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The 116th Anniversary of Philippine Independence

Thursday, June 12, 2014

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

t is my pleasure and honor to greet my fellow Filipinos as we celebrate the 116th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence. Our forefathers’ patriotism, bravery, and determination to defend our people from injustice have brought us the freedom and democracy we now enjoy. We continue to protect this liberty even as we surmount new challenges in our everevolving milieu: eliminating greed and corruption from society; addressing the needs of our citizens with opportunities for education, healthcare, employment, livelihood, and other social services; and maintaining the Philippines’ upward economic trajectory and restored distinction on the global platform. Let this commemoration of our ancestors’ heroism be not just a portion

MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

n the Occasion of the 116th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence. The 116th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence reminds us once again, of our inspiring history, our heroes’ selfless sacrifices, and our determination to assert our rightful place in the community of nations. This year’s theme, “Pagsunod sa Yapak ng mga Dakilang Pilipino, Tungo saMalawakan at Permanenteng Pagbabago”, reaffirms our collective resolve to continue striving for the Philippines’ remarkable transformation through good governance. With the Aquino administration’s agenda bearing fruit, we envision an inclusive, just, and prosperous Filipino society, and a continued improvement in the quality of life of our people. The Department of Foreign Affairs shares these aspirations as articulated by our heroes and our champions, both past and present. These ideals drive the DFA in main-

taining a principled and forward-looking foreign policy. We, therefore, call on our modern-day heroes, the overseas Filipinos, to keep the faith in the country’s future. We urge our development partners to remain confident in our bright prospects. We encourage more investments not only financially but also in strengthening integrity and other institutions for the Philippines to achieve independence from poverty, corruption, ignorance, and inequality. For this year’s Independence Day commemoration, let us celebrate the Philippines ‘continued economic growth, our consistent advocacy for the rule of law, and that quintessential, indomitable, and resilient Filipino spirit. isang tunay na makahulugang Araw ng Kalayaan sa ating lahat! ALBERT F. DEL ROSARIO Secretary of Foreign Affairs

of our country’s glorious and exciting narrative, but also a reminder for everyone that we are our nation’s stewards of peace, equality, and prosperity, and that we are all bearers of a proud heritage, tasked to demonstrate integrity, transparency, and accountability in all our pursuits. May we remain united, like our forebears more than a hundred years ago, in working for an even more robust, equitably progressive Republic, and as we move forward, let us ensure that no Filipino is left behind as we journey on the straight and righteous path. Happy Philippine Independence Day to all of us. BENIGNO S. AQUINO III The President of The Philippines

The 116th Anniversary of Philippine Independence

Thursday, June 12, 2014

MESSAGE FROM THE PHILIPPINE AMBASSADOR TO QATAR

n the occasion of the 116th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence let us remember the valiant quest of our ancestors for freedom and democracy. As we commemorate their heroism, let us also look on to the future with hope and pride borne of this great heritage. In keeping with this year’s theme, “Pagsunod sa Yapak ng mga Dakilang Pilipino Tungo sa Malawakan at Permanenteng Pagbabago,” I gently urge our dear kababayans to uphold the highest standard of professionalism and commitment to the rule of law. Filipinos are very talented and could easily compete with the rest of the expat communities in any part of the world. To be successful in our respective fields, we have to support each other as one people and rejoice in the success of our fellow countrymen. I have tried my best to bring to the mind and consciousness of the Filipinos in Qatar to adhere to the rule of law, transparency, honesty and respect for leaders. We should

live by these ideals in our daily lives and be role models for others to emulate. If we can do this, then there’s no reason why Filipinos could not succeed in any endeavor and be ambassadors of goodwill for the nation. In all our dealings with each other, we should always count others as better than ourselves. If we can live by this principle, then we can live in harmony and unity as one people. Lastly, save and invest for your future as you will never know what the future holds. Our destiny brings us back to our homeland and so with this opportunity afforded to us, may we all be instruments in bringing about the change we desire for our native land and to help propel its growth and development. Let us be the bridge to a stronger Philippines and Qatar relations and towards the recognition of a world-class and forwardlooking Philippines. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! CRESCENTE R. RELACION Philippine Ambassador to Qatar

Thursday, June 12, 2014

The 116th Anniversary of Philippine Independence

READERS SPEAK OUT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PHILIPPINE I-DAY TO THEM

symbol of freedom, a reminder of the bravery of their national heroes and a slice of home are what most Filipinos in Qatar associate the celebration of their country’s national day with. This year marks the 116th anniversary of the day when the first president of the Philippines Emilio Aguinaldo raised the flag of the Philippines on the balcony of his residence in Cavite El Viejo (Kawit). For many Pinoys, the occasion is the time when they are reminded of their heritage. It is the day when they are most proud to be part of the Filipino race. Qatar Tribune spoke to a number of expats to know their thoughts and views on the memorial day.

