WYD 2013: KLM Airlines denies 2 days “Hold-up” discrimination and boasts Philippine tribe stranded in Malaysian Airport arrived Brazil

World Youth Day 2013: Indigenous Filipino Youth Delegate Earlier Denied Boarding by KLM Airlines Due to Alleged Discrimination Finally Arrives in Brazil

Indigenous Philippine Youth Delegate Denied Boarding by KLM Airlines Finally Arrives in Brazil

Arjean Marie Belco, the indigenous Philippine woman who was earlier denied by KLM Airlines to board her flight from Malaysia to Brazil, has finally landed in Rio de Janeiro. Goodxorg, the nonprofit group that organized and sponsored Ms Belco's trip in time for the World Youth Day 2013 festivities, believed its scholar was denied her "right to travel" all because she did not fit KLM's idea of a traveler, thus essentially "a case of discrimination."

Despite encountering several difficulties in the beginning of her trip, not to mention getting delayed by two days, the Talaandig lass from Bukidnon, Mindanao Island has finally arrived in Pope Francis' home continent.

On Saturday, 18-year-old Ms. Arjean Belco left Manila to Kuala Lumpur for the first leg of her first ever international travel. From there, she was to board a connecting flight to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, via Amsterdam. At the KLM check-in counter, she was refused boarding.

Ms. Belco called Goodxorg, with offices in Manila, long distance to advise her fate at the Kuala Lumpur airport.

According to Ms Belco, based from an assessment made by a certain Mr. Shawa, a KLM employee in Malaysia, she was denied entry because she appeared "not ready to travel." It is not clear if the supposed assessment was part of the airline's regular and mandated routine checks over a paid traveler.

Even if the BS Education student handed him her folder full of documentation, proving the authenticity of her person and her travel, Mr. Shawa continued to barrage her with questions - "Why is your passport so new?" "Your ticket is too cheap" "Your ticket was just purchased yesterday" "Why flying through Malaysia if there are flights from the Philippines?" and "How much money you have?"

Mr. Shawa allegedly continued on to say "that he was doubtful" about her trip, according to Ms Belco.

Goodxorg explained in its Facebook page that along with its partner Cartwheel Foundation.org., they pooled donations from all over the world just to be able to send Ms Belco to attend the Catholic event in Brazil in July.

And "for the record, before purchasing the ticket we called KLM reservations and reconfirmed that Philippine National don't need a transit visa in the Netherlands (waiting at the boarding area for 5 hours for her next flight) and that Philippine Citizens need no visa for Brazil for up to 90 days," Goodxorg further said.

According to the Netherlands Web site, airport transit visas are required under the following conditions:

Nationals of the following countries need an airport transit visa to change aircraft at an airport in a Schengen country: 

• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Iran
• Iraq
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Somalia
• Sri Lanka

Countries whose citizens are required by the Netherlands to possess an airport transit visa when they are in the international transit area of airports in Dutch territory are from the following countries: 

• Angola 
• Gambia 
• Guinea 
• Guinea Bissau
• Nepal
• Sierra Leone
• Sudan
• Syria
• South Sudan

"Arjean was denied her right to travel. This could also be perceived as a possible case of discrimination based on appearance, gender, ethnicity, nationality, age or social status," Goodxorg said in its post.

It is not clear if Goodxorg will pursue formal and legal charges against KLM and Mr. Shawa.

KLM denies discriminating vs. World Youth Day delegate from Talaandig tribe

The European airline whose staff  barred an 18-year old indigenous Philippine ethnic member from taking a connecting flight to Brazil to attend the World Youth Day (WYD) said it does not discriminate passengers—even if one of its employees reportedly assessed the delegate as being "not ready for travel" despite having all the necessary documents.

On its Twitter account, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines said it "does not discriminate and accepts passengers with valid travel documents."

The company has been repeatedly posting the statement since Wednesday in response to Twitter users if it is part of the company's policy to discriminate against Philippine passengers.

KLM has been the subject of criticism on social networking sites after news broke that its staff in Kuala Lumpur International Airport prevented Arjean Marie Belco from boarding her connecting flight to Rio de Janeiro on July 20.

Belco, a WYD delegate from Bukidnon's Talaandig tribe, was supposedly told by KLM employees that she was "not ready to travel" even if she passed through Malaysian immigration smoothly and had a folder with full documentation proving her trip to Brazil.

Arjean was stranded in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for 2 days before GoodXorg, a non-profit group, was able to rebook her flight to Brazil.

In a statement on Thursday, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that Belco arrived in Brazil on Tuesday on board KLM Flight No. KL 705.

