mass for them, the most powerful assistance is given. We pray that those who lost their lives may be gathered into the outstretched hands of the dying Christ, who breathed into our world the very breath of Life, the Holy Spirit. By the power the Holy Spirit, may all who died in Christ be lifted up to the Father, raised to life everlasting. We pray for those who mourn that they may know the consolation of Christ who wept at the death of his friend Lazarus, and who weeps with them. We thank God for our Filipino brothers’ and sisters’ inspiring example of hope, faith and love amidst such devastation. We express our gratitude for their great witness to the life-giving power of the Mass. Pope Francis, at the Angelus last Sunday, assured the population of the Philippines of his closeness to them. The Holy Father then invited everyone gathered in St Peter’s Square to pray for a moment in silence and afterwards to join him in praying the Hail Mary for the victims of the typhoon. Looking to the Crucifix, looking to Mary standing by her suffering Son, standing by those suffering in the Philippines, let us now do the same. Hail Mary........ ■ Independent
Catholic News (ICN) / November 15, 2013
STATEMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM ON THE AFTERMATH OF SUPER TYPHOON YOLANDA (INTERNATIONAL CODE NAME : HAIYAN) THE Department of Tourism (DOT) is one with the whole nation in expressing its deepest sympathies to the families and victims of the Super Typhoon Yolanda (international code name “Haiyan”), one of the strongest typhoons that made landfall in recorded history. The towns that were severely affected are located in the provinces of Leyte and Eastern Samar, as well as a few places in the Southern Tagalog Region (particularly Coron in Palawan). The government remains on top of the ongoing search, rescue, retrieval, and relief operations for the victims of the Super Typhoon Yolanda. The DOT is focused on the safety and monitoring of tourist movement in all affected areas and has no reports so far of any endangerment. The DOT’s objective is to focus on quick recovery so that tourism income is restored at the soonest possible time. Bulletin announcements will be posted via the DOT website (www.tourism.gov.ph), while DOT overseas and regional offices are also on standby to assist potential travellers and those already in the country for travel information. Local tour companies are in constant communication with their counterparts abroad to provide updates on the situation. The Philippines remains a safe and fun destination for all tourists, notwithstanding this unfortunate incident. The DOT assures the travelling public that tourism establishments and tourism activities continue and remain in operation in the other parts of the Philippines, which play host to some of the country’s key tourist destinations. The great majority of touristic products are available, whether one is looking for a beach vacation, historical trip, gastronomic tour, or one of the many other possible travel opportunities. The country is home to some of the world’s great tourist sites and adventures with its unparalleled natural wonders, spectacular beaches, world-renowned heritage sites, modern shopping complexes, rich biodiversity, culture, and history. The top destinations in the Visayas Region continue to be accessible through their respective ports of entry: Boracay Island through Kalibo and Caticlan, Cebu through the Mactan International Airport, Bohol through the Tagbilaran Airport, Iloilo through the Iloilo and Bacolod Silay Airports, and Puerto Princesa, Palawan through the Puerto Princesa Airport. Tourism continues to be one of the major contributors to the economy, playing a significant role in rebuilding lives and businesses in communities. We rely on our partners, both in the private and public sectors, to embark on initiatives that will help us achieve normalcy and sustain the tourism growth, particularly in the affected destinations. Filipinos have always been resilient and continue to be so now. The DOT is optimistic and hopeful that the Philippines will overcome and move forward from these difficult times. ■
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November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
Lessons in life from the hell of Haiyan IT’S a scene that plays out dozens of times. I switch on my camera and the person I’m talking to flashes the sweetest smile. Even in these, the hardest of times, such smiles light up the face of many Filipinos. But then the moment inevitably comes where the person I’m speaking to breaks down. It’s as though their talking to a journalist suddenly makes them realise the extent of their misfortune. So, I set down my camera. Often, I end up holding the person as they break down. My mission to Tacloban lasted only six days but in terms of life lessons, I feel like I got 15 years’ worth. I arrived in the ruined city on Saturday, November 9, the day after Typhoon Haiyan hit. Along with AFP Manila photographer Noel Celis, we were able to get on board one of the first Philippine military planes to reach the region, which was ravaged by winds of more than 300 kilometres an hour (185 mph) and enormous waves. Before long, Tacloban would see hundreds of troops, rescuers and journalists arrive but for the moment we were among only a small handful of foreign press on the ground. We discover the full extent of the disaster at the same time as some of the rescuers. The airport had been pulverised by the typhoon. Only a few gutted buildings and a sorry-looking sign for Philippine Airlines remain. Everywhere we look there are uprooted trees, tangled cables and debris. As I land amid this apocalyptic landscape, just a few hours after quitting my comfortable surroundings in Hong Kong, where I’m based, it feels like I’m in a film. But reality soon takes hold. The first of many striking images I have of Tacloban is that of a woman sobbing over the little body of her five-year-old son. This was in a church where seven bodies had been placed. We soon realise that covering this disaster, which is of a scale bigger than we’d envisioned, is going to pose problems. There’s no electricity and all the phone lines have crashed to the ground and mobile phones aren’t working. We’re in the middle of absolute destruction – I’d never imagined such devastation was possible. We brought a satellite internet router but it has limited battery life. As I’m putting together my first video in the middle of this ruined town I notice that the battery on my computer is draining at alarming speed. I quickly finish up and
start transmitting the piece through the satellite device, but the data only sends at a snail’s pace. There’s only 10 percent left on the battery; I soon realise it’s not going to happen. Such technical problems seem paltry compared to the horrifying misery being experienced by tens of thousands of Filipinos, victims of the most powerful typhoon ever to have hit the country. But for a reporter, transmitting information is everything. I’m not a troop, a rescuer or a first responder. I’m a journalist. Showing the rest of the world what’s happening here is the sole reason for my being in the country. If I can’t get my images out, I’m useless. So the lack of electricity and phone make me panic. For me, these outages are worse than the hunger, thirst and filthy conditions I’ll experience during my stay. Finally, we find a Philippine army command post set up in a ruined building in the airport. They have the object of our dreams: a generator. I persuade a soldier to let us charge our gear on one of the outlets. This miserable and ruined hovel becomes our headquarters. We spend the first nights there, 15 of us crammed onto wooden planks with other journalists, soldiers and rescuers. The ground is muddy and disgusting insects teem around us. It smells of urine (of course there are no toilets) and the stench mixes with the odour of dozens of decaying bodies, which under the blazing sun are quickly decomposing around us. Survivors start to congregate at the airport. They queue for hours for some water, for an anti-diarrhoea tablet. Extreme emotion surrounds me. From the moment the sun sets, around 5 p.m., until daybreak, there’s nothing to do except to talk to people around you. I spent the first night with a family who’d lost everything. The couple had a six-month-old baby and were also looking after a neighbour’s son. The mother tells me she doesn’t know how to swim and that when their house was engulfed by waves she begged her husband to abandon her and save the baby. Fortunately, all three survived. It takes me hours of conversation before I realise that they’d make a good interview, and I turn on my camera to talk to the woman. In such moments, where we are all living with the same hunger, the same thirst and to an extent the same destitution, I almost forgot to do my work.
Tacloban, the Philippines, three days after Super Typhoon Haiyan hit. Photo by Noel Celis ©AFP
Survivors line up to recharge their mobile phones in Tacloban, November 14 2013. Photo by Philippe Lopez ©AFP
Survivors in front their ruined house in Palo, near Tacloban. November 15, 2013. Photo by Nicolas Asfouri ©AFP
A woman cries for her child killed by Typhoon Haiyan. Tacloban, November 9, 2013.
A ship washed ashore by Super Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban, in the eastern Philippines island of Leyte. Photos by Noel Celis ©AFP
A woman watches over the body of her husband. November 10, 2013.
Odd as it might seem, in a sense I’m happy that the working conditions were so difficult for this assignment. If I’d been able to stay in a hotel, I of course would have done so. But I would have missed a lot. This woman might have spoken to me on camera, but it would have been different. It’s in moments like this that I think that I’ll always want to be a reporter – to go to places where no one else is going, to shed light on situations the world doesn’t know about. I must film so people can see. At the same time, I never felt like a vulture journalist, a voyeur feeding off the misfortune of others. And I also know that if I shared the trials of victims of the catastrophe for a few days, I now am home, showered, fed and rested. Those I’ve left behind in the muddy ruins will have nothing or little to eat or drink perhaps for several months longer. I also know that many of the people I met have no means of survival. They’re probably already dead. It was at Tacloban airport, in the makeshift hospital set up by the military, that I witnessed a woman giving birth. That she and her husband even survived is a miracle. My colleague Jason Gutierrez, who joined me on Sunday together with photographer Teodoro Aljibe, has already told of the encounter on this blog. It was an unbelievable moment. I had never been present at a birth before, and it was surprising to find myself filming a woman
to travel in the back, amid the decomposing bodies. That’s the kind of moment when you hesitate, when you wonder whether to continue or whether to get out. But the answer is always the same. Inform, inform, inform. That’s what we came here for. We must tough it out. During my six days there, I was impressed by the endurance, the generosity and also the pride of the Filipinos. Everywhere I went, people smiled in front of the camera, asked me where I was from, asked me if I was alright. In Palo Leyte, a village completely flattened by the typhoon and still waiting for rescuers to arrive, they even offered me food! Of course I couldn’t take it. On my first day, I gave most of my water reserves to a child dying of thirst, and then found myself getting so thirsty myself that I got dizzy… But I knew that if I broke down I could not finish the job I’d come here for, I would no longer serve any purpose. So I took the food rations that were offered to me, the same rations that, although weak with hunger, I had refused before, because it felt like an indecent thing to do, like robbing the victims of the typhoon. Often people asked me to film them in the mad hope that I would help them to pass on their personal messages. “Mother, I am alive,” they would say in front of my camera. Of course, it was not possible for me to pass on dozens of desperate messages. But how could I get them to understand this? How could I refuse their pleading? How could I quash the only glimpse of hope that they could see amid this complete destruction? Impossible. So I complied -- I filmed them, although I knew I would never use these images. They thanked me profusely. It broke my heart to be doing this. I felt guilty and weak. But I also saw that this sad charade seemed to really lift their spirits. It’s at moments like this that I have to face up to an obvious truth. The truth that there are limits to what journalists can do. We cannot solve the world’s misery all by ourselves. Those six days in Tacloban taught me a lot about my profession, and about the pragmatism you need when covering this kind of tragedy, and I also learned a lot about human nature. I only hope that the experience has not left me hardened. ■ Agnes Bun / AFP
A team collects bodies in Tacloban. November 14, 2013. Photo by Philippe Lopez ©AFP
Tacloban, November 10, 2013. Photo by Ted Aljibe ©AFP
who had just given birth on this floor. I started to edit my video sitting on the ground, amid blood, debris, and wailing from the baby. I could have gone elsewhere to do my job, but I somehow felt a responsibility towards this young mother of just 21. I didn’t want to leave her even for a minute. I feared that she would die while my back was turned. Luckily the young family was quickly evacuated to Cebu by helicopter, along with a woman who had just gone into labour. This happy story has since gone around the world, because that’s exactly the kind of thing that everybody wants to see and hear in the middle of this nightmare. But happy stories have been few and far between in Tacloban. The airport soon turned into a hellish place where thousands of desperate people flocked to, ready to go to any lengths to get on a plane that would take them far away. You could even see some people, as if possessed, running after planes that were already taking off. A feeling of death was everywhere. Every time I came by a spot I had seen previously I noticed that the corpses had since taken on a different hue, that they were bloated some more. I was stunned to see so many people standing the entire day next to a corpse, in the middle of the ruins, holding an umbrella against the pouring rain, because they had nothing else to do but guard their dead. Streets were clogged with people moving around aimlessly, looking for their missing families or carrying their young children, dehydrated and shaking with fever, in the faint hope of somebody, somewhere offering a helping hand. Photographer Philippe Lopez joined us on Tuesday together with video journalist Diane Desobeau and reporter Cecil Morella. At one point some of us, including my colleague Jason Gutierrez, followed a group of rescue workers whose job it was to gather the corpses. It was a trying mission. Philippe Lopez made a sign for me not to come any closer. I obeyed, but still caught a glimpse of a dead baby in a wicker basket. I put down my camera. I’d reached my limit. The only way to continue our work was to climb onto trucks taking corpses to the place where experts would try to identify them. I sat down in the front seat next to the driver. My two colleagues had no choice but
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SPECIAL NEWS REPORT
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
won’t stop until we get all medical Residents show hope “We teams on the ground”—DOH for a new Tacloban
ONE thing’s for sure: the new Tacloban won’t look anywhere like the Tacloban that we see now – flattened and destroyed; devastated beyond all recognition. The Tacloban of the near future will be as lovely, vibrant, and perhaps even more exciting than the Tacloban of old, if these photos are any indication. InterAksyon.com paid a visit to
the Visayan City and discovered – as many others did – that the residents of Tacloban may have lost their families and their property but have retained their unshakeable faith in themselves. A thousand Yolandas will come and go but its residents and their indefatigable spirit are here to stay. ■ Photos by Bernard Testa
