Now it's the Philippines vs taiwan's INVASION in Kalayaan for Oils

Kalayaan, Province of Palawan, Philippines. Taiwan want's to start exploring oil inside Kalayaan Municipality of the Palawan Province.

Chinese in Taiwan are originally from mainland China who were defeated by the China's Communist group so they retreated down south and take over the Formosan Government in Taiwan as a base island for their dream to controll back the communist Mainland China under the Republic of China government.

As the Mainland China is controlled by the Communist group, Taiwan the Republic of China claimed back the Mainland China as their territory which now both Mainland China and Taiwan are claiming each other.

Chinese in Taiwan are of the same ideology as all other Chinese in the world with the chinese in the mainland China.

With the continuous mounting of conflicts in the West Philippines Sea as a result of china's continuous expansionism affecting the Kalayaan Municipality of the Palawan Province in the Southwestern Philippines, taiwan jumps in of the same purpose as china to invade the Philippine territory.

The Kalayaan Municipality in the Kalayaaan Group of Islands is adjacent to the mainland Palawan Island and is part of the Province of Palawan which is within the 370 kilometers or 200 Nautical Miles Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines as granted by the United Nations' UNCLOS.

The now such called Kalayaan Group of Islands was once part of the old Sultanate of Sulu, a kingdom that exist and controlled the territory we back 12th to 15th Century. The old Sultanate of Sulu governed the Palawan Province, the now called Kalayaan Group of Islands or Spratly Islands in the West Philippines Sea together with several provinces in Mindanao Island such as the Province of Maguindanao, Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, and North Borneo (now called Sabah); before the invasion of Spain to the Philippines.

The Only country which has the rights and authority over the Spratly Islands or Kalayaan Group of Islands is the Philippines as the original territorial owner which was the old Sultanate of Sulu through Sultan Kiram has turned over his rights to the Philippine Government.

While the Philippines bracing from the China's invasion in the territory, there's another conflict is brewing in the West Philippine Sea, this time between the Philippines and Taiwan over oil and gas exploration around Ligao Island, the largest islet in the Spratlys group as reported by the INQUIRER Global Nation 30th December 2012.

The Philippine government on Saturday asserted its sovereign right to "explore and exploit" resources in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) as Taiwan announced plans to begin looking for oil and gas in  disputed areas of the Spratlys islands chain.

Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson, said Saturday that only the Philippines could explore in those parts of the Spratlys that lies within the country's 200-nautical mile continental shelf.

Reports from Taiwan said island nation's Bureau of Mines and state-run oil supplier CPC Corp. were keen on starting exploration for oil and gas in waters around Ligao Island, the largest Spratlys island that the Taiwanese call Taiping.

China, Vietnam and the Philippines have claims to Ligao Island.

The Philippines earlier this year offered oil exploration contracts in its claimed part of the Spratlys, a move that drew criticism from counter-claimants, especially China.

Without directly criticizing Taiwan for the move, Hernandez said foreign exploration within the Philippines' EEZ must be signed off by Manila in compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).

"The Philippines has exclusive sovereign rights to explore and exploit all types of resources in its continental shelf within the 200 nautical miles measured from the baselines in the western side of the Philippine archipelago," Hernandez said.

"No country can conduct oil exploration in the PH continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea without the permission of the government, as provided for under Unclos," he said.

Known to be dependent on oil imports, Taiwan is initiating the oil exploration to build up its oil resources, the reports said.

Taiwan's announcement came amid renewed tensions between China and the Philippines over reports of Chinese ships patrolling in the West Philippine Sea and plans to fortify Sansha City, an administrative domain established to govern all of the Spratlys.

The Philippines called both developments violations of international law and disrespectful of the Philippines' sovereign right to its EEZ.

China this week deployed an oceangoing ship in the disputed waters, the first time for a Chinese vessel to patrol beyond its coastal waters.  The patrol started ahead of the implementation of a new policing law allowing Hainan province's authorities to board and inspect foreign ships that will pass by the South China Sea, a critical international trading route.

Sources: INQUIRER Global Nation & the Spokesman of Sultan Kiram of the old Sultanate of Sulu

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Philippine Navy sends first patrol ship to West Philippine Sea anew -beg China to respect its sovereign territory

China asked United States of America to respect its national interest in Asia; the Philippines asked China to respect its sovereign territory and it's 370 Kilometers from its coast or 200 Nautical Miles (NM) Exclusive Economic Zone as grants from UNCLOS: US will respect china's interest.

As published in the Business World Online Thursday, The Philippine Government once again calls for China to respect the "territorial sovereignty" and the exclusive economic zone after the former sent its first patrol ship to the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement on Friday.

