What's On & Expat - Philippines

News Bit

                     Preventing Suicide
    Almost 3,000 people commit suicide every day. Every 30 seconds, someone needlessly takes his own life. And for every person who completes a suicide, 20 or more may attempt suicide.
     September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. This year’s theme focuses on adopting the awareness that people of all ages commit suicide. Therefore, actions to prevent suicide included in national responses should meet the needs of different age groups.
    The World Health Organization (WHO) reiterated in a statement that World Suicide Prevention Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in commitment and action to ensure that suicides are prevented, that people living with mental illness receive adequate treatment, that community-based care and close follow-up are available to people who attempt suicide, that access to common methods of
suicides is restricted and that media reports of suicides are more measured.
   There is a growing awareness of suicide as a major public health problem, even though there is a taboo in many societies against discussing it openly.
    Worldwide, suicide rates have increased by 60 percent over the last 50 years, and the increase has








 

been particularly marked in developing countries. Although reported suicide is now among the three leading global causes of death among young people aged 15-34 years, the majority of suicides are reported in adults and older adults (60 years and older).
    The World Health Organization (WHO) supports suicide prevention initiatives around the world. The organization works with governments and other partners such as the International Association for Suicide Prevention to ensure that suicide is no longer seen as a taboo or an acceptable result of personal or social crises, but as a health condition influenced by psycho-social, cultural and environmental risk factors which can be prevented through national responses which address the main local risk factors for suicide. Its role is to build political commitment and leadership to develop national responses to prevent suicide, strengthen national planning capacity to build the core building blocks of such a national response and build the national capacities to implement these responses.

Foreign Affairs Bit

              Get Your New Passports Now
   From 17 September 2007 onwards, the new Machine Readable Passport will be available to applicants applying for a Philippine passport for the first time. At present, the Department of Foreign Affairs issues the Machine Readable Passports to those renewing their old passports, to senior citizens, and OFWs.
   Under the new system, applicants have to personally appear, sign and affix their thumbprints on

their application form before a consular officer at the department. Also, they would have to submit three copies of passport-sized photographs taken against a royal blue background, instead of the customary white background. The photograph, signature and thumbprints of the applicant are stored in the passport database.
    The passport fee remains at PhP500 for regular processing and PhP750 for expedited processing. The green or manually scripted passports shall remain valid until their expiry dates.

Tourism Bits

Boracay and Palawan in Top 10
   The white, powdery sands and azure waters of Boracay, Aklan landed in the top 10 beach destinations of two travel industry surveys conducted by major business publication Asian Wall Street Journal and trusted Internet-based travel magazine SmartTravelAsia.com.
   In a statement, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said, “We are delighted to know that our very own Boracay shares the stage with other attractions highly recognized by influencers and decision-makers in the global travel trade. Polls like these add credibility and impress a positive image on tourists.”
    The Asian Wall Street Journal listed the island’s famed white sand shores as one of the 10 places the international travel industry hopes will become hit destinations in the coming years. The publication noted Boracay as a favorite among Asian holiday seekers for the variety of activities and entertainment available – from water sports to spas, from all-night parties to quiet, secluded nooks. It is also the only South East Asian attraction in the survey, joining other up-coming and exotic places such as Honduras, Abu Dhabi and Montenegro.
    SmartTravelAsia.com’s latest annual reader poll, Best Travel Brands 2007, likewise ranked Boracay in the top 10 best holiday destinations in Asia, sharing the same spot with Palawan. Over one million subscribers, comprised mainly of jet-set business executives and affluent travelers who make an average of 15 trips a year, participated in the online voting process. Most of the respondents are based in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Australia, India, China, Malaysia and Japan.
    “As international awareness heightens, we’re calling on the private sector and the local government to continue collaborating on ways to meet the growing demand and standards of foreign travelers. The department is ready to help the local officials in developing their unique tourism brand and equip them with the necessary skills,” Durano pointed out.