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Cossack25A1
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We should really exterminate these people
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Abu Sayyaf militants kill 6 Filipino soldiers
by AP
November 2, 2014
Philippine soldiers wave to the media in this file photo. (AP Photo/Nickee Butlangan)
Abu Sayyaf gunmen on Sunday killed six soldiers who were guarding a road project that has been delayed by militant attacks in a southern Philippine province, the military said.
The soldiers were patrolling the outskirts of a farming village in Sumisop town on the island province of Basilan when about 20 heavily armed Abu Sayyaf fighters opened fire, sparking a 45-minute battle, army Col. Rolando Bautista.
At least one soldier also was wounded. It was not immediately clear if there were rebel casualties.
The Abu Sayyaf, which is on a U.S. list of terrorist organizations, was founded in the early 1990s in Basilan, a predominantly Muslim province in the majority Catholic nation, about 880 kilometers south of Manila. Despite many battle setbacks, the group has endured, surviving mostly on kidnappings and extortion, and remains a national security threat.
Bautista said he deployed additional troops to pursue the attackers, who were led by a commander he identified as Radzmi Jannatul.
The attack came as hundreds of troops hunted down Abu Sayyaf gunmen on nearby Jolo island, where the militants freed two German tourists last month reportedly after a huge ransom payment.
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Abu Sayyaf militants kill 6 Filipino soldiers | Manila Bulletin | Latest Breaking News | News Philippines
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Abu Sayyaf militants kill 6 Filipino soldiers
by AP
November 2, 2014
Philippine soldiers wave to the media in this file photo. (AP Photo/Nickee Butlangan)
Abu Sayyaf gunmen on Sunday killed six soldiers who were guarding a road project that has been delayed by militant attacks in a southern Philippine province, the military said.
The soldiers were patrolling the outskirts of a farming village in Sumisop town on the island province of Basilan when about 20 heavily armed Abu Sayyaf fighters opened fire, sparking a 45-minute battle, army Col. Rolando Bautista.
At least one soldier also was wounded. It was not immediately clear if there were rebel casualties.
The Abu Sayyaf, which is on a U.S. list of terrorist organizations, was founded in the early 1990s in Basilan, a predominantly Muslim province in the majority Catholic nation, about 880 kilometers south of Manila. Despite many battle setbacks, the group has endured, surviving mostly on kidnappings and extortion, and remains a national security threat.
Bautista said he deployed additional troops to pursue the attackers, who were led by a commander he identified as Radzmi Jannatul.
The attack came as hundreds of troops hunted down Abu Sayyaf gunmen on nearby Jolo island, where the militants freed two German tourists last month reportedly after a huge ransom payment.
-----
Abu Sayyaf militants kill 6 Filipino soldiers | Manila Bulletin | Latest Breaking News | News Philippines
Cossack25A1
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drones with Agent Orange weapon
Ayan81
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PNP seeks bids for 1,000 patrol cars
MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine National Police is planning to buy additional patrol vehicles before the year ends to boost anticrime operations.
The bidding for the contract to supply 1,021 patrol jeeps worth P918.9 million will be conducted this month to add to the 560 vehicles bought by the PNP earlier this year.
The PNP bids and awards committee, which is inviting prospective suppliers of 12-seater, diesel-run vehicles, has set a pre-bid conference on Nov. 4 in Camp Crame.
Funding for the new vehicles will be drawn from the PNP’s 2013 budget.
Bid documents can be bought from the bids and awards committee at the PNP headquarters for P75,000 until Nov. 18.
An Indian company, Mahindra, won the earlier bid to supply the first 560 vehicles. It offered P895,000 per unit for a total of P504 million.
In October, the PNP conducted tests on the patrol vehicle to evaluate its performance and durability. The tests included a long-distance drive on rough terrain.
The PNP said bidding for the new contract would be open to sole Filipino proprietorships or partnerships and organizations that are at least 60 percent Filipino-owned.
The first batch of the delivery must be made 120 days from the issuance of the Notice to Proceed, while the second and third batches must be delivered 120 days apart.
PNP seeks bids for 1,000 patrol cars | Inquirer News
This is one of the Mahindra Patrol Jeep that is now undergoing test and evaluation
MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine National Police is planning to buy additional patrol vehicles before the year ends to boost anticrime operations.
The bidding for the contract to supply 1,021 patrol jeeps worth P918.9 million will be conducted this month to add to the 560 vehicles bought by the PNP earlier this year.
The PNP bids and awards committee, which is inviting prospective suppliers of 12-seater, diesel-run vehicles, has set a pre-bid conference on Nov. 4 in Camp Crame.
Funding for the new vehicles will be drawn from the PNP’s 2013 budget.
Bid documents can be bought from the bids and awards committee at the PNP headquarters for P75,000 until Nov. 18.
An Indian company, Mahindra, won the earlier bid to supply the first 560 vehicles. It offered P895,000 per unit for a total of P504 million.
In October, the PNP conducted tests on the patrol vehicle to evaluate its performance and durability. The tests included a long-distance drive on rough terrain.
The PNP said bidding for the new contract would be open to sole Filipino proprietorships or partnerships and organizations that are at least 60 percent Filipino-owned.
The first batch of the delivery must be made 120 days from the issuance of the Notice to Proceed, while the second and third batches must be delivered 120 days apart.
PNP seeks bids for 1,000 patrol cars | Inquirer News
This is one of the Mahindra Patrol Jeep that is now undergoing test and evaluation
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Reashot Xigwin
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PH honors Indonesian military chief
To highlight the close ties between both countries. the Indonesian military chief gives General Gregorio Catapang Jr a free ride to Brunei on November 3
Carmela Fonbuena
Published 2:06 PM, Nov 03, 2014
Updated 4:31 PM, Nov 04, 2014
LEGION OF HONOR: Indonesian military chief General Moeldoko receives the Philippine Legion of Honor with the Degree of Commander. Rappler photo
MANILA, Philippines – It's an arrangement that "highlights the good relationship" between the Philippine and Indonesian militaries, said Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr.
When Indonesian military chief General Moeldoko was told he was going to be awarded the Philippine Legion of Honor with the Degree of Commander, he made a special arrangement with his Philippine counterpart. "He told me: "If you allow me to be awarded today, you can join me, you can join me in my plane,"" Catapang told reporters.
General Moeldoko received the award on Monday morning, November 3, during the flag ceremony in Camp Aguinaldo. He met with high-ranking defense officials and military officers and then left with Catapang for Brunei Monday afternoon aboard the Indonesian military's aircraft. They're both attending the annual Chief of Defense Conference 2014.
"This hightlights our good relationship with them. We are very close," said Catapang before their departure. He was originally scheduled to leave for Brunei last Sunday.
In May 2014, the Philippines and Indonesia sealed a historic maritime deal drawing a boundary between the overlapping Exclusive Economic Zone in the Mindanao Sea and Celebes Sea. (READ: Philippines, Indonesia seal historic maritime deal)
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, General Moeldoko joined calls for China to avoid destablizing Asia. "China is a great economic superpower, however we don’t want this great force to create instability in the region," Moeldoko was quoted in the article.
Indonesia's new president Joko Widodo earlier said he was ready to act as "intermediary" to calm rising tensions over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. (READ: Indonesia ready to mediate in South China Sea, says Jokowi – report)
Highest award
The Philippine Legion of Honor is awarded to Filipino and foreign citizens for their meritorious service in the military and defense affairs or for exceptional performance of their duties. It is also the highest award the President can bestow without the need for approval of Congress.
Moeldoko was cited for the following contributions:
General Moeldoko responded: “I express my sincere gratitude and high appreciation to General Catapang for this most gracious award. Let us hope that the relationship and cooperation between TNI (Tentara Nasional Indoensia) and AFP will last for a long time.” – Rappler.com
To highlight the close ties between both countries. the Indonesian military chief gives General Gregorio Catapang Jr a free ride to Brunei on November 3
Carmela Fonbuena
Published 2:06 PM, Nov 03, 2014
Updated 4:31 PM, Nov 04, 2014
LEGION OF HONOR: Indonesian military chief General Moeldoko receives the Philippine Legion of Honor with the Degree of Commander. Rappler photo
MANILA, Philippines – It's an arrangement that "highlights the good relationship" between the Philippine and Indonesian militaries, said Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr.
When Indonesian military chief General Moeldoko was told he was going to be awarded the Philippine Legion of Honor with the Degree of Commander, he made a special arrangement with his Philippine counterpart. "He told me: "If you allow me to be awarded today, you can join me, you can join me in my plane,"" Catapang told reporters.
General Moeldoko received the award on Monday morning, November 3, during the flag ceremony in Camp Aguinaldo. He met with high-ranking defense officials and military officers and then left with Catapang for Brunei Monday afternoon aboard the Indonesian military's aircraft. They're both attending the annual Chief of Defense Conference 2014.
"This hightlights our good relationship with them. We are very close," said Catapang before their departure. He was originally scheduled to leave for Brunei last Sunday.