"The Philippines strongly objects to the Chinese patrol of Philippine maritime domain in the WPS [West Philippine Sea]," DFA Assistant Secretary and Spokesman Raul S. Hernandez said in a text message to reporters.

"Such patrol will not validate the 9-dash lines [China's claim] and is contrary to China's obligation under international law including UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]," Mr. Hernandez added.

The government reacted to the reports that a patrol ship was sent from China in the disputed areas in the West Philippines Sea.

The dispute between the Philippines and China escalated after the Scarborough Shoal issue. Other countries such as Malaysia and Taiwan claim ownership of parts of the disputed seas. (read further in the Business World Online)

Philippines objections to new Chinese gunboat in the Spratly

MSN News also published that the  Philippines on Friday said it "strongly objects" to China's deployment of a new patrol vessel in the South China Sea, where the two countries have a seething maritime territorial dispute.

Such patrols will not boost China's claim to the disputed territory where the two countries have had a standoff since April, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said in a statement.

"The Philippines strongly objects to the Chinese patrol of Philippine maritime domain in the West Philippine Sea," the statement said, using the local name for the South China Sea.

It called on China to respect the country's "territorial sovereignty and EEZ", referring to the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

China's official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday an ocean-going patrol vessel equipped with a helipad would be deployed to the South China Sea, the first of its kind in the area.

In late November, China said it had granted its border patrol police the right to board and turn away foreign ships entering the disputed waters, raising fears of a confrontation.

Both the Philippines and China have overlapping claims over parts of the South China Sea, a major shipping route that is also believed to hold vast mineral resources.

Tensions between China and the Philippines have risen in the area since April after ships from both countries had a standoff over a rock outcropping known as the Scarborough Shoal.

While the Philippines has withdrawn its ships, it says China reneged on an agreement to pull out its own vessels.

China claims the shoal as well as nearly all of the South China Sea, even waters close to the coasts of neighbouring countries. The Philippines says the shoal is well within its EEZ. (read further in MSN News)

Philippines claims South China Sea islands, How Filipinos Discovered the Paradise in the Kalayaan Group of Islands?

Filipinos have settled on Thitu Island as a means to strengthen the country's claim on the Spratlys.

hitu Island is at the centre of one of the biggest territorial disputes in the world.

It is part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, which are believed to be sitting on billions of dollars' worth of oil and gas reserves.

Six countries claim ownership of the tiny archipelago, including the Philippines, which has people living on Thitu Island as a means to strengthen its claim on the Spratlys.

Article published in Jazeera's Jamela Alindogan reports from the Spratlys in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Watch the Video of the Pagasa Island (Thitu Island) of the Paradise Kalayaan Group of Islands, Spratlys, Province of Palawan, (Old Sultanate of Sulu) Philippines.

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Leading American Health Insurers to transfer jobs to the Philippines KPO & BPO

Philippines seen to get jobs from US health insurers

UNDER pressure to slash costs, a greater number of American health insurers will likely transfer thousands of clinical support service and other back office jobs to the Philippines in the months ahead, House Deputy Majority Leader Roman Romulo said yesterday.

American health insurers such as Bloomfield, Connecticut-based Cigna Corp.; Louisville, Kentucky-based Humana Inc.; and Woodland Hills, California-based Health Net Inc. are bound to follow their rivals who have invested aggressively to build new back offices in Manila, according to Romulo, a congressional backer of Manila's business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana-based WellPoint Inc. and Hartford, Connecticut-based Aetna Inc. have already put up back offices in the Philippines either on their own or via independent BPO providers.

"These top six American health insurers cover more than 130 million Americans. One could just imagine the claims they process every day as well as the clinical support services they require," Romulo said.

"Substantially lower cost is the biggest factor driving US health insurers to transfer jobs to Manila. Studies suggest they stand to generate around 30 percent in potential cost-savings once they convey the jobs here," he said.

"The huge cost-savings are impossible to ignore, especially since we are talking here of New York Stock Exchange-listed American health insurers under constant pressure to report ever-increasing profits to their public shareholders," he said.

That the Philippines has tens of thousands of college-educated, fluent English-speaking professionals, including nurses and other health practitioners, ready to staff the back offices is another advantage, according to Romulo.

He also said the Philippines' new Data Privacy Protection Law is helping to encourage outsourcing to Manila.

"The back offices of American health insurers handle and process a great deal of highly sensitive personal information of patients. Our new law assures them of adequate safeguards," he said.

Authored by Romulo, Republic Act 10173 compels all entities, including BPO firms, to protect the confidentiality of personal information collected from clients and stored in information technology (IT) systems, in compliance with strict international

privacy standards.