/ ©InterAksyon.com / November 17, 2013 8:32 PM
DESPITE overwhelming odds – crowded cargo planes, closed airports, dangerous seaports and later resorting to long and extended travel by land – through impassable roads and bridges in complete darkness and through the heavy traffic of San Juanico Bridge – medical and surgical teams of the Department of Health have inched their way to the devastated coastal towns and municipalities of Leyte and Samar to deliver medical attention to victims. In a press statement today, DOH Undersecretary Ted Herbosa reported that more than a hundred doctors and nurses have already been deployed and are treating the injured and sick in Tacloban, Bantayan, Medelin – and more are positioned to take off and set-up satellite medical stations throughout Regions 6, 7, and 8. These teams have been accompanied by more than P25 million worth of essential medicines and supplies. “We have pulled out some of the best,brightest and bravest of our hospital chiefs to lead the doctors and nurses from Tondo Medical Center, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, National Children’s Hospital, Amang Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, East
Avenue Medical Center and Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital among other hospitals of Metro Manila and Luzon. “These teams were deployed within 48 hours of typhoon Yolanda. They encountered roads replete with debris and dead ends, severe congestion in ports and airports and had to compete for space in cargo planes with food supplies. Nonetheless they made it – but there are still many unreached areas and we will not stop until we get all our medical teams on the ground,” Herbosa said. “These teams know that they are entering “war zones” without power, communication, food and where security threats are present. The situation has been fluid, and hour by hour we have had to find solutions to obstructed roads or ominous weather,” Herbosa added. Meanwhile, an outpouring of international support through deployment of expert rescue and trauma teams is being coordinated by the Department of Health through the World Health Organization. WHO Representative to the Philippines, Dr Julie Hall, announced that “self-sufficient medical teams from Australia, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Norway,
Russia and Spain are already in the Philippines and logistical arrangements are underway to ensure that they reach affected areas. There are offers for help from Spain, Israel, the United Kingdom and Singapore.” “Priority for deployment will be teams that can set up hospitals with capacity for surgery and are equipped with generators and supplies for their teams to last from 10-15 days. We are working closely with the Department of Health to facilitate positioning of these international teams in strategic areas to augment the local medical teams.” Close coordination between the Department of Health and WHO is crucial to ensure that those affected receive the help and treatment they so desperately need. ■ Office of the President of the Philippines / November 13, 2013
Messages of support and sympathy from school children in Cambridge
President Aquino calls on citizenry to help Yolanda typhoon victims to alleviate their suffering
PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III called on citizenry to continue helping typhoon Yolanda’ victims to alleviate their suffering. “We know the gravity of our countrymen’s suffering, and we know that, now more than ever, all of us are called on to do whatever we can to help alleviate our countrymen’s suffering,” the Chief Executive said in his message read by Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. during the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas 39th Annual Top Level Management Conference in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga on Thursday. The President expressed his gratitude to individuals and organizations here and abroad for their generosity. “Difficult as it may be to find a silver lining, I believe that this is where we can draw hope: the solidarity that millions of Filipinos unaffected by the storm displayed with their countrymen – a solidarity mirrored by so many individuals, private corporations, organizations and countries around the world. The overwhelming message: We are not alone,” he said. President Aquino emphasized the need to assure the typhoon victims that the Philippine government, fellow Filipinos and the international community will help them to rebuild their lives.
“It is up to us to make them feel that they are not alone,” the President stressed. The government has been doing its part even before Yolanda (internationally known as Haiyan) made a landfall last week, the President said. “Mandatory evacuations were conducted and relief goods prepositioned. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas have been in Leyte since early last Thursday (No.7) to oversee preparations,” he said. “In the wake of the storm, rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations were conducted at the soonest possible time, and they will go on for as long as necessary,” he said. As of Wednesday, the President said 115,607 food packs have been distributed for the victims while medical and surgical teams from the Department of Health (DOH) are already working on the ground. The DOH has set up satellite medical stations in Regions 6, 7 and 8. “The Department of Public Works and Highways has been working nonstop to clear roads, so help can sooner reach cut-off communities. Most roads are now passable, and can be used to deliver relief goods,” he said. ■ Office of the President of the Philippines / November 14, 2013
THE Philippine Embassy has received this heartwarming letter from Ms. Alison Binney, Head of English at The Netherhall School in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Her students and the staff of the school have been deeply moved by the devastation brought by typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan that they created a blog to record their messages of support for the people of the Philippines. She also mentions that as there are a number of Filipino students in The Netherhall, they are anxious to know how their friends and family are back home. The Philippine Embassy is providing a link to the blog: www.wearethinkingofyou. wordpress.com in the hope that these comforting and encouraging words from the school children from far away will bring renewed strength and hope to our Kababayans back home. Ms. Binney’s letter is quoted in full: From: Alison Binney [mailto:] Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2013 13:11 To: embassy@philemb.co.uk Subject: ’We are thinking of you’ blog Dear Sir or Madam I am Head of English at The Netherhall
School in Cambridge. The students and staff at our secondary school have been deeply moved by the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan. We have created a blog where students are recording messages of support for the people of the Philippines. We have only just started it, but already we have quite a few messages, and we hope to gather more over the next few days. A significant number of our students are from the Philippines so they are particularly concerned by what has happened, and their friends are anxious to find ways to support them. We would be very grateful if you could send the link to this blog to any contacts you have in the Philippines so that these messages of support can reach as many of those who have been affected as possible. Here is the link: www.wearethinkingofyou. wordpress.com Yours faithfully, Alison Binney Some excerptions from the website: In this time of darkness there will come light. In this destruction there will be hope.
You may be feeling alone in this world at a devastating time but we are here beside you and are sending help. We pray that safety, food, water and shelter come quickly and that we as one will stand together and rebuild your community. Stay strong. —Angharad, 17 It has been very hard to take in what has happened to your country this past week. I haven’t stopped thinking about you; this typhoon has swept over your houses and farms, like a brush over dust. I wish I could do anything to help you get through this but me being so far away from you I am left with very few options for what to do next. No one should ever go through the experience you have. I hope this blog will show people the true nature of your situation. And make people help you in every way they can. I wish every last one of your country’s souls the best of luck. And remember “Just Smile”. —James, 13 Everyone is thinking of you and praying for the best for everyone whose lives have been affected by this awful disaster. Help is on the way so stay strong and look after each other. We all hope for the best. —Louie, Oscar and Lee, 13 A poem: My heart goes out to all of you, the country through and through, although that things are going wrong hold your heads up and stay strong. My love to everyone. —Louis, 15 We can only imagine what you are going through. But we must let you know, the entire world is praying for you and hoping that it will get better. We know it will. Aid will be on its way as soon as possible. You have all just got to keep hope and faith strong. Even though the world seems to be coming to an end the world will be there to help you all, support you all, and believe me it will get better. —Chloe, 15 ■
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
HEALTH and Lifestyle
www.hello-philippines.com
How to keep your teeth clean BRUSH your teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day for at least two minutes to help keep your teeth and mouth healthy. Plaque is a film of bacteria that coats your teeth if you don’t brush them properly. It contributes to gum disease, tooth decay and cavities. Toothbrushing stops plaque building up. It isn’t just about moving some toothpaste around your mouth, though. You need to concentrate on the nooks and crannies to make sure you remove as much plaque and leftover bits of food as possible. When should I brush my teeth? Brush
your teeth for at least two minutes in the morning before breakfast and last thing at night before you go to bed. Never brush your teeth straight after a meal as it can damage your teeth, especially if you’ve had fruit, fizzy drinks, wine or any other food that contains acid. This is because tooth enamel is softened by the acid and can be worn away by brushing. Instead, wait an hour after a meal before brushing your teeth to give your saliva chance to neutralise the acid. Should I use an electric or manual toothbrush? It doesn’t matter whether you use an electric or manual toothbrush.
They’re both equally good as long as you brush with them properly. However, some people find it easier to clean their teeth thoroughly with an electric toothbrush. What should I look for in a toothbrush? For most adults, a toothbrush with a small head and a compact, angled arrangement of long and short, round-end bristles is fine. Medium or soft bristles are best for most people. Use an electric brush with an oscillating or rotating head. If in doubt, ask your dentist. What type of toothpaste should I use? The cleaning agents and particles in toothpaste help to remove plaque from your teeth, keeping them clean and healthy. Most toothpastes also contain fluoride, which helps to prevent and control cavities. It’s important to use a toothpaste with the right concentration of fluoride. Check the packaging to find out how much fluoride each brand contains. • Children aged up to three: use a smear of toothpaste containing no less than 1,000ppm (parts per million) fluoride. • Children aged three to six: use a peasized amount of toothpaste containing 1,350-1,500ppm fluoride. • Adults: use a toothpaste that contains at least 1,450ppm fluoride. It’s fine for babies and children to use the family toothpaste rather than a special children’s toothpaste, provided it contains the right concentration of fluoride. How to brush your teeth. The British Dental Health Foundation gives the following advice on how to brush your teeth: • Place the head of your toothbrush against your teeth, then tilt the bristle tips to a 45 degree angle against the gum line. Move the brush in small circular movements, several times, on all the surfaces of every tooth.
• Brush the outer surfaces of each tooth, upper and lower, keeping the bristles angled against the gum line. • Use the same method on the inside surfaces of all your teeth. • Brush the chewing surfaces of the teeth. • To clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, tilt the brush vertically and make several small circular strokes with the toe (the front part) of the brush. • Brushing your tongue will freshen your breath and clean your mouth by removing bacteria. How to floss. Flossing isn’t just for dislodging food wedged between your teeth. Regular flossing may also reduce gum disease and bad breath by removing plaque that forms along the gum line. • Take 12-18 inches (30-45cm) of floss and grasp it so that you have a couple of inches of floss taut between your hands. • Slip the floss between the teeth and into the area between your teeth and gums, as far as it will go. • Floss with 8 to 10 strokes, up and down between each tooth, to dislodge food and plaque. • Floss at least once a day. The most important time to floss is before going to bed. • You can floss before or after brushing. You can use interdental brushes instead of flossing, especially if your teeth are very close together and you find it difficult to manoeuvre dental floss through the gap. Avoid using toothpicks to remove trapped food from between your teeth, as you could cause your gums to bleed, which can lead to an infection. Should I use mouthwash? Yes, using a mouthwash that contains fluoride can help prevent tooth decay and help get rid of any
before bedtime. There are many different types of mouthwash. Most are alcoholbased. Alcohol can dry out or irritate your mouth, so if you have problems, switch to an alcohol-free brand that contains chlorhexidine or hydrogen peroxide. • Use sugar-free gum. The chewing stimulates saliva and stops your mouth drying out. A dry mouth can lead to bad breath. But gum is not a substitute for proper oral hygiene. Always clean your teeth thoroughly, even if you’ve chewed gum. • Have a check-up with your dentist at least once a year. It’s a chance to have a
deep clean of your teeth and review your oral hygiene practices. You’ll also get a definitive answer on whether you’ve got bad breath. • Quit smoking. If you smoke, your breath is likely to smell of stale smoke. Smoking cigarettes also increases your risk of getting gum disease, which is another cause of bad breath. If you have persistent bad breath, try keeping a diary of all the foods you eat, and list any medicines you’re taking. Take this diary to your dentist - they may be able to suggest ways to solve the problem. If your breath doesn’t improve no
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last bits of bacteria or leftover food that you might have missed with your toothbrush. However, don’t use mouthwash straight after brushing your teeth. Choose a separate time, such as after lunch. And don’t eat or drink for 30 minutes after using a fluoride mouthwash. Many mouthwashes contain alcohol, so they’re not suitable for children, as they could swallow them accidentally. If you use a mouthwash with alcohol, you may get a very dry mouth and dry, cracked lips due to the drying effect of the alcohol. You can avoid this by using an alcohol-free version. Are plaque-disclosing tablets helpful? Plaque-disclosing tablets work by dyeing plaque either blue or red and can be very useful at showing you which areas of your teeth you’re not cleaning properly. As the staining can last for some hours, it’s best to use these tablets at bedtime or when you’re not expecting visitors. ■ NHS Choices
Tootbrush tips • Replace your brush or brush attachment every three months. • Never share your toothbrush as this can spread infections. • Brush your teeth twice daily with flouride toothpaste for at least two minutes.