The DFA said that Arjean was met by Philippine Ambassador to Brazil Eva Betita and other members of the Philippine consulate in Brazil upon her arrival at the Galeão International Airport in Rio de Janeiro.

With the help of WYD organizers, the Philippine Embassy in Brazil has set up a secretariat in Rio de Janeiro to provide assistance to Pinoy pilgrims attending WYD 2013. Delegates from São Paulo and nearby cities can also seek consular assistance from the embassy for the duration of the program, DFA said.

with reports from International Business Times,  &  GMA News

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Air France KLM Airlines discriminates, denied boarding of a Philippine girl member Bukidnon’s Talaandig tribe for her poor and innocent looks

An Air France-KLM plane on an airport tarmac. The airline reportedly prevented an 18-year-old indigenous Philippine woman, who was en route to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for World Youth Day from boarding on her onward flight on July 20 at the Kuala Lumpur airport because she appeared "not ready to travel" even if she had a folder with full documentation supporting her trip to Brazil. PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA

Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. (Royal Aviation Company), known by its initials KLM, is the flag carrier airline of the Netherlands. KLM's headquarters is in Amstelveen near its hub at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. KLM operates worldwide scheduled passenger and cargo services to more than 90 destinations. It is the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name.

The merger of KLM with Air France in May 2004 created Air France-KLM, which is incorporated under French law with headquarters at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Both Air France and KLM continue to fly under their distinct brand names. Air France-KLM is part of the SkyTeam alliance.

The discriminated Tribal member of Bukidnon were asks of several insulting questions

• Why is your passport so new?"
• "Your ticket is too cheap and purchased yesterday."
•  "Why (are you) flying through Malaysia if there are flights from the Philippines?"
• and "How much money (do) you have?"

In spite of the complete documents, sponsorships, bank account and other legal travel documents, a Bukidnon's Talaandig tribe member were denied to board the Air France KLM Airline.

KLM Airlines' denial of Filipino WYD delegate's flight hit

Philippines—An 18-year-old indigenous Philippine woman who was en route to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for World Youth Day was denied boarding on her onward flight on July 20 at the Kuala Lumpur airport, because personnel of KLM Airlines said she appeared "not ready to travel" even if she had a folder with full documentation supporting her trip to Brazil.

The incident involving Arjean Marie Belco of Bukidnon's Talaandig tribe was posted on the social networking site Facebook in a letter of complaint from Goodxorg, the sponsor of her Brazil trip.

According to the Facebook post, Belco went through immigration in Malaysia without incident but was not allowed to board her connecting flight to Rio de Janeiro by a KLM employee identified as Mr. Shawa who said that Belco appeared "not ready to travel" and "that he was doubtful" about her trip, "even if she had a folder full of documentation."

"Arjean was denied her right to travel. This could also be perceived as a possible case of discrimination based on appearance, gender, ethnicity, nationality, age or social status," Goodxorg said in its post.

Belco's Brazil trip was shouldered by Goodxorg and its partner Cartwheel Foundation.org., which pooled donations from all over the world to send the BS Education student to the Catholic event.

The airline employee allegedly barraged Belco with questions casting doubts on the legitimacy of her trip. She was asked, "Why is your passport so new?" "Your ticket is too cheap and purchased yesterday." "Why (are you) flying through Malaysia if there are flights from the Philippines?" and "How much money (do) you have?"

The Brazil trip is Belco's first outside the country, according to her sponsors, which explains her new passport. They also explained that the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Rio de Janeiro was approximately $1,000 cheaper than KLM's Manila to Rio flight.

Belco showed airline personnel a bank statement from Cartwheel Foundation showing sufficient funds. She had $100 and P3,370 on her for emergencies and meals before her connecting flights to Brazil. She was also carrying clippings of media stories published in the Philippines about her trip.

But Goodxorg lamented that the papers and calls from the group were not enough for KLM.

The airline employee, Mr. Shawa, told the staff of Goodxorg over the phone that there was nothing he could do and that another ticket had to be bought. The group was required to get in touch with the Dutch Embassy in Malaysia, the Facebook post said.

"He was even laughing while listening to our side. We believe this is unacceptable," the group said.

The nonprofit group Goodxorg (Good X or Good Exchanges) is led by Luis Petzhold, a Brazilian filmmaker and youth advocate, and Risa Halaguena, a Filipina lawyer and writer. Sending Belco to Brazil to attend World Youth Day, an international Catholic event to be held from July 23 to 28, is a pilot project of the group.