In May 2014, the Philippines and Indonesia sealed a historic maritime deal drawing a boundary between the overlapping Exclusive Economic Zone in the Mindanao Sea and Celebes Sea. (READ: Philippines, Indonesia seal historic maritime deal)
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, General Moeldoko joined calls for China to avoid destablizing Asia. "China is a great economic superpower, however we don’t want this great force to create instability in the region," Moeldoko was quoted in the article.
Indonesia's new president Joko Widodo earlier said he was ready to act as "intermediary" to calm rising tensions over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. (READ: Indonesia ready to mediate in South China Sea, says Jokowi – report)
Highest award
The Philippine Legion of Honor is awarded to Filipino and foreign citizens for their meritorious service in the military and defense affairs or for exceptional performance of their duties. It is also the highest award the President can bestow without the need for approval of Congress.
Moeldoko was cited for the following contributions:
- for strengthening bilateral defense and military cooperation between the Indonesian armed forces and the AFP through the agreement on military cooperation in the field of defense and security activities;
- for actively supporting the International Monitoring Team task force contingent on the consequent signing of the Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in March 2014;
- for promptly directing 3 Indonesian Hercules C-130 aircraft to transport essential relief items from the Indonesian government to the typhoon-stricken areas at the height of supertyphoon Yolanda in November 2013
General Moeldoko responded: “I express my sincere gratitude and high appreciation to General Catapang for this most gracious award. Let us hope that the relationship and cooperation between TNI (Tentara Nasional Indoensia) and AFP will last for a long time.” – Rappler.com
Cossack25A1
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One year after Haiyan (Yolanda in PH terminology), yet no significant development.
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24,000 candles to light up 24-km stretch of road in Tacloban City
Joey A. Gabieta, Nestor P. Burgos Jr. | Inquirer Visayas 6:56 AM | Friday, November 7th, 2014
TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines—Some 24,000 candles will light up a 24-kilometer stretch of roads on Saturday, not only to recall the devastation and deaths caused by the strongest typhoon to hit landfall but also to show gratitude for the international community’s outpouring of assistance.
“This is a tribute to humanity’s finest hour,” said Jeff Manibay, organizer of the Yolanda Candlelight Memorial ceremony.
He was referring to the swift outpouring of support and assistance from international and national organizations to Tacloban, considered the Ground Zero of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan), rampaged across the Visayas on Nov. 8, 2013.
The first anniversary of Yolanda will be marked in many areas with prayers, flowers and songs. Others will hold protest rallies to call to task the government for alleged delayed and inadequate assistance.
In the city, survivors will light 24,000 candles from Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in San Jose District, the hardest-hit area, to Nula-Tula District, site of a memorial park where 2,273 of the 6,300 Yolanda killed were buried.
Rites of thanksgiving
“This candlelight memorial is not only meant to remember our loved ones who were killed during the typhoon but also to use it as an opportunity to say thank you for all those who helped us,” said Maniba, who lost his father Felipe, 70, and mother Venicia, 74, in the tragedy.
The candles were distributed earlier this week. Each will be placed in a small glass and will be set a meter apart. These will be lighted at exactly 6:30 p.m., an hour after the Mass at the Plaza Rizal. The ringing of the church bells will signal the start of the hourlong ceremony.
Manibay said he expected more than 50,000 people including those still living in tents and bunkhouses to line the streets for the event.
About 20,000 typhoon survivors also are expected to march in the streets of Tacloban on Saturday morning to decry the government’s alleged failure in giving assistance, especially housing and livelihood.
The protesters will call for the resignation of President Aquino. “He is callous to our plight. We have done our part to talk with him and inform him of our demands. But he never listened to us. We are supposed to be his bosses and yet what did we get from him? Nothing,” said Efleda Bautista, chair of People Surge.
In Capiz, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and Buylog sa Pagbangon Capiz expect 10,000 protesters from 11 towns and Roxas City to join a caravan and march rally.
In Iloilo, about 3,000 survivors will converge in Estancia town for a protest rally, according to the groups.
In the capital town of Kalibo in Aklan, protesters will release two miniature boats along the Aklan River. The boats will display messages calling for continued assistance.
A rally expected to be joined by 3,000 survivors and other protesters will be held at Pastrana Park in Kalibo.
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24,000 candles to light up 24-km stretch of road in Tacloban City | Inquirer News
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One year after Typhoon Haiyan: Resilience rebuilds the Philippines
By Sofia Klemming Nordenskiöld, Special to CNN
November 7, 2014 -- Updated 0143 GMT (0943 HKT)
Editor's note: Sofia Klemming Nordenskiöld is a press officer with Plan International in Sweden. She has been to the Philippines three times over the past year with award-winning photographer Pieter ten Hoopen, collecting photographs and stories from the communities affected by Typhoon Haiyan. The views expressed in this opinion piece are solely hers.
(CNN) -- It's 7 a.m. in Tanauan, the Philippines, and the church bells are ringing for Sunday mass.
It's May 2014 and I'm accompanying 11-year-old Jednel and his parents to the weekly service. Jednel is one of the children I have got to know through my work with children's charity Plan International. When Typhoon Haiyan wreaked havoc across the Philippines in November 2013, I was deployed to support the team.
Jednel lives in a coastal village in Leyte, which was badly destroyed by the tsunami-like waves that followed the storm.
Many of the people attending the church service lost family members and friends, many of whom are now buried in the mass grave outside on the main square. When the minister calls for prayers, the air is thick with sorrow.
There is a common experience that, as an outsider, I cannot fully grasp. Everyone in here has sensed the risk of death. They have been so close to the end, but they have survived.
Soon the air fills with a sense of power and energy. When the minister cracks a joke, laughter echoes out through the open doors.
Now, having visited the Philippines three times over the past year (in November 2013, and then May and September, 2014), I truly believe the disaster recovery has come this far because of the remarkable resilience and spirit of the Filipino people.
Rush to rebuild
When I first arrived in Western Samar in November 2013, just three weeks after the typhoon, all I could see was piles of debris, reminiscent of apocalyptic destruction.
Yet, in the middle of the rubble and burning waste, I could hear the sound of people hammering, already in the process of rebuilding their houses. Women were washing their clothes and hanging it between the few walls that were left of their homes. Children were running around in flip-flops looking for scrap metal and old glasses they could sell to help their families get food. I even heard people singing.
A year later and a lot has happened; Jednel's school is being rebuilt, he is attending a temporary school, and plays with his friends on the weekend.
The rubble and fallen trees have been cleared and the vegetation is lush and green. Shops have reopened and the streets are crowded with cars, bicycles and taxis, while the community is out in full force, selling fruit and sweets. Children can play freely on the beach and they are finally allowed to go swimming in the sea once again.
Children among most vulnerable
Jednel has grown a great deal since last November. Now he is a confident, relaxed boy who welcomes me to the house of his great grandmother. He says he's still afraid of storms and bad weather, but the nightmares come more seldom.
Plan International's priority is protecting children who are among those worst affected by a disaster, and among the most vulnerable after.
After Haiyan, Plan set up "Child Friendly Spaces," providing a safe space for 21,000 children to play, learn and get much-needed emotional support -- while nearly 10,000 parents, children and community members were trained on how to avoid violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Over the past year, Plan has helped more than 40,000 children to return to school with its "Back to School" kits -- including bags, books and pens -- or by rebuilding classrooms, training teachers and supplying school equipment.
Although we've come a long way from the devastating scenes my colleagues and I witnessed a year ago, work still remains.
In Tacloban City, one of the areas worst hit by Typhoon Haiyan, Plan's "Building Back Better" project is working with the government and community members to help residents build a community that's better able to withstand the next powerful storm.
As for Jednel, he now dreams of becoming a scientist and learning more about typhoons and climate change.
We look out towards the calm ocean and I ask him what it's like to live in the Philippines, where a natural disaster never seems too far away.
Jednel replies: "This is my favorite place. It's like a freedom, where my family can live and be happy and proud."
For me, hearing his words is testament to the resilience of Jednel, his family and the Filipino community.
-----
Resilience rebuilds Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan - CNN.com
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A year on, typhoon-devastated Philippine city fails to rebuild homes
MANILA Tue Oct 28, 2014 5:51am EDT
Oct 28 (Reuters) - The mayor of the central Philippine city worst hit by a super typhoon a year ago said on Tuesday fewer than 100 of 14,500 promised permanent homes had been built and that thousands were still living in danger zones.
Typhoon Haiyan wiped out or damaged practically everything in its path as it swept ashore on Nov. 8, 2013, with seven-metre storm surges destroying around 90 percent of the city of Tacloban in Leyte province.
Haiyan killed or left missing close to 8,000 people and displaced as many as four million.
"Building more permanent homes is very slow and takes time. Hopefully, by January next year, the pace will pick up," Mayor Alfred Romualdez, nephew of the Philippines' former first lady, Imelda Marcos, told reporters.
He blamed the lack of suitable land where houses which could withstand 250-kph (155-mph) winds could be built but said he hoped the 14,500 homes would be completed by 2017.
"There are still 3,000 people in danger zones, many in tents and we want them all transferred to transitional shelters by next month," Romualdez said.
"...One year after typhoon Haiyan, we are back but only about 50 percent," he said, saying the recovery effort was slowed down by bureaucracy, shortage of manpower and resources and other delays.