The back offices of US health insurers perform multifaceted support functions such as clinical quality analysis and management, medical billing coordination, medical data coding, claims processing, premium and benefit administration, agency management, account reconciliation, policy research, underwriting support, new business processing, and policy servicing, among others.

Romulo said another factor driving US insurers to relegate jobs to Manila is Obamacare, or the US Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which mandates reforms to simplify and cut down the cost of health care in America (http://is.gd/kHEWa9)

Sun Star

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635 Foreigners; 390 Taiwanese, 137 Chinese, 32 Skoreans, 25 Americans Deported from the Philippines

As reported by Focus Taiwan News channel , 390 Taiwanese suspects deported from Philippines in 2012.

A total of 635 foreigners -- including 390 Taiwanese -- who were suspected of criminal acts were deported from the Philippines this year, according to a year-end report released by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration Wednesday.

The deportees were more than four times the number recorded in 2011, the report said.

Apart from Taiwanese, the deported criminal suspects include 137 Chinese nationals, 32 South Koreans and 25 Americans, the report said.

Immigration bureau chief Ricardo David said the deported foreigners were suspected of breaking the law, such as residing without effective permits, entering the Philippines without visas, forging IDs, involvement in illegal gambling, conducting scams or selling drugs.

The Taiwanese and Chinese deportees were mostly arrested on charges of conducting telecommunication scams, David Said (http://is.gd/JPHWNV)

 

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To Honor the prophet “Jose Rizal” Rizalians; over china’s “Confucians”

Welcome to the Rizalian's Archipelago!.

If Chinese ethical and philosophical system china's Confucians remain strong in the East Asia particularly in the communist China which spread to nearby Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Vietnam; Rizalian is also strong and vocal over the former Austronesia's– the Philippines, and the Southeast Asia.

Confucianism is a developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (孔夫子 Kǒng Fūzǐ, or K'ung-fu-tzu, lit. "Master Kong", 551–479 BC), which became the official state ideology of China. Though Confucianism is also for good intention, it is the Communist Ideology to reverse the teaching of Confucius for its bad intentions quoting "According to Confucius" Everything under the sun is owned by china that is why we owned the Philippines and everything we want as what we want. Communist China also believe in the ideology "What is mine is mine; what is yours IS MINE TOO".

Unlike Confucius who has a lot of theories; Jose Rizal is just a Filipino who reformed and ousted the most powerful abusing Spanish government in the "Rizalian Archipelgo". With Jose Rizal's famous  phrases, the mostly followed phrase by the young makabayan is "Youth is the hope of our Motherland".

With Jose Rizal's teachings and geniuses, he created series of magic shows to the people of Dapitan in Zambaoanga del Norte during his exile which for the eye of the poor Dapitanons the trick is not just a magic shows to entertain them but a mystical power, His ability turned him into a "prophet" , a "God" for Dapitanons, where the birth of the Religious Organization "the Rizalians" born.

Jose Rizal is so admirable, so genius, a man who could speak 22 languages, an ophthalmologist, sculptor, painter, educator, farmer, historian, playwright and journalist. Besides poetry and creative writing, he dabbled, with varying degrees of expertise, in architecture, cartography, economics, ethnology, anthropology, sociology, dramatics, martial arts, fencing and pistol shooting.

We would like to feature today the Article written by Bernard Karganilla, published in Malaya Business Insights (http://is.gd/hu3yaW) titled "Rizal and the broken dawn.

"Rizal and the broken dawn"

By: Bernard Karganilla

'How will the Philippines, now more than 100 years into Rizal's predicted future, endure? Hopefully, the fundamentals are sound.'

FROM the speech of the optimistic Sandoval on the future of the Philippines:

"Spain is now breaking the eastern sky for her beloved Philippines, and the times are changing, as I positively know, faster than we imagine. This government, which, according to you, is vacillating and weak, should be strengthened by our confidence, that we may make it see that it is the custodian of our hopes. Let us remind it by our conduct (should it ever forget itself, which I do not believe can happen) that we have faith in its good intentions and that it should be guided by no other standard than justice and the welfare of all the governed."

Such breath-taking naiveté negated by another declamation, this time from Simoun to Basilio:

"What will you be in the future? A people without character, a nation without liberty – everything you have will be borrowed, even your very defects! You beg for Hispanization, and do not pale with shame when they deny it you! And even if they should grant it to you, what then – what have you gained? At best, a country of pronunciamentos, a land of civil wars, a republic of the greedy and the malcontents…"

All characters and their missives are from Jose Rizal and his second published novel, "The Reign of Greed" (El Filibusterismo). Pessimists, realists, optimists and the apathetic – all found in Rizal's political fiction as well as in 21st century Philippines. Who will prevail?