Get rid of bad breath
BAD breath is something we all worry about but are too polite to mention when we notice it in others. Everyone has bad breath from time to time, but for one in four adults in the UK it’s a regular problem. Persistent bad breath can be embarrassing. It can make people feel shy, awkward and self-conscious. It’s easy to spot bad breath in others but you can never quite be sure about your own. If you think you might have bad breath, there’s a simple test you can do. Lick the inside of your wrist and sniff. If the smell is bad, you can be pretty sure your breath is too. Or, ask someone you trust unreservedly to smell your breath. Don’t be offended if they tell you there’s a problem. Wouldn’t you rather know? Generally, bad breath (also called halitosis) isn’t serious. In most cases it’s caused by poor dental hygiene. Bits of food that get caught between the teeth and on the tongue will rot and can sometimes cause an unpleasant smell. Strong smelling food such as garlic, onions, some milk-based products (such as cheese), coffee, smoking and some
types of medication can all cause shortterm bad breath. The build-up of decaying food and other bits of debris on the surface of your tonsils, known as tonsil stones, is another source of bad breath. Bad breath can be caused by some medical conditions, such as dry mouth; diabetes; gastritis; infections in the throat, nose or lungs; as well as liver and kidney problems. Tips for fresh breath • Brush your teeth twice a day. Use a fluoride toothpaste. Correct and regular brushing is very important to keep your breath smelling fresh. • Brush or scrape your tongue. A soft rubber wiper called a tongue scraper can remove bacteria at the back of the tongue, which brushing can miss. • Floss your teeth. Brushing alone only cleans up to about 60% of the surface of your teeth. Flossing removes food trapped between teeth, which would otherwise turn stale and smelly. Another product you can buy to clean between your teeth is an interdental brush. • Use an antibacterial mouthwash. The best time to use mouthwash is just
matter what you do, you might not even have bad breath. Some people are convinced they have bad breath when they don’t. This is a condition known as halitophobia. People with halitophobia are paranoid about the smell of their breath. They become fixated with cleaning their teeth, chewing gum and using mouth fresheners. Treatment for halitophobia involves talking therapies and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help the person overcome their paranoia about the smell of their breath. ■ NHS Choices
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HEALTH and Lifestyle food
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
How to prepare and cook food safely STUDIES show that the kitchen contains the most germs in the home. One found that the kitchen sink contains 100,000 times more germs than the bathroom. Germs such as E. coli, campylobacter and salmonella enter the kitchen on our hands, raw food and through our pets. They can rapidly spread if we’re not careful. If food isn’t cooked, stored and handled correctly, people can become ill with food poisoning, colds, flu and other conditions.
Washing hands. Our hands are one of the main ways germs are spread, so it’s important to wash them thoroughly with soap and warm water before cooking, after touching the bin, going to the toilet, and after touching raw food. Raw meat, including poultry, can contain harmful bacteria that can spread easily to anything it touches. This includes other food, worktops, tables, chopping boards and knives. “Lots of people think they should wash
raw chicken, but there’s no need,” says food hygiene expert Adam Hardgrave. “Any germs on it will be killed if you cook it thoroughly. In fact, if you do wash chicken you could splash germs on to the sink, worktop, dishes or anything else nearby.” Take particular care to keep raw food away from ready-to-eat foods such as bread, salad and fruit. These foods won’t be cooked before you eat them so any germs that get on to them won’t be killed. “Use different chopping boards for raw and ready-to-eat foods,” says Hardgrave. When storing raw meat, always keep it in a clean, sealed container and place it on the bottom shelf of the fridge, where it can’t touch or drip on to other foods. Cooking. Cooking food at the right temperature will ensure that any harmful bacteria are killed. Check that food is piping hot throughout before you eat it. When cooking burgers, sausages, chicken and pork, cut into the middle to check that the meat is no longer pink, the juices run clear and it’s piping hot (steam is coming out). When cooking a whole chicken or other
bird, pierce the thickest part of the leg (between the drumstick and the thigh) to check that there is no pink meat and that the juices are no longer pink or red. Pork joints and rolled joints shouldn’t be eaten pink or rare. To check when these types of joint are ready to eat, put a skewer into the centre of the meat and check that there is no pink meat and the juices run clear. It’s safe to serve steak and other whole cuts of beef and lamb rare (not cooked in the middle) or blue (seared on the outside) as long as they have been properly sealed (cooked quickly at a high temperature on the outside only) to kill any bacteria on the meat’s surface. If you’ve cooked food that you’re not going to eat immediately, cool it at room temperature (ideally within 90 minutes) and store it in the fridge. Putting hot food in the fridge means it doesn’t cool evenly, which can cause food poisoning. Find out more about storing leftovers safely. Hardgrave’s advice is to store food in the fridge below 5°C (41°F). “If your fridge has an internal freezer compartment that is iced
up, the fridge could struggle to maintain its temperature,” he says. Washing fruit and vegetables. It’s advisable to wash fruit and vegetables under cold running water before you eat them. This helps to remove visible dirt and germs that may be on the surface. Peeling or cooking fruit and vegetables can also remove these germs. Never use washing-up liquid or other household cleaning products, as they might not be safe for human consumption and you may accidentally leave some of the product on the food. Cleaning up. Wash all worktops and chopping boards before and after cooking, as they can be a source of crosscontamination. The average kitchen chopping board has around 200% more faecal bacteria on it than the average toilet seat. Damp sponges and cloths are the perfect place for bacteria to breed. Studies have shown the kitchen sponge to have the highest number of germs in the home. Wash and replace kitchen cloths, sponges and tea towels frequently. ■ NHS Choices
Preventing food poisoning THE best way to avoid getting food poisoning is to ensure you maintain high standards of food hygiene when storing, handling and preparing food. According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), a useful way of preventing food poisoning is to remember the four Cs: • cleaning • cooking • chilling • cross-contamination (avoiding it) These are described in more detail below. Cleaning. You can prevent the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses by maintaining good personal hygiene standards and keeping work surfaces and utensils clean. Regularly wash your hands with soap and warm water, particularly: • after going to the toilet • after handling raw food • before preparing food • after touching bins • after touching pets You should never handle food if: • you are ill with stomach problems, such as diarrhoea or vomiting • you have sores and cuts (unless they are covered with a waterproof dressing) Cooking. It is important to cook food thoroughly, particularly poultry, pork, burgers, sausages and kebabs. This will kill any harmful bacteria that may be present, such as listeria and salmonella. Make sure the food is cooked thoroughly and is steaming hot in the middle. To check that meat is cooked, insert a knife into the thickest or deepest part. It is fully cooked if the juices are clear and there is no pink or red meat. Some meat, such as steaks and joints (but not rolled joints) of beef or lamb, can be served rare (not cooked in the middle), as long as the outside has been cooked properly. When reheating food, make sure it is steaming hot all the way through. Do not
reheat food more than once. Chilling. Certain foods need to be kept at the correct temperature to prevent harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. Always check the storage instructions on the label. If food has to be refrigerated, set your fridge to 0–5°C (32–41°F). If food that needs to be chilled is left at room temperature, bacteria can grow and multiply to dangerous levels. Cooked leftovers should be cooled quickly, ideally within 1–2 hours, and put in your fridge or freezer. Dividing food into smaller amounts and putting it into shallow containers will speed up the cooling process. Cross-contamination. Crosscontamination occurs when bacteria are transferred from foods (usually raw foods) to other foods. Contamination can be: • direct—where one food touches or
drips onto another food • indirect—where bacteria on your hands, work surfaces, equipment or utensils are spread to food To prevent cross-contamination: • always wash your hands after handling raw food • store raw and ready-to-eat foods separately • store raw meat in sealable containers at the bottom of your fridge so that it cannot drip onto other foods • use a different chopping board for raw food and ready-to-eat food, or wash it thoroughly in between preparing different types of food • clean knives and other utensils thoroughly after using them with raw food do not wash raw meat or poultry—any harmful bacteria will be killed by thorough cooking, and washing may splash harmful bacteria around the kitchen. ■ NHS Choices
Food and water abroad
MANY illnesses, including travellers’ diarrhoea, hepatitis A, typhoid and cholera are contracted through contaminated food and water. Travellers’ diarrhoea is the most common illness contracted abroad, affecting 20-60% of overseas travellers. In countries where sanitation is poor, you can reduce your risk of such diseases by following these basic guidelines. Drinking water abroad In countries with poor sanitation, don’t drink tap water or use it to brush your teeth unless it has been treated. For information about sanitation levels in the country you are travelling to, visit the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NATHNAC). Filtered, bottled, boiled or chemically treated water should be used. Bottled fizzy drinks with an intact seal are usually safe, as are boiled water and hot drinks made with boiled water. Ice in drinks should be avoided. The most reliable way to purify water is by boiling it, but this is not always possible. Chemical disinfectants, such as iodine and chlorine, will usually kill bacteria and viruses and can easily be obtained from larger chemists or specialist travel shops. However, some parasites are not reliably killed with iodine or chlorine preparations. Combining iodine or chlorine with filtration using a specialist filter (bought from a travel shop) should be effective.
Domestic water filters designed for use in the UK are not suitable. Food abroad. Some developing countries use animal waste as fertiliser. Certain foods, especially those growing close to the ground, are particularly prone to contamination and should be avoided. Foods to avoid. • salads, such as lettuce • uncooked fruits and vegetables, unless they have been washed in safe water and peeled by the traveller • fresh or cooked food that has be allowed to stand at room temperature in warm environments, or that has been exposed to flies, such as in an open buffet • unpasteurised milk, cheese, ice cream and other dairy products • raw or undercooked shellfish or seafood • food from street traders, unless it is has been recently prepared and is served hot on clean crockery Food served in good-standard hotels or restaurants may not always be safe as it may have been contaminated during preparation. Try to pick places to eat that have a reputation for serving safe foods. As a rule, only eat freshly prepared food that is thoroughly cooked and served very hot. Always wash your hands after going to the toilet and before preparing or eating food. ■ NHS Choices
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PHILIPPINE EMBASSY NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
Ambassador Manalo welcomes PH delegation to the 2013 World Travel Market in London The United Kingdom continues to be Doubling the size of the Philippine PHILIPPINE Ambassador to the Court of St. James, Enrique Manalo, welcomed the Philippine delegation, led by Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, to the 2013 World Travel Market (WTM) held at ExCel Exhibition Centre in London from 4 to 7 November 2013. Staged annually in London, WTM is considered the leading global event for the travel industry for travel trade professionals.
booth from 150 square meters to 300 square meters this year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) reported that more than 40 Philippine exhibitors, including Philippine Airlines (PAL), joined the WTM. This is the biggest PH participation since the country joined the event in the 1980s. Highlighting the country’s participation is also the return of PAL to London on 4 November.
the Philippines’ top ten visitor markets in the world and the biggest tourism market in Europe. With PAL’s return to Europe and the increased number of participants from the Philippine travel industry at WTM, the Philippines looks forward to seeing a significant increase in visitors not only from the UK, but also from Europe. ■ The Philippine Embassy in London, UK / November 7, 2013
DOT Undersecretary Ma. Theresa I. Martinez and Assistant Secretary Benito C. Bengzon, Jr. with Ambassador Manalo (centre) (From left) Deputy Director Robert Filipczak, Director Wieslaw Tarka, Director Barbara Syzmanowska, Ambassador Adam Jelonek, Office of European Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson, Deputy Director Katarzyna Wilkowiecka and Director Janusz Bilski
Poland in discussions to open Embassy in the Philippines ASSISTANT Secretary for European Affairs Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson welcomed on November 6, a delegation from Poland to discuss the opening of a Polish Embassy in Manila. Director Janusz Bilksi of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that given the upswing of the Philippine economy, it would be beneficial for Philippine-Poland relations to have a permanent presence in the Philippines to enhance political, economic and tourism exchanges. The establishment of a Polish Embassy in Manila would be a milestone for PhilippinePoland relations which are celebrating
its 40th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations. The Philippines is currently under the jurisdiction of the Polish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Poland maintains Honorary Consulates in Manila, Cebu and General Santos. The Polish delegation will also call on House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte to discuss the creation of a Philippines-Poland Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group. The Group aims to enhance ties between the two countries. A similar group was established in May 2013 in the Polish Sejm.