Construction materials, like galvanized iron sheets, were also scarce, he said, forcing people to use fallen coconut trees to build temporary shelters.
Romualdez did not mention graft as a factor in one of Asia's most corrupt countries.
The Philippines came in at 94 out of 175 countries in Transparency International's corruption perceptions index last year.
The Aquino government has a six-year 170 billion pesos ($3.80 billion) master plan to rebuild devastated areas, building about 200,000 homes and providing more sustainable jobs for 2.6 million people who living below the poverty line.
(Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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A year on, typhoon-devastated Philippine city fails to rebuild homes| Reuters
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So much for the "santong-anito" president...
------------------------------
24,000 candles to light up 24-km stretch of road in Tacloban City
Joey A. Gabieta, Nestor P. Burgos Jr. | Inquirer Visayas 6:56 AM | Friday, November 7th, 2014
TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines—Some 24,000 candles will light up a 24-kilometer stretch of roads on Saturday, not only to recall the devastation and deaths caused by the strongest typhoon to hit landfall but also to show gratitude for the international community’s outpouring of assistance.
“This is a tribute to humanity’s finest hour,” said Jeff Manibay, organizer of the Yolanda Candlelight Memorial ceremony.
He was referring to the swift outpouring of support and assistance from international and national organizations to Tacloban, considered the Ground Zero of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan), rampaged across the Visayas on Nov. 8, 2013.
The first anniversary of Yolanda will be marked in many areas with prayers, flowers and songs. Others will hold protest rallies to call to task the government for alleged delayed and inadequate assistance.
In the city, survivors will light 24,000 candles from Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in San Jose District, the hardest-hit area, to Nula-Tula District, site of a memorial park where 2,273 of the 6,300 Yolanda killed were buried.
Rites of thanksgiving
“This candlelight memorial is not only meant to remember our loved ones who were killed during the typhoon but also to use it as an opportunity to say thank you for all those who helped us,” said Maniba, who lost his father Felipe, 70, and mother Venicia, 74, in the tragedy.
The candles were distributed earlier this week. Each will be placed in a small glass and will be set a meter apart. These will be lighted at exactly 6:30 p.m., an hour after the Mass at the Plaza Rizal. The ringing of the church bells will signal the start of the hourlong ceremony.
Manibay said he expected more than 50,000 people including those still living in tents and bunkhouses to line the streets for the event.
About 20,000 typhoon survivors also are expected to march in the streets of Tacloban on Saturday morning to decry the government’s alleged failure in giving assistance, especially housing and livelihood.
The protesters will call for the resignation of President Aquino. “He is callous to our plight. We have done our part to talk with him and inform him of our demands. But he never listened to us. We are supposed to be his bosses and yet what did we get from him? Nothing,” said Efleda Bautista, chair of People Surge.
In Capiz, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and Buylog sa Pagbangon Capiz expect 10,000 protesters from 11 towns and Roxas City to join a caravan and march rally.
In Iloilo, about 3,000 survivors will converge in Estancia town for a protest rally, according to the groups.
In the capital town of Kalibo in Aklan, protesters will release two miniature boats along the Aklan River. The boats will display messages calling for continued assistance.
A rally expected to be joined by 3,000 survivors and other protesters will be held at Pastrana Park in Kalibo.
-----
24,000 candles to light up 24-km stretch of road in Tacloban City | Inquirer News
-----
One year after Typhoon Haiyan: Resilience rebuilds the Philippines
By Sofia Klemming Nordenskiöld, Special to CNN
November 7, 2014 -- Updated 0143 GMT (0943 HKT)
Editor's note: Sofia Klemming Nordenskiöld is a press officer with Plan International in Sweden. She has been to the Philippines three times over the past year with award-winning photographer Pieter ten Hoopen, collecting photographs and stories from the communities affected by Typhoon Haiyan. The views expressed in this opinion piece are solely hers.
(CNN) -- It's 7 a.m. in Tanauan, the Philippines, and the church bells are ringing for Sunday mass.
It's May 2014 and I'm accompanying 11-year-old Jednel and his parents to the weekly service. Jednel is one of the children I have got to know through my work with children's charity Plan International. When Typhoon Haiyan wreaked havoc across the Philippines in November 2013, I was deployed to support the team.
Jednel lives in a coastal village in Leyte, which was badly destroyed by the tsunami-like waves that followed the storm.
Many of the people attending the church service lost family members and friends, many of whom are now buried in the mass grave outside on the main square. When the minister calls for prayers, the air is thick with sorrow.
There is a common experience that, as an outsider, I cannot fully grasp. Everyone in here has sensed the risk of death. They have been so close to the end, but they have survived.
Soon the air fills with a sense of power and energy. When the minister cracks a joke, laughter echoes out through the open doors.
Now, having visited the Philippines three times over the past year (in November 2013, and then May and September, 2014), I truly believe the disaster recovery has come this far because of the remarkable resilience and spirit of the Filipino people.
Rush to rebuild
When I first arrived in Western Samar in November 2013, just three weeks after the typhoon, all I could see was piles of debris, reminiscent of apocalyptic destruction.
Yet, in the middle of the rubble and burning waste, I could hear the sound of people hammering, already in the process of rebuilding their houses. Women were washing their clothes and hanging it between the few walls that were left of their homes. Children were running around in flip-flops looking for scrap metal and old glasses they could sell to help their families get food. I even heard people singing.
A year later and a lot has happened; Jednel's school is being rebuilt, he is attending a temporary school, and plays with his friends on the weekend.
The rubble and fallen trees have been cleared and the vegetation is lush and green. Shops have reopened and the streets are crowded with cars, bicycles and taxis, while the community is out in full force, selling fruit and sweets. Children can play freely on the beach and they are finally allowed to go swimming in the sea once again.
Children among most vulnerable
Jednel has grown a great deal since last November. Now he is a confident, relaxed boy who welcomes me to the house of his great grandmother. He says he's still afraid of storms and bad weather, but the nightmares come more seldom.
Plan International's priority is protecting children who are among those worst affected by a disaster, and among the most vulnerable after.
After Haiyan, Plan set up "Child Friendly Spaces," providing a safe space for 21,000 children to play, learn and get much-needed emotional support -- while nearly 10,000 parents, children and community members were trained on how to avoid violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Over the past year, Plan has helped more than 40,000 children to return to school with its "Back to School" kits -- including bags, books and pens -- or by rebuilding classrooms, training teachers and supplying school equipment.
Although we've come a long way from the devastating scenes my colleagues and I witnessed a year ago, work still remains.
In Tacloban City, one of the areas worst hit by Typhoon Haiyan, Plan's "Building Back Better" project is working with the government and community members to help residents build a community that's better able to withstand the next powerful storm.
As for Jednel, he now dreams of becoming a scientist and learning more about typhoons and climate change.
We look out towards the calm ocean and I ask him what it's like to live in the Philippines, where a natural disaster never seems too far away.
Jednel replies: "This is my favorite place. It's like a freedom, where my family can live and be happy and proud."
For me, hearing his words is testament to the resilience of Jednel, his family and the Filipino community.
-----
Resilience rebuilds Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan - CNN.com
-----
A year on, typhoon-devastated Philippine city fails to rebuild homes
MANILA Tue Oct 28, 2014 5:51am EDT
Oct 28 (Reuters) - The mayor of the central Philippine city worst hit by a super typhoon a year ago said on Tuesday fewer than 100 of 14,500 promised permanent homes had been built and that thousands were still living in danger zones.
Typhoon Haiyan wiped out or damaged practically everything in its path as it swept ashore on Nov. 8, 2013, with seven-metre storm surges destroying around 90 percent of the city of Tacloban in Leyte province.
Haiyan killed or left missing close to 8,000 people and displaced as many as four million.
"Building more permanent homes is very slow and takes time. Hopefully, by January next year, the pace will pick up," Mayor Alfred Romualdez, nephew of the Philippines' former first lady, Imelda Marcos, told reporters.
He blamed the lack of suitable land where houses which could withstand 250-kph (155-mph) winds could be built but said he hoped the 14,500 homes would be completed by 2017.
"There are still 3,000 people in danger zones, many in tents and we want them all transferred to transitional shelters by next month," Romualdez said.
"...One year after typhoon Haiyan, we are back but only about 50 percent," he said, saying the recovery effort was slowed down by bureaucracy, shortage of manpower and resources and other delays.
Construction materials, like galvanized iron sheets, were also scarce, he said, forcing people to use fallen coconut trees to build temporary shelters.
Romualdez did not mention graft as a factor in one of Asia's most corrupt countries.
The Philippines came in at 94 out of 175 countries in Transparency International's corruption perceptions index last year.
The Aquino government has a six-year 170 billion pesos ($3.80 billion) master plan to rebuild devastated areas, building about 200,000 homes and providing more sustainable jobs for 2.6 million people who living below the poverty line.
(Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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A year on, typhoon-devastated Philippine city fails to rebuild homes| Reuters
-----
So much for the "santong-anito" president...
