From Rusty Balderian
Last week while it was still raining, the farm workers in my town (TabonTabon, Leyte) couldn't work in the fields to harvest the palay. Due to the extended rainy season, a kilo of rice jumped from 20 pesos to 30 pesos per kilo. With this sudden increase most of them would eat only one full meal a day. They had to eat giant gabi or casava in the morning, rice at lunch and banana in the evening.
I went to visit a family of 6 children between the ages of 4 to 12 years old. The father, a 30 year old pedicab driver could afford only to buy one kilo of rice (and 2 pcs of salted fish) so he had to equally distribute the rice between his children. The mother and father did not eat, they only watched their children. Since the rice was not enough, the father had to watch them eat with a stick in his hand to swat any hand that would cross to another plate. It was not a pretty site to watch knowing that the parents were hungry but had to sacrifice the food to their children and the children inspite of the rice that they had, their share was not enough.
Today, the landscape has changed because it has been sunny for almost a week. The farmworkers are busy now in the farm, harvesting palay. However, this is temporary because the yeild is only half of what they used to harvest due to the heavy rains. The abundance of rice in our locality is only good for a month. After the harvest season, I'm very sure that there will be trouble in our community. Palay traders are buying almost all the harvest in our town. They are going to hoard these and will sell at a very high price once the harvest season is finnished.
The same scenario of the family that I visited will be common. I am bracing myself for robberies in the community in order for their families to survive. This has started already during our calamity period where several sari-sari stores were robbed, carabaos were butchered and celfons in the homes were stolen. I have sent several request to the good senators for funding of livelihood projects to cushion the hardships but no one has responded yet except for a promise to help.
MANILA, 27 March 2008 (IRIN) - Like many poor Filipino families, Boyet and Milagros Navarro and their five children get by on just over US$2 a day. Boyet works as a welder in Baguio City on the northern island of Luzon and his wife is a part-time farm helper. According to the 2006 Family Income and Expenditure Survey, the latest conducted by the country's National Statistics Office, 68 million of the country's 90 million inhabitants live on or under US$2 a day. The same survey shows that for every $2.40 in daily earnings, more than a third goes towards food expenses, while the rest is spent on medicine, clothing, education and other expenditures. The Navarro family told IRIN they spend roughly US$1 a day on food, mostly rice, vegetables, some fish and occasionally meat, and because of their lean budget, they often skip a meal. Hunger may become a regular fixture in their lives as rice prices continue to rise - this year alone, the average price of rice has increased by up to 17 US cents and Filipino families are bracing themselves for more belt-tightening measures. "No more fish and meat" "We're reduced to eating rice and vegetables. No more fish and meat," Milagros said. "My husband and I can survive on that, but what about the children?" Already, the average retail price of rice is 72 US cents a kilo, from 60 US cents in 2007. And there is no sign that prices are going to stabilise soon, as global prices continue to soar. The Navarros' dilemma is common to many other families in the Philippines. On the southern part of Luzon, in the Albay province of Bicol region, Mayor Noel Rosal of Legazpi City said many families there could no longer take regular meals because of high prices and the lack of supplies. "This is not a joke. At 30 pesos per kilo (72 US cents), numerous families suffer from starvation," Rosal said. The staple food for the majority of Filipinos, rice, is considered a political commodity and the looming shortage and price increases could spell trouble for the government, some critics have said. "The government has been hounded by political uncertainty, from allegations of graft and corruption, and a food crisis could stoke further unrest," said Rafael Mariano, chairman of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), a militant peasant group. Social unrest looming? Opposition senator Loren Legarda, chair of the senate economic affairs committee, warned that a big surge in the staple's price "is bound to spur social unrest and political instability going forward". Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has called on Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to guarantee some 1.5 million metric tons of rice this year. Arroyo has also approved a US$68.5 million incremental budget to boost rice production, according to agriculture secretary Arthur Yap. On 25 March, the president ordered a crackdown on rice hoarders, calling on Yap to ensure that cheap government rice would reach those who needed it most. Other measures are also being proposed to address the problem, including an appeal to fast-food outlets throughout the country to offer half-portions of rice to patrons to prevent wastage, with fast-food owners agreeing to the proposal. The social welfare and development department said it is preparing to issue rice coupons to poor families to cushion the impact of increasing prices. The National Food Authority (NFA), which sells subsidised rice in some 22,000 selected outlets nationwide, has downplayed a food crisis and made assurances that there will be a steady supply of cheap rice in the market. Worldwide rice shortage A worldwide rice shortage has also affected the prices of NFA subsidised rice, up from 38 to 41 US cents last year to 43 to 48 US cents a kilo this year. NFA public information director Rez Estoperez said the adjustment was necessary because the purchase price of imported rice had been increasing steadily. Estoperez said the NFA had also initiated a clampdown on outlets suspected to be colluding with private traders to hoard rice and create an artificial shortage. According to World Food Programme (WFP) country director Valerie Guarnieri, rising rice prices are putting pressure on the agency's budget and could affect food assistance to about 1.1 million Filipinos in the conflict-affected areas on the southern island of Mindanao. "It is straining our budget. In the medium term, we may reach less people as a result. As it is, we are already under funded," Guarnieri said. She estimates that WFP's commodity cost has already swelled by 40 percent since rice prices began this increase, and WFP is appealing for at least US$500 million from donor countries to help fill the funding gap.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Misamis learns from worst floods
Misamis Occidental recovers, learns from worst disaster
Floods came rushing down towns because Mt. Malindang's forest cover had been denuded--no thanks to locals' irresponsible economic activities
SINACABAN, Misamis Occidental
--Houses are rising in Barangay Kagay-anon here, the worst damaged by the January 16 typhoon that destroyed 207 houses in the towns of Tudela, Sinacaban, and Jimenez in Misamis Occidental. It was the biggest natural disaster to hit this Northern Mindanao province in a decade, and it may have just given the locals a most crucial realization about ecological balance in their area. So along with building houses for 254 families, and trying to recover the P12-million worth of properties, crops, and livestock that the typhoon destroyed, there's another kind of reconstruction going on. Local officials are working to get more support from residents and national agencies to save the denuded forest cover of Mt. Malindang to prevent massive floods similar to what destroyed about a dozen barangays more than two months ago. Successive days of heavy rains caused the January 16 floods.
Lifeblood of a million people
With its highest peak at about 2,400 meters and spanning over 53,000 hectares, the Malindang mountain range straddles across the 17 localities of Misamis Occidental and several towns in nearby Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur. Malindang has an estimated forest cover of about 33,000 hectares; 18,000 hectares of this are mostly mossy forest. The mountain's remaining forest serves as water catchment, which in turn drains into more than a dozen major river systems in Misamis Occidental. The water supply from Malindang is enjoyed by about a million people around the Zamboanga Peninsula for agricultural, domestic, and industrial purposes. In the 1970s, three logging concessions were granted in the mountain range. Migrants started settling in the downhill areas. The Malindang Protected Area Office (PAO) said that before logging came, there used to be only 1,000 families, mostly indigenous Subanen people, in the area. Today, there are about 4,000 families.
Armed timber poachers
The increase in the number of mountain dwellers in Malindang is threatening its ecological health. These settlers live off cultivating the slopes both for cash and subsistence crops. Many of them practice of slash-and-burn farming. They also gather wood for fuel and construction of houses. The gravest threat comes from armed timber poachers, who cut trees for lumber. Poaching activities by upland residents are also done for making fishing boats and sold to fishers around the Panguil Bay area. Protected area superintendent Rolando Dingal estimates that around 15 hectares of forests are lost annually due to a combination of these activities. Environment advocate Andrew Bascon of the mountaineering group Malindang Explorers Tribe said the rate of forest loss could even be higher. He said that timber poaching activities in remotely accessible areas between Tambulig and Bonifacio towns may not have been monitored by the authorities. Dingal admitted having difficulties in law enforcement drives in these areas because Tambulig, which is part of Zamboanga del Sur, is no longer within the PAO's jurisdiction.
