The Australian government, through its Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid), pledged an additional Php9.75 million (AUSD250, 000) for the reconstruction of damaged schools in the Bicol region. The financial assistance will be used to repair and rebuild schools in the region so school children can resume classes. The Department of Education and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are collaborating in the rebuilding effort.
The assistance is in response to an appeal by the United Nations (UN) late last month for continuing relief and emergency assistance to typhoon victims in the country, particularly education infrastructure that has affected nearly one million school children. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that up to 90 percent of all schools in Albay, the worst-hit province, have been damaged and many were beyond repair.
The additional assistance will increase the total Australian assistance for typhoon Reming victims to Php48.75 million.In a press statement, the Australian Embassy said Australia continues to play a significant role in building Philippine agencies’ disaster preparedness capacity in responding to emergencies and disasters.
Australia has allocated a total AUSD70 million in overseas development assistance to the Philippines in 2006 to 2007.
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Doulos: A United Vessel |
By Jacqueline L. Ong |
From a cargo ship to a floating bookfair, that’s the story of Doulos, the oldest vessel sailing the seven seas.
Doulos is now a 93-year old ship carrying half a million books of over 4,500 titles. More than 300 crewmembers from over 40 nations man the ship as it sails across continents to promote literacy, impart hope and lend a helping hand.
United Nations in a united vessel: the children of the Doulos crew posing for a photograph
Around the World to the Philippines
Built in 1941, it first served as a United States-owned freighter named Medina, transporting onions from New York to Texas. During World War I, it was used as a US supply ship. In 1948, it was bought by another company and registered in Panama as Roma, this time carrying passengers from Europe to Australia. By 1952, Roma, now named Franca C, became a class one luxury cruise ship voyaging the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Black Sea ports. In 1977, a German charity organization Gute Bucher fur Alle (meaning Good Books for All) purchased the vessel and renamed it Doulos, the Greek word for servant.
Since then, it has been a bookstore, docking in places like Taiwan, Tonga, Indonesia, Russia, Seychelles, South Africa, Madagascar, China, Japan, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, South Korea, Tanzania, Gambia and this time, the Philippines.
Coming here for the first time in 2001, Doulos is again back this month to stopover at the ports of Bacolod, Manila, Cebu and Batangas. Staying until the 23rd, it carries a variety of books, 90 percent of which are in English and the remaining in the local dialect. Some of the titles are even in Chinese, Thai and other languages.
The children’s books, Bibles, cookbooks as well as books on sports, science and politics are priced cheaply because they are sold at a small margin just enough to maintain ship operations, explains bookfair manager Joseph Parker. “We have a very large selection of reasonably-priced books,” he shares.
The 350 crewmembers of the Doulos ship come from over 40 different countries
Like the United Nations
Apart from shelves upon shelves of paperbacks, leatherbacks and hardbound good reads, Doulos also prides itself of having a diverse crew from different nationalities and varying age groups. “The ship has been compared to the United Nations,” shares Capt. Ashley McDonald. “The difference is, we are united here, through the bond of God’s love to us,” he quips.
Run by 350 volunteers, all Christians, from India, Korea, Japan, Germany, Australia, United Kingdom, the United States of America and Togo, among others, Doulos has been a virtual community. “Life here is exciting,” executive director Dr. Daniel Chae relates, and it takes a servant’s heart to get along with everyone. For Capt. Ashley, an Australian who has been on board for six months, staying is challenging, but “we know that what we’re doing is making a difference around the world.”
Doulos has half a million books of over 4,500 titles
Aside from being the largest floating bookstore—and the only one traveling the world for that sole reason—Doulos is also a venue for inter-cultural appreciation. The ship has its own small school with teachers holding classes for the children of the volunteers on board. It also holds outreach activities to the communities where they dock. On scheduled nights, the crew would perform dances and songs native to their countries of origin.
Doulos is docked at Pier 13 Gate 1 of the South Harbor in Manila (near Manila Hotel) and is open on Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10a.m. until 10p.m. and on Sundays and Mondays from 2p.m. until 10p.m.