Then there's the superstitious. "The meal ended, and while the tea and coffee were being served, both old and young scattered about in different groups. Some took the chessmen, others the cards, while the girls, curious about the future, chose to put questions to a Wheel of Fortune."

And the sublime. "But you must think of other and greater things; the future lies open before you, while for me it is already passing behind; your love is just awakening, while mine is dying; fire burns in your blood, while the chill is creeping into mine. Yet you weep and cannot sacrifice the present for the future, useful as it may be alike to yourself and to your country."

The trivial co-exists with the solemn, thus, Ibarra's father contrasts the inanities of the present with the sacrifices of the past in order to permit the abundance of the future, castigating the protagonist in the process. This time the citations are from Rizal's first published full-length fiction of 19th century society, "The Social Cancer" (Noli Me Tangere).

Rizal's prognostications are more direct and pointed in his non-fiction works, particularly the landmark essays carried in La Solidaridad magazine. "The native is, moreover, very fond of peace and prefers a humble present to a brilliant future. Let the various Filipinos still holding office speak in this matter; they are the most unshaken conservatives."

This is an excerpt from "The Philippines A Century Hence" wherein Rizal famously expressed that a people's destiny can be foretold by opening the book of its past. After establishing the impermanence of alien brutalization of the Malay race, the essayist predicted the independence of the Pearl of the Orient plus the sustainability of that independence against post-Hispanic invaders.

Rizal proved true. After Spain, the United States of America colonized the novelist's homeland, and later still, the Empire of Japan killed one million souls in the Philippines during World War Two.

The coming of the Americans and the Japanese were occasioned by factors endemic to these expansionist societies' imperialist evolution. But the choice of the Philippines as a colony was also governed by the Rizalian Archipelago's strategic features. More so with the shifting balance of power among the rival imperialisms. This was palpable at the times of confrontations and recorded by the participants. Pedro Alejandro Paterno in his May 31, 1898 open letter to his "Beloved Brethren" (the Filipinos) offered a choice: "Under Spain our future is clear, and with all certainty we shall be free and rule. Under the Americans our future is cloudy; we shall certainly be sold and lose our unity; some provinces will become English, others German, others French, others Russian or Chinese."

A similar assessment was made by a non-Filipino 14 years later: "At present, the Philippines are a potential apple of discord thrown into the Balance of Power in the Pacific. The present policy of indefinite retention by us, with undeclared intention, leaves everybody guessing, including ourselves. Now is the accepted time, while the horizon of the future is absolutely cloudless, to ask Japan to sign a treaty agreeing not to annex the Philippine Islands after we give them their independence. By her answer she will show her hand." [James H. Blount. The American Occupation of the Philippines, 1898-1912. NY: The Knickerbocker Press, 1912]

This precarious weighing of the scales continues to bedevil the Philippines, and not to forget, Rizal identified half a dozen potential invaders of his native land. The US retains its status as the world's only superpower, while Japan is still Earth's third-largest economy. And now, the risen East Asian hegemon, which was on Rizal's watch-list, is the second-largest economy.

The apocalypse purportedly heralded in the Mayan Long Count is a bust, but Armageddon is embedded in the Biblical Book of Revelations. Palestine is an unending chain of historical explosives, the Arab-Israeli conflict is the mother of all flashpoints, but the Indo-Pakistani Partition, the East Asian territorial rows and the game of Chinese checkers in the East Seas are all tinderboxes. How will the Philippines, now more than 100 years into Rizal's predicted future, endure?

Hopefully, the fundamentals are sound. "The Filipino has many excellent qualities which go far to make amends for his shortcomings. He is patient and forbearing in the extreme, remarkably sober, plodding, anxious only about providing for his immediate wants, and seldom feels 'the canker of ambitious thoughts.' In his person and his dwelling he may serve as a pattern of cleanliness to all other races in the tropical East. He has little thought beyond the morrow, and therefore never racks his brains about events of the far future in the political world, the world to come, or any other sphere…" [John Foreman. The Philippine Islands: A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago. London: T. Fisher Unwin, MCMVI]

Otherwise: penyakit itu tiada akan semboh, siapa akan tahu? {If that disease is not to be cured, then who can tell?}

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Philippines Finland - 17th most generous country in the world

It would appear that Filipinos have taken to heart the words of that classic Christmas carol that goes, "at magmula ngayon, kahit hindi Pasko ay magbigayan."

According to the World Giving Index 2012 by British organization Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), the Philippines is the 17th most generous country out of 146 countries included in the study, with a world giving index score of 45 percent.