According to its Facebook page, Good X is "all about experiential learning. We believe that travel, culture and creativity should be appreciated and nurtured at a young age."

In its letter posted on Facebook, Goodxorg said Belco showed the KLM staff the address and contact info of her host family in Brazil, and that she requested the airline staff to contact her sponsors in the Philippines to verify the information she gave. But the KLM staff denied the request.

The student also showed her folder of documents, which included her proof of enrollment in Pamulaan College and the University of South Eastern Philippines, and certification that she is a Cartwheel Foundation scholar being sponsored by Goodxorg and Cartwheel for the trip.

The Facebook post also said that Goodxorg contacted KLM reservations for pertinent information on the trip to Brazil before purchasing the ticket.

With report from Inquirer 

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Holy Land: No Visa required for Both-Israel Seeks Direct Flights to the Philippines

 

The Israel governments seeking to establish direct flights to Manila in an effort to increase exchanges between the two countries particularly in trade and tourism.

According to Israeli diplomats, aviation officials from both countries are at an advanced stage of negotiations in their efforts to make revisions to an outdated sixty year old air services agreement. The plan is to establish direct flights between the two countries.

Israeli Ambassador Menashe Bar-On said that once all of the small details have been ironed out, the delegations from each country will meet to a sign a new up-to-date air services agreement. "We are updating the current agreement which is 60 years old," said Bar-On. "We're updating the requirements for aviation and international regulations. Once it is finished, it will pave the way for airlines to make new business."

A direct link would enhance the level of exchange between the two countries particularly in the area of tourism as citizens of Israel and the Philippines are able to enter each country without a visa. According to Chaim Choshen, the top Israeli diplomat for Southeast Asia, the potential for exchange between the two countries is huge. "I think there is huge potential because Israel is the Holy Land, and most of the population of the Philippines are Christians and Catholics," said Choshen. "I think the Holy Land means something to most Filipinos. I think almost every Filipino has a dream to visit the Holy Land."

However, Filipinos aren't the only citizens expected to book flights. The Philippines could prove to be an attractive destination for Israeli tourists. Thailand has seen much success receiving nearly 200,000 Israeli tourists annually aboard twice-daily direct flights between the two countries. But Israeli tourists wishing to head to the Philippines must currently connect in Hong Kong or Bangkok.

"I think the Philippines can be very attractive to young Israelis. A lot of Israelis are touring Asia and are looking for cheaper destinations," said Choshen. "It's a beautiful country with beaches. You have a lot to offer and Manila has many restaurants."

If young Israeli's are indeed looking for cheaper destinations, then Cebu Pacific would be an ideal carrier to launch the route. But Israel is interested in inviting Philippine Airlines to fly directly to its cities following the European Union's decision to permit the airline once again into European air space. "I think these are very meaningful developments that we recognize are very promising," Choshen said.

Current statistics indicate that more Filipinos are travelling to Israel than Israelis coming to the Philippines. Last year, 13,450 Filipinos visited the Holy Land while only 5,895 Israelis came to the Philippines. But improved flight connections and increased tourism promotion in the Israeli market could be lucrative as the Philippines seeks to steal the 200,000 Israeli tourists currently headed to Thailand.

"The direct route will also help boost trade ties between the two countries, currently at a level that lags behind other Asian countries," said Choshen. Trade between the two countries currently sits at around $200 million. That is compared to $1.1 billion with Vietnam and $5 billion with India. Israel currently exports information technology, electrical and medical products to the Philippines.

Philippine Flight Network

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The Teen Future Philippine Azkals dominates Australia’s Kanga Cup (Kangaroo Cup)

High hopes for future Azkals

SYDNEY – Former Philippine national football team standout and now Philippine Football Federation (PFF) consultant in Australia Mike Moran said the other day the outlook is bright for the promotion of football relations between the Philippines and Australia with the recent victory of the Philippine U-18 squad at the Kanga Cup in Canberra a portent of things to come.

Moran, 58, is based in Sydney and begins work with Osaka-based Japanese multinational finance company Invast Securities next month. He has been involved in foreign exchange trading for over 35 years with expat postings in Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong.  Before starting his Invast engagement, Moran is busy paving the way for an active two-way football program.

Last week, Moran was in Canberra to witness the Philippines, playing as the Carranz Football Club, post a 6-0 record in capturing the U-18 championship of the Kanga Cup which assembled 256 teams of over 4,000 players to compete in three-tier age groups from 8 to 18 for boys and girls. The Philippines sent an 18-man lineup composed of 14 homegrown locals and only four based overseas.  Head coach was Marlon Maro with Alvin Carranza and Jefferson Cheng as managers. The 18 players came from a 38-man pool being trained as "Teen Azkals."