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More officers at NAIA immigration counters
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By : Agnes M. Abrau |
LONG QUEUES at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) immigration counters are expected to get shorter as more immigration officers would be manning the immigration counters daily.
In a telephone interview Tuesday, NAIA Bureau of Immigration head supervisor Ferdinand Sampol assured travelers that more officers are assigned at the immigration counters that started Wednesday, Jan. 10 to lessen congestion in the area. Sampol said an additional 10 officers would be assigned to the booths to hasten the immigration process. The immigration counters are the so-called bottleneck of the country’s prime international airport.
The move was in response to the recent long queues at Terminal I of NAIA these past days especially during the Christmas holidays causing delays of some airline arrivals. Sampol said on average, there are 15 immigration officers assigned to the counters daily. He added that since it is the peak season and the increased volume of passengers, longer queues are expected. This condition is expected to continue until mid February. But with more personnel assigned to the area, “it will improve,” Sampol said.
Machine readers for passports to be installed
Apart from increasing the number of immigration personnel, Sampol said they are ready to install machine readers for passports that would speed up service at the counters. But that this may be delayed until after the peak season.
“We are actually ready to install more equipment like machine readers for passports when it is already lean season or by March. We don’t want to install it at this time because we might experience problems that might shut down the operation,” Sampol explained.
Sampol could not tell when the installation of equipment would be set. He said that Terminal I is too small for the airport. The terminal, he said, was designed to serve only 20 departing flights a day. On average, there are 60 departing flights at Terminal 1. Currently, construction of Terminal 3 is underway. “We have triple the number of flights now but we still maintain the same number of booths (at the immigration),” Sampol said. According to earlier reports, the Airline Operators Council said congestion happens every year but it noticed no improvement of service and operation on the part of the government.
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DOT exec brushes off criticisms
vs. Koreans in Cebu
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By: Richard A. Ramos |
Despite the fact that Koreans are viewed in a negative light by certain sectors in the Cebuano community, a leading tourism authority firmly believes that the behavior of the Koreans will evolve over time and eventually mature in the long run.
According to Department of Tourism Assistant Secretary Phineas Alburo, the Koreans will reform in the near future as they become more cosmopolitan and adapt to the local culture and lifestyle of the community. In an exclusive interview with What’s On & Expat, Alburo acknowledged the fact that some Cebu-based Koreans have caused some disturbances in the local setting, thus eliciting the ire of some locals who have grown weary of the repeated number of offenses such as disturbing the peace and fights.
“This will pass. The arrivals and market components will mature and become more discriminating. Better yet, the Asean Summit will further expose the attractions of Cebu to Korea and result in more arrivals in Cebu,” Alburo reasoned. Alburo recalled that Japanese tourists in the past also elicited negative reactions since their typical profile is a single Japanese male in his 40s.
The 70s and 80s tourism industry in Cebu was sadly tainted by the existence of the so-called “sex-tours” upon which the Japanese were suspected of being among the biggest offenders. “Now, the typical Japanese visitors are families and honeymooners. This is a very welcome change in the present scenario. The market has changed a lot over the years and has matured greatly,” he pointed out.
On the other hand, Cebu has also become a haven especially for the younger Korean market such as students since they are the top enrollees for English schools in the city. Dozens of English schools have sprouted as a result of the influx of the Korean students as they have expressed their earnest desire to learn English in order to become more globally competitive. The Koreans are likewise responsible for the single biggest investments in the city and province. The Fastem Tower Palace Condominium strategically situated across the Ayala Center Cebu is a billion-peso investment that is expected to address the needs for high-end residential living for Koreans and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) as well.
While in Mactan Island, the 610-room Imperial Palace Waterpark headed by a Korean company is also expected to answer the need for high-end resort rooms in the island in a few more years. Aside from the beach setting, the present-day Japanese tourists are also very much into the spa and wellness industry wherein they avail of body and facial treatments in their efforts to be more health-conscious. Shopping is another favorite pastime for the Japanese as they favor branded goods and high-end consumer items and clothing.