Ayan81
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Elite PH, US units launch joint exercises in Basilan
SPECIAL OPERATION. 'Balance Piston' is a regular training exercise between special units of the US and Philippine armies. Photo by Richard Falcatan/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine and US armies have launched a 3-week war fighting capability training in Basilan, a war-weary province plagued by threats including the Abu Sayyaf group.
The joint exercises, called "Balance Piston," was launched on Wednesday, November 5, at the headquarters of the 4th Special Forces Battalion in Basilan.
"It is focused on enhancing the AFP war fighting capability and interoperability with US forces," said Captain Eugem Espino, military spokesperson in Basilan.
It is a regular army-to-army special operation exercise under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). It involves the Armed Forces of the Philippines Special Operation Command (AFP-SOCOM) and the US Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC).
The exercises began as Basilan mayors called forintensified military operations against the Abu Sayyaf following the killing of 6 soldiers, including a fresh graduate of the Philippine military academy. (READ: Basilan's hero: Fresh PMA grad dies in Abu Sayyaf hands)
The exercises, which will last until November 26, usually includemarksmanship, helicopter medical evaluation, combat lifesaving techniques, cross training of Philippine and US personnel on airborne operations, and medical civic operations.
Timing is a little suspect wherein phil. troops is at the moment undergoing operations against the abu sayaf.
Elite PH, US units launch joint exercises in Basilan
_________________________________________________________________________________
Returning Pinoy peacekeepers to be quarantined on Caballo Island
An island near Corregidor will serve as home for three weeks of the 138 Filipino peacekeepers when they arrive from Ebola-hit Liberia next week, President Benigno Aquino III said Friday.
Aquino said the 138 military and police personnel will need to undergo the mandatory 21-day quarantine on Caballo Island to ensure that they are not infected with the dreaded Ebola virus, which has killed thousands in West Africa.
“Humihingi tayo ng pang-unawa sa ating mga peacekeepers, lalo na sa kanilang pamilya. Sa loob ng 21 araw hindi muna sila makakauwi sa sariling tahanan; pagbabakasyunin muna natin sila sa isang isla kung saan maaari silang mag-relax at magpahinga,” Aquino said during a briefing on Ebola virus at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.
“Bahagi ito ng itinakdang proseso ng inyong gobyerno upang siguruhing hindi lalaganap ang Ebola virus sa bansa or makakapasok ang Ebola virus sa bansa,” he added.
Aquino said he ordered the return to the country of the peacekeepers upon learning of the spread of Ebola virus in Liberia, one of the countries hardest hit by the disease.
“Bilang Commander-in-Chief, at ama ng bansa, hindi ko ho maaatim na hayaan lang silang manatili sa lugar kung saan maaari silang mahawa ng nakamamatay na sakit,” he said.
On Caballo Island, located 2.6 miles east of Corregidor, the peacekeepers will have three to four doctors to monitor their condition. The island will have facilities for water desalination, power, and recreation.
Aquino clarified that undergoing quarantine doesn't mean the person is infected with the virus.
“Linawin ko lang po: Hindi ibig sabihin na dahil nanggaling sila sa lugar na laganap ang Ebola, taglay na rin nila ang virus. Kailangan lang po muna nating tiyaking ligtas na silang makihalubilo sa iba. Quarantine po ang tawag nga dito,” he said.
Returning Pinoy peacekeepers to be quarantined on Caballo Island | Pinoy Abroad | GMA News Online
_____________________________________________________________________
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
HAPPY 64th ANNIVERSARY PHILIPPINE MARINES
____________________________________________________________________________
Today in Philippine History, November 7, 1914, Jesus Antonio Villamor was born in Abra
General Douglas MacArthur (left) is shown pinning a Distinguished Service Cross on Captain Jesús A. Villamor of the Philippine Army Air Corps, for heroism in the air.
On November 7, 1914, Jesus Antonio Villamor, a Filipino ace pilot who fought the Japanese invaders during the World War II, was born in Abra.
Villamor, who joined the Philippine Army Air Corps (PAAC) Flying School in his early 20s, was an outstanding cadet sent to the United States for advance flight training for three years instead of four years.
He also took part in the training of the U.S. Air Force’s Strategic Bombing Squadron which used the B-17 and B-22 bomber planes.
After a variety of postings upon his return to the Philippines, he was assigned to lead the 6th Pursuit Squadron shortly before the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in December 1941.
Overmatched against Japanese Zeros, his squadron of P-26 Fighters held their own against fierce enemy in dogfight after dogfight. The Filipino pilots etched their courage and skills in the skies above Zablan and Batangas Fields.
After his squadron was destroyed, Villamor continued his war against the Japanese this time as an intelligence officer.
On Dec. 27, 1942, Villamor slipped through the Japanese Navy aboard the submarine USS Gudgeon (SS-211) and established communications from the Philippines to Australia where General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters was based.
He served as the “clearing house” of all the information, including the activities of the guerrilla (which was formed in anticipation of what was then believed as a short stay of the enemy in the Philippines) movements in Luzon, Visayas and Mindandao.
These reports helped MacArthur immensely in planning his return to the Philippines, which took place in the beach of Leyte in Oct. 20, 1944, and eventually allowed the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) to map out a strategy to liberate the Philippines.
Hence, for his bravery as a pilot and ingenuity as an intelligence officer, President Ramon Magsaysay awarded Villamor the Medal of Valor, the highest Philippine military decoration on Jan. 21, 1954.
He also received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Legion of Merit.
Also, the Philippine Air Force's (PAF) principal facility in Metro Manila has been named Col. Jesus Villamor Air Base.
He died at the age of 56 on Oct. 28, 1971.
Jesus Antonio Villamor was born in Abra November 7, 1914
SPECIAL OPERATION. 'Balance Piston' is a regular training exercise between special units of the US and Philippine armies. Photo by Richard Falcatan/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine and US armies have launched a 3-week war fighting capability training in Basilan, a war-weary province plagued by threats including the Abu Sayyaf group.
The joint exercises, called "Balance Piston," was launched on Wednesday, November 5, at the headquarters of the 4th Special Forces Battalion in Basilan.
"It is focused on enhancing the AFP war fighting capability and interoperability with US forces," said Captain Eugem Espino, military spokesperson in Basilan.
It is a regular army-to-army special operation exercise under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). It involves the Armed Forces of the Philippines Special Operation Command (AFP-SOCOM) and the US Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC).
The exercises began as Basilan mayors called forintensified military operations against the Abu Sayyaf following the killing of 6 soldiers, including a fresh graduate of the Philippine military academy. (READ: Basilan's hero: Fresh PMA grad dies in Abu Sayyaf hands)
The exercises, which will last until November 26, usually includemarksmanship, helicopter medical evaluation, combat lifesaving techniques, cross training of Philippine and US personnel on airborne operations, and medical civic operations.
Timing is a little suspect wherein phil. troops is at the moment undergoing operations against the abu sayaf.
Elite PH, US units launch joint exercises in Basilan
_________________________________________________________________________________
Returning Pinoy peacekeepers to be quarantined on Caballo Island
An island near Corregidor will serve as home for three weeks of the 138 Filipino peacekeepers when they arrive from Ebola-hit Liberia next week, President Benigno Aquino III said Friday.
Aquino said the 138 military and police personnel will need to undergo the mandatory 21-day quarantine on Caballo Island to ensure that they are not infected with the dreaded Ebola virus, which has killed thousands in West Africa.
“Humihingi tayo ng pang-unawa sa ating mga peacekeepers, lalo na sa kanilang pamilya. Sa loob ng 21 araw hindi muna sila makakauwi sa sariling tahanan; pagbabakasyunin muna natin sila sa isang isla kung saan maaari silang mag-relax at magpahinga,” Aquino said during a briefing on Ebola virus at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.
“Bahagi ito ng itinakdang proseso ng inyong gobyerno upang siguruhing hindi lalaganap ang Ebola virus sa bansa or makakapasok ang Ebola virus sa bansa,” he added.
Aquino said he ordered the return to the country of the peacekeepers upon learning of the spread of Ebola virus in Liberia, one of the countries hardest hit by the disease.
“Bilang Commander-in-Chief, at ama ng bansa, hindi ko ho maaatim na hayaan lang silang manatili sa lugar kung saan maaari silang mahawa ng nakamamatay na sakit,” he said.
On Caballo Island, located 2.6 miles east of Corregidor, the peacekeepers will have three to four doctors to monitor their condition. The island will have facilities for water desalination, power, and recreation.
Aquino clarified that undergoing quarantine doesn't mean the person is infected with the virus.
“Linawin ko lang po: Hindi ibig sabihin na dahil nanggaling sila sa lugar na laganap ang Ebola, taglay na rin nila ang virus. Kailangan lang po muna nating tiyaking ligtas na silang makihalubilo sa iba. Quarantine po ang tawag nga dito,” he said.
Returning Pinoy peacekeepers to be quarantined on Caballo Island | Pinoy Abroad | GMA News Online
_____________________________________________________________________
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
HAPPY 64th ANNIVERSARY PHILIPPINE MARINES
____________________________________________________________________________
Today in Philippine History, November 7, 1914, Jesus Antonio Villamor was born in Abra
On November 7, 1914, Jesus Antonio Villamor, a Filipino ace pilot who fought the Japanese invaders during the World War II, was born in Abra.