Pat Carido of Pinoy Basketball in Qatar It is important for us to pay respect and remember the sacrifices of our forefathers which made it possible for us now to enjoy an absolute freedom. On this day I feel more proud of my heritage especially with the global recognition of our talents including the hardworking Filipino workforce abroad. My sentiments on this day are perfectly captured by the lyrics of the famous Filipino patriotic song ‘Ako ay Pilipino’ (I Am a Filipino). “Ako ay Pilipino Ang dugo’y maharlika. Likas sa aking puso Adhikaing kay ganda Sa Pilipinas na aking bayan Lantay na Perlas ng Silanganan Wari’y natipon ang kayamanan ng Maykapal” (I am a Filipino. Someone of honor and respect Purity is in my heart With only virtuous goals To my Land, the Philippines The untouched pearl of the Orient Oh blessed with great wealth by merciful and mighty God).

Arnel Punzalan of PICE-Qatar Celebrating the Philippine Independence Day reminds us of the courage and struggle of the brave Filipinos who fought for the liberty of our nation under the Spanish Rule. It is important to go back to our history so that we can realize all the sacrifices of our ancestors and relive it by preserving our patriotism and the sense of unity.” Loi Olivar of WARP For me freedom has a very extensive meaning. It is a state of being free from everything (including political and spiritual freedom). Everyone deserves to enjoy the gifts of freedom as the Filipino race enjoys but one must know how to exercise such rights properly at the same time how to cherish it. For me, Philippine Independence day is a message of peace. Jovelyn Bayubay Revilla When we talk about the occasion, sometimes I can’t help but to think about the true essence of the day. Are we really reaping the rewards of the sacrifices of our forefathers? Given what is going on around us, in the Philippines and even among Filipinos abroad, is this really what being free means? There is nothing like being able to celebrate our independence even while serving in a foreign land. But personally I think there are still so many issues that as a nation we have to bravely face, such as poverty, before we can fully enjoy the gifts of freedom from our ancestors. Allan Vista of Cavitenos sa Qatar (CSQ) Being a Caviteno, the occasion means more to me as I came from the very place where the Philippine flag was raised following our nation’s liberation. It is an honour to be able to mark this event here in Qatar along with other Filipino organisations. I would like to thank the main organisers of the upcoming Philippine Independence Day celebration for once again uniting the community in a day-long programme. George Babiano Commemorating our independence should not only be our duty. It is also our obligation as Filipinos to protect our nation’s freedom and integrity. We should also continuously serve as inspirations to each other by demonstrating the good values our race is known for as well as to unite not only on this day. Denmark Gallardo This is the biggest event of overseas Filipino workers in Qatar. For me, it is even more important because of the opportunity to mark the occasion and honour our flag in a foreign country.

SPECIAL THANKS The QIM team thanks the Embassy of Philippines, Doha-Qatar for the kind support and contribution to the Supplement.

The 116th Anniversary of Philippine Independence

Thursday, June 12, 2014

•

ThePhilippineshavethefourthlongestcoastlinein the world. At 36,289 kilometers, you can explore hundreds of warm, tropical islands and find a beach all to yourself. •

The Philippines have some of the world’s best sites, from World War II wrecks to UNESCO World Heritage Reefs.

• Boracay Island in Aklan, with its finest sand, warmest waters, best beaches and craziest parties, ranked no.1 on Travel + Leisure’s ‘World’s Best Islands’ list. • Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Cagayacillo, Palawan is home to some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world and supports an unparalleled variety of marine life. • Underground River in Puerto Princesa, Palawan is recognized as one of the New 7 Wonders of the Nature. • Chocolate Hills located in Carmen, Bohol is a land of endless wonder because of its white sand beaches, stunning diving spots, tropical rainforest adventure parks and the world’s smallest primate. • In Batangas, specifically in Anilao, Mabini, you’ll find 319 of the world’s coral species in the warm waters. • Banaue Rice Terraces in Batad, Banaue, Ifugao, hand-carved by ancestors of the Filipinos, still continue to supply the local communities with rice. • Sinulog Festival, a historical religious celebration, is popular among tourists since its also one of the craziest and most colourful fiestas in the country Image shown for illustration purposes only.

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IN THE PHILIPPINES’?

The 116th Anniversary of P

Thursday, June 12, 2014

DESIGNER KENNETH COBONPUE

Design P hilip pines is a branding initiative aimed at positioning the Philippines as a sourcing destination for finely crafted products for the world market. It is a design movement that nurtures and celebrates the creativity and originality of a globally competitive and passionate community of Filipino designers and craftsmen. The Philippines has proven through the years that it is home to unique Filipino creativity, craftsmanship and artisanship and through Design Philippines the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM, the export promotions arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry) is committed to promoting the Design Philippines brand worldwide.