Annual allocation
Dingal is not complaining, however, noting that Malindang has received initial assistance from the national government. It may not be enough, he said, but it is a good start.In September 2005, President Arroyo signed Republic Act 9304, which declared Malindang as a natural park, delineating its expanse primarily into protected area covering 34,694 hectares, and buffer zone covering 18,334 hectares. The protected area is off-limits to human activity in order to preserve and develop its remaining flora and fauna. The law provides an annual allocation of P7.6 million for the management of the mountain range under the supervision of PAO. However, appropriation only started in 2007 at P4 million. Dingal noted that among more than 200 protected areas throughout the country, only Malindang has an annual allocation for protection, conservation, and development activities. He stressed, however, that the sustainability of these activities should be underpinned by local initiatives.
Foreign aid has stopped
For about a decade beginning in the 1990s, environmental management measures for Malindang were largely supported by external resources, usually development assistance from foreign governments. Notable among these were the European Union-funded National Integrated Protected Areas Program, and a Dutch-funded project aimed to strengthen the capacity of local groups to undertake sustained measures for promoting Malindang's environmental health. These projects used to shoulder a big part in the cost of maintaining a host of forest guards employed by PAO. When these initiatives phased out, local responses failed to fill in the role. This was seen in the dismal turnout of support for the "Piso-Piso Para sa Malindang" campaign that raised only more than P2,000 pesos in five years. But there were encouraging developments gained through PAO's campaign: four of 17 local government units in Misamis Occidental have financed forest guards since 2004. These are the towns of Don Victoriano, Jimenez, and Tudela, and Oroquieta City. Dingal hopes that other localities will follow the example. He also eyes soliciting the support of government agencies involved in water use, like the National Irrigation Administration and the Misamis Occidental Water District, to help raise protection and development funds for Malindang. Dingal explained that law enforcement will be a key factor in stemming the tide of timber poaching and other ecologically destructive activities in the immediate to medium term. But he stressed the more important role of securing the economic survival of hinterland dwellers in the longer-term protection of Malindang's forest resources.
Floods came rushing down towns because Mt. Malindang's forest cover had been denuded--no thanks to locals' irresponsible economic activities
SINACABAN, Misamis Occidental
--Houses are rising in Barangay Kagay-anon here, the worst damaged by the January 16 typhoon that destroyed 207 houses in the towns of Tudela, Sinacaban, and Jimenez in Misamis Occidental. It was the biggest natural disaster to hit this Northern Mindanao province in a decade, and it may have just given the locals a most crucial realization about ecological balance in their area. So along with building houses for 254 families, and trying to recover the P12-million worth of properties, crops, and livestock that the typhoon destroyed, there's another kind of reconstruction going on. Local officials are working to get more support from residents and national agencies to save the denuded forest cover of Mt. Malindang to prevent massive floods similar to what destroyed about a dozen barangays more than two months ago. Successive days of heavy rains caused the January 16 floods.
Lifeblood of a million people
With its highest peak at about 2,400 meters and spanning over 53,000 hectares, the Malindang mountain range straddles across the 17 localities of Misamis Occidental and several towns in nearby Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur. Malindang has an estimated forest cover of about 33,000 hectares; 18,000 hectares of this are mostly mossy forest. The mountain's remaining forest serves as water catchment, which in turn drains into more than a dozen major river systems in Misamis Occidental. The water supply from Malindang is enjoyed by about a million people around the Zamboanga Peninsula for agricultural, domestic, and industrial purposes. In the 1970s, three logging concessions were granted in the mountain range. Migrants started settling in the downhill areas. The Malindang Protected Area Office (PAO) said that before logging came, there used to be only 1,000 families, mostly indigenous Subanen people, in the area. Today, there are about 4,000 families.
Armed timber poachers
The increase in the number of mountain dwellers in Malindang is threatening its ecological health. These settlers live off cultivating the slopes both for cash and subsistence crops. Many of them practice of slash-and-burn farming. They also gather wood for fuel and construction of houses. The gravest threat comes from armed timber poachers, who cut trees for lumber. Poaching activities by upland residents are also done for making fishing boats and sold to fishers around the Panguil Bay area. Protected area superintendent Rolando Dingal estimates that around 15 hectares of forests are lost annually due to a combination of these activities. Environment advocate Andrew Bascon of the mountaineering group Malindang Explorers Tribe said the rate of forest loss could even be higher. He said that timber poaching activities in remotely accessible areas between Tambulig and Bonifacio towns may not have been monitored by the authorities. Dingal admitted having difficulties in law enforcement drives in these areas because Tambulig, which is part of Zamboanga del Sur, is no longer within the PAO's jurisdiction.