Villamor, who joined the Philippine Army Air Corps (PAAC) Flying School in his early 20s, was an outstanding cadet sent to the United States for advance flight training for three years instead of four years.
He also took part in the training of the U.S. Air Force’s Strategic Bombing Squadron which used the B-17 and B-22 bomber planes.
After a variety of postings upon his return to the Philippines, he was assigned to lead the 6th Pursuit Squadron shortly before the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in December 1941.
Overmatched against Japanese Zeros, his squadron of P-26 Fighters held their own against fierce enemy in dogfight after dogfight. The Filipino pilots etched their courage and skills in the skies above Zablan and Batangas Fields.
After his squadron was destroyed, Villamor continued his war against the Japanese this time as an intelligence officer.
On Dec. 27, 1942, Villamor slipped through the Japanese Navy aboard the submarine USS Gudgeon (SS-211) and established communications from the Philippines to Australia where General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters was based.
He served as the “clearing house” of all the information, including the activities of the guerrilla (which was formed in anticipation of what was then believed as a short stay of the enemy in the Philippines) movements in Luzon, Visayas and Mindandao.
These reports helped MacArthur immensely in planning his return to the Philippines, which took place in the beach of Leyte in Oct. 20, 1944, and eventually allowed the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) to map out a strategy to liberate the Philippines.
Hence, for his bravery as a pilot and ingenuity as an intelligence officer, President Ramon Magsaysay awarded Villamor the Medal of Valor, the highest Philippine military decoration on Jan. 21, 1954.
He also received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Legion of Merit.
Also, the Philippine Air Force's (PAF) principal facility in Metro Manila has been named Col. Jesus Villamor Air Base.
He died at the age of 56 on Oct. 28, 1971.
Jesus Antonio Villamor was born in Abra November 7, 1914
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Bob Ong
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PNoy seeks harmonious ties with neighbors, China
By RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News
11/09/2014
BEIJING – President Benigno Aquino III wants harmonious ties with the country’s neighbors, including China, amid the maritime disputes in the West Philippine Sea.
"It’s also in the Philippines’ interest to achieve harmony with all of its neighbors. There are so many practices that each country can benefit from as we face common challenges," he said.
"For instance, right now we will be welcoming some of our peacekeepers back to the country next week, who are coming from the West African states, specifically from Liberia where Ebola is, I think, a virus or a disease that is in the minds of everybody."
Aquino said this in response to a question thrown at him during the open forum of the APEC CEO Summit.
Aquino added: "We actually firmly believe that without stability, prosperity is an impossibility. And I think all governments, regardless of where they are, are set up primarily to improve the people’s lot or their people’s lot in life. So anything that fosters greater stability is an objective for us because we do want to achieve more prosperity for our people and together with the rest of our brothers and sisters throughout the region and throughout the world."
Aquino also recalled that during his last trip to China in 2011, former Chinese President Hu Jintao had said that one issue should not describe the relations of two countries.
"On a state visit here in 2011, we were very heartened to hear then President Hu Jintao who said the be-all and end-all of our relationships do not have to be with just one particular issue, but there are so many other aspects of our relationships. And we are happy to note that, for instance, in trade, there is a very significant growth in trade between our countries. In so many different other aspects, even from food production, there have been a lot of cooperation already,” he said.
Aquino also cited people-to-people exchanges, such as in the field of education.
The President highlighted the fruits of the relations between the two countries despite the strained ties.
"I believe that in 2011, the figures that are in my mind right now… Philippine corporations have invested $2.5 billion in the Chinese economy, and in turn, China has given us about $600 million in investments. We send something like 800,000 tourists into China’s way and China sent us 200,000 tourists,” he said.
These numbers continue to grow, Aquino stressed.
“And we seek to have harmonious relationships with everybody so that we can concentrate on solving a lot of domestic problems that have to be addressed now,” he said.
In his speech earlier in the CEO summit, Aquino also lauded China for its hosting of the APEC.
"Thank you for the opportunity and we hope we emulate China’s success at hosting APEC,” he said.
The Philippines will host APEC next year.
Aquino also took the opportunity to reiterate the economic progress that he claims were the fruits of his administration.
"We fostered a business environment that rewarded hard work and innovation as opposed to a mere willingness to bend the rules. Indeed, over the course of our administration, we have proven that good governance is good economics,” he added.
Meanwhile, Aquino asked the audience, composed of CEOs across the region, to invest in the Philippines.
"We are extremely eager to work with all of you and are hopeful that you can eventually invest in our country and become part of the great Philippine turnaround,” he said, reiterating that there is a level playing field for businesses in the Philippines.
Aquino is on his first trip to China since relations soured over the West Philippine Sea issue.
While China and Japan have initiated talks over their own dispute, there is no indication China and the Philippines will follow. No bilateral meetings have been announced for Aquino and his Chinese counterpart.
PNoy seeks harmonious ties with neighbors, China | ABS-CBN News
By RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News
11/09/2014
BEIJING – President Benigno Aquino III wants harmonious ties with the country’s neighbors, including China, amid the maritime disputes in the West Philippine Sea.
"It’s also in the Philippines’ interest to achieve harmony with all of its neighbors. There are so many practices that each country can benefit from as we face common challenges," he said.
"For instance, right now we will be welcoming some of our peacekeepers back to the country next week, who are coming from the West African states, specifically from Liberia where Ebola is, I think, a virus or a disease that is in the minds of everybody."
Aquino said this in response to a question thrown at him during the open forum of the APEC CEO Summit.
Aquino added: "We actually firmly believe that without stability, prosperity is an impossibility. And I think all governments, regardless of where they are, are set up primarily to improve the people’s lot or their people’s lot in life. So anything that fosters greater stability is an objective for us because we do want to achieve more prosperity for our people and together with the rest of our brothers and sisters throughout the region and throughout the world."
Aquino also recalled that during his last trip to China in 2011, former Chinese President Hu Jintao had said that one issue should not describe the relations of two countries.
"On a state visit here in 2011, we were very heartened to hear then President Hu Jintao who said the be-all and end-all of our relationships do not have to be with just one particular issue, but there are so many other aspects of our relationships. And we are happy to note that, for instance, in trade, there is a very significant growth in trade between our countries. In so many different other aspects, even from food production, there have been a lot of cooperation already,” he said.
Aquino also cited people-to-people exchanges, such as in the field of education.
The President highlighted the fruits of the relations between the two countries despite the strained ties.
"I believe that in 2011, the figures that are in my mind right now… Philippine corporations have invested $2.5 billion in the Chinese economy, and in turn, China has given us about $600 million in investments. We send something like 800,000 tourists into China’s way and China sent us 200,000 tourists,” he said.
These numbers continue to grow, Aquino stressed.
“And we seek to have harmonious relationships with everybody so that we can concentrate on solving a lot of domestic problems that have to be addressed now,” he said.
In his speech earlier in the CEO summit, Aquino also lauded China for its hosting of the APEC.
"Thank you for the opportunity and we hope we emulate China’s success at hosting APEC,” he said.
The Philippines will host APEC next year.
Aquino also took the opportunity to reiterate the economic progress that he claims were the fruits of his administration.
"We fostered a business environment that rewarded hard work and innovation as opposed to a mere willingness to bend the rules. Indeed, over the course of our administration, we have proven that good governance is good economics,” he added.
Meanwhile, Aquino asked the audience, composed of CEOs across the region, to invest in the Philippines.
"We are extremely eager to work with all of you and are hopeful that you can eventually invest in our country and become part of the great Philippine turnaround,” he said, reiterating that there is a level playing field for businesses in the Philippines.
Aquino is on his first trip to China since relations soured over the West Philippine Sea issue.
While China and Japan have initiated talks over their own dispute, there is no indication China and the Philippines will follow. No bilateral meetings have been announced for Aquino and his Chinese counterpart.
PNoy seeks harmonious ties with neighbors, China | ABS-CBN News
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Bob Ong
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U.S. Losing Philippine Allegiance To China?
Nov 09, 2014
Reports have surfaced that the United States might be losing the allegiance of ts longtime ally, the Philippines, to China as it has already signed up for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) last October 24 in a move that was dubbed as an unexpected development.
The head of the Philippine LaRouche Society, Antonio "Butch" Valdes, warned the citizens of the Philippines about the ploy of the U.S. He pressed that the country was being set up for destruction and that the war of the U.S. against China has something to do with the financial system of the West.
Philippine media have also reported accusations against China, pressing that it would like to take over the country.
For these reasons, the move of the Philippines has come as a surprise as the U.S. President Barack Obama has pressed other nations to boycott the China-led AIIB. Obama also asked Aquino to reject the offer of China in setting aside territorial issues in order for them to have a joint development.
The AIIB, whose goal is to counter the refusal of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in lending money to countries for long-term basic infrastructure, has 21 founding members. The group will be lending money to the other members without any strictness or conditions.
Political figures in the Philippines have noted that Obama is already losing control of the archipelage and predicted that Aquino will also be pulled down once Obama loses in the 2016 Presidential elections. They pointed out the progress of other Asian nations that are collaborating with China.