The Philippines will tap the nucleus of the Kanga Cup title squad for the Asean Football Federation (AFF) U-19 Championships in Surabaya on Sept. 9-22.  The "Teen Azkals" are bracketed in Group A with Laos, Singapore, Australia, Cambodia and Timor Leste.  Group B is made up of Brunei, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia. The Philippines opens its campaign against Laos on Sept. 9.

Moran said the Filipinos impressed Australian scouts with their ability and quickness in Canberra.  "We went up against bigger boys and we were clearly at a disadvantage physically but we weren't outplayed," he said.  "One of our players Arnel Amita of FEU was spotted by Argentinian coach Gabriel Wilk of the Cooma club of Canberra, the No. 1 club in the Australian Capital Territory.  Wilk is inviting Arnel to his camp.  Arnel is like a little Maradona.  On the field, he amazed the fans with his ball tricks, speed and intelligence."

The Philippines got off to a strong start with a 1-0 win over the Capital Football Senior NTC then crushed Gosford City, 5-2, Taylor Lakers, 20-0, Woden Valley, 2-0 and John Paul College, 6-0 before repeating over the Capitals, 1-0, in the Kanga Cup finals.  "We got better with every game," said Moran.  "Against Gosford, we were down 0-2 but never gave up and eventually won, 5-2.  That showed the team's character."

Dean's Corner ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

Writer Jaime Pimentel of Ang Kalatas Australia paid tribute to Amita. "He menaced forwards in the backfield, opened opportunities in the midfield and taunted defenders in attack," wrote Pimentel.  "In a show of defiance of Capital's superior ball skills and robust defensive tactics, the pint-sized dynamo ruled the midfield as he hustled to terrorize anyone and his shadow who dared cross his territory."  Amita, 17, stands only 5-5.

The others in the champion team were keeper Enzo Cheng, keeper Raphael de Guzman and David Diamante of La Salle, Mark Besana, Daniel Gadia and Raphael Resuma of UP, Mikko Benedicto of San Beda, Junell Bautista, Jan Clarino, Harold Alcares, Doug Carranza, Yoshiharu Luciano Koizumi, Val Calvo, Nicholas Bollier, Rey Diaz and Amani Aguinaldo of FEU and Kevin Hartmann. 

Moran said since his appointment by the PFF, he has explored football tie-ups with former Australian national player Gus Cerro and Fil-Aussie coach Leigh Gunn.  "Gus is training a Fil-Aussie Kenneth Dizon who's 16," said Moran.  "He thinks Kenneth has the potential to become a major player with the Azkals in the future.  Gus is now creating a broad data base of Filipinos playing in Australia. He's married to a Filipina so that explains his closeness with the Filipino community.  Both Gus and Leigh are excited about the possibilities of working with the PFF."

PFF secretary-general Edwin Gastanes said the U-18 team's participation in the Kanga Cup was the country's first-ever training mission in Australia.  "This was unchartered waters," Gastanes told Moran.  During the trip, Carranza was introduced to Fil-Aussie player John Chris Canayama who is 18.  Moran said slowly, the doors are opening to discover more Fil-Aussie players.  "The Kanga Cup is more of a grassroots level of competition," he said.  "I drove to Canberra which is a 3 1/2 hour drive away from Sydney to meet the team which I thought was important as it was a first for the Philippines.  I've been contacted by scouts from out of the blue since word got around of my PFF appointment so we're moving forward with plans to develop a two-way relationship."

Moran played 10 years with the Philippine national team from 1972 to 1982.  "I spoke with the boys during the Kanga Cup and told them to represent our country with honor, to wear our flag on their jersey proudly," he said.  "It's a different feeling when you're playing for your country out there.  I think the boys showed a lot of heart in winning the championship."

philSTAR

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Korea's biggest delegation of 182 Executives to arrive the Philippines for Investment

The Philippines' Department of Trade and Industry & Korea Importers Association (KOIMA) 

K-Biz to visit Philippines in search of trade opportunities

The biggest delegation of South Korean businessmen will arrive this week to look at potential trade, investment and tourism opportunities in the Philippines, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

DTI said a 182-strong mission composed of chief executives and senior officers belonging to the Korea Importers Association (KOIMA) will visit the Philippines from July 17-20.

KOIMA groups over 8,000 public and private importers that handle 70 percent of South Korea's major imports such as agricultural produce, consumer goods, food and industrial products.