Annual allocation
Dingal is not complaining, however, noting that Malindang has received initial assistance from the national government. It may not be enough, he said, but it is a good start.In September 2005, President Arroyo signed Republic Act 9304, which declared Malindang as a natural park, delineating its expanse primarily into protected area covering 34,694 hectares, and buffer zone covering 18,334 hectares. The protected area is off-limits to human activity in order to preserve and develop its remaining flora and fauna. The law provides an annual allocation of P7.6 million for the management of the mountain range under the supervision of PAO. However, appropriation only started in 2007 at P4 million. Dingal noted that among more than 200 protected areas throughout the country, only Malindang has an annual allocation for protection, conservation, and development activities. He stressed, however, that the sustainability of these activities should be underpinned by local initiatives.
Foreign aid has stopped
For about a decade beginning in the 1990s, environmental management measures for Malindang were largely supported by external resources, usually development assistance from foreign governments. Notable among these were the European Union-funded National Integrated Protected Areas Program, and a Dutch-funded project aimed to strengthen the capacity of local groups to undertake sustained measures for promoting Malindang's environmental health. These projects used to shoulder a big part in the cost of maintaining a host of forest guards employed by PAO. When these initiatives phased out, local responses failed to fill in the role. This was seen in the dismal turnout of support for the "Piso-Piso Para sa Malindang" campaign that raised only more than P2,000 pesos in five years. But there were encouraging developments gained through PAO's campaign: four of 17 local government units in Misamis Occidental have financed forest guards since 2004. These are the towns of Don Victoriano, Jimenez, and Tudela, and Oroquieta City. Dingal hopes that other localities will follow the example. He also eyes soliciting the support of government agencies involved in water use, like the National Irrigation Administration and the Misamis Occidental Water District, to help raise protection and development funds for Malindang. Dingal explained that law enforcement will be a key factor in stemming the tide of timber poaching and other ecologically destructive activities in the immediate to medium term. But he stressed the more important role of securing the economic survival of hinterland dwellers in the longer-term protection of Malindang's forest resources.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Philippines joins in with earth hour
Manila - Lights in public places and around commercial establishments in at least four cities in the Philippines will be turned off for an hour later on Saturday to mark Earth Hour 2008 in a bid to raise awareness about climate change. Department of Secretary Angelo Reyes and non-governmental groups participating in the event will converge at an open park in downtown Manila for the countdown and a short programme.
Aside from Manila, other Philippine cities participating in the event are Makati, where the country's financial district is located, Paranaque and Pasay.
The influential Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines also enjoins churches throughout the predominantly Catholic country to participate in the event.
At least 50 cities around the world are expected to participate in the initiative which began in Sydney last year but has quickly turned into a global event covering 35 countries.
Organizers hope to raise the awareness of the people about their energy usage, since producing electricity through the burning of fossil fuels pollutes the air and contributes to global warming.
Tarsier.. lets all join in save electric, save money, help save the planet
Aside from Manila, other Philippine cities participating in the event are Makati, where the country's financial district is located, Paranaque and Pasay.
The influential Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines also enjoins churches throughout the predominantly Catholic country to participate in the event.
At least 50 cities around the world are expected to participate in the initiative which began in Sydney last year but has quickly turned into a global event covering 35 countries.
Organizers hope to raise the awareness of the people about their energy usage, since producing electricity through the burning of fossil fuels pollutes the air and contributes to global warming.