On October 29, former Philippine President Fidel Ramos gave a speech in Manila which touched on this issue. He urged the Philippines to restore its close relations with China because their economy will continue to collapse if the government will not do so.
Ramos also emphasized the importance of stability in the region, saying businesses will not be able to operate and help "produce wealth" without it.
Ambassador sees stronger Philippine-China relations under China's five-year development plan
By: Philippines News Agency
November 8, 2014
BEIJING, China - The business relations between the Philippines and China continue to develop under China's Five Year Plan in a robust manner with the business sectors from both sides taking the initiatives to enhance trade and investment, the Philippine ambassador here said early this week.
In an interview with Radio TV Malacanang on Monday, Erlinda Basilio, the Philippine ambassador to China said that both sides recognize that there are opportunities in each other economies so the business sector continue the contacts and works in addition to government initiatives.
China's legislature, the National People's Congress, endorsed the country’s 12th Five-Year Plan on March 14, 2011.
The far-reaching plan sets China's course for the next five years: the social and economic measures contained in the plan will have a deep impact on the business landscape, both within China and in countries that do business with China.
Basilio said that the year 2014 is a good year for business contacts between the two countries.
The Philippine embassy and different Philippine consulates general in China have held a series of business roadshows as well as trade and investment and business matching meetings, she told RTVM.
For instance, PEZA Dir. Gen. Lilia de Lima successfully visited Beijing in the third quarter of this year to promote investments in the Philippines' economic zones.
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade also brought a business delegation to the Philippines to look for investment opportunities in the country, she said.
With regards to programs aimed at strengthening economic cooperation and how to urged China to invest more in the Philippines, she said that since the signing of the China-Philippines development program for trade and economic cooperation in 2011, both countries agreed to work together to boost economic relations.
In the 27th meeting of the Philippines-China joint commission on economic cooperation held in Shanghai in early August 2011, Basilio said Filipino and Chinese trade officials sought to further bolster the level of trade and investment to reinvigorate technical cooperation and trade promotion.
The Philippines and China also agreed to expedite their work in establishing a China desk manned by the Chinese official board of investment so that inbound and outbound investors in the Philippines can be served more efficiently, she noted.
The memorandum of understanding on this initiative was signed during the visit of President Aquino to China in August 2011.
Basilio also said that since 2011, China has assigned two Chinese advisers to the Department of Trade and Industry and the Board of Investments.
A memorandum of understanding between investments promotion agencies and the China-ASEAN business council on industrial cooperation was signed at the sidelines of the China-ASEAN expo last year, she added.
Ambassador sees stronger Philippine-China relations under China's five-year development plan
Nov 09, 2014
Reports have surfaced that the United States might be losing the allegiance of ts longtime ally, the Philippines, to China as it has already signed up for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) last October 24 in a move that was dubbed as an unexpected development.
The head of the Philippine LaRouche Society, Antonio "Butch" Valdes, warned the citizens of the Philippines about the ploy of the U.S. He pressed that the country was being set up for destruction and that the war of the U.S. against China has something to do with the financial system of the West.
Philippine media have also reported accusations against China, pressing that it would like to take over the country.
For these reasons, the move of the Philippines has come as a surprise as the U.S. President Barack Obama has pressed other nations to boycott the China-led AIIB. Obama also asked Aquino to reject the offer of China in setting aside territorial issues in order for them to have a joint development.
The AIIB, whose goal is to counter the refusal of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in lending money to countries for long-term basic infrastructure, has 21 founding members. The group will be lending money to the other members without any strictness or conditions.
Political figures in the Philippines have noted that Obama is already losing control of the archipelage and predicted that Aquino will also be pulled down once Obama loses in the 2016 Presidential elections. They pointed out the progress of other Asian nations that are collaborating with China.
On October 29, former Philippine President Fidel Ramos gave a speech in Manila which touched on this issue. He urged the Philippines to restore its close relations with China because their economy will continue to collapse if the government will not do so.
Ramos also emphasized the importance of stability in the region, saying businesses will not be able to operate and help "produce wealth" without it.
Ambassador sees stronger Philippine-China relations under China's five-year development plan
By: Philippines News Agency
November 8, 2014
BEIJING, China - The business relations between the Philippines and China continue to develop under China's Five Year Plan in a robust manner with the business sectors from both sides taking the initiatives to enhance trade and investment, the Philippine ambassador here said early this week.
In an interview with Radio TV Malacanang on Monday, Erlinda Basilio, the Philippine ambassador to China said that both sides recognize that there are opportunities in each other economies so the business sector continue the contacts and works in addition to government initiatives.
China's legislature, the National People's Congress, endorsed the country’s 12th Five-Year Plan on March 14, 2011.
The far-reaching plan sets China's course for the next five years: the social and economic measures contained in the plan will have a deep impact on the business landscape, both within China and in countries that do business with China.
Basilio said that the year 2014 is a good year for business contacts between the two countries.
The Philippine embassy and different Philippine consulates general in China have held a series of business roadshows as well as trade and investment and business matching meetings, she told RTVM.
For instance, PEZA Dir. Gen. Lilia de Lima successfully visited Beijing in the third quarter of this year to promote investments in the Philippines' economic zones.
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade also brought a business delegation to the Philippines to look for investment opportunities in the country, she said.
With regards to programs aimed at strengthening economic cooperation and how to urged China to invest more in the Philippines, she said that since the signing of the China-Philippines development program for trade and economic cooperation in 2011, both countries agreed to work together to boost economic relations.
In the 27th meeting of the Philippines-China joint commission on economic cooperation held in Shanghai in early August 2011, Basilio said Filipino and Chinese trade officials sought to further bolster the level of trade and investment to reinvigorate technical cooperation and trade promotion.
The Philippines and China also agreed to expedite their work in establishing a China desk manned by the Chinese official board of investment so that inbound and outbound investors in the Philippines can be served more efficiently, she noted.
The memorandum of understanding on this initiative was signed during the visit of President Aquino to China in August 2011.
Basilio also said that since 2011, China has assigned two Chinese advisers to the Department of Trade and Industry and the Board of Investments.
A memorandum of understanding between investments promotion agencies and the China-ASEAN business council on industrial cooperation was signed at the sidelines of the China-ASEAN expo last year, she added.
Ambassador sees stronger Philippine-China relations under China's five-year development plan
Ayan81
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SEA’s biggest wind farm powers Luzon
![coastal-area-ilocos-sur-5[1].jpg](https://defence.pk./attachments/coastal-area-ilocos-sur-5-1-jpg.149612/ "coastal-area-ilocos-sur-5[1].jpg")
MANILA, Philippines - The country’s bid to wean itself off fossil fuels and tap its massive potential for renewable energy has received a big boost following the completion of the largest wind farm in Southeast Asia.
EDC Burgos Wind Power Corp. (EBWPC), an affiliate of Lopez-led Energy Development Corp. (EDC), informed the Department of Energy (DOE) last Nov. 5 that its 150-megawatt (MW) wind project in Burgos, Ilocos Norte had achieved successful commissioning.
“We are happy to have met our target commissioning date, even a bit earlier than expected. This is a major achievement for us,” said Richard Tantoco, EDC president and chief operating officer.
Tantoco said that while renewable energy has a long way to go before it can meet the country’s ever-growing energy demands, the development of the wind farm is a significant step.
Under the DOE’s guidelines, successful commissioning means that the renewable energy project “is now physically connected to the grid” and is “delivering power to the transmission system.”
According to EDC data, the Burgos wind project will be providing 370 GWh of electricity to power approximately two million households.
SEA’s biggest wind farm powers Luzon | Headlines, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com
_____________________________________________________________________________
France to invest in PH aerospace industry
![fr-ph-aerospace-20141110_1192354B283548EBAD84B3EFD27FE699[1].jpg](https://defence.pk./attachments/fr-ph-aerospace-20141110_1192354b283548ebad84b3efd27fe699-1-jpg.149613/ "fr-ph-aerospace-20141110_1192354B283548EBAD84B3EFD27FE699[1].jpg")
The EU country is also keen on exploring more opportunities in infrastructure, with several French firms already involved in PPP projects in the Philippines
MANILA, Philippines – Exploratory talks are ongoing as France is eyeing prospects of investing in the aerospace industry of the Philippines.
France ambassador to the Philippines Gilles Garachon said in an interview there are exploratory talks on the private sector side, in time for the visit to the country of French President Francois Hollande.
The opportunities are seen in both the supply of aircraft parts, including maintenance, repair, and overhaul.
For instance, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is now working with Groupement des industries françaises aéronautiques et spatiales (GIFAS), the French aerospace industry association, on initiatives that will improve the country’s capabilities as a supplier in the global aerospace supply chain.
The DTI had said the Philippines is well credentialed as leading companies like SDV, Lufthansa Technik, MOOG Technologies, and BE Aerospace have already given the country a foothold in the global aerospace supply chain.
Early this year, the Mouvement des entreprises de France (MEDEF, or the Movement of the Enterprises of France), early this year recently sent a business delegation where the Philippine government encouraged French investment, technology, and training in aerospace, including in the field of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, and logistics.