The World Giving Index ranked countries based on three "giving behaviors:" donating money to a charity, volunteering time for an organization, and helping strangers.

Top 20 countries in the World Giving Index, with score and participation in giving behaviours

1. Australia
2. Ireland
3. Canada
4. New Zealand
5. United States of America
6. Netherlands
7. Indonesia
8. United Kingdom
9. Paraguay
10. Denmark
11. Liberia
12. Iran
13. Turkmenistan
14. Qatar
15. Sri Lanka
16. Trinidad and Tobago
17. Finland & The Philippines
18. Hong Kong
19. Oman

The Philippines shared the ranking with Finland, who also had a score of 45 percent.,

Meanwhile Australia was ranked the most generous country with a score of 60 percent. Ireland, Canada, New Zealand and the United States rounded out the top five most generous, all ranking high in terms of donating money.

Filipinos, meanwhile, got a relatively low score of only 32 percent when it came to money donations, but ranked fifth overall in terms of volunteering, with a score of 44 percent. This score is the highest of any other country in Southeast Asia. As for helping strangers, Filipinos got a score of 58 percent.

The CAF report said that the country's world giving score has exceeded its five-year average. However, it also said that there was a general decline in charitable acts in recent years, noting a decrease in participation in all three giving behaviors all over the world.

"According to our report, hundreds of millions fewer people have helped others than was the case last year," said CAF Chief Executive John Low in the report's foreword.,

"This has inevitably resulted in a dramatic reduction in charitable support for millions of vulnerable people the world over," he added.

The World Giving Index 2012 was compiled using data collected throughout 2011 and surveyed over 155,000 people. Countries featured in the World Giving Index in previous years that were not surveyed in 2011 do not feature in the 2012 Index.

Fieldwork was conducted by the market research firm, Gallup.

This is the third edition of the World Giving Index (http://is.gd/qWkuxU)

GMA News

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Miss Philippines first runner up, USA crowned Miss Universe

Miss USA Olivia Culpo (C) is congratulated by Miss Teen USA 2012 Logan West (L) and Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes from Angola after being crowned during the Miss Universe pageant at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada December 19, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Steve Marcus

Miss USA crowned Miss Universe in eighth American win

A 20-year-old beauty queen who plays the cello and is a breast cancer advocate was crowned Miss Universe on Wednesday, the eighth time an American has won the pageant where the world's most beautiful women parade in bikinis and ball gowns.

Olivia Culpo, 20, a brunette from Rhode Island, was chosen by a 10-judge panel from 89 contestants representing countries ranging from India to Kosovo and Britain.

Culpo, wearing a red, long-sleeved dress for her final look, was the eighth winner from the United States in the contest's 60-year history, and the first Miss USA to take the title since 1997.

Miss Philippines, 23-year-old Janine Tugonon, was the runner-up and Miss Venezuela, Irene Sofia Esser Quintero, came third after the top five answered brief questions posed by the judges.

Miss Philippines, Janine Tugonon

Culpo takes the place of last year's winner Leila Lopes, who was the first ever Miss Universe from Angola.

Miss Guatemala, Laura Godoy, was chosen Miss Congeniality after the two-hour pageant that featured live performances by U.S. pop group Train and Nigerian-born Australian singer and dancer Timomatic.

Contestants must be aged between 18 and 27, unmarried and with no children.

The contest was broadcast live on U.S. television from the Planet Hollywood hotel and casino in Las Vegas and seen by an estimated 1 billion viewers on TV and online in 190 countries, organizers said.

Culpo will travel the world for the next year representing the Miss Universe Organization and a charity of her choice.

After reaching the top five, Culpo was asked to name one thing she would never do again. "Picking on my siblings growing up," she replied.

The contest, owned jointly by businessman Donald Trump and the NBC network, held a moment of silence for the 20 children and six staff gunned down at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012. (http://is.gd/iXp9C2)

Reuters 

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Philippine New Navy chief vows safer Philippine waters

Newly installed for Philippine navy Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano.

Philippines - Newly-installed Flag-Officer-in-Command (FOIC) Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano on Wednesday vowed that he will do what is necessary, including employing methods never attempted before, to make sure that the country's territorial waters will remain safe.

"If we are achieve results never before accomplished, we must expect to employ methods never attempted before," Alano said in a speech after assuming command of the 23,000-strong navy from outgoing navy chief, Vice Admiral Alexander Pama.

President Aquino, as commander-in-chief, presided over the hand-over of navy's command from Pama to Alano held at the Philippine Navy (PN) headquarters along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on Wednesday afternoon.