DTI-Bureau of Export Trade Promotion (BETP) said this is the biggest inbound business mission to come from South Korea.

"We view the delegation's visit as an opportunity to further improve our economic relations with South Korea. We also look at it as support to our efforts in raising awareness about the Philippines' supply capabilities and sustaining the current momentum of tourism interest among Koreans," Trade Undersecretary Ponciano C. Manalo Jr. said in a statement.

"The DTI also sees the opportunity to develop and expand the current inventory of Philippine exports by exposing the group of Korean importers to alternative products and services. Examples of these products are organic chemicals, oleo-chemicals, minerals other than copper, electronics, motorcycle parts," Manalo said.

The visiting South Korean business mission will attend a DTI-led trade and investment seminar as well as a business matching session with Filipinos, and will also join a Department of Tourism-led (DOT) tour at a plantation resort.

DTI quoted KOIMA as saying that the group's Philippine visit is "one of the major activities of the association backed by [the South Korean] government."

"This year, the Philippines was selected over Thailand and Myanmar as the country to be visited by KOIMA's summer buying mission," Manalo said.

DTI-BETP data showed that two-way trade between the Philippines and South Korea last year reached $7.4 billion. Philippine imports outnumbered exports, with the former increasing 1.19 percent to $4.5 billion last year from $4.4 billion in 2011—making South Korea the fifth largest source of imports. But Philippine exports rose at a faster 27.93 percent to $2.9 billion last year from $2.2 billion in 2011, making South Korea the sixth biggest export destination.

The Philippines and South Korea enjoy free trade under the Asean-Korea Free Trade Agreement (AKFTA).

Interaksyon

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28 European Countries Opens to Philippine Airlines Friday - Ambassador Guy Ledoux

EUROPE Lifted ban for Philippine Airlines. EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux said PAL will be allowed to fly into the 28-member bloc from Friday (July 12, 2013), which will spur tourism and business links

More Europeans to have more fun in Philippines

The Philippines expects a "significant increase" in tourist arrivals from Europe following the decision of the European Union (EU) to lift a ban on Philippine Airlines (PAL) flying on its airspace.

In a statement, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. described the EU's move as "an excellent opportunity for Philippine tourism." He said the country's flag carrier "will be able to effectively augment the existing services by foreign carriers that cater to tourists in the region."

The United Kingdom, Germany and France are among the key European markets for Philippine tourism. Once the PAL flights are made available, Jimenez said "we … expect a significant increase from these markets, to include those from adjacent countries.

On Wednesday, the European Union allowed PAL and Venezuela's Conviasa back into European airspace on the grounds of improved safety and compliance with EU regulations. Its executive, the European Commission, removed the two from a blacklist—the EU air safety list—after slapping an operational ban on PAL in 2010 and on Conviasa in 2012.

Beginning Friday, July 12, 2013 Philippine Airlines are allowed to fly over the European airspace as date of effectivity of the said lifting of ban.

Department of Tourism targets 10 Million

Jimenez said the lifting of the EU ban would greatly help in achieving the government's target of 10 million foreign visitors by 2016.

From January to May, a total of 213,598 European tourists visited the Philippines, representing an 8.5-percent increase from the 196,794 tallied for the same period in 2012, according to the Tourism Department.

The department has set targets of 574,565 European tourists this year and nearly 700,000 in 2014.

"As we work toward our goal … by 2016, we need our international air seats and connectivity greatly enhanced, in addition to our ongoing internal development work on infrastructure, destination and facilities," Jimenez said.

He expressed optimism that other Philippine carriers would address their own safety issues that would allow them to gain access to tourist-rich Europe.

Japan, South Korean restrictions

Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., chair of the Senate public services committee, said the next goal should be the lifting of the EU ban on other Philippine carriers and the Japanese and South Korean restrictions on Philippine carriers.

"Our work is far from finished. But after five years, it is heartening to see positive results. We must be more aggressive," Revilla said in a statement. The senator also heads the joint oversight committee on the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

"While there have been no formal responses from both countries (Japan and South Korea) regarding our requests to have the restrictions lifted, they have remained bull-headed and refuse to act. The challenge for the CAAP is to continue the momentum," he said.

The decision to lift the ban on PAL and Conviasa was an element of the EU's updated list which now leaves 280 airlines from 20 states still barred from flying in the EU.

"Today, we confirmed our willingness to remove countries and airlines from the list if they show real commitment and the capacity to implement international safety standards in a sustainable manner," the EU's Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said in Brussels.

Earlier in Manila, EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux said PAL will be allowed to fly into the 28-member bloc from Friday, which will spur tourism and business links.