Ambassador Manalo (center) poses with Secretary Ramon Jimenez (right) in front of London’s iconic black cab which displays the “It’s more fun in the Philippines” slogan
■ Embassy Philippines / November 7, 2013
Ambassador Enrique Manalo welcomes Philippine Airlines’ maiden direct flight at London’s Heathrow International Airport
Visit of NZ Prime Minister to Philippines postponed
NEW Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced yesterday, November 13, the postponement of his official visit to the Philippines, citing concern that it “would place undue pressure on the Philippine Government at a critical time of the relief and recovery phase.” The Prime Minister, who was scheduled to undertake his official visit from November 20 to 22, took the opportunity to announce New Zealand’s deployment of a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft to carry emergency supplies to the Philippines and to provide transport support to relief efforts. New Zealand has already pledged NZ$2.15 million (₱77,276,500) in humanitarian assistance in response to the disaster wrought by typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). New Zealand will also provide NZ$2.3 million (₱82,667,900) to augment disaster relief supplies for the Philippine Red Cross. President Benigno S. Aquino III and
Prime Minister Key had earlier spoken via telephone during which the Prime Minister conveyed his country’s sympathies and condolences for the victims of typhoon Yolanda. President Aquino thanked Prime Minister Key for his message and for the humanitarian support being provided by New Zealand. On November 12, Prime Minister Key led a motion in the New Zealand House of Representatives to express “support for the people and the Government of the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan [Yolanda], our solidarity with those waiting for news about friends and family, and our condolences to those who have lost loved ones.” A motion is a formal proposal put to the House or a committee for debate and usually a vote. Said motion was supported by other party leaders, who also expressed their sympathies for the communities affected by Yolanda. ■ DFA /
November 14, 2013
LONDON, UK – It was a proud moment for the Philippines yesterday afternoon, 4 November 2013 when the maiden flight of Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) direct services from Manila touched down at London’s Heathrow International Airport. PAL’s landing was greeted with two water canons amid cheers from Heathrow authorities and Fil-British media who were specially invited to witness the event including PH Ambassador to the UK, Enrique Manalo. On board the new, twin-engine Boeing 777-300ER were Mr Ramon Ang, President and Chief Operating Officer of PAL, British Ambassador to the Philippines Asif Anwar
Ambassador Manalo (2nd from left) with Congressmen Rene Relampagos, 1st District of Bohol; Rodel Batocabe, Party List Ako Bicol; and Franz Alvarez, 1st District of Palawan
Ahmad, and various Philippine journalists/ reporters representing the various Philippine major dailies. In his welcome speech, Ambassador Manalo congratulated PAL and remarked that after an absence of 15 years, the timing of the new direct flight services between Manila and London could not have come at a better time; just when the Philippines has been reaping success and recognition on the international stage with its strong economic performance and solid economic fundamentals. He added that PAL’s arrival also augurs well for Philippine-British bilateral ties. The Philippines considers the UK a
very important partner: it is the PH’s top European investor, one of the PH’s top trading partners, the biggest European tourism market, and host to the largest Filipino community in Europe. According to Ambassador Manalo, PAL will play an important part in reinvigorating PH ties with the UK – from trade and investment to tourism cooperation and the promotion of closer people-to-people linkages. PAL’s return to Europe is expected to yield increased tourist traffic to the Philippines and contribute to the DOT’s target to attain 10 million visitors by 2016. ■ The Philippine
Embassy in London, UK / November 5, 2013
(From left to right) PH Ambassador Enrique Manalo, PAL President and COO Ramon Ang, and British Ambassador to the PH Asif Anwar Ahmad flanked by London’s beefeaters at the Royal Suite PH Ambassador Manalo gives his welcome remarks. of Heathrow International Airport.
PH Ambassador Manalo receives a memento – a model PAL Boeing 777300ER – from PAL President Ramon Ang.
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IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS
POEA: Other offices can process documents ofOVERSEAS OFWs from Yolanda-affected areas Filipino workers in typhoon- floor of the DOLE Building at Gen. battered Eastern Visayas may have their documents processed in at least seven other offices of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, POEA head Hans Leo Cacdac said. In a post on his Twitter account, Cacdac said they can have their documents processed at POEA offices in Legazpi, Cebu, or Metro Manila. “Eastern Visayas OFWs (especially Balik Manggagawa) have the option of processing their documents at POEA Legazpi, Cebu, or Mandaluyong,” he said. A list Cacdac posted on his Twitter account indicated the Balik Manggagawa processing venues include: • POEA Mandaluyong, located at Ortigas corner EDSA. • POEA Cebu, located at the ground
Maxilom Avenue, Cebu City. • POEA Legazpi City, located at the third floor of the ANST Building on Washington Drive, Legazpi City. • POEA Naga City, located at the third floor of the Raul Roco Library Building at Naga City Hall Compound. • Duty Free Parañaque City • SM Manila near Manila City Hall • Trinoma Mall Service Avenue in Quezon City However, Cacdac said OFWs returning and staying in the Philippines for five days or less may be processed by the POEA Labor Assistance Centers at NAIA 1 to 3. Yolanda tore through Visayas and Southern Luzon last week, flattening cities and town and `leaving over 2,000 people dead in its wake. ■ K BK , GM A News
Salvation Army asks HK to set aside tensions, help Yolanda victims
THE Salvation Army on Wedensday called on the people of Hong Kong to put aside tensions from the 2010 Manila hostage tragedy and donate to help Yolanda victims. According to Radio Television Hong Kong, Salvation Army Hong Kong Community Relations Director Simon Wong said that about 2,000 local officers from Salvation Army were doing relief work on the ground. Wong added that the relief work could
/ November 14, 2013 1:24pm
Filipinos camp outside consulate waiting to leave Saudi
JEDDAH – Some 300 Filipinos have been camping outside their consulate in Jeddah for weeks waiting for documents and help to leave Saudi Arabia, as a crackdown on illegal migrants intensifies. “I’ve been staying here for more than three weeks,” said Renato, 42, on Wednesday, as he sat on the pavement, outside a tent made of worn bed sheets. He said he was waiting for the help from his consulate in Jeddah to obtain a Saudi exit visa, but also needed money to buy a ticket home. “We can’t buy travel tickets, so we are waiting for our deportation,” he told AFP, as nearly a million illegal migrants took advantage of a seven-month amnesty and quit the kingdom. Since the amnesty expired on November 4, authorities have been rounding up foreigners who have stayed behind illegally and are holding them in special centres until their deportation papers are sorted. Another roughly four million were able to find employers to sponsor them. Among them were foreigners who overstayed their visas, pilgrims who had sought jobs, and migrants working under one sponsor trying to get jobs elsewhere. Having an official sponsor is a legal requirement in Saudi Arabia and most other Gulf states. Renato is one of those who had a sponsor and a valid residency permit, but worked for someone other that his sponsor. “I couldn’t find another sponsor,” he said.
Among the rag tents sat Elie, his wife Mati and their four-year-old son, are waiting for exit documents. “My son fell ill, and I still can’t find treatment for him,” he said. Both had jobs, but they also had the wrong sponsor, so they had to leave after failing to legalise their status. The Filipino consul general in Jeddah, Uriel Garibay, told AFP the mission is helping citizens get the documents they need “to facilitate their leave.” Many of those migrants have expired passports and need consulate identification papers. There are around one million Philippine workers in Saudi Arabia. Expatriates account for a full nine million of the oil-rich kingdom’s population of 27 million. The lure of work, even in low-paid jobs as domestics or construction workers, has made the country a magnet for migrants from Asia as well as from poorer Arab states. Despite its huge oil wealth, Saudi Arabia has a jobless rate of more than 12.5 percent among its native population, a figure the government has long sought to cut. ■ Agence France-Presse / November 14, 2013 / 4:32 AM
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
last for at least two weeks before long-term recovery work can begin. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Filipino community launched a month-long relief drive for Yolanda victims last Monday. The Philippine Consulate General set up a help desk that will entertain inquiries regarding the drive, including details on cash and in-kind donations. The desk is manned by Leonida Longcanaya at telephone number 2823.8506 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The help desk will also assist Hong Kong-based Filipinos who want to trace the whereabouts of their relatives. People may also call the consulategeneral’s hotline 9155.4023 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. A list of survivors in Tacloban, Leyte, from Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez was also posted at the Consulate’s Lobby as well as it’s Facebook page (Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong). Meanwhile, the Consulate opened condolence books at lobby.