Pama and Alano, as well as Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Jessie Dellosa, belong to Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1979. Alano is retiring in May 2014. Pama on the other hand, is expected to join the civilian government as announced by the President.

Under "exciting times" without mentioning any, Alano said the Navy can make a major contribution to the AFP's missions and objectives.

"We should be a responsible partner in keeping our waters safe and secured by maintaining security stability in the (West Philippine Sea) so that freedom of navigation and international trade may continue to flourish," he said.

To do this, he said the Navy will continue to review its maritime security strategy of active archipelagic defense in such a way that true and accepted scientific and quantitative and qualitative processes are prioritized.

"The course has been plotted, sea details have been set and the command to cast off all lines has been given. Our personnel are our most major concern. What we need are not warm bodies but able-bodied sailors and marines who are motivated, disciplined and professionals," Alano declared.

He added: "It is but up for us (the Navy) to seize this golden opportunity since the presiding officer has taken helm as the President and our Commander in Chief," Alano said.

With the country's problem on insurgency on the downturn, Alano said strategic situation and the security environment now requires the defense department to be more active in the region in ensuring maritime security in Southeast Asia by being a responsible partner of keeping the country's territorial waters safe.

As a maritime nation, the Navy, amid its aging fleet of warships, has an enormous task of guarding the country's waters, including those in hotly-contested West Philippine Sea.

At present, the Navy has only four warships considered as real sea combat capable, to include the decommissioned Hamilton Class United States Coast Guard cutter, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar,the country has acquired from the US and commissioned as a frigate.

Del Pilar now serves as the Navy flagship. Another US Coast Guard cutter, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, is due to arrive in April next year as it is still undergoing major repairs and refurbishment back in the US. (http://is.gd/uANtQC)

philSTAR

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Philippines' biggest ever government budget 2013 of ₱2 Trillion has been approved

Philippines' Department of Education has the biggest share in the 2013 Government Budget. ₱293.32 Billion has been allocated for DepED alone.

Aquino signs ₱2T budget for 2013

Philippines' President Benigno Aquino III signed on Wednesday the ₱2.006-trillion budget for 2013, the biggest budget ever approved in the country.

Calling it the 'empowerment budget,' the president said Republic Act 10352 is designed to give citizens the power to demand services from government agencies.

"The annual budget is an instrument to institutionalize accountability," Aquino said after signing the budget into law in Malacañang.

Out of the ₱2.006 trillion allotted for 2013, the Department of Education will get the biggest chunk at ₱293.32 billion.

Aquino said the budget aims to boost sectors that include agriculture, tourism, education, health and social services through the conditional cash transfer program.

"There is nothing impossible when you have the public's interest at heart," the president said, adding that it is the first time in seven years that not a single provision of the bill was vetoed.

He added that various sectors were consulted during the crafting of the national budget, in an effort to make the process more participatory.

"The result is a national budget that reflects the need of sectors and citizens," Aquino said. (http://is.gd/dvT9C9)

PhilSTAR

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Philippines break records of 43,000 hectares demands in lease spaces for offices in 2012

Philippines office space demand bullish, up 18% in 2012 of 43,000 hectares and still rising till year end of 2012

43K hectares in lease spaces

The property market will continue to grow this year with record leased space of 430,000 square meters equivalent to 43 hectares.

Consultancy firm  Lang Jones Lang LaSalle Leechiu (JLLL) said that office space demand continue to grow.

Sheila Lobien, JLLL director for project leasing,  noted that between January and November, office space demand hit 425,000 sqm., 18 per cent more than the annual average demand of 360,000 sqm. recorded in 2011.

The demand continues to be driven by players in the business process outsourcing business,al though non-BPO multinational and local companies are increasingly taking up other demands, comprising nearly 25 percent of current demand in Metro Manila at 100,000 sqm.

"Even before preferred office buildings are completed, companies are committing to take up space, indicating strong optimism and heightened business activity projected by the leading real estate consultancy for 2013.  Pre-commitments are backed up by signed lease agreements between parties, and advanced rent and security deposits are paid," said JLLI.

Lobien said the office space market continue to be a sellers' market with pre-commitments more than doubled in January to November 2012 as compared to the same period in the year before.

The average base rent in Grade A office spaces in Bonifacio Global City and the Makati Central Business District for one went up 15-20 percent since 2011.

"In 11 months of 2011, we recorded pre-commitments of 68,358 sqm. In 2012, the figure over the same period shot up to 175,922 sqm.," said Lobien.

JLLL studies also noted that a number of companies pre-committed to office space that would be completed as far forward as 2014.