Tarsier.. lets all join in save electric, save money, help save the planet
the picture is of Anda Beach in the Philippines.. a bit of poetical licence, as i love this place.. unpoilt beauty, clear waters, white sand, wonderful sunsets, and peace and quiet......a paradise on earth
Thi might just save a life... YOURS
WARN YOUR SPOUSES/FRIENDS/RELATIVES
Bottled water in your car.....very dangerous, woman! This is how Sheryl Crow got breast cancer. She was on the Ellen show and said this same exact thing. This has been identified as the most common Cause of the high levels in breast cancer, especially in Australia ..
A friend whose mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. was told by the Doctor : women should not drink bottled water that has been left in a car.
The doctor said that the heat and the plastic of the bottle have certain chemicals that can lead to breast cancer. So please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been left in a car, and, pass this on to all the women in your life. This information is the kind we need to know and be aware and just might save us!!!! The heat causes toxins from the plastic to leak into the water and they have found these toxins in breast tissue. Use a stainless steel Canteen or a glass bottle when you can!!!
Bottled water in your car.....very dangerous, woman! This is how Sheryl Crow got breast cancer. She was on the Ellen show and said this same exact thing. This has been identified as the most common Cause of the high levels in breast cancer, especially in Australia ..
A friend whose mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. was told by the Doctor : women should not drink bottled water that has been left in a car.
The doctor said that the heat and the plastic of the bottle have certain chemicals that can lead to breast cancer. So please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been left in a car, and, pass this on to all the women in your life. This information is the kind we need to know and be aware and just might save us!!!! The heat causes toxins from the plastic to leak into the water and they have found these toxins in breast tissue. Use a stainless steel Canteen or a glass bottle when you can!!!
Monday, March 24, 2008
She Walks in Beauty...Lord Byron
Most things about Byron are fabulously romantic, including the story that he met a lovely cousin by marriage at a ball and wrote" she walks in beauty" the very next morning
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all thats best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the namless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens oer her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place
And on that cheek, and oer that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smile that win, the tint that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
Byron was around thirty years old when he wrote this, he had scarcely seven more years to live
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all thats best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the namless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens oer her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place
And on that cheek, and oer that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smile that win, the tint that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
Byron was around thirty years old when he wrote this, he had scarcely seven more years to live
Saturday, March 22, 2008
"CHARICE" inspirational
Easter is the time for families to get together to celebrate the death of our Lord, a time of hope and inspiration for a brighter and better life, the video above inbodies this hope, and when im felling a little weary and down i often go listen to this song.......it still makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck and i have listened to it so many times.....The young lady singer is 16 years old and of course she comes from the Philippines, and am i proud of her talent.. something great thats from the Philippines, thats getting harder to find these days
Friday, March 21, 2008
MOCHA..wow beautiful, sexy, talented and clever
Mocha...A group consisting of Mocha,Hershey,Bambie,Grace and Bez, great dancing and singing
Formidable for us mere men, talented, brainy and beautiful, i hear they are looking for a new singer/dancer.. could be just a dancer.. erhh!ladies i look great in tights, but im a little bit short only 5" tall, but i am really cuddly, and my fur is soft.. would i do.. i can dance, talaga???
contact their website:- MOCHA
photo by JOBBIT MATA
Listen out for their song GILING MO...
Crucifixions in Cutud
The voluntary crucifixions in the northern Philippines were the most extreme displays of religious devotion in this mainly Catholic country, where millions are praying and fasting ahead of the Easter weekend.
In the small village of Cutud, about 80 km (50 miles) north of Manila, men cried out as nails the size of pencils were driven into their hands and feet before they were hoisted up in the scorching heat. Eight went through the process. Eleven backed out, organizers said.
"The poor are getting poorer. They are the focus of my penance and my petitions. I pray there's equality in the society," said Ruben Inaje, showing his bandaged hands after his crucifixion.
In the neighboring province of Bulacan, five people were nailed to wooden crosses, including a 15-year-old boy and an 18-year-old girl.
Thousands watched the spectacle in Cutud, which has grown from a village production started in 1962 to a media and tourist attraction copied in other parts of the country.
For hours before the crucifixions lines of men, hooded and half naked, flayed their backs with bamboo whips and paddles tipped with broken glass. Blood splattered over the road.
The atmosphere was festive, with hawkers selling beer, ice-cream and souvenir whips. VIPs watched from a specially elevated "viewing platform."