Grateful. Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Grace Princesa on Tuesday thanked UAE President Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the $10 million (Dh36.7 million) in aid the Emirates sent Yolanda victims. “[The assistance is] a manifestation of the humanitarian spirit of the founding fathers of the UAE, especially Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, which is being continued by Shaikh Khalifa and other UAE rulers,” Princesa said, accordint to a Gulf News report. She also thanked the Filipino community, as well as the community’s friends, though adding that victims were in need of still more help. Umbrella Filipino group Bayanihan Council had sent Dh10,000 from its disaster fund last weekend, and is raising more money to send home. Other fund-raising activities by the Filipino community include a Brunch-For-ACause at the Philippine Consulate-General this Friday. ■ DVM, GMA News / November 13, 2013 / 6:02 AM
19 Pinay hotel workers locked up in UAE villa; 3 Indians face charges THREE Indian men were charged before a United Arab Emirates court for allegedly locking up 19 Filipina hotel workers in a villa and keeping them from going out during their free time. Prosecutors accused the three of breaching the Filipinas’ rights and freedom by unlawfully locking them up for a month, UAE site Gulf News reported Wednesday. Facing the charges were a 41-year-old electrician; a 61-year-old supervisor; and a 54-year-old cook, who were accused of keeping the Filipinas cooped in the employees’ residence in Al Mutainah. The 19 Filipinas worked as receptionists, housekeepers, cleaners and maids at the hotel, prosecution records showed. They were present at the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday. But the three accused pleaded not
guilty and denied the allegations. They are out on bail. However, prosecution records said the three admitted locking up the women to “protect” them from possible harassment by bachelors in the area. Their lawyer asked presiding judge Mohammad Jamal to adjourn the case to present his defense when the court reconvenes on November 24. Testimonies. Prosecutors said the women would be locked inside the villa once they finished work, and would not be released until the next day. Gulf News quoted one of the Filipinas, a 30-year-old housekeeper, as saying she had worked at the hotel in Al Muraqqabat for two years with a Dh600 salary. She said that since she started, she was told by senior workers that it was “against the hotel’s policy to go out of the residence
during free time or after work or on holidays.” “We were forced to agree because we had no other choice and we were forced also to be obedient to earn a living. However they used to take us out one day a month to go shopping under the supervision of one of the company’s supervisors and we used to be kept under surveillance… even during official holidays we remained confined,” she said. Also, she said no one treated the Filipinas badly during the confinement period. Another Filipina, a 28-year-old housekeeper, said she was hired for Dh1,500. But when she joined work, her salary was reduced to Dh700. She said that when she questioned the low pay, she was told by management that “they had to deduct the cost of my plane ticket, visa and Emirates ID.” ■ LBG, GMA News / November 7, 2013 / 7:33 AM
DFA: 644 Pinoys to be deported from Saudi ‘willingly submitted’, not arrested THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) made clear Tuesday that 644 Filipinos, including 455 women and 189 children, waiting to be deported from Saudi Arabia submitted to proceedings on their own. DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said this in reaction to a report last Sunday that Filipinos were picked up by Jeddah police and passport officials outside the Philippine Consulate in the Rehab district. Hernandez said these individuals “willingly submitted” themselves for deportation and were not corralled. He said preparations to send these Filipinos back started on November 9 but that the actual transfer of these people to the deportation center occurred November 10. “Ten buses, eight rented by the Consulate General and two provided by Saudi Immigration, were immediately
fielded to bring the women and children to the deportation center. They were provided with food and water and each bus had a Consulate representative on board,” said Hernandez. They are now at the al-Shumaisi deportation center in Riyadh. Only women and children were brought aboard the buses. Men were advised by Saudi authorities to wait “two or three more days more,” Hernandez said. Hernandez could not say when the Filipinos will be sent back to the Philippines but cited a Saudi government press release that said proceedings take 48 hours. “Our Consulate General is constantly following this up to ensure that those admitted will be deported in the shortest possible time,” he said. An earlier batch of undocumented
Filipinos arrived Monday, November 11, on two separate flights. These 37 individuals join 4,653 people repatriated from Saudi Arabia since the crackdown started on November 3. The DFA previously denied claims that 15 undocumented workers were arrested by Saudi authorities, adding embassy teams monitoring the Greater Riyadh area on November 9 and 10 found no Filipinos being held in police stations there. The DFA has said, however, that over 157,000 Filipinos were able to correct their statuses during the amnesty period given by the Saudi government. Another 38,939 Filipinos, including workers at the end of their contracts, took advantage of the reprieve on a crackdown on illegal migrant workers to leave the country. ■ Rie Takumi / JDS, GMA
News / November 12, 2013 / 5:50 PM
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Director Anthony Chen graces PH premiere of ‘Ilo Ilo’, admits film a tough act to follow ANTHONY Chen admits that he is still overwhelmed by the universal success of his feature film debut, “Ilo Ilo”, and that he already considers it a hard act to follow at this early stage of his filmmaking career. “It will be very hard to repeat what this film has done,” the Singaporean director told InterAksyon and other select media hours before the Philippine premiere of “Ilo Ilo” at the ongoing Cinema One Originals film festival at Robinsons Galleria. “For starters, it has won the Camera d’Or which is one of the two most prestigious awards in the Cannes film festival. Since this honor is given to first-time directors only, I will never win this award again.” Chen added that when “Ilo Ilo” won the Camera d’Or, it was a truly big deal for his fellow Singaporeans. “It’s like Singapore has just won the World Cup and Singapore never wins the World Cup!” he exclaimed. Inspired by his own experiences growing up with a Filipina maid, “Ilo Ilo” is both a coming-of-age feature and a moving drama about a young Singaporean boy and his relationship with the Filipina maid who worked for their family for several years amid the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Chen said that the film’s Filipina maid’s character, Auntie Terry, is loosely based on his own Auntie Terry, the beloved maid who worked for his family when he was 8 years old and left for the Philippines for good by the time he was already 12. Asked how he decided on casting theater and independent film actress Angeli Bayani as Terry, Chen said he was able to meet her through his Filipino friend, indie filmmaker Sheron Dayoc, whom he contacted when he was casting for the part. “Flying in to Manila on a budget airline and staying in a cheap hotel here that I can’t even remember the name now, I asked Sheron to help me find the right actress. About 40 actresses came and Angeli was the last to arrive. She almost didn’t make it because she just acted in a theater play the night before,” he recalled. Chen added that it probably helped that Angeli was tired and exhausted so her reading left a lasting impression on the director. At the same time, he both saw the glamorous and ordinary side of the actress which he thought augured well for the characterization that he was looking for.
Anthony Chen. Photo by Teddy Pelaez ©InterAksyon
His instincts ultimately proved him correct. When he found out that Angeli was also a single mother with a young child just like the character, the director knew that he would draw a very effective performance from her as being away for about a month during the film’s shoot would also make Angeli “miss home and miss her child”. As for the film’s title, Chen admits that it’s one of the things he easily recalled about Auntie Terry. “It came from a very personal place, so honest, so easy to recall. It was the film’s working title right from my very first draft of the script. We actually thought of about 26 different titles since no one in the world knows where Iloilo is and it was never mentioned in the film. But after debating on the title for three weeks, my and my producer decided to stick with Ilo Ilo,” he revealed. True enough, Chen said the film’s title is always the first question audiences ask about in just about each of the 40 screenings of “Ilo Ilo” all over the world. As for the decision to split it into two words, Chen said it was a deliberate creative call for the makers mainly to make it easier for viewers to pronounce it and not confuse the lowercase “i” with the lowercase “l”. As accolades go, the film has also been honored with various recognitions from other international film festivals, including the BFI London Film Festival, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, Molodist International Film Festival, Philadelphia Film Festival, 15th Mumbai Film Festival, 11th Pacific Meridian Film, Jameson Cinefest Miskolc International Film Festival and the 9th Eurasia Film Festival. The fact that Chen’s humble, low-
Singaporean director Anthony Chen speaks as actress Angeli Bayani during the Philippine premiere of ‘Ilo Ilo’ at the Robinsons Galleria on Wednesday. Photo by Teddy Pelaez ©InterAksyon
budget feature which he created with only Singaporean viewers in mind is now his country’s official entries to the Best Foreign Language Film category of both the Oscars and the Golden Globes next year makes it even tougher for the 29-year-old director to come up with a worthy follow-up. “But if that’s all I’m going to think about, then I will never make another film again and just go out on a high note,” he joked. Not that offers have not been pouring in. Chen, in fact, revealed he already turned down three Hollywood projects starring A-list actors he requested not to be mentioned since he’s not too keen on their screenplays. “It’s not that I’m not open to direct a film not written by me. In fact, my next film is an English language project to be filmed in the UK where I am now based and written by someone else. But for me to commit to a film, I need to really want to do it that much,” he pointed out. The last thing he wants to do right now, though, is either a remake or a sequel for “Ilo Ilo”. Chen said Academy-award winning director Bruce Beresford, best known for “Driving Miss Daisy”, told him that the film can be remade in Hollywood, with others suggesting as far as changing the characters to an American family and Mexican maid. Not happening, says the filmmaker. Chen is also not receptive to the idea of continuing the story either since he’s not a big fan of sequels. As for the real Auntie Terry herself who now lives in “shabby wooden hut” in Iloilo when Chen personally visited her last July, the director was thrilled when she first saw the film during its Singaporean premiere and told him, “You make me laugh, you make me cry”. Although he has not been in direct contact with her since she does not know how to use a mobile phone, he found out through an Iloilo contact that Auntie Terry is all right and her house is intact in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda’s fury. Auntie Terry is of course, invited to the film’s premiere in Iloilo this December. “I’m not sure if she wants to watch it again, though,” he quipped. “Ilo Ilo” will open in selected theaters across the Philippines on December 4. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / November 14, 2013 / 11:02 AM
Koh Jia Ler and Angeli Bayani in a scene from ‘Ilo Ilo’.
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
Michael V. and Ogie Alcasid in the pilot episode of ‘Killer Karaoke Pinoy Naman’.
Michael V., Ogie Alcasid reunite in pilot episode of ‘Killer Karaoke Pinoy Naman’
MICHAEL V. was in for a treat during the recent taping of the pilot episode of his highly anticipated TV5 debut as the host of the new game show, “Killer Karaoke Pinoy Naman”, the local version of the hit US show “Killer Karaoke”. His dear friend and long-time collaborator Ogie Alcasid turned out to be his guest co-host for the pilot, set to air on Saturday, 16 November at 8:30pm on TV5. “I was surprised!” said the comedian of their first time to work together since Ogie left their old network, GMA, and became a TV5 talent in August. “It’s going to be lots of fun! I’m very happy that Ogie is my first guest Karaoker,” he added. Ogie was was equally surprised when he took on the show’s sing-and-play challenge. “I thought I could make it, but when the challenge started, I could no longer sing!” he said in between laughs, as he was tasked to sing “Pusong Bato” while serving as yaya/waiter to Michael V. and fighting electric shocks in between. Aside from electric shocks, there’s a whole lot of other distractions contestants have to overcome when they join “Killer Karaoke Pinoy Naman”. As seen in the US version, there are challenges such as singing while getting your body hair-waxed, stepping on spiders and maggots, or standing in front of giant
fans blowing fresh air, oatmeal, and paprika. The final showdown puts the top three contenders on to a speeding turntable; the last player standing wins the jackpot. Challenges get crazier and crazier each week, but there’s only one rule: “whatever happens, do not stop singing!” Directed by Mike Tuviera, the Pinoy version is set to match its success all over the world, especially in the US, UK, Thailand, and Brazil. Michael V. and Ogie will be joined in the pilot episode by Arci Munoz, Eula Caballero, Jayce Flores, Shalala, and Rufa Mi. Which celebrity contestant is adventurous enough to conquer the challenges? Who will get to finish their song despite all the crazy distractions? Tune in to TV5 every Saturday and find out on “Killer Karaoke Pinoy Naman”. ■ InterAksyon.com / November 14, 2013 / 5:42 PM
Like Mother, Like Daughter: KC Concepcion donates P5 million for Yolanda victims
KC Concepcion pledged to Kris Aquino to donate P5 million to Sagip Kapamilya Foundation during a live telethon on Kris’ morning talk show on “Kris TV” Wednesday. The actress and TV host — an ambassador of the United Nations World Food Programme — made her pledge all the way from Ilocos where she was shooting
KC Concepcion
her latest movie, “Boy Golden”. KC has been actively asking her Twitter followers to make donations or send aid to the people ravaged by super typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas. “Cash donations TO LEGIT ORGANIZATIONS can be more efficient in emergency situations like this. They’re well-equipped & used to relief aid,” she tweeted Tuesday. KC’s mother, megastar Sharon Cuneta, has donated more than P10 million to the relief efforts. On Sunday, she gave P5 million and change to Alagang Kapatid Foundation during a TV5 telethon she hosted with Ogie Alcasid in lieu of their musical show “The Mega and the Songwriter”. Sharon issued another P5 million check to Aboitiz Foundation on Monday. She continues to ask for donations to Alagang Kapatid. ■ InterAksyon.com / November 13, 2013
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November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
TV5 telethon unites Filipinos on a night of music and hope THE Philippines may be one of the most hapless nations in the eyes of the world now, with the recent calamity that killed thousands and rendered thousands more homeless and dying, but the Filipino is a race that knows when to unite in times of crisis and be each other’s strength and inspiration. This inimitable Filipino spirit of brotherhood was seen in the overwhelming show of love and compassion during TV5’s live airing of the “Tulong Kapatid, Sulong Kapatid” fundraising telethon for the victims of typhoon Yolanda last Sunday night. Aired as a special live edition of “The Mega and the Songwriter: Kanta at Biyaya”, the telethon raised a total of ₱30 Million throughout its initial five-hour run. Hosted by Sharon Cuneta and Ogie Alcasid, the telethon proved to be an inspiring night of music and hope as it