MEDEF was a 23-man mission composed of representatives from French companies involved in airport design and construction (Aéroports de Paris, Vinci Airports); energy (Green Lighthouse); financial services (Crédit Agricole); infrastructure, transport, and public works (Citelum, Egis, SNC Lavalin, Systra, Vossloh Cogifer); (Socotec); shipbuilding (Ocea); and space technology (Collecte Localisation Satellite).
France is also looking into other industries like infrastructure, where private sector can partner with local firms, Garachon said.
French firms are already participating in some of the government's public-private partnership (PPP) projects.
In September, French RATP Development signed a technical service agreement with the Light Rail Manila Consortium for the operation and maintenance of Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 Cavite extension project.
Bouygues Travaux Publics and Alstom Transport also signed an agreement with the consortium for the design and construction of the LRT1 Cavite extension project.
Food and health are also other areas that France can participate in the country, Garachon said.
Several French companies are already present in the country, such as Alstom, Airbus, Bureau Veritas, Cofely, Freyssinet, Matiere, Socotec and Systra, and Total. – Rappler.com
France to invest in PH aerospace industry
MANILA, Philippines - The country’s bid to wean itself off fossil fuels and tap its massive potential for renewable energy has received a big boost following the completion of the largest wind farm in Southeast Asia.
EDC Burgos Wind Power Corp. (EBWPC), an affiliate of Lopez-led Energy Development Corp. (EDC), informed the Department of Energy (DOE) last Nov. 5 that its 150-megawatt (MW) wind project in Burgos, Ilocos Norte had achieved successful commissioning.
“We are happy to have met our target commissioning date, even a bit earlier than expected. This is a major achievement for us,” said Richard Tantoco, EDC president and chief operating officer.
Tantoco said that while renewable energy has a long way to go before it can meet the country’s ever-growing energy demands, the development of the wind farm is a significant step.
Under the DOE’s guidelines, successful commissioning means that the renewable energy project “is now physically connected to the grid” and is “delivering power to the transmission system.”
According to EDC data, the Burgos wind project will be providing 370 GWh of electricity to power approximately two million households.
SEA’s biggest wind farm powers Luzon | Headlines, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com
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France to invest in PH aerospace industry
The EU country is also keen on exploring more opportunities in infrastructure, with several French firms already involved in PPP projects in the Philippines
MANILA, Philippines – Exploratory talks are ongoing as France is eyeing prospects of investing in the aerospace industry of the Philippines.
France ambassador to the Philippines Gilles Garachon said in an interview there are exploratory talks on the private sector side, in time for the visit to the country of French President Francois Hollande.
The opportunities are seen in both the supply of aircraft parts, including maintenance, repair, and overhaul.
For instance, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is now working with Groupement des industries françaises aéronautiques et spatiales (GIFAS), the French aerospace industry association, on initiatives that will improve the country’s capabilities as a supplier in the global aerospace supply chain.
The DTI had said the Philippines is well credentialed as leading companies like SDV, Lufthansa Technik, MOOG Technologies, and BE Aerospace have already given the country a foothold in the global aerospace supply chain.
Early this year, the Mouvement des entreprises de France (MEDEF, or the Movement of the Enterprises of France), early this year recently sent a business delegation where the Philippine government encouraged French investment, technology, and training in aerospace, including in the field of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, and logistics.
MEDEF was a 23-man mission composed of representatives from French companies involved in airport design and construction (Aéroports de Paris, Vinci Airports); energy (Green Lighthouse); financial services (Crédit Agricole); infrastructure, transport, and public works (Citelum, Egis, SNC Lavalin, Systra, Vossloh Cogifer); (Socotec); shipbuilding (Ocea); and space technology (Collecte Localisation Satellite).
France is also looking into other industries like infrastructure, where private sector can partner with local firms, Garachon said.
French firms are already participating in some of the government's public-private partnership (PPP) projects.
In September, French RATP Development signed a technical service agreement with the Light Rail Manila Consortium for the operation and maintenance of Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 Cavite extension project.
Bouygues Travaux Publics and Alstom Transport also signed an agreement with the consortium for the design and construction of the LRT1 Cavite extension project.
Food and health are also other areas that France can participate in the country, Garachon said.
Several French companies are already present in the country, such as Alstom, Airbus, Bureau Veritas, Cofely, Freyssinet, Matiere, Socotec and Systra, and Total. – Rappler.com
France to invest in PH aerospace industry
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Cossack25A1
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China Bypasses Philippines in Its Proposed ‘Maritime Silk Road’
By Andrew Browne
Nov. 10, 2014 11:14 a.m. ET
Manila’s Legal Challenge to China’s Territorial Claims Is a Service to Southeast Asia, Official Says
BEIJING—The Philippines has paid a high price for launching a legal challenge to China over its sweeping claims to the South China Sea: Two-way trade, travel and investment are all languishing.
Now, it risks missing out on a planned Chinese infrastructure spending bonanza designed to boost trade and bring jobs to the region.
China is dangling the prospect of tens of billions of dollars of investment in ports strung out along its proposed “21st-Century Maritime Silk Road,” a trade route snaking through Southeast Asia all the way to Venice by way of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Official Chinese maps, however, show the route conspicuously bypassing the Philippines.
“Of course, we feel we’re alone,” Laura Del Rosario, an undersecretary at the Philippine Foreign Ministry, said Monday.
The Philippines has infuriated China by asking a United Nations arbitration panel in The Hague to rule on the legality of China’s “nine-dash line” that marks its claim to almost the entire South China Sea. The line loops down like a lolling cow’s tongue from the Chinese coast all the way to Indonesia. Along the way, it cuts through the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone as mandated under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
No other country has joined the legal action, even though Chinese territorial claims in the area also conflict with those of Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. For a while, the Philippines hoped Vietnam might come on board, but that prospect is now looking more remote as China and Vietnam patch up relations.
Yet, Ms. Del Rosario says the Philippines is doing all its Southeast Asian neighbors a favor by pushing to make the legal status of the claims clearer.
“If clarity is achieved, all of them will benefit. In a way, we’re also doing a service,” she said in an interview on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Beijing. A ruling could come next year, when the Philippines will host the 21-member APEC gathering.
China has so far declined to take part in the legal proceedings. It is convinced that the U.S., a close ally of the Philippines, is pulling the strings, trying to win a legal victory that will undermine China in the region, according to international relations experts.
Lately, says Ms. Del Rosario, Beijing’s “rhetoric has quieted down.”
She said she is also encouraged by an agreement between China and Japan to sidestep their territorial spat over a set of islands in the East China Sea and work toward improving relations. That agreement paved the way for a meeting Monday between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
“China is trying to show it can be magnanimous in a way,” she says.
Manila, she insists, is focused on “what China wants to do as a regional power and how can we be part of that.”
Evidently, the Philippines won’t be part of the Maritime Silk Road, even though Manila is one of the great entrepôts of Asia, with a storied history at least equal to ports like Singapore, Jakarta and Colombo that are all shown as stops on the Chinese map.
China hasn’t explicitly said the trade route excludes the Philippines.
On the positive side, says Ms. Del Rosario, relations with China can’t get much worse. “There’s no way to go but up,” she says.
By Andrew Browne
Nov. 10, 2014 11:14 a.m. ET
Manila’s Legal Challenge to China’s Territorial Claims Is a Service to Southeast Asia, Official Says
BEIJING—The Philippines has paid a high price for launching a legal challenge to China over its sweeping claims to the South China Sea: Two-way trade, travel and investment are all languishing.
Now, it risks missing out on a planned Chinese infrastructure spending bonanza designed to boost trade and bring jobs to the region.
China is dangling the prospect of tens of billions of dollars of investment in ports strung out along its proposed “21st-Century Maritime Silk Road,” a trade route snaking through Southeast Asia all the way to Venice by way of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Official Chinese maps, however, show the route conspicuously bypassing the Philippines.
“Of course, we feel we’re alone,” Laura Del Rosario, an undersecretary at the Philippine Foreign Ministry, said Monday.
The Philippines has infuriated China by asking a United Nations arbitration panel in The Hague to rule on the legality of China’s “nine-dash line” that marks its claim to almost the entire South China Sea. The line loops down like a lolling cow’s tongue from the Chinese coast all the way to Indonesia. Along the way, it cuts through the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone as mandated under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
No other country has joined the legal action, even though Chinese territorial claims in the area also conflict with those of Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. For a while, the Philippines hoped Vietnam might come on board, but that prospect is now looking more remote as China and Vietnam patch up relations.
Yet, Ms. Del Rosario says the Philippines is doing all its Southeast Asian neighbors a favor by pushing to make the legal status of the claims clearer.
“If clarity is achieved, all of them will benefit. In a way, we’re also doing a service,” she said in an interview on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Beijing. A ruling could come next year, when the Philippines will host the 21-member APEC gathering.
China has so far declined to take part in the legal proceedings. It is convinced that the U.S., a close ally of the Philippines, is pulling the strings, trying to win a legal victory that will undermine China in the region, according to international relations experts.
Lately, says Ms. Del Rosario, Beijing’s “rhetoric has quieted down.”