"This is a tremendous achievement in such a short period of time," Ledoux said.

He said the European Union would conduct further reviews so that other Philippine carriers could fly to Europe as well.

"This decision is very encouraging and is the first success of the CAAP and Philippine Airlines," he told reporters.

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) will prioritize air talks with countries in Europe following the "selective" lifting of a three-year ban, according to its executive director, Carmelo Arcilla. He noted existing agreements with several key cities in Europe.

So far, the agency has identified Ethiopia, South Africa and Israel as destinations it would have air service discussions with for the year, Arcilla said in a text message. He added that it was looking to start talks with Italy "in the last quarter of the year."

PAL president Ramon S. Ang said the airline could fly seven times a week to London in the United Kingdom and at least six times a week to Paris in France. It intends to fly nonstop to these destinations "by September or October," he said.

The company is owned by listed PAL Holdings, which is controlled by San Miguel Corp. and the group of tycoon Lucio Tan. A trading suspension on PAL Holdings will be lifted today after the company complied with the public ownership requirements of the Philippine Stock Exchange.

"Remember that [PAL] used to operate to major EU cities in the 1970s and 1980s. These can be used by EU carriers and local airlines to resume flights between Europe and Philippines," Arcilla said.

The air panel also intends to negotiate for new and expanded traffic rights to Europe, he said.

 

ICAO audit

The EU announcement was expected, given that the Philippines passed an audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in February.

In 2009, ICAO conducted an audit and found "significant safety concerns." Its report was used as the main basis for the EU decision to ban all flights from the country beginning March 31, 2010.

Ledoux on Wednesday cited corrective actions undertaken by the CAAP as a reason behind the selective lifting of the ban. Other domestic carriers seeking to fly to Europe can present their case to the EU Air Safety Committee meeting on Nov. 29.

Revilla expressed optimism that the Philippines would soon regain its Category 1 status from the US Federal Aviation Administration following the favorable audit by ICAO in March and the lifting of the EU ban.

Category 1 means the air carriers from an assessed state may initiate or continue service to the United States in a normal manner and take part in reciprocal code-share arrangements with US carriers.

The Philippines remains classified under Category 2, which means that its civil aviation industry does not meet ICAO standards and its air carriers cannot initiate new service and are restricted to current levels of any existing service to the US while corrective actions are underway.

"The ICAO report and the EU ban in 2010 greatly affected the decision of the FAA in not upgrading our Category 2 status.  Now that there is a new audit report, and with the EU leading the way in lifting their ban, albeit partially, the FAA may see that we are serious in our efforts toward the global standard," Revilla said.

Jimenez said the tourism industry was looking forward to the continued support of various government agencies for improvements in airport infrastructure development, aviation safety and security, and air services agreements "so that we can continue to show to the world why it's more fun in the Philippines."

With reports from Tina G. Santos, Norman Bordadora, Miguel R. Camus of Inquirer and AFP

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Manila pushed to change the name of the Philippines back into “Slaves & Servants of Spain” would “Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao” Agree?

If Manila will continue pushing this, then it would mean that only Manila is part of the Philippines while Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are united as 1 country in the name of its respective Islands "The Federal Republic of Luzon Visayas and Mindanao"

The 7,107 islands exist and inhabited by locals prior to the invasion of Spain on March 15, 1621. The islands Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are the living witness how the Spain lie to the world that "Magellan" discovered the "Las Islas Filipinas" but should we agree with their lies that they discovered our land?

Let's start from defining what is the meaning of "Discovered"?

According to the "The Free Dictionary" "Discover" is defined as:

a. To be the first, or the first of one's group or kind, to find, learn of, or observe.

b. To learn about for the first time in one's experience

Would you agree that a Portuguese explorer "Ferdinand Magellan" is the first person discovered the 7,107 Islands in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao?

If you will agree that a Portuguese explorer "Ferdinand Magellan" is the first person discovered the islands then to whom we should credit the existence of the lumads, the indigenous people, the aborigines who are originally wearing "bahag"? Are they created through a test tube by Magellan? Or  through a magical wand?

Magellan is not the first person discovered the islands because the islands he claimed already exist and inhabited by the lumads and actively trading with Arabian countries and with the neighboring Asian countries. The word discovered is already a big mistake and a big lie to the world which hidden in its cover is "the Invasion of Spain in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao".

"Filipinas" the Slaves and Servants of Spain

After the Invasion of Spain in "Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao" the islands named after the reigning power of Spain King Philip as "Las Islas Filipinas" or the Islands of Filipinas / Islands of King Philip.