The country's dominant Catholic Church disapproves of the crucifixions and flagellations as a misrepresentation of the faith.
"The spiritual dimension is totally lost, and it's entered into only because of some shows, some manifestations for other people to be satisfied with or to see," said Bishop Deogracias Iniguez.
"Many of these penitents, those who are practicing these physical afflictions have a meager, have a shallow understanding of these practices."
Tarsiers comment:-
For me this is a mockery of why Jesus died, he died so we can avail of everlasting life, Jesus died to free us from our sins and the law code.. the 10 commandments, (over 600 rules), that Paul called a curse.... it was given by God to the Jewish nation it was never given to the Christians.. we are under only two... to love God with all our hearts and soul and too love our neighbour as ourselves, yes we can be declared righteous by the law code but that would be saying we do not believe in why Jesus died.Do you want to follow 600 rules?.. no one ever has managed to do that
This display means nothing, it could get the people involved blood poisoning and a lot of discomfort.. do you really think your Jesus.. you presume so much and lower the meaning of his death.We have the life as Chritians today because Gods son gave his life to save us all......
In the small village of Cutud, about 80 km (50 miles) north of Manila, men cried out as nails the size of pencils were driven into their hands and feet before they were hoisted up in the scorching heat. Eight went through the process. Eleven backed out, organizers said.
"The poor are getting poorer. They are the focus of my penance and my petitions. I pray there's equality in the society," said Ruben Inaje, showing his bandaged hands after his crucifixion.
In the neighboring province of Bulacan, five people were nailed to wooden crosses, including a 15-year-old boy and an 18-year-old girl.
Thousands watched the spectacle in Cutud, which has grown from a village production started in 1962 to a media and tourist attraction copied in other parts of the country.
For hours before the crucifixions lines of men, hooded and half naked, flayed their backs with bamboo whips and paddles tipped with broken glass. Blood splattered over the road.
The atmosphere was festive, with hawkers selling beer, ice-cream and souvenir whips. VIPs watched from a specially elevated "viewing platform."
The country's dominant Catholic Church disapproves of the crucifixions and flagellations as a misrepresentation of the faith.
"The spiritual dimension is totally lost, and it's entered into only because of some shows, some manifestations for other people to be satisfied with or to see," said Bishop Deogracias Iniguez.
"Many of these penitents, those who are practicing these physical afflictions have a meager, have a shallow understanding of these practices."
Tarsiers comment:-
For me this is a mockery of why Jesus died, he died so we can avail of everlasting life, Jesus died to free us from our sins and the law code.. the 10 commandments, (over 600 rules), that Paul called a curse.... it was given by God to the Jewish nation it was never given to the Christians.. we are under only two... to love God with all our hearts and soul and too love our neighbour as ourselves, yes we can be declared righteous by the law code but that would be saying we do not believe in why Jesus died.Do you want to follow 600 rules?.. no one ever has managed to do that
This display means nothing, it could get the people involved blood poisoning and a lot of discomfort.. do you really think your Jesus.. you presume so much and lower the meaning of his death.We have the life as Chritians today because Gods son gave his life to save us all......
Monday, March 17, 2008
Philippines To Go 'Hand-To-Hand' If Forced To War
Philippines To Go 'Hand-To-Hand' If Forced To War
March 17, 208
Preciosa Dumlao - AHN News Writer
Manila, Philippines (AHN) - The Philippines will defend its territory and its military is "ready to go to war" anytime even to do "hand-to-hand" combat because of its limited firepower.
Speaking to reporters in the Philippine summer capital of Baguio City, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr., said the country's military is ready to defend Manila's claim on the disputed Spratly Islands despite its limited military hardware.
The Spratly Islands, comprised of 100 islets, shoals and islands, is believed to be rich in oil and natural gas and is claimed by six nations, including China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Brunei and Vietnam.
Esperon said the country's security forces will defend its territory when all diplomatic efforts fail to resolve any conflict with a foreign nation.
"While your soldiers are ready to go to war anytime, as in other wars, there are of course efforts to settle the differences through diplomatic channels. We can go to war, we can still go to war. But the next question is, can we win? That's the question, do we have the capabilities?" he said.