She said she is also encouraged by an agreement between China and Japan to sidestep their territorial spat over a set of islands in the East China Sea and work toward improving relations. That agreement paved the way for a meeting Monday between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
“China is trying to show it can be magnanimous in a way,” she says.
Manila, she insists, is focused on “what China wants to do as a regional power and how can we be part of that.”
Evidently, the Philippines won’t be part of the Maritime Silk Road, even though Manila is one of the great entrepôts of Asia, with a storied history at least equal to ports like Singapore, Jakarta and Colombo that are all shown as stops on the Chinese map.
China hasn’t explicitly said the trade route excludes the Philippines.
On the positive side, says Ms. Del Rosario, relations with China can’t get much worse. “There’s no way to go but up,” she says.
Ayan81
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AW-159 Wildcat now for second stage scrutiny
AgustaWestland is the lone firm eligible for Department of National Defense anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter acquisition project. During the first stage of bidding held October 28 only two firms participated, they were Augusta Westland and PT Dirgantara Indonesia.
PT Dirgantara Indonesia failed to present a document proving it has participated in a similar project. The Indonesian firm is given until Friday to file a Motion for Reconsideration.
Israel Aerospace Industries and the partnership of Bell Helicopter Asia (PTE) Ltd. and Serpenair Group Inc. who joined the pre-bidding conference last October 7 did not join the first stage bidding.
Department of National Defense Bids and Awards Committee will now proceed to second stage which is the checking of financial aspect of the bid in contrast to technical specification set by the committee.
AgustaWestland, a British-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company, is offering their AW-159 “Wildcat”. AgustaWestland is the manufacturer of Philippine Navy and Air Force’s armed AW-109 to be delivered before the year ends.
http://www.angmalaya.net/nation/2014/11/05/5447-aw-159-wildcat-now-for-second-stage-scrutiny
______________________________________________________________________________
Delivery of eight AW-109 attack helicopters will start January
![PAF-AgustaWestland-AW-109-attack-helicopters[1].jpg](https://defence.pk./attachments/paf-agustawestland-aw-109-attack-helicopters-1-jpg.149622/ "PAF-AgustaWestland-AW-109-attack-helicopters[1].jpg")
New attack helicopters that can operate in the dark are set to arrive for the Philippine Air Force, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang said.
The new units will have night vision capability allowing pilots to target hostile subjects even in the dark.
“We have capable helicopters arriving for the PAF,” Catapang said while touring in Sulu on Sunday, according to a state news report.
Catapang said that the new helicopters set to arrive this year shows progress in the military’s modernization campaign.
The Air Force earlier selected eight pilots to man and operate the AgustaWestland AW-109 Power helicopters and sent them to train in Costa di Samarate, Italy.
Also undergoing training are 22 maintenance personnel.
The Air Force signed the contract for eight AW109 Power light twin helicopters last November. The P3.44-billion contract includes initial logistics support and training for aircrew and maintenance personnel, the Italian firm said.
“These aircraft will be used to perform a range of duties including homeland security, armed reconnaissance and close support,” AugustaWestland said in an earlier statement.
The AW109 Power is a three-ton class eight seat twin engine helicopter, dubbed as the most cost effective helicopter in its class for a range of government tasks.
Delivery of eight AW-109 attack helicopters will start January
________________________________________________________________________________
Army shooting team off to Hanoi
![3548052220131115152403734[1].jpg](https://defence.pk./attachments/3548052220131115152403734-1-jpg.149624/ "3548052220131115152403734[1].jpg")
MANILA, Nov. 10 — Philippine Army (PA) commander Lt. Gen. Hernando Iriberri on Monday formally led the send-off ceremony for the members of the Philippine Army Shooting Team, who will compete in the prestigious 2014 ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet (AARM) in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The send off ceremony for the 50-man contingent was held at the Training and Doctrine Command headquarters in Camp O' Donnel, Capas Tarlac.
The contingent, headed by Lt. Col. Palmer M. Parungao, will compete in the 24th AARM, which will be held in Mieu Mon Training Center, Hanoi, Vietnam from Nov. 11 to 30.
The Philippine Army Shooting Team is competing against nine teams, including the Indonesian National Army, Lao People's Army, Malaysian Army, Myanmar Armed Forces, Royal Brunei Armed Forces, Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, Singapore Army, Thailand Army, and Vietnam People's Army.
In previous competitions, the PA has distinguished itself by consistently landing in the Top 3, making it one of the bests in the ASEAN region.
It is also the four-year defending champion in the Perpetual Trophy for the Rifle Overall Individual Championship.
With the Army shooters' high marksmanship skills, the PA is confident that they will finish at the top in this year's competition.
The AARM is an annual shooting competition among ASEAN armies which aims to develop and strengthen the relationship among the Armies from senior military leaders to the soldiers.
Also part of the activity is the conduct of the ASEAN Chiefs of Armies Multilateral Meeting (ACAMM) attended by the Chiefs of Armies.
The PA is slated to host the 26th AARM in 2016. (PNA)
Army shooting team off to Hanoi : balita.ph
AgustaWestland is the lone firm eligible for Department of National Defense anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter acquisition project. During the first stage of bidding held October 28 only two firms participated, they were Augusta Westland and PT Dirgantara Indonesia.
PT Dirgantara Indonesia failed to present a document proving it has participated in a similar project. The Indonesian firm is given until Friday to file a Motion for Reconsideration.
Israel Aerospace Industries and the partnership of Bell Helicopter Asia (PTE) Ltd. and Serpenair Group Inc. who joined the pre-bidding conference last October 7 did not join the first stage bidding.
Department of National Defense Bids and Awards Committee will now proceed to second stage which is the checking of financial aspect of the bid in contrast to technical specification set by the committee.
AgustaWestland, a British-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company, is offering their AW-159 “Wildcat”. AgustaWestland is the manufacturer of Philippine Navy and Air Force’s armed AW-109 to be delivered before the year ends.
http://www.angmalaya.net/nation/2014/11/05/5447-aw-159-wildcat-now-for-second-stage-scrutiny
______________________________________________________________________________
Delivery of eight AW-109 attack helicopters will start January
New attack helicopters that can operate in the dark are set to arrive for the Philippine Air Force, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang said.
The new units will have night vision capability allowing pilots to target hostile subjects even in the dark.
“We have capable helicopters arriving for the PAF,” Catapang said while touring in Sulu on Sunday, according to a state news report.
Catapang said that the new helicopters set to arrive this year shows progress in the military’s modernization campaign.
The Air Force earlier selected eight pilots to man and operate the AgustaWestland AW-109 Power helicopters and sent them to train in Costa di Samarate, Italy.
Also undergoing training are 22 maintenance personnel.
The Air Force signed the contract for eight AW109 Power light twin helicopters last November. The P3.44-billion contract includes initial logistics support and training for aircrew and maintenance personnel, the Italian firm said.
“These aircraft will be used to perform a range of duties including homeland security, armed reconnaissance and close support,” AugustaWestland said in an earlier statement.
The AW109 Power is a three-ton class eight seat twin engine helicopter, dubbed as the most cost effective helicopter in its class for a range of government tasks.
Delivery of eight AW-109 attack helicopters will start January
________________________________________________________________________________
Army shooting team off to Hanoi
MANILA, Nov. 10 — Philippine Army (PA) commander Lt. Gen. Hernando Iriberri on Monday formally led the send-off ceremony for the members of the Philippine Army Shooting Team, who will compete in the prestigious 2014 ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet (AARM) in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The send off ceremony for the 50-man contingent was held at the Training and Doctrine Command headquarters in Camp O' Donnel, Capas Tarlac.
The contingent, headed by Lt. Col. Palmer M. Parungao, will compete in the 24th AARM, which will be held in Mieu Mon Training Center, Hanoi, Vietnam from Nov. 11 to 30.
The Philippine Army Shooting Team is competing against nine teams, including the Indonesian National Army, Lao People's Army, Malaysian Army, Myanmar Armed Forces, Royal Brunei Armed Forces, Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, Singapore Army, Thailand Army, and Vietnam People's Army.
In previous competitions, the PA has distinguished itself by consistently landing in the Top 3, making it one of the bests in the ASEAN region.
It is also the four-year defending champion in the Perpetual Trophy for the Rifle Overall Individual Championship.
With the Army shooters' high marksmanship skills, the PA is confident that they will finish at the top in this year's competition.
The AARM is an annual shooting competition among ASEAN armies which aims to develop and strengthen the relationship among the Armies from senior military leaders to the soldiers.
Also part of the activity is the conduct of the ASEAN Chiefs of Armies Multilateral Meeting (ACAMM) attended by the Chiefs of Armies.
The PA is slated to host the 26th AARM in 2016. (PNA)
Army shooting team off to Hanoi : balita.ph
Last edited:
Cossack25A1
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I seriously hope we consider the A129 helicopter as it is a dedicated attack helicopter.
Ayan81
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or just skip this light attack 109 and instead upgrade our PAF MD-520MG. and go for the mangusta for our attack helo. sometimes i question the mindset of the DND, they fak up a lot of projects lately.
btw are the pictures visible? or you still have to click to view full image? ty
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