Up until 2015, office supply set to come online is estimated to hit 7.9 million with the current supply already at 6.2 million sq.m. Vacancy rate across Metro Manila business districts meanwhile stands at 5 percent, JLLL said.

The consultancy firm also said that should the Philippines post a "stable fiscal position and good credit standing by 2013/2014," it expects "other demand drives to create an additional demand of roughly 100,000-200,--- sq.m. of office space.

Phillip Anonuevo, associate director for Markets, said companies like Coca Cola and Aboitiz Group are bracing for expansion and moving to new corporate space in Bonifacio Global City.

Anonuevo noted that buildings in this highly preferred business district like Net Lima and NAC were fully leased out even before building completion.

Anonuevo meanwhile said the massive entertainment district development in the Bay Area has provided impetus for tourism development.

He noted that in May, JLLL tracked 10,536 hotel rooms in the pipeline from 2011 to 2016. An additional 5,000 hotel rooms has since been added to the figure in just six months.

"Investment in the hotels and hospitality real estate asset class is experiencing record growth. In addition, commercial properties such as Aseana One in the same district have become an attractive destination for firms seeking to do business in the proximity of the entertainment district," he said. Anonuevo said prospects for the office space and retail space remains good "at least going to be for the next three years." (http://is.gd/oHnL5F)

Malaya Business Insight

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Philippine POEA ban Amazon and other 11 International Firms from Hiring Filipinos

POEA bars foreign firms from hiring Filipino workers

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has barred 11 foreign employers from hiring Filipino workers due to their having defaulted on contractual obligations and for grave misconduct and violation of Philippine laws on overseas employment.

In a statement, POEA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac identified the foreign employers as the following:

• Lae International Hospital Ltd.
• Al Yagoot Recruitment Office
• Al Huda Engineering Works Co. WLL
• First Kuwaiti Trading Corp.
• Al Asmi Manpower Services
• Around the World Services/Proactive HR Solutions
• Hanjin Trading Co.  
• Saweed Employment LLC.
• Mal Lewis
• Chair of Lae International Hospital Ltd. in Papua New Guinea
• Epissan Mohd Ate Ter of Al Yagoot Recruitment Office based in Saudi Arabia.
• Amazon International Manpower Specialist Inc. had its license revoked for violation of POEA rules and regulations governing the recruitment and employment of OFWs.

The case against Amazon stemmed from complaints filed by Arlyn Pasadas and Mrynalyn Saguid who said they were deployed by Amazon to Albania as a cook and caregiver, respectively, with a salary of $500. The two said they paid Amazon more than ₱100,000 each in placement fees but their employment papers did not go through the POEA process.

The complainants said they left for Albania on Nov. 30, 2010, on multiple visas with an Amazon employee escorting them through the airport.

They returned to the Philippines on Jan. 8, 2011, when their employer terminated their employment after they complained about violations of the terms and conditions of their contracts.

In his order, Cacdac declared Amazon International liable for charging excessive fees and collecting a placement fee from a household service worker, nonissuance of receipts, misrepresentation, deployment of workers to employers without POEA accreditation and other recruitment violations. (http://is.gd/HkflO8)

Inquirer Global Nation 

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Fluor Fortune 500 Global Company lauds Filipino Engineers’ diversity & World class quality

Daniel Spinks, Fluor Philippines country manager said that the Filipino work ethic plus their proficiency in English  makes it easy for the company to  deploy staff to any of their projects worldwide.

Int'l firm strikes gold in local engineers

For Fluor Philippines, a unit of international engineering firm Fluor Daniel, Inc., its pool of Filipino talent makes it very competitive in the global market.

Daniel Spinks, Fluor Philippines country manager said that the Filipino work ethic plus their proficiency in English  makes it easy for the company to  deploy staff to any of their projects worldwide.

"An English-speaking community, they can communicate well with others , working with a lot of Fluor offices around the world," said Spinks.

"They have a positive attitude. Used to working overseas a lot, they're are used to being mobile and find it easy to work with different cultures. They can adapt to a diverse kind of culture at work. And the big advantage is the very cost-competitive portion," also said Spinks who concurrently serves as manager for Fluor's operations in Singapore and Malaysia.

The Philippine operation of currently employs 2,250 people in its sites in Manila and Cebu, the third largest office of the FORTUNE 500 firm found in 75 locations.

"As a percentage, it's around 5 percent of Fluor population that's located here in the Philippines," said Spinks.

Fluor seeks to increase this number further as the company works to expand its business globally, said Spinks who was an Asia CEO Awardee as Expatriate Executive of the year for 2012.

Spinks said Fluor Philippines could hit 3,000 in a couple of years as work demand requires.