Design Ph

After a successful run in the recently concluded maiden edition of Maison and Objet Asia, an internationally renowned lifestyle exhibition and design creativity event held in Singapore, Design Philippines made its presence in the US this May. The event was the International Contemporary Furniture Fair at the Jacob K. Javits Center, New York, attended by the whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who in the design industry and the prime movers and purveyors of global design. Designer Budji Layug designed and curated the Philippine Pavilion at ICFF with partner multi-awarded architect Royal Pineda. The pavilion showcased a wide array of carefully selected, upscale home designer pieces crafted by participating Design Philippines companies, making

DESIGNER BUDJI LAYUG

Showc Filipino S Craftsm

Philippine Independence

Thursday, June 12, 2014

hilippines:

casing Style and manship

DESIGNER ANN PAMINTUAN

a rich compendium of aesthetic narratives and authentic human stories. Kenneth Cobonpue, who was recently awarded as Designer of the Year by Maison & Objet Asia, led the Filipino contingent. Joining him was Ann Pamintuan, Ateliera, Catalina, Contemporaneo, Industria, Ito Kish, Lightworks, Masaeco, Mayumi, Nature’s Legacy, Prizmic & Brill, Schema, Tadeco Home and Vito Selma. From Milan to Paris and now to New York, this group of Filipino designers is working hard to put the Philippine brand out there, and Cobonpue is thankful that the government has been very supportive. CITEM Executive Director Rosvi Gaetos shares that “as Design Philippines’ reputation for embodying the artisanal spirit and unique Filipino design sensibility steadily grows, the Philippines moves towards cementing its position as the undisputed sourcing destination for finely crafted products in Asia.” Through the years, the Philippines has truly taken up craftsmanship a notch higher, churning out contemporary products with that ‘21st century edge,’ using traditional skills handed throughout generations. In season and out of season, the Filipino craftsman always gives a soulful rendition of his art, as heritage dictates. This somehow gives the created pieces a ‘Filipino look’. This is what Design Philippines is all about. It is about a collective passion for creating something beautiful, something thrilling, and something inspiring for the entire world to see and experience. It is a movement that is anchored on tradition and trend, all at the same time. It is local yet global.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

The 116th Anniversary of Philippine Independence

WHY ‘IT’S MORE FUN Philippine Embassy Doha steps up its tourism campaign

hilippine Embassy Doha is keen on attracting more residents of Qatar to consider the Philippines as their next travel destination. With its initiative to popularize the tourism slogan ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’, launched internationally at the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Manado, Indonesia, in January 2012, the Embassy hopes to arouse the curiosity of the Qataris and other communities here about the tourism potential of the Southeast Asian nation. The campaign ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ aims to increase the influx of tourists into the Philippines with a target of 10 million tourists by 2016. The catchy slogan literally answers the questions, ‘Why the Philippines? It intends to revive the vibrancy of tourism sector of the country which is lagging behind its neighbours like Thailand and Malaysia. According to reports, while Thailand receives about 15 million tourists annually, the Philippines only gets roughly 4 million a year. There are so many ways to enjoy your visit to the Philippines. Comprised of 7,107 islands and with about 175 regional languages, the Southeast Asian country takes pride of its diversity and distinct heritage. Not only notable beaches in the Philippines are put into spotlight through the campaign. Promotion of the nation’s rich heritage is also given a priority and being introduced to the international community. World Heritage Sites such as the City of

Vigan (one of the few Hispanic towns left in the Philippines), the Philippine tarsiers (a rare specie found in the islands of Bohol, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao) and the number of worldrenowned festivals like the Masskara Festival of Bacolod and the Dinagyang cultural festival of Iloilo are just among the pride of the Filipinos. While tourism promotion has always been a part of the Embassy’s Economic Diplomacy Programme, this time it is even more putting a spotlight on the initiative in line with the massive campaign of the Department of Tourism (DOT). In fact, one of the directives of the Philippine agency is for Filipinos working and residing abroad to be ‘ambassadors’ of their own country. the Embassy tries to make the most of the gathering to The Embassy has a designated desk where showcase the campaign. tourism materials from DOT can be displayed and distributed to the Filipinos and other Recently, the Embassy also urged the support of the nationalities visiting the office. Through the 200,000-strong Filipino community in Qatar to vote Philippine Independence Organizing Commitonline for the heritage city of Vigan in the ongoing tee (PINOC), a tourism committee dedicated to search for the New Seven Wonder Cities of the World the promotion of the campaign was formed in by the non-profit foundation New7Wonders. There December 2012. One of the initiatives of group are 28 cities contending for the seven slots and the is reaching out to more than 100 Filipino organiCity of Vigan is the lone candidate from the Philzations in Qatar to educate their members about ippines vying for the spot. On December 7, 2014, the tourism sector of their own country. During the New Seven Wonder Cities of the World will be announced. important Filipino functions and other events,

The 116th Anniversary of Philippine Independence

Thursday, June 12, 2014

IN THE PHILIPPINES’?