Lara Maigue
stayed true to its promise of “Kanta at Biyaya”, with over 60 TV5 stars, OPM artists and members of national basketball team Gilas Pilipinas helping to man the phone lines and accept pledges and donations from donors all around the world. (The telethon also aired live in all TV5 international channels.) The telethon became a gathering of some of the country’s distinguished OPM artists as they filled the night with inspiring music and, by way of their heart-moving songs, appealed to the generous hearts of Filipinos everywhere to help alleviate the devastation and suffering inflicted by typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas. By singing “With A Smile”, Sharon and Ogie expressed encouragement and hope for the typhoon victims, that they will soon find reason to smile because the Filipinos are “sending out their love and uniting to help them rise from this tragedy.” Renowned alternative artists Cooky Chua and Bayang Barrios performed
Cooky Chua and Bayang Barrios
their duet of “Uunahin” and OPM icon Jim Paredes gave his moving rendition of “Panalangin”. In between interviews with the TV5 stars who came and volunteered to take calls, the telethon proved to be an entertaining and inspiring five-hour show, with the touching performances of “Lift Up Your Hands” by Jeffrey Hidalgo, “Lead Me Lord” by RJ Dela Fuente, “Alinlangan” by Aia De Leon, “Man in the Mirror” by Luke Mijares, “Beautiful”
5AZ1
Miss World Megan Young to hold fundraisers in US for PH typhoon victims
MISS World 2013 Megan Young will lead charity events in the US next week for the benefit of typhoon victims back in her homeland and then fly to the Philippines to personally deliver the proceeds, the Miss World organization announced in a news release on its website Thursday. “The Miss World charity, Beauty With A Purpose, has made the decision to direct all of its fundraising efforts into supporting the people of the Philippines,” the news release said. “The newly crowned Miss World, Megan Young, who is from the Philippines, will be attending fundraising events in the United States next week to raise as much money as possible to help her fellow Filipinos.” On Tuesday, November 19, Young will join the Philippine consul general in New York, Mario Lopez de Leon Jr., in a
charity dinner with members of the Filipino community in New York state. The following evening, she will grace an event at the Doubletree Hilton I in Newark, New Jersey. “Originally planned as a reception dinner celebrating the coronation of the Philippines first ever Miss World, the event will now focus on the fundraising powers of the Miss World Organization, with everyone coming to the event making a donation to the relief funds,” the news release noted. On Thursday, Young will head to Los Angeles for a fundraising dinner at the Beverly Hills Country Club hosted by the Philippine consul general in LA, Maria Hellen Barber-de la Vega. The highlight of the event is an auction featuring “some of the iconic dresses that she wore on her journey to the Miss World Final and
Megan Young. Photo by Bernard Testa ©InterAksyon
beyond, including her National Dress Costume, her homecoming gown and the outfit she wore when she was crowned Miss World in Bali”. Young will then travel to Manila — her second homecoming after winning the crown in September — on November 27 to bring home all the donations she will have raised. Accompanied by a delegation from the Miss World organization, she will visit Tacloban City on November 28 and Coron, Palawan on November 29. The 23-year-old Filipino-American actress and film student from Olongapo City has commiserated with the typhoon victims since last weekend through her Twitter account. She also revealed that her mother hails from Antique, one of the provinces devastated by the typhoon. ■
InterAksyon.com / November 15, 2013 / 10:35 AM
Photo from the ©Miss World Philippines Facebook account
Jim Paredes
by Abby Asistio, “Saludo” by Quest, “Hawak Kamay” by Claire Ruiz, “Bagyo, Bagyo” by Daryl Shy, and “Light a Million Mornings” by Lara Maigue. Noel Cabangon, Isabelle De Leon, Noel Mendez, Chadleen, Gabe Piolo, Arthur Manuntag, 5 Az 1, and AKA Jam also gave soulful performances dedicated to Filipinos around the world. While the guests performed, some TV5 stars and the Gilas Pilipinas players tirelessly manned the phone lines to accept donation pledges and also to note down the appeal for help from callers who wanted to trace their missing relatives in the typhoon-stricken areas. TV5 president and CEO Noel Lorenzana also took calls himself and was amazed by the outpouring of support from everyone who helped make the Tulong Kapatid telethon a success. “ I want to thank everyone who gave their time, especially to the MVP Group of Companies who fully supported this endeavour, the network’s talents and employees, and also those who have been calling to pledge their donations to help us raise funds for the typhoon victims,” Lorenzana said. “The funds we raise here will go a long way in rehabilitating the affected areas in the Visayas. A huge part of it will go to the immediate relief of the victims, such as food, temporary shelter, and medicines. We also have long-term plans such as the rehabilitation of homes and also in helping put up a system to alert people in times of calamities. It’s an ongoing effort, so we really need all the help we can get,” he added. The executive director of Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc., Menchi Silvestre, was also overwhelmed to see so many celebrities who came on short notice and tirelessly answered phone calls throughout the telethon. Some of those who comprised the first few batches of celebrity volunteers were Cong. Lucy Torres-Gomez, Aga Muhlach, Alice Dixson, Gelli De Belen, Martin Escudero, Derek Ramsay, Ritz Azul, Eula Caballero, Empoy, Mr. Fu, Regine Angeles, Raymond Gutierrez, TV5’s Artista Academy finalists, the boys of Juan Direction, Lia Cruz, Shawn Yao, Manu Sandejas, Jason Webb, and Gilas Pilipinas players Chris Tiu, Kiefer Ravena, Larry Fonacier, Gary David, Jimmy Alapag, among others. “It’s a tremendous blessing to see so many people pitching in, doing their share, and helping in their own way to express their love for our fellow Filipinos whose lives have been devastated by the typhoon. Just one hour into the telethon, we have already raised 21 million pesos and I’m very thankful for all the generosity we’re receiving. We’re not counting this by the
million but by the love expressed by each and everyone who has been supporting this cause, and it is this love that we’re sending to our kapatids who were most affected by typhoon Yolanda,” Silvestre said. Ogie Alcasid described the spirit of brotherhood shown by his fellow artists and the basketball players who volunteered for the telethon as precious and priceless. “It’s all so incredible and we’re grateful to all those who came and helped. To be honest, Sharon and I prayed before we started. We just wanted to ask God to really help us because we can’t just do this on our own. I know this is God’s work and we’re very pleased that in just a short span we were able to raise a lot of funds for the victims of Yolanda,” Ogie shared. The Alagang Kapatid Foundation continues to accept donations and financial assistance to address the needs of people who have been struck by the recent calamities that hit the country. Among the priority needs are rice, canned goods, bath and laundry soaps, sanitary napkins, clothes, blankets, sleeping mats and towels. Cash and check donations may be deposited to the following accounts: • Bank of the Philippine Islands – Ayala Avenue, SGV Branch Account Name: Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc. Account Name: Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc. Peso Account No: 1443-0533-32 Dollar Account No: 1444-0214-85 Swift Code: BOPIPHMM • Banco De Oro – Makati Avenue, Ayala Branch Account Name: Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc. Peso Account No.: 00- 5310-41016-4 Dollar Account No.: 10-5310-46264-4 Swift Code: BNORPHMM • Citibank Peso Account No: 0757138018 *USD (3rd CCY Remittance) Account No.: 0757138026 • Metrobank – Fort Burgos Circle Branch Account Name: Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc. Peso Account No: 264-3-264821763 • Cebuana Lhuiller Pawnshop Partner’s Name: Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc. • Paypal Username / beneficiary: alagangkapatid @news5.com.ph Donations may also be sent through http://brickbybrick.pdrf.org. Smart and Sun subscribers who want to donate through text may send TULONGPHto 4483. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ AlagangKapatidFoundation. ■ Lourdes Jiz de Ortega / InterAksyon.com / November 13, 2013 / 9:43 AM
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
www.hello-philippines.com 35 CELEBRITY, SHOWBIZ & ENTERTAINMENT SCOOP Pauleen Luna on her relationship with Bossing Vic Sotto: “I’m so tired of justifying what we have”
Pinay nurse in UAE sings about life’s beauty and challenges
AL AIN, United Arab Emirates – She may be working here as a nurse, but Marielle Castro is and always will be a Pinay musician at heart. “Music is a part of who I really am,” the 24-year-old Castro, who also works as a laser therapist in an aesthetic clinic, shared through email. “But let’s face the fact that the music industry is not doing well nowadays,” added the overseas Filipino worker slash singer, who has been in the UAE since 2002. Despite the dominance of glam girls in pop music, Castro chose subtler musical styles to propel her to stardom: Indie and folk. According to her, it was her father’s friend who coaxed her to send her compositions to different record labels in the Philippines. “Then Rene Salta of the GMA Records asked me to see him when I got home. We had a contract, and I had a photo and video shoot,” Castro, who namedrops Lea Salonga and Donna Cruz as her idols, said. Pinoy crowd is the best. Although Castro had to “push” her own compositions to the people here, she could still note good feedbacks from them. “I’m invited to sing to different nationalities. There’s really not much difference singing for foreign audiences. They are very appreciative, even with my original compositions,” she said. She quickly added, though, that the Filipino crowd “is still the best!” “They would always ask me to sing Tagalog songs and some old but goody songs,” Castro said, although she said she
Photo courtesy of ©GMA Records.
prefers singing her original compositions. “Songs are played to deliver a message. I also want to share my thoughts. My music is here to inspire, sharing the beauty of life and its challenges,” she said. 16 compositions. To date, Castro has written 16 songs. Her favorite, “Paper Love,” written only in 15 minutes, is about a love that “you thought would last.” Her first single, “Bubble,” which ranked 21st on itunes.ph upon its release, is about creating a screen. “Someone told me that whenever singing, we have to create a certain bubble or a screen so you would not be affected by the crowd around you. And I thought, it would be too awesome if every family and relationships have that!” Castro said. Although Castro started singing when she was still young, it was only after she graduated in college that she was able to perform. It was a mutual decision of hers
and her family. Philosophy. As a performer, Castro said she doesn’t think about herself when onstage. “Before, I said to myself, ‘I’d sing what I want to sing.’ But then I realized, not everyone would appreciate what I like. I’m performing to communicate and convey messages to people, so it depends on the crowd,” she said. Asked on what she thinks about piracy via illegal downloading, she said: “Stealing is written in the Ten Commandments. Piracy is stealing people’s intellectual rights as well as copyright infringement. So, I’m against it.” And as far as singing is concerned, Castro said it is and will continue to be her life. “Till the day my voice tells me to take rest and stop, I would not stop from singing.” ■ Lucky Mae Quilao / KBK, GMA News / November 14, 2013 / 3:55 PM
KAPAG love life ang usapan, hindi masyadong nagkukuwento si Pauleen Luna. Pero sa isang exclusive interview with Startalk TX host Ricky Lo, nag-open up si Pauleen Luna tungkol sa masaya niyang relasyon with Bossing Vic Sotto. Tinanong si Pauleen kung ito ba ang una niyang seryosong relasyon. “Siguro ‘yung ganito ka-serious, I would say yes,” sagot niya. Kung gayon, may plano na ba sila ni Bossing na magpakasal soon? “I don’t know yet. No expectations, no disappointments. If it happens, it happens. Good. If it doesn’t, well, it’s okay,” aniya. Totoo ba ang balitang may engagement ring nang ibinigay si Bossing sa kanya? Ipinakita ni Pauleen ang kamay niya at sinabing, “Wala, wala talaga.” “I will be very proud when that day comes. I will not hide it,” dagdag niya. Hindi rin daw totoo ang balitang binigyan siya ng house and lot ni Bossing. Lalong hindi raw totoo na pera lamang ang habol niya rito. “Ako po ay napakasipag pagdating sa trabaho because I wanna earn my own money. I don’t wanna depend on somebody else’s money to spend. I’m so tired of justifying what we have,” saad niya. Ang age gap nila ni Bossing ay 34 years. Hindi ba ito nagiging problema sa kanilang relasyon? “Ang nasa gitna ng relasyon namin is God talaga kaya that’s just a number for us. We respect each other equally. Pareho naming binibigyan ng importansiya ang pananaw ng isa’t isa, so I don’t think problema ang numero
‘pag dating sa ganyan,” ani Pauleen. Suportado rin daw ng kanyang mga magulang ang relasyon nila. Ayon sa kanya, “Never naman naging problema. My parents are very understanding. Sila naman, kung saan ako masaya at wala naman po silang nakikitang masama sa relasyon, okay lang naman po sila. Si Vic respects my parents very much.” Seloso ba si Bossing as a boyfriend? “Siguro in his own ways, pero hindi naman siya possessive,” nangingiting pahayag ni Pauline. Pag-amin niya, “May pagkaselosa ako sa totoo lang.” Kaka-celebrate lang ni Pauleen ng 25th birthday niya noong November 10. Ano ang birthday wish niya ngayong taon? “Well, right now I’m very, very happy. I’m very content with what I have and with where I am now. Ganoon talaga when you’re happy and when you’re contented, you don’t look for other things,” sagot niya. Dagdag niya, “Life can only get better from here on. Ang wish ko lang, more blessings, perfect health for me and my family and of course, kay Vic and his family also. That’s about it.” ■ Samantha Portillo / GMANetwork.com / November 12, 2013
Photo by Bochic Estrada ©GMANetwork.com
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Elmo Magalona and Janine Gutierrez team up in GMA’s remake of Villa Quintana THIS November, GMA Pinoy TV presents Villa Quintana, a heartwarming love story that became a phenomenal hit series in the mid-90s. Mothers today are definitely sentimental when they reminisce the love between Isagani and Lynette, originally portrayed by Keempee de Leon and Donna Cruz. Kapuso teen heartthrob Elmo Magalona and promising Kapuso actress Janine Gutierrez reprise the roles, driving strong anticipation among fans of the original series, reaffirming that their first team-up on-screen is one of this year’s most exciting casting coups. As they breathe life into the characters of Isagani Samonte and Lynette Quintana, they retell a great love story in a way that best represents how sweet young love can be. Women, young and old, would definitely fall in love once again with Villa Quintana’s triumphant celebration of love amidst challenges. Isagani (Elmo) is the lovechild of Robert and Lumeng but will grow up knowing his father is Felix. He lives a simple life in the farm together with his parents. He eventually falls and fights for his love for Lynette. Meanwhile, Lynette (Janine) will be mistaken by Don Manolo as the child of Robert and Lumeng. Thus she grows up living a very comfortable and affluent life. She requites Isagani’s affection. And their love for each other will once again become television’s finest romantic tale. Villa Quintana is not only an acting piece for the new team up of Elmo and Janine but also the show’s love triangle of bankable stars: Raymart Santiago, Sunshine Dizon and Paolo Contis.