For more than 300 years, the People of Luzon Visayas and Mindanao lost their lands and make them as the "Slaves and Servants of Spain" in the name of "Las Islas Filipinas"

Our dear compatriots, would you agree to be called again as "Filipinas" the Slaves and Servants of Spain?

Our dear great Heroes "Andres Bonifacio and Jose Rizal" died for our freedom and now the Manila Government is pushing again to get in and go back to past to be the slaves and servants of Spain.

Re-invasion of Spain

The queen of the damn in the closely defunct kingdom of Spain recently visited the Philippines for a modern invasion that creates a magic in designing a hidden plan of taking over the Philippines once again to save them from the economic crisis in Europe. The Spain currency "Spanish Pesetas (₱)" were gone with the wind long time ago and they are only relying now with the foreign currency from Europe as they could no longer afford to produce their own money for its high costs but low monetary value. Spain is only one of the few countries in the world without their own currency.

The head of the Commission on the Filipino Language Virgilio S. Almario was enlightened for changing the name of the Philippines back the time when the people of "Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao" in the name of "Filipinas" as the Slaves and Servants of Spain after the recent visit of the queen of spain.

What kind of gifts did the Commission on the Filipino Language head Virgilio S. Almario received from Spain?  Millions of Euros, Hacienda, one-night-stand or the Yamashita treasure?

Virgilio S. Almario could be the most corrupt government servant in the face of our clean President Benigno Aquino III for accepting any bribe from Spain to change the name of the Philippines into "Filipinas" as the Slaves and Servants of Spain.

The Commission on the Filipino Language headed by Virgilio S. Almario is not yet done. They are still facing the criticism of making the Philippine National Language illegal as it violates the order of the Republic Act (RA) No. 7104.

The Philippine National Language remained "illegal" which is being criticized as the Commission does not really do its job in developing the Filipino language. This is grounded in the fact that Filipino was essentially Tagalog, a fact acknowledged by former Commissioner, Ricardo María Duran Nolasco, and with an impoverished technical and scientific vocabulary, at that, which relies heavily on foreign borrowings and, often, constructions. It is often left to the universities to develop their own respective terminologies for each field, leading to a lack of uniformity and general public disuse.

It is argued that current state of the Filipino language is contrary to the intention of Republic Act (RA) No. 7104 that requires that the national language be developed and enriched by the lexicon of the country's other major languages.

The called Philippine National Language now is still violating the Republic Act (RA) No. 7104 .

The Republic Act (RA) No. 7104 required that the Philippine National Language must be based from the major languages of the Philippines namely; Bikol, Cebuano or Binisaya, Hiligaynon, Ilocano (Iloko), Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Tagalog and Waray but what happened in the Commission on the Filipino Language headed by Virgilio S. Almario? They failed their job and just leave the language to Tagalog alone and borrow from the foreign languages to make ease and to sit-down as nothing happened, no job to be finished.

Before this Virgilio S. Almario will push for the changing of the name of the Philippines, he must do his unfinished job first.

Language body wants 'Pilipinas' changed to 'Filipinas'

As reported by the Philippine Star,

Malacañang said changing Pilipinas to "Filipinas," as adopted by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), would be an interesting discussion.

In a resolution dated April 12, which also went viral, the KWF decided to revive the use of "Filipinas" instead of  "Pilipinas" to promote the official and modern name of the country.

The commission said Filipinos could be more united with a better sense of history.

"Let us see what the various sectors' reaction will be," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over radio dzRB.

Valte said there is no letter "f" in the Filipino alphabet before and so Pilipinas was used.

Now that "f" is back, the commission deemed it fit to make use of "Filipinas" in seals, letterheads, notepads and other materials.

Valte said the issue has yet to be discussed with President Aquino.

The name of the Philippines is short for The Philippine Islands, derived from King Philip II of Spain in the 16th century.

"Filipinas" used to be the official name of the archipelago but it changed in the course of history.

The name Philippines was officially adopted during the American period.

Rebuilding for the better Philippines would clearly say that we are not agree of renaming the Philippines into the colonial era as "Filipinas"

We would push for the name "The Federal Republic of Luzon Visayas and Mindanao" from its original islands' name than adopting the push of  Virgilio S. Almario, a person who failed to do his job in the Commission on the Filipino Language.