"It could get as big as it needs to support our business. Our company wants to double our sales in the next eight years. Our CEO wants to double the size of Fluor globally.  We double the size of Fluor, we double the size of the Philippines. I think 3,000 is a realistic target," he said.

"Because this office is very competitive, it makes us more competitive globally. And we had been here for 25 years now, we have a good base of people, experienced of people that understand our work practice through our work processes. It's easy for us to scale up the size of this office, and if you're going to grow, you usually want to grow in your most competitive location," added Spinks.

"I think as our business grows, we're going to put more emphasis on doing more of the engineering and design here and because of you'll see this one become one of the largest office, if not the largest," Spinks also said.

Fluor's Philippine operation is responsible for providing full services to the Asia Pacific region, doing all kinds of engineering for all various projects, from refinery to off-shore developments, mining and metals, chemicals, and others.

In the Philippines it is currently engaged in the third phase of the Malampaya gas-to-power project, which involves design, fabrication and installation of a new depletion compression platform linked by a bridge to the existing shallow water platform.

In the past it was responsible for the design of Enron Power Corp.'s coal-fired power plant in Batangas and Procter & Gamble's Cabuyao facility in Laguna.

"We do engineering here, and we have all type of engineers --- chemicals, electrical, civil, mechanical, and architectural. So we provide services to all projects to the Philippines and in Asia, and also to projects all over the world. We work with other Fluor office around the world and we provide those same services to those same offices, to make us competitive on a global market," Spinks said.

Among the projects Fluor Philippines is getting busy with is the design of an LNG terminal in Singapore, as well as a solar-panel manufacturing project.

Fluor is also working for the completion of a pre-fabrication facility it is constructing in partnership with local firm AG&P. Upon completion, the pre-fab facility will be able to produce up to 20 million metric ton of construction material, employing 2,000 construction workers, which will be used by the firm in all its projects.

This will be the first time that Fluor's local operation will export an actual product, compared to its usual service-based business.

Starting from just a 25-man team in 1987 when it was first established, Fluor has become one of the leading support to the company's global operations.

With the establishment of the Singapore and Malaysia office, Fluor Philippines has become responsible in providing support to the Singapore and Malaysian operations.

"We do all the engineering here, all they do is sell it over there. That's more a sales and business development office. What I call as the  heavy lifting are done over here, the big stuff, and they will just have more the interfacing with the customers and some of the smaller stuff there on the front end," according to Spinks. (http://is.gd/WsyUpC)

Malaya Business Insights 

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Philippines' DOST - Craft BILL- Space Agency for Billion Dollars Spaceship, Rockets

Galactic Pinoy? Scientists push for independent  Philippines Space Agency (PSA)

We've yet to see the first Pinoy astronaut in space, though plans toward this goal have been in the works since the 1990s. In the meantime, scientists and astronomy advocates recently joined efforts to push for the establishment of our very own space agency.

Department of Science and Technology's (DOST) Balik Scientist Dr. Custer Deocaris, organized a press briefing at Annabel's Restaurant in Quezon City on Dec. 14.

Deocaris believes that, since the government has now increased its funding for the DOST, citing initiatives like Project NOAH and DREAM Project, it's high time that the goverment should invest in an independent space agency, like NASA.

"Kung hindi ngayon, mahihirapan na tayong iangat ang Philippine Space Agency," said Deocaris.

The proposed space agency intends to conduct studies on space science and technologies, design, and develop satellites that will be launched in space, and possibly train astronauts, according to the draft bill on the  Philippine Space Agency.

In Southeast Asia, at least five countries have their own space agencies like Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. See the list of countries with Space Agencies

But Dr. Edgardo Aban of the University of Brunei Darussalam said during the press conference that the initiative for space studies in the Philippines started way back in the '90s.

"One of our landmark achievements [is the] 1995-1996 partnership project with NASA. We had a synthetic altitude radar that aim to map portions of the Philippines using radar."

By 2005, Aban was also a part of a team that studied the space technologies and application capabilities of the Philippines in terms of human resource, technology and infrastructure.

However, as Aban recalled, those moves turned out to be unsuccessful.

Deocaris also said that his group sent AGHAM Party List representative Angelo Palmones the draft bill.

"We should not forget that most of today's modern conveniences (cellphone, internet, cloud computing, etc.) are spin-offs from investments in space technology," Deocaris wrote in his letter to the congressman.

"[The] time has now come to open the possibility of creating an ambitious but doable dream: a space program for Filipinos," he added.

Meanwhile, Aban estimated that a Pinoy space agency would cost at least $1 billion (P41 billion)( http://is.gd/JYX3DT)

GMA News

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