FAST FACTS •

ThePhilippineshavethefourthlongestcoastlinein the world. At 36,289 kilometers, you can explore hundreds of warm, tropical islands and find a beach all to yourself. •

The Philippines have some of the world’s best sites, from World War II wrecks to UNESCO World Heritage Reefs.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

The 116th Anniversary of Philippine Independence

PHILIPPINES IS 28 LARGEST ECONOMY TH

he Philippines emerged as the world’s 28th largest economy in the International Comparison Program (ICP) 2011 study, results of which were released by Washingtonbased lender, World Bank. The ICP 2011 is a project undertaken through the authority of the United Nations Statistical Commission. It covered 199 economies and compared their shares to the global economy and expenditures. It also used the so-called purchasing-power parities (PPPs) in comparing the size and price levels of economies around the world. The PPPs make it possible to compare gross domestic products (GDPs) of economies in real terms by removing the price-level differences among them. “Six of the world’s 12 largest economies were in the middle-income category [based on the World Bank’s definition]. When combined, the 12 largest

economies account for two-thirds of the world economy, and 59 percent of the world population,” the World Bank said. The World Bank said the PPP-based world GDP amounted to $90.65 trillion in 2011, higher than the $70.29-trillion GDP measured in terms of exchange rates. Data showed that the Philippines’s share in terms of global GDP was at 0.6 percent in PPP terms and 0.3 percent in terms of exchange rates. The 30 largest economies accounted for 84.1 percent of the global GDP in PPP terms. The Philippines is one of the four Southeast Asia countries that made it to the 30 largest economies worldwide. Indonesia ranked 10th, followed by Thailand at 21st and Malaysia at 27th. “Asia and the Pacific, including China and India, accounts for 30 percent

of world GDP; Eurostat-OECD 54 percent, Latin America 5.5 percent [excluding Mexico, which participates in the OECD; and Argentina, which did not participate in the ICP 2011]; and Africa and Western Asia about 4.5 percent each,” it added. The Philippines also had a price-level index (PLI) of 53.2, which indicates it is not an expensive country but not the cheapest, either. The PLI is the ratio of a PPP to a corresponding exchange rate.The World Bank said an index of over 100 means prices are higher than the world average; and 1 less than 100 means prices are relatively lower. The most expensive economies in GDP terms are Switzerland, Norway, Bermuda, Australia and Denmark, with indices ranging from 210 to 185. The United States ranked 25th in the world, lower than most other high-income economies, including France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom.But only 23 economies showed a PLI of 50 or below. The cheapest economies are Egypt, Pakistan, Myanmar, Ethiopia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic, with indices ranging from 35 to 40. Meanwhile, even if the Philippines is one of the largest economies in the world and one of the “not so expensive” places to live globally, it is still not the richest in terms of GDP per capita. The Philippines’s GDP per capita in

2011 in PPP terms was only at $5,772 and $2,379 in terms of exchange rates. These are below the average GDP per capita in Asia and the Pacific, at around $7,621 in PPP terms and $3,527 in terms of exchange rates. The five economies with the highest GDP per capita are Qatar, with a GDP per capita in PPP terms at $146,521, followed by Macao with $115,441; Luxembourg, $88,670; Kuwait, $84,058; and Brunei Darussalam, $74,397. In contrast, around eight economies have a GDP per capita of less than $1,000. These are Malawi with $973, followed by Mozambique, $951; Central African Republic, $897; Niger, $852; Burundi, $712; Congo, $655; Comoros, $610; and Liberia, $537. “Eleven economies have more than $50,000 per capita, while they collectively account for less than 0.6 percent of the world’s population. The United States has the 12th-highest GDP per capita,” the World Bank said. The ICP implementation was led and coordinated by the ICP Global Office, hosted by the World Bank, in partnership with regional agencies overseeing activities in eight geographic regions. These are Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Commonwealth of Independent States, Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Asia, Pacific Islands, and the countries of the regular PPP program managed by the Statistical Office of the European Communities and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Further, the World Bank explained that two “singleton” economies, Georgia and Iran, participated in bilateral exercises with partner economies, without being part of any regional comparisons. Source: BusinessMirror

The 116th Anniversary of Philippine Independence

Thursday, June 12, 2014

The 116th Anniversary of Philippine Independence