"The Federal Republic of Luzon Visayas and Mindanao"

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Philippine Public infrastructure spending up 36% to ₱106.4 Billion Php from January to May 2013

Public infrastructure spending continued its upward trend, rising to ₱106.4 billion from only ₱77.1 billion in the same period in 2012. This brings total disbursements to ₱751.2 billion. Photo: philSTAR

Philippine Public infrastructure spending grew 35.6 percent in the first five months of the year, reinforcing the government's commitment for sustained and inclusive economic growth.

The Department of Budget and Management reported that from January to May, infrastructure spending continued its upward trend, rising to ₱106.4 billion from only ₱77.1 billion in the same period in 2012.

This brings total disbursements to ₱751.2 billion as of May, up 12.4 percent from the previous year. Expenditures for this period also exceeded the 8.1-percent growth average for January-May disbursements since 2005.

"The implementation of program budgeting helped bring a more deliberate and strategic approach to spending, so that expenditures are closely aligned with President Aquino's campaign for long-term, inclusive growth," Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad said.

According to the World Bank, the Philippines needs to jack up its infrastructure spending  to provide that "fiscal spark that is still missing in the country's growth path" and to attract more foreign direct investments into the country.

Maintenance and other operating expenditures went up by 25.1 percent to ₱120.2 billion during the review period, mostly going to social welfare programs under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Branding Campaign Program under the Department of Tourism (DOT), as well as expenses made to cover the 2013 National and Local Elections.

Abad said while disbursements under net lending fell, the decrease showed that the government was no longer covering for losses incurred by government-owned or controlled corporations.

He said the country's spending performance to date will act as a solid base for growth in the second semester of the year, as the government continues to ramp up spending.

"We are working actively with our Account Management Teams in key implementing agencies to sustain and further improve the pace of disbursements, as well as to eliminate expenditure bottlenecks that might prevent our agencies from making the most of their fund releases," Abad said.

Capital spending increased by 26.8 percent to₱104.6 billion. More than half of the amount was used to cover the ₱60 billion in payments made by the DPWH to suppliers/contractors for various public infrastructure projects.

Other contributors to the increase are disbursements made for projects under the Department of Transportation and Communication as well as the construction of farm-to-market roads under the Department of Agriculture.

Personnel Services amounted to ₱237.7 billion, up 12.2 percent year on year largely due to the annualized salary adjustments as a result of the implementation of the Salary Standardization Law III, as well as claims for retirement gratuity and terminal leave benefits.

With report from philSTAR

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Investors to still favor the Philippines; least vulnerable to any sort of macro crisis

The Philippines is expected to continue its upward trend economic growth as it is least vulnerable to any sort of macro crisis  which usually encountered by major economies - Investors to still favor the Philippines

THE PHILIPPINES, seen as an Asian economy least exposed to risk, is likely to be favored by investors once the US Federal Reserve starts unwinding a stimulus program, a Japanese investment bank said.

"When the Fed starts tapering its quantitative easing, the likely implication is increasing investor differentiation across Asia, with a preference for sustainable over fast growth," Nomura said in its Global Markets Research report.

Foreign investors have been taking money out of emerging markets -- earlier favored given better returns -- after the Fed said it could start dialing back a bond-buying program given likely US economic recovery.

In the Philippines, the peso and stock market fell to multi-month lows late last month but have since made up some ground.

"The Philippines and Taiwan seem among the least vulnerable to any sort of macro crisis," Nomura said, adding that in the former, "sustainable growth" and "structural reforms" provided a cushion.

The Philippine economy grew by 7.8% in the first quarter, beating market expectations and the government's 6-7% full-year goal.

Inflation settled at 3% as of May, at the low end of the central bank's 3-5% target. An "infrastructure investment-led model supported by remittances, business process outsourcing and electronics exports continues to be highly supportive of strong growth momentum, which looks to be set in motion for the next couple of year," the bank said of the country.

"With Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings having upgraded the sovereign to investment grade, we expect Moody's to follow in due course," Nomura added.

Countries tagged as "HIGH RISKS", meanwhile, were the following:

• China,
• Hong Kong
• India.

Countries tagged as "MEDIUM RISKS" were the following:

• Korea
• Malaysia,
• Singapore
• Thailand

Countries tagged as "LOW RISK" were the following:

• Philippines
• Taiwan

The Philippines is least vulnerable to any sort of macro crisis.

"China's high debt, property prices and slowing potential growth, Hong Kong's debt, property prices and current account and India's current account deficit, property prices, inflation and slowing potential growth" placed the three in dangerous territory, Nomura said.

It said that once the Fed tapers its stimulus, countries with "either weak economic fundamentals or that are too slow in normalizing macro policies and implementing structural reforms could struggle to attract investment."

With report from Business World Online

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