Better yet, the Japanese have easily become the top foreign investors in Cebu, with over 200 investments in various capacities all over the city and province. Overall, Cebu continues to highly value their prized top two foreign markets as both countries have made invaluable strides in the tourism, investment, and lifestyle industries in the local scene while further positioning Cebu as an esteemed tourism magnet in the region.
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Priority Regional Issues
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By Richard A. Ramos |
FOREIGN AFFAIRS SECRETARY Alberto G. Romulo reiterated the fact the Asean stands firmly on three pillars; the Asean Security Community, the Asean Economic Community, and the Asean Social and Cultural Community. Going several steps further, he declared that Cebu’s leaders have signed many new declarations that all call for international cooperation and unity in order to forge a more cohesive and dynamic region.
Among these declarations are the Cebu Declaration towards a Caring and Sharing Community; Cebu Declaration on the Blueprint for the Asean Charter; the Protection and Rights of Migrant Workers; the Asean Convention on Counter-terrorism, Acceleration of the Establishment of an Asean Community by 2015, and many others.
The facade of the Cebu International Convention Center,
the venue of the ongoing 12th Asean Summit
Aside from this, the Philippines will also host a meeting of the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) experts and ace speakers who will discuss the security situation in the region. For his part, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Luis T. Cruz said the declaration would pave the way for the summit to be remembered as a watershed in the campaign for the establishment of a borderless community in the region. Romulo also revealed that Cebu’s unique appeal along with the warmth of the people have played an instrumental role in luring back the delegates to Cebu.
The Myanmar Dilemma
The Philippines through Secretary Romulo has pressed Myanmar to start implementing its Roadmap to Democracy by way of releasing Aung San Suu Kyi, its famed political prisoner, and all political prisoners. Though his request went unheeded as of press time, he still lauded Myanmar for taking the first step towards democratization through releasing 2,831 prisoners, including 40 political prisoners. Romulo added that United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari have likewise moved for Kyi’s release as it remained a key issue for Asean.
During the Asean Foreign Ministers Working Dinner held at the Shangri-La Mactan, Romulo stressed the importance of the Myanmar opposition in the country’s nation-building efforts. He assured full support to U Nyan Win, his Myanmar counterpart, for political and diplomatic initiatives that may be taken by UN Secretary-General Moon to bring democratic reform to Myanmar.
It was also learned that the United States will very soon seek to introduce a UN Security Council resolution that calls for the Myanmar government to change its policies.
North Korea and Doha
Regarding the North Korea nuclear testing issue, Romulo urged the full implementation of UN Resolution 1695, particularly the need to return to the six-party talks to find a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula. Another issue of utmost importance is the UN Security Council Resolution 1718 which calls for the denuclearization process of North Korea, Romulo called for specific actions to stress the urgency of the process in parallel to its commitment under the Sept. 19, 2005 Joint Statement.
He expressed hope that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon can also assist in gathering global support from the Asean and the Asean Regional forum for diplomatic efforts. Regarding the Doha Development Round, Romulo informed his regional counterparts that the Asean should test the timely subject of world trade in the context of APEC and WTO and the Doha Development Round in order to help revive the Doha event. He admitted the need for painful but necessary concessions, especially on the part of the major trading powers due to the need for political will to restart the world talks. Calls for the re-scheduling of the talks were issued in Hanoi last month and during the Cebu Summit itself.
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Asean Summit storms ahead
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AFTER A SURPRISING and “stormy” ending to last year’s 12th Asean Leaders Summit, Cebu once again welcomed back the leaders, delegates, as well as representatives of the six dialogue partners and the 10 member-countries of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for the continuation of the Summit proper.
Around 38 meetings involving the region’s economic and foreign ministers were held mainly at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) and the Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort & Spa during the past week which ended Sunday, January 14, 2007.
Dozens of issues, declarations, and opportunities on various subjects were discussed with several government heads in attendance as the region’s leaders sorted out the discussions on hand in order to promote more action regarding the regional agenda.
The Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) was further beautified and fortified as the remaining finishing touches were completed well in time for the re-staging of the Summit. Bucking the month-long travel advisories imposed by the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia toward the Philippines, government leaders from the 16 countries at their highest levels showed up in full force in their earnest desire to continue where they left off. All in all, the government security forces consisted of 4,000 policemen and 6,000 soldiers specially trained to keep a close watch on the peace and order situation.
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Australian Ink Refiller Opens 1st Branch in RP
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Cartridge World, a leading Australian-based company for refilling printer cartridges, is now in the Philippines. The store, which is located in Makati City’s Central Business District, is the first of at least 10 branches that the company plans to open in the country within the year.
Leading the inauguration were Cartridge World Island Philippines Inc. chairman and CEO Babylyn Decena-Newfield and Bruce Newfield along with special guests Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, Australian Ambassador Tony Hely and Australian Embassy’s Senior Trade Commissioner Allan Morrell.
Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay (left) and Australian Ambassador Tony Hely (2nd from right) cut the ceremonial ribbon as Cartridge World Island Philippines’ Babylyn Decena-Newfield and Bruce Newfield look on.
Over the last few years, the ink cartridge refill industry has become one of the fastest growing sectors as more and more consumers opt to refill ink and laser toner cartridges at around half the cost rather than buying a new one.
In addition to the economic savings, some consumers believe that it is also more environmentally friendly to recycle and refill ink cartridges because it helps reduce the number of plastic ink cartridges that would end up in landfills around the world.
Established in 1997 and based in Adelaide, South Australia, Cartridge World is one of the leading franchises in Australia. It was awarded ‘Franchisor of the Year’ in 2004.
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Ford rolls out four 2007 SUV models
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By Agnes M. Abrau |
WANTING to make a real big bang in 2007, the pioneer in sport utility vehicles rolled out four new SUVs that are seen to fit the lifestyles of today’s motoring public. Ford Group Philippines executives led the unveiling of its line-up of latest SUVS—
Ford Everest, Escape, Explorer Eddie Bauer and Expedition Eddie Bauer in a full-packed launch held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel. Henry Co, chairman of Ford Group Philippines (FGP), said the launch reinforces the fact that Ford “is the SUV authority”, adding that the vehicles give them value for their money as the four models provide motorists more options in terms of engine type and drive train.
Ford Group Philippines (FGP) chairman Henry Co, Mondial Tours and Travel’s Carlynn Manning
and FGP president Richard Baker at the launch.
He reiterates though that the launch was not possible if not for the “two landmark pieces of legislation”— the full implementation of Asean Free Trade Agreement and the change in Excise Tax Laws which allowed the Philippine automotive industry to introduce to consumers several choices of automobiles and that it created a “vibrant automotive industry.”
Car dealers and FGP clients were able to see the four new models of SUVs which were simultaneously unveiled. The Ford Escape, said to be Ford’s best selling compact sports utility vehicle, had a “freshened and refined interior”. The compact Escape 2.3L is equipped with Ford’s four-cylinder engine designed to give riding comfort and fuel efficiency. For his part, FGP’s newly-appointed president Richard Baker said Ford has defined the SUV category since the 1980s.
“Our premium SUV line-up is now stronger, more capable and perfectly placed to deliver a great new ownership experience to our valued customers in the country,” Baker said. Ford Everest, a mid-size SUV, provides an ultimate flexibility with safety features that consumers look for in family transportation. It is powered by 2.5 liter and 3.0 liter turbo-diesel common-rail direct-injection engines.
The third model, Ford Expedition, gives riders the true off-road capability and cargo space whether to shuttle a host of guests or haul a huge ski boat for family excursions. Known for its full-size SUV, the new Expedition maintains “interior flexibility and refinement.” This translates to two-tone leather trimmed seats with improved contours, larger bolsters, softer cushions and upgraded materials designed for increased comfort on long trips. Ford Explorer’s combination of rugged, truck-like functionality and style of a luxury sedan has won the motoring public’s trust. The 2007 has received five-star ratings in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s frontal and side-impact crash tests.
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