CLASS SUIT READIED VS NAPOCOR

Officials of the province are preparing a class suit against the National Power Corp. (Napocor) after uncovering evidence that the water released from Angat Dam last week caused massive flooding in the municipalities of Pulilan, Calumpit, Paombong and this coastal town.

This developed as National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Benito Ramos yesterday said flooding in Central Luzon could last a month.

The evidence uncovered by Bulacan officials supposedly belies an earlier statement by Napocor, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and the NDRRMC that water released from Angat Dam did not cause flooding in the four towns.

“I have the draft and we are just finalizing it,” Gov. Wilhelmino Alvarado said in his weekly radio program over radio dwSS.

The draft was leaked by members of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Bulacan chapter on Friday, noting that they are planning a class suit.

Alvarado said the class suit will be signed by officials of the province, including members of the LMP-Bulacan chapter.

He said that while government agencies are denying that water released from Angat Dam last Sept. 27 and the days that followed did not cause the worst flooding to hit the province since 1978, they have unearthed evidence that says otherwise.

Continue Reading at The Philippine Star

SINGAPORE STUNS PHILIPPINE AZKALS

The Philippine Azkals lost to the Singapore Lions, 2-0, during their friendly match at the Jalan Besar Stadium Friday. The visiting Azkals managed to hold the Lions goalless in the first half, but were caught flatfooted by their foes' attacks in the second period.

Shaiful Esah of Singapore gave the Lions a 1-0 lead through a deflected long-range strike in the 50th minute of the game.

The hosts' veteran striker Aleksandar Duric, who has scored more than 300 goals in the S.League, increased Singapore's lead in a counterattack blitz goal in the 64th minute.

The Azkals had several chances at the goal in the first half, with Chieffy Caligdong and Phil Younghusband nearly scoring for the Philippine squad.

Caligdong's goal in the 13th minute was disallowed as the winger was offside, while Younghusband’s free kick was just inches from the goal.

Singapore is currently ranked 136th in the world, while the Philippines is rated No. 166.

Continue reading at abs-cbnNEWS.com

US ENVOY APOLOGIZES FOR SEX TOURISM STORY

US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. has apologized for his remarks that 40 percent of male tourists visiting the Philippines come only for sex tourism, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said yesterday.

Del Rosario said he received a text message from Thomas who expressed regret over his statement at a forum last month that should not have been made without supporting data.

“I am sending you a response expressing regret for my comments. I should not have used the 40 percent statistics without the ability to back it up,” Thomas said. “I regret any harm that I may have caused.”

Del Rosario received the message in Hanoi while attending the 7th Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam.

He said Thomas has been working closely with the Philippine government in addressing the challenge of human trafficking in the country.

Lawmakers challenged the data on sex tourism cited by Thomas and said the American envoy should back up his statement with solid proof.

Continue reading at The Philippine Star

Filipinos Choose to Stay in Libya Despite All Odds

Outside a travel agency, a Bangladeshi man slowly sweeps the steps. It could be Saudi Arabia. He wears the same blue uniform and sweeps in the same slow, methodical way, brush and pan in hand. Except that this is not Jeddah or Riyadh. It is Benghazi.

Like Saudi Arabia, Libya too employed large amounts of expatriates to do most of the hard work — cleaning the streets, working in restaurants and hospitals, in factories, slaughterhouses and as farmers and drivers — over 1.5 million of them.
Most were from sub-Saharan Africa, especially from Mali, Niger, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and elsewhere in West Africa. Or from Egypt, especially the farmers; there were at least 600,000 of them. There were also Filipinos, Indians and Pakistanis. Most of them were professionals — nurses, teachers, engineers, IT specialists and the like. But there were no Pakistani laborers for example, or no Indian taxi drivers. In fact there were no foreign taxi drivers at all; that was and is still very much a Libyan monopoly.

Readers will note the past tense is being used. It has to be. Most expatriates in Libya left early on during the uprising that finally toppled Muammar Qaddafi on Aug. 21 when his forces fled Tripoli.

Not all left. Some were unable to go. Others decided to stay on, either because they wanted to help or because there might be difficulties returning to Libya after the conflict was over. That was the case for a number of Filipinos.

Continue reading at Arab News

OFWs in Brussels Eager to Help Typhoon Victims

Filipino religious organizations in Brussels have responded to the urgent call for assistance for typhoon victims in the Philippines.

In a meeting last Sunday, leaders of religious organizations agreed to send donations to northern and central Luzon, which have been greatly affected by recent typhoons Pedring and Quiel.

“Sa amin pong nakikita sa television, talaga pong kami ay na sha-shock kaya po nagbuo kami ng aming grupo, isa na ang Legion of Mary at Pastoral, na kami po ay magdo-donate ng kahit konti, sa abot ng aming makakaya, para naman makatulong sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo,” said Legion of Mary adviser Mas Galang.

El Shaddai St. Remi Chapter President Nelson Legutan said his group will conduct a separate meeting to determine the amount of money they would send to Lingkod Kapamilya.

“Sa ngayon pinagpaplanuhan ng El Shaddai St Remi chapter kung paano kami makakatulong sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo”, he said.

Continue reading at ABS-CBN News

More Young Filipinos Heading Overseas for Work

More than a million Filipinos leave the country each year for work.

Those going overseas are younger compared to their counterparts from a generation ago.
Now the government is hoping to entice the young to become entrepreneurs instead of following the footsteps of their parents to work overseas.

23-year-old Cecille Demegillo is about to leave for Singapore to become a domestic helper.

Her sister and her cousin who have been working as a household service worker there for 10 years convinced her to try her luck there.

Cecille would have wanted to become a computer programmer, but she had to stop school due to financial constraints.

“I was a little hesitant at first to go but I decided to do it because my relatives are there. They say the salary is better and I would be able to save enough to send back home,” said Cecille.

The Department of Labour and Employment said more and more young Filipinos are leaving the country to seek high paying jobs abroad. About 35 per cent of the million Filipino workers deployed annually belong to the 15 to 24 years age group. And migrant groups said they are the most vulnerable to exploitation and human trafficking.

Continue reading at Channel News Asia

Filipinos Choose to Stay in Libya Despite All Odds

Outside a travel agency, a Bangladeshi man slowly sweeps the steps. It could be Saudi Arabia. He wears the same blue uniform and sweeps in the same slow, methodical way, brush and pan in hand. Except that this is not Jeddah or Riyadh. It is Benghazi.

Like Saudi Arabia, Libya too employed large amounts of expatriates to do most of the hard work — cleaning the streets, working in restaurants and hospitals, in factories, slaughterhouses and as farmers and drivers — over 1.5 million of them.
Most were from sub-Saharan Africa, especially from Mali, Niger, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and elsewhere in West Africa. Or from Egypt, especially the farmers; there were at least 600,000 of them. There were also Filipinos, Indians and Pakistanis. Most of them were professionals — nurses, teachers, engineers, IT specialists and the like. But there were no Pakistani laborers for example, or no Indian taxi drivers. In fact there were no foreign taxi drivers at all; that was and is still very much a Libyan monopoly.

Readers will note the past tense is being used. It has to be. Most expatriates in Libya left early on during the uprising that finally toppled Muammar Qaddafi on Aug. 21 when his forces fled Tripoli.

Not all left. Some were unable to go. Others decided to stay on, either because they wanted to help or because there might be difficulties returning to Libya after the conflict was over. That was the case for a number of Filipinos.

Continue reading at Arab News