However, he acknowledged defending the country's territory would be very difficult and will require fighter jets which, the Philippine Air Force do not have. Its last F5 fighter planes was decommissioned several years ago.
"We may not have the chance, but that does not mean that soldiers are not willing to fight for the country," he said
Oh!.. TALAGA...There is an island in the Philippines thats occupied by Vietnamese forces, around 50 Vietnamese combatants took control whilst the Philippines army was celebrating a birthday party... no what.. they are still there, controlling part of Philippines territory.. can you tell me why??..the Philippines cant defend itself as there is no air cover, perhaps Philippines Airlines would like to lend the armed forces an airplane?.. when was the last fighter plane de-commisioned?,was it not in 2005... tarsier
March 17, 208
Preciosa Dumlao - AHN News Writer
Manila, Philippines (AHN) - The Philippines will defend its territory and its military is "ready to go to war" anytime even to do "hand-to-hand" combat because of its limited firepower.
Speaking to reporters in the Philippine summer capital of Baguio City, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr., said the country's military is ready to defend Manila's claim on the disputed Spratly Islands despite its limited military hardware.
The Spratly Islands, comprised of 100 islets, shoals and islands, is believed to be rich in oil and natural gas and is claimed by six nations, including China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Brunei and Vietnam.
Esperon said the country's security forces will defend its territory when all diplomatic efforts fail to resolve any conflict with a foreign nation.
"While your soldiers are ready to go to war anytime, as in other wars, there are of course efforts to settle the differences through diplomatic channels. We can go to war, we can still go to war. But the next question is, can we win? That's the question, do we have the capabilities?" he said.
However, he acknowledged defending the country's territory would be very difficult and will require fighter jets which, the Philippine Air Force do not have. Its last F5 fighter planes was decommissioned several years ago.
"We may not have the chance, but that does not mean that soldiers are not willing to fight for the country," he said
Oh!.. TALAGA...There is an island in the Philippines thats occupied by Vietnamese forces, around 50 Vietnamese combatants took control whilst the Philippines army was celebrating a birthday party... no what.. they are still there, controlling part of Philippines territory.. can you tell me why??..the Philippines cant defend itself as there is no air cover, perhaps Philippines Airlines would like to lend the armed forces an airplane?.. when was the last fighter plane de-commisioned?,was it not in 2005... tarsier
Sunday, March 16, 2008
“Heartthrobs Live on Guam.”
10:15 a.m., March 16 — Metro Pacific Productions Inc., in partnership with ABS-CBN Star Magic, will sponsor the musical event, “Heartthrobs Live on Guam.”
The live performance will star some of the Philippines biggest male performers, including Piolo Pascual, John Lloyd Cruz and Sam Milby. There also will be an appearance by comedian Pokwang.
The one-night performance will be held March 19 at the Father Duenas Memorial School’s Phoenix Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert starts at 8 p.m.
VIP reserved tickets range from $150, $100, $75 and $50. Bleacher tickets are $40, General admission is $30 and balcony seats are $25.
They can be purchased at National Office Supply stores, Metro Pacific Productions Inc., Bench, Government of Guam Federal Credit Union, Ben and Yan, Josie’s Batchoy, Seaside Fish Mart, Gudtaym Lounge, Laguna Kitchenette, John B’s Mart, Joys Restaurant.
The live performance will star some of the Philippines biggest male performers, including Piolo Pascual, John Lloyd Cruz and Sam Milby. There also will be an appearance by comedian Pokwang.
The one-night performance will be held March 19 at the Father Duenas Memorial School’s Phoenix Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert starts at 8 p.m.
VIP reserved tickets range from $150, $100, $75 and $50. Bleacher tickets are $40, General admission is $30 and balcony seats are $25.
They can be purchased at National Office Supply stores, Metro Pacific Productions Inc., Bench, Government of Guam Federal Credit Union, Ben and Yan, Josie’s Batchoy, Seaside Fish Mart, Gudtaym Lounge, Laguna Kitchenette, John B’s Mart, Joys Restaurant.
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