Raymart plays the role of Felix Samonte. He stood as the father of Isagani when Robert abandoned Lumeng and because he always loved Lumeng, he married her to save her from disgrace. He is a kind, understanding and patient person but he also fights for what he believes in. Paolo portrays the role of Robert Quintana, the only son of Don Manolo and the real father of Isagani. He falls in love with Lumeng but Don Manolo is against it because Lumeng is not from a prominent and landed family. Lumeng Samonte, the mother of Isagani is portrayed by Sunshine. Robert was her first love but she eventually married Felix. She is smart, fearless and has a strong and positive outlook in life. She focuses on possibilities rather than life’s challenges and will stand up and fight for her family and for what they rightfully deserve. Villa Quintana is inspiring as it fulfills every woman’s aspiration for a good family life, characterized by unwavering love for each and every member. The show also upholds every viewer’s pursuit of love and self-significance that affluence nor poverty could ever scorn. The series is a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, their family’s tension against the brewing romance that’s driven by past hurts and offenses. Lumeng is not in favor of the relationship because of how the Quintanas treated her when she was younger. But Isagani will continue to fight for his love for Lynette, despite his mother’s objections and while the Quintanas betroth Lynette to a young man who also comes from a wealthy and influential clan. Being educated abroad, Lynette affirms her
independence and upholds her right to choose the man she loves, which results to a bitter struggle with her family, particularly her grandfather Don Manolo who is against any type of modernization. Nothing can separate Isagani and Lynette, not even the manipulative pressures from the Quintanas. Everything changes when Lumeng discovers a secret of the Quintanas that overturns odds, a detail from the past that affects the fate of the young couple’s love for each other. Will the revelation affect the love between Isagani and Lynette? Or will their love for each other prevail? How will their families accept the truth? Under the direction of Ms. Gina Alajar, the remake of the 90’s hit series Villa Quintana will not only tackle love but also family values, relationships and principles worth fighting for. The show also stars Roy Alvarez as Don Manolo Quintana, Maricar De Mesa as Stella, Tanya Garcia as Amparing, Kyla as Ruby, Marky Lopez as Chito, Juancho Trivino as Jason and Rita de Guzman as Patrice. Villa Quintana premieres November 5 on GMA Pinoy TV, the flagship international channel of GMA. ■ For more details and program information, visit the GMA International website www.gmanetwork.com/ international, Facebook pages www. facebook.com/GMAPinoyTV, www. facebook.com/gmalifetv, and, www. facebook.com/gmanewsinternational, and Twitter pages @GMAPinoyTV and @ GMA_LifeTV.
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
Janine Gutierrez and Elmo Magalona
Villa Quintana cast
Maricar De Mesa
Raymart Santiago
Tanya Garcia
Paolo Contis
Sunshine Dizon
Rita De Guzman
Roy Alvarez
Kyla
Juancho Trivino
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
COMMUNITY EVENTS FOCUS
Batangas Association UK (BAUK) Turns 20
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By Peps Villanueva
THE Batangas Association UK (BAUK) celebrated its 20th anniversary with a dinnerdance on the 19th of October at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Portman Square, London. Keynote speaker was Ambassador Enrique Manalo who came with his wife, Pamela. Providing the music was the Breeze Band with Pinay songstress, Anne Leyva, on vocals who kept everyone on their feet dancing until the early hours of the morning. There was also a short cabaret with West End performer (Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar, Avenue Q, among others), Irene Alano-Rhodes, entertaining the guests with her mix of pop numbers and songs from musicals. On a sombre note, a minute’s silence
was observed in memory of those who perished in and those badly affected by the recent earthquake which hit Bohol, Cebu, and other nearby areas. In addition, a donation box was passed around which raised £500 which has already been donated to a charity doing relief operations in the Philippines. BAUK, through its president—Gloria Diaz, would like to thank the donors and sponsors who gave their support to the association. She would also like to acknowledge the hard-work and tremendous effort of BAUK’s officers and committee members. Lastly, BAUK would like to thank the 322 guests who joined us in this memorable evening. ■
The first prize winner of the Batangas Association UK (BAUK) raffle draw (drawn on Saturday, 19 October 2013 at Radisson Blu Portman Hotel) was Frankie Alfante who is shown above receiving his £500.00 from Dottie Mendoza of the Manila Supermarket, Earls Court with Julie Villanueva, Secretary of the Batangas Association UK (BAUK).
Photos and courtesy by: KEY OF “G ” PHOTOGRAPHY
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SPORTS
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
Team Lakay hopes to address wrestling woes ahead of big ONE FC clashes
Manny Pacquiao dedicates fight to ‘Yolanda’ victims
FILIPINO fight icon Manny Pacquiao is dedicating his November 24 ring comeback to victims of super typhoon “Yolanda” that ravaged the Philippines last week. Pacquiao will face dangerous MexicanAmerican fighter Brandon Rios in Macau in his first fight since being knocked out by rival Juan Manuel Marquez last year. The fighter, who also serves as congressman of Sarangani province, said his training prevented him from personally getting involved in relief efforts. “I really feel very bad over what
happened in the Visayas region where more than 10,000 people are believed to have lost their lives,” Pacquiao said in a statement. “I really want to visit the area and personally do what I can to help our countrymen who have suffered so much in this terrible tragedy but I’m in deep training in General Santos City for a crucial fight so I regret I cannot go. “I will send help to those who need it the most and I enjoin all of you to pray for our country and people in these trying times.” ■ InterAKTV / November 13, 2013 /4:29 PM
Asian football chief impressed by progress of Philippine football, hopes for more infrastructure THE chief of the Asian football body arrived in the country this week to showcase its stronger ties with the Philippines when it comes to football development. Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa said that he is impressed with the progress of Philippine football for the past years, and the body vowed to help the country improve more in the sport. “We’ve discussed the 2014 support the AFC will bring through clinics to coaches, players,” he said. Sheikh Salman added that while the Philippines has a bright future in football, the country’s lack of pitches might impede the sport’s development. “The Philippines have progressed in the past two years. I hope we can have more events in the ASEAN region,” he said, referring to the AFC-sanctioned tournament the country has hosted the past years. “Infrastructure, that will always be the issue.” But with proper funding and attention from the government, Sheikh Salman believes that more football pitches could be built in the Philippines.
Sheikh Salman also revealed that Manila will host the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the AFC in November next year in an event where Asia’s top coaches, players and clubs are expected to be honored. The AFC was founded in Manila in 1954, and the chief said that it will be fitting for the organization to trace its roots during its 60th founding anniversary. An all-star exhibition match could also serve as an appetizer for the event. “It will be a great honor to be back here and see how it all started,” he said. With the Philippines still suffering from the wrath of super typhoon “Yolanda,” Sheikh Salman also extended his condolences to the victims of the disaster. “I’d like to express my condolences to the Filipinos. All the tragedy that the disaster has brought, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims,” he said. “I hope the recovery gets on its way as soon as possible.” “We hope that the Philippines can pass this period and if there is any need, I’m sure that the organization will be honored to fulfill that.” ■ Karl Decena / InterAKTV / November 14, 2013 /10:49 PM
AFC chief Sheikh Salman (second from left). Photo by Karl Decena ©InterAKTV
THE famed Lakay MMA camp – widely considered the best mixed martial arts team in the Philippines today – has fallen on tough times of late. They suffered a 5-0 shutout at the hands of foreign opponents in the most recent ONE Fighting Champion fight card held in the country last May with then-featherweight champion Honorio Banario losing his belt after a knockout loss. As the ONE FC: Moment of Truth fight card approaches, Team Lakay will be called back up to plate once again. Banario gets a chance to reclaim his lost gold when he takes on conqueror Koji Oishi in a rematch of their title fight while three others – Filipino MMA legend Eduard Folayang, bantamweight contender Kevin Belingon and Geje Eustaquio – look to bounce back from losses in the last card as well. This time, though, they’re hoping to be better equipped to handle what their foes throw at them in their supposed Achilles’ Heel: the wrestling game. Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao spoke to InterAKTV about his team’s difficulties in adapting to the wrestling aspect of MMA. Sangiao, whose fighters mostly start out training exclusively in wushu, said that the MMA wrestling runs counterintuitive to the wushu-style of wrestling that the Lakay members learn when they start out due to differences in the rules. “Firstly, wushu is really more of a striking art. There is wrestling in wushu but it’s different,” Sangiao told InterAKTV in Filipino. “In wushu wrestling, both of your feet need to be on the ground. If you touch your knee to the ground, that’s three points for your opponent. So that’s a very difficult adjustment. When you’ve been wrestling one way for all of these years, it’s hard to adjust to wrestling where you can use your knees.” “You develop that over the course of a couple of years, so that’s what we’re
trying to include – the instincts to use the international style of wrestling.” Mechanics isn’t the only key difference between the wrestling style preferred in MMA and the style used in their base martial art. “In wrestling, another advantage is that you can hold on or force a takedown for a while. In wushu, if you’re not able to do anything in three seconds, the referee with force a break.” “So in wushu, it’s very explosive. But we haven’t been able to develop the kind of muscle endurance that’s needed in MMA. And that’s built through doing a lot of wrestling over a period of time.” Sangiao and his Lakay MMA team are taking the right steps to correct the shortcomings of the past. For one, they’ve turned to an Iranian coach, Ali Heyderavadi, to shore up their knowledge on the international wrestling game. Heyderavadi, whom Sangiao met in a Pacific X-treme Combat (PXC) event in the Philippines earlier this year, has been a big help around training camp, according to the coach.
“He’s been teaching us some things that we’ve been doing in the past but we didn’t know the actual technique. He’s been working on teaching how to control opponents, especially the hips and the leg. He’s also added some things to our training like exercise to make the necks stronger,” Sangiao said. “I’ve been giving him the space to do his thing and it’s been a big help.” The Lakay head coach is not under the illusion, though, that the addition of a wrestling coach would become a magic fix for his team’s recent struggles. Despite some very important matches coming on the December ONE FC card, he’s prepared for the possibility that the pay-off might come much later than that. “It’s not something that happens overnight,” Sangiao said. “It’s going to take some time before we see a big improvement.” For the team looking to re-establish itself as one of the top teams in Asia, though, it’s a big step in the right direction. ■ Mikkel Bolante / InterAKTV / November 11, 2013 /
5:18 PM
Eduard Folayang. Photo by Roy Afable ©InterAKTV
‘He’s back!’ Nonito Donaire scores sensational TKO victory against Vic Darchinyan
CORPUS CHRISTI – Filipino star Nonito Donaire stopped Australian-based Armenian southpaw Vic Darchinyan in the ninth round of a 10-round non-title bout Saturday to boost his bid to return to boxing’s elite. Donaire was trailing on two of three judges’ scorecards when he snatched the victory in a rematch of former world champions trying to revive their careers. He felled Darchinyan with a left hook, and although Darchinyan rose and continued, he never looked steady. Donaire’s punishing follow-up prompted referee Laurence Cole to call a halt at 2:06 of round nine. Donaire improved to 32-2 with 21 knockouts. He bounced back from a loss to Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux in a super bantamweight world title bout in April. Even in the glow of victory, Donaire said his thoughts were with people in his native Philippines, where more than 10,000 are feared dead in the wake of Super Typhoon Haiyan. “First and foremost, prayers to people in the Philippines who were hit by the typhoon,” he said. “Please have your prayers for people in the Philippines.” For Darchinyan, the fight was a grudge match, but he was ultimately unable to avenge his 2007 fifth-round knockout loss to Donaire – his first career defeat.
Both fighters hurt each other with heavy blows in the second round. A furious exchange at the end of the fourth had to be broken up after the bell, and the toe-to-toe action continued in the fifth with Darchinyan seeming to have the edge. Donaire, who had right shoulder surgery after losing to Rigondeaux, looked tentative at times. He admitted there was a moment when he wasn’t sure he could continue. “When he hit me in my cheek, I felt like he broke my cheek,” Donaire said. “Part of my mind was like, ‘Is this it for me? I’m losing the fight. Should I keep going?’
“I put my heart into it,” he said. “I said, ‘You know what, I will never, ever quit.’” His determination paid off and Darchinyan, 37, fell to 39-6-1. On the same card, unbeaten American Mikey Garcia survived a second-round knockdown to knock out Roman “Rocky” Martinez with a left hook to the body in the eighth round and take the Puerto Rican’s World Boxing Organization super featherweight world title. Garcia improved to 33-0 with 28 wins inside the distance. Martinez fell to 27-2-2 with 16 knockouts. ■ InterAKTV / November 10, 2013 /12:31 PM
November 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition
SPORTS
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Freddie Roach will order Manny Pacquiao to retire in case of bad loss to Brandon Rios
Donaire dedicates fight to Pinoys reeling from Yolanda FILIPINO boxing icon Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. dedicated his Saturday (Sunday, PHL time) bout against Vic Darchinyan to Filipinos who are reeling from the effects of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). In a post on his social networking accounts, Donaire said he wants to uplift the Filipinos’ spirits with his bout. Dedicating my fight to uplift the Filipinos spirits. Our indomitable spirit has been recognized WORLDWIDE, even... http://t.co/q2DNnCNGDD — Nonito Donaire Jr. (@filipinoflash) November 10, 2013 “Dedicating my fight to uplift the Filipinos spirits. Our indomitable spirit has
been recognized WORLDWIDE, even by CNN. Keep faith, HE will not abandon us in our time of need,” he said. He also called for “continued prayers for the Earthquake and Typhoon victims.” Donaire and Darchinyan’s bout in Corpus Christi in Texas marks Donaire’s return to the ring seven months after he dropped his bout to Guillermo Rigondeaux last April. Donaire was born in Bohol, which is still reeling not only from Yolanda but also from the effects of a magnitude-7.2 quake that hit Central Visayas last October. Donaire went on to win by a ninthround TKO. ■ LBG, GMA News / November 10, 2013 / 10:10 AM
SINGAPORE – Manny Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said he would order the Filipino boxing great to retire if he suffers a bad loss in next week’s comeback fight against Brandon Rios. The flamboyant Roach backed Pacquiao for a fifth or sixth-round knockout of the American in their November 24 World Boxing Organisation welterweight title bout in Macau. But if the fight does not go according to plan, he said he would have no hesitation in telling Pacquiao to quit the sport after what would be his third straight defeat. And Roach, a former boxer who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, said they had an “agreement” that Pacquiao would retire if advised to by his trainer. “If I see he is slowing down and slipping in the fight I will be the first one to tell him,” Roach told journalists via conference call from Pacquiao’s training camp in General Santos City, the Philippines, late on Wednesday. “We have an agreement that I will tell him that and he will retire. I don’t see him slipping in the gym at this moment and he’s doing really well. He’s fired up and anxious to get back in the ring and I see good things. “If things don’t go well we will talk about retirement and going into politics full-time or something like that.” Pacquiao, who is nearly 35 and was regarded as one of the best pound-forpound boxers of his generation when he won world titles in eight weight divisions, has not fought in nearly a year since he was knocked out by Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez in the sixth round in Las Vegas last December. It was Pacquiao’s second consecutive
defeat after he lost a controversial split decision to Timothy Bradley six months earlier – his first loss in seven years. Pacquiao’s build-up to the “must-win” fight with Rios has been disrupted by super typhoon Haiyan, which killed thousands of people and left hundreds of thousands homeless when it swept through central regions of the Philippines. But Roach said he had told Pacquiao, who is a member of congress, that it was impossible to take time out of training to visit survivors and survey aid efforts in the affected areas. “He told me he wanted to go down on Sunday but it’s too close to the fight for him to take any time off and we talked about that,” Roach said. “He is focused on the fight still but obviously it is a big distraction because it killed all of those people. “We do talk about it in the gym – about how many people got killed in the storm and how many more have been affected. He is concerned about it yes, very much, but I think we have him pretty much on track on the fight. “He knows it’s a big fight and he knows
it’s a must-win situation and it’s bigger than that because he has to win for the country also, not just his boxing career, he knows he has to win for the people and he told me that yesterday. “They seem to be inspiring each other.” Roach added that Pacman was “90 percent ready” to face “fat guy” Rios, who is seven years younger and 1.5 inches taller than the five foot 6.5 inches (1.69 metres) Filipino southpaw. He said if Pacquiao wins in Macau, they will seek a rematch with Marquez as a priority ahead of the long-awaited match-up with undefeated American Floyd Mayweather. “We want Marquez one more time, yes. That’s the fight we want,” he said. “Mayweather too of course, but Marquez, he got lucky and we want to take that back.” Pacquiao wraps up his training camp and departs for Macau on Monday, ahead of the fight which will be held next Sunday morning local time so as to be live for Saturday evening TV audiences in the United States. ■ Agence France-Presse / November 14, 2013 / 12:59 PM
Kelly Williams happy for old friend and rival Arwind Santos’ MVP win
KELLY Williams and Arwind Santos go back a long way. The two men were teammates under the Magnolia banner in the old Philippine Basketball League, combining to form the most fearsome frontline in the amateur ranks. They came into the PBA in the same year. Williams was drafted No. 1 overall, while Santos was selected second in 2006. That season, Williams beat out Santos for the Rookie of the Year trophy. By their second season in the league,
Photo by Markku Seguerra ©InterAKTV
both Williams and Santos had blossomed into Most Valuable Player candidates for their respective squads. But after leading Sta. Lucia to a title run in the Philippine Cup, Williams edged Santos for the MVP award that season. Santos got a measure of revenge in 2011, when he led his Petron Blaze Boosters over Williams’ Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters in the finals of the Governors’ Cup. Santos also won finals MVP honors. The two men’s rivalry was put on hold
this past season, as Williams skipped the last two conferences of the PBA to seek treatment in the United States. During that span, Santos finally won the season MVP trophy, and Williams couldn’t be happier for his friend. “He put in his work,” said Williams, adding that he was proud of the former Far Eastern University star. With Williams returning to Talk ‘N Text in the Philippine Cup, he is expected to renew his rivalry with Santos. ■ Joshua
Lopez / News5 / November 14, 2013 /5:51 PM
Mark Striegl disappointed after foe missing weight results in scrapped PXC 41 fight Part of ticket proceeds to UFL matches to go to ‘Yolanda’ relief FILIPINO-American featherweight contender Mark ‘Mugen’ Striegl was just raring to get back into the Pacific X-treme Combat (PXC) cage to wash away some of the sting of his previous fight – a loss to current 145-lb. division champion Jang Yong Kim. Unfortunately for Striegl, his return is going to have to wait after scheduled foe Ev Ting missed weight by a whopping seven pounds, leaving the Baguio-based fighter without an opponent for the night. “Of course I’m bummed out. I trained really hard for this fight, especially after my last fight with Jang Yong Kim,” a disappointed Striegl told InterAKTV during the PXC 41 event at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. Striegl expressed some frustration after seeing his return fight scrapped from the schedule through no fault of his own.
“I feel as a professional fighter, you have two jobs – one is to make weight and the other is show up on fight night and fight. Ev Ting failed to make weight. It is what it is,” he said. “And he didn’t try to make weight either. PXC gave him time and he quit.” The Fil-Am fighter is looking to get his career arc back on track after suffering his first professional loss against Kim last September. While this sets his plans back a little, he’s more concerned about his fans that he is about himself at this point. “I just feel I let down some of my fans who showed up and bought tickets and wanted to see me fight tonight.” Striegl is now set for a possible February return against a yet-to-be-named opponent. But given the choice, he would rather it not be Ting, whom he doesn’t trust not to repeat his actions in this one.
He is ready to move past it, though, and is preparing for the next challenge ahead. “It sucks, but I just have to look forward to the next one,” he said. ■ Mikkel Bolante / InterAKTV / November 10, 2013 / 3:17 AM
Photo by Bayani O. Bravante ©Sports5
THE United Football League started to charge for admission on Tuesday, and it is planning to give part of its revenue to the victims of super typhoon “Yolanda,” which ravaged the Philippines last week. “UFL is looking to donate its share of gate receipts until the end of the UFL Cup to the typhoon victims,” UFL president Randy Roxas announced on his Twitter account. “So please come to Emperador and watch the games to support your team and to help raise funds for those affected by the typhoon.” After making admission to the matches free since 2011, the UFL decided to charge tickets during the knockout stages of the Cup competition that started on Tuesday at the Emperador Stadium. Ticket prices are pegged at P100 for grandstand seats and P50 for the bleachers section. The UFL, in partnership with LBC and
Philippine Red Cross, has also encouraged fans to bring cash or in-kind donations during matches. Drop-off boxes will be set up around the stadium. As many as 10,000 people are feared to be dead due to “Yolanda,” the strongest typhoon in the world this year, which destructed the country especially Tacloban City in Leyte. ■ Karl Decena / InterAKTV / November
12, 2013 / 9:35 PM
Photo by Mark Dimalanta ©Sports5
sport Manny Pacquiao dedicates fight to ‘Yolanda’ victims Story on page 38
Team Lakay hopes to address wrestling woes ahead of big ONE FC clashes Story on page 38
Part of ticket proceeds to UFL matches to go to ‘Yolanda’ relief Story on page 39
AFTERVICTORY,NONITODONAIREOFFERS PRAYERSTO‘YOLANDA’VICTIMSINPHILIPPINES EVEN after scoring a sensational technical knockout victory over Vic Darchinyan, Nonito Donaire’s thoughts were on his countrymen affected by super typhoon “Yolanda” this past week. “First and foremost, prayers to people in the Philippines who were hit by the typhoon,” he said. “Please have your prayers for people in the Philippines.” A regional police chief on Sunday said the super typhoon is believed to have killed 10,000 people in Leyte, but official death toll by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has been placed at 151. If the 10,000 death toll is proven true, the devastation from Yolanda would be the country’s deadliest recorded natural disaster. “We had a meeting last night with the governor and, based on the government’s estimates, initially there are 10,000 casualties (dead). About 70 to 80 percent of the houses and structures along the typhoon’s path were destroyed,” Soria said. ■ Agence France-Presse / November 10, 2013 · 